Leaderboard

Right on...I have been on a little bit of a forum rampage over the last week. I was also commenting in the education forum the other day. Here are some observations I have made with us AF flyers and the "pigeon hole'ing" concept I made in my last post. I was an interservice transfer, so my initial officer training was with the Army. The Air Force, by its very nature is much more technically based and there is great emphasis on operating a machine. Yes, it is complex and safety is paramount, but I have noticed that this forces officers into a very narrowly tracked mindset that we need to break free from. Basically, here is the mentality of many pilots: I want to go to pilot training-what plane am I going to fly?-What base?-Why does the Air Force want me to do other things other than fly?-Wait, I have to get a masters degree?-Screw it, I'll just check the box.-Boy, I need to serve 20 to get that pension.-But, this kinda sucks, so maybe I'll get out in 10 years. Hopefully, the airlines are hiring because all I can do is fly. Really?? Countless of my Army buddies are getting out, and getting good jobs and attending top business schools. I didn't know that Infantry or Armor had a good civilian market. They are being hired for and selling themselves as disciplined officers and leaders. Academia and the business world are eating it up, especially after the financial market's ethics issues that unraveled in '08. Why don't we sell ourselves as the same? Even single seat fighter pilots are leading people while operating a complex machine (Flight Lead, Intructors, EPs... And, anyone that flies a heavy and is leading a small team around foreign environments) I am tired of watching people desperately gauging their life and future on whether the airlines open the flood gates. If you love flying, then as I mentioned in my last post, great...go fly and hopefully the airlines work out. There is nothing wrong with that. But, there is also great opportunity for other things. Yet, because we are on active duty with longer commitments, we will have to develop other skills and interests to prepare for a career change...and perhaps not always just "check the box." Attached article from Harvard shows how they recognize the value and unique leadership traits from all the services... Which of These People Is Your Future CEO?1.pdf

Fuck, both the -6 and the Super T look sexy as hell. I'd love for them to spin that mission up. I'm partial to the Texan obviously, but the Tucanos are kicking ass down in South America and might prove an good bang for the buck. Then again I get this feeling like this thing is never gonna happen. :( Just like the T-50 -38 replacement, or the 2018 bomber, et al ad neauseam. With this economy, in this decade, no way no how. P.S. WTF Clovis for Tucano training?!?! The New Mexico Congressional delegation must have Czech hookers on the payroll 'cuz they keep that fucking shitty base on the roster like nobody's business. Talk about being hated by the entire penaut gallery and still getting first prize...What an unflickable booger that place is...

Probably because the AFI was written by someone who's never worn a "morale shirt." Shoe 1: "Hey Bob, what do you call those colored t-shirts the flyers wear every Friday that we really want to outlaw because we're secretly jealous of them?" Shoe 2: "Well, I know they wear morale patches, so they must be called morale shirts." Shoe 1: "Sweet, I'm putting that in the AFI right now."

I know 3 11M's getting the boot... all 3 were completely blindsided. I know a larger group of 11M's who were just passed over for the first time on this last board that are stuck in limbo. The biggest bull shit about their situation is that if they use the same criteria as this year's board then all but one of them (OTS grad with a Jan or Feb service date) will have the same fate next year, but they're being kept in the dark. The biggest dilemma for them is whether or not to punch out now while there is a chance they can get on with the Guard or Res at 14+ yrs in or wait to see what happens. Of course if they do that then they don't get the $120K (pre-tax) invol-sep pay, so they walk away with literally nothing. If they wait then they will probably have a much harder time finding a unit that will hire a 15+ yr guy... especially one that is twice passed over! It is sickening to see the AF putting these guys and their families in this situation! Of the guys I know, two of them have the wife who doesn't work to stay home with the young kids so they are the sole earner in the house. The other's wife had a really good job when they got married and would have most definitely been making more money than him right now, but had to essentially put her career on hold for the past 10 yrs because she had to obviously follow him to shitty locations where they didn't have good jobs in her career field (and its not like she can just jump back into the industry and make $150K after being out of it for so long). Just like the rest of us, these guys and their families sacrificed what was by every account the most important 10-15 yrs of their lives by saluting sharply and just taking every shitty TDY/deployment that came their way... literally years away from their families; and this is how Big Blue thanks them?!? And for the guys who were just passed over for the first time who have done the same exact thing, they don't even have the moral courage to be straight with them? Hmmm... I don't remember seeing any of this come up during the "Year of the Family" e-mails or power point slides! I have one buddy (11M/Eval Pilot) who finally had to show his cards to his boss last week when he turned down a PCS telling him that he was going to be getting out next fall when his UPT ADSC is up (I'm sure the 179 to shit hole X will be soon to follow), but more importantly know 3 other guys in the same year group who said they are waiting to see what happens to the guys just passed over this year to see if they get booted next year to decide what they're going to do. These are the fence sitters that everyone keeps talking about and the AF is making their decision pretty easy; the topic came up in a discussion about all of them scheduling their ATP, which tells you what direction they are most likely leaning in... all from the same Sq! I know a few guys down at AFPC (O-3 to O-5 types) who see the writing on the wall and are screaming as loud as they can (mostly because they know the mess they're going to have to deal with), but nobody in management is listening. I really hope that they are way smarter than all of us who can see the writing on the wall and there won't be a mass exodus of pilots in the next few years for all the various reasons, but the track record shows that they are simply looking at dealing with today and saying we'll deal with tomorrow... tomorrow! Not only does this suck for the guys who are getting pink slips after 15+ yrs, but what is going to happen to those of us left behind? The guys getting booted or who will be leaving, for the most part, are your line flyers who have been taking the brunt of the last 9 yrs on the road. Your fast burners will still be off at some High Flight deal or planning the Wing Change of Command or doing Habitat for Humanity... and we all know that there is no way that the Ops tempo and 179's will go down. That leaves us with the guys who can't get out because of ADSC and the guys who have 4-5 yrs left until retirement that aren't on the command track and currently flying the line who are going to once again carry the extra weight. Again, I'm not sitting in the meeting with the CSAF or the boss at AFPC when they are discussing this and therefore don't have the ever elusive "Big Picture". Those guys wearing stars on their shoulders are way smarter than this crew dawg... even with my rather impressive and extremely marketable Embry Riddle masters!!! Unfortunately they are always surrounded by a bunch of "yes men" who are either so far removed from the line (if they were ever really on it) or have just drank so much blue kool aide that they won't tell their boss what he DOESN'T want to hear. They may be brilliant and all of their town criers can yell "more with less" as loud as they want, but when you have those 5 lowly toll booth collectors and you suddenly cut it down to only two lowly toll booth collectors... you're going to cause a traffic jam that we're all going to have to sit in, no matter how brilliant you are or how many "yes men" you surround yourself with! We're in some pretty heavy traffic right now... I'm worried that we may end up in grid lock. Damn it... I knew I should have taken the train!!!

