dmeg130

Eligibility matrix is up; no rated AFSCs. No surprise, not eligible for any of the other voluntary outs anyway.

+10 for pig mania reference. Too much Magic Hat, perhaps?

Search "Finance Guy" for a primer in useful contribution to the dialog. It is baseops.net after all, not MPF.net.

Been much discussion over how to get a JTAC capability inherent in rescue, whether an actual dude assigned to the PJ team/squadron or training CROs or other team members in JFO as above. Several example from recent ops (like this one) demonstrate the need in case no A-10 or FAC(A) is around, but hard to convince senior leader aviators that PJs have any business on the ground more than a rotor disk from the helo sometimes.

Especially to all dads not with their kids today -- dudes have pretty high moral character if you ask me.... Cheers, dads. Ain't easy. PS: congrats to all of you who sweated out another year and didn't have a card show up from PI/Thailand/Korea!

So am I turning before that stick up at 1 o'clock or after it?

In other news, pilot selected for O-6.

No, of course not. But it is an indicator.... Someone who signs up to be an aviator, and is fortunate enough to be selected and graduate training is expected to enjoy their job and get really good at it. When someone appears more interested in box checking, visibility, and staff opportunities at the expense of what most of us believe should be their focus, it reeks of careerist douchebaggery. However, practical leadership for us in the USAF is usually quite limited (especially compared to other services) until FGO levels. Some guys do well, some don't, but the guys with several ops tours usually have more credibility and an ops focus, both of which usually equal "great commander" in our minds. I know plenty of great leaders with zero hours. But I'm wary of an O5 with 1200 hours and 6 years at the pentagon.

Any slick pilots, navs, and loads at LRF looking to stay in the herk, then transition to J-mods at a later date, can make your AFPC fam aware that you are a volunteer for Rescue. We are trying to swing some extra pft to mission qual guys at kirtland, go to Moody in legacy, then convert to HC-130J as slots are available. Nav position is retained on J. Options after Moody are DM or Kirtland schoolhouse. Community is under-manned and over-deployed, but mission rocks and beats a lot of other gigs. Slick cross flows have traditionally done well and upgraded ahead of peers (had several from RMS and DYS past years). Not sure yet numbers we can get, so put name in early if interested.

Guess the Mayans were wrong after all

For anyone wondering what the HC-130 has been up to in theater. PEDRO/FEVER/Guardian Angel still doing plenty of heavy lifting post-surge.... Moody crew wins Tunner Award

Made more of a positive impact on the USAF than most of the CSAFs.... Him Him

HC-J Schoolhouse is at Kirtland (415SOS vice 550SOS for legacy) following initial qual at Little Rock. Ops tempo is still going to be high, but expect more flying and less sitting alert (at least initially) in the J. DM will get all of their aircraft in the next year, while Moody will gradually phase them in between CY13-15. Guard and Reserve follow. New aircraft = less breaky, much better performance. Not a whole lot of mission changes, but airframe adds heavy equipment drops and receiver air refueling. Rescue is an amazing mission w/ a small, tightly-knit community including -60 bros and PJs, and get lots of tac flying (yes we do entire sorties VFR). PM me if you want any other info.

Very little, and no. Your 942 says "1" all the way down, not much chance anyone is going to dig through the individual Forms 8 in-depth.

Quite true. Where I come from, we don't really have weapons guys, so our SEFEs are usually the most squared away. Unfortunately, some commanders upgrade shitty EPs without providing them any perspective on their role in the squadron. However, someone who hasn't been a SEFE trying to tell me how to administer a check probably doesn't have much to contribute to the conversation. I'd also say that anything you have to look up clearly wasn't scary/important enough to hook for, but the verbiage on the form 8 might have to be written in a particular way. Point is to make the right call for the squadron. Guy can/cannot do his job. Easy. Skitzo's question is an admin one, and not as cut and dry. For instance, guy can't fly maneuver X. Is that a Q-2 because he needs more training or Q-3? Anybody who says "my hands are tied" should be kicked in the junk and downgraded. Use your professional judgment -- theoretically, that's why you're a SEFE. You work for the boss to give him an honest (and accurate) assessment; if you need some time to do so, take it.

