Adversary Experience

[U-Aviation]

What is the SELRES experience like at an adversary squadron such as the Omars, Saints or Sundowners. Are they flying until retirement as a terminal O-4 or are they progressing into D.H. and command tours like active duty? I see a lot of “grey hairs” on the ANG side flying past the 20 year mark at O-5 or even O-6 level. Anything that compares on the Navy side?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Last time I spent some time with -111, the wardroom was about 1/3 SELRES, 1/3 FTS/TAR, and 1/3 AC. The front office and DHs were mostly Res, but I think the OpsO and maybe one or two others were TAR. The Active guys were all JOs.

From what they told me, the SELRES don’t tend to stay very long just because it’s difficult and expensive getting to Key West from most places. One of their more tenured Reservists was a CBP AMO pilot out of Miami.

Caveat this was in 2015 or so and things may have changed.

 

[zipmartin]

I did 2 tours as a TAR at VC-12/VFC-12 with a COMNAVAIRESFOR A-4 NATOPS Evaluator sandwiched in between. During those years I saw 3 TAR CO's combined at either VFC-12 or VFC-13. A TAR OinC at -12 was a furloughed Northwest guy who got called back, was promoted and selected for CO and did an XO/CO tour as a SELRES. DH's were always officially SELRES, but had TAR counterparts. O-4 SELRES that were selected for promotion were usually slotted for command positions. Most of the O-4's then didn't want to get promoted because they were then without a flying billet. Politics played a heavy roll. This was in the mid-'80's to early '90's, so things could have, and probably have changed considerably since then.