So you're saying you get IDTT funding from AETC or your squadron to drill at your permanent drilling site? I didn't think that was allowed, I know its not allowed in the Navy.

It is most definitely allowed in the AF Reserves. (for critical skills)

Also, ANG units have discretionary funds which can be used for lodging (not sure about travel)

Very rare in my Guard unit. AT isn't funded for bringing people in long distance so we prefer to hire locally. It also seems that long distance guardsmen end up being more problems than what they're worth to us. Every once in a while we get lucky, but for the most part it increases our workload on the fulltime side. Unless the individual is Chuck Yeager's nephew, I normally give a thumbs down.

Well, next time I walk my kids to school 5 minutes from Mayberry ARB/ANGB, leisurely strolling to base for a mid morning AFTP on my own travel dime, I'll remember to be more discerning as to who I let in my unit.

Would it shock the gallery to hear that more than 80% of my TR membership are commuters? We get no additional admin personnel manning to handle the travel/milpay either. Our admin workload as a function of processing that level of paperwork is insane. I do an E-6 job on top of my O-4 duties. All that said, I take exception to the stance that long distance TRs are "more trouble than they're worth".

I do take personal stock in taking care of these people. The travel to these duty stations, even when paid, is not easy. The reason I get paid full time money is not to be a RegAF lackey rent-a-body, much to the disagreement of senior command leadership and their love affair with the euphemism that is Classic Associations. I get paid full time to take care of my people.

I've been a trougher for many years; I know what it's like to have apathetic full timers scoffing at their jobs and hatin' on TRs whilst soaking up the flight seats on a Tuesday night, collecting full time cheese while waiting on their PFA airline job/furlough recall to materialize or AD retirement, while you die on the vine as a hungry young guy. TRs remember stuff like that, and the airline world? Well, that's a small town that remembers too.

Bottom line, these guys are not gaming the system, they are enduring commutes most people scoff. I say again, freedom ain't free. You don't like the ROI for John Q Taxpayer? Great! Move us right the heck out of this hellhole and back to Mayberry with you well-to-do Jonnhy's. Otherwise, to borrow a page from Goodfellas: F-U, Pay Me.

Deep breaths now.....that's right, you just let it alllll out. It'll be okay.

Somebody get the tissues. This has obviously been building up for a long time and he's probably gonna blow a few more times before this all over.

Unless you get a schoolhouse job That's what I'm looking at...

I've really gotta figure out my life though. My wife doesn't like the humidity of the schoolhouse area (FL)..but I also don't want to domicile chase (assuming that my dom would likely change 2-3 times early in the airline career).

Thoughts?

I think your default plan should be to live in your guard city for now. You'd have to fill in some more information to get any specific advice.

Do you already have separation date set? Already have an airline job?

Easy one-leg commute to your unit's city from a likely domicile?

Bottom line: as you get close to DOS, you need to have an airline job lined up with a reasonable idea of your commute options to the guard to even consider living anywhere else. If the job doesn't materialize on schedule, by living near your unit, you have the option to do some guard bumming until it does. Adapting to your new life is going to be a lot smoother living near the unit and having mil leave options and the flexibility to make some extra mil coin. Make sure your AC is working and have the Mrs. suck it up for a while.

Adler, thanks for taking the time. Commitment is up Sep '18 if I can't palace chase (HIGHLY unlikely with AFSOC).

It'll be a wait and see whether or not I get picked up my a major or need to do some regional time..Ill have around ~4K hours by then (3k now) mostly SE turboprop. If I could get out now, I would. Who knows what the hiring scene will look like in 2+ yrs.

Unless something changes, I should be able to land a Reserve gig at the schoolhouse in my current airframe (1hr hop from ATL). We already have a house there, but I know that my wife would prefer to settle elsewhere in the long run.

Thanks


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AFSOCflyr,

I think you'll be in a better position than you think. We've got similar stats - I'm a reg AFSOC PC-12 guy/current T-6 guy. I PC'd out of 2yrs and 10 months (dec 08 Pilot Training grad) to my hometown ANG heavy unit. I'm out at the end of the month and will start training at Southwest most likely next month. I'll go to Altus in the fall.

My advice - Start talking to the C-146 reserve unit and get your 737 type if you don't have your ATP yet. I used the post 9-11 GI bill with HPA and it didn't cost me anything.

I know what my role is as a full-timer, thank you very much. I speak my mind from experience. I'm not a baby sitter. We do 80% of the work with 20% of the manning. If the commute is so rough for the commuters, they have the option to go elsewhere. A lot of these guys are the ones non-current every other month and overdue ground training because they can't make it in to the unit. Trust me, I'd rather not have to "soak up the flight seats", but it's usually the full-timers saving the flying hour program because of lack of participation from TR's. The guard and reserves are a victim of the health of the airline industry. When times are rough, everyone comes out of the woodwork for trips, locals and extra duties, but as everyone knows, those times are pretty much gone and some of the TR's do what's best for them and use their rough commute as an excuse. I don't roll the red carpet out for that guy who shows up 2 days before drill every month and expects us to be sitting on the edges of our seats for him because he chose to live 1,200 miles away from the unit and it's too difficult to get his poop done without people giving him special treatment (especially when we can't get anything out of him).

PS. I troughed at my unit for 6 years so I've been on both sides of the fence.