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Hold on, let me go consult with the Old Fighter Pilots FB group, they all seem to be experts on how shitty of a jet the F-35 is...and how great of an idea this will be.

As it stands, you have a point. I think the bonus at $28-35k has a limited effect. Fence-sitters will still get out. I guess I am somewhat of a fence-sitter, in that I see myself having a 1/20 chance of staying in. I have two more years until decision time. A couple major things will have to change for me to stay in. One, is no chance of a 365. The other is a significant bonus hike. In the neighborhood of at least $60k. I love wearing the bag, and it’s going to be hard leaving that. Lots of intrinsic things that draw me to the military pilot thing. But is that worth 8 years of airline seniority, especially when I can still wear the bag in a reserve unit? Not worth the $35k, IMO. Some guys say that it’s not about the money. That’s bull. There’s a reason this thread is 169 pages long. Money helps deal with the sacrifices of military service easier on my family. It helps with my spouse not being able to stick with a job longer than 3 years because of moves. It helps my family fly home for holidays instead of driving. Money does talk, even when the choice would involve other factors. It’s not just the money, but money is a key factor. Mccain is gone. Time for a real bonus.

"According to Leon Panetta, the Obama administration did not place much trust in Mattis because he was perceived as too eager for a military confrontation with Iran." But Obama was cool with giving Iran $1.7b. In cash. As well as releasing $100b in frozen assets.

Or did they just split them into 2x 179s that can't be 3-day opted? That's not really solving the problem Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

If you play into that game it’s your fault.

No, it doesn't. Those who seriously think it does make sense (especially at that price tag) do not have enough knowledge on "future us" and "future them," either via lack of read-ins, lack of understanding of said read-ins, and/or lack of understanding of future capes on other platforms (including non-fighter platforms). Bottom line, while buying Block 70 Vipers or F-15X seems like a good move to replace our aging fleet, it is not for many reasons. If we had infinite resources, then sure lets buy a bunch of each, but we don't, so as Danger said: spending $80K on a full resto on an old and busted 69 mustang will still never make it a 2019 Corvette ZR1. Lipstick on a pig and all that (and yes, that's a dig at my Ford friends!)

Remind me, how much time did Obama give Mattis when he relieved him of command in CENTCOM?

My thought: $1.2B for 12 old airplanes...what a steal. If only we had purchased more Raptors when they were $140M a copy.

All the briefs I’ve gotten on it and why it is or isn’t a good idea require a vault to even start the discussion. The limitations of 5th gen to operate in the 2030+ battlefield is a dirty secret most don’t want to talk about; nor should they be discussed open source.

How about not deploying to be a PowerPoint/Excel secretary for a self serving “bonus taker” O-6+

65% is the official target and has been for years. They know and are unable to legally change the bonus. They have several studies showing where the bonus needs to be to retain 65%. It was $70K/yr a few years ago when the study was done. Congress (mainly the late Senator McCain) denied several requests for higher bonus payouts over the past few years saying they thought the AF could fix the retention issue other ways. I hope you get a chance to learn more about how the AF works at IDE. Because right now it is obvious that you are ing clueless.

Enlisted aircrew is why this will never happen. Ever.

Agreed. I wonder if there’s stats for late-raters who take the bonus. I’d like to see what percentage of total takers fall into that camp. That’s a completely different equation when it comes to folks staying/taking the bonus.

Trump should use Hilary’s emails to build the wall, since no one can get over them.

Here’s to you past present and future military members. Because even though a lot of us have something to be salty about, another year goes in the books of living in the US of A and being safe and all the things that goes with that. Truly wish a restful holiday to you and yours wherever you may be. Here’s to you.

