Razor666 Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I was in UPT when the UPT direct clownshow kicked off the first time. We were threatened with courts martial if we tried option B. Not sure if they would (or could) have followed through or not. I am not an advocate to the SIE if you get RPA route but since you were around when that clownshow was a thing, any of your bros you know that got RPA direct actually got manned after their first assignment or was it like the stories I hear over as a FAIP that are told to the young studs along the lines of "the guys I know who got RPAs direct got nonvol'd for longer tours and if they did get in cockpits they got B-52s." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooseAg03 Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I was in UPT at the time as well, maybe because the drops with RPAs had been happening for several months we never were briefed about possible consequences. I would find it tough to believe they could make some sort of UCMJ action stick. Razor, both of the guys from my class got manned follow ons. The T-38 bubba went to KC-135s. Other guys in my squadron who just went back got C-17s to nice locales, C-130s, B-52s, etc. An airplane is an airplane in my opinion. They are in a better position than a non-vol like myself who will probably never get back to an Air Force cockpit of any size or shape. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guineapigfury Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I have a good friend who got RPAs, C-130s, then just got RPAs again. He 7 day opted. I have another friend who got 17s after an RPA gig. She's still in 17s. Both T-1 grads. The UPT direct guys I know who stayed were all by choice. To a man they all wanted to go to WIC and RPAs were the best road to that destination from their current position. As an MQ-9 IP, I'm not sure what I would advise a guy to do if he got an RPA on assignment night. My 3 years in RPAs have absolutely been the worst time of my life. I cannot comprehend doing this shit for an entire decade. There is good money to be made on the civilian side once you get out, which is the about the only upside. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razor666 Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I'm just going to tell my students that if it happens to them, just press forward and hope they get some type of cockpit in the future. Grant it, it may not be what they wanted to fly but at least its something that can get their hours up and they can leave the AF after their commitment and fly for the airlines hopefully with the hours they racked up. At least for the most part I keep hearing that dudes eventually got back into a cockpit and were not sentenced for a lifetime/career in the RPA. Keep the good attitude up, grow were you are planted and realize that service before self is a nice way to keep dudes in party lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HossHarris Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Conscientious objector sie. No known defense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herkasaurus Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I have a good friend who got RPAs, C-130s, then just got RPAs again. He 7 day opted... Strong move on on his part, I wonder how many people are 7 day opting on the 3rd assignment? I know a 130 guy (not J models) currently on his 4th flying assignment, IP, 3K-4Khrs, who just got a UAV...sure he should be at staff/whatever the bull shit career pyramid says, but he's royally fücked. He took the bonus, and now can't apply to the airlines when his time is done unless he magically gets back to a Herk afterwards. Will they make an O-4 an ADO in a UAV squadron with no UAV experience? What the hell do they do with a guy like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bode Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 There was a T38 guy back in late 2010 at END that attempted to SIE after he dropped RPAs. Anyone familiar with that story? The rumors I heard included paying back UPT cost as well as Academy costs and add in a civilian status. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guineapigfury Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Strong move on on his part, I wonder how many people are 7 day opting on the 3rd assignment? I know a 130 guy (not J models) currently on his 4th flying assignment, IP, 3K-4Khrs, who just got a UAV...sure he should be at staff/whatever the bull shit career pyramid says, but he's royally fücked. He took the bonus, and now can't apply to the airlines when his time is done unless he magically gets back to a Herk afterwards. Will they make an O-4 an ADO in a UAV squadron with no UAV experience? What the hell do they do with a guy like that? They will make an O-4 an ADO in a UAV squadron with no UAV experience. Shit, they'll make you a SQ/CC without any RPA experience. Manning is appalling and is slanted very heavily towards Lt's and junior Capts. Normally the DO in an RPA squadron is a Major. There just aren't enough RPA O-5s to go around. From what I can see, almost noone stays long enough to make Lt Col. I've seen a DO with a line number for Lt Col 7 day opt after an incredibly successful term as DO. When those who are stuck in this shit say it's a bad scene, this is what we're talking about. I've had 4 CCs so far in RPAs and 2 were unsafe in the jet. That's how bad experience levels are. What will they do with that O-4? Probably let him get through one rotation with his shift (days-swings-mids, about 4-5 months) then put him in the queue for IPUG and MCC (rough equivalent to Ops Sup or Top 3) upgrade. We need more ADOs than a manned squadron since we're spread out across the shifts and our younger guys often have no idea how to accomplish basic Air Force shit outside of the squadron since they have never interacted with the rest of the base excluding the flight doc and gate guards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobs Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 There was a T38 guy back in late 2010 at END that attempted to SIE after he dropped RPAs. Anyone familiar with that story? The rumors I heard included paying back UPT cost as well as Academy costs and add in a civilian status. