Leaderboard

Here's my experience with Wg/leadership. I may even start a column here... If they're gonna offer intelligent--keyword there folks--advice about leadership, flying, or snatch, shut up and listen. If they can't lead, (or fly the jet for that matter) ####### with them!!! It's better than Halo! If they are actually following you, adjust the heading bug just a touch--wait for them to do the same; open a chart, then nod reassuredly...say nothing--let them find what you "found"; constantly mess w/ the lighting during night time (this is an easy one); my favorite: (I call it stupid auto-pilot) kick off the AP at FL350, say, "I just gotta feel the jet once in a while. I think they rerigged the flight controls, but didn't see it in the forms." More frequency = more points--I actually had a 2-star doing this on his own the 2nd time I flew w/ him. If you can work vertigo into the equation/conversation, multiply by 10. Disclaimer: The above "tricks" are usually for the O-7+ who doesn't talk his ass off when he's flying. If he ain't saying something about flying or poontang, they're usually safe bets. If he catches on, a simple "would I do that?" lightens the load, and it's free beer until his cheap ass goes to bed at 8. Aides: They usually do most of the bitching because they wanna give their job to you--they wear the Gen's rank like his wife does. Call your CC before you do this (because you've flown w/ the gen before). The riot act is too short for this douchenozzle O-3 - O-5 shoe trainee. Recite to them General Flight Rules, AFI 11-2F/C whatever, and my dick is bigger than yours--steer way clear of tongue and quill and shoe regs--for he is an expert. Make fun of said aide to Gen Feltersnatch over intercom cuz it's too loud for him to hear. Repeat at will. The O-6: New to actual command w/o a squadron--attached! Careful here. These guys can make you a smoking-hole retired O-4 yesterday. The Col wants placards? Delegate. The Col wants bios? Delegate. The bio nonsense is there guys, just lighten the load. There are enough guys sitting at home playing XBox--me inclusive. THEY can do all that. It take a couple mins. A menial task delegated is a task accomplished... Hey Load! Next week: Dicking with your boss' secretary. Edited for proper use of the words: ###### and ######.

Sorry for the sad stories. Maybe AFSOC has a different focus. I've seen O6 group commanders in AFSOC who not only maintained their IP qual, but were dual qualified in separate MWSs. The last time I flew with a group commander, he showed early for the flight, did more than his share of the planning, was fully engaged during the sortie, flew damn well, and stayed late into the night for the debrief. Question--how many folks are in squadrons where the squadron commander flies regularly in combat?

Really? Your posts are laced with passive aggressive insults to anyone who disagrees with you, which leads to the "BL: ToughShit" response and you get all butt hurt when someone replies...really? Grow a pair of stones. You want to have a debate, fine with me, but your bias serves comes out as sanctimonious elitism. There are huge fiscal issues facing this country and of course no one wants to have their ox gored. A litmus test to determine levels of military retirement based on your type of service....really that is what you have? While the military retirement system is expensive, it is not the problem. From a military budget point of view, the issue is acquisition costs, (O and M for USAF), and Tricare. Spend all the brain-bytes you want fixing those programs but the real issues are the social entitlement programs. Medicare (it will break us), Medicaid, and Social Security (now in the red while leveraging a non-existent trust fund).

Really? Choke yourself.

So wait, now you want to engage on the issues? Or do you still want to "retroactively abort" me? I'm confused... If you don't like my tone, then point taken, but throwing bombs is not the way to correct that. I might sound like a snarky asshole sometimes but based on the usual tone here on BO.net I didn't think that was outside the ops limits for discussion. I agree with everything you wrote here. This issue won't be touched because it's won't really solve the deficit meaningfully, and can't be backed politically. The only reason we're debating this is because the OP linked the army times story about this particular aspect of the Domenici-Rivlin plan. This isn't some pet issue of mine, I can't wait to get my 50% pay if/when I make it to 20. Hell, it's not something that's even gonna change, but, the story was posted and since outside groups are looking at this for ways to save money, I think it's smart to have a discussion among ourselves about what possible alternate systems might be acceptable WRT costs, retention, etc. If those in the military don't have an acceptable counter-proposal to whatever is being brewed up in think tanks and debt commissions, then we'll definitely be forced to bend over and take whatever is coming down the pike. Based on attitudes expressed here, apparently any changes, or even talk of changes, will cause the world to end and/or everyone to seek out guard positions; at least we know where we stand I guess. My idea was based on this premise: We're supposedly saying military retirement (or "retention") benefits are based on having been earned. Logically then, if we all get the same benefits in retirement assuming same rank and TOS, then we have all earned them equally. Really? Some 11B ground-pounder shooting it out in Iraq/Afghanistan has "earned" the same amount of retirement benefits as a desk jockey who's primary job is virtually identical to some GS civilian? We don't get paid equally while on active duty (flight pay, HFP, family sep, etc.), so why the feel-good, everyone's the same attitude once we hit 20 years?