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Bullshit. A real shooting war would actually highlight our capabilities as an all around killing machine. We would shitcan queep and focus only on tactics. History has proven this decades ago as well as recent times. When bullets are flying, nobody gives two shits about reflective belts. Ops tested.

I'm more of the mindset that a real shooting war would actually just reveal how broken the air force actually is.

Cripple fight!

How does AFPC have the authority to order AFCENT to do anything? This policy was clearly written by a bunch of desk jockeys who have never deployed. During my last excursion to AFG I was working 18-20 hour shifts and lucky to get 2 to 4 hours of sleep a night. Soda/coffee/energy drinks were a necessity. If they were really concerned about health issues they would be focusing on things like burn pits, electric diesel generators next to hooches, filthy (read: not hygienic) TCNs working at the DFACs, etc (but those aren't AFPC's purview IMHO either).

Just write the damn thesis paper and be done with it mary

The best way to prove you're not a "assholedouchebagfuckstains" is by threatening people on the internet.

Copy. See you at McConnell in sept 15 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So I'm helping move my stepdad's parents out of their house and into an assisted living facility earlier today. My stepdad is telling me about some tools in the basement I might be interested in, and then in a low tone drops a bombshell: "Oh, by the way... my shotgun is upstairs if you want to take it home. It's a 12ga Ithaca." I've known this man for 34 of my 40 years. Not once do I ever recall him mentioning he owns (or owned) a shotgun, so you can imagine my surprise. It wasn't an Ithaca. It's a Remington 870 Wingmaster, 12ga, 2 3/4" chamber, 28" barrel, 1968-69 production per the serial number on the receiver and letter codes on the barrel. Blued receiver in excellent condition, wood in excellent condition; not a fingerprint or speck of rust on the entire gun. Looking at the action rods you can tell it's been used, but aside from that it looks like it just came out of the original packaging.

Now I feel old; Thanks asshole. Bendy

You know what you do when you aren't interested, aren't involved and/or aren't asked to participate in the conversation going on? You STFU...and drink your whiskey. Bendy

Correlation does not equal causation. I wouldn't put it past afpc to do something like that, but they've repeatedly shown they aren't competent enough to figure it out. Keep in mind, 365s do not get handed down by the CC. They come from AFPC based on number of short tours, short tour return date and a probably a couple other factors I can't remember right now. But I'm skeptical that vsp application has anything to do with a 365 other than the dudes applying we're likely motivated knowing they were short on the list to get tagged.

This year's IDE/SDE PSDM came out on Friday. It specifically mentions that school selects will not be allowed to sign up for ACSC/AWC DL until they are vectored to a program which requires its completion (e.g. Legislative Fellowship). Seems like a win in the battle against practice bleeding.

And in Afghanistan the price of a black market Rip-It just surpassed the price of Helmand's finest opium.

Looks like old Fred is on his last leg. Search twitter for #FredPhelpsLastWords Gold Jerry! Comedy Gold!

Here's the newest version available: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7rcrstziv2j59ho/AF24_blank.pdf

A quick Google search discovered 76,400 hits for "AFPC sucks" including a blog called fatties-suck.livejournal.com...

Jesus, how does an embarrassment (kindest word I could come up with) of that magnitude get "professionally resolved"? Did the offender offer to commit seppuku...?

^^^ Suggest this gets its own thread. Because taking away our caffeine will help prevent things like landing at the wrong airport after a ball-buster 20 hour day. Here they go again deciding what's best for my health because obviously I am too immature to decide for myself. UFB

Oh brother. Agreed....Cripple fight. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How would one go about getting General Cox's e-mail address? I am at my wits end with AFPC. I have still yet to hear any sort of answer from them concerning why some people with the exact same AFSC and remaining ADSC remaining have been denied for VSP and some are still at the BPO? I have called the TFSC numerous times and opened tickets with no answer. If they are supposed to start processing these applications this week and people still have theirs in the system, but guys like me have been denied what happens if they start approving them and we miss out?

