BitteEinBit

Tony Carr nailed it! He essentially took all of the gripes from BODN and eloquently posted it in a blog. It makes me happy that senior leaders such as Carr at least recognizes that the problems within the AF comes partly by the way we identify and grow "leaders" (as much as I hesitate to use the word). I hope key LEADERS in the Air Force are listening...the answers are right there. WABoom, I agree with you 100% that careerism is the AF's #1 problem because just as Carr explained, it forces careerists to do things and say what they think their bosses want to see and hear instead of identifying the #2 thru 100 problems that actually exist and being blunt and honest enough to fix them.. Wash, rinse, repeat. Until we end that cycle, none of this will change. We need more people to actually care about the Air Force and the TEAM's success, and less about what they can do to make themselves look better. The catch-22 is if you don't take care of yourself in this "careerist" world, you end up non-continued and or RIFd...and so we keep breeding careerism for job security.

You mean they are actually going to look at targeted numbers to cut instead of a random "across the board" cuts like last time? Novel idea....why didn't anyone on BODN think of that... (I have to add my sexism plug) Was she hot?? I keep trying to tell guys not to believe that anything or anyone in the Air Force is safe or immune from anything. The Air Force can, will and has changed the rules as they go along. Sanctuary today doesn't mean sanctuary tomorrow. Continuation today doesn't mean continuation tomorrow. There are NO guarantees! Those of you who signed the 10 year pilot bonus...there are NO guarantees. The AF will use you until they don't need you anymore and then if they want, they will release you before you make your 10 years. You are not guaranteed 10 years...the Air Force is just guaranteed you can't leave on your own for 10 years. Pay close attention to these constant "changes" ladies and gentlemen. They are already slowly eating away at our benefits. I'm pretty sure the "retirement pension" (or retainer fee) debate isn't over...and I'm also betting those currently serving will not be grandfathered into anything. Don't think for a second that anything is off the table now or in the future. Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but plan accordingly so you are not caught off guard. This is the reality we live in today....perhaps I'm just preparing myself for the worst case.

For f*ck's sake can we go a week without some stupid f*cking cheat/sex/drug scandal that should be dealt with at much lower levels and not in the media?! Ok, we got it, the Air Force is a bunch of sex crazed, womanizing, doped-up, drunker than Russians, deserting, cheaters! What next!?! All the good shit we do and a few f*cksticks get caught with BQZip's Mom and now we're all perverts!

I hear that is what the flight doc says to you during your separation physical. Just thought those of you considering separation should know.... You'll get it if you stay, but you'll get it if you go too....

He must be in a critical AFSC not eligible for VSP or RIF. I can't imagine anyone deserting when they can leave and get paid 1.25X VSP for it. Maybe he knocked up the WG/CCs 17-year-old daughter... Can't wait to hear the real story...

This. And that is the difference between leadership and management/oversight. Leaders connect with their people...they have the pulse of the squadron/group/wing and they aren't afraid to admit there is a problem and fix it. Managers manage numbers and spreadsheets and don't think about personnel impact from their decisions, they just know it works on paper...and it is why they are disconnected from the people they manage. They would rather do nothing and let the problem hopefully take care of itself, if not, hide itself until after they've checked their box and have moved on. The fact that this commander didn't realize the importance of "time off" with family tells me she's been clueless for a while now. Worst part...I'd say she's the "average" commander out there. I've seen very few of the ones who can connect with their people...very few. But hey, this more with less thing is going to work one of these days....

Really, what commander is going to tell his boss that morale sucks while he's been commander for a year. Again, we live in an Air Force where you are only as good as your last mistake. Because of it...no one makes mistakes. No one...

FIFY

It has taken 2 weeks because there are a bunch of Colonels and Generals who have to sign off on it so it was probably sitting in someone's inbox while we were on 'holiday' for the past two weeks. Why should I have to work through the holidays and my time off to release an important message about your career and future??

