What's wrong with the Air Force?

[Fuzz]

2018 Airman of the Year because of volunteer bullets: 

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2018/06/27/air-force-times-2018-airman-of-the-year-takes-community-volunteering-global/

[Disco_Nav963]

2 hours ago, one1 said:

The fact that so many people, after so much information about this case has been released, still feel this way is incomprehensible to me. Wilkerson had been 100% proven to lie under oath on numerous occasions before and after the trial. He was a proven liar with serious character flaws. I understand doubting the victim in certain circumstances, especially with inconsistencies with the story, but at some point logic dictates that the victim's narrative has more weight than Wilkerson's. Now, with all the additional information that has surfaced about Wilkerson's history of lying under oath, him secretly having another family that he apparently didn't support, once looking into the stall to watch a subordinate's wife urinate in a restroom, and multiple Air Force officers testifying under oath that Wilkerson had serious character flaw... how can you still think that the Air Force was trying to "railroad" Wilkerson? You say the Air Force couldn't prove that Wilkerson was guilty, yet a jury of his peers found him guilty. Do you understand a victim's testimony is evidence?

 

 

 

The fact that you uncritically repeat the "once looking into the stall to watch a subordinate's wife urinate in a restroom" story tells me you don't know what you're talking about. Read the trial record and the clemency package, then come back and we'll talk.

[Jaded]

I wish there was a way to educate cadets about how the military justice system actually works. They have a right to know what they're getting themselves into. 

[one1]

1 hour ago, Disco_Nav963 said:

The fact that you uncritically repeat the "once looking into the stall to watch a subordinate's wife urinate in a restroom" story tells me you don't know what you're talking about. Read the trial record and the clemency package, then come back and we'll talk.

I've read every piece of the FOIA and listened to all of the OSI audio as a part of an effort to outline what happened for a non-profit I support. To me, the clemency package didn't illustrate anything other than Wilkerson had many friends. What I took note from the trial were the people that wouldn't have any reason to be for or against Wilkerson that made statements against his character. This includes the emails and testimony of a Colonel and Captain that both observed Wilkerson doing questionable things that bothered them. They had contemporaneous notes that documented some of this. One of those things being Wilkerson peeping on a subordinate's wife in the bathroom. Multiple people, even one person that wrote a letter to support Wilkerson's clemency package confirmed that he did do this. I am not sure if that is normal to you or not, but I find that to be very indicative of someone who has questionable judgment. I know that the clemency letters try to explain away the incident, but did you read Wilkerson's own recollection of the incident or the other people that were questioned?

 

I support an organization called Protect our Defenders and helped put this together... https://www.protectourdefenders.com/point-by-point-rebuttal-of-gen-franklins-18-reasons-for-overturning-col-wilkersons-sexual-assault-conviction/

 

Christensen is a member of the non-profit along with Col Jensen. I don't know either of them personally but I promise you that their goal isn't to frame innocent officers of heinous sex crimes. 

 

If you can read the above link knowing that Wilkerson repeatedly lied under oath, lied on his SF86, didn't support his son, and had a history of misconduct... and still believe that Wilkerson was in your own terms, railroaded... I don't know how to reason with you. On top of everything, the jury actually in the court found him guilty. Maybe you would believe the victim if you knew her or actually sat on the jury yourself. At the simplest level, you can either believe a proven liar's testimony or the victim's.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2018 by one1

[Disco_Nav963]

We all know what Protect Our Defenders is and what their agenda is. I take back what I said, you are familiar with the record... You are just following after Christensen in disingenuously misrepresenting what the "bathroom incident" was, just like he trotted out stories about a piano burn and fighter pilot songs to scare a panel full of MDG officers.

[Majestik Møøse]

3 hours ago, Fuzz said:

2018 Airman of the Year because of volunteer bullets: 

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2018/06/27/air-force-times-2018-airman-of-the-year-takes-community-volunteering-global/

Hey I’m just glad to see that the B-52 program is so squared away that this guy can spend all of his time on scraping pennies worth of care package garbage from the dark corners of Al Udeid to help out the USG’s underpaid indentured workers.

