OverTQ

Okay, someone tell me that the AF is not really going to CX the C27? I hate Casey. He gave away the most successful acquisition program ever ran (hang with me, I am embellishing) all so he could keep that stupid FCS program. So he gave it to the AF (I thought you guys liked airplanes) to have to the AF give up on the program less than two years after they take it? AND, the whole FCS program got CX anyway. Enlighten me, why would the AF give anything away with a human in the cockpit? I am in the middle of a load out to the Stian right now so am all too painfully aware of how AMC works. But come on, it is a aircraft that the Army will back and keeps a dude (or dudette) in the cockpit (or flight deck for the dudettes). Explain it to me please, right now I have a table for one under Bitterman.

That is good point Caveman about the USMC and logistics. I wish I had said something like that before I mentioned the Apache part.

I think they are both a waste of money for the USMC. Every get a STOVL check in? Goes like this "Gaspig 11 on station with .3 station, 50 rounds and 1 GP". Don't forget, the USMC is not real big on logistics. The snakes are very cool but the reason they went with them over the Apache was that they could not or would not pay for them. The USMC needs equipment that is simple to operate and easy to maintain. Edited for grammar

I wonder how much money we spend just so all four branches can look different?

Let me get this straight, you are saying Army guys don't NORMALLY get 365 day orders?

At least you guys come with your own guns. I head to the stan at the end of the year. With my experience being in guns and ODIN/Liberty, MEDEVAC is a very different type of creature. We have the AMEDD community still trying to hang on to MEDEVAC but Aviation is continuing to take over the mission. Not being a med guy, it is hard for me to understand why we would ever tell everyone not only are we unarmed, that we have medicine onboard but we also give them a nice little cross hairs to shoot at. I feel somewhat confident in the statement that the people we are fighting in Afghanistan, didn't sign the Geneva Convention. That being said, AF CSAR is filling vital hole even if they are doing very few of the type of missions they train for.

It has been 18 years since I had to sing the AF song, I still remember it. I probably should push that penguin off the ice berg for something important like a kids birthday. Back on topic, A service for CW2 Nichols was this last weekend. The real bummer of his life was he just survived a class A weeks before with causalities in which the pilots where the only one's unhurt. There is never a back side of the hill in flying. RIP brother.

How about you give the C27J program back since you think so much about it and we will apologize for our COS giving away the most efficient acquisition program ever completed by the Army. But at least it did save the FCS system. No wait....we lost that too and still didn't get the aircraft. Bitterman, table for one please.

I fully expect them to do something stupid like changing the retirement plan with no grandfather clause. A lot people will rise ups with their pitch forks and show the services their mistake by leaving. They will try to get everyone around them to leave with them to validate their cause. My advice is if still like what you are doing, stay. If it really is that bad of a change, congress will eventually come back to it and put some patch like a grandfather clause back in. Worst case scenario, you still have a paying job that is making more than you would in seven years for the airlines. Best case you still have a job, probably the last old style retirement left and a lot less competition.

Does anyone know where to go on MacDill for a DA photo?

BBC News. I wonder what the difference was between the girls for the top salesmen and the top management?

Sounds like an Army warrant.

I think I would be more upset at myself (if I was him) for getting my ass handed to me so easily. Then to have it broadcasted across the nation. That is the real reason the USMA is getting rid of him.

That was classic pilot conversation right there.

That place is Mecca for pilots.

Good points NSPLAYR.

Next question, do you (AF) often get commanders who are not creditable in the aircraft? If this is truly your issue that your SR LTC's and COL's cannot even fly their aircraft as descent pilot, I see your point. But your argument is more from the stand point of schools and masters degrees really do not expand you educational views. If what you are saying is you would be better off staying in the line you entire career, I think (my opinion) your service will end up with great LTC's. But you will suffer in the long run. The services are run by the O6's. I can tell you from the Army stand point on education, your service will lose out if you get rid of your higher educational opportunities. I do realize that the Army view on leadership is much different from the AF view. But you want to have O6's who can compete with the other service O6's. As the career manager for some of the Army types, I was able to talk to them about the SSC's. I never spoke to one who said it was a wasted experience. They all told me it was one of the best educational schools they ever attended. From the stand point of being able to read everyones evaluations (and even work for some of them), they became some of the best commanders we have had. Not saying all, but the knowledge they gained from the SSC's combined with a key DC position, gave them some skills beyond the average commander. PS I was not alluding to anything, just asking to understand your thoughts.

Question. Would you rather have someone in charge who was the best commander you ever saw or the best pilot you ever saw?

Just left the assignments desk for the Army in FEB. All AC MAJ's go to one of the RES courses. The 10 mo is the standard. 3 mo on a limited bases. The USAR MAJ's (NG included) are the ones who go to the correspondence course. Don't know where you got that info but that is not true. edited for grammar

That's the kinda stuff that just gets me worked up. That is pure and utter BS spread by Big Green haters. It was actually 95.6%.

That's funny. I was half way through basic before I discovered the AF was going to feed me and pay me.

More like 176.

This the big request by the SF guys. They wanted to be able to get deep into a country, conduct a raid and get out. All while alluding enemy radar, fighter jets and all other tracking methods. I think that has been a dream since Desert One happened.

Well maybe it has a cloaking device. I think it is more for noise than radar visibility. I am assuming he is not a helo rated guy. We can fly under most radars but the noise usually gives us away. Curious note, the SOAR guys claim that it isn't theirs. Could just be deniability.