papajuice77

Boeing is just killing it these days!

So on Memorial Day weekend, CBS decides to honor American war dead by focusing on a tragic accident, and using it as a soapbox to turn military personnel, veterans, and the public against one another. Couldn't find any MOH or Silver Star types to hold up as examples of sacrifice and patriotism? Couldn't talk about the kids who made the valiant choice to take the fight to the enemy in OIF/OEF instead of crying in a closet on campus? Couldn't talk about the brass balls it took to fly into downtown Schweinfurt, Route Pack 6, Belgrade, or Baghdad? Couldn't just honor the sacrifices made on behalf of the American public? I guess that would have been too hard. You stay classy CBS.

After witnessing the AF's continued spiral into total Maoist political insanity, I can't fathom why any aviator would ever want to be a commander. This latest case is proof positive that there is literally no hope. Even when you try to do the right thing as the boss, the Blue machine will find a way to purge you and destroy what reputation you've built. Sometimes I have a hard time believing that this is reality and not some Truman-show satirical comedy we're living. Looking forward to the political officer billets opening up in combat squadrons soon. Maybe someone should realize that the real insensitivity is loading people onto a geriatric jet and flying it into combat. Real dick move if you ask me.

You get one chance to fly a fighter (maybe two if you remain as a FAIP). If that's really what is important to you, then put every single fighter airframe at the top of your list. If putting bombs on target is a secondary consideration, rank them appropriately. Follow up with FAIP, B-1s, and AC-130s. If your primary concern is getting into the fight now, and flying a jet that puts metal on meat, then strike eagle, hawg, viper, bone, spooky is how I would suggest rolling your top 5. All have and will continue to make big contributions to the current fight; 4/5 have a direct role in the mixed force strike package during a wider conflict. ^ This if racking up confirmed kills is your vector.

You're right... I have been cherry picking, and it was probably unnecessary. Getting back to the real meat of the article, I also agree that "high-threat" CAS is a figment of the imagination. The underlying argument he makes about its irrelevance is solid. It begs the question - are senior leaders who want to ditch CAS assets to pay for systems and capabilities that support core airpower competencies really wrong? I don't want to start another running feud in this thread, but I think Mr. Pietrucha's argument would definitely support that action given our fiscally-constrained environment.

Checks. That's the kind of detailed knowledge that the GFC wants from air players. I always strove for that knowledge as well. In every instance, a crew with high SA drastically reduced the time necessary to complete the kill chain. The fact is that OEF/OFS has been ad hoc as the result of the emphasis on stability operations for the last 10 years. If on-going offensives were the norm in A-stan now, the author might be more familiar with the kind of dedicated integration and knowledge base CAF squadrons actually develop and implement.

I realize he's been out of the game for a while, but the author should look into ops in Northern Syria over the past 2 years. That might quell his misgivings about a lack of aircrew having in-depth understanding of the battlefield situation. Reference Kobane, Hasakah, Tal Abyad, etc. Entire squadrons were dedicated to those fights and had a very detailed collective familiarity with the ground order of battle and the operations therein.

This is a real shame. It confirms long-held suspicions about the disingenous nature of the "salute the troops" initiatives. I personally don't blame the DOD for spending the equivalent of pennies on the dollar in the budget to gain some publicity for GI Joe and garner a recruiting opportunity simultaneously. The more disappointing part is that it reveals how the NFL, held in such high-esteem by so many Americans, not only doesn't provide these thank-you opportunities gratis, but actually takes money from the taxpayer to do them. It seems like the ultimate expression of greed to me. However, I don't think it impugns the patriotism of and respect paid by average Americans.

Continued tangent alert - the biggest problem the B-1 has wrt maintenance is the complexity of the aircraft versus the limited experience of the maintainers working on them. I have seen many pro-supers become extremely frustrated with guys who take 2 or 3 times longer to fix things because they order the wrong parts, have to repeat the process several times, or simply take longer to swap pieces or complete checks because they are relatively inexperienced. That isn't meant to impugn MX; the new dudes take time to learn and get better - just like you wouldn't expect MQT guys to execute at a high level of skill. Nothing about the B-1, or any national bomber asset, was designed with extreme simplicy in mind. It's a complicated airplane, and as such, it takes a lot of learning and hands-on-training with MX. However, it is amazing how quickly the guys who have been in the B-1 for years can get jets turned. Back to GSC - this seems like a logical move to be honest. A large part of GSC leadership is comprised of B-1 guys, and it might therefore be an easier place for the B-1 to be appreciated. Time will tell, but perhaps the jet and community will be better served as the only asset used extensively in current combat operations in GSC as opposed to being the red-headed bomber stepchild of ACC. Perhaps the command will be able to highlight that the B-1 has many mission sets and that it is not just a CAS wagon. Additionally, although it has been mentioned that the Bone might be a sacrificial lamb for LRS-B in the future, that's a far cry better than being rolled into the mass barn-burning ACC has to do for the sake of F-35. (Disclaimer: all of this is my opinion, and of course, in no way represents the official position of AFGSC, ACC, or the USAF writ large; there is far too much logic herein).

Perhaps a relatively minor victory in the grand scheme, but a major win in terms of tactical application/integration of airpower in a challenging urban environment. https://www.wsj.com/articles/kurdish-forces-declare-complete-victory-in-kobani-1422362163 In case you haven't been following the news, the U.S. has been striking ISIS positions in the city on a daily basis since October. I'm not sure why the brass, especially in the USAF, aren't trumpeting this one... Too preoccupied with SAPR down days and providing dissertations on the fast track to promotion?

Agree with your assessment of the JSF program... I'd just be cautious waiting for the "Fighter Mafia" to save us all from this disaster. The entrenched and dogmatic vestiges of the Fighter Mafia club and its legacy are what have led us to this point. The club let in people who couldn't see the bigger picture, became obsessed with the preeminence of tactical fighters versus any other form of airpower, and shackled the AF to prohibitively expensive programs that now have little in common with the archetype upon which they were based (F-15/F-16). The same points were true of the "Bomber Barons" who ran the AF prior to and during Vietnam. Their tried and true model failed as well... the difference is that Vietnam was a more compelling catalyst for reanalysis of the AF and it's platform/capabilities composition than OIF or OEF has been or ever will be. It's going to be hard for out-of-the-container thinkers like a Boyd to find any friends in high places to support their experiments since nothing has forced a changeover in leadership. I think that the AF's answer to the strategic problems at hand will, unfortunately, continue to remain a tactical solution. The fight over getting rid of the A-10 is just that - a discussion of tactical relevance versus the one we should be having about strategic necessity. The sad part is, selling the A-10 down the river to pay for the F-35 is the manifestation of trying to solve the strategic problems at hand with the same old solution. In the end, it is just substitution of one tactic for another (and I might add, one of questionable credibility).

In addition to matmacwc's info, you can also donate to the fund online through Del Rio Bible Church's Website. Use the link below, and select "Koontz Family" in the budget drop down on the right. https://www.mysimplegive.com/SG/sfDonate.jspx?uq=1366913620271&id=delrio

Lt Col Koontz was a great IP, sim instructor, and all-around good guy. He taught me a lot over the years I worked with him. He and his family will be sorely missed. Him him.

From the Bloomberg article - Really? Couldn't tell that just by looking at the darn thing? I guess that was supposed to be remedied by the newest magical helmet. Taking cues from 70's Soviet designs with 0 aft visibility probably wasn't wise for a *cough* fighter - even with a new wizard's hat that's supposed to let you look through the floor to see around you. McNamara's Folly take 2.