ClearedHot

AFSOC promotes at a rate equal to or greater than the rest of the USAF. In the old days there were problems because many viewed Spec Ops folks as cowboys. That stereotype is no longer true. In fact I would argue that the bureaucratic ways of the big blue USAF are firmly entrenched in AFSOC. There are a few communities within the command that have completely cracked the code and thrive at making fast-burners that are on track for general officer. At the risk of pissing folks off you should know point blank that the Talon II's and Pavelows run AFSOC. Many will argue and say there is no Talon or Pave mafia, but the facts speak for themselves. There are several wings in AFSOC but Hurlburt is the king daddy rabbit. Ever single 16 SOW/CC since AFSOC stood up has made O-7. That being said, every single 16 SOW/CC has been a Talon II or Pavelow dude. There is only one base that has gunships, yet they can't seem to get the top job or the Group/CC job for that matter. Now that AFSOC has new wings at Moody and Kirtland, and given the Gunship play in nearly every operation since Desert Storm we are seeing Gunship folks make it to the top job at those locations. It is my guess several of them will make O-7 on the next board, but outside the 16SOW job. I've been out of the loop for sometime, but I do get e-mails almost everyday from folks screaming about the politics. One rumor has popped up several times in the last few years about DP allocations on recent promotion boards, (100% for Talon II eligibles, while the Gunships were lucky to get one or two.) It could be folks crying over spilt milk, but there were only three gunship types at ACSC last year and only two this year. What does it all mean Francis? If you choose AFSOC you stand an equal chance of being promoted, but unlike any other MWS, there are politics that will be in the mix.

Considering I never flew AWADS (or wanted to), I will gladly pay you a frosty I prefer a different delivery system...

AWADS = All Weather Aerial Delivery System.

Most current folks think the scarf is . The scarf has been rammed down our throats (sts) almost non-stop for the past 15 years. A former squadron commander I had would "fine" you if you didn't have it on at the club at nellis. A sure fire way to keep us out of the club.

F-16 Systems Info Site [ 13. April 2005, 17:37: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]

I believe you will get dependant rate BAH but single rate Disslocation Allowance. I went to ACSC without my wife and continued to get the dependant rate BAH, but they dropped my disslocation allowance to single rate.

It was very easy and has a lot of uses. [ 12. April 2005, 16:58: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]

A lot of folks (like me), are not listed on the global. Also, some of the global listings are wrong or outdated. The best way to find someone is to use the AFportal website and look for his most current e-mail there. Air Force Portal

If you are going to relate your paper to decision, strategy, and economics, I would suggest you check out John Boyd's OODA loop. I will attach a few links and you can find lots more on Google. To summarize, John Boyd was a USAF fighter pilot who built a model called the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Action) Loop, which describes the decision making that happens in air to air combat. In the end the person who can make correct decisions faster wins (hence the phrase….”Inside his OODA Loop”). The great thing about the model is it can be applied to other situations, and I would think you could make a natural transition in your paper to show how it could be used in economics. A good primer on the OODA Loop Graphic of the OODA Loop

When a base gets closed the government actually step s in and provides a buyout program for active duty military personnel. You won't make a mint, but you won't lose your entire investment.

Concur with M2, I managed my own for a number of years and with OPS Tempo, it became impossible. Most companies charge around 10% and it is all tax deductable. [ 05. April 2005, 15:31: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]

Let me tag team off what some of the others said. 1. Flight pay – invest it! You earned it by risking your life so make something good out of it. You will earn enough base pay to chase women and swill beer. The best part is your flight pay will rise to a peek of $840.00 per month. You have a tremendous advantage over other non-flying officers in the USAF; Assuming 2005 Rates 24 Months x 125 = $3,000 12 Months x 156 = $1,872 12 Months x 188 = $2,256 24 Months x 206 = $4,944 96 Months x 650 = $62,400 72 Months x 840 = $60,480 10 years x $25,000 = $250,000 Career aviation incentive pay assuming 20 years = $384,592, large portions of this can be dumped into the TSP. You are foolish if you don't do something constructive with at least part of this extra capital. 2. Assuming you stay 20 and make O-5 (not hard these days), your retirement check will be around $3400.00, based on 2005 rates. 3. I took a three-phased approach when I came in. Individual stocks, Mutual funds - IRA (Roth now), and Real-estate. TSP and the Roth are no-brainers, and I always kept another account to manage some stocks on my own. I purchased a home at every base after UPT and when the rates went down in the mid-1990’s I put them on 15 year mortgages. 4. As for not making 1 million by the time you retire…well I would say it depends on how much due diligence you apply. After 12 years I had 1.2M on paper, all before the dot-com bubble burst of course, but it can be done. Thanks to real-estate, I have almost recovered everything. 5. I did find time to enjoy what I was making with vacations and a few toys. I even bought the pilot sports car when I made captain, I still have it. However, I was never one to burn my whole paycheck in a bar over the weekend. 6. At this point I am extremely lucky, my wife works and pulls down nearly as much as I do. We live within our means (in fact, we live off her pay and put mine aside for our retirement home.) I don’t know if I will stay past twenty, but with a little work you too can have the option. [ 05. April 2005, 14:21: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]

I took two checkrides in three days in T-38's. Instrument check on Wed, Form Check on Friday.

