ClearedHot

I had a controller in Coco Beach wig out on me a few years back. I took a few new pilots down to Patrick and Cape Kennedy to get some approaches. On the first ILS into Patrick the controller gave me a vector that was going to put my student well inside the final approach fix before he ever intercepted the localizer, it was gross, (and it was not a windy day. The student was brand new to the airplane so I asked for a new vector to get him credit for the approach. The controller responded with the same vector. I called back and explained the situation to him and he got mad. He basically told me if I didn't like his vector I could go somewhere else. I then asked for his initials and he responded that he did not have to give to them to me. I was ready to parachute down to RAPCON and kill the guy. I kept thinking what if this was in the weather. I CNXed and went VFR to tower. While we did a few VFR patterns I asked the tower to figure out WTF was going on. After 15 minutes I picked up an IFR clearance to do an approach to the shuttle runway and when I switched freqs a different controller spoke up and said “ahh sir, the senior controller wants you to know the problem you had has been taken care of, would you like to follow up?” I was furious but I let it go. Anyone else ever have a problem like this?

Results... [ 21. May 2005, 22:09: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]

The folks in the back taking care of business Coming home the morning after the Talon II crash.

If you want a truely motivational speaker with links to the USAF there is none better than LIEUTENANT GENERAL RICHARD E. "TEX" BROWN III (USAF, RET). LTGen Brown is the son of a minister and he has a way with words that I will always remember. He is one of the most decorated pilots to live through Vietnam with three Silver Stars and Eight DFC's. He works for my father-in-law these days but he travels several times a month to do motivational speeches. If you need his contact info let me know and I will PM it to you. LtGen Tex Brown Bio [ 18. May 2005, 07:39: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]

JS, I did the Marine versions (SAW) and both schools issue all the books. Typical reading load is 300-400 pages a day. The schedule rotates, one week we have seminar from 0800-1230 on Mon, Wed, Fri. After class we spend the rest of the day and the entire next day reading. The next week we have seminar from 0830-1230 Tue and Thur. While it sounds like a lot of time off, you need it to complete the reading. They actually gave us a month long speed reading course. The seminars are limited to 12 students and most of them are outstanding. They bring in experts from various fields to lead the discussions. For example, we had several of the authors I posted on the booklist, Supreme Court Justice Antoine Scalia, Supreme Allied Commander Europe - General Jones, and a host of others. We also did several class trips to historic battlefields. Last fall we toured Virginia and covered the Civil War. In January we spent three weeks going through Italy and France, with a three day stop in Normandy. The spring trip was nine days in Vietnam with stops in Hanoi, Saigon, and Khe Sanh. The reading load is crushing at times, but you learn to skim and sort the wheat from the chaff very quickly. Overall it has been a great experience and I would highly recommend it, but I am glad it is almost over so I can get back to the real world.

Unforunately it not about the way you see it. It's about the way the press distorts it. Welcome to the military.

