What Happened To ATC in the USAF?

ATC_Golfer Newcomer

Has anyone seen our beloved ATC career field in the Air Force take a turn for the worse over the past few years? It seems like the blind are leading the blind nowadays. I've noticed that almost all of our so-called managers have no idea what they're doing anymore. It used to be that once upon a time a chief controller was someone who knew what they were doing, showed some pride, and always looked after their people. The only thing our figurehead knows how to do is look our for number one and keep our AOF in the dark. Any suggestions?

ATC_MacGyver MacGyver with the bears.

get out of the airforce?

Echo_Whiskey Junior Member

Write a letter to your congressman.

JP13 Senior Member momoville

make chief so you can change it.lol

duranme Trusted Contributor San Diego (SCT)

Gtfo of the airforce... Better money in the faa and/or contract work overseas. Don't give me that bullsh*t pride/honor/country stuff either... Money makes this world go round and if anyone says otherwise they haven't lived on their own yet in the US.

You've done your time, get out and start looking out for #1.

I did my time, stationed at Shaw AFB, realized how easy it was for people to throw you under the bus, and how willing they are to stab you in the back. At the same having to deal with chiefs that implement changes just to put their name out to the ops group commander or wing king.

Cut out, keep in touch with the 1-3 people that will be your friends till the end, and get into the faa... VRA apps get in... Take advantage of it.

Radium Epic Member SoCal Tracon

ATC golfer must be stationed at SZL. lol

polo708 Epic Member tower

In the military your best controllers are usually your SSgts and TSgts.. sometimes your SrA's. Once controllers hit Master Sergeant they are so caught up in non-ATC related things that their skills slowly diminish. When it comes to actually pushing planes Id rather there not be a Master to Chief in sight, haha.

mtlatc Epic Member In a bus down by the river!

Nope..I did it as a MSgt...

DanielEtvs Trusted Member hank krakowskis

i saw it take a huge turn for the worse just from 2000-06 when i was in. constant endless deployments wear people out. politically correct anal retentive management.... horrendous morale due to mixing DOD civilian controllers getting paid bg bucks ith bad attitudes and uniformed USAF controllers. the massssive SSgt promotions of unworthy unexperienced new NCOS... the mass exodus of good controller first term airman to the FAA (i certainly dont blame them). working 6 days a week every week, constantly training 24/7. the grind of the job and all the ancillary things is mentally very taxing. the USAF ATC career field has been completely bastardized. i hear from my buddies who are stll in that its worse than ever.

TonedeAF Rookie

I'm so relieved to see my thoughts perfectly portrayed by the above posts. My current CCTLR and ACCTLR have approximately 4 years Tower experience combined. It is really a shame. The previous CCTLR hasn't worked live traffic in probably close to 4 years. I can't put my finger on it but I think it all goes back to the pilots running the show in the Air Force. ATC has a captain (rarely a major) as a representative who has to bend over backwards to the Squadron (Lt Col), Group (Col), and/or Wing Commanders(Col or Brig Gen) in order to have any shot at career progression. It's a sloppy system that I've come to abhor over the past decade. FAA here I come!