Rusty Pipes

Hopefully Chang will chime in soon and explain to us knuckle draggers how they are going to "fix the glitch" this time around! He'll explain to us all about how we don't need FGOs flying anymore... and from the looks of it why a cadre of strictly 1 LT FAIPs is the route we've apparently decided to go in the C-17!!! Seems legit!

It looks like the guy who is approving VSP down at AFPC had his wife or girlfriend leave him for a 2005 11M and wants to make sure there are none left on Active Duty!!! Congrats to all who were approved! I hope this doesn't have the same impact as the 2006 VSP that wiped out a ton of IP/EP types in the C-17 and C-5 (I'm sure CAF had a similar problem). Hopefully more good news will come soon for everyone still waiting... good luck!

I was a prior rated (Nav) SRO and can tell you that it can definitely have an advantage for your class if you do your job right. First rule... Being the SRO is about the class, not you! It was said before, but wear the Wings you have already earned if your are prior rated... aside from that you are just another fucking student. We had a few prior rated/aircrew (both O's and E's) in our class and my first rule to them was to put your leather jacket in the closet and don't take it back out until you are UPT complete (they agreed as a group on this). To be honest, it was actually kind of a cool goal for that small group of us to want to wear our leather jackets again and at the same time it was a message sent to both the IPs and the other folks in the class that we were all the same. The Flight CC actually told me it was perfectly OK for us to wear them, but I told him we decided not to as a group. Behind closed doors with the Flight CC and/or prior MWS IPs you will most likely have the advantage of being a "crew dawg" and you can use that to your class' advantage, but don't ever put any instructor (especially your Flight CC) in a position where they think even for a second they need to take you down a peg in front of other students. Treat your FAIPs with just as much respect as you would a prior MWS IP and let the rest of your class see that... make it obvious! I actually knew a few of the IPs in my Flight from my prior airframe... I helped carry my Flight CC out of the Brit Club in Diego hammered once or twice and remember the Q-3 the Asst Flight CC got for trying to fly over a thunderstorm a few years prior. They are human, just like the rest of us, but you'd better know the difference between the guy you are talking to with the door closed in the office and the Flight CC addressing your class. They are two very different people... treat them accordingly. Arrange study groups, stomp out any gouge hording, plan weekend class activities that can include everyone... to include those with wives and kids (BBQ at someone's house, camping, waterskiing/tubing on the lake), know who is doing well in the class and who isn't (and know why), stomp on your class before your IPs have to if things even get the hint of going sideways for any reason. Bottom line is to take care of your folks and don't try to hide anything from your Flight CC/IPs... the walls are very thin between the flight room and the IP office and they are never not listening; if something is going on with anyone in the class the IPs already know about it... trust me! Finally... take care of yourself as a student. Study as hard as you can and be a good classmate. The Flight Commander has enough say in T-6's that he/she can put almost anyone in the top 2/3 of the class flying wise in the top 3 overall at the end of any phase. Someone will finish first and someone will finish last... do the best you can to help ensure that everyone finishes (most importantly, you). If as an SRO you take care of your class (and your IPs) and you finish out well you will most likely end up flying something you are happy with (hopefully one of your top choices)... and you'll look back at UPT as a lot more fun than you remembered while you were actually there!

I was actually the one trapped in the corner when he asked me to translate all the flyer PRFs because he didn't understand what they meant... he was doing the rack and stack recommendations for the Staff Agency for the SES who also did not speak aviation in a very non-flyer organization. Luckily I never had to put my own PRF there because flyers didn't do well. Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

OK, Hoss... I'll bite. Not a "2 guys I know... therefore the whole system is screwed up story". We all tend to live in our own little bubbles in the AF which isn't a major secret to anyone (even within CAF/MAF like you said), but even after working for multiple Generals, Wing and OG CC's and having been involved with probably over a dozen PRF rounds throughout the years... I was surprised by the fact that these guys had no idea what they were reading. I'm not saying they were not quite up to speed on some of the terms/concepts/acronyms... they actually had no idea what they even meant! Of course cross-talk with the other board members is happening when there are questions. The O-6 who flew F-15Cs his whole career could go through a PRF and might not know what a SOLL II Left Seat guy is in a C-17, but you could explain it to him in about 5 seconds so that he completely understands. When that same F-15C O-6 looks at the next PRF for a MX guy and doesn't understand half of the PRF... how long do you think it would take someone to explain it to him such that he completely understands? Especially when they probably spend only about a minute or two going through the entire promotion package. I'm not saying the whole system is screwed up... I'm saying that maybe it isn't the best idea to have the English teacher grading the Math exam! We have countless pages on here of people bitching about AADs, PME, useless Strats and Christmas Party planning being used to decide who gets promoted, school, ect (guilty as charged)... but if the Board members don't know the relevance of the 4 Ship Flight Lead, SOLL II Left Seater or Supreme Level 9 Combat FOD Manager then what do they do? Hmmm... he has more #1 strats than she does. This guy got his AAD in 2009 and he got his in 2010! I think that stuff was originally used with good intentions as a tie breaker when everything else was even, but when the only way to compare me as a pilot against my peer who is MX officer is the queep then the queep just became my #1 priority! You're obviously never going to have a perfect system, I just think we would do much better by having Rated Officers doing Rated promotions, MX Officers doing MX promotions, etc. It would sure as hell keep me from failing my Math exam due to poor grammar! Something tells me that as a Hog Driver you would much rather have the Little Rock OG/CC scoring your promotion package than the MSG/CC from Hanscom... just sayin'

