U.S. Air Force Asks Retirees to Come Back 

For more info on the Voluntary Return to Active Duty Program: www.retirees.af.mil/Portals/53/documents/VRRAD/Officer%20VRRAD%20Fequently%20Asked%20Questions%20(FAQs).pdf

This is what happens when you fight a war for 20 years where you win all the battles yet still lose the war and not one General was relieved for cause. Shit was able to rise to the top.

Don’t fight for someone who despises you.

Why would anyone come back if the people who put the military in this position in the first place aren't fired? USAF loves to preach accountability until Top Brass fk up.... then it's nowhere to be seen.

The hospitals did the same thing to nurses, they forced out all the highly qualified nurses durning the Covid era and now there is such a shortage they are trying to offer insane amounts of sign on money to try and bring them back.. 30 yrs as a RN and I’m staying retired and flying my RV4.

Retired maintenance, not a pilot, but here's my 2 cents: A smart way to bring back retirees would be as dedicated trainers. No PT Test or Uniform, uphold technical proficiency standards, and train the new guys on that standard. Let the time count for retirement calculations and keep them on retirement pay.

Retired MSgt here. This is not a serious offer from the AF. It's actually kinda ridiculous. If they were serious, they would offer bonuses, base of preference, exception from PT test for at least 6 months to a year to get in shape. I'm really curious to see how many people take this, especially people with any type of VA rating.

For all of the maintainers who have said that they were treated like garbage during their AD time, I'd like to say that I, and almost all of the flyers I flew with respected you and what you did. We trusted you to bring us machines that would take us into the air, and sometimes into combat, and get us back home alive. How you kept some of the airplanes we had flying, I'll never know, but I just know that you did. During my twenty years, of which about fifteen were flying, I ran into one flyer who mouthed off to a maintainer. We gave that guy a $hit sandwich, and subjected him to "stuff" that we couldn't get away with today. In all of my years of flying, I never met a Crew Chief I didn't trust. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't tell you nearly enough back then.

I was a civilian employee of the USAF for 23 years, My experience at Altus AFB (5 years on C-5) and Dover AFB showed me that the USAF treats flight line people badly. The flight crews were good to us but the bases as a whole treated flight line people as trash.

It's comical that for the past 2 years, the USAF has cut promotion rates for NCO's to an all time low. Now they don't know why people won't stay in, but still ask retiree's to come back? This whole scenario is a slap in the face to those of us that are currently enlisted. Additionally, they have extended high year tenor for E5/6's to 22/24 years respectively. I for one, can't see doing a day past 20 years if this is the leadership that we are supposed to rely on. The current Air Force isn't a sinking ship, it's more like the Hindenburg.

I did 26+ years as Federal DoD Aircraft Mechanic working at Depot on the MH-53J PAVELOWS and AFSOC C-130 program. I would come back as long as they take care of their people like Robin Olds did with his people. When the Air Force asked us to put our nose to the Grindstone, we did. But when we asked for help with our families, we were told by some that we nothing but DAMN Civilians... You be amazed at how we been treated and people be shocked at what has happened.

Drawing on my past interactions with military leadership, I can see them being totally serious about this idea, then being totally perplexed as to why there are no takers.

My current unit kicked me out and basically told me not to drill even though i have 6 months left at age 58. They just extended the age to 62, but they did it anyway. You can be a completely senile senator, congressman etc and work until you're in your 80's, but a highly skilled IT tech, etc who is in better shape than 90% of the people in my wing, nope, sorry get out lol.

As soon as you retire, we have to get the actual story as to what you and Gonky did to piss everybody off lol.

You guys hit the nail on the head. That offer is on the checklist before they can pull the trigger on stop-loss. Not being appealing (read, expensive) is a feature of the offer, not a bug.

You should see that they pay retired teachers who want to come back and sub. Some places it is $350.00 day and still most people say no. You cannot treat people, no matter what profession, like garbage and expect them to come back.

I spent a night thinking about it. And it isn't a good deal. Most of us on the E side retired at 20 as E-6 or E-7. Most of us who retired were near our last base and stayed there. What the program needs to be is to have us come in to bolster the jr personnel management and training side of our career fields for 2-4 years. We cover for those E-6/7s that need to deploy, or train, get a higher degree so they will be better for their Airmen when they get back. Pay is fine. Give us a list of places to choose from to fill in. PT test? No... I don't even think we should deploy. We should be used like an old experienced GS/contractor who wanted to put the suit on again for a few more years and train new guys while management goes off to get better.

