SocialD

I get everyone has their own reasons, but I most certainly would have considered myself lazy had I not done it. If you want to talk colossal waste of time/money/resources...we can look at my last two "deployments" (which happens to be where I did a vast majority of my ACSC). 8 months worth of deployments to sit and fly training lines...with the 2nd deployment being in such a shitty weather location that we actually cancelled as much as we flew. At least the next time they send us on another bullshit deployment they'll be paying me extra cash for my efforts. Or I could have just skipped it and let them pay me a shit ton less over my remaining time in the military/retirement years...that would have showed them!

A friend from the B-Course, who is an airline pilot/F-16 pilot, just finished law school. We've had a few guys in my squadron complete MBAs from Booth and Kellogg while part-timers. Anything is possible with a little sacrifice and flexible leadership.

Ya, everyone has a different definition of "worth it." For me, I'll only have to stick around another year, which is fairly easy considering I live < 10 minutes from the Guard and within an hour of the airline. It also helps that my squadron is extremely flexible with scheduling. My gross difference will be closer to $600/month or about an extra $140k if I live 20 years past when I start receiving my retirement (57-58). I'll make an extra $7k on our next deployment and an extra $6k/yr to do the same job as a part-timer. It will also be nice to have as insurance in case anything goes wrong with the airlines. Seems kinda silly for me to pass up on that just because I was too lazy to take some quizzes and write a few papers...papers that I'm convinced only need to have the proper formatting to pass. I completed ACSC over about 4 years while on deployments/TDYs/drill days/airline layovers...so I was never not getting paid to work on it. Had my squadron not promoted us as soon as we were eligible or adopted the ridiculous policy of forcing their guys to ROPMA (even for O-4 in some squadrons), I would be in the same boat as you.

Say wha? Been doing the Guard flying thing for well over a decade and have spent exactly $0.00 of my own money on uniforms/boots. Either way, what other said below...you'll be issued boots when you show up UPT.

In my category, that's the most you'll wear it in months you bid a line.

For the ARC guys in the room...while a PITA, after running some numbers, I found doing ACSC (correspondence) worth it. Even though I won't be getting my part timer retirement until I'm 58ish, the payoff is fairly substantial. Couldn't care less if my ID/retirement paperwork says maj or lt col. I knocked most of it out over a deployment or while on airline trips. Of note, I'm a prior-e that is eligible for lt col at 18 YOS so I'll only need to extend a small time to hit my three years. Thankful for a unit that doesn't do bullshit like keep make their Majors and Lt Col ROPMA. In that case, there's no way I'd do ACSC...I'll refer back to Shazaams gif.

I've know of one squadron that does this, and frankly I'm surprised it's still in place. Our former OG looked into this and concluded that he couldn't legally institute such a policy. He felt that, in the end, he could just be exposing the Squadron/Guard/AF to IG/legal issues if someone wanted to pursue it. I agree that there are some valid reasons it, but don't think it should be a hard/fast rule. But whatever works for the local leadership at the time. Funny you use the alert tasking as a reason...you guys often calling in dudes for the ever present Mexican Air Force threat? 🤣 It was thanks to alert that we've had people actually live further away. Some sacrifices on their part, but it allowed them to keep momma happy and still be good participants.

We've had a full timer that lived 4.5 hours away and did great. We've have part-timers that lived 1.5-2 hours away that struggled. It's all up to the individual. In the scenario presented by Nunya, aside from being a perfect test on if you consider yourself a commuter, 2am is entirely to late to be at the base anyway! The lead needs to learn to be more efficient during night weeks. I would have left after the second computer didn't work...it's going to cost the .gov another pay card to log the paperwork when they unfuck their computer systems.

Losing the 3 for 1 on alert was the biggest killer in part-timer participation for alert. The shitty thing was when they took that away, they made it retroactive to a month or two prior. We had had a part-timer sit 7 days (paid 21 under the old system) in that period and this change retroactively made it 8 days of pay...and they came to collect that debt. I don't believe that dude ever sat another day alert after that fuck job (don't blame him). There were a few nuggets in there that where Sikora was spot on. Under the current system it's tough to entice them to sit alert. If only they could figure out a way to allow us to roll off alert then log two pay cards to fly CT that day, we'd get a lot more part time help as this would be a much better use of our part-timers time on base. Until then, the full timers will continue to carry the burden...for a while, then they'll go to the airlines. I'm the last to defend some of the things these guys were doing, but some of the above linked article is certainly out of context. Like them "getting paid at home," which was the day they could be called in to cover alert....though, if they're out of the area then that's a clean kill. Tanker guys "sit alert" at home for a few days at a time. Perfectly within the rules but they're still getting paid "at home." Also the crew rest thing, wrt alert, if a fucking joke. Some of the squadrons I've sat alert with had their dudes working their normal jobs (though not flying) all day long while on alert status. so how is that different than a guy working on the CT all day then rolling to alert?

Good early lesson to the LTs on trusting the AF only so far. Still going to fighters, so good deal either way.

