Bergman

We've told war stories. We've discussed the same 10 topics at least 69 times or more. We've measured johnsons. How about some pictures to back all the bullsh1t up? I'm always in search of cool aviation pictures, so I thought it would be interesting if the peanut gallery posted some "So there I was..." pictures. Let's try to keep it to photos you're either in or took yourself. Any weenie can surf the internet to post someone else's pictures. For those who are internet challenged, go to Tiny Pic to host your pictures. Upload it, then cut-n-paste the "IMG" line at the bottom into your message on here. Toro...that's not you, is it? Somewhere over Oklahoma enroute to Nellis last spring.

So you're missing Summerfest!? That sucks. What's the story with Col Dunbar? I first met him when I was working for ANG/XO and he was the Exec for the Director of the ANG. Then I met up with him again when I was TDY to the 141st (he was the OG/CC there). Now, I just ran into him at LTAG and he's the Wing/CC in Wisconsin? WTF!? Are they cleaning house or what? He mentioned that Jim Malenke is on his way out, as are a bunch of others. What's the inside story there?

So true! The problem is that while many times there may be a legitimate reason for a "special/good deal" by the time the unwashed masses hear about it, the story never contains the supporting details. You only hear about the good deal portion, not the fact that the dude got non-vol'd for a year remote to Buttcrackistan prior to that, or that the "good deal" was a special needs request. There is almost always more to the story.

YGBSM! Nothing surprises me with this clown any more. Our squadron flew him on an OIF refueling mission last week. The receiver (KC-10 at Ramstein) slipped 1 hour due to k-loader problems. He got on the phone, right there in front of all of us, and says "My receiver is NOT going to slip again, right?!" After he hangs up the phone, he turns around and says, "It's good to have a DO who is a 2 star." As you might imagine, the receiver did not slip again that day; I wonder how many hoops the poor MX guys had to jump through to make sure 1 relatively low priority mission got off the ground just so herr General could ride in the copilot's seat for 2 hours. In stark contrast to my expectation, however, he didn't try to snag the landing. He gave the jet to the IP at decision height. Also strange, he didn't even want to go in the back to see the air refueling. Apparently he doesn't care what the enlisted members of our crew actually do (which is why we fly in the first place) Yet he is getting the Order of the Sword. WTF.

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" You would be an idiot to even suggest (to AFPC) moving your UPT start date into another fiscal year. They've cut UPT slots, what, 30% already from last year? AFPC will bend you over sooner or later...don't give them an excuse to do it before you even get started. Tread very lightly. I know all that's been said before, but just don't want you doing anything you'll later regret. $.02

Because happiness is not always getting what you want, but wanting what you've got! 95% of folks "get over it" and play the hand they're dealt. Like BeerMan said, folks need to keep in mind just how lucky they are to be serving and flying ANYTHING. I think most folks eventually understand that, press on, and have a great career.

That is correct. To be more precise, all KC-135s have Pacer CRAG, "even the E-model" as PAB put it. There may still be some steam gauge RC-135s out there or that oddball NC-18 flying around in the dark ages.

To which the obvious reply is, "Cessna 69CF, gear down and welded, cleared to land"

You can definitely tell when there are trainees at an AF tower (which seems to be most of them these days). I would say it's more noticeable at civilian fields. It's pretty easy to see who has an "A game" and who doesn't...there's usually a reason the FAA sends people to be the night shift controller at East Jesus Regional vs. day controller at DFW.

This is a corollary to my Father Time pet peeve! Normally it's a C-152 or something doing 60 knots ground speed that gets vectored in front of us. Tower routinely calls us "Bat 22, slow to approach speed".."Roger"...2 minutes later "Bat 22, say approach speed"..."We're at 169 indicated, final flaps, on speed". With the gust increments, heavy weight, and an old wing design, the old -135 pretty much hauls ass on final. So, we always end up overtaking the slower traffic and having to get vectored off the aproach or go-around. You'd think that tower would anticipate our final approach speeds better...but you'd be wrong.

