Air Force Life
07-03-2006, 06:01 AM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: C-130
Posts: 149
Originally Posted by gsu50
Herc, what are you a Reservist or something? Weekends off! Go to work in the morning, come home in the evening! I'm in AETC and that's about the closest I've ever been to a "normal" life, but I still work at least 12 hours a day, every day, and then I'm in on the weekends a lot too.....then there's the "good deal" Cross-countries, where I get paid next to nothing (no such thing as Overtime in the AF) to fly around with students all weekend and find a hotel for less than $50 a night, cause the squadron is too cheap to pay the Government allowed rate.
When I was in the C5, we were gone all the time, and no 2 days notice, sometimes we'd get back from a two or three week trip, and while we were unloading our gear from the bus, we'd get the word that we were back on the hook 12 hours later for another two to three week trip.
30 days of paid Vacation! True, but not always true, I've lost more leave in the past three years then I bet you've used.
I know I sound bitter, I actually do like my job though. The flying is great! The "extra duties" (made necessary because Congress votes raises for themselves, while Military leadership claims we can continue doing "more with less" so we end up doing Finace's job, MPF's job, the Hospitals job, you name it) suck ass.
When I was in the C5, we were gone all the time, and no 2 days notice, sometimes we'd get back from a two or three week trip, and while we were unloading our gear from the bus, we'd get the word that we were back on the hook 12 hours later for another two to three week trip.
30 days of paid Vacation! True, but not always true, I've lost more leave in the past three years then I bet you've used.
I know I sound bitter, I actually do like my job though. The flying is great! The "extra duties" (made necessary because Congress votes raises for themselves, while Military leadership claims we can continue doing "more with less" so we end up doing Finace's job, MPF's job, the Hospitals job, you name it) suck ass.
No, I'm active duty and my unit is heavily deployed. And, I'm not talking the 'fly to Germany for a week then Iraq for a few days, get tax free and then go home' type of deployed. I'm talking the 'living in Iraq and getting mortared every day for 4 months' type of deployed. Things are normal for us back home. We fly local training lines and work some crappy desk job 5 days a week. The C-130 has a much different mission than the C-5, C-17 so we don't get put on the hook a whole lot for Higher HQ type missions which could eat up a lot of weekend time. Same BS as above re: extra duties.
07-05-2006, 10:14 AM
#13
Line Holder
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: C-17 AC; 767 FO
Posts: 30
Originally Posted by Herc130AV8R
No, I'm active duty and my unit is heavily deployed. And, I'm not talking the 'fly to Germany for a week then Iraq for a few days, get tax free and then go home' type of deployed. I'm talking the 'living in Iraq and getting mortared every day for 4 months' type of deployed. Things are normal for us back home. We fly local training lines and work some crappy desk job 5 days a week. The C-130 has a much different mission than the C-5, C-17 so we don't get put on the hook a whole lot for Higher HQ type missions which could eat up a lot of weekend time. Same BS as above re: extra duties.
Sorry if I put you on the defensive there Herc, but when I read your post I was sitting at my desk at the end of a 16 hour day (non-flying) pulling safety duty. Needless to say I was in a bad mood.
I never got to stay in Germany for a week on the way to the box, that would be the C-17 dudes. We always got to enjoy 3 - 4 people per room in sunny Moron on constant alert status. But you are right, we never stayed in "those places" for any longer than it took to kick our cargo off, put new cargo on, maybe get gas, and get the hell out.
Thank God for beer, without it, I'm not sure what I'd have to look forword to with days like that.
