Shut down Air War College

[OverTQ]

Next question, do you (AF) often get commanders who are not creditable in the aircraft? If this is truly your issue that your SR LTC's and COL's cannot even fly their aircraft as descent pilot, I see your point. But your argument is more from the stand point of schools and masters degrees really do not expand you educational views. If what you are saying is you would be better off staying in the line you entire career, I think (my opinion) your service will end up with great LTC's. But you will suffer in the long run. The services are run by the O6's. I can tell you from the Army stand point on education, your service will lose out if you get rid of your higher educational opportunities. I do realize that the Army view on leadership is much different from the AF view. But you want to have O6's who can compete with the other service O6's. As the career manager for some of the Army types, I was able to talk to them about the SSC's. I never spoke to one who said it was a wasted experience. They all told me it was one of the best educational schools they ever attended. From the stand point of being able to read everyones evaluations (and even work for some of them), they became some of the best commanders we have had. Not saying all, but the knowledge they gained from the SSC's combined with a key DC position, gave them some skills beyond the average commander.

PS I was not alluding to anything, just asking to understand your thoughts.

[nsplayr]

Next question, do you (AF) often get commanders who are not creditable in the aircraft? If this is truly your issue that your SR LTC's and COL's cannot even fly their aircraft as descent pilot, I see your point. But your argument is more from the stand point of schools and masters degrees really do not expand you educational views. If what you are saying is you would be better off staying in the line you entire career, I think (my opinion) your service will end up with great LTC's. But you will suffer in the long run. The services are run by the O6's. I can tell you from the Army stand point on education, your service will lose out if you get rid of your higher educational opportunities. I do realize that the Army view on leadership is much different from the AF view. But you want to have O6's who can compete with the other service O6's. As the career manager for some of the Army types, I was able to talk to them about the SSC's. I never spoke to one who said it was a wasted experience. They all told me it was one of the best educational schools they ever attended. From the stand point of being able to read everyones evaluations (and even work for some of them), they became some of the best commanders we have had. Not saying all, but the knowledge they gained from the SSC's combined with a key DC position, gave them some skills beyond the average commander.

PS I was not alluding to anything, just asking to understand your thoughts.

For me at least, my commander is highly competent in the aircraft so it's not an issue. I'm also young and YMMV with different squadrons. I don't even think that's the biggest issue people are seeing, it's that dudes who prioritize CYA and box checking are promoted and dudes who are out there kicking ass and taking names are passed over to a certain degree or more likely punching out after looking at a long dark tunnel or further CYA and box checking. It's the slow vectoring over time where dudes who are most worried about their own careers and "play the game" most effectively get on the golden boy track and dudes who kill the enemy most effectively look like just another Captain Bag O'Donuts because out evaluation system doesn't seem to adequately value primary job excellence.

And I also don't think the problem is with SDE (or as you said senior service colleges). Those seem to be valuable and CH already spoke to his very positive experience. The problem is where doing SOS both in correspondence and in residence is a major discriminating factor for promotion. Other than the commissioning-source re-hash of ASBC, is the first real PME a person will go to and while I have not had the privilege of attending Shoe Flag yet, I've heard less than stellar reviews. Why are CGOs, the supposed tactical experts, doing practice bleeding for something that isn't even that valuable? Do CGOs need to get "strategic breadth" or do they need to be in the vault studying their weapons system? Assume "both" is not a viable option (that is the AF's current stance) because time and effort are finite factors and you can't make two different things your #1 priority. That's the rub. Why are masters degrees, no matter what they are in or how hard they were to obtain, valued above being good at your job? The current system assumes everyone is good at their job and thus discriminates based on who also has that AAD done. That's simply not true and it's part of the problem.

Edited July 5, 2011 by nsplayr

[Alf]

The last time I checked the "paying your dues" part of our job was college/OTS/Zoo/ROTC/UPT/MWS qual/Q1 mission checkride/AC or flight lead upgrade/IP/EP. Once those are accomplished you have made it to the NFL-level of warfare and the focus should be on the mission rather than the career.

Shack

[OverTQ]

Good points NSPLAYR.

[Guest]

Question. Would you rather have someone in charge who was the best commander you ever saw or the best pilot you ever saw?

[ClearedHot]

So....your answer is a dead guy from the Vietnam era?

No you fucking ignoramus...he was saying "both".

If that "dead guy from the Vietnam era" was still alive he would most certainly punch you right in the snot locker.

[Rokke]

So....your answer is a dead guy from the Vietnam era?

Given some of the "leadership" I've watched move up the square filling ladder recently, I'd actually prefer a dead guy from the Vietnam era. For that matter, any carcass from any era would do. King Tut would be kind of cool. And less damaging to actual mission accomplishment.

[Guest]

So....your answer is a dead guy from the Vietnam era?

The overwhelming sadness I feel from your lack of SA has left me powerless to respond.

Your new tactical is Kryptonite.

[Alpharatz]

Given some of the "leadership" I've watched move up the square filling ladder recently, I'd actually prefer a dead guy from the Vietnam era. For that matter, any carcass from any era would do. King Tut would be kind of cool. And less damaging to actual mission accomplishment.

And think of the OER fodder "responsible for directing construction of two Pyramids and one Ziggurat in undisclosed location" "brought Ziggurat in under budget" (oops....is that good?)

"Located..designed...constructed one Sphinx in Central Asian location" "fashionably overbudget and late"

...............The Sphinx may be artistically mis-placed...but I deserve to be a general........

[OverTQ]

That was classic pilot conversation right there.

[StainedClass]

--"work to be on the short list when the Boss puts together the line up for night one."--

The best thing I've ever read on here. Thanks BigE.

Edited July 10, 2011 by StainedClass

[ClearedHot]

Fox News interview ends after author accuses network of being ‘wing of the Republican Party’

Further proof that Ricks is just another prick with an axe and an agenda to grind.

[LockheedFix]

What a moron. It was small firefight that just happened to kill the US Ambassador.