Fud

Actually had to brief him one time and got the same feeling all of you are describing. I was not a fan immediately after he opened his mouth. Next Foglesong?

Are they still dong scenario questions on the EWO tests? We always gave feedback that those shouldn't exist because we are tested on those in the MPTs. It won't stick. In a culture, which is inundated with backstabbing, it will not change. I saw flight commanders and Sr. Crews who were terrible operators and worse people, yet leadership thought they were gods.

A few good points from the most recent AF Times article. Secretary James and Defense Secretary Hagel seem to get it. I've been out of that career for some time, but recently ran into an older capsule jockey who was about to retire. His words exactly "It sucked back then, and I'm sure it sucks worse now". Sadly, I agree with him, however, ICBM duty could be one of the best assignments in the AF. A few highlights from the article: "The Air Force doesn't incentivize good work by airmen, but instead has created a culture that places an emphasis on perfection and punishing anything less" Agree wholeheartedly. I remember hearing about signs at all the bases that said perfection was the standard. You would constantly see the "shiny pennies" have field deviations swept under the rug, while other less fortunate people would be raked over the coals. You were also never taught the timing standards for evaluations, but were expected to perform flawlessly in an evaluation without them. These folks are set up for failure. "Micromanagement needs to be replaced by a culture of empowerment" Don't agree as there is not a lot of 'empowerment' a missile officer can have in the field. The checklist oriented nature of the job does not allow for much leeway, but this is a good thing. The micromanagement can be fixed by the purge I mention below. "The missile forces need better funding..." I'll believe it when I see it, but I don't think this will happen. I also don't think it is necessary to have PRP pay or anything like it. We were often compared to sub crews, but their job is much more dangerous and they are away from home far longer. If they get incentive pay, good for them, but the missile cops, MX, chefs, and FMs (all enlisted) should be paid more first. It is tough to expect young people to be motivated when they are in such remote locations. I don't have numbers, but am willing to bet DUIs are higher at the northern tier bases than at the lower ones. "The forces have lost a distinction between training and testing." Huge 2 on this one. There is no reason for monthly proficiency testing the way it currently is. In my end of tour brief with my CC, I mentioned the test bank concept and how it should be implemented. He said it would never happen. Each wing, at least when I was there, had different testing. It was especially difficult when you had an inspection come through where the tests were from different wings. There is literally no standardization across the testing shops and one failure means you're garbage. This type of testing should be scrapped. This should be step one. If completed, morale will nearly be fixed. The next part of the equation is fixing the management problem at these bases. As I stated before, the "rot" mentioned in this career field starts at the top. There is a severe lack of quality leadership at the top of the 13N career field, and there needs to be a purge similar to that accomplished at the end of WWII. This will send a message to the young officers in a positive way.

Typing on my tablet drunk and angry makes me bad at grammar sometimes. The job is easy. Technical, yes, but after good training, it ain't that hard. I never complained about the ops tempo or the job itself. It was just terrible leadership.

Like a Letterman Top Ten List 1. Monetary incentives 2. No monthly bullshit proficiency testing 3. Make a test bank of questions (similar to rated folks instead of playing "stump the chump") 4. Don't crush people for making inconsequential mistakes (if you don't lose a weapon, security of it, or launch it when you aren't supposed to, then pretty much everything is recoverable). 5. Get better leadership in jobs who will be real with you. (There was a constant buzz of terrible leaders who always spouted bullshit about the locations not being that bad. I know there weren't ten but this is a good start. Holding a leadership position in missiles always seemed to be for those who stuck it out and made LTC because all of their peers got out. There are some awesome leaders in that career field though, as there are in every career field. On another note, crew dogs shouldn't complain about the job or the ops tempo. I can guarantee most folks would kill for a job where they could be at home often with their family. The job is easy, you get to go home most nights, but the majority of oeadership is horrendous. All most of them do is talk about making O-6 and they seem to be chomping at the bit to get out of their tour as quickly as possible. However, these things have all been suggested before, and nothing was done. I expect lip service, mass punishments, and continued morale in the gutter. Edit to add: When you are in a career field where you are expected to be perfect, people will lie to you and cheat the system, whether it is tests, or simple procedures. As the Minot helo pilot stated above, careerism is rife in that career field and CYA is a daily occurrence. You also don't have leadership who pull crew at all, and some truly don't understand what is going on. Also, when you aren't putting warheads on foreheads, you get measured by test scores. Those tests, as stated earlier are designed for you to fail. I remember hearing management state that they wanted testing so hard that people would fail. One test failure meant you were a bag of shit forever. Talk about pressure to perform, and you're telling me that doesn't create an unhealthy environment.

