General Discussion

https://www.kcentv.com/story/25146842/reports-of-shooting-on-fort-hood Thoughts and prayers to those injured... edit: second local outlet reporting https://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Active-Shooter-situation-reported-at-Fort-Hood-253639761.html?llsms=780041&c=y third local news reporting: https://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Active-Shooter-Situation-Reported-At-Fort-Hood-253635771.html Big 3 (CNN, FOX, MSNBC) are spinning trying to find something to report (some worse than others). Linked to Drudgereport and others... Nothing solid on motives.

Former USN A-6 Intruder pilot, Rear Admiral, 8 year Vietnam POW to where he was able to morse-code the word Torture on camera while being filmed by the North Viets, and former US Senator from Alabama.

News Commentary: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/25/sailors-leaving-navy-over-stress-on-social-issues-/#ixzz2xAoI57ef https://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/03/26/admiral_we_need_to_talk_officers_white_paper_on_jos_jumping_ship_warns_navys_leader Original USNI Article: https://blog.usni.org/2014/03/20/keep-a-weather-eye-on-the-horizon-a-navy-officer-retention-study The abstract: My highlights: His recommendations follow and are essentially the inverse of the warnings listed above. Foster trust through better and more honest communications, re-instate bonuses for critical career fields/assignments, shifting focus away from administrivia/queep toward…

Very sad.

Dudes, Just got picked up for a 365 to Asscrackastan as a "Force Management Advisor". The RIP my commander handed me has no information other than an AFSC, date, and general location. (Afghanistan) Further information discovered that I would be an air advisor at Kabul, and some sort of Air advisor course at McGuire. Anyone done this before that can shed some light on the job? I have not signed the paperwork yet. Any tips from those who have been there as to potential "gotchas", or possible ways to leverage this into an assignment preference? Additionally, I have no clue of this will affect my gates or flight pay. Pretty much working in a vacuum here to make a deci…

Long time reader, first time poster. I'm a non-flyer and will be facing the force shaping board in July. Does anyone with experience with these types of things (firing mass amounts of young captains/Lts....smh) have any idea what factors the board will weigh most heavily when they decide whom to cut? I've done all the qeep (masters/SOS correspondence) and stratted well at the squadron, but there are only three of us in the group and the other two strat higher than me (lots of group/wing-level awards). Curious if I should see the writing on the wall and turn down this short tour assignment that just dropped in my inbox....

Every spring and early summer, AU hosts mandatory training for all incoming Group Commanders. Many senior leaders and staff members speak to the class about leadership and current AF issues. The class has all AFSCs together for the first week, then they split ops and support. Each class has a senior mentor during the first week. If you had the opportunity to give incoming group commanders advice, what would you say? Your words may be projected on the wall at Maxwell. Seriously, I've already got the wear sunscreen speech.

For the first time in the Air Force (10+ years now), I have to go to Finance to certify my dependent status by taking them marriage certificates (and/or birth certificates for those who were issued spawn). Apparently, this is an AF-wide move, and they won't take email copies... you have to see them in person. Who has the story on why we're going through this dance of inefficiency? Obviously, there was either some colossal fraud or somebody ordered an AF-wide investigation. @Finance Guy... where are you?

https://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20140314/NEWS/303150031/Energy-drinks-in-downrange-DFACs Don't worry guys, while AFPC was dicking up the FM programs they managed to discontinue Rip-Its downrange, probably came up with the idea while they were judging that AF-wide BBQ competition.

https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=79432 CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- A U.S. Navy F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, Nev., crashed today at approximately 3 p.m. PST on a U.S. Navy range training complex, approximately 70 miles east of NAS Fallon. Navy personnel are en route to the scene. The Navy has not officially confirmed the status of the aircraft crewmember. The aircraft was conducting a training flight prior to the crash. A safety investigation will be carried out to determine the cause. For more news from Commander, Naval Air Forces, visit www.navy.mil/local/airpac/. Prayin…

I'm having a problem with TMO and need regs/ammo to fight this. Story: PCSd from Florida to Wyoming with TDY enroute at Little Rock. Partial DITY/PPM the entire trip. I got empty and full weight tickets for both legs of the move. I filed my DITY paperwork and have received two payments. Here's the problem: They only paid me for 600 pounds Florida to LR and LR to WY. They are refusing to pay me for the remainder of my weight from FL to WY. As I understand it, I should have received payment for 600 pounds FL-LR-WY and the remainder of the weight from FL-WY. TMO here says they already "used" my 4 weight tickets on the 2x 600 pound moves and cannot reuse those…

The new name has been chosen, Pegasus.

