Leaderboard

From John Q. Public... I've been measuring my shots at General Mark Welsh carefully over the last week or so, because I've been working instead on trying to help diagnose the organizational and systemic issues associated with the drawdown. More to say on that in a day or two. But first, I am going to take a shot at General Welsh. Please, for the love of God, STOP PREACHING INTEGRITY to airmen. Just stop. Don't remind them to have integrity. Don't do it. It has ZERO effect upon the rank and file. None. The vast majority don't need to hear it and get offended that you feel the need to remind them. The few who demonstrate they do need to hear it probably aren't going to respond meaningfully anyway, and should not have their shortcomings driving how you communicate with everyone. The only impact this has is NEGATIVE. It's bad. It hurts you because the current perception -- a fair one -- is that the leadership and staff level of the Air Force is where the real integrity problem lives. Airmen complain of a say/do gap, an endless game of "I've got a secret" . . . and one-way commitments that leave them with no bargaining power. I've written elsewhere that personnel and evaluation policies are being allowed to persist when we know they're telling us lies and leading us to wrong decisions. If there is an integrity problem, it's not among the audience the attached article seems to be addressing. So why not target more discriminately? Best commander I ever had (and now one of my professors says the same thing) used to say "show, don't tell." Great advice. Fire the next commander you catch lying or the next Chief you catch defying your intent. That'll go a long way toward reinforcing the value of integrity.

And as expected, a quick response from ARRSE...

Schwartz can eat a dick.

Wow. Another week gone by with promises of further information or movement and all we get is an AF.mil article telling us shit we already knew. Apparently A1 was able to distract Welsh further after his alleged phone call last week. Complete loss of confidence in leadership on my end. ETA: Not to mention the thoughtful reminder about our Core Values... again. Insulting.

Translation... "All of the complete shit bag leeches that we were hoping would apply haven't because they are perfectly happy sucking on the teet of Uncle Sugar; unfortunately we fire wall 5'd all of them since their first EPR and for some unknown reason we have been telling all of them all they were all "warriors" who were just as important to the fight sitting in their cubical as those actually fighting these wars... so if we try to kick them out for poor performance they will all have a great IG complaint. I mean seriously... we've been giving half of these clowns Bronze Stars for 179s to the Deid as finance troops; so we'll probably lose that fight. So as it stands, what we have for applicants for VSP and TERA right now is only 9,999 of the 10,000 pilots in the Air Force... from my understanding the only pilot who hasn't applied is some guy named Butters; apparently he doesn't believe these programs are real."

I don't think Big Blue is going to let pilots VSP and probably not a lot of TERAs. We are transferring a ton of planes to the Reserves and Guard. I think they are going to open up the ADSCs to allow/encourage pilots to take the Palace Chase option--not VSP/TERA. Pilots are too valuable. Regardless of the sunk costs of pilot training, we can train pilots in a short time span to be MSG officers. We can't train MSG officers to fill the Reserve/Guard pilot positions that are opening up when we move planes to the Reserves. Read the Force Structure articles and FY15 PB out there. MQ1/9s replacing U-2s and moving to the guard. F-16s moving to A-10 Reserve bases, tankers doing the same, C-130Js, etc. all moving to the Reserve/Guard. All the publicity about Total Force and increasing the role/responsibility of the Reserve/Guard. We can't let pilots go, we HAVE to let pilots go to the Reserve/Guard. I don't think the current PSDMs allow pilots to go Palace Chase if they have an ADSC, I could be wrong as I usually am. We have to let folks out by 1 Oct to afford all of the Force Structure movement and large acquisition programs in FY15 but our hands are tied. The leadership keeps saying it, without saying it. That's what Big Blue calls transparency. It would take a pair of nuts to explicitly say it and stand by what you say, and Billy Mitchell is long gone. If you hear the lawyers are holding up this program, it's because the FY14NDAA that came out only allows us to cut 2K people. That is a far cry from the supposedly 25K we plan to cut over the next 5 years. We have to ask for permission from Congress, OSD and CJSC to go below the FY14NDAA level. Plus, there is USC10 which says you can only get rid of a certain percent of officers based on what the FY14NDAA authorizes. Therefore, we wouldn't be able to get rid of as many people as we want to this year. We are better off waiting until next year to see what next year's FY15NDAA authorizes our end strength (hence the RIF delay). So, when you hear leadership say they are trying to designate who has authority, they are trying to clear these things up. In addition to that, there are a lot of people with ADSCs that are not waiverable based on the current PSDMs , therefore those people are eligible for the RIF but not VSP/TERA. That greatly reduces the amount of people that can apply and voids the statement that they will maximize voluntary applications before doing the involuntary measures. They have to open up the ADSCs, I just don't think many pilots will be allowed to go. I think they are trying to see how many people and which people they should let go this year because they are limited by the FY14NDAA. Hopefully, the approval they get allows them to process all of the voluntary applications but who really knows how many applications they received. I bet they slow roll this program. That's why some TERAs with 19 are approved and nothing else. They are going to chip away at the 2K-3K people that we are allowed to reduce. It is a complicated problem that has changed since the Force Management announcement with the FY14 NDAA coming out and it is tough to blame Welsch and Cox (who I have heard are Dudes) for not being able to predict what Congress would publish. Plus, once real lawyers (not JA) get involved nothing good can happen. That's a shot at JA, but I am sure they have been involved this whole time and never saw this coming. It is NOT tough to blame leadership for the lack of communication and lack of accountability. It's the 21st century. Tweet some sh**, make a Facebook page, make daily (not bi-monthly) posts on MyPers/vMPF. You might even get valuable feedback from the peasants you are trying to get rid of; however, you might be held accountable too and that is something we can't seem to get right in the AF. In the end, these dudes can't and won't get fired. Deadlines spur action and they control the deadline. There is little to no incentive for them to get it right the first time, any other belief is romantic. Hopefully these dudes grow a pair and let us know what's up. It's really not that hard to communicate. I have cancelled 2 interviews, my bosses hate me, and I haven't done anything productive at work in 6 weeks; unless you call checking MyPers, BO, and vMPF every 10-15 minutes productive. Go to church, hug your families, and tell them you're sorry for putting them through this emotional rollercoaster. Good luck.

