Without sounding crass, isn't that what I said above?

Guys are quitting left and right, heard the 129 SAU had 10 quit before they finally made the next in line go, or it was gonna be the POIC. Wonder when big Navy is going to get the hint.

As I have said before, I don't fault anyone for going IRR facing a MOB, that is indeed a personal choice and one that needs to be made.

That said, I had great MOB experience to Afghanistan and while it sucked being away, it was/is definitely worthwhile in the grand scheme in terms of reserve retirement and ability to serve post SELRES flying.

I would say that while yes CNAFR units were shielded from these requirements for years, we're all part of the reserve force; doing our part when called upon comes with signing up to serve in the reserves.

You can always become too fat to deploy!

I get the premise of what you're saying, but guys left AD because they were tired of the perpetual work up/deployment cycle, 60 hour work weeks, dets, insert reasons here. Why did you go? The whole idea of being a SELRES is guys want to continue to support and serve, passing on their experience and knowledge to the next generation, but part time and on your own terms. The benefits are the quality of life and self fulfillment but at the cost of pay and retirement. A MOB for a guy that's running his own business or starting a new career are potentially devastating. How about those who waited to start a family until they knew they would be around and not watching their kids grow up over email and Skype. Leadership is using the "this is what you're here for" to ignore this fact. Even worse is to hear it from folks that have never deployed, or done their one "IA" to Tampa.

I hear what you're saying bro, and that is precisely why I say guys need to make a choice. Everyone who leaves AD gets a two year deferment for the very same reasons you stated and when/if you MOB you get 5:1 dwell time so in the grand scheme its apples and oranges in terms of your arguments above, IMHO.

When CNR stood up and said big reserves would shoulder the MOB requirements, that was all in, like it or not. I don't buy the argument that guys should get a free pass in the reserve world (flying) when plenty of other traditional reservists have been mobilized non voluntarily and fulfilled their requirement, why are we different?

I say that as someone who went through the experience and I would say that before I went my mindset was pretty close to the rest of the CNAFR reserve population. Bottom line, mobilizing opened my eyes to a lot of things that I wouldn't have otherwise taken the time to realize or care about. Time and experience has shifted my personal mindset is all, one doesn't have to agree with me but they should know that those decisions aren't made in a vacuum.

At the end of the day most of the CNAFR folks could run circles around a traditional reservist who mobilizes and they often do. Contrary to popular belief, this is indeed what you're there for as a SELRES regardless of your current billet or duty assignment. I didn't write the CNR's mission and vision statement but its published and as a SELRES community its on us to support that mission.

I don't fault folks who did an IA to Tampa or Bragg or USFF for that matter, I applaud them for working it and doing their part in a billet (albeit less painful) regardless. I played my cards and waited hoping to dodge it or pick up a local MOB and I lost, hence an all expense paid trip to Kabul and the greater eastern side of the country of Afghanistan with 12 days left in the RMP year. I chose poorly! At the end of the day when we sign(ed) up for SELRES life we sign up for the bigger picture and if we don't like it we're free to punch and go IRR, but just because we fly airplanes doesn't mean we should get a free pass over those who are on the other side of the reserve fence doing other jobs. Just my $.02.

Maybe Big Navy got the message and is weeding out those who aren't willing to deploy?

They're getting that message by the number of people getting out. Is there a 1310 JO out there that doesn't have at least three combat tours under them in the last 10 years?

SAUs are populated by fleet aviators, guys who've been ridden hard and made the choice to get out. Particularly the TACAIR RAG SAU.