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I wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative. Not a lot to ask. Alas, your Mr. hatedont did not see it that way... so he won't be joining us for the rest of his life. Yes, that was a new account, and apparently created by the same person who created two others prior (which he stopped using after getting shit on). He has been put into permanent time out.

It took me a bit to digest your post, which I've truncated above, probably because I was imprecise in my original statement. To answer the bolded section directly, which applies to my post, I'll say: yes. I'm going to shit on the guy in the SQ that wants to show up and just fly..... because in MY mission set, you can't be good if you just show up to fly. TTPs, ours and enemy, change too fast. Technology changes. AORs change. Users change. If you aren't being assertive about keeping up, you're getting left behind which makes your presence on the crew a liability. And all the extra study happens on the ground, in the SQ, not while flying. When a dude says "I just want to fly" if he means 'I just want to do the flying mission' (which requires extra ground work) then let him! Become an expert, we need it! However, if he honestly means 'I just want to fly' and has no patience for the non-flight ground duties essential to refining flight skills (he's not showing up for a weekly tactics test or doesn't know the newest software, etc) then he's not the guy I want staying on the line for a career. And there are lazy pilots masquerading as line dogs, who have lost the hunger to excel, and should be purged from units incompatible with their loss of drive. Not a lot, but some, and my comments were directed only at them. as to your opening remark about money, no, it's not about money to me. I got paid enough as a major and loved being an EP & ADO, I didn't need more money to put in extra hours. I loved it. Still do. Now I hate my life and job and wouldn't continue if they offered me quadruple pay. But we're all different, and my answer is not indicative of a trend.

They may graduate to shooting missiles at manned aircraft someday ....

More A-A kills than I have. How many do you have?

I'll put this here, pretty badass story and wish him all the best, he sounds like what we need. Some of you may know him, but the fighter pilot community "may" eat him alive if he keeps wearing the hat. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1206835/from-the-ground-up/

Just another indicator of how self-indoctrinated AF leadership is; pilots are saying LOUD AND CLEAR precisely what is wrong with the AF that is making them leave, and the Generals are intentionally choosing not to tackle any of those things to help fix retention. Maybe if we start poisoning the well for their job prospects on the outside, we'll keep them in. YGBSM. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, Generals.

outstanding WSJ analysis: WSJ Article, you may have to pay to view The ‘Independent’ Mr. Comey His prepared testimony shows why he deserved to be fired. "The most troubling part of Mr. Comey’s statement is his belief in what he calls “the FBI’s traditionally independent status in the executive branch,” which he invokes more than once. Independent? This is a false and dangerous view of law enforcement in the American system. Mr. Comey is describing an FBI director who essentially answers to no one. But the police powers of the government are awesome and often abused, and the only way to prevent or correct abuses is to report to elected officials who are accountable to voters. A director must resist intervention to obstruct an investigation, but he and the agency must be politically accountable or risk becoming the FBI of J. Edgar Hoover. Mr. Comey says Mr. Trump strongly suggested in February that he close the Michael Flynn file, but after conferring with his “FBI senior leadership” he decided not to relay the conversation to Attorney General Jeff Sessions or any other Justice Department superior. If he thought he was being unduly pressured he had a legal obligation to report, and in our view to resign, but he says he didn’t because “we expected” that Mr. Sessions would recuse himself from Russia involvement. Well, how did he know? Mr. Sessions didn’t recuse himself until two weeks later. Mr. Comey also didn’t tell the acting Deputy AG, who at the time was a U.S. attorney whom Mr. Comey dismisses as someone “who would also not be long in the role.” This remarkable presumptuousness is the Comey mindset that was on display last year. He broke Justice Department protocol to absolve Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified material, without the involvement of Justice prosecutors or even telling then Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Mr. Comey’s disregard for the chain of legal command is why Mr. Trump was right to fire him, whatever his reasons."

I've been out of the shiny penny club for awhile now. I only went to staff because I was literally the only person in the Air Force who could fill that billet, at that time. I escaped and I work well over 40 hours a week, and the chance of me commanding a flying squadron is essentially zero. I put in the time I do in the hope that I can make even a small difference to nudge my little corner of the AF in a better direction. Maybe I'm just too stupid to know better, maybe staff made me appreciate the small victories, I don't know. I do know that perspectives change with time and experience, and I'll get to re-qual "soon," life is good.

