USAF Reserve -vs- Air Guard

[HoursHore]

I think its unit dependent. I haven't made a UTA in 9 months and no one has said Boo. Has long as you get your stuff done, stay off the bad boy list your good. Its a heavy unit.

 

[Hold@FIR]

Jungle Jett, you probably would be better off asking questions about the specific unit you are interested in instead of the big picture Guard vs Reserve. There's just too much variance from one unit to the next in both the Guard and Reserves to judge one better than the other. Case in point, my own experience in the latter has certainly (and thankfully) been nothing like that described by Tweetdrvr.

 

[stlpilot]

The opinions and observations about the reserves on this post are close to my own. So close in fact that I wonder if some of these folks have visited my unit. I’m of the opinion that the leadership makes all the difference in the world. One case and point is “make up” UTA's. Under the old leadership you could make any of them up so long as your training was up to date, no questions asked. Under the new leadership you have to sort through the "100 rules" of making up a drill, for which you most likely won’t qualify. Sheesh try telling your civ employer that. So now us part timers have to work more on “part time” reservist duties then work their full time civilian job duties b/c of the sorry leadership. I could tell you some other B.S. like “no fly” drill weekends but I fear retribution if I give too many details. Yes I’m venting, yes I’m crabby, and yes the grass is always greener, but now that I’m edumacated on what I like in a unit, the ANG is where I’m going. Ask lots of questions to the unit in question, and if you can't think of any PM me and Ill give you some to ask.

Out of curiosity did anyone else recently get the news that AFRC has acknowledged that they have more training requirements then there are UTA’s in a fiscal year? We were officially told that fact very recently and guess what their answer was to this acknowledgement? Yep, you guessed it, no answer…..they simply acknowledged the fact .

 

[bssthound]

We were officially told that fact very recently and guess what their answer was to this acknowledgement? Yep, you guessed it, no answer…..they simply acknowledged the fact .

Why am I not jumping up and down arguing with you ? ? ? ? ? ? That doesn't surprise me a bit!

 

[dtfl]

The opinions and observations about the reserves on this post are close to my own. So close in fact that I wonder if some of these folks have visited my unit. I’m of the opinion that the leadership makes all the difference in the world. One case and point is “make up” UTA's. Under the old leadership you could make any of them up so long as your training was up to date, no questions asked. Under the new leadership you have to sort through the "100 rules" of making up a drill, for which you most likely won’t qualify. Sheesh try telling your civ employer that. So now us part timers have to work more on “part time” reservist duties then work their full time civilian job duties b/c of the sorry leadership. I could tell you some other B.S. like “no fly” drill weekends but I fear retribution if I give too many details. Yes I’m venting, yes I’m crabby, and yes the grass is always greener, but now that I’m edumacated on what I like in a unit, the ANG is where I’m going. Ask lots of questions to the unit in question, and if you can't think of any PM me and Ill give you some to ask.

Out of curiosity did anyone else recently get the news that AFRC has acknowledged that they have more training requirements then there are UTA’s in a fiscal year? We were officially told that fact very recently and guess what their answer was to this acknowledgement? Yep, you guessed it, no answer…..they simply acknowledged the fact .

They are, SUPPOSEDLY, according to our unit folks, going to address that. I can get my blood pressure sky high on that subject. Like. Why the F___ do I need a Records management CBT?????? And why do I need it more than once? What about Sexual Assault tng? One time..yes...good deal. ANNUALLY? YGBSM!!!
I was counting the time I had LEFT in the reserves, looking forward to it. Now I am counting it DOWN to retirement. (At 20..I'll get the money when I get it)

I can answer the Rec Mgmt question I think - because some 4 striper Records management specialist decided his shop was overtasked and decided to make the entire AF suffer - see if we all know how to manage our own records...they can take afternoons off for training, group runs, etc. Anyone try to go to an AD clinic recently? Every fricking Wed or Fri and/or BOTH afternoons - CLOSED for training. God forbid they actually provide a service...too busy training...
Soapbox....off

 

[Tweetdrvr]

"Closed for Training"

I wish I was an aircraft commander of some big lifter charged with taking some unit overseas for their summer training. Since I have so many computer training requirments and records reviews to do and do my DTS, i.e. the things someone else used to do for me until they figured we should do it on the internet, I would love to walk into the pax terminal, drop the TOLD manual, FCG, DIP clearance book, Flip GP, and and the flight kitchen menu on the table and tell them we would launch when all the paper work was finished and filled out correctly, and if they had any questions to contact the help center. Then two weeks later when they finally got to Ramstein after having their 1801 kicked back several times like my travel vouchers, I would love to announce over the PA that we would not be able to land and let them off right away, because we had to do two hours of pattern work for training.

I know this will never happen and that you are not supposed to do pattern work with pax on board, but I can dream of ways to get even with the new order of business in the support world

 

[bssthound]

Why the F___ do I need a Records management CBT?????? And why do I need it more than once? What about Sexual Assault tng? One time..yes...good deal. ANNUALLY? YGBSM!!!

These people and others ride on AF aircraft. Why not run it up the chain that each pax in uniform have a current IRC? When it comes to A$$pain we should be sharing the wealth.

 

[dtfl]

These people and others ride on AF aircraft. Why not run it up the chain that each pax in uniform have a current IRC? When it comes to A$$pain we should be sharing the wealth.

Hmm..since we are downsizing and making AF members and crewmembers do more with less..I firmly believe LM no longer have the capacity to take care of the AC, run their checklists, initiate Em procedures AND take care of the pax. I should submit a change saying any *sshole that wants a ride on an AF Mobility AC should have Ground Egress....in AERPs gear.

 

[Weasel Keeper]

I can tell you first hand that my ANG unit is becoming more like AD USAF. It didn't used to be that way, it was much the close knit family thing some have mentioned. Now we're closely following AD regs more than ever before because of our tactical mission and working side by side with AD in Iraq every year and a half. The "Guard babies" (traditional only) complain about the changes but it doesn't bother me...or some of the priors as much because we've already BTDT. I'm not aircrew, I'm an F-16C+ Crew Chief, and a federal technician rather than AGR...which sure makes staying ANG a good deal when you can double dip your pay.

 

[Scrapdog]

I can tell you first hand that my ANG unit is becoming more like AD USAF. It didn't used to be that way, it was much the close knit family thing some have mentioned. Now we're closely following AD regs more than ever before because of our tactical mission and working side by side with AD in Iraq every year and a half. The "Guard babies" (traditional only) complain about the changes but it doesn't bother me...or some of the priors as much because we've already BTDT. I'm not aircrew, I'm an F-16C+ Crew Chief, and a federal technician rather than AGR...which sure makes staying ANG a good deal when you can double dip your pay.

What unit?