I got to go through Pensacola for API back in the day doing the Helo Dunker, Dilbert Dunker, parasail and the 69 swim tests... then had to go through AF water survival again at Fairchild. After that they made me go through the full up AF Water Survival at Pensacola again three years later because I needed "ejection qual" when I switched airframes. Luckily, to date, I have had no need to eject from my C-17... SMH!

My last two O-6 Commanders (both non-rated) were VERY proud of the fact that they have sat on promotion boards and have participated in MLRs, but when I showed them pictures of an F-22, F-16, C-5 and C-17 they both got every one of them wrong when I asked them what they were. If they can't even tell you what an F-22 or a C-17 looks like then the fact that you were a 4 Ship Flight Lead or SOLL II Left Seater as mid level Captain means absolutely NOTHING to them when they read it on your PRF with their 60 second glance. It's easy for any O-6 to pick out the top and bottom 10% from almost any AFSC, but when you have that group of about 10% that are right on the bubble of whether or not they are going to get promoted, the idea that the person voting on their fate doesn't know what half of their PRF even means doesn't help... and that goes for whatever career field you may be in! One of these two O-6s fully admitted that they didn't understand what most of the stuff on my PRF meant... and then said when it came down to it they looked for who had more #1 strats and who checked all the boxes. At least they were honest. I think promotion by career field is a better direction to go IMHO.

Had 2 individuals approved for TERA last week who were in 1 deep positions... both began terminal leave this week and as of now we are being told that we shouldn't expect a backfill until late Fall at the earliest... if at all. Now we are being asked by AFPC what OUR plan is to cover these positions. "Sorry folks (AFPC)... park's closed, the Moose out front shoulda told ya!"

I placed my order on Friday night (4th) and it processed/shipped Monday (7th)... UPS tracking says it will arrive on Monday (14th) to the East coast. They ship it UPS ground so it isn't lightning fast, but for free I'll take it. I'm guessing with the free shipping weekend they are swamped getting all the orders out. Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

Heard at Nellis yesterday CSAF said they were contacting those who were told they were approved and then got the "just kidding" e-mail and were going to honor the first approval notification. I wasn't there so it is just second hand, but I can't imagine the Boss ever letting these "take backs" fly. I don't imaging it was too many that this happened to... not sure if there is anything going on with those who had a retirement date that has since disappeared, but also heard this was just a computer problem. Good luck to all of you still in limbo... I know this must really suck!

There was some wording in the original messages (that have been changed a million times since then) saying they would delay RNLTDs for folks getting assignments if they had a TERA/VSP app in, but I'm not sure what they are currently saying about it. I would definitely have the boss call and ask very specifically if accepting the assignment pulled your TERA package out of the pile. I think you should be good, but the way this whole mess has played out you never know. BTW... welcome to BO.net! Sorry your first post has to be for such a shitty reason...

For any of you looking for great target ammo, Freedom Munitions is offering free shipping this weekend (4-6 April). It goes pretty quick! I've put a few thousand rounds of their 9 mm and .223 through my guns and have yet to have a misfire... Their reman (once fired) is a great deal. 3% military discount too. https://www.freedommunitions.com/ Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

Well played, Sir... well played! Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

Hey, I'm not apologizing for him. What I'm saying is that I've seen horrible Commanders and I've seen really good Commanders... Cox was a great Commander. If you can meet anyone who worked for or with him that disagrees I'd be shocked. As jacked up as this whole deal has been there have been plenty of folks on here defending Welsh (rightfully so)... Cox is cut from the same cloth. I'll trash the current managers wearing Stars as much as the next guy, but I'm willing to say from personal experience that Cox is a real leader and I wish we had more like him. Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

As much as this thing has been jacked up from an A1 perspective, I can tell you without a doubt that Sam Cox is a great guy and a true Leader... One of the very few GO's of late. He took over recently at A1, but I don't think you will find anyone who has worked with him that wouldn't put him in the Gen Welsh category as being one of the good guys. Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

Dude, that sucks!!! I was wondering why there weren't more guys lighting up this thread saying they got approved too. So I assume you are just waiting like everyone else again?

