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What's wrong with the Air Force?


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Has this article been posted already?

https://www.google.com/amp/foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/04/jack-mccain-is-right-that-the-air-force-has-big-problems-but-hes-wrong-about-why-officers-are-bailing-out-so-much/amp/

The Air Force’s retention problems will only be fully resolved when the service’s senior leadership creates a performance feedback program that recognizes and promotes talented individuals who may not desire to serve as commanders yet have the technical skills to continue serving. The service should stop using a performance feedback model designed to identify the top 20 percent of officers at their board for promotion to major and switch to one that accommodates an adaptable force that allows officers to achieve their professional and personal goals at their own pace, while still fulfilling specific “needs of the Air Force.”

Edited by hatedont
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50 minutes ago, hatedont said:

Has this article been posted already?

https://www.google.com/amp/foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/04/jack-mccain-is-right-that-the-air-force-has-big-problems-but-hes-wrong-about-why-officers-are-bailing-out-so-much/amp/

The Air Force’s retention problems will only be fully resolved when the service’s senior leadership creates a performance feedback program that recognizes and promotes talented individuals who may not desire to serve as commanders yet have the technical skills to continue serving. The service should stop using a performance feedback model designed to identify the top 20 percent of officers at their board for promotion to major and switch to one that accommodates an adaptable force that allows officers to achieve their professional and personal goals at their own pace, while still fulfilling specific “needs of the Air Force.”

Agreed.  The recent uptick in people being picked up above-the-zone gives me a little hope that the Air Force is following the guidance of rating the records, not the year groups.  Some people are fast burners, others take longer to develop.  In my personal opinion, the year group construct is a self-inflicted wound that just continues to bleed...in this case, bleeding talent to the airlines and other outside jobs.

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13 minutes ago, gearpig said:

Call me cynical, but many of the expressions of patriotism, remembrance, and grief I see, especially on social media, seem to be more about public "virtue signaling" than a commitment to preventing history from repeating itself.

I agree.

I have trouble knowing how to respond when people say, "Thank you for your service." It seems like they say it to make themselves feel good while at the same time being completely disinterested in the current wars going on and utterly incapable of holding politicians accountable for years of institutional neglect and a complete lack of a cohesive strategy for the war on terror.

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1 hour ago, Jaded said:

I agree.

I have trouble knowing how to respond when people say, "Thank you for your service." It seems like they say it to make themselves feel good while at the same time being completely disinterested in the current wars going on and utterly incapable of holding politicians accountable for years of institutional neglect and a complete lack of a cohesive strategy for the war on terror.

Just say thank you, my pleasure? That's what I do.  Some people genuinely mean it, and I don't try to dissect a basic compliment into the deeper meanings, that's what liberals do. 

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I agree.
I have trouble knowing how to respond when people say, "Thank you for your service." It seems like they say it to make themselves feel good while at the same time being completely disinterested in the current wars going on and utterly incapable of holding politicians accountable for years of institutional neglect and a complete lack of a cohesive strategy for the war on terror.

This is precisely why I posted this under this topic. I would argue that "what's wrong with the Air Force" is really just a reflection of the current national attitude and amnesia about how we got where we are.
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1 hour ago, dream big said:

Just say thank you, my pleasure? That's what I do.  Some people genuinely mean it, and I don't try to dissect a basic compliment into the deeper meanings, that's what liberals do. 

I've found "Thank you for your support" works well.

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Read an article saying like 85% of millennials support the actions in Syria, but only 15% would actually join the military. I believe like 71% of our youth are ineligible to join the military. For future conflicts, we might be in trouble gentleman.

I don't really keep in touch with my father side of the family. I returned home for a funeral on my mother side of the family, but my relatives on my father's side asked me where I've been? I'm like you do know we are fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan right? "Crickets" They were all silenced! I don't sit on my butt at some base. This isn't the 80s.

Secondly, why would I want to come "home" so I can be shot? I have a better survival chance being deployed around insurgents than going to my old hometown. People will shoot you over looking at them the wrong way. As someone who worked his ass off to get where I am, why risk it all like some NBA or NFL players do by trying to show they can still hack it in their old neighborhoods? I stick out like a sore thumb because of how I talk, my attire, and my education level. Believe me my relatives have mentioned how I talk. As an educated man, how else do you expect me to talk? I'm proud of what the AF has done for me.

