Leaderboard

No fighter pilots on staff is having noticeable effects from what I’ve experienced. The high dollar LFEs are run mostly by boomer civilians with no concept of modern tactics; the conclusions are pre-drawn and mostly centered on proving they need more billions for an acquisition. The bureaucratic requirements are through the roof, then executed horribly leading to delays and frustration. The AOCs are run by “not my job” civilians, boomer guard ABMs, and like FLEA said, cross-trained 13Os that have no business planning or executing an air campaign. Acquisitions have been totally handed over to snake oil salesmen, because there is no one left in staff with the talent or energy to know otherwise. This is what happens when you take your best prospects, spend millions on them to mold their brains into the world’s best by a years-long process that only exists in mil aviation, then let them walk out the door when their commitment is up. It is a criminal waste of taxpayer dollars.

They don't. The clueless become generals. I never had a non-flying job in my career. When selected for O-7 (and got a similar speech), I said I had two requirements to accept; 1) must be a flying gig and 2) of course it can't be in D.C. (duh). Hence I'm not a general.

Seems there's been some massive industrial fires at key infrastructure sites over the past few days. The kind that grinds Russia's ability to make missile propellants, chemicals, solvents, etc to a halt. That they can't now import due to sanctions. Real shame.

Too bad there wasn't someone from the guard there to tell him "I appreciate your recruiting efforts for the guard, but we don't need the help. We already have plenty of guys rushing us trying to escape toxic leaders like you." How have generals become so clueless that they can actually think like that and then be so dumb as to say it out loud in front of an audience of fighter pilots? Is he really a Manchurian Candidate intending to destroy "his Air Force"?

Dude is a grade A narcissist. Heard he is retiring this summer. “His” Air Force will be better off without him moving forward…

The one, the only. There has always been some level of disdain toward the ARC, but it appears to be getting worse. Some of my friends in higher places say it's the worst they've ever seen in their careers. Admittedly, it was probably well deserved back in the day, but this ain't your daddies Guard. Hell, it's not even the same Guard I enlisted in 21 years ago. On the flip side, they have no problem sending us their LTs for an assignment to get them experienced. This has the possibility to be a great thing for the Guard as we grow a new generation of AD pilots who gain some understanding of the Guard. However, I'm guessing all we'll see is those guys trying to get back into the Guard as soon as their ADSC is up.

We literally just watched the AF do a full grunt 360 degree bat turn on retention. Pre-COVID: OMG we have a retention CRISIS y’all!!! O5 for all my friends! COVID: [180] Cut bonus, needs of the AF, same tune Post-COVID: [180] [see meme above] These lessons do not get learned. They simply don’t. Get a line number.

When I turned down school on AD, and the WG/CC made me come to his office and talk with him about it, the conversation ended something like this... "Well, Brabus, I'm going to non-concur and you really have two options. Go to school, do great things, blah blah blah...or get out and go to the guard." "Well sir, I guess I'm going to the guard then" "...what? Really?" He genuinely seemed shocked at my response. Best move I made in my career...until I made an even better move by going to the airlines! And all these years later, I'm living the good life while that guy is probably a 2 star pepper grinding and getting yelled at for not having enough whip in the 4 starts mocha latte.

So definitely not in the "latest" category, but I rewatched the 1960 "Judgement at Nuremberg." Simply outstanding movie. Great, understated acting. Superb writing. And a subject that makes you think about "orders."

Wouldn’t be Gen Wills himself, would it? He said the same thing to a group of IPs at a UPT base this last week.

Sounds likes the 2-Star that recently told a group of pilots at Luke the quoted text below (2nd hand info). I think this dude has put his finger right on the issue at hand, expect retention numbers to turn around any day now lol. If you looking in the mirror and say, I'm a fighter pilot first and love being in the bar, then the Guard and Reserve are for you. If you say, I'm an officer first and love serving my country, then there's a place for you in my Air Force...

I bought a Christoper Ward a few years back, wore it every day for 6.9 years til my squadron bought us Garmin Fenix 6X https://www.christopherward.com/int/dive-watches/C60-Trident-GMT-600/C60-42AGM3-S0KK2-HK.html

Also not "latest", but I like Red Flag: The Ultimate Game (1981). My dad was was flying F-4s there at the time so maybe I'm biased.

First thing they put in front of me in 1998 was a MOU for a 10 yr ADSC. Throughout the remainder of my USAFA time it was impressed upon me that ARC was the B team and only for substandards who couldn’t make it. I believe this was an institutional reaction to the pilot shortage of that time. The primary goal (prime directive) of any bureaucracy is self-preservation. Any threat to that will have their full-throated opposition.