I was thinking the same thing when I saw the picture today. I wonder if it was something big or if this just made a smaller case against him worse. I'm interested in the true story as well, which I'm sure we will hear about sometime soon.

Huge 2 I am very curious about the medical marijuana industry as well. Which stock screener do you use? I bet there is free access to one if you get it from your base library. I'll check more out.

The numbers of folks in the 05 year group in my career field is abysmal but my guess is that way too many will be cut.

Go see a certified CFP for a consultation. They will do it all for you, but the good ones are expensive. Personally, I don't have the time to read about all the companies I wish I had invested in years ago (Netflix, Apple, etc...)

They will take care of all the transfer stuff for you. I moved my kid's education funds over as well. However, I did make one call to USAA and when asked why I was closing my investments, I told them my reasons were personal. I am very happy with Vanguard for my long term investments, but my emergency fund is still with USAA in a money market fund for easy accessibility.

You're doing very well in regard to your peers. It's good to do this in a forum type of environment, since your neighbors would be jealous and the liberals will want to give it away since it's not fair that you were disciplined for your entire career. All kidding aside, I think you need to look into Vanguard's investment options. Their funds are rated higher than USAA's and most importantly, their expense ratios are lower. As far as diversification goes, I've never been a fan of index funds or CDs, but I follow Dave Ramsey's investment philosophy, which is somewhat limited. I would take some of that hard earned, and well saved money and talk to a very good CFP and let them know what your goals are. These points are all of my own opinions though, and you will never have a shortage of people telling you how to use and invest your money. Good luck and congrats though.

You should save your money for a bit after the move. Each time I have PCS'd, I have been overpaid. You'll get an accusatory email like you stole the money, but usually that is after you have been paid for DIY, PDIY, per diem, etc...

I've heard they have them on Active Duty as well. I'm not surprised at any of the points made in the article. There is also a program for people to inform on others called Operation Eagle Eyes. While not the same concept, it is used pretty often from what I hear.

I read this article yesterday and had the same question. I'm not sure why anyone would want to go there after viewing this... https://www.vice.com/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3 Not sure if this had been posted before, but it's a pretty good short documentary.

I heard people started to be hard coded to either space or missiles, but was curious how that worked out. I was "boarded" for space or missiles three times during my five years in that first assignment. Also, you could always apply to the programs (SUPT, etc...), but some leadership would not write strong packages for their folks. It could have been the packages were not strong, but I saw plenty of folks get a package re-written by leadership who didn't want so many people to apply. It's very difficult to cross train out of Missiles until the end of your time in that assignment. It's sad because qualified folks are being held at those bases until close to the time that they would be ineligable to apply. I have a buddy who tried to go blue to green multiple times, and they wouldn't approve him until after he was about to leave. He's now headed to SF selection soon.

This is true, but what truly makes a missile officer "good" as opposed to "great" at their job. I forgot to mention the misdirected emphasis on Global Strike Challenge (formerly "missile comp"). If you win this competition you are practically a god among men if you are a missile officer. You train on scenarios that will never happen, and actually couldn't happen in real life. Discussion with a bud of mine still in missiles said this was hopefully changing though. When you don't have an actual mission to perform, other than nuclear deterrence, the queep piles up fast. I've not been to the Died, but I assume in its early days, there was not too much going on, and the shoes were afraid to go there. Once walls were set up, and McDonalds and other AAFES services arrived, certain leaders were lining up to fight for their country in the safety of an established base. I once made the mistake of asking a question during a briefing about a senior missile leader's deployment experience, and I was verbally counseled afterward by a squadron DO. As for the OG being worried about the "standard" weather assessment, I have seen OGs and WG/CCs fired for a vehicle rollover alone. Having the helo folks in the OG was always strange to me, because it was a huge clash of cultures. You never saw any pilot be a wing or group exec, not that they want that job, but they were always the most fun people to hang out and party with. I enjoyed my flights with the helo squadron before I left and loved their laid back nature.

