Minimum requirement
 

Hi all

I’m currently hold ASEL and almost meet the minimum requirements for AIA.
I think a lot of candidates have couple of thousand hours and military experience so that looks me not have a good qualification to be competitive.
Do I need additional ratings (AMEL,CFI etc.) or flight hours to be competitive?
I think law enforcement job is very honorable because they protect and serve for this great nation that’s why I would like to be AIA.
Please any comments or advice.

Thanks in advance

Anyone start at the academy since the covid stop?

He isn’t wrong, but the culture in the two stations I was at was horribly toxic.

Miami (really Homestead) may be the best station by location - but reports on the culture turned even worse following years behind my departure. My own supervisor counted the days to his retirement.

The majority of supervisors in Miami are now Marine / Boat drivers with very little understanding of anything aviation. You can easily find yourself assigned to fly 6+ hours of your 8 hour shift in an empty sector to simply burn flight hours for the budget.

You will work 5 days per week, every week, 8 hours minimum shift. Your days off are assigned, and the job is not commutable. Seniority matters...none. Expect collateral duty assignments, frequent law enforcement specific training qualifications, and frequent computer AKO/NKO style training - just to remind you why you disliked the military.

Every two weeks you will have to enter your time card into the system, then sparking calls to the supervisors office to change every entry accounting for your regular time, availability time, sick leave, annual leave, night pay, holiday pay and travel days. It took a cheat sheet of codes to enter your times in their DOS based system. Any travel claims will be scrutinized to the penny, and probably paid late.

FLETC is okay, but expect to be restricted to living on campus for several months as a geo-bachelor. There just isn’t much time to get out or spend time with family. The academics weren't anything to worry about. OAM Pilots are kind of a target for other agency basic school instructors to complain about - so you kind of have to keep a low profile moving about the campus.

Training is conducted at a vendor such as Helistream or Flightsafety which is pretty good; but then you return to your branch or the National Training Center to get checked again.

Its a government job...survivable, stable, sometimes fun, usually as inefficient as possible. Loads of contact with your 8 bosses.

On the plus side - you shoot a lot of guns (until you tire of qualifying on each extra gun/rifle). Lol...really. Veterans try to cut down to one pistol, and maybe one rifle if required.

And then you might fly planes. :). That was the part I liked. 6+ hours with generally good dudes once you escaped the office. Some of my best friends are the sensor operators (like A WSO/NFO), and we actively avoided any animosity among the Pilots and MSO’s - occasionally doing their jobs on a flight. Good people in our crews.

In contrast - (my) Airline life is 15+ days off a month, 50-80 hours of flying a month, two times the pay, commutable, and training is great. Majority of the guys I’ve flown with have been great both at work and on layovers etc. I’ve never met my boss, and block chunks 20+ days off for travel and activities.

If they open to non dual rated again, you probably stand a good chance of getting the job. They are having difficulty finding applicants. I can’t figure out why people aren’t lining up for the job.

you forgot the /sarc tag. :D

Assessment Timing
 

I’m guessing that there are quite a few people waiting for the assessments to start again in October (guessing the month). I’ve heard that there are typically scheduled weeks for the assessments in OKC. Any idea what the monthly or quarterly schedule looks like in a “normal” year?

Info
 

I am looking to apply to the Air interdiction Agent position once things start getting back to normal. However, as to what FLETC is like? How long is it? What is the day to day life like? Do you go through extensive firearms training, taser and pepper spray? What can one expect as a first station aircraft and QOL ?
Thank in advance!

Ditto. Gotta do some research. Have fun

Note:
CBP OAM just put a 3 year commitment/ $100k training contract in place.

Airlines ditched training contracts long ago as they made them non competitive. The contract is in place only after completing the 13+ week FLETC, and triggers if you fail to complete required training or get terminated.

OAM management just took a move to hold leverage over new hires.

I wouldn't touch an airline with a training

I laughed at the 3 year service commitment($100k to learn slow flight in a turboprop!) email. Their list of highly qualified pilots with conditional offers is going to evaporate tomorrow.

Indentured servitude... always a big draw for an employer in a skilled labor shortage.

good luck enforcing that.

