MechGov

This.

Wow. I’m seeing the opposite in SOF. We brought in a bunch of O-5s and probably will have 5-7 non-command O-5s by the end of this year. And you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a major. There are something like 12-15 “ADOs” to make space for all of them. Granted most of the FGOs are 12S...most of the pilots are Palace Front/Chase as soon as their commitment ends.

The Powell Doctrine is a useful litmus test for deciding when to start a war, but by design, doesn’t address when you’re already in a war. Like it or not, once committed, how to end a war invites it’s own set of consequences.

So the Kurds/SDF don’t want to be helped? It seems like they’ve been one of the better draft picks in the past few years. I get the impression that we’re conflating US strategic incoherence and collective fatigue of open ended OCOs with a willingness to walk away from those conflicts, damn the consequences (and any allies). The SDF has been one of the few competent indigenous forces that is a militarily able and willing partner who actually has a shot of policing their own territory. Walking away from them like this will have repercussions for the US as well as discourage any future state or non-state actor from working with us in the future.

Except we won’t. I’d bet a paycheck that CENTCOM was caught by surprise again. While the last pump fake may have given a sense of urgency for planning, it’ll take a decent amount of foot dragging to make any withdrawal orderly. It’s a cynically fitting end for OIR: a shitshow from the start.

Just curious how Tricare has affected the calculus whether to stay in for people you’ve known? Coming into my eligibility year, free medical care to EFMP dependents >> bonus money, but that’s my $0.02.

Man I wish I could engage the afterprop when we’re at max gross weight in the summer trying to max bag it

Takeaway: If Eurocontrol has you on radar, that shit is online.

And both Allen and Flynn we’re retired GOs

Took your suggestion. Definitely listen at 1.25x. Made for a good read once you get past chapter 1. Unsurprisingly there’s a lot of history lessons both recent and not. Plenty of frustrations with strategic near-sightedness and indecision’s and plenty of missed opportunities. Highly recommend

Wasn’t Lindsey Graham an ARC JAG O-6 while in office?

Just finished listening to the audiobook version today. Iran is a recurring theme in Mattis’ book, however withdrawing from the JCPOA wasn’t really mentioned. He mentions the early JCPOA talks that happened during his tenure as CENTCOM cmdr, and sprinkled into his various tours in the region.

Also curious. Our ORM sheet is entirely qualitative and there are no numbers/figures of merit that automatically drive ORM categories into L/M/H/E. It’s AC’s discretion. All I’ve seen safety do is compile trends for crew ID’d top risks. Even then, I only think I’ve seen them do this 2-3 times. Then the shop changes out and the fad goes away.

Wait, what?

And the various civilian hiring freezes, sequester and overall “do more with less”

Those units that rate direct customer service typically game the system and double boom lift. There a many inefficiencies built into the current system downrange, and it’s less to do with platforms as it is the tasking process built to service those lift requests.

AD: Ramstein Little Rock Yokota Dyess ANG: pick a state. Pick any state ARC: you get the gist Fly Herks instead

Last number I heard was 46.7% take rate across the board with two weeks to go. My strategy of promotion via attrition is on track.

This

I’m giving the benefit of the doubt for SERE, water survival, CATM, CBRN, etc

I’ve been amazed at how much hiring back support staff has mattered: current ops & UDM contractors, enlisted personnelists, and our OG actually trying to work some human performance initiatives aimed primarily at aircrew. That last one moved the needle a little bit for me. Maybe if wings could keep finance/MPF/med open until 1630, or have some after hours CDC options for the shift work guys, that might help too. Me personally, I wish we had some actual big blue tech support just it doesn’t take 20 damn minutes to open my email each time. What about a non-flying position to work DTS issues? I’d say block training of annual/biannual GT requirements would be huge, but that’s another topic altogether. Sure would be nice to block out 2 weeks and knock everything out instead of scheduling a couple dozen courses individually. The AF has decided it’s unable or unwilling to buy our commitment commensurate with the airlines. Fine. But a focused use of our time would address a lot of our gripes? If I didn’t have to waste so much of my time taking care of queep, maybe I could focus on my job aviating, and do so in a reasonable time.

He can’t if HAF won’t

2...it’s a complete crapshoot. Who knows, the H3 unit could get BRAC’d and the tails go somewhere else. There’s not much logic to it. Pick the unit that suits your needs and don’t look back.

FFS AFSOC could have had a couple deployable squadrons CMR with the time and money Big Blue has wasted.