My parents and I moved from my hometown in the 90s to an Army base and that probably saved my life. A military base changed my course in life. I am thankful for all those who served before me which paved the way for me to become a pilot. You guys are all highly intelligent, very talented, and the most outstanding role models I have ever served with. 

Edited by hatedont
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1 hour ago, hatedont said:

Read an article saying like 85% of millennials support the actions in Syria, but only 15% would actually join the military. I believe like 71% of our youth are ineligible to join the military. For future conflicts, we might be in trouble gentleman.

I don't really keep in touch with my father side of the family. I returned home for a funeral on my mother side of the family, but my relatives on my father's side asked me where I've been? I'm like you do know we are fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan right? "Crickets" They were all silenced! I don't sit on my butt at some base. This isn't the 80s.

Secondly, why would I want to come "home" so I can be shot? I have a better survival chance being deployed around insurgents than going to my old hometown. People will shoot you over looking at them the wrong way. As someone who worked his ass off to get where I am, why risk it all like some NBA or NFL players do by trying to show they can still hack it in their old neighborhoods? I stick out like a sore thumb because of how I talk, my attire, and my education level. Believe me my relatives have mentioned how I talk. As an educated man, how else do you expect me to talk? I'm proud of what the AF has done for me.

My parents and I moved from my hometown in the 90s to an Army base and that probably saved my life. A military base changed my course in life. I am thankful for all those who served before me which paved the way for me to become a pilot. You guys are all highly intelligent, very talented, and the most outstanding role models I have ever served with. 

We'll do what we've always done in large-scale conflicts - relax the recruiting standards until we have enough people.

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3 hours ago, hatedont said:

Read an article saying like 85% of millennials support the actions in Syria, but only 15% would actually join the military. I believe like 71% of our youth are ineligible to join the military. For future conflicts, we might be in trouble gentleman.

I don't really keep in touch with my father side of the family. I returned home for a funeral on my mother side of the family, but my relatives on my father's side asked me where I've been? I'm like you do know we are fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan right? "Crickets" They were all silenced! I don't sit on my butt at some base. This isn't the 80s.

Secondly, why would I want to come "home" so I can be shot? I have a better survival chance being deployed around insurgents than going to my old hometown. People will shoot you over looking at them the wrong way. As someone who worked his ass off to get where I am, why risk it all like some NBA or NFL players do by trying to show they can still hack it in their old neighborhoods? I stick out like a sore thumb because of how I talk, my attire, and my education level. Believe me my relatives have mentioned how I talk. As an educated man, how else do you expect me to talk? I'm proud of what the AF has done for me.

My parents and I moved from my hometown in the 90s to an Army base and that probably saved my life. A military base changed my course in life. I am thankful for all those who served before me which paved the way for me to become a pilot. You guys are all highly intelligent, very talented, and the most outstanding role models I have ever served with. 

Thats a pretty insightful story.

Chicago?  

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22 hours ago, Jaded said:

I agree.

I have trouble knowing how to respond when people say, "Thank you for your service." It seems like they say it to make themselves feel good while at the same time being completely disinterested in the current wars going on and utterly incapable of holding politicians accountable for years of institutional neglect and a complete lack of a cohesive strategy for the war on terror.

The last time I was thanked for my service it was a mom who brought over her 4 year old son.  They said "Thank you" and I gave my standard reply: "You're welcome."   I then commented on the little boy's shirt because it had F-15s and F-16s on it.  It was genuine.

I think that our fellow citizens are doing the best that they can.  To say "completely disinterested" is a bit unfair.  How do citizens hold politicians accountable?   Elections.  Over the last few years our fellow citizens have delivered us several different configurations of government between Democrats and Republicans: President, control of the House/Senate.  Nothing really seems to change.    In fact, last I heard, we're thinking about sending more troops to AFG for the sweet train, advise, assist goodness.

