Wow. I can see why you'd be inclined to stay in. As a C-17 IP, I've spent just over 2 of the last 3 years away from my wife and kids. I'm PCSing to Altus just to get a break from this stuff. And of course, others touched on the fact that when you are home, you still don't get to enjoy you time not deployed since the wing will need someone to be the POC for this or that complete waste of time...

 

I was referring to the guys in the F-15E community. Anyway, The AF better get a clue. As Woody Hayes used to say, "you win with people." Don't know which desk jockey is telling the air staff that F-35s and F-22s and C-17s will fly themselves but from talking with most of my friends, the C-17 community is going to be hurting once everyone come up on their commitments.

 

Yeah, a good friend just got screwed with one. And here's the kicker, he WANTED to deploy (To build hours and experience) with the squadron and continue to another flying assignment and will now get neither. Our squadron got briefed on this UAV potential and it's amazing that guys will have to fight to keep flying. It was as if layoffs were going to occur.

 

Those are unbelievable numbers! 20/25!! Did your CO go into Cardiac Arrest? Emergency JOPA meeting with the CO?

Funny how the numbers stuff works out. I have seen some pretty slick shifting of this and that to get the results you want!!!

I dropped my letter this time last year. Passed on the bonus after much thought. Lots of the reasons discussed here are the reason for my decision. Kind of a surprise to everyone when I punched, after 11 years I had seen enough of AD. I stayed in the reserves though. Even being a new guy where I am now it is SO much better than being a DH where I was!

Did you know Eric A.? Lost touch. Wondering where he ended up.

 

What was this guys qual level (IP,AC,CP). Sometimes I think a group of 4 year olds could run manning better. VSP, non-vol's to UAV's, and yet we're still trying to buy more. Who's gonna fly the damn things?

 

Moose,
So would you bag your LCC gig and go back on active duty if you had the opportunity?

Just curious how many dudes out there are in a similar situation...not satisfied with how things are on the outside and would jump at the opportunity to get back in and finish out 20 years? Wonder is AFPC would put some kind of code on your AFSC to ensure you get hosed at every opportunity.

 

[quote=Rocco;257395]Those are unbelievable numbers! 20/25!! Did your CO go into Cardiac Arrest? Emergency JOPA meeting with the CO?quote]


No, however the Commodore did call a meeting with all of us that got out and asked a series of questions about why we're getting out. I think the numbers hit the Bureau at a pretty staggering pace and he was tasked to find out why. Not much the CO's can do about guys getting out as the problems are well above the squadron/CAG level. Time will tell.

 

Badger, are you at 106? If so, Rhino or Hornet side?

 

No, however the Commodore did call a meeting with all of us that got out and asked a series of questions about why we're getting out. I think the numbers hit the Bureau at a pretty staggering pace and he was tasked to find out why. Not much the CO's can do about guys getting out as the problems are well above the squadron/CAG level. Time will tell.[/quote]


"Time will tell". I will be surprised what effects IA's, decrease manning on the boat side, helo community. etc. etc....has on future numbers in the next few years.

I only know 3 people "staying in" from their JO tours....might have something to do with 10 years prior "E" time. 3-4 years to retirement plus a bonus would be hard to pass up I guess.

 

That's a tough question and each guy's situation is different. If I could rewind life a couple years and have the 20 year ACIP bonus available again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. With half up front, the compound interest and/or investment growth works out to be quite a large sum. Even going back on AD today without the bonus available I'd still come out well ahead financially. With each passing day and active duty pay period with the AFRES, the incentive gets larger. Time value of money is they key here.

Try this: find an online retirement calculator. Input some numbers to answer this question: "instead of an O5 pension starting at age 43 (or whatever your 20 year retirement age is), what if Uncle Sam paid me cash to invest, so that starting at age 43 I could withdraw it at an amount equal to said O5 pension until age xx (where xx equals your expected age at death)." Put another way: Let's say you're age 33 now and have 10 years to AD retirement. How much would you have to invest each of those 10 years in order to withdraw it for 40 years (or more - 3 out of my 4 grandparents lived past 90) at the rate of O5 retirment pay to end up with zero remaining at death? The result will blow you away, and that's essentially how much your pension is worth in addition to your salary.

Then again, I'm the breadwinner in the family and my wife has a very portable (but not very well paying) job and could work anywhere in the country. If she earned a bunch of $$ and PCSing all the time would hinder that earning potential, then it may have made sense to separate so our combined earnings would surpass my reduced earnings. Such is not the case in my family.

So to answer your question, yes I'd go back on AD. It may suck, but 6-7 years is a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of your life. Of course as soon as I'd sign the paperwork, UPS/FDX would start hiring again and call me the day before I left on a 1 year remote