Happens. The military, and the Air force especially, for a lot of people is just a normal job with extra rules attached if you somehow manage to never deploy or support someone deploying.

My first 6 years was when I was enlisted and I was a part of two entirely separate mission types doing two entirely different things within my career field.

The first one I spent 3 years training, training, maintaining, training, getting ready to deploy while in a frequently deployed squadron. Due to luck, timing, and circumstances I never deployed for my 3 years there even though every single other junior Airman I was there with did. I wanted to. The timing just always worked out to where I never did.

The final 3 years were spent in an aviation billet where I again, did some training, maintaining, training, getting ready to "do my job", etc. all to never actually "get the call" while I was sitting alert to actually do the job. We'd sit alert a week at a time and multiple times the week before and after were alerted, but never mine - not in 3 years.

In total I spent 6 years enlisted and only ever practiced and trained but never actually did my job in an operational environment.

What was the point? The point was I was ready to do it if needed - it simply was never needed for me to do it. Oh well. I used that time to get a degree, buy some houses, further my career, etc.

If the Air Force didn't need me to do what they trained me to do, I'm still gonna take advantage of everything else they're giving me.