ASBC information

[Guest wannabeflyer]

I am down at ASBC right now. As a winged, mission qualified pilot, I spend my days drawing pictures of what an Air Force leader should "look like" and listening to shoes talk about being "warriors". I come close to physically vomiting everyday. Yesterday I was told that I would be much better prepared for my job having gone to this class, I asked how not flying for six weeks and going non current could possibly help me be a safer and more competent pilot, no response. To any winged person who ever thinks about volunteering to come here, check yourself. This place is so full of bullSH*T queepy shoeclerkness that my only recourse is to laugh. This class doesn't matter and if it ends up being the difference of you not making major, I don't think that's an Air Force you want to be in. What an unbelievable example of fraud waste and abuse, this course is a huge waste of tax payer dollars. FYI, They just changed the AFI to state that pilots and others with long training will be eligible to attend up to 36 months after entering active duty.

[08Dawg]

I realize this is a minor issue in the grand scheme of the queep and shoeclerkery, but a bro who just went told me no bags even if you've earned your wings already. What's the story there?

[magnetfreezer]

From http://asbc.au.af.mil/asbc_inbound.html the clothing section says

Military

Regardless of AFSC, all students are expected to bring uniforms to include service dress uniform, short sleeve combination, and at least three (3) Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs), Airman Battle Uniforms (ABUs).

Uniform of the day for training day 1, the flight photo, and graduation day is the Service Dress Uniform. The uniform of the day is BDUs/ABUs for most other days.

Students will wear the issue garrison camouflage cap with BDUs (metal rank) or ABUs (cloth or subdued rank). Students are not authorized to wear baseball-style caps with BDUs/ABUs.

Students should plan on wearing BDUs/ABUs for the majority of the course. Bring enough sets of short sleeve blues and BDUs/ABUs/ to allow for potential uniform changes throughout the six and a half week period.

Flight suits are NOT permitted to be worn by students while at ASBC.

[nrodgsxr]

If there is a DG program there it would be a good bullet to get.. anything to help you get strat'd. Gayness = success in the airfarce unfortunately.

Yeah shit like that will help you stay in the jet. Take it from a guy who ignored all that bullshit and won't likely get to fly an airplane in the airforce again because of it.

[skinny]

10% of the class earns DG at ASBC. So in a class of 300+, you'll have roughly 30 DG's, hardly "distinguished" if you ask me. But good filler for the OPR for sure.

[brewskis]

They just implemented the DG a couple classes before me.

I do understand how that stuff keeps you on top, and it is definitely no bueno to just blow it all off, but they aren't even really specific on how they stratify that. They have said 'based on your GPR', but we only have 2 graded assignments here. I have a hard time believing they are stratifying people based on one paper and a briefing. My guess is that you're over all peer/instructor ranking within the flight based on your leadership evals, etc.

All in all, I don't necessarily believe that the Air Force takes ASBC seriously as a PME. It won't hurt to get DG, but it's like trying to judge who is going to be your starting line up in a football game based on one half-assed practice. I'm not going to lose a whole lot of sleep over not getting it.

[B.L]

They just implemented the DG a couple classes before me.

I guess it's more ammo for that Captain Board right....makes you in that top 95%? Have fun with that, I'm glad I went when it was just taking a test, and nobody cared about it!

Edited November 18, 2010 by blud84

[Ballman]

I do understand how that stuff keeps you on top, and it is definitely no bueno to just blow it all off, but they aren't even really specific on how they stratify that. They have said 'based on your GPR', but we only have 2 graded assignments here. I have a hard time believing they are stratifying people based on one paper and a briefing. My guess is that you're over all peer/instructor ranking within the flight based on your leadership evals, etc.

There was a BBP floating around with the parameters for DG. IIRC, 1. your two graded assignments, 2. your ranking in team challenge, Icarus, and the stupid computer game 3. your mid-term and final peer evals, 4. your mid-term and final FLT/CC eval.

[Learjetter]

They just implemented the DG a couple classes before me.

All in all, I don't necessarily believe that the Air Force takes ASBC seriously as a PME. It won't hurt to get DG, but it's like trying to judge who is going to be your starting line up in a football game based on one half-assed practice. I'm not going to lose a whole lot of sleep over not getting it.

