Missileer Job

The thing about NC pulled pork is it is not slathered in BBQ sauce. It is a vinegar base with red pepper flakes and Tabasco sauce. Coleslaw is optional. In the AF, the spouses to make money for things like the kids Xmas/Easter party or to buy Airmen's food baskets during the holidays will bring in food to sell for lunch to them. Pulled pork is always on the rotation, that and chilli or lasagna. Hence, why every spouse in NC learns how to make pulled pork.
~ it is easy to make, but it takes time because you cook it in a slow cooker for hours.

Back on topic. Cadet Mom. Every acronym you want to know can be found under community feedback.
AFSC = Air Force Specialty Code. Your DS is 13N

The Missileer problems have been ongoing for a couple of years.

Not only were AFROTC cadets selected, but also AFA cadets this year were also selected. They just don't have enough new blood to only place volunteers into this position. The positive for these guys is later on if they stay past their 4 year marker when they come up for field grade promotion, they will be in a better position because they will have taken on leadership positions at an earlier point in their career. IE. The position when it was fully manned might have been classified as an O5, but because they don't have enough O5s, they will give it to a senior O4 up for O5. That means there will be an opening for the job that used to be filled by an O4, thus a senior O3 will take the position. So on and so forth.
 
Oh man, that 60 minutes special is really negative. It would be bad tv otherwise- "hey, yeah, this is my job, it's kind of weird and kind of boring, but y'know, it's important, and I like to hunt so I like being out here" wouldn't be very interesting at all.

A lot has changed since that special, especially with regard to schedules and testing (and they deep cleaned the facilities! lol.). A lot is changing right now. A lot will change from when we got our AFSCs and when we get to Vandy.

Plenty of assignments are boring. Plenty of assignments have long hours. Plenty of assignments turn out to not be what you thought you were getting into. Plenty of assignments are dead ends for careers if you're not careful. Plenty of assignments take some finagling to convey your skills to civilian potential employers. Plenty of assignments send you to terrible bases. Seems to me that Missiles has just always been the easiest one to laugh at, plus a community that's mostly young officers, so it became the "my job sucks but you know what? At least I'm not doing *that*" punchline for people who don't actually know anything about it. I know that was my thought process doing my dream sheet- "Oh, not missiles, missiles sucks" with literally no support for that based in fact. What, the hours are weird? You might get Minot? You won't feel like you're important? Sounds like the comments my whole class is making about their own assignments. Unless you're at UPT, and then it seems like you're drowning in boldface and stress.

(of course, full disclaimer applies: I'm a cadet who was assigned this AFSC who loves her Air Force and is trying to be positive about her future; the CGOs I've talked to, while not really having any benefit to talking it up to me because I'm here anyway, knew I was a cadet; I'm 22 and I don't actually know anything about anything. ;) )
 
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So true.

Use pilots as an example, most of them will all say they are going to get fighters. Yet, the reality is maybe 10-15% from start (IFS) to finish will get a fighter. Many do not realize 12 hour days for the first 2 years is the norm, and as you stated they spend a heck of a lot of time studying 6 days a week. Friday night until noon Sunday is about all you get for down time from studying. A typical day in their world as a student starts at 6 a.m. and get home between 4-6, and study/chair fly until 11.

They also have not come to the realization yet that they will deploy 4-6 months when AD every year. It is all not Top Gun. They will also have a second job. They don't just fly once operational. Flying is their primary job, but they don't fly 5 days a week. They may fly 2-3 times a week, the rest is their desk job...Wing weapons, squadron scheduling, wing safety, etc.

So the next time any rated cadet says 12 hours eek! Tell them to shove it, because that will be their life for years
 
A relevant story. Cadets who were selected for the missile career field are getting immersion trips to the active bases.

http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123437720

I will add a personal note. One of my son's best friends washed out of UPT and was re-assigned to missiles. He is a very bright kids and was high in the order of merit at USAF. He could fly very well, but he had a problem with the landings.:( Anyway, he went to missiles and was planning on getting out as soon as he could. In the past year he has said that the atmosphere has changed so drastically that he is now planning on staying in for as long as he can. I believe that the community is in need of some bright future officers to keep the field going in a positive direction.

Stealth_81
 
Stealth_81 said:
A relevant story. Cadets who were selected for the missile career field are getting immersion trips to the active bases.

http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123437720

I will add a personal note. One of my son's best friends washed out of UPT and was re-assigned to missiles. He is a very bright kids and was high in the order of merit at USAF. He could fly very well, but he had a problem with the landings.:( Anyway, he went to missiles and was planning on getting out as soon as he could. In the past year he has said that the atmosphere has changed so drastically that he is now planning on staying in for as long as he can. I believe that the community is in need of some bright future officers to keep the field going in a positive direction.

Stealth_81
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Which raises a point I've wanted to make for a while. Viewing an assignment to missiles as a punishment is certainly one way to look at things. However, I think OP's DS is an example of someone they think enough of that the AF wants to use him to help keep the community going in the right direction. In both the military and the corporate worlds, you give the toughest assignments to the better personnel. OP's DS should consider wearing this assignment as a badge of honor. JMPO as some thoughts crossed my mind.
 
With so many empty slots, a field where major change is underway, yeah... I see opportunity here.
Even at USAFA, quite a few folks from up and down the Order of Merit list went 13N.

So.... "If you're gonna make cardboard boxes, make the best damned cardboard boxes you can." --some guy trying to cheer me up years ago
 
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