Fud

It is also very easy to use the "ctl+F" to bring up the find function. Just type in the keywords after it. A lot of bad things can happen to a kid near any workout equipment. My wife's solution was to have a neighbor, who also worked out, to watch our kids, then she would return the favor later that day. Just an idea.

This all sounds like a leadership problem when you look at the big picture. All too often, I see leadership who is not willing to confront the problem and help everyone work together. The commander at those bases should crack the whip and make people get their asses in gear, but that does not happen very much. There are many other processes that suffer these same conditions as well. I know this sounds something like a PME diatribe, but it is true, and leadership is to blame.

If you were a 4 year scholarship guy like me, you cannot use the top-up program unless that has changed. I went to TUI and TA covered the whole thing. However, TUI is not AACSB accredited though, with it only having regional accredation. Not sure what that means in the business world, but I really don't care.

I think the damn thing is too long, but you all know how this really went. After a month, someone on the Air Staff probably had a decent motto, and sent it up with a eSSS to get approval. Along the way, it was edited, completely changed, and sent back down again to said staffer. There were probably countless hours spent on many weekends away from family and friends in the pentagonal windowless office, and then, it finally got approved. I've seen how stuff like this works first hand for the "motto" on the bottom of our new unit letterhead, that continues to change shades of blue until we get it just right. In my humble opinion, fucking ridiculous, and a testament to how we waste our time on a day to day basis. I love "fly, fight, win", but when I was browsing through AF Times today, and told coworkers what it was, their first reaction was that we are not pilots. I don't think people get that the tip of the Air Force spear is our pilots. That is why I applied after many long hours of study to get the slot that I currently have. There are other arguments on threads here like "ammo against the shoe clerks" in the general discussion thread that are also a testament to how wrong our mentality has gotten. Without MX, support, finance, MPF, and other organizations, we could not do our jobs. The purpose of all those jobs is to support the pilots who are in the fight, dropping bombs on all that wish us harm. [end rant]

Vertigo, now you would be referred to AA and given paperwork for that type of thing. In my experience, if alcohol is involved in any way, you will get in trouble and get a much bigger punishment.

1. Wall-to-wall counseling-you can still get away with doing it sometimes. The MPF, and CLOSS (Commander's Lack of Support Staff) were not helping anyone out during walkin appointment times. I knocked on the door where they all lurk and proceeded to chew the A1C out who was obviously not doing her job. She was visibly pissed off, but when I asked to speak to her supervisor, people magically started being helped at record pace. 2. Enough money/personnel-I have heard this argument before and I have never bought it. 20% of the people in a squadron do 80% of the actual work. These folks are the ones who will eventually be promoted to the higher ranks of the Air Force, while their families (there will be multiples due to the high divorce rate) suffer. We are always being asked to do more with less, but we should be doing less of the bullshit, and calling it out every day. When a commander asks how to make life better, stand up and tell him/her what sucks. Do this once, because things will either change, or you will be looked at as a problem child. The USAF has a terrible feedback system on how to trim the fat, and nothing is a problem until it has gotten so bad, we are seeing mushroom clouds (literally someday, maybe). Just look at Boyd and how people are now starting to see the light of his great ideas. 3. SAC sucked, I don't care who you are. Taking pride in following checklists is like CLOSS member actually doing their job. SAC was not all bad, but their mentality was. Read Chapter 22 in the new Robin Olds biography. The organization and how it was run was the straw that broke the camel's back for him. I hate the way the nuclear enterprise is run, and wish AFGSC could trim down the checklists so they could be followed by a kindergardener, but someone's OPR needs to be padded at the staff level. ***I think the USAF needs to bring back it's drinking/partying culture after a smart week's work. I love to tie a couple on every friday night, but only seem to get strange looks from the people that come in, have one beer, and leave. The culture is changing in the USAF for the worse, and it all starts with the leadership at the top. I can still mentor a young airman to do their job, but I could also be bent over the barrel for not being too sensitive. If you are too sensitive to be yelled at, then you shouldn't be trusted with any type of weapon, or be in the service period.*** End Rant.

