Leaderboard

@fire4effect Lots of “credible” sources said the laptop was fake news. Lots of “credible” sources backed Russiagate. I’ve been around the block quite a bit in the terrorist killing world (as have many on here), and I’m calling complete bullshit on the whole thing. If a whole JOC watched DEVGRU execute a couple unarmed dudes who didn’t pose a threat at all, then we’ll be seeing war crimes charges and trials commencing soon. That hypothetical scenario is not something anyone (especially an E/young O) would walk away from unmolested (in the legal sense). Personally, I’ve been involved in four separate occasions where someone “credible” said something happened that was a complete lie. Thankfully every time there was data to prove them a liar and nobody got screwed.

Yeah, Huggy said person, which excludes the need for a WSO..

Not getting caught diddling an E is a pretty low bar. Photo evidence submitted at Ratner's trial:

😂 same...I literally laughed in his face and said 'no thanks'

LOL…he’s old…and I’m just happy to be still a Living Dino in Baseops. Huggy2 is just my younger Bro.

Thank you for the advice. I'm not freaking out about it since I've been expecting this for a while based on my OPBs with no strats/awards. The year will pass either way so might as well do my best, I'd hate to be a quitter (no hate on people with different priorities). A lot of the boxes I'm trying to "check" (fitness, masters, IP) are personal goals anyway and it's just lucky they might make me more competitive on promotion boards. I do have about 3 years left on my ADSC so the difference in pay will run into the 5 figures, plus I'd like to say I left on my own terms rather than being forced out.

Get out and go Guard or Reserve. I absolutely understand what you are saying...I saw it time and time again. Many times it is luck and timing other times it is the broken system that is our USAF. In UPT a dude in our sister class got a DUI AND tried to fight the cops, he still graduated top 3. He was also a complete Chode but he was an academy grad (as was his father), and a lot of senior people stepped in to influence the process. It was blatant and soured a lot of people. In other cases we see people like Fat Tony not only survive but thrive despite ruining careers and extreme narcissism. It is not fair. A CJO is a great thing for you and your family, a fresh start but I can almost guarantee you will see things in your airline career that will anger you and make you shake your head in disgust. Going Guard or Reserve can also serve as a fresh start, but you have to know you will find warts on that side of the fence. All of that being said, life is not fair...it just isn't and the sooner you accept that and make the best of where you are, the happier and likely more successful you will be. Good luck!

You're not necessarily leaving with nothing. You received skills/experience that landed you a CJO, hopefully with a legacy, which is a pretty amazing job. You also learned many skills that you probably don't even realize are skills because it's just normal amongst your peers in the military. Hopefully you also gained some great life experiences, friendships, etc... You should also be leaving with some TSP, so if you don't want to join the ANG/RES then you're not totally losing out there. If you want to join the ANG, the world is your oyster. Get into a squadron and seek opportunities outside of the base, we've had guys all over the place the last 10 years. We've sent IP's/FL's to overseas AD bases for 60-90 day stints. We've had a guy on MLOA from the airlines, in cush gig at USAFE for years. He keeps broadcasting other gigs that are available for the taking, shockingly no takers lol. We have another guy who just got back from Hickam, who only came home because he got a SQ/CC spot on base....his orders were indefinite. A few years ago they came around asking if anyone wanted to take three year orders at some pretty decent AD locations overseas (not today satan lol). Luck of the draw on getting "action," many of us are were in the same boat. I had a squadron mate who PCS'd to Luke a month before his squadron went to Desert Storm I. He then flew F-16 continuously, until 2015 and never once employed a weapon in combat. He had a 26 year career during near continuous combat operations and he only slung concrete at ranges in the U.S. We had an uncanny ability to end up in deployed locations during down times or where the ROE was so tight, we were just very expensive, high-speed cheerleaders. As to your job satisfaction, I understand that to an extent. It sucks to end up where you don't want to be, but as already stated, only you can control your attitude. As Rainman (don't say his name 2 more times lol) used to say, "bloom where you're planted." Frankly, I enjoyed my flying career in the military (Guard guy only because an mentor who was hosed by AD pushed me that way), but the more I learn, the more I get pissed about how many lives were lost (continue to be lost) and how much of our lives were wasted in the never ending quagmires. However, I have just learned to let it go, not worth dwelling on, life is too short! If you're the type that needs satisfaction from work, I have bad news, you probably won't find it flying 121. I find that work isn't where I want to seek satisfaction in life. I still strive for excellence and it's great to enjoy your job, but what I love about this gig is that it gives me an insane amount of time off, with plenty of money to do the things that really make me happy. I can work six days in a month and make more than I ever made as a 22 year LTC. That gives me plenty of time to go make up for lost time hanging family, flying my own planes and travel to places other than the green bean in yet another deployed shithole. Best of luck and thanks for attending my SocialDtalk.