I don't blame you for having this viewpoint, but many missile officers hated the job so much, that 365 deployments were turned off due to too many missile personnel who were deploying to be convoy commanders and other jobs. There is absolutely nothing good about being a missile officer. The endless inspections, never getting to do your job (which is a very good thing), abysmal leadership, no opportunities to get out of the northern tier, and constant backstabbing eat away at you. "Burnout" from a flying job, deployments, and missile duty are three separate things entirely, and I don't truly believe are related. The missile job itself is an easy one. Once you know how to perform the steps of the checklist, and understand the nuances of each checklist, the job becomes very mundane. Unlike flyers, who memorize the majority of their checklists, missile personnel are not allowed to memorize checklists, and are even chastised for doing so. You have to take three tests each month which you are required to attain a perfect 100 average. These tests, for the most part, are pretty easy conceptually. The problem was when you got an asshole of an instructor who liked to see people get chewed out by squadron commanders for only attaining a 95% on a useless test. On top of that, you have evaluations you have to take, which are also easy conceptually, where I have heard leadership say they wanted to see more people fail. When you have a job that is easy conceptually in all respects, you get a lot of backstabbing. You look around yourself and see nobody who is truly "better" than anyone else. On top of that, you can get coded to go nuke, and stay at one shitty base for 5+ years. Your other option is going space, but you will be behind your peers. The last option, which I fortunately took was to apply and be accepted to SUPT. I applied twice, got accepted the second time and that was simply due to the only good leadership who made my package look good. This does not happen often. The leadership is a completely different issue. You get the backstabbers and careerists who are more worried about a vehicle rollover than actually pushing crews to go on alerts. This was evident by how crew briefings were performed during the week and on the weekends. During the week, you'd have up to four hours worth of briefings (2 of which were exactly the same), and the brief could last longer due to weather delays or impromptu testing. On the weekends, when the commanders had time off, the briefings might last 30 minutes. Before I left that hellish AFSC, I heard they were even talking about doing mission planning for driving out to a site. They always took the parts of the flying job and misapplied them to what we did. Not to mention that you would be all but literally crushed for making the tiniest mistake in the field or on a test. This had a different negative effect entirely, but that's a different story. I know this is a long post, but I wanted to conclude it with this story. I was at another missile officer's return party from a 6 month stint in Afghanistan, and I asked him how it was. He said the only thing that sucked worse than missiles was being shot at, but not by much. He also told me he was slightly depressed about coming back to the job, even from a place as shitty as the stan.

Huge 2 on talking to your ADC before talking to anyone else. When offered an Art 15, you are correct in your notion that you can accept the article 15 forum or go to trial. However, there are maximum punishments for officer/enlisted members, and that is all that can happen in regard to punishment. More than likely, the member will have the Art 15 placed into a permanent part of their record, given a referral OPR/EPR, and assignments taken away. You can be given an LOR for any departure from standards from a commanding officer. An LOA can even end one's career. It will generate a referral report for officers, and effectively end or halt the member's career, although some enlisted members recover. It will be interesting to see if this is publicized in this case, or if we'll ever hear about the resulting administrative actions.

