General Chang
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Posts posted by General Chang
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On May 17, 2016 at 6:02 AM, ClearedHot said:
Choke yourself you sanctimonious prick. For the record, you are not as smart as you think you are, you have simply become a mindless part of the collective, endlessly spewing the same old PA verbiage. Here is the thing, I know the game, I’ve done all the in-res schools….ACSC, ASG, War College in DC…and I’ve sat behind the glass doors on the E-Ring as an exec and watched the buffoonery. Playing the $ money card overlooks a GLARING error, we did it to ourselves. The lack of vision from people like Buzz and Zatar is what got us here, for all too long we have been stuck in the endless Do Loop of “we can only have a fifth gen force” and we are paying the price for it in spades. 10 years ago a LOT of very smart people tried to tell them the $ crunch was coming and we could not afford a force of only F-22’s and F-35’s. Despite the fact that on the second night of OIF A-10’s were fighting inside the “Super MEZ”, the seniors insisted we double-down on fifth gen and now we cry when we have no $ to buy anything else. What do you expect when we are flying Raptors that cost $44,000 a flying hour and F-35’s that cost $36,000 a flying hour instead of a mixed high-low fleet that could have economically fought the fight we have been in for the 15 YEARS! Then as we piled ever more coal into the 5th gen steam engine that we couldn’t afford, we decided to cut people to pay the bill, and we took those people from the admin heart of the Squadrons (CSS), where they were needed most…Now, after purposely cutting people we suddenly come to the conclusion that the Air Force is On Verge of Manpower Collapse…freaking brilliant!
Sadly, we had multiple chances to off-ramp this road to perdition and the Navy tried to show us the way like in 2006 when they broke the “no more 4th gen fighters for any service pact.” I was there the day the boss found out the Navy was getting 24 extra Super Hornets and I was in close trail as he barged into the N-8 office screaming explicatives at the CNO and his XP staff. The Navy response “well the Super Hornet is not a 4th gen airplane, it is a 4.5 gen airplane and we probably can’t afford all the F-35’s anyway.” Congress has been more than willing to gift us extra Vipers and Eagles every year, but we foolishly keep saying no and doubled down to the point we had to start closing fighter squadrons to pay the bills. The last ten years have seen a steady retreat from the TacAir redline, No lower than 2,300 fighters!…Ok No lower than 2,100 fighters! There was a huge gasp at 2,000, but we sliced right past that number faster than some late night yaki mandu through your system after a Friday night in Aragon Alley. As we started closing fighter squadrons we suddenly had fewer to fill AEF taskings so the bros and sisters on the end of the whip have to run even faster to make up for the shortage…starting to see the picture now?
When it comes to your "retention tools" again, you don’t get it…what you call having bigger fish to fry than keeping pilots on the right side of the happy meter and using STOP LOSS as a retention tool is the PROOF that the entire thing is a scam. How can senior leaders profess to care about the force, mission first…people always, and say things like “Morale is pretty darn good” almost in the same breath they admit the Air Force is on the verge of a manpower collapse? This CSAF has made countless impassioned speeches about caring for people and “every Airman has a story”, but in the end as you admit the people are just numbers and their happiness doesn’t really matter. I get it that you will never make everyone happy and there will always be sport bitching, but this is something very different. This is the heart of your ability to be an Air Force, your professional pilot force telling you with their feet…”THINGS ARE Fed UP!” Only 38% of the pilot force took the bonus last year and the numbers look worse for this year…so I would submit you better make time to fix the happy meter.
It is not about hating the messenger, it is about hating the smug asshat that parades around the room showing glee in his pronouncements from on high. You represent much of what is wrong with the current system.
Very mature, Colonel. Now that you feel better about yourself, let's discuss facts. A1 misjudged the effects of the 9-yr bonus. I acknowledge that. From the personnel perspective, however, A1 has a specific playbook and specific rules to follow in these scenarios. The AF is desperately trying to get Congress to approve higher bonuses. If successful, this will help slightly with officers on-the-fence. Next, some stop-lossed officers may rebel, but most will do their duty and uphold the core values (all should...we are officers first, as you learned in your schools). We may have to eliminate some of the extraneous additional duties at flying squadrons or authorize more civilians to help. So be it. Finally, a 15- or 20-year ADSC for UPT will have limited effect on the morale of pilots currently in, and the AF will still not have difficulty finding people to sign-up to fly...the novelty of flying never diminishes amongst a population enamored with it. If AF recovers from the pilot shortage down-the-road, A1 can curtail ADSCs. That won't be anytime soon, however, as AF will need to send more current pilots permanently into RPAs for the foreseeable future to meet Army demand for orbits.
