grasshopper

There I was, standing on the flightline, getting ready to step to the turbofan.

If they sent me in-residence I would do it. I think there is a lot of value in the face-to-face sharing of experiences and networking to solve bigger Air Force problems, engage with different perspectives, and grow as a leader and a person. I’m with you on the content. I also started SDE in-correspondence at one point after much encouragement by my leadership, and it wasn’t for me. What I saw in SDE online was not engaging enough that I felt like it was worth the time it required - and I have a hard time BSing. I stopped after giving it the old college try when I was prompted to write about real-world challenges and leadership dilemmas… I felt that I actually needed to dedicate my time to those real-world things instead of sitting in front of a computer. Plus, writing at the sub-FOUO level felt a bit inane when they wanted you to use real examples.

56.7% and 56.1% in 2022 and 2021, respectively, in the zone. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2022/08/03/over-500-airmen-promoted-to-colonel-as-open-slots-stagnate/ Someone might drastically increase their chances by doing SDE in-correspondence, but even with that, those numbers are more than fogging a mirror. I don’t plan on doing SDE in-correspondence. The jobs I’m being asked to do and the people I’m being asked to lead at this stage, and my family, deserve better. I’m not going to divide my time further. But I’m also not going to take a dump on the people doing it and getting promoted. I’ve not once been able to say this life is easy, and if they want more of it and can, or are willing to do what the system is asking of them, good on them.

Seems like a weird comment. Trolling? The data shows that back in your day the promotion rate to O-6 was 45%. Today the promotion opportunity is 50%. Also today, most pilots are promoted within the same competitive category, so they’re mainly competing against each other and not the bigger Air Force.