When one wakes up to the BS and sees it from a detached position and living a life of gratitude and grace, going back is never an option.

Didn't make major in 1983 so kicked out. USAF spent $1 million to train my replacement. Morale will improve when the punishment stops, and not much chance of either happening.

There is no way in hell that I'm coming back for nothing!!! They offer nothing in return!!!

The Army and Marines had a similar problem in Iraq - a critical shortage of active duty combat convoy drivers. Most of these capabilities resided in the Guard and Reserve forces, but within a couple of years they burned through them and had to rotate them home for a break in service. The Army was also stripping ADA batteries and armored units of drivers, but it wasn't enough, so the USAF and Navy were asked help out. We retrained many of our personnel for the job and stood up special flights for such deployments. This went on for several years until a lot of combat drivers discovered they could make more money as contractors performing the same missions. That was nearly 20 years ago.

I retired in 99 as an E-7, 2A3 AFSC (crew chief). After 9/11 the USAF was taking retirees back for a 2-year contract. I went back in from 02-04. I simply went back in like I never left. My retirement pay stopped of course but I was paid at the current rate for my rank and time in service. When my contract was up, I just returned to retired status but at a higher rate. I retired in 99 with 21.5 years at the 99-pay scale, when I re-retired, I had 23.5 years at the 02 scale. My retirement pay went up quite a bit. I was living in Phoenix but when I went back in I PCSed to Shaw and returned to Phoenix. Of course, the AF paid for everything. Believe it or not I'd go back in if I could. I'm 64, 65 in May, dropping the weight is a showstopper. If they waivered that and the PT test I'd go back

I was one of the last mechanics trained for the AH-1, right as they were permanently grounded (Army). My unit sat me on my thumbs for 6 years because they had limited funding and seats to send us all back to school, and the higher time in service guys got the preference (understandable). Transfer requests just weren't being processed either. (Found out 12 years later that my units admin also never filed separation orders. I had a dd214, but nothing else was filed with the army when I left). Being stuck in limbo is mentally ugly.

That perspective as a young aviator v once you've got some time is a key point. My F-111 RTU squadron commander told me that when he was a fresh young fighter jock, it was so much fun that "I would have paid the Air Force to let me fly fighters". But that wears off as the BS accumulates. It did for pretty much all of us.

I would not be surprised at all if one day, in the near future, we see a military ad "if you have a lot of experience flying simulators, the Air Force might want you"

"Once you've tasted the free life..." - Daniel

Hell, I’d become a pilot right now if I wasn’t separated from the navy with an REK-4 (i.e. banned for life) for disrespecting a petty officer. They’re kicking people out left and right for small things (just like the SEALs who refused to take experimental injections) and wonder why they don’t have enough people.

Well, 22 years as a legacy C-130 crew chief, retired out in 2005. I’m currently unable to eat solid food due to an esophageal issue, and don’t have the ability to work for longer than about 3-4 hours a day due to the lack of eating anything more solid than mashed potatoes. Yep, there’s no way I’d be allowed in, and actually I wouldn’t even entertain it, especially with the current “leadership”.

At the onset of the Korean War, my dad tried to volunteer to fly fighters. He was asked how many hours he had and replied a Combat Tour, no, no how many hours flying jets. So he did something else.

Air Force is fishing with no bait. You don't have to be Bill Dance to guess the outcome.

I was going to Reenlist in the military and switch from army to navy spent on night in a military barracks and just told them to give me my bus ticket and send me home. I was done.

Gonky you look so dashing in your, to quote Mover, WW-NAM uniform and helmet!

The Army did this for Apache pilots a while back (2010’s?) but did it differently. It was for Warrant Officers mainly CW4. The guys didn’t get regular OER’s but a different eval, couldn’t get promotion but the time counted toward their retirement pay when they retired again, they didn’t have to take PT tests and I’m pretty sure they were able to pick their duty station out of a few options. I don’t remember about the PCS issue. We had quite a few guys jump on it. I also don’t remember about any bonuses. The guys went to their unit and depending on how long they had been out of the aircraft, went through refresher training at the unit, then started doing their jobs as whatever they were (instructor pilot, maintenance test pilot). Not sure how long the program lasted.

With offers like this, it makes you wonder why they’re having problems signing up or retaining people…

Cause who doesn’t want to be cannon fodder for an admin who never saw a war they didn’t want.

From the picture Mover is painting, every link of the chain is broken. I’m 39 now and tried to go Guard/Reserve 10+ years ago, I couldn’t get a simple waiver for previous back surgery with no hardware inside me. Now I hear stories of all branches where people are treated bad and get screwed over from sorry leadership. No Thanks. I can understand the poor retention and recruitment.