2 I also find it interesting with the drawdown that no general officer billets are being force shaped. As far as a money issue, if we stopped using a paper OPR process everytime something needed to be edited, we would save a lot of cash, as well as not replacing office furniture every year, but I know I am already beating a dead horse on this one.

I've witnessed Majors being called by their first name by O-1 through O-3s at the club, but not anywhere else. I guess it is mostly a CGO thing. I have had a SSgt tell me that he doesn't have to salute Lt's since the rank is given and not earned. I used that opportunity to "teach" him the difference between the commissioned ranks and the non-commissioned ranks. I was not a douche to the dude, but listened to his opinion and showed him that he was incorrect using an AFI. Most just don't know, and the USAF is the most relaxed of all the Armed Forces on this issue. I would love to see it change, but our inability to be identified as a combat service could be the cause. Also, most flying/ops squadrons are full of CGOs only, and everyone parties together, etc...not an excuse for the behavior, but a good reason none the less. Lastly, call signs are supposed to be used, even when referring to other rated bubbas, no matter what the rank. This is because there is no rank in the jet, at least in some communities.

Agreed on the Marine etiquette. I was part of a joint exercise a while back, where we worked with them, and they were the most respectful of everyone around them. I know the stigma Marines typically have, but I didn't see any of the bad side. The USAF is too soft on this type of thing, but I was getting at part of a bigger problem that I am seeing in everyday life. With social networking sites/texting/IM/Cell phones comes a bastardized form of communication on all levels. Psychologically, you cannot see what a person's expression is, and that can lead to confusion on some ends. This is not only a civilian concern, but a military one as well. Communication is a good thing, but too much communication can be a very negative thing. I don't mean to sound like that old man, even though I revealed my young age earlier, but I hate seeing people on social networking sites at work. Agreed on when the young airman gets out and tries to get a job where they can get fired for doing so. Another poster said it earlier when the government weighed the pros and cons. All of the information out there AFSC/Exercises/locations/airframes etc... are listed on these sites. There is now a part of our briefings dealing with social networking sites, and how you need to watch what you put on them. [rant over, if it ever was one]

Three days ago, I spent 10 minutes in a line at base lodging partly because of this issue. All I told the girl at the desk was that she needed to pay better attention to her customers and that priority one was her job. I am in my late twenties, but I still say excuse me when the phone/text/IM conversation pops up on my phone. I just don't think younger folks get that there is proper etiquette for this type of thing.

I wouldn't worry to much about the MCR of the CV-22 just yet, because it is still so new. Frankly, I find MCR to be an often padded statistic to make your sq/gp/wg/naf/majcom look good in the eyes of big blue. The question to be asked is this "does the airframe accomplish the mission it was made to do?" Even though it doesn't have a set mission right now, I believe it will be a valuable asset in the future, if the program is utilized correctly.

I remember watching the miniseries documentary about the Blue Angels with Russ Bartlett as their CO. Did he get out early to work at Hawker/Beechcraft? I'm just curious.

Honestly, I will never forget how to do CPR again.

Ken, your thought process is part of the problem. It seems that everyone is starting to wear flight suits that is in an "operational" role. I find it sad that career fields are getting wings of all types. They look terrible, and really do not make any sense. I'm not saying that pilots are better than any other person serving in a support role, but let's call it like it is. The USAF revolves around a flight line. Period! I can't stand when other AFSCs try to be things they are not. I still do not know why Security Forces refers to themselves as SF, and although this is a simple thing, it does seem to imitate Special Forces and how they call themselves SF. I remember when the Army started wearing black berets when it used to be a Ranger thing. The Ranger Regiment and anyone who wore the tab were furious, and rightfully so. The only folks wearing wings and bags, are aircrew members. Not space, missiles, or whoever else wears them these days. It all seems trivial, but to me, it robs communities of their pride and heritage.

