Smokin

What would you expect when the AF often uses blues as a punishment? You don't send a kid to time out in their room and then wonder why they don't enjoy being in their room alone.

This is pretty much why I asked. I don't want to throw my cards down if there is no chance at winning the hand. My SQ/CC is a good dude who would likely not change any plans for me, but above him I have no idea. My concern is not really knowing the leadership above my squadron well enough. I don't want to let everyone know I'm planning on getting out only to get a 365 as a result.

Has anyone seen an 11F get approved PC recently? I haven't, just want to make sure that it is not a realistic option before I rule it out.

But at least most guys in Ops know what their job is and how it fits into, or actually is, the mission. If you had asked those Marines how they supported the mission, I bet they could give you clear, concise, and correct answer. Try that at an AF MPF and you'll just get the RCA dog look.

Forget if it is 202v3 or 2-F-16 but if you cross more than 4 time zones it is a 48 hr DNIF. If you go TDY or on vacation to Europe from CONUS or vise versa, you're DNIF for 48 hrs when you get back. It does not apply during AOS movements, only when you arrive at your final destination.

How in the world do you fire someone and then issue a gag order? Even if it involved something classified that could merit a legitimate gag order, surely the rule/law broken is unclassified. Sounds like an automatic IG/Congressional complaint or even straight to a lawsuit.

Almost is enough to make me think the people deserve the ISIS government. Almost. Comparing FGM to male circumcision is like comparing a paper cut to a broken leg.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/26/emily-miller-federal-judge-rules-dc-ban-on-gun-carry-rights-unconstitutional/ Let's hope this ruling stands. If it does get appealed to the supreme court, it could have the potential to force a shall-issue CC for all states.

Good to know that you don't need the commercial. I was just repeating what Sheppard Air told me since I figured they knew what they were talking about. This just saved me the time and money studying for the commercial after I knock out the ATP test next week. Is there any reason to get a commercial if you're already going to get the ATP? How about the CFII?

You have to already have a commercial license in order to do the practical ATP exam as it was explained to me by Sheppard Air. But for military, you just need to go take the commercial test. You can take the ATP written to make the cutoff, then go take the commercial written, then go do the ATP practical within two years.

Pretty bold statement. I've worked with many reservists who are stuck in a 3-1 that is a decade old and couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. I've also worked with reservists who only fly the minimum BMC rates and can still crush the new patch straight from WIC. Making a blanket statement about either side of the force is absurd.

It is refreshing to hear that some senior leaders between us and the Chief see at least some things through the same lenses that us line pilots do. Makes me think there might be hope yet.

That's it, I'm done. Delta: my application will be arriving soon.

Wait, we get hours for riding in the back of planes? I need to go talk to the SARMs and add my C-5, C-130, and C-17 time...

So if you apply for the early eligible as an 11F, you still don't get paid until the time you finish the commitment? As in you'll still get a total of $225K? That sounds more like an early sign up than being "eligible" early. I thought they had found a way to sneak in another $25K to help retention.

That doesn't sound right. I know lots of F-16 guys with very little multi-engine time that have ATPs and none of them mentioned anything about a restricted ATP.

It doesn't help that the military/congress invented the Alcohol Related Incident to elevate "incidents" into a handy three letter crime. What is the civilian equivalent of an ARI? I've heard of multiple ARIs that were not in of themselves crimes, but because alcohol was involved, now it is a crime. Why don't we have a Tobacco Related Incident? Think of the long term health benefits and medical cost savings we could achieve!

Could we do it today? And this

"In addition, the digital messaging system GroupMe, which was used by the squadron, was often littered with conversations containing pornographic imagery, often of male genitalia, as well as “vulgar, homophobic, and sexually suggestive statements.” At least he wasn't reinforcing any stereotypes...

Maybe someone placed a bomb in his back pocket...

Like Hindsight said, I know you're being flippant; but if there is anything young guys (even more so than the GOs) should be scared shitless about, it is a mass exodus of the experienced line IP type. I'm sure it is true of other airframes, but in a fighter squadron the line IP has a huge impact on the squadron in terms of the squadron pilots being survivable and lethal. The squadron patch is only one dude and these days it is not uncommon for him to be the ONLY patch in the squadron. It is the line IP that keeps the squadron up to the standards the patch and SQ/CC set. With so many dudes punching at the 12 year point, the AF is losing a huge amount of experience that is only gained 1.5 hours at a time over the course of multiple operational assignments. With the loss of this experience, other pilots are losing the opportunity to gain vicariously from this experience and will end up making the same (occasionally fatal) mistakes regaining some of that experience. This is the AF that you are going to inherit if you end up making it that far. When guys who know far more about the situation than you do are really worried, it is probably not the time to be the flippant SNAP saying you're glad to see the opportunity.

Every time I even hear HPO mentioned, it makes me want to go to the airlines. HPOs are not the guys you need to entice to stay in. People who actually want to become GOs are generally going to stay in because that is who they are. The people you need to convince are all the guys who want to top out at O-5, maybe O-6 if the job was right, but see the lifestyle of their commanders and DOs and don't think it sounds like something they want to be a part of. Going to wing stand up to explain to the wing commander as to why a four ship landed 20 minutes late? Getting an angry phone call from the OG because Lt X didn't properly fill out an eSSS before sending an unnecessary memo to the group? Having to tell your squadron that they are going to miss Christmas and be "deployed" for six months to a base in Korea where a third of them have already spent 12+ months because some four star wants another squadron in his command? No thanks. Fix this type of BS and the AF won't need a pilot bonus; they'll have to kick guys out because too many want to stay in. Last years change was a significant step in the right direction, but I think 2003 year group retention (or lack thereof) is going to force them to up the ante. Problem is, that would require explaining to Congress why guys who spent years getting to their dream job won't take a quarter of a million dollars to stay in that job.

Makes perfect sense. Why wouldn't the AF would fly black world jets in the middle of the afternoon over public land in the cons? And the elusive F-22? Maybe they should try meeting at a different airport.

The article was almost a complete waste of the few minutes I spent skimming it. However, the last paragraph is one that I actually agreed with: "Ironically, Brig. Gen. Robin Olds grew the mustache as a “middle finger” to leadership. Now that leadership has sanctioned this event, I have no doubt that, if General Olds were here, he would shave his mustache off in protest!" Except for the obvious fact that he didn't actually have a mustache as a BG, he shaved it off while still a full bird. I considered ignoring MM now that it is a CSAF led event. Kinda hard to have an anti-establishment morale event that is endorsed by the leader of that establishment and is AF wide. Not that I fault Gen Welsh; good on him for proving that he still has the line pilot in mind. But since the whole AF is doing it and it is a semi-official event now, I think this MM thing has run its course.

Even if it were a real gun, why would that merit calling the cops? Did he pull his tattoo out and threaten anyone with it?