Leaderboard

all us mid level captains have seen the bullshit...we dropped when there was only one fighter per class, we had RPAs in our -38 drops, we were in the squadrons with the TAMI 21 guys and heard how they got screwed out of their fighters, we saw the masters swing back to required for major and how our friends had to claw to get it before their board, we saw it swing back to not being required, we had friday morale shirts taken away, we had pencil tab patches made illegal, we had black boots taken away for swade, we saw dumbass ABUs come into "style" along with 1980s parachute PT pants, we saw the air force e-9s embarrass our peers in the died chow hall for wrong sock color (and be rewarded for it by the O-6), we saw 21 year old A1Cs drinking at DJ but aircrew were forbidden from even one beer, we saw our flying hours get cut back, we saw congress not do their job to the detriment of our survival in combat with zero shits given, we saw congress debate to take away dual spouse BAH, we became our own finance officer, we became our own professional CBT clicker, we saw below average yes men pilots do the minimum flying-wise and excel at queep only to get rewarded with good deal assignments and promotions (CHANG), we saw absurd increases in ROE for political purposes with no eye on victory. We saw the airlines start to hire... we didn't see our families, we didn't see clear cut victory in the war, we didn't see respect for our skills as pilots, we don't see a end in sight in deployments or war. The air force has been f***ing us since 2008. How the f*** are they surprised we don't want to stick around for the next 8 years to get run into the dirt. Most of my peers are getting TFO in a few years and i have zero fu**s or sympathy for big blue. They earned this.

Everyday I run into more and more first assignment guys in my AMC squadron already talking about getting out and going to the airlines. I think it's pretty telling when the FNGs fresh out of school, full of the blue Kool Aid, are already dreaming about cutting bait. I've never seen anything like it.

you have to build a regulation flickerball field in your backyard.

The standard mantra applies here, timing is everything. I left the viper (GLOC->FEB waiver) in 2010 and was offered nearly every AMC type aircraft to choose from; not an ISR platform to speak of. I'm now a C-130 patch. Whatever your circumstances, keep your head up and bloom where you are planted.

First, yes your plan makes sense. Given where the market is these days and interest rates I think paying down the debt is a smart thing to do. A guaranteed after-tax return of almost 6% is pretty good right now. I would look to max your Roth IRA first though. You don't get to make up for missed years so even if the returns aren't stellar right now you want to take full advantage of any tax breaks available. For #2, you should do the conversion. That $23k will be counted as taxable income for the year like it was an extra paycheck with $0 withheld. You are correct though that given your deployment your taxable income will be so low that the trade-off is worth it. Look at our politicians these days, do you really believe there is any chance taxes go anywhere but up over the next 20 years? Take the hit today when your income is low. Also I would consult a tax attorney to see if doing the rollover while you're deployed will count that as tax free income. Probably not but worth investigating. And you are correct, roll-overs do not count as a contribution so you can contribute the full $11,000 on top of the roll over.

Dude, if you're in a time crunch, I'd go VFR direct to the registrar at Maxwell. Tell them your situation; you won't be the first. Good luck!

Go with the NFO/Navy standards....pass those and your are set. On the other hand...if you can tread water without getting your golf clubs wet...you pass the CSO course. This carrier aviator and U-28 plankowner had to take this shot...it was just too easy. ATIS

Chang is a fvcking Major working 730-1630 for some nameless manager destined to become another POS GO in the image of those that stratified him the past 6-9 years. When Chang's staff gig is up he'll head back to a nameless base to serve as SARC or IG before he gets ushered out, only to take up a job as a Walmart greeter where he will give side-eye and mumble insults every time he sees someone wearing a flight suit enter through the exit doors. Quit giving him so much credit.

The only waiver I've ever seen is to waive the board itself. When one washes out of our FTU because they just can't hack single-seat fighters, leadership often offers them a waiver to the FEB. The terms of the waiver are generally acceptance of an ACC crew aircraft, basically anything but single seat fighters. Not sure how the B-15 fits into the mix. The WG/CC is the waiver authority. Sometimes the waiver is not offered. A dude washed out of my FTU class and was not offered a waiver because he washed out for reasons that the leadership deemed "safety of flight" problems. They went after his wings. His own words - it was the shittiest experience of his life. He won and got a B-1. That's my only data point for a waiver not being offered. If problems are due to SA and safety of flight, the waiver may not be offered.

I agree that much of the complaints that fly around this board are born of bitterness and self-inflation. That said...it doesn't mean the system is grand, and I can assure you the bureaucracy does not need your defense. Your quote above isn't a challenge at all; the system is all the notification they need. The challenge is getting the 21st percentile to internalize the difference between themselves and the 20th percentile before the system notifies them of such 8-9 (10 recently) years down the road (sounds like you have a system in place to do that, the majority do not). The real challenge is getting young CGOs to internalize what being in the top 20 percent of the world's greatest Air Force should actually mean (there is more than enough GO shenanigans to know that we need to course correct to some extent). I assure you that it is certainly a difficult pill to swallow as the 21st through 25th percentile press through the next years into O-5, as the top 20 percent stovepipe into year long academics (to precious to muster in any fashion for the 21st percentile), then a staff tour (where they gain some worldly view of military operations unknowable to 21st plus percentile) only to roll back in on top of the 21st percentile as directors and commanders inspite of their performance in any those roles while "away". Grand indeed... There is plenty of room for bitterness (as well as ego, to some extent) that is both legit and understandable within the current construct, it's just not always expressed in the most productive fashions...and certainly not with all of the facts. I, personally, revel in the successes of all of my peers I know whom were school selects. I knew who they were before I ever saw the list, although there were a few surprising ommissions. I can find satisfaction in their success, and I can continue to contribute in the roles I am lucky enough to find...I do not doubt that I will ultimately influence the next generation of AF Officers more than some of them ever will. I will also hand hold that new CC as he takes his new job and promptly goes head under water to ensure he succeeds. The system is not grand, rather than defend it as "right more often than its wrong", lets just make it better. AFSO21, right? Bendy