Leaderboard

I legit feel bad for CSAF candidates that are anything but straight, white fighter pilot males. If one of them gets picked (happened to Gen Brown), everyone will glom onto their skin color/gender/orientation. I can’t imagine how demoralizing that would be to have served for almost 40 years and everyone assumes you only made it as the diversity hire.

Trump would be the huge narcissistic asshole that never shuts up about himself. I'm hoping we dump Trump and Biden and at least pretend to nominate some competent people.

Talked to my father in law yesterday, he’s incredulous at the idea that Biden or any Dem could win. He wants trump. He will not listen that trump = best chance of Dem success. He and people like him will fuck us all over, though under the best of intentions. Emotions on both sides of the spectrum are what landed us in the dumpster fire we’re in. Detach and make rational decisions and we can get ourselves out of this. Both Biden and Trump are irrational picks for different reasons. It’s that simple.

That didn’t trigger a psych eval?

Nothing against anyone's parents (mine are the same way) but I think this shows how emotionally driven the average voter is. The idea of thinking strategically about candidate viability isn't really a thing people do unless they're really into politics or listen to non-mainstream political commentary.

Meanwhile, at AFSOC A1…

Real talk now - The current administration has a laser-like focus on identity politics, and no where is this more evident than in their political appointments, particularly in the high profile positions. And it doesn't get much more high profile than a service chief. The talk about qualifications and experience of different candidates is laughable. The next CSAF is going to be chosen based on which box they check. Given the current field, I assume it's going to be "First Female CSAF."

That was the path CQB followed (7AF->PACAF->CSAF) but its a bit of a jump to suggest that experience as a PACAF or even a USAFE CC yields a thorough understanding of the theater logistics. Under US doctrine we decouple most of the logistics functions from the geographic elements under geographic combatant commanders. So why Ramstein does have some USAFE C-130s at its disposal, their nesting is designed more to support commander priorities that would be otherwise ignored by TRANSCOM who is planning at a global level. So for example, if you are going to perform a JFEO as the USAFE Commander, you would probably want to use your C-130s rather than petitioning TRANSCOM to add it somewhere in their list of priorities--to which you would get a response that's something like: "we will deliver 1/4 of your troops next week, and then a few more the week after, and then the rest the week after that." Well that's not really how JFEOs work..... so clearly that's not really useful. When hiring at the executive level, competence becomes less of an issue because almost all of our O9/10s are probably competent to lead HQ AF. Heck, probably even a few high speed O8s. They have decades of experience in organizational leadership by this point. So a more important facet that comes into play, in my opinion anyway, is suitability/fit. Who is the right commander to lead right now? Specifically, who has the expertise to solve a pressing problem, and be able to articulate that problem to congress in a detailed enough manner that they can secure money for it. At the end of the day, the CSAF's role is to get money. That is really all he/she is--a sales person.

Imagine how horrible it would be when you prove them all right by doing a mediocre job. Or worse, focusing on DEI instead of solving other actual problems.

DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION CHANT IT WITH ME

Wu Tang clan anyone??

Besides CSAF’s job is to train/equip/organize, they aren’t combatant commanders.

I know he doesn’t have a chance, but Vivek def seems to say the right things.

I'll throw in this opinion...supporting the incumbent President of your preferred party when he's running for reelection is not an irrational pick for relatively party-line voters. If you are a steady Republican, it made perfect sense to support Trump in 2020. Even if you found him a bit distasteful in 2016 or supported someone else initially in that primary or didn't agree with everything he did in office. By 2020, he's your party's guy, he's doing Republican things while in office, he's eligible for and interested in being reelected...it's extremely rational for a R voter to punch R again on that ballot. Was he fairly old in 2020? Was he fairly batshit crazy in 2020? I would say yes to both, but I don't begrudge loyal Republicans for voting for Republicans the vast majority of the time, it is what it is. The exact same rational works for Dems right now. I am a loyal Dem voter and fairly rational. The emotional thing to do would be to want to jettison an incumbent President who wants to run & is eligible for another term and magically get someone younger & more dynamic. Hell, while I have that magic wand I wanna get rid of Harris too and move on to someone else on the bench (I've listed lost of options I like better before). BUT, like I said, I'm a relatively rational voter, exactly what you say you want to see. The rational case for a Dem/liberal voter is that Biden is the incumbent, has a track record of winning and governing in a way I generally support, I'm voting for him again in 2024. I do wish he were younger, I would change some policies here and there, I would jettison his VP into the sun and pick a new running mate...but I'm not a wizard, I'm just a guy with one vote and a few dollars here and there to donate. For my friends on the right, Trump is no longer an incumbent. He has a track record of losing. The GOP should have a real primary for 2024, although TBD because right now Trump is winning very easily. If y'all want someone else by all means make that happen! I for one as a Democrat do not hope that Trump is the nominee because I think another Trump term would be disastrous for our democratic institutions. He basically was willing to nuke the constitution to stay in office when things didn't go his way and we got saved by the hair on our chins by Mike Pence and some lucky breaks. Haley, Scott, etc. are fine; I don't "like" them or their policies, but they are normal Republicans that the country is used to. Even DeSantis, who I think sucks very badly, would be better. Best of luck to whatever shreds are left of the anti-Trump right, I legit wish you all luck cleaning up your house.

