Chances of being deployed overseas?

T

tibreaker

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Just out of curiosity, I was wondering what the chances of being deployed overseas as an Air Force officer are over a four year period. I think that it would be pretty cool to be deployed to Britain or South Korea but I know that it ultimately comes down to the needs of the Air Force. Thanks!
 
There are so many variables depending on your AFSC and unit that it's hard to give one answer. Generally a "deployment" is not to either of the places that you mentioned. Those would be a PCS. Most deployments recently are to the Middle East. My oldest son graduated from USAFA in 2011 and pilot training in 2013. Since then he has been deployed twice, both times to the ME. He will PCS to South Korea in April.

Stealth_81
 
My oldest (AFROTC 2012) son PCS to UK and his next PCS was Germany. He has deployed to eastern Europe and ME deployment is in his near future. Lots of variables, not sure what chances are...but it does happen. His 2 best friends also PCS to Europe for a time. He has missed out on lots of family events and holidays in last 4 years but to be young and have endless European travel opportunities. He makes the most of it.
 
One of the kids who grew up in our neighborhood is a new Air Force LT via AFROTC. He first assignment is a PCS to S. Korea. He's loving it, especially since he's an adopted Korean kid. He's gotten to meet his biological Mom while there. So glad I'm able to keep in touch with him via Facebook.
 
MomWPgirl said:
He has missed out on lots of family events and holidays in last 4 years but to be young and have endless European travel opportunities. He makes the most of it.
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How cool. My daughter joined AROTC hoping to get stationed in Germany at some point. She is an Army Nurse and has been in San Antonio the last 2+ years. She just received her PCS "wish list" and gets to pick up to (3) options. She has become enamored with Alaska over the last few years so I think that may be her top choice but Germany will make the list for sure. Either way, it gives her mom and I an excuse to travel as well. :)
 
Just an additional thought on seeing different places. While returning from his last deployment son's fighter cell had their tanker escort break soon after leaving their ME base, so they landed in the UAE for a few days and got to visit the sights there while they waited for another tanker to be assigned. Once they got on their way again, they stopped in Spain for a night to rest. Two of their jets broke in Spain and they spent another 5 days waiting for parts to arrive from the US. They rented cars and got to tour the south of Spain and see a lot of fun things. There will be all kinds of opportunities to see amazing things no matter where you go. Of course, we sat at his house in Florida waiting for his return while he was having the time of his life. ;)

Stealth_81
 
Stealth_81 said:
Just an additional thought on seeing different places. While returning from his last deployment son's fighter cell had their tanker escort break soon after leaving their ME base, so they landed in the UAE for a few days and got to visit the sights there while they waited for another tanker to be assigned. Once they got on their way again, they stopped in Spain for a night to rest. Two of their jets broke in Spain and they spent another 5 days waiting for parts to arrive from the US. They rented cars and got to tour the south of Spain and see a lot of fun things. There will be all kinds of opportunities to see amazing things no matter where you go. Of course, we sat at his house in Florida waiting for his return while he was having the time of his life. ;)

Stealth_81
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Sounds a bit like judicious planning to me! :D
 
k2rider said:
How cool. My daughter joined AROTC hoping to get stationed in Germany at some point. She is an Army Nurse and has been in San Antonio the last 2+ years. She just received her PCS "wish list" and gets to pick up to (3) options. She has become enamored with Alaska over the last few years so I think that may be her top choice but Germany will make the list for sure. Either way, it gives her mom and I an excuse to travel as well. :)
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She just found out today that she is tentatively scheduled to go to Germany as early as April...July at the latest. I guess we'll be going to Europe in 2017 & 2018. :)
 
k2rider said:
She just found out today that she is tentatively scheduled to go to Germany as early as April...July at the latest. I guess we'll be going to Europe in 2017 & 2018. :)
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Do you know where in Germany? I'll be passing through there a few times next year
 
