Leaderboard

Point 1: Fuck and cocksucker is/are just another adjective and/or term of endearment in MX world, so what was the problem? Point 2: I sat through one of those "Senior Rater endorsement" briefs once, thanks for triggering a PTSD moment (LOL). With no aspirations to become a 1st Sgt/command chief/CMSgt of the AF I didn't give two cares about the political game for E-8/9. Especially when shortly after I sewed on SSgt I was "mentored" that in order to make those ranks you had to be "sponsored" by a Chief or field grade officer; who, like an evil Sith Lord, would look out for you and make sure you filled all the right squares in your career. (INFO NOTE: We're talking mid 80s here, so maybe things have changed; I don't know) I just wanted to be the best maintainer I could and retire with honor as a MSgt. Worked my ass off 10 to 12+ hours a day in searing desert heat to -40 temps so the jets could fly. But I had a blast traveling the world, worked on Uncle Sam's front line fighter jets and was blessed with incentive rides in both the Eagle and Viper. Got to stand on the Korean DMZ, peer into (what was then) East Germany, drink beer the world over and have adventures others only read about on-line. All that, and still managed to stay married, raise two kids, complete a bachelor's degree and was half way through a masters on the day of my retirement ceremony. Funny thing, the boot lilcking nonner/shoe who retired with the same rank and years of service, gets just about the same $$ in their retirement check. To loosely quote Boyd; I wasn't out to be someone; I went out and did something. Don't regret my decision one bit.

And here I am at the Deid just wanting a crew van with working air conditioning...

Money in the bank when you die is wasted. My kids and grandkids can get a job and contribute to society like the rest of us. They'll be just fine without a huge inheritance... So many people preaching about being rich in retirement. Comfortable suits me just fine.

Felt the same way when ever I had to a briefing with personnel other than ops or mx. EEO were the worst with an Air Force Barbie talking down to cops and mx because we said fuck alot and called people like her cocksuckers. Went to a Command Chief Senior E call, coming off a grave shift sitting in the op's auditorium I thought it might be important, it was 30 minutes of who wants a "Senior Rater endorsement". God Damn perfumed prince Command E-9 and the lower life forms who raised their hands when he asked that question.

Precisely. That fuckery is how we get E-9s who think they're in command, rather than the commissioned officer on G-series orders.

Yeah, a class' overall drop is totally determined by merit. 2009 - 2011 was one of the worst droughts ever. 3/4 of UPT graduates during those years were apparently awful. And don't even remind us about 1992 - 1993... Those students were so bad that the AF banked them... Giving them 2+ years to hone their chairflying skills. WIC is going to be a helluva reunion for the rock stars of XL 15-08.

15-08 student detected....

Don't worry, we use those terms plenty in ops as well.

Good luck on your quest, I had an AIC troop who at the last minute did not want to leave to go the USAFA, after a long talk and few threats of me administrating a bitch slap if he did not go. Needless to say he gave Dubya a bear hug at commencement, flew KC-135's and MC-12's got passed over for Major and now a 737NG FO for Alaska and married a hot babe. I'm proud of him. See what happens if you have somebody who has your back threatening you with a bitch slap if your too scared to leap.

Ref my previous post.

And THAT is why I don't trust Canadians.

Continued tangent alert - the biggest problem the B-1 has wrt maintenance is the complexity of the aircraft versus the limited experience of the maintainers working on them. I have seen many pro-supers become extremely frustrated with guys who take 2 or 3 times longer to fix things because they order the wrong parts, have to repeat the process several times, or simply take longer to swap pieces or complete checks because they are relatively inexperienced. That isn't meant to impugn MX; the new dudes take time to learn and get better - just like you wouldn't expect MQT guys to execute at a high level of skill. Nothing about the B-1, or any national bomber asset, was designed with extreme simplicy in mind. It's a complicated airplane, and as such, it takes a lot of learning and hands-on-training with MX. However, it is amazing how quickly the guys who have been in the B-1 for years can get jets turned. Back to GSC - this seems like a logical move to be honest. A large part of GSC leadership is comprised of B-1 guys, and it might therefore be an easier place for the B-1 to be appreciated. Time will tell, but perhaps the jet and community will be better served as the only asset used extensively in current combat operations in GSC as opposed to being the red-headed bomber stepchild of ACC. Perhaps the command will be able to highlight that the B-1 has many mission sets and that it is not just a CAS wagon. Additionally, although it has been mentioned that the Bone might be a sacrificial lamb for LRS-B in the future, that's a far cry better than being rolled into the mass barn-burning ACC has to do for the sake of F-35. (Disclaimer: all of this is my opinion, and of course, in no way represents the official position of AFGSC, ACC, or the USAF writ large; there is far too much logic herein).

