I find it interesting when I read through the 'military transition' postings and read about the military not giving a crap about families as a reson to leave AD and go to the lines. For all you f'd pilots out there, tell me how much the lines care about your families when they let you go with no pay...especially when you've been doing your job to standard and above standard. At least in the MIL, when you're doing your job to par or above and they let you go (RIF), they give you a severance. Feedback should be interesting.
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Kikuchiyo
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- Jan 25, 2004
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- 112
The views expressed here are not completely my own, but include a sampling of fellow unit members:
When was the last time the airlines sent a pilot to live in a tent for a year in the desert to fetch coffee for a senior executive? Or for that matter, sent them overseas and specifically prohibited families from accompanying them?
When you're on an airline trip, you know when you'll get home. Mil will keep you out beyond the end of your trip, and doesn't tell you when you're getting home. When you do get home, you get 1 or 2 days off, then back out "until you get back."
Wives (not mine) getting calls from unit members while husbands deployed or on trips. (most of these pre-date Caller ID) Calls range from simple heavy breathing to being told husband is dead. Yes, I know that wife, it really happened.
I think the general frustration with the military not taking care of the family stems not with how they are or are not actually treated, but rather with how the leadership says it's taking care of them, and then doesn't. No airline pilot expects the family to be directly taken care of by the company. It's not part of the contract. Sure, furlough hurts the family, but that's part of the deal, and no company exec ever promised you anything different.
On the other hand, every day, every deployment, every trip, leadership promises to take care of your family. Sometimes indirectly, by providing housing (sub-standard by their own definitions) or directly with programs, freebies, counseling, etc. But in the end, they don't actually do them, under fund them, or outright cancel them. They never call to check up on the spouse, they don't provide help with the things they really need.
Example: During deployments spouses with kids can get "free" childcare. But it has so many restrictions on when and where as to be useless. It's only with on-base in-home providers - not babysitters in your neighborhood, not the care provider you already have, not even at the base day care facility. It's only available a couple hours once a week, and only on a particular day pre-designated. Worse yet, your kids Must be already registered in the base day care system to use it. If they're in Kindercare downtown - tough. But every deployment, leadership briefs the families on how this wonderful benefit exists and how they're providing it free of charge, but they don't brief the fine print, cause then they'd be admitting to the uselessness of it.
It's about the broken promises and outright lies. It's about the abuse and systemic ineptitude. It's about them saying they care, when they really don't.
When was the last time the airlines sent a pilot to live in a tent for a year in the desert to fetch coffee for a senior executive? Or for that matter, sent them overseas and specifically prohibited families from accompanying them?
When you're on an airline trip, you know when you'll get home. Mil will keep you out beyond the end of your trip, and doesn't tell you when you're getting home. When you do get home, you get 1 or 2 days off, then back out "until you get back."
Wives (not mine) getting calls from unit members while husbands deployed or on trips. (most of these pre-date Caller ID) Calls range from simple heavy breathing to being told husband is dead. Yes, I know that wife, it really happened.
I think the general frustration with the military not taking care of the family stems not with how they are or are not actually treated, but rather with how the leadership says it's taking care of them, and then doesn't. No airline pilot expects the family to be directly taken care of by the company. It's not part of the contract. Sure, furlough hurts the family, but that's part of the deal, and no company exec ever promised you anything different.
On the other hand, every day, every deployment, every trip, leadership promises to take care of your family. Sometimes indirectly, by providing housing (sub-standard by their own definitions) or directly with programs, freebies, counseling, etc. But in the end, they don't actually do them, under fund them, or outright cancel them. They never call to check up on the spouse, they don't provide help with the things they really need.
Example: During deployments spouses with kids can get "free" childcare. But it has so many restrictions on when and where as to be useless. It's only with on-base in-home providers - not babysitters in your neighborhood, not the care provider you already have, not even at the base day care facility. It's only available a couple hours once a week, and only on a particular day pre-designated. Worse yet, your kids Must be already registered in the base day care system to use it. If they're in Kindercare downtown - tough. But every deployment, leadership briefs the families on how this wonderful benefit exists and how they're providing it free of charge, but they don't brief the fine print, cause then they'd be admitting to the uselessness of it.
It's about the broken promises and outright lies. It's about the abuse and systemic ineptitude. It's about them saying they care, when they really don't.