People don’t have fun in the MAF because it’s run by Chiefs, wanna-be Chiefs, support officers, and some rated guys that pander to all of the above. Life in garrison is dominated by bureaucrat queep and non-support, so any fun doesn’t start until you’re at least 69 tacans away from the MOB, and only then if you have a good crew. This was life at Travis 5 years ago, for me at least. Sq/CCs, in unison with the OG, once reminded aircraft commanders that they were still responsible for checking their .mil emails on the road daily, just in case someone required an immediate answer for some queep. You’re in crew rest? In Thailand? With only your personal laptop and CAC reader you stole from DOV? Well we need quarterly award bullets from 2 of your boom operators yesterday, and by the way we all hate you because we’re still in the office. When I was there, the thought of Travis AFB, and by extension its AD flying squadrons, generated a near-Pavlovian wretching action associated with non-stop, no-gain bureaucratic queep churn. There was no squadron morale, and certainly no desire to hang out for any amount of time in the building when the emails slowed down enough to allow it. The U-2 is a complete 180 from that. The MOB is fun, FOLs even more so, the flying is rewarding and fun, and the work is all to make things actually better.

The contract that was turned down for the next lot of Raptors would have brought that cost down quite a bit. That’s the Ghost of Ole St Gates affecting the present and future.

You simply schedule with for the 67% that are there. Same way we do it in the U-2, where the 99 RS been deployed non-stop to the Arabian Peninsula since Saddam invaded in 1990; Osan for over 40 years; and our other location for over 40 years. Yes, continually to all three locations, simultaneously. If an event like a Naming is well done, people will show up and have a great time. As alluded to, "namings" may not fit a particular squadron or mission culture. And one thing to note is that, in my conversations with U-2 pilots older than me, they didn't have callsigns... much less "naming ceremonies"... in earlier years. This includes guys that came out of pointy-nosed jets in the Vietnam era. To digress into a historical context... I went through UPT in '85-'86, there was definitely no naming ceremony at Laughlin back then and very few IP's had a callsign. I was an exception since "Huggy" had been what people called me since middle school. One example, the current AF Vice Chief of Staff General Steve 'Seve' Wilson was a young FAIP in the squadron then, and I'm guessing he got his callsign after he went to the B-1. I only recall a handful of MWS guys coming back to ATC/AETC with a callsign during my FAIP years (86-89). One of the few I recall was a guy named "Buc" due to using the BUC Start on an F-16 that lit off at less than 100' AGL. Cowboy Keck (F-4, F-15) was another... but those that know Cowboy can probably assume he was given that callsign in the womb. When I arrived at RAF Alconbury in 1990, there were two A-10 squadrons there and a fair number of those guys had callsigns. I have no idea if they had big naming ceremonies (I've posed the question to a couple of old A-10 guys I know), but callsigns were certainly established. I would guess that actual naming ceremonies in fighter squadrons began to occur a little before my time (circa 1982)... but that's just my impression from talking to old-heads. The bottom line is that "naming ceremonies" are a relatively recent addition to the USAF pilot culture. Personally, I think they are a great thing and I've had a great time participating in them during my time. There's probably a great story about "the history of namings" that some academic at Air University should write a paper on, using lots of taxpayer dollars to research it.

^ Found the school select!

Which is unfortunate and IMO part of what’s wrong with the MAF “community”. I’ve been in both and like aspects of each one, but naming and roll calls would bring some much needed camaraderie and morale to a MAF community that needs it badly.

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/25636/usafs-next-budget-request-will-include-new-f-15x-advanced-eagle-fighter-jets-report Thoughts? One can only hope.

Meaningful deployments that actually matter. The stupid PowerPoint builder deployments need to go, but they aren't the only ones. Even stupid flying deployments need to go. You can only move the same pallet of literal garbage, or the same vehicles back and forth, before you start to wonder why you're there away from home. How about also admitting that a 365 is actually a remote (i.e. PCS), and not an ITDY? Yeah, I may have volunteered for the military and the deployments associated with it. But if you take away the meaning from the work, and don't increase pay to compete with the civilian sector (that generally doesn't need that meaning or sense of patriotism), well, don't be surprised when people don't volunteer to stay any longer. Maybe getting into wars with no realistic and achievable end goal is also strategically stupid to the overall health of the military, and a huge drain on national resources. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Anyone feel sorry for Donnie? He obviously wants us to. Poor little man, all alone...

What's there to get? You extrapolated your personal bad experiences at Travis into being a MAF-wide problem, and how life is better being in U-2's. Which, I'm sure your new life is a great experience and all, but the problem was never the MAF, it was your priorities. I somehow managed to exist in the same MAF as you, at the same time, and had a much different experience. Because I had different priorities. It reminds me of the dudes who choose career over family and then bitch and then complain about how the Air Force ruined their marriage and estranged them from their kids. Like, no dude, that's your own damn fault.

