pawnman

There was a guy who's callsign was WHAM (WSO hating ass-monkey) And we don't immediately make them ACs...we make a recommendation to accelerate the upgrade to the ops squadrons.

Don't know what to tell you, other that part of it is that a relatively recent (last 6 years or so) development in the B-1 is to make all aircraft commanders mission leads. Their are different requirements for them per the Vol 1, but most squadron commanders won't put someone through AC upgrade without doing mission lead at the same time. I wonder if the B-52 aircraft commanders are similarly qualified.

The FTU does have a program to start prepping FAIPS to be aircraft commanders. You won't graduate the FTU as an aircraft commander, but you will get more exposure to briefing, AC decision making, and mission leadership. If a student does well in the program, we make a recommendation to the operational unit to accelerate their upgrade to AC. Does the ops unit take that recommendation? It depends on that student's performance in MQT, the leadership that student shows in ground-related duties, and what kind of timing or back log there is in the AC upgrade program already (immediately following a deployment, for example, there is probably a sizeable group of people ready for AC upgrade). In short, the timeline can be shortened, especially if you can show that you have tactical and systems knowledge, are willing to work hard, and you are generally an asset to the squadron.

We have two or three tails at Dyess with the new modern upgrades. The first cadre of non-test folks are getting upgraded right now. The current plan is for the FTU to get them after all the ops squadrons have them.

So...bonuses and new medals for ATC in the future?

Giving weapons and training to rebels has never bitten us in the ass before. There's no possible way it can go wrong.

So...are we friends with Assad now?

The guy who was DG in my SOS flight just got out. Several of the number ones at our base are also getting out. Several of the weapons officers I know plan to get out as soon as the WIC ADSC expires. This is unfortunate, because those are the people we want as our leaders, and the people the Air Force wants as our leaders. Perhaps some of the buffoonery lately is because so few qualified, motivated people are out there to select for these positions that we end up with whoever is left.

I don't know. It's also tough since you are essentially picking your leadership-path folks as mid-level captains. I bet there are plenty of crusty old guys who would make great commanders due to their experience and willingness to confront their bosses on BS...but we have to give those slots to the young guys to help their careers.

A potentially career-ending job where I will be raked over the coals every time a subordinate makes a mistake? Sign me up!

Better late than never? I submit that we are getting far too involved too soon. http://www.forbes.com/sites/stratfor/2014/09/09/the-virtue-of-subtlety-a-u-s-strategy-against-the-islamic-state/

I'm not opposed to the idea of having certificates, or having the browser configured to look for them. I'm just saying, if your government sites (like PEX, for example) should probably have those certificates updated once in a while so that you aren't conditioning your users to constantly disregard the message that the certificates for a given website are not valid.

I find that hard to believe, since the kids who made Geocities sites actually cared enough about computers to learn basic HTML. Can anyone tell me why the AF has such a hard time with certificates? Every AF website I go to pops up a warning about how the certificates are out-of-date and the website may be trying to spoof me. Related, can anyone tell me why the AF can't figure out how to send me to a new website without using pop-ups? USAA has figured it out. Citibank and Google have figured it out. Yet the AF configures my browser to block pop-ups, then uses pop-ups for every application.

Related. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/03/22/sinkhole-of-bureaucracy/

I'm sure with a little training from Syrian pilots under duress, they'll be top notch aviators in no time.

Just so we're clear...they didn't apologize for beheading Sotloff. They apologized for releasing the video early.

So your assertion is that these radical Islamists have just as much right to come into our society and chop off heads as we do to vote on tax codes and welfare benefits? Because I'm not sure I agree with you that society is obligated to let people with radically opposed ideas, and the willingness to use any means necessary to bend society to those ideas, join the rest of us.

Point...the road is more functional than the F-35. My point is only that with the government spending the money to hire the contractors, the government employees find it much easier and much less hassle to just write another check than to attempt to engage the contractor's lawyers to get the problem fixed for free.

One would think you'd never seen how this works in the military. Military contracts a weapon system, weapon system has unworkable flaws, contractor offers to fix flaws for an additional fee...lather-rinse-repeat over the life of the system.

Damn. We did zero organized PT and bought kegs on two weekends while we were there...and we were #1/7 in the squadron with 2 DGs.

If he's going to refuse to send him to SOS, what do you suppose he's going to put on the PRF?

Perhaps, but if you are so under-performing your senior rater won't send you to SOS, then you probably don't have much longer in the AF anyway.

So, sometime in 2017?

That's what the Navy does. Your O-3 shop chiefs, in addition to "training", "stan/eval", "mobility", are placed in charge of a MX shop.

So, we are cutting people currently on duty...and we're opening the entry requirements to people who are 39 years old and deaf people. Does anyone else feel like we are sending a mixed message here?