Pilots- you can help create a positive environment in your squadrons as we move through these difficult times. Emphasize the positives...flying hour programs are healthy, and pilots moved into the RPA community have the opportunity to establish themselves as leaders in the "community of the future," which can be a huge opportunity to excel. Also, RPA operators are home more, per the spreadsheets. Please help your GO leadership, and we will get through this together. Stay positive. You will sleep better tonight.
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Ok, let's all take a deep breath and take the emotion down a notch. Big picture...HAF has bigger fish to fry than keeping pilots on the right side of the happy meter. Top of the list: finding $$ to recapitalize our fleet. We have tools to (short term) solve a potential pilot shortfall and (long term) ensure it doesn't happen again. No hesitation will occur if we cross the red line. Pilot satisfaction is simply not at the top of the list right now with tools like stop loss, expanded commitments, and (good possibility) expanded bonus options available.
Hate the messenger all you want...fair warning: heed the message.
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Guys, this is easy from the AF perspective...if we start having a significant long-term problem with retention, we'll stop-loss in the near term and move to 15-yr commitments long term. Take it to the bank. And before you pilots start whining on this forum, you knew this would be a possibility when you signed on the bottom line.
The more of your friends that take the bonus, the longer we can put off S.L. and expanded commitments.
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9 hours ago, Spoo said:
And you're posting this on here because.....?
What's your problem, Spoo?
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14 hours ago, TheInner said:
I think I am tracking where BADFNZ is coming from. The ultimate goal of a promotion board is to select individuals who show the potential to excel at the next rank, which is why a SR may elect to leave off some strats if they are heavily weighted towards a lack of breadth. For example, we all agree on this forum that being an expert in your airframe should be a top priority but a PRF that is overwhelming geared towards flying strats (#1/69 IPs, Top 10% ACs, etc) would not "look" appealing to a promotion board that is looking for an officer with future leadership potential (don't hate the player, hate the game). That thought process is why I have seen "decent" strats left off (assuming there is a decent size pool to choose from) to include a lesser strat of a different category or even a strong bullet that highlights FGO potential (lead team of SARM NCOs through MAJCOM inspection over #1/15 Flight Leads from an OPR 3 cycles ago). Of course, if all the strats are #1 type strats it would be hard to argue leaving them off. The PRF also has limited space to relay the SRs message so filling it with "soft" starts may look more like a way of masking a perceived weakness or lack of breadth.
Although determining school selects is not a separate process but a function of taking a slice off the top XX% of the PRFs, a SR could certainly shift focus on a PRF when compared to an individual he/she may be more concerned about simply making the promotion list. I would imagine an individual a SR wants to get promoted but their record isn't great would prioritize grabbing everything remotely positive when compared to an individual the SR is trying to push for school via the promotion board. That person's PRF would probably have some decent bullets/strats left off in order to present the "big picture" of someone who is primed for leadership (more whole person compared to the greatest IP I have ever seen). Although most of us would prefer to have the greatest IP promoted it is not how the system works. So this is why the SR is making the PRF look the best it can, but what is best for one person is not the best for another.
B-E-A-Utiful analysis. People should read, then re-read, then re-re-read this post. Spot on.
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Two very good points.
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13 hours ago, Jaded said:
It's interesting to me that you think this is all a joke. Is it just your contempt for operators that has driven you to be so bad at your job?
Jaded, it is an elegant, quick, easy solution to implement and help alleviate some of the personnel pain in the drone community. Aviators should be the FIRST to embrace this idea.