Grab these and regain jammers with alt role as missile truck. Could use longer legs but never look a gift horse in the mouth. https://seapowermagazine.org/navy-proposes-to-cut-five-ea-18g-growler-electronic-attack-squadrons/

My opinion, because we actually aren't short pilots. That's the biggest myth in the AF. We are short staff officers that are required to have rated background. I can take a 10 year AD pilot and send him to some random staff. I can't do that with a guard dude assigned to a guard flying squadron. By the way I'm not defending the AF. The AF just needs to wake up and realize what it really wants. On paper ops squadrons are 95% or higher manned right now. (We can debate whether crew ratios are appropriate somewhere else) Cockpits are filled. But the staff billet is still at like 70% and the consistent direction from the last 3 CSAFs is that ops squadrons will be manned before staffs. This hits generals personally because it's their staffs that suffer. And it's right in line with what this General is saying. He doesn't need pilots, he needs officers, people to work in his staff. I strongly suspect the 13O career path was an attempt to make a non aircrew body of staffers that would be qualified to fill these positions but when they realized that teaching a cyber guy air interdiction in a 3 hour lecture doesn't bring the nuance of having trained for AI for years, they just cut the program.

The left is likewise saying that this will benefit Disney (and in turn hurt the taxpayers). But if this was good for Disney, then why the uproar against it for those who support Disney being against the latest law? Also, if this is better off for Disney, wouldn’t they have lobbied for this change a long time ago? Progressives crack me up…they say children aren’t being groomed, CRT isn’t being taught in schools, etc…and then they’re upset when laws are passed to prevent what the left says isn’t occurring anyway.

Yeah, how about I show you a summer of $30k plus paychecks month after month with 15 days off and no BS to deal with… tell me you can’t find a sense of purpose. They abused my sense of purpose, now I’m in it for me. Go to the show!!!! Oh and enjoy roll call in the heritage room with the boys on Sunday of drill doing the real work part time on your own terms.

Same shit they were telling us 6-9 years ago …. Feel free to leave we’ll make more and what not. glad to see they’ve learner their retention lessons. get your foot in the door at a major yesterday. Then you can dabble in the guard until you realize your loosing significant money for every TP. For most folks, that’s somewhere year 2 or 3.

“My Air Force” …okay dude, it’s not *your* Air Force. The Air Force will chew you up and spit you out just like the rest of us peons.

The preceding two posts sum up the entirety or retention problems to me. 1. Capitalism is the cornerstone of our society. Why would people with valuable skills not pursue more money? Especially if… 2. The AF values the wrong thing in the selection of its leadership. So much time and effort is put into making the next CSAF and glosses over on the interpersonal level that ultimately plays a huge role in retention. I don’t know a single person that has ever said “the boss really has impressive academic credentials, I’d follow him anywhere.” I know plenty that feel like they can’t relate to their boss and the guy doesn’t care about them so why try anymore.

Douchebag GenZ social media influencer is flying across a National Forest, and just happens to have 3 GoPros recording it, when he just happens to have an engine failure, and just happens to have a selfie stick in hand when he parachutes into the mountains below. FAA didn't buy his story, and now they violated him and he's lost his license: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/us/trevor-jacob-youtube-plane-crash.html I hope the likes and follows were worth it. 🙄

Here you go

Retro install 737 "thrust levers"* where the G/A button is on top. Cost category - MX, $$$$$. or Put your arm on top of the "thrust levers"* while using the speed brake from the right seat, removing the threat of inadvertent G/A switch engagement. Bonus, one can feel the throttles, er, I mean "thrust levers" move at level off/power up and stow the brakes. Training, $ or Don't hire people that should not be flying. High startle, low SA, overreacts with a crazy ivan vs a trained maneuver. Hiring, free; or Training, $ for starting and washing them out. * Boeing and its use of weird terms for airplane things.

Last Friday, Special Counsel Durham dropped court filings that state that five Clinton campaign staff have invoked 5th amendment regarding the Russia collusion matter while Durham is charging one lawyer already. In addition, court documents contain findings from the CIA, from early 2017, that the machine language supposedly between Trump, et al, and a Russian bank, was "user created," i.e., phony and manufactured by somebody. The indicted lawyer, Sussman, says he didn't lie to the FBI when he said he wasn't working for any client. Fusion GPS, hired by Clinton campaign, and the Clinton campaign itself, are trying to have the documents thrown out due to "attorney client privilege." So which is it? No client or attorney-client privilege? I still hope for some perp walks before I'm dead.

This is my chance to be an NFL corner!