Jump to content

Drone Pilots: We Don’t Get No Respect


Recommended Posts

10 hours ago, guineapigfury said:

I like the idea of peer review.  Maybe give every officer of similar rank (+- 1) who's been in the same unit for at least a year a vote on whether their peer can have a DP.  75% required to promote, or something like that. 

Not bad.  Basically, the shoe clerk gets ahead by having data on their records that looks like some sort of objective evidence of important, effective efforts towards the mission of the Air Force but in reality is just massive queep generation / processing.

Going to harder definitions of that data or some other objective measure, coupled with a peer ranking can prevent shoe clerks from helping shoe clerks and could start to turn the tide.  If the stats that really matter are tied to systems or measures that are not as prone to manipulation, shoe clerks will have to pull their weight.

Trying this in the RPA enterprise first given its fast growth, high operational tempo, low satisfaction ranking by members might be a way to "fix" the community.  Can't change the fact that it is still driving droids but at least the buds in the squadron could get a better QOL by keeping that X percent that don't want to play unless there is only 5 seconds left on the clock in the whole game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the idea of peer review.  Maybe give every officer of similar rank (+- 1) who's been in the same unit for at least a year a vote on whether their peer can have a DP.  75% required to promote, or something like that. 

Peer, superior, and subordinate review are all flawed. I can't tell you what the correct solution is, but popularity does not equal effectiveness. My SOS flight had 4 DGs, and only one deserved it (and being prior army enlisted and old as fack, wasn't going to do him much good anyway).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If every kind of review is flawed, what do you suggest? I like the idea of peer reviews and think people are mature enough to see through bullshit and rank people accordingly. Especially in an instance like this. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, ihtfp06 said:

 

 

Peer, superior, and subordinate review are all flawed. I can't tell you what the correct solution is, but popularity does not equal effectiveness. My SOS flight had 4 DGs, and only one deserved it (and being prior army enlisted and old as fack, wasn't going to do him much good anyway).

I don't dispute that, but I'm thinking of a swiss cheese model.  2 slices, or even 3, might close some of the holes that our current crop of O-6s slipped through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If every kind of review is flawed, what do you suggest? I like the idea of peer reviews and think people are mature enough to see through bullshit and rank people accordingly. Especially in an instance like this. 

Superior review encourages brown-nosing. Peer review can cause harmful rifts (just look at the new enlisted system). Subordinate review is strictly a popularity contest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think peer and subordinate review would at least highlight some of the douchers.  You could put Jefferson on both sides of a nickel and he'd still be less two-faced than some of the SNCOs I've met in this career field.  And we wonder why SOs don't reenlist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't dispute that, but I'm thinking of a swiss cheese model.  2 slices, or even 3, might close some of the holes that our current crop of O-6s slipped through.

Agreed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, ihtfp06 said:

Superior review encourages brown-nosing. Peer review can cause harmful rifts (just look at the new enlisted system). Subordinate review is strictly a popularity contest.

If all forms of review are flawed, what do you suggest?

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think an entirely based peer review system would be appropriate but a portion of an overall score would be good, an issue that I thought of with this type of system would be the drive for a static close out date for all officer ranks ala the new EPR system.

Everybody would be voting all the time as someone was coming up for an OPR at sometime and probably be detrimental to the process.

Maybe it could work but it would drive further synchronization in PCS, static close out dates, etc... still putting the objective standards, relative standing based on the professional opinion of your peers and allowing commanders to have a say I think would be an improvement over the current model.  Not perfect but nothing ever is.

If only applied to RPA Line assignments, getting all the parts lined up and synched up could be done.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On May 20, 2016 at 7:15 AM, General Chang said:

This is only the first step.  If we can get more enlisted RPA pilots to take over all non-combat RPA roles, then permanently reclassify all current RPA pilots into the RPA career field, we will no longer need to pull pilots out of cockpits for RPAs.  This would solve rated manning problems faster than any bonus increase (although A1 will continue to pursue that with Congress).  Lots of reasons to be positive, people.

