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We needed a hell of a lot more of the former.

I recall back in 2005 or '06 when PBD 720 was going to retire the U-2, starting in '07, and with the last U-2 gone in '11. Uh huh. Yeah. I said it back then: "The last U-2 pilot hasn't finished elementary school". Oh... just so you know, it's now official: https://dragonladytoday.com/forum-3/

Buuuuullllsshiiit I would take that non-continuation letter, frame it in carbonite, send copies to an attorney, the Washington Post, and an unnamed trusted agent in case I were to befall "an unfortunate event", and demand my separation pay under threat of contacting all 535 congresscritters. Their fuckup. They own it. #PayUp

Aren't you forgetting Iron Eagle?

I always thought a super P was bottom line saying, "if I had one more DP, he'd have gotten it". Or, "my next DP if I had one"

Sir/Ma'am, Thank you for your concern. AFI 13-6969 only directs us to look at x, y, and z when determining continuation. The AFI doesn't direct us to look at AFSC when determining continuation, therefore we do not. Given the complex nature of continuation, it would be unrealistic to expect perfection. May I suggest you refer your concerns about the AFI to it's OPR? You can find that information on the cover page of AFI 13-6969. R/S, SrA Shoeclerk McDilligaf

If you have a DD2808 stamped saying "Medically Qualified for FCI Pending Successful Completion of MFS" you will not need to do another FCI. https://www.wpafb.af.mil/Welcome/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/853108/usafsam-fci-medical-flight-screening/ All info at the link. An FCI is no good if it is stamped "pending successful completion of MFS."

If that is true, I would think that this person should get some paperwork. But they won't. Fail a PFT however, that's serious business. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gents, Update, I shit you not. I guess at the HAF whomever was in charge of creating the involuntarily separated notification memos went through the promotion spreadsheet and created them for anyone whom was passed over 1APZ. Our CC called yesterday and did some digging and helped discover the complete breakdown in process. They should be getting their continuation letter shortly...Unbelievable

Tom Cruise confirms ‘Top Gun 2’ is happening https://www.google.com/amp/nypost.com/2017/05/23/tom-cruise-confirms-top-gun-2-is-happening/amp/ If it wasn't for Top Gun, Wings on the History Channel, and the Janes Combat Simulations - ATF video game, I would not be here.

AF standard. The bar they hold for everyone else is one they are incapable of meeting themselves. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

Makes sense. Some Wing DP needs to be more careful

Could be similar to commanders being required to allow enlisted to re-enlist. Giving local commanders more control/say over personnel issues is usually a good thing...

Hey Generals, open your f'n eyes. We want job security and loyalty from our employer. You offer neither. Run for the hills boys...

A little nugget worth considering: While the 1,500 pilot shortage is a big deal, that's only part of the problem. According to my research, the Air Force pilot inventory has dropped from 15,300 to 13,800 since FY11 (1,500 pilots). In that same time, the total number of manned aircraft aviators (pilots, navs, CSOs, ABMs) has dropped by 2,200 (20,900 to 18,700). The only aviator group that is numerically growing right now is RPA pilots. I guess that's why the AF is focusing its bonus program so heavily on them--the RPA community is the only place where Big Blue is getting a return on its ACP investments. Bottom line--the shrinking of the nav & ABM career fields will create even greater demand for pilots on staffs, at a time when the pilot community is already hemorrhaging bodies. Sent from my iPad using Baseops Network Forums

More photos and a video of the landing here

Speaking of quitters, I wonder what Rainmans take would be.

^^This^^ This is exactly what I did when I was twice passed over. I simply pay them back the unearned portion (via 1% interest monthly installments) and proceed out the door to the airlines! It is truly better out here. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

Meanwhile....for the second year in a row Ops folks with P's and Super P's got hammered. All the talk from from the last two CSAF's about mission focus and "we need you"...again empty words. How many mixed messages can they send? Sadly, the AF deserves what it is about to get.

Simple answer: lack of BVR PME all but takes you out of the running for a "DP" on your PRF to O-5 (LAF), which automatically takes you down to about a 50/50 chance of promotion.

that took some balls.

Correct me if I'm wrong; but if you get passed over twice, you have to be out in 6 months, unless in sanctuary or offered continuation (which you can decline). You have 2 months to decline & then you revert to being out in 6 months or forced retire at 20 (if in sanctuary). These are mandatory separation dates are spelled out in US Code Title 10 & AFI reflects it. Manditory Sep dates overrules the bonus commitment, PCS & requal commitments. It's like an involuntary discharge.