The reason a "DG" is important is very common: 90% of officers (pilots) are equal in piloting ability. It's the OTHER stuff you do that gets you stratified amongst your peers. Everytime you are in a group, you are competing for stratification--be it at ASBC or in the squadron. You belong to the group of "copilots", or "wingmen", or "tactics cell", or "training shop", or "SELO" or "SDO", or even SNACKO. Makes no difference. Your SQ/DO and CC are looking for ways to tell you people APART. Why is chucklehead X better or worse than chucklehead Y? They both got Q1's on their checkrides and didn't screw up on their first deployment and are progressing normally through upgrade. How do I tell them apart? The answer comes in all the OTHER stuff you do to enhance my unit's effectiveness: administrative excellence/morale booster/unique program management/inspection preparation, etc...that's what the CC needs help with--UPT and IQT do a good job of making you a good technician with an OK skill set, and our training shop has a program to get you up to speed on the mission...so since you're all equal in those regards, I need to know what ELSE you bring to the table to differentiate you from all the others...

ANYTIME you get a chance to distinguish yourself from your peers (by getting a DG, Top 1/3, #1/3 Asst execs, etc) this helps BOTH the CC decide who to go to bat for (early upgrades/choice PCS/another flying gig) and who to send on less desireable assignments, or even to approve the bonus $$ for. Works in reverse too--the copilot who gets two DUIs in a week probably wont get to go to SOS in-residence...Know the rules of the game you're playing. Blow off ASBC and you lose a chance, perhaps five/ten years from now, to attend WIC, or go in-res to ACSC- because the dude you're competing against THEN got the DG from ASBC, and that became the CC's deciding factor on who to send. It happens.

Since you don't KNOW for a FACT you're separating at the end of your commitment, or you're on track for CoS, might as well learn early the rules of the game your playing, and do everything possible to set yourself up to be a contender for WHATEVER job/career goal/aspiration you have. Get off course, even a little, and your decision maybe gets made for you and you lose options. Whether you want to be a SQ/CC or a terminal iron Major with 25,000 flying hours, or separate ASAP, you should probably try to garner the same distinctions every chance you get. You'll either make your goal and be a CC, or make your goal and turn down Lt Col, or make your unit CC cry when you separate. But the key is, it was YOUR CHOICE every time. Fail to follow the rules, and you don't get to choose.

Its your life and career--work it any way you want.

/off soapbox...again...

[brewskis]

I do think that most guys even at my newbie level are aware that its what you do outside the cockpit that gets you promoted, weapons school, etc. Getting DG at ASBC can't hurt, no doubt about that. Most 2lts that show up here want to do a good job and get something out of it, and if you don't, why are you even here anyways?

I guess the reason why I think it is hard to take stratification here super seriously is the following:

70% of the people (all ROTC accessions) here are TDY en route to their respective training bases. So, that means that for this group of LTs (myself included), it is their first time functioning in the AD environment. While doing the curriculum, etc, we are still trying to track down our pay stuff, get BAH for our families (if we have them), etc. In addition, we are still walking around looking like dip shits because TD-1 is our 1st day of active duty.

The next 15% are USAFA and most ROTC guys who have most likely been on active duty and been on casual status since the August time frame, and generally know whats going on, but still haven't had time to figure everything out.

The final 15% are 1st LTs that have completed their respective training, and have been at their active duty locations for a period of time.

I guess to bring it all together, I'll give a personal example:

My team leader is a 1st LT intel guy that has been active duty for 3 years. He works in an intel shop, gives intel briefings, etc. Most of us (especially the TDY en route LTs)obviously can't necessarily compete with someone that has that much more (relatively speaking) experience than we do. Of course he is going to ace the papers, briefings and other evals, because he's really taking a step backwards as far as his training goes. It's not that everyone else sucks a fat one, we just don't have the time/background that he does. I'm not trying to make excuses for myself and my peers, it's just kind of a fact.

There are a lot of guys that just blow this whole thing off like the reasons stated above, and that obviously is a bad approach. I just think it's hard to compare us apples-to-apples with each other when the gaps in experience are so big.

