zach braff

Usually they release the PSDM with all the RAS selects around this time each year. The selections are usually by DT so there isn't a single call for volunteers PSDM…some DTs will advertise it via PSDM (as my career field did), others by email… people just need to know when their DT or assignment gods are meeting and can request it. SAF/IA gives the ultimate yay/nay and releases the selects as a compiled list. My DT met in June and allegedly sent names up but won't know who they picked until the list comes out in the next few weeks hopefully. Then comes the battle royale to get a region that doesn't suck! zb

That's a huge change and that sucks about DLI uniform rules. Being there as an officer student was one of the most hands-off, big-boy programs I've experienced (2012-2013). Blues on Monday and help out with the occasional Airmen event...that was it. Any uniform was fine, no CBTs, hella 4-day weekends. Except for the classes being tough as hell the lifestyle there was the best I'd experienced up to that point. I wonder what changed (commanders probably). General Welsh is great. Sadly he has several not-so-great folks that work for him.

Dorking around on mypers - I just read that the majors board results will be out in early February ("status of boards" page), much faster than in past years. Also, from the current rate of '04 pin-ons, '05 pin-ons should start around June. zb

Gen Carlisle seems concerned about the manning situation. For our war in Afghanistan being "over" and only a very "limited operation" the COCOMs sure aren't letting up in their demand for CAPs. https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/04/exclusive-u-s-drone-fleet-at-breaking-point-air-force-says.html zb

It will be far different for this board due to the year long delay. 2004s are projected to finish pin on in May or June. So 2005 will hear results likely in March(ish) and pin-ons should begin in Jun/Jul. August at latest.

My guess: Robinson or Rand as next CSAF, with odds slightly in Robinson's favor. But what does this have to with promotions or PRFs…? New "next CSAF" thread perhaps?

I have a bud who was a Senior Rater's #5/11 who got tagged as a select, and I know two others who were SRs' #1/4 & #1/3 who did not. While I'm not much for the over-emphasis on SOS, Liquid was right when he said that strats are important but aren't everything. The bottom line carries a lot of weight, probably more weight than any other strat in the PRF - but it isn't necessarily everything. If it was, why would we even bother with PRFs - the SRs could just rank order everyone and be done. I recall coming across a slide from a year or two ago entitled "what we value" for promotions that was briefed to a Corona. The items I remember seeing for the O-4 category were (not in any particular order): - mission accomplishment/results/scope - combat/deployments - awards - combat decorations & decorations - strats - IG results/inspections - DGs - progression in organizations - instructor - PME - ??? may have been one or two others but those are the ones I recall Chime in Liquid - does this look fairly close to what boards are looking at in records? zb

I got the same word on the 75% DP allocation from an A1 type. Didn't say anything about the 95% promotion rate but that would make sense with a DP rate that high - it's normally 65%ish right?

Not Little Rock but got mine back last week. The MLRs are all complete so they should all be done & signed. Senior Raters generally release them all at once and per instruction they're supposed to drop them about one month before the board - so if you don't have yours yet you'll probably have it by early next week at latest.

How many times does this make that have we had this DG discussion on baseops? zb

In my own career field, O-4s volunteer and compete for squadron command but all O-5s are automatically considered unless specifically approved by Senior Rater with justification as to why they shouldn't compete. So if you want to be a Lt Col you must also be okay with becoming a commander. Don't know if that's because there aren't enough O-5s for the billets or not enough active volunteers to build a command eligibles list. That said, I haven't met an O-5 Sq/CC in my AFSC that didn't volunteer and want to be doing the job, but still - everybody is considered a command volunteer. I still hope to command because I do believe that command is the pinnacle of officership. I have no career aspirations beyond Sq/CC. As such I think I'll have fun because I'd run my Sq without regard for what might happen to my "career" afterwards. zb

The new Air Force ad campaign is on the streets and I am a fan. Very well done IMHO. I notice the shots and overall feel are very similar to an inspiring non-official ad from a few years ago (alternating shots of then/now set to a JFK speech - can't find it right now but it's been shared here) - I wonder if that was intentional or if its creator worked on this. https://youtu.be/wHkjM-3lUDk zb edited to try to embed the video

