brickhistory

The following could have gone in the "Leadership at the 'Deid" thread, the "Good Military Read thread (which it is), but I thought I'd put it here as "historical." From the book "The Hungry Tigers : The Fighter Pilot's Role in Modern Warfare" by Frank J. O'Brien, 1986. A bit dated now, but it has some good nuggets about traits required, the lessons from his Vietnam experiences flying F-4s, and some other pertainent to today areas. The troops at Phu Cat had to put up with a problem that was most likely unique to the base. Had it been more widespread, the hue and cry would have been heard all the way back to the Pentagon. The difficulty centered around the base finance section, and since it dealt with pay, it was indeed a very touchy item. It also took a considerable amount of a person's off-duty time to make repeated trips down to finance to get things straightened out. The result of these trips in nearly all cases was increased frustration and confusion. They did, however, give you a chance to socialize a bit since most of your friends would also be there with similiar problems. Unlike stateside bases, just about everybody's pay was fouled up, and to make things even more infuriating, the personnel at finance were entirely disinterested in solving the problem. Some even had the gall to suggest that you go without a portion of your pay for the entire tour because it was easier to do this than correct the records. During the 1970-1971 time period, finance was the only area at Phu Cat that was not 100 mission-oriented.

Can't speak to the ANG, but can to USAFR. No PME and no advanced school = terminal major usually. Nothing wrong with that, but know the 'rules' before making any decisions. All the b1tches about this are nothing new. Nobody is experiencing anything that hasn't been felt/done before. Read Jumper's "Dear Boss" letter. Read some Vietnam books. Read some Korea books. Read some WWII books. Read some Indian fighter books. Young pups have always complained about the 'clerkness' of the service. Right or wrong, it's a damn big windmill to tilt at. Nothing wrong with trying to change it, but history and the odds are not in your favor.

That's life. Not trying to be a d1ck, just speaking the truth. Your colleagues are in jobs that aren't in as much demand as yours and thus have flexibility to pursue other things within the Air Force. You owe Uncle another five years and are in a short-manned area. Questions? Yes, it's always better to be in a position of strength when wanting something from Big Blue. Again, nothing new there. A question for you: If you have decided to punch at the end of your commitment (no judgment, thank you for your service), why bother with SOS in any flavor? Or is there still an element of keeping your options open? If the latter, see my opening line. Don't take an "on-line bu11shit" degree if you don't want to. Find a "real" university to get an advanced degree if you think that will be of benefit or interest to you post-USAF. Get the degree because you want it. Unless you think you might want to stay in and get promoted. Then see the opening line again. The system is what it is; until you are CSAF, you can't/won't change it. Generations before you have b1tched the same thing. Any changes noted? Again, deal with reality, not "how it should be" and you'll be much less frustrated, IMO. Good luck.

Nope. The sheeple look at you (me) funny when not following the rules, no matter how redundant at that moment.

Bristol Beaufighter, P-61, F-82,F-89,F-94,F-100F,F-105F/G(EWOs,not WSOs) F-4C,D,E,G(ditto EWOs), F-111/EF-111

Riiiight. Some things just don't go together. But given the above, how about a "pip, pip, wot?" Knock yourself out with A400. Hope y'all buy lots of 'em. Don't see it happening, but I really do hope I'm wrong.

It wasn't "always better" back then. There are plenty of memories and historical examples of war-fighting being less important to leadership than 'clerkness.' Why was Robin Olds such a hero to most here? Because he fought the 7AF/Pentagon risk-aversion and kowtowing to Vietnam-era political correctness. When sortie count counted more than effectiveness. A four ship of F-4s with only one bomb on each? Launch 'em! Sortie count is what gets the wing king promoted. And the DO. Korea? Same. WWII? Even more so. The memories of wearing a freakin' tie (shades of reflective belts!) don't hang in there like the 'good' memories. There is a difference today in that the information age makes such buffoonery known immediately. But it is not new. Doesn't make it right either. But it is what we (and most other services/countries) pretty much always do. The experienced aircrews that stay in after the current fights are over (if ever) will be the ones who assume the mantle that Rainman laments as passing. Your stories will no doubt get better with age/time so that the next generations of youngsters look back at those "good old days" when (most) folks flew in the aircraft. As to fighter (or other combat) squadron bars, not my place to speak on them historically or currently. I hope the informal, but invaluable, lessons are passed on somehow. The politcally directed ROE have direct historical precedents as well. Shame we have to learn that lesson again as well.

Lack of basic English skills aside, this little nugget contained within your weak diatribe is exactly the point. Those commanding at Al Udeid should have leadership skills.

Dated (just prior to the handover back to PRC from UK) so take it for what it's worth: Hong Kong? Yes, please! Go for at least one fancy night and dinner at the Peninsula Hotel. Very old school cool.

Reading in today's Early Bird about the transfer of the three missile wings from AFSC to GSC with the bomb wings from ACC to transfer as well. Uhh, didn't we do this once and call it SAC? (rhetorical - I had to fight to escape SAC back in the dinosaur days...) Second that Frankenklotz is the CC. Jeezuz Keerist, that guy won't die. A vampire-like stake through the heart probably wouldn't do it either. Watch your backs, boys and girls. Whatever happened to the public law about having to be rated to command aviation units? Either way, that ghoul is an example of hanging on and climbing no matter how long it takes. He was an Lt Col in the late 1980s as a frame of reference. Not respected at all. Perfect example for the leadership issues of our Air Force. Great "all about me" skills, however. Jeezuz H. Freakin' Keerist...

