visdane

Hello all,

Been reading posts for past few months, but never posted. I need your help. Have a chance to join ScanEagle as an FSR, but am split on the decision.

Current: Engineer w/ defense company (80k, SoCal, mid to late 20s, clearance, experience working at military bases/exercises, PPL). I make decent money, have a good boss, but only travel about once a year and am getting a bit restless. My current program is stable for atleast 1-2 years.

I am trying to make a pro/con list to help me decide. Anything I missed?

The good:
New opportunities/horizons
Adventures, experiences, and intrigue
Lots of time off when back stateside [Can I travel somewhere else or I have to return to the US?]
Guesstimating another $25K

The bad:
Risk to bodily injury [How high is this realistically?]
Time away from gf/family
Stuck in this field versus engineering
Eating/Living in less than accustomed to
Leaving current team

Traveling the world and being a UAV operator seems amazing, but it hard to leave a good position in a bad economy. I think this is the time to do it -- and don't want any regrets.

What would you do?

Jetjok

You're young. You make a decent salary. You are in a profession that will only continue to grow. Your future should be bright. I'd recommend you go out and buy a BMW (preferably a convertible), get a hot girl friend, and take some more vacations. And I'm really not kidding about any of the above. If you have a need to "see the world", do it on your own dime. That way, you're in control. When you get sick of 3rd world countries, come home. Much better than possibly ending up in some hell-hole that you hated the moment you set foot in it, and know you won't be able to do anything about it for a year or two.

JJ

Clue32

First, welcome to the site. Second, do what you think is best for you, not what is best for me or anyone else that replies here. I think you'd be crazy to leave a stable job in your 20s for a short term adventure. You're building your professional reputation in your industry, and that takes a long time. If you're restless, let your employer know that you are ready for a new and exciting challenge with-in the company. Show future employers that you've been loyal to your employer as well as trusted and respected by your current employer through steady advancement. If you want to travel, take a vacation. If your company has world wide offices, see if you can do a one year exchange in another country.

The chance of being injured or killed is real, but so is dying on the interstate on your way home from work; while you have control over your driving you don't have control over the rockets fired towards the bases. You also need to take a good look at the bennefits packages. Some contractors seem to pay big, but there could be little to no bennefits. Also, if you're not familiar with the military lifestyle, it could be a hard adjustment to dive into that world.

rickair7777

Long-term, I think most military UAV operators will be military personnel. This is one of those things which is as obvious as water flowing downhill. The AF or other services may try to entrench civilian contractors to save money...but the first time a UAV rolls out on or designates a baby milk factory, congress will step in and fix that. If a soldier does it, its collateral damage, if a civilian does it, it's a crime against humanity.

Savvy military leaders will recognize this and proactively shift to military operators. I think we seeing this now.

The point of this...you may not be able to make a career out of military UAV operations, although I'm sure operator experience would help you get in on the engineering side.

If you want an adventure...now's the time while you are young, single and have time to get back on your career track. But, like others have said, adventure usually consists of someone else far away having a really bad time You'll have cool stories to tell later, but of course they will all be classified.

visdane

Thanks for replies on the post.

JJ: Funny post.. I have a 328 (no convertible tho ;( ) and a cute girlfriend 4 years my younger. I've seen a small part of the world (India/SE. Asia -- really enjoyed it), but it is hard with only 2weeks vacation and buying all those intl. plane tickets.

Clue32: Thanks for welcome. Just to say a bit more, I am basically staying within the same company (I work for the parent corp). Been doing relatively same work for 5 years, and am getting that itch. [Think it's in pilots for that need to explore]. Think same about fatalist mentality, though I'm sure hostile environments aren't lowering the chances. Think also it's going to be definitely a big adjustment.

rickair777: Agreed on the shift. I'm already entrenched on the engineering side, I am hopeful that UAV operations experience could lead down the road to a Business Development type, if not State/cia, position. The main impetus though is to get away from the cubicles.

golfandfly

I think the UAV job will offer far less glamorous travel and intrigue than you hoping for. Your travels will most likely end up in the Middle East area. That said, if you are looking for something new and different, give it a shot. You are only young once and, if you don't like it, you can move to something different. You sound like you want an adventure and the military (you'll almost be in it) provides plenty of "adventure."

I would plan on a lot of time away from home. You need to check with the POC to find out what the requirements will be. At this time, I wouldn't be overly concerned at danger/bodily injury, but it can always happen. You aren't signing up to patrol streets or drive in convoys. For those of us in the military, one of the biggest drawbacks is time away from home. You never get to replace this time. When you have limited responsibilities (no wife and kids), time away usually isn't that big of a deal. I don't know how time away will effect your girlfriend, but it seems it usually doesn't work out for many. Anyway, your next step should be a phone call to the POC. Have your questions ready and if you get a bad vibe, maybe it isn't the right time for you to make a change. There are other ways to find adventure too.

jaitken

Visdane.

Most UAV positions require some military experience with military flight training a strong suggestion. However you may not need to have passed military flight school to get the UAV position. The UAV pilots are called AVO's Air Vehicle Operators since you do not leave the ground.
If you are interested this company has a lot of openings.
MDA Corporation

One pro to think about is the one vs off time. When you are on you are on 12 hrs a day, when you are off you are away from the combat zone and on a beach somewhere drinking Mai Tais.

Another pro is the training and experience you will get. You can then use this to get back into a white collar working career. Plus you will have plenty of time to job hunt during your last tour.

Another pro is retention bonuses. After spending a lot of time training you they are going to offer annual retention bonuses to keep you.

That being said the reason most companies want prior military experience is that they know a) you have the security clearance b) you know the types of living conditions (shared rooms, canteen food and potential danger).

Good luck with your decision.