The Air Force part of the NSS and NDS was planned with the 25K as part of the strategy...we'll now have to re-evaluate our plan using 25K less and restrategerize. So, right now there is no plan...but we're working on it. We are learning as we go....even though we learned this same lesson 20 years ago and then again 10 years ago....

Agree. CSAF thinks that is not good for the force however. He believes it makes more sense to cut experience and keep bringing in the noobs. I don't understand his rationale, but I don't have to...he makes those calls.

I recall her saying "UP to 25K, which could actually mean less than 25K" but that it would be front loaded. I ask the same question about the 25K number...it seems so nice and round...almost like it was pulled out of someone's ass... I'm guessing the 25K is a number someone came up with to make a point. If AFPC doesn't even know who to cut yet, it certainly means they haven't planned any of this out. They are making cuts and then making "strategery" based on what we have left. Good luck when the next war kicks off. On the other hand, when you look at what percentage of folks in the AF have actually deployed, it should be relatively easy to decide who to cut if your new "strategery" is mission focused with limited manning. Personally, I'd keep my senior wartime experience and dump the noobs who didn't deploy because they didn't have to or because they avoided it...but that's just me. I realize it is a little more complicated than that. But, when AFPC still masks deployment history (experience) on boards, they kind of shoot themselves in the foot. It is all about school experience, and that will definitely help us in the next war. It is a real life Revenge of the Nerds. Edit: I can never f*cking just post an initial post without some "grammers"

50 year old man has sex with unconscious neighbor in order to save her life

I'm guessing it wasn't implied that Liquid = SpecialOpsTankerPilot, but rather the quote from Liquid regarding having access to a congressman and that what SOTP stated Is a post that rates the response "that's the best you've got?" I think Bendy was just making a funny...and it was. I agree, lets keep the personal attacks to a minimum so we can continue to have access to good information that is being provided here. Sadly, the information I am getting here is more than what is coming through official channels.

Yeah, I have limited experience working with contractors. What I should have said was "don't renew the contract." Like I said, when there is competition out there, I wouldn't think contractors are stupid enough to do the bare minimum. I know dirty contractors now in Afghanistan and the companies they work for are sure as hell kissing the Army's ass because they are at the point where the renewals are 6 months at a time and there is plenty of competition out there for the ISR contract. The Army couldn't give two shits who owns the contract as long as their mission is getting done effectively for the price they're willing to pay. I'm no contracting officer but I'm pretty sure companies like Lockheed, L3, DynCorp, Dynamic, SAIC are going to do a little more than the bare minimums as they try to impress the Army for those limited ISR flying contracts. Sure, when you don't have much competition you can expect lazy contractors because they know there is no one else...put a little competition out there and it changes the game. That is what I've seen in my little world. Again, I don't have the experience to speak intelligently on the topic...it is just how it seems to work with what I've seen.

You know 333...if you add all the digits it equals 9...and upside down that is a 6. Just wanted to point out the connection between your reference of 333 and the numbers 6 and 9 and I think that is sexist....that is all.

FIFY. I'd say that is true about the average Airman E5 and below. Probably not entirely their fault since we as an organization push so much other shit on them, they barely have enough time to learn their primary job. But, then again, that is the "do more with less" model we've been dealing with for the past 10 years...I don't see it getting better with the new "Do more with 25K less than the less you had before" model. I guess it did "work" post Gulf War I. We'll soon find out. I think OPSTEMPO will decrease just like they promised.... If people are staying 4+ years, that is a good thing in my opinion. I haven't seen that much continuity at the past 3 bases to which I've been assigned. But they've all been either shitty locations in SWA (Southwest America) or an overseas base with a controlled tour where it is difficult to get extensions. Maybe this is my limited experience working with dirty contractors, but if a contractor is lazy or wants to just do the bare minimum, then just cancel the contract and find a new contractor. Sure, that doesn't solve our continuity problem, but if there is competition out there, the lazy contractor gets no contracts. But maybe that's just the way I see it in my perfect world....reality is different.

