afnav

There are a couple of ways to handle the manning problem. - They will take every bomber guy out of ACC, and most ICBM guys out of AFSPC and send them to a new location. With the shortage of bomber guys out there, the ICBM guys will run the command with a bunch of civilians and contractors. In other words, it will become an Air Force version of STRAT, which has practically destroyed the bomber presence in LeMay's command. The former commander went so far as to put a carpet over the SAC emblem in the entryway. Fortunately, that error in judgment has been remedied by Chili. - Same as above, except use bomber and ICBM guys that serve another function simultaneously. It will be similar to the skip-echelon structure that 8 AF and TF-204 and TF-294/AMC/TACC use now. They slide back and forth between a COCOM and Air Force entity depending on the particular task. Using this construct will reduce the need for a lot of personnel and constructing a new infrastructure at a new location, but it will inherit some of the same problems that the task forces have today: they have no real master and the chain of command can lead to misunderstandings. The simple fact is that there are not enough rated personnel to fill the staff positions on record, much less the additional demand for a new MAJCOM. I've already been told I will be offered continuation past twenty, as most PODs will. Then they have this idea to bring a lot of retirees/separatists back. With the economy the way it currently is, it might work for awhile, but as soon as things start turning around, the house will collapse.

We've been told at STRAT that there will be no extensions past our three-year tour. The only rated guys that are due to rotate out this cycle: two are going to 365s (myself included) and two are dropping their papers. As far as I can tell, there is only one rated guy coming to the building, and he is filling my job. He's a long-term/permanent DNIF, so he wasn't useful except for ALO or staff, anyway. As far as the 'return to active duty' program, we have enough reservists and guardsmen applying for tours here to earn enough points for active duty retirement that retirees/separatists are probably not needed. They also hire enough retiree civilians to fill billets that really need rated experience, or they put someone who doesn't know shit about airplanes in the job. Those guys just task the rated guys that are here to do their work for them on taskers that require a 'rated response', which overworks the hell out of the few rated guys in the building. It would not shock me at all that the JS and COCOMs will be pushing more airplane-related work down to the MAJCOMs really soon. My office has already started doing some of this, and it will probably get worse. The warfighter, at least STRAT, has relinquished its power to level requirements on the services, and will get stuck doing the mission set with what they can get vs. what they need. Global Strike Command might as well be manned by cardboard standees. They are getting almost no bodies at all.

If you are going to a combat zone deployment, they will change your credit card interest rate to 4% for one calendar year. I know, since I just did it yesterday.

I brought my Air Medals to my MPF at Offutt and had them change my GWOT-E into an ICM. They saw that I did most of my flying over Iraq during '03, so they simply did what I asked them to do. I'm not sure if it will work anywhere else, but it worked for me there.

Thanks for the words, everyone. Hopefully it will be comparable to my Diego experience in '03, although that was only around five months. It's nice to get the truth instead of the "365s are great" propaganda out of Airman magazine. For a POD, a 365 is not a good deal 95% of the time, but we're the usual suspects getting hit with them (non-vols). It's just a fact. I won't have the retainability for a follow-on of choice, won't fly afterwards, and might not get to move my family closer to home while I'm gone. The less-than-30 days to get my shit done doesn't help, either. Deferring an outbound assignment for me (twice) until I was hit with this really pisses me off, too. I'd rather have gone to Red Cloud than the Deid, and received 30 days home instead of 15 (if they feel like giving it to me). Enough venting... One other word of advice: check your overseas duty return date. Mine was off by 144 days, and it took my personnel office an hour pouring through their database to realize it. For the LDHD platforms, watch for the 300 days in 18 months rule for a short tour credit. I missed mine by 34 days in 1998. To the Deid in April...

I was a prior-enlisted late rate after spending almost three years in missiles. In my experience, leadership will look to you to be a role model for the younger crowd. Although I didn't finish my masters until really late in my career, I don't think it hurt me too much. Hopefully you won't follow my example on delaying it. I think my worst mistake was jumping planes. It put me behind the power curve on going to the staff and I never caught up in my new community. Fight for strong OPRs, and if the writer sucks, appeal your case. Strive for honest feedback (which I didn't get) and assume you're not doing enough. As for the IDE thing, getting established in your community is critical. It might involve volunteering for the jobs no one wants, but that didn't help me. A lot of the push for schools/high-end opportunities involves the fact that you are part of the "flavor of the month" club. You need to have the right jobs at the right times with the right words. I probably said too much, but timing is really important, and it could be even more important for someone coming late to the dance. A friend who was a late rate from mnx was passed over for O4 with a similar situation to yours.

I pretty much got the official word today for me. NO STAFF EXTENSIONS ANYWHERE! My bosses were so confident they could play the nuke card that it left me hanging in the wind until the matches were done. By the time the music was over, I'm left standing as #1 to the Deid for 365. My only hope (if any) is to try to play the short tour credit with the ass-load of TDY I did in AWACS years ago. They didn't update your OSDR date automatically back then, so a lot of us let it slip. On the other hand, they may have already locked on to me and won't be fooled by chaff. Even better, I only have about a month to prepare my family for my leaving, and I have to finish up a lot of nuke crap before I go since no one else knows shit about checklists. If anyone's out there permanent party, I'd really appreciate a PM on what it's really like on the ground out there.

I just got told today that there's a 365 to the CAOC with my name on it. I guess I'm #2 on the non-vol list. What form of suicide is the fashion these days?