LJDRVR
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Posts
- 1,134
Interesting post. Kikochiyo brings up some good points. I remember reading some story in the base newspaper right before I got out. The author was some gung-ho O-3 from Langley who wrote about how wonderful it was that his chain of command was "in the loop" concerning the birth of his kid. This guy was deployed to Korea, and as soon as his wife went into labor, his commander had him on an airliner home on emergency leave. This gentleman was thrilled to death that he arrived shortly AFTER the birth of his kid, and spent the rest of the article reminding us how wonderful the AF was and how those evil civilian companies wouldn't have done anything for you in the same situation. WTF? Your ate-up behind woudn't have been deployed halfway around the world in the first place!
It really comes down to this: Yes, of course there's more job security working for Uncle Sam. This peace of mind comes at a cost however, namely your Uncle comes first, and you, your family and career come second. On the outside, it's all about me and my wife and kids. Sure I'm loyal to my employer, but at the end of the day, I can walk away from it if I have to in order to do the right thing. I used to counsel my troops about how great AF benefits were. ("Why would you want to get out?") Truthfully, any large corporation beats the military hands down. The only thing I'll never have as good as the AF is dental care. (Civilian HMO's are much better than military healthcare, PM me if you need a great example)
I think maybe why you see so many folks saying that one of the reasons they seperate is the military not caring about their family is simply this: The disparity between the PR and the reality of how the military operates when it comes to families. I'll leave it to others to post additional examples, but there isn't much of a comparison.
For me getting out was for different reasons. (I wanted to be an professional aviator, that wasn't going to happen to a E-5 supply puke.)
DISCLAIMER: Please don't take my comments as an attack on your serving. I gave the Air Force nine years of my life, and I respect with every fiber of my being those of you who serve. Not a day goes by when I don't reflect on how lucky I am to live in this country and how great our military is. I've got a five and seven year-old, and I would LOVE for them to serve someday.
It really comes down to this: Yes, of course there's more job security working for Uncle Sam. This peace of mind comes at a cost however, namely your Uncle comes first, and you, your family and career come second. On the outside, it's all about me and my wife and kids. Sure I'm loyal to my employer, but at the end of the day, I can walk away from it if I have to in order to do the right thing. I used to counsel my troops about how great AF benefits were. ("Why would you want to get out?") Truthfully, any large corporation beats the military hands down. The only thing I'll never have as good as the AF is dental care. (Civilian HMO's are much better than military healthcare, PM me if you need a great example)
I think maybe why you see so many folks saying that one of the reasons they seperate is the military not caring about their family is simply this: The disparity between the PR and the reality of how the military operates when it comes to families. I'll leave it to others to post additional examples, but there isn't much of a comparison.
For me getting out was for different reasons. (I wanted to be an professional aviator, that wasn't going to happen to a E-5 supply puke.)
DISCLAIMER: Please don't take my comments as an attack on your serving. I gave the Air Force nine years of my life, and I respect with every fiber of my being those of you who serve. Not a day goes by when I don't reflect on how lucky I am to live in this country and how great our military is. I've got a five and seven year-old, and I would LOVE for them to serve someday.
Clarification
Good replies so far from PATMACK, KIKUCHIYO, LJDRVR. Thanks
To clarify, I left AD 3 years ago and was a new hire affected from 911. Luckily I was in the RES and got to go kick some butt for personal payback and now I'm biding my time as an AGR guy. I'd love to be out there flying anything (for a livable paycheck), but thank GOD that Uncle Sam still had a place in the force structure for me to contribute and provide for the family. After 911 the military had a slot, the lines did not for me, thus my initial comments.
One thing I do agree with you guys on is that the MIL does a great job of "selling" family support and not delivering. I for one, am making a difference there with my program on family support.
Good replies so far from PATMACK, KIKUCHIYO, LJDRVR. Thanks
To clarify, I left AD 3 years ago and was a new hire affected from 911. Luckily I was in the RES and got to go kick some butt for personal payback and now I'm biding my time as an AGR guy. I'd love to be out there flying anything (for a livable paycheck), but thank GOD that Uncle Sam still had a place in the force structure for me to contribute and provide for the family. After 911 the military had a slot, the lines did not for me, thus my initial comments.
One thing I do agree with you guys on is that the MIL does a great job of "selling" family support and not delivering. I for one, am making a difference there with my program on family support.
On the Army side...
Very interesting timing with this post. For the past year and half or so, Dept of the Army (DA) has been looking into "unit manning" where they keep a soldier in 1 place for more than twice the normal tour. It is slowly leaking out into the press (see cnn.com or msnbc.com for the stories) about these plans. Since the end of the Vietman war, DA mandated that each soldier needed a wide variety of training experiences to be able to be easily fitted into any unit with a shortage in his/her respective specialty. What does this mean? Spend a max of 3 years in an assignment and move on. However, thirty years ago far fewer of us were married with kids.