07-09-2006, 10:17 PM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Posts: 900
People compare "going the civilian route" to military flying all the time. I guess I did too. Keyword: Did. I went the civilian route for a few years before coming into active duty Air Force and I can tell you that it's apples to oranges. The Air Force is not a flying career, unless of course you stay in for 10 years and get out. Lots of aspects of Air Force life as a pilot is airframe dependent, but for the most part, after you meet your flying "gates", the harder it is to get a flying assignment. The Air Force would much rather have you in a command position for the next 10 years than in the cockpit. It is not uncommon for a 20 year Colonel to retire with only 3,500-4,000 hours in tanker/airlift airframes. As a commercial pilot, it'll take you 5-6 years to fly that much. As said above, it's not just a flying job and many times, flying takes the back burner to administration duties. It's not uncommon for our pilots to be sent to the desert for a 60+ day operations staff duty. 12 hour days/7 days a week behind a PC with a phone glued to your ear every 2 minutes. Been there, done it, not very fun. I laugh when I read the above posts about doing everyone elses' job because we're trying to do more with less, because it's so true and it's only going to get worse. I can tell you that the flying is pretty much the only part of the job that keeps me sane. Oh, and of course the pay and benefits aren't bad either when comparing it to say, a regional or even the first few years with a major, but again, this is not like an airline where you fly for 3-4 days and then spend 2-3 days home, on the golf course, on the lake, you name it. It's 24/7. You're defending a country.
07-29-2006, 06:04 PM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: DA-40
Posts: 290
Originally Posted by usmc-sgt
I am not in the Air Force however i have friends there and know it is much more lenient and time consuming then the Marines. So i will explain my typical day and you can pretty much figure the Air Force will be very similiar if not a little better.
0500-0545 Wake up and take a shower, eat breakfast get ready for PT
0600-0730 PT usually run a few miles or some other sort of exercise
NOTE PT IS TYPICALLY MON-WED-FRI HOWEVER CAN BE MORE
0730-0830 Go home and take a shower, relax and get ready for work
0830-1115 Work, usually a typical job just hang around and get things accomplished, the more rank you have the less physical work you do, I am a Sergeant therfor i am a supervisor, people tell me what needs to get done and i make sure it gets done and supervise the results. I do not clean, sweap, mop, take out trash or anything of the sort. Much like any boss at your typical job
1115-1300 Eat lunch! Go wherever you want and do whatever you want, so long as it is legal and you are back by 1300
1300-1600 Continue working, or surfing the internet whichever comes first and than get ready to leave
1600-1630 Shop cleanup, exactly as it sounds. I ensure the workplace is clean and ready for the next days work
1630-0500 the next day You are off! You can go anywhere, and do anything you want, this includes, hang with your wife, friends, party, go to a movie, go out to dinner, anything that you would do as if it were a normal job..again, so long as it is legal and you are back to work at 0600 the next day for PT and do not REEK of alcohol.
On the days you do not PT you show up at 0700 and start work instead of the PT schedule.
Weekends my Battalion is great and we are usually off by noon for the weekend and you are free to do what you want until 0600 the following Monday.
EVERY federal holiday you WILL get a minimum of 3 days off, usually 4 starting at noon and being off for the following 3 or 4 days.
LEAVE, you will accumulate 2.5 days off per month for leave, they add up fast especially with deployments (i have 87.5) when you have leave you can put in your leave papers, typically min. 2 weeks in advance and go wherever. Most will go home to their families or go on vacation. Leave is usually a few weeks but it is not uncommon for someone to take over 30 at a time. LEAVE IS PAID!
now the storm cloud.....
I am currently in Iraq. I work around 12 hours per day, 7 days a week, every single day for about 7 months. However i make around 1000.00 more per month because of it.
Also you will learn that work comes first ALWAYS...if there is a mission to be accomplished you can and will work until it is done..24,36,48 hrs straight...whatever it takes, you will do it. The military will reward you though, we work hard and play harder so the time off is there. I have more time off in the military than i ever had at a civilian job.
