A New Year, and A New Plan of Operations

Christmas & New Year's Eve passed with a moderate amount of fanfare each; both were my best holidays overseas yet.

2010 brings lots of change, with my deployment & the prospect of staying in Japan or moving on afterward. The decision post-Middle East was not one I was prepared to make lightly, as there are many variables to consider. Once I boiled it down to the key parts that affected me and why I came out here to begin with, it was a fairly one-sided argument: Time to move on to possibly greener pastures.

My main reason that I didn't fight orders to come back to Tokyo was that I was growing beyond what my last assignment could offer me. I was the bottom of the office ladder, even after 2 promotions while present. I had a sterling record, but there just wasn't room to expand over the next 3 years. I wanted to assume greater responsibility & authority, perhaps even get a chance to supervise someone for a short period. I couldn't get that in Washington, not even with the experience I earned or the amount of time invested within the unit. So, I opted to accept re-assignment back in Asia.

I came out here with the best of intentions & eyes wide open for opportunity to succeed. Despite having over 2 years of experience in the job I was tasked for, and nearly 18 months experience directly within this theater, at this very base, I was once again put at the bottom of the list simply because I was the latest to arrive. I was not certified to perform all tasks that someone of my experience/skill level is expected to perform; because we had so many higher-ranking individuals, I was expected to do the "nuts & bolts" assembly of customer service instead of getting the chance to test new waters.

Additionally, when a junior Airman DID arrive, I was passed over for supervising duties because I had already made my plans to eventually leave the service known. I wasn't in-your-face about my decision to one day quit the Air Force, but neither did I hide my intentions. I was just as open about choosing this assignment for the opportunity to lead, even at the middle-level of management. The role of supervisor was given to a good friend & co-worker who had JUST been promoted and returned from his first deployment, as I was being notified of my 2nd one coming early this year.

It's impossible to say that being given expanded authority or responsibilities would have changed my opinion of service, never mind my plans to change career & cash in on my benefits. I can say that the knowledge from my 3rd-in-command individual that I was intentionally passed over twice because of my long-term goals immediately killed my morale.

After 16 months, I have only clocked 1 day where I was late to work, by 10 minutes. Every other day, I was anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour early so I could handle additional duties; God forbid I be assigned an Administrative shift to accomplish that. I never turned down jobs that came over my desk, and I disproportionately fielded more night shifts than any single individual.

I've been given nothing to encourage me to remain in the Air Force that would have literally cost my command NOTHING in expenses/time. I was simply told to consider what it would be like to get ANOTHER promotion or to switch job duties perhaps. While things at a final, 1-year assignment are hardly going to be a 180 from the treatment I received here, at least it will be a change in attitude/latitude with the knowledge that I'm done in 12 months.

This is why NCO's are leaving by the dozen each week: The older generation is too reluctant to mentor the individual if they are a professional rival or if they "deem it isn't in the best interest of the US Air Force." I pity the upcoming generation of Airmen...