Expect an Android app later today. Apple blows donkey dick as far as developers are concerned, so expect a much more redonkulous ETA.

The best intimidation story ever used on the boyfriend of a daughter was told to me by my Sq/CC at SJAFB. His (at the time) 16 year old daughter had her boyfriend over for dinner and said Sq/CC began to tell the story of the 1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash wherein - as he told it - a BUFF full of nuclear weapons crashed in North Carolina and despite exhaustive efforts, they never found all of the weapons. Imagine a great story teller finishing this elaborate story over dinner and putting his fork down, then leaning in to the young man with eyes towards his daughter and saying, "If all those people with so many resources couldn't find nuclear weapons in North Carolina...what makes you think they would ever find you?" Sometimes you don't need a gun.

Disagree...and so does Title 32 Section 578.18(a)(2). (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2008-title32-vol3/xml/CFR-2008-title32-vol3-sec578-18.xml) After 9/11 MSM's can be given out for " for outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service in a non-combat or combat area." Not every deployed "achievement" is a "combat achievement". Being deployed to Bagram does not, in and of itself, mean you were "in combat". Deployed...yes....in combat...maybe. We have over awarded the Bronze Star to the point where it is meaningless. To put things in perspective, Bronze Stars were originally used as awards for D-Day (and later the entire Normandy invasion) participants who were not eligible for the CIB (engineers, medics etc). The intent of the Bronze Star as stated by Title 32 section 578.16(a) is to award achievement (heroic or meritorious) "in connection with military operations with an armed enemy" (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2008-title32-vol3/xml/CFR-2008-title32-vol3-sec578-16.xml) Unfortunately, we have let every single person who deploys, no matter how far removed they are from actual combat, believe that they were participants in combat. Simply put, mere existence in a deployed location does not make you eligible for "combat achievement" To further illustrate my point, the Air Force views the MSM and Bronze Star as equivalents for purposes of enlisted promotions (5 points each).

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/high-marks-cooks-lifted-overall-rating-cheating-nuclear-missile-operators-minot/ More from PBS. Lt Col Tater Tots gets the last laugh.

Nav logbook entry: "Rode in back again today..."

I applied for regular PC today. Spoke to TFSC to make sure it was sent to the right Wg/CC and they mentioned they had 600 apps at the AFPC/PC office. They also had no update on when the Farce Management programs would get rolling again. I'm requesting a waiver of 23 months of UPT commitment and about a year off of GI Bill/IP school ADSCs.

The one about banging your wife or the one about finding new ways to self affirm in the mirror? Recommendation: Bang your wife, brag about it to the ADO, then brag about it to your self in the mirror saying, "I did do that, I did it for her, and I did it well". Then I think you're covered either way. Bendy

That works fine until the shooting starts and your "lowest cost" fighters aren't worth a damn. I'm not disagreeing with you, but just be aware of the other side of that coin. No one besides A1 should care about "Ops Squadron Throughput." The main focus should be MOTHERFUCKING COMBAT CAPABILITY. In short, I'm sick of hearing about how ops squadrons are simply a means to an end. Your average AFPC functional doesn't know shit about what makes a fighter squadron effective, and he simply does not care to learn.

