DegeReguard

Hey guys.

From the advice of many across ual and delta jump seats i've been in, I've gotten off my ass to get a degree and fast so that's not the thing holding my career back. I've joined the guard for a number of reasons, service to my country, discipline, team skills, army values, tuition assistance, variety, resume augmentation, etc... I think it would be a wonderful, beneficial, experience all around.

I work at a regional airline, Trans States to be specific and our current management is very military friendly and my job is legally protected anyway so i'm fine on leave for BCT and AIT and for my monthly drills, annual training, and any potential deployments, my job at the airlines is safe...

but....

i'm under a six active by two inactive contract and if I like the guard I would like to stay in at least till I qualify for retirement, I might like to go to OCS become an officer and so on.

What happens if, for example, TSA goes belly up, or when I finish the degree and have the PIC time and its time to shoot for some legacies? New Hire airline training takes a few months and in some cases you don't retain travel benefits or CASS and sometimes don't even get weekends off, not to mention I have to drill and I have to have leave for it and there is always the potential for deployment.

Does being an active guard member hurt my employment chances at a legacy or other airline? If I get hired at go to training, can I make the commitment the airline requires and take time off from my drills to complete the airline training or will the airlines give me time off from training for drill weekends and travel? If I were to get hired and go to training and get the time off for drills during training how do I avoid missing important things in new hire class and not completing the required attendance hours the feds require?

Are companies willing to work with active guardsmen and hire them or am I going to have to chose one or the other and be stuck where im at until I am finished with the guard?

viper548

You'll probably need to get the guard to be flexible if you go through an airline training program. I was asked at my interview if I was able to attend training for 8 weeks, without interruption. Normally an airline will have no problem adjusting your schedule to meet your military requirements but while in training it's not so easy for them to accommodate because you are in a class and a certain number of hours are required by the FAA, sim schedules, etc.

I recently got on at a legacy carrier. I've been in the reserves for 15 years and will be getting out soon. Even with 5 years to go to retirement in the reserves, it will be a better move financially for me to get out because of the money I lose dropping airline trips for military and my lost 401k company contribution. Something to consider when you get to a legacy.

DegeReguard

The losing pay thing is a valid point. Even as a captain at my company the dropped trips from drills will cost me money and when I get deployed i'll lose my ass. Certianly something to concider as I start getting toward the tail end of my contract cause I will hopefully be on at a legacy by then.

How difficult do you think it would be to get the Guard to be flexible for me to attend airline new hire training? This only missing like two or three drills out of six years worth...

gearmaid

It depends on your chain of command but usually you can just SUTA those months and make them up at a different time. I've been through two full initials during my time in the Guard and they gave me all the time I needed. You probably won't have a realistic answer until you get to your unit.

viper548

I've been through two initials as well as an upgrade and didn't have a problem getting my drills rescheduled. When you get to the point when you calculate if it's worth it to re-up or get out, don't forget to calculate the interest on the money you are losing and the growth of whatever 401k contribution you are missing. Compound interest at 6% is a powerful force and getting the reserve retirement at age 60 is a LONG time to wait.

Tweetdrvr

Your priority as a member of the National Guard or Reserves should be family, civilian job, then the military.

A unit should be understanding that civilian employment is the most important thing going on in your life, unless they are going to uncork some type of ART/Technician/AGR job for you.

Everyone has seen enough cycles of this industry to understand that one class date can mean the difference between furloughed and not furloughed. That down the road can mean the difference between having two guys begging at the trough for pay days or having no guys begging for additional pay days.

Once you have a good year, missing a few drills, even if they won't let you RUTA/SUTA them should not matter. Training, IOE, and consolidation should not take more than 4-5 months. Ample opportunity to regain currency in the military job and get 50 points of participation.

A long time ago before the reserves became about as queepy as the active duty was about 10 years ago, we used to hear our leadership espouse that very idea.....family, civilian career, then military as the holy trinity, but not anymore.

viper548

They want to treat us like active duty but pay us like reserves.

kme9418

If you are new to the military, you need to know the law regarding your employment rights with your civilian job. Bottom line: They will be happy to comply with your military schedule...

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/userra.htm

DustoffVT

I didn't see mentioned if you are in an aviation unit or not. Aviation units it should not be a problem - we always worked with people in any line of work (I.E. new 121 hires, police academies). Bundle a bunch of drills together, before, after, or during a break in training.

Any other unit - total crapshoot. Just make sure to keep them informed, follow COC, and advocate for yourself. For the most part they need you more than you need them.

sailingfun

I would stay in some capacity to get your retirement. Do a calculation on how much cash you will need to fund a medical plan in retirement and you will find missing a few airline trips a year a no brainier.