USAF Pilot

Couple things I've noticed 1) MSG vs OG strat - MSG will probable not have anywhere near the number of officers that the OG has. #1 CGO strat out of MSG (even a big one) probably is sub 50 as in MSG/CC's #1/40 CGOs. Most Ops squadrons have more CGOs than an entire MSG so a #1 out of OG would probably look like OG/CC's #1/220. Even if you knew nothing about a MSG or OG, the #1/220 looks better than a #1/40. 2) In the case of CHS vs WRI (I have no idea how many CGOs each has but I'll assume CHS has approx 2x as many based on above) when a PRF from each base gets to the MLR or CSB, the CHS #1/220 is stronger than WRI's #1/110. They are both #1's but the #1/220 will get the stronger push (possibly select vs candidate) . 3) Strats matter ALOT...more than I think they should. Why? Because on everyone's OPR they've personally saved POTUS, carried the golden pallet, and tanked 300 fighters that killed Gaddafi. We all seem amazing and one of the only true ways left to dishtinguish your awesomeness from my awesomeness is to put a number against it. You get #1/30 and I get #2/30.

Time. To actually comb through someone's record and build the strongest PRF possible from the data available should take hours. To find that hidden theme, highlight it in a readable/digestible/effective manner is hard and possibly not worth it for all but your best (however the CC decides to define that) people. If you're writing at the Sq level there is a 99.69 chance that the PRF will look nothing like it did when the Senior Rater signes so the motivation is probably lost at the bottom and intermediate levels as it 'doesn't matter anyway, the Wing will just change it'. Everyone has an opinion on how these things should read but the only opinion that matters is the SR. If you don't write you're own...how will you ever learn to write or what's valuable in your record? Practicing on others? I sent out email to a bunch of folks letting them know their PRFs were available for pickup. Got a reply a couple days later from one gentleman stating, "Thank you for your help with this matter. Can you please tell me where the Gp/CCE office is and what is a PRF?" Is that level of hands off what we're looking for? Someone so disconnected from the promotion process that they don't even know what a PRF is? BTW: That email was immediately passed around, printed, framed, and is now hanging on the wall

I find this a little hard to believe. There are so many people that look at these stupid things that surely someone in the 'process' would have noticed multiple PRFs that were literally the same. From the person writing it (hopefully the member) to the Sq exec & CC to the Gp exec & (possible CD) CC to the Wing exec and CC. Even someone task saturated with other crap to do should get that little feeling that...hey, I vaguely recall reading this before. Let me pull out this other PRF and..WAIT A MIN! Wg/CCE should have caught the ACSC push for a Lt Col if not the Wg/CC If true: I hope you grabbed your buddy and made an appointment to chat with your Senior Rater (sounds like WG/CC in this case as you were in a Sq) and plopped the two identical PRFs down and asked "WTF, Sir"

Maybe not impossible but our (KC-10) safety record is pretty darn good.

Well that was quick.... Should I end my post with Keep the Faith?

Yea I thought this was actually written into AFI 36-2301 BPZ to O-5 is automatically a SDE select...Or maybe it was to O-6. Ether way O-5 BPZ promotions rates are in the neighborhood of 3-5%. IPZ O-5 promotion rates that just came out were 74.5%. Selects are dolled out at the rate of 20-30% for O-5 & O-6. Even if I'm incorrect on the AFI reference, your BPZ folks are by far your top tier people.

Couldn't this announcement have come out a week ago? O-well, I had too much free time in my life I guess...

Flew the mighty C-17 VFR many times in Alaska. Didn't seem like a big deal then...just gotta keep an eye out for those bug smashers everywhere cause they aren't talk'n or squawk'n...

It is standard procedure to KIO but sometimes its not clear that it was an off DZ drop. Even if it was that info doesn't always get communicated back to the jet prior to the next drop. Some DZs have trees, water, and other obstacles on them such that if a guy lands in a tree, it still might not be on off DZ drop. Sounds like some gusty winds may have been a factor here such that the jumpers got spread out. It could have been some time before someone found the guy who eventually didn't make it. I know nothing of this incident other that what is posted above, but sounds like leadership seems to think that the AC did know or was at least told of a possible off DZ drop. Even if it wasn't clear if the jumper landed off the DZ or was injured or not, conservatively speaking...just carry through and do another lap to give the guys on the ground time to confirm their story. Bad day all around for sure.