^This... Not to mention the continuity by not switching out a seasoned Airman for a new Airman every 2-4 years. Seems like personnel and finance functions are always operating at the "new Airman in training" capacity and we never really get to the "competent Airman" capacity because as soon as SSgt Schmukatelli gets to that level, we PCS him and bring in A1C Effengee. Sure, we'd probably need some expeditionary types that could deploy downrange, but with the technology we have these days, you don't need a lot of them downrange to get things done. Not having to fund full benefits and retirements piece is key with contractors....

...the problem is there are people in management positions who think the stupid stuff is the important stuff

Boss, you said it right there. This is going to be ugly. There will be no good way to make these cuts ESPECIALLY if A1 is behind the power curve already. Looks like we'll be using the bean counter approach (i.e. we need to make cuts, just start cutting people) and undoubtedly, the way they'll implement that will be of course who they consider "quality" folks based on PFT scores, PME, AAD, etc. All that is great, but those are people who probably weren't going to get out. On the other hand, you have another demographic of "quality" folks who do have PME, AAD, no PT failures in whom the AF has mucho $$$ invested who will separate because there are higher paying, more stable opportunities on the outside that can use their AF funded talents...these are your normal attrition folks and they may not separate using voluntary means or they may not be eligible at this time, but rest assured, they plan to separate (ref the number of rated VSP applications by folks who have already expressed their intent to separate at some point). Some may be quality, some not. Between the two demographics, I think the AF will see a bigger reduction than what they are actually anticipating. What scares me most about these upcoming cuts is that they weren't planned (or maybe they were all along, Chang knew about it MONTHS ago), so now the magic formula that A1 uses to determine manpower requirements has 25K less people in it which may or may not include the normal attrition. I'm guessing the majority of the 25k "quality cuts" will be involuntary separations (the rated force is a whole other issue aside from this). I've said this before and I'll say it again, when you have higher than normal retention rates due to a down economy and you reduce manpower to exactly what (you think) you need to sustain operations (in this case 25K less since it wasn't "planned" nor is it exactly known from where the cuts will come), and then you have an improving economy and retention rates go back to normal, you will end up with a severe shortage of personnel. I understand, these things are hard to predict, but we already know it is coming...we just don't know to what degree. I'll make another prediction. The Air Force will cut too much via involuntary separations, normal attrition rates will continue, OPSTEMPO will not decrease, and we will work the shit out of the remaining force until we burn them out. We'll still get the job done, probably not as pretty as we could, but we'll create a hollow force and everyone will act surprised that this happened, wash, rinse, repeat. This is going to be "do more with less" at a level we've never seen before. I hope I'm wrong, but more importantly for me, I hope I don't have to relive it for the third time in my career.

I wonder if he was on the commander's bad boy list of overdue vouchers....probably got briefed at every staff meeting.... With all the glamour and fame that comes with being an astronaut (and picking up chicks at bars) these are the details that just get left out. Its kind of like a wet "Howdy" that really does stick to the inside of your nose...

Wow....look at that Ass....

Ok, you got me. Let's go grab some beers and hit some FKK Clubs...my treat!!

Ok I was just joking....I don't really act like that while TDY. I'm strictly business...no really...

Sounds like a normal TDY to me...other than the physics and optics "geek" talk with the hot cigar chick. I'm just assuming she was hot because I don't know many dudes (who aren't crewchiefs) that would stay out till 4am with a "not-hot" Russian chick. (Don't get mad FCCs, you're still my boys!) I wonder if the LtCol got cock blocked by the General with the Russian chick, got mad and then turned him in. Probably the more likely scenario is that someone on that staff who probably spent most of their career on staffs and in school, was on their first TDY out of the state of Alabama and they just didn't know that sometimes people drink and stay out until 4 (or 7) am before going to meetings the next day, and that it can be done effectively. Rookies....