Terminal Placement list 10/26/2022

[HighFrequency]

My brother tried to go from terminal to enroute and was denied. Doesn't make sense that they allow one way but not the other. We even found someone to swap with.

To be fair, I think it's because OP lives OCONUS and they do their best to keep people from leaving families that far away. It would be nice if they allowed mutually agreed upon swaps, but AFAIK they won't approve it in any case. Is your brother experienced or from outside the lower 48?

Only other reason I've seen swaps approved would be prior ATC certs. I had a CTO and got assigned enroute. Asked HR/the ATO early in the process and got a swap to terminal approved.

 

[MJ]

MJ updated Terminal Placement list with a new update entry:

7/26/17

7/26/17

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[sailor_pianist]

That's what they did 2 years ago when I went through. We were also preassigned regions (east,central,west), so they gave us a list of all facilities in our designated areas.

I wish they still did this.

 

[Mike Kilo]

To be fair, I think it's because OP lives OCONUS and they do their best to keep people from leaving families that far away. It would be nice if they allowed mutually agreed upon swaps, but AFAIK they won't approve it in any case. Is your brother experienced or from outside the lower 48?

Only other reason I've seen swaps approved would be prior ATC certs. I had a CTO and got assigned enroute. Asked HR/the ATO early in the process and got a swap to terminal approved.

Nah he's got no prior exp, it just isn't worth it in his mind to move from his 120k job to a 70k terminal job. The way level twelves are snatching up level five VFR tower controllers I told him he would probably be able to move up pretty quickly. But the wife wasn't about it.

 

[HighFrequency]

Nah he's got no prior exp, it just isn't worth it in his mind to move from his 120k job to a 70k terminal job. The way level twelves are snatching up level five VFR tower controllers I told him he would probably be able to move up pretty quickly. But the wife wasn't about it.

Yeah I can understand that. I'm taking a pay cut pretty much anywhere I go fresh out of the academy, but I don't mind putting in that time to possibly move around later. Would suck to put your family through that though if they're dependent on the old salary. After working in dark enroute radio rooms for 2 years, I just want windows again haha.

Still seems unreasonable to deny mutually agreed upon swaps prior to FOLs, but I honestly don't know how much effort goes into track assignments in HR. For me I asked, waited about 2 days for the ATO to approve it, and had a revised TOL the same week. Didn't seem like much work besides a few emails between everyone involved. I suppose it's more HR not wanting to open the floodgates with every applicant wanting to switch. If I could've I would've gladly swapped with your brother.

 

[breakaway2000]

I've never understood why they don't allow for a question that simply says, "What is your preference, enroute or terminal?" Given that their selection process MOU has come out and it's literally a random generated list, first is terminal, second is enroute, third is terminal, fourth is enroute, etc. until they exhaust terminal then the remainder is enroute.

 

[Atc1234]

If you want an OCONUS location, the best time to do it is during basics. They actually asked us during day 1 if we had any spouse accommodations or requests to go to an OCONUS location. Maui and Hilo were two facilities from HI that they were allowing students to volunteer for. The placement people actually moved to the Stafford building just last week, they used to be in the basics/rtf building.

 

[HighFrequency]

If you want an OCONUS location, the best time to do it is during basics. They actually asked us during day 1 if we had any spouse accommodations or requests to go to an OCONUS location. Maui and Hilo were two facilities from HI that they were allowing students to volunteer for. The placement people actually moved to the Stafford building just last week, they used to be in the basics/rtf building.

I've always been curious, do they need you to provide a reason to volunteer? Not really interested in OCONUS that much; certainly not enough to lock in a location Day 1. But do they require pre-existing family/commitments before you can request an OCONUS location?

 

[Atc1234]

I've always been curious, do they need you to provide a reason to volunteer? Not really interested in OCONUS that much; certainly not enough to lock in a location Day 1. But do they require pre-existing family/commitments before you can request an OCONUS location?

I don't believe you need a reason at all.

 

[Mike Kilo]

I've never understood why they don't allow for a question that simply says, "What is your preference, enroute or terminal?" Given that their selection process MOU has come out and it's literally a random generated list, first is terminal, second is enroute, third is terminal, fourth is enroute, etc. until they exhaust terminal then the remainder is enroute.

You would think that makes sense. Just like taking into consideration the address a person currently resides. I was initially offered two facilities in Alaska and one in Alabama which I declined, and was offered a facility two hours from my home town. That was a no brainer lol.

I was really looking forward to working with my brother and getting to the same facility. Unfortunately during the years the hiring was frozen, then they came out with the bullshit Bio Q which DQd him twice, then he aged out, and then they allowed him to apply without taking it. Well the job offer came three years too late and he found an excellent job while in limbo. Had he gotten an offer two years ago he would have jumped on it, terminal or enroute. We tried explaining this to HR to no avail. He tossed his useless CTI degree and went back to school for electrical engineering. The only downside to his job compared to air traffic is the lack of pension. The good note for him, is our pension is on the chopping block non stop and it seems only a matter of time until it's gone.

 

[Bird.Person]

I thought it was interesting, for the Terminal class that's in PA's this week they threw OKC at the very top of their placement list. Level 8 up/down! Happens sometimes. 🙂

 

[Stinger]

I thought it was interesting, for the Terminal class that's in PA's this week they threw OKC at the very top of their placement list. Level 8 up/down! Happens sometimes. 🙂

Jesus.....really??
That seems strange, since I didn't even see it listed on the Academy grad list for the extended future. Wonder why it changed so much....

 

[SugarFoot1]

Jesus.....really??
That seems strange, since I didn't even see it listed on the Academy grad list for the extended future. Wonder why it changed so much....

They are hurting pretty bad

 

[Bird.Person]

Yeah, they're short. And when you initially go to a level 6/7 out of the academy, your next step is to jump to a 9/10, not go to an 8 usually like OKC. They will throw some level 8's on there unexpectedly when they are desperate. OKC is a mandatory facility on this particular list

 

[Stinger]

They are hurting pretty bad

But to be a last second addition like this? When OKC and ICT were being offered last year they were planned spots if I remember right, not added for a class right when PAs start.

 

[Bird.Person]

They told us we could only move 3 levels at a time, just going off what the academy said which isn't always correct. 😛 but yes, ICT was also on the list

 

[breakaway2000]

They told us we could only move 3 levels at a time, just going off what the academy said which isn't always correct. 😛 but yes, ICT was also on the list

It amazes me how much incorrect advice and statements comes out of the academy nowadays. To help you out, you can only move up 3 levels if you hardship or if you swap with someone. You can put in ERR (transfer requests) to any level facility. You can go from a 4 to a 12 and a lot of people have since the start of the NCEPT process.

 

[Stinger]

They told us we could only move 3 levels at a time, just going off what the academy said which isn't always correct. 😛 but yes, ICT was also on the list

I assume you're in that class, are people planning on taking OKC and ICT? Were those last second adds, or were you told they were possibilities at some point before you got the list? Where is ICT....bottom of the list or another mandatory? If they're not both selected, and not offered to the next class, there's some scam being run.

There is no 3 level limit for an ERR transfer.... The amount of wrong information that academy gives out always surprises me (but I should be used to it by now.)

 

[Dontbotherme]

Moves are based on your ability to be released not your ability to certify.

 

[Whiskey-Whiskey]

ICT and OKC are coming off the list we graduated 11 out of 18 today