I am sure many have done better than me at UPT and many have also done worse, so FWIW here is the advice from an "old" ANG Captain that got tankers on track select night: You have got to want to be there! I know this sounds stupid, but you would be amazed at how quickly the "new" wears off and people start b1tching about UPT. The same thing happens right before assignment night - people forget just how lucky they are to be flying ANYTHING in the AF. Thus, you get someone literally CRYING IN PUBLIC about getting an A-10 instead of an F-15. WTF!? Anyway, I digress. You must be willing to put in the work. That means generally no Halo marathons, no drunken parties during the week, and no constant jabbering to your girlfriend who is 1200 miles away. At least during the week. I'll get to weekends later. Remember why you are at UPT - to learn to fly AF airplanes. There is only a finite amount of time in the day, and if you don't prioritize it well (see my examples above) you won't do well at UPT. You have to be consistent with your work ethic. There are TONS of things that need to be done on a daily basis. Academic exams, EPQs, stand-up, briefings, plus usually 2 or 3 actual flights per day. Toss a checkride in every few weeks just for fun. In order to keep everything straight, you MUST keep your nose to the grind stone. For me, I spent at least 2 hours a night studying (except Friday and Saturday). I would get home, spend 1-2 hours with the wife (eat dinner, walk the dog, f*ck, whatever) then study for 2 hours, shower, and go to bed at 10pm. Up at 5am and repeat. EVERY NIGHT. For the entire year. There is no shortage of things to study, so you must study/read something every night just to keep up. If not, you will get behind quickly and the pace of UPT is such that once you're in a hole in one area it is very difficult to recover (to the point where you do well vs. just getting by). I will caveat this by saying that you need to study and work hard, but don't panic about it. There were many nights that involved a few beers while chair flying! Gotta keep it real. CHAIR FLY - CHAIR FLY - CHAIR FLY. I can't stress that enough. As the SRO of my class, I was fortunate enough to be one of the 'go-to' guys when folks had trouble. I was always amazed that guys would tell me "Yeah, I know the procedures for a no-flap straight in" but when I would sit them down in my living room and say "Talk me through it - in excruciating detail. I want to know every single thing you are going to do...every switch, radio call, where you're looking, etc." and they could not do it! They would miss steps, forget checklists, or not know the radio calls. If you can't chair fly a mission at ground speed zero, you will never be able to do it at 200 knots with an IP staring you down. As a side note, helping others chair fly is one of the best ways to study, IMHO. If you can teach it to others, it shows you have a command of the information. Again, there is a never ending amoung of information to cover so you had better chair fly every night (esp. in T-1s when you're shooting 6-8 different approaches every flight. Lots of details to remember, and the more you know before you step to the jet the better you will do in the air.) There's an old saying that goes something like "Never let the airplane go somewhere you mind hasn't been to 5 minutes prior". Chair flying gives you the ability to rehearse everything the day prior. Sure, things will go wrong or change, but if you've practiced the "perfect mission" 3-4 times before, you'll be able to focus on the changes and not get wrapped up worrying about the basic profile. The ability to remain calm and excel when the profile changes is one of the things that will set you apart from the rest of the class. Perhaps some of our FAIP mafia on here can comments on that...but in my experience, that was the case. Anyone should be able to fly the profile as briefed. But how people react when the feces hits the rotating oscillator is when you find out how they really perform, IMHO. Balance. You must balance the day to day stress of UPT with your life. For me, I would stop worrying about UPT stuff on Friday after our last event. Party it up at the club, drive to San Antonio, whatever. We'd go boating, travel, or BBQ on Saturdays and Sundays until about 5pm. Then it was time to eat dinner and hit the books again to get ready for Monday. Use the weekends to catch up on your life...spend extra time with the girlfriend/wife/kids, go do whatever you do for fun. The people that never let UPT go soon self-destructed. Those are just a few things you can do to improve your chances. It's true that natural ability plays some part in success, but it's more mental than anything else. You can learn the monkey skills of actually flying the airplane. It's keeping your SA and being able to answer IPs questions that is the real b1tch - and the part of the equation you have direct control over by studying/chair flying. You will never hook a ride for a firm landing [hand-eye stuff] but you certainly will if you bust out of the MOA [brain power stuff]. That's where work ethic, consistency, and attitude come into play. I know some folks reading this will say, "He's full of sh*t! Everyone has GOT to study! Everyone has GOT to chair fly!" You'd be surprised how many people I knew that spent 0 time outside of the flight room studying. And they all got what they deserved on assignment night. Whew. Guess I got off on a rant there. Sorry if I was long winded, but that's my perspective.

I do..........at least I am on the "trip" tomorrow.

