I posted the link in the sequestration thread, but the Army has already suspended its TA program "indefinitely" due to budget cuts.

abmwaldo,

I recently completed the AU OLMP and you can start RE5610 without a topic but you will have to pick something pretty quick to start completing the assignments. In theory, you could survive the whole first research elective still narrowing down your topic with it changing slightly week to week but I would recommend having a solid topic at the start of the second research electives course so that you spend all your time fine tuning your paper versus fine tuning your topic and then rushing to turn that into your paper.

I'm about to complete the academic courses for the AU OLMP. Anyone taken their Research Electives and do you really need to have a topic selected prior to enrolling in the first one?

I just started the research electives 1 class - the professor is much more intense than any of the other courses and you need to have a good hack at your topic in week 1. The course is front loaded (multiple assignments due each week for the first half). The professor is very critical of most topic suggestions, and it's difficult to find something interesting since you're limited to open-source/unclass stuff. I would have three topic ideas when you start so you can get one "approved" and narrowed down quickly.

Please God, cut TA for master's degrees. Maybe they'll get masked, people can stop working on masters at work, and they can focus on little things... like their job.

You know, if CSAF decides to mask the AAD for promotion boards, it still doesn't get masked from your WG/CC (the guy who hands out the DP/P). He also sees the completion year.

You know, if CSAF decides to mask the AAD for promotion boards, it still doesn't get masked from your WG/CC (the guy who hands out the DP/P). He also sees the completion year.

A journey of a million miles starts with a single step.

You know, if CSAF decides to mask the AAD for promotion boards, it still doesn't get masked from your WG/CC (the guy who hands out the DP/P). He also sees the completion year.

Which is why it shouldn't be tracked at all by the AF until after you make O-4. Eliminate the entire degree section on an officer's SURF up to O-4.

Won't happen, of course. And management (not leadership) will continue to be perplexed at why everyone is leaving.

You know, if CSAF decides to mask the AAD for promotion boards, it still doesn't get masked from your WG/CC (the guy who hands out the DP/P). He also sees the completion year.

True, but at least it will only count "once", instead of it contributing to both your Wg strat/DP as well as the board's scoring.

A pipe dream, but I would rather see him direct CCs to rank/strat based on job performance alone and would mask AAD/PME completion from all CCs (and not the board)... Then let the board look at the "whole" person.

True, but at least it will only count "once", instead of it contributing to both your Wg strat/DP as well as the board's scoring.

A pipe dream, but I would rather see him direct CCs to rank/strat based on job performance alone and would mask AAD/PME completion from all CCs (and not the board)... Then let the board look at the "whole" person.

They'd have to ditch those fancy rainbow charts, or ribbon charts, or whatever the fuck they are...since the AAD block is right there. If you haven't seen these abominations, they have every box you're expected to fill.

AMC: SOS Res (DG/Top 3rd), Flt/CC, MWS (IP/EP), Special Programs (WIC, Phoenix Horizon, ARLOC, STARNOM, Aide de Camp), CCE (Level), AAD (School/Specialty), IDE Cor, IDE Res, Staff, HAF, Joint, SDE Cor, SDE Res, DT Vector.

Blah, blah, blah-blah, blah.

For what it is worth, when CSAF visited our base, he specifically said he is going to looking into masking the degree. No timeline mentioned

For what it is worth, when CSAF visited our base, he specifically said he is going to looking into masking the degree. No timeline mentioned

Oh, I believe it. He's been promising his vector soon, and I honestly believe he'll choose to mask the degree. It just makes sense...besides, there might not be TA for much longer.

No joke. I know a late-rated captain that voluntarily got a second Masters degree because he thought it would help make up for his not being an instructor by the time his board met.

This is the shit that kills me. Welsh should immediately: remove the tracking of AAD from Prism, Surf, DQHB, Mil-friggin-pds, etc. That's it. One simple edict to AFPC...delete one little data block from the database. Problem solved. Forever.

This is the shit that kills me. Welsh should immediately: remove the tracking of AAD from Prism, Surf, DQHB, Mil-friggin-pds, etc. That's it. One simple edict to AFPC...delete one little data block from the database. Problem solved. Forever.

...until the next guy decides it's a good idea, and adds it again. As with everything in the military, this is just going to be one extreme of the swinging pendulum...

