I am a Captain for a large regional airline. Last week ALL of our pilots in the Army/Navy/Air Force/Marine reserve were called up for (?) active duty- indefinate period. Things are chaotic to say the least at my airline due to the loss of pilots. I have seen nothing in the media about this. Does anyone know anything?

-- sigmet (forscutt@inreach.com), March 08, 1999

Answers

Do we have any way to verify this? Can you provide additional information. What we the reasons given for the activation?

Please excuse the questions. I'm not trying to doubt or insult you. It's just that we try hard to verify information like this where possible.

Thanks,

-- Arnie Rimmer (Arnie_Rimmer@usa.net), March 09, 1999.

sigmet; This certainly an interesting situation you and your fellow pilots face. Would this mean that they will be part of a Govt.movement of people by regional airlines?? So that flights will still be available for passenger travel?? Would this also be a way around the insurance companies in their coverage of commercial flights. Or is it a way for insurance companies to make flights without the insurance premimum they have to pay for customer travels??? signet, we would like to varify your comments. See if you post something here and don't back it up,then the posting is considered just another trolling . Furie...

-- Furie (furieart@dnet.net), March 09, 1999.

I'd echo Arnie's questions:

1. which airline.

2. which specific types of aircraft are involved.

I'm especially intrigued because very few Army pilots fly for commercial airlines - most Army pilots are rotorheads...which makes their call up from an airline a rather unlikely claim.

Arlin Adams

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), March 09, 1999.

Hey guys, I think sigmet is trying to tell us that the people have been called to active duty. Not the airline or airplanes. I know for a fact that there are several pilots for American that are in the Reserves.

Sigmet, I don't know if you've followed this board for long. But because anyone (like self) can post under an assumed name and can post anything the can type, we are naturally leary of a story until confirmed by independant sources. We have had irresponsible people (and I use the term loosely) post some rather outrageous stories from time to time. Not saying your is, just hope you understand our caution.

If true, this is a big story. Period.

Please furnish any additional info you have, soonest.

--Greybear

- Got NOTAMS?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), March 09, 1999.

Greybear...Stop it, You're killing me!!!! LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!

Speaking of flyboys.....(and this REALLY applies after January 1):

Got VFR?

-- INVAR (gundark@aol.com), March 09, 1999.

Perhaps this is somehow related. -- Diane

Force structure changes affect Reserve units in 9 states
Release No. 99039 - 03/05/99

http:/ /tecnet2.jcte.jcs.mil/htdocs/afrcnews/99039.htm

WASHINGTON - Air Force Reserve Command will expand its space role, realign its special operations units, diversify its training missions, and reduce C-141 positions as part of force structure changes announced by the Air Force March 5.

Changes in the Air Forces force structure are the result of mission changes, adjustments for efficiency, congressional directives and implementation of the expeditionary aerospace force concept. These changes impact Reserve units in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. ...

[snip]

The force structure announcement included additional manpower authorizations required to implement the expeditionary aerospace force concept, anticipated to become operational by Jan. 1, 2000. The Reserve will not receive EAF manpower allocations because those additional troops will help the active-duty people who remain at home base when others in the unit deploy overseas for an extended period.

However, the Reserve will provide operational and support people for the EAF in overseas deployments. By scheduling these deployments more than a year in advance, Air Force leaders believe they can more efficiently integrate reservists into contingency operations. ...

[snip]

See also ...

Air Force News Release on Force Structure
Released: 5 Mar 1999

Air Force announces force structure changes

http:// www.af.mil/news/Mar1999/n19990305_990345.html

Other stuff ...

Citizen Airmen

RESERVISTS PLAY MAJOR ROLE IN DISASTER RESPONSE EXERCISE Release No. 99023
02/16/99

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. - Thirty-four reservists assigned to the Air Force National Security Emergency Preparedness Agency, Ft McPherson, Ga., will participate in a major disaster response exercise taking place throughout central U.S. states later this month. ...

http:/ /tecnet2.jcte.jcs.mil/htdocs/afrcnews/99028.htm

In Addition, check out site at ...

