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So is "being kind to your fellow man" and "honesty and integrity". But I see no need to have a dedicated office for each of those two wonderful concepts, run by a senior NCO who can provide programs on how I can do them better.

DEI is bullshit. No battle or war was ever won due to DEI racial makeup of the soldiers. Technical competence and good leadership is what the AF should focus on. everything else is ridiculous woke nonsense that’s never won any dog fight or dropped any bomb.

Which is all the antithesis of the “DEI” movement today. “DEI warriors” are the most exclusive, close-minded, hypocritical, racist, sexist, shittiest humans in this country. I could add more adjectives, but those will suffice for now.

Reading this, I realized I was one of 'those' who would have stayed for an eternity, or generalship, or until big blue spit me out. In hindsight...I'm so glad I got a 'USAF appreciation tour' in NATO...after which I chose the Reserves...where I will happily finish my career. Big Blue is VERY tarnished in my view...rightly and justly so. In the same right, I fully understand the source, and the reason for the "puppy mill" of the academies...because the logic is sound. No logic can ignore a university who's sole purpose is to create a man who is dedicated to that university's founding principles. Literally EVERY university sits on that basic logic. The military academies make absolutely complete and logical sense. It has unfortunately and inexorably been twisted by 'the state' that we currently experience. When you poison a state, the first symptoms appear in that state's premier presentation of itself: It's institutions. I'm both saddened and not at all shocked. In the real world of men who abide by, and strive to, a moral life...a moral reality upon which our country was founded and ideally strives towards...a university experience where the elite study and strive against each other for excellence and achievement makes perfect sense. No wonder our modern generation is confused by it. Doing hard things because they are difficult makes no sense to a generation who was raised by a generation who sought comfort that they earned...thanks boomers. "You can be whatever you want" made sense to both the generation who fought to make it happen, and the generation who grew up hearing it. It does. That's what I would offer to my kids if I'd earned it on the beaches of Omaha and Utah...but I didn't. Unfortunately our current millennial *not Z* generation didn't simply hear those words, they internalized them. The world we have today is what happens when you expect the world to be given to you with no price tag. The "millennial" attitude is obvious. (I know many millennials that are not 'millennial'...and I thank them for their wisdom). Can I give thanks to Gen X? or the Millennials who were wise? Yes. We have a Gen Z that is good. Gen Z is tired of the entitlement. They want to know the answer to a simple question: "Why". I am sincerely hopeful that we have a Gen Z (and beyond) that will turn into the newest version of the the Iron Ass Reagan Babies...while skipping the need for a greatest generation. ****the historian in me dreadfully hopes I am right, but the realist in me sincerely knows that they will have to be the next 'greatest generation...but let's be optimistic**** They can. Unfortunately, it is now up to some significant hard times, and the stiff upper lip of older men to make sure our country survives to be inherited by these Gen Z's. It's also up to us to vote in those who will lead them into that capacity. We must be the crusty NCOs and Lt Cols that survive the shit times and train these young men to carry our nation into success. None of that can happen if we vote ourselves out of existence. ****Listen up MFers. If we don't vote right, we become the EXACT same as the generation that created WWI and WWII. We can do better. Biden is our Chamberlain AND FDR. Stop this shit****

The Wicker/Hyde-Smith amendment to keep the T-1s wasn't approved as part of the Senate's bill. So still looks like the fleet is on its way out for now.

There are behaviors that happen within the organization that whether we like it or not that are discriminatory. Example: there are still many officers who believe shaving waivers somehow make someone less of an airman, despite the fact that it is a MEDICAL waiver used to treat what can be a very serious skin condition that disproportionately effects 1 subcategory of people. And those officers STILL believe that people on shaving waivers should be prevented from solid opportunities for career growth like being a first shirt, recruiting, working for the T-Birds, appearing in a news article. Neurodiversity is becoming another hot topic now. Why is the DoD still discriminating against adult ADHD when it's been proven this is a neurological condition that has strengths but is also professionally overcomable. Outside the AF though it's going to be your DEI officers who are going to ensure that if you are a disabled veteran taking classes at university you get accomodations to help you take exams. Perhaps you need a service animal, or more time because you write with your left hand now due to an injury. DEI officers are out in the Dept of Labor and US Chamber of Commerce right now arguing to employers how academically powerful military spouses are as an untapped labor resource.

That example above is why I think the best senior officers and political officials are the ones that come from real working backgrounds and not some puppy mill. How is some 4 star that’s a legacy graduate of a service academy that’s known nothing besides the AF going to relate to normies? Or the senator who did student council, boys state, Ivy League, Ivy League law, senate staffer, etc understand that not everyone looks at service purely as some patriotic duty above all else? Tangentially related but this is why I like Teddy Roosevelt so much. Total silver spoon upbringing but moves to North Dakota after his wife and mom die on the same day and works a “strenuous life”. Gets to know real people and see what they’re about.

I heard an interesting counter to the “you were just gonna stay anyway” crowd in the command echelons. The Command Senior Warrant for USASOC tried that, a W4 flight lead from ARSOA goes “yeah I was gonna stay! And that bonus is what I give to the family I’m not seeing… so I don’t get divorced or hit with the Me or the Army ultimatum either way that money is small potatoes compared to the millions you’ve invested in me.” Dude just stared at him blankly having completely lost the room of people being told “you were just gonna row the boat anyway so why make your life less crappy.” Nobody in that level of leadership that makes decisions about bonus money would understand people not giving themselves wholly to the Military. You’re trying to convince people who the idea of getting out never occurred and they are so disconnected they think we all feel that way. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If only we had experiences from other conflicts to draw on and learn from.