I enjoyed OKC in my time there, although in AWACS I was only there half the time. Norman and most of Moore are nice. Edmund is good, too, but farther away. There are enclaves near Penn Square Mall near downtown, but it's old money and probably still expensive. The best place I've ever been for Christmas lights... There should be a large swath of relatively new houses in Moore from the '99 tornado. DFW is only 2 1/2 hours away, with a lot to do. People made fun of me about Tinker, but since a few of them went to El Forko Grande and No Hope Pope, I think I got the last laugh.

My ALO just got canx to stay at STRAT and work nuke issues. If anyone's going to DC for that TDY, I may be joining you.

My situation was ten years ago, and they kept me from going to B-1s because they had no extra EWO slots. With the schools closing/moving at random, I doubt there has been much change in the availability of schools. With the consolidated CSO course opening at Pensacola soon, that will probably allow a "universal" CSO going back and forth between the specialties. And no, I will not anyone that does that school a nav.

A another part of the problem is that this spring, AF is only filling 4% of the rated staff billets that are demanded by all HHQ. The only vacancies that I remember were filled at 100% were U-28s and AFRICOM. Joe-crewdog might say, "so what do I care about the paper-pushers?" At STRAT, they are hiring non-rated officers, officers from other services, GS-types with no rated background, and contractors that have no ######ing idea how airplanes work and operate to make highly critical decisions. When I was moved from capabilities and requirements to nuclear operations this summer, my GS replacement called me up and asked me this: "What kind of radios do bombers have, and what do they use them for? Do they really need all of them?" Yeah, asses in cockpits are important, but these clowns are making stupid decisions about entire fleets of aircraft. Most don't even bother asking anyone that has a clue about their decisions before millions/billions are thrown away. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I think the fact that they are offering bonuses to old guys who didn't take the bonus when it was around the last time may have something to do with it. Also, my assignment guy has told me there is a virtual guarantee I'll be offered continuation to 24. There's no way in hell I'll do it, but it will be out there for the truly desperate.

My boss took a job at USAFA as a flight instructor. It didn't seem to hurt him, but he's topped out as a graduated squadron commander (ASBC squadron that shut down) at O5. I'll ask him when I see him and post it here.

I know you guys are pilots, but I switched from E-3s to B-52s as a nav in 1999, going straight to the left seat downstairs. No crossflow board or trade was involved. I was released from the R guys to the B guys, since recon was fat for about five minutes. The only thing that kept me from going to B-1s was the shortage of EW school slots, or I would have gone there instead. I'm sure the pilot community would put restrictions on you that don't apply to navs/ewos, but it seems like the "B-2 wall" is starting to crumble as the plane gets older. There used to be restrictions on SR-71s/U-2s/F-117s back in the day.

Any words on common sense adjustments to Blues Monday due to weather (WG/CC discretion)? It's supposed to be 10 with windchills below zero. I know, nothing like what the Minotians have to go through, but just a question. We're still in short or long sleeves at STRAT.

Great posts from Bergman and ASUPilot. The other services know we are busted. If they didn't realize it before, the firings of the SECAF and CSAF probably clued them in. Being in a joint command, I get ribbed from the other three all the time. When Blues Monday made it's appearance, a knob chief walked up to a Navy chief I work with and excitedly asked him what he thought of the new policy. He replied that he didn't care, since he would wear the same uniform he always did: khakis. He was then asked what the AF members thought of it. My guy's reply: "I don't know chief, but I think they ######ing hate it." I'm just wondering when the current leadership (the GOs, O6s, and senior NCOs) will figure out they aren't wearing clothes.

My condolences from all the B-52 bretheren with clipped wings here in Offutt's Bldg. 500. Words do not say enough. A picture of 0053 hangs 30 feet down the hallway from my office. It would be nice if they could hang a small memorial picture beneath it, but only a few here know that that was the jet. For those still flying, take care and be safe.

Offutt's gone long sleeve. Starting the clock on STRAT... Fortunately, the stock of 18-37's is stout. Almost everything else is out.

Many, many years ago, there were these slots for pre-commissionees: pilot, nav, missile, non-rated ops, technical, non-technical. I was given a missile slot, but on my dream sheet, there was a block that you could check to volunteer for '17XX duties'. This is one of the non-rated ops career fields, including the 19XX abortion that only lasted a year or two under Skeletor. I flew E-3s for almost five years as a nav. Unlike most of my flight deck comrades, I had a number of 'goat' friends that 'turned right at the entry door', and they were great people. I made a serious effort to learn as much about their mission as I could, and it paid off. I had an orbit area in OSW named after me (yep, it was in the ATO/ACO) and was assigned to MacDill as a DO for a couple of months because the commander (an MCC) really liked me. I had as many ABMs (American and Canadian) at my wedding as I had rated guys. I miss them to this day. If I was young, I would definitely choose ABM after nav on my dream sheet. Their star was rising eight years ago when I left AWACS, and now that they are rated officers, it can only get better.

I was scrambling to rip pitot covers off my plane and 12 ALCMs.

I saw a request for a couple of IG guys to go to Iraq and Afghanistan to augment their IGs. This article tells me how those inspections would go down.

Everything is on hold at STRAT until next week. I guess the other services didn't take kindly to being told what to do by the pinger AF service chief.

Just an input (not bitching)... My wife went to the Offutt MCSS today, and they are out of ALL male trousers larger than a 32 waist. They are also out of all white T-shirts. They are out of all male belts. She didn't see how many rank sets they have left, but I'm sure they are short if not out.

That will be good...as long as they brief the promotion boards on the restrictions placed on the rated force. Non-rated creep into more and more command positions will be inevitable. I'd say there will be a non-rated squadron commander of a UAV unit within the next five years. On my primary O5 board, the non-rated officers had a ten-point promotion percentage advantage on navs, and a five-point on pilots. That will probably increase, since rated guys will be stuck in the cockpit with limited command opportunities.