Promotion and PRF Information

[Smaggy]

This made me laugh. I’m exactly the captain who was late to rate (more time in my previous career field/ AETC than as a Pilot) and currently in PIT (been here for over 6 months). I highly doubt I will make major and was really banking on getting out. I’m fcked

[Boomer6]

I loathe AFPC and the promotion structure. However, the taxpayer deserves to get their money's worth for the cost of UPT etc.

If there are late to rates banking on not doing 10, sucks to suck. Shoulda went guard. 

Edited December 10, 2024 by Boomer6

[the g-man]

10 minutes ago, Boomer6 said:

I loath AFPC and the promotion structure. However, the taxpayer deserves to get their money's worth for the cost of UPT etc.

If there are late to rates banking on not doing 10, sucks to suck. Shoulda went guard. 

Boy you’re sure a boomer.

 

remember that the Navy only has 6 year pilot training commitment.  They bone their aviators in different ways though to ensure “retention”

[Lord Ratner]

8 hours ago, HeloDude said:

So they’ll suddenly become shitty pilots because they’re passed over and have to fulfill the commitment they agreed to?

In your experience were the pilots facing their second board to Major primarily flying airplanes?

[illusive]

1 hour ago, Boomer6 said:

I loathe AFPC and the promotion structure. However, the taxpayer deserves to get their money's worth for the cost of UPT etc.

If there are late to rates banking on not doing 10, sucks to suck. Shoulda went guard. 

I agree with you, but when things are extraordinarily inefficient in an attempt to keep the same structure alive it makes you wonder if the measure of success is how many slots did we fill or something else? 

I've seen people who specialized in a mission set for years be sent to teach t-6s against their will while at the same time someone at the same base who requests to go back is sent to the first persons desired assignment. 

At my base I watched a person in process post qual and begin out processing within 2 months because their ADSC was up (they were only 1 of 2 evaluators at their last squadron), they too were sent their against their will. I watched someone who had never flown fix wing before show up, barely make AC, but had over 3000 hours of rotary and requested to fly at minot after they did a service transfer.

I think what the feelings of frustration are stemming from a grossly inefficient system that tends to find the simplest solution to problems rather than the best long term ones. I don't think solutions are more centralized control, I think decentralized solutions yield better results and giving more control to lower levels.  Otherwise the system becomes increasingly impossible to properly manage.

[Boomer6]

Pure failure of leadership at the squadron level, in my experience at least. I've seen the same absolutely idiotic decisions because sq/cc's didn't know their ppl, ignored their desires (even when it made sense), or outright used the vml to punish ppl they disliked.

AFPC leadership owns plenty of blame. The bros at the porch have been bailing like crazy after that assignment. Based on what they say about AFPC leadership I don't blame them.

[illusive]

15 minutes ago, Boomer6 said:

Pure failure of leadership at the squadron level, in my experience at least. I've seen the same absolutely idiotic decisions because sq/cc's didn't know their ppl, ignored their desires (even when it made sense), or outright used the vml to punish ppl they disliked.

AFPC leadership owns plenty of blame. The bros at the porch have been bailing like crazy after that assignment. Based on what they say about AFPC leadership I don't blame them.

I'm not sure what the porch is.  Maybe things were better when you went through or if you've been around awhile or maybe its a particularly bad stroke of luck on my part. 

I don't want to derail this thread, but I think over time more and more control and more intricate process are centralized out of the Sq CC hands.  I've seen some great ones, but when they need to ask layers of people to turn off assignments, swap, etc. its too much. It seems like squadron commanders are increasingly coordinators instead of decision makers, but again that is off topic.

[Bigred]

On 12/10/2024 at 1:21 AM, the g-man said:

Boy you’re sure a boomer.

 

remember that the Navy only has 6 year pilot training commitment.  They bone their aviators in different ways though to ensure “retention”

The 6 year commitment changed to 8 years about 20 years ago. 

[the g-man]

4 minutes ago, Bigred said:

The 6 year commitment changed to 8 years about 20 years ago. 

8 is still less than 10.

[Bigred]

20 hours ago, the g-man said:

8 is still less than 10.

The math checks out

[mcbush]

Looking for some guidance/mentorship on AFRC promotions. Couldn't find a better place to ask this in the ARC forum.

I was AD for a while and now an IMA. Considering a move to the TR world (non-flying), but I'm getting conflicting info on promotions and their consequences. Say you're an O-4 TR in an O-4 billet and then pin on O-5... how does that usually play out? I know that overgrade waivers exist, but is that the standard practice? Or will most units want you to find a new position? I'm sure the answer is YMMV, but just looking for any past experience.

[nunya]

Overgrade waivers are generally (always?) only good for 2 years, so I wouldn't count on that as your long term answer. In my experience, we always wrote positions for O-5s to avoid that exact problem. I thought writing for O-5 was standard... 

What do you know about the UMD vacancies of the unit you're looking to join? Is it all O-4 billets? Are all the O-5 billets already doubled?

Edited March 23 by nunya

[mcbush]

12 hours ago, nunya said:

In my experience, we always wrote positions for O-5s to avoid that exact problem.

Seems like a good technique. In this case, it sounds like their UMD is kind of a mess and a work in progress, but it’s a relatively small unit where the only O-5 billet is currently for the Sq/CC. Luckily I’ve got about two years til I’d pin on, and I’m close enough to the NCR that there are a million other opportunities out there if/when I need to move down the road, so I don’t think it’ll be a huge problem.

I appreciate the insight.

[nunya]

Being in NCR I really wouldn't worry about it. As you said, I think you'll be able to find something if you have to. With 4 years to play with (2 to pin on + 2 overgrade waiver), I'd go for it. Once you have completed your requisite mouth shut period, I'd start lobbying for them to change a billet or three to O-5.