Here is a slightly different approach to professional reading. There are three advances schools available to Majors following inresidence programs like Air Command and Staff. The three programs are (USAF – School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, USA – School of Advanced Military Studies, and USMC School of Advanced Warfighting). Those selected will spend an additional year reading and studying historical and current topics related to strategy and campaign planning. Some of the themes we looked at this year (and things your seniors leaders want more fidelity on); insurgency, small wars, asymmetric fighting, information operations, joint/combines arms, compellence and cohersion theory, and future warfighting. Attached is a list of books we read the last two months. Some are great, others will make your eyes bleed. I found The Philippine War very interesting because of the insurgency themes that draw directly to the things we are seeing in Iraq today. Also, Palestine and the Arab Israeli Conflict is a good read that takes the Israeli/Palestinian issue from it’s origin through today. If anyone wants the complete list for SAW (231 books, I can’t believe I read that many in one year), PM me and I will send it. Linn, Brian M-The Philippine War Linn, Brian M-Guardians of Empire Miller, Edward S-War Plan Orange Morton, Louis-The Fall of the Philippines Morton, Louis-Strategy and Command: The First Two Years Crowl, Philip-Campaign in the Marianas Isley and Crowl-U.S. Marines and Amphibious War Morison, Samuel-The Two Ocean War Shaw, Nalty and Turnbladh-History of the U.S.Marine Corps Operations in WWII, Volume III Central Pacific Drive Cannon, M.Hamlin-Leyte: The Return to the Philippines Garand and Strobridge-History of the U.S.Marine Corps Operations in WWII, Volume IV Western Pacific Operations Smith, Robert Ross-Triumph in the Philippines Willoughby and Prange-Reports of General MacArthur, Volume I, The Campaign of MacArthur in the Pacific Blumenson, Martin-Salerno to Cassino Harrison, Gordon A-Cross-Channel Attack Hughes, Thomas-Overlord: General Pete Quesada and the Triumph of Tactical Air Power in WWII Van Creveld and Canby-Air Power and Maneuver Warfare General Staff-Reports of General MacArthur, Volume I, Supplement Friedman, Thomas-From Beirut to Jerusalem Herzog, Chaim-The Arab Israeli Wars Smith, Charles D-Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict United Nations-Blue Helmets Gordon and Trainor-The General's War Keaney and Cohen-Gulf War Air Power Survey Summary Report Swain, Richard M-Lucky War Allard, Kenneth-Somalia Operations Lyons, Terrence and Samatar, Ahmed I-Somalia - State Collapse, Multilateral Intervention, and Strategies for Political Reconstruction Seiple, Chris-The U.S. Military/NGO Relationship in Humanitarian Interventions Appleman, Roy E-South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu Mossman, Billy C-Ebb & Flow: November 1950-July1951 Schnabel, James F-Policy and Direction: The First Year Colling, Benjamin F-Close Air Support Davidson, Philip B-Vietnam at War: The History, 1946-1975 Shultz, Richard H-The Secret War Against Hanoi Simpson, Howard-Dien Bien Phu: The Epic Battle America Forgot Tilford,-Setup: What the Air Force Did in Vietnam and Why Trullinger, James-Village at War Blumenson, Martin-Breakout and Pursuit Blumenson, Martin-The Battle of the Generals De Puy, William-Changing an Army Doubler, Michael D-Busting the Bocage Useem, Michael-Leading Up Coles and Weinberg-Civil Affairs: Soldiers Become Governors Ziemke, Earl F-The U.S. Army in the Occupation of Germany 1944-1946 Slim-Defeat into Victory Clarke and Smith-Riviera to the Rhine Marr, Phebe-History of Iraq Greenberg, Lawrence-The Hukbalahap Insurrection

Concur.

Are there really people that think like this? I can't speak for the airlift or tanker folks, but in AFSOC 12 hour days are the norm when you are flying the line. Typical Gunship IP day follows; 1300 - 1330 Show 30 minutes before student to review training record and plan training events for sortie. 1330 - 1430 Ground training session with students. 1430 - 1530 Brief crew on mission profile, training events, munitions loads, range times, etc. 1530 - 1545 Wx brief, file flight plan, step to the airplane. 1600 - 1700 Start engines, taxi to Hot Cargo, upload munitions, continue ground training students. 1700 - 2200 Fly mission, live fire, dry fire, ECM range/threat maneuvers, aerial refueling, approaches. 2200 - 2300 Debrief maintenance/file command post report/complete 781/complete training events log. 2300 - 0001 Debrief crew/mission. 0001-0100 Debrief Student/ground training session. 0100 -? Complete student training folder/checkride forms. 0130 - 0200 Cheat death on Hwy 98 driving home. Most IPs fly four times a week and many go through periods flying five days a week.

All AFSOC patches except the American Flag are subdued.

Isn't is funny how Hanoi Jane and Robert Mcnamara have come out with books and movies trying to show remorse. It is so fake it makes me want to vomit. My old man cheated death through three F-4 tours in Vietnam while that beaoch posed on AAA pieces. Pardon my language, but that filthy whore can rot in hell.

You really are confused, perhaps you are more suited for the Navy...

