Wing Sweep

5k installment (minus 25% tax) paid today, two weeks after the first installment. 35 days to receive both installments (21+14) from the day I hit submit.

Something to do with the pay systems. There was a blurb in the message I received...words, words, words. I didn't care enough to research it.

I'll be posting again if that happens to warn the masses.

Active duty

I took the one year bonus, $30k. Paid in two installments: 25+5. First installment paid today: $18.75k, so taxed at a 25% rate. Second install should arrive in the next few weeks. 18 months left before I hit 20 years, so it was a no-brainer. From submitting my app to the first chunk of money in the bank was 21 days.

If AF leadership is so concerned about pilot retention, why don't they do two things: (1) fix the real problems and (2) make the new congressionally approved flight pay/ACP bonus limits a reality? Both need to happen right now! That being said, money is only 1 of 69,000 problems the AF has. Furthermore, there should be zero talk about stop loss from AF leadership until they, at a minimum, implement dollar values congress has authorized. That being said, the extra money won't do anything for retention unles the other 69,000 problems are fixed too. The AF has one choice. They must pay pilots more, bring basic functions back to the squadrons, reduce queep 100% (if it's queep, it's not required), and change the mentality of the AF at large from shoe clerk geekery back to what it should be---violently murdering our enemies and/or aiding those who do. Leadership has failed, as evidenced by the lack of trust in the O-5 through O-10 levels across our AF. It's very sad...and I do hope that among the new breed of FNGs, there are warrior-minded future leaders that turn this thing around for the better. It will take at least one generation of "leadership cleansing" in order to get rid of the spineless, yes man "leadership" currently embedded at all levels of our AF. As a data point, I planned to stay in the AF until they dragged me out. I had this mindset for a long time. Around 2012, I started to question my plans. By 2016, my decision was clear---move on to greener pastures as soon as I hit 20 years versus staying to 28, 30 or more. It really kills me because I know what the AF is capable of being, but it's not going to get there any time soon. For those of you stayinglong-term, fight the good fight and make this place better. As for me, I will do what can to improve my very small piece of the AF for the next 1 year, 6 months and 5 days.

Prior ALOs or those in the know... Has there ever been any thought to embedding USAF OA-X type aircraft into ASOS units? TACPs as enlisted aircrew?

The AF expects you to do this on your own time; you know, family time, weekends, take leave to get it done, etc...

$.05 Shooter!

I will scoff it all day long. Patches should never ever be exec; period, dot. Its only part of the Air Force game because retard Wg/CCs are too dumb to think outside the container...they can #1 strat whoever the frick they want, not just execs. Then we have people justifying it for all sorts of dumb reasons. CCs who make patches execs (i.e. secretaries) should be fired for wasting government resources! I hope you will reconsider your thoughts on this because patches need to be in the squadrons making crew dogs killers, not giving advice to the wing commander. If the wing commander wants advice from a patch he can stop by the squadron, look him in the eye and say, "hey captain, I'd like your advice on x, y, z..." That type of leadership is rarely seen anymore. WTF is happening! Seriously, are we that far off track as a fighting force that we can't even get the basic stuff right like letting a patch be a patch. You, my friend, do have the power to change it. You mentor the young dudes in the squadron about the way things should be and set the example. If you continue the status quo, nothing changes. Sad to hear this is happening and fellow officers are actually okay with this.

Standard answer.

Just finished my ATP today at Tulsa Community College. Overall, it's a great program! Overall cost (including checkride) was $3k. This did not include the cost of hotel and food. I studied the prep material one full weekend prior to showing up. The first day was an hour of admin queep followed by about 5 hours of academics. The second day was a Wx CNX for 40-50 knot winds. The third day was two flights, 2.4 and 1.7 hr sorties. The fourth day was the checkride; 30 mins admin, 1 hour of GK, a 1.9 hr sortie, then a debrief. TCC has a brand new building...it literally smelled like a new car walking in the front door. I would say "best seen to date" for a community college flight program with regard to their aircraft, student area, computer availability, overall newness and cleanliness. Their Seminole is 5 years old and hangared daily. The instructors are up to speed and know what to teach you to pass your ATP. I felt confident after my 2nd flight. The examiner is very pleasant and professional...unfortunately, booked for checkrides through July.

