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I grew up riding in cars...I'm basically a certified mechanic.

As a Korea RAS and a dude with a Korean wife, I can say this statement is categorically false.

Dude, Unless you are Goldfein himself, NOTHING is going to change. We've heard the call to cleanse the system of toxic leaders before and nothing came of it, the primary reason I ran for the airlines and a guard unit at my first opportunity almost three years ago. If you want a toxic community look no further than AFSOC. Two of the worst most caustic humans that have ever lived have risen to become General Officers in AFSOC. One gave 30+ commander directed Q-3s while commanding the 15th SOS. As a Group/CC and deployed JSOAC/CC he hammered a dude in my community for losing his weapon down range, only to lose his gun a short time later and have it covered up by his command chief. He openly hates anything outside of his realm like the Weapons School and actively fought to end the program, going as far as shaming people who wore their graduate patch, then surrounded himself with patches downrange. As the Group/CC he flew a CV-22 into a tree, almost rolling the aircraft into the dirt. That little escapade got him a commander directed Q-3 of his own from the Wing/CC which would have ended any other officer's career, his punishment was to be there Wing/CC at Cannon where I hear he salted the earth and left a trail of destruction. Through all of this and multiple IG complaints from people I respect, NOTHING happened and he is now a two star select. Until you fix assholes like him, NOTHING will change. When I dropped my separation papers there was some doubt, the brothers and sisters I fought with were incredible people who shaped my life, now I look at the decision as the best of my life because I don't have to watch toxic leaders destroy the Air Force I love.

Well the wife and I have talked and when my commitment is up I'm going to become a homemaker and support her career. My wife's job is super important and she works long hours with others so I'm going to start a club for the other husbands to have get togethers and build up the spouses network. Granted she teleworks so all of our meetings (and kids play dates) will have to be over Skype but with all the things going on in the world I think there should be a better support network for her coworkers dependents. Her job keeps her so busy and now that we have kids someone has to sacrifice their career, she may be going overseas next year for six months or so as well to manage stocking toilet paper in the Doha office even though she works in the medical field. Maybe if we're lucky while she's gone, I can volunteer to help set her up for success and get her more face time with her boss and maybe help her get her next promotion. I think she's going to volunteer to coordinate the company gift exchange this year so my plate is going to be FULL over the coming months in preparation. I also heard there is a program to be a prime spouse (it requires a week of mandatory training and being on call one week a month), I may try that as well. What do you all think? Now imagine if I were being serious you would think I was crazy. Why do we do this to ourselves?

