going AF?

On 22 Feb 2004 20:44:04 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:

When I ran ATC undergrad assignments, I returned the system to full
merit assignment.

When was that? The (last) change back to the MARS (Merit Assignment Ranking
System) took place with McPeak in '92, so somewhere between you and McPeak it
went back to being handed your assignment. I've only heard tales from the
"forced assignment" days, mostly from FAIPs who said they were screwed by Capt.
X who had it out for him, or Maj. Y who like him and wanted him back as an IP
after graduation.

I had the ATC desk in '70-'72 (I'm so old, I knew Tony McPeake when he
was a captain!) FAIPs have always said they were getting screwed. The
big challenge during my time in that job was the SEA drawdown and the
need to funnel UPT output into other assignments. A Corona
recommendation was that each command take a straight percentage of
output based on the command's percentage of total pilot slots. That
meant the ATC suddenly had to absorb something like 28% of UPT output
immediately.

Needless to say there weren't that many folks wanting the assignment
and several of those that did weren't coming from the top part of the
class where ATC would have preferred. I argued that when ATC had these
kids for a year they ought to be able to make the job attractive
rather than a place the UPT grad wanted to escape.

End result was that shortly after I left the head-shed for a return to
fighter ops in the F-4, the shift to more directed assignments was
moving forward. The graduate assignment responsibility moved from ATC
to MPC (i.e. USAF level rather than MAJCOM) in early '72.

Today, the SUPT split is the big decision point.

And, if I understand correctly, one the student no longer makes, but is made
for him.

Last chance I had to talk with ATC types was in 2000 at River Rats
which was in San Antonio that year. Went with a close friend to visit
our old squadron, the 435th TF(T)S, doing the fighter lead-in thing at
Randolph. Got the SUPT briefing and cook's tour. Looked like a great
operation.

The student really does make the choice, although not directly. He/she
makes it through their performance in primary. Top grads get more
input to the decision. Can't imagine anyone wanting someone in
fighters who doesn't want to be there.

If someone wanted bomber over transport, I don't see much to
discriminate on beyond the availability of the slots to the class at
large and the individual desires.

This has gone back and forth several times since the T-1 came on-line, but I
think the fighter track (T-38s) is the "bomber-fighter" track. The B-52
community was not happy with product we were getting from the T-1 side of the
house, apparently the Bone side was not happy either, so they changed the track
program again (at least the 3rd switch since SUPT and the T-1).

The only constant is change.


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