"...do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..."

"For the good of the Air Force, for the good of the armed services and for the good of our country, I urge you to reject convention and careerism..."
- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Maxwell AFB, April 21, 2008

"You will need to challenge conventional wisdom and call things like you see them to subordinates and superiors alike."
- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, United States Air Force Academy, March 4, 2011

Monday, August 5, 2013

TERA - The Magical Shield For What is Coming?


When I read about the Air Force implementing the new Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) in late July, I had thought the window to apply was just over a month.  While reading the Air Force Times website today, however, I noticed that the application window ends on 13 August.  So I went to Google to take a look at an older Air Force Times article, and it also shows 13 August as the deadline now.  Strange.

But Stars and Stripes shows the application date ends on 19 August, stating:

The Air Force isn’t giving airmen much time to consider its offer: The deadline for applying is Aug. 19. Applications will be approved or denied, with airmen notified of the decision, by Sept. 1. Airmen approved for early retirement will have to leave the service by Nov. 1.

Not surprising given the way this program has been announced and handled so far.  I will be interested to see how many applicants are denied TERA, while the service checks the "we offered it" checkbox, only to be kicked out involuntarily months later.

I am guessing this "offer" of TERA will be used to magically shield the service from the many complaints that will be endured in 2014, when the real weeping and gnashing of teeth begins; when folks with more than 17 years of service who were, months prior, deemed too "critical" to allow to retire early, are then given pink slips, and told, "thanks for playing."  Interesting times we live in.

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