Wow what a joke. That’s ridiculous


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Probably not tomorrow, it gave 72 hours to respond. So it will evaporate in 3 days

I can’t post a copy of the letter here is the email text:

“Dear Applicant,

Air and Marine Operations instituted a Continued Service Agreement (CSA) for all Air Interdiction Agent candidates. You will be required to sign a three (3) year, non-standard CSA that considers the time and expense invested in your initial aircraft vendor trainings. The CSA is authorized by the Government Employees Training Act (GETA) under 5 U.S.C. § 4108. For more information regarding CSAs, see www.opm.gov/wiki/training/Continued-Service-Agreements.ashx.

Please review the attached AIA Continued Service Agreement acknowledge form and complete within 72 hours. If no response within 72 hours your selection may be rescinded. For any questions on the Continue Service Agreement, please send an email to [email protected]

Regards“

Letter contents:

U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION AIR AND MARINE OPERATIONS
AIR INTERDICTION AGENT CONTINUED SERVICE AGREEMENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM
This document is for informational purposes only; it is not intended to be legally binding and does not constitute a commitment to or an official offer of employment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Air and Marine Operations (AMO). The information included within is to provide tentatively selected Air Interdiction Agents with the details of the Continued Service Agreement (CSA) that would require signature prior to being assigned to training with AMO.
On July 6, 2021, the AMO, Executive Assistant Commissioner issued a Policy entitled “3- Year Continued Service Agreements for Air Interdiction Agents.” In consideration of training provided by AMO, the following terms and conditions would apply upon your execution of a CSA in the event you enter of duty:
1. You will commit to serve with AMO for a period of three years.
2. The period of obligated service will begin the first day of the first pay period after completion of training and will conclude on the last day of the pay period during which the requisite 3-year obligation period is reached. The CSA will detail the applicable dates and training details.
3. If you choose to voluntarily leave the Department of Homeland Security to enter the service of another federal agency or other organization in any branch of the federal government, you will give your local Mission Support Specialist (MSS) at least thirty (30) days advance notice in writing, during which time the Executive Assistant Commissioner (EAC) must determine whether to require reimbursement or to transfer your remaining service obligation to the gaining agency. If you fail to give thirty (30) days advance written notice, it is assumed that you will reimburse CBP on a pro rata basis for direct costs of the completed training.
a. Based on Calendar Year 2021, vendor training, and associated cost estimates, the average training costs tied to a CSA are between $26,000 and $100,000. These estimates are not binding, can fluctuate, and depend on the training assigned to each Air Interdiction Agent.
4. If you choose to voluntarily retire or leave the federal government for outside employment, you will provide your local MSS at least thirty (30) days advance written notice if you do not intend to complete the 3-year service obligation set forth in the CSA. You may be required to reimburse CBP on a pro rata basis for direct costs of the completed training. If you fail to provide thirty (30) days advance written notice, it is assumed that you will reimburse CBP on a pro rata basis for direct costs of the completed training.
5. If you choose to voluntarily transfer to another component within the Department of Page 1 of 2
U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
AIR AND MARINE OPERATIONS
AIR INTERDICTION AGENT CONTINUED SERVICE AGREEMENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM
Homeland Security, you will provide your local MSS at least thirty (30) days advance written notice if you do not intend to complete the 3-year service obligation set forth in the CSA. CBP will transfer the remainder of the CSA to the gaining component. The gaining component will be notified by CBP and will continue to enforce the CSA. You will not be required to reimburse CBP for direct costs of the completed training.
6. If you are involuntarily separated from the federal government, you will not be required to reimburse CBP for direct costs of the completed training.
7. If you fail to complete a training program that is the subject of a CSA for reasons within your control, AMO may require you to reimburse CBP for the direct and/or contractually obligated costs associated with that training.
8. Any amount of money that is due to CBP as a result of your failure to satisfy the terms of the CSA may be recovered by setoff against accrued pay, compensation, retirement credit, or other monies due to you. CBP may deduct the reimbursement amount from your final paycheck(s) or may establish a payment plan if you show evidence of financial hardship.
9. Acceptance of the CSA does not alter the conditions or terms of your employment; accordingly, the CSA will not preclude or limit AMO from effecting any adverse personnel action(s) it deems appropriate. The CSA does not commit CBP to continue your employment.
10. The CSA may be terminated based solely on the needs of CBP management. Under such circumstances, you will not incur repayment of expenses incurred for any training or associated costs.
You can find general information regarding CSAs on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management website at www.opm.gov/wiki/training/Continued-Service-Agreements.ashx. If you have questions regarding the contents of this informational document, please contact [email protected]. Please provide your response within five (5) business days from the date of this notice. Failure to provide a response within five (5) business days may result in rescission of your tentative offer.
Please Initial One:
___I understand and would agree to the terms set forth above. ___I understand but would not agree to the terms set forth above.
Name (printed):________________________________________ ___ Date:________________ Signature:________________________________________ ________