And how many people would unnecessarily die before we highlighted those capabilities as an all around killing machine? Look at that history you speak of...how many people died unnecessarily in 1942 or the last six months of 1950 because we weren't as prepared as we should've been when a real shooting war broke out? How many people died unnecessarily flying Rolling Thunder missions because we didn't fully shitcan stupid shit and focus only on tactics once we were in a real shooting war?

Every time I hear things like some command or center is being conniving or doing something with an ulterior motive, I remember that if they can't get the simple stuff right, then there is no way they could coordinate something that clever. Now, if lower levels of leadership, such as one's chain of command, did something like this, then I would be suspicious.

No, but I would say that it was my during my first deployment where I started to lose faith in the USAF as a service. "Combat" did not miraculously fix our problems.

It's not about a focus on reflective belts or the silly PM system. It's about outdated weapons, worn out equipment, a broken command and control concept in the AOC , and inadequate training and manning. Are we a better or worse air force than the one that went to war in Gulf war 1 almost 25 years ago?

Been there. So have lots of other guys. Hope the timing works for you. Cheers

Thank you and very. At least I better be before that kid pops out, otherwise I might as well stay. Bendy

The section of Title 32 you are quoting pertains to the United States Army. While the Army may choose to award the MSM for meritorious achievement in a “combat area” that does not automatically apply to the United States Air Force. There is no such regulation governing the Air Force; if there is show it to me, otherwise agree to disagree on point #1. https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=de55914787128b8ec27c324988488b3f&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title32/32cfrv6_02.tpl#800 AFI 36-2803 does not have the 9/11 caveat, therefore the MSM is not applicable to the deployed USAF air wing: https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2803/afi36-2803_.pdf Agree wholeheartedly on point #2, that not every deployed "achievement" is a "combat achievement". However, aircrews operating out of Bagram Airfield fly into combat every day, thus the ridiculous Air Medal debacle. I will concede that it is against an enemy already subject to our air superiority and ill-equipped to launch effective, consistent attack against our airborne assets. Be that as it may, they are in contact with the enemy’s small arms fire on every departure and approach, effective or plentiful or not. On point #3, I like where you are coming from, I do, but this is not WWII and to continue trying to compare ourselves to that generation, while fruitful in some respects and dreadfully painful in others, I do not believe is appropriate in this situation (but we must still have respect for it). The Bronze Star may not mean what it meant in WWII, but it should mean what AFI 36-2803 fucking says it means, one of them being “meritorious achievement or service during armed conflict that are of a lesser degree than that required for the award of the LOM”. The LOM does not even require contact with the enemy, but it requires such an above and beyond performance of service that it is rarely ever appropriate, and is rightfully rarely awarded. The correct downgrade is to the Bronze Star, then the Air Force Commendation Medal. Again, you quote Army CFR to make your point, which unless you are in the Army is not applicable. The Bronze Star should not be confused with the Silver Star, even during WWII. You may be able to find examples that make your point, but I didn’t get past just trying to find a citation for both (I’ll go with your Army example, as they are easier to find quickly). The Silver Star in WWII: "For gallantry in action against the enemy in Germany on 17 November 1944. Although his platoon sergeant and squad leaders had become casualties during the early stages of the attack, First Lieutenant Abate (then Second Lieutenant) courageously continued to lead his men forward, fully aware that he was the only officer left with the assault elements. Moving freely through the veritable hail of fire, he gave his men renewed confidence. When they were halted by a well fortified machine gun position, he directed his men to cover him while he boldly charged and annihilated the emplacement. Finally, the objective was secured, but First Lieutenant Abate declined to seek cover until he had assured himself that his men were properly protected. His courage and gallant leadership reflect great credit upon himself and the military service." Bronze Star in WWII: “Mark J. Alexander, O-411615, Lieutenant Colonel, Infantry, United States Army. For meritorious service in connection with military activities against the enemy for the period 20 September 1944 to 2 January 1945. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander, Base Commander, France, established now camps in France for the 82d Airborne Division while it was in combat in Holland. He administered and organized the camps and accomplished the reception of troops in a highly efficient manner. Faced with numerous and complex problems and a meager staff from the United Kingdom Bases of the Division, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander executed the tremendous assignment with outstanding skill and initiative. When the 82d Airborne Division was unexpectedly committed in Belgium his invaluable assistance helped expedite that unprecedented displacement of a reinforced Division into combat in less than twenty four hours. After its departure, he operated the two Airborne camps for the successive tenancy of two Divisions, and an Army Headquarters. His intelligent and determined efforts in a period of critical troop movements were material factors in the successes of the 82d Airborne Division and other major organizations which stopped the German surprise offensive in Belgium. Entered military service from Kansas.” Not the same thing…and they still aren’t. Point #4 I agree with, but it is an oversimplification. “Mere existence in a deployed location does not make you eligible for "combat achievement"." One cannot have a “combat achievement” if they do not exist in a combat zone (define it how you wish)…that is part of the beauty of the United State Military (there may be exceptions). Point #5 is the heart of the matter. The Bronze Star is the deployed MSM, so it makes sense they are weighted the same (I think we give out too many MSMs too by the way). The Air Force does not have an MSM in combat…it has the Bronze Star. My point here is that it is the Air Medal that is given out inappropriately that causes the muck…not the Bronze Star; If the Air Medals were not awarded, those achievements would be used in a Legion of Merit, eclipsing a Bronze Star, for service beyond that capable of by the “shoe clerk”. The Bronze Star has been given out too freely (I agree with you there), for things that are the “performance of duties normal to the grade, branch, specialty, assignment, or experience of an individual” which is not in line with its successor, the Legion of Merit. Process more travel vouchers than anyone has ever processed before and that is “distinctive”, but it is “not unique”…which is the definition of the Air Force Commendation Medal, certainly NOT the definition of the Bronze Star. Bendy