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Do you sign a contract when you go to the academy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razor666 Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Do you sign a contract when you go to the academy? I signed something that said I'll serve ten years as a rated officer. Not sure if the fine print said something like once you earn your wings or as of right now etc. Definitely signed something though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guineapigfury Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I signed something that said I'll serve ten years as a rated officer. Not sure if the fine print said something like once you earn your wings or as of right now etc. Definitely signed something though. Slightly off topic, but you might be able to find it in PRDA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaff Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Will they make an O-4 an ADO in a UAV squadron with no UAV experience? What the hell do they do with a guy like that? In my squadron the only pilots who don't fly shift work are the Patch, DO, CC, and DS. Shop ADOs still fly 6-8 hours a day on shift. Most of the good O-4s that show up get put in charge of a shift fairly quickly. They are like mini DOs in charge of two flights and still fly that 6-8 hours a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 There have been a couple UPT to RPA guys show up at TCM, none have anything good to say about their experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magellan Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 There have been a couple UPT to RPA guys show up at TCM, none have anything good to say about their experience. That is because the ones with good things to say (not that there are that many good things to say) have stayed in RPAs and fall into one of the following categories: FTU Instructor Flying the RQ-170 WIC Grad or currently a WUG TPS Grad or in the hunt to become one Plus there are some guys out there that have had the novelty of being back in manned aircraft wear off for one reason or another that are looking to head back to RPAs voluntarily in the very near future. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ram Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Plus there are some guys out there that have had the novelty of being back in manned aircraft wear off for one reason or another that are looking to head back to RPAs voluntarily in the very near future. You call it a novelty, I call it the coolest goddamn fucking thing I have ever had the incredible luck to do. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hispeed7721 Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Plus there are some guys out there that have had the novelty of being back in manned aircraft wear off for one reason or another that are looking to head back to RPAs voluntarily in the very near future. I'm not saying this is impossible...but it's at the very least implausible. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawman Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 (edited) I'm not saying this is impossible...but it's at the very least implausible. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk You laugh... We have about 400 former 58 pilots in the Army non selected for aircraft transitions. They are clinging to the dream they will get to go over to UAS and try and finish their 20 instead of getting the big green GFY for all their years of pulling the cart. Both my Squadrons new UAS warrants are former 58 pilots. Those guys are the lucky ones. Edited July 26, 2015 by Lawman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqwatch Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Plus there are some guys out there that have had the novelty of being back in manned aircraft wear off for one reason or another that are looking to head back to RPAs voluntarily in the very near future. Novelty has not worn off for me yet. In fact, the prospect of potentially being sent back to droids is keeping me from signing a quarter of a million dollar bonus. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majestik Møøse Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 You laugh... We have about 400 former 58 pilots in the Army non selected for aircraft transitions. They are clinging to the dream they will get to go over to UAS and try and finish their 20 instead of getting the big green GFY for all their years of pulling the cart. Both my Squadrons new UAS warrants are former 58 pilots. Those guys are the lucky ones. So the Army has 400 combat CAS-experienced pilots who are clamoring for RPAs; while the Air Force is torturing their current RPA pilots and can't seem to figure out where to find new ones. Sounds about right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breckey Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Is there an age limit for the 18Xers like there is for UPT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawman Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 So the Army has 400 combat CAS-experienced pilots who are clamoring for RPAs; while the Air Force is torturing their current RPA pilots and can't seem to figure out where to find new ones. Sounds about right. Yes, but in order for the right hand to take advantage of what the left hand is holding the AF would have to bring back *gasp* Warrant Officers, and accept the fact that most of them don't have Bachelors degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clark Griswold Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 (edited) Yes, but in order for the right hand to take advantage of what the left hand is holding the AF would have to bring back *gasp* Warrant Officers, and accept the fact that most of them don't have Bachelors degrees. Are you saying that my college degree and the general education classes I had to take like learning how to use the library didn't give me the requisite knowledge to become an Air Force officer and pilot? Scott Walker - no college degree and the very successful Governor of Wisconsin Bill Gates - no college degree and a somewhat successful businessman Peter Thiel - no college degree and founded Pay Pal Those are just some of the cautionary tales that prove you have to have a college degree. Edited July 26, 2015 by Clark Griswold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawman Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Are you saying that my college degree and the general education classes I had to take like learning how to use the library didn't give me the requisite knowledge to become an Air Force officer and pilot? Scott Walker - no college degree and the very successful Governor of Wisconsin Bill Gates - no college degree and a somewhat successful businessman Peter Thiel - no college degree and founded Pay Pal Those are just some of the cautionary tales that prove you have to have a college degree. Hey I don't know why having an Online masters in Business Administration makes you a better tactical officer, but then again I don't see the, "big picture.".... I'm still trying to figure out why the AF thinks enlisted guys couldn't fly drones with supervision. Probably the same idiot that got rid of specialist ranks because "everybody is a leader" even if their are terrible at leadership but good at a tech trade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clark Griswold Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Hey I don't know why having an Online masters in Business Administration makes you a better tactical officer, but then again I don't see the, "big picture.".... I'm still trying to figure out why the AF thinks enlisted guys couldn't fly drones with supervision. Probably the same idiot that got rid of specialist ranks because "everybody is a leader" even if their are terrible at leadership but good at a tech trade. Don't use logic or reason then you will understand Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azimuth Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Because the Air Force will always have a complex towards Enlisted employing weapons that aren't mini-guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now