I'll add my two cents (and some more). Soooooo not everyone on this board agrees with Tony Carr's perspective on the USAF - see his editorial on the Thunderbird mishap from last June and (if you know ANYTHING), you'll know that that piece was designed to elicit an emotional response, did nothing to satisfy public curiosity about the event, shed no new light on the event, and was literally the journalistic equivalent of throwing $hit at a wall - in the name of smearing the AF (cause he thinks it's fun, IMO). After that post I was honestly not sure whether or not to take him seriously any more - and I don't. He was a previous safety guy who "had F-16 experience" but yet he wrote it as someone would who lacked a military flying background. His response to my analysis (https://disq.us/p/1ejpsoe) of his editorial was dismissive, and when presented with facts, he avoided the issue. I don't consider him value-added at this point - as I do this message board. I think he's a semi-talented, own-press-reading, bitter, (ret) Lt Col who has nothing better to do with his time than sport bitch on the internet. I think lots of people agree with that sentiment, and while he can sometimes come close the mark, I don't think (in general) he is that interesting any more. On that note, and to your question, I don't think the root cause of the USAF's current crisis has much to do with leadership in a traditional sense, but then again, I was never one who drank the AF koolaid that would have all its officers believe that leadership is the panacea to every and all problems. No, sometimes, people make poor decisions and it's not because they are poor leaders. And sometimes, it doesn't matter who's at the seat, there can be (and are) systemic issues in an organization which have far greater effects. Pinning it all on "toxic leadership" is what someone who is still pissed at a lot of previous superiors does when he is no longer subject to their rule. That said, if you choose to orient yourself in such a way, then I suppose that everything can be boiled down to poor leadership (not toxic), but I think there are more systemic issues as to why the USAF is in its current state, and when viewed in that light, will lead to more fruitful changes. 1. 179s: Look a troop in the eye, and tell them that the reason they're going down range for 179 days (vs 180 or more) has nothing to do with the USAF's policy of granting short-tour credit for deployments of longer length (sts). https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/112915/air-force-normalizes-short-tour-credit-policy/. IMO, there is only one reason such a policy could exist, and it is to screw airmen out of a medal, deployment credit, make it easier for the personnel machine to send them downrange again sooner, or whatever. Justifications along the lines of "well, we will need to be able to deploy them again" do not hold water. All airmen who were getting short-tour credit for 180+ day deployments were playing by the same rules, and were all on the same "list". What shifting a policy did while we were in the middle of a war, was create two groups of people - those who had deployed for >181 and <365 who got credit, and those who did not - that is a ripple in the system, and though it may not have an immediately visible consequence, it certainly has an effect and was unfair to lots of people. So, that's one example of something wrong, which has nothing to do with anyone wearing < 4 stars on their shoulders. But toxic leadership? Maybe, but by only one person - not a culture of it. 2. RIFs/Force-shaping: During my time in the USAF, I "survived" two RRFs (I think, maybe, I can't remember at this point). One occurred shortly after I finished the B-Course. The U-S-A-F sent me, a fighter pilot, paperwork that suggested I may not be retained, literally immediately after I finished soaking up the better part of $5M in training costs/taxpayer money and with nearly 10 years of commitment remaining. IMO, this was done in the name of "social justice" - an example of a policy enacted to make everyone feel like they're on the same page and are all of equal value. Was I actually concerned I was going to be force-shaped? Nope. But this is an example of something that is wrong with the AF at a cultural level. Fixing this would go a long way toward re-orienting the AF in the correct direction, but (I get it) it would cause A LOT of teeth-gnashing with the REMFs, and that is a merge I highly doubt the AF wants to buy - because we MUST be socially just, we absolutely must be (sarcasm). 2a. In 2011, the USAF got rid of 157 Majors who should have been allowed to retire: https://dailycaller.com/2011/11/25/military-advocates-decry-illegal-early-terminations-of-157-air-force-majors/ https://nation.time.com/2012/01/03/air-force-firing-for-effect/ This occurred, and then (almost immediately), the USAF sought to be granted TERA (and was given it) in order to "slim down": https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/467816/eligible-officers-enlisted-members-offered-early-retirement/ https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/483997/af-opens-additional-tera-vsp-windows/ https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/467713/af-announces-additional-force-management-programs-to-reduce-force-size/ https://federalnewsradio.com/retirement/2016/01/greg-rinckey-air-force-officers-demand-reinstatement/ Does that not cause one to scratch their head (who said head)? Look a troop in the eye and tell them this is not the apex of hypocrisy and short-sighted decision making. If you ask me, this is an instance of breaking faith with people. And before we cry uncle and say "well we're subject to civilian leadership decisions", I don't remember any stars falling on their swords over that one. GOs should have been resigning up and down the chain over that one. Again, like it or not, when people witness decisions like this, it affects their "matrix" and they then re-evaluate their criteria for staying in the AF for the long haul. What this sequence of decisions made clear was that a member's continued service was arbitrary, and subject to the flavor of the month. That is not going to be good enough for most people who are investing the most valuable years of their working lives towards a successful career, and I think this has had a direct and lasting affect on morale and retention. Again, this is an example of a policy decision that created two classes of people: those who served > 15 years and were not given a retirement, and those who were. 3. Shortly on the pilot bonus: the fact that it hasn't change in what, 20+ years, communicates a lot - if not directly, then indirectly. All the hand-wringing about increased amounts being just around the corner is a little pathetic, and is obviously being done from a reactionary perspective. This should have been addressed YEARS ago, because the Airline hiring wave is NOT a surprise. 