This was posted on Facebook about that meeting: Many people have expressed an interest in how the AF pilot retention roundtable went in DC... Senior civilian and military leadership know there is a problem and are actively working to identify what are the causes of this problem, and how they can fix it. Congress and the Air Force clearly are concerned about pilot retention by bringing in pilots to discuss this issue face-to-face, unfiltered. The pilots represented the full spectrum of AF communities (F-15, B-1, C-17, C-130, KC-135, E-8, MQ-9).In no particular order, these were some of the topics brought up by the pilots to Senators Cotton and King:1. Quality of life and job satisfaction are the primary reasons for people separating, and the AF can't offer enough money to compete with the airlines.2. AEF deployments, and the threat of them, force people out. AF pilots don't leave because of the deployments with their squadrons, it's due to the the 365 non-vols (passed over majors are especially vulnerable to these).3. Everyone has to check all the boxes to be the next CSAF due to the up or out promotion system. If you know you're not going to make O-5 or O-6, and the airlines are hiring...might as well cut your losses early (AF wise) and get an earlier start on your 2nd career (airlines, or whatever else you chose to do). The Senators asked about what time do you know if you're on "the path", to which the group replied - as a captain (based on the strats, upgrades, and jobs you have).4. What is the professional development for officers that aren't on the path to be a sq/cc? What are their opportunities as an officer/aviator? We need those 'old and crusty' experienced pilots to guide and mentor young pilots, but those IPs/EPs are exactly who the AF is losing.5. Pilots aren't valued as pilots. Guidance on OPR writing is that only 1-2 bullets should be about flying.6. While it's unlikely the AF will bring warrant officers back, the AF could try something similar to what the Aussies/Brits have: a 2-track system, leadership vs flying, which enables pilots to choose around their mid-career what path they want to take. (Senator King specifically asked "you don't have that choice?" "No").7. PCSing excessively (particularly as a FGO) every couple years results in no stability for families, and is especially challenging for spouses to have their own career.8. While the AF only enlists or commissions the service member, the AF retains families. Military families already sacrifice so much....If a pilot reaches a point where he/she has to choose between their family or their career, many will choose their family and separate to a new career.9. The number of taskings and missions for the AF has increased, yet we are the smallest size we've ever been. We have fewer people doing more work (including additional duties), and that burns people out.10. The AF doesn't have a shortage of pilots to fly the jets (specifically fighter pilots flying fighter jets)..... It has a shortage of pilots to fill staff jobs. At the 10-12 year point, when pilots typically separate, is when pilots go from being in the jet to being out of the jet (staff). Some people just want to fly and keep flying, and will jump to the airlines/guard/reserves to focus on aviation. We ran out of time before we ran out of topics that could be addressed for this complex problem. Some pilots will leave because of a single issue, such as not being able to get a join spouse assignment. For most pilots, it's a combination of enough cons outweighing the pros. Ultimately, each individual has their own internal and external motivation for why they joined the Air Force, and why they continue to choose to stay in the Air Force.

Ah, the dreaded 24 wheel landing.

This line of logic on behalf of the airlines is bull. Compare a list of guys on long term mil-leave to guys on long term medical leave and tell me that the military leave is what is really breaking their system. Last I heard from a Delta pilot, the ratio of long term sick leave to long term mil leave was in the ballpark of 10:1. The airlines may complain about guys 'abusing' USERRA, but United sure didn't seem too heartbroken about using bankruptcy court to kill fixed pensions they should still be paying out today. If the shoe were on the other foot, the company would use every power the law gave them to maximize their profit. Why is it somehow wrong when employees do the same thing?

So true, and this is absolutely one of the worst parts of our "system". The best CCs out there would find a way to sit down their new Lts and explain to them how the system works from the onset, but at the same time, have them leave the room with the expectation that they are to focus on being an expert in the plane and let everything else (upgrades, jobs, PME) play out as it will for the time being. Additionally, from what I have seen, "late bloomers" don't even know that is a thing until it is too late to affect any change. The difference now, though, is that those late bloomers have more options on the outside and are way less incentivized to stay and chase the carrot. If this is the case, and to truly focus on job performance, any SR worth his/her salt would mandate inclusion of 942/Form 8s in the supporting documents (along with SURFs/past reports) as OPRs come up for stratification/reviewer signature.

The posts above are probably the better way to handle this situation...probably best to bring your chain into the loop. As I near my 20, I lean more towards the scorched earth policy. I've just seen way too many great dudes/dudettes get fucked over to care about tact anymore. My fucks to give are dwindling at an astonishing rate. Bergmans method is fairly effective, just be willing to deal with any blowback. Had to employ this method to get a secret CD burnt at a major base in the PACOM AOR. I shit you not, there was only one (1) person on base who had secret burn rights at the time and they didn't want to do shit to help us out. They were not amused, when asked for my classified courier letter, I just pointed at my wings and told them I carry classified every fucking day. They apparently weren't happy with my antics, but thankfully my leadership are some grade A MOFOs, and I never heard anything from it.

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.

This shit again? Who the fuck cares...I vote all this dick measuring about "supporting" vs "supported" is killing this thread right now.

11M made it IPZ with a P from the AETC student MLR. ACSC by correspondence. Avoided staff assignment by getting my PHD in applied physics, currently teaching. I missing flying, but not interested in returning for a monthly 1/1/1 local followed by 50-60 hr weeks of meetings and PowerPoint. What is a super P? Sent from my SM-P900 using Baseops Network Forums mobile app