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I just retired at 20yrs and 3 days. If you run the numbers, you either have to get out at your first opportunity, at exactly 20 years, or stay in the af forever. Anywhere in between and you're losing money and opportunity. (Brs may change that calculus .... but doesn't effect me). I've said it before, but I'm nothing special (and many can vouch). I'm a viper guy with almost 3k hours. I've been hired by Sw, delta, and united and invited to interview with FedEx, aa, and a legit aviation mad scientist. And I wasn't trying all that hard. I will have my choice of employers once I wrap up my 4 months of terminal leave. Ymmv...have a plan and a backup plan...and don't undervalue your experience.

Fighter pilot shortage .... 15 years behind and the pipeline is working half days to catch up

Swiped from Otto's LinkedIn. I remember reading this as a Lt maintenance officer. Timeless...sport bitching and repeating history: Anonymity, Accountability, Cowardice, and Courage. March 4, 2017 In February 1992, I was a mid-level O-3 (Air Force Captain) and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Merrill McPeak was halfway through his tenure and he was unleashing changes and reforms that to this day are among the most controversial actions ever done to a single military service. From changing the "wing" structure, to shoving Total Quality Management down our throats, to a savage "reduction in force" and yes, the unveiling of a uniform reminiscent of an airline pilots, McPeak was seemingly unchallenged by history, his fellow generals, or even common sense. There were anonymous papers faxed around with criticism but no one dared put their name out there in opposition. Multiple events were my catalyst but one day in my BOQ room, I wrote the article attached and submitted knowing full well it would never be published by the Armed Forces Journal a magazine I had read since ROTC. The assistant editor called and said it was being seriously considered and they needed a bio and photo and then hours later, West Point graduate, owner and publisher, the irascible Ben Schemmer called and said he was going to run it. In our call, he said there was great debate in his editorial meeting and some said I was just bitching but he said I was putting my career on the line and they were going to run it. Ben told me I was going to lose my career, he said there is no tradition of disagreement in the US Air Force. I had heard that twice before, one at Squadron Officer's School from AF Historian Earl Tilford who said the Air Force crushes dissent in all forms. He said as an Intel briefer during the Vietnam War, he was briefing about Operation Lam Son719 and he used the words the "Allies were retreating" and the USAF general he briefed said our allies don't retreat and "Butch" said he was right, retreat implies order and this was a rout! He was tossed out of the office and became an Air Force historian. The other time was from Colonel John Guilmartin who was sacked as editor of the Air University Review who told me the Air Force leadership will never allow dissent, you tow the line or get crushed. Hearing Ben tell me at that moment my career would be over, I gulped and said it's worth it. Someone has to voice concern over McPeak's idiotic policies. The article was published and a few weeks later, a friend called and asked how I was? I said umm, OK, and he said my article was the subject of a discussion at Air Combat Commander's conference room (he was a general's aide) and the view is I will receive a phone call telling me to resign my commission if I have any problems with USAF policies. I ran to Radio Shack and bought a microphone that attaches to the telephone and figured if someone called, I'd tape it and go on 60 Minutes. No call came. A couple of months later at my next training location, I got a call from a Major General I had worked for and respected and he told me he and most of his fellow GO's agreed with me but none would lay it out there publicly, as I had. Several years later, I was passed over for Major and kicked out of the USAF. I personally do not believe the article was directly related but that I did not do the careerism the USAF officer corps expects and my records were not competitive. Either way, I had prepared for that day but it still came as a severe blow. Which brings me to today, it's impossible to not turn on certain news shows or read the leading newspapers or websites without seeing news that is highly classified to include signals intercepts of American citizens. I'm sure these leakers believe they are helping the nation, in their infantile minds, but they are exposing the nations secrets. If they were so concerned, invoke whistle blower laws and go see their Members of Congress! Isn't it telling that not a single individual has done this? Or go to the National Press Club and hold a press conference. Instead, they are playing games with our national security. There are often articles written about the need to write critical assessments of the military and none look further than our current National Security Advisor H.R McMaster and his book Dereliction of Duty. It did not hurt but most likely saved his career. I was able to get in the Air Force Reserve and retired a few years ago as a Colonel. Stop the Leaking. Stop breaking laws divulging our national secrets. Stop putting the lives of our armed forces service-members and our citizens at risk. Or if it's so important, don't be an anonymous coward and stand for your principles.

Cool so CBM 17-14 track. 2 active 38s 1 guard 38 2 international 38s 15 T-1 1 reserve Helo 1 active helo (wanted it) As far as active 38s, there was only going to be 1, but they cut a deal yesterday to wash back a complete international and get a second slot for AD. Pretty much.....yeah... there were some good sticks who didn't get their first choice. And I got T-1s, although I think if it was a couple classes back I'd be in 38s, and I'm happy to take it because honestly I am just glad to be here and fly. Just remember for the up and coming hot-as-shit SNAPs, a lot of guys have come before you, and you are entitled to nothing. Don't be a b*tch and take your track with some dignity.

