FallingOsh

This. The reality is that these professions take a certain type of personality. I'm sure we all have friends from past generations and from foreign militaries that we've met over the years. There's a reason a Vietnam vet can sit and bullshit with a vet from Desert Storm, who can sing songs with an OEF vet, who can booze with an RAF pilot, who can chase skirts with a Eurofighter pilot. We're all cut from the same cloth. It takes a certain kind of personality to do any type of job and ours is no exception. The problem is that our profession attracts a certain personality type while our leadership demands another. Yeah, got it. Porn, dirty songs, booze, etc do not have their place in the professional environment. Got it. They're gone. But you will never cut the wild-hair-on-your-ass attitude out from the type of person who is attracted to our profession. I'm not making excuses or tooting my horn as a fighter pilot. The same applies to the dudes in Ranger Battalion or the Marine sniper or the Navy SEAL or the C-130 pilot landing on a short dirt strip. Our jobs must have a person, male or female, who is willing to work for minimum wage, spend many months per year away from home, and take the lives of other human beings. If you can find some liberal punk from UC Berkley who's in touch with his feelings to do these jobs then please, hire him. But reality says you cannot have both. You cannot have a dedicated professional killer and a soft-skinned politically correct poet in the same person. If you want the PC type in our military then go find some to replace us. I dare you. If you want professionals to continue to carry out the mission, then get the fuck off our backs.

No. That's hypocrisy and hypocrisy is approved.

Unless it has changed in recent years, there is no FAA requirement for jump pilots to wear an emergency parachute. If the aircraft door has been removed or modified for jump operations (most aircraft) the special release for operation may require the pilot to wear one, but not always. It's not required, but obviously a good idea according to most jump pilots. There are lots of stories about jumpers hitting the tail and damaging flight controls. Not to mention flying around with the door open could be hazardous to one's health.

Every time I start reading one of your posts, I think it's from a snap, green horn Lt. but we just do it anyway because actually fixing the problem would be too difficult. Blaming fighter pilots for Air Force woes is easy and vogue so we'll just do that. I'm not surprised the Air Force is going this direction. It was only a matter of time. It does absolutely baffle me that people of your rank actually sit around scratching their heads trying to figure out why active duty members are running for the hills. You can only accuse good people of being racists and rapists for so long before they eventually push back or walk off.

Heard they were thinking about trying the Scorpion.

I think you guys are overreacting to the term expat. "An expatriate (sometimes shortened to expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing. The word comes from the Latin terms ex ("out of") and patria ("country, fatherland")." Being an expat doesn't necessarily mean giving up your citizenship or turning your back on your country. I'd gladly move to some diving haven like Belize for a few years.

show off

Whether or not she has PTSD is really none of my business. It is my business to call her fucking stupid for giving interviews on the subject. Some of the comments at the bottom of that article hit the nail on the nugget. Outspoken weakness like hers gives ammunition to those who think women aren't tough enough for combat. Of course she had to throw a tidbit about sexual assault in there for good measure. I'm surprised she didn't go ahead and blame it on a pilot.

Mother Russia doesn't allow fire in Moscow. These Olympics might be slightly more entertaining than a normal winter Olympics. Hopefully.

Any officer with a few OPRs has undoubtedly been identified as a SUPERSTAR!, IDE ASAP!, LINCHPIN!

General Hostage steps in to force Wilkerson's hand (and save some face for the Air Force)? "The decision from Michael Hostage, the commander of the air combat command, to issue Lt Col James Wilkerson with a "notice to show cause" letter – giving him the option to demonstrate why he should remain in the military or retire – was based on an "underlying pattern of misconduct" that went on for much of his 20-year career, the air force said. Wilkerson chose to retire, it said." http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/03/fighter-pilot-centre-sex-assault-row-retire?CMP=twt_gu

All of what you said... plus the next few CSAFs must have the same mentality of General Welsh if we really hope to see lasting improvement. It will take a generation's worth of time to change the fucked up culture we're all so frustrated with. One guy serving one tour as CSAF won't do it. Can he serve indefinitely?

If the mentality and leadership of General Welsh actually trickled down, the Air Force would be an incredibly improved place. I'm still hopeful it will. If a man of that caliber can't do it, I'm not sure who can. I wish I had the ability to speak that eloquently.

I don't think anyone minds a good conversation (or argument) on these forums. You're welcome to keep coming back for a discussion, but throwing a temper tantrum like that won't get you very far. It's evident to me that you've already made up your mind about fighter pilots and no amount of talking will change that. None of us is in favor of sexual harassment. None of us actually thinks saying STS and 69 are required in order to get the job done. The problem is that you think stopping those silly games is going to stop sexual assault in the Air Force. Clearly, eliminating songs and STS isn't the answer since sexual assault rates aren't dropping. Like I said before, why don't senior leaders stop collectively pointing a finger at fighter squadrons and actually make an effort to root out the true problems. If the OG consistently has the lowest amount of SAPR reports in the wing, why are leaders continuing to crush us? You say we're stuck on the little things, but it's exactly the opposite that's true. We don't care about that stuff. You do. Senior leaders do. There's only so many times you can call someone a sexist rapist before they start ignoring you and walk off. I've got better things to do than listen to so called leaders accuse me of being a sexist rapist. Then... THEN... you tell us we should grow some balls and stand up against the injustices of gym bags and reflective belts. You're exactly right that those issues are minuscule. They're minuscule, but they're manifestations of the larger problem. The problem (wait for it) is that senior leaders focus on the tiny, useless crap. It's the same mentality that thinks outlawing STS will stop sexual assault. If you want to stop sexual assault, stop blaming pilot culture and instill some sense of responsibility among your airmen. IMO, sexual assault and rape stem from a culture of entitlement. Young airmen are told they're warriors. They are the key to all things military and without them the castle would crumble. Give every kid a trophy. Stroke every ego. Well, now you've got a force full of people who think they're next in line for CSAF. If they choose to slap some chick on the ass or take some drunk girl home after a party, well that's their right as an award winning warrior goddammit. Stop telling everyone how supremely special they are and try focusing them on the mission for a change. Of course, this is just my opinion. But what do I know... Welcome to the forums.

Ugh...

The only thing the three of you have in common is that you have no idea what really happens in a fighter squadron. Because Senators have a habit of calling them out on national television, that's why. Civilian leadership (hypocrites by the way) pounded their chests and said something must be done immediately. Cracking down on inappropriate traditions is just one of many completely useless and ineffective things being done. If you and other senior leaders understood then things would be improving. If you understood what is actually happening at the operational level, there would be improvements. The problem is that senior leaders are so disconnected that they can't fix the real issues. Why don't you stop focusing on the group with the least amount of SAPR complaints? Instead of vilifying pilots for our terrible, inappropriate traditions, why don't you stand in front of the other groups and acknowledge that the OG is actually leading the way in terms of acceptance, professionalism, and lack of sexual assault? Pilots have become a lighting rod for blame. It's easy for a base full of airmen to unite in pointing a finger at fighter pilots. It makes them feel like they're not doing anything wrong because it must be the pilots' fault. Nothing is going to change if the collective Air Force voice says fighter pilots and their silly games are to blame and everyone else is a victim.

I'm late on this reply, but when did this firing happen? I thought the 480th CC was a good dude when I was there. Hopefully it wasn't him. He was a good dude, so it probably was. I get what you're saying, but everyone knows what this means. We can bitch and nit-pick, but we all know what constitutes an "inappropriate" so to speak. That's what makes it funny. If you don't understand that, please stop using STS because you're not doing it right. I'd bet my balls that the official paperwork says something along the lines of "CGO used sexually suggestive verbiage specifically barred by the CC." You can split hairs over what is a legal word and what's not. Anything that comes close to "sexually inappropriate" is a hot potato for leadership and you will most certainly be considered guilty immediately.

I've never heard of a WDO in a hawg squadron so I think Hill or Mountain Home. I think everyone in the squadron should just not say anything to each other all day, finish the minimal amount of work required, and go home. Obviously working our asses off and fighting the man hasn't worked. Give them what they think they want, just to see what happens.

You're right. My bad. The GAU-8 is inaccurate, the A-10 isn't a good CAS platform, and Army guys will be just as happy with the F-35 as they were the hawg. Thank God you were enlisted so you can know everything. Not for us.

The problem isn't the fact that we'll be replaced. It's that the program is being cancelled before there is a viable replacement ready to fly. I'd be first in line to fly a new CAS platform. There isn't one. You, your ego, and you're perfectly tuned gun should be upset that your Army bros won't have a dedicated CAS platform to call. I can't figure out why you're running round and round with this other than a simple inferiority complex. I'm sure you've seen CAS jets miss. I've seen CAS your platform completely embarrass themselves while spraying bullets around like some kind of happy ending. Does that mean you're all terrible at everything all the time? Does it mean you always miss? From what I've seen, yes, but is that true in your eyes? I doubt it. Ease the fuck up and go ask a handful of your Army infantry bros what they think of the hawg going away. Nobody gives a fuck what you or any other pilots (fixed or sling wing) thinks. It's about the dudes on the ground we want to go home safely. Take your penis envy elsewhere. Thank you. Beat me to it.

"Visiting relatives" http://www.RussianCupid.com/ An entitled airman? No shit?

The guy/girl is worth a billion dollars and y'all are worried about an MSM? Who gives a shit?

just thought this line was worth repeating

And of course the Hawg has the canopy up.

not a qualifier for a landing