Posted on 02/20/2019 10:25:46 AM PST by jeannineinsd
All U.S. Air Force airmen who have had non-deployable status for more than a year will soon face a disability board or be considered for administrative separation as part of the service’s implementation of the Pentagon’s so-called “deploy or get out” policy.
A directive signed Tuesday by Air Force senior leaders states the service seeks to achieve a 95 percent or higher deployable rate within its units. The directive follows the October order by then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for the Pentagon’s military services to create guidelines meant to motivate servicemembers to retain their ability to deploy into combat after troops in non-deployable status ballooned to more than 11 percent in recent years.
“We expect all airmen to exercise personal accountability for their deployable status and to take the necessary steps to maintain their readiness,” stated the memo, which was signed by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright. “…The defense of our nation requires airmen and the Air Force be ready to deploy at all times.”
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
You are probably right that there are certain jobs that are in a non deployment status. I was in one myself for my 18 month tour on the drill field and DI school that preceded it. However, all of those type of jobs to my knowledge are temporary in nature. No more than 3 years. I could be wrong. Even if there are categories like that where people are in non deployable jobs for years at a time, that is a very small number of Marines.
I did know a guy that spent about half of his 22 year career in the recruiting field because he was so good at it. But again, that’s not too many. Incidentally, that guy was stacked with more ribbons than myself who has been in combat three times and done too many deployments to count.
The military sets the standard. A soldier
is either ready for combat duty or he’s
not. He can not “claim” to be non
deployable.
I know the AF fighter pilots and support personnel are constantly rotating into theater.
YEP! In my unit, we had two people who suddenly became “conscientious objectors” to “war,” EXACTLY when “war” was needed!
Both were young NCOs! Pissed me off! They were more than happy to take Uncle Sams money and food and live on base, until it was time to actually do their damn jobs!
Several of us talked about a good ol’ “GI shower” to scrub away their doubts, but our Company 1st Sgt quickly got them out of our barracks and away from us...I am pretty sure he knew and could hear the rumblings!
Since the late 1990s certain squadrons have average over 150 days per year TDY to various hot spots. It got so bad the AF started a policy of limiting the maximum number of day TDY per year as well as the minimum number of days between tours. Tet SOF community was averaging 200 days per year and the fighter communities were running around 150.
Every person who doesn’t deploy has the same “potential for promotion” as those which do Why? The Peacetime tempo hasn’t existed for over a decade.
BTW the AF faced almost an identical problem during Vietnam. The solution back then was no service schools without a “remote short tour overseas (AKA a short tour to SEA). No advanced schools equated to no promotion. This logic was the primary reason I volunteered for a forth tour to SEA (my first three tours were all TDY and didn’t count).
The military is singularly awful about effectively managing its human resources correctly. This may be a good idea, it may not be a good idea, but what is certain is that whenever the military aims to cut bad servicemen, they miss and hit good ones.
It’s absolutely true that there are shammers out there avoiding deployments, most military billets don’t actually need to be filled with deployable troops, and that number is going to go up in coming years as more and more jobs require skills with a keyboard and not a rifle.
The military isn’t a jobs program, but who stays and who goes when the brass in Washington decides it needs to change manpower levels is entirely artitrary and capricious.
Busted tape six years ago, but you’ve been a model NCO since then? Sorry, there’s the door. Surgically repaired knee giving you issues because you got a bad roll of the dice with the military Healthcare system and there’s no such thing as medical malpractice in the military? Doesn’t matter that you have less than two years until retirement, the military is the cause of your problems and a stable desk job that you’re effective at, there’s the door.
On the other side, in times when manpower is low, oh let the waivers fly freely. Tattoos on your neck, criminal records, medical and psych conditions? Here’s your rifle...
I’m not against a leaner, more deployable fighting force. In reality, our military is far larger than it really needs to be (and anyone arguing about the military not being a jobs program should look to the defense lobbying industry from time to time. PFC Snuffy isn’t the only one waiting on a paycheck from the Pentagon.) as pointed out elsewhere, 1000 airmen isn’t really going to make a dent if it is a real problem.
“What are the reasons for non-deployment?.................”
LGBT’s who require frequent medial attention.
UNBELIEVABLE number “suddenly” asthmatic or allergic to dust( sand)
Excellent news!
Looks like this will be a tool to push out some people that need some direction and a shove.
The attitude all too often was, "I'm going to work a 40 hour week, keep my kids in the same school and stay on Tricare. You go fight the bad guys!"
AAHH! The highly decorated desk commander!
I thought our military were heroes. /s
” If you cannot abide the idea that our military’s foremost mission is to go out, break stuff, and harm those who threaten our nation, then get out. “
Might I add it’s not our job to fix a nation after we break it. Let them learn a lesson in rebuilding themselves. Don’t mess with the USA.
I agree, but I think that Japan has become an important ally due in large part to the rebuilding of that nation. Germany, on the other hand, is no friend of ours.
Reading this reminds me of a retired E9 special forces guy that never went to a combat zone. He joined in about 1967 which would have made him ripe for the Vietnam war. He claims he was a medic. For crying out loud, a war zone is a good place to have one.
This is an age old problem in the Military. People like to
‘homestead’ if they can. By regulation you are required to deploy or serve at least part of each enlistment overseas.
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