Advice needed for my Son in ROTC

2,013 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Aggiehunter34
Aggiehunter34
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I will try to keep this short as I can. My son is a Sr at Alabama and just graduated this past weekend. He received a AFROTC scholarship and I was stationed in Columbus, MS at the time and they gave in-state tuition (He still bleeds maroon and white). He has been a stellar cadet winning Distinguished Grad at field training, 3.7 GPA, 99.8 on PT Test, and was fortunate enough to get a pilot slot last year. His dream has been to be a pilot as long as I can remember. I am a 22 year AF veteran myself. In July of last year my son got diagnosed with malignant melanoma and it was removed and all borders cleared. He was given a 99.8% chance of this never occurring again by multiple providers. He had to get genetic tested and that came back great. My wife and I got tested and examined and both cleared. The AF granted a waiver for clearance into the AF, but would have to go through flying side to get cleared for pilot slot.

Long story short, his scholarship money was taken back in January and we had to repay his last semester tuition. He was removed from the Cadet Commander position and forced to go into voluntary status. He never waivered and showed up for PT and class every day without question. Once he got the waiver we started working to get his flight physical and we were told his slot was given to someone else. He could have a RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) position which is a rated position, or whatever the AF gives him. He chose whatever the AF gives him with the idea he could apply for a pilot slot in December since that was the next board.

Fast forward to his commissioning ceremony and when the award for Honor Grad was handed out my son won it. During that time the commander asked him if he wanted his pilot slot back and of course he did. He announced that he got his slot back and would be a pilot. We were on cloud nine like we had won the lottery. Not a dry eye in the room.

5 hours later his commander called me, not my son, to inform me that he screwed up and my son was not eligible for the pilot program. He apologized and said he was going to call my son, and as of now he still has not contacted him. We are obviously devastated and our son is taking it in stride. He is thankful to get to serve and will be great at whatever he does, but would like your take on what you would do if this was your son? He was content with Aircraft Maintenance Officer when that was the fall back job given to him, with the idea of applying in December. It just sucked that the Commander did that announcement to him and everyone when we have been up and down since August. As a dad this is extremely difficult!
74OA
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Get in contact with your Congressman and Senator immediately. Sounds like the AF needs a political push to get past its bureaucratic Catch 22 here. I'd also send a personal letter to BG Thompson and SECAF asking for help regaining your son's pilot training slot.
Aggiehunter34
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74OA said:

Get in contact with your Congressman and Senator immediately. Sounds like the AF needs a political push to get past its bureaucratic Catch 22 here. I'd also send a personal letter to BG Thompson and SECAF asking for help regaining your son's pilot training slot.
Thank you 74OA! The problem is we are up against a timeline crunch. After the ceremony he was advised not to sign his commissioning contract because it had Aircraft maintenance on it and not pilot. They literally got a call during the ceremony that he was all clear for a spot. They wanted him to go to Wright Pat for his physical then contract him. Now they are trying to rush him to sign his original contract and not allow us to work something for the pilot slot. We have gotten bad information the entire time. It has been one big mess. I could fill you in on all the details, but I will spare you at this time. Your info is greatly appreciated.
Complaint Investigator
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Do not sign it. Tell them when it says pilot, he will sign. Until then - no. Tell them they can send him to Wright Pat for the physical and once he receives his waiver he will sign.

Can he switch branches?

Edit: tell HIM he can tell them when it says pilot he will sign. I absolutely would not take the chance otherwise unless he will be happy not being a pilot.
Aggiehunter34
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Complaint Investigator said:

Do not sign it. Tell them when it says pilot, he will sign. Until then - no. Tell them they can send him to Wright Pat for the physical and once he receives his waiver he will sign.

Can he switch branches?

Edit: tell HIM he can tell them when it says pilot he will sign. I absolutely would not take the chance otherwise unless he will be happy not being a pilot.
Thank you for the advice. When his NCO called today it was full pressure to sign and he asked what job the contract said and she said aircraft maintenance to Shaw AFB. They told him the AETC SG changed his mind and won't clear him for a rated slot, yet he was offered RPA after his waiver was granted. No one will give him an answer on what exactly he is cleared for. To my knowledge SG can approve waiver for service but flight surgeons decide his flying fate.

