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They are missing WHY dudes are disgruntled. I've been around a long time, as you have. There have certainly been boom and bust cycles for morale. This one is far different than what I think can fairly be called the last down cycle for pilots in the mid to late 90s. Young pups hear jack/shit about mission focus anymore. The mission is what motivates them. It's why they are here. But they hardly hear a peep about it from their leadership. That's the number one reason. Act like what they dedicate themselves to is worth your attention. All they hear about from the cake eaters is stuff like you yourself (and guys like old major chang) has said--get you masters or you clearly don't care. There are no bad assignments. You should get down on your knees every day and thank mother air force for all she has given you. Service before self after all. These fuckers have known nothing but war. They have never, ever known any semblance of stability or predicability in their whole careers. They weren't around in the good old days where we had fun. When we were captains, our career paths were stable, our deployments predictable, our promotion process was rational, there was no such thing as a 179 or God forbid a 365 other than a few remotes to Korea. We didn't face down UAV assignments. We didn't face constant rumors (and realities) of a RIF. There was a mission focus. Leaders seemingly cared that their CGOs were good in the jet. That's all that mattered to my early commanders. It's how they stratted CGOs for the most part. I swear to God I never heard a single word from a leader about a masters degree until I was a major. Not one word. Now guys are dirtbags if they haven't started one as a lieutenant. Education is king, the only problem is that no one seems to care what you study, how we'll you do or what diploma mill you go to. After all, it makes great "thinkers" yet no one seems to be allowed to think for themselves. It's party line or you're a troublemaker. See problems? Don't point them out and offer solutions. That's whining. Dudes are tired of that bullshit. So what are the "aristocrats" missing? 1) acknowledge that young pups in the AF have been run ragged. I mean really acknowledge that, not just a token half-hearted comment here or there. 2) acknowledge that there are bad deals and lose the "suck it up" and "service before self" lectures. No one respects that bullshit. You can't polish a turd. 3) Masters degree does not equal dedication or leadership potential. Stop saying that it does. Masters is required. Got it. But when it goes beyond being a yes/no at the board to being used for strats and jobs, then it's out of fucking control. The AF has absolutely lost its mind in this regard. Job performance and leadership potential should be king. They are not. 4). acknowledge that these dudes face an uncertain future with regards to promotion, assignments and RIFs unlike we ever did and it stresses them out and wears at their morale. Don't even dare compare it to uncertainties you had in your early career. You and I both know that it's not even close. I'm tired of typing now. But that's a start.

"Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence in your ability to help, or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership." - Colin Powell

Ok, where to begin...1st, Offut is not a fighter base, it's an ISR base. It sounds like some guys there may have the wrong idea of a fighter squadron roll call...I've been in a few fighter squadrons and all but two (out of hundreds) of the bros call signs had nothing to do with sex stories. One that did was changed shortly after we shook off our hangovers, and the other the guy liked (and was about himself, no one else) so it stuck. Nearly all of them had to do with flying-related buffoonery or a clever pun on someone's last name. The Nellis test always applied. (i.e. "Good morning, I'm Capt XXXXXXX and I am the mission commander." If XXXXXX didn't immediately make him lose all credibility or wasn't obviously racist/sexist/offensive, pass. If not, new name. Alternatively, CNN test applied: "Capt John XXXXX Doe's aircraft was destroyed today after his successful ejection.") If your wife is feeling like the culture in her squadron is unacceptable, she has a right and a duty to say so to the commander. If he tells her to pound sand, thats exactly what the IG is for, especially if there are career implications from her voicing her discomfort (deployments, Q2/3, etc). That is the culture that, to me, is patently unacceptable in the USAF. Also, her commander would be an idiot not to immediately and aggressively address it, especially given the current climate. I am lucky that I haven't been in a scenario like the shitty one you describe. I recognize that it would be socially difficult and require a lot of moral courage to do that. However, there are mechanisms in place to fix this if she wants. Not using these mechanisms is part of the frustration for some people with the TSgt Smith story, she never told anyone at the time she was offended, she waited 16 years and sold her story to huffpo. (Not the assualts part of her story, the Korea / Shaw parts, obviously the assault parts are horrible and should've been addressed regardless of time delay) My point is, there is a slim possibility that people are too oblivious to read into her social signs and recognize they've crossed a line. That being said, from your end, the line to avoid crossing is to force her or your lifestyle choices onto others the way she feels theirs are forced onto her. So, maybe a mandatory binge drinking fest every Friday isn't the big one but neither is removing all booze from the squadrons and shutting down call signs and roll calls, in my opinion. A roll call / naming / first friday is supposed to build esprit de corps in a squadron by providing a closed venue to sport-bitch about support agencies, complain about how no one understands, and tell funny stories about each other. It is supposed to be a good time, and let everyone blow off some steam. About half the time I don't drink, and I still love hearing my friends' stories. We work hard, we spend a lot of time together, there needs to be a controlled environment to air grievances. If that's not what those social events are in her squadron then the mayor (and by default) sq cc are fucking it up wholesale.

