Maaaan!
I got to take 10 whole days of leave this summer. If the military hadn't temporarily extended their use or lose policy from 60 days (of unused leave you can carry over into the next fiscal year), I'd be losing 9 days still.
I had a rewarding experience as the Air Officer Commanding of Soaring, and got an "O-ride" (I believe that's short for "Orientation Ride") with a favorite student, and it was awesome. I got into jump class, too, along with two other permanent part folks. After two days of ground training (and doing well, I might add), I spent the day digging up deck posts in my back yard with my cousin Travis, managing to hurt my left knee. That was on a Saturday; by Monday, I couldn't even walk on it. I went to the doc who said I'd strained my medial collateral ligament, and the cure was to take anti-inflammatories, ice it, and--it should go without saying--stay off it.
I stayed off it for a few days until I could walk again. I tried going for a run and didn't make it a block, so I stayed off it a few more days until it felt better. (See where this is going yet?) Then I spent another Saturday digging up the two remaining posts in my back yard, reasoning that if I dug with my right leg (and left handed), I'd be fine.
It didn't work like that. I futzed it up all over again. Needless to say, I didn't get back into jump, despite the fact that their commander and the instructors went out of their way to be accommodating, even calling me when a new class came in asking if I wanted to pick up where I left off. I'm still disappointed about that. :( Maybe next summer.
I still can't run. I'm stir crazy.
I've written a couple of book reviews for War, Literature and the Arts, the Academy's humanities journal, and I've been working on a non-fiction piece about going to war, and I've written down some ideas about teaching war literature to cadets, but neither has really gone anywhere.
I received official word that my career field has released me unconditionally to pursue a PhD in English. Let me translate for you, so you can understand how monumental this is...
The AF, thanks to several years of "Force Shaping," "Blue To Green," "Reduction In Force," and "Selective Early Retirement Board" initiatives--all euphemisms for "kicking people out"--while they have simultaneously ramped up deployments (and lengths of deployments) for Air Force personnel, will now release almost no one, even with conditions, for something as frivolous as an advanced academic degree (in English, no less). I know these things because I have feverishly worked to get enough viable candidates to compete for sponsorship for a fully-paid master of arts degree in English in order to come teach at the Academy (we must keep a "pipeline" of people being trained to replace us when we retire/go do an operational tour/go back to school). The Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC), now having so many undermanned career fields, is reticent (and I understate the situation) to release anyone from operational duty.
Which makes sense. We are at war, after all, and they didn't make the decision to trim so far into the fat that they gouged deeply into the muscle and in some cases, are nicking the bone.
Getting qualified applicants for our program isn't the problem; getting qualified applicants that AFPC will release is. When they do release anyone, they include the condition that the person must serve an intervening operational tour (back in their normal career field) before and/or after the MA program. The same applies with the PhD, but the pickings are far slimmer, as you might imagine.
First, the Air Force's rules for qualification for the PhD program are (1) grades and GRE scores sufficient to gain admission into a respectable program, (2) at least two years of having taught at the Academy already, and (3) releaseability, which is doubly difficult with advanced ranks in most cases, and because the PhD program requires 3 years away from the person's career field as opposed to the 1.5 years of the MA. OK. Most people aren't actually qualified to teach English at the Academy to begin with; the number is something like 34 officers AF-wide (including PhDs) have the credentials. Of those, far fewer are interested in teaching. Of those, considerably fewer are interested in pursuing the PhD (because of the commitment, the difficulty, the cap it puts on your career...).
In short, it's damn hard to "grow" uniformed PhDs, even when the uniformed member desperately wants to spend the rest of his career in academia.
My career field--the one which seriously considered kicking me out a mere year ago--has released me unconditionally. I've never seen this happen before. It means that, should I choose, I can spend the rest of my career in academia without ever being required to return to the operational Air Force.
I understand why, too. My career field is still hugely "fat," because the RIF could only take a percentage of the RIF eligibles, and that percentage barely made a dent. Also, I have a little less than 8 years before I'm eligible to retire as it is. Add together a three-year tour getting my PhD and a teaching tour, and I'm finished, anyway. And I can retire at major, which is a promotion I have every reason to expect on schedule (I meet the board next year).
Will I return to the Academy, though? Maybe. However, doing so would almost certainly ensure I'd be passed over for lieutenant colonel, as I'm still promoted within my career field. An interesting option might be to do another special duty (with a high opportunity for promotion) writing speeches for someone with lots of stars somewhere. I've also considered volunteering for a 1 year "TDY" to Al Udeid to get some strong operational wuju under my belt to help me get promoted. Dunno. It's a long time in the future.
Meanwhile, I've been feeling out the following colleges:
University of Arizona. I had a huge thumbs up from them. I heard The Price Is Right's immortal "Come on DOWN!" in my head when I read their reply. They've worked with "my kind" before :), and they're happy to do so again. I'm thinking they know we make excellently motivated, low-maintenance, high-speed low-drag sorts of students.
Penn State. Also a virtual welcome letter. A definite "We can work with you and it would make sense for you to apply" from them.
University of Wisconsin, Madison. I chatting with the point of contact professor for their composition/rhetoric program this afternoon. She said, "I don't know that it can be done in three years. To be honest, we've never had this question before. We're usually having to prod the PhD students to hurry up and finish." I told her that I understand completely. Despite our best efforts, the Air Force can't be convinced that some PhDs take longer than three years--I simply don't have a choice. She did say they had a student who finished in four years, AND he was a TA, too. That gives me hope that it most definitely can be done. I like this program for its encouragement to BE interdisciplinary--a word which practically defines me.
I haven't heard back from Ohio State, yet. I like their diversity, too, and the fact that their Comp/Rhet program is so well established and respected. I should drop them a reminder that I'm waiting, I reckon.
And today, I sent an email to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, as well. It's an excellent school, but may not fit my needs. I won't know until I chat with their Comp/Rhet folks, though.
It's almost time for me to write my personal essay and finish my application package. Right now, I think Arizona is my number one choice. It's very highly regarded AND one of the cheapest schools to attend (with a reasonable cost of living, no less), and most importantly, they await me with open arms. If UMass says they're interested and they'll work with me, I'll apply to all four, then pick from those which accept me. I'm academically competitive; I'll have choices.
I have the occasional doubt about pursuing Comp/Rhet, mostly because it wasn't my first love with English (writing is), but when I read over the course offerings for the programs, I get all excited, so I think I probably just have cold feet.
In other news, Kermit (the deck man!) and his wife will come over Sunday to discuss new deck plans. :D
Oh...and I turned 41 yesterday. Got a massage, did a wine-tasting, and was treated to a prohibitively expensive fabulous fondue dinner. It was an awesome birthday.
I'm going to see Mamma Mia! tomorrow. (I'm an inveterate ABBA fan. Can't help myself, and wouldn't want to.)
School starts next Thursday. I'm ready to be back (so I guess it ultimately doesn't matter that I didn't get much leave this summer).
I hope y'all have had a summer as relaxing and rewarding as mine has been. Catch me up if you get a chance. :)
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