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08Dawg

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Posts posted by 08Dawg

  1. 14 hours ago, Kiloalpha said:

    To make matters even worse, there's only two Reserve Component units that those 11B's can apply their talents to if they felt so inclined. It's a direct loss of talent.

    Even further complicating the issue is that most of the 11Bs who do go reserves are min-participating TRs and fly their 737 or A320 more than a Buff or Bone.  Good on them, but bad on us for not doing what's necessary to make it worth their while to stick around on a more full-time basis. 

    I know the AFPC functional, and I trust his intentions are good.  The intent isn't being met at the OG level.  We had two inbound instructors picked off for other on-base assignments just recently.  FTU Priority 1, right?  Not so much, it seems...

    • Upvote 2
  2. The 11B exodus to fill white jet cockpits has already begun with no sign that it's getting better. Our line squadrons and FTU are already feeling the resultant pinch. All those guys were ACs six months to a year from IP upgrade, and now they're gone.  The Buff FTU is getting a T-1 FAIP and a new UPT T-1 grad in our next class, so it seems Chang's nefarious plan is already in motion. 

    • Upvote 1
  3. 14 hours ago, Pmike said:

    Gents, 

    Im currently a fresh 2LT in Maintenance pursuing a pilot slot. Got picked up for pilot in ROTC but got med DQd for "migraines". Other than that had a perfect FC1. However I got examined by a retired Air Force neurologist who examined my records (from ten years ago) and confirmed I was mis-diagnosed and cleared for all flying class physicals. Submitted the supplemental paperwork and got denied by the AF SG. Now I want to pursue flying again and think I can get around the "migraine" issue. I have 42 private flying hours and need to take my check ride for my ppl. My AFOQT scores (almost 5 years old now) are low but I didn't study when I took it. The numbers I got my pilot slot with are:

    PCSM:55

    AFOQT pilot: 53

    Flying hours: 40

    along with excellent strat, PT, and other factors. Took the AFOQT before my flying experience by the way.

    Any advice from you guys? I am really passionate about flying and will do whatever it takes to get another slot!

     

    Thanks!

    Dude, without sounding like a downer....Air Force medical has a stick up their collective asses about migraines.  We just had to drop a guy from the Buff FTU for nausea-induced migraines, and even though he'd never gotten them in anything other than the Buff (nothing during IFT or UCT) they DQ'd him from ALL flying.  Just be aware, you may have a hard fight on your hands, AF SG's screw up or not.  Good luck!

  4. 19 hours ago, bennynova said:

    Deborah Lee James changed the boards so that the "best" packages get promoted regardless of year group

     

    . Thus lowering the effective promotion rate of the ITZ year group

     

    bord is no longer allowed to discriminate based on year group

     

    Enjoy it while it lasts

     

    Although, this helped two of our guys (both good dudes who should've made it before) make it one above this year.  Having two boards in a calendar year tells me we're hurting for majors, so IMHO this isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

  5. 2 hours ago, tac airlifter said:

    What do you mean it hits close to home?  You mean an aircraft projected for IOC in 2030 might be flown by people offended with the name association of a 2008 crash?  Not trying to be rude, I'm just perplexed by what the issue is.  I think raider sounds badass.  

    I'm not even saying I have an issue with it.  Just saying that it kinda struck a nerve with some crewdogs in the Buff community.  But yay, heritage...

    • Downvote 1
  6. On 9/21/2016 at 8:12 PM, Waingro said:

    Or maybe it's a nod to the mission where we lost 16 aircraft and the lives of 7 men to attack Japan. Sorry, but your community doesn't have the lock on airmen making the ultimate sacrifice.

    No we don't, but it IS a bomber that will be crewed by some of the same crewdogs that had friends on RAIDR 21.  Just saying that some have said it hits close to home. 

    • Downvote 3
  7. 11 hours ago, b52gator said:

    I'd like to think it was intentional, but a nice salute to Raider-21.  

    I know there's a segment of the Buff community that does not feel the same way.  Some say it looks like Big Blue has no SA and that they tagged an aircraft with the same callsign as a jet that crashed and took the lives of six men with it. 

