Direct to AGR from active?

[Bigred]

As I learn more about the Air Force as I work my interservice transfer, I'm learning more about AGR. Doesn't seem like a bad deal, or at least more laid back than active.

My three questions,

1) Is AGR available to someone directly from active duty that flies a different airframe? I.e., does the unit hire someone and then put them through advanced airframe training if they aren't already qualified, or do they tend to want someone already qualified?

2) For the AGR positions, do they tend to hire from within over finding someone outside of the unit? Or do they expect someone to affiliate as a regular guardsman and then pick up AGR orders?

3) If you cross 20 total active years (any combination of active duty and AGR orders) does that qualify one for an active duty retirement?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Bigred

[herkbum]

1) It depends on the unit. Everyone does things differently. People can be hired and then sent to FTU for the airframe. 

2) Again, it depends on the unit. Used to never happen in my old squadron, only know of 2. But nowadays, there are more open positions to fill. 

3) Yes. I actually hit my 20 yrs active yesterday and I can retire whenever I want. 

[Gazmo]

The way things are going these days (ie: bleeding full timers - at least in the tanker world), most units will be desperate to get experienced, qualified crew members willing to keep the lights on.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[hindsight2020]

I don't condone the practice, as I find it part of the reason the AFRC has gone to hell in the aggregate imo. TRs these days don't seem to care as they're too busy gloating about the part time life. They really should care though, as it affects them by proxy. Specifically, lack of discrimination when it comes to vetting these candidates, many horrid AD sycophants have been allowed to come in and ruin the place.

That said, I have peers and coworkers who belong to the direct hire demographic, some are good people, others are terrible hiring mistakes. So I know I'm in mixed company. It's nothing personal, I just find it a bad practice in the collective. At any rate, doesn't seem to bother units much anymore due to the hiring dynamics at the airlines. So go fetch and good luck.

 

[EvilEagle]

My unit has hired several guys straight into AGR.  If you are changing airframes you'll get MEST days ("seasoning days") first.  How much depends on your experience and how big of a transition you are making. 

 

Lots of ways to get a full active retirement.  AGR is the easiest math, but ADOS, deployment (MPA) and seasoning all count towards your 20 years. 

[Gazmo]

I don't condone the practice, as I find it part of the reason the AFRC has gone to hell in the aggregate imo. TRs these days don't seem to care as they're too busy gloating about the part time life. They really should care though, as it affects them by proxy. Specifically, lack of discrimination when it comes to vetting these candidates, many horrid AD sycophants have been allowed to come in and ruin the place.
That said, I have peers and coworkers who belong to the direct hire demographic, some are good people, others are terrible hiring mistakes. So I know I'm in mixed company. It's nothing personal, I just find it a bad practice in the collective. At any rate, doesn't seem to bother units much anymore due to the hiring dynamics at the airlines. So go fetch and good luck.
 

Those units doing it probably aren't doing it because they truely condone it. They're doing it because the sky is falling, which in this day and age, is not quite a metaphor.

For years, the ARC prided themselves with an overly experienced and thoroughly vetted full-time force, but we just don't have that option anymore. It's not something any of us particularly like, but it's reality.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[brabus]

This is only my perception and perhaps its incorrect on the broader scale, but I don't get the feeling (yet), the ANG is running into issues of "having to" hire duds because there's no one else (not just based on my SQ, but others I know as well).  But, seems like this is more of an issue in AFRC.  Why?

[Gazmo]

This is only my perception and perhaps its incorrect on the broader scale, but I don't get the feeling (yet), the ANG is running into issues of "having to" hire duds because there's no one else (not just based on my SQ, but others I know as well).  But, seems like this is more of an issue in AFRC.  Why?

It's definitely region and unit/airframe dependant. I can tell you that the tanker units are hurting and any -135 unit near a metro area with an easy commute to an airline base are losing experienced full-timers like crazy. We are even seeing issues with keeping traditionals. There are other options out there for some. Points only and non-flying jobs. Continuous CENTCOM and PACOM rotations are thinning us out. It's a double-edged sword. Deploying a full-timer for 69 days out of a shop that may only be one or two deep with no backup makes it hard to manage an operation so you lean on the traditionals a little more for deployments. There is a price to pay for that though. That usually means the full-timers are filling more shorter trips and 60+% of the local flying schedule. It's a juggling act. We've got people going on 10 years of continuous CENTCOM rotations. Most of them are in that 15-20 years TOS range and after a while some people just get tired. It's only going to get worse as AD moves more -135's to the ARC as the -46 rolls in.

There are so many variables to this issue it's hard to lay it on any one of them; heads in the sand, our inherent propensity to not look past our noses, disfunction at the unit level, disfunction at the MAJCOM, an aggressive rebound of the economy/airline industry and baby boomer retirements. Of course most of this could have been predicted and acted on a decade ago, but the DoD and Congress aren't known for acting quickly and efficiently on much of anything.

I can tell you from experience that when multiple ART jobs hit the street and the only people who apply are Lt's fresh out of FTU, we've got issues. This is how it's been for the past few years. Take a gander at USAjobs to see just how many GS Pilot jobs are out on the street right now. 10 years ago you couldn't buy an ART job.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk