So I've had an interesting turn of events over the last week in regards to retention. Basically, I'm trying to work a deal to get what I wanted in the first place- don't PCS me and let me fly. I've been talking with my commander about withdrawing my 7-day opt voluntary separation and staying as a free agent with no ADSC. My base's flying squadrons are losing FGOs in droves (surprise) so AFPC might actually go for it. I'm still doing research and waiting on some answers to make sure there are no loopholes in the AFI they can get me with, but it's looking promising. My intent is to keep building hours and drop applications as soon as I hit the mins for the majors, then punch when I want on my own terms. I feel like this is smart if I can pull it off, but please tell me if I'm an idiot.

They do acknowledge a pending FGO shortage in the screenshot…if it’s the best situation for your family, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

I have no sympathy for a bunch of government idiots who force pilots out of the cockpits as they make rank. The Chair Force creates their own problems.

It isn't just the AF. Outside of army WO's/CWO's, this is a problem that permeates every part of the officer side of military aviation. If you're an O1-O6, the "up or out" system is an endless goat circus of flying, staff tours, deployments, war college/grad school and more staff tour rotations. It is what it is, and it isn't unique to any one branch.

Prior active duty and long time Reservist here. Currently sitting as a SQ/CC.

One problem I’m having is my manning document, specifically that I’m limited in size. I only have so many slots I can hire to and pit overages against. I would hire more, but I only have so many flight hours and simulator periods to allocate. If they plus up my manning document, I can hire more folks from active duty. We are turning away some high quality pilots because insimolybdont have the room. Im
at 125% manned as it is.

I just pushed the retirement button. I just saw the headline that POTUS is considering sending 50,000 troops. Looked like there’s a a chance I will be stop-lossed. What a fitting end to a 26 year career..

If the Ukraine situation pops off, you may be an idiot. (Unless you want to trade kinetic insults with people showing the wrong gage signs) If it doesn't now is as good a time as any to punch out.

I'm committed for another year regardless, but only about 6 months of that will be time in the cockpit so I'm trying to sneak in a little extra.. If things get bad enough by my ADSC where I get pulled into that mess, they probably wouldn't let separate anyway.

Get your ducks in a row and get out ASAP. Seniority, seniority, seniority. Russia/China/Ukraine/Iran, whatever...if any of it pops off, we're all getting stop-lossed, activated, recalled, and for others...probably drafted. Flying hub turns one day will be the least of our worries. But, if you get out and get hired now, you'll have that line number waiting for you after we win. Good luck.

^^^^ This. Exactly this.

I guess it needs to be said - if the fireworks over Kiev spread to a NATO country or if anything happens that leads to a Cold War style great power rivalry on European soil again, expect that the WARNORD's will not spare you even if you're recently retired. Retirement orders usually state that you are subject to recall and mobilization even AFTER retirement (from AD or the SELRES); remember, retiring is NOT the same as resigning your commission. If you retire, your commission is still in effect and you absolutely can be recalled and sent to whatever circle jerk we're in. This even happened to some retirees during OIF/OEF though it wasn't common. Either way, if you're under 65 and either retired, planning to retire soon or AD/SELRES, you are fair game if the **** really starts to go off over there. In a real conflict, the canary in the coal mine is definitely to what extent they stop loss discharges/retirees and recall the IRR. That being said, it's unlikely it'll get to the point imo.

It is what it is…

For that matter, even if you’ve never served you might be in the frag pattern….

https://i.ibb.co/h10GCsG/EC17-A11-E-...2-BF23-BE1.jpg

I fly with 121 pilots who are still in their post-discharge IRR service obligation who say "they'll never recall me, I'm 30 pounds overweight and pre-diabetic". I keep reminding young'uns that if you still have an MSO, even if it's in the IRR, you will be recalled in the event of a war regardless of your weight. The meme of CPT Front-Butt and that morbidly obese Marine Captain are real life dudes who were recalled from the IRR during OIF/OEF. Your expanding waist will not save you from the suck, so never say never.

FWIW, if they ever do invade, it'll be over so fast I doubt we'll ever get to stop loss or retiree recalls. Putin has everything east of the Dnieper surrounded on three sides, and this terrain is Rommel's wet dream for an armored invasion because it's completely flat and frozen this time of year.

mid I got recalled to AD, they better not expect me to pass a PT test, I’ll tell you that much.

