What's wrong with the Air Force?

[disgruntledemployee]

Can someone post these dudes email addresses?  Maybe some counseling from the retired is in order.

[arg]

The standards I worked on. I was in Stan/Eval so standards were in there somewhere.

If dude on the ground wanted a round of 105 he better get it. Right where and when he wanted it. And another

If the gunners mustache was too long, I didn't give a shit.

If the nav had the wrong color purse,  I didn't give a shit.

If the eng had his hat on backwards,  I didn't give a shit.

If the pilot had the wrong socks,  I didn't give a shit.

 

[Guest nsplayr]

7 hours ago, Boomer6 said:

Anyone have serious ideas on why we're doing uniform inspections? I have trouble believing the general's actually believe they're is a connection to uniform inspections and defeating china.

Impotent dicklessness.

They can’t figure out how to get us where we need to be to deter/defeat China (if the current admin even plans to contest a potential takeover of Taiwan…that’s a whole other new can of worms…), so they focus on this.

They don’t know how to improve retention, reform & accelerate the acquisition of new and more weapons, or how to leverage America’s built in advantages against our adversaries. They are yes-men who are now tripping over themselves to show dutiful compliance.

But they can do this. They can make me and my airmen stand out in the parking lot every 3 months literally navel gazing. I’m assuming during drill, where I should be spending my time training and taking care of those same airmen rather than policing morale patches or moostaches.

They can’t do the hard thing so they will do this thing.

[Guest nsplayr]

Also wanted to add that if/when I am asked to actually conduct one of these inspections, I will not make a single comment or note about an airman’s uniform. I plan to only ask questions about how they are doing, how’s their family doing, what can the command do better to take care of them, do you have everything you need to accomplish the mission, etc.

If the dickless Bobs are gonna piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining, pretending to make this about “readiness and resiliency,” I am more than happy to very specifically focus on that intent and have zero notes about bullshit stuff that IDGAF about.

Do the same. You have to salute and follow lawful orders, but you don’t have to play their bullshit games.

Focus on the airmen and the mission and I promise you you’ll never have enough time in the day to care about anything else that is rightfully ancillary.

Edited February 6 by nsplayr

[busdriver]

9 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

The pendulum constantly swings back and forth

Quoted for truth.

From blues is the normal office uniform, to everyone is a warrior in BDUs, to blues Mondays.  Masters, no master, masters, no masters.  Uniform inspections, OREs/ORIs, etc. etc. etc.

A wise man once said, "learn to notch" and focus on the actually important shit.

[Swizzle]

20 hours ago, Boomer6 said:

It's the classic Jurassic Park illusion of control.

You use a shitty website to search job listings that you have the quals/year grp/knee pads for, and rank your top choices. If the CC who posted the listings also swipes right on you then you get a match. 

AFPC takes this match and does the following:

 

On assignments/dreamsheets/pipe-dreams: 

Defense Resources Management Institute in Monterrey, CA and myself each marked each other number one/matched, after I was interviewed by their hiring/screening panel which went very well (having a Master's in Finance and university teaching certificate helped). Then when the wait was over, AFPC gave me orders to FTU not DRMI. At the time was coming non-current/unqualified from 30 months non-flying AU Fellowship. They said needed IP ASAP to pacing unit, to make the 'sausage'. So end up at FTU to secondary method requal which wasn't yet approved, then when approved took six month to get RQ ride one scheduled and complete first attempt. Said F-it send me to check in ride two, passed. That's was 25% of the assignment time before departing. #AFPC+FTUwinning

[dream big]

8 hours ago, SocialD said:

 

 

Of course they are all in on, it's a survival instinct.  I remember back in UPT a crusty reservist talking about how you see pilots get into whatever the new boss is into.  If he's a big church person, everyone finds Jesus.  If they're into biking, everyone gets bikes, etc....  At our UPT base, the WG/CC loved biking, so there were lots of bikers.  When I showed up to Luke, the WG/CC was into crossfit (or his wife was) and so suddenly crossfit was the thing to do.  He even made the studs do it during academics.  

And if your boss is into dudes? 

[SocialD]

22 minutes ago, dream big said:

And if your boss is into dudes? 

 

 

That's mostly an Eagle problem.  

Edited February 7 by SocialD

[Lord Ratner]

2 hours ago, SocialD said:

 

 

That's mostly an Eagle problem.  

Beat me to it!

[ClearedHot]

16 hours ago, nsplayr said:

Also wanted to add that if/when I am asked to actually conduct one of these inspections, I will not make a single comment or note about an airman’s uniform. I plan to only ask questions about how they are doing, how’s their family doing, what can the command do better to take care of them, do you have everything you need to accomplish the mission, etc.

If the dickless Bobs are gonna piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining, pretending to make this about “readiness and resiliency,” I am more than happy to very specifically focus on that intent and have zero notes about bullshit stuff that IDGAF about.

Do the same. You have to salute and follow lawful orders, but you don’t have to play their bullshit games.

Focus on the airmen and the mission and I promise you you’ll never have enough time in the day to care about anything else that is rightfully ancillary.

