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ClearedHot

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Posts posted by ClearedHot

  1. I just tried this link and also going direct to the Defense Business Board. All links are dead. Did anyone download the PDF presentation before they shut the link down? I and many others would be very interested in seeing the actual proposal. And yeah, after just what I have read in the "Times", I think it sucks.

    The link works for me, goes directly to the PDF and downloads a 24 slide presentation.

  2. Beers to those who help me defeat the man! (Disclaimer, you must come to DC to collect, I will also pay up if I find myself TDY to your location)

    Below is a picture of my lovely bride captured by a DC Speed camera...in a freaking Work Zone (with no workers), so she got a $125.00 ticket.

    She swears she was not speeding and that she knows exactly where this camera is so she is always careful in that area. She is not a known lead foot and I tend to believe her as I was directly behind her in the same lane, (we were on the way to the beach for a week), and I did not get a ticket.

    I was going to just pay the freaking ticket when I noticed the other car in the picture. Picture two has the depiction and verbiage from the back of the ticket and describes the beam width as 5 degrees, offset 20 degrees from the road. They claim the camera will not take a picture with another car in the beam. After looking at it I am a bit skeptical. I spent a little time on Google but have not yet found a suitable beam spread calculator for K band radar, I did however find some charts for a 10 degree beam and was able to interpolate down to a five degree beam which would make the beam width 10.2' @ 120 from the radar.

    Picture three shows my wife's car which is 72.2" wide with the 10.2' overlay. While the other may or may not be in the beam outbound, the beam width on reflection is at least 20.4' and the other car is certainly in the beam at that point.

    Anyone else have any ideas...

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    6048968403_3437c202a9_b.jpg

  3. Bear with me here...it's a stretch, but maybe the A1 folks are finally playing chess vs. checkers with this. With an imminent end-strength draw down on the horizon for all services, what better way to get guys to voluntarily leave Active Duty than threaten (or implement) a sweeping change to the one incentive that keeps people in? And guess what...when folks walk on their own, there's no need to pay involuntary separation pay. Give this a few years to "fix the glitch" (in keeping with the Office Space theme), then undo the change (i.e; back to 20yr, 50%) if poor retention becomes the problem-du-jour. Remember, they undid the Redux debacle once the uproar became too loud.

    Just saying...look at all of the guys threatening to walk. Many will follow through on that threat, and it's feasible to believe that's part of the manning/budget calculus.

    Our end strength won't drop like the other services (USA and USMC). While we are marginally over end strength, we are not looking for a mass exodus. The Air Force to a greater extent than the other services relies on highly trained people to man many key career fields, that training takes time to develop, and we are not looking to thin the heard by massive numbers. I look for the Marines to drop from 202,000 to below 176,000,....just a guess The USA will see an even larger drop.

    In the end if USAF does reduce it will be in much smaller numbers and if too many people try to leave I think it will take .69 seconds for them to drop Stop-Loss on critical career fields...i.e. Fighter Pilots.

    Fast forward a few years. Assuming these changes take place, how or would your advice change for...

    the 17yo that is thinking of enlisting

    17yo thinking about a service academy

    junior at the zoo thinking about pilot training

    7yr SSgt weighing thier options (ranging from defense contracting job to going back home to be a cop)

    I've got my ideas, just thinking through the second order effects for discussion sake.

    If these changes take place...I would strongly encourage my son NOT to join the military.

    If the new system becomes retro-active, I would also likely retire at the first opportunity.

  4. FW: AFPOINTS, August 2011

    3. Air Force offers voluntarily-recalled officers extension. Air Force Personnel Center officials is in the process of contacting selected rated officers brought back on to active duty in 2009 as part of the Voluntary Retired Rated Officer Recall Program and the Voluntary Rated Officer Limited Period Recall Program to encourage voluntary extensions. The voluntary extension is being offered specifically to fighter pilots, and in some cases navigators filling 11F, Fighter Pilot, billets already on extended active duty. Under the current recall program, extensions to current recall contracts are capped at a maximum of 48 months for the entire length of the original contract plus the extension. For some, this may allow up to an additional 24 months of active duty service.

    The 2009 program voluntarily recalled pilots, navigators and air battle managers who were either in the air reserve components or retired as lieutenant colonels or below, and who were younger than 60 to come back onto active duty, said Lt. Col. Damon Menendez, AFPC Officer Accessions Branch chief. These officers were used in myriad positions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; rated staff; and other rated functions. With the extension, recalled retired officers may now stay past 62 years of age with an approved waiver, Menendez said. The voluntary extensions are being offered despite the Air Force’s downsizing efforts to meet the congressionally-mandated end strength of 322,800 Airmen by Sept. 30, 2012.