Complete.

This myth should die.

When I spoke with one of the lucky few who got to fly both aircraft, he said, "The Tucano is the obvious choice." In his assesment, it was simply more capable, proven, and able to operate from unimproved surfaces. The basing situation wasn't even being discussed when he flew them.

Actually, me either. Always been a Friday Shirt. Thought that was the term the AFI used but I guess not. Timing is perfect too. I no shit just paid for a fresh batch of 30 Friday shirts last week. Good news is we're going to wear them anyway. Screw the change.

Syphilis

Historic bird facing a sad ending. EC-130E 62-1818 "Republic 6" In Operation EAGLE CLAW faces being scrapped. This aircraft was one of three EC-130’s (62-1809, 62-1818, & 62-1857) borrowed from the 7th ACCS at Keesler AFB, MS in 1980 for use in Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted rescue of American hostages being held in the embassy in Iran. The role of the EC-130’s was to carry fuel to a remote landing spot in the Iranian Desert code named Desert One. Large fuel bladders would be loaded into the back of the EC-130’s along with fuel pumps and hoses.

Damn, my leg pocket zippers won't zip up and my unit doesn't have any funding for new flight suits.

Heritage? I think they are trying to help RIF'd majors find new careers in the current economy.

Hopefully I'm not alone in the fact that I will continue wearing my Friday shirt, unless somebody in a bag with wings on his chest tells me not to. Fucking shoes...this is the AIR Force, we FLY, break shit and hurt bad people. If you're so damned butthurt about not being able to wear a bag, maybe you should've worked harder.

Except what we had there was a Kearsarge sitting off the coast of Libya, which had several long-range SAMs, but I digress. Kelly Johnson's rule: Never work with the Navy on an acquisition program.

Seriously...who sits down and thinks of these details?!? Zippers zipped when the cap isn't in it? So now when I walk into a building from outside I have to bend over in an awkward stance a few seconds longer as I first unzip my pocket, then put my cap in it. Likewise going out? Now I'm holding up traffic as I exit the building. Isn't that a fire hazard?? I guess that leaves you bent over long enough for the AF to f*ck you some more... P.S. Might not be as bad to watch when hot chick airman yummy britches does it...

I don't think Friday shirts will go away, unless you have have a wingking who hates aircrew. As far as the zipper thing, I think lining it with the nametag gives room for more play...especially when you have the velcro the patches are placed on moved down a few inches.

I am not zipping my leg pocket even if I have to leave one cap in it and wear another.

It can be done...I've seen it happen! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xvVUgZEXWM

Here's some more fighting words to fuel the fire, I think AFSOC should own these assets (I'm selfishly biased). Ok, and...FIGHT!

/devilsadvocate: They are not listed because you already have them in your OPRs and Awards & Decs. There are currently 7 campaign stars for OIF and 3 for OEF. Your PRF should have communicated the at home and deployed impact you had on the AF. Etc, etc, etc.

Not an expert, but selective continuation is based on the SECAF's perceived needs of the AF. The AFPC promotion site has links to all the important source documents. However, once approved for continuation to 20/24, there is a huge process outlined in AFI 36-2501 that covers removing a continued officer from the continuation list. Chapter 7, I think.

Don't tell him! He's probably a terrorist trying to learn our uniform secrets to sneak into our chow halls (shhh, it's actually called a DFAC).

I guess I'll lump myself in with those new-age SNAPS, but you guys realize that Nellis has non-fighter units that actually deploy right? In fact, in the 5 years that I spent at Nellis, I can't remember one fighter unit that did deploy. Home of the Fighter Pilot? I guess, but meanwhile I (helo pilot) spent 5 years there working, deploying, sweating and bleeding (watching friends bleeding) getting the job done. I don't care for the PC culture of the Air Force; I don't think everyone is a warrior, and I do think Robin Olds is a bad-ass, but I think Nellis AFB is more than the "Home of the Fighter Pilot." As I was.

2.13.5. All Airmen should inform any Air Force member that is in violation of uniform and appearance standards.