I know i am not Air Force, but this should give you a rough idea. Send me a PM if you want and i can elaborate on some things, or check out www.aboutmilitary.com
0500-0545 Wake up and take a shower, eat breakfast get ready for PT
0600-0730 PT usually run a few miles or some other sort of exercise
NOTE PT IS TYPICALLY MON-WED-FRI HOWEVER CAN BE MORE
0730-0830 Go home and take a shower, relax and get ready for work
0830-1115 Work, usually a typical job just hang around and get things accomplished, the more rank you have the less physical work you do, I am a Sergeant therfor i am a supervisor, people tell me what needs to get done and i make sure it gets done and supervise the results. I do not clean, sweap, mop, take out trash or anything of the sort. Much like any boss at your typical job
1115-1300 Eat lunch! Go wherever you want and do whatever you want, so long as it is legal and you are back by 1300
1300-1600 Continue working, or surfing the internet whichever comes first and than get ready to leave
1600-1630 Shop cleanup, exactly as it sounds. I ensure the workplace is clean and ready for the next days work
1630-0500 the next day You are off! You can go anywhere, and do anything you want, this includes, hang with your wife, friends, party, go to a movie, go out to dinner, anything that you would do as if it were a normal job..again, so long as it is legal and you are back to work at 0600 the next day for PT and do not REEK of alcohol.
On the days you do not PT you show up at 0700 and start work instead of the PT schedule.
Weekends my Battalion is great and we are usually off by noon for the weekend and you are free to do what you want until 0600 the following Monday.
EVERY federal holiday you WILL get a minimum of 3 days off, usually 4 starting at noon and being off for the following 3 or 4 days.
LEAVE, you will accumulate 2.5 days off per month for leave, they add up fast especially with deployments (i have 87.5) when you have leave you can put in your leave papers, typically min. 2 weeks in advance and go wherever. Most will go home to their families or go on vacation. Leave is usually a few weeks but it is not uncommon for someone to take over 30 at a time. LEAVE IS PAID!
now the storm cloud.....
I am currently in Iraq. I work around 12 hours per day, 7 days a week, every single day for about 7 months. However i make around 1000.00 more per month because of it.
Also you will learn that work comes first ALWAYS...if there is a mission to be accomplished you can and will work until it is done..24,36,48 hrs straight...whatever it takes, you will do it. The military will reward you though, we work hard and play harder so the time off is there. I have more time off in the military than i ever had at a civilian job.
I know i am not Air Force, but this should give you a rough idea. Send me a PM if you want and i can elaborate on some things, or check out www.aboutmilitary.com
Thank you very much for your service to our country --- especially on your deployment to Iraq.
Kick some isurgent A$$ for all of us and be safe!!!
Thanks
07-29-2006, 06:12 PM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: DA-40
Posts: 290
Originally Posted by Duke
Chad,
Bro, I hear you about the e-mail. I often wonder what the hell AF pilot's did in the pre-computer/email days. I spend so much time responding to emails and taskers from email's that it drives me nuts! You almost can't keep up.
Imagine that.....a boss that is only one email away from tasking you to do more work....and now they have "blackberries" that allow them to "task" you at every whimsical thought, 24/7. Hey, for any you young guys out there currently active duty that want to "rise-up" to boycott this computer in every office thing, I'm game. We need to get back to people skills....and dare I say it....have meetings to conduct business, not emails.
What in the hell did all the old farts do without computers???? I know....they used a typewriter, white-out, and maybe even a secretary, and then they went to play golf. Ahhhhh, if I only had been born about 10-15 years earlier. [standby for old farts starting off with "youngster, when I was in...."]
I'm just kidding.... I want to hear how it was so I can dream please.
Duke
Bro, I hear you about the e-mail. I often wonder what the hell AF pilot's did in the pre-computer/email days. I spend so much time responding to emails and taskers from email's that it drives me nuts! You almost can't keep up.
Imagine that.....a boss that is only one email away from tasking you to do more work....and now they have "blackberries" that allow them to "task" you at every whimsical thought, 24/7. Hey, for any you young guys out there currently active duty that want to "rise-up" to boycott this computer in every office thing, I'm game. We need to get back to people skills....and dare I say it....have meetings to conduct business, not emails.
What in the hell did all the old farts do without computers???? I know....they used a typewriter, white-out, and maybe even a secretary, and then they went to play golf. Ahhhhh, if I only had been born about 10-15 years earlier. [standby for old farts starting off with "youngster, when I was in...."]
I'm just kidding.... I want to hear how it was so I can dream please.Duke
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