Tracking Semi-annual currencies and metrics

[Swizzle]

I think my squadron has an archaic way of tracking currencies. How does your Sqdrn track semi-currencies and the metrics associated with them?

First aircrew fill out a GMAR or Flying MAR. Then our HARM puts everything into an excel spreadsheet, then in Training we MANUALLY transfer that info over to another Excel spreadsheet which we give to our schedulers. They in turn schedule people based on "beans" left.

Weekly the Training Shop computes metrics from the currencies and briefs them in the Squadron meeting. And finally every other month we conduct a Training Review Board.

I believe nearly all of the metrics the Training Shop produce can be automated through Excel or Microsoft Office Access. This would greatly speed up our work in the Training Shop.

I know about some electronic trackers like E-Tims, it's not an option for us, but what does your squadron use? How does your Training Shop do it?

Thx in advance,

Swizz

[Guest Warped]

We keep track of all currencies through PEX, and consider it the individuals responsibility to keep up on their currencies. That said, there is alot of babysitting that goes on, with the Ops office acting as the hammer when people go non-current.

[slacker]

I thought the use of AFORMS was regulatory. We used PEX and AFORMS, the problem is when there is a disconnect, which do you trust?

[Guest Matt Damon]

It is the individuals responsibility to keep up with their currencies, RAP, etc.

I do mine (and sometimes other people's) by balancing PEX and working with our ARMS shop. Works real well.

[Toro]

Ours were tracked by ARMS, which the 1COs used to print out an excel-ish looking sheet every Monday morning that showed criminals as red and soon-to-be criminals as yellow. In addition to signing out before flying, everybody had to review their currencies and initial. In theory, everybody should know what they require and do it. Additionally, the training dude was supposed to review currencies before the weekly scheduling meeting and schedule guys for sorties where they could update items as required.

[PirateAF]

Same for us with the SARMS keeping track via MARs, updating an excel sheet through AFORMS.

Does anyone out there use GDSS2 to track currency?

I think our CC said it best today, "If you can't keep yourself current, then go find another job".

[FourFans]

"If you can't keep yourself current, then go find another job".

More CCs need to say that...and mean it.

[Swizzle]

Yea, our squadron definitely babysits aircrew too much with currencies...I'm sure at the end of every year it will be a push to finish no matter what squadron you are in, but some GT like Tactics/Intel isn't flexible enough to schedule last minute.

I agree CC/DO's need to hammer people who don't manage well their currencies. I'm starting to think that public shame and ridicule or a "good deal" reward are the only way to motivate aircrew.

Is it standard practice to brief weekly the status of the squadron beans?

Has anyone used Microsoft Access or Excel to automate bean-metrics?

[Guest Cap-10]

Has anyone used Microsoft Access or Excel to automate bean-metrics?

Not so much for flying beans, but in my current staff job, my secondary duty is UTM. I use Excel to track all of the ancillary training (Info Protection, SABC, 9mm currency, etc). I used conditional formatting of the cells (based on date that training was accomplished and re-currency window) to color the cells red if they are overdue, orange if within 30 days or needing re-currency, yellow if within 90 days, and green if they are >90+ days. Most of the ancillary training is due every 12, 15, or even 20 months.

I send out a link to the spreadsheet the first duty day of every month so people can see their status, and when they bring me a copy of their certificate, I update the spreadsheet. If they don't, then there's the possibility that their name gets highlighted as overdue when the training stats are briefed at the monthly briefing to the AOC/CC (a 1 star).

For my next trick, I will show you how I earned my 1,000 hour powerpoint patch.....oh how I love flying a desk!

Cheers,

Cap-10

[Guest Homestar]

Does anyone out there use GDSS2 to track currency?

Yes. I think this is common in AMC tanker units.

I think our CC said it best today, "If you can't keep yourself current, then go find another job".

Amen. And bravo!

