JPStryker

If you can dream it, you can do it!

I can totally see this shit run out of money after, like, 5 are upgraded. Block 40/45 is the #1 priority for the U.S AWACS fleet; everything else is second fiddle. They have been working on this stuff forever - I'm convinced it will never come to fruition or will become a watered-down, half-assed version of that totally awesome "artist's rendering". Doesn't really matter. Just like TCAS, RVSM, RNAV, and RNP we'll be late to the party (although not as late as some) but we'll muddle through. You don't miss what you never had.

Not that serious - check out the stands.

So true. Nobody reads regs as well as pilots. I've been told wrong by MPF, finance, etc on countless occasions, and I'm not just talking about A1C Snuffy. I've gotten bad dope from NCOs as well (which, nowadays, is about equivalent to A1C Snuffy from 15 - 20 yrs ago). If I've got potentially life-altering decisions to make, you can bet your ass I'm not going to rely on anyone in the MSG to lay out my options. I'm going to the book.

What I can't figure out is, if the tax preparer knew for a fact that illegal documents/statements of residence were being used then why would he ever submit those returns? I get it, it's "not his job" to ascertain the veracity of the information he's given, but grow a friggin' pair for god's sake. Also, why the hell was he hiding his identity? He's cashing in like a mofo on all of this.

3 year olds should drink out of juice boxes and sippy cups, not teats.

Nah, not being able to watch C. Thomas Howell go from mild mannered New Mexican teenager to bloodthirsty guerrilla warrior is going to be the biggest problem.

They're not letting them retire before 20. It's semantics. They're saying, "You can retire after 20 years of service as an O-5 even if you haven't served 3 yrs TIG". High 3 is high 3. So, if your high 3 isn't at O-5 pay then you're getting less but you're still getting high 3.

Pretty sure "retiring early" in this case doesn't affect retired pay at all. These guys should be under high 3 no matter what and will receive that pay. The only thing this does is allow them to retire as LtCols vs. Majs if they didn't serve the 3 yrs TIG (otherwise if you hit 20 before doing 3 yrs TIG you would be retired in the rank of Maj, still getting paid high 3 including the years you served as a LtCol).

AdV, So, is it accurate to say that you think logging combat sorties and getting air medals will help RPA operator promotion rates? Or do you just think it will make them feel better about themselves and take their responsibilities more seriously? Or do you think it will improve their street cred among other operators? Or are you saying that RPA crossflows should be of a higher "quality"? Because I can tell you that: 1. Promotion boards know what you do, they know how important it is, and they know you don't get air medals. AIr medals and combat time have nothing to do with your promotion rates. 2. As has already been voiced multiple times in this thread and others, people that really care about doing their best on the job assigned to them care nothing for air medals or other trappings. It's called doing your job - no medal required for that. If you're saying that the AF as an institution does not afford RPAs the clout they are due, I guess I would ask what you're looking for because medals don't mean shit. 3. Anybody with half a brain knows what you guys bring to the fight. You have my respect and, I would assume, that of most others on this board. I don't care what you do as long as you do it to the best of your ability. That applies to all AFSCs. 4. It's tough to foster a wartime mentality when you are so far removed from the theater and your missions are often monotonous. I'm in the same boat. I'm flying E-3s from Camp Snoopy. Do I feel like I'm at war when I go fly? Am I getting shot at? No. But that doesn't matter because I care about being the best pilot I can be regardless of the airframe or the mission and I try to pass that mentality on to others. Jaded dudes are poison to young guys. Not saying you've gotta drink the kool-aid, obviously the AF is ######ed up in many ways, but just being professional about the job you are assigned is huge. A few guys with the right mentality can make a big difference. Protect your young'ins, teach them the right attitude early, and it will pay dividends down the road. You can't change a culture or mindset overnight, but it can be done. OK, off the soapbox. I hope you find what you are looking for. Just be careful what arguments you use to get there. Despite all of the spears thrown at you here, I can tell that you care about the future of your community and that is invaluable.

I'd have to imagine it will work like someone who gets an OSA or FAIP assignment out of UPT. Find out from your CC what airframes/locations are available, let him/her know what you want, and hopefully they go to bat for you.

Hate to burst your bubble, but UPT is a great equalizer. Previous experience, regardless of the type and amount, don't count for shit. My class had prior navs, CFIIs, enlisted aircrew, you name it...Guess what? Didn't have any bearing on performance. It's all about desire, hard work, and innate ability.

I heard it was a former 11U that was never LRE qualled and thus didn't have enough real pilot skillz to fly the jet.

Sorry, bro, but that leadership doesn't exist in the AF. CCs and SRs have just gotten too used to the convenience that the current policy affords them - rating and ranking dudes based on a SURF vs. reality - to ever go back to the way things used to be. If you read through some of these threads you will even see how they are coping with the fact that pretty much everyone has resigned themselves to getting an AAD to be competitive...by placing emphasis on how quickly it is accomplished. Before you know it, they're actually going to care what the degree is in! I don't think that pendulum has reversed course yet.

Yep, even if the data is masked from a board you will never get the same strats, pushes, etc. on your OPRs/PRF if you don't check the box. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy; even if you excel in all other areas you will never be #1 of XX without an AAD. It would require an unbelievably ballsy show of solidarity to defeat this logic by having all of the dudes in the same year under a SR not check the box...now that would be something to see. I'm sure a new discriminator would quickly surface to solve the dilemma this would produce (number of Christmas parties planned, perhaps?).

Sounds like your stan/eval shop has gone full retard. You need to walk in there and DEMAND to be verbally evaluated on your remaining grading areas. Remind them that in today's fiscally constrained environment Uncle Sam doesn't have the dough to pay for you to do another complete checkride profile. If that doesn't work, talk to the IG.

I'm not a proponent of hosing dudes in the sim either, but a clear cut reject call below decision speed isn't cosmic. If the guy is not performing it the way he should be, that's a possible training issue. Or a possible dumbshit issue, which is harder to fix.

Concur. Individual area downgrades are only potentially useful for trend information, and even then only marginally so. Much better trend information can be gained by sitting around and shooting the poo over a beer or two.

I was also afflicted with SUHL back in Feb '09. Took a nap one day and woke up deaf (40-70 decibel loss across all frequencies) in my left ear - no trauma, no illness, no flying/diving, nothing. Went to the flight doc the next day and my heart sank when he said that he couldn't see anything wrong inside my ear. I got in to see a civilian ENT that same day. He was all set to Microwick me, but I backed out. He couldn't give me convincing data on the efficacy and I didn't want to risk not having my eardrum heal up properly. I figured it had as good a chance of getting better on its own as it did with the Microwick. Alas, it never got better. I started down the waiver road. I did the inflight hearing test which is a joke if you wear a headset and can hear well out of one ear. So I passed that no problem. Despite this the flight doc was all doom and gloom and claimed my waiver chances were not good - I didn't believe him. I made it down to Brooks in Dec '09 and went through all of the tests again. Yep, it's confirmed, I can't hear well from my left ear. So I sat down with the young doctor who was my case manager and impressed upon him that, even though I was down one ear, I was still better at my job than 69% of the guys who had two ears. I guess he agreed with me. Brooks recommended waiver approval and ACC followed their recommendation. My impression of the process - it all hinges on the doctor who manages your case at Brooks and their opinion of your situation. For me it was different because I'm a trained, experienced aircrew member - not a cross-trainee. YMMV. Best of luck to you, hit me up if you have any ?s