Leaderboard

What's interesting is that, even though the "Dear Boss" letters deal with an individual symbolically tellling the leadership why he, personally, is not staying in, the letters have ultimately not been inspired by pilots who suddenly realized that Big Blue did not give a shit about them. Although we're all sold this bill of goods about how well we're going to be taken care of when we're in our commissioning sources, I think that anyone who has been around the block long enough as the authors of these letters have has all ready long since lost faith in their romantic notions the the AF cared about taking care of them as individuals or as part of the team. From my perspective, these letters have always been about losing faith in the AF's execution of the mission and not what it was doing for the people attempting to execute that mission. These letters are from pilots who once believed that the AF cared about the mission, and are realizing that, via the actions described in the letters, that Big Blue really doesn't. The letters complain about the symptoms of a service that is losing it's ability to execute combat airpower, and furthermore doesn't really care that it is. I obviously can't speak for the MAF guys, but as a fighter dude I can say for me personally that the realization that the AF organizationally doesn't actually prioritize execution of combat airpower is heartbreaking. It's a huge letdown. It creates a lot of serious cynics. Now I know why, when I was a punk Lt and Captain, all of the Majs and Lt Cols running around the squadron were perpetually pissed off and crusty. I can see for some folks, that realization would cause them to write letters like this out of frustration.

Are you kidding? That beat is filthy yo

Exactly right

Waa.

We should be free to discuss anything within the confine of an academic setting, using logic and reason to decide the merits of various COAs. Even disproving an absurd idea using reason without emotion is a valuable exercise. It teaches people to consider what they hear, challenge their own assumptions, and ultimately strengthens our resolve. Political correctness is the anathema of learning. If you really want to teach problem solving and outside the box thinking, you must first teach people to be comfortable hearing any possible suggestion, no matter how absurd. Hopefully that explains to you the benefits gained from an open and frank discussion about any subject.

Well, they requisitioned a fair bit of crazy last year when they picked up an old gunship pilot of some infamy. I think he fulfilled their crazy quota through FY 2013.