jazzdude

Hmm, that'd be an interesting discussion. I wonder if the last few -17 mishaps have a trend as to where the crews came from.

The area is great when you're home. However, Charleston doesn't seem to ever say no to anything, and it definitely feels like there's a lot of people out here trying to make general. I'd say my first two years were good-but now I'm just plain burnt out at the 3.5 year mark. I love the mission and the the -17, especially doing airdrop, but am tired of the office politics and queep. Might as well start on your masters if you haven't already, since that seems to be much more important than flying the jet out here. Maybe your experience might be different than mine, but I'd say TCM is probably the better of the 2 superbases.

Not Charleston

They most certainly should be considered. They would know the unit's mission, which is exactly what you need a Sq/CC to know. Let's not forget that a squadron is still, by its very definition, a TACTICAL level unit. Who better to lead a tactical unit than some one who is an expert at the tactical level? Heck, you can make the argument that even a Wing operates mostly at the tactical level. Being an exec, or working a staff position does not prepare you for being a leader. The Sq/CCs should be groomed from the leaders in the squadrons-for example, the flight commanders. That is where CGOs should be gaining the experience for commands-leading their flights, mentoring their subordinates, and accomplishing the flight's mission, not from being an exec pushing paperwork around. Our leaders need to lead-they have a staff to execute their vision. You are right in saying we need both kinds of officers. Staff officers are good at just that-being staff, and handling the details of the plan set forth by the commander. Staff officers are important in the process, but we need officers who can lead-who sets the vision for the unit, focuses on the big picture, motivates and mentors their subordinates, and ultimately, leads the unit in accomplishing their mission. Those line pilots without staff experience would not necessarily have a one dimensional approach to problem solving. After all, they would have an AAD. This brings us back to the AAD discussion-as it is right now, the system encourages box checking, which leads to officers pursuing the easier degree they can, and not the degrees that would benefit their ability to think critically and use that outside view to improve how we as an Air Force operate. Its this reason that I believe AADs are held in such high regard (critical thinking ability), but most guys I talk to take the easiest program without a thesis requirement they can find, which ultimately defeats the purpose of encouraging post graduate studies for officers.

I'm pretty sure you can take leave in conjunction with a TDY, it just needs to be on your orders (so you're friend would need an amendment). I would double check on whether or not leave web needs to be done. I took leave in conjunction with a TDY (on my orders), and also submitted leave on leave web, and ended up getting double charged for my leave when my voucher was approved.

Here's a crazy idea...maybe AFPC should consider adjusting officer promotion rates based on AFSC to shape the force to what is needed.

My understanding is they refused to share because they fronted the money out of their (relatively meager) budget after first trying to get everyone to move to a new camo pattern. The other services didn't want to spend the money on developing new uniforms, while the Marines felt so strongly that they needed better camo that they made the investment despite their small budget. The Marines also incorporated the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor into the camo pattern, which guaranteed the other services wouldn't steal it anyways out of service pride. That being said, we should just all move to multicam/OCP.

I'll bite... I've busted my butt for the last three years as an active flyer, with a TDY rate of 2 days tdy/deployed to 1 day at home, not counting the days sitting alert. I've knocked out my appropriate level of PME by correspondence, which is not good enough. I'm working on a AAD, but its not good enough because it will take me 3 years to complete since its an engineering degree with a thesis requirement ("why can't you double up classes?"). My degree has steadily required more time, now averaging 2 hours a day. I don't have a leadership job in the sq due to my deployments outside of sq deployments. I'm stuck unable to upgrade to IP because of deployments. My TDY rate and unpredictable schedule makes it difficult at best to start or maintain any sort of relationship. Maybe CGOs are tired of giving their all to the mission, and being told its not good enough. Or seeing hard working mission hackers not get recognized for their contribution to the mission because someone else volunteered in the local community or organized the last unit social function while not being very good at their primary job. The thing that keeps me going is getting to step to my jet and hack the mission, or talking aviation and/or how to employ my airframe with my fellow aviators. PME is an easy kill. Get the appropriate level done at the appropriate time, but there should be no practice bleeding. AAD- if it really is important, then send officers to school as an assignment. Encourage real, valuable degrees, and not just checking the box. Reduce TA for officers-say 50-75% so if the officer still wants a BS degree, they will have to contribute to the wasted money.

I'm working this same issue at the same base, just waiting for my latest deployment to show up to start working the OS credits. AFI 36-2110 clearly states in the credit table (table 3.4) that you get both, which makes sense (I mean, how else can you get short tour credit for 548/3 years) Edit: MPF works the OS credit, but IPR has to input the deployment into MILPDS, which evidently takes 45 days

I'd say the bailout decision is terrain dependent. Nice and flat-sure, consider staying with the jet. Mountainous forced landing, or night ditch into rough seas, or an uncontrollable fire-no way I'm staying on the jet unless I have a very good reason to stay (pax, below min safe bailout altitude).