Received the email Aug 3rd, today is the 6th.

This made me spit out my drink. Spot on.

Mushrooms?

Three years after each vendor training? Initial? Recurrent too?

Anyone that takes that offer and signs that contract is certifiable.

Oye.

Wow. I never would’ve even imagined this. Insulting requirements like this come and go, but the reputational damage lives forever. Unquestionably top 3 most short-sighted things I’ve seen in 20 years of government service. To the pros applying for this job, my apologies.

Careful, more time spent on MLOA than on the job and someone might mistake you for an airline pilot! :D

Well, it is the beginning of the fiscal year. Have any of you heard anything lately?

I haven’t heard a peep.

Anyone receive any updates?

Last call was two hours ago and you're still waiting to see if the fat girl will go home with you? :D

Ditch the BS poly

Pay them full rates + bonus for training and another bonus when they complete training

If assigned RPA, max is 2 years then you can move to fixed/rotary wing.

Lots of ways to attract the candidates you want

However the geniuses you guys have running AMO I won't expect much.

Good luck. The airlines are running out of qualified candidates and no poly required :)


This is not the early mid 2000s anymore. CBP can't continue to maintain that paradigm of hiring and expect to fill slots.

Anyone has heard from AMO yet?

NYANG has a GS-13 C-17 job advertised at 173,000-226,000. That is basically starting at the salary cap and going up, can't imagine the waivers required for that. I'd imagine they will still have trouble keeping people in that job. And no way AMO would ever be able to offer a deal like that.

Bottom line, there is no money to hire AIA's until someone quits or retires. AMO is over 37 mil short on salaries. Yes, the "GOONS" at HQ leave much to be desired. For those applying beware!

Just curious if anyone has heard anything or is moving forward with AMO. This thread has been crickets for almost 4 months. Not exactly a good sign….

Why go work for an organization that isn’t even allowed to do it’s primary job?

Now that the dual rating requirement is gone what is life on the helo side only? What are the chances of getting San Diego?

not sure the chances of San D but I see it’s listed as a new hire location for the first time in a while.

Hiring length
 

Hi Everyone,

Im curious to know what is the current hiring length to get onboard as a AIA?

Looking at CBP as an option, I've heard about the new hire locations to which they send folks. Any idea where those locations are? Are they fixed locations, or do they change from time to time (as a previous post spoke of San Diego having become a new hire location)?

Thank you!

here are the locations being offered under the current job announcement;

Southeast Region: (to include but not limited to the following locations) Homestead, FL and the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch (CAMB): Aguadilla, PR
Southwest Region: (to include but not limited to the following locations) Tucson and Yuma, AZ; San Diego, CA; El Paso, Laredo, and McAllen, TX
National Air Security Operation Center (NASOC) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Locations: (to include but not limited to the following locations) Sierra Vista, AZ; San Angelo, TX

Thanks for the info. Very helpful and a great start.

QOL
 

What is the QOL like as an AIA? Do most recommend it or are they all leaving for the airlines?

Depends on what you consider what a good QOL is.
As an AIA you will work more days per month than an airline pilot. However, you will sleep in your own bed more. Other than TDYs you will be home, but you will be working 5 days a week unless on leave or a Federal Holiday.