What's wrong with the Air Force?

[guineapigfury]

13 year ADSC?  Normal first assignment with a decade long MQ-9 follow on ... no thanks.

Edited October 25, 2015 by guineapigfury

[Fuzz]

Dude, stop giving people bad gouge. Just because you hate flying AF jets doesn't mean we all do. My current assignment feels like the best job in the world. I've got a great family and a nice house in the mountains and the flying is amazing. Would I rather be a 767 bus driver for 50% more pay? No, not at this point in my life. I love this job.

I'm not in AMC anymore so maybe that's it. But seriously, in the grand scheme of things, the Air Force can be pretty awesome. The real world sucks.

The Air Force, as in the flying I get to do and the people I work with on a daily basis are awesome; I wouldn't trade where I am right now for anything. Most people I know don't hate getting up everyday and putting on the uniform to go to work, in fact most of them also enjoy. However, most of those same people and anyone with a two eyes and half a brain can see the institution that is the U.S. Air Force is in a severe crisis. This is crisis is a leadership, readiness, training and most importantly ethical crisis. The people at the top are out of touch and screaming "remain calm, everything is fine" as people run for the door, leaders abuse their power and our equipment falls apart due to a broken acquisitions process. It reminds me of when I spatial-D'd in the T-6 while flying IMC, my IP in the back is telling to cage myself on the instruments, while I'm telling him "no, I'm good". In reality I was 10 degrees nose low and in a 20 degree left turn. The leadership stands in front of the world and says there's nothing to see, while the people they lead scream for help. They fail to see that the institution is being held together at the seams by extraordinary airman the do amazing things every damn day to keep jets in the air.

I don't hate the Air Force, I love the Air Force, it runs in my blood all the way back to the Army Air Corps. Yet I see the attrition of experience and knowledge heading to the civilian world everyday, leaving greener and inexperienced aircrew to fill their spots. I see leaders who can manage a wing but have no idea how their jets or crews execute their mission. People that care more about SAPR and quarterly awards than whether their crews can effectively execute what we've promised to COCOMs.

That being said the Air Force is still the best in the world and when the order comes we get shit done because those of us on the frontlines make it happen. However, the Air Force hasn't been challenged in a very long time, the Army went through a crisis during the early years of the GWOT and managed to make some changes, but we've been chugging along since Korea having yet to meet a foe that gave us a run for out money. I'm not sure the institution as it stands today could actually withstand that challenge with out some very painful and costly consequences.

[Jaded]

Remember too that these hypothetical 15 year adsc guys would also only be eligible for the new reduced benefit pension.

I can only imagine the shit that AFPC would pull if it knew it had you for 5 more assignments.  

[pcola]

However, most of those same people and anyone with a two eyes and half a brain can see the institution that is the U.S. Air Force is in a severe crisis. It reminds me of when I spatial-D'd in the T-6 while flying IMC, my IP in the back is telling to cage myself on the instruments, while I'm telling him "no, I'm good". In reality I was 10 degrees nose low and in a 20 degree left turn. The leadership stands in front of the world and says there's nothing to see, while the people they lead scream for help.

I like this analogy. AF leadership is suffering from unrecognized spatial d and they refuse to trust the instruments (low retention and negative feedback on climate surveys.)

[BuddhaSixFour]

Obviously there's no universal Active Duty experience or AD service member. Some people will love it. Some will hate it. Got it. 

My heartburn with an ADSC longer than the current one is that you're asking a 22-year old to go all-in on the bulk of their professional life without any reasonable understanding of what that entails or what the opportunity costs     really are. Some will get lucky and love it. Good for them. But the others will be trapped for no reason other than its hard to predict who you'll be or what your life circumstances will be a decade down the road. 

How is the Air Force supposed to build a leader/follower relationship built on trust when the AF's first move is to take adavantage of youthful naïveté and dream chasing for its own cynical ends? 

I understand the investment it takes to build a pilot, and that you need a guaranteed return if you're going to put in that effort and resources, but there's an upper limit to what it's morally reasonable to ask someone to agree to with no way out and no recourse.  At some point it becomes predatory. I really consider the 10-year ADSC as at the upper limit. 

Hopefully it's just talk and we can get back to figuring out how to encourage quality people to stay rather than trapping them when they just don't know any better. 

[ClearedHot]

History repeats itself.

[Ram]

If only we had a separate HQ-based organization charged with the challenging task of managing our manpower...

[17D_guy]

Wonder what it would look like if we could bounce this list against the RIF/TERA/VSP/Whatever "must separate matrix" that AFPC offered in the last 2 years.  

Edit to add that the two workhorse cyber customer support AFSCs we separated a ton of are on there: 3D1X1 Client Systems, and 3D1X2 Cyber Transport Systems 

 

Edited October 28, 2015 by 17D_guy

[Prosuper]

WTF, they even offering regional band guys a in.  http://www.docdroid.net/kCfNqTe/fy16-prior-service-afsc-list.xlsx.html

[Duck]

Yeah the last VSP hit them hard with all the mandatory retirements for concert orchestras going in effect. Thank God the Air Force is lead turning this one.

[M2]

History repeats itself.

Whoa!  Check out that burrito selection!

[HU&W]

History repeats itself.

docdro.id/kCINqTe?  For real?  That's not exactly catchy.  Too bad the af doesn't have a website with an easy to remember URL.

[deaddebate]

docdro.id/kCINqTe?

It's actually docdro.id/kCfNqTe

The f is hard to see.