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.

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

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.

Schwartz can eat a dick.

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.

I can't believe this is still being discussed. I only read 6-9 lines of the link, but he mentions "Air Force planners helped develop Rolling Thunder, a bombing campaign designed to force Hanoi out of the war. The campaign wreaked significant destruction on North Vietnamese economy and society but failed to budge Hanoi’s leadership." Pretty sure Rolling Thunder's success wasn't tied to the USAF's planning or execution. Edited: In order to ward off the grammar police

Who can blame them when they fill up NOTAMs with pages of: temporary 3 foot towers, wet runways, and stupid abbreviations that save little print space but are unpossible to figure out.

Aaah, but there's the rub. To get sent to AWC you will undoubtedly need a Master's degree to make the cut.

So to summarize...you're a cadet and you have not yet been to field training, yet you feel confident enough in your vast experience to comment on what it takes to succeed at field training, the purpose of field training, how to prepare appropriately for field training, the appropriate length of field training, who should apply to field training, the true purpose of the GMC program, and what constitutes a "high stress" environment. Did I miss anything?

WTF happened to this thread? Did we get through all the low hanging fruit about what's wrong with the AF so now we have to quote sections of US code to compare to AFIs? I mean good god, I know the medals stuff is broke, but who cares? Another air medal just means I have to update my service dress before the next time I wear it. Although it is fun to laugh at the finance dude getting a bronze star. Ain't nothing wrong with the AF that a real no shit shootin war won't fix quick fast and in a hurry. Back to my whiskey.

Maybe in selective cases (I don't know one way or the other) but definitely not true across the board.

Fly for the AF long enough and it doesn't matter much. After a couple thousand hours we are all marketable regardless of HARM buffoonery.

So I've heard rumors already of people applying for VSP and getting 365s. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking for anyone who may be joining me at Sheppard for ENJJPT this July. I'm not sure our class number...but looks like graduation is slated for Aug 2015.