17D_guy

My Dad had already been gone for months, and this kicked off in the news. As a little tyke I didn't really think too much more of it than that's where "something" is happening. Though, that's not where my Dad was. I was wrong, and it pretty much jacked the family up forever. War sucks.

Well, this probably belongs in the WTF thread, but dude is back on Facebook saying he was honorably separated and a whole rash of other crap. Here's his last appeal finding, a brisk 11 pages. Pages 2-5 are the background of insanity he perpetuated on his victims. https://afcca.law.af.mil/content/afcca_opinions/cp/cohen-38472.u.pdf

How does it compare to Lone Survivor?

The best people I've worked with Cyber side are out or heavily considering it. If they don't get out entirely, they palace chase. Which is great for them. Meanwhile, I'm sitting less than 5 years from retirement and I'm just... tired. I'm tired, and I've been unable to deploy. So I haven't even felt the suck of the 6/12's most cyber officers have been feeling. I don't have the people to support the missions we're asked to do. The next large AEF-band is coming and it's going to be the super-suck for the base for another 6-months. Where a single Airman takes leave, and I've got <30% work center output. Looking at the already low manning levels and no-shit deploying 30% (as of now) of available Amn. WHAT? Last time it came down to "do we spend all day patching" or "do we spend all day working high priority tickets?" I could not do both. I refuse to hold my Airmen at work for extended periods of time when the AF can't figure out it's manning. I'll burn, but I'm not going to force my Amn to. I can't quit anything like the CSAF wants, because I don't have the authority to quit and the bosses don't want to ask. Plus, what am I going to quit.. equipment accountability? Patching? Issuing new equipment? Making iPhones work? Making VPN work? That awesome IA test? Sure... it might save a little time now, just wait until the next inspection or audit. Especially since we get inspected by non-AF entities who don't care what some Gen said.

For awhile SURFs were showing RES/NON-RES for SOS after the CSAF changed the rules for attendance. Anyone notice they've gone back to showing RES or NON-RES indicating actual attendance?

Anytime I can talk to another AFSC in I learn a lot more about the AF than my Cyber stuff. It's helped me execute my mission better because I now know how it impacts the other parts of the base/mission. Even better if it's in a relaxed/low-threat environment.

Already seen Star Wars twice. It's fantastic.

It's happening in Cyber as well. Very many people who aren't prior are bouncing. They're tired of the deployments, lack of command clarity, inability to (usually) make positive changes with their customers and for the base support, being cast aside for the sexiness of Offensive/Defensive Cyber. Who flies planes anymore.. so silly.... We just had our Summer '16 PCS webinar, total AFSC manning currently at 84%, IF you count the new 2Lt's in FY15. Overall, they'll be filling only 60% of positions requiring a body that cycle. People are just tired, and the experience and certifications we're walking out with aren't run of the mill server-farm experience. Starting salary for a lot of these is around six figures. Hell, the trend lines for the mid 90's folks, and mid-00 folks is well below the sustainment line. I wasn't a O then, but I seem to remember my bosses (jr-mid Capts) were getting RIF'd at ton in '06-'08... and that was "before the drawdown." Anyway, has anyone noticed a change in the Maj's getting promoted? With the increased scrutiny Learjet I was wondering if it had also moved down to O-4 as well. There's been numerous people who haven't made it I was surprised at.

And another version of the 910 coming out. Wish we could all perform to the level of AFPC. Also, fuck VPC.

Whew... good thing definitions of words never change! Also, see my edit for what I think about it being called sports. I'm generally not of the opinion it should rise to that level, but there's a large amount of mental exertion taking place in these tournaments. So, it's not a hobby, past time, or recreational game. These guys (and gals) are making very good money doing it. Maybe we'll just call it esports and define it as: "an activity involving mental exertion and skill." Just to be clear - I'm talking about the pro's playing in the leagues/tourney's. Not the average dude playing for hours for fun, or the people online streaming for subscriptions/donations from viewers.

And don't forget the Enlisted troops supporting the base had to vie under the quotas/percentages set by leadership for receiving a decoration upon departure after 6 months. Oh, your whole team accomplished a ton of great stuff while you were here and had no problems whatsoever? Sorry.. 1 dec for every 4 people or whatever it was. Everyone doesn't get a trophy (unless you're O4+), but lets use it for legit recognition. Not an "I was there too!" card the BSM became there. One of my old Commander's did a 365 w/ a cultural engagement team in A-stan, lost some people to IEDs on travels.. and still doesn't think the BSM was deserved for the service they rendered. I don't know how peeps like this dude think, "Yep, my level of sacrifice and hard work is warranted to be recognized by this award." Granted... I don't know if denying it, or not accepting it would be of benefit either. Stupid Air Force. Also, would these show the 4-6 month deployments he might, however astronomically unlikely, have gone on? I wouldn't throw those on my bio. However, this dude did throw his exec tour on there - 6. November 2000 - June 2001, Executive Officer, 737th Training Group, Lackland AFB, TexasSo who the hell knows.

