Return to Active Duty
 

Just curious if any active military types have heard any rumors of return to active duty options being thrown around for the Air Force due to the pilot shortage. I'm not necessarily interested in returning to active duty, more just curious since they did this several years ago and let people back in. And that was when things didn't appear to be as bad as they are now for the pilot shortage. I've been out for a couple years and really have no desire to come back. More curiosity than anything else.

No rumblings on the inside... Yet.

The only way I would consider it is if it involved a 6 figure bonus check, a T-6, T-1, or T-38, a guarantee they couldn't deploy you, and a guarantee they couldn't stop loss you after no more than a 3 year commitment. Even then I still wouldn't trust them, but I would consider taking a 6 figure check to go back and teach in the T-6 for 3 years.

If they let me take the family to Germany, I'll take a desk job. But, same as post above. No year remotes, stop loss, etc. I'll get my last 3 years to get my active retirement then back to the airline. Sounds like a fair deal to me.

I did it in 2010; would not be surprised if it happens again.

Even as a T-38 guy, though, they tried sending a lot of us on 6-month deployments.

Tried? Did it work or were you somehow protected?

Exceptional family member; otherwise, I would have been tagged.

One of the biggest goals of the retired aviator recall program was just that, to deploy experienced officer/pilots overseas to (non-flying) leadership positions. Be careful what you "volunteer" for, again.

I, too, did it in 2010. Did the initial 3 years, and then got a one year extension (after MUCH admin effort).
I got hit with a non-flying Chief of Plans to Balad less than 3 months after signing up. Of course, I expected it. But I was able to horse-trade it for a deployed MC-12 flying position. The MC-12 program was a mess,... but I digress.

No guarantees then... I would be curious if they consider some guarantees for the future to sweeten the pot. They will need to.

A former F-15E buddy of mine came out of retirement in '10 to a UPT T-38 gig, and did 6 months on the E-11 in Afghanistan as part of the deal.

He didn't mind picking up the BD-700 type rating, but...