I know folks that have attempted this in the past (bartending on the side). I don't have the reg handy, but I'm pretty sure you would need prior authorization from your squadron commander. In the case of my buddy, he was denied with the logic being that A) The Air Force pays its Officers enough that they don't need a second job and B) Your full attention should be given to your AF job. While you may not want the second job for the money, and may only work on weekends (i.e. during your AF days off) the perception, to the Enlisted folks especially, would be that you're having issues even if that's not the case. Perception is reality, remember.

Where did you pull that from?! Please tell me you didn't just write that off the top of your head. :D

In my experience with Nebraska, I was always able to get state resident rates by using my military I.D. and recent LES. Other states may be different. Call or surf the DNR/county web site for a definitive answer.

I would say that whatever you beat in the privacy of your own home is your business! As long as it doesn't distrub the neighbors you will be fine. Now, the liklihood of that happening is pretty slim...

Speaking of interesting landings, I couldn't pass this one up. French Troops Landing in Iraq

Yes, I did sign with the unit...but my overall committment is to "The Air National Guard of the United States", or so says my contract. NOTHING was ever said during the hiring process about how long I would spend at the unit nor were any 'exit criteria' ever specified. It's been 4 years since I was hired...the world, and my life, have changed considerably since then. I would expect the unit to realize that, and have tried at length to explain this to them. I DO understand why they are concerned so far out. I just find it hard to believe that ONE person would be the lynch pin for the whole ORI! By saying things like "You can't leave until afte the ORI" they are essentially saying that the unit is a one-way door...you can get in, but we're not releasing anyone. Or, are they going to turn me down for an AGR position today yet release someone else in two months? That doesn't seem very fair. It'll be great on morale though. I was in the unit 2+ years before I ever met my Sq/CC (he's an AA captain and part-timer as well) and I couldn't even tell you who my Flt/CC is...disorganization is the rule at my unit. Having said that, I have talked with the OG/CC, OSF/CC, and OG/CV about this REPEATEDLY over the last 4 months. Prior to my applying for the AGR job, I was told by the OG/CC "We'll see what we can do about getting you transferred...or maybe just work an inter-fly agreement. There is no use putting someone through pain just for pain's sake!" Based on that conversation, I applied for the job. Several months later, after I had already applied, his tune changed to "We'll let you go in 2 more years." I don't disagree...I made a promise to them. For my part, I have always represented the unit well, from OEF/ONE tours at JP-1 to SOS to UPT to KC-135 school to ADSW tours. I have performed at a superior level in EVERY assignment I have had with this unit. I have lived up to my end of the bargain. Their end of the bargain was to fly me as a part-timer. I came back from UPT/CIQ and waited 9 months for difference training in my unit's jets. I have commuted up there many times for 5-8 days, only to fly 1 or 2 sorties. I will roam the halls of the squadron asking every office "Is there anything I can help with?" and am told "no" so I am stuck surfing the internet and sitting on my ass. Some will argue that is a good deal; I disagree. I am a professional Officer and pilot. Utilize my talents. Use me as a resource. You would think that with an ASEV coming up, they'd ask the guy with 4 years of AD Stan/Eval experience, 2 SAVs, and 2 ORIs under his belt for some help - even if it's just filing paperwork or checking folders. Nope. It is SOOO frustrating to commute and then not do a f*cking thing for a week! So, my opinion is that if they're not going to challenge me or even attempt to use my talents or experience, I will go somewhere that will. In this case, it's a very "win" situation for me...a challenging job with full-time AGR benefits. BTW, while I am looking out for me and my family primarily, I think the AF & ANG will benefit as well...is it better to have someone sitting on his ass, not living up to their potential, or out there doing something positive for the ANG? The AGR hiring board made their choice...I was selected ahead of 20 other applicants. I know the obvious conclusion here is that it's my attitude and/or I'm just an as*hole. I disagree (of course) - if you were to talk with folks I have worked with in the past, I think you will find that I am well liked and a good Officer (PAB and ChuckFlys17s back me up on this one! ). I have flown with 2 other units, and both have offered to hire me after knowing me for 2 weeks each. I really don't think I'm the problem. Please correct me if I'm wrong! To follow up on my original post, and FYI to the peanut gallery out there... I have made many phone calls in the last few days and learned that I do NOT have any options; the Wg/CC CAN disapprove my transfer and if he does, I am S.O.L. My OG/CC has all the information, and more, I have presented here for the world to read. We'll see what the decision is tomorrow. If the answer is "no", it appears that my only option would be to get my congressional reps involved. Historically, this seems to be very effective but not very well received by the unit, as they don't like that kind of heat. Don't know if I'm prepared to go the distance on that one. But this is my family, career, and retirement we're talking about here...so we'll see.