Edited November 22, 2008 by Homestar

[Guest Boom]

ARMS will send at a spreedsheet bi-weekly, some people use GDSS-II, I use the ARMS system in the Portal.

[Champ Kind]

Precursor to this: This doesn't apply to me, but I see it often, especially with new guys.

So, what about dudes who constantly tell their schedulers, "I need to fly.....". They don't fly, for whatever reason. They go back and say, "Hey, I've got XX of ________events remaining, I need to fly." They don't fly. So now, it's the end of the semi-annual period, and now THEY are the "criminal" for not having their beans done. Then, they are asked why they didn't get said beans done, and when they say it was because they don't get to fly, they are asked if there is a malfunction with their pencil (meaning: Why didn't you just log them off in your TAR whether you did it or not?).

Broken system, if you ask me. [sARCASM] Personally, I just go ahead and log everything off at the beginning of the semi-annual period. If you're going to lie, might as well get it done early so that you get people off your back, right? [/sARCASM]

[Butters]

Broken system, if you ask me. [sARCASM] Personally, I just go ahead and log everything off at the beginning of the semi-annual period. If you're going to lie, might as well get it done early so that you get people off your back, right? [/sARCASM]

Fly what yo can, log what you need. It is sad, but the system is broken. I wish I knew how to fix it.

We just don't have the training lines to go around and you can't sort out the the guys who tried to fly and are going non-current and the slackers... Yes, you can tell, but not with %100 accuracy. So, we are back to square 1.

[Guest Cap-10]

Pencil whipping the curencies isn't going to fix the 'problem', just like pencil whipping your take-off time so that MX doesn't buy another MX late doesn't fix the MX problem.

If everyone in the squadron only logged what they actually flew, and squadron's all over the AF did the same, I guarentee that the issue would get elevated when 69% of the flying force is downgraded to BMC for not making their CMR beans. It's not for us worker bees to fix the problem, that's what we have leaders for.

But I also guarentee that this will not happen, becuase there is probably not a SQ/CC out there willing to lose their command when their squadron goes BMC, just to prove a point that the system is broken and above their pay grade to fix.

Cap-10

[disgruntledemployee]

$.02

1. ARMS should provide currencies daily to help ensure the DO is signing legal orders---part of that go/no go checklist. Swizzle, all that spreadsheet work is for the birds; you're doing all the work for your crews. Also, instead of briefing metrics, put dudes names on a shit list. The only things those metrics are good for is making you work and perhaps shifting the formula for the types of training lines you have (i.e. more night sorties needed in summer).

2. Aircrews are responsible for maintaining their currencies (but we all know this one, right?)

3. Be careful how you use the pencil...its your training.

4. Time for beer!

out

[JarheadBoom]

Our SARMS clerk (civ) compiles it all. Provides a currency hit-list to the CC, DO, and the Pilot, Engineer, and Boom training ARTs weekly. At that point, it's on us to get the tasks accomplished, or get special attention from above.

Does anyone out there use GDSS2 to track currency?

I use it to keep up with my currencies (and to double-check the SARMS clerk).

I think our CC said it best today, "If you can't keep yourself current, then go find another job".

I KNOW (well, I hope...) there's more than just a few field-grades in the AF that feel this way - why can't Mother Blue find them and make them CC's, instead of the weak-ass suckups that many SQ's / WG's end up with?**

**Rhetorical question - I know it's just the way the the system works.

[FourFans]

Having worked in training and scheduling and getting a good look at how the system is broken, I definitely agree that the system is hard broke. But letting yourself go NMR to prove a point to big blue is not the right answer, just like spilling the hot coffee in your lap isn't the right way to tell the waitress that the coffee is way to hot.

