Champ Kind

Good stuff above. I’d add good ground coffee. I’ve seen local places donate stuff for free to send over.

“Mandatory” as in the green one-piece bags will be prohibited?

The ubiquitous “mandatory pilot retirement” chart doesn’t begin to come down from its ~5 year plateau until 2025. So yes, the AF probably should have started looking at this yesterday.

For you guys maxing our your TSP contributions are you also doing so with your Roth IRAs?

Still have mine saved.

Certainly in control of the max but you can only get so skinny.

If you’re referring to meal time conversations with your wife, it sounds like you guys need some hobbies, man.

The answer to that lies in the changes to the promotion system. If you don’t need to show in 10 lines on a PRF that you have breadth and depth and are therefore worthy to serve in the next higher grade, then you no longer need 10 bullets of fluff in an annual OPR from which to collect inputs for the PRF. Now your OPRs can be simplified to: Does the officer suck? Y/N and a brief narrative why. Is the officer a rockstar? Y/N and a brief narrative why. Does the officer adequately perform his duties per standards? Y/N—no further explanation needed. Do that and break out rated from the LAF category for promotions, and you might just be on to something.

Dude I get it. I just don’t know what mechanisms we have in place for CSAF to ID weak managers so that he can appropriately respond. If a risk averse Wing CC still levies ridiculous requirements on his groups/squadrons based on fear of getting canned for not adhering to archaic and non-applicable regs, how does CSAF find out about that (short of a poor showing during an inspection)? There’s no hotline for the Sq CC at the end of the whip to go VFR-direct to Goldfein and tell him that his guidance isn’t being followed. And the offending wing CC certainly isn’t going to come up on the net and self ID. I seriously welcome your thoughts as to how this part gets solved.

How does he learn of subordinate commanders disobeying? Constantly check in on them? I doubt he has the bandwidth, and even if he did, I fear this would exasperate the micro-managing culture that's already rampant in the USAF.

Well aware of spouse drama in general. I was just wondering if there was a specific backstory that we might all find funny. I mean, to burn your one “all I want this year....” on something like spouse drama seemed like there might have been something pretty epic to share. Otherwise, I would have used my Christmas wish for booze, cigars, or world peace.

Back story?

LOE 4 on the last slide: analyze the definition of “experienced.” Wow.

“Check in” is open to interpretation. You’re going to have to closely flight follow your date arrived station (DAS)with finance and MPF. You can verify it yourself on your SURF and vMPF and then I’d check your BAH rates on your first couple months’ LESes and compare what you get with the CY17/18 rates.

Is there a contract associated with it? Or could a recently separated dude park here while his apps are in and wait for the call then bail when he gets the CJO?

Good ole SrA Yummypants strikes again.

Good ole SrA Yummypants strikes again.

Agree with everything said above. My best friend went through this when he started pilot training about a year behind me. He washed out in phase 3 and was divorced shortly afterward. Whether you decide to work at the marriage with counseling, or decide to divorce, my advice to you would be to go to your commander NOW, air out your dirty laundry (he/she's going to find out eventually anyway), and try to get your class rolled several months. That will give you time to work it out (whatever path you choose) before you are dealing with the rigors of UPT.

I hear there will be some available soon in Tucson.

So is the restriction for Oki only or all of Japan? I recall similar restrictions years ago but it was only Oki--I don't remember it ever being USFJ-wide. The article says "Japan" but I thought it may be a typo. Not sure what would surprise me less at this point: crappy news reporting or an over-reaching punitive response.

Isn't Pilatus (PC-12/U-28) a Swiss company?

I actually just received an automatic email from MyPers today soliciting 89 AW applicants with an 8 Dec suspense.

Solid revival.

Sorry to hear about your loss of a toothbrush.

The last time a CSAF was fired we got Schwartz as a replacement. Accountability: got it. But be careful what you wish for. I fear that if we go down the path some of you are suggesting it is going to serve as the next shiny thing for elected officials to "fix" in the AF rather than the issues that are frequently discussed on this forum.