Gen Fiel has directed every AFSOC CDR to perform an Morale, Health, & Welfare inspection of work areas, base lodging/housing, and dorms. Just had my Deployed CC take a look through my gear. Anyone know what happened or is this just a new trend? *Edit* : MHW not MWR... sorry.

I would like to recognize and thank the members of the Air Force MARS phone patch net. You don't hear too much about them. There is an old post on here, but one thing it says is they are sponsored by Sprint which is not true. They are part of the Air Force Military Auxiliary Radio System and volunteer their time and equipment to support us. They can use commercial or DSN numbers for official or morale calls from anywhere in the world if conditions are right. I used them not too long ago while over the Atlantic to call our command post and also got weather from METRO. They were a big help. Thanks guys.

Unmasking advanced education for promotions has always seemed like a bad idea to me. I finally decided to write an op-ed on the subject and it got picked up by the Baltimore Sun. I am wondering if anyone really thinks this policy is good for the Air Force and why it has not been changed if almost everyone I know thinks it's an abomination. Here is the article. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-air-force-degrees-20140204,0,2245525.story

Afghan Plane Crash. 2 ISAF troops and 1 contractor reported killed. No other details. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/10/afghan-plane-crash-kills-2-isaf-troops-contractor.html?comp=700001075741&rank=5

Here's a new one....to me at least. Wanted to see if any of you all had heard this, or experienced it. I'm currently 8.69 months into a 365. I volunteered for it as a result of getting the "you're getting a 365 next week" warning e-mail (my CC did some checking into it; it was valid and I was going to get a different one). Prior to all of this, I was assigned to the X4 band (1 Apr - 30 Sep 14) at an AETC base. Early last week, I started getting e-mails (to my home station e-mail) that I needed to complete my required X4 band CBTs. Then, yesterday, I received an e-mail from my CC that he was PCAing me to a different squadron so that I wouldn't get tagged for a 179 as…

https://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2014/box020514gates.aspx

Saw this on the news this morning...apparently the shortage is starting.... https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304851104579361320202756500?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304851104579361320202756500.html

C-145 makes a successful single engine landing at Talahassee. The news media of course is making a really big deal out of landing on just one engine in low cloud cover... Anyway, it ended well... https://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Air-Force-Pilot-Makes-Emergency-Landing-In-Tallahassee-243414381.html

Final Report is out: https://afcommission.whs.mil/public/docs/AF%20Report.pdf

Some bros were sitting around the flight office the other day and the subject came up and there was some conflicting info. The scenario is that an individual has a year or so on his active duty service commitment and gets PCS orders. To take the orders would extend his ADSC. He doesn't want to extend his ADSC, so he turns down the orders. Can the AF move you anyway? Send you on a 365 or 179? Let you serve out your time where you're at? Other? What normally happens?

Vague article on AF Times to them...too many recently.

Once again the idea of passing the A-10 to the Army is making its appearance. Interesting review of the history of USAF-US Army agreements on fixed wing support aviation (Key West Agreement) and the claim that the USAf never wanted the warthog in the first place. I think the first time I heard this topic raised was in 92, after the Desert Storm when the concept was floated in QDR. I guess the increased cost of the F-35 makes keeping the A-10 difficult to justify. The question would be, does the Army really want it, and if so can they maintain it. I assume since WOs successfully fly and employ highly complex aircraft such as the AH-64, the MH-60 and the MH-47,…

This was already posted in the "What's Wrong with the AF?" thread (as a good thing), but it deserves its own thread for now. Release of the change to 39-2903 has re-authorized colored Friday shirts, name tags, and morale patches. Note that this applies to everybody, not just flyers. Can I get a harumph?