    “We currently have too many people in the Air Force, but the overages are in the wrong Air Force Specialties,” Menendez said. “The Air Force regularly reviews its manpower and personnel capabilities to ensure they align with current, emerging and future Air Force missions. Today, one of our greatest needs is experienced fighter pilots. These recalled officers fill a void that would take years to cover. The skills and experience these officers possess is critical to our current and future success and their continued service to our nation is both desired and appreciated.” To submit an extension application, individuals should scan and e-mail a memorandum endorsed by the requesting member’s commander and senior rater to AFPC.DPPAES@US.AF.MIL for processing. Each extension request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  5. Completely, 100%, unsubstantiated rumor, but still interesting...

    Dudes,

    I felt compelled to pass on some distressing news that I recently received from a friend of mine in the XXX ANG. He is a viper pilot that took an AGR spot at XXX as the MX squadron commander, but still gets to fly. I merely emailed him to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and asked him how the guard was going. I got back some troubling news. Here are a few quotes from his email:

    "I literally just got the brief that the Sec of the Air Force and Penetta both want to get rid of the Air Guard all together. Best case is all the aircraft will be sent to Active Duty and all the fighters sent to the boneyard! Right now they are talking 100% cut of the Air National Guard!!! Please get the word out"

    "I am really bummed out right now knowing that I will see the end of fighters. BTW the Sec. also said that if he had his way, he would cut EVERY fighter!!!! He does not see a need for us!"

    In order to try and separate emotion from reality I asked if he had received an official brief, or if there was a quote posted somewhere of the SECAF remarks and this was his response:

    "It was straight from his mouth in a room of maintainers. It is amazing what is said about "us" (pilots) when we are not around. I where ABUs when I am not flying and I hear things when they forget about my wings on my chest. Sorry no cell phones allowed. Don't worry, all the intel I get I will send out to ALL THE BROS ASAP!

    Option 1 is to get rid of the Guard.

    Option 2 is combine Guard and Reserve and transfer all fighter (minus block 30, which will be in the boneyard) to the AD.

    Plan on all new commands and structuring (just like 1992 and the restructure of MAC, SAC, TAC).

    All to begin in 2013!"

  6. Pentagon’s Lightning Gun Sold for Scraps on eBay

    All of which would make for a funny little story, if that buyer didn’t discover that the multimillion dollar “Joint Improvised Explosive Device Neutralizers,” or JINs, were kluged together from third-rate commercial electronics, and controlled by open Wi-Fi signals. In other words, the Pentagon didn’t just overpay for a flawed weapon. On the off-chance the JIN ever worked, the insurgents could control it, too.

    joller1-660x492.jpg

  7. And shuffle up and down the isles at the pace of a snail in line abreast formation with your wife.

    Last time I was in the Eglin Commissary I was trapped behind just such a beast...I almost chimed in with a "could please move you old fat fuck", when the dude turned sideways and I realized it was Gen Horner. Why do retirees have to shop on weekends? You are retired, please go on Tuesdays at 1400.

  8. From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Lt Gen MIL USAF

    Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011

    To:

    Subject: Upcoming HAF Uniform Policy Change

    Senior leaders, I want to bring to your attention the CSAF has directed a

    change to the uniform of the day (UOD) for Airmen serving in Headquarters

    Air Force (both the Air Staff and Secretary of the Air Force Staff) who are

    assigned in the National Capitol Region (NCR). Essentially, this change

    entails phasing in the implementation of the blue uniform as the UOD

    throughout the week in two phases:

    Phase I (effective 1 Oct 11), UOD will be:

    - Mon: Blue uniform any combination (no change from current policy)

    - Tue - Fri: Blue uniform any combination is optional OR ABU/flight suit

    Phase II (effective 1 Jan 12), UOD will be:

    - Mon- Thu: Blue uniform any combination

    - Fri: Blue uniform any combination OR ABU/flight suit

    As you recall, on 4 Sep 08 the CSAF implemented a policy whereby the blue

    uniform would be the duty uniform worn every Monday by Airmen in appropriate

    career fields and environments throughout the Air Force. The revised HAF

    UOD policy change outlined above (ie., expanding the wear of blues for

    personnel assigned to the HAF in the NCR), is not intended to change the

    policy set forth by the CSAF in his 4 Sep 08 letter to all Air Force

    personnel. Moreover, Airmen assigned to units other than the HAF (in the

    NCR) should continue to follow the 4 Sep 08 policy letter.

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