You know, I read this entire forum for a few months and never commented. The reason I never commented is because I have become accustomed to people like liquid spewing this garbage. If you are who you claim to be, I'll show you the proper respects and say..."Sir, thank you. Thank you for letting me know what is in our future as a force." My ADSC expires in a few months and I can walk on if I choose. Everyone else bitches and moans and "tries to fix things" but it will never happen. Read the last few chapters of Gen Old's bio and you'll see what our AF culture has become. We are more worried about passing inspections than kicking ass, taking names, and drinking an adult beverage while looking at strippers, or taking those shots out of their belly buttons. I'm not being sarcastic by saying "thank you" because this is the way our service, and all others, are headed. Edit to say: Sir, seriously, thank you for coming onto this forum. Again, if you are who you say you are, this is truly the last bastion of truth you will see in the USAF. I'd say the same thing to you in person no matter what your wore on your collar or shoulders, but that is why I don't have a future here. Not saying I'd talk shit, but it seems our "senior leadership" can't take an honest answer in person. I've tried, it bit me in the ass, and I've moved on. I just hope this website doesn't become official in some way, otherwise it will suck. This website got aided me in getting a pilot slot, helped me kick ass in my current job, and made me appreciate true men I respect like M2, Toro, and many others. God bless you all, and goodnight.

I love soul food made specifically, and only by black people. Everything about a meal like that is delicious and I have never been more satisfied. The same can be said about Mexican food made my Mexicans. We celebrate these attributes for months on end, and denigrate anyone who points out the singularities in the different cultures. It is all bullshit and it's bad for you (not the food, but the bullshit).

BG Olds would have been out of today's USAF with a dismissal and jail time. Reading his autobiography was amazing, and I truly loved who this man was. A few examples: 1. Low fly-by in Europe so he could not be promoted to flag rank and get to go to Vietnam. 2. Wearing an out of regs mustache for morale. 3. Having an affair with his secretary after his change of command ceremony in Vietnam. 4. Putting the tanker pilot in for a silver star when it's pilot violated rules of engagement so the pilot would not be taken to a GCM. 5. Still flying after being promoted to BG overseas during war time. 6. Temporarily grounding (for a month) a pilot who overflew USAFA, when Olds was the COC, and broke every window in the teratzo while breaking the sound barrier. These are the ones I remember, and there are many more. I hate how we revere these leaders today, but would rake someone over the coals for doing these things in this day and age. I'm surprised the USAF hasn't been made a part of the Quaker religion with how we are expected to act now. That being said, I do think that overtly sexual conduct or speech does not have a place in the work environment of any organization. I've seen numerous people police this, and I don't fault them for feeling comfortable enough to tell someone to shut up. It doesn't have to go further than that, and people learn from their mistakes instead of being squashed for them. Disagree 100%. I believe in "service, not servitude" and many in our leadership echelon think we need to exhibit servitude. I won't do it and applaud others who won't as well. Don't piss on my head and tell me that it's raining or that I should like it.

If you have not read the book "American Hero" by Robert Coram, then you should. The intro alone got me hooked on the book. It describes how an older retired pilot puts on his mess dress jacket, and then a very important medal around his neck. He could barely do this because of his torture in the Hanoi Hilton. I believe he spoke at Laughlin AFB during a dining out. I wish I had been there, because it would have been an interesting night. Instead of following protocol, the generals in attendance were introduced first. In order with tradition, a medal of honor winner should be introduced first due the medal's rarity and importance. The general's and base commander received modest applause. When Colonel Day was introduced last, spoons started to tap slowly at first, then faster, then louder, and then he received a standing ovation. If you have not read this book, or know of this great man, then you owe it to yourself as a member of the Armed Forces to see what he was all about. Nickel on the Grass.

Hacker, agreed 100%, and I hope it didn't sound like a technicality is a bad thing, as it is not.

I think this video is best to be put anywhere. The Australian COA in the video hits the nail on the head, but for a very different issue. I'm not familiar with the particulars yet, but I think he is talking about people distributing some type of obscene material involving fellow Aussie Army members. It is unfortunate, as is the Lt. Col Wilkerson case in what has recently come to light.

Legal precedent lasts for quite a while, unless it is overturned in some way. However, an interesting note about juries in general is that they can ignore something that is against the law and declare someone 'not guilty' even if a law prevents the act. The CINC and any commander should be extremely careful in making comments to anyone, because there are so many technicalities for a defendent to get off the hook.