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Please, for the love of God don't say "it's not about the money."

The most interesting aspect of our HVI campaign is that we've persisted despite zero evidence it works. There's not a single time we've taken down a #1 target that made any damn difference; that statement isn't hyperbole, it was my ACSC research project. If AQ/IS were killing our generals, we'd make a fuss but ultimately just promote someone else. It wouldn't fundamentally degrade the US ability to project combat power; since it wouldn't work on us why did we assume it will work on our enemy? i know the real answer: leadership for years didn't have the stomach to endorse the level of bloodshed actually required to degrade our enemy so the HVI hunt was something they could get approved rather than something that would enable victory. But over time it was a tactic that became a strategy and we started believing it. Also we fundamentally misdiagnosed the character and motivations of our enemy, so we came up with a "solution" that works on who we think they are not who they really are. And when it didn't work, we tried harder and harder instead of challenging our original assumptions. The good news is that our recent campaign against IS has shown the level of brutality required to stop someone who is ideologically committed. Mosel is totally destroyed, an outcome everyone on our side wanted to avoid but the enemy forced our options down to two: cede this territory to us or crush us out. I'm estatic our leaders finally chose to increase the violence and decrease the ROE. That said, the war on terror is not over. This article is written by someone obtuse to reality. Somalia, Libya, Mali, AFG and Pak, Syria (not even close to over despite success against IS), Yemen..... soon maybe Turkey depending on how the YPG shakes out in Syria. How's the PI looking these days? Seriously, this long war will continue even if we want to quit because the enemy doesn't want to quit. They will continue to press the fight until either: they win, lose motivation to continue, or are utterly defeated. The first is unthinkable, and the second and third require significant resources, time and effort on our part to even attempt. sorry for the long lost. Summary- Author is wrong. I'd like to see the scorpion procured but I'll settle for some AT-802s. No matter what, saddle up for more war.

Did my exit survey today and DEFINITELY did not say "it's not about the money." Not the #1, but it was def #2 or #3. I did think that it was funny that they asked "how much of a bonus would you need" and then capped it at $60K. Sorry boss, Cannon will cost you WAY more than that. Like $400K. After taxes.

The CAF porch page on FBook just put an update about dudes who have run out or didn't take can now take it. Don't.

Hope you had fun during that casual year! Because it looks like you blew about $10k a month doing it! hahaha. That's a shitload of hookers and blow. Or so I've heard.

And the whole fixation on ISR allows the intel types to think that they are operators, not support.

If you enlist and go into MX, be the best damn Crew Chief you can be, it will help you be a better pilot and officer. If your there as a means to an end, it will be sniffed out almost immediately . Remember your package goes through the MX Sq commander for signatures, if you don't give a damn about us why would we give a damn about you. On a side note, us MX folk love it when we see one of our own jump through the hurdles to pin on pilot wings to get to fly the thing we work on. Myself if would have had better vision in 1980, (nearsighted grizzly bear) I would have went to college instead of enlisting and went for a commission and a pilot slot.

We did it to ourselves by telling anyone who would listen that it wasn't about the money.

Yeah, no joke! Don't fall for it gents. Big Blue sure didn't care about the bonus or retention for what? The last 20 or so years. Now they are freaking out and the fact that we are all bailing is not going to make life better for those who stay. It's a trap!

There is a niche for this type of platform, folks do know this. In my opinion, we are in an acquisition environment now (unlike the early days post 9/11) where funding either a new start program or updating an existing program of record is the biggest challenge facing this effort. Appetite to support a large ACAT program and fund a PMA/Joint PMO/SPO to manage Cost-Schedule-Performance until IOC/FRP (Full Rate Production) is a "dry hole". The special communities may be able to squeeze out a small footprint and manage it, but they have a lot of expensive items competing for their limited resources as well. The bigger "Blue" this gets, the less the chances I believe of it being realized. I would have dragged my balls through 100yds of broken glass to fly CSO in this solution, especially if they started the program like the first days of the U28 program...which I was uber fortunate to be a part of. Cheers ATIS

You take advice from retards often?

as long as our strategy is whack-a-mole, that 'war' has no end.

Judgesmails: Speaking as someone who started studying/applying to boards 1.5 years ago and has yet to get picked up, I think you need to stop "considering applying" and start applying. Apply Navy, USMC, USAF, ANG - everything. Apply for pilot only, if you like. Take your best offer. In all likelihood, you'll have to apply more than once to get anything. I waited a little too long on the Navy and just hit the 27 year age limit, so don't make the same mistake. That being said, a lot of the guys on this board are/were active duty pilots in the USAF, USMC, etc. - I'd take their opinions over your gut feelings. I too was initially more interested in the Navy, but the more I read, the more I realized USAF is probably a "better deal" if you just want to fly jets. And ANG is the "best deal." When a USMC pilot like VMFA187 tells you that the Air Force generally has more proficient pilots and might fly more - as well as that prioritizing the ANG is a good idea - I think that should be enough to make you reconsider your preferences. Or at least, it should make you consider applying to multiple branches. After all, if you're like me, your initial preference might be based on what color of wings you get, the movie Top Gun, and that letter by Bob Norris that everyone has already read. I just checked your profile and it looks like your 19 years old and don't have your bachelor's? In that case... apply as soon as you can, I guess. Time flies.

The issue isn't wanting to be a leader, its dudes bending over backwards to check boxes and play the game when they should be studying and becoming lethal in their airframe as Capts. I've seen FAIPs/wingmen burning midnight oil to finish their AAD and people climb all over each other to be the Asian Pacific Islander month POC, no shit. We want leaders. We don't want tools who just play the game. The best solution: change the game.

It still bobbles my mind that the republicans, many of whom have been in office for quite a while, didn't have a polished, well thought out, well researched, and ready to go "Obama care repeal" oplan on the shelf. I guess I'll continue to vote anti-encumbent ....

It's a shit idea. So we're going to create a system where you have to decide early in your career that you want to be a leader and do a bunch of non flying stuff to get there? How is that different from the current system where you decide early in your career that you want to be a leader and do a bunch of non flying stuff to get there? I don't trust a pilot who wants to be a general when they are still a copilot/wingman. I see no reason to codify our shitty system of early identification with a policy letter. I want to see the exact opposite. Promotion boards will only consider the past 3-5 years of service. Create a system where if a good pilot realizes late in her career she has a knack for leading and a desire to make a difference, she isn't shackled by her decision to focus on tactical proficiency and combat hours as a young Captain

Places chase approved! 4 months parole, and just under a year GI bill to reserves. approvals at all levels with letter of intent to hire. At SAF PC for 8 weeks Thanks for all the help guys!!

In the Navy, as an O-3 you'd more than likely do what's called a disassociated sea tour. It's where you're job is to deploy with an aircraft carrier to be a shooter or some other position that requires a pilot to fill but isn't flying. Also, about half the student pilots track helos. If you want to fly rotary-wing, you'll have a higher chance of doing it in the Navy vs the AF.

Your Commander is a fucking douche. And yes, I make that sweeping statement based on this one fact, because that one passive aggressive act pretty much spells out his poorly developed leadership philosophy. The EASY button reaction is to chuckle, say "yeah, tell me about it! But thanks for taking care of your folks."