Brig Gen Short (Aircrew Task Force) AMA

[AFsock 18]

I didn't even know this was happening.  Looks like only a few others did as well.  But for your scrolling pleasure -

 

(Edit- found this buried in the ACP thread.  Delete if not helpful)

 

[FLEA 84]

It was advertised on the MAF assignments and mentoring FB. I can't for the life of me understand why they don't have a CAF assignments and mentoring FB yet. But that's probably why most questions were 11M geared. I was really dissapointed at the evasiveness of some answers. But to General Shorts credit I respect he stepped out there to field questions from the masses. 

[AFsock 18]

And the 11R folks were all over it.

That couldn't have been easy for sure.  But some of the better written questions seemed to have been overlooked and a few dudes out on their kneepads as well and wasted some time.

Overall it looks like a wasted opportunity.

Edited April 6 by AFsock

[pawnman 1,094]

3 hours ago, FLEA said:

It was advertised on the MAF assignments and mentoring FB. I can't for the life of me understand why they don't have a CAF assignments and mentoring FB yet. But that's probably why most questions were 11M geared. I was really dissapointed at the evasiveness of some answers. But to General Shorts credit I respect he stepped out there to field questions from the masses. 

I can't speak for an overall CAF page, but the Bomber Porch has a FB page and they're pretty responsive.

[MechGov 56]

Any decent takeaways or was it a complete waste?

[pawnman 1,094]

3 minutes ago, MechGov said:

Any decent takeaways or was it a complete waste?

Mostly a waste.  Dodged the hard questions, blamed Congress for not raising the bonus.  I did learn the Air Force bonus take rate last year was about 45%, while the Navy/USMC rate was 78%... Something he cited as a reason Congress won't raise the bonus.  They think it's a cultural issue with the Air Force, since the Navy is doing fine with the same amount of money.

[Longhorn15 48]

There are pages for both CAF assignments and the CAF Fighter community.  

Can't speak for the whole CAF Fighter community, but I'm not that interested in what Junior has to say.  If I had a nickel for each time I heard him say "ops isn't special" I could buy a few beers.  He was instrumental in creating the problem, now he is in charge of solving it.  Classic Air Force

[SurelySerious 598]

32 minutes ago, pawnman said:

Mostly a waste.  Dodged the hard questions, blamed Congress for not raising the bonus.  I did learn the Air Force bonus take rate last year was about 45%, while the Navy/USMC rate was 78%... Something he cited as a reason Congress won't raise the bonus.  They think it's a cultural issue with the Air Force, since the Navy is doing fine with the same amount of money.

I wouldn’t say the Navy is doing fine, Bob. Talk to the dudes at Lemoore...I think you’ll find a lot of them trying to jump ship instead of get tx’d to F-35. 

[Majestik Møøse 477]

1 hour ago, pawnman said:

Mostly a waste.  Dodged the hard questions, blamed Congress for not raising the bonus.  I did learn the Air Force bonus take rate last year was about 45%, while the Navy/USMC rate was 78%... Something he cited as a reason Congress won't raise the bonus.  They think it's a cultural issue with the Air Force, since the Navy is doing fine with the same amount of money.

USMC has 457 fixed wing aircraft of all types. That’s how many KC-135s we have. They’re not in the same game we are.

[torqued 285]

3 hours ago, MechGov said:

Any decent takeaways or was it a complete waste?

I scanned the whole thread.

The same types of words occurred in nearly every response from the Gen:

Listening, measuring, communicating, understanding, discussing, engaging, facilitating, thinking, ...

Doing anything? Not so much. Same as the last 5 years. Same as the next 5 years.

 

[Genghis John 53]

How much of that USMC/USN take rate were helo pilots? I have a hard time believing that’s all fixed wing. 

Edited April 6 by Genghis John

[pawnman 1,094]

2 hours ago, Genghis John said:

How much of that USMC/USN take rate were helo pilots? I have a hard time believing that’s all fixed wing. 

