Leaderboard

All this patch talk goes deeper to another problem: going to WIC was never supposed to be a career enhancing milestone....it was so that an already good IP could go, get firsthand experience and bring it back to the sq. If there were enough resources, everyone would go to WIC.

BQZip?

I will scoff it all day long. Patches should never ever be exec; period, dot. Its only part of the Air Force game because retard Wg/CCs are too dumb to think outside the container...they can #1 strat whoever the frick they want, not just execs. Then we have people justifying it for all sorts of dumb reasons. CCs who make patches execs (i.e. secretaries) should be fired for wasting government resources! I hope you will reconsider your thoughts on this because patches need to be in the squadrons making crew dogs killers, not giving advice to the wing commander. If the wing commander wants advice from a patch he can stop by the squadron, look him in the eye and say, "hey captain, I'd like your advice on x, y, z..." That type of leadership is rarely seen anymore. WTF is happening! Seriously, are we that far off track as a fighting force that we can't even get the basic stuff right like letting a patch be a patch. You, my friend, do have the power to change it. You mentor the young dudes in the squadron about the way things should be and set the example. If you continue the status quo, nothing changes. Sad to hear this is happening and fellow officers are actually okay with this.

How recent? The way it's been explained to me you can count on it. But not forced. I grad my FTU in October and my hand isn't forced into anything but it is an option. I can tell you every career reservist I've talked to is screaming "don't do it". Every palace chaser who is tasting freedom is saying "it could be worse and you have a guaranteed paycheck". For the latter question, they won't have to fight for these positions. They're temporary positions offered to try and keep folks around. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I, too, have often wondered about the "I gave him a job as my exec to help him get a school slot" logic. Isn't the WG/CC the one drafting the strats? If you think the guy is deserving, you can give him a better strat than your own exec. If you want to push the guy to school, you can push him to school. You don't have to make him your bitch for a year in order to take care of the dude.

No, IP skills does not always equal the guy who should be leading the squadron...tactics, yes, people, no. Listen, I know a ton of great WIC grads. And I know just as many non-WIC grads who were topnotch IP's but not pushed to leadership because they didn't have a patch on their arm....even though they were the most respected flyers/leaders in their peer group. I know some dudes who went to WIC simply to pad their resumes to get further...all smart, capable pilots but lacking the natural charisma or leadership traits normally desired. Because big blue pushed their paper record, the sq's were worse off when they were in charge. Good tactical leadership in flight , poor squadron leadership. WIC grads are generally above average as a pool to choose leaders from but if they'd rather be an exec than a chief IP, find someone else for WIC. A WIC grad should spend a good chunk of their career giving back to others with their tactical education. The system is broken...when people try to justify WIC grads in exec spots to get promoted, I fear we have lost our focus.

AFGSC is taking captain patches from multiple MDS after about a year in Tier 1 billets and sending them to Striker Vista - 2 years of career broadening, 1 year as exec/general's aide. Most likely followed by guaranteed school slot and staff, imagine coming back as a DO/CC after 6-7 years out of the jet.

Our patch wearer got back from weapons school in January, a few months later he went off to the wing to be an exec. Now the squadron lost their only patch. That's what is wrong with the Air Force.