What's wrong with the Air Force is that I will now have to go to a SAPR class for posting on page 69!!!

Yeah, considering the AF has about 2% of the DoD's helos it makes sense that we are filling helo air advisor jobs... SMH! Congrats on the TERA approval Altus... hopefully the first of many we see posted here. And just think... it only took 108 pages on this thread to see anyone less than 19 yrs approved!

I've known a few guys recently (past 3 months) get 365s, but they were to Korea, Kuwait or the Deid... haven't heard of one to AFG recently. Anyone know folks out there with an AFG 365 lined up anytime soon other than someone headed out to be a Sq CC or higher?

It is an option, but there doesn't seem to be any set process to make it happen. I know a few guys doing it/who have done it... most were guys coming from staff who were out of the jet for less than the max time allowed (I don't have the AFI in front of me, but I think it is 39 months or less). Otherwise you need to go through the formal school house requal at Altus. Its not impossible to just get a standard PCS back, but from what I hear most of the summer cycle requal slots at Altus are used to requal Commander types (Sq CC's, DOs, OG CCs, Wing CC/CVs). The other part is that the Squadron needs to have the ability/desire to complete a local requal. This is going to be taken out of their training fence so they will lose a week or so worth of locals to get it done (most local AC/IP requals I've seen took 3-4 flights and then a Check). The few cases I've personally seen, the person had a "sponsor"... they knew a Sq or OG/CC and the boss just called or e-mailed the functional saying, "You've got Capt/Maj XYZ on the VML out of Staff at Scott... we could really use him here and are willing to do a local requal for him if you can work it." Functional says, "That works for me... We'll load it for him soon." I'm not saying that is the standard, but I've been in the room when that call was made or CC'd on the e-mail trail on several instances just like that... it was really as easy as that. I'm quite sure that isn't the standard, but it is one of the ways to make it work.

I know a few guys who transferred it over and are still under the ADSC. Their ex-wives think that is hysterical right now... ouch!!! Seriously though, like others have suggested I am most definitely saving it for my kids... as long as some politicians don't decide to yank it from me it will be worth way more then than it is right now.

Great conversation here that I don't want to derail, but just wanted to throw this info out there just as an FYI... I know several folks who were waiting on notification for Summer cycle PCSs that got their AMS Robot assignment notifications today. I know many were speculating that these may be held back and that it possibly had to do with this whole Force Shaping mess, but I know at least some are being notified and it is right on schedule with the AFPC timeline.

I think that is a little harsh, Liquid. I'm quite sure FLY was venting about resigning his commission, but you are completely glossing over or missing the fact that what happened to him is pretty much the standard. The CSAF was supposed to come visit our Agency in the past year (he had to canx a week prior though) and the senior Air Force O-6 here sent out an e-mail to all AF members in the Agency mandating each of us submit one question to him to be asked to the Boss for him to review. He was then going to select the questions to be asked and by whom... this too was supposed to be a Town Hall type forum at the request of Gen Welsh. I would be willing to bet my entire career's pay that this was not the intent of the Boss. You agreed to my post above that managers need to be replaced with Leaders and this may have to be the result of the Boss handing out a few pink slips... this guy (and others like him) are EXACTLY what I am talking about. If I were CSAF or SECAF I would be furious if I knew my Town Hall open Q & A forums were being undermined by these middle managers. You have done a good job on here explaining the intent of the Boss and trying to pass on his message... you have also suggested or alluded to the fact that you have some access to him and are passing on some of the constructive messages from this forum. Please pass on to him that this exact thing is happening to him and his boss... I certainly won't speak for anyone else, but I'm sure plenty of folks on here could chime in with almost identical stories.

Tell them to fight for negative feedback! When I was an OG Exec I had a great Boss... probably once a week at the end of the day we would usually have a bullshit session and I would "tell him how it is" from what the average crew dawg was thinking. He asked me one day why I was always giving him bad/negative news and I told him that I was telling him what he didn't want to hear and what his Sq CC's didn't really want to tell him (although I always told him both the good and the bad). After that at every OG Staff meeting he ended with an around the room "tell me what I don't want to hear". He took that info and when he would go to the Sq's and have bullshit sessions with his crews (also huge) or fly with them, even him acknowledging some of the queep they were bitching about made the crews feel like at least Leadership wasn't blind to what was going on at their level. It is amazing the difference in attitude and morale you will get from your people when they genuinely think the boss knows them and cares.

I was wondering how long it would take Tony to weigh in on this one... https://www.jqpublic-blog.com/emails-edge-toxic-leadership-air-force-squadrons/