Basically, AFPC sucks at life. I just finished up a series of deployments two weeks ago that would give me short tour credit. I talked to MPF about updating my STRD, and they said it's a quick process once the deployment is showing in the system, but that I'd have to work through IPR to get the deployment in the system. When I went to IPR, they said it takes AFPC 45 days to load a contingency deployment in the system, and that was the LIMFAC for getting it updated. They also told me that several other officers at my base were having the same problem as me with AFPC taking forever to update the information. It's also made it a pain to get my PDMRA days, and I'm trying to get another deployment turned off due to it violating dwell time.

I've got a Motorola Xoom, and use Naviator. I also used Avilution for a while, but like the features in Naviator better (has world wide base maps so I can at least see borders). The only downside to android is that its not as intuitive as the iPad. Its not so much a problem of me being able to use it, but when I ask my friend/passenger to do something on my tablet, I end up giving them the plane and messing with the tablet myself. My biggest reason for going with an android tablet was because I had an android phone and didn't want to buy 2 sets of apps.

There's work to be had if people are look hard enough, at least based on my experience. I had three solid job offers for my time between commissioning and EAD (4 months), 2 of which had better pay then LT pay. That was with the companies knowing I could only work for the summer and no longer with no chance of me accepting a job offer at the end of the internship, but they still were willing to "waste" an internship on me. One of my offers was from networking in college, a friend had been promoted to VP of a company, and offered me job if I needed one while waiting to EAD. Also helps I didn't go the poli-sci and fly route in college. It also took a lot of work to find the job offers-attending several job/career fairs and putting together several resumes emphasizing different areas. Or you could do what one of my friends did: go to work, let them know you're a reservist (because technically you are), then just go on an indefinite military leave of absence when you EAD.

I got ambien on my last flying deployment as a just in case. Well, I ended up only using 1/5, and figured I'd take back the rest to the flight doc so it could be disposed of properly. Turns out theres no way to get rid of leftover ambien, and they thought I was crazy for trying for having leftover ambien at the end of my tour. Not a fan of the stuff anymore, and just force myself to time naps/sleep to be good for alert time. I figure if I have to take a sleep aid, the schedule has been messed up for too long.

Not a hypothetical...My first A-Code was a 2-ship JA/ATT as the MC doing personnel drops at Benning. Never dropped actual personnel as a CP, and this was my third airdrop sortie ouside of Altus. Oh, and the other jet's AC was my ACAD partner. Needless to say, a lot of time planning, chair flying and talking with experienced airdroppers took place prior to the sortie.

Don't be the guy that volunteers to be an airdropper in hopes of bettering their odds of staying in the C-17, do it because you want to execute the airdrop mission. Its a lot of extra work and probably won't help your chances significantly for ops to ops anyways. That being said, the airdrop mission is rewarding.

My tablet is wifi only, so no in flight data for me. It hasn't been a problem, though I only use to either a) back myself up while flying VFR in a Cessna or b) moving IFR chart in the C-17 for center changes. The program downloads all of the charts, so the only thing you lose out on without a wireless connection are TAF/METAR and TFR updates ( and map updates if you didn't download them beforehand). Their website lists that each chart is about 50MB; I only have a couple charts loaded right now since I'm on a non-flying deployment. I guess it can also do the geoposition approach plates, but that costs extra and I haven't found the need for it. They are trying to add more global charts, which is great- but I haven't had a chance to try out yet. I think the interface could be a bit more polished, but overall it works for what I want it to do. If they still have the 30 trial-definitely give it a try. I think its better than Avilution, which only had US charts and was a little more difficult to use.

I've got it and use it. I like it, and I think they have a 30 day trial period.

Closest thing is the airdrop display. It would be neat if we had something similar for approaches.

There's some pretty good hiking around (quartz mountain and the wildfire refuge.) I can't remember if they had campsites.

. Rumor I heard (AMC side) was that there was no way to verify the go pill would be used at the appropriate time/day/sortie (since more than likely the go pill would be prescribed out of home station even though the day requiring it is several days in the future); basically, how to avoid misuse/abuse of the go pill. Or we're just expected to hit the bunk and let the other pilots fly.

Maybe they dont mean "United States of America" when they are chanting USA

My understanding is with the advances in ASW tech that the P8 would be able to operate higher than the P3s did.

Didn't there use to be lines for travel experience levels? I seem to remembers there being an"inexperienced/travelling with kids" lane, a "experienced traveller" lane, and a in between the other two lane. All of it was based on a self assessment of where you fit in, and the signs had descriptions of who should use what line. I want to say it was SEA where I saw this, but I could be wrong. It's been a while since I've flown commercial, and that stuff seems to change quite frequently.

Where do you buy the headset plugs? I'm working on wiring up my own design for the C-17 (trying to put my old college lab kit to work), but the prices I've found for the headset plugs seem a bit high.