ALT EXCURSION BY AN ACR FO; WHO BELIEVED THERE WAS A TFC CONFLICT DURING HOLDING AT FL330 10 W OF MEI; MS.

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HOLDING ON THE MEI 270 DEGS RADIAL; 15 MI LEGS; R TURNS AT FL330. CAPT (ME) PNF; INEXPERIENCED FO; PF. IN TURN BACK INBOUND TO HOLDING FIX. TCASII ISSUED A TFC ALERT DIAMOND ALSO AT FL330; 7-8 MI TO OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS; MY SIDE. I HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND CALLED HIM OUT; AND WATCHED HIM AS WE WERE TURNING. BELLY UP TO HIM. AS THE ACFT PASSED BEHIND US; I TURNED BACK FORWARD. THE FO HAD INITIATED A DSCNT. WE WERE 700 FT BELOW FL330; BOTTOMED OUT AT FL370; THEN RETURNED TO FL330. AT NO TIME WAS THERE A TFC CONFLICT OR LOSS OF SEPARATION. AT NO TIME WAS A RA ISSUED BY THE TCASII. THE FO SIMPLY TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO DSND; EVEN THOUGH HE COULDN'T SEE THE ACFT. I HAD IT IN SIGHT AND KNEW IT WASN'T A CONFLICT. I EXPLAINED AT LENGTH THE CAPABILITIES OF THE TCASII SYS; THE NECESSITY OF COMPLIANCE; AND POSSIBLE CREW COORD. THE FO WAS EXTREMELY ARGUMENTATIVE AND UNCOOPERATIVE. FO'S SYS KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF ADVANCED SYS WAS MARGINAL AND INADEQUATE. DUE; I BELIEVE; TO HIS POOR ATTITUDE RATHER THAN TRAINING ISSUES.