Ram

I'm sorry that's the case for you (and--from what many dudes say here--other young CGOs around the CAF/MAF). My experience has been VERY different. With the exception of one SQ/CC years ago, I've been mentored/taught/given feedback from every commander I've ever had. The SQ/CC in any unit is a busy dude. Hopefully, he's spending a lot of time trying to screen his pilots from the inevitable queep stream that rolls downhill in any wing. Once he's done that, attended the meetings that seem SO important, and taken the time to write/edit the 14-ish OPRs/EPRs that cross his desk weekly, he doesn't have much extra time. This is where the Flt/CCs and other senior captains need to play a role in officer development. Think about it: Aside from the "community involvement" bullets your average CGOC produces in their self-licking ice cream cone of douchery, their original intent is fairly sound. They exist for the non-ops CGOs to provide informal mentoring, advice, cross communication, and growth that you simply can't get as the one CGO in a shop of 50 other SNCOs/NCOs/junior airmen. The mentoring and involvement the CGOC offers is EXACTLY what you get in a fighter squadron of 20 captains. The CGOC might not understand (and probably would be shocked to see) the "feedback" given during a roll call, but those young CGOs would KILL to have that kind of group CGO involvement and growth opportunity. We ops CGOs take it for granted, and the bad senior captains/majors we have ignore (or don't realize) the role they need to play. Flt/CCs, IPs, senior 4FLs/ACs, and junior majors need to realize that they have a HUGE role in developing the young pups. These are the guys who need to give feedback (mostly informal), motivate, and steer the younger guys. Since the senior captains/young majors can't do the things their SQ/CC does (see above), they need to focus their efforts on the developmental time the SQ/CC wishes he could do (but is stuck queeping in his office or at a meeting instead). "But the SQ/CC and the OG/CC should be doing XXXX and YYYY to develop the younger dudes!" <----- IPs and Flt/CCs I've heard in real life and here on BO.net ^To that I say "WTF do you think YOUR job is now that you've spent 8 years flying jets and completing your upgrade "normal development" ???

Most of those bullets above are identified gaps in "the system" of promotion/recognition that SHOULD be filled/countered with good leadership at the Flt/CC and Sq/CC level.

CH, thank you for making an appearance in this thread.

His boss is this guy: https://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=8281 The same geek that signed the latest 36-2903, which took away our Friday t-shirts/patches. He sure knows a lot about how to retain fighter pilots, eh?

The best article I've seen from the media about the crash: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1787132/Comment-Asiana-Airlines-Flight-214-a-pilots-perspe

Yet every mountain in Korea seems to be an F-5 magnet.

Agreed. But maybe that's better for another thread.

Copy shot. All this looks legit. You're right...Big Blue needs to be VERY careful when cutting these guys at the 16-18 year point, as us younger pups are watching. While the cuts last time didn't really concern the 11F community, you can be CERTAIN that the 11F guys were watching. That, plus the VSP debacle, was a HUGE negative influence on retention. So, up to this point, I was tracking. Then I read this: YGBSM. It's increasingly obvious that the USAF cares more about the numbers than what really matters: COMBAT CAPABILITY. It's already getting worse because of what happened in the last 2 years of O-4 boards: AADs were critical to a DP/Maj select, and the USAF cared more about AAD & SOS DG than it cared about a W-prefix when it came to school selection. The writing is on the wall, and I know dudes all over the CAF who were watching. So riddle me this: ARE WE MORE COMBAT READY NOW THAN WE WERE 5 YEARS AGO? Start the RIFs on the 16-18 year dudes because they don't "publicly declare their value to the Air Force" (which everyone should read as "do AAD, PME, exec"), and you'll reap what you sow. Here's the result: 11Fs WITH GREAT SURFs WHO CAN'T FIGHT THEIR WAY OUT OF THE WET PAPER BAG THAT WAS THE LAST DECADE'S THREAT. If this is what the USAF wants, fine. Again, they're going to reap what they sow. I, for one (actually, for the majority), am PRAYING we don't find ourselves in a major theater conflict with one of our NEAR PEER adversaries in the upcoming years. "But how did we lose 80% of package AAYA today, fellow generals? We're the USAF!" "It's simple, sir, wrapping our jets in useless AADs and quoting PME readings simply didn't keep our jets from blowing up." "IMPOSSIBLE! A1 told me our pilot manning was right and that we're the most educated USAF in the world!" Loyalty is a 2-way street, GC. If you're anywhere near a HAF/MAJCOM A1 shop, I'm very very worried.

I haven't read all of Liquid's posts, but I know for sure it's not right to lump ClearedHot in that pile of "leaders." CH's posts have always been straight talk, even the ones people found tough to read. I think it's unfortunate he doesn't post much (or at all) anymore.

YGBSM. Thankfully, this doesn't happen in the CAF.

There are no such things.

Based on the thread title, I thought this thread was about Eagle pilots.

AnimalMother: for what it's worth, the 11Fs I know were all denied VSP.

No, it's the standard Eagle primer coat.

That's my biggest problem with the whole "everyone is a wingman" concept. Even the greatest wingman in the world can't save the day if he's in the middle of a bad tactical plan. Wingmen go along with the plan and keep their mouths shut until they can't stand it and need to speak up for safety of flight. I'd say we need more flight leads, but the nuances of what that means to non-aviators would be lost.

Had our SAPR day today. The CSAF and COMPACAF videos were pretty standard, as was the discussion led by the experts. Exactly what you'd expect to hear, but underwhelming and nothing really new. I wondered if we had wasted the day until I heard from leadership within the OG later at a separate session. I'm lucky to have some old balls in my chain of command that don't talk like they're reading from a script or a press release. The words might have been lost on some, but it was refreshing to hear honesty from some fighter pilots I respect. Worthwhile. Leadership makes all the difference, guys.

I'm not wrong. "C-17" was in the thread title, and we made it to post #8 before we had a "was the gear down??? Hurr durr!" Shit. Gets. Old. And I do eat vegetarian...cows/pigs/chickens/deer. They are all vegetarian animals.

JEEZUS CHRIST ON A CRACKER. Ask LTC Raible and the rest of VMA-211 if drinking your 3 beers/day and living in a hotel suite while deployed is better than dodging RPGs and getting mortared weekly. GFY.

Since you'll inevitably read this (and possibly reply with your NEXT alias here), let me respond: Telling a guy you "might have to skullf*ck [him] to death," and that he should "go f*cking play in traffic," really highlights your maturity level. Maybe, since you're no different deep-down than the very people you criticize, it's easy for us all to see right through your sanctimonious drivel. One wonders if you're so "tough" in person as you appear online. Regarding appearances and hypocrisy, we all also notice that -- while you criticize the USAF and your peers -- it's YOU who has a blog featuring YOUR picture in uniform, YOUR combat time, and YOUR medals. So proud, yet so ashamed? A shining example of "the Man," yet so against "the system?" Your laptop must be powered by your own cognitive dissonance.

Monday, 24 June for me. I applied for leave (I have 10 days use/lose) and was denied.

Wow, another riveting herbivore thread about who puts the gear down better.

Just ask your local CGOC president.

Valid point. Parts of this thread (a vast majority of the posts) aren't much different than reading YouTube comments. I gave myself a cranium ache from face-palming so hard.

The fatality rate is what I was talking about when I said that '13 has been a rough year.