I left active duty decades ago after getting hosed bigger than Dallas and getting the shoulder shrug when I asked someone to explain what happened. It was a bitter pill to swallow but the AF paid for my education, my training, and gave me job experience that I could use elsewhere. I initially went full time with the Reserves then got hired on with the airlines, went part time, still got promoted, and retired years later. Not having to move every 3-4 years, I got to pick where we live and 25 years ago became part of a wonderful small town. I didn't have too worry about the next job, the next promotion, the next school, or what the AF might do to me next. Even with getting hosed on active duty and going through 9/11, faux bankruptcy, age 65, real bankruptcy, and a couple mergers at the airline, I'm retiring in 9 months with more money than I'll ever spend. Revenge may not be the best word but success is the best form of it. I still look back at getting screwed over as a personal insult but, in reality, I'm far better off than had I stayed in. So, the point of all this is you have skills that the AF is throwing away. Take those skills elsewhere and you can be quite successful and happy with your life. Best of luck to you.

Addressing the OP: If you thought the USAF screwed you over, just wait until you experience an airline during contract negotiations. It sounds like outside influences have been crafted your outlook for you. It may be completely true that you were actively screwed by the system, but getting bitter only means you're letting the system win. The airlines will happily assume the role of screwing you over if you let them. I can show you a large collection of 30-year widebody captains making millions of dollars who are thoroughly convinced they've been screwed by the system. They are no fun to be around. It's all perspective. Pick your's with care. Choose gratitude instead of trying to pinpoint who's screwing you over. The answer to that question will always be "someone and/or everyone". Conversely, if you focus on what you're grateful for, you'll find a lot of good things in life. Pick one, you can't focus on both. I punched at 17 years and joined the reserves for 3 years. Now I'm at a major airline. In all three of those locations it is VERY easy to look around and wonder why the grass isn't as green as advertised. Reality is that the grass on the other side is just a different kind of grass. Once you get into a new organization, you'll see all the warts. You get to decide if it's good or bad, but if you let the system decide, it'll definitely suck. Truths: The system (usaf or corporate) doesn't owe you anything. Your hard work will be overlooked, but it will craft your reputation among your peers. Once you're gone, the system won't care. Maximize your personal gain without screwing others over, ignore the BS, do your work will, keep your integrity in tact, find a niche you can enjoy. Focus on good things, and your next career will be great. Focus on the hate, and you'll hate it. It's a DAILY choice.

Lol, that post wasn't for you. And not just because I didn't include any pictures. You're more of a "color inside the lines" guy. Nothing wrong with that, the military needs guys like you more than it needs guys like me. But our disgruntled poster here is either a "why do things that way when it doesn't make sense" type of guy, or he just expects his rewards to be a direct reflection of his efforts. The military has never and will never be a great place for those type of people.

Two words… Go Guard/Reserve. .you got 11 years invested don’t throw it away

Was #4 a photo chase?

You'd be surprised, the reality was even dumber. Before my trial my commander didn't want to send me to SOS in-res. But after I was acquitted, my new leadership wanted to "make up" for the ordeal and started dumping opportunities on me. I was dangerously close to getting the notorious "SOS DG" before I told my flight commander that awards were wasted on me. I was airline bound. And by far the easiest 10 months of my career were the months OSI was trying put me in jail. It sounds crazy now, but being stationed in Europe with no job and no flying was pretty great. Edit: I forgot to add, I was prosecuted for fraternization and irresponsible drinking by a squadron commander who married an E from his squadron and a wing commander who gave seminars about his alcoholism from his CGO years. Joseph Heller had it right 🤷🏻‍♂️