Well clearly, if the 777 had a flight engineer they wouldn't have crashed.

I know this is my second post however, this thread is absolutely miserable. We went from airmen in uniform prancing around in nail polish and finely groomed goatees, to Indian, Mexican, French constitution amendments and Star Trek gifs, . These are probably the top things that I could give the least amount of shits over. Seriously, in that order. (Minus the nail polish and finely groomed goatees in uniform. That shit still pisses me off that it's even up for discussion.) For the love of sweet baby Japanese Jesus please make it stop!

Was the TSgt's conviction upheld by the convening authority? Wikerson's was not. Therefore he is legally not guilty of a crime. So on what grounds do you think his retirement should be withheld? There is a system a laws at play and you can't just withhold benefits because you think a guy is a dirtbag. Same theory whether TSgt or Lt Col.

The 'bro' you mention above isn't. Your frau's squadron also sounds like it is trying to be something that it isn't and is lacking in any actual leadership. From your location I'll make some guesses and say what has been commonly attributed to the 'fighter pilot' culture is a long f-ing way from what is happening in your wife's squadron and how CAF squadron's that kill people and break things for a living actually conduct business. I do believe her community probably has too many young punks with not enough silverbacks to f-ing squash said behavior when and how appropriate. That's unfortunate. And if Offut is where you are still at I would say that yes, the experience(s) you describe do not reflect the rest of the CAF. I hope things change for the better in that regard. e

What the fuck is with this "rape song" bullshit? Liquid said that three or four times now you're starting up with it. I've been in a lot of fighter squadrons and sung a lot of songs in a lot of bars in a lot of countries. NOT ONE of them has condoned, mentioned, suggested, etc, rape. Not one. Crude? Yes. Extremely so. Rape? Fuck no. The list of songs liquid said was apparently from a google search and even parroted the Wikipedia description. Most of those songs I've never heard of. The rest have lyrics that are variable (s&m, Chicago, etc) meaning that there are infinite verses possible and many are made up on the spot. So because you can do a google search and find some lyrics that some British rugby team used or in an old Vietnam songbook does not mean that those are lyrics actually sung in a fighter bar. I'm not saying that there has never been an Air Force person to sing a song that did. But to suggest that there is some culture of "rape songs" in the air force or in fighter squadrons is so fucking ignorant of the truth it's unbelievable.

And what about when you have a certain guidance at one gig but then PCS/PCA somewhere with different guidance? I was in a unit where SOS correspondence was seen as rather silly so I enrolled but never touched it. Then I PCSd to a unit that would not even look at you unless the correspondence was done. Thankfully it was just SOS so that was a quick 4-5 week fix to knock it out, but that situation could really suck were it ACSC or AWC... So as much as it stinks, because I won't know what the future holds I'll probably be doing the ACSC so as not to screw myself. Thankfully I'm an '05er so it'll be a long time before I have to worry about it! ;-) zb

How are senior leaders going to fix the cultural identity problem that has plagued the USAF for years? It seems that some senior leaders at all levels are more concerned with hands in pockets, reflective belts, what days to wear flight suits, and waist size instead of the mission of their base and leading their subordinates.

