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I applied to ~10 units too, combination of fighter and heavy (actually all fighters except 2). Here's what went down for me: Visited: 2 units, 1 heavy, 1 fighter. Got interview for heavy, but didn't really fit me. Got TBNT for fighter. one Interviews: 2 heavy. Again, declined the interview for one. Accepted interview for the other, got offer, accepted offer (did not visit, first time in person was the interview. Loved the atmosphere, loved the mission, loved the people). Phone/first rounds: 2 fighters. 1 TBNT, other one I declined because I already got picked up. Stats-wise, ~180 hours, PCMS 99, P99/N99/V97/Q99/AA99. BS/MS in engineering, 4 years in industry. Moderately involved in undergrad. Cool guy all around 😎 (lol). Have you visited anywhere? It's tough to be interviewed without visiting is essentially what I've learned from the process. That and knowing why you want to be a fighter/bomber/tanker/herk/etc pilot and be able to delineate it well. If you get an interview, you're basically qualified. The interview is to weed out the people that are weird, jerks, not team player, not-committed, and not well suited for the military. If you aren't making it that far and have good stats/resume, the only thing left to do is making connections with people at the squadron especially for fighter units. Having someone within the squadron that is willing to vouch for you goes beyond any test scores or resume (assuming they still think you can graduate from UPT...). Also, keep applying.

I think it's a combination of factors going against us. More applicants with delayed boards being the biggest one. Here's probably the top three that i've seen: 1. Increase in applicants this year across the board 2. COVID played a huge factor in not being able to rush squadrons that might have allowed it 3. Many boards cancelled/delayed/not responding makes it seem like we aren't getting interviews I've applied to 8 fighter squadron boards this year: 2 Interviews 2 Denies 2 Past the first round, but still waiting to hear back 2 Still waiting to hear back (1 board cancelled that I was going to apply to) I have consistently heard in the interviews/feedback that basically everyone they are interviewing would get a slot somewhere in previous years. The applicant pool is just so good it is tough to choose. However, there's been dudes in previous years who have sent out 68 apps for years and just happened to get picked up on the 69th, so it definitely can be a long wait. I would reach out to the places you got denied and ask what you could do better, all the places i've reached out to have been willing to give feedback. Hope this helps!

Well there go Guard deployments. Awesome!

Hell yeah dude. Exactly what I needed to hear. Channeling my inner Goggins from here on out. ; )

I just got into this racket at the beginning of the year and have applied to pretty much every board that doesn't have the PPL or solo requirement. I was able to build 11 hours of flight time before COVID shut down my flight school and I haven't been able to fly since (I'm on Guam and options are very limited for flying). I have good scores and GPA, but had been getting shot down since I started. Then out of the blue, 4 interviews fall in my lap within a couple weeks. I had to decline one because they required an in person interview. I also can't visit units to establish a relationship from here so I've just taken advantage of units passing through Andersen AFB and have been spamming POCs with emails and phone calls to express my continued interest. I think that's really the only reason I've gotten any traction so far. If nothing happens with these interviews I'm gonna go ahead and reel it in to start prepping for my active duty separation. My advise to you when you're feeling discouraged is to remember that old chestnut... "Instead of thinking why me? Start thinking why NOT me?" And carry that attitude into your applications and how you communicate with the unit. Thats what I've been doing, and I'm right there with ya.

What is old is new again.

Honestly glad you got picked up so u can quit stealing the rest of the interviews 😉. You could of just summed it up as you are the ideal candidate every squadron is looking for Lol. Congrats on your hard work and good luck at UPT mate. 👍🏽 I’ve found it difficult to make connections, what’s your approach—try and communicate with the chief pilot and ask to come out for a visit? But in a covid environment just try and give him/her a call and build a relationship that way? I’ve just been sending out apps and hoping for the best, does not seem to be the winning approach.

Valid question - my guess is Benitez (article author) envisions them (new AR tanker Agile Boom equipped C-130s) refuelling on small reopenned island airfields and then launching with this fuel to AR inside the A2AD as it is being attacked / disrupted to enable CAPs to remain airborne and less vulnerable during intense combat than cycling thru often FARPs and FOLs. Marines have been doing this (reopening old island airfields and there are a number out there in the Western Pacific) https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/06/05/u-s-reopening-world-war-ii-bases-in-pacific/ https://www.airfields-freeman.com/HI/Airfields_W_Pacific.htm Pushes the risk to the 130s when they land to get fuel to go to another AR mission but there is risk always, shifting some of that risk to the expediently modified tanker is better tactically than risking the few and essentially irreplaceable 22s / 35s. Where the booms come from? Loadmaster force trained to an appropriate level and skill set maintained at some level that is acceptable until it appears soon to be called for then brought to a higher level of proficiency. There's a cost to be associated with that to be sure and would have to be factored in, not advocating one way or the other just where I would see this Agile Boom operator crew coming from. Alternative to that is to make all those 130s AR capable to increase options for the Agile Boom 130s to use and extend Tanker Bridges but that seems to violate the intention of the proposal by Benitez to gain a new capability by only modifying existing platforms with as little modification as you have to. Getting receiver capability would then incur a pilot training bill, probably outside the realm of the possible. Your idea is not that pie in the sky but to my knowledge not done since the 50s: USS Guavina (AGSS-362), refueling a P5M-1 Marlin flying boat off Norfolk, Virginia (USA), in 1955. Prior to World War II several submarines were fitted to refuel seaplanes. Was proposed for the Seamaster but never tested I believe Now we (the US / USAF) don't have any in inventory but the A400M seems like a better candidate platform to try this concept with. Much better speed for fighters and still has short unprepared field capability with a more relevant fuel offload capability assuming a parallelized fuel tank and ramp boom system could work on the Grizzly. Ask the Brits, get Cobham as an contractor entrant in the experiment / demo and they might bite.

