Leaderboard

I left AD this year so I can't give you an up-to-the-minute update on what's happening in any community, but if it were me, and I was a herbivore wanting to fly something that can blow shit up, my conversation would go like this: Sq/CC: Hey Maj Snuffy, I know you're coming up on your ADSC. What are your plans? Me: Well sir, I've always wanted to drop bombs and I also love chasing high school girls around the dance floor at country bars, so I'm thinking a B-1 to Dyess would be fun Sq/CC: Well, you know I can't get you that. How about ACSC? We've run through the primaries, alternates, and the alternates to the alternates, and everyone is declining school. You'd make a great Sq/CC one day...{checks notes}....Kevin. Me: I'm good sir. I heard AA is hiring literally 1500 pilots this year and Delta somewhere close to that. Do they have country bars in Atlanta?

I was listening to Col Sablan, the ABQ wing commander speak once. One thing that struck me when she talked about command hiring was that in the guard or the reserve they will routinely not pick the best qualified. Unlike AD, the reserve component doesn't see a check list of things you do to be a great commander. Instead she argued, they hire based on who the best fit is. For example, a certain O-5 miggt have particular strengths well suited for some problems a squadron is having. He may not have all the fancy schools or diplomas but if those problems are a real issue for that unit and need addressed that O-5 will get picked up for that unit before someone who may appear better qualified would.

The second you put a pod or ball on it you will cease to have it as an option for airlift. There is no limit to the thirst for FMV from manned platforms. Honestly the only way to protect an airlift platform is to make sure it can’t be used as a jack of all trades crappy substitute for GOCO C-12s or U-28s. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

or 2-5 months ago?

After getting turned down at the AFMC screening for having too much TIS as a captain (not prior E), I wondered that myself.

No, but they viewed my video yesterday so they're going through packages

More of a fan of 7-77 months

Yup but more mobility focused likely. ISR (stations, sensors, downlinks, etc...) purchased as required for augmented capability as required, ditto for Strike capability. Yeah, it's not revolutionary in ISR capability necessarily and integrating the sensors would require the vendors of different equipment to be open enough with specs to allow for plug-n-play in an Open Mission Architecture. Likely challenging but feasible. Tom Churchill in the video said that they had worked with multiple sensor manufacturers in their Mission Management business so they could probably deliver. Now would that be a seamless cross-cue between different sensors (SAR to FMV for instance) and/or a sensor fused display for all data, IDK but seems that is what they were alluding to. Posted as an example of what I think would be required of a Utility Platform that could also fulfill a revised Liaison Aircraft role. Utility platform with capability to expand / contract roles as required for capabilities that could be delegated directly to units.

Fair enough. The way you phrased it sounded like you were saying if you aren't credible in the jet you can just go be a commander in the ARC because it won't matter. Just caught me funny. I was a squadron CC in the ANG and looked at the guys that were CC's on AD in my community. From many conversations with them it's a hell of a lot harder to be a CC in the ANG due to all the additional stuff that doesn't automatically happen (orders, recruiting, OTS, pipeline, etc). If you don't have cred you won't get jack done for your guys - which is why you are a commander in the first place.

We'll be updating our currency soon, one Driver picked up on this year's TPS board.

Not sure about U-2s, would seem to be a tight timeline, I’m just here to say that if it made sense to do it then it wouldn’t make sense that the AF would do it. For example, why such a short TIS requirement for TPS? If it’s about payback can they not get their jollies by simply setting the ADSC to match their payback requirement? More likely than not it’s about making Colonels and Generals. Because we should limit our pool of talent based on that... just another example of made up stuff and bureaucracy driving what we do day in and day out when we should only care about what makes us a more lethal force, as they say, and wins wars. Doesn’t matter to me how old my TPS pilots are, and yeah, a U-2 pilot would probably be a great fit.

No, having a full-time designated room that is solely used for that purpose is not "legit and reasonable" when the infrastructure we have is already inadequate for the day-to-day work the military does. Do we put one in Base Ops? How about each of the aircraft hangars? What about the fuels building that is about 400 sq ft in size and sits on a pretty remote section of the base? What would be "legit and reasonable" in this hypothetical situation: my wife comes to the squadron for something, brings along my infant child, and needs to breast feed. I find a solution. Briefing room, squadron bar, whatever. I don't know what "amenities" are now required, but women that are breastfeeding generally carry what they need. And if I couldn't find a private space that would work, I'd go ask someone with a private office like my DO or CC. You know what their response would have been? "You bet, Huggy. She can use my office." In my 28 years of working on the flight line, I do not remember one time where a women came in and needed to breast feed. I'm sure it happens. But not with the regularity that requires that we give up valuable space. Space we need. Space that the US govt has been unable to provide us through MILCON dollars. Here's a possible alternative: How about letting us find a solution to this "problem" on our own? A solution that isn't mandated though more regulation, govt mandates, or social justice warrior programs. Instead, I would rely on my mostly-male squadron mates to the be gentlemen that they are and to help out a nursing mother in need. In the end, we would do what we always did, and take good care of those that visited our squadron.

I just use the city-pair rate for the places I'm visiting and buy my own tickets.

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.

“#1/10 Archaeological Enablers! Efforts directed Dr Jones expedition to recover priceless hanging garden planter. Send to secret warehouse full of treasure soonest!”