 

[GKinnear]

[HuggyU2]

I was at an event recently with Canadian military personnel, and they appeared to have eliminated "traditional grooming standards".  I asked a Canadian I was with and he said they had pretty much done away with traditional grooming standards in an effort to get more recruits.  Don't know if he was 100% accurate, but the face piercings, partially shaven heads, and colored hair seemed to indicate he was.  Don't get me wrong:  everyone I saw looked well put together... it's just a departure from what most of us have seen.  Much like beards in the AF:  the vast majority I've seen are very well kept.  I mean, spectacularly GQ-nice.  

So how does DoD go forward?  Do we adapt a standard that is more in line with perceived societal grooming norms, and is more "big picture", and less about gig lines?

[brabus]

Have not validated this, but heard yesterday CSAF says long term shaving waivers are dead and if people have actual skin irritation problems, they should learn to shave better/use steroid cream. I DGAF about all the guys who are probably total BS artist regarding the waiver, but I’m sure there are dudes with real skin issues - sucks for them.

[Biff_T]

16 hours ago, dream big said:

And if your boss is into dudes? 

You'll get a sq full of flawless gig lines!   

Nothing makes an airman fly better than perfect uniforms backed up by endless quarterly meat gazzing parties.  

As a former Evaluator, I used to line up the crew (crews for formation) outside of the briefing room to take a good look at their crotches.   Some of the best aviators I knew had perfect gig lines.  Perfectly lined up shirts, belts and pants equaled an instant EQ!  No need to fly.  I knew they were good.  

Edit: The one piece flight suit made gig lines pretty easy to evaluate.  I hooked a guy once because he had a mangina zipper.

The two piece flight suit was more fun, you could really get into the nooks and crannies.   I only allowed them to put on their body armor once the lines were properly gigged.   

The gig line check should be incorporated into the before landing checklist AF wide.  The last step.

Gig Line.................."Checked"

Before landing checklist...... "Completed"

Even you fighter guys need to be checking your gigs before landing. 

Flight leads are responsible for the lines for the formation.   

Also, we will add the gig check as a step into your ingress and egress checklists.    

This should stop the accidents and increase lethality. 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 7 by Biff_T
Afterthought

[jonlbs]

I’m surprised this dude hasn’t been fired yet. His ethos seems opposite of what SECDEF and co are looking for?

probably just isnt on their radar yet?

 

Hegseth - “He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting, accountability and readiness.” 

[snoopyeast]

I just had flashbacks to The Rat flipping his lid over untucked zipper pull tabs at the Deid.

[SurelySerious]

I’m surprised this dude hasn’t been fired yet. His ethos seems opposite of what SECDEF and co are looking for?
probably just isnt on their radar yet?
 
Hegseth - “He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting, accountability and readiness.” 

What if he’s falling on his uniform obsession sword to get fired?

[Biff_T]

12 minutes ago, SurelySerious said:

What if he’s falling on his uniform obsession sword to get fired?

Only if he has a hand ball gig (not gig line) lined up for after retirement.  

I have heard that he has the best hand ball maneuvering capabilities since Nam.  Got to get those golden hands on to some balls!

[ClearedHot]

24 minutes ago, SurelySerious said:

What if he’s falling on his uniform obsession sword to get fired?

Nah...these guys are poltical animals....he has shaped a narrative to SECAF and SECDEF..."Sir we are returning to warfighter standards in order to increase lethality."  Trust me, I've seen these clowns in action.  It will take an organic revolt to get words to Pete to see what is really going on.

[17D_guy]

2 hours ago, Biff_T said:

Only if he has a hand ball gig (not gig line) lined up for after retirement.  

I have heard that he has the best hand ball maneuvering capabilities since Nam.  Got to get those golden hands on to some balls!

I knew where this would end up and still loved the journey and destination.

[Bumpass Ball]

5 hours ago, jonlbs said:

His ethos seems opposite of what SECDEF and co are looking for?

Hardly, It's coming from the top.

 

[Guest nsplayr]

5 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

It will take an organic revolt to get words to Pete to see what is really going on.

I don’t think Pete is going to be an ally in quashing this stuff, see above. Broken windows theory and all.

(sic) “If you can’t line up your gig line how can you line up on the ILS?” 🙄

Edited February 7 by nsplayr

[Lord Ratner]

The problem has never been adhering to the grooming standards. The problem was the standards themselves. Beards can have standards. Mustaches too, without looking like a butthole brush. There are more ways to look professional than a high and tight. 

Set the rules to a reasonable level, then enforce.

[Biff_T]

4 hours ago, nsplayr said:

If you can’t line up your gig line how can you line up on the ILS?” 🙄

This.

On one checkride, I observed a Pilot blow through the ILS on base to final.  He had no idea how this could have happened. So I intervened, to let him know that he forgot to check that he had the right course dialed in and that this was a direct result of the the Pilot neglecting to check his gig on the downwind.  This created an electric phenomenon, causing the aircraft's ILS to malfunction.  It was a shame, the dude was a good Pilot, but I had to teach him a lesson.  Unfortunately for him, he did this during a checkride so my hands were tied.   The only man I ever saw cry during a debrief.   The last that I heard, he transitioned to be a woman Pilot flying rubber dog shit out of  Hong Kong.  

Edited February 8 by Biff_T
Afterthought

[Biff_T]

6 hours ago, 17D_guy said:

I knew where this would end up and still loved the journey and destination.

Lol