Posted: 5/23/2024 7:17:20 PM EDT
[Last Edit: MJ11B4P][Edited]
| How’d you like your job? Son got booked for 2A636, shipping late July. Was not his first choice of job, but his priority is getting to Misawa. How was your experience? I’ve read mixed reviews. |
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It will be all what he makes of it. I was Security Forces for 20 years and I learned real quick how I could make a day a good one or a bad one, everything else depended on the circumstances and most shit was out of my control. Anyway you put it he’s in aircraft maintenance. That can suck or not suck too much. I never saw too many maintainers who were shiny, happy people. Most were miserable and dirty a lot of the time. But with the fleet we have and whats expected of those guys, it’s understandable. Just tell your boy to stay positive, professional and relevant. Stay away from the knuckleheads, smokers and jokers as well as the disgruntled. Don’t be a suck ass and always do the right thing even when the easy way looks so good. He does that as well as keeping his nose clean and he’ll do fine. |
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I'm late to the party, but I'll echo what DefensorFortis had to say about aircraft maintenance troops on the flight line (I was also Security Forces). I happen to know a few that loved it to death and sort of "embraced the suck" when it was especially bad on the ramp. I don't know if Electrical and Environmental Specialists are ramp rats or work back shop, but tell your son to keep his hair cut and to maintain a good set of boots and uniforms. AMXS types were notorious (at least at my base) for being dirty and scuffed up all the time. Not much he can do about dirty hands, but everything else is within his control. Also, if he follows the TOs to the latter he won't have to worry about anything coming back on him. A lot of the fighter maintenance guys I know considered QA the enemy, which made me question their integrity (especially when the aircrew's lives hung in the balance). Tell him to keep his alcohol consumption in check (especially if underage) and not to get in trouble with debt or women. Otherwise, tell him to have fun and enjoy as much as he can but make sure he gets something back from the Air Force. Tuition assistance towards a degree, training and certifications, and anything else he can get his hands on. The Air Force is going to get their money's worth out of him, just make sure he gets some back in return. |
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I’m late to the party too but I was a 2A6X6 for a little over 20 years and I’m still doing it now as a contractor. The career field is one of the busiest on the flightline because everything with a wire is “mine”. When the Avionics/Weapons/Engines/etc troops can’t figure out the problem, E&E gets called in. If he gets a flightline position he’ll never be bored but he can pretty much forget about extracurricular activities like college classes. Back shop is a different story. I enjoyed my AF career and I feel truly blessed that I’m still able to do it after retiring…. It’s 100% what he decides to make of it—miserable or awesome. I chose awesome and if I had it to do over, I wouldn’t change anything |
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It is a good job if he likes troubleshooting broken aircraft. The flight line folks are busy on most MDSs. I think his shred is F16. Not sure. |
Leave me alone. I’m a libertarian. CW vet x7, give away a kidney to a loved one if they need it.
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Can he get an FAA certification for the work that will do? When I went into the Navy I wish someone had steered me to a rate (job) that directly led to a certification in the private sector so I was better positioned when I got out. |
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition" - Rudyard Kipling
| I did this job for my first 6 years in the reserves working on F-16's. I took the training and experience I received and took the maintenance test when i got back from tech school and got a promotion to electronic technician ET9 at the post office. The highest grade on the floor except for management. I did that job for 35 years. All thanks to my Air Force training. It was a long tech school but well worth it. |
USAF SF retired
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Originally Posted By xanadu: Can he get an FAA certification for the work that will do? When I went into the Navy I wish someone had steered me to a rate (job) that directly led to a certification in the private sector so I was better positioned when I got out. No The USAF makes that difficult because then they would not be able to retain airmen. It is WRONG. |
Leave me alone. I’m a libertarian. CW vet x7, give away a kidney to a loved one if they need it.
