Question for the Guard/Reserve Bums...

[MarineGrunt]

I know this varies from unit to unit, but I was wondering how busy you can stay as a guard bum in the tanker community.

I'm looking for ballpark figures just to see if I can put food on the table after I get done with Altus. By the looks of things, I might be able to stay busy two weeks out of the month, plus regular UTAs, but I also hear this changes all the time.

Please share any experiences you might have had... imput is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[keydet96]

Depends a lot on your unit. Mine isn't the busiest around and I got 300 pay events last fiscal year. Your unit will have deployment commitments and maybe even an alert of some kind. You'll have at least 45 seasoning days when you get home so those will help, especially if you can use them one at a time. I shoot for 20 pay events (UTAs/AFTPs/ AD) a month to make a living. Oct-Dec are typically slow, but it usually picks up after the new year and by Summer the man-days are abundant. Giving out days is like spending money to the unit. If they don't get rid of them all by Oct 1 they may not get as many next year so they scramble in the last quarter of the FY.
I was a former Active duty type, so the unsteady paycheck kind of got to me at first, but have faith that bumming will work out. It's a great lifestyle if you can find a way to get affordable health insurance. The best is if your spouse is working too with a health plan. Single....even better. Travel as much as you can.
Hope this has helped.

 

[MarineGrunt]

That seems to be what I was guessing. I was ballparking $25-27k/year for bumming. 300 paid events seems pretty close.

Thanks for the post.

 

[Slye]

Does anyone have any idea what a fighter guy can make guard bumming? Is there any way that you can pick up extra flights or deployments from other units or is that pretty nonexistent for fighters? Thanks!

 

[CCDiscoB]

I was ballparking $25-27k/year for bumming.

I guess it depends on how much you're willing to work, but you should be above that number. This is Oct, there are two months left in FY and I'm well above those numbers.

Does anyone have any idea what a fighter guy can make guard bumming? Is there any way that you can pick up extra flights or deployments...

Yes and yes, but be careful what you ask for. It gets rather warm in the "desert" in the summer.

 

[psysicx]

How does a fighter guy survive guard bumming.Does he just deplo whenever he gets a chance or is there that much opportunity to fly extra days.

 

[RJP]

Again, it depends on the unit. Bumming in a fighter squadron is a lot more difficult than doing in with a heavy unit. Heavies always have some sort of operational mission taking stuff here, refueling there, etc. Fighters get to go to SWA (a lovely place) once every couple of years. Besides being an airshow whore in the summer, it can be a bit difficult to make $$ being a bum in the single-seat world.

 

[keydet96]

I would say if you're a 2Lt bum, 25-27K would be pretty good. Shoot that's almost what an active duty Lt makes. If you're a Capt or Maj a good estimate is probably 40 to 50 depending on if you're willing to take some deployments and be away from home for a while. Here is a pay calculator site to let you know what you can make on a man day/UTA, etc.

http://ngaaz.org/mpc.aspx

 

[psysicx]

Do Gurad units go to that many airshows?So as long as your willing to deploy and come home to do airshows you will be okay.