You have to honestly be trying to be this ignorant and blind to the current reasons that RPAs are undermanned. What makes you think the SrA isn't going to punch at the first chance to go make six figures working as a contractor? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Fuzz said:

You have to honestly be trying to be this ignorant and blind to the current reasons that RPAs are undermanned. What makes you think the SrA isn't going to punch at the first chance to go make six figures working as a contractor? 

This, I've heard the retention of Sensor Operators is just as bad as the Pilots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Azimuth said:

This, I've heard the retention of Sensor Operators is just as bad as the Pilots.

Of course it is.  The average 4-year degree gets you a $50k job on the outside.  4 years as an SO can get you $120k+.  SrA's are seeing their peers separate, move out of their ghetto apartments, and start driving Porsches (and actually be able to afford them).  What would you do?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Azimuth said:

This, I've heard the retention of Sensor Operators is just as bad as the Pilots.

From what I've seen it's worse.  I've seen 3 first term SOs reenlist in my 4 years in RPAs.  I've lost count of the separations.  My understanding is that Cannon had a 0% reenlistment rate for 1st term SOs last year.  RPAs and Active Duty just do not mix.  If we had any sense we'd hand a CAP to each state's ANG, supplement with contractor CAPs and get the regular Air Force completely out of the MQ-9 business.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, guineapigfury said:

From what I've seen it's worse.  I've seen 3 first term SOs reenlist in my 4 years in RPAs.  I've lost count of the separations.  My understanding is that Cannon had a 0% reenlistment rate for 1st term SOs last year.  RPAs and Active Duty just do not mix.  If we had any sense we'd hand a CAP to each state's ANG, supplement with contractor CAPs and get the regular Air Force completely out of the MQ-9 business.

..If you re-look at how drones are tasked, you can solve manning problem and job satisfaction. Ask crews when they feel mission is "fraud waste and abuse".  Remove that feeling and things may change. IMHO of course. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This, I've heard the retention of Sensor Operators is just as bad as the Pilots.

The number I've heard thrown around recently is 2% retention. In typical Big Blue fashion, their eye is on the closest obstacle (RPA pilot manning) and they can't see the brick wall just beyond that we are flying toward (Sensor manning).

We all shook our heads 2 years ago when we forced out qualified SOs based on crap they had done years before as an A1C. Then they cut the re-enlistment bonus completely and only just recently reinstated it for first term SOs. What did they expect would happen? I saw this happening at least 2 years ago.

I wonder how senior leaders will explain away the RPA sensor operator manning crisis that will immediately follow the RPA pilot manning crisis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The number I've heard thrown around recently is 2% retention. In typical Big Blue fashion, their eye is on the closest obstacle (RPA pilot manning) and they can't see the brick wall just beyond that we are flying toward (Sensor manning).

We all shook our heads 2 years ago when we forced out qualified SOs based on crap they had done years before as an A1C. Then they cut the re-enlistment bonus completely and only just recently reinstated it for first term SOs. What did they expect would happen? I saw this happening at least 2 years ago.

I wonder how senior leaders will explain away the RPA sensor operator manning crisis that will immediately follow the RPA pilot manning crisis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

HOTAS

ImageUploadedByBaseops Network Forums1464162921.907358.jpg

Kidding...but only kind of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The number I've heard thrown around recently is 2% retention. In typical Big Blue fashion, their eye is on the closest obstacle (RPA pilot manning) and they can't see the brick wall just beyond that we are flying toward (Sensor manning).

We all shook our heads 2 years ago when we forced out qualified SOs based on crap they had done years before as an A1C. Then they cut the re-enlistment bonus completely and only just recently reinstated it for first term SOs. What did they expect would happen? I saw this happening at least 2 years ago.

I wonder how senior leaders will explain away the RPA sensor operator manning crisis that will immediately follow the RPA pilot manning crisis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Well... What had happened was that the Airlines... It wasn't our fault...service before self...leadership 101...er...Congress(mommy) can we stop loss EVERYONE now?"

In actuality they will just blame it on the "improving economy " and miss the opportunity to make the place better or learn from the consistent mistakes that keep getting us in these positions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...