Danger41

I was actually teaching in the SOF WIC when both MC and AC shifts were happening. Frustrated me to no end that we could take A-10 guys that had never done anything with a radar or air to air beyond BFM and stick them in F-35 and TX them in a couple months whereas AFSOC in their infinite wisdom had no short course available to AC-W/U guys going to the J and they were out of pocket for almost a year. And copy the historical precedent for iron shifts taking longer than expected, but the first guys are PCS’ing in a few weeks and the second and third tranches are already ID’d (I was in the second until I went elsewhere). I don’t know what the final solution will look like with OA-1 vs U-28 or when, but the notion that it won’t happen or isn’t imminent is incorrect.

The unique thing with U-28 compared to the AC & MC within AFSOC is that that platform will begin draw down and replacement by OA-1K (Armed Overwatch platform) will start. Timeline isn't 100% but it's happening in the next few years. So if you go U-28, that'll be in your near future. PCS for initial cadre IP/ICSO's is starting soon for the FTU while OT/DT is getting going, as well.

Here's a hot take of mine...the "toxic leadership" people talk about all the time is way blown out of proportion. Sure, there are some truly toxic leaders, but because a leader wants you to follow a standard and doesn't kiss your ass in all things doesn't mean they're toxic. When I was a punk kid, I watched some Discovery channel documentary about a bunch of students going through BUD/S (I think it was called "Class 234" or something along the lines). There is a scene during their phase 3 where one of the Officer students told trainees to do something and they didn't do it. Their cadre dude smoked everyone and then told them how this is how you create bad, micromanaging Officers. I was mad at my dad at the same time and that really struck me because it was a very similar thing that I hadn't done and now had to deal with consequences. I put the emo music on pause, cut my hair, put on Rocky 4 and started my journey to become a barrel chested freedom fighter (written from my office as I hide from my responsibilities in the office).

Rumor is that this started when COMACC visited a base and asked 7 bearded Airmen if they had shaving waivers. Only 3 were able to produce them and the other 4 just straight up had nothing. I think sharp shooting the 4 star as not having the right focus etc is way more damning for the dozen supervisors between those Airmen and the 4 star. And alot of these nonners bitching about mission focus think their role in the mission is staring at their phone in a cubicle while their desk phone rings off the hook being ignored. They have zero clue and contribute even less. The uniform stuff has always been silly to me. Wearing your uniform correctly is easy as hell. Following whatever silly rule exists for uniform wear is easy as hell. I've always done it because one of my primary motivations is to not get hassled. I want to put my time and effort into my primary craft and not looking for problems. Having said that, I've been extremely fortunate at home station and deployed to never run across one of the infamous E-9's people talk about. Never once have I even seen a bro get hassled about uniform wear or moustache.

Hey, leave me alone!

I don’t know the guy at all, but he’s like a lot of chronically online folks that think because they can bloviate, they are smarter than the average bear. Ironically, one of his more recent pieces clued me in to how he is just another in a long line of well intentioned dudes that just don’t get it. He wrote an article recently about how when he was the deployed squadron commander and screwed up scheduling the rotator home for his squadron and had to tell them they couldn’t go home on time. The whole thing was a mea culpa about how he focused too much on the mission, lost track etc. This type of squadron commander (and eventual senior leader) has had so much AirPower theory and Simon Sinek crammed up their over educated ass that they forget that the main thing needs to be the main thing. All the servant leadership BS is self satisfying crap if you don’t do the actual effective work that folks care about. And that work is often not going to make it into the following years ACSC/AWC case study. It’s being brilliant at the basics. Something something humble, approachable, credible, something, something. I forget.

This is an interesting debate between you two and I don’t want to get in the middle. My question for @HeloDudeas the libertarian in the debate…using your example of enough people not being willing to fight for a cause (national defense or otherwise), what motivation does a true libertarian have to do anything for anyone besides themself or their family? I don’t ask that to be flippant or argue over semantics, but it’s the main issue I’ve arrived at with true libertarianism. And on that note, how is that different than “protected classes” getting out of things?

We need to just send a bunch of Midwestern corn feds to suplex the fuck out of some Chicom to sort this out.

When I was in my angsty libertarian phase, God blessed me with the funniest shit ever. Libertarians manifest destinied a town in New Hampshire and put their full jihad into effect and soon bears invaded the town and took over as everything fell apart in a couple weeks. So funny. https://newrepublic.com/article/159662/libertarian-walks-into-bear-book-review-free-town-project

The draft doesn’t mean someone is getting sent to the first wave of D Day no matter what. Depending on where you look, there’s a need for about 10 support personnel for every combat soldier. Why couldn’t women be drafted to fill that in time of need? And I have three daughters. I’m sure I’ll sound like a communist to a lot of the libertarians here but when push comes to no shit shove, people need to fight for their country and not just their own personal stake. The implication there is that the cause is worthy and a true threat to our nation. Why eliminate half of your population from that pool? That’s more of a rhetorical question because I’m not a fan of compulsory service.

I wonder how effective these modern Claymores are over there.

What’s AMF-S?

Interesting. Do they branch after assignment similar to IFF tracks with additions for bomber guys or does everyone do some of the IFF stuff?

Any T-38 UPT IP’s out there? Looks like I’m headed to Columbus next summer. I’ve never taught at UPT so I’m excited to try something new. Any gouge on the FBF syllabus and how that’s different?

Are you in now? If no, do some soul searching on what you really want out of life because military aviation will absolutely cut into family time and spouses opportunities, etc. If yes, then accelerate that soul searching and talk to IP’s from a variety of sources because there isn’t a flying job out there that won’t take up a ton of your time. And if you just want wings and plan to be a shitty wingman/copilot and not be good so you can spend all your time at home, please don’t pursue this job.

I wonder what the nature of those offenses were on that list. I find it shameful that collegiate athletes would engage in underage drinking, marijuana consumption, premarital coitus, hooliganism, theft of Christmas lawn ornaments, fighting, speeding, truancy, and other various malfeasance. If only they’d have kept their noses clean they could have gone to OTS and become below average pilots like this one guy I know. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

As a duly authorized representative of the retards, we thank you. Also, on the topic of communism.

Minor thread derail here but for Navy carrier based airplanes, is there something in the TO's that state you have to do every landing like you're attacking the runway? Or is it just a "practice like you play" kind of thing how you would land on the carrier?

You could AAR in a A-37? I didn't know that.

https://www.amc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3784670/to-the-c-130-with-love/ There's the non-Facebook link. That was awesome!

Does he still pass hurricane status based on his lawn furniture?

My only interaction with soon to be Lt Gen Conley was when he was the 1 SOW CC and he said we couldn't wear Friday shirts anymore. HOWEVER, most people that I respect who have actually interacted with the guy are excited so that's good. When I heard the rumors that a 1 star was jumping up, I thought it might be BG Tom Palenske (Conley's 1 SOW predecessor). I actually interacted with him a few times and he did one of the coolest things I've seen a commander do. When I told him my dad was in the 20th SOS "Green Hornets" in Vietnam, he told me he had been the Commander of that unit and went out of his way to make sure to send my dad a coin and have the 8th at Hurlburt show him around and give a really awesome CV-22 tour when he came down to visit. Very cool thing to do that he absolutely didn't need to.

I think getting bent out of shape about this stuff is the gayest thing you can do. No one cares.

No wonder everything has been so fucked up (kidding).

Just released name as Capt John Robertson assigned to the 80th OSS. T-6 FAIP. Terrible tragedy.