Pope wing commander removed from duty

[Champ Kind]

Shame that a Yokota tail is even associated with that douche nozzel.

[capt4fans]

Anyone hear anything new about the Fun Burglar???

[Guest herk01]

well....i just heard about john getiing fired. from a fellow 130 driver. kind of surprised me. so i started looking on the web and found this site/forum and must say that i am completely blown away with the write-ups/gripes about him.

i was at dyess with him. in the 774 and the 772. i must say that i didnt see this kind of horseshit from him. he was a good troop. funny, easy going, just like one of the rest of us new LT's, working hard at your job and playing hard when you were done.

i just cant imagine him turning into one of the "re-inventing the wheel" type assholes that came in as new squadron commmanders and ops officers from non-flying, desk jobs. (we had nothing but disdain for some non experienced, 3 to 5 year paper pusher, who is now your boss and telling you how to do things and to do it his way, when he couldnt shit in his helmet bag without help)

from the comments i have read on this forum, it looks like he molded himself into one of those guys who didnt fly much but did make rank. my second to last squadron commander in the 772 was just like this. came to us as our new squadron commander---staff job, not a lot of time in the airplane (i had heard around 1500 to 1600 total hours---and a LTC!), not even an instructor, you get the picture. but he had a dazzling smile and talked the right talk. he was there barely a year and on to better and higher places. i was glad to see him leave. our next commander was great. a good shit. straight shooter, no bullshit. you knew where you stood, knew where you were going. and you knew he had your back. (i never felt that with the previous guy!) but only "smiley" made rank and moved on. maybe john saw this as a better means to move on and make rank---who knows.

however, i at least have to say that at the time i knew john and flew with him, he was a good troop, a straight shooter, a lot of fun and not like the individual portrayed in the majority of these forums. for what its worth, thats my 2 cents on the deal.

[Guest herk01]

"ol-IEWO", I salute you for your service. Anyone who flew into RP-6 has my utmost respect. I can't EVEN imagine what that was like. What years were you at Takhli?

I've read "Thud Ridge" (as have many). "Going Downtown" is on my "Books to Read" list, but should be on my "Books I HAVE Read" list. I believe Chuck Yeager was one of the officers on Col Broughtan's court martial board and that the board fined him $1 for destroying government property. Is my memory correct?

First, I have flown in Afghanistan and Iraq and have my own combat experience (which was pretty benign). My combat time does not compare with that of the pilots of the Vietnam era or of the Gulf War. So, I'm not claiming to be an expert. This is my disclaimer.

This is my take on the commanders (SQ/CC and above) I have observed in the AF. The CC's that I served under who had combat time seemed to be much more big picture. Example, my 1st operational SQ/CC was a below the zone, "Golden Boy" who did not have much flying time and no combat time. He had been a MAJCOM/CC's exec as a 1LT (so I was told).

He was a nice person, but focused more on proper wear of the scarf than on proper employment of the airplane. I remember as a 2LT, my SQ was deployed to EGUN. I was in Base Ops on my scheduled day off (in my flight suit) trying to learn more about the European airspace system (OAT vs GAT, etc) and he walked in. He asked what I was doing and where my scarf was. He then told me he better not EVER see me again while not wearing it. I wasn't expecting an ATTABOY for studying (doing my job), but I didn't expect to be chastised for not wearing the scarf. To this impressionable (at the time) 2LT, he cared more about the scarf and less about flying competence. My next CC in that squadron was a good guy who cared about the people he led and a good pilot. He had flown AC-130's in Vietnam and had a different focus than the previous CC. Sadly he retired a Lt Col (may have been his choice) while the predecessor (the "Golden Boy") moved above and beyond.

I could list other examples, but this would become a book.

It seems to me that those individuals who have flown in environments where their life was at risk, where they weren't sure if they would see their wife and kids again, or where they may have seen a friend blown out of the sky have a different perspective. They don't seem to sweat the minutia (like a scarf) and focus on the mission and the people. They do this by setting the example. They excel as aviators and are demanding of their units. Not to be A-holes, but because they know the more prepared and proficiant their aircrews are, the more likely they will survive in combat. They also know you can overwork a person, so they focus less on the relitively unimportant (parties, base beautification, etc.)

I'm not saying that one has to log combat time to be an effective leader (I imagine there are many fine CC's without combat time), but I have seen a general difference between those that have and those that have not. This is my observation after 20+ years.

Thanks "Slacker" for welcoming me to the "Board".

I enjoy reading all the inputs and appreciate the forum.

you are talking about "smiley" compared to LTC Simms. you nailed it on the head. i never trusted "smiley", he was a rattlesnake in the grass. Simms was great and you busted your ass for a guy like that.

[BQZip01]

- If you weren't flying or in crew rest, you had to show up every Saturday morning for the camp clean-up, "to show the other people on Salem that aircrew actually works". Even if you just returned from a 14 hour duty-day flight, you were expected to do camp clean-up before you could eat and/or collapse on your bed (happened to my crew more than once...got back from flying, all sweaty and tired, and the boss said "you guys need to hurry so you can make camp clean-up").