Obviously you didn't read what I wrote so let me make it clear....FSU SUCKS, Miami Rules.............SCOREBOARD. That being said, even though I am a UM grad...I still married an FSU grad. lets leave it at this........anyone but the Gators.

I just lost all respect for you....wait I did't have it to start with. GO CANES!

Growth has "left" the building........what a piece of work.

You are lucky GI, I have six more days until I can have a cold barley soup. I might mention in passing Strep throat sucks, not just for the sickness factor, but when taking antibiotics, you can't drink for ten days.

Before you do, you'll need to submit a request in triplicate and wait 30 days for further dissapproval. [ 19. April 2005, 21:47: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]

My first deployment in the Gunship...we departed HRT for Taegu Korea, I was sleeping in the gun positions for the 20MM's which we removed to cross the pond. About an hour after and a half after take off, the Loadmaster (who was killed in the MC-130 crash in Albania) wakes me up and says "hey they need a pilot up there quick!" I shake the cobwebs out and as I am about to go up the ladder, the Sqd/DO comes running down the ladder headed for the honey bucket. After he goes by I make it to the flight deck and see our Sqdn/DOV sitting in the seat looking all green. I don't have a headset, checklist, or anything, so he just points at the left seat and starts unstrapping. As it turns out one of the wives brought in some day old Boston crème donuts...that were left out all night. As the story goes one of the pilots sat on the trash can for the next few hours puking and crapping at the same time. I logged my first left seat time in the gunship solo as I took us to Travis AFB.

One of the old Ravens (Growth Wilson) was still flying A-10's in Nawlins last I heard.

the joke is that MX has to troubleshoot the pod looking for a fault, when the pilot never turned it on to start with....there is nothing worng with the pod,, but he is making the mx guy rip his knuckles to shreds trying to fix it... Dropping JDAM sucks because it doesn't take any skill. Plug numbers in, drive to the box, and pickle. As opposed to the fine art of level/laydown, dive, loft/toss, and dive toss deliveries. These methods took skill and a lot of practice. [ 19. April 2005, 17:38: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]

AFSOC promotes at a rate equal to or greater than the rest of the USAF. In the old days there were problems because many viewed Spec Ops folks as cowboys. That stereotype is no longer true. In fact I would argue that the bureaucratic ways of the big blue USAF are firmly entrenched in AFSOC. There are a few communities within the command that have completely cracked the code and thrive at making fast-burners that are on track for general officer. At the risk of pissing folks off you should know point blank that the Talon II's and Pavelows run AFSOC. Many will argue and say there is no Talon or Pave mafia, but the facts speak for themselves. There are several wings in AFSOC but Hurlburt is the king daddy rabbit. Ever single 16 SOW/CC since AFSOC stood up has made O-7. That being said, every single 16 SOW/CC has been a Talon II or Pavelow dude. There is only one base that has gunships, yet they can't seem to get the top job or the Group/CC job for that matter. Now that AFSOC has new wings at Moody and Kirtland, and given the Gunship play in nearly every operation since Desert Storm we are seeing Gunship folks make it to the top job at those locations. It is my guess several of them will make O-7 on the next board, but outside the 16SOW job. I've been out of the loop for sometime, but I do get e-mails almost everyday from folks screaming about the politics. One rumor has popped up several times in the last few years about DP allocations on recent promotion boards, (100% for Talon II eligibles, while the Gunships were lucky to get one or two.) It could be folks crying over spilt milk, but there were only three gunship types at ACSC last year and only two this year. What does it all mean Francis? If you choose AFSOC you stand an equal chance of being promoted, but unlike any other MWS, there are politics that will be in the mix.

Considering I never flew AWADS (or wanted to), I will gladly pay you a frosty I prefer a different delivery system...

AWADS = All Weather Aerial Delivery System.

Most current folks think the scarf is . The scarf has been rammed down our throats (sts) almost non-stop for the past 15 years. A former squadron commander I had would "fine" you if you didn't have it on at the club at nellis. A sure fire way to keep us out of the club.

F-16 Systems Info Site [ 13. April 2005, 17:37: Message edited by: Clearedhot ]