Those obese soldier/marine memes are real people. They don't care. If it gets to the point where they're this desperate like they were for some positions during OIF/OEF, they'll recall you even if you're morbidly obese and can't pass a PT test, and trust me, it will suck either way. I've seen it.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. 20 years watching this, with the operators telling leadership they're the problem. Leadership all looks at each other and says "they're wrong we can fix this." Lather rinse repeat.

For anyone out there reading this thread, don't think the USAF has 2000 cockpits sitting empty. It's staff wiener positions that are sitting empty, not jets. Get rid of half the GO's, and their bloated staffs and you can cut 75% of that pilot shortage. Stop cutting flight hours and let dudes actually stay in the jet and the problem is solved. Want to put on O-6, then play the game. Want to stay in the jet and fly your whole career, terminal O-3/4 at 20. Better yet let the AD guys follow a ANG/AFR construct and never PCS and have stable family lives.

Yes. No real question about preventing an invasion unless we first build up forces in UK.

Question is do we go in and dig him out? That's a pretty far bridge.

But at the very likely we'd at build up forces in and around Western Europe to look tough... sounds like ideal utilization for over-the-hill IRR and retirees.

https://youtu.be/bJaSIUCPZKc


‘Twas ever thus…’

https://media1.tenor.com/images/a01d...temid=13360691

Yeah, I don't disagree. As a reservist who will be a retiree in the next few years though, I'm hoping (and praying to Jobu) that this doesn't happen. Two forever-wars that have lasted almost my entire 20 year career have been enough for me. Yo, bartender, Jobu needs a refill...

It has occasionally crossed my mind if I could be called back. Due to injuries sustained in the line of duty I lost my flight status and was sent home. Hold a 90% rating (nothing that the FAA is worried about before anyone starts). I can still shoot a gun, carry a ruck and make a helicopter dance on the head of a pin (and am current). Think there is ever a snowballs chance in hell they would call me back short of armed militia guarding what is left of the country?

Are you PDRL or did you take a medical discharge without a DOD rating? If you are PDRL it's always possible you could get called back because your commission is still in effect, should have even said on your retirement orders "subject to recall by the secretary" or something like that. With that said, it would take some pretty serious escalation to recall people on the PDRL and you'd probably be after a draft is re-instituted. If you're not TDRL/PDRL and you're just a regular retiree under 65, the chances are much higher if you've got a skill in demand they need to backfill in the event there's an actual build up again. And if you're a medical discharge with just a VA rating and no DOD rating (as in, not in a retired military status at all), you technically resigned your commission when you took the discharge/separation so it's pretty unlikely. If you have any MH ratings (MDD, Bipolar, etc) it gets closer to a zero chance even if the Russkies are invading Colorado, but you could always join the Wolverines.

For the COIN conflicts of the last decade they were very concerned with medical fitness when recalling reserves (even SELRES/TR), that was because they did not want to bring in someone who could claim an pre-existing condition to angle for a medical retirement upon exiting AD. It doesn't matter if it was pre-existing, you can still claim benefits once on AD (especially if the condition was aggravated or got worse).

IMO if the pop really hits the fan the DoD will be far less concerned with medical fitness for older, experienced personnel (especially staff qualified senior O's). I suspect there will be different medical policies for junior rifle carriers than those with other specific skills.

I've seen those kinds of waivers for high-demand low-density skillsets, even during GWOT. The hypothetical long-term potential cost of dealing with medical issues would pale in comparison to the requirements to conduct (or constrain) a ground war in Europe.

Politically it would be much easier to incur costs (that's what DoD does best!) then to deal with the political repercussions of a draft. Especially since the draft gets you mostly junior rifle carriers, not experienced leadership.

As far as I know CRAF pilots can still quit their job. Unlike many in the the USMM they are not by definition members of a reserve component.

They try to drag me back they better come with a lot of friends.

Its not me they have to worry about. Its my wife. She's a far better shot than I am.

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They'll have your vaccine waiver all ready to go.

Ya. Just like the zero approved waivers out of 716ish applied for at my NOSC.

Fun fact. Got a call from the nosc demanding I show proof of vaccination. And my motorcycle safety course as it expired in November.

I've been retired since December 1st.

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My relief no-showed due to going on Mob. Somehow the system was not updated to reflect my rotation/retirement, so I kept getting phone calls for six months... some related to operational business. I actually helped out and solved a few problems for them. I was the CO.