Leaderboard

A rare glimpse into the AFPC offices in San Antonio:

Just building up a cadre for the next round of TAMI.

Easy solution. Approve Palace Chase Apps with 3 years left on AD, thus getting a guy 6 years in the guard/reserve. Not all the dudes I talk to want to go to airlines, some just want to work for a place that isn't out to screw them every chance they get in the name of making rank.

They'll start farming more out to Guard squadrons and put the burden on us to get them experienced. We already have one AD guy and I expect we'll see more in the near future. Problem is, all our IPs, and flight leads are going to the airlines too. Oh and I'm sure we'll get the mx guys, to help with sortie generation, any day now. Check is in the mail...

I successfully argued a FAIP out of a Buff and into a Viper while a FLT/CC. I unsuccessfully argued a FAIP out of a Viper into a Buff. Rack and stacks are great and all, but they can be ignored.

This one really took a turn for the "what the hell?!" I'm sure we've each had good, bad, or nonexistent experiences in the mentoring department. Just like mentors you learn from the bad ones almost as much as from the good. Or at least you should. What I'm saying is you should be able to take something away regardless of the advice given. You may not like what you hear. You may think said mentor is out to lunch. Thems the breaks. It's equally an opportunity to provide the two way street you lament not receiving here, Slick. Be an instructor. Don't tell everyone CH's advice isn't mentoring... tell them why. (Youre wrong by the way, IMHO) Tell us "What I'm looking for is ...." You alluded to your time spent joint - what's mentoring look like to those joint guys you mentioned? What would they expect if they asking the same questions? Please tell us, because I for one want to compare it to my similar experiences with our sister services. Otherwise the petulant whine (and the cry me a river 'everyone is ganging up on me' self-pity BS) has no place, especially in a conversation about mentoring... Chuck

I've given the advice you received, and it has been ignored on countless occasions. However, I have come to learn never ignore your own wants and desires, though things may not work out in your favor.

CH , I think your version of mentoring properly acknowledges that the air force is more than just a job - it's a huge part of a person's life. Navigating through life trials is made more difficult by the military, and leaders who recognize this and attempt to mitigate some of those negative effects can have profound impacts on not just a person's career, but their life. Really well said, and I hope other people read your thoughts and take them to heart.

I think you are confusing mentorship with advocacy and sponsorship. When you say your "PRF looked pretty good"...I hope you mean because you had a record of superb performance, stratifications, contribution...not that actual way the PRF was written. Your tone seems to indicate otherwise, as in your mentor showed you how to write a grammatically perfect draft for your supervisor. I am not trying to be an asshole and yes I get it, there are still some lazy supervisors out there who take a "draft" OPR or PRF and push it forward, but the rules have become so extreme with regard to how things are worded, quoted, documented...this is really commander business and has zero to do with mentoring. Yes your mentor may help you work through goals and important boxes that must be checked for promotion, but there is FAR more to it. My concept of mentoring and what I tried to do for many people over many years was provide LIFE and Career advice that often included a dose of painful feedback. Mentoring is often more about listening than speaking and while the advice may focus on building a successful career, it should not be the only intent. I've mentored good folks through very bad times including divorce, a death in the family, PTSD and just dealing with the normal stresses of life. I escorted a very good friend to mental health when he discovered his wife was cheating on him and sat there with him for hours, she was his world and it took him down at the knees, thankfully he recovered. I've wept with parents as they processed the loss of a child. And sadly, I've sat with a son as he processed the death of his father. Mentoring is SO much more than career advice. I'll get off my high-horse now because trust me, I have fucked up just as much as I've gotten right, I just have very strong feelings on the subject mainly because any success I had as an aviator was because of two people who mentored me and demanded I be a better person and aviator. Mentorship is not perfect and sadly mentors can fail...sometimes miserably. I counted Baba Rand as a mentor for many years and when it counted most, he wasn't there. Maybe instead of asking if the system needs more mentorship, we should all just go out and do it.

Drinking bourbon from the skulls of vanquished enemies after a day of strafing downtown Raqqa in my open canopy P-51. Obviously.

Yes... CMB 17-08 Track 1 T-38 (Saudi) 7 T-38 11 T-1 2 Helo

Not directly on topic, but applies to the discussion I think. Last UTA, my Reserve base just had a visit from the AFRC/A3 to brief the ARTs on retention. The picture did not look good, and they are bouncing any potential ideas to (1) keep the current ARTs attracted to stay, and (2) continue attracting potential baby ARTs. The core problem from my perspective is a simple numbers game. The older ARTs who already have 20+ years of federal service are doing the math (adding 1% for each additional year to the already secured civilian retirement vs. starting an airline career in their 40s). The potential new ARTs are doing even more lopsided calculations where they'd had to stick it out for 20 years as an ART to realize any retirement, vs the beauty of starting an airline career possibly in their late 20s. There is no golden carrot that a government job could possible offer that counters becoming a millionaire while progressively working less for more money. As a former Active Duty pilot, I'll say that the great thing (which totally works against AFRC) about the Reserves is the openness in which we discuss careers options that ACTUALLY benefit ourselves and our families. We have airline cockpit posters up all over the squadron, most of the TRs fly for major airline X, the TR squadron commanders are airline guys. So the discussion about doing what's best for your family is open and honest. On AD, these conversations do not exist. Every pilot with the potential to jump is playing those cards close to the vest until the very end due to overbearing leadership forcing everyone to project a false facade of loyalty to the company. It's total bullshit, with fake "support" coming from AD commanders that everyone knows is not genuine. There is not one person in my Reserve unit that would ever say "Oh, FedEx just called you? Before you take the interview, let's talk about how wonderful your ART job is and the impact on the unit if you left." All (including commanders) would actually say "You're an idiot if you don't take the interview and the job if offered. That's what I would do."

Sounds like any normal office job. You want to be home more but you go to the airlines. You don't want to be an ART or AGR because you can make more money at an airline. Nothing makes you guys happy.