Pork Barrel

I have a few Navy friends and they don't seem to be having a pilot shortage, despite being even more jaded and what sounds like even lower promotion rates for fliers. So why isn't A1 looking at Blue to different Blue?

Before we do any of this, we need to divest 25% of the no value added staff jobs, that aren't being filled anyway. Somehow we need to separate identifying worthless jobs and self worth and separate actual requirements from leadership's empire building. If leaders can't honestly assess their requirements, we should ask their subordinates what positions are dead weight and we can start by asking these "100% promote to Major" Captains, no retribution, which of their jobs were worthless.

KTIK? Well I'm going to assume this is the 552, so yes, you always did something wrong.

We'll call it the Duck Effect. You thought you could out smart the system by asking not to be promoted but the AF needs 11Ms to fly and fill everything 11F/Bs can't be released. This gets you and others to 12 and if necessary with a strategic PCS to 14. At that point the AF can evaluate the force and conveniently at O-5. Some (not you) will choose to stay, or try to stay, possibly get passed over once (or twice) if we need to cull, and continuation to 20 to smooth things out. That gives the AF four or five opportunities to manage the force. The unfortunate reality is that unless everyone pulls a Duck, that O-5 decision point is going to be painful for people who should have left at O-4, are at 14-16 of 20, past the point of changing their retirement, and aren't continued.

Maybe it exemplifies the lack of trust between personnel and the Air Force but I don't see how this carries over to O-5. Auto promote to O-4 and cull them instead at O-5 with APZ or Continuation (because at 14 or so they'll put in the extra six) or save the force some money with those under the old retirement system when they remove themselves. Paranoia? Absolutely. The lesson learned should be DON'T LIE TO YOUR PEOPLE. It is never worth it. On the one hand we have auto promotion, separate school selects, and no non-value-added masters, and yet I nor anyone one else believes the Air Force because of at least a decade of broken promises and bounced checks to us and people we know. That doesn't disappear and takes a generation to filter out.