I love how a lot of dudes that punch complain about the leadership/management on AD and about how the patch or WG/CC can't process why people don't want to follow the exact path they did... Then after they punch and get another job (ie, airlines), they preach that anyone is stupid for not following the exact same path they did... Pot, meet kettle. Just sayin.

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To be clear, when I was that young 2Lt, I did listen to the crusty old pro super/flight chief etc... That is why I did well as an MX O. LISTEN to your people, RESPECT your people, DO NOT PANDER to your people. THAT is my point. I guess this one of my soapboxes... When a LtCol does that, he is, in effect, abdicating his responsibility. Should he listen to his Chief? Absofuckinglutely!! But if it's HIS decision to make. He needs to be a fucking man, a fucking officer and a motherfucking leader and fucking OWN it! Then again, I did get passed over for O-5...

So much this. I want to stab somebody everytime i hear a Lt Col say "Well, you'll have to convince the Chief ...".

Apparently, for you, it is now...and that's okay. The Air Force is doing a lot of things wrong, and a lot of things right. You need to go ahead and do what is right for you; I'm glad you know what that is. Go ahead, finish your beer, and stop telling me what the fuck to do. Bendy

Ummm...this is not a valid statement. Not even close. It was what Big Blue needed. Luck of the draw. Nothing more...nothing less.

As a retired MSgt who got out when I saw my Sq infested with E-8's and E-9's who never did their time in the desert this hits very close to home. Cut and Paste from a JQP blog. I always wondered about myself if I was part of the problem when I decided to bail out when I had my fill of these block fillers. I’m a Master Sergeant. My job is not to be part of the fucking Top 3, or preen and lick my coat so that Colonels and CMSgts like me, or to carefully consider how to earn a “5”. My job is to take care of my airman, and motivate + inspire my Staff and Tech Sergeants to do the same. They aren’t as wise as me yet, because they haven’t seen as much, but if I do myjob I will expose them to situations where they will begin to acquire that wisdom. My job is to protect my people and let them truly understand what ‘taking owningship in an organization means’ while at the same time holding them accountable to the high standards I set, exemplify, and enforce. I shouldn’t have a perfect career history or life, because that gives me no clue how to talk to a junior enlisted who is having troubles. If I’ve never gotten in trouble, what the hell am I supposed to say to Airman Smith who is getting an Article 15 or a Letter of Reprimand? “Sorry man. You should have been more like me.” No. Fuck that. “Sorry man. I’ve been there. I did something stupid too. But I didn’t let it stop me. I picked myself up and dusted myself off.” That is the real danger of the one-mistake Air Force. We are robbing our organization of the most powerful force in human history: the ability to learn from our mistakes. Instead we staff it with a bunch of crumb lapping lap-dogs whose only concern is some stupid stratification or some worthless certification they are supposed to have because “someone told me I’m supposed to have it”. What about people? If you spend so much time buried up your own ass, you forget why you are here in the first place. Your purpose is not as an ego-masturbatory exercise, but as a leader of men and women and a manager of teams who’s goal is to foster an organization that doesn’t trudge along to a broken and sick drum, but hums along with a precision and fury that somehow exceeds the sum of its parts. These days we don’t even know how to create such an organization. We sometimes marvel at one when we see it, but more often than not it came about through dumb luck because we have forgotten how to be leaders. Inevitably, the next egotistical maniac will take the helm of such an organization and run. it. into. the. ground. Why do I know this? Because I have seen it. I have lived it. I have made my mistakes and learned from them, even when they weren’t my mistakes. I have reflected on years of a career spent trying to do the right thing, even when it cost me personally and professionally. You know why? Because I’m not just a fucking E-7. I’m a Senior NCO. And my job is bigger than just me now. People don’t work for me any longer. That’s not how this works. I work for them. They aren’t there to stroke my ego or provide me with career and EPR fodder. They aren’t there as punching bags to absorb my own shame, guilt, and frustrations. They aren’t there to do the one thousand menial tasks I invent because I am an uncreative prick. I am there for them, to shepard them towards better careers, to encourage them to pursue personal improvement, to inspire them to do outstanding jobs (even at great personal cost), and to slowly shape them into the SNCOs that I know they will one day be. Because that’s a family. That’s an organization. That’s taking care of each other. And that’s what the US Air Force was supposed to be, and is about. And if you’re not onboard, and you care more about your own EPR than the SrA who’s wife is leaving him, get the fuck out. If you care more about the next Top 3 Meeting than your SSgt who’s work productivity suddenly plummetted for no discernable reason, get the fuck out. If you care more about impressing the wing commander than what your Staff Sergeants and airmen are saying amongst themselves, get the fuck out. We don’t need you. We need SNCOs.