4. Focus: This, to me, boils down to what the USAF should be focused on. IMO, it is high-time that "space" and "cyber" became their own separate service (or perhaps services). Much like the USAF growth out of the Army benefited both branches, I think another, modern version of that evolution needs to take place with those two realms so they can get the focus they need, and we can get ours. No, space is NOT a continuation of the "air domain", and neither is cyber. There, I said it. Sure, they abut, but so does the surface of the sea/Earth, with the sky, yet we have different branches dedicated to those domains. IMO the AF is in love with the idea of being a one-sized fits all solution to all problems (or maybe they're addicted to the money, IDK). That last point will lead me to #5. 4a. It was suggested on other message boards that more 11X presence is needed throughout the AF - from staffs, to the FSS. I fully agree with this sentiment, and would happily displace an FSS Maj or Lt Col (while remaining on flying status) and run that shop/unit. Would I be there everyday? Nope, but I wouldn't need to be. See, it's all about policy and setting an expectation. The USAF for far too long has been ceding ever more control to those who don't have to cross a wire. Why is this? Do we really need a finance-trained, specialized Maj/Lt Col to run the finance shop? Really? Does that person even know how to operate DTS or whatever else? And even if they do know how, do they? I highly suspect they fill more of figure-head roll; a leader of those units could easily come from an 11X background and provide actual, bonafied leadership. I would go so far as to say that in order to command anything, you should have to be a rated officer. Yes, this caps non-rated officers - tough shit. Go get wings. 5. This is likely an unpopular opinion on this board, but the biggest mistakes we have recently made (as a nation) have been the strategic errors of invading Iraq in 2003, the "how" of invading Afghanistan in 2001, and then the subsequent withdrawal from Iraq in whenever we actually did it. Bottom line on this one, is that the USAF leadership (at the time) should have thrown down a firm "no" when the Army demanded we play in the conflict for as long as we have, as should have the Navy. Drones and snake eaters? You bet. Multi-million dollar fighter jets, the full capes of the world's greatest AF burning holes in the sky, US Navy billion-dollar aircraft carriers? No way. We have WAY over-extended ourselves in these conflicts and have NOTHING to show for it. Well, except a military full of equipment that is falling apart at a time when we least need it. I fully grasp that we were sent to war by our civilian leadership, but not calling a goat by its name isn't solving the problem. No, AFPAK Hands will not succeed. Not because of lack of awesome people and their concerted and earnest efforts, but because the strategic context of its goal is illogical and nonsensical. No amount of Air University PHD-research-papering will make it so. The point of the military is to kill people and break their shit; not to nation-build before a war is won. Advising people who don't want what we want isn't the answer - if there's one thing I learned from my experiences, combined with the 'cross cultural competency' assigned by ACSC, it's that. The sooner our "leadership" - of whatever flavor and level - wake up and recognize this, the better. We have poured (and continue to pour) far too much in time, resources, blood, and money into an unwinnable situation. We need to get back to defining realistic, measurable goals, by which we can actually measure a 1 or 0, we can start counting those. I would much prefer to hear from our leadership that the new, stated goal in Afghanistan is to never allow a Taliban, or al Qaeda sponsored/sympathetic government to take root - and leave it at that. We're not interested in standing up a government there; we're not interested in building girls' schools there; we're not interested in teaching air advisers how to read the JP 3.09-3. We are interested in shooting Hellfires off of drones at anyone associated with the Taliban or al Qaeda for the next 1000 years - that's it. This section has run on way too long, but to sum up: our current strategy only exists because we misunderstand who and what type of people we are fighting. 6. HPO lists, etc. This category is all about creating "classes" of people. The military has always been a good 'ol boys club, and it always will be. Formalizing it in Excel spread sheets, and choosing people while they are Captains is what has created and perpetuated a perception that it literally doesn't matter what you do if you're not on that list. It is nothing more than playing favorites, and creates an environment that leads people to separate - now there's some "leadership". I ultimately believe that more transparency in the assignment and promotion system will go a long way to correcting a lot of the AF's current problems as well. I could, and might, write more, but until next time, if you haven't read this article, the author hits on some extremely relevant points: https://philipgmorrison.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/its-your-move-the-dilemma-of-incurred-commitment-in-the-modern-job-market/. - ViperMan

