Jobs dropping at USAFA today !!

Some people did not get their first choice, but I hope they are all proud and pleased with what they got! Well done!
 
As always the most sought after, though not by everyone is a pilot slot. I haven’t seen the numbers yet to know how many slots were given this year but very interested to know. The least sought after would be ????? I guess whatever you don’t put in your top 8
 
I think there is pretty universal acceptance that security forces and missiles (used to be space and missiles, but now that they split it out, it's probably even less) are the least sought after. RPAs used to be in with that, but I think they are becoming more popular. I'd also venture a guess that Force Support isn't too popular, but I do know some people that actually wanted that one. This is all purely anecdotal, but I doubt it changes too much from year to year.,
 
Bigrod said:
As always the most sought after, though not by everyone is a pilot slot. I haven’t seen the numbers yet to know how many slots were given this year but very interested to know. The least sought after would be ????? I guess whatever you don’t put in your top 8
Click to expand...
Around 400 pilot slots and around 50 RPA slots were given. Least sought after is almost always missiles or maintenance.
 
Only 400 pilot slots this year? That seems very low considering past classes and most of all because we keep hearing the huge wave of retirement of many, many pilots in next few years. Hopefully class of 2022 and 2023 see significantly more pilot slots.
 
Its down about a hundred or so from last year. It seems COVID has helped retention as the airlines were not hiring. As far as '22 and '23 getting more slots, I would be surprised if they got more than 400 because of complications from having so many LTs waiting for UPT.
 
Last edited:
SomeCasualLt said:
Its down about a hundred or so from last year. It seems COVID has helped retention as the airlines were not hiring. As far as '22 and '23 getting more slots, I would be surprised if they got more than 400 because of complications from having so many LTs waiting for UPT.
Click to expand...
Any sense about how many in '21 who are PQ and wanted a pilot slot but didn't get one? (And let's ignore RPA slots for the moment.) 400 is low for USAFA.
 
kittkatt said:
Any sense about how many in '21 who are PQ and wanted a pilot slot but didn't get one? (And let's ignore RPA slots for the moment.) 400 is low for USAFA.
Click to expand...
I know cadets in the 800s were getting pilot slots. I'm sure somebody has the exact numbers but I do not.
 
USAFA needs to get back to if you want a pilot slot and you are qualified you get a pilot slot. Doesn’t matter if your overall rank is 980 it’s yours if you want it. That’s part of the gift of getting through your four years and getting into the institution in the first place. Just my .02
 
My DS is in the 600's and was fortunate enough to get a pilot slot but he was sweating it. He said he knows several disappointed Cadets that did not get a pilot slot but requested it. It's the first time in his 4 years at USAFA everyone that was PQ didn't get a slot if they asked.
 
swatdude said:
My DS is in the 600's and was fortunate enough to get a pilot slot but he was sweating it. He said he knows several disappointed Cadets that did not get a pilot slot but requested it. It's the first time in his 4 years at USAFA everyone that was PQ didn't get a slot if they asked.
Click to expand...
Is he aware of the cadets that didn’t get a pilot slot, and were qualified if they were above him or below him in ranking ? Btw, congratulations to your son and I hope he has great success.
 
One if the biggest issues for Big AF right now is the capacity for training and absorption of new pilots into active units. I’m sure this is a part of their reason for slowing down the pipeline. My oldest son is an instructor for the F-16 B-course at Holloman and they are pushing people through as fast as they can, but there are some people waiting 6-9 months after UPT to get into the B-course. They’ve got to trim that gap back or they’re paying a lot of lieutenants to sit around doing busy work or even nothing.

Stealth_81
 
Like @swatdude above my DD was also fortunate enough to receive her pilot slot during the job drops. I know at least 10 cadets that were fully PQ that were not given slots in my limited parent network. I fully understand the challenge pipeline and gaps but I also attended at least 3 PW seminars where the message clearly was "if your cadet is PQ we will find a place for them". This is the first year in some time where that has not been the case and perhaps it's a variety of factors some controllable and some not, but it seems as if the recruitment and the pre-commitment message is not aligned with current practice.
 
The AF bean counters decided that the pilot crisis is over, apparently. 🧐 I'm not sure anyone outside of AFPC really understands how they decide things...but that's the cynic in me.

Chances are still good for USAFA cadets that are PQ, but it's never guaranteed.
 
Velocity2012 said:
Like @swatdude above my DD was also fortunate enough to receive her pilot slot during the job drops. I know at least 10 cadets that were fully PQ that were not given slots in my limited parent network. I fully understand the challenge pipeline and gaps but I also attended at least 3 PW seminars where the message clearly was "if your cadet is PQ we will find a place for them". This is the first year in some time where that has not been the case and perhaps it's a variety of factors some controllable and some not, but it seems as if the recruitment and the pre-commitment message is not aligned with current practice.
Click to expand...
I also seem to recall various leadership in public forums promoting the same basic message. Of course, they always dropped the official "air force needs come first" (and I get that), but that didn't get in the way of a clear message that if you got through USAFA and were PQ'd, you would get a pilot slot. Is it possible that the academy is "counting" RPA slots as "pilot" slots? While I wouldn't agree with that accounting "sleight of hand," at least that would get '21 to approx. 450 slots and somewhat closer to "normal." (And, to make myself crystal clear, I don't for a moment want to imply any slight to the RPA community and its important work. As the USAFA itself distinguishes b/w RPA and pilot slots, however, I'm just trying to get a feel for the USAFA assignment numbers for these two communities.)
 
Last edited:
Bigrod said:
Is he aware of the cadets that didn’t get a pilot slot, and were qualified if they were above him or below him in ranking ? Btw, congratulations to your son and I hope he has great success.
Click to expand...
No, he did not get into specifics and I did not ask. One thing I have learned throughout this USAFA journey is to not ask too many questions and be grateful for the info he provides.
 
Stealth_81 said:
One if the biggest issues for Big AF right now is the capacity for training and absorption of new pilots into active units. I’m sure this is a part of their reason for slowing down the pipeline. My oldest son is an instructor for the F-16 B-course at Holloman and they are pushing people through as fast as they can, but there are some people waiting 6-9 months after UPT to get into the B-course. They’ve got to trim that gap back or they’re paying a lot of lieutenants to sit around doing busy work or even nothing.

Stealth_81
Click to expand...
Yes, I’ve met some ‘20 grads who got pilot slots, but they are still here, doing a desk job, waiting to get started. They’re not complaining, though, it’s not a bad place to wait...I’m wondering if, in the future, a cadet could accept but postpone UPT and do something like grad school or...? Or maybe that’s an option already?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top