What's wrong with the Air Force?

[Cap-10]

Family First - Dont fuck that up!

Do the ordinary things extraordinarily well.

In the absence of orders, figure out what the orders should have been and execute that!

Remind them that they have two ears but only one mouth. This means they would be wise to listen twice as much as they speak.

Cap-10

[Toro]

Never trust a fart, never waste a boner, and never pass up an opportunity to take a leak.

Short and funny is good for a graduation speech, in my mind.

Maybe a good war story about keeping priorities straight, seeing the big picture, or enjoying life would be good.

Seriously - take heed. Unless you have a riveting (combat) story, nobody wants to listen to you. Nobody is there for you - they are there for the kids about to walk across the stage, and if you use the opportunity to ramble about your own life and what you think they want to hear, you have lost. Stand up, say some amusing anecdotes, sit down, let the winging proceed. I've been to waaaaay to many graduations where the speaker had no sense of time and continue to talk well past everybody's time of useful consciousness.

[Gravedigger]

Abraham Lincoln once delivered a ten-sentence dedication speech that lasted just a few minutes. That speech followed a two-hour oration by the featured speaker, Mr. Emerson, that was to be the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln's are the only remarks that are remembered and valued by history.

[HU&W]

1. Watch a couple of high-rated TED talks and model your presentation (obviously not content) off of them.

2. Limit yourself to 15 minutes. (edited to add: don't necessarily use 15 minutes, but it's a good benchmark for attention spans. Make it long enough to give them the honor, respect, and dignity they deserve and not one second longer)

3. Make it personal to the graduates with a focus on their next assignment.

4. Include a well-told story with a situation that each graduate could picture themselves in (and later tell their parents "that could be me in a few months")

5. If you find yourself wandering, stop talking, pause, thank them and their families for their choice to serve with all the associated sacrifice, and sit down.

Edited February 1, 2014 by HU&W

[Majestik Møøse]

Well said, Tonka, especially this part:

You will realize that for every douchnozzle there are a dozen amazing Americans that you would gladly trust with your life.

Too often we forget this and focus on the negative.

[FUSEPLUG]

Prenup, prenup, prenup...

[Tumbleweed]

So no shit, I'm putting together some thoughts for an upcoming graduation speech at UPT. Didn't volunteer for the opportunity, was asked and agreed. What advice would you give to the 2nd Lts earning their wings in the next few months? Keep it clean, constructive and not too sarcastic. They haven't earned the right to be cynical yet. And their moms and fiancés will be there.

Tell them the truth.

Tell them we have a great Air Force full of extremely brave men and women who thanklessly protect this nation day and night around the world. Tell them to serve fearlessly, love with all their heart, to stand should to shoulder with the other brave ones that stepped forward to serve. Tell them to love life and never take it for granted, it can all end in an instant.

Tell them our Air Force is far from perfect, in fact, in some places is has malignant leaders who would sell their soul to reach next level. Tell them to read your quote below and that we are broken, if we really wanted it to be fixed we would not wait for 360 feedback. As you are very much aware there are MAJCOM commanders who know they have shitty toxic SOBs currently sitting in command, so toxic that when a wing secretary filed an IG report against her own boss, the MAJCOM did nothing to the douche. Honestly tell them how a MAJCOM commander lets the cancer persist while a community slowly dies.

Tell them that despite our current failings, we are still the most capable, most respected, and most fear Air Force on the planet. For years to come they will be asked to do more with less, to work long hours with little thanks other than self satisfaction, to hold back a tide of hate and envy for the life we have in this great country. Most of all, tell them we are counting on them to carry us forward.

Tell them we are jealous we can't do it all over again.

I read the report. All allegations substantiated. This GO sounds like a complete asshole. DoD will show they are serious about fixing this unacceptable culture of toxic, entitled and morally bankrupt GOFOs only when they start firing their bosses for not knowing how shitty they really are. 360 degree feedback can't start soon enough.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Tumbleweed

[Lawman]

Family First - Dont ###### that up!

Do the ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Absolutely. One of the best pieces of mentoring I ever got was a senior Warrant about to retire saying that as much as you love this job it ends. The family you have left at the end of that is what's important.

[Bobby]

Absolutely. One of the best pieces of mentoring I ever got was a senior Warrant about to retire saying that as much as you love this job it ends. The family you have left at the end of that is what's important.

This, above all else, has been what has guided my career choices over the years.

[Azimuth]

Absolutely. One of the best pieces of mentoring I ever got was a senior Warrant about to retire saying that as much as you love this job it ends. The family you have left at the end of that is what's important.

That's a kind version of what I heard from an old CMSgt.

