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Choke yourself you sanctimonious prick. For the record, you are not as smart as you think you are, you have simply become a mindless part of the collective, endlessly spewing the same old PA verbiage. Here is the thing, I know the game, I’ve done all the in-res schools….ACSC, ASG, War College in DC…and I’ve sat behind the glass doors on the E-Ring as an exec and watched the buffoonery. Playing the $ money card overlooks a GLARING error, we did it to ourselves. The lack of vision from people like Buzz and Zatar is what got us here, for all too long we have been stuck in the endless Do Loop of “we can only have a fifth gen force” and we are paying the price for it in spades. 10 years ago a LOT of very smart people tried to tell them the $ crunch was coming and we could not afford a force of only F-22’s and F-35’s. Despite the fact that on the second night of OIF A-10’s were fighting inside the “Super MEZ”, the seniors insisted we double-down on fifth gen and now we cry when we have no $ to buy anything else. What do you expect when we are flying Raptors that cost $44,000 a flying hour and F-35’s that cost $36,000 a flying hour instead of a mixed high-low fleet that could have economically fought the fight we have been in for the 15 YEARS! Then as we piled ever more coal into the 5th gen steam engine that we couldn’t afford, we decided to cut people to pay the bill, and we took those people from the admin heart of the Squadrons (CSS), where they were needed most…Now, after purposely cutting people we suddenly come to the conclusion that the Air Force is On Verge of Manpower Collapse…freaking brilliant! Sadly, we had multiple chances to off-ramp this road to perdition and the Navy tried to show us the way like in 2006 when they broke the “no more 4th gen fighters for any service pact.” I was there the day the boss found out the Navy was getting 24 extra Super Hornets and I was in close trail as he barged into the N-8 office screaming explicatives at the CNO and his XP staff. The Navy response “well the Super Hornet is not a 4th gen airplane, it is a 4.5 gen airplane and we probably can’t afford all the F-35’s anyway.” Congress has been more than willing to gift us extra Vipers and Eagles every year, but we foolishly keep saying no and doubled down to the point we had to start closing fighter squadrons to pay the bills. The last ten years have seen a steady retreat from the TacAir redline, No lower than 2,300 fighters!…Ok No lower than 2,100 fighters! There was a huge gasp at 2,000, but we sliced right past that number faster than some late night yaki mandu through your system after a Friday night in Aragon Alley. As we started closing fighter squadrons we suddenly had fewer to fill AEF taskings so the bros and sisters on the end of the whip have to run even faster to make up for the shortage…starting to see the picture now? When it comes to your "retention tools" again, you don’t get it…what you call having bigger fish to fry than keeping pilots on the right side of the happy meter and using STOP LOSS as a retention tool is the PROOF that the entire thing is a scam. How can senior leaders profess to care about the force, mission first…people always, and say things like “Morale is pretty darn good” almost in the same breath they admit the Air Force is on the verge of a manpower collapse? This CSAF has made countless impassioned speeches about caring for people and “every Airman has a story”, but in the end as you admit the people are just numbers and their happiness doesn’t really matter. I get it that you will never make everyone happy and there will always be sport bitching, but this is something very different. This is the heart of your ability to be an Air Force, your professional pilot force telling you with their feet…”THINGS ARE Fed UP!” Only 38% of the pilot force took the bonus last year and the numbers look worse for this year…so I would submit you better make time to fix the happy meter. It is not about hating the messenger, it is about hating the smug asshat that parades around the room showing glee in his pronouncements from on high. You represent much of what is wrong with the current system.

I don't understand that statement. 2niner: I also signed the 20 year bonus. I like flying, and even though staff is awful I think I have a good chance of flying again. I'm not interested in the airlines, I like my AF mission. Also, ANG has no appeal to me. Just figure out who you are and what you like, then pursue that. Hard when you're young. If I could do it all over again while keeping the knowledge I've gained, I would be a WO in the 160th. I am glad GC posts on this board; arguing with him is fruitless. His opinions are the unvarnished versions of opinions I hear from GO's routinely. it's good he is so forthright; expect that attitude from all your senior AF management, but normally obfuscated by platitudes. Forewarned is forearmed. I have no illusions about the cowards running our AF. I chose to stay because no where else affords me the opportunity to kill AQ/IS; and although our organization doesn't value that, I do.

No way Chang is anyone other than an O-3/4 trolling the shit out of this board. His statements are so outlandish there's no way it's legit inside info. He does a pretty good job of using targeted statements that he knows will get everyone way spun up. Ignore him, he's just having a good time watching everyone freak out.

