OverTQ

At least it wasn't a helicopter.

Maybe it has changed but it was that they would only not recognize the FW course if there were no follow on assignments in the aircraft. If you had several assignments in FW (C12 or UC35) then they would consider it. But as I said, maybe it has changed.

And I am a RLO with 4 advanced (no I am not counting flight school) airframes and PC in three (just started flying the 4th). But I am not the norm and neither does your career appear to be solely on the fact that you made W5. Respectfully I think you missed my point. I was not advocating not going warrant in the Army, rather not having a similar system like it for the other branches. As for your statement about being in charge just to be clear. You were in charge of about 3 aircraft and 20 personnel? That is the equivalent to a platoon leader. I think that is a bit of over kill. Also I think you missed the point that to now make W4 or W5 you need close to the same requirements as a RLO needs to make O5 which negates most of the arguments you read in this forum about going warrant. My point restated, the reason most would want to go warrant officer for are changing. The W system closely mimics the O system now. I do not have an issue with W's (many are close personal friends and relatives). I do not think it is a good system as it exists today nor am going to comment on what it was in your day.

See the guy on the left go gangasta with the AK.

Here is the real difference between AF and Army pilots. AF pilots say "where does it say I can do that?". Army pilots say "where does it say I can't do that!"

Crimea is necessary to control the Black Sea. With the oil and gas reserves in the area, he will not give up control of Crimea. My guess is that Putin will make some claim about Crimea being a majority Russian and to protect the people, it will remain under Russian control.

Although there are some merits to the warrant system, I would not recommend it. They face the same promotion system of up or out in a pyramid fashion as the O's do. They also don't get the same educational opportunities (for which most are grateful for) as the O's do. However you do not end up with the same product either. That is not to say there are not some highly professional and educated W's. Of the ones to make W5 this year half had masters degrees. But there in leads the danger to their rank. They have increasingly had the standards for promotion raised. Some are even attending the same developmental schools as O's though not all are given the chance. All this to tap out in pay of just over what a MAJ does (if you are lucky enough to make W5 which is very rare). One other large issue in my personal view, is that they do not normally end up in leadership positions. When you are never in charge or are never going to be in charge, you conduct yourself differently. All this aside the Army cannot make the W's to O's without a significant personnel restructuring. O's compete regardless of branch within their basic branch groupings ie Maneuver, Logistics etc. And in the end Chida is right, the Army is just using them for cheap labor. Conversely as pointed out above, the O's (until Dick Cody and 13 years of wars) were not getting flight time that would lend to any kind of proficiency in aviation.

There is absolutely nothing surprising in this except for all the highly educated DC types that are saying that they did not see this coming. Rule number 1 in foreign diplomacy: Never trust the Russians. (grammar edit)

The Army is ran by ground dudes who think (to some degree of correctness) that it is all about them. But when a helicopter lands, everybody goes running towards to aircraft. Cause let's face it, we are cool and sexy and it just burns them up. Seriously, it just comes across as insecurity to me. You learn to roll with it or just tell them what they need to hear. I have had more than a few try to give me a rash in some required school or another. But I have yet to have one who wasn't overly happy to see me in OIF/OEF when bad guys were near.

If you want to understand them watch the Sopranos but imagine lots of mud houses, turbans and oh yeah take out the pretty women and booze. We don't owe those people anything.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2014/02/25/plan-to-axe-10-warthog-gets-pushback/ So if it's more about money and jobs it will get saved. Here I was thinking it was to keep more troops from dying on the battlefield.

Who is the author?

Well, boys, we got three engines out, we got more holes in us than a horse trader's mule, the radio is gone and we're leaking fuel and if we was flying any lower why we'd need sleigh bells on this thing... But we got one little budge on them Rooskies. At this height why they might harpoon us but they dang sure ain't gonna spot us on no radar screen!

Nope, new to me.

The people you know and can influence that are still in making decisions about future projects are the value in post military life. The jobs in the five sided puzzle palace that everyone openly eschews, those guys are often the ones you see at the conferences a year later wearing a business suit talking to their uniformed buddies. I think knowledge of key acquisition systems and the players involved are worth more than then rank in most cases.

Our average Longbow built in 03 or 04 already has 7,000 hours on them. That is a lot for a RW. Watching the budget lines being drawn (we are losing 2-4 Aviation BDEs), I don't think we have the money for it. This falls into the good idea fairy category with little to no possibility of fruition. Most probable COA is the AF just retires the aircraft and nobody gets it

This sounds familiar. I think it was called the 90's.

It sounds like ODIN A to me. Haven't heard anything through our side yet.

As a Army guy with time in guns, I have to disagree with you LM. As one of the few trained FAC(A) guys in our world in the day, there was a big difference between what a A10 was going to do verses what a fast mover was going to do. They are different tools. They have different capabilities. The A10 is hard to replace and I for one would not want to. Full disclosure is I also worked on them as a E in the AF so I may not be completely impartial. But from stand point of CAS, A10's any day. So how do you feel about losing the OH58 LM?

Could be a new rank. Cadet Political Officer.

Each service will push what is in its best interest. If it gets a "hand me down" mission from another service it will treat it as such. As for being a forward thinker, you are the only one saying to give PR to the Army. Hell, even the Army guys are telling you that is a bad idea and your are still telling us we are all wrong.

"Bring warrants to the AF"? Be careful what you ask for. You do realize they still have to promote or they are booted after a two time non select? AND, promotion rates for W3 (in the 50%'s if I remember correctly) were lower than for W4 last year. The Navy had a test program years back where they brought in 10 in a program where they could fly everything but fighters (cause they are special). I don't know what the results were but they did not pick up the program after that. If the AF gives the Army all RW, does that mean we have to give all FW to the AF? That didn't work out well last time we did that.

Given the length of time it takes to make General, I cannot imagine any Generals in the next 5 years that do not have multiple deployments. Maybe a couple years ago there were still some floating around, but not anymore. Also given the cuts we are about to undergo (anybody else remember the 90's), no deployments will put your first in line for the door. At least speaking for the Army where you can look at someone's uniform and tell if they have deployed. I don't really worry about the bad Generals, they seem to be self eliminating at a fairly rapid pace these days.

Too many pilots look through the prism of what they want to happen instead of being objective. If it can be made, it will be made. And at the point it is less risk, cheaper or better, it will replace the current version. If we being manned aircraft are the current version, guess what?

Okay, I will bite. What didn't seem right?