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Christmas came early this year... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This could be epic if the above really happened.

I'll bite before this is closed, your WG/CC cannot do much to get you hired into a (ARC) fighter wing. This process is delegated usually to the OSS/CC and an interview process, sure, they can call and recommend but that does not have to be taken into consideration. You need to rush and apply to units, there is no hiring unless there is a hiring announcement that you qualify for by the closeout date. No college, no luck, no ASVAB, no luck, douchebag, no luck. A lot of this applies to active duty as well, just think of UPT as your interview process. You are guaranteed nothing, you are entitled to nothing. I had 50 hours and a private pilots license going into UPT as an active duty dude, I did better that some 2000 hour CFI's, and did worse than some 0 hour, non private license students. Attitude can be 70%, but there needs to be some ability, and you don't know if you have that yet. If you pass the FC1, you could parlay that into a backup slot, lots of people lose their physical, and you could be on the next bus to UPT. And before you ask and not search (damn millennials) I flew fighters for thousands of hours, and taught UPT (T-38s).....all very recently. Now close this ridiculousness

Well, using the civil war as an example, the Union army was the United States Army. Any insurrection, no matter how big, would have to form an opposing force. I would imagine that anyone serving in the active duty or reserves would face heavy penalties (treason, I would imagine) if they fought for/with any opposing force. National Guard units would be an interesting case (since this hypothetical insurrection would most likely break down along state lines in many cases). There's another good article out there about a "Texit" and how seceding is an illegal act in itself, of course if you're seceding you probably don't recognize the authority of the system anyway. However, the government is within its legal bounds to act militarily to squash any secession or insurrection. Interesting debate topic for sure.

Our job is to "Support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic." That leaves a lot for interpretation.

Fuck it... Are you really telling me people aren't going to get out the door because there isn't someone spending their primary duty loading names into a 1970s system? People will still be on the iron or the rotators on-time. As for tracking MR stuff, that can easily be soaked up by the training shop.

More of those need to just go away

Google "Fight pilot shortage" and click on any of the first 5 links..

The previous iteration of SOS was hardly painful. Mine took 6 hours total: 1 hour of "studying" for each of the three tests, 30 minutes for each test, 30 minutes travel time roundtrip to/from the testing center. Practice bleeding was stupid, but the actual volume of blood lost was minimal.

It's all cyclical. By the time you young-uns drop the AF will have screwed something else up...

I'm glad you said so. Just skip UPT then and join us in the CAF, brah! Didn't you hear there's a fighter pilot shortage? Would you mind PMing me your name and contact info so I can get your orders hooked up for Weapons School? Thanks, brosaurus-rex.

all us mid level captains have seen the bullshit...we dropped when there was only one fighter per class, we had RPAs in our -38 drops, we were in the squadrons with the TAMI 21 guys and heard how they got screwed out of their fighters, we saw the masters swing back to required for major and how our friends had to claw to get it before their board, we saw it swing back to not being required, we had friday morale shirts taken away, we had pencil tab patches made illegal, we had black boots taken away for swade, we saw dumbass ABUs come into "style" along with 1980s parachute PT pants, we saw the air force e-9s embarrass our peers in the died chow hall for wrong sock color (and be rewarded for it by the O-6), we saw 21 year old A1Cs drinking at DJ but aircrew were forbidden from even one beer, we saw our flying hours get cut back, we saw congress not do their job to the detriment of our survival in combat with zero shits given, we saw congress debate to take away dual spouse BAH, we became our own finance officer, we became our own professional CBT clicker, we saw below average yes men pilots do the minimum flying-wise and excel at queep only to get rewarded with good deal assignments and promotions (CHANG), we saw absurd increases in ROE for political purposes with no eye on victory. We saw the airlines start to hire... we didn't see our families, we didn't see clear cut victory in the war, we didn't see respect for our skills as pilots, we don't see a end in sight in deployments or war. The air force has been f***ing us since 2008. How the f*** are they surprised we don't want to stick around for the next 8 years to get run into the dirt. Most of my peers are getting TFO in a few years and i have zero fu**s or sympathy for big blue. They earned this.

Everyday I run into more and more first assignment guys in my AMC squadron already talking about getting out and going to the airlines. I think it's pretty telling when the FNGs fresh out of school, full of the blue Kool Aid, are already dreaming about cutting bait. I've never seen anything like it.

Take a gander in the track selects/assignment night page. A lot of 38s are dropping right now, but the tables can always turn, 2 years ago when I tracked we had two 38s for my class. RPAs are only going to T-1s and it looks like that might not be happening anymore for now. The RPA pipeline is more backed up than the line at the DMV. That being said, fighters are guaranteed with a reserve slot if you preform well/graduate from UPT. Nothing is guaranteed on AD except frustration, taxes, and increased alcohol consumption. If time is on your side hold out for that guard/reserve slot.

There's definitely a shortage in fighter pilots across the entire force, to the point where even top brass are calling it a "crisis". How that's actually going to affect fighter drops in UPT, I'm not sure but I'd venture to guess that they'll at least drop more 38s. If you can secure a reserve sponsorship though, that'd probably be your best chance, but I can't personally speak of the differences between AD and reserve flying. Also, based on what I've heard, many of the RPA drops are going to T-1 guys.

think tank huh?

Exactly. The AF considers you "ready" to attend IDE as soon as you're selected for Major, hence the reason you can sign up for it in correspondence as soon as you're a select.

Not at all. I got selected as alternate for the 182nd fighter squadron (149th FW) at lackland afb SA TX. I was a f16 crew chief there for 6 years

Thank you for all the great information, I am actively seeking a sponsor ship! I know that's the best route.

Yes sir, I just PMed you my contact information. Feel free to contact me anytime!

Don't know if the post is heading in the direction I want lol. But networking is never a bad thing in this career field. Thank you again for everyone chiming in on the post and giving there expert opinions lol. Had a good talk with my wing commander the other day, he is going to assist me to get a sponsor from a fighter unit and call around. In the mean time, I'll keep calling units and wait for my flight physical dates. Waiting is the most painful part! Austin

What's the matter?

Hello everyone, I hope this post is under the correct thread. I am trying to get a fighter slot (f-16, 35, or 22). Now I am at a point if i should seek out active duty or reserves for UPT. Does anyone have any info about active duty fighter positions (such as if there is a shortage). I heard a lot of UPT guys are getting RPA at UPT for active duty. If I go active duty, I know I can score 1st or 2nd in my class and ask for fighter/ bomber track. On the reserves side, I am having troubling seeking a sponsors ship from fighter units (deployed, not looking for sponsorship, or even having trouble trying to get ahold of them). Does anyone have any advice for my situation? I have already been selected as an alternate for a fighter unit and I'm currently waiting for my F1C Physical. I'm just trying to pull some G's.... Thank you. Cheers austin