PRS Guitars

Where did you get that info? I've been instructing in a AETC for a decade and haven't seen any grads assigned drones (RPA's) for over 5 years.

PRS Guitars

The executive order raised the cap from 25 to 1,000. Whether or not the pentagon excerisis that right is still up in the air.

I can tell you that they're going to have some pretty disgruntled officers if they do this. Personally, if I'm recalled, I will min run it for three years. I'll put in a 4 hour day, with a 2 hour gym break during that 4 hour day.

They need a bigger carrot, not a bigger stick. Our armed forces work well because they are all volunteer. This changes that, and will backfire.

JTwift

I guarantee the recall won't include any bonuses and you will be ineligible for promotion. If they want people to come back, they need to do one or both.

PRS Guitars

You're right. I'd actually consider volunteering, if they promoted me right now to O5 and provided a $100k per year bonus. And I'd even fly a desk and be productive (unlike my comments above, if they don't offer a bonus & promotion).

tomgoodman

It’s like the draft in reverse ... instead of nuggets, they get figmos.

sulkair

Not flaming - honest question. Didn't you volunteer to be in this recallable status?

I was enlisted so maybe it's different, but I knew I would have 3 years IRR after my active service. Not saying I would have been happy to be recalled, but I did sign my name to the possibility.

rickair7777

EVERYBODY is on the hook for no less than eight years when they INITIALLY join the service in ANY capacity. Those who leave AD or even the reserves inside of eight years automatically go to the IRR and stay there until at least the eight year mark. They are subject to recall, it's happened but it's very rare.

If you retire it's actually called "retainer pay", and it's like being in the IRR... they can, and rarely do, recall people involuntarily. Once you get to a certain age, you actually become retired.

PRS Guitars

Fair question. And yes I knew this when I signed up. That doesn't change the fact that this isn't a good way to go. My (and most other airline pilots) give a **** factor will be pretty low after uprooting my family to move to a small town we don't want to live in, have to sell our house, take a 50% pay cut, working more hours. Will I do it, of course...will I like it, hell no.

The Air Force has a retention problem, they can fix it in better ways than this. How about using the bonus to $75k a year, that'd probably solve the problem. $100k for sure would. Additionally, improvements in queep work, non flying jobs, additional duties need to be made. The AF is competing with airlines for retention (not recruitment by the way, I assure you there is no shortage of young Lt’s wanting to be AF pilots). It’s a pilots market now, so they have to match airline potential. Just like they have to entice Doctors and Dentists. Their other option is to have a twenty year commitment after wings, but then they would have a recruitment problem...

rickair7777

Also... philosophically, the provision to recall retirees really exists in the event of mass mobilization, ie WWIII, alien invasion, etc.

It's not unreasonable to be peeved if the USAF is abusing this provision to paper over their abysmal force management and cultural issues.

dingo222

This sounds like "stop/loss" for some of us enlisted guys. Retention dropped even lower after stop/loss was lifted. DOD got what they wanted though. Bullsh*t if you asked me.