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McPeak was not everybody’s favorite CSAF but I agree with his point here from the AFA’s magazine: America’s Air Force today is smaller and older than it or age is just how ready we are to fly, fight, and win in a future war. I graduated from flying school and got my wings in January 1959. From then until I left Vietnam in November 1969, I logged 3,138.4flying hours in the two principal types of aircraft I flew, the F-100 and F-104—an average of 23.9 hours per month. It is true that this 131-month period included a two-year tour with the Thunderbirds and 11 months in combat, both high-in-tensity flying jobs. But it also included 16 months on the staff of the Third Air Force, the momentum lost in transitioning back-and-forth between the two aircraft types four times, downtime associated with six PCS moves, and time spent in various schools—jump school, half a dozen survival schools, forward air controller school—as well as leave and so forth. In those days, we aimed to get 20 hours a month, and I was able to beat that average. For me, the end result was remarkable. For one thing, I loved the life; I decided to make the Air Force a career. More importantly, you could say I felt quite at home in the air. There is a certain attitude that goes with being a combat pilot. The fight starts at the bottom of the ladder. From then until the forms are filled out, nobody is better than you—no team is better than you and your wingman. It’s the other guy—the whole other side—that’s in trouble. In my opinion, this is a winning attitude. The seed for it is planted during checkout, in academics, and daily briefings. It can be cultivated in the simulator, watered at beer call, and nourished during time spent hanging around the ops desk hoping someone else will cancel. But the combat pilot attitude matures into a way of life in the cockpit—flying real hours in a real airplane, face-to-face, with real things that happen in real air. I am worried about today’s force. We’re not flying enough. Increasing flying hours for combat pilots should be a top priority. Maybe today’s fighter jock is better than my generation and no longer needs 20 hours in the cockpit every month. Maybe. But I don’t think single-digit flying hours per month is the right answer for anybody.We used to ridicule our Soviet-era opposition when they were flying at about our present rate. Grapes, waiting to be plucked.In my view, increasing flying hours for combat pilots should be a top priority. I can’t say it’s number one, or number two, or number six, or whatever, because we need to fix some other very urgent problems, particularly air base hardening and defense. But the flying hour program must surely be among the handful of highest priority matters our Air Force should fix quickly. If all else fails, we can use our imaginations to help solve the problem. If the F-22 or the F-35 simply cannot produce enough hours, buy and assign gliders or train ers like the T-6 to each fighter squadron. Do aerobatics, do spin training, hooded takeoffs, and landings. Timespent in the air flying anything builds airmanship and confidence. Better still, it’s fun. It glues people to the organization, as it did me.I’m all for increasing the number of pilots coming out of flying school. But this is an example of how competing priorities should be ranked: First, produce a flying hour program that ensures the excellence of the existing force. Then let’s talk about increasing pilot production. Better a small Air Force that can be relied on than a big one that cannot. Gen. Merrill A. “Tony” McPeak There are affordable platforms, programs and COAs out there, just prioritize flying vs queep for at least O1 to O3s.

A solid Tiger Team using an outstanding OODA loop can solve anything!

Republican senator replaced by republican senator? It's a red state, but that wasn't the crux of my statement, so fair comment and I'll clarify. In 2024 Trump got ~1% more vote than 2020 in Utah (data here - https://vote.utah.gov/historical-election-results/). All 3 races he's competed in - 2016 - 45.5% 2020 - 58.13% 2024 - 59.39% (+1.25) Look at his gains in other states, All of these states are close culturally with Utah. All data below is from the wiki articles about the elections for these individual states. AZ for example - 2016 - 48.67% 2020 - 49.06% 2024 - 52.25% (+3.19%) Lets look at NV - 2016 - 45.5% 2020 - 47.67% 2024 - 50.59% (+2.92%) Idaho (crazy cousins up north) - 2016 - 59.25% 2020 - 63.84% 2024 - 66.87 (+3.03) NM (he lost every year) - 2016 - 40.04% 2020 - 43.50% 2024 - 45.85% (+2.35%) So, a more correct statement would be (and I'm now remembering it from the "fun" poli-sci presentations I've sat through) we didn't slide right nearly as much, and are an outlier in the Southwest Basin states. When you get into the county and precinct data it's actually very interesting from 2020 forwards. There's a reason the state Leg further gerrymandered State districts after 2020 to solidify the super-majority, just as R's are trying to do now in other red states for Congressional districts. I will also add a confounding variable is the number of D's who register R here to "have a say in the primary process/elections" because we are so gerrymandered and have such a super-majority. After the success of our municipal elections we've seen the following change in a month: registered D's increased by 2,000 people, R's decreased by 400. A drop in the bucket to be sure, not statistically significant and likely not to change the outcome of state-wide an up races...but an interesting change. Do no extrapolate this to changes in other states, heck the past couple elections (municipal included) could be outliers. Registrations could reverse in the new year when people are gearing up for 2026 elections. However, Utah has the youngest, most educated population with a large chunk of women who are politically active (both sides). Who knows, maybe in a few years I'll be the second Congress critter you all hate. LOL.

