I'm a 38 guy that got a C17 out of pilot training. Just finished the schoolhouse here at Altus and the IPs were telling my training partner and I how bad things are currently in the 17 community for guys coming up on their next assignments...apparently almost nobody has been getting an ops-to-ops tour; rather, they are getting sent to RPAs, MC12s, ALOs, etc. The best assignment honestly that some have received is a T6 to UPT...
Some of the IPs I talked to seemed to think that since I was a 38 guy that ACC still "has a hold on me" and that I may only get one tour in the 17 as well before getting farmed back to ACC to either be RPA/MC12 (like everyone else recently) or to "other" ACC assets (fighters/bombers/recon?), or go back to UPT as a 38 instructor.
Anyone out there heard anything along these lines? I really am happy with my assignment to 17s and obviously I'd prefer to stay in the 17 vice going to RPAs or MC12s, but if they offered me the chance to go to a fighter or bomber on my next assignment I'd consider it.
Any 17 guys out there crossflowed to other aircraft, or done special programs like the U2?
Hopefully things won't look so bleak for 17 guys coming up on assignment in the next few years...