These are exactly the type of answers I was looking for. Wow, along the lines of what I expected but not to that degree. Thanks for the gouge, makes me excited about what the scores could look like after the retake.

I don’t know the voodoo algorithm that is used to calculate PCSM, but I would expect more than a 8 point boost to your current score if you “maxed” out the TBAS. You can only improve your 201+ bracket by 8 points however. Since you earned a 99 AFOQT score, that is not negatively impacting your PCSM score from my understanding. For another data point, I had a 92 PCSM in the 41 hour bracket, 95 in the 61 hour bracket, 97 in the 81 hour bracket, 98 in the 101 hour bracket, and a 99 in the 201+ bracket. With your current PCSM score, it is easy to deduce you did not do too well on the TBAS. Shoot for 99 in the 201+ bracket. There is a lot of great advice on this forum for TBAS preparation. I personally spent about 1.5 months doing 1 hour of prep everyday (pilotaptitudetest psychomotor games w/ joystick and rudder pedals, multitasking games, Lumosity, and mental math games). Sent from my iPad using Baseops Network mobile app

The highest score I've seen in the 41-60 hour bracket with a 99 pilot AFOQT is a 96. So yeah, you could increase your score by quite a bit if you maxed the TBAS.

I don't know about the continue flying piece, but I know a guy who did exactly this to escape Dyess and PCS to Eglin. Retired for exactly one day before going back on AD orders for three years.

Cargo airlines are booming my friend. FedEx/UPS/ACMIs are all hiring, and are projected to continue for the next couple years. FedEx is projected to hire over 400 next year. I know that’s not what you’re asking, but just want to correct information on here. Don’t let the USAF’s fear/loathing about their various welfare programs put your family in a less than optimum position.

That was for the 709th!

Anyone having any deployment issues with people over 30 BMI? I’m hearing people not being allowed to deploy of over 30 BMI...

57 remain. 87-0120 flew west today. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Did you not realize this is the internet?

No reason to drag Myron thru the mud. He’s deployed way more than twice. Do you have a better example to illustrate the problem than the cube? I think it’s pretty ballsy of a General to get in front of the world and put himself out there. Esp the story about the shaving waiver.

Huh? Are you saying the CIA, FBI, DISA, etc are all wrong about Russian interference? Is this more disinformation? ”The Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee submitted the first in their five-volume 1,313-page report in July 2019 in which they concluded that the January 2017 intelligence community assessment alleging Russian interference was "coherent and well-constructed". ” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_2016_United_States_elections

The journalistic track record using the last 3 years isn't a good one. How many stories based on "anonymous" sources turned out to be a total fabrication? News networks and journalists banged the RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA drum for how many years interviewing how many sources (Schiff, Clapper, Brennan come to mind) and were told "We have proof" and, yet, no interest in finding out why they were lied to, and more importantly, why they lied to the American people over and over again. Oddly enough, they didn't lie to Congress but not a wisp of interest as to why. Journalists have not done themselves any favors over the last couple years so it's hard to put much stock in their reportage.

Sooch (former U-2 squadron commander) flies again: https://www.space.com/virigin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-2nd-glide-flight-spaceport-america.html

My Father was a 1st generation Japanese immigrant mid 1950s Neurosurgeon ( teenager in Japan/war effort during WWII), which has NOTHING to do with me except for my upbringing/environment - integrity, work ethic, Patriotism, religion, etc. (list goes on, truly fortunate). You are totally right for me specifically, so you tell me what the Hell is going on with Biden? EVERY month, almost EVERY week now? Names, really? Already on file by the majority as the hardest thing to remember...... You and I are not Blind. Look at Warhawk Joe Pre-War, where the heck is that guy? Dems need him. Too long ago? Look up Joe 4 years ago, Judas Priest, what is going on?.?.? Please help us understand, you have access to soooo many actual videos during 2019, how about 2020 alone - not anonymous here say, but actual videos x 1, 3, 5, 10, xx, xxx... Video evidence, indisputable... Truth which is Fact! Something is wrong, what is it?