Well, if you've never been an EP (as the question was directed) then I suppose you really have nothing of value to contribute on this one. Q-1. Meets standards, nothing so aggregious as to require additional training. Could have no individual area downgrades, or could have several that were non-critical areas or Unsat. The evaluator will debrief all areas observed, and any discrepancies must be cleared during debrief or additional training. It's not unusual, however, to determine the actual areas or wording of a downgrade until further reflection, then get back with the examinee and tell them specifically what you've decided. It's nice to have that done ASAP so nobody loses sleep over it, but you are the evaluator, so better to make the right call later than the wrong one early. And if anyone really has a beef with the downgrades on a Q-1 checkride, they should probably punch themself. What IS a huge foul is telling them an overall grade, then changing it later (good or bad). If you are unsure, tell them you haven't decided yet, debrief all of the discrepancies, then take time to think and/or get advice on the overall grade. You usually know in your gut -- the vol 2 is only there for the paperwork. If I know the overall grade I'm giving, I always lead with that so that they'll pay attention to the rest of the debrief.

Don't ever mention it in any form of electronic media. Your identity and postings are easily obtainable. And admissible.

Methinks you missed the target of my comment -- which was stract knows full well that, despite not seeing them much around Kadena, the HC-130 is the ONLY OTHER airframe spcifically tasked with PR/CSAR. Whole thread is really indicative of the shoe-ification/everyone-is-a-warrior-itis (and therefore my job importance is comparable to somebody else) of the USAF. Sad, but true. CBT soon to come of DFAC grill identidication and food safety guidelines.

*ahem*

At least he saved the government money by renting a Kia.

ACC is keeping nav/CSO position. Very few differences in the MC-J.

If you decline a PCS/PME/TDY which would last longer than your established ADSC or incur additional retainability, you have 7 days to establish a retirement or separation date -- if you have unserved ADSC, that date will *normally* be the day after your current ADSC ends. For example, if you get non-vol'd to Cannon and you still had four years left on your UPT commitment, you gotta go anyway. It's only if the additional ADSC would extend beyond your current that you can say ix-nay. If you only had one year left, and they said go, you could say "bite me". HUGE CAVEAT -- THEY CAN STILL SEND YOU!!! But, you aren't forced to serve beyond your newly established separation date one year in the future. Which is why the commitment got upped to 10 years and the bonus is 5 -- once you're there, AFPC has your retirement by the short and curlies. Enjoy your 365.

Yes, and when the AF ships your birds off to be the 5/160th, those guys will actually refuel them. Thanks for being a team player.

OK, back on topic here... For those who actually read the article, the "SOF Truths" were written by an Army guy as a way to distinguish unique aspects of SOF vs conventional forces (read Army SOF and Big Army). Although often viewed as some kind as inviolate doctrinal mantra, it was designed to educate congress that you can't just shit out an SF group/SEAL platoon, etc. when you want it. The 5th truth says "these guys do not have the organic log train or supporting capes (other than ACs) to do big engagements on their own -- they aren't the magic answer to everything". Naturally, USASOC and SWC aren't going to adopt anything that implies they need help, thus 4 SOF Truths. ADM Olsen is just throwing that back out there since his guys are the most over-tapped resource out there; fair enough. As for where AFSOC falls in this debate, argue amongst yourself. The gap between what slick crews and MC crews can do (within the limits of their airframes) has shrunk dramatically in ten years. That, coupled with several new airframes coming on line in rapid succesion has requried some "mass-production". Hopefully the older guys (even crossflows) will be able to bridge the experience gap until the new guys get a couple hundred combat hours. However, I'd argue that it's harder to train somebody to be effetive in the 6th SOS than any other AFSOC flying squadron.

These aren't for the defense of the Taiwan Strait. ClearedHot's right on. These are going to be COIN/FID aircraft. 6SOS can't do everything. Instead of training the Iraqis to fly Caravans with IPs who have 20 hours in a C208, they'll (AF of country X) get trained by guys who have a boatload of hours in an airframe that's practical and sustainable for a developing nation's military (see also Light Lift requirement). Then they (theoretically) are able to handle stuff in their country so we don't have to. Don't think IW in the same terms as major combat -- the conventional wisdom that IW in general is a "lesser included case" of force-on-force warfare is why we have F-16s and F-15Es doing strafing runs, rather than something designed specificially for COIN. "They" also said the A-10 was a relic unsurvivable in a MEZ.