Azimuth

We also had a kid wash out of the F-16 RTU and join a -135 Guard unit.

Some bases do a good job, others not so much.

Let's say a bunch of non-rated Enlisted bashed flyers and I provided a response. The site wasn't Air Force sanctioned. The Chief at Air Staff who was in charge of all Enlisted Aviators decided to personally call me at work and chew my ass for 15-minutes, then sent a PDF of my Facebook posts to my Chief and Sq/CC. I got in "trouble" by violating the 2-day old (at the time) AFI 1-1's Social Media standards. In the end I received an LOR and UIF from the Sq/CC, fired from my job in Stan Eval, taken off the Letter of X's as an Evaluator, and received a marked down EPR. I also almost lost my line number for MSgt. That also will cost me about 4-6 years for being competitive for SMSgt and I constantly will have to explain that "blemish" in my record with a hilarious story. I look back on it now and laugh, but I also feel the punishment in no way fit the "crime."

I had someone on Air Staff call my Sq/CC about something I said on a Air Force Humor Group on Facebook. Social media is no joke.

We had a -135 student who washed out of IFF (going to F-22's in the HIANG) and just joined the -135 squadron at the HIANG.

You'd think they'd leave the flap off for easier access.

Apparently when you're a GO you forget about shutting off your phone during crew rest.

If you have to yell at subordinates and make sure to constantly tell everyone you're in charge, then you aren't. It's almost like people expect professionalism and ethics out of a GO.

At least they have weed, tater tots, and the answers to the test.

Yeah, they were too busy deployed, doing START, in the middle of another NORI, or sitting ONE alert.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m_mDTLphIVY

You guys sure are beating down the door of AE's and 8010. You know, the missions that are more important than Coronets.

AFSOC leading the way.

BFE is not 6-months, that's more Initial Qual/IQT/FTU/Whatever your airframe calls it. The basic courses (BBOC, BLM, BFE, etc) are around 3-5 weeks. It's designed to be a washout course to see if you understand basic FE and aviation concepts before the USAF spends a ton of money on you to retrain in the pipeline. Also there's two water survival courses. If your aircraft still has parachutes (we lost them a few years ago in the KC-135), you'll get to parachute water survival down in NAS Pensacola. If you don't have parachutes, you'll stay at Fairchild for the non-parachute water survival. Each course is only 3-5 days long. I think rotary wing have to do the water dunker as well. Enlisted Aviators don't have "OJT" and most of us don't have CDC's anymore as well (Booms don't). After you complete the pipeline, to include initial qualification in your airframe, you'll go back home and do a local checkout. Some airframes do mission certification training in the FTU (i.e. Herks did last time I looked). Some units don't do that (KC-135's), you'll have to do that when you get out of initial qual.

Sensor Operators

Copy, however the underlying tone that I always see on this forum is that SNCO's only job in life are to "Chief" Officers and fellow Enlisted about uniform infractions, which is obviously not true. I do agree that some folks need to be reminded where their place is in a military hierarchy and tact when talking to senior ranking individuals. On the flip side it's very frustrating to tell the A1C Boom Operator to wear their uniform correctly when CGO/FGO's that are in our Sq and fly on our crews don't.

I think it's more of an individual issue, than what rank that person has. When you say Officers are you including non-rated Officers? Because non-rated Officers are just as bent on uniform corrections than anyone else. What I don't understand is there's an AFI that says what you can and can't do dress & appearance wise. And for the past 13-years I've adhered to it and haven't had much issues about it. Why is it such a big deal? Do you follow your MDS's Vol 1, 2, and 3? Why not follow this AFI as well?

Shiner White Wing Witbier/4.70& ABV/Not bad, 3.5 out of 5.

Some of the people I've seen bitch the most about queep were the ones with multiple Q-3's and downgrades in their FEF's, thrown to the bottom of the list to upgrade during Sq TRP, and in some cases downgraded a crew position because they overall sucked and have no business flying. The ones who were shit hot at flying had enough SA to tell their crews to do the "right thing" (i.e. shave, tab/morale patches off, etc) before they left to go fly that day so no one pissed wing leadership once they landed, and everyone went on their way. Hated the queep, but knew to play the game and everyone would be happy and press on.

So only us SNCO's are the ones who make uniform corrections?

I've heard a rumor that High-3 is going away and the new system will be High-5. So no more 36 months TIG to retire at that grade and get that pay in retirement.

Yes, however you also come out on both Eagle Lists for Sq/CC Command of the MDS's you've flown. Which one you rank higher on is the MDS that you'll command. My personal feelings are there's some great folks that get picked up to crossflow via a PHOENIX program, however a majority of the ones I seen were the Sq/OG/Wg Execs who didn't fly that much in their first MDS, only upgraded to IP/EP because of their PRF's, etc. Also what do you think they're going to do when they crossflow? Here's your Wing job, OSS ADO, whatever and wait around for school/staff. So by the time they're Sq/CC they marginally flew two MDS's, however now they're the boss making decisions for younger crew members on their flying careers. Just because you turned left in a KC-135 doesn't mean you can do AR in the C-17, or land a KC-10 doesn't mean you can fly an assault in a C-130. Straight into a -135 PTX class. Enjoy!

As someone who was married mil-to-mil I share no sympathy towards mil-to-mil couples who bitch about not being assigned together. Both the USAF and sister services try their best to have folks stationed as close as possible. I knew a -135 pilot who constantly bitched that she couldn't get based with her Navy SWO husband. There should be no surprise that it may be difficult to base you or your spouse, based on their airframe, around the other's AFSC/airframe/branch. With that being said I know another -135 pilot who's 3-for-3 on assignments with his spouse who's in the USMC. Your mileage may vary, however I wouldn't bitch too much since you're both pulling down BAH.

The MAF can start by shitcanning the PHOENIX programs.

Those are questions you need to ask your Chief Engineer.