Do you play video games?

I didn't mean that as a negative, it's a generational thing! I watched it on stream, and there were "viewing parties" in a couple (again.. small-popularity now) bars in my town. But, why go to a football game, or baseball game? Heck, why go to a movie or concert. There's an experience around it. The European crowd was fantastic and it was much like a sporting even -- waves, costumes, team jersey's, terrible food and over priced beer, shouts for players or characters and announcers over the whole thing. Here's a video from 2 years ago when there was a tourney in France (mind the french). The character they're talking about is Pantheon and he looks like Leonidas from 300. Hence the chant, doesn't that seem like at least a little fun? EDIT - Forgot to say I'm not sure if it's a real sport or something else. But the money being thrown around, the infrastructure around the most successful teams, and the practice and talent of the best players has to be something. We can call them athletes, cyber-athletes, or e-athletes. Point is, it's not just "playing a game." Kinda the same with Cyber +Ops.. it's not just support anymore.. but is it warfare or operations? Some still say no, others yes.

I get that I'm the resident nerd, and should be pre-disposed to e-sports and all it entails. But I grew up watching baseball and going to Dodger games. I collected cards and sticker books of baseballs players. I don't even follow the game anymore. It's simply too long, too boring and exactly as Mark1 says. I hate the fact that a team can drop a whole series to another team.. and have it mean almost nothing when it comes October. #1/2 spots switching/staying like professional wrestling. We don't need football's 16-weeks, but we all don't need WWE's story-lines either.. or maybe we do. Either way, e-sports is ok sized now and I expect it to grow immensely in the next decade. A European League of Legends team just sold for over $1M. Like soccer the barrier to entry is low and everyone can play. You watch a nerd do a move online, and you can attempt it in your next game. Can't do that with almost any other sport, in fact I can't think of any... The only people decrying it as not a real sport are generally 40+ year-olds. Sure, some people in their 30's (me) and younger make fun of it.. but they also usually play a lot of Madden, Call of Duty or other games as well. Eventually there will be a game they like well enough to watch other people do it.

Psh.. for sure! My profile pic is for TSM - Team Solo Mid, one of the biggest League of Legends teams. Another team, Cloud 9, has the AF Reserves as a sponsor. World Championships just finished in Europe (last year was Korea, US before that). Korean team "SKT TI" got $1 Mil for winning. It's currently the biggest game in the world. All Stars is coming with Marc Cuban playing a show match and Chris Kluwe probably attending.

Obviously you were unprofessional that whole time!

For some reason the Chief's E9's quote in the whole thing pisses me off more than anything else. Somehow the ABU doesn't remind me that I'm part of something bigger, despite it being 75% as uncomfortable as blues. Or a tradition that lasted for only 4 years, that was tossed with much fanfare and relief, was something that we should harken back to like "the good ole' days." I'm getting tired of E9's thinking they're a step above their other enlisted brethren and forgetting that they're in place to provide council and feedback. No to nod endlessly at every drop of feces coming out of leadership good-idea hole. Just give us back fatigues so we can look kinda nice, and kinda like we're in the military.

Because the rejoicing about Blues Monday must have happened while these 2 were deployed and fighting the war. https://www.jointbasemdl.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123463377

You think this is any different in the AF? Negative. There have been Commander's relieved for point out the emperor has no clothes when it comes to what the AF calls Vulnerability reporting. Once again, it's just metrics that the local commander is on the hook for.. but has no actual power over the majority of the time. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/27/army_bug_bounties/

I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading that promotion to O-6 is a loss of a pilot. Sad state of affairs.

I don't know if we want to corral the discussion about AFD1-1 to the JQP news posts, or continue it here. But.. I did not see that all coming from the CSAF. They're really taking the circle the wagons around the stars thing to the next level. Someone had a really good post on the FB pages about posting political comments/opinions/mem's on our personal pages during election season. How is that going to jive against the blessed little Red Blue Book.

I don't go to politicians for my art, and I don't go to artists for my politics. So, no. I generally don't have a problem outside of a few niche cases (ex. Michael Moore). I disagree strongly with Kevin Spacey's politics, as well as George Clooney and Tom Cruise... but they're fantastic actors who make decent if not excellent movies. I expect my artists to be nut-job loonies (ex. Tom Cruise), and my politicians to be back-stabbing snakes (ex. Paul Ryan).

Wonder what it would look like if we could bounce this list against the RIF/TERA/VSP/Whatever "must separate matrix" that AFPC offered in the last 2 years. Edit to add that the two workhorse cyber customer support AFSCs we separated a ton of are on there: 3D1X1 Client Systems, and 3D1X2 Cyber Transport Systems

And.. check it again. Massive bad news update.

I've actually done this with fantastic results. Now if I could just get the OG/CC to realize what his Airmen want, it might be worthwhile.