For most of your post: For this " Hmmm...to me, my opinion matters and Hillary's still not President.

Whataboutism at its finest. Maybe if you were Enlisted, you would’ve been punished. Different spanks, for different ranks. I had a dipshit Sq/CC leave a SIPR hard drive in his computer, in his office, for five days while he went TDY, logged in but locked. He’s currently an O-6. I’m sure he got a ”stern verbal counseling” from the OG and WG/CC...if that. I’m going to assume he didn’t suffer any consequences due him being promoted and being an OG/CC somewhere. Had he been Enlisted the odds were against him of keeping his current rank or some other career ending consequence. However, you’re right, you would’ve been punished. Those in society, who’s opinions matter on the topic, have deemed what a career attorney/politican did isn’t big enough to warrant criminal charges. The lack of action with regard to possible criminal conduct, or negligence, for senior ranking military personnel, almost never happens because they’re too powerful to be punished and the “optics” wouldn’t look good. It seems the only time that the branches want to go after a senior ranking person is when they want a scapegoat to take the fall to prevent more senior personnel from taking a negative hit.

You give them too much credit. They don't know which way is up right now. Actually crafting an effective plan to reach their target retention numbers isn't even close to achievable.

Hey genius, can you name a single organization where you won’t face the same consequences for openly airing your grievances with your boss? Get over your Trump Derangement Syndrome.

It's not solely about that, nor is it solely about "night 1." The Vipers and Eagles in the ARC will do just fine executing the ADA mission, the Vipers and Strikes in the ARC/AD will do just fine employing A/G weapons in low-med ALR conflicts where fighters are required (or not required, the way our politicians like to manage wars), etc. This isn't about what we'd like in 2019, it has to be about 2030+. Procuring a fighter that will not fully stand up to threats 10 years down the road is a waste of money and effort. By the way, there are current/about to be current threats I have serious doubt about the X being effective around, not even talking about 2025+.

Perfect example why the bonus doesn’t work..... Dudes that are staying in anyway boosting the take rate for the managers to hang their hat on. Should move this to “What’s Wrong” thread.

Had a sqd cc say something similar to me once. I looked at him like he had a dick growing from his forehead. And they wonder why pilots go find other work.

Actual lol

Hope for what? Some new-build can't-survive-in-a-double-digit-SAM-threat jets? Some new barely-equals-to-the-Flanker?

Further, McCrystal talked smack about Obama (to a reporter, no less!) and was rightly fired. Mattis talks smack to the President, egged on by the press, and Trump's the one at fault. Gospel on one hand. Blasphemy on the other. Farewell, logic and facts. We hardly knew ye...

Yup, guilty as charged. Prior Enlisted also so it makes sense for my family. Once i signed a 10 year commitment for UPT i was in it for 20. I totally agree that the current bonus doesn’t move the needle on people’s decision. I’ve been fortunate to have great commanders, worked hard, and also had a degree of luck. Also i don’t understand why people say it’s not about the money. The correct statement is: it’s not only about the money. I love serving but your second commitment economics do play a part. Anyone who says different is lying to themselves.

No kidding. If only the whole 1 for 1 thing would’ve happened with Eagles and Raptors...

Hope everyone has a good one!

We had plenty of morale and camaraderie years ago without naming parties and roll calls. Besides...how would you schedule something like that since at least 1/3rd of the squadron is gone any given day. If you want to improve morale then ease the pain of soul-crushing ops tempos. The bullshit we saw in 2011 with the swell time for a CENTCOM deployment overlapping the AFRICOM deployment since they were different theaters. We are still seeing the effects of that mess.

Toeing. Not towing.

