SoCo

I am a Hand and passed over IPZ for Lt Col thanks to Pentagon generals who flat out said they couldn't give me a DP or high strat...because I was deployed. No joke. We had a 50% Hand promotion rate this year. I was on the command list as a major-select but was unmarried and was approached by the assignments team (non-rated) to see if I would volunteer since the two guys at the top of the non-vol list were good with families including one with a child in the Exceptional Family Member Program...or so they said. (I was nowhere on the list as I'd done a short tour 2 years before.) It fit my interests and goals at the time as long as it didn't damage my career. I was promised by the general in charge of my career field that he would take care of me for promotion and would seems me to a large squadron command after the program. Reality? I ended up sending my PRF to 4 different people. My civilian rater completely checked out because she was moving. Senior rater checked out because he was retiring and was polishing his resume. They left or items from my promotion packet and am meeting the SSB. One of my friends was a pilot, a wing exec and was a non-vol. She's now separated, went Palace Chase and is flying for the airlines. I'm polishing hip my resume and am thankfully in a career field that is also lucrative on the outside and am considering all options. Yes, they are non-volling top performers. Yes, it does kill your career (lost command, OPRs and strats). If you wasn't to get promoted: Rule #1: Don't take one for the USAF team. Rule #2: Refer to Rule #1. That being said, I freaking love the job. Yes, it's freaking dangerous, and I've had close calls the last month. You do really get to make an impact on combat ops by solving key issues impacting ANA and ANP participation on coalition ops. Would I do it again? I don't know. I've got some great memories and love the job and the NATO troops I'm deployed with...but it's also derailed my career. I was hoping to retire as an O-6 and now I'll be lucky if I ever make O-5...If I can tolerate the USAF another 5 years with job opportunities well into the six figures in my field on the outside, similar to the pilots on here. Don't do it. The USAF isn't taking care of their Hands. If we don't get a DP, we're screwed, and does anyone on here actually trust senior leaders in the USAF? Don't be a sucker. I was.

It was being filled largely by non-vols when Chang wrote this.

Getting forced into a four year tour with two 365s plus training away from home...gone about 3 out of 4-5 years. Going outside the wire daily on convoys? Top it off with a 50% promotion rate? Yeah, the non-vols aren't exactly happy about getting screwed after being selected as "top performers." Attrition rate is through the roof.

Best post yet.

The utter BS in this post goes beyond poor judgment and should be chargeable timber the UCMJ for an assignments team member. I don't know what the appropriate punishment should be for assignment officers who lied their butts off to get people to volunteer for the most dangerous job in the USAF and spend most of the next 4 years away from their family, but I think for starters, they should should be forced into the program to have their careers tanked after risking their lives daily going outside the wire to advise the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police daily on convoys outside the wire. No, I don't mean at HKIA going over to the other side of the base. I mean going on convoys into cities all over Afghanistan, and yes, being a convoy commander and being the PSD teams for a bunch of contractors and civilians who have no business being in a war zone due to the age and lack of fitness. I had 2 grandmas and 2 great grandmas working for me, and one dude who was so obese he couldn't stand up from a prone position with 20 pounds of a vest and body armor on. One lady's daughter was a retired USAF Lt Col "Many amazing carrots to participating: attend NIU for IDE, work at the Pentagon with some of our greatest minds of our time, free language training, and likely early promotions to both Lt Col & Col. Finally, a real shot at General Officer down the line." #WTF? 1. You can go to NIU or NDU. 2. "Work at the Pentagon with some of the greatest minds of our time." Now we know how you got on the assignments team. Can we say brown noser and liar? Those same "greatest minds" will tell you that you will not get a DP or a high strat because they don't have visibility of you since you aren't on staff and will tell you they aren't interested when raters and senior raters in Afghanistan want to tell them all the work you are doing. Greatest minds? BS. Worst examples of military officers in history...punishing those who risk the most for their career field and the USAF. 3. You will miss opportunities for command. 4. You will miss 2-3 OPRs and 4-6 opportunities for stratification. 5. Promotion rate IPZ for Lt Col in 2018 was 50%. 6. Promotion rate for the USAF was 72%. 7. You will likely not get a DP...Pentagon staff officers will. 8. You will likely not get a stratification...person staff officers will 9. Likely early promotions to both Lt Col & Col. Finally, a real shot at General Officer down the line...how exactly when you get passed over IPZ? Integrity First, Chang? Come on over to Afghanistan with us. Lead by example. In the meantime, check out Articles 107 and 133 of the UCMJ.