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1 hour ago, panchbarnes said:
From yesterday's exec help wanted ads:
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Mandatory:
-- Lt Col/Maj may apply
-- Master’s Degree and PME commensurate with grade (In-res or Correspondence)QUALIFICATIONS:
- Mandatory:
-- Non-rated Lt Col or Maj required
-- Master’s Degree and PME commensurate with grade (In-res or Correspondence)Makes sense, if you think about it. People seeking out these jobs voluntarily are looking to put themselves on a trajectory toward Colonel. If they don't already have their Master's degree complete as a Major (and especially Lt Col), the person volunteering for this job is likely to be working on one in the very near future. The GO for whom he/she will be working wants your undivided attention/no distractions (like Master's degrees) for the 1-2 years the exec asst is in the job. These are not run-of-the-mill Sq/CC or even Wg/CC EA jobs.
You guys really needs to open the aperture of your minds a little bit before you come onto his forum and spew about stuff. Critical thinking is appreciated.
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On March 11, 2016 at 7:59 PM, Hot Sauce Hoy said:
I have good job progression and solid strats and good top 10% Maj strats at SQ and WG level, numerous FGO awards including SQ FGOY, and a SR push that strats me 1/5 IAPZ and "if I had a DP, he'd get it" with all the right pushes. My SR didn't have a DP, and I didn't get one at MLR. I feel good about being in a good position but you never really know with a "p" and what the competition is bringing to the table.
Based ONLY on this info, without looking at your record or PRF...you are in good shape.
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This will go a long way toward ensuring the future of the overall rated community. Chalk up a "W" for team A1!
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Gen McDew is a highly-respected senior General at the highest levels of the Pentagon. We should be so lucky for President Obama/ Secretary Carter to nominate him.
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12 hours ago, NKAWTG said:
March ACP numbers were posted. Slight up tick to 37% overall from 35% in February. Last year, about 69% of the bonus takers were early signers. If that trend holds true, then this year's take rate will end up around 42%.
I'm curious what the air staff target is, and what the "sky is falling" number is.
Sky is not falling...between rapid influx of 18x and new enlisted RPA program, things will settle in the next few years. No panic in the P-gon.
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It's not just a 6 month extension, it's an extension to 6 months after your return date. And it works for overseas assignments too, not just deployments.
Busted, not true for a simple overseas PCS. Notice all of the qualifiers throughout the regulation (always includes the statement, "...and was assigned to a U.S. Armed Forces operation..."). Don't count on this regulation saving you unless you've deployed from an overseas assignment.
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Our next TDY is about 2 weeks long and has us flying out of an air base a couple hours drive from the base I am stationed. The Air Force is refusing to stand up a dining hall for the 1000 people it is sending there. Rather, they are providing us a pile of MREs and $3.50 a day, saying that they aren't required to provide anything more than that. I would be more likely to stay in if they took that $50k/yr and provided a minimum quality of life greater than a bare mattress and an MRE. Lacking that basic promise, they can shove that money up their ass.
And you all wonder why there is a rift between those who fly and those who don't. Hmmmm.....
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Noticed the ACP link isn't on MyPers. Wonder if they've taken it down because they don't plan on offering the bonus this year. I mean, if you think about it...why should we have to pay pilots to stay in when they should be fueled by an inherent desire to serve and fly for the Air Force? /GC
It will come...probably same time frame as last year. Perhaps expanded # of "take" years for RPAs (same as 11Fs).
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From what I have seen there is a gaping whole in the RPA incentive pay program. Under the current rule set 18's who go to the staff lose their flight pay, EVEN if they were prior rated. What Einstein came up with that idea when you are trying to develop a professional community of well-developed RPA operators?
Don't worry, hardly any of them are cleared for staff duty.
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Here is one of the many gulfs of misunderstanding we're talking to each other across. When I say ops, I'm not just talking about deployments. They've held fairly steady in my community over the last couple years. Even as deployments have gone away in OIF and OEF those blocks have just been filled by other requirements Non-stop ops is all encompassing of the deployments, TDYs, and intensive home-station training most AFSOC units deal with on a constant basis. There isn't enough of us to go around so we're constantly busy. Most guys come to AFSOC understanding this; most guys relish it. But it gets tiring. A lot of dudes that want to go do something else for a tour aren't released because the manning doesn't support it. School slots for candidates are very difficult to get right now and guys aren't being released in any serious numbers for staff. So they start to get burnt out, bitter, jaded, whatever you want to call it. Lately, a lot of them have ended up punching. I don't believe the sky is necessarily falling in the AF or my community but things are tough right now. We've had over fifteen 12+ year guys leave in the last year for the civilian side; in a community as small as mine the loss of that experience is very difficult to deal with.