I guess if Fox news is reporting it that it is real...political correctness is killing us. "Fort Hood report faults FBI for missteps in Hasan review, cites political correctness" https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/19/fort-hood-report-recommends-many-changes-for-fbi-no-disciplinary-action/

Party in the streets!!! I hope Porkchop got''m!!! This will probably be one hell-of-a story. Cheers

Got the message today around 1730L...RIF names were released to my Sq. Initial look seemed to match the VSP eligibility year groups. I did recognize names that applied for VSP. I was on the list. Didn't apply for VSP. Good luck to us all! 03' 11M

Too tired to figure out how to reply to M2's quote above and get the quote to show up (picture of the C-17 dedication with Gary Sinise)... Couple of interesting tidbits: While standing at the top of the stairs and looking over the left winglet (#4 engine side), it lines up almost perfectly with the crash site While working in the EOC that day, learned that the Yukla 27 crash site overlapped the Sitka 43 site The primary road used by CFR and later the investigative team, was built to access the Yukla site Elmo's got some scars...

I’ve been maxing out my Roth IRA for several years now and am finally in a position to begin to max out an account for my wife. My understanding of the Roth IRA is that there is no joint (husband and wife) account option. I’d like my wife to open an account under her name so we can max that out too. However, my wife is a stay at home mom with no income of her own. Anyone know if I can I fill her Roth with the income I have?

Stract, I recently tried to use the accrual voucher option via vMPF with poor results. If your local finance people will still do it, I recommend sending your accrual voucher to a person for payment purposes. The vMPF site may allow you to file the voucher but it will email the form to your finance's organizational inbox where it might get lost. That, of course, assumes that vMPF has the right email address on file. Finally, if you send it to a person you can always follow up with them where using vMPF is very nebulous. Good Luck!

I’d like to bring back a bit of the good old days….you know, when the British still held Hong Kong and the USAF still held Frankfurt. Ahhh….Frankfurt….good times! You could walk into ops and get a cold beer for a $1.

My Sq used to have one. Then after a succession of Mormon type SQCCs, we lost it. That and the 0-0-1-2-3 or whatever that gay polcy is about drinking didn't help matters. Also I'd say SQ leadership is afraid that it will get nailed to the wall if there is an alcohol incident and it could be somehow traced back to the SQ bar. It’s sad that we’ve come to this but they’re probably right. They would get nailed to the wall. Or at least some wall to wall counseling. Fun meter says, "THIS SH!T IS GAY!"

Wow two posts from me in one day! By the way, did you write in the quote, "Originally posted by USAF Pilot" or did that happen because of some button you pressed? Anyway, is your point that because alcohol, when abused by some people, is so bad that no one should be allowed to use it? If so, does that mean that anything that causes suffering or harm to people is bad and such should not be allowed? How about doughnuts and fatty snack food? Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in women (in the U.S.), does that mean that they shouldn't be allowed to eat such things as to facilitate the onset of heart disease? It's tough to know how much you can control people's lives. Is one person's life worth the price to pay so that the rest of the country can booze up? Would you be willing to give it all up so I can party it up? Or how about we take out an entire family? Or maybe take out an entire town like good Grand Forks pop 50,000? check out https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6089353/