You're right, it probably will be easier to try it now. HOWEVER, as has already been stated, you MUST be married before the AF will even listen to you. Second, start working the issue NOW. Don't pass go. Don't collect $200 first. The wheels of justice turn slow, and any unusual request to AFPC will take forever. Make sure her flight commander (or gedunk skipper or whatever they're called down there) knows her wishes NOW and can start working it!! If she ends up w/-130s, what are you options for being "near" each other if not at the same base? Pope/Charleston? Eielson? Just curious!

The AGR job is working for "the" NGB. An inter-fly agreement is something I had planned on working out once I had started the new job, but until I am released there is no reason to worry about it. I spoke with my OG about 3 weeks ago and, in the same conversation, he used the phrases "We can't let you go because we're undermanned" and then "We're intentionally not filling 7 to 9 pilot slots due to lack of sorties and ability to keep everyone current." Ugh. Back to my original question...do I have any other options if/when the Wg/CC says "NO"??? I will be working throughout the week with my (hopefully) gaining O-5 and O-6, but don't know how much good that will do. I spent a while last night surfing my senator's and house rep's web sites. All 3 of them have a 'Are you having problems with a federal agency?' area where you can request intervention on their part. How drastic is this? I have heard of folks going the congressional route in the past and it usually isn't very well received (by the ANG unit - but it's effective as h*ll!) Their refusal to let me transfer has now gone beyond a minor inconvenience to me (commuting) and is now affecting my FAMILY, which gets papa bear angly pretty quick.

Here's my situation: I have interviewed for, and been offered, an AGR Title 10 job working for NGB in the state where I currently live and am a resident, which is not the state I currently belong to for my part-time ANG duties. The "hire letter" has been forwarded to my current Wing/CC for his approval or disapproval. Based on a conversation with my OG/CC today, there is a very good chance that my request to transfer will be denied (due to needing pilots for ORI in Jan 07). I will not find out if I am released until Friday. My question is: what are my options, should my Wg/CC decide to not release me? I have read through ANGI 36-2101, "Assignments within the ANG" and found this: which basically proves that the AG (or in effect, the Wing/CC) has the authority to deny my transfer but doesn't give any guidance on what to do if that happens. What are my options now? If the answer is "NO" is there a "next level" to elevate this to? If so, how do I go about it? My (hopefully) gaining commander is going to make a call on my behalf. Other than that, I am out of ideas. As this AGR position will affect my livelihood (a decent raise from my civvie job), provide medical benefits for my family, my retirement, and my life in general, I am quite concerned and looking for fresh options. [ 26. April 2005, 21:09: Message edited by: Bergman ]

You know, you just might be right! Damn. I hate it when I screw up the easy ones. I think in general I need to sit in 'time out' for a few days...been having diarrhea of the mouth lately (more than usual!) I did a google search of both terms and 'flying training unit' came up with 319 hits and 'formal training unit' brought back 380 hits, so I guess that settles it! [ 24. April 2005, 22:29: Message edited by: Bergman ]

Obsolete term. RTUs are now known as FTUs (Flying Training Unit). Yes, someone did make O-6 because they implemented that change.

EVERYONE is gone 200 days a year, at least in the heavy world.

From last PDS to home or to the PLEAD That is the line the finance folks quoted me, with the explanation that XL was my "last PDS" and I was going "home" when I returned to my unit. The problem with this entire section of the regulation is that it was written for ACTIVE DUTY people and the ANG/AFRES are forced to interpret it. Reasoning: When an AD person is commissioned then goes to their first base, they don't get DLA. Similarly, after 10 years on AD I did not receive DLA when I separated (I went "home") or if I had stayed AD for 20 I would not have gotten DLA on my move from AD to my place of retirement. Not giving DLA on a return trip from UPT may meet the letter of the law - i.e. I was going "home" to leave AD - but it doesn't meet the intent, which is to defray the cost of a PCS move. I tried, in vain, to fight that battle. My appeal was last seen at the federal per diem committee in the spring of 2004. Haven't heard shit about it, so I guess that means it was disapproved!