Reserve Officers Association (ROA)

http://www.roa.org/

ROA Updates

http://www.roa.org/ update.html

(Posted 2 March 1999)

Unit deploys for ORI during joint exercise / Release No. 99028
By Tech. Sgt. Shelley Hatcher / 919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

DUKE FIELD, Fla. - Reservists from the 919th Special Operations Wing here underwent their Operational Readiness Inspection in an unusual way - while participating in a joint task force exercise. Full text at:

http:/ /tecnet2.jcte.jcs.mil/htdocs/afrcnews/99028.htm

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 09, 1999.

A few weeks ago I was talking with an elderly neighbor who was quite angry about what happened to his son. Seems like his son got enticed by the Air Force to come out of reserve retirement on the pretense he was going to be shipped to Germany (his wife's homeland). When he agreed and was in the service once again, guess what- he got shipped to KOREA!

If any here would like more details or further information I'll ask my neighbor and relay same here.

-- PJ (Just@here.com), March 09, 1999.

This is a follow up to my original post. Apparantly some of you think I am a troll. As originally stated ALL the military reserve pilots, including helicopter pilots, have left for an indeterminate length of time. My chief pilot had no idea how long they would be gone. Only about 6-8% of our airline's pilots are in the Military reserve so the impact on our operations has been minimal. Unusual activity by the Armed Forces may or may not have anything to do with Y2K. It could be these guys are preparing to go to Bosnia or some other third-world rat hole. When they return I'll post a follow-up. This is my story and I'm sticking to it. Maybe some of you military folks can shed some light on whats going on.

-- sigmet (forscutt@inreach.com), March 09, 1999.

You have seen on TV how they feed cattle in the winter time where they fly over and kick bails of hay out the back of airplanes? Well just change the scenario a little bit and imagine a herd of people "guarded" by reserve or army troops, and that is their supply line. Of course the supplies for "sheeple" will have parachutes on them...

Some one has to fly those C-17's or C-130's...

Plausible?????? If less than 25% of the population actually prepare for the worst, probable...

The Dog

-- dog (desertdog@sand.com), March 09, 1999.

Sounds like a job for WorldNetDailey !!

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), March 09, 1999.

Apparantly some of you think I am a troll.

-- sigmet (forscutt@inreach.com), March 09, 1999.

Things are chaotic to say the least at my airline due to the loss of pilots.

-- sigmet (forscutt@inreach.com), March 08, 1999

Only about 6-8% of our airline's pilots are in the Military reserve so the impact on our operations has been minimal.

-- sigmet (forscutt@inreach.com), March 09, 1999.

This is my story and I'm sticking to it.

-- sigmet (forscutt@inreach.com), March 09, 1999.

WHICH STORY?

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), March 09, 1999.

Sigmet

Reserves for what state? My husband is a Washington State Army National Guard pilot. He drilled last weekend. Nothing was mentioned. He has not been called up. He flies helicopters and is a platoon leader. Just FYI.

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.net), March 09, 1999.

Signet....I've read all the posts, and nobody but NOBODY has even hinted that you are a troll. (I want to tell you when these people flame ya, there ain't nuthin' left)

Instead, they have very respectfully asked you for authentication. This is one of the valuable aspects of this board. The "regulars" (read those who can get on the board on a regular basis....I always get bumped off!) All they are trying to do, on behalf of all of us, is to avoid the "he said she said, my uncle's third cousin twice removed said..." of which rumors and urban legends are made.

All they wanted is authenticating details.....memo copies, name of airline, related internal newsmemo stories...etc etc, that would put a basis in fact.

If you lurk around a while, you will see that many folks, when they post a story, are careful to give a URL or some other authenticating detail. If they don't know how to make a link, somebody else comes along and does it for them. And if that link doesn't work, they whine constantly until the correct link is listed.

Don't be put off...we are all searching for the truth.,

Mary P.

-- Mary P. (CAgdma@home.com), March 09, 1999.

Just a thought. Could the callup be an effort to have these pilots on active duty so that they are not able to resign or so that they can not decide not to reenlist during the next year or two so that they will be available for military action or for Y2k type problems? This may explain why some have not yet started on active duty and why this is not in the news. Do any of these pilots have deferred active duty dates? There are also many flash points Mideast, Jesuraluem, Korea, Bosnia, India-Pakistan, China, Russia that could result in military action within the next year or so.

-- Tom (curious@aaa.com), March 09, 1999.