Whoa whoa whoa. So you're saying the Air Force should be compensating it's most highly skilled, high cost to produce, war-fighting personnel who genuinely risk their lives every day they step into the cockpit MORE than $200 a month over their non-rated peers?. GTFO! What gave you this crazy idea of a more "corporate"-like Air Force?

Let's not forget that ops squadrons aren't just a "place to stash pilots." AFPC seems to think that the iron on the ramp is only there to create experienced 11Fs that can fill their precious staff billets. Nevermind the fact that we might actually have to tussle with a near-peer adversary, right? Land wars in Asia never happen, right? Meh...I'm sure the boys down at A1 have it all figured-out.

This whole conversation makes me laugh uncontrollably! ...so I'm guessing leadership is now frowning at the 300~ish fighter pilots that they raped with bigfoots dick (TAMI) circa 2007. What about the numerous chapters in VSP/RIF shit-showery that we have had, and are currently experiencing? How bout the guys like me that watched those 157 Majors get screwed a few years ago- that sure weighs into my decision making calculus regarding the best way forward as I approach my ADSC expiration! We can max out training, create guard tenet units, ramp up FTU production or even crossflow the geniuses at AFPC to come fly jets- that ain't gonna fix shit when folks on the retainment end are jumping off the sinking ship in droves! It's like filling up a bathtub with the drain wide open. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. For those 11F's still hanging around, get your ATP done because rumor has it Southwest is opening another window in the fall. Now back to your regular scheduled program, "What's wrong with the Air Force?"

Before this gets into a fatty vs fighter pissing contest, I will side with Hacker and C-21 pilot with a first hand example I saw. Fast burner in the KC-135 community got chosen for cross-flow circa 1999 and went to the Strike Eagle. He was considered one of the top tanker guys - the type of dude who would have gone to a tanker weapons school if they had it at the time. He was pretty much the poster boy for officership, but he couldn't fly his way out of a paper back in the Strike Eagle. I was his wingman on several horribly embarrassing deployed and exercise sorties. Nice enough guy, but he just could not keep up with the jet, and even with strong WSOs in his back seat, his black hole of SA in the much faster paced multi-role environment was completely detrimental to those around him.

yes, this has already been reported in the AFTO 781 and is being worked. Parts on MICAP.

Dude. Is there a topic on this message board you don't feel compelled to respond to? I mean, for God's sake... 1) You haven't been to UPT 2) You're basing your opinion on...what exactly? Not seeing a UAV in the assignment night thread, but you still answer yes? And then say "oh yeah, nevermind. Someone else answered better than me..." 3) Not everything in the world revolves around navs and clock2map2gnd1!!1!! I get that you're really into politics and public policy and you like defending your thoughts in those threads. What I don't get is your inability to STFU when you don't know what you're talking about. Please stop, you're embarrassing yourself. Before you hit the "post" button and probably before you speak in public, think to yourself "do I know what I'm talking about here? Is it my place to speak on this topic?" If the answer to either of those isn't "Yes" with no caveats, don't. It's way better for everyone. It's kinda like a debrief, "was I directly spoken to? Can I answer this question in one word or less? If I answer this question is it possible to be seen as quibbling? Am I really sure this is the right time for me to speak?" /rant.

I get where you're coming from, especially regarding AD. But, I'm assuming its been atleast 3-5 years since you've graduated - based on everything I've heard the atmosphere here has changed dramatically since you've been in. If I have my timing right, you were applying for Field Training back when almost everybody went, as long as you met the requirements and had a half-way decent GPA (pre-2009 when the cuts started). Its not the same anymore. Cadets can no longer just skate by anymore and go to FT, we are constantly having to go neck and neck for high commanders rankings and keep up with the ever rising GPA requirements. Scholarships are drying up, opportunities for extra programs like soaring and incentive rides have vanished, and at this rate I bet its only a matter of time before non-tech majors will no longer have a place in ROTC. New GMC are showing up day one being told that the odds are they won't be able to finish the program. Atleast for me, I'm biased because the amount of work I've had to do just to be able to compete for EA is probably more than most people have to do their entire cadet career. I've fought tooth and nail for half a decade to be where I am today, and I still might not make it through the program. But I'm actually excited for FT, because when I feel like quitting all I have to do is remember how hard I worked to be there. So, when I say that we've been "fighting hard" of course some people have different experiences than others, but in general its an uphill battle for cadets today.