I don't know, but every time the bonus came up, he blamed the other services for not wanting to ask Congress for an increase.

[Hacker 1,101]

Junior Short was a good fighter pilot and a good Squadron CC back when I flew with him.  Yet another lost to the General Officer lobotomy.

[ihtfp06 519]

1 stars have about as much clout at HAF as 2Lts do at the sq level.


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[M2 1,406]

[FLEA 84]

Are these other FB pages written out (by group name) anywhere because I'm searching for a few that were just mentioned and can't find anything except MAF, Space and Acquisitions. 

[Crosswind 21]

17 hours ago, Genghis John said:

How much of that USMC/USN take rate were helo pilots? I have a hard time believing that’s all fixed wing. 

In the AMA a Navy guy mentions that the Fighter Take rate is worse than ours.  The Helo take rate was fairly high because outside the DoD options aren’t the same.

He also discusses how they “reduced squadron slots” that were already undermanned.

Squadrons use to have 4 ADOs, but they could only fill 2 slots.  So they cut the number of slots to 3.  This means that instead of “50% manned” they are now “66.666 repeating of course” manned.

Lies, damn lies, and statistics.  Unless the statistics are lies too.

[BFM this 462]

14 hours ago, FLEA said:

Are these other FB pages written out (by group name) anywhere because I'm searching for a few that were just mentioned and can't find anything except MAF, Space and Acquisitions. 

Typically closed/secret groups.  They won’t be “searchable”; at least on the CAF side they weren’t.  You join by having a bud nominate you.

[yeah2011 1]

5 hours ago, Crosswind said:

In the AMA a Navy guy mentions that the Fighter Take rate is worse than ours.  The Helo take rate was fairly high because outside the DoD options aren’t the same.

He also discusses how they “reduced squadron slots” that were already undermanned.

Squadrons use to have 4 ADOs, but they could only fill 2 slots.  So they cut the number of slots to 3.  This means that instead of “50% manned” they are now “66.666 repeating of course” manned.

Lies, damn lies, and statistics.  Unless the statistics are lies too.

Exactly this.  How many coats of paint are they going to use to hide this pig? 

[Hunter Rose 32]

9 hours ago, Crosswind said:

In the AMA a Navy guy mentions that the Fighter Take rate is worse than ours.  The Helo take rate was fairly high because outside the DoD options aren’t the same.

This is why HAF is clueless or just spineless about solving the problem. When OSD said no to higher AF AvB due to the high take rates in the Marine Corps (cited by Junior), I doubt anyone in HAF said factoring in helo take rates is stupid, since Delta/American/FedEx, etc. is not hiring away helo pilots.

We're beyond the point of stupidity in fixing this. Junior still is mentioning studying the problem, collecting data, blah blah blah.

There is nothing to study. The problem is being underpaid/undervalued while overworked with too many additional duties/time away from family. Just accept it. Stop studying the problem HAF and FIX SOMETHING ALREADY! 

Edited April 8 by Hunter Rose

[raimius 101]

Some airlines are starting rotary-wing transition programs...so, I'd expect help take rates to start declining, if that keeps up...

[jice 77]

1 hour ago, raimius said:

Some airlines are starting rotary-wing transition programs...so, I'd expect help take rates to start declining, if that keeps up...

You mean they’re adopting a model that captures the value of previously funded training? Crazy talk. They’d be much better off pulling folks off the street and pushing them through a too good to be true training program. Shareholders and passengers would agree. 

[Sprkt69 174]

6 hours ago, yeah2011 said:

Exactly this.  How many coats of paint are they going to use to hide this pig? 

As many as it takes to make the next rank

[BashiChuni 777]

3 hours ago, Hunter Rose said:

 FIX SOMETHING ALREADY! 

they can't fix it.

[Sprkt69 174]

10 minutes ago, BashiChuni said:

they can't fix it.

Or is it they dont understand how to properly fix it.

Though its not like the solutions have not been talked to at length by pilots ninja smoking their way to freedom from moronic oppression

Edited April 8 by Sprkt69