This unit manning issue is becoming the fix because DA can't keep people from leaving, especially aviators because most of us have families and want to buy that house and not move the kids out of their high school in their senior year. These issues have long been problems for DA. What has changed is that we [aviators] are voting and choosing family stability with our feet. Even with our $12G bonus (wow), people are leaving in droves. Then tack on our optempo - spend 3 years in Germany (2 of them in the desert or Bosnia/Kosovo), then back to say Bragg for 3 years (and go right back to the desert or Afganistan). On top of that, DA has only guaranteed a 90 day stabilization in between deployments. I'm afraid we are stretched pretty thin on patience, with absolutely no respite in optempo. From the top dogs down, all of DA brass agrees that things will get much worse as far as stability long before they start to improve.
Like many of my comrades, the deployments suck - but its our jobs that we volunteered for. At the very least, they [DA] can make it such that my wife can have a career, my kids stay in 1 school district and maybe, just maybe I can make a little headway on a mortgage.
Very interesting timing with this post. For the past year and half or so, Dept of the Army (DA) has been looking into "unit manning" where they keep a soldier in 1 place for more than twice the normal tour. It is slowly leaking out into the press (see cnn.com or msnbc.com for the stories) about these plans. Since the end of the Vietman war, DA mandated that each soldier needed a wide variety of training experiences to be able to be easily fitted into any unit with a shortage in his/her respective specialty. What does this mean? Spend a max of 3 years in an assignment and move on. However, thirty years ago far fewer of us were married with kids.
This unit manning issue is becoming the fix because DA can't keep people from leaving, especially aviators because most of us have families and want to buy that house and not move the kids out of their high school in their senior year. These issues have long been problems for DA. What has changed is that we [aviators] are voting and choosing family stability with our feet. Even with our $12G bonus (wow), people are leaving in droves. Then tack on our optempo - spend 3 years in Germany (2 of them in the desert or Bosnia/Kosovo), then back to say Bragg for 3 years (and go right back to the desert or Afganistan). On top of that, DA has only guaranteed a 90 day stabilization in between deployments. I'm afraid we are stretched pretty thin on patience, with absolutely no respite in optempo. From the top dogs down, all of DA brass agrees that things will get much worse as far as stability long before they start to improve.
Like many of my comrades, the deployments suck - but its our jobs that we volunteered for. At the very least, they [DA] can make it such that my wife can have a career, my kids stay in 1 school district and maybe, just maybe I can make a little headway on a mortgage.
Hawker1
"Great Balls of Fire"
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- Feb 9, 2003
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- 96
Great Post. I'm coming closer and closer to my decision on going into the military to fly. I have to admit the hardest thing to grasp is all of this time away from the family. Many people tell me that the military is a family friendly place, but then I read posts like this, and it sorta washes away that thought of having a happy family in the military. Like one of the above posters said, some pilots are gone for a year at a time, and only given 90 days to rest before they are "able" to get right back in the mix.
I dunno. I've heard in the Navy/marines that a 6 month deployment is short now-a-days! I don't care who you are, after 6 months on a boat away from your significant other, you're going to be ready to get off that boat no matter how much you love the Navy/Marines. But, I guess this point is mundain to bring up because like said before, it'll only get worse before it gets better. Just wanted to share my thoughts. Anyways, thanks for the good post.
I dunno. I've heard in the Navy/marines that a 6 month deployment is short now-a-days! I don't care who you are, after 6 months on a boat away from your significant other, you're going to be ready to get off that boat no matter how much you love the Navy/Marines. But, I guess this point is mundain to bring up because like said before, it'll only get worse before it gets better. Just wanted to share my thoughts. Anyways, thanks for the good post.
C40_Pilot
Bored Staffer
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2003
- Posts
- 48
"It's about the broken promises and outright lies. It's about the abuse and systemic ineptitude. It's about them saying they care, when they really don't."
No, I don't think it's really about that.
Here's my .02 cents.
I'm military with 10 years. I've seen deployment life at Charleston, schoolhouse life at Altus flying the C-17, and now in Hawaii flying the C-40 around the pacific. We've (the wife and kids and I) had it bad to where we swear we're getting out. Can't go on another day. And that's how it was for some time in CHS. However, we went off to Altus and life mellowed out considerably. I was home every Friday night unless I was teaching an airdrop line or doing some night air refueling. Our family really enjoyed that time. Now I'm back to being TDY a little more, but nothing like it was when I was in CHS or like it is now. Those guys are heros for as much as they are gone and the flying they do.