Dude, are you just a shitty algorithm hosted on AFPC's computer network? Talk like a f-ing person. We (pilots/navs/E flyers, etc.) are not curious, foreign creatures "enamored with flying" that populate your spreadsheets. There are real god damn human beings out there risking their lives to protect our country. Treating people like cogs in a vast faceless machine is a big part of the problem, and you exemplify it perfectly the way you address everyone here on the boards. "We may have to eliminate some of the extraneous additional duties at flying squadrons or authorize more civilians to help. So be it." SO BE IT?? You make it sound like a bad thing...this is one of the many solutions that would alleviate actual pain points for your front-line operators. Stop loss being used means you all f-ed up at your job so badly that you have to basically go to the nuclear option. Congratulations. Edit to add: lol... -1 reputation point from General Chang. I'll take it.

We like to print out the lowest 30-60-90 times and hang it in the office so we can shame those you speak of. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The term you're looking for here is "daywalker".

Delta Hotel You just stated what A1 knows but pretends they don't know or actually doesn't know, that as they don't deep dive into the manning situation: box checking careerist who go to RPA assignments soon after MQT find somewhere to be at the Wing other than in the ops squadron. I can't tell you how many "fast burners" I saw come, get their RPA stink on them, do some job with a fancy bullshit title, work bankers hours, breeze over and man the shelter only a Friday morning then disappear for another two weeks. On the Excel spreadsheet everything looks fine but in reality only a portion of the pilots actually fly the line, a real analysis would not just be 11Us or 18Xs in positions in the UMD at Base X it would also involve comparing flying hours/sorties each of those individuals in those positions actually do, put that on a graph and you will see a cluster of hideouts with low hours, probably rank in the O-4 range and a good chance of PCS'ing soon to a school slot or other special duty without doing much in their time at said RPA assignment to serve the community / do the mission... But I/m not cynical... not one bit... Saw this in my MAF time also but it was especially egregious in the RPA world..

I want some of what this idiot is smoking. He deserves to have his ass parked in a GCS doing shift work enjoying the "opportunities" of RPA leadership.

I think a big part of what you're missing is that due to several problems created by poor leadership over quite some time, this has just become another job. The Airman's creed is a joke, a poor attempt at a PC credo that rings hollow. Even the core values have been eroded; how stupid would I be to blindly assume them to be infallible guidance when it is so clear that big blue leadership does not? The end result is that this has become just another job to many of us, and right now the competition for our skills is high. It's a seller's market. If you want to compete, you have to make the JOB better. You'll never compete with airlines (and several other careers; I'm not personally targeting airlines) on money alone, even with higher bonuses. You can't honestly think $35K/yr will make the bonus numbers stop sagging, so something needs to be done to fundamentally change the fact that the rank and file view this as just another job.

Oh really? Glad you plan on honoring that "promise" you just sold to 100+ UPT grads and stuck them in the box. Glad your plan to fix the manning issue is to screw over the pilots you non vol'd to RPAs. That should really help the morale. Hope your star stabs you in the jugular on your way to work tomorrow. If you are who you say you are.

It's not Obama...we've done this to ourselves.

I'm willing to bet he is a jokester Captain somewhere absolutely laughing his ass off at the massive freak outs he can induce.

Yep. And better deals can be had at FedEx or Delta.

What a huge crock. The only thing truthful in this statement is "money in the airlines isn't everything." Which is ironic coming from you. WTF is wrong with someone deciding to go on to a different career path, especially after serving 12 years of his life in honorable military service. I understand you're always ganged up on this forum and thus feel the need to be defensive at every turn, but what is wrong with a guy getting out to earn more money and have a better QOL with his family. He may very well find out that it was a mistake on the outside (and god forbid continue to serve in our guard or reserve force), but shake his hand, or on the message boards of the interwebs version, wish him good luck. He's already made his choice, so no need to tell him what a dumb ass he is for making it. Instead, why not say "thanks for your service, please tell all the kids that you give wings to to fly for the USAF, and I'm sure the guy that gets your spot at IDE will be grateful and kick ass since 99% of us do." That's how you tactfully respond as a leader. Even on the anonymous internet. Not by being a dick. A WG/CC of mine years ago made an 11F who just quit (and not to join the airlines mind you, but just to go AGR) report to his office for a severe ass chewing for being a quitter and effectively gave him a much more foul mouthed version of what you basically just told wolfpack. Then he finished and said, "I want you to go back to the squadron and tell every MFer what just happened here in case any one of them is thinking of quitting." And he did. Immediately. The effect of this crossfit loving 1 star did not go as intended. No one felt threatened. Everyone did though have their "he's a dick" suspicions validated.

