Originally Posted by
kwri10s
Most guys do not mil drop for every mil duty. For one, if I Mil drop then I am forcing the company to take that trip off my hands. If I just straight drop then I am asking for permission not to do the trip and I am being approved. While a small difference, I try to save the "mil drop" option for when I absolutely have no other option. Yes it costs me B fund contributions, but it is also not taking advantage of the system. I am getting off a trip just like everyone else. My trip straight dropped into open time can be picked up by someone and flown, while my mil drop I forced might be given to a reserve pilot. If I can't straight drop the trip, I try to change my mil if possible or find another work around. If everyone taking mil always just jammed the schedulers forcing them off trips, then at some point the company may be inclined to slow down the volume of my military buddies that they hire in the future. Or they might just make it more and more unpleasant when we do have to take mil (more then they do now). There are lots of ways the mil guys could take advantage of the system, we try to self police, and this is one of the ways we try to limit the impact on the company, and our fellow pilots.
What you are really doing is undercutting the benefits we are entitled to under Federal Law. If you feel like giving up the B Fund contributions someone fought to put into law, that's your choice. Also, you really think it makes a bit of difference if you use MLA or regular drop to shed a trip? Come on. What about sick, or vacation? Finally, with the tremendous number of current/former military pilots on the line and in management here, do you truly think dropping trips for MLA would make them not hire military guys? For me, if it's a military reason for not being able to take a trip, I notify the company as required by USERRA and go do my duty while fully covered by Federal law.