Kenny Powers

If selected for VLPAD and released from the ANG, does that mean my UPT service commitment is complete? I have a few years left but, if I remember correctly, I signed a commitment to the ANG. If they released me, my new commitment would be the ADSC that comes along with the VLPAD assignment obviously. What I am wondering is, do I all of the sudden become eligible for the bonus when I accept the VLPAD tour? Seems like it wouldn't work that way but it's worth a shot.

I know multiple people that this has happened to. I know it probably doesn't seem like it now, but this is a good thing. The people I know who didnt get Fighter qual'd wouldn't have been successful in fighters but are successful and enjoying flying other USAF airframes. My best advice to you, pick the unit closest to where you want to live. I don't think you'll have any problem finding a Squadron to fly with.

No. I'm assuming the lost confidence to lead thing implied that it wasn't flying related.

If it was an aviation related incident, I'd understand the curiosity. But it's not, and this effectively just gossiping. Why does anyone here care?

So if a Guard guy went Reserves, is he increasing his ALR with respect to getting tasked with an involuntary mobilization?

So I've read this thread but I am not at all familiar with the process of how invol IA stuff works (if that's even the correct wording). I am all for going downrange to rain hate with the bros in my SQ. However, I'm not so sure I'd be cool with getting tasked to deploy individually and do some non-flying related job. Again, I am pretty ignorant on what kind of jobs people are getting tasked for. My main question is, does it differ from AFRC/AD/ANG. I thought this wasn't a thing in the ANG but, after reading this thread, it sounds like that is not 100% true.

It's the only way to actually give any advice backed by science...

I agree with this. My game plan would be consecutive VLPAD tours. Each tour is your negotiation, accepted by you, eligible for the bonus, and only 3 years long. Do that until you get your active duty retirement. I dont see the AF solving the pilot crisis anytime soon, so I think VLPAD is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Maybe not the best choice of words but it certainly sounds worse when you clip the sentence immediately following it, where I mention using lessons learned to become better and safer, out of your quote. Point was that guys should not be blindly applying someone else's technique to their jet without putting some thought into it. Teaching techniques to a young guy in the B-course is a slippery slope and, for the most part, they should just be teaching from the books. Techniques are for people with experience to understand the assumptions behind them.

WTF are you talking about? I read all I needed to read to know what happened. Please, enlighten me about your prestigious comment.

To follow up; if, as a fighter pilot, you say "well someone told me this and I dont know/remember why", then you're full of shit and lack credibility. Everything we need to do to execute well /safely is written in our pubs. Everything else is technique

I didn't read the whole thing but, what I will say, is that as a single seat fighter pilot you're the Mayor of Cockpit City. I do what I want in my jet. I am more than happy to take lessons learned from others and apply them to my jet to make me better/safer. This is just a dumbass mistake, nothing more. We all make mistakes at some point, this dude made an expensive one.

Copy, guy cant read the TOLD on his line up card, even though it was wrong. I do this crazy thing in the jet where, I circle the important TOLD data on the line up card in the brief, then I takeoff IAW my TOLD data and feel out what the jet wants to do. I also wait to put the gear up until I'm comfortably climbing away from the ground...

That's f-ucking bullshit that some ass clown wannabe ruined such a sacred tradition and a significant moment for a stud who has earned the right to be there. I don't know the details, but it sounds like it's also bullshit that some dudes lost their careers over it. Seriously, what kind of idiot would ever think that is ok? A naming ceremony is about welcoming a new fighter pilot into the pack. It's about having fun and giving them a proper name which they've earned. It's not about letting someone, who has no idea what they're doing, berate subordinates.

Not sure if serious or...

Any cash I use to buy anything is money I cannot put into the market. If I can borrow your money for damn near nothing and invest all mine, I will.

Why? Because you wouldn't spend your money on it? I bet most people spend more every month on Starbucks and fast food than I do on a car payment. The math is simple. If you cant understand it or if you aren't the type of person that is ok with debt, then fine. But you're crazy if you think I should use my money to buy a car vs borrowing money for super cheap, when my investments can out perform the interest of the loan by a significant amount. Regardless of the price of the car, the math doesnt change. Even if I was buying a car for $5k, I'm still better off borrowing that money.

Explain. Define "money you dont have." As in, are you suggesting I should pull money out of investments or emergency funds when it's time to buy a new car?

You're now arguing that people are dumb because they choose to spend their money differently than you? Should I save every dollar until retirement? Should I always just drive an old car that I maintain? Hell, let's grow our own food and make our own clothes. It's entirely possible to be financially savvy and have a $60k car. Just because I may choose to spend my money on different things than you, doesnt make it wrong. Especially when interest rates are so cheap. I'm a car guy, so I like spending money on cars. You might like to fish, hunt, fly, travel, etc.. should I argue that you're "comical" for spending money on those things? Or that it obviously makes you not financially savvy?

That's a good point. People do what's comfortable for them, the "good feeling of not owing anyone anything", which is totally valid for the group of people who like that. Same for the guy who borrows $60k for a car @ 3% while leaving $60k in his investments averaging returns higher than that. I think the borrow vs not borrow mentality was a much different arguement 30 years ago when interest rates were much higher. But when I'm looking for a new car and the dealer is offering incentives plus 0.9% interest, that's difficult to argue. I spend more on alcohol every month than that 0.9% interest would cost me

Have an emergency fund in savings that you're comfortable with, have your 15-20% or whatever you contribute to TSP/401k automatically come out of your check, and have healthcare and insurance. Take your net income after savings/investing, subtract your bills and basic needs to live the way you like, then spend what's left over how ever you want. I am a fan of borrowing money if it's cheap while leaving my money in the market. It's all a balance of living life while you're young and able and still having a solid retirement plan for when that time comes. Edit: my mindset on borrowing money for cars and what not might change if I didnt have the financial security of getting a paycheck every 2 weeks for as long as I decide in the military.

Your vote is automatically thrown out because you can't spell losing...

Never been an IFF IP, but I would say no. You're probably at the point of diminishing returns after the first sortie for a student at that point in their training. Also, tanking takes time. Fight tank fight is great in the CAF (almost as good as a fight tank fight tank fight) but that would reduce the number of students you could fly in one day, as opposed to getting the jets back to mx and throwing another stud in. Plus, you probably need at least 1 dedicated AR sortie in the syllabus. I guess there's always an IP in the back that can take the jet and get gas if the stud is struggling, but I dont think that's desirable.

We have guys who get to the CAF that never tanked in the B-course and it works out fine. I'm not sure why they would waste time teaching it in IFF. Having the option to AR would be awesome though for all the other gigs we are currently using T-38s for.

I remember seeing something posted a while back stating that Pilots that go VLPAD could be eligible for the bonus, but I have not been able to find anything about it. Anyone smart on that? For example, a Guard bubba that wants to do VLPAD . He is released from the Guard and isn't under any kind of contract with AD until he accepts the VLPAD offer. Does he get the bonus? I am also curious about consecutive tours. My assumptions is that, after your 3 year ADSC is up, you could just do another one. So, only accept a job living where you want to live and then every 3 years sign another 3 year deal. As long as the airlines are hiring like they are, the AF is going to have an experience problem, so I can't imagine them telling an IP who wants to sign up for another 3 years and stay at the same base no, but the AF has proven to do dumber things in the past. Anyone know of any verbiage stating you couldn't do consecutive tours?