Champ Kind

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I was thinking about this the other day. I remember going through JMATS and hearing about how guys had gotten downgraded (or worse) for NOT using automation. After a few flight in the -J at my next units, I realized that automation was a great tool, but something that could not be relied upon in a pinch. I would say that the emphasis on using automation has changed since the initial AD unit stood up. You hear a lot more talk about clicking the stuff off if it is not performing the functions you want it to do. Sounds simple, but when your instructions on your first sim ride are "rotate, out of clips, couple clicks of trim, pitch sync, ball-on-ball, autopilot on", you come out of that environment expecting it. Flying your plane near the limits? We're not talking about VD overspeeds... He was talking about 100 flap approaches on final and guys forgetting that they can just click the autothrottles off if they can't keep up and (GASP!) control their airspeed manually. Or, the overspeeds that have occurred on the escape because guys forgot to raise their flaps, probably because they were waiting for a flight engineer to remind them.

I wouldn't go so are as to say I am "learning", but I agree that it isn't rocket science and the ILAs definitely have no value added.

Not that I have heard of.

This. I honestly don't know how that can be fixed, because it the time it will take to reverse course, those officers will have progressed through the system and will have either caught the wave or got sucked underneath.

Like Rusty said, things have changed from when you were coming up. Young guys are hit hard and early with this stuff. I can say that I too have seen those same briefs and heard those same words from commanders, both on the squadron and group level. You call it "careerism". I call it guys being told early on that it is "up or out" and that there are rules to this game.

is that tracked in some sort of metric, and if so, are leaders held accountable in any way? Not being cynical, just wondering... That data, to me, is more valuable that 20 unit climate assessments. While the cause does not fall squarely on the shoulder of the "losing" CC, if I was a higher up, I would certainly wonder WTF was going on in a squadron that was losing that many people.

I meant consistent expectations. What you did personally was consistent with guidance you were given. Listen to what Rusty and Herk Driver are telling you... that "practice bleeding" guidance is out there, but not be adhered to. Good on you for following through. It seems as though a majority of your peers are not. I know for a F A C T that school-selects are still racked and stacked on their 3849s based on whether or not they have it done via correspondence, and the earlier the better counts. Other than the inflated value you place on our promotion system (asserting that the AF almost always gets it right), and your insistance that fighter pilots condone rape, you seem like a decent person to work for. I know there have to be others like you out there, but conformity is a large part of our culture as officers right now. A lot of your peers seem to be too timid to break from the herd in the way that you say that you have, and that is weighing on their people.

You do realize that senior raters saying this does not help, don't you? In doing so, you are only: 1) Saying "I didn't do it, and it worked out fine for me." This is invalid, as your reality coming up is no longer the reality faced by the current crop of CGOs. 2) Giving false hope to those who are working their tails off that a very small group of people (definitely in the minority) had things work out well for them. 3) Pissing people off who "played the game" by getting PME and AAD done only to find out that it really wasn't "required" because so-and-so went to PME in-res or got promotion/got a school slot without it. WTF? Consistency. Is it "pay to play" or not? Thanks for your perspective.

I follow your logic, but I think you are giving the AF too much credit.

It gets worse.

He's talking about contested operations. Maybe you've read about it somewhere. You know, a conflict where air superiority can't be automatically assumed.

If these clowns really are who they claim to be, they probably enjoy getting to piss on the masses via an anonymous Internet forum as much as we like to vent our frustration to supposed members of upper mgmt. Glad you get to live out your fantasy and tell the people on the backs of which you've climbed up the corporate ladder how you REALLY feel about them.

Why is this not being made public via the DT announcement then? This is a game changer in that a lot of people are about to start caring WAY less if the prospect of getting ahead in the rat race decreases even more. It was no secret that the shiney toys were picked early. This takes it to another level. You say that the AF will have to change the characteristic of its leadership (less CCs with IDE in-res.). Sorry if I don't share your confidence in the system, but I envision the rich continuing to get richer while upper mgmt continues to dangle the prospect of IDE in front of candidates. I say that this is a game changer because I get the feeling that I'm not the only person out there with these "goals" should I choose to stay in: do what it takes to make O-5, mainly so that I don't have to worry about non-continuation (that debacle not too long ago rocked the officer corps more than the higher ups think). AAD, right jobs, timely upgrades, IDE via correspondence hoping to get picked up for in-res because that historically all but guarantees O-5. Not closing any doors along the way by balancing that this is pay to play but at the same time trying to help others along the way. Ultimately, should I get picked out of the litter for command, great. But if not, I would be fine with that. The problem though, is if I tell my senior rater that, I am self-identifying that I don't want to be CSAF one day and I am moved down in the rack and stack for those who continue to say what Big Blue wants to hear.

Only makes my decision that much easier in the near future.

Ugh. Just retire.

God I love tits. And beer. Sue me, Gen Chang. You pussy.

Did he accept/keep it? That's a pretty freaking cool story.

^ Fucking. This. Chuck, once again, you nailed it. I hope you stick around long enough and find yourself in a position to cause some change. That was one of the best suggestions I've heard with regard to the eval system. The AF needs you.

Starts to matter at around the mid-Capt range.

HAF is a tier 2-ish push (top 10-15%), behind JCS (top 1%) and Jt Staff (between the two). Staff pushes generally directly correlate to your highest level strat. FML that I know this.

Keep BFMing around the question, and then go back to your circle and tote the party line. I doubt you really are one, but you really have the M.O. of our upper management.

You are focusing on the wrong thing. I have no issue with line IPs flying their butts off. But you didn't answer my question as to whether the unit and the AF is getting their money's worth out of that IP filling a sq's instructor billet off the UMD "with duties" as a group exec and flying no more than twice a month. This relates directly to your assertion that manning in the MAF is more than adequate.

Aaaaand what was left of your credibility is now completely shot. Since we are talking numbers.... How about the on loan group exec that flew 30 hours in six months while other IPs were flying 3-4 times per week? You really think the flying sq is getting a good return on that IP billet off the UMD. You are so out of touch it isn't even funny.

Actually, it has become just that. You and your peers have squandered this service to the point that people who just wanted to "fly and fight" in service to their country now look at it as a JOB. Not a career. Not some sort of noble service. A JOB. You know, like that guy at Home Depot. You had some people going for a minute, but it didn't take you long to show your true colors. Pathetic.