Leaderboard

Flipping the safety on after each shot is a poor technique that would get most people killed. The carbine courses have so many different techniques, and some sound totally crazy but happen to work for one guy one time. Great training all, but I think that particular technique would get the majority of people killed. Sky cops fall squarely in the average majority. Bottom line is this guys is a total idiot, whether or not this particular technique is valid and used by someone at Magpul. The conceptual idea that one absolutely must get the uniform standard right all the time or you simply aren't qualified to fight the war is fundamentally flawed. The true professional puts everything on a hierarchy of importance, a hierarchy that changes depending on many variables. As operators we're very comfortable living like this, and we usually call it SA. Sometimes your gas state is the most important thing, sometimes it's the weather, sometimes it's the mission then the icing on your wings, and when the critical part of the mission is over you RTB the area because now the icing is most important. The hierarchy is always changing, and a good flyer stays aware of what's at the top and the handful of items under it. This idea of juggling a group of variables which all slide up and down the priority list used to confuse the shit out of me in pilot training, resulting in my average performance. But with a few thousand hours it's natural to all of us. And I think this is why we all know his argument is bullshit, but an articulate response is hard because the concept is so simple. We think "of course my mission planning is more important than having my sleeves rolled down." Or "of course I put my sunglasses on my head, I'm doing shit with my hands." And that's the issue with this guy, and this entire school of thought with non-operators that if you can't get the uniform right how can you fly an airplane? They think "how can you possibly do the important things when you can't get this thing right?" And we think "how can you possibly worry about the unimportant things when there are so many others that matter?" Of course our perspective is right and theirs is wrong. We prove that by flying successful missions everyday wearing baseball hats with a dip in our mouth; and if they understood priorities they wouldn't correct an officer about a minor uniform violation by yelling at him in public-- a customs and courtesies breach that manifests their inability to differentiate importance levels between issues. The only possible fix to our plight (two incompatible schools of thought) is leadership. Leadership must set the standard and leadership must judge what is most important when. And of course, leadership is what we are mostly lacking. Approaching the end of my commitment, this is a pretty strong argument for me to stay and try to fix it.

That's about how far I got before you lost your credibility with me. All the accomplishments in the world can be decredited by trying to support a serious argument with third grade insults. "I'll bet the new guy is a stupid poo poo head..."

Stop trying to spin this into something it's not. There are a lot of dudes out there with a Fighter Pilot's mentality who just happen to work in MX, intel, etc. This is not a "we have the biggest dicks" argument. Disagree on the "irony" as well. Good on him for calling out some apparent BS behind the politics that are crushing our culture. I hope said shitbag BGen was front and center when he said all that too. Saddest part - it'll only keep getting worse. POS commanders are out there (just had one PCS not long ago) who care more about Green Bag Bible Study than they do about having a normal roll call in the squadron every once in a while. Douchebags that stand in the corner and wince when I correct a punk who starts singing by interrupting and asking "how does every good fighter pilot song start?" And they take care of their own. The SNAPs who refuse to drink out of principle and scoff when others do, who get offended at porn in the shitter, who don't understand that TDYs are not money-making events, some of these SNAPs latch on to said DB commander and become golden boys. The cycle continues. I still have a year or two left until I have to make the choice whether to sign on for more. I just hope enough guys continue to fight the good fight, there are enough good commanders out there to keep the SNAPs from taking over. If I never make it past O-4/O-5 so be it, but I have too much pride to not act like a Fighter Pilot. Even if it involves buying the frau flowers every once in a while.

Like I said, I do believe there's a full on assault on the old way of doing things, and the changes are all for the worse. Problems always arise when people who don't play well with others are put in a position of authority. From the sound of it the author was one of these people, and unfortunately for him, so was his boss. I'm ALL FOR having your community and your own way of doing things; however, unless you can interface with the big picture in a positive way without thinking that you ARE the big picture, you are doomed to fail. While I don't know anything about the author beyond the article in the OP, it sounds like he overestimated his sphere of influence, and it bit him.

Dude, this isn't a fighter v heavy argument so not even worth battling that aspect. The guy talks of how fighter pilots are because that is what he is and it is written from that aspect. BL is that fighter pilot traditions and way of doing things is on the way out and for those who love the culture and what it stands for, it sucks. What once was a proud fraternity of pilots, is being shit on/destroyed by people who have never been a part of that sort of thing and who do not understand the impact. The BGEN is right on. If you've never been in a fighter sq, you might not see his point fully but I think all good dudes can see the broad point of it. Unless you are one of the homo's causing the problems that is.

Biggest 2 I've ever given. If people are putting their lives on the line for highly questionable reasons, at least give us the privilege of letting loose.

Real mature. Not quite as eloquent as the Dear Boss letter and definitely addresses some different issues...either way it's popcorn worthy for the discussion alone. Either way, sir, you have huge balls for a post like that and thank you for your many years of service

My take on this: who exactly is "their person"? Can I have one dude carry all our reflective belts? Chief: "hey were is your RB?" us: "on my person....he (point at dude with all the RBs) is my person"

Well said general. Craniums up though ... the homo lovers with popcorn are going to be "disappointed in you and your intolerance".

Oh the irony! While I agree with his assessment of the no-fun Air Force and the social and political rot it's causing with our ranks, an otherwise on-point article is ruined by a thick stench of butthurt whining. He would have a lot more credibility if it was a "I quit and here's why" article, but instead it sounds a whole lot like "I'm a victim and here's why". I agree that our service is overrun by shoes. I also agree that the no-fun, risk averse culture being forced on us is destroying morale and unit cohesion, but what I don't agree with is his apparent attitude that if you ain't a figher pilot you ain't shit. (flame suit on)Fighter pilots tend to be the whiniest support guys out there. Sorry dudes, even YOU aren't the tip of the spear (though closer to it than most). Fighters were initially conceived, and continue to support bombardment operations, but don't tell fighter pilots that. You can't whine about people not knowing their place, and then clearly demonstrate your lack of knowledge of your own. While our fighter pilots may be some of the most skilled, dedicated and well trained aviators in the world, they still have a specific place in the puzzle, and the puzzle is, believe it or not, NOT a picture of a fighter. Ok, that's my piece, I'm ready for the indignant criticism sure to come from the fighter pilots on this board.