dream big

Fair assessment. What about Alaska? The controllers were awesome to work with for RF-AK. My comment wasn't a stab at unions- but rather showing who is going to win at the end of the day (unionized FAA workers or DOD.)

The shoeclerks at AFPC and the managers who sit on the board who somehow got eagles on their shoulders don't give a F about things like TPS, WIC, your instructional ability, or how many air medals you earned while their execs were sitting at home station polishing said manager's you know what and earning the top strats. Heck many of them may not even be able to tell you the difference between a B1 and B2, or ever stepped out of the MSG building, but they have the biggest influence on who leads the Air Force. If this mentality changes it will take a while. In the mean time, most of my peers and I will do what we believe is right: be good in the airplane, enable the flying mission, make the young guys better and go hack the mission. If we get promoted, great. If we don't, well Delta/AA/UAL/SW, the guard/reserves could use a few people.

They were briefed thoroughly by the MPC, and every international unit complied minus the Koreans and Pakistanis (at least on the 130 side.) The Koreans are notorious for debaucherry in every exercise I've interacted with them, to include causing two separate formations to go beak to beak a few years ago. The coordination with ATC was an epic fail. The way it was explained to me was that because SEATAC ARTCC (like many civilian aviation entities) is unionized, that they could simply refuse to give IFR releases and the USAF could do nothing about it. They were having us file flight plans contrary to both FAA and USAF regs. Next time we need to have this exercise in Alaska or Nevada, with the abundance of commonly used MOAs and an existing relationship with ATC.

Well that wasn't hard, after the Pakistani C-130s violated every airspace in Washington and dropped off DZ and were subsequently restricted to airland missions only :).

While we are on the topic, Mobility Guardian just ended (thank god.) Seattle Center almost shut the entire exercise down because they didn't like how flight plans were being filed. There were about 60-70 sorties out of TCM a day. We literally had to turn in those freaking 175s 3 times: once to white cell, once to center, and once as the crews stepped. We are screwed as a fighting force when 6-7 hours of a 12 hour MPC shift are spent on flight plans.

Wow! Did the pax stay conscious ?

Quick cliffnotes version of what happened?

That's interesting, if I exhibited opinions like that in 38s, I may have gotten choke slammed and put on permenant corn duty.

The chase plane is not an MWS, it is probably fairly simple to fly. Also as for guard/reserves being "dual qualified" with their airline airplane; when most of them are at their unit, they just show up, fly, do the required training and go home. They aren't chief of <x> and I doubt they spend much effort on OPRs, etc. Get rid of all my additional duties unrelated to flying and I maybe could have time to be dual qualified.

One of the only valuable part of SOS was the promotion board excercise. Taught me how and why pilots with perfectly clean records get passed over during a pilot shortage. I also learned that your record could be looked at by someone in the med group who won't tell the difference between a copilot/wingman and a weapons officer. It is why I strongly believe that we need to have separate rated boards. The fact that a few games of dodgeball, some obstacle courses and war gaming has the biggest influence on your career potential as an Air Force officer speaks volumes about what is wrong with the Air Force. I met some cool people from different career fields and enjoyed the southern culture from an overseas base but overall, a screwed up program.

The military should take that suggestion and tell RAND and Obama to shove it up their a$$es. Instead, let's use that time and resources to make more weapons officers. That way when we actually go to war we won't get our a$$es kicked since we have become such a PC society. Good lord, I can't believe we are arguing about the feasibility of accomodating dudes who want to be girls or vice versa in the military at the expense of the tax payer and another Airmen that must deploy in their place.

To be fair Guam is sneaky like that

No no and no! Maintaining qualification and currency let alone proficiency in any USAF MWS is a full time job....the ground duties/admin queep is a second full time job. Being an instructor/flight CC/commander is arguably a third. Oh I also like to spend time with my family and get time off. We aren't going to assume another full time job because the Air Force has royalty mismanaged its rated force and shot itself in the foot due to its own incompetence.

It's a specific disorder that's swept this part of the world recently, while still in the research phase, neurological experts have given it the name : TDS Trump Derangement Syndrome Said experts warn of its contagious effects. It is highly advised not to attempt to treat said individuals with common sense and logic, you may be labeled a bigot, racist, white privileged patriarch. edit: returned from acronym school, thanks nsplyr; point still stands though.

I see what you're saying, but it would mitigate the problem or at least delay the shortage of RPA folks? At least it may perhaps boost morale in the RPA squadrons since you're filling it with people who want to be there?

The RPA community is going to face a similar exodus to civilian RPAs (which pay much more) that we are facing in the pilot community. It's time for enlisted RPA operators. For Fs sake, if we can trust a 19 year old Army E2 to take a 50 cal to the head of a terrorist then we can train at least some USAF NCOs to drop some hellfires from MQ-9s. I know some enlisted have already started cross training but I don't understand why this isn't a bigger push. I could find you dozens of enlisted folks sitting at a computer all day that would kill to fly RPAs and do well at it.

Likely, but could also be a fighter, bomber, recon, helo squadron...toxic leaders are everywhere. AMC does seem to have a special breed of CYA managers though.

Ah the quintessential passive aggressive commander, my favorite. Tell him to get the dildo out of his behind and express his words like a real man. Seriously, is a little bit of light hearted sarcasm that offensive these days?

To be honest, and as much as it sucks for those having to take those bullets, communities like buffs have a very important mission and you want good dudes going there. At a certain point it's needs of the Air Force and you have to bloom where planted. Same for RPAs although my arguement is that there should be a solely separate pipeline filled with motivated dudes instead of dudes who got their dreams crushed on assignment night. As for the crying over an MC-130!? It's a small Air Force and that person is in for hell when they get to their unit when they find out said individual acted like a child over getting one of the coolest missions in the Air Force. Reminds me of a gal who cried over C-17s a few assignment nights before mine. The unit got word and she was a Pariah before she even showed up.

That jack hole was similarly dismissive to our SOS class. People like him are the reason we have a pilot shortage. F that guy

Transgender policy is under "review" by the Trump admin.. that was as of a month ago not sure there has been updates. I'm glad my CC compressed tranny awareness training into 30 seconds and then proceeded to talk about aircraft safety issues :)

Yokota always does well, but that's because it's Yokota and PACAF (vice AMC) and the base really shines. Also, they sent a handful of 08 guys there for the transition, who were more or less the top of their peers. The 08 class was always kicking ass at Yokota...i.e. "Hulk" ;)

Rumor is LRAFB had similar stats, maybe it's just us 130 guys? Maybe all the Cols on the board are like Rhatigan and find us 130 guys "unprofessional."...

No qualms sharing: Dyess 317th C-130J (just became a Wing)

Pilots butchered at my wing, 78% promotion rate. Many IPs/ FLT/CCs with no negative records. I'm curious to see the board stats but this is UFB.