I guess I'm in the minority on this one. I rather have a WSO than second pilot in the B-21. Even in the long-range strike scenarios the bomber bros are pushing back against. Most are using the B-2 community as the blueprint for B-21 dynamics. That's a mistake (for a couple reasons). I always felt I had more in common with strike WSOs as a B-2 dude. Hell, I even called the "Mission Commander" position the "Pilot-WSO". B-2 employment was weird - at times the MC was a WSO, and at times it was a co-pilot. Further complicated by either the Pilot or MC could be the AC. I say make the B-21 community mirror the F-15E community as far as crew dynamic. I'm for the WSO in the B-21 - it'll make better pilots too. And WSOs don't need some special WSO course to AR and Land. A f-ing pilot can do that - with smart crew dynamics that "unofficially" teaches WSOs to land, AR, etc. Otherwise - Biff was right - go all in with 2x WSOs!

Brabus for CSAF.

17D, "Utah did not slide right with the rest of the country...", dumping Romney was a move to the right...and the right move.

I mean what finally swayed her away from supporting him?

She probably wasn't going to be re-elected after splitting from Trump. She's probably going to run for GA governor.

she was one of the most radical MAGA supporters...wonder what swayed her

like it or not putin has pocket aces here. ukraine is losing badly. if i were zelensky i'd be making a deal.

Marge Two Names is resigning from Congress.

If everything’s an SII, is anything an SII?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-proposed-28-point-russia-ukraine-peace-plan/ Several outlets are covering this not just CBS so pick your own slant. I know we all have our opinions on how this should go but rewarding Putin who is by all accounts a war criminal just makes sick. We have people on death row in this country for far less. Reminds me of a lot of American politicians who finally get worn down by an issue and just want it off their plate so they can finish out their term. On some level in fairness, I understand we have to play by rules and Putin does not. Afghanistan had both Biden and Trump half assing it and we see how that went when all was said and done. Afghanistan we can mostly ignore today but Ukraine and its potential fallout (heaven help us if that becomes literally) will be a problem again one day. Trump figures things will hold until he's out of office or this worldly realm and not his problem. Our kids and grandkids probably won't be as lucky. I can guarantee any treaty will be followed by only one side. This was on a plaque at what was once a temporary cemetery near Foy Belgium for over 2000 from the Battle of the Bulge and I think it still carries truth 80 plus years later. We have only died in vain if you believe so; You have to decide the wisdom of our choice, By the world which you shall build upon our headstones, And the everlasting truth, which have your voice. Though dead, we are not heroes yet, nor can be, 'Til the living by their lives which are the tools, Carve us the epitaph of wise men, And give us not the epitaph of fools. David J. Phillips, 506th P.I.R./ 101st Abne Div."