They might actually make Tom cruise a captain at this point

In order for the DoD to fix retention, the generals would have to see what the problem is. For them to see the problem they would have to go in front of a mirror and understand what is seen. Not going to happen, they are the smartest people they know.🤬

Interesting! You echo the sentiments of my son. He’s a squadron IP with 2 yrs left on a 10-yr comm. He’s done! Sights set on airlines. Too bad for the service, like y’all on the panel, a sharp and great guy. (But maybe brass likes to keep the status quo which you’ve eluded to).

I would pay good money to see the staff officer that came up with this idea stand in front of somebody like WOMBAT and say "The Navy needs you back. You give up your benefits. You’re never getting promoted. You may have to move to Fallon or do a 6 to 9 month sea tour but luckily you’ll be on CAG staff as a non-flying air wing ops officer. The time spent doing this will not get you to your 20. Also we will pay you 20% of what you’re making now to do 400% more work. And the food still sucks." In fact, next time WOMBAT is on, please show that slide to him. We could all use the laugh. It is a shame that they are never offering bonuses to work in the Department of Bad Ideas Department, I have plenty of bad ideas, but there never seems to be a shortage there.

"There are a lot of jobs where they say they need an aviator... but you're not aviating." - Gonky nails it in one. P.S. Separating before 20 years (as I did) is not retirement.

There is absolutely no benefit to the individual to take part in this. None. All of the requirements individually would be a turn off, but all together is a huge turn off. USAF retired here.

All the bonus money they would have offered has already been earmarked for Bosnia with 10% going to "The Big Guy". Priorities.

I often go past the recruiting booth at the air show and joke "how many waivers do you want to sign?" Although my actual profession is as a physicist so it would probably be both less hassle and more valuable to work at AFRL as a civilian, though it pains my delusional daydreams of being a fighter pilot to say so.

As long as I can remember the military have asked retirees to return.

As an enlisted aviator, that’s about to retire I can kind of see the different points made here. I just took an Air Force retention survey for enlisted aviators and I can say that the higher calling especially post 9/11 a post war mission is part of it. It’s also the uncertainty of aircraft and you kind of touched on it with the F 35 transition. Some of the airplanes are getting old, and like you said there’s some plans in the works for certain aircraft, but not so much in others. This puts us in a weird transitory period. People still have to feed their families and they want to make sure that they have some job security so until the fleet gets figured out, aircraft wise and people know that they have some longevity available to them to continue to fly. I think we’re gonna have retention and recruitment problems as people don’t really have, a good vector on what the future holds.

Go back to work for one-half pay, even though it updates your retired pay baseline? You can guarantee that, unless you have a high powered AD sponsor, you're going overseas on a deployment, likely for at least one year. Zero chance for promotion... No, thank you, even if I weren't too old for this. When that USAF did this in the early 2000's, I was still active, and a lot of what came back in were personnel RIF'ed or passed over and not retained in the mid-90s, who weren't able to get good jobs on the outside. For many, it all comes down to the Sergeant Hulka quote from Stripes: "I'm getting too old for this $hit!"

I'm looking forward to the AFPC announcement of "Inmates to Airman" recruitment program.

The AF med retired me, so I dont have a dog in this fight. Just looking at the details, it's not worth it. Between VA and retirement, I make more than I did on AD. Let throw in post 9-11 GI Bill and whatever side job I pick up along the way. Still less BS than dealing with AD.

Good stuff. In New York, retired members of the state police can be *ordered* back to duty. As in you can't say no. It happened after 9/11. Apparently, NYSP is not a regular police department, but some sort of division of the state militia. The retired IDs don't even say retired, just have a different color on them. Apparently, you can get thrown in the cooler if you refuse.

“We tried to bring personnel back, but they aren’t interested.”

Sounds like you get a MRE and a cot 😂

I was in the Army, most of the 12 years, in the airborne, but probably the greatest feeling, was being part of something greater than one’s self!