They should've used go.usa.gov as a link shortener.

[TarHeelPilot]

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this one.  A last-look Major is selected for ACSC + 2 years SOS instructor to follow.  He'll have 16 years TIS when he starts ACSC next summer, due to being prior enlisted.  He'll be at 19 years and hopefully PCS's back to a flying squadron to finish out. If he goes to staff, that will be 5+ years out of an airplane trying to get hired at the airlines (what he wants eventually.)

Or he 7 day opts at over 15 years active-duty.

 

To me, this sounds like a lose-lose, for the Air Force and for him... unless SOS is hurting that bad for instructors.

 

[Duck]

Tell him to run while he still has a chance...

[brabus]

Know a couple dudes who punched to reserves at 17-18 years; the alternative was a year at bumfuckistan for a "great command opportunity" - they don't have regrets.  The 20 year retirement isn't everything.

[slackline]

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this one.  A last-look Major is selected for ACSC + 2 years SOS instructor to follow.  He'll have 16 years TIS when he starts ACSC next summer, due to being prior enlisted.  He'll be at 19 years and hopefully PCS's back to a flying squadron to finish out. If he goes to staff, that will be 5+ years out of an airplane trying to get hired at the airlines (what he wants eventually.)

Or he 7 day opts at over 15 years active-duty.

 

To me, this sounds like a lose-lose, for the Air Force and for him... unless SOS is hurting that bad for instructors.

 

I didn't punch before school, and now wish I had. Tell him to run.

[Majestik Møøse]

Or he 7 day opts at over 15 years active-duty.

To me, this sounds like a lose-lose, for the Air Force and for him... unless SOS is hurting that bad for instructors.

It is a lose-lose, but could be a win-win for him and the Guard-Reserves.  They get the experience and he gets the retirement eventually without the 365 threat.

[pcola]

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this one.  A last-look second-look Major is selected for ACSC + 2 1-year SOS ACSC instructor to follow.  He'll have 16 years TIS when he starts ACSC next summer, due to being prior enlisted.  He'll be at 19 18 years and hopefully PCS's back to a flying squadron to finish out. If he goes to staff, that will be 5+ 4 years out of an airplane trying to get hired at the airlines (what he wants eventually.) (or he eats the add'l 2 year ADSC to return to a flying sq after staff, extending retirement - and airline job by 2ish years.)

Or he 7 day opts at over 15 years active-duty.

 

To me, this sounds like a lose-lose, for the Air Force and for him... unless SOS AU is hurting that bad for instructors.

FIFY (Italic edits mine) - And to add some amplifying information, he is currently enjoying his flying squadron/job and wouldn't voluntarily leave - is very hopeful to return upon completion of requisite queep-work.  Also, with school completion, he'll pin on O5 in late 2018/early 19 - may as well stay an extra year for the bump in retirement pay, no?  365 not a concern d2 2013 STRD (dues paid!)  7 day opt is not on the table for this case.  I believe he'll grin and bear the 2-year accompanied tour to Alabamastan.

[pcola]

 

 

I didn't punch before school, and now wish I had. Tell him to run.

Why?

[MD]

Know a couple dudes who punched to reserves at 17-18 years; the alternative was a year at bumfuckistan for a "great command opportunity" - they don't have regrets.  The 20 year retirement isn't everything.

That would be me.  It just became really not worth it anymore. And neither were the various carrots being held in front anymore. Part time reserves now for maybe a little while longer, ADSCs long since done, Gate complete. And full time on the outside. No regrets.

Edited October 30, 2015 by MD

[slackline]

Why?

Quite a few friends did this, and are happy in the Guard right now while I'm stuck in a staff job. I was really blown away by the AF's lack of understanding of what's going on in the AF with every general that marched across the stage and basically told us it was up to us (a bunch of O-4) to fix all the problems they'd created. Sometimes they would almost say that verbatim... I was on an exchange, away from Big Blue, when I made my choice, so I don't think I had all the information to make an informed decision. I'm in now, so I'll make the best of it, but I wish I had chosen otherwise.

[Prosuper]

It has been like this since the draw down after Desert Storm, http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/11/02/weary-maintainers-struggle-keep-fleet-combat-ready/74870766/

[17D_guy]

I don't know if we want to corral the discussion about AFD1-1 to the JQP news posts, or continue it here.  But.. I did not see that all coming from the CSAF.  They're really taking the circle the wagons around the stars thing to the next level.

Someone had a really good post on the FB pages about posting political comments/opinions/mem's on our personal pages during election season.  How is that going to jive against the blessed little Red Blue Book.

 

[panchbarnes]

Got an interesting AMS Mail Robot e-mail for an Exec position. 

A couple of things jumped out at me:

2. Will accept any LAF AFSC Officer (Rated Officers - Certain Major Weapons Systems may be ineligible to apply for this non-rated position due to the Chief of Staff's Rated Staff Allocation Plan.)

So it looks like CSAF has a staff quota for stressed MWSs.  Good if you want to stay away from staff, but potentially bad as your community might be underrepresented in key staff billets.  

 3. QUALIFICATIONS
   a. Mandatory:
    - PME commensurate with grade
   b. Desired:
    - IDE “select” for O-4 applicants 

I don't recall seeing "IDE select" in the past (maybe I just didn't pay enough attention).  It is only "desired" (for now), but I see it as the Big Blue doubling down on the "Golden Child/Chosen One" program.  Perhaps more senior folks on the board can better interpret this desired qual.