Why didn't GWB join the U.S. Air Force ?

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 12:23:08 -0400, "Leslie Swartz"
wrote:

Ed:

To a UPT washout/dropout, exactly what career field *would* have been
desireable? Personally, I would say none.

Okay- maybe wizzo- but even that would have been a disappointment, right?
So what conclusions are we to draw from "missile duty being undesireable to
a pilot training washout?"

Steve Swartz

Actually, during the period in question (I was in the UPT business
after F-105s as an IP/Academic instructor and then at ATC as personnel
from 1967-1972), the route into the AF as an officer through OTS
required flying training candidates. In other words, there were very
few accessions for non-rated jobs for college grads who hadn't gone to
the Academy or four-years of AFROTC.

The result was that as guys graduated from college, they suddenly
found their draft exemption expired and they faced Army enlisted time.
(Note to BUFDRVR, I'm not impugning Army enlisted service.) These
folks went to the recruiter and found that they could get into OTS if
they qualified for a UPT/UNT/UPT-H slot. They often really didn't want
to fly. It led to a lot of guys showing up at their UPT base as brand
new 2/Lts and going directly to personnel to SIE (Self-Initiated
Elimination). They then were active duty and out of the flying game.

Other dropouts came from MOA (Manifestation of
Apprehension/uncontrolled airsickness), FOF (Fear of Flying), academic
deficiency or flying deficiency. Only flying deficiency washouts could
go to nav training. All others got reassigned by "needs of the
service."

Desireable jobs would be duties that related to their college major or
long-term career goals. Civil engineering, maintenance, weather,
accounting, R & D, procurement, computers, etc. would all be
desireable. These slots, however, were usually filled through
programmed accessions from AFA and AFROTC.

The AF has a lot of non-flying jobs that would be desireable for a new
college grad who either didn't want to fly or wasn't able to. There
isn't, however, much transferability for missileers or weapons
controllers in the civilian job market.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8