Drone V Drone Air to Air.

Good article, important subject. I’ve fought in in WA, Sahel and EA and offer 2 relevant observations: 1. Impossible to have serious impact on the enemy given high threshold for kinetic strikes (even those supporting partner TICs). Things that would be O4/O5 level TEA in the IZ/AFG heyday are GCC, DoS main and ambassador level. Lost strike opportunities and loss of partner trust are the norm. 2. We are fighting cross-border VEOs using a “strategy” restricted by borders. For example, AQIM moves freely between Niger, Mali, Algeria (and others) but authorities are drastically different in those 3 countries, and matched to the task in none. Unless we can fix those issues we’ll lose out there, but not before spending more blood and treasure.

Of course the mainstream media and the Dem controlled House and Senate will ignore everything that is happening and the potential crime the Joe Biden committed. Reports from Saudi indicate he asked them to delay the announcement of the decrease in production until AFTER the Mid-Terms, if true isn't that a crime? Regardless, the real crime is what he is doing to the SPR: The oil market is worried Biden could release another 100 million barrels of crude from strategic reserves, analyst says A quick caveat, Trump falsely claims to have filled to the SPR to 100%, while he asked for funding to add 77 Million Barrels, that funding was not approved. Regardless, Biden is destroying our national security in a short-sighted attempt to keep oil prices low for an election. There are other ways to do this AND make us energy independent without draining the SPR. For the record, as of today Biden has drained nearly a third of the SPR, if the reports are true he will take it well below half what is was when he took office, a 40 year low and to the point it was when first established.

Correct, typo on my part. *Hawaii* to top off points is 3300NM. Guam to center point of Taiwan is 1700 miles, to the center of the straights is another 100 miles.

On a positive note that’s one less Su-34 for the Ukrainians to worry about!

My guess is they also aren't 100% aware of what they're doing as well. Espionage is a tricky art. You need to convince someone that betraying their country is in the interest of public morality . The article is vague but some good concealment on the plan I see already is this is a PMC based out of South Africa, a country that has generally favorable relationships as a neutral party to both the UK and China. It's possible only 1-3 people in the whole operation are actually interacting with any Chinese officers on a human to human basis. The rest are there working as ADAIR or some kind of contract Red Air and believe they are providing valuable training space for some developing African country trying to finally create regional stability; using junk Chinese fighters from the last generation. That's how I would set this up anyway.....

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjwvVc6rBIR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

LOL the article says they're only paying these dudes ~$270k?! NFW that's all they're paying these dudes. That's chump change for betraying your country, risking your life and living in that shithole.

Credit given where due. Good Job.

You forgot about diversity. That solves everything.

Keep those Chinese bastards away from my Funyuns!!

I got that call today too. Hate to say it's a TBNT call, but he gave some really detailed feedback that was truly helpful. Dude took 10 minutes out of his day to really help me out. This is part of what makes their unit so appealing to me. They're not hiring me but still want to help out. Every interaction I've had with their guys (mx to ops to pilots) have all been great. Good luck going forward boss!

I know the current version of the bonus was established in the 90's at 25k...but I don't know the exact date. I used the 1995 for the CPI calculator for an average... $48,277 is what it gave me for current dollars... Is a post WWGulfWarOne pilot during draw-down somehow worth more than a current get-ready-for-china pilot?

Vance being the experimental test bed because they were so far ahead on timeline is maybe the fakest news I've ever heard in my life. In the 2018/2019 timeframe Laughlin literally sent instructors TDY to Vance solely to fly the line because of how far behind they were. Nothing against the Vance dudes in the trenches at the time.. the timeline problems were likely caused by manning blunders at levels far above them. The experimental programs started there because they were behind. That and yes-man commanders looking to get in the good graces of the aetc/cc at the time. It's amazing how quickly you "fix" timeline problems by just chopping flights out of the syllabus.

This makes sense now. Has nothing to do with the quality of the T-1 training or service is provides the force..... nope..... im sure some 1-200 jobs in Columbus Mississippi are in danger of being wiped out now and that's going to reduce tax revenues for the city by $200K next year and bankrupt them......

How should someone determine what it is worth? Or what about how much their time is worth? I posit analysis such as these are the most common, portable comparisons...doesn't mean it's the only measure, however should be part of one's calculus. It certainly informs the financial analysis part of that calculus. If you're a military flying addict, then being knowledgeable of it is important. It's easier to inform the portion that flying low level is fun; not much fun-analysis needed there!

After tanking pilot production for years at END, tanking pilot production at CBM last year, working its way through DLF this year…this monstrosity is up for a syllabus conference next month. The draft already has a massive overhaul…shocking (for the better though). That syllabus, at this point, is like walking backwards and forwards at the same time. Some revisions should help, but until there is real progress in artificial instruction and a learner-centric learning management system, things will only continue to revert back to where it started from (not that many would complain about that). This T-6 syllabus has been such a mess and distracting, the actual 2.5 syllabus still isn’t done yet…not even close. It took years, as is standard, right up to the wire, but the execution of the T-1 was stayed at the last hour by Congress. We’ll see how that plays out… ~Bendy Sent from my iPad using Baseops Network mobile app

208 pages in - the answer is still “don’t do it!” and go enjoy a far better life in the ANG, airlines, insert-other-passion job, etc.

BQZips mom?