Just keep searching and reading threads , plenty of discussion on here. Cliff Notes: 1)ENJJPT pilots are better than non ENJJPT T-38 pilots 2) ENJJPT pilots are scientifically proven to be 2X as good as T1 pilots. 3) Notes 1 and 2 are likely due to the part in the ENJJPT syllabus where they teach you to get your own ATIS. 4) Sometimes so many fighters drop at ENJJPT that people who dont deserve them get them, according to the finest FAIPS the USAF can produce. 5) If you fly -38s and go Heavies, you may have a chance to crossflow into fighters later in your career. If you didn't fly -38s, you're obviously an inferior pilot and suck too bad to ever be a fighter pilot. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Meh, I disagree nsplayer. I enjoyed the show while it lasted. More importantly, I will tell anyone who listens with what is wrong with the Air Force. Some I have solutions for and for others I am at a loss on how to fix. Actually Chang, the persona that you portrayed here, although completely overdone, are the sum total of the sentiments that are causing people to head for the door. What causes disappointment? Unrealized expectations. I think you have to start there. The last 10 or so years have been really tough on the CGOs. We came into the AF after 9-11 being told that the #1 priority of the AF is lethality, yet we are held to a completely different standard of measurement. I was an '08 commissionee from ROTC and worked my butt off to get to UPT, 38s and hopefully to a fighter, just to be told that there was no where for us to go except RPAs and AMC. Big disappointment, but whatever, I press on. Get to my AMC unit and less than a year later I am writing a RRF for my 1st of 2 RIF boards. Meanwhile my fighter brethren (the 30 or so they created in my whole year group) were now considered undermanned. On my 4th deployment, my CC calls me to tell me that he has to get me on the next VML otherwise an RPA may be non-vold must-fill from AFPC. I end up going to T-6 UPT, my dream job at the time. While I am in PIT I face the #2 RIF/VSP of my career, while my 11F brothers (whoever is left) are now critically manned. I get sat down by my T-6 SQ/CC and told that although my record is outstanding, my career field (11M) is 175% manned and I haven't even completed PIT yet, so prepare for the worst/hope for the best. Also, we are cutting for the next 5 years. I go out and get my dream job, and apply for Palace Chase only to be denied because now even though my career field is still overmanned, the AF as a whole is short on pilots. Me, I still keep kicking @ss, pulling down #1 Sq/OG strats and moving my way up in the Sq. Get tasked with a 6 month non-flying deployment to some $hithole to be underemployed and a job that would have actually been better to have been CONUS doing (timezone differences). Somewhere in there my family (wife+kids) made up their mind that we were done getting jerked around, so I have been making my way to the door ever since. After 10 years of stellar service, 5 deployments, missing years of my kids lives, I get called a quitter and told that I have no future in my Sq. I could write a lot more, but I just don't care to relive it anymore. I hate the fact that the AF made me fall out of love with something that I fought so hard to be apart of. I have seen this organization change in just the 10 years I've been in and it is unrecognizable. I sincerely want the AF to get better and be better, so let me know if you have any questions. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