"The Air Force won't wipe your ass or change your diapers at 70. Plan accordingly."

[Rusty Pipes]

Best advice I ever got from the best leader/Commander in my career that would apply to every kid in the room.... He said that when you have your first sit down with your new Commander after arriving at an assignment and you talk about goals, expectations, etc to tell him that your goal is that when he has the toughest mission, flight, or task; you want to have your name be the first one that comes to his mind to get the job done right.

[ElLoco]

Some serious prom night, breakfast club tear jerking soliloquies up in here.

[mcbush]

Seriously - take heed. Unless you have a riveting (combat) story, nobody wants to listen to you. Nobody is there for you - they are there for the kids about to walk across the stage, and if you use the opportunity to ramble about your own life and what you think they want to hear, you have lost. Stand up, say some amusing anecdotes, sit down, let the winging proceed. I've been to waaaaay to many graduations where the speaker had no sense of time and continue to talk well past everybody's time of useful consciousness.

As good as some of these soliloquies are, 2 on what Toro said. I graduated barely over a year ago and don't remember a damn word.

[ElLoco]

don't remember a damn word.

Exactly

[hindsight2020]

...

Edited February 1, 2014 by hindsight2020

[busdriver]

Welcome to the profession of arms, those wings on your chest are a ticket to learn. Be a knowledge sponge, volunteer for any opportunity to learn and get better. There will always be someone better, faster, smarter than you, seek them out and learn what they know, even if they're obnoxious. Even an asshole can teach you how to not be one. Your knowledge and skill will eventually play a pivotal role in saving the lives of your squadron mates, don't let them down. But at the end of the day, your Air Force life will end, make damn sure your family is still there when you set the Air Force aside. You can be proud of what you have achieved, your family can be proud of what they've helped you achieve, I'm proud of what you've achieved. Continue to make us proud of you.

Then I sit down.

[MSCguy]

When I was at COT some old fighter pilot in his late 80s came to talk to us-a bunch of medics, attorneys, and chaplains. At the end of his allocated hour at least 75% of the room was fast asleep-they don't call Boyd Auditorium the big red bed for nothing.

[60 driver]

When I was at COT some old fighter pilot in his late 80s came to talk to us-a bunch of medics, attorneys, and chaplains. At the end of his allocated hour at least 75% of the room was fast asleep-they don't call Boyd Auditorium the big red bed for nothing.

Maybe you should have invited an attorney to speak.

[HU&W]

When I was at COT some old fighter pilot in his late 80s came to talk to us-a bunch of medics, attorneys, and chaplains. At the end of his allocated hour at least 75% of the room was fast asleep-they don't call Boyd Auditorium the big red bed for nothing.

Late 80's? That puts him flying fighters in which conflicts: Korea, Vietnam, possibly even WWII? I'm sure his stories were a real snoozefest for anyone not interested in our heritage of aerial warfare. You're probably right that one of his precious few remaining hours was wasted.

[MSCguy]

He flew F-86s in Korea. It wasn't a total loss-some of the nurses bought his book he was hawking because they felt sorry for him. On another note, when I was still in MX and had to babysit a static display KC-135 on wing open house day it really bothered me when cops or CE dudes from our wing had to ask me what kind of plane it was. You're in an Air Refueling Wing-chances are it's a tanker.

[WABoom]

On another note, when I was still in MX and had to babysit a static display KC-135 on wing open house day it really bothered me when cops or CE dudes from our wing had to ask me what kind of plane it was. You're in an Air Refueling Wing-chances are it's a tanker.

I actually don't mind it when this happens. I take that opportunity to fill them in on all the amazing things we do with that aircraft and how vital it's role is. For whatever reason some folks have blinders on and only see their piece of the puzzle. Take time to inspire and motivate. BTW, I am on a roll because i'm taking shots of Nyquil like it was my 21st birthday.

[so.it.goes]

i'm taking shots of Nyquil like it was my 21st birthday.

You took shots of Nyquil on your 21st birthday? (In the vein of "You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?")

[WABoom]

You didn't??? Maybe a margarita then. And I knew this morning that someone was going to make that comment, never again Nyquil, never again!

[C-21.Pilot]

Floating around from Dover.

Yep, just saw that on Tony Carr's FaceBook….unbelievable.

A disclaimer made on FB is that it is from the reserve side….

Edited February 8, 2014 by C-21.Pilot

[JarheadBoom]

That could just as easily be from WRI.

It's only a matter of time before metal is bent and lives are lost, when a flying Wing's priorities have things like travel vouchers and Fit To Fight as higher priorities than the flying.

edit: spelling is hard

Edited February 8, 2014 by JarheadBoom