You can check the truth social posts. The "death" one doesn't have anything about a trail or conviction. There's a tweet 16 posts/retweets before that one where he says they should be locked up. Fuck this dude needs to touch grass. Thanks for the article, gonna read that one. It's really one of my favorite areas of thought. I just watched a video on YouTube about something like this in Kosovo. Gen Clark ordered a British force to take the airport by force from the Russians. The Brits obviously said fuck off and waited until the Russians ran out of food (because of course they did) and then got 1/2 the airport. For a little view into my local small political world - all 3 of our D candidates won city council (non-partisan race, so I'm not counting them as "wins"), the No Kings protests had large turnouts throughout the state, and I have more D's interested in running than the last few years. Utah did not slide right with the rest of the country, and some precincts (like mine) were overwhelmingly Harris/D voters. We got fairer maps, though the leg is doing everything they can to restrict ballot initiatives while they started their own initiative to repeal the fair maps initiative. EDIT - Fantastic article, thanks again for sharing

Love the SIIs that are complete lip service and serve zero utility. Since I’m required to brief them, this means 90% of the time it’s, “SIIs are on the wall, you can read.” The 10% that actually make sense get covered.

I know, and am friends with, several great dudes who are WSOs. They’re also smart and very capable human beings. That said, get rid of their positions in totality as aircraft advancements allow. There’s good reason we don’t have FEs on airliners anymore or navs on almost all aircraft models. There was absolutely a time and place, but those days are long gone. Stop trying to force a square peg into a round hole. They all need to accept this fact and move on… retire/get out early and transition to civ employment Shift to a different AFSC USAF reduce WSO production commensurate with current WSO-required aircraft retirements Stop trying to stupidly argue WSOs are required on new aircraft

Need a good solid Tiger team effort with a solid look at tshirt color and boot height.

Both sides are cherry picking. My War College Classmate, now retired Col Andrew Milburn wrote his thesis on the subject: BreakIng Ranks Dissent and the Military Professional - The paper was later published in JFQ where Pultizer Prize winning author Tom Ricks (who is a complete douche by the way), picked up on it and wrote a scathing article bashing Milburn. It was obvious Ricks never read the paper as Andy simply laid out a line of thinking around unlawful orders. Bottomline, we all swore an oath to the Constitution, not the President and we should act accordingly. I have only heard reporting on Trump's comments which are obviously Fing stupid but I did hear one report say the left-leaning networks have edited his comment and left out the phrase "if convicted." Obviously that qualifier slightly lowers the stupidity factor, likely not enough to matter. Bottomline, we have free speech in this country (despite the wishes of some with the Ministry of Truth), and Trump should shut his big mac eating, diet coke swizzling pie hole.

Nothing that can't be fixed by another "Back to Basics" read file

I know I’m preaching to the choir here but even for a decent pilot it takes numerous hacks at landings and A/R in a heavy aircraft before they’re even remotely close to safe. And this talking about a winged pilot who has flown UPT fingertip/CT/fluid maneuvering and then done all that stuff again in the FTU as well. The scope of the upgrade required here is to bring the WSOs up to speed is basically just.. pilot training. This is an idiotic and borderline suicidal idea enshrined by a 4-star who was on their way out the door and in search of a silver bullet to fix their self-inflicted manning problems. Probably the suckiest part is that when it’s inevitably walked back the WSO union is going to feel even more betrayed and sidelined than they already do now. And then we’ll be back to square one where there’s still no plan of what to do with them.

I think Trump confused sedition and treason (and the max punishment for each). Regardless, another example of not thinking it through before opening one’s mouth.

Based on the current and future plans for aviation pipelines across all the services, I honestly believe that the Bobs have made a conscious decision to accept higher mishaps rates and lower quality of product, at least in the near to mid term in order to up production numbers. They’re just not outright saying that. As an FTU CI, it’s frustrating. The FTU syllabus for the airframes I teach are based on the legacy UPT/UCT product. A lot of the T-6 direct to the FTU students are struggling. It’s not their fault; most of them are hungry, have a good attitude, and study. They’re just behind in multiple areas because they haven’t gotten enough reps before they show up here.

Sure. We see/hear it plenty. They learned it from Trump himself. I think he's calling for executions of those Dems. See, despicable posturing ... or something. * * I do not condone either actions, just playing ref and throwing a flag on both plays.

I was hoping to read info on what was happening to the #2, but I think Hoover's opinion is sufficient on fuel lines severing when the #1 literally tore itself off. Those pics in the report are shocking.

Well for those into nerd stats, the UFT scores are updated for FY26. Appears they combined UPT with UHT selects as there are 80 for pilot. Scores look to track with historical averages with slightly higher scores with fewer selects than last year.