I remember enlisting in the military decades ago in peacetime. There was an enlistment equilibrium at the time. All the military services were actively recruiting with the exception of the U.S. Air Force. At that time the Air Force was the most popular military service in terms of total number of interested prospects walking through the door. As a result, the Air Force did not have to spend advertising money. It's recruiting sergeants were under no pressure to pound the pavement looking for recruits. All they had to do was stay in their recruiting offices and wait for young people to enter. I learned that out of every three people that approached the Air Force, only one was selected. The other services actively recruited and at that time enough people entered the military every year to satisfy recruitment quotas. So whatever all branches of the armed services needed each year, they found it in new enlistments. In my time the U.S. military still offered a viable employment and career option, even if one didn't intend a 20 years or more career. The nation was still undergoing the effects of a years-long recession that limited civilian job opportunities and thus proved a boon to the Armed Services recruitment needs. That was then. This is now. Even the U.S. Air Force is feeling the squeeze of insufficient new recruits every year. I'm not expressing Schadenfreude at the Air Force. It's just ironic how over time the Air Force itself went from feast to famine. Only the U.S. Marines are achieving their yearly recruitment goals. But this is because the Marines are a much smaller branch of the military services and the mystique of the Corps 'Semper Fei!' is still a big draw for macho young men. This might still change in the future as Generation Z young people get lazier, fatter, and softer. In my generation, obesity and overweight were relatively rare among young men. Even if young men were not actively exercising, they were well within their age/height/weight ratio. I still remember my high school graduating class from an all-male high school. Not everyone was a jock or involved in intramural sports. Yet looking at all my fellow high school graduates, only a few were what I would even describe as somewhat overweight. Unless someone had a secret medical issue, everyone in my graduating high school class could have enlisted in the military that summer.

I was a 70250C (Unit Orderly Room Clerk). I was kicked out because I was a white conservative male in 1983. Everybody was either black or liberal. I was SrA at Lackland AFB working for the Security Police. They kicked all the white clerks out.

I wanted to fly when i was in the AF but i worked on electronics instead. I wonder if the AF would reconsider? I'm only 69 years old. 🤪 I got an EE degree in the mean time, if that helps.

This program exists to free up current and qualified 11- pilots to go fly. The ones who come will get every crap job, location imaginable. Uh, not no but f*ck no!

So catering to the rainbow guild did not work out so well...bada bup bup buuh you're not McLovin' it!

Great show 👍

Love you guys. It cracks me up hearing you talk about your previous life in the military and how you enjoy the freedom of retirement and civilian life. Never made it as you have yet if I had done I think they would never have got me to leave the military. Seriously though I do understand how it is a career for young people when it does give you a buzz to fly a hot aircraft until eventually you become more circumspect about life and the things that matter to you which is why you move on to a career outside the service. Keep up your good work.

Retired pay is reprogrammed for the active duty time served. But the requirement to take a PT test and receive annual ratings will be enough for retired personnel to issue the USAF the single finger salute.

I kinda can talk for the younger generation. I am GenZ, No one wants to go to the military anymore unless u really need the money and cant find something else. No one, really no one wants to get tangled up in a war or fight for some stupid idears of the guy with the title of president. We have learned that going in to a war even when u belive in the right things and win the war and come home alive. You wont get anything for ur service, other then some fancy medals that dont pay any bills. The new generation is smarter, atleast when it comes to things like fighting for belives, or go work more hours we are a family.... all that chit chat dosent really work anymore. That is why older people think we are lazy but in reality, we just learned from all the bad things you taught us. And when we have a look at our current economy, there is not really a silver lining for our generation. We will work till we are 70 and wont get any retirement benefits to be able to life from. So why even work that hard when there wont be a bright future.

Glad you guys are still in to get your 20!!

This really isn't new, the over do it when they feel the need to "purge" and cut back...then go into panic mode when they realize they just let a bunch of key highly skilled, and experienced personnel walk out the door (if not forced them out).

Come back to THIS military? Are they nuts? Do they not know what they are doing to THIS military?

That whole thing after Desert Storm wasn't just the Army. I had 10 years in and was looking forward to completing at least 10 more but they kept forcing people out. Even made me pay back part of my re-enlitment bonus because I wasn't fulfilling teh contract they wouldn't let me fulfill. LOVED the Air Force but still a tad bitter at how I was forced to leave.

Pound sand.....

Looks like I gotta polish up my my spats ... and update my bi- plane license.

Currently studying for the ASTB!

Just a sign of the times. Not gonna have enough pilots for the foreseeable future decade.🇺🇸

I can fly. I'm pilot

I walked in 1992 with 16 1/2 yrs active, we were short handed, NCO`s had no authority, you had to write a damn book to get rid of a bad apple. We had the good old boy promotions then, I can not imagine the politics today.

What’s the matter isn’t the DEI people working out for them?

