The Mission

As an applicant I sometimes wondered why it took so long to hear back from particular units, their pilots or hiring POCs. It wasn't until after I get hired that I truly began to understand the daily life of both a fighter squadron and her pilots.

In today's environment, the ANG and AFRC are being deployed on a pace I have never seen before in my 15 year career. Guard/Reserve units are being deployed for 6+months to backfill AD squadrons who have been deployed for a year or more. This nearly doubles the average total length of deployments for Guard/Reserve and Active Duty alike.

The result of this has ripple effects all across the Air Force. This results in significantly sped up divestiture of legacy 4th Gen platforms like the F-16 due to a rapid increase in hours being flown in a 5th Gen acquisition environment tailored for peace time. This results in experienced pilots at the end of their commitment leaving the military after years of long deployments seeking greener pastures in a quieter civilian life. Reference the record amount of "Rated" boards on MilRecruiter. And as these units return from combat with fewer airplanes to fly, and fewer pilots to fly them, look for strong Squadron Leadership to not only petition hard for new airplanes, but also to re-arm their squadrons with young, healthy and motivated young men & women through the UPT process.

Bottom Line: Be hungry, be patient.

Fights On!

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/us-fighter-jets-rotate-middle-east-iran/