Agreed, not really close and it was just too obvious to present a coherent front to the world, Allies and Enemies alike. The Globalist Establishment (leftist and neocon alike) just doesn't want to admit it but the effort to force Western forms of government, values and economic systems into areas where there are established and VERY different cultures, customs, norms and attitudes is a failure. These people will work it out based on a multitude of factors and unless we have a direct compelling interest like keeping the flow of commerce in the global commons, defending a strategic ally, directly forestalling / reacting to a humanitarian disaster that will impact us, etc... the bar for long-term engagement with restrictive ROE should be very high. On Syria, end direct action, shift to assist/advise/supply while negotiating the best end state for the Kurds possible with Assad and the Turks. Just being realistic, we are not going to keep X thousands of troops and equipment in "Kurdistan" indefinitely, too much money, political and spiritual cost to the American body politic. On Yemen, stop providing direct support slowly and expand humanitarian aid. Turn a blind eye to the KSA led war as it stymies an ally of Iran. Don't like seeing the people of Yemen caught in the middle but that is the least bad option that we have. On Afghanistan, slowly privatize the war and withdraw uniformed forces then slowly pull the contractors out. Three year process but there is nothing to be gained, won or realized and that should be obvious. Whatever 4 star is in charge over there at the time will tell you the same thing and have been for 15+ years: we're making progress, be patient, just a few more years and we will turn the corner... Arm the hell out of the traditionally non-Taliban tribes in the North, expand airpower to a ridiculous extent over the Afghan AOR to whack a mole even more to forestall a precipitous collapse as we withdraw uniformed forces and leave concentrations of private armies to keep portions of Afghanistan "free" and then declare our military operations complete, fund the remaining factions we like as required to re-establish the pre-911 / pre-invasion Northern Alliance / Taliban split in the country. Best possible outcome. Draw down the Died, build up the 5th fleet and use that as our deterrence presence. Establish new bases in the Southern Med / Eastern Europe (Greece, Romania, Bulgaria) to react quickly to an aggression. Also, deters Russia but could antagonize, difficult needle to thread there. We have things to get ready for on this side of the world, Europe and in the Pacific (Venezuelan collapse, Chinese challenges to FON in the sea lanes, Russian hybrid warfare, etc..) - it is time to disengage greatly from the ME.

WE HAVE A FEW THAT WAY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A FEW WHO WERE JUST LEGITIMATELY SCREWED OVER, LIKE THE GUY PASSED OVER ON HIS O-5 BOARD WITH A DP.

Until you get burned a few times by having the TDY cancelled last minute by the Guard Bureau (after you've taken military leave) due to lack of funds, cancelled by the Sq due lack of interest from other crewmembers, or cancelled by MX for broken aircraft. Then you sit around the Sq all week trying to recoup a fraction of your lost airline pay by logging doubles doing CBTs and OPRs if the network is up. I sure hope I don't sound bitter.

So is the desire to not do 179s? Or 365s? I'm confused. What do you want? To never deploy again?

Had to join in on this one- been lurking for a few weeks now. Deployed for an AEF rotation to ORAT last year. Our CC decides she wants everyone to wear their DCUs on the commercial flights to Norfolk before we get on the rotator. We check our weapons and excess bags in, receive our boarding passes and head to the gate. Every single one of our 15 man team got pulled aside for the "special treatment". Umm hello? We're heading to Iraq! Joe Unabomber over there in his hoodie mumbling something about the apocalypse just breezed through the TSA checkpoint but the freedom fighters have to disrobe to our jockies to make sure we don't endanger the flight.

The two beer a rule is in effect because the distributor can't get the beer into the Deid. Add in the fact that there's an additional 2K+ people here because of the rotation; more people+low supply = cutting of rations. This cut is only temporary.

True enough... SF was doing "random ID checks" of EVERYONE at the BRA (how is it random if it involves everyone?) and giving breath tests to anyone who seemed under the influence. This was last weekend... FYI- we're back on 3 beers again. It was touch-n-go for a bit but the beer truck pulled through.

Active military married to active military (no kids): Both persons receive the single rate BAH. Active military married to active military (with kids): One person receives the full dependent rate BAH and the other receives the single rate BAH. Overseas personnel who receive COLA will see their COLA increase based on the number of dependents they have. The more kids you produce the more COLA you receive (although it's not much of an increase...).

Handled wrong by Obama? Yes? Petulant? No. Trump "fired" Mattis in a immature act for a perceived personal slight of Mattis quitting.

Yeah, I guess there's no way to improve the survivability of an airframe due to its RCS size..

please post capes boomer k thanks - china