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Screw AFPC, Tucson ANG is hiring full time, come on down! https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/434051000 Like flying 10+ times a month, like living in Europe for months on end, like visiting Asia, like teaching? This is the place for you, we do all of that.

Not to be a jerk, but do YOU know how the vml process has been working lately? I am good bros with the viper functional, and after many conversations with him, here is some truth data/points to ponder: In the most recent (summer) VML of 120+ viper drivers, there was ONE ops to ops assignment. Some B-course, some AGRS, and a lot of UPT/PIT/IFF, but only one CAF to CAF assignment. I will quote the functional here: "My job is to get you in a fighter squadron, get you experienced, and then get you out to make room for the next crop of FNGs". This summer the porch will deal with A1's "grand solution" to the viper driver shortage - 69+ b course grads. By the end of the summer. New b-coursers can't go to Holloman, can't teach UPT/IFF, or do any of the other 11F required jobs - they can only go to a CAF unit until they are experienced. So that doesn't leave a whole lot of CAF slots for dudes who want to stay - no matter what your OG says. You are just a number and as soon as you are experienced, you get to fill all those other jobs. Now you would say "Well your OG can fight to get you a spot at Holloman or maybe at 422/85 TES as a stepping stone to WIC" to which I would normally agree, however, filling test billets are lower priority than filling UPT/IFF/PIT/B course etc. They are also being really stupid about the b course spots - they RARELY send viper guys to Luke because Luke is shutting down (eg 2 dudes in the past year and a half). But they won't send you to Holloman because its not big enough yet, and two vmls ago they sent 25 dudes there, so it's all full. On the other hand, talking to a bro at the 85 TES, they just got a new inbound who isn't even an IP. The 85th didn't ask for him, and don't know why a non-IP was sent there, but now they have to deal with it (ie take away test sorties so they can put him through an IPUG). Why do I say this? Because it demonstrates how f*cked the situation is. I will quote the functional again - "Timing is everything, and it will always trump performance". So yeah, maybe this kid does have hands of gold, and maybe his OG did fight for him, but if the spots aren't there (hint, they aren't) there isn't a damn thing anybody can do about it. Or maybe his OG did fight for him for that ONE ops assignment, or that ONE 85 TES job, and he lost out to some other dude. Doesn't mean he isn't good enough for WIC, maybe his CC just isn't good at fighting for him (a situation I think most here have seen, directly or indirectly). No reason to sh*t on him. Oh and all you CAF viper units out there, expect to have an inexperienced ratio approaching 80% by the end of the year - don't worry, AFPC knows about it, they just don't care enough to change their ways. TL;DR - AFPC is f*cked more than most people realize, and it is definitely going to derail some people's career aspirations through no fault of their own.

Dont let this take the winds out of your sails. Work hard in 38s and have a good attitude. Try to look at it positively as a way to learn to teach. if you cant teach well, you wont make it through WIC, if you even get selected to go at all (you wont get pushed, ARC or otherwise, if youre a shitty IP). All is not lost, just the possible path changed, remember that. Add: i have a couple good friends who were in similar shoes and went as Majors in the guard. So, that should show you the door is not closed.

One hell of a head-scratching first post. You, I mean your "friend", are probably f*cked.

AFPC is a shitshow. She should be fired by the CoS: https://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108712/major-general-margaret-b-poore.aspx AFPC is a mess. She is accountable... especially after 32 months in command. He should be fired by the CoS: https://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108722/john-w-bill-snodgrass.aspx AFPC is a mess. He is accountable... especially after 25 months as the E.D. With the plethora of AF manning/personnel issues, WHY does the CoS accept the failures of AFPC? Grow a pair, Mark. FIRE them... announce it... bring in a new AFPC leadership team... give them 15 months to have significant improvements with the understanding that they will go places if they do... or be asked to leave if they don't.

Ah yes. The KC-135A. Built back when man thought he could burn water.

You're certainly entiltiled to your opinion, but all my experience says otherwise. Most of the BS ROE you lament originates from the military itself. Rules on top of rules to make extra special certain we get no where near any red lines. And there will never be war without "Political games." Never. War is a political action, and even the super rare total war scenarios like WW2 were suffocatingly political. Good senior leaders need to find a way to adapt and overcome political obstacles as we do in tactical scenarios; that's the GO fight and they mostly suck at it. Might be they have to take a stand and get fired if the true obstacle really is a politician. How often does that happen, versus how often a line guy makes the ultimate sacrifice? There are definitely some military leaders who are tearing shit up and held back from above. LTG Thomas said in an interview recently that he is told no 9 out of 10 times. He also admits we are losing badly across the board. He is a leader and not a manager, one of few. Leadership like him is the only reason I've stayed in the AF. We have one like him who posts here sometimes. Most of our management has a graduate degree in risk aversion. They got their rank by being the guy who never took a chance and always found a reason to say no, thus avoiding any incidents on their watch while simultaneously leveraging career ending paperwork on the few who take a chance that doesn't work out. I was drowning in those types when I was in AMC, and they absolutely got people killed.... More on that if you care. They are the reason we have failed to follow up any gains and consequently stay mired in indecisiveness. Ive seen the same thing in AFSOC, though to a lesser degree. But we are losing. It's someone's fault, and that someone is not the folks on the line doing the fighting. It's the people "highly respected at the pentagon" because that respect is gained making life easy on bureaucrats.

What's your problem, Spoo?