What fix everything? No federal taxes for military members period

I'd love to meet you all in person. All of you are awesome and inspire me very much!! I have never ever gave up on becoming a pilot, along with striving to go into the Air Force as well. Ngl the airlines is a really nice direction to go. The other options I'm sure are most likely nice as well, the thing is the airlines are typically where most tend to aim for. I think some military will do the Reserves & the airlines.

They aren't planning on bringing 11F's back to fly. They need you to fill CAOC jobs in South Carolina or Qatar or Mission planner in Djibouti.

Not me. LOL. I retired to get away from constant deployments and frustrating whiners.

Just because something has happened before, doesn't mean it was the same people involved. Government service is a merry-go-round of new people learning old lessons, over and over again...🤦🏿‍♂️

"Part of the reason why Gonky and I have not graced fighter communities once more-besides the fact that they hate us..." 😂😂😂

Nailed it! No one wants a staff job wearing a flight suit.

Wow. It's almost like all the money needed to fund the military went somewhere...else... i wonder where?

That last point from Daniel about what happened in the army in the 90s...That was me in the USAF in 1992. They offered me....I dont remember how much...maybe $30k to get out early. Then about 9 months later they called and said I made the grade for promotion to E-6 and could have my old job back. It would be like I never left but with a promotion. OH,Wait. You have to pay back that sep bonus. Yeah, too late. already spent most of it so no thats not happening. And that part about getting my old job back, yeah no thanks.

They’re asking for volunteers from retiree communities because if they involuntarily recall you, they have to pay you a 25% bonus and the time accrues to add to your current retirement

Army here. Left voluntarily before retirement having to take care of an ailing Parent. Now 40% VA Disability & overweight. Even so, if I received a letter, I’d tell them in so many choice words to go pound sand & what areas on their body they can go squeeze/fondle.

I couldn't find the AFSC codes for enlisted VRRAD

That 60 billion dollars that they are going to send to the Ukraine would probably pay for some incentives and training.

I was Navy. Had a herniated disc in my back, missed a scheduled deployment due to surgery, absence from Squadron jerked around with my FitReps. I'm grateful to the Navy for patching me up, and getting me back in the cockpit, but the missed deployment got me passed over for O-4. Fortunately due to enlisted service I was able to retire as an 0-3 with 20. Go back? No thanks.

Always good video...thumbnail photo bit much though

It’s all about money. They want to stop paying retirement benefits and put you in a job . Isn’t it that simple?

After the first gulf war they cut back, kicked out, bought out or timed out a huge part of middle and upper nco's. Of course then had to put extra money into training junior ranked airmen into those positions. The entire feel changed inside of a year and half after everyone was back. I went from active to reserves and then out after 10 years. If my job in the military paid what I make as civilian I would have considered getting back in years ago but not now not ever and this is after my family has given over 150 combined years of service still to this day.

Same remarks about shifting focus could be applied to LE in the current state of things. People are leaving because the focus has shifted away (in a lot of places) from actually policing to pandering and placating. People have lost the love for it and are doing anything and everything else for personal satisfaction and fulfillment in life.

Out of morbid curiosity, I read the list of AFSCs they want back. No C-130 flight engineers, so I've got immunity. But they do want PA officers. Yeah, cuz those are the people who win wars.

Given the current administration, I'm not surprised at this nonsense. USAF MSgt (ret) C310 Loadmaster

Dont worry yall im im civil airpatrol with like a 500k others we gonna make sure you veterans rest after your service to this country

All the downs none of the ups.

They aren't trying very hard...🙄

Nope. Not going back.

The AF has buildings with Windows now? That would be a big change from my time in. I chose not to stay for retirement so that probably let me out of this program to even start. That and my AFSC was overseas inbalanced so most of our slots were on these remote mountain tops around the world. Or other remote isolated locations. Everything was always located in these windowless dungeons so people could not look in and see what we did or with what equipment.

Much easier, faster and for the USAF cheaper,.to simply try to get some film exec in LA to green light an updated Iron Eagle movie in oder to meet recruitment goals. And,..um,.as far as the whole "congressional budgetary challenges " go,...and the specific detrimental effect that aspect has on military planning & and training budgets. Well,.Youve got Congressmen like Senator's Tommy Tuberville ( whom never served )and many of his cronies constantly and consistently using the DoD in their absurd stunts and political gamesmanship and all of which, has a massively detrimental effect on readiness and retention. AND thats not even the sad and pathetic thing,..the sad and pathetic thing is tht Tuberville does such absurd BS with the FULL SUPORT of a base that mostly has never freaken served either ( yet are super quick to tell each of us Vets how they "almost joined the USMC or have uncles whom served .LoL)

When is the last time this was done?