MooseAg03

Too late. AWACS was logging combat time over Afghanistan many moons ago earning Air medals burning fossil fuels and not providing much contribution to the fight. The key words there are "over Afghanistan." Better than sitting in a GCS in Indian Springs NV. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If I am able to escape the black hole of RPAs and make it to PIT, I will gladly extend to go back to flying. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's dumb. Everyone else will think so too, so hopefully the Air Force will get shamed into dumping it like they did the Distinguished Warfare Medal. BTW, that medal actually makes sense to me, as long as it's placed below all combat medals. If a UAV crew does something shit-hot above and beyond, they should get a medal for it, and since none of the other ones are applicable, why not. I agree. I seriously hope logging combat time does not equate to Air Medals. It would make them become a joke like the Aerial Achievement Medals are now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So apparently RPAs are going to start logging combat time? This is what the senior leadership gets out of the culture improvement process. It actually makes me even more disgruntled and angry because every 18Xer will now log the equivalent of what we used to do actually flying down range. Ridiculous. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Or AFPC is just assessing ADSCs when they shouldn't to lock guys in for longer. I don't see an exclusion for PIT. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Note 1B from AFI 36-2107 b. All manned or unmanned pilots, navigators, and air battle managers who began aviation service after 30 September 1997 will not incur any additional Advanced Flying Training (AFT)/Instructor Qualification ADSCs which extend beyond 6 or 10 years as applicable, of continuous or cumulative rated service. Rated service begins at the completion of training and awarding of wings for the rated specialty. They will still incur Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Professional Military Education (PME), and other non-AFT related ADSCs. Have guys not used this to fight additional ADSC for PIT/Requal/Initial Qual?

4TH Gen fighters will be around through 2045, so we're not planning for a f22/f35 only force. Who knows what 6 Gen will end up looking like at this point. I'm sure they will all be LO in some form or another. We should look at a high end and low end combined option (2 different airframes). Something tells me with the better technology that's out there, we could design a better F-16 today. The generals all talk of 4th & 4.5 gen fighters being obsolete on the battlefield in the next decade, but not every fight will need stealth as we see today. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think it makes a lot of good points. Talking with the sensor operators I fly with who cross trained from maintenance, the upkeep in LO aircraft alone makes them a huge headache and much more expensive. Why would we want every aircraft to be stealth? The current budget environment absolutely does not allow for all of our fighter aircraft to be stealth in the future. We have to find cheaper alternatives for when penetrating denied airspace is not required. RPAs are great for some missions, but there are those times when you need a pilot for decision making and SA but an F-35/F-22 would be overkill. I just read yesterday that software issues with F-35 radar will delay it another year. We need to be looking at other, cheaper options. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm here, send me to any manned airframe. It's not just a retention problem due to external forces, they've pissed off thousands of experienced pilots by locking them in GCSs for the foreseeable future. I don't know one person in my situation (non-vol to RPA crossflow) who isn't looking for the fastest exit. You want to fix this shit? Get us back into a cockpit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is in July, PRFs from my squadron go up to the group the beginning of February. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just to re-cage for a bit...has everyone started counting the teeth on their flight suit zipper? Summer's coming soon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I made a decision early on after seeing too many pissed off senior leaders with multiple ex wives that I was not going to sacrifice my family for career. Don't get me wrong, I'm good at what I do and I fight for my guys every day. I'm just not going to be the doormat that volunteers for every shit sandwich because I realize how broken the system is. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I thought it was better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Absolutely the wrong answer. Exactly, my wife and children will still be here long after I'm out of the Air Force. Which do you think I spend more time on? The one that won't miss me a bit the day after I leave or retire, or the ones who will be here until the day I die? Easy choice for me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Except the AFPC RPA assignments guy who came to Creech the other day specifically said a 'few' would be sent back (probably to white jets) next year on a competitive basis. His best guess was around 5 for next Fall's summer VML for 2017. I'm fairly certain not every crossflow 11X will make it back to a cockpit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If that happens to any former 18Xer, I would fully expect them to literally burn down their UPT squadron post drop night. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is my thought, how do they sell this to Congress after just electing to compress 5 years of cuts into 1? We just paid a lot of qualified guys to leave and they could have given us a huge head start on this expansion or even staffing Holloman. I feel like high level leadership should lose their jobs over the gross personnel mismanagement. Another example of the Air Force looking like a bunch of clowns to the rest of the nation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2% retention is what I've heard stated for Sensor Operator retention in my squadron specifically. Nobody knows about the 18Xers as GPF states, but I heard the first 3 that hit their commitment this year punched. None of the 18Xers in my squadron plan to remain on active duty in RPAs, they are looking for other options like outside jobs or going to UPT. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a feeling this is being pushed out to help close the huge hole at the bottom of the barrel today - 2% retention. These new locations and additional personnel will take longer than 5 years to open up. By then most of us flying the line will be gone from active duty so this announcement isn't for us, and it doesn't change my mind to separate one bit. What would change my mind would be to get me back to a cockpit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's the first ray of hope I've seen yet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The killer is the part where it says you must be released from your functional to apply. I would love to apply and have a former U-2 pilot here encouraging me, but nobody is being released from RPAs right now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I received the confirmation email with my training dates, Corey specifically told me I would be flying the Duchess and included study materials. As the date gets closer, I plan on confirming before I spend a lot of time studying. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sure the extra $35k for RPAs will make a huge difference. Especially when you can take your form 8 across the hall and be hired to do the same job without the active duty bullshit for significantly more money.

I know I mentioned that in my RPA climate survey, that and many other things. Unless we put RPA units in more compelling locations, retention in this career field will continue to suffer. Nobody wants to spend an entire career bouncing between Creech, Canon, Holloman, and Whiteman. Instead, we continue to pour tens of millions into a crappy, desolate piece of land in good ol' Indian Springs, NV. Isolation is an advantage, but can also be a risk factor. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did they also lower the mission requirements or are guys getting crushed even more? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk