HeloDude

In general, if you're passed over, you're done making rank...unless you're in that 3% category that gets a DP ABZ because your senior rater realizes that you should have never been passed over in the first place. So the fact that the boards are more closer together doesn't help much, but for the vast majority of those passed over it wouldn't have mattered either way.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, except this notion that being an ADO (at whatever rank) is good for the career--at best you break even in that posistion. ADO is at best a holding pattern while you wait for a more legitimate job/better PCS to open up, and often the ADO office is just a place to put guys who aren't able to do much else career wise, regardless of the rank. Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome place to be if you just want to fly the line and help mentor the young guys (which is very important), but it's not some type of box that needs to be checked if you have higher career goals. I've heard this thought (i.e. I need to become an ADO because of reason X) among the younger guys in the squadron level over the past several years and this needs to be understood for those who are trying to get to the next level. But like I said, if someone just wants to fly and help out the squadron and the younger guys, then that's cool too. Either way, just know how you're playing the game. YMMV.

AK platforms...

So here is (one of many) legitimate questions I have:. How am I as an officer/leader supposed to enforce the regs/standards if I don't know which standards to enforce? Example:. I'm at finance and I see an airman, which I clearly perceive to be a biological male, wearing earrings: Do I then tell them they are not allowed as males to wear earnings? What if the person just started identifying with the female gender that morning--is he/she immediately allowed to go with the female uniform regs? Am I even allowed to ask or try to enforce the uniform standard? Logically speaking, the easiest way for the AF/DoD to get around these questions is to truly only have one standard, which I am fine with as that is the way it should be if we are all truly 'equal' or the same. I guess I'm just looking forward to the circus...

Do you have any information on the current pricing for this program (if it comes back), as well as how many orders they need? Thanks!

Definitely leave...

As in more T-38s will be available at track select and also that more heavy/non-fighters will subsequently be dropped from T-38s...

Class sizes are increasing and more people will be going to T-38s with more heavy/non-fighter options being dropped. This is directly from leadership...

Notified today...

Funny, based off your comments in this and other threads, you seem to lack credibility on most issues you comment on. Not a personal attack, just an observation. Or are you still trying to tell us there isn't a problem keeping in pilots?

Weren't you the one telling us that there wasn't a problem keeping in pilots? If so, then why the need for a massive increase in the bonus?

^^Now that's a keeper...a wife, that buys you guns, that is...

But these are the same kinds of people demanding $15/hr to flip burgers, free college, free healthcare, etc. Now I am far from a Trump supporter (he's a progressive of another kind), but these Bernie Sanders-type supporters will definitely speed up the country's destruction.

Don't forget--tomorrow we can all take a few minutes and call the offices of our two Senators and Congressman and tell them why this is bad. I've done this several times before and plan to do it again tomorrow.

New Senate proposal to screw us even more.. https://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/benefits/2016/05/28/military-housing-allowance-bah/85028422/

Then choose to be an ADO--it will be a lot easier than working at the Wing. And as for promotions, the O-5 board could care less if you've been ADO, however, they do care if you've worked at higher posistions/bigger programs, preferably at higher staff levels above the Wing. I'm not saying this to suggest one career path over another, just telling you guys what gives you the best chance for getting promoted (kind of hard to be a CC if you don't make O-5) if that's what you want. Sure you can always stay at the squadron level and get promoted, but your chances are much more slim. Figure out how the game is played and then decide how you want to play it...this isn't rocket science.

Depends on what your personal goals are--if you're just trying to get more hours to get out to go to the airlines/reserves then definitely don't go outside outside the squadron. If your goal is to stay in and try to become a future commander/get promoted then definitely take the wing job. Pretty simple--neither is right or wrong, just depends on what you're trying to do.

Or you could just read the AFI...

There is no 'local area' when taking a pass...the AFI strictly forbids it unless mission essential.

To answer your question, as to,what makes a 'good' officer, I and the others could almost write a book on the subject, and many actually have. It's not about 'being seen, not heard' and also,not adopting a 'Laissez-afire' style of leadership. Officership is about taking care of your people so that they can accomplish the mission. It's about understanding the mission, knowing how to inspire and motivate people, good judgement/decision making skills, on and on. Good leadership is truly an art form. This is not something I can explain in a post, and you don't worry about it right now. Learn to be a good follower first--which means being able to manage your time/tasks, understanding the task at hand, who to go to when you have questions and how to properly ask them, how to be dependable, and how to effectively work with others. This stuff might sound simple, but for a lot people (especially young adults) it is not. A commissioning source will give you the very basics of these tools needed to become an effective young officer and a very basic opportunity to practice them. In the end, you'll learn on the job--find officers you want emulate and do what they do, then see how it works, find other officers you want to further emulate and do what they do, rinse and repeat--find a mentor. Also, find some good older NCOs/SNCOs which actuary care about mentoring young officers and ask them questions/speak their advice. But I can't reiterate enough that you must become a good follower first...

My question is how can you do 75 push-ups and run a 6:40 mile and now can only do 1 pull-up? Back in the day with the old 5-event test (which was much harder). in ROTC/AFA, guys had to do at least 4 pull-ups to pass. Perhaps you're 6'5" and weigh 270lbs, but even then I would expect someone with the rest of those stats to do more pull-ups. Just struck me as odd. Either way, guys on here are giving you some good advice. As for what type of aircraft you want, sure it's fun to have far reaching goals--but at this point you should focus on goals that are more attainable at this point in life. Right now if you want to be an officer and potentially a pilot, focus your goals on getting into a commissioning source and figuring out how to do well in school and be a good cadet. I'm getting to be one of the older guys now, but I can still vividly recall how people were at my AFROTC freshman orientation day, most of who were talking about wanting to fly fighters--well a 1/3 of those people didn't go to field training, only half of those even eligible got pilot slots, a handful of those guys quit/washed out of UPT, so in the end maybe 2 or 3 of that original class of 50-60 became fighter pilots. Just some perspective for you if your only goal is to fly fighters...odds are (especially now) you won't. I know you're young and have aspirations (which is good) but the first to thing to start trying to learn is what it means to be in the military and more importantly an officer. Good luck and make sure to learn how to be a good follower/teammate along the way.

What's ironic and sad is that he was saved by SOF aircrew when got shot down. I know the guy who was the flight lead on that rescue, as well as some of the guys in the other aircraft--good dudes. But hey, he gives that squadron a bottle of Blue Label every year on the anniversary, so I guess it's cool.

It seems to world well for the IDF...

Sorry man, but life is about tough choices. As others have said, you won't be able to fly home often while in UPT...so if this hard to accept, then perhaps you should focus on your number one priority which appears to be your fiancé. Flying in the AF/Guard can be great, but it's no substitute for your family. Good luck.

Why not just marry her and bring her with you? Is her health situation that bad that she can't get the health services she needs at one of the local hospitals in a UPT town? What about asking to be stationed at Vance with the OKC hospitals not too reasonably far away? If you can't make one of these options work, then I suggest you stick with what matters most...