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Originally Posted By RattleCanAR: No The USAF makes that difficult because then they would not be able to retain airmen. It is WRONG. Originally Posted By RattleCanAR: Originally Posted By xanadu: Can he get an FAA certification for the work that will do? When I went into the Navy I wish someone had steered me to a rate (job) that directly led to a certification in the private sector so I was better positioned when I got out. No The USAF makes that difficult because then they would not be able to retain airmen. It is WRONG. When I was in Propulsion, we had a few guys with their A&Ps (~20 years ago). Are you saying that big blue is making it difficult for all maintainers to get A&P certification, or just certain specialties? |
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Originally Posted By DD1801: When I was in Propulsion, we had a few guys with their A&Ps (~20 years ago). Are you saying that big blue is making it difficult for all maintainers to get A&P certification, or just certain specialties? All of the flight line jobs. Here at Shaw there is nothing to help with it. The few wrenches I have known get their A&P traveled on personal leave to Atlanta and paid out the ass for an abbreviated class and testing. Truth be told the USAF should provide local college type outlets for the education or have the wrenches get their A&P just like the ATC folks have to get their FAA ticket punched. The USAF DOES NOT want the mechanics to be employable in the civilian market, then the folks would get out and go to the airlines. Rarely do civilian airlines have ex USAF maintenance troops straight out of service. It really sucks for the maintainers and proves the USAF doesn't give a shit about the troop when they separate or retire. They push members to get useless degrees to fill the squares to get promoted to E-8 and E-9 when MOST people NEVER make it that far or they just don't want those ranks. An E5 mechanic should be able to get out at around 6 years and go get a job at Delta, they can't. Fighter pilots have to go to school to fly in the airlines but pilots make a shit ton of money and spend their last year getting ready to retire by going to school for their commercial rating in puddle jumper type aircraft. They already have an FAA license. My son is Army Helicopter pilot and has his FAA license with multiple ratings. He took the instrument rating test while in Common Core. Why doesn't the USAF help the maintainers in a like manner by setting them up with their A&P rating preps and testing. (My son took his instrument test at an FAA testing center near Fort Novesel) |
Leave me alone. I’m a libertarian. CW vet x7, give away a kidney to a loved one if they need it.
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Originally Posted By RattleCanAR: All of the flight line jobs. Here at Shaw there is nothing to help with it. The few wrenches I have known get their A&P traveled on personal leave to Atlanta and paid out the ass for an abbreviated class and testing. Truth be told the USAF should provide local college type outlets for the education or have the wrenches get their A&P just like the ATC folks have to get their FAA ticket punched. The USAF DOES NOT want the mechanics to be employable in the civilian market, then the folks would get out and go to the airlines. Rarely do civilian airlines have ex USAF maintenance troops straight out of service. It really sucks for the maintainers and proves the USAF doesn't give a shit about the troop when they separate or retire. They push members to get useless degrees to fill the squares to get promoted to E-8 and E-9 when MOST people NEVER make it that far or they just don't want those ranks. An E5 mechanic should be able to get out at around 6 years and go get a job at Delta, they can't. Fighter pilots have to go to school to fly in the airlines but pilots make a shit ton of money and spend their last year getting ready to retire by going to school for their commercial rating in puddle jumper type aircraft. They already have an FAA license. My son is Army Helicopter pilot and has his FAA license with multiple ratings. He took the instrument rating test while in Common Core. Why doesn't the USAF help the maintainers in a like manner by setting them up with their A&P rating preps and testing. (My son took his instrument test at an FAA testing center near Fort Novesel) That is disappointing to hear. I hope it’s a YMMV thing and not an absolute truth. He has orders to Whiteman… in process for PRP. We’ll see how it plays out. |
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Can vouch the USAF won’t really help with the A&P. My current base in ND, the nearest FSDO to sign the 8610 is 4 hrs one way. I can recall them coming to the base like twice in the 15 years here. Hard to schedule that and your class with random deployment, tasking, TDY’s and exercises. USAF only pays for the course, so you gotta fund your own travel. My shop (propulsion) had a group of guys go to the Bakers school in Tennessee and they were recalled before they completed their exam. You also have to repay the USAF if you don’t pass the course. Wouldn’t be too bad if your son has an FSDO and school nearby. I am definitely not envious of E&E. Those dudes are always undermanned and always jobbing as they tie into pretty much every shop. A good E&E troop is one of the best asset to have on the line. Hopefully they won’t abuse him to bad. |
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Originally Posted By tt350z: Can vouch the USAF won’t really help with the A&P. My current base in ND, the nearest FSDO to sign the 8610 is 4 hrs one way. I can recall them coming to the base like twice in the 15 years here. Hard to schedule that and your class with random deployment, tasking, TDY’s and exercises. USAF only pays for the course, so you gotta fund your own travel. My shop (propulsion) had a group of guys go to the Bakers school in Tennessee and they were recalled before they completed their exam. You also have to repay the USAF if you don’t pass the course. Wouldn’t be too bad if your son has an FSDO and school nearby. I am definitely not envious of E&E. Those dudes are always undermanned and always jobbing as they tie into pretty much every shop. A good E&E troop is one of the best asset to have on the line. Hopefully they won’t abuse him to bad. That kinda sucks to hear USAF doesn’t push to get their guys certified. I know how to navigate the education channels for the Army, but Air Force does stuff… differently. From the outside looking in, it looks like y’all got it pretty good. From what I’ve learned about the operational force, some things make me go  Then again, I’m getting second-hand info from a new E2. I’m trying to do more listening and resist the urge to being an NCO. |