Take it all over again. My PCSM score went from a 5 to a 98 after I retook the AFOQT (Scored high 80s), and the TBAS. I also flew a lot during that time, and that helped immensely as well. While none of us actually know the percentage breakdown of which counts more, I second the notion that the TBAS is really important for your PCSM score. Good luck.

How do you figure on this one? I would NEVER advise telling someone's wife off, no matter what. I just choose to laugh about the couples' lack of SA. Some spouses tend to live vicariously through their significant others because they are proud, arrogant, or whatever. It is not my place to pass judgement in public about it.

no keyboard patterns either.

I love the way we eat our own in the AF. I hope we keep doing it, and don't pussify things as we keep doing now.

How on earth do you expect them to learn. They should know early that we eat our own, and are willing to bitch them out for insignificant things. Isn't that what the USAF is all about (sarcasm)?. Truthfully though, I have "porked" up many a thread, and the mods have set me straight. Also, how would you truly be able to verify if someone is a ROTC cadet or in the Air Force. What about Academy and OTS candidates? I'm just playing devil's advocate here.

This book comes out on April 13, 2010. I cannot wait!

On a different note, I have seen many good people (senior officers on down) get the shaft. They were all good people, but happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Shit happens in the Air Force, and people are held accountable, and whether you agree with it or not is a non-issue. I'd love to see a 2Lt argue with an O-5/O-6 type about something miniscule in the regs. I've seen it happen, the 2Lt was right, but got shafted anyway for mouthing off and seeming cocky. Getting worked up about it does not help, and can get you into some pretty big trouble depending on who your talking to (been there, done that, never doing it again). As far as gouge is concerned, only use it as a guide, and study all of the material in whatever class you are taking. I've seen way too many people use gouge as the only source, and they are not fully utilizing any course they are taking. I promise you, this will translate to how the do their day-to-day job, and these are the slap-dick douchebags that don't know how to do their jobs. I had a guy take the same Master's level courses as I did, and he tried to get all of my old papers off of my computer. Not only did I not help him, but he failed out because he couldn't think for himself.

2 but this commercial is outstanding! My wife could not stop laughing.

Here's a great article about this type of "leadership". https://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/milreview/reed.pdf One of the best articles I've read on the subject. It details all aspects of a shitty leader, and how there should be some type of subordinate review of the commander to keep them in check. I believe Karma (or whatever you want to call it) is a bitch, and somehow people will pay for wronging others in such ways. Unfortunately, they are still teaching PME students with their articles, and talking about what great leaders these men are. It also seems to be an underlying tone that for one to succeed in the AF, they should shut up and color.

I think the anger is still there, except it is now driven towards a war that has take too long, and has been micromanaged by the politicians. When my civilian peers say this is our generation's vietnam, it makes me really sad, but I know we are doing the right thing. Longer wars are rarely given the nation's sympathy until later in history. I remember all of this as if it were yesterday, and I appreciate everyone's accounts. If someone is good at writing, they should compile this information in to a book. I'm a decent writer, but nowhere near Robert Coram status... Edit for spelling...I've had a few drinks for our brothers lost and the ones currently fighting.

I had just finished doing morning PT at my college when I reported to a running class about an hour later. I was lucky in that I did not have to wear a uniform of any kind to this class, and that I could blow off some steam. It was a particularly cold Texas morning, and I remember having the chills until I started running. All of the sudden, someone ran up to our group as we were doing some cool-down stretching, and she said that an airplane had hit the World Trade Center. I immediately thought in my mind that this must have been a mistake, and how it might have been a single engine aircraft that did not cause much damage. The class broke early, and we glued ourselves to the television to watch the horror that unfolded in the next couple of hours. I still think about those exact moments, as I'm sure my grandfather remembers December 7, 1941, and I will never forget. I was not in the military at the time, but am proud to serve alongside each and everyone of you on here. I just wanted to share where I was, and hear some other peoples' accounts about that fateful day. We will never forget those lost, or those who are currently serving. Thank you and God bless!