They'd have to ditch those fancy rainbow charts, or ribbon charts

I got a chubby just thinking about the possibility of that... A commander forced to look at the quality of his people and not be able to quantify his cattle based on an excel spreadsheet. What's next?Actual mentoring done in person, cats and dogs sleeping together, SOS becoming like an island on Survivor where only the strong survive...crazy talk.

I got a chubby just thinking about the possibility of that... A commander forced to look at the quality of his people and not be able to quantify his cattle based on an excel spreadsheet. What's next?Actual mentoring done in person, cats and dogs sleeping together, SOS becoming like an island on Survivor where only the strong survive...crazy talk.

"2". I literally got sick to my stomach when I first saw a ribbon chart template.

"Oh cool, I can now rack and stack my people without actually taking the time to know them," said the senior rater.

Ugh.

Masking is not the answer. ...for all the reasons above and more.

Cut the funding! If that happens, AMU and Toro disappear. It might be tough for a couple of folks caught in the middle, but it is best for everyone in the long run.

Let it burn!

This. Seriously. Not just sport-bitching.

Along with masking, make it so that the only way people can get a Masters is by getting SENT to get one. Our current leaders have to absolutely bury this requirement and make it difficult to get back up and running if people are going to take it seriously. Masking alone, while a good sign in the short term, does nothing a couple of years down the line.

Here's hoping the CSAF's vector says something along the lines of "If you are below the rank of Major, I need you to focus on your primary job." That would be the proof in the pudding.

Gents I'm just not sure how they will ever be able to completely drop AADs from records. Would they shut down AFIT and all other advanced degree programs? They would have to to hide degrees, otherwise the training reports still exist as does completion status. What about the many jobs out there that require a master's degree? How do they manage the people that have to have a masters or PhD for their assignment?

I don't like the system and I despised wasting two years of my life on something I didn't want, but I honestly don't know if there is a reasonable solution.

They can easily add an identifier to the existing PME blocks to indicate if an advanced degree was awarded via the means you described. The difference is that people were SENT to those programs. That's a huge difference.

They can easily add an identifier to the existing PME blocks to indicate if an advanced degree was awarded via the means you described. The difference is that people were SENT to those programs. That's a huge difference.

Exactly...The AF wants to sit on two stools with one ass. They want an educated force but then don't want to dedicate time/appropriate resources (250/credit hr is a joke) to have people get degrees they need for true career development. I think the answer is for the AF to recognize folks that get into competitive programs (i.e. AFIT, CSAF prestigious PHD, Olmsted, IDE masters, etc...) by displaying these programs on SURFS, DVBs as they currently do. This gives credit to people that are selected for these programs while not punishing people that didn't get masters. The masking system would definitely work. Today, the system has evolved into a "for profit" joke where the air forces' intended goal of creating "warrior scholars" evolved bureaucratically into a money maker for diploma mills and an AF that celebrates box checking over tactical proficiency.

Edited March 10, 201312 yr by spaw2001

The AF wants to sit on two stools with one ass.

Great analogy.

Great analogy.

We'll have to take your word for it.

Navs seem to know a lot about stool and ass.

There is more to the masters puzzle than our own promotions, and that is competition with the other services.

"Look Jon, I know you boys think you've got worldwide experience with all that sailing and port calling, but my boys have more masters degrees than you and thus we should get more spots in the joint staff."

AF News: AF claims its the "most educated" service with all its TCU TUI or "wherever nsplayr went to school" degrees.

Out

Edit: better?

Edited March 10, 201312 yr by disgruntledemployee

AF News: AF claims its the "most educated" service with all its TCU degrees.

What's your problem with Texas Christian University?

Edited March 10, 201312 yr by nsplayr

What about the many jobs out there that require a master's degree? How do they manage the people that have to have a masters or PhD for their assignment?

The same way the rest of the humans do it. Require a copy of diploma and/or transcript as part of the nomination package/application. Unpossible!

We'll have to take your word for it.

Navs seem to know a lot about stool and ass.

Well, since the discussion is about Master's degrees....From reading some of these comments there's a Masters (at least) in abnormal psych floating around in here somewhere.....I've got a copy of "Sex and the Aviator" (video isn't too good)....Naval flight surgeon addresses some of these "issues" but not quite at this detail.

............He kept using the word gentlemen, pretty old fashioned....................

The same way the rest of the humans do it. Require a copy of diploma and/or transcript as part of the nomination package/application. Unpossible!

That would require said commander or board to actually read something instead of just look at a sheet of checked boxes.

Edited March 11, 201312 yr by Scaredfuzz21