7:44 AM 😂😂😂😂 Working in that office must have been bonkers.. Driving to work.. phone starts blowing up "oh shit what did he do now" 1hr later press secretary at an all hands meeting: "he was taking his morning dump and went nuclear on the constitution, how do we spin this"

this has GOT to be my wife trolling on baseops...

Are you commissioned in the AF yet?

Generally, a waste of money from a training standpoint. Prior to UPT it would have limited value. You may be able to practice maneuvers, but without knowledge of standards and techniques you'll be expected to perform under during UPT, the training is negligible at best, negative at worst. Once you begin UPT you will have nearly unlimited access to exactly this type of set up. At Vance there is a lab in each squadron with multiple VR simulators and each flight room has one of their own. You will be encouraged to use it as much a possible. As far as having one a home, you will be better off just reading the pubs, working out, and getting a good nights sleep.

I no joke laughed for a bit when I read this. Idk how much time you’ve spent in PACAF, but the dumpster fire meme comes to mind when considering their “logistical prowess”

Reserves I believe.

The fact that Minihan isn't on the short list for CSAF is why he sent that memo out. If you're not winning the game, try to play a different game.

No worries mate and sorry for the mix up. I agree everyone loves a blood thirsty war dog when going to combat, but I have no doubt that a solid ACC commander can pick up the slack from a motivational standpoint while VO works on lobbying congress to get some much needed money to the right programs earlier than another candidate might.

Actually, Wesley Snipes is the blackest motha on the planet!! Lol

If you're going to take the bonus, do so in the guard after you have a line number.

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/usaf-retires-its-last-mc-130h-combat-talon-ii-89-0280-after-delivering-the-aircraft-to-the-boneyard-at-davis-monthan-afb/ End of an era with the retirement of the MC-130H Combat Talon II. Great and proud legacy for this airplane and the crews have given great service over three decades to this country.

ShavedDogsAss nailed it. If you really want fighters, list them first, FAIP second, then everything else (would recommend B-1's then AFSOC). In the end man it's your choice. You mentioned wanting to rain hate, go A-10, F-15E, F-16 or some variation of that. If that's what you really want then go for it. I'll speak to the FAIP thing as well. I just finished up my FAIP tour and am headed off to the Viper (f*ck yea). Like you all I ever wanted to do was fly fighters. So when it came dreamsheet time it wasn't a question of what I wanted, it was where to put it. Basically my list went fighters (including ADAIR), -38 FAIP, -6 FAIP, B-1, AFSOC, everything else. Ended up getting FAIP'ed and loved it. Did it get old doing TP Stalls for the 6900th time? Absolutely. Did volunteering and doing all sorts of queepy stupid crap suck? Yup. But it kept the dream alive, and in the end I finally got what I wanted. Some FAIPs don't get what they wanted. Good friend of mine didn't. Unfortunately it happens, but if being a fighter pilot is really what you want, then having a second shot at it should be right up there on your list. If being a fighter pilot is secondary to raining hate, then put FAIP lower on the list and put bombers/AFSOC higher.

Wow... the T-38 sims barely held a torch to what it was like to actually fly the jet. Phase II teaches you how to be a student pilot, while Phase III actually teaches basic airmanship. Where’s my popcorn?

Thanks!

More likely that I don't understand an elementary word definition, or that you've allowed yourself to be so corrupted that you're blind to reality? It was hard with so many examples to choose from but here's one for my side, so....