[StoleIt]

My team leader is a 1st LT intel guy that has been active duty for 3 years. He works in an intel shop, gives intel briefings, etc. Most of us (especially the TDY en route LTs)obviously can't necessarily compete with someone that has that much more (relatively speaking) experience than we do. Of course he is going to ace the papers, briefings and other evals, because he's really taking a step backwards as far as his training goes. It's not that everyone else sucks a fat one, we just don't have the time/background that he does. I'm not trying to make excuses for myself and my peers, it's just kind of a fact.

Dude...it's ASBC. Nobody cares. Just check the box, pass the stupid thing, and carry on with your life.

The rest of your life you will be compared, rack & stacked, etc with dudes that might be FAR overqualified compared to you. That's life. God help you if your going to UPT and have a bunch of O-3 Nav's in your class. Or you have a former airline pilot in your class. Etc etc etc. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on those.

[MoonDawg]

70% of the people (all ROTC accessions) here are TDY en route to their respective training bases. So, that means that for this group of LTs (myself included), it is their first time functioning in the AD environment. While doing the curriculum, etc, we are still trying to track down our pay stuff, get BAH for our families (if we have them), etc. In addition, we are still walking around looking like dip shits because TD-1 is our 1st day of active duty.

I'll have a whopping 2.5 months when I go. At least I should be getting paid/reimbursed for my PCS by then and won't have to worry about much paperwork. My casual job is actually legit right now so this should be a good break.

[brewskis]

I expected the whhhammmbulance post...the graphic, on the other hand was totally unexpected...nice.

edit: misspelled a bunch of stuff while I was drunk.

Edited November 19, 2010 by GigEm10

[StoleIt]

I expected the whhhammmbulance post...the graphic, on the other hand was totally unexpected...nice.

edit: misspelled a bunch of stuff while I was drunk.

I aim to please. :)

[SurelySerious]

The reason a "DG" is important ...

Right, but let's be honest: it's still ASBC, who gives a crap? I wouldn't put any weight behind it; it's like winning the special olympics. DG of your FTU, now that I might pay attention to.

[Jughead]

Right, but let's be honest: it's still ASBC, who gives a crap? I wouldn't put any weight behind it; it's like winning the special olympics. DG of your FTU, now that I might pay attention to.

You might want to read Learjetter's posts again, since he pretty much nailed it.

*You* might not put any weight behind it--and, frankly, I can't disagree with you in principle. In practice, though, *the USAF* most certainly does put weight behind it, and quite a bit. "Get ahead to stay ahead" is the way it is, right or wrong....

[brabus]

Just like one Lt Col told me, "unfortunately, it's the bullshit that gets you promoted and not your ability in the jet." He went on to pretty much say exactly what Leerjetter is saying. ASBC is fucking gay, a complete waste of time and money and serves no real purpose. However, it is one of those "bullshit things" that may matter at some point down the road. That said, it's probably so low on the list of crap that I sure wouldn't be trying to get there if you're one of the lucky people who didn't have to go right away. But, if you go, might as well not just completely blow it off and fail the tests or whatever...had several people do that when I went. First of all, their idiots for failing easy tests, but secondly who knows if that'll bite them in the ass at some point in the next 5 or so years.

[brabus]

they're

Damn you Hoss and the rest of your grammar posse.

[GovernmentMan]

they're

Damn you Hoss and the rest of your grammar posse.

Shutup. Your retarded.

Also, yeah. Whine about it as needed, but accept the fact that it's one of many data points that the senior rater and his crew rely on when stratting.

[brabus]

Shutup. Your retarded.

You have no sense of humor and/or total inability to detect a joke.

[Toro]

You have no sense of humor and/or total inability to detect a joke.

Shut <> up. You're retarded.

Sarcasm fail. Irony win.

[brabus]

Fuck, Toro why haven't you added a breathalyzer to log on to baseops...this would make such situations easier to avoid. Dammit!

[Riebs]

This video should be taken into consideration before embarking to said ASBC.

[El Sloppo]

1...2...3...KITA!!!

[Guest MegaPieBoy]

I've read all the last posts about the updates to ASBC, but it contradicts what I've heard from some of the other LTs I work with who went before pilot training. Can any dudes who went in the last few monthes tell me what the deal is with tests and graded assignments? And it sounds like they do stratify everyone? Thanks!