Will not happen. Hopefully, because few things could be worse for our nation. There is only one scenario that shakes up the culture of leadership: 1. A legitimate existential threat to the average American way of life that can only be solved by military means. 2. A failure of existing leadership to counter the threat. 3. A failure of their second and third tier like-minded replacements to counter the threat. 4. Great tactical minds emerging as strategic geniuses, who defeat the undefeatable threat and overthrow the previous culture. 5. They become the leaders of a revised military culture that is built around the problems of a new yesterday. 6. The cycle starts again.

What if We're the troll and Chang is normal?

Quote for posterity. My younger self would have never believed that to be possible.

Found this article on Reddit: https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/24/a-navy-pilots-take-the-air-force-doesnt-have-a-pilot-crisis-it-has-a-leadership-crisis/ Not a pilot... but I decided to separate after one assignment. I'm absolutely petrified that I spent the past 4 years of my life learning exactly what not to do. I joined to lead and do important shit, I was handed the complete opposite. To make it worse, a good 2/3 of my peers could give a shit about anything but mouth breathing their way to 20. It's just so disheartening. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

Yeah dude no problem, I'll PM you. This thread really took a hard left turn.

People make choices based on how they are incentivized. The Air Force incentivizes people to be 'yes men'. Think Christmas parties instead of flying sorties. To capture true leadership, you need 360 degree feedback. A leader must build relationships with his boss, peers, and subordinates; all while improving the organization. We are incentivized, by OPRs, strats, promotions and schools to burn our peers and subordinates to please our boss. The previous SOF commander is an example. We get rewarded to do so. We get taught, from early on, to not be 'yes men' and to conduct 360 degree feedback, but we are incentivized to do the opposite. Your incentive remains: please your boss, fvck everyone else. Until the incentive changes, i.e. your school, strat, OPR and promotion is based on inputs from your boss, peers, and subordinates, you will continue to get the same result. The ones that have relationships with everyone around them and continue to drive the organization, will see the problem and leave the Air Force; they're too smart and talented to tolerate the toxicity. The ones that do whatever their boss wants, at the expense of the people around them, will be just like you Chang and lead our Air Force.

Drops right now at ENJJPT are about as good as you could ever get. To even have a shot at a heavy you need to be... "FIRST OR LAST BABY" -Ricky Bobby And being last may still non-vol you to a fighter. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

KP, you trying to fill General Changs shoes brother? Lol Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

I usually despise internet trolls. However, after some reflection, I applaud GC. I think he was a constant reminder of the problem, and gave us all insight into the reality we face in our communities. I think everyone has seen leadership spit out ridiculous policy and logic many times. GC's diatribe was incredibly accurate and sadly believable. The thing about this forum and the internet is that it gives posters the feeling of anonymity so we can all vent our true feelings about the institutional problems of the AF. Things we complain about to the bros in the sqdn, but at least somewhat sanitize for leadership. Then we have this DB come in here and sound EXACTLY like some twisted combo of every commanders call/AFN commercial/SAPR brief/CBT/etc. we are all forced to endure. It gave us a chance to come down hard (sts) on that mentality. I'm sure there are many leaders in the AF much like the caricature that GC created here. The only hope this AF has is for enough bros jump on the grenade by doing all the BS it takes to gain influence, rank, and position in the AF without becoming a GC. Then maybe things will change. Not likely I know, because most of the good leaders are pulling chocks as early as they can. The AF needs high ranking dudes who don't give two shits about their rank, and are willing to put their necks out there. GC was a constant reminder on here of the toxic leaders the AF values. I hope we can stand up to these types in our communities and save the AF.

I'm at Kirtland right now for initial qual. I don't feel qualified to do a full write up, but I can let you know about training or find someone who has been around a while if you have any specific questions. For now this is the best I got with my limited knowledge: 1. Ops Tempo/Deployment -- I've heard its usually a pretty steady 1:2 dwell ratio 2. Lifestyle/ Family Stability -- I have no idea but its a tight community. 3. Community morale -- All of my experiences have been very positive! People love to come to work. 4. Advancements & Future of the airframe -- It takes a long time to upgrade to AC and then to IP and eventually flight lead. Understandably so in my opinion. 5. Preferred PCS locations -- Hurlburt. Which is convenient because its the command base so you will probably cycle through more than once. Other options are Cannon, and soon Japan and Germany.