Your data may say things are getting better for some communities and in some places it may be true. Those numbers are only part of the whole story. I talked about the lack trust one two star felt was prevalent between senior leadership and the ranks. This little discussion we're having is symbolic of that. You, in the HQ are saying things are super duper awesome and the line guys are saying we're in serious trouble. The reality is somewhere in between I'm sure. Like I said before most dudes have a serious issue with what you spout because it doesn't match the reality they see on the line.
I appreciate your post and recognize some communities face assignment difficulties that others do not. It is unfortunate, but I don't anticipate key strategic personnel decisions being made divorced from the spreadsheets and the numbers. It's the ultimate Moneyball. How can we retain just enough talent for the cheapest price to get the win? Tough, tough questions with tough answers. However, it's what our bosses, the taxpayers, expect us to do.
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One of those 'stressed' career fields was just on the list of overages and it took exactly 1 month after the 2nd round of VSPers separated before the AF started screaming about critical manning for RPA pilots. If the future looks so bleak, why did they just pay a bunch of qualified pilots to separate? I know Creech lost 2 dozen current RPA guys and tons of 11Rs were paid to leave that could have been cross flowed.
The recent Creech generalapalooza gave them a taste of what will be coming over the next 5-7 years. Dangling extra flight pay will not solve the problem, as 11X guys are not eligible for that and most will not sign the ACIP contract and give up their ability to walk. Dudes are sick of spending 1200 hrs a year locked in a box along with dealing with AF active duty BS. The foot voting started last year, in case you missed it, and it will continue.
Yes, the morale problem in some communities is understood and being watched. Not all RPA communities are having morale issues (see Global Hawk). Gen Carlisle is an awesome advocate for the RPA community and will continue to be.
Also, UNTIL multiple years of research conclude the opposite of what we know to be true (throw enough money at a problem and you will fix it), we will continue to fix our issues with money. It's easy, it's proven, and it doesn't fail. And, as I've posted before...it's cheap! Bonuses and special pays are so inexpensive for the return that we get. We could spend quadruple on bonuses and special pays, and they would be cheap. (Enough) people's time can be bought for cheap to keep the meat machine going.
I know that I rub some of you raw dealing in black-and-white, 1's-and-0's, but that's how sausage is made. If you get away from the facts and start making policy based on emotion, we'll end up so far off-track we won't be able to recover. That's the stark truth, ladies and gentlemen. Is A1 a meat factory? From a certain perspective, the answer must be yes, all day, every day.
Jesus, Chang. You're like my dog that keeps shitting on the kitchen floor and then looks at me like he has no idea why I'm so pissed. Again.
The Guard thanks you for cutting all those "underperformers." Many of them are finding homes where their hard work is actually valued.
I don't doubt you are pissed. Unfortunately, in this life, you are not "owed" anything, and I believe that to be the basis of your anger.
Nobody thinks they are an underperformer; however, in the overage year groups and communities, we cut the bottom of the eligibles. Again, facts are facts. Don't get caught-up in the emotion of the right-sizing efforts or you will go insane.
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Chang, do you think there will be opportunities for more pilots to get out early this year or next? Maybe transition to the guard?
Things are constantly changing, but as of right now there are no plans to bring back opportunities like last year. We are just about right-sized (with a few minor balancing issues), and we anticipate sequestration will go away. If it doesn't go away...you will likely see more "opportunities," and quickly.
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Do you really think the majority of the people who frequent these forums (a lot of whom make daily life or death decisions employing airpower in combat) don't have pride in what they do, know that they're part of the 0.5% that volunteered to serve, and recognize the responsibilities of their positions? Your "voice of optimism" comes across as real condescending, especially considering the amount of operational experience present among the guys on this forum. A lot of guys on here are bitter and disillusioned for good reason; toxic leadership, 13 years of deployments, constant instability, and, up until recently, a promotion system that didn't always focus on what's important. That doesn't mean they're out there actively poisoning the AF youth, on the contrary, most of the guys on here are pulling the serious weight in line squadrons. Dudes want their units to succeed, it's often difficult to believe that will happen when a lot of the O6-O7 level leadership comes across as careerist managers that actively resist the course the CSAF is trying to chart. AFPC's actions and messaging lately hasn't done anything to reinforce a sense that the AF knows what its doing with its people.
