Gen Welsh - USAF Chief of Staff

[Day Man]

I like Welsh, but I will bet someone a bottle of Makers the he leaves his post early. I think he had high hopes as CSAF, but has been inundated with BS.

[Skitzo]

I'm very puzzled by this. We are already going to get smaller... This just doesn't make sense to me given the force reduction about to happen.

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[pitts2112]

Ugh. The USAF is more amped up about inclusiveness and other HR stuff than any other organization I've ever worked for. We might still a sexual harassment problem, but more mass briefings, Kumbaya song circles, and telling everyone how soft and fluffy a warfighting force we are is not going to solve that problem. I hope, for my desire to really think he's going to make a difference, that CSAF made this under duress. I kept looking for a code in his blinking...

[ThreeHoler]

https://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=5344

Yeah. When you're in one of those squadrons, you kind of just get the feel of why this is so important to us. If we're gonna send Airmen, and we send more people in airplanes into enemy airspace than anybody does in a major conflict. I mean, the fact is that if you look at aviation, we've got about 690,000 people who deal with the United States Air Force in some way, shape or form. The other services combined have around 100,000. So in a big fight, the majority of people going across the line in airplanes are gonna be people who are Airmen, United States Air Force Airmen.

I thought we weren't allowed to use "69."

[BitteEinBit]

https://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=5344

I thought we weren't allowed to use "69."

That is part of his "code" within the video...brilliant! I can totally decode OPRs/PRFs now too...

I'm still trying to grasp this concept that a "much smaller force" is going to be better for our ability to project power. He must be talking about the overhead personnel like finance, personnel, services, etc. I don't know how anyone who served in any operational capacity can argue that we had way too many people deploying to support these operations over the past 12 years...but I am willing to listen to anyone who can argue that.

I understand these wars are ending and the ops tempo should decrease (in theory), but we are already the smallest we've ever been and I can remember a time after a different war when we had a big drawdown and thought we could do more with less because the "ops tempo" was supposed to decrease. Times were not good back then. I guess we'll find out in 2023. Unless I get RIFd, hopefully I'll be retired making 1% less per year by then so I won't have to re-live those days.

Edited December 19, 2013 by BitteEinBit

[deaddebate]

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/12/20/statement-president-eliminating-sexual-assault-armed-forces

A unified message is important. Highly suspect this message was voluntold by the boss. Look at the sex assault standards in the newest NDAA/budget. This is the PR story for the next few weeks.

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[WheelsOff]

Straight from the horse's mouth at his all-call today at TCM - hiding Masters degrees from promotion boards until O-6, and, quote "wing commanders should NOT be telling you that you need it for promotion to Major"

[HeloDude]

Straight from the horse's mouth at his all-call today at TCM - hiding Masters degrees from promotion boards until O-6, and, quote "wing commanders should NOT be telling you that you need it for promotion to Major"

That's one way to reduce TA costs...

[BitteEinBit]

Finally the AF is going to make people focus on actually doing their jobs instead of taking time off the flying schedule to finish that Master's paper this weekend. Makes sense since we are cutting 25K. Can you imagine having that many less people with everyone focused on/worried about finishing that Masters before they pin on Capt?! This is a good thing...although I anticipate it is foreshadowing what is yet to come...doing a lot more with a lot less than we planned, so we need you to focus on more important things.

Good luck! We're all counting on you!

[Slander]

So, like about eleventy thousand of us said, this will work just fine until the next guy takes over and changes it back. That's the fear that will cause all of the dudes in the '06-'10 year groups to continue to get their masters even though he just said not to do that.

Signing up for AU Masters in 3 months...FML. It was a good ride just, ya know, focusing on tactics. And RAP. But mostly tactics. Ok, mostly RAP, whatever. Shut up Richard, your brain is a candy shell.

[pawnman]

Straight from the horse's mouth at his all-call today at TCM - hiding Masters degrees from promotion boards until O-6, and, quote "wing commanders should NOT be telling you that you need it for promotion to Major"

Well, now I feel like a jackass for getting mine done in 2012 in anticipation of this year's promotion board.

[Winchester]

Straight from the horse's mouth at his all-call today at TCM - hiding Masters degrees from promotion boards until O-6, and, quote "wing commanders should NOT be telling you that you need it for promotion to Major"

Edited February 4, 2014 by Winchester

[BitteEinBit]

Well, now I feel like a jackass for getting mine done in 2012 in anticipation of this year's promotion board.

2012?!? Hmm...not sure you finished it early enough...you're #20 of 15 in the rack and stack...

[GKinnear]

My $.02

The AAD could still be used a discriminator during the DE selection process. While some well deserving individuals get a school-slot without it, the majority have it accomplished, which in turn has a trickle down effect to the SRs.

Get it, don't get it..it your call. Just notch the threat appropriately.

[Champ Kind]

As far as DE goes, candidates aren't going to school for the foreseeable future.

[Dead Last]

Winchester

Wasn't there a policy recently put in place that in order to PCS you had to have a masters and pme done?

I'm so glad I'm not part of that corporation anymore... Good luck to those who are!!

[FBomb]

As far as DE goes, candidates aren't going to school for the foreseeable future.

Spot on. I have one of my DT's members in my unit, and the DT gets one candidate per year now to send to PME or give in-res credit. That means you have to be the #1 candidate out of three year groups to get picked up.

Edited February 4, 2014 by FBomb

[GKinnear]

Yeah, I knew a "candidates" chances of making it in were zilch. And while the board may not consider AAD completion for promotion, I still think SRs and below will use it to help stratify. A Master's is still a positive thing, just make sure to spend your money wisely. The AAD box has taken way to much precedence lately and it nice to see a course-reversal. Of course, I'll believe it when I see it in writing from the CSAF.

Again, this is just one crew-dogs opinion.

Edited February 4, 2014 by GKinnear

[FUSEPLUG]

Well, now I feel like a jackass for getting mine done in 2012 in anticipation of this year's promotion board.

2

[akele]

Even if the masters gets masked for the promotion boards, what about all the upcoming RIF/FSBs? Will it be shown there??? If it is, still have an AAD problem with people trying to get it done regardless.

[17D_guy]

I'm 4 classes (currently enrolled in 2) from finishing a program at a legit school. I'm not stopping now after all this ass-pain.. it'll just make it hurt more.

[StoleIt]

Capstone to go in ERAU. I think I'll take a little break though and see if they will drop their prices...you know...because since I have started the stupid program they raised their cost per credit hour three times.

[pawnman]

2012?!? Hmm...not sure you finished it early enough...you're #20 of 15 in the rack and stack...

Two years in advance, still ahead of a few peers. Not enough to matter.

Now you guys have every reason to really drag out that MBA, though...every quarter you can use "xx classes towards master's" as your "personal growth" bullet for an award.

[Bergman]

This. He's on point with all of it.

https://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/473391/csaf-taking-care-of-airmen-future-roadmap-key-to-af-success.aspx

Specifically:

Its about job performance, guys," he continued. "I want young officers doing their jobs, doing as good as they can, then going home and be young husbands, young wives, young mothers and fathers, young friends, young buddies. Have a life. We can do that and still have a very good Air Force.

Thank you. This is the kind of thing I've been waiting years to hear a senior leader say. I am hopeful he will be able to make the changes necessary. Edited February 22, 2014 by Bergman

[Homestar]

Hopefully this is the beginning of a real cultural change in BDE/IDE correspondence and masters degrees. He's right on about job performance, I just hope the bureaucracy can be moved.