gr8vu

I am not well educated on the 179s but most I have seen the past year come down via UDM to wing level leadership for distribution and not directly to individuals by name. A 120-day deployment was just handed out after racking/stacking all available Lt Cols.

As for the 365s, our folks usually get the strategic warning email followed in many cases 2-3 days later with the by name tasking and 3 days to opt out if you meet the criteria. I have tried several angles the past 2 years to find out where I sit on the deployment list overall but the AEF center must guard it very closely. I've heard that for mobility pilots if you have certain quals...evaluator, airdrop, safety, etc then you have greater chance of getting hit.

Sequestration killed my safety board president class this year and kept me from consideration for the past 4 or 5 AMC incidents.

Feels like I'm living on borrowed time.

Galaxydriver

That is how it works. 179's are just assigned to the base, not by name from AFPC, so no 3/7 day opt choice. Wg/Gp/Sq leadership is who has control of who goes on these. The one exception is if the deployment has some very unique requirements (patch, chief of safety qual...) and there are no other choices on base. Still if papers were submitted and leadership manned up for a reclamma it would likely be accepted.

okawner

As they explained to me, there is no "master" list. The list is different for each requirement listed on their 365 spreadsheet (available on their website). The spreadsheet lists AFSC requirements, which is where you get your S, W, Q, T, K, etc. prefix requirements as well as other requirements that may be in the line remarks. I don't know if they can non-vol folks that don't meet the listed requirements (they probably can), but I do know if you want to volunteer for a job that you don't meet the listed requirements for, they will work with you. If you can manage doing 60, 90, 120 or 180 day deployments on a 1-1 dwell, then you can forestall the 365 monster and maybe even get yourself some short tour credit while you're at it (as I'm doing right now). Still sucks, but I get to fly.

FlyFastLiveSlow

Seems like crappy 365's is the USAF's most effective force shaping program yet. 10 years ago, I never heard aviators talking short tour return dates. Now, everyone without one lives in fear of the non-vol 365. Happily my STRD is next Jun from a cushy tour in Europe worth the non flying.

gr8vu

My overseas non flying PCS turned into 2 yrs staff pol-mil and bonus 2 yrs flying C-17s but didn't change my short tour date (other than TDYs/short deployments off the island).

I did a flying deployment earlier this year to the sandbox to ensure I made it June so I could 3-day opt any 365 (now inside the 13 month magic window to retirement).

Force shaping at it's finest.

Galaxydriver

Be careful, because I don't think it's a magic 13-month window for retirement. You have to have you ask to get your retirement date approved. They could extend it for a remote/365.

The screwed up AF method requires you to first submit a request that confirms you are retirement eligible which can take up to 10 business days. Only after that comes back can you actually submit your retirement request.

My experience and one buddy was that once they saw you submitted the first request they'd take you off the list. Apparently they've been burned by this (having people not actually submit the second request) so they almost wouldn't accept that either (current as of last week) but he was 2nd on the list so they accepted it.

I've also seen someone with 18 months left get a remote. At the end of their year, they were told they could finish their 6 months at the remote location or accept a 6-month extension (12-month ADSC) to return stateside.

Hilltopper89

I know that they have to provide some sort of transition time from reconstitution to retirement. I never did look it up in the regs but I wanna say it's 60 days. I think it all comes down to your boss and his boss and the WG/CC. As has been said they hold the keys to who goes and who doesn't. I say put in for retirement now and plan on not having a major airline job right away but if you do it's a bonus. That's what I did. Cheers.

gr8vu

I also learned from flight doc this week that any surgeries within 6 months of retirement have to be "approved"--not sure what this means exactly.

But if anything creates long term DNIF and you have a retirement established there are two things to consider--one good is that they may not have to run the MEB process if normally required for the condition and one bad in that they can elect NOT to bring you back on flying status if your time left doesn't justify it.

Something to consider if you're the typical flyer and holding off on that bad shoulder or knee injury, etc.