If you truly have insight into the intricacies of the A1/personnel system, a lot of guys on here would be thrilled to listen. Your "voice of optimism" posts fall flat on an audience that deals with the difficult realism of non-stop ops with lessening personnel and resources.
'Sigh'. We can debate the resources aspect, but non-stop ops? Really? The numbers simply do not back that up, my friend. Dwell times continue to get better and better.
I'm rooting for you to get a Pentagon job out of ACSC this summer, hopefully here in A1. It will really open you aperture.
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The "big hand in the sky" certainly controls how many of those ALFA slots get dumped on a squadron.
But then, where else will you dump them? Gotta feed the machine somehow...those 365's aren't going to fill themselves, even with the drawdowns. Lord forbid some SQ/CC or WG/CC in a desert location have to list that he led fewer people than his predecessor.
Point taken. The 365 non-vols are a function of the computer algorithm. The slots are a function of overseas & Pentagon GOs, and yes, work continues to make sure the numbers are right.
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Don't forget...we cut a current, qualified evaluator WSO, completely qualified in the newest block of the B-1 (one of like 8 dudes dual-qualified)...and in the mean time, 12B manning was so bad we brought back a guy who has been out of the aircraft for 8 years, non-instructor, as a LtCol, to go back through the B-course. Good dude, sure...but is that really a great trade? What's the ROI on a guy who could train dozens of new guys on the newest evolution of the jet versus a guy who isn't a qualified instructor and will be lucky to fly twice a month, when the squadron isn't trying to train the new guys for the next deployment?
No system is going to nail the perfect solution, and despite the botched information flow from A1 in 2014...I'd say we hit a homerun on the non-voluntary reductions.
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The funniest thing about Chang's posts on here is that, at least at AF IDE (a program Chang talks up), the senior leader guest speakers specifically reject the kind of officer he presents himself as. Most of the 2-4 stars that come here to talk are very candid about the long list of problems and challenges the AF currently faces. Last week a senior leader asked the audience if they thought there was a serious lack of trust between senior leadership and the rest of force, to which almost the entire audience raised their hands affirmative. This 2 star thought that a lack of trust in the AF was one of the biggest leadership problems in the AF today. This week a 3 star briefed that many of the AF promotion and personnel practices were inefficient and out of date. He also mentioned that "yes men" were a serious problem in the force. Multiple four stars here have noted that, with the really tough fiscal times ahead, the AF needs no shit leadership; "yes men" and guys unable use brutal, honest assessments of the state of their units aren't going to cut it.
The military studies courses here give numerous examples of how in combat (an experience that I suspect Chang knows very little about), guys like him get their people killed. Officers like him also contribute to an institutional rot (LtCol Tater Tots and the missile fields article comes to mind, followed by a blood bath of firings of leadership despite same leadership saying everything great, nothing to see here) that is dangerous for a lot of reasons. His contributions here aren't helpful and fly in the face of most of the guidance being put out by the leaders he holds in such high regard.
On the contrary, while I acknowledge we are always a work-in-progress, I offer the voice of optimism to the young officers who read the daily sadness that BODN has become. The opportunity to serve in the Blue is a fantastic honor and responsibility...I want our young guys to take pride in that, not become disillusioned and bitter. We are a long, long, LONG way from the problems of the mid-to-late 1990's, and most of the bloggers here weren't around then to even understand how good things are now.
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Chang, just wondering, did you wash out of UPT, or did flight screening serve its intended purpose?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I know you meant this tongue-in-cheek, but to answer your question, no, I did not wash out of pilot training.
I have an admiration for our rated force. I also appreciate the support force and recognize their value. As few support officers peruse the BODN blogs (compared to operators), I want to make sure they understand the importance of their contributions.
As for those working tirelessly on staffs, thank you, thank you, thank you for what you do.
SOS/ACSC information
in General Discussion
Posted
Too bad...these slots are huge leadership opportunities for those who earn them. Money in the airlines isn't everything. The Air Force provides leadership opportunities you'll never find on the outside.