Everyone I see boarding the plane in flipping floppies, or worse, is a potential speed bump.

Yup. Vetter, solid question. Liquid, solid answer, thanks for the honesty. Acknowledging that we have some challenges ahead is the first step to solving them. I'm seriously tired of hearing that the Air Force shits roses, cuz it just ain't true. Where do we go from here? I dunno, but maybe once we get past all the mudslinging we can actually figure out the most sensible path forward--maybe. I seriously hope that you can bring some common sense into the mix, because I haven't seen a lot of it lately. Believe it or not, this forum offers great insight into the status of the operational force, despite its propensity for bellicosity. I hope you are able to filter it and generate some solid input for the special Ed kids up on the hill, just saying.

It gets worse.

Stop with the "rape songs" bullshit already.

This is exactly the problem right here: someone who thinks that a reference to anything sexual is "sexist". Suggest you go pick up a dictionary and look that word up, then go back and reassess if "69" is what it describes. This is as asinine as the slide I saw recently at the sexual assault stand down that said: Anything offensive = sexual assault = UCMJ violation

You are absolutely right. After something a violent as that crash, everything stops and you know you need to get out. The brain will then go into survival mode. That being said, I am still going to punch you in the face a throw your ass out the nearest door, because that is the training I would fall back on. Let this be a lesson to everyone... Wear proper footwear on a flight and fly Boeing. That plane took quite a beating, it is hard to believe there were not hundreds killed.

I'll agree with Liquid here - the above is, lacking a better word, stupid. Sexism does not equal or factor into a warrior ethos. The problem, which you are (I think) trying to actaully and rightly get at, is the knee jerk over re-action of trying to remove aspects of our culture that are under fire but not actually part of the problem (as Noonin has already discussed).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64246-2005Jan10.html See - Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Fiscus I remember when this guy got "the boot" reduced from Maj Gen to Col for retirement. His lawyer defended the Art 15 only punishment it to the masses as, "look how much cash he's losing for the rest of his life." Meanwhile we had quite a few E's folks getting popped for lesser/shorter infractions and getting jail time/separated. Some of the "older" guys still bring it up.

Dude, if it's not clear at all you can take your backhanded "compliments" and cram them up your ass. You can either stick to the facts, give people a little knowledge and continue "keeping the faith" or you can get down in the mud and start slinging personal rants back and forth. You can't do both. I'm guessing if you are some type of senior leader you can recognize which of those two COAs is more valuable to both BO.net and as a measure of how you spend your own time. So by all means, continue posting your insights on the problems people bitch about here, but if those insights are continually laced with a sarcastic, high-horse, aristocratic attitude about how awesome the AF is and how thankful everyone should be, you will make little to no progress in helping anyone and you might as well save the effort.

#fatbitch The worst kind.

Honestly, I can't believe people are actually spending any time arguing about this when the awesome dirndls thread is where the real action is! Maybe that in and of itself says something...

Those ATC guys did a great job! Kudos to the SFO Tower folks this afternoon... true professionals!

God I love tits. And beer. Sue me, Gen Chang. You pussy.