As an IDE-select who passed on the opportunity, I have found this sentiment to be misleading. Good leadership is highly valued on both sides of the fence. The Air Force has more opportunities per capita, but puts very tight left and right bounds in place. That makes it a better place to learn leadership. The outside world has fewer opportunities, but can have many more degrees of freedom. That makes it a better place to execute leadership. -

This cat cracks me up. I have a hard time believing he's not just a troll well versed in pilot aggravation. If he's the real deal we're fvcked like BQzips mom on prom night. As for the RPA bit, some of those non-vol'd there enjoyed it, most didn't. I met some good people there. When I left, fortunate to get back to flying, I kept telling myself that the experience wasn't that bad, it was a great leadership experience and I'm better off for it. After a year I eventually I stopped lying to myself. There comes a point where you can no longer convince yourself Santa is real. My prime years as a slick wing captain were lost inside a GCS and my career growth was 3 years behind my peers. Aside from a property I purchased in Vegas when I moved there, the best thing to come from that assignment was the lesson learned never to sell my freedom to turn down a sh1tty deal. I am your poster-child aviation junky - part of the community that makes for easy recruits near your local ROTC detachment. Combine a young exposure to aviation with some early 2000s patriotism and the result is yours truly. After seeing how awesome I look in a flight suit with my sleeves rolled up, having to repeatedly tell young women that I'm married and having seen the vapes trail off my strakes from an aggressive closed pattern, my kids will undoubtedly want to follow in my footsteps. I'm already thinking about the conversation that I hope will inform them of the unseen surprises that lurk in a bureaucracy - Changs decide your next assignment, chicks don't dig droid operators, you get yelled at if your sleeves aren't around your wrists and Santa is not real.

And the current generation of senior leaders will sail off into retirement patting themselves on the back for having saved the Air Force. Then somewhere between 2028 and 2030, a bunch of people who liked flying in their twenties start to have an inkling that there is more to life than the Air Force. Suddenly they come to the stark realization of just how long their prison sentence really is. They'll come to absolutely despise the Air Force, and they'll have another decade with nothing to do but poison the waters. And they will. Or you can just fix the stupid things that piss people off. The current generation of leadership sails off into retirement rightly knowing that they left the Air Force a better place. Then somewhere between 2028 and 2030, a bunch of people who liked flying in their twenties are still in love with flying, leading and delivering an uninterrupted ass kicking to our nation's enemies. They see the last 10 years as an opportunity that's good for them, good for their families, and good for their nation. They'll come to love the Air Force and spend that second decade nurturing a whole other generation in how to run a fantastic organization. And they will. But you're right, Chang. Your way is better. Let's just do that.

That is not gonna buff out...glad the crew is ok.

fyi....i chose "no" on this. It just wasnt a good move for me....airlines are too much potential

It's incredibly disappointing how easily leaders talk about breaking the adsc contract through stop loss. It shows their lack of respect for us, and their lack of concern for the long term viability of this service. A 1 sided contract is no contract at all, and should not be referred to as such. To the Lt above, don't join this organization. Get out while you can. It's seriously not worth it, and it's only going to get worse. Chang is 100% right on what the future holds. Join the guard or the reserves if you want to fly military airplanes.

I have heard some substantiated rumors that leadership has basically said that we aren't going to be able to meet in the middle on retention and the focus is now simply on absorption (at least in the 11F world). The FTU business is already seeing increased numbers and reduced timelines between classes. It will take a few years to see if it works but it does seem like big blue has chosen the path of accepting a couple more years of low 11F manning and waiting for this surge of output to "fix the glitch." Of course, in standard AF sine wave fashion this same conversation will be repeated in a few years when everyone being jammed through the pipeline right now starts getting out for all the same reasons. Think that the AF will ever learn that retention really is a problem they need to solve with something other than a check?

This is going to be comical to watch. The view of those like Chang will truly be the downfall of the Air Force. Once the true volunteer aspect leaves with stop-loss or indentured servitude type contracts, the train will come off the tracks. As a red blooded, combat proven American, there's one thing I value more than anything. That's freedom to do what the I want with my life. I gave 13 years of my life to the defense of my nation. I am proud of that, but the moment I felt that was being taken for granted, I stopped playing the game and took my ball elsewhere. My advice to anyone on the fence is to start getting your plan together yesterday. If there is stop-loss, go back to your SERE days of using passive resistance. If I was stop-loss'd, I'd stop doing every single additional duty and focus 100% on flying. I'd call out sick at least once a week. I'd fail every single PT test. Hell, I'd find a way to go DNIF without messing up my airline prospects. I hope it doesn't come to what Chang is proposing, but realize your Sr Leadership, both in Congress and in the Pentagon may have just become your enemy. I thank God every day I was able to get out when I did. I landed on my feet and I know you guys will too.

