Sunday, July 27, 2008

Damn

Since graduating BMT at Lackland the week after V did, JP, V's boyfriend, has been at Sheppard AFB, training to be an A-10 Loadmaster. From everything I've heard he's enjoyed the training and the job, and even though it was far from V, he was looking forward to being stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB in AZ. and doing his job.

News came to us via Avivah yesterday, that her bf is being ELS'd from the AF. Seems they selected too many A-10 Loadmasters and don't need him in the field. So I ask ~ Whose fault is that?! Certainly not his!

JP enjoyed that he had made a committment and had a direction. He was learning a valuable skill, making friends, and was getting his adult life in order. Then this.

I'm still confused about whether the AF gave him a choice to retrain or ELS. (The AF isn't big on giving Airmen a choice.) I wish he'd had the choice to take another job where he was needed instead of this. Damn.

Maybe in the end this will have been for the best, but for now I think he'll spend some time regrouping. No news on when he'll be home or what direction he'll take when he gets here.

He has options though ~ With an honorable ELS he can rejoin the AF in 6 months and this time go in with a guaranteed job. Or he could join another branch of service. Not sure if he'd have to wait the 6 mos or not with that option. And there's always school and/or work.

If you could, spend a few moments today sending positive, supportive energy to a young Airman who has a few tough months ahead of him. Thanks.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

UGH I'm so sorry! I'll be sending out prayers for him.. and honestly.. I'll be thinking ALOT about this ELS.. It just doesn't seem right.

Many Blessings
PAFM AB Travis

Michelle said...

Lea, It is not right unless as you say he made the choice. If this is not what he wants then he needs to take action before he is ELS'd. Read my blog from yesterday, that could be him I am talking about. Our elected officials are able to do things and get answers where we would nto be able. I am starting to get a little PO'd at the Air Force for the way they are handling things. This would never happen in the Army. And why him? How many other students in his class are being made to get out?

Tonjia said...

well here we go again! All I can say is I am not surprised. I really hope one of the other branches will bail the Air Force out of their financial crisis before the whole darn thing goes under.

Lea, tell him to check his RE code when he gets his discharge papers. They are tell the all that they can reinlist in 6 months and then sabotaging them on discharge.

Anonymous said...

he chose not to go becuase they were going to send him to front lines in iraq if he retrained... i was one of the first people he conntacted hes pretty pissed.

Lea said...

No one gets "sent to the front lines" right off the bat. That's a scare tactic.

Training as Security Forces isn't a front-line or, gods forbid, death sentence by any means. They guard bases and transports and missile sights and so much more.

I understand he's pissed, I would be too! He was enjoying the job he was learning and doing well at it.

btw: Afghanistan is more of a 'situation' than Iraq right now. So what exactly were they telling him?