Forum: Careers & Assignments

My guard unit is one of the first to embrace the Active Association program. While there are quite a few issues with blending the active world and guard world, we have been successful in doing so (thus far). However, as civilian technicians (avg. 11 years exp. on airframe) we have become quite displeased with the fact that younger, less experience active duty counterparts are getting paid substantially more than we are for doing the same job. The simple solution is to make all technicians AGR. We are exploring different avenues for resolving this issue. I'm looking for any opinions and suggestions from other guard units and anyone in our F-16 community. Thanks.

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It will probably never happen because there are not enough AGR resources to go around. Any new slots are very likely to go to the units that are converting to the MQ-1 or MQ-9 due to the nature of that mission.

AD getting paid more than a technicians?? At my old units the tech Crew cheifs where wg12s and the only AD people that got paid more on where seniors and chiefs. Weird.

Count me out, I want to stay civil service. Its a good job that I'd like to do till I'm 50-some. AGR, its 20 years and then go work at Walmart or Lowes. And if your so concerned about those AD guys making more than you for doing the same job, perhaps you should have joined AD? Go ahead, get to move every 3-4 years, etc. I get to stay here and raise a family for the rest of my life.

Don't get me wrong, the perks of civil service are great. But with the BAH active duty receives and the fact that numerous 'double dipping' opportrunities have been lost to active duty, the technician pay doesn't match up. I've compared WG-13 pay (I know most will tell me to stop complaining right there) with TSGT AGR pay and it's quite a difference. Also when compared to active duty, the technicians do not receive any of the additional benefits ([Link pending approval] re-enlistment bonuses, student loan repayment, and the guard GI Bill is meager against the Active duty GI Bill). For the record, given the choice to do it again, I still would choose the guard over active duty.

Sounds like you want to have your cake and eat it to. I feel for you it sucks having been in your shoes before, but like swampfox said if you are that displeased go active, find an AGR or suck it up cause AGR slots are not gonna appear out of thin air. Id bet a penny or two that a few of your AD counterparts envy the fact that you make decent money get to live in the same place and have stability that they dont. Grass is always greener you know, just my opinion though.

Racer497 wrote:

AD getting paid more than a technicians?? At my old units the tech Crew cheifs where wg12s and the only AD people that got paid more on where seniors and chiefs. Weird.

I know what your saying. Air Tech was the way to go 10-15 years ago. The gross as a 12-5 is better then an AGR Tsgt, but the take home is about 1000 a month less for me.

Excuse me but this strikes me as somewhat ironic. I first joined the ANG in 1980 as a "Guard baby" and have always been traditional, or a "weekender" if you will. I recall something close to hatred between the technicians and the (then new) AGR's at the time. The technicians seemed to see the AGR's as a threat, and tried to sabotage them with rules like "no higher than TSgt" and "must retire at 20 years." As I say, this was all new and unfamiliar to me since I had no idea at the time how any of this worked. I had no desire to be either a technician or AGR, so had "no dog in the fight." Then, just last week at my unit (same one as others who have posted), I heard this issue raised about AD making more than the technicians - a lot more! So, deja vu.

fifel144 wrote:

Racer497 wrote:

AD getting paid more than a technicians?? At my old units the tech Crew cheifs where wg12s and the only AD people that got paid more on where seniors and chiefs. Weird.

I know what your saying. Air Tech was the way to go 10-15 years ago. The gross as a 12-5 is better then an AGR Tsgt, but the take home is about 1000 a month less for me.

So your saying that a 12-5 takes home 1000 less after taxes etc. right?

Forum: Careers & Assignments

Making all Guardsmen AGRs.