Originally Posted by Starlifter

AS an AF Reserve IMA I can comment on this abit. Rick partly what you say is true, however there are many ways to skin this cat. First, as a AF Reserve IMA there is no HYT for an 0-4. (reference HQ ARPC website, Separations, MSD) You establish a HYT date once you've been passed over for 0-5 twice. You meet your first 0-5 board after you have completed one good year before the board meets, which it meets about June or so each year. For an 0-5 HYT would be 28yrs based on TFCSD.
The Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act (ROPMA) of 1996 changed the HYT rules.

As for ways to work the system. Remember you get a buttload of points for ACSC or AWC. While both of them suck to do. Once completed, you can get up to 2 years of points for each course which could put you over the 8yrs of reserve requirement should you have a medical problem.

I do know that the Navy has this policy about folks with high AD time getting to the 18year sanctuary, but as far as I know the AF does not have this. There are many cases with guys getting off AD with 16yrs getting to the reserves and building up heaps of AD time with long trips and such and making it to 20yrs AD with an immediate retirement. I would guess you would have about 25-26yrs of Total Commissioned Service by the 20yr AD point if you worked the system right. I can think of 3 folks that even made 0-6 doing this with an immediate 0-6 retirement! These guys all had 5-10yrs of longevity with their airline when they started to collect their immediate 0-6 retirement!

That being said, you can work the system too hard/well and medically stress yourself out way too early(before 20yrs service) (trying to make a reserve job into an AD one) and perhaps then you have something to worry about.


Lifter