But in all my few 10 years, I don't ever remember getting issued my own family support center advisor. I don't remember my Sq/CC telling me he'd be there to wash my car on Saturdays while I was gone. But what I do remember was a lot of sad days and a lot of happy days. Like any job, it is still up to you to create the support system your family needs to help during the times apart.
No one can make it better for your family while you are away. Promises fulfilled/unfilfilled don't make one month, two months, six months, or a year go by any better. Personally I never thought that $15 of free oil in my car was going to make my wife not miss me. So if I never took advantage of that, oh well. But having friends we could rely on while I was gone made all the difference. I imagine if you fly for SWA or UA or anybody, you'll still be gone sometimes and your family will still need the same exact things it needed when you were gone with Uncle Sammy. That is friends and family to help them. If they can take advantage of some of the free day care, even better. But that, to me, isn't the make or break of surviving some of those times apart.
Then as I got older and saw how I've invested 10 years in the AF and the thought of a retirement with some semblance of health care and a monthly check makes my perspective change. I do want to provide the best life for my family. I know there are drawbacks to having "Uncle" say when and where I go, but we've decided to accept that and take that and all the other bennies and problems and be happy and live the adventure (as corny as that sounds).
If anyone picks out just the probs of the military life, sure they look pretty crummy. But there are problems too of the commercial side. It all boils down to What do YOU want to do, and can YOU be happy doing it. Not me, or anybody else on this board.
Peace -
No, I don't think it's really about that.
Here's my .02 cents.
I'm military with 10 years. I've seen deployment life at Charleston, schoolhouse life at Altus flying the C-17, and now in Hawaii flying the C-40 around the pacific. We've (the wife and kids and I) had it bad to where we swear we're getting out. Can't go on another day. And that's how it was for some time in CHS. However, we went off to Altus and life mellowed out considerably. I was home every Friday night unless I was teaching an airdrop line or doing some night air refueling. Our family really enjoyed that time. Now I'm back to being TDY a little more, but nothing like it was when I was in CHS or like it is now. Those guys are heros for as much as they are gone and the flying they do.
But in all my few 10 years, I don't ever remember getting issued my own family support center advisor. I don't remember my Sq/CC telling me he'd be there to wash my car on Saturdays while I was gone. But what I do remember was a lot of sad days and a lot of happy days. Like any job, it is still up to you to create the support system your family needs to help during the times apart.
No one can make it better for your family while you are away. Promises fulfilled/unfilfilled don't make one month, two months, six months, or a year go by any better. Personally I never thought that $15 of free oil in my car was going to make my wife not miss me. So if I never took advantage of that, oh well. But having friends we could rely on while I was gone made all the difference. I imagine if you fly for SWA or UA or anybody, you'll still be gone sometimes and your family will still need the same exact things it needed when you were gone with Uncle Sammy. That is friends and family to help them. If they can take advantage of some of the free day care, even better. But that, to me, isn't the make or break of surviving some of those times apart.
Then as I got older and saw how I've invested 10 years in the AF and the thought of a retirement with some semblance of health care and a monthly check makes my perspective change. I do want to provide the best life for my family. I know there are drawbacks to having "Uncle" say when and where I go, but we've decided to accept that and take that and all the other bennies and problems and be happy and live the adventure (as corny as that sounds).
If anyone picks out just the probs of the military life, sure they look pretty crummy. But there are problems too of the commercial side. It all boils down to What do YOU want to do, and can YOU be happy doing it. Not me, or anybody else on this board.
Peace -
LJDRVR
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Posts
- 1,134
Dude,
Talk about weird timing, I retract my statement concerning military dentistry. Two hours after my original post, I go to the civilian dentist to see him about what I thought was a missing filling. He looks at it and the X-Ray, told me it was a chipped molar, but no big deal, he said since it already had a root canal and crown, he can just grind it off and do a new crown. COOL, no novacaine! So, he attacks my molar and after a few minutes says: "Good god, it's a giant filling, were you in the military?"
Apparently military dentists have a reputation for, shall we say "saving the taxpayers as much money possible" with their civilian bretheren.
I lost the tooth. Quacks.