I bought an FN FNX-45 a few days ago and I was able to go shooting with it on the 4th... 'Merica! Anyway, here are my initial impressions: The FNX series of pistols are an upgrade to FN's FNP series. The FNX-45, specifically, arrived to the party a little less than a year ago and differs from the FNP-45 with respect to barrel feed geometry and case support in the chamber. The magazines are also slightly different as the FNP-45 mags had feeding problems with certain types of ammo. Other than that, the FNP-45 and FNX-45 are functionally and externally the same. The FNX and FNS series of pistols are made in the USA. The handgun is a DA/SA semi-automatic with a magazine capacity of 14/15+1. It weighs 33.2oz unloaded. The pistol has ambidextrous magazine releases, slidelock levers, and manual safeties. The pistol is very large, and is comparable in size to my USP9, M9, and SIG 220/226. I'll provide some comparison pics later. I thought the grip would be too large and uncomfortable to manage with my medium-ish size hands, but that turned out to be untrue. The grip is checkered on the sides, has horizontal serrations on the frontstrap. The backstrap is replaceable and comes with flat and arched checkered pieces. I found the arched piece to be more comfortable to use. FN apparently makes 2 more backstraps for the FNX-45 that are the same profile as the flat and arched checkered pieces, but are horizontally serrated like the front strap. My pistol only came with the checkered pieces. Overall, the grip is comfortable and the trigger is easily reach even in DA mode. The pistol's ambidextrous controls are effective and symmetrical on both sides. The manual safety, in particular, has three positions. The up position puts the pistol on SAFE, the middle position is FIRE, and the down position is the spring loaded decocker. The FNX-45 can safely be carried condition 1 with the hammer cocked and safety on, like a 1911. It can also can be carried with the hammer down and safety off for a DA first trigger press, or it can be carried with the hammer down and safety on. I do have a gripe with the manual safety in that the right side safety interferes with my index finger when I decock the pistol. This forces me to remove my right index finger from the gun to decock the pistol easily. The DA trigger press stacks like any handgun with a coiled mainspring, but it is smooth and comparatively light to other modern DA/SA semi-autos. The reset to SA is very positive both audibly and tactilely. The SA press is very light with a minor amount of takeup and relatively crisp break. In general, I like the stock sights on the pistol. They are of the white 3-dot variety, which I normally dislike. What makes them different from your average 3-dot sights are that the front sight white dot is much larger than the rear sight dots drawing your eyes to focus on the front sight. When not using night sights, I typically like all black sights, a white dot front sight and black rear sight, or gold/brass bead front with black rear sight. The stock sights, however, work ok and I will probably leave them alone. The pistol is easily field stripped much like any other modern pistol, and the recoil spring is captive. The internal parts are easily accessible for cleaning, and look well made. The slide is also easily detailed stripped, allowing you to clean the firing pin channel and extractor. The frame, however, is difficult to detail strip since it pretty much requires you to break the manual safety to get to the internals. I normally like to be able to detail strip my handguns so I can perform any "armorer" level maintenance that may be required on the pistol. The design feature on the FNX pretty much makes the end user unable to detail strip the frame. Given the fact that the FNX-45 looks well made and the internals are strong, this will likely be a non-issue at least for a long time. That being said, it would have been nice to be able to completely take apart the frame. Like I mentioned earlier, the magazine capacity is 14+1 with flush fit magazines and 15+1 with the club foot looking magazines shown in my pictures. My pistol came with 3 - 15 round magazines. I've read that the FNP-45's magazines are able to be used in the FNX-45 but not the other way around. Unfortunately, magazines are expensive at $50 a pop as listed on the FNH USA website. I put 200 rounds of Blazer aluminum cased 230gr FMJ and 50 rounds of Winchester Ranger-T 230gr hollowpoints (RA45T) yesterday without any issues. While this isn't statistically significant, it is a good starting point. The FNX-45 is the softest shooting .45 ACP handgun that I own (5" 1911s, SIG P220, S&W 1917 reproduction, and S&W 325 Thunder Ranch). From what I've read the barrel and slide travel together almost twice as far before unlocking compared to other modern pistols. This feature is what is supposed to reduce the felt recoil. Overall, the pistol seems solidly built, and it's very shootable despite its caliber and size. I don't own any holsters for it yet, so I can't speak to how it carries OWB or IWB. I will provide an update once I shoot it more and have had the opportunity to carry it. The FNX-45 currently has little aftermarket support. There are holsters and sights available for the FNP-45, which should be compatible with the FNX-45. Other than that, there isn't much else. While sights and holsters are what I really care about, the lack of other aftermarket products will probably turn off prospective purchasers. I hope this changes, because I really like this gun and would like to see it succeed in the market. Likes: Sights DA/SA trigger Magazine capacity Comes with 3 magazines Shootability Dislikes: Unable to detail strip frame Lack of aftermarket support Magazine prices