-Bull- said:
Do you know where in Germany? I'll be passing through there a few times next year
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She's a nurse and will be at Landstul and attached to the Combat Support Hospital (CSH)....the modern day MASH unit.
 
k2rider said:
She's a nurse and will be at Landstul and attached to the Combat Support Hospital (CSH)....the modern day MASH unit.
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Great tourism from that part of Germany. Plenty of castle ruins and wine tours on the Rhine River. I spent six years in that part of Germany - some of the installations are now closed though. If she is working while you are visiting you can still participate in MWR tours if your DD schedules it. 2-5 day bus tours might be worthwhile while she is working. A long weekend trip to Paris is definitely doable. Have her schedule time at the Military Resort Edelweiss in Bavaria which is now only available for those assigned to Germany. Day or short weekend trips to France (not Paris) will be fun too.

Edit: Tell her to consider getting a two bedroom apartment to accommodate visitors. Apartments with a small second bedroom aren't that expensive. Sometimes she will have to tell visitors 'Sure you can visit but I have to work.' Belgium, Italy, Holland - All are within reach for long weekends. Suggestions from AF personnel stationed at Ramstein will be great too. It's very close to Landstuhl. Kaiserslautern is a very large military community very close to Landstuhl and Miesau.
 
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I was stationed in Germany (Mannheim) 86-87 then went back to Germany (Wiesbaden)as a spouse 97 - 00. DS was born in Germany and is now in ROTC I think he would like to be stationed in Germany first. My mom got to come over when I was there as a spouse and we did both the Tours through Base Travel and also rented a VW camper to do Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, UK and Czech Republic trips over 3 weeks. My Mom is an artist so she got to have her Paris trip even made her really do it by her taking her sketch book and go get on the bus and go explore. I also got in two more ways to go between UK and France by doing the Chunnel over and Boat ferry back. Had already flown (Space A) and taken hovercraft before so all ways to get between France and UK checked off my bucket list I would be doing it as a swim. lol I have had a piece of building hit me on the head every time I went to Prague. The biggest mistake soldiers and family make when stationed over seas is to get sucked into the surround yourself only with Americans, limiting time of post and out on the economy. Although the base / MWR trips are great for a 3day off escape use more of your vacation time traveling if you miss your family have them come to you and travel together because this time is the time you will be able to do it for the least $ and when you are young enough to enjoy it. I can promise you you will not end your service time regretting traveling too much! I don't know how easy it is now with Ramstien only flight option for trips out of Germany but if you have the time put as many countries as you are allowed now on your leave request go to Ramstien and sign up for Space A on every hop going to a place on your leave request. If you don't get on that morning do a trip during time day, days till next opportunity for Space A that is the cheap option or save up and get flights /train /bus trips to visit as many places as you can. You have the rest of your life to have Christmas doing the same stuff back home or have your parents come and Celebrate going with them to as many Weinachten markets as you can. Or Go to 'Frankenstien's castle' in Munster Dieberg for Hallows Eve, see the original debachery at all the Fasching celebrations each town has. Get out of your car and get on the trains. I learned more German riding trains and sitting by older people who are very happy to help you practice your German and tell you about historical or fascinating places to visit that might not be in that guide book. Make sure your soldiers understand the safety requirements but help them understand the opportunities they have there as well.
 
I also have a question about the deployments to the Middle East. A lot of people call me crazy for wanting to get over there but I'd like to do my part over there and be able to really make a difference after graduating college and ROTC. Does anyone know if you can request deployments and what aviation squadrons or wings get deployed the most?
 
Maverick19 said:
I also have a question about the deployments to the Middle East. A lot of people call me crazy for wanting to get over there but I'd like to do my part over there and be able to really make a difference after graduating college and ROTC. Does anyone know if you can request deployments and what aviation squadrons or wings get deployed the most?
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There are just so many variables as I said above. What is your desired AFSC? Even within pilot AFSC so many things depend on your airframe, your home base, and where your unit is in the deployment cycle that there isn't a standard answer to your question. On the fighter side it is generally a 180-day deployment every two years, but that varies a lot. Units sometimes "share" a deployment with a similar squadron where each unit is responsible for half of the flight hours. This leads to some people splitting it three ways and each doing 60 days, some do 90 days each, and some do all 180. Also, if the unit deploys too soon after you arrive at that base or you arrive while they are deployed, you will not be able to go since you haven't been training with them long enough. Also, not every pilot in a squadron deploys for various reasons.