Instead of passing the buck to big blue and blaming the system, mission commanders and aircraft commanders can do a LOT to alleviate the short term problem...but they RARELY do. Ever since the flying hour program went away, ACs have been briefing that they'll finish the flight when they've max'd out the training...but how that usually plays out is that they blow off the extra instrument approach or the extra ARA in order to land when they've got their pre-planned training done. If dudes actually tried and knock out EVERY bean that EVERY crewmember needs, you'd see more flights going full length and less waivers at the end of the semi-annual.

I went 5 for 5 semi-annual periods (periods that I counted on the books) of zeroed out training at my last base...and it wasn't because of good scheduling or a proactive training shop. Hell, I was even an exec for 2 of those! Sure big blue is broken, but that doesn't have to impact my mission execution. It doesn't in the desert, it shouldn't at home either.

B.L. You can pass the buck to whoever you want, but at the end of the day, your training is your responsibility.

FF

[slacker]

We just don't have the training lines to go around and you can't sort out the the guys who tried to fly and are going non-current and the slackers...

Hey, I get my sh!t done and I'm a staff guy.

[Dupe]

Does anyone else use/heard of COOL? It's an Edwards system that essentially has the same goals as PEX, but it actually works. I had a jaundiced-eye when I was trained on the system, but I'm now a huge fan to the point where I think the AF should scrap PEX and go with this system.

[Butters]

Does anyone else use/heard of COOL? It's an Edwards system that essentially has the same goals as PEX, but it actually works. I had a jaundiced-eye when I was trained on the system, but I'm now a huge fan to the point where I think the AF should scrap PEX and go with this system.

Yes, we used COOL at McChord for a while and it sucked donkey balls. We had multiple problems with it not accurately reflecting a pilot’s Mission Ready Status. Well, PEX has the same problems only was easier to fix. I just can't believe that with today technology the AF can't develop a simple database that tracks this crap properly %100 of the time.

Additional, there was an earlier post agreeing that the system is broke, but ACs could do more to mitigate the problem. Well, that is not always the case. If I call a mission complete because training is complete... that is just it training is complete and there is not a single person on my aircraft that needs anything. The problem comes when the fill my aircraft up with pilots that do not need anything. When we came back from out last deployment, we were trying to get everyone re-current in AR. We only had a few AR lines and when I was told there were 5 pilots on my local I thought great, we will get some people current. Turns out all 5 of them were current and the non-current guys didn't want to fly Friday night. I do not know how those orders made it past the ADO/DO.

[Champ Kind]

...I was told there were 5 pilots on my local I thought great, we will get some people current. Turns out all 5 of them were current and the non-current guys didn't want to fly Friday night. I do not know how those orders made it past the ADO/DO.

PI.

[FourFans]

Well, that is not always the case.

I'll concur there. A DO or ADOs that aren't driving the schedule can train wreck even the best scheduling/training team. Likewise, baised schedulers can sink even the best of training plans. If I came across sounding like it's all on the ACs, I apologize.

FF

Edited November 25, 2008 by FourFans130

[TacAirCoug]

Bottom line, it is a team effort between everyone involved, however from what I've seen, I do think AC's can be a little more proactive about maximizing training in a given sortie. I'm certainly guilty. In my unit, the ARMS folks export the data to an Access(?) database and regularly print training/currency reports which they post in a binder at the front desk. When AC's sign out to fly, we are required to check the GO/NO GO binder for any grounding items for our crews. We also check the currency binder to see what people have remaining (ideally you do this well before you step). If there are a lot of currencies, I just make a photocopy of the pages I need and step. Schedulers use it for their planning, and mission commanders do the same thing before they build their 280's. ARMS makes it real easy for us to keep track of what we need to get done before the end of the half. At least in my unit, you can't claim you didn't know.

[GW]

Thread revival/hijack.

Does anyone here have any experience using the scheduling output function from GDSS2?

I'm looking to import the G2 schedule into a squadron calender on a intranet web page and I'm hopping to avoid re-inventing the wheel.

Note: I'm not taking about a simple static HTML page here, I'm looking to keep the information in a database.

GW

[GW]

Que the Crickets....