Leaderboard

Coming up on 30, actually. My old U-2 squadron has had guys deployed continually for over 29 years to the Middle East, starting with Taif in 1990. It's not like there is another squadron that they can trade off with.

Huggy, are you saying that the DoD could do a markedly better job at managing its almost trillion dollar annual budget? Does anyone have the shocked Pikachu meme handy? Maybe I'm biased due to my own cynicism. I agree with you and Clark in theory. In practice, even if there were one or two Flags that wanted to make that happen, it's not enough to turn the ship around. It's like Chuck Spinney said, "You can't simultaneously have high tech tinker toys AND have a high operational tempo." To bring this full circle: What's wrong with us? We're bankrupt of leadership. The people making the decisions on our behalf need to account for the fact that historically, even with a lower budget than we've got today, we were able to keep dudes flying 5 days a week.

This discussion misses the other end of the problem. Yeah, the platform might be fine, but how does the logistical system work? Are the light aircraft going to be on the ATO? Who schedules? Who works dip clearances? Who deconflicts port capacities? Yeah, the ability to carry palletized cargo is awesome, but if no one is on the other end to offload that cargo because the port is working a C-5/C-17/C-130, then your stuff is sitting and waiting on the ramp. What level of command will have their own organic lift? If you push it too low, it'll be like the Haiti humanitarian airlift a few years ago, when you had a bunch of private companies and NGOs trying to fly their Cessna 208s or light jets to drop off a couple boxes, which prevented larger aircraft from bringing a significantly larger amount of cargo. Or it'd be like dodging Army helicopters in theater. I think the reason we don't have light cargo is because the cost and the operational and support footprint required doesn't match the need. If a unit truly needed a widget and their mission was absolutely critical to the combatant commander, it'll get there fast. The hard truth is that most units can wait for the normal supply system, but don't want to.

We handle all 50 states and I do a lot of business in OH! Per the VA, "if you paid a funding fee at closing ..... and your VA compensation award provides an effective rating date that is prior to your loan closing date, then you may be eligible for a funding fee refund." Not sure the timing would work for you? Depends on when you close and how far into the process you are... Let me know if I can be of any more help! Amy

Ohio posts all of their jobs (to include pilot positions for the C-130s, KC-135s, and F-16s) to their state government website. The boards (from what I've been told) are usually June or July-ish for the F-16s. The other boards are slightly earlier in the year.

Same as it was at Beale... easy setup that was a decent selling point to attract volunteers, no accidents, incidents or violations to my knowledge for the Global Hawk Companion Training Aircraft Program to my knowledge during its run. From my perspective, about 5 minutes after I graduated SUPT. Second order effect of the on again off again credentials arms race that has only gotten worse with the advent of online master's degrees and the growth of the Professional Military Educational Complex. Data block on your surf showing likely worthless Advanced Academic Degree? Yup Data block on your surf (if aircrew) showing Advanced Primary Operational Skills (Instructor/Evaluator/FCF cert/etc.)? Nope Think about that, Academic credentials (masters and/or pme) matter more in the great scheme of things than actual Operational credentials and hence experience/ability. What's wrong with the Air Force? Many things but trying to reduce it further down to root problems... model career progression/paths envisioned decades ago and the credentials/education considered necessary for said old models and not really updated for today's reality, would be my choice for today.

Not really a 'WTF,' but funnier than shit!

Well, the first time I took the AFOQT was on a Silver Saturday at USAFA. We were told a week prior that the scores were not part of the calculus when we got our AFSCs. Everyone who was qualified got a slot that year - to include me. I was one of the dudes yanked out in 2014 when they changed the CCT (cone contrast test). I now have a FC1 again, and retook the test with a slightly more concerted effort considering it now counts! Hopeful for the FY20 board.