Bottom line is that there are just too many different scenarios to answer your question fully.

Stealth_81
 
I agree with Stealth there are just too many variables especially when it comes to the rated world. For example when Bullet flew the F15E out of Elmendorf they were PACAF and the 3 yrs there he never went to the sandbox. However, when we were stationed at Seymour he would go for 120 days every 18 months.

As Stealth stated a lot has to do with when you arrive. DS flies the 130J. When he arrived last Feb half the squadron was on a 120 day deployment, thus he did not go on that rotation. One yr later and he was deployed for 120 days. However the way it works for them is that they do 2 months in the deployment zone and then rotate the planes back to Germany for support missions...i.e. they would fly in supplies/parts to different places.

At his base there are 2 130J Op. units. They basically will rotate right after each other. Fencers DS is a 130J pilot at the same base, but different unit. He was sent only for the Germany part so they could rotate the other guys back faster. As his squadron was rotating into Germany our DSs was rotating into the theater. Just like when DS rotated into Germany the next squadron was rotating into the theater. So on and so forth until your unit is tagged again.
~ DS already knew when he got back home when their tentative re-deployment date/month would be.

Now with all that said, I will say don't be so anxious to deploy because what you don't realize is depending on your airframe you could be doing a lot of TDYs too. Prior to going on the deployment he was sent for a 2 week TDY to get ready for the deployment. Came home and deployed 2 weeks later. DS returned home on a Monday after 5 months of being deployed. 10 days later they sent him to a 3 week upgrade school (TDY). Came home and while out shopping on a Sunday for his 1st baby's crib the squadron called him and said he needed to go on a 7 day TDY Monday.
~ My point is the 1st 7 1/2 months of my DILs pregnancy he may have been home 3 weeks in total!
~~ Of course the squadron knew she was pregnant and typically they do not want to send any pilots on TDY or deployments at the tail end of a pregnancy or right after the baby is born.
~~~ Fencers DS was deployed for 60 days when his wife was pregnant too, and if memory serves me correctly he came home about 1 month before the baby was due. His unit is on rotation again and if he goes, his DD would be @ 9 months. Our DS is on the hit list to go again and his DD will only be 6 months old when he leaves for his 2nd 120 day deployment.

Finally, want to know why the AF is losing pilots at such a high rate is because of the pace of deployments and TDYs. One day sooner or later you will be happily married with kids, and probably prior to when you can walk (9 yrs after you wing...if you are AFROTC you can expect to wait close to a yr before UPT start, plus 1 yr for UPT and the 9....you are looking at 11 yrs or around 34-35 yo) Now when you think about all of those TDYs for things like Green Flag, taking the jet to safety if a hurricane is coming, and than your 120 day rotation every other yr., you too may say I am more than happy to become a busdriver in the sky (airlines) at a lower pay for several years than take that 250K bonus for me to stay until 20 so I can be home with my family for ...I don't know silly things like birthdays, Halloween, let alone Thanksgiving or Christmas.
~ Bullet missed every Halloween from the time our youngest was 5 months old until he was 8. He missed half of our 3 kids birthdays. Our DDs 1st Father Daughter dance, she went with my FIL because he was deployed. Our 7th wedding anniversary (my favorite memory) was at a Denny's while we PCSd.

I get you want to serve, but as you can see just through Stealth, Fencer, my DS and of course my DH, as fun as it might be to think about traveling all across the globe and doing these missions, it can become less fun every time you pack those bags. Just saying these examples are not uncommon, but more common than you think or realize at this time.
 
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