Lol, that's funny. 14 hour flight followed by 4 or 5 drinks = no proofreading, but that's just quibbling. Copy shot. Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Reminded me of some good videos. While dated videos, if you've never flown airlines, they're actually pretty good videos. There are about 3 or 4 of them and they're all really good and still very relevant. Children of the Magenta Line.

You absolutely can, by simply turning off the autothrottles (buttons on the throttles). Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Having flown the 737/757/767 and now the 330, this is why like the thrust lever situation in the Bus. If you want to Go-Around you simply push the thrust levers all the way forward. No buttons to inadvertently hit, which is somewhat easy on the 757. If you accidentally "bump" the thrust levers on the bus, you'll simply get a ding and a message that essentially says "hey dummy, put your thrust levers back where they were."

If your home squadron leadership is worth a damn they'll help guide you through the process. Find a place you'd like to rush and talk with your home SQ/CC, they should help facilitate via CC to CC phone calls. If not, just start reaching out through the bro network. Join the pilot network on FB, LOTS of ARC guys on that website and you'd be surprised by the amount of people willing to help out.

From my 18 years at the same Guard base, it'salmost a certainty. One of the great things about the Guard is retaining amazing talent with quite a few of our enlisted personnel serving 30-40 years. On the flip side, at times we have more drama than a group of high school girls that just found out Susie made out with Sarahs boyfriend under the bleachers last week. Case and point...talk to your VT bros about the "source" for all the VTdigger articles from last year.

Was this something initially in the bill but then taken out? All of the stuff on the IRS website for 2018 says it's still a think, but not sure for how long. I hope it stays for the guys who commute. https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/mil-money/2018/02/15/reserve-guard-members-lose-travel-expense-tax-deduction/

I picked up a GS last year that paid a grand more than that PER DAY. I lose more than 4k every month I go on orders, and missed more money in GS's (due to mil duty) that what I made in the Guard last year. This won't sway anyone, but some may take the extra cash. Loved that little nugget. Pretty much ruled out most of us prior-E's...or about half the damn Guard pilots. I wouldn't take it at this point anyway.

Pretty low, but always a possibility. Even our low altitude safe escape maneuvers have a * to them. No way to account for catching a lug/etc... Not today golden BB!

Not sure of your situation, but there are tons of Guard squadrons throughout the Midwest, I would seriously consider switching units if this is a long term move. Depending on the circumstances, commuting to the Guard will get tiresome and old VERY fast. Best of luck! USERRA provides many protections from your employer for military duty. You are not be required to take any vacation days from work to perform military duty. You're allowed to drop military leave on days you're not necessarily being paid by the military if it's to get you in position for duty. In your case, I would drop military leave Fri-Mon. If you get push back from your boss, I would inform your military leadership and/or contact the Department of Labor...a call from a USERRA lawyer works wonders. Dept. of Labor USERRA Not for drill weekend. Getting to drill is on your own dime and time. They will provide you with lodging over the weekend (Fri/Sat), though it will depend on the unit if they'll get you a room for Sunday night. You're generally not on "orders" for drill weekend, so no airline tickets. I'm not even sure we have money to provide tickets for people to fly out for their 15 days of AT orders....you're assumed to live in the local area. However, you will be given a ticket to begin/end a TDY or deployment. One small consolation (if it wasn't taken in the latest tax change) is you can write off many of the expenses incurred if you live XX distance from the Guard base (100 miles I think). Be sure to research this or talk to your CPA.

LOL ya, most of my peers and I are well past the, will do anything to "get to fly a fighter" stage of our lives. My prediction is that anyone with 20 years will just get out and guys who are short will look for the gigs you mentioned, or just get out as well. I'm not 100% on that and would have to research. It's my understanding that it's dependent up on what status you went on the TSP...12301d or 12304b (vol vs non-vol). I'm thinking that the guys who chose non-vol would be protected by dwell. You're probably right, I was just passed info wrt 11Fs. It seems as if the AF is hell-bent on wrecking the ANG and NGB is letting it happen. They're basically gutting our LRS and MX leadership (E and O) in a year we're scheduled to deploy an aviation package (plus man alert back home). Their (NGBs) answer when pushed back is that you have other Guard units in your state, lean on them to get the aviation package deployed/redeployed. I imagine this will start the process of gutting the Guard of it's highly experienced, full time force. People with 20 years will start jumping on those Title-5 (non-deployable) gigs, or the Guard will turn into the AD where you can't keep experience...which is why they're doing this in the first place.

Thought I'd bump this back to the top. Got more than just a rumor that they may be starting to non-vol 11Fs from the ANG here soon. Should be interesting to see how this pans out. If this happens it will be interesting to see if there is a spike in papers being dropped like supposedly happened with the reserve KC-135s going to 120-day deployments.

No, the comment "there is no money in cargo..." is fNWA pilots pissed because Delta got rid of NWA cargo operation. That phase was said by some upper level management type when asked why we were getting rid of the old NWA cargo operation. A fNWA guy can't taxi passed a cargo plane with out making that statement....it's not a jab at cargo, it's a jab at DAL management. I sometimes just ask why I say Delta when I key the mic and not NWA...usually gets the conversation going. 🤣

This thread has pancake bunny or defensive egg potential.