Amen Brother! To Chucks post. (I'm rather new to this quoting process. It's still magic to me) I haven't been around the AF for too long but it seems to me all the warriors are out fighting the war while the (what are we calling them now the shoe polishing kids?) are sitting at home padding their OPRs with volunteered for this and that, organized the xmas party for the wing, and was voted most popular by the overworked finance people for helping to implement DTS in x number of flying squadrons. Then when it comes time to move up us line kids don’t seem as exciting on paper (unless maybe you’re SOLLII, but then you’re not a line kid). They get promoted and send out emails asking why we haven't done our CBTs on South America yet. This seems to be a disturbing trend which appears to be true for the most part. When I walked in the door I did my darnedest to become mission ready as fast as possible despite the 'in processing system' which seemed to be set up to delay this process for as along as possible. Despite my best efforts it still took a month and a half. My understanding is that you are given 3 months to do this. Much to my dismay, I found out that most, as in at least half, of the new people coming in were actively trying to 'hide' or drag out becoming mission ready for as along as possible. WTF? Isn't there a war on? The same war that was on when they signed up? (Side Note: it did seem that a lot of these people were from the academy. I don't know if they were burned out or what...) I even sponsored a new incoming Lt that wouldn't return my phone calls for the longest time and when I finally got him on the phone...he hung up! Or how about the CP's who don't study on the road? If these are the types of pilots, or rated guys, that are supposed to be running the AF, I have no problem with a MX guy, who brushes his teeth 3x's a day with AF blue mint, stepping up and leading the way. I firmly believe that you must be a subject matter expert on your jet and the rules than govern it because you never know, as in the case with the medical worker that started this thread, when you will be tested. As long as we're talking officership I'd like to add another gripe. B|tch up the chain. What waste of time and moral killer it is when people wine down to either a lower ranked officer or, worse yet, an enlisted person! What is that younger person supposed to do other then think that their leadership is a bunch of incompetent tards and that Capt Doe apparently has all the answers but hasn't been put in charge because 'the man' doesn't like'm? I don't know if that made any since but if you see a problem take the initiative and try to fix it. If you can't do that a least ask questions until you understand why it is the way it is. And finally I think an AC might start to worry if suddenly his crew stopping whining. That would probably be followed by something bad like a mutiny. As I recall, it’s one of the original unabrdiged 11 commandants, "Thy Air Crew shalt b|tch about thine own perceived problems more then thoust shalt not” Maybe CGO’s should run the show for a while?

FC1 is much more extensive than the commissioning physical. It took several days for me to complete all of it. For FC1 standards check out AFI 48-123. For types of tests, check out AFP 48-133. Both can be found at https://www.e-publishing.af.mil. Good Luck!

For those of you who have PCS'd in the past any suggestions on how to make a smooth move? I'm looking for any stories about the Air Force moving your household goods and how to make sure that process goes alright. Also, anything I should be looking for from the admin people that they might drop from their cross check? Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

I'd say go for it. Any previous experience you can bring will only help. Also to anyone who cares, the G's in acro aren't that much. The Tweet is G'd out at 6.67. Unless you're trying or F somthing up you'd probably won't see past 5.5. And of course they teach you how to deal with the G's. Good Luck

The AF published new vision requirements for pilot apps on 22May01 to read as follows, distance vision must be 20/70 for better and no more that a -1.50 refraction error. Ref AFI48-123. This doc can be obtained at https://www.e-publishing.af.mil/ and has in it the medical requirements for entry into the AF for everyone. I also recommend obtaining AFI48-133. This pamphlet explains the rules on how the tests are to be administered so you can be sure 18yo Airman Smith is administering the test properly and recording the results properly. With that said, there is the possibility of an auto-waiver if your refractive error is no worse that +/- 3.00. To qualify for the waiver you must have a full optometry eval IAW AFI 48-123 A.7 the only thing they can find wrong with you is your refractive error. For example, if your refractive error is -2.0 and you fail the depth perception test (looking for the floating circles kind of like a drivers licence test) you don't get the waiver. You must pass all vision/eye tests except distance visual acuity and refractive error. In my case I could see around 20/100. At times maybe a little worse. However because my refractive error was -2.25 and I passed all other tests I was eligible for the auto-waiver. Here come the needs of the AF. Just because you qualify for the auto-waiver, doesn't mean the AF has to give it to you. I went started this process in the summer of 2001. Pre 9/11 the AF was (so they told me) short of pilots. I got in. Now they may not be as short of pilots since the economy sucks and may not give you the waiver even if you qualify. Good Luck!