Please define “abuser.”

I know a CPO that would do company business while performing mil duty. Abuse?

The Biggest Blue Falcon in the Navy VS Angry Drill SGT - YouTube

I know that you're joking, but the DoD mandates that a certain percentage of new-hires are veterans if they want to be part of the MAC (and the possibility of free government dollars).

Delta wants to make sure that they're over that line because it guarantees them a DoD contract-of-carriage. Delta also doesn't want to deal with actually having to deal with reservists. This is something that many people don't understand.

For the vast number of pilots, it has nothing to do with pay. Pilots lose tens of thousands of dollars a year serving. I’m happy to do it because my unit needs people.

Not to mention all the mil pilots that took extended MLOA to mitigate CV furloughs, many of whom were FAR from being UNA.

Funny thing. Knowing all the rules/laws, the company offered three years of USERRA dispensation in LOA 20-03.

Much like almost every outlier, the perpetual mil leave “abuser” is a very rare specimen. But since everyone knows someone who knows one, or once knew one, or once knew someone who once knew one, there’s a tendency to think something is widespread when in fact it is exceedingly rare. And folks like Sailing exaggerate their story for effect (did you repeatedly verify the availability-for-greenslips-on-every-day-off before telling us that what happened in your category? Believe it or not, some people actually bid off days with that exact goal - civ and mil - but you knew that already). My hunch is we have several hundred active military pilots TOTAL, with problem children numbering in less than the dozens... on a list of 12,000 pilots. Methinks there are more pressing issues that threaten ALL of our careers and quality of life much worse than these evil unicorns.

I always thought the blue falcon was like the Marines "gomer." (Pyle) The Army used "gomer" too but it's been awhile. I thought I remembered the Hanna Barbara character always messing things up out of ignorance or stupidity and that was the reference, not the brown nosing BFer. I learned something new today.

To be fair, Sailingfun's opinion should be irrelevant when they said, "one of my most hated jobs was when I had to take care of [military leave] issues."
Anybody that hates taking care of fellow servicemembers no doubt hates taking care of fellow pilots too. Just put another blue falcon in the pile.

There is more to retort Sailing's post, however I'll refrain. If you want to know managements "optics" on Guard and Reservists, he pretty much shacks it. I'll leave it at that.

I can tell you for the period post 9/11 we would have been on our azzezs had it not been for our reserve augmentees. Fact.

The tool that just "had to create an account to address this" is just that - a tool. Ignore them. I've dealt with their ilk before as a CC. Very easy to dispatch. May they be gone forthwith to never return.

My reservists when they were with us were fantastic. Couldn't have done the job without them. I'm glad they were taking time away from FedEX, DAL, UAL, AA etc. to fly with us and help train our MQT folks and deploy with us downrange. Other than me, I had 2 other "active duty" IPs in the Squadron. One being my WIC guy. The other my Ops O. Again, we couldn't have done much without our reserve augmentees. Continuity was beneficial and they carried the lions share of the MQT training burden. Salute!!

To the naysayers, USERRA haters, I got 4 words for you - but I can't publish them else I get banned. Go pick a fight somewhere else. This is not the hill you want to die on.

Is Retired Guy actually BP from the ATL CPO circa 2014?

i WAS a military guy...not sure why we’re screaming verbs. For the record, I don’t have an issue with reservists, AGRs, taking orders, double dipping, etc. I’m not a blue pigeon. Christ, I just hung out all week with a guard squadron. My best friends are AGRing now.

I’m talking a very small percentage of what I’ve seen and who I know, like dropping orders straight outta 44x.


You guys are level 11 fired up, so I’m guessing you’ve had judgement thrown at you. That’s not me. If you guys are holding the position that there is no such thing as USERRA abuse, I disagree. Most of my guard/reserve friends would also disagree.

Lastly, I don’t miss the military...but I do miss most of the bros. Enjoy that sh*t while it lasts.

out/
BCan
Master Blue Falconer