Talk about weird timing, I retract my statement concerning military dentistry. Two hours after my original post, I go to the civilian dentist to see him about what I thought was a missing filling. He looks at it and the X-Ray, told me it was a chipped molar, but no big deal, he said since it already had a root canal and crown, he can just grind it off and do a new crown. COOL, no novacaine! So, he attacks my molar and after a few minutes says: "Good god, it's a giant filling, were you in the military?"
Apparently military dentists have a reputation for, shall we say "saving the taxpayers as much money possible" with their civilian bretheren.
I lost the tooth. Quacks.
HOUMAN
Pool Man
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2002
- Posts
- 114
Ok, I'll bite.
Four years ago my family (note the decision was not only mine but my wife's as well), decided to leave the active duty AF. Why you ask? Well, it had NOTHING to do with having my commander not "washing my car on Saturday" (what is that about?) or some silly oil and lube coupon at the BX or even being GONE TDY.
Let's face guys, if you are a pilot by profession, then you are going to be gone sometimes. Even if you are a instructor at Altus, you won't be "home" all the time due to the crazy hours (I once went a whole week with out seeing my 9 year old daughter because I was doing "night lines".)
We decided to leave the Active Duty because we wanted more support for our little family. Living on some remote island out in the pacific is not my idea of getting support from family and friends. Moving every three years, and telling my 11 year old daughter who has to leave her friends is NOT AN ADVENTURE for me (maybe it is for others but not for me). Don't get me wrong, I love to travel and see lots of things, but that doesn't mean I have to up-root my family to do it. We decided that our family would get better support by moving back to where we have family/ friends and putting down roots.
Now, fast forward 4 years. Do I regret that decision in the wake of a recession, war and terrorism? Well, I would be lying ( and look like a complete brain washed idiot) if I gave you some inane company line. So I will just tell you that we are very happy. Do I have the same financial security that I had in the active duty? No. Am I home every day of the week, No. When I get up is the grass actually greener on MY side of the fence? No.
But what I will tell you is that it is nice having lasting friends that are not going to get up and move in a year. It is nice to know that I have family on both sides close by to help out in any situation, regardless if I am home or not. It is nice being able work at my Guard unit on my terms. I choose the days I work so I am home for anything I want. And hey... I even have a couple of airline jobs lined up (I know the active duty air force doesn't want you to hear that there are quite a few airlines hiring right now like -- ATA, jetBlue, SWA, Airtran,etc..)
So, the bottom line for me is to do what is best for my family -- I try to make sure they are included in the decisions. I have to continually remind my self that it is not just all about ME having an "adventure". Living with the risk of being Furloughed is not ideal, but it is worth the risk of having well adjusted children and a happy spouse.
To all you choosing to go the Active Duty route, my hat is off to you. That is your decision and I respect that. Just please remember that there are a lot of people still "serving" their country in the Guard and Reserves (and holding on to a civilian job too). The Active Duty does not hold a monopoly on Duty, Honor, Country.
Four years ago my family (note the decision was not only mine but my wife's as well), decided to leave the active duty AF. Why you ask? Well, it had NOTHING to do with having my commander not "washing my car on Saturday" (what is that about?) or some silly oil and lube coupon at the BX or even being GONE TDY.
Let's face guys, if you are a pilot by profession, then you are going to be gone sometimes. Even if you are a instructor at Altus, you won't be "home" all the time due to the crazy hours (I once went a whole week with out seeing my 9 year old daughter because I was doing "night lines".)
We decided to leave the Active Duty because we wanted more support for our little family. Living on some remote island out in the pacific is not my idea of getting support from family and friends. Moving every three years, and telling my 11 year old daughter who has to leave her friends is NOT AN ADVENTURE for me (maybe it is for others but not for me). Don't get me wrong, I love to travel and see lots of things, but that doesn't mean I have to up-root my family to do it. We decided that our family would get better support by moving back to where we have family/ friends and putting down roots.
Now, fast forward 4 years. Do I regret that decision in the wake of a recession, war and terrorism? Well, I would be lying ( and look like a complete brain washed idiot) if I gave you some inane company line. So I will just tell you that we are very happy. Do I have the same financial security that I had in the active duty? No. Am I home every day of the week, No. When I get up is the grass actually greener on MY side of the fence? No.
But what I will tell you is that it is nice having lasting friends that are not going to get up and move in a year. It is nice to know that I have family on both sides close by to help out in any situation, regardless if I am home or not. It is nice being able work at my Guard unit on my terms. I choose the days I work so I am home for anything I want. And hey... I even have a couple of airline jobs lined up (I know the active duty air force doesn't want you to hear that there are quite a few airlines hiring right now like -- ATA, jetBlue, SWA, Airtran,etc..)