Or the worst. His stream of consciousness writing made think of a bad R&R for him in Hong Kong and not a real life accounting of "there I was." But it's on the best seller list and has been for some time, so what do I know?

Sh1t.

Umm, isn't that Mikey from American Chopper on the right?

Another one that time has only improved; sorry no then hot, now not capability on her: Sela Ward

I hope the guy will ask the SQ/CC "Why?" Politely and respectfully, but a simple question of "Why is this buffoonery being tolerated? Is the price of "good order and discipline" vs. the asspain of this clerking to the nth degree something he or she, personally, agrees with?

The Flying Tigers Chennault's American Volunteer Group in China USAF History & Museums Program 60th Anniversary Edition, 36 pages. I wrote this back in 2005-ish for the AF/HO office. They wanted it for the USAF 60th Anniversary. They just published it this summer. Go figure... It is available FREE at your base HO office and, possibly, base library. There's no original research, just a review and capturing of the already published AVG works - kind of like a college paper approach. Big brass ones for everybody involved - Chennault, the pilots, the ground guys, even the nurses. And they kicked some Imperial Japanese Army Air Force butt. Up for discussion, but something like 199 aerial victories to 10 KIA in combat, another 3 KIA during ground attacks, and 10 in flying accidents not related to combat.

Because in a tragically warped way, it is ironic. Dark humor at its darkest. I get per's point. And what "investigation?" A bad case of "sh1t happens" and a crew is under "investigation?" Y'all watch your backs out there. As the cartoon strip used to say, "We've met the enemy and he's us..."

Do we have IDF/AF students at SUPT? Wha? I'm just askin'...

2 on the well done for this one. Made me chuckle...

I just threw up. And not a little.

That is an OUTSTANDING reaction to stress. If, on the other hand, you meant "bawling" as in crying, well, then I'm just a bad man...

In the Pentagon. But nearly as far away from the impact point as is possible and still be in the same building. Oddly enough, we were in a meeting in the XOO's (now A3O, I believe)office discussing part 1 of a 2 part CBS News series on dangerous military flying. The previous night they'd run many clips of guys doing "dangerous" stunts at game flyovers, the F-16/Cessna Florida mid-air, etc. We were crafting a rebuttal for PA to go to CBS with. We got word of the first WTC hit, turned on the TV, some smartass jokingly said "Hope it's not one of ours." At that moment we thought it was an accident like the B-25 into the Empire State Building in WWII. Went back to my office, saw the second hit on TV. When the Pentagon was hit, from my perspective it was like a movie theater Dolby explosion without the sound. Really didn't hear it, but felt a vibration in my solar plexus. Another comparision is feeling a building A/C compressor kick in when it's right above you. A comic relief was the GC secretary across the hall pulling the hysterical woman from "Airplane!" scene. She was screaming and freaking out, raising the ping factor for everyone - who, by the way, we were all kinda standing about since we didn't know what had happened/was happinging and a solid building with no threat seemed better than a cattle stampede exit. Anyway, rather than slap her a la "Airplane," one of her officemates calmed her down. About 10 minutes after impact, the PA directed an evacuation into South Parking - which I discovered later was the impact area. Not the smartest move, but no blame as it was very confusing. About then, the office phone started ringing as families wanted to know about their better halfs. As my family was in Kansas at the time, I stayed behind and answered the phones and everyone went to South Parking. I found out later that a couple of retired guys now working as civil servants helped out. My salute to them. When I was ready to beat feet, the PA came on and said go to North Parking. Just as I was leaving, our satellite office - manned by part-time Reservists, often no one there, but that day there were three - located at the FAA's ATC Command Center - that's the place were day to day CONUS airspace is coordinated - called and reported that we'd been hit by a general aviation plane. Obviously, it was a chaotic time for the FAA and many reports/rumours were rampant in the moments following. So I go to North Parking along with 10,000 of my closest friends. At that time Hwy 110 ran right by the lot. Being the brave soul that I am, I took cover between two vans because I'm thinking the herd would make a great drive-by mass casualty event. I eventually E&E'd my way to the Command Center mentioned above, figuring they'd need help. By the way, the roads leading out of DC were freakishly snarled. A mass casualty evac will be a really ugly thing should it ever happen in a metro area again. By the time I got to the Command Center, the displays showed only 35 aircraft over CONUS. All either fighters or tankers. That is when the seriousness hit. Normally, on a weekday, there's 5500-6000 IFR tracks and an unknown number of VFR stuff. The Command Center is where the GS-15 National Operations Manager (forget the Sec of Transportation or the CinC claimng credit, it was this guy) who made the unprecedented, unplanned for, and gutsy call to land everything. That it happened without further loss of life is a credit to the controllers, aircrew, and airports who stepped up. My salute to them as well. For the next 3.5 days, we hand cleared everything that flew in the US while also figuring out how to start an airspace/ATC system that was never designed to crank from a standing start. We have some smart people at the worker bee level. Too bad we have politicians to fcuk it up strategically. Don't forget the bad guys want to kill us and make our way of life 12th century.

WHO the fcuk was his top cover to get him into the general track? How could they not see what a douche he was? Then once a GO, how did the club let him keep advancing? Ugh.

Wha?!

Remember the thread regarding the, I think, Orthodox Jew who didn't think he could pull missile duty because of the confined time (sts) with a woman? Given this unbelievable, and I argue, unConstitutional order regarding the Muslim holiday as observed at State-side bases, then it would seem Big Blue should honor his beliefs as well. And of those that sacrifice farm animals, draw pentagrams on the parade field, etc, etc, etc. Why the fcuk does the military, ok, the Air Force, play these PC games?