    • Upvote 1
    • Downvote 4
  8. On 9/6/2016 at 7:19 AM, gearpig said:

    I honestly don't believe, as a whole, we are as in poor shape as some might think. Below is a map I found interesting. Allegedly, it shows where 50% of the US population resides. Lots of conclusions to be drawn...

    tnb2Mcu.png

    Like stay the hell out of Southern California...

    • Upvote 1
  9. 13 hours ago, wazzuPIC said:

    I'm on my third and final attempt at the AD UFT board.  Currently an Instructor WSO with 77 PCSM, PPL, strong letter of recommendation, and hoping to be granted a TFCSD ETP.   My next PCSM hurdle with regard to flight hours is 201+ which would get me to an 81, and cost me about ten grand.  The AFOQT I took 10 years ago is dragging my PCSM down.  It's been about that many years since I had a good grip on the AFOQT components that comprise the Pilot and Nav scores, so I'm pretty concerned that I'd tank it if I used my second attempt at it.  It's anyone's guess if I can scrape by on the whole person concept, just wondering if folks would recommend that I buckle down and try to raise my scores or let it ride.

    If nothing else, a cautionary tale to the young dudes reading this with time left to affect their scores.

    Dude, I did one night of cramming for the AFOQT, took it, and my PCSM went from a 55 to an 89.  Pilot score went from a 65 to a 92.  I'd do a little studying and go rage through it.  I'm sure you'd do fine. 

    • Upvote 1
  10. 21 hours ago, Prosuper said:

    I'm reading about an USMC General telling the troops to turn off the cell phones and get off the grid. Later on they talk about the Navy turning off the GPS and doing celestial navigation.My question is when was the last time the USAF navigator put a sextant through the port to shoot stars? If we ever get into a WW3 type shooting war one would think our GPS satellites would be a priority target as much as an aircraft carrier . http://breakingdefense.com/2016/08/turn-off-that-iphone-commandant-tells-marines/

    I know of one, maybe two very crusty, very senior Lt Col Buff IRs that would even begin to know how to do this.  We as a community don't have the equipment or the knowledge.  That being said...Laser ring INUs have made this more or less obsolescent.  I don't need a GPS to be accurate. 

    • Upvote 1
  11. B-52H

    Ops Tempo/Deployment-  Stable. 18 months home station, 6 deployed, although with the Buff now back in the fight against ISIS this paradigm might change. Deployments have been to Guam alone for the past decade. A generation of Buff guys grew up knowing nothing but golf, scuba diving and snorkeling as their "deployments". What the future holds remains to be seen. In an Ops unit, if you're at KBAD you can expect to see Minot twice a year for STRATCOM exercises. Throw in an occasional Red Flag and 30 hour round trip flight to some far off corner of the globe and that pretty much completes your sight picture. 

    Morale- not bad and getting better. Leadership varied wildly by squadron and wing, and I've seen the worst and the best. Small community, so you get to know each other pretty well. Getting back into the fight has done a lot to give some of the queep some meaning. I'd say it's also pretty family friendly. Work days are what you make them. Some people pull 8-5 and do fine, while others live to work. YMMV. 

    Advancement- if you want to advance in the Buff, you're pretty much destined for WIC. The pilot portion of the community is currently getting pillaged to backfill all the 11F white jet slots so if that's your cup of tea, chances are good. 

    Airframe outlook- Boeing says we've got longevity into the mid 2040s. Like our Bone brethren, we're going through a fleet-wide upgrade called CONECT which is really beefing up our communications and giving us data link capability. A new radar and possibly new engines are on the horizon . 

    Location- do you want to melt in the summer or freeze in the winter?  Louisiana or North Dakota are your two options. 

    • Upvote 3
  12. The good news here is that the Buff is now in combat.  It'll be a minute or two before most of those crewdogs are eligible for Striker Vista, but I think having both the non-LO bombers in the fight will eventually help smooth that transition. 

    • Upvote 1
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