As a Guard guy, I don't have a dog in this fight, but how can you completely disregard what the disenfranchised group of people are telling you? How can you not listen to them when they explain how to help alleviate some of your manning problems? I think you get it completely wrong when you say their happiness is a nonfactor. Big Blue may not be corporate America, but employee satisfaction is important. This is the AIR Force. Whether you like it or not, pilots are a crucial part of what the AIR Force is all about. I truly hope your comments are not representative of AFPC, but after following this thread from the beginning and over 2200 posts, nothing that has come out of there has proven otherwise. God help those on AD.

Its going to be interesting watching senior leaders explain the multiple rounds of VSP, and the number of pilots twice passed over to my congressman. Somehow I think negligence and mismanagement isn't going to go over too well. My best guess is the red line gets tripped sometime late 2017 to early 2018. Data point I'm up for the bonus and I'm not taking it.

This is only the first step. If we can get more enlisted RPA pilots to take over all non-combat RPA roles, then permanently reclassify all current RPA pilots into the RPA career field, we will no longer need to pull pilots out of cockpits for RPAs. This would solve rated manning problems faster than any bonus increase (although A1 will continue to pursue that with Congress). Lots of reasons to be positive, people.

Looking way too deeply into my words. This forum is full of washed-up pessimists telling young people, "Leadership sucks, the AF sucks, get out ASAP." That message is one-sided and must be counterbalanced with a more sensible message from leadership. We have incredible leaders in our AF at all levels, and to get a slot for in-res education is an honor, whether you accept or not. I am disappointed whenever a selectee turns down these incredible opportunities for leadership advancement, but in no way does that denegrate their service, as you seem to think I am implying. Listen carefully...the grass isn't always greener. If you earn a school opportunity, please seriously consider joining the ranks of our honorable AF leadership. You won't regret saying yes, but you'll always have to live with the "what if" of saying no, and that deep regret may last a lifetime. Young man: thank you for you service.

Congrats to all of the recent grads, and welcome to the best ride of your lives.

Absolutely join...don't let these sour grapes force you into any kind of hasty decision. You will regret that forever. Once in, work your tail off and be the best in your unit. Your leadership will fall over themselves to give you the choice assignments you want, all the way to Colonel. If you don't "have excellence," yes, you could find yourself like some on this forum, fulfilling needs of the Air Force that don't align with your plans. However, uphold the core values, and you won't need to worry about that. Be the best and you will rise to the top.

Too bad...these slots are huge leadership opportunities for those who earn them. Money in the airlines isn't everything. The Air Force provides leadership opportunities you'll never find on the outside.

Two thumbs up for this selection. He will continue the great works started by Gen Welsh. Get excited; our future is in good hands, Airmen.

Ok, a couple of you appear upset, but for the young guys on this forum, I'll state a similar message to my post on the SOS/ACSC board, then pull up my tent stakes on this issue. Our Air Force is honorable, lethal, and excellent. It is an organization that many in society would kill to be a part of. Some members of this forum have thrown that opportunity down the tubes during an emotional event. If you decide to leave, make sure you do it for the right personal reasons. The future opportunities in our AF will be incredible. You will be personally, monetarily, and professionally satisfied and rewarded. Get excited and be a part of it. It's your future.

Very mature, Colonel. Now that you feel better about yourself, let's discuss facts. A1 misjudged the effects of the 9-yr bonus. I acknowledge that. From the personnel perspective, however, A1 has a specific playbook and specific rules to follow in these scenarios. The AF is desperately trying to get Congress to approve higher bonuses. If successful, this will help slightly with officers on-the-fence. Next, some stop-lossed officers may rebel, but most will do their duty and uphold the core values (all should...we are officers first, as you learned in your schools). We may have to eliminate some of the extraneous additional duties at flying squadrons or authorize more civilians to help. So be it. Finally, a 15- or 20-year ADSC for UPT will have limited effect on the morale of pilots currently in, and the AF will still not have difficulty finding people to sign-up to fly...the novelty of flying never diminishes amongst a population enamored with it. If AF recovers from the pilot shortage down-the-road, A1 can curtail ADSCs. That won't be anytime soon, however, as AF will need to send more current pilots permanently into RPAs for the foreseeable future to meet Army demand for orbits. Pilots- you can help create a positive environment in your squadrons as we move through these difficult times. Emphasize the positives...flying hour programs are healthy, and pilots moved into the RPA community have the opportunity to establish themselves as leaders in the "community of the future," which can be a huge opportunity to excel. Also, RPA operators are home more, per the spreadsheets. Please help your GO leadership, and we will get through this together. Stay positive. You will sleep better tonight.