There's only one Schizo/Skitzo allowed on this forum and that's me. GC give it up already. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Any info on the CV-22?

ill play devils advocate i thought GC was a funny troll if you didn't take him seriously

Please tell me this is a serious question and you aren't just trying to be a douche. We already have our quota in the Air Force. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

I am the photographer who took this photo. I took the bridge photo and as I turned to walk away, I heard the planes come behind me. I ran and grabbed another lens to shoot the planes. This is two layers, but nothing is shopped as far as the distance between the planes. I am an amateur photographer who was enjoying a day at the beach. It was a complete coincidence. I also happen to have a husband who worked at Beale on the U2, and I was a civilian employee there, so I knew exactly how unique and amazing the opportunity was to see these two side by side. They were doing a PR shoot that day which is why there were two. My husband shared the photo on the Dragon Lady fan site and the pilots requested a copy of the photo from me. They were fully aware this was two layers, no secret to anyone. :) Here is another photo with the planes closer together. This is a RAW image with no retouching.

God bless HPOs! I literally didn't do anything my last year in the AF. Every time I was asked to do something, I would say "I can't help you, but I'm sure Capt HPO can help". They will get the credit either way, might as well let them do the work. On a side note, after being pushed around by scheduling, marveling at the ineptitude of my union, or sitting through a painful red-eye, I come back here and realize just how much better my life is now. I am thankful.

God bless Katy Perry

Don't waste your time on Chang...now, for something more entertaining. FLBP Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

This, so many times over.

We chatted for about five minutes (they spoke decent English) and they identified themselves as North Korean businessmen. They were very interested in Americans (we were in uniform). They also wanted to know if we had ever been to South Korea but I said no (even though by 1991 I had already completed 3 tours in the ROK). We did our best to end the conversation pronto and skedaddled. Note; This was on the military side of Tabuk Airfield A.K.A King Faisal Air Base (deployed location of the 58 Fighter Squadron/Brit GR-1's/and other folks). We mentioned this encounter to the boss (Base Commander) but nothing earthshattering happen that I'm aware of.

What Huggy failed to mention, is the two 30K-hour jets were built in 1968. The rest of the active fleet entered service between 1981 and 1989. Soooo....

30,000 hours... Better look at retiring the fleet soon, since we are getting close to the halfway point of our 75,000 hour airframe limit.

What? I had to reread that first paragraph a few times to figure out if you were actually serious. I'm guessing you've never served in either the Army/Marines or been near either of their helicopters let alone have any idea what happened at Karbala huh. Your impression of the ROK forces doesn't match much in the way of mine or others I know. Language barriers not withstanding, those guys can fight, and given the choice between watching their cities glow/absorb massed artillery or taking their vastly better fed/equipped forces north I've got a good idea which one they'd want to do.

In 2001, you never had to worry about that happening in the AF. Times have changed. I'm afraid to call certain people a he or she who are currently in the AF because I can't honestly derive their sex when I first meet them. I just don't want to offend someone. I can't tell whether they affiliate with being a woman or man.

The answer is one that leadership will likely never accept, they (almost all) must go. At this point the only thing that will save the AF from itself is over a 2 to 3 year process, retiring almost all the GOs, eliminating their enablers in the O5 & O6 ranks and retiring a lot E8 to E9s with a whole sale elimination of many of the civilian deputies in these organizations there for continuity but they just continue the same reign of madness, one shinny penny to the next. Take a page from the corporate world, when a dying once great company makes a turnaround, there is a 99.69% chance it will NOT be with the same management that made a once great company a dying formerly great company.

UPT is toxic. It's full of guys who were "screwed over" in their previous community. Now they are mentoring all the young folks on why the Air Force sucks. Sounds like a great recipe.

There are days I would rather be slinging hot dogs at 7-11. More and more each passing year.

Scoobs is that you?

Agree that this (leadership purge will not happen) just my opinion that it likely must.

Not sure of your background, but this bears little to no resemblance to the Air Force I know from a KC-135 background. I'm sure this happens but I think you're over-generalizing.