For whatever it's worth, I ran some statistics on some numbers from AFPC's static stats site (under "RAW" on the AFPC secure apps site). My nerdery is attached. I reckoned if the AF values pilots (or some other field) over another, then that field will have a higher representation in the "Select" pool as compared to its proportion of the "Considered" pool for a promotion board. For example, in the 2017 Lt Col Board, 30.3% of those considered were pilots, while 31.39% of those selected were pilots. 31.48% of those considered were mission support, while 32.82% selected were. So, pilots and mission support ended up with a bigger piece of the pie than CSO, ABM, and non-rated ops. Theoretically, that would mean the AF values those fields more. What I found was, using a statistical test of significance (Z value), there isn't a significant over/under representation over the past 5 years among pilots, CSOs, ABMs, non-rated ops, and mission support for the IPZ board to Lt Col. However, for BPZ to Lt Col, and in BPZ and IPZ to Col, pilots make up a larger share, both historically and over the past 5 years. What I think this indicates is that your IPZ rates are based on steady state staff and squadron command opportunities within each community. But, the high representation of pilots in the BPZ pool shows that the AF is ensuring its HPOs and future GOs will be pilots. I don't have data to show if those making BPZ are the best pilots/officers/leaders, or whatever; just that the AF values pilots as senior leaders. Not sure I'll affect anyone's opinions, but I thought I'd share. Also, I don't think I have to ask, but please point out any errors I've made in the analysis. Hist LAF Stats.xlsx LAF Promotions Proportion Study.pdf

I want to know who the first dumb bastard is that accepts the 13 year option. After 20 yrs you get a ~50k per year bonus for doing nothing. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

You really want aircrew to have to factor in personal finances when making the decision to take a questionable jet? ORM nightmare there.

Don't voulenteer for shit, tell them what you will do. Go covfefe on them

Saw this originally on Reddit's aviation sub (r/aviation) Mudhen - 1 Drone - 0 Reddit Link Sent from my SM-N920T using Baseops Network Forums mobile app

Is my fighter pilot whiskey compass off? I mean really, ditch the hat.

Don't fuck with Duck

Mad dog approves.

A scoff? I thought you pilots from Fighter Command always say "A kill's a kill"... right?

This is what's starting to get chatted around about in Cyber. We're getting told one thing about how important we are, and how important our retention is...but not promoting at even normal rate levels compared to "support."

Single mission air medal

Good post. Do we make it that obvious how much we hate this policy? It is what it is. Hopefully it will get changed in the near future. The techs who run the visual fields will be happier than anyone. It sucks to take it, but imagine giving the test 5x times a day.

I hope the tradition of GBU-12's for air to air kills continued!

I don't know the answer to the first part, so here goes on the second. You will essentially be ready to apply to the NGB immediately, as long as your unit is cool with doing that without the MFS. However, your unit's recruiter can't transfer your MEPS paperwork until AD releases it. This will take a lot longer than you expect it to, unless your AD recruiter is cool about it. They have no incentive to help you out and do this quickly. Once your recruiter has the MEPs stuff and all your paperwork done (which it will be since it's easy stuff, faster than AD & MEPs), I think the MEPs just needs a quick signoff by the state SG (I forget who it is) before it goes to the NGB. Everything else will be dependent on how fast your unit wants to move you. They may be fine with taking the risk of sending you to OTS without the MFS, I've heard of it happening, but I've also heard of units getting burned by that decision. I'd just expect to have to get an age waiver. Make sure the unit(s) you're applying to/getting accepted by know it is significantly easier of a process to get one than it was in the past. A lot don't want to do them because it used to be much more of a headache than it is now.

I'm assuming they missed Airwolf, otherwise CENTCOM would be dealing supersonic Jet Rangers equipped with retractable chain-guns and A/A A/G projectile launchers menacing all over strait of Hormuz.

Absolutely not, that would be a cut in ANG fighter pay and a very small raise in AD fighter pay of CMR pilots, the heavy guys would rake it in.

So, its about the money or not? Consequently, it doesn't surprise me that the Generals can't ever get a solid plan for the way forward. We talk about queep and that we only want to fly, but you find guys that are actively making that choice and they are shit on. So, slightly disagree... I think you find the lazy ones at all ranks O-5 and below. While some are inherently lazy (I tend to believe it is a very small percentage in our career field and we all know who it is), I think it is the function of the system the Air Force has created. Hard work is relatively unappreciated unless you are a shiny penny, especially once you are senior captain. Whether you had aspirations for command or not, everyone realizes at some point you are another cog in the machine (if not on command track). That's when you realize that you are doing this work for that dream to fly planes, then you realize you aren't really flying planes anymore. Then you realize there are jobs where I fly only... maybe get paid less but most likely for more money. Then you ask yourself, why should I put in more than 40 hours a week, the AF wrote me off years ago except to be the paper pusher that gets to fly. The ADO office usually balances this out... the ADO still striving picks up all the slack of the other ADO's making the 40 hour a week choice. If you choose to go to staff, you might be able to make a difference... maybe... but you will do more paper pushing and less flying. Are we going to crap on the guy in the squadron that wants to show up and just fly? The fact he does ANYTHING in the squadron is more work than he would be doing if working for an airline..... The big leaders in the Air Force must acknowledge this fact if they are going to fix anything. So, agree that the above plan needs some kind of check... but in reality the flying only track could be fixed/controlled by good leadership at the squadron and group levels.