As for switching branches no one will tell him. It's been a cluster of epic proportions. He was told when he went on voluntary status he would lose scholarship but get repaid if waiver approved. Now we find out they won't repay us. Come to find out he was no longer contracted at that point and we were free to go elsewhere. When the waiver was approved that said to come in so they could work on getting him his scholarship money refunded and get his flight physical set up. They called two hours later and said no refund and no pilot slot after he had signed his new paperwork getting him back in AFROTC.
CanyonAg77
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I have no good advice, just commiseration. Our daughter had her wings, did a FAIP tour, and got hurt in an auto accident. It took about 18 months after the accident to get her medically cleared again. It was highly frustrating for her, and for us.

I think the reason she got her medical clearance was that she was already trained, and already had an F-16 slot. They are in desperate need of fighter pilots, and had already invested tons of time and money in her.

It seemed like nobody, and I mean nobody wanted to step up to the plate and sign their name to her approval.

You may recall I sent you a PM several years ago. She went through SUPT and did her FAIP tour at Columbus. She only officially detached from there a few weeks ago. She literally started F-16 B school this morning.

Congrats to you and your son. Pilot slots are hard to come by, and the Zoomies get half of them. To get the slot, and all the other accolades he has, as a ROTC cadet, shows him to be an outstanding individual.
Aggiehunter34
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Thanks CanyonAg77. I remember our conversation well and remember us both being at Columbus as the same time. I am happy to hear it has worked out well for her despite all the issues. We are at a loss because no one will give us answers. His CC has yet to call him and inform him of what happened. There has been a ton of issues with this detachment and how they have handled many cases. We just want guidance and to hear exactly what the medical community decided. The only email we have seen was one that said he was cleared to commission and it didn't say any stipulations associated with it. Once the waiver went through and he was asked to sign back o to AFROTC he was told that his slot was given away and it wasn't that he wasn't good to fly but that a slot didn't exist. Since thy offered him another rated slot we figured that was the case. Fast forward and the story now changes.
champagnepapi
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No way he bleeds maroon and white after going to Alabama.

I wouldn't
CanyonAg77
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74OA said:

Get in contact with your Congressman and Senator immediately.
Thank goodness my daughter didn't have to pull this card. She was considering it. Her congressman, who nominated her to the academy, is the current head of the Armed Services Committee. That would have been a pretty big card to pull.
74OA
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CanyonAg77 said:

74OA said:

Get in contact with your Congressman and Senator immediately.
Thank goodness my daughter didn't have to pull this card. She was considering it. Her congressman, who nominated her to the academy, is the current head of the Armed Services Committee. That would have been a pretty big card to pull.
What I was suggesting is more along the lines of the congressman or senator's staff calling AFROTC headquarters and asking them to take a fresh look at the situation. I don't think that's a big ask, I do think that's what they should do considering the odd circumstances even if the answer stays as is.
CT'97
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I'm not sure what's up with the Air Force's medical branch but while I was at BAMC recovering and rehabbing I personally witnessed several airmen screwed over by dragging of feet and apparent lack of interest in retaining highly trained individuals. I'm talking PJ's, CCT's and pilots with injuries that every other branch was returning to full duty being pushed out of the Air Force for no apparent reason. Multiple of those took congressional interest to get something done, if they had just gone along with the bureaucracy they would have been medically separated, not even given a medical retirement.
CanyonAg77
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I saw an exceptional USAFA grad get tracked pilot....until about 2 weeks before graduation. He had some childhood condition that was waived all through his 4 years, until he was about to graduate.

He ended up with a crap assignment, since all his classmates had gotten their choice of the good jobs, the semester before.

There have been discussions of why the AF is having such trouble recruiting and retaining pilots. This thread might be a clue.
Aggiehunter34
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I will be honest, I thought the same, but 100% bleeds maroon and white. He sat in the student section at Bama in A&M gear for the 59-0 beat down. I started him early going to A&M games throughout my career. No matter where we were stationed we always made our way back for a couple games. Then when my cousin Ryan Tannehill played at A&M he really got hooked and there was no going back. He follows recruiting religiously and keeps up with everything A&M.
Aggiehunter34
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CanyonAg77 said:

I saw an exceptional USAFA grad get tracked pilot....until about 2 weeks before graduation. He had some childhood condition that was waived all through his 4 years, until he was about to graduate.

He ended up with a crap assignment, since all his classmates had gotten their choice of the good jobs, the semester before.

There have been discussions of why the AF is having such trouble recruiting and retaining pilots. This thread might be a clue.
Agree 100%
Aggiehunter34
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Hope you are doing better and thanks for your service my friend.
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