Revival - just put in for LEAP this year... Anyone with any recent experience with it? Has the program and/or resources it offers helped you keep your language skillz current? What does it entail as of late? Any effect on your DLPT? zb

ISIS member's "open letter" to the badass Marine who wrote the "open letter to ISIS" is far better. They win the "open letter" battle. https://www.duffelblog.com/2014/08/isis-veteran-letter/ zb

That response is "meh" at best. Pretty weak comparing Saddam's troops that quickly ran and surrendered to IS troops. The two have completely different motivations. Hint - the latter's motivations are quite stronger than the average Saddam foot soldier. zb

So if this was breaking the law…I can only wonder: What if the officer at Guantanimo who received the order to unlock the cells and transfer the prisoners had realized it was unlawful (not that I would expect him/her to). You think the DoD would back them up if they had refused to obey that order on account of their oath to obey 'lawful' orders? And since this breaking of law came from the top, if there is any accountability for this DoD law-breaking, where will it be? The officers who obeyed the orders or the officer who gave them? (note - I'm not an anti-Obama nut and I more or less support his decision to get our guy back. I'm honestly wondering what kind of worms are in this can if we're going to open it) zb

Flight was 28/30. We had great camaraderie and partied but did sh-tty on all the team events. BUT - the DG system worked in our case. Went in 2010. It may have changed, but at the time your ranking was a mix of flight (peer) input, flight ranking, grades, and flight/cc input - in that order. As I recall your peer input was worth 40-50% and flt/cc ranking was only 10%. They added them all up and the top 10% in the school were the DGs. So to make DG you couldn't be a self-serving dick because your flight mates would see it and rank you that way. Additionally, if you did well as a team you had a better shot at getting more DGs in your flight. We did shitty and thus only got one DG. But it was the right person and everyone was rooting for her. She was a no-bullshitting ABM patch who was the first to bitch about the corniness of the school but also the first to help out anyone in the flight and give her all in the team events (even though we blew nearly every one). She led well when it was her turn to lead, and followed well when it was her turn to follow. I agree that the SOS DG is given too much weight in one's career, but at least as the system was when I went through I disagree that SOS DGs are self-serving dicks. Because at least nowadays, the most important factor in the award is peer-input & feedback - I don't get how you can be a SSD (self-serving dick) and have your teammates rank you well enough to land in the top 10%. If it's changed then let me know - the cadre was pretty open about how the system worked with us back then. zb

Great - well then since he apparently admitted to raping this woman I guess I'm glad he wasn't in a civil court with a good lawyer - because I hope that any real rapist gets whatever punishment possible for their crime. Too bad he couldn't get more, but glad he got some punishment. zb

Mine came from PACAF. It had PME in there as Developmental Education. Which leads me to…. Other big change…anyone else notice on the DQHB that PME states only "PDE Complete?" (or incomplete I assume for anyone who didn't do SOS) No date, no specifics as to which PDE and no differentiation between in-res or correspondence. Dope. zb edited as I saw someone else mentioned PME in the thread.

Here's a clip from ベストガイ (Best Guy) - the JASDF flick referred to earlier. Going to have to find the whole movie - it looks wonderfully terrible. BREAK What is the reg that states that every video of amazing USAF flying footage is required to be accompanied by sh-tty rock music? zb

The comment thread on JQP's blog article about the firing is mind-blowingly amazing - and still going. Highly recommend cooking up some jalapeno popcorn and sitting down for a read.... zb

Tell the fiancé to read the AF Times list of best bases... I'm sure she'll cheer right up.

https://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/07/24/3463683/no-isis-isnt-ordering-female-genital-mutilation-in-iraq/ Sorta not true. Sure did get the internet riled up though. zb

Amazing how many people mix this up still. "'Man' was grand, 'Song' was wrong..." Back to the topic... I got a suspense to submit some input for the PRF but I've been out the game for a minute...Are most of the MAJCOMs still C-Zoning or is there a new hot-format on the streets? zb

I really enjoyed living at Wurtsmith AFB as a kid. I'd put it up there on the list - I think housing is dirt cheap in Oscoda Michigan these days.