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3 hours ago, BashiChuni said:

some of you are such tools

say thanks and move on

I always say thank you. But the other day I had a paparazzi moment. I was in the car wash and on my cell phone trying to discuss a referral for off base with flight medicine. An old guy is trying to ask me what I do as I'm moving to avoid him. It was very rude. Respectf the bubble.

When I see famous people, I keep on walking and don't bother them. I feel like it has to be really annoying having people f with you everyday. Not everyone is like Shaq. He will come up and start talking to you out of the blue. Make you have a WTH moment. To earn money for the Navy booster club we got the opportunity to do security at an All Star game in DC because of our security clearance levels and Shaq did that to me. Then his manager asked for 20 Nestle crunch bars for the big guy. This was back in 1999 or 2000. 

Edited by hatedont
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1 hour ago, hatedont said:

I always say thank you. But the other day I had a paparazzi moment. I was in the car wash and on my cell phone trying to discuss a referral for off base with flight medicine. An old guy is trying to ask me what I do as I'm moving to avoid him. It was very rude. Respectf the bubble.

When I see famous people, I keep on walking and don't bother them. I feel like it has to be really annoying having people f with you everyday. Not everyone is like Shaq. He will come up and start talking to you out of the blue. Make you have a WTH moment. To earn money for the Navy booster club we got the opportunity to do security at an All Star game in DC because of our security clearance levels and Shaq did that to me. Then his manager asked for 20 Nestle crunch bars for the big guy. This was back in 1999 or 2000. 

???

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4 hours ago, hatedont said:

An old guy is trying to ask me what I do as I'm moving to avoid him. It was very rude.

So an elderly gentleman saw you in uniform and was trying to talk to you about your service but you blew him off?  And HE was the rude one?

 

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When I see famous people, I keep on walking and don't bother them. I feel like it has to be really annoying having people f with you everyday. Not everyone is like Shaq. He will come up and start talking to you out of the blue. Make you have a WTH moment. To earn money for the Navy booster club we got the opportunity to do security at an All Star game in DC because of our security clearance levels and Shaq did that to me. Then his manager asked for 20 Nestle crunch bars for the big guy. This was back in 1999 or 2000. 

I'll have whatever you're drinking.
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6 hours ago, hatedont said:

I always say thank you. But the other day I had a paparazzi moment. I was in the car wash and on my cell phone trying to discuss a referral for off base with flight medicine. An old guy is trying to ask me what I do as I'm moving to avoid him. It was very rude. Respectf the bubble.

When I see famous people, I keep on walking and don't bother them. I feel like it has to be really annoying having people f with you everyday. Not everyone is like Shaq. He will come up and start talking to you out of the blue. Make you have a WTH moment. To earn money for the Navy booster club we got the opportunity to do security at an All Star game in DC because of our security clearance levels and Shaq did that to me. Then his manager asked for 20 Nestle crunch bars for the big guy. This was back in 1999 or 2000. 

not that good of a troll post

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12 hours ago, RTB said:

So an elderly gentleman saw you in uniform and was trying to talk to you about your service but you blew him off?  And HE was the rude one?

 

If an elderly person sees you on your phone talking to someone, last time I checked its rude for them or anyone else to interrupt you unless its an emergency. Pretty sure I stated I was on the phone trying to coordinate for my own medical needs. Hell, I could have been talking to your wife and he didn't need to hear the things we talk about. Unless you are going to coordinate for the movement of my records for treatment, I don't see the point in your post at all. 

Flight medicine issued a referral off base. Why the hell didn't they have me sign a medical release form the same day? After trying to setup my appointment a week later, the off base doctor needed my records and the release form. You try talking to anyone after all that BS on multiple phone conversations. I'm embarrassed by our medical in comparison to my old lady's. 

My old lady saw me wait 2 hrs for a post operation prescription on base.  I guess it never registered to the pharmacy tech I was post op after saying it 5 damn times with a huge bandage on my neck. I had to go off base to have my prescription filled after waiting 2 hours.

And you want to take a shot at me trying to coordinate for my medical? If I were you, I would focus more on why your wife is always scrolling through FarmersOnly.com.

Edited by hatedont
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