So, the bottom line for me is to do what is best for my family -- I try to make sure they are included in the decisions. I have to continually remind my self that it is not just all about ME having an "adventure". Living with the risk of being Furloughed is not ideal, but it is worth the risk of having well adjusted children and a happy spouse.
To all you choosing to go the Active Duty route, my hat is off to you. That is your decision and I respect that. Just please remember that there are a lot of people still "serving" their country in the Guard and Reserves (and holding on to a civilian job too). The Active Duty does not hold a monopoly on Duty, Honor, Country.
Last edited:
talondriver
Well-known member
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- Nov 3, 2002
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- 330
AArider
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2001
- Posts
- 46
It's about the people
LJDRVR
That was hilarious, so true it hurts ... pun definitely intended.
HAWKER1
I can't disagree with a lot that has been posted. Being in the military is not easy and is not for the weak at heart. However, it can be the most rewarding facet of your life when it's all over. The mil (all branches I suppose) doesn't do a good job of taking care of your family, can't deny it. As a matter of fact, they do a terrible job at it sometimes. But, that's not what it's all about. It's the other families that help out, helping people they barely know because they are part of the club. I have let people stay at my home, borrow my car, driven them to where they needed to go, loaned them money (against USMJ) and have had other people take care of me and mine in the same fashion. The military leadership is no better than any other management team. A lot of the time they are worse, often they got to their position by kissing tail like it was their job. They are definitely out to further their own careers. Often there are great leaders that care about the mission and the people in their charge. When that happens it makes the military an awesome place to be, when it doesn't it's just like anywhere else. Regardless of those scenarios, the families of your colleagues can be a God send. The stories of support could go on for ions. Some of those families will be life long friends. I hope this helps you out on your decision to serve.
Dug
LCDR, USN (Ret)
LJDRVR
That was hilarious, so true it hurts ... pun definitely intended.
HAWKER1
I can't disagree with a lot that has been posted. Being in the military is not easy and is not for the weak at heart. However, it can be the most rewarding facet of your life when it's all over. The mil (all branches I suppose) doesn't do a good job of taking care of your family, can't deny it. As a matter of fact, they do a terrible job at it sometimes. But, that's not what it's all about. It's the other families that help out, helping people they barely know because they are part of the club. I have let people stay at my home, borrow my car, driven them to where they needed to go, loaned them money (against USMJ) and have had other people take care of me and mine in the same fashion. The military leadership is no better than any other management team. A lot of the time they are worse, often they got to their position by kissing tail like it was their job. They are definitely out to further their own careers. Often there are great leaders that care about the mission and the people in their charge. When that happens it makes the military an awesome place to be, when it doesn't it's just like anywhere else. Regardless of those scenarios, the families of your colleagues can be a God send. The stories of support could go on for ions. Some of those families will be life long friends. I hope this helps you out on your decision to serve.
Dug
LCDR, USN (Ret)
spanky2
For God, Family, Country
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2003
- Posts
- 271
Served 20+ years. Retired. Flew for a major for 2+ years. Furloughed. Back on AD. No place is perfect...both have pros and cons.
Airline - very low stress until the furlough monster caught me...and even then I knew it was coming and had a plan. Pretty much on your on when not at work...seniority based system makes life simple. Pretty much a pawn and fodder for greedy mgt and union turmoil. Overall.. run by people trying to make as much $$ as possible.
Military - more stress but more support...merit based system has politics that we all hate. Different view second time around. Overall...good people trying to make a difference. Circle of friends will outlast anything.
Airline - very low stress until the furlough monster caught me...and even then I knew it was coming and had a plan. Pretty much on your on when not at work...seniority based system makes life simple. Pretty much a pawn and fodder for greedy mgt and union turmoil. Overall.. run by people trying to make as much $$ as possible.
Military - more stress but more support...merit based system has politics that we all hate. Different view second time around. Overall...good people trying to make a difference. Circle of friends will outlast anything.
28 years in SAC. If we weren’t on alert we were overseas [during the war V N] if it wasn’t SEA it was Europe. Then home to more alert. Goose Bay anyone?
The mil did not promise “total family care” then or mow. The friendships with the neighbors and squadron mates were the “support system”.
To expect the Govt. to take care of things while you are deployed is asking a little too much. IMO.
The mil did not promise “total family care” then or mow. The friendships with the neighbors and squadron mates were the “support system”.
To expect the Govt. to take care of things while you are deployed is asking a little too much. IMO.
C40_Pilot
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Benhuntn
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