My wife bought me the Navihawk as a graduation present when I finished the WIC. It looks great, works great and it has every feature you could ever want when you are flying except one, a back light. As a result, I used a G-shock during OEF.

People 1:10, all others 1:1.

1:10

Now you're talkin'. Got any good OEF stories for us Clearedhot?

Man that is a lot of iron....is the jet a pig? Try a combat load of 180 105MM and 512 40MM.

This site has a link to all of the FLIP but it looking like the database is currently down. http://www.mysquadron.com/

I assume GP means DOD FLIP book General Planning.

WTF? Uh, isn't the ops limit on an open ramp 150 KIAS?

We are getting past a rough spot of flaming and since the board is getting back on track, I thought we might keep it moving in the right direction by sharing a few stories about your most memorable moments in your particular aircraft. In 1990 I took a T-38 to Eglin AFB for the weekend. My girlfriend lived in nearby Shalimar and I thought it would be a great place for a weekend stop. I called before I left Houston and she assured me she would be there waiting for my arrival. I got lucky on the way and found a 200 knot tail wind up at FL 390. As I started the let-down into Fort Walton Beach, I noticed I was very fat on gas. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was easy to find the base out at twelve o’clock. At first I was focused on the fact that my girlfriend was waiting down on the ramp below, but as I looked around the airfield I noticed the ramp and buildings for the 33rd Fighter Wing. In an instant I was transported back to 1972 when I stood on that very same ramp and watched my dad bring his F-4 back from his third tour in Vietnam. There wasn’t anyone else in the pattern and without really noticing it I kept pushing the throttles up until I hit the MIL stop. You only live once I thought as I lifted the throttles and selected full grunt on short initial and watched the airspeed indicator push past 500. I was going so fast I think my break turn took me out over the Gulf of Mexico. I rolled off the perch and all I could think of was watching my Dad’s F-4 belching black smoke all the way through the final turn. I had enough gas for two full AB closed patterns and a full stop. As I put the canopy up and taxied in, I thought about my Dad and all the other good dudes who went to war and came home to very little fan-fair…just the support of their family. It was a great moment and one I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

There are two ways to go. 1. if you are going to be a MX Officer you will go to the five month course. 2. There are also a limited number of short course slots for pilots that are going to be FCF pilots. It was a so-so course, but I did learn a few things.

As STLCFII said, ERAU offers several good programs. I got my first Masters Degree there when I was trying to fill the square. I would have finished in 1.5 years, but I met one pain in the ass professor (at Moody AFB), who disapproved my previously approved research topic and I ended up telling him to go screw himself right in front of his class. I didn't finish the paper for another four years (waited until I PCSed to another base. As a side note the Eglin AFB and Hurlburt outreach centers are both great and will work with you on most issues. The program is typically 36 credits and a thesis or research paper. As I recall you can get 6 credits for SOS in residence, 9-12 credits for WIC (depending on the course you attended), and 6 credits for the USAF Maintenance Officer Course.

Ok, Old guy stepping up on rant container; Why wouldn’t you get a Masters Degree? The principle of this situation bothers me just as much as the next guy, but instead of viewing this as something the USAF is making me do, view it as an investment in your future. I was your age once (a long time ago) and I had many of the same feelings. However, time and events have a way of helping you see things differently. Fortunes can change in an instant. Take for example your medical situation. I have several friends who in their mid 30’s developed problems Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and Slipped Discs that put them feet on the ramp. They lost their flight pay, their bonus (yes they were forced to repay it), and in some cases their position with the USAF (medically retired). I’ve also seen guys get a DUI that ended their USAF and airline career in one incident. Unfortunately, a DUI will prevent you from getting on with a major in most cases. Perhaps the airlines will recover someday and that may be your goal, but what if they don’t? From my experience it’s always best to have options. Better yet, what do you have to lose? A few Tuesday and Thursday nights of partying? View this as a bit of sage advise or as an old guy rant, but I would recommend you put the politics of the USAF aside and take advantage of the free tuition and books to get a reasonable Masters Degree and help protect your future. Begin Flame….Rant Switch off.