They'd have to make entry into that track very competitive event with an interview required, mission flying eval, instructor capability eval, and a significant bro check. They'd have to make the selection process on par with that used for WIC applicants. Put one bad apple in that basket and you ruin the whole thing.

And they absolutely should NOT get air medals.

And here we go again. Mods... please? What has this guy added in the last few weeks? Even Butters took a clue and trolled elsewhere.

I put up with your incoherent posts and even partially agreed with one or two. In all sincerity, it truly frightens me that there are officers in the Air Force as dumb as you project yourself to be on this forum. I mean that with all due respect. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

SNAPs get what's coming to them. This would have been collateral damage.

I was also trying to find THE book that would best prepare me, but from my own experience preparing for the test, and from seeing reviews of several materials others used, it seems like most people use a wide variety of materials to prepare. A lot of people seem to use GRE prep books as well. I did and thought it helped quite a bit with math and verbal. Now my math score was pretty bad, but it was more because I ran out of time rather than not knowing how to work the problems. The best advice I got is to do timed tests. Do them over and over and over until you can finish everything within the time allotted.

The other phenomenon I've observed are passed-over guys being used as 179/365 cannon fodder precisely because they can never achieve bright/shiny status. Sad as hell when that soul was sold to any permutation of the multi-year bonus. No other reason to stay at a company that has effectively gotten slave labor on the cheap with passed-over guys 'filling every undesirable hole' if you will. <screaming GO TO THE AIRLINES! whiles typing>

The best advice I've received since getting passed over came from another man who had a similar experience (checked the right boxes, nothing negative, excellent line operator, surprise non-promote): "Your life just got a lot easier, you just don't know it yet." He pointed out the importance of people (for however long they might stay in the AF) that can call a spade a spade without worrying if it will hurt their promotion chances. He also pointed out that once you're done in the USAF, no one gives a second thought to if you're a retired major, colonel, or general...it simply doesn't matter. If you're a pilot, a dispatcher, driver, or someone else, that's your job, end of story. He flies big civil planes now where his work day is done and he's headed home before the engines stop spinning, and a driver is waiting on him to take him to the hotel which is already paid for. (strange how you never hear about dispatchers, drivers, and baggage handlers in private aviation demanding the same treatment as pilots at those companies in name of "fairness") That perspective made me realize it doesn't matter who gave the "you're not promoted" news nor how. No changing it, and it's the AF's loss. No matter how important they might be saying pilot retention is, they've made it clear again that line performance will not get you promoted nor continued. To the AF, it all boils down to lines of text on a piece of paper, regardless of how excellent your aviation record, how many lives you've saved, or how many combat sorties you've flown. To me, none of that defines my value as a pilot or a person. If the AF doesn't want talent, that's their problem, not mine. How much more do I need to know? FF

Holy sh!t. Over 10 years; that's one hell of an achievement.

Definitely "not worked up." Both sides pretty much suck. Democrats seem to be able to actually accomplish things (much that I don't like as in Obamacare). Republicans seem to be good at... well, I'm still working on that one. But in this case, they had the numbers to hold their line until, surprise!, they took the White House. High stakes game on that one because if, as expected, Hillary won, the uber-liberal she would've named would have taken his/her/its seat on the Court would have been very gun unfriendly among other issues.

Obama wasn't a lame duck when Scalia died and Garland was nominated. He still had 9 months left before the election and nea 20% of his term remaining. "Advise and consent" does not mean not even entertaining a hearing. If they determined that his qualifications did not meet the standards required for the high court then the Senate could vote appropriately.

You've been assesses five penalty shots for posting those videos. Beverage of choice. That sock puppet was slightly below average compared to most intel briefings.

No, they're not going to waste a 38 spot on you just because you're an "overachiever," especially when Blue needs all the 11Fs they can build. Go apply at a fighter unit if you want to fly 38s. Bonus: You won't have to work with underachievers.

Just because you have a conversation with the president doesn't mean you can disclose the information discussed. There is something called FOUO. You can't give that information to the press.

Woooo Duck. Lets all just relax. Do you need a beer light timeout to gather your thoughts and emotions? Or should I go to my "safe space?"