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I am a gunship guy, with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. I just read his paper. Here's my take: 1. SOCOM leadership has decided, and continues to decide, that capturing/killing high value enemies has a huge impact on the enemy's ability to kill Americans. 2. America's best SOF units execute that mission. As callous as it may sound, it is exponentially more difficult to replace an experienced SOF operator than your average 18-year-old soldier/marine. There are NEVER enough gunships to support everyone, as much as I wish there were. 3. As much as I LOVE killing bad guys, Seifert misses the entire point of what he was doing. An AC-130's presence usually DOES make sure the enemy doesn't attack, just like he suggests. That is likely precisely the desired effect the GFC wants! He's going in to c/k a HVI, not kill 50 teenage insurgents. This article, for those familiar with SOF operations in the past wars, is a keen example of not understanding anything at the operational and strategic levels of war. There was a time when we measured "winning" simply by the number of enemy killed. That was Vietnam. How did that one turn out?

With respect, it has always been thus. As infuriating as I find Chang's words and, apparently, attitude, he at least recognizes the 'system' and embraces it. Big Blue has always had its hoops to jump through, PME almost always being one of them. That the majority of talent finds the system repugnant doesn't matter to "The Man." The Man got where he and it is because it willingly jumped through those hoops. It finds those unwilling to do so as failures and unworthy. Fighting it, while morally satisfying, nearly always results in frustration for the fighter and a win for The Man. That "two below" and DG in academic situations counts so much for a military, thus warfighting, institution is demeaning but those in power have made/rigged the rules. They won't willingly change those rules and will very willingly cull from the herd those who won't embrace those rules. That it costs lives each and every time the "warfighting, i.e., bullets flying, things going 'boom,' bit occurs is acceptable to them to maintain the purity of the body. The AF is not different from any other large organization with its own culture. You either embrace those norms or the body eventually rejects you. Informed choice is the best any individual can do. That and being able to look yourself in the mirror... Nothing cosmic or wise, just recognizing the very well known threat.

Billy Mitchell was court martialed for criticizing superiors.

Today's "Billy Mitchell" can never exist. He scored an 80% on a PT test in 2009 as a 250+ day deployed O-3 crewdog. Or he didn't 2 below BTZ to O-5, thus will never see GO. Or he spoke up against The Man who therefore didn't stratify him. Being a maverick today at any level of authority at most means being "a character" who can tell a good story, not someone who truly bucks the system. The system is a vindictive b1tch who does not like past boyfriends talking smack.

Meanwhile, 140 Joes crammed in the back of a C-17 for 11 hours while wearing body armor because SgtMaj said so have zero fucks to give. Tops in Blue, living out all the High School drama club/band stereotypes well into adulthood.

There's a shock. You know the best thing about people with ideas? They have a lot of them. And they routinely fail to get them implemented. So they keep thinking. And they keep working. And they keep writing. And they keep trying to change the way things work, pushing down the wall one brick at a time instead of charging into it at full sprint. What they don't do is take offense, jump the chain of command, whine about how everyone is telling them to stop trying to expand the DOC, then write articles about it ten years after the fact saying how "the man" just doesn't get it. Im positive there is more to the story on both sides, but the "everyone is wrong but me" approach tends to turn people off. Persistence, willpower, determination... And ideas. Don't give up. And don't whine. But maybe I'm wrong. I don't know the guy, never read his paper, Im not a gunship guy, and this is not my white whale. The issue is his approach, not the guy or his ideas. Sounds familiar... Chuck Edit: spelling

What the hell did I just watch?

Didn't the missile guys get rid of their jumpsuits for cost saving measures? And we are giving TIB a onesie, a track suit (we know they drink the Kool-Ade), and a God knows how long from their real job? Awesome.

YGBFSM. I saw the posts and had to look back to see what great deal this person got. You could not pay me enough to do that gig. In fact, I'd pay my salary not to do it. Teaching worthless stuff at a worthless school to go to another worthless school so I can compete to be a micromanaged sq/cc. Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

This is a huge opportunity for this individual that I'm betting 95% of the smack-talking pilots on this forum wished they had the record to compete for. My hat's off to your friend, Skitzo. Good work.