Was in a very similar boat last year. Off the street Guard hire and my local MEPS wouldn't see me without paperwork for a surgery I never had... Finally got routed up from my recruiter to my squadron commander who worked with NGB to get me a waiver to bypass MEPS and go straight to Wright Pat after several months of MEPS dropping the ball. Agree with Viper154's suggestion. Get a hold of someone in the command chain at the squadron who sponsored you and bring them up to speed on the situation.

Me winning isn't. You do.

You also earn 83 points for completing the ACSC course in the ARC, so if you're not a full-time guy that's another way to get a few months of gimmie points toward that check of the month club.

https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2017/3/9/the-price-of-payload-light-attack-for-pennies-on-the-pound Good article on light strike, written by an assistant district attorney in Texas. Sad that a random lawyer seems to have a better grasp of this issue than our generals.

Maybe but there could be other reasons to go back to a single advanced trainer even it is more expensive. I lean towards a single track but SUPT does make a helluva lot of sense still. To mitigate the cost of a more expensive advanced trainer (assuming a single T-X track) - could the instrument phase in T-6's be expanded and the instrument phase in T-X be shortened? Just use T-X to teach military specific items (form, mission, etc.)? 60% T-6 & 40% T-X or some other ratio... The T-X program seems to be emphasizing capability vs. cost (to a point).... https://aviationweek.com/defense/high-performance-t-x-could-edge-out-low-cost-bid If there is to be a T-XXX as a Tone replacement, maybe Big Blue would be willing to get a new jet with the luxury options? A jet that has range, modern avionics with full automation to manage (capable of full auto flight & HUD), NVG compatible cockpit, short field capability (landing on 5K' wet asphalt at ISA), a UARSSI just like the T-X will have even if only for dry plugs, etc... Swing for the fences for T-1 replacement...

T-38 numbers for CBM makes sense since they are barely treading water with their student requirements.

You've got until you're about 28.5 until you start having age related setbacks. So push hard over the next 3.5 years, get some good experience, and hopefully get selected before then. It is still possible after 28.5 but about 50 times harder to get a unit to talk to you. You need to get those AFOQT and PCSM scores way up...hopefully into the 90's.

The numbers just don't back up your claim. While you may get lucky a year or two, the vast, vast majority of professional investors and fund managers who actively trade do not beat the market in the long run. These are the guys that have unlimited resources, analysts, and prob insider information.

Buying individual stocks because you heard from your neighbors cousin that you can't lose is the rigged game. Might as well just go to Vegas...at least you'll get free drinks. I own the entire stock market (admittedly, weighted slightly toward small caps) and I sleep well at night.

Read "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" and you'll realize it's a rigged game. By the time you find the next great stock, most likely it's past it's prime.

You might be able to pull that off for some airframes like a C-21 or a MC-12 in basic stick and rudder skills. However, guys that graduate UPT and the 135 FTU are still a long way from being safe. Taking UPT hours away from Phase III and throwing an equivalent amount of training time would be a lot more expensive than Toner hours. The KC-135 is around $6k per flight hour.

Here's the article with picture of Shocker. Yes, his finger is gone, and hence the call sign. Yes it would have, that was the whole point of the article (put on your glasses and squint and you can probably read it).

For the record, I wasn't scoffing glove use. I said the only good reason to wear them is because the reg says so. That's where the argument stops. Compliance is mandatory, 'nuff said. I also said I took some shit for not wearing gloves. I wasn't trying to "be cool", I just didn't like wearing them. I wore them in RTU. I did a night sortie with a weapons officer in my first fighter squadron and I fumbled a couple switches and took a long time to find some others (since I had the console lights turned way down to reduce glare on the canopy...pre-NVG days). He said he flew with his gloves off at night (along with other techniques). I took my gloves off the next night (I was already using the very thin RAF leather gloves) and was amazed at the difference it made. I never put gloves on again. I always tried to make as many of my techniques standard as possible. I didn't want "night techniques/tactics". I switched to no gloves and risked getting hammered for the rest of my career and I did catch crap. More than once I had someone in another aircraft type make gestures in the arming area, especially at Nellis. It was usually a Red Flag TDY O-6 who either had a hard on for gloves or failed to look at the Whoop Ass fin flash. I occasionally got feedback from the Gomers that some O-6 made a comment in the mass debrief about a Hog guy not wearing gloves. So, for the "young guys"...the reg says wear your gloves. Compliance with that regulation is mandatory. Questions?

From what I saw/heard the T-1 program was a months worth of education extended out to 6 months so the class could all graduate together with -38 peers. Lots of talk about why they couldn't just learn that stuff at the FTU and as a copilot.