Have any of you seen the AFRC bonus programs online for FY16? Is the $10k affiliation bonus still available? Is the $25k pilot bonus available to those with more than 16 years of active service (like it is for active duty bubbas starting this year)? Can these two bonuses be received concurrently? This is specifically in reference to an AGR opportunity I may or may not be looking into. Thanks for the help.

Thanks, but no thanks. I'm hoping there's no stop loss over the next few years.

Skywarriors has 5 and 6 hour programs. What's the ASD and do any of you feel it is worthwhile getting the extra hour? Thanks!

Our next CSAF should be the best warrior/leader we have; period, dot. That should be the only qualification. Wait! They need to be great actors too, so they can smile at congress when they really want to throat punch them!

You are correct in that our community almost always likes to kill the two birds with one stone; however, we have a lot of FAIPs (and I mean a lot) in my Bone squadron that are AC only until they learn the tactics well enough to become MLs. It's working out well.

You just did, twice. I hope you're saying that in humor so guys don't hold on to a good idea fairy that's going to vanish on them at any moment...like right now. There, the good idea fairy just disappeared!

Wheels Off, You cannot go from AMC to B-1s. That's just not the way it works. Everyone that has ever shown up to the B-1 community is treated like the FNG they are until they prove themselves in the jet. Your other theoretical questions don't apply because of the answer I gave you to the first question.

Hot female bartenders and waitresses would draw people in. If the MSGs truly catered and advertised to 20-30 year olds with concepts such as hot waitresses (e.g. Hooters, Bikinis, etc.), evening base passes for multiple college slut friends, cool bands and free drinks for the ladies from 6-9pm, then it could be epic. Until that happens, I'll be seeing you at the local pub downtown. ...and the drinks and food have to be quality items too, of course.

SS, Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. I thought he was referring to air launched cruise missiles in general terms and not the AGM-86 specifically.

AT6B, 24 is the answer to your question. By definition, a JASSM is a type of Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). You are referring to ALCM and JASSM as if they are different, when one (JASSM) is a type of the other (ALCM). To answer the thread question... three points: JASSM maritime survivability B-1>A-10 The A-10 is one of the best platforms in the inventory. Based on strategy, tactics, economy of force, future air order of battle, politics, etc... I think the CSAF has the right picture. Perhaps there are alternative options, but I haven't seen or heard of one that makes better sense. Anyone out there see any better options on open sources? It's a dirty poop sandwich menu we're all looking at and we're all going to take a big bite out of one of the sandwiches on the menu.

Mission: Know your troops. Accomplish the mission. Trust Sq/CCs to run the squadrons - it's okay if they do things slightly different then you would. They (should) have a better pulse for the squadron than you. Train like we fight. Our culture is so safety minded these days that it seems safety is more of a focus than max performing our leadership, training and aircraft capabilities. Encourage dudes to push it up in the jet (within the aircraft limits and regulations) and take time off work to truly live and enjoy life. Don't just talk about work, work, work. This will show your troops you're a real person, and not just a robot. Accomplish a full review of local regulations/addendums to AFIs and rescind those that aren't necessary. They usually make the mission more restrictive and/or create additional and unnecessary work. Simplicity to the max extent possible (see line above) in every facet would alleviate a lot of the hand-cuffing, Admin: Don't auto-populate leadership in squadrons based solely on pedigree. Pick the right person, not the right pedigree- this can go in the Mission section too. Don't be afraid to fire people that suck at their jobs. Stop making dudes get grad degrees when it's not a requirement to make O-4 Stop making dudes accomplish PME-correspondence to go in-res at all levels (i.e. practice bleeding). Rack and stack dudes based on (primary) job performance, leadership, and additional duties-in that order (i.e. not a masters, PME-correspondence, Volunteer of the Yr, etc.). Put your top dudes in the jobs that will make the OG the most combat ready (i.e. don't make them your execs), then strat them accordingly (#1, 2, 3). Don't pick dudes for upgrades because their about to pin on Major/Lt Col, etc... --- this is more at the squadron level, but the principle can be applied at the OG level too. Don't pick quarterly/annual award winners because "it's their turn." Pick based truly on merit!

...and in a related story, there's no requirement for PME through correspondence to attend in-residence at any rank. Everybody thinks there's one...that's crazy!

All of you know that a command with a flaming dildo as an emblem can never be awesome.