Sounds like a nice O-6 shoeclerk more interested in how things look than getting the job done; more interested in the paperwork being correct than the mission getting accomplished. Our bosses have fixed this problem by extending our duties to include a full night's sleep. You have 10 hours after wheels touch down before you are supposed to report for your next duty (other than debrief). This is figured into the entire crew's schedule and is published on the squadron schedule.

- Came up with the rule that if any member of your crew (whether you were around or not) was caught without their reflective belt, not wearing a seat belt, or out of uniform (particularly the PT uniform), YOU (the aircraft commander) were downgraded to a copilot.

Uh...so you lose an aircraft commander because of a minor uniform infraction? Wow. Talk about misplaced priorities.

- The closest he usually got to the aircraft was when he'd stand out on the flight line and try to look for aircraft and crews violating "the rules". Among the violations he found...a buddy of mine taxied "too close" to a power cart on Golf ramp (despite that it had been there for weeks, off the side of the ramp, and he was following the yellow line...and they didn't move the power cart afterwards either). He got downgraded to copilot. Fun Burglar also routinely busted crews for talking a leak on the airplanes and/or relieving themselves in the infield. There often were no restrooms on the ramps, and trans could take a half hour to bring a bus to you...so rather than takeoff late (we'd often halftime at OKAS), the crews would do their business out by the airplane. Fun Burglar gave paperwork for such things.

Blame the guy who parked the thing so damn close to the line, not the guy following the yellow line. When a B-52 collided with a parked truck because of a marshaller, the pilot was rightly blamed even though the marshaller said the jet was clear (it IS ultimately the AC's responsibility). The solution, additional "Gooch" lines (named after their callsign's "inspiration") were painted along the entire parking area & taxiways to show where something has to be to be clear of the B-52's significant and low wingspan.

[BattleRattle]

Thread bump.

Can anyone confirm/deny that the morale burglar has retired?

[HercDude]

Thread bump.

Can anyone confirm/deny that the morale burglar has retired?

Ugg . . . . His name shows up in the global at Scott AFB.

[Herk Driver]

Ugg . . . . His name shows up in the global at Scott AFB.

If he just retired then he could still be listed...

[capt4fans]

Thread bump.

Can anyone confirm/deny that the morale burglar has retired?

He's out. Global hasn't caught up yet. That's Mr. Fun Burglar to you now.

[Guest Crew Report]

He's out. Global hasn't caught up yet. That's Mr. Fun Burglar to you now.

Or douche. Good riddance, glad to see the system work sometimes.

[ROTC Guy]

Somehow this guy was hired for AFJROTC. Probably has something to do with hiding his record, but anyway I can tell you that he currently worlks at Pinecrest HS in Southern Pines NC. Their phone # is 910 692 7455. This guy should be nowhere near young people. Help get him removed. Call the school and enlighten them and ROTC HQ at Maxwell AFB.

[ROTC Guy]

here is the website

[Toro]

10 hours ago, ROTC Guy said:

Somehow this guy was hired for AFJROTC. Probably has something to do with hiding his record, but anyway I can tell you that he currently worlks at Pinecrest HS in Southern Pines NC. Their phone # is 910 692 7455. This guy should be nowhere near young people. Help get him removed. Call the school and enlighten them and ROTC HQ at Maxwell AFB.

Or send them a link to this thread.

[Azimuth]

At least he knows how to do formal retreat.  Since he forced all of the OG to do it daily at Salem when I was there in 2005 and he was the OG at the time.

 

[BashiChuni]

i'm all for naming/shaming d-bags...but trying to get a guy fired from a civilian job seems like bad bull to me

[Day Man]

15 minutes ago, BashiChuni said:

i'm all for naming/shaming d-bags...but trying to get a guy fired from a civilian job seems like bad bull to me

Screw that...these people think they're untouchable on active duty, but are so wrapped up in themselves they forget there's no command authority on the outside. It sounds like he deserves every bit of shitty karma he gets.

[Homestar]

3 hours ago, Day Man said:

he deserves every bit of shitty karma he gets.

Former O-6 now teaching JROTC.  I'd say karma got him.

[HU&W]

3 hours ago, Homestar said:

Former O-6 now teaching JROTC.  I'd say karma got him.

JROTC=Getting paid the same as you did on active duty, usually with a kicker.  And almost no accountability.

[M2]

On 9/14/2017 at 9:13 PM, ROTC Guy said:

here is the website

Looks a lot like Judge Smails...

[Homestar]

16 hours ago, HU&W said:

JROTC=Getting paid the same as you did on active duty, usually with a kicker.  And almost no accountability.

Wow. Had no idea that JROTC pulled full active duty salary. Good guys finish last I guess. 

[HU&W]

 

1 minute ago, Homestar said:

Wow. Had no idea that JROTC pulled full active duty salary. Good guys finish last I guess. 

Sort of.  The school has to make up the difference between your retirement pay (not including VA disability) and your Active Duty pay.  Most pay that plus a little more. 

[Homestar]

Ah gotcha.