[Homestar]

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

I wish there was a way to educate cadets about how the military justice system actually works. They have a right to know what they're getting themselves into. 

Yeah. Stupid college students that don't know how to do research and stuff.

[Azimuth]

1 hour ago, Homestar said:

Yeah. Stupid college students that don't know how to do research and stuff.

There’s “this is how it works” in theory and “this is what actually happens” in practice. The latter being what should be told to young Airmen and Cadets.

[HarleyQuinn]

Air Force Cuts Pilot Training by 5 Weeks

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Air-Force-cuts-pilot-training-by-5-weeks-13040570.php

"Several veteran instructor pilots, speaking on condition they not be identified because of possible retribution, expressed concern that the syllabus makeover is too much, too fast, and could lead to unintended and even deadly consequences."

[Fuzz]

AMCs “Fly only track” but only for DV platforms, because that’s where we are short on experienced aviators. Just when I thought AMC was at least on a good trajectory they pull this shit.

https://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2018/August 2018/Mobility-Boom.aspx

 

[Guest]

AMCs “Fly only track” but only for DV platforms, because that’s where we are short on experienced aviators. Just when I thought AMC was at least on a good trajectory they pull this shit.
https://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2018/August 2018/Mobility-Boom.aspx
 

Weren’t they already a fly-only track with O-4 Snackos and O-5s sitting the scheduling desk?

[Champ Kind]

AMCs “Fly only track” but only for DV platforms, because that’s where we are short on experienced aviators. Just when I thought AMC was at least on a good trajectory they pull this shit.
https://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2018/August 2018/Mobility-Boom.aspx
 

I had hopes for that initiative too. I can’t really think of a good reason to restrict “fly only” pilots to VIPSAM and keep that talent from the operational MAF.

To be fair, the article also says, “Or, the pilots could become instructors.” If they include the FTU in that category, then at least it’s somewhat viable.

[YoungnDumb]

3 hours ago, HarleyQuinn said:

Air Force Cuts Pilot Training by 5 Weeks

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Air-Force-cuts-pilot-training-by-5-weeks-13040570.php

"Several veteran instructor pilots, speaking on condition they not be identified because of possible retribution, expressed concern that the syllabus makeover is too much, too fast, and could lead to unintended and even deadly consequences."

Link won't go beyond the first sentence for those without subscriptions.

And it wasn't just Veteran pilots who were pissed about it.  The new syllabus has a lot of good chances in it but also a lot of stupid things.  Like the fact that the students aren't taught how to fly ELP's (engine out procedures) anymore.  But hey it's air education and TIMELINE command

[DirtyFlightSuit]

Both syllabus changes were accomplished for the sole reason of reducing timeline.  The claim is using the timeline crunch to make "improvements" to training is just leadership continuing to lie to themselves so that when they retire and transition to airlines they can still sleep at night.   If these changes were legitimate we would have had at a minimum several control groups and a study case or two of classes before we whole sale threw out the old syllabus in its entirety for this new abomination.  For what its worth the PIT change is far less dangerous, so at least our instructors will continue to stink at roughly the same level.  The UPT syllabus is an abomination however, and I think we will see people die as a direct result in the next 5-10 years.  The problem is by then they wont be able to identify the root cause, and our instructor force will drop in quality as those guys show up to an already reduced PIT training syllabus.  

[YoungnDumb]

5 minutes ago, DirtyFlightSuit said:

Both syllabus changes were accomplished for the sole reason of reducing timeline.  The claim is using the timeline crunch to make "improvements" to training is just leadership continuing to lie to themselves so that when they retire and transition to airlines they can still sleep at night.   If these changes were legitimate we would have had at a minimum several control groups and a study case or two of classes before we whole sale threw out the old syllabus in its entirety for this new abomination.

This.

On a side note, what did they change about PIT?

[DirtyFlightSuit]

No more Qualification Check Ride, only a single Qual/Msn combined Form 8 (Formation) at end of program.   Increased number of Proficiency sorties (no instruction grades), thought processes being allow people to be more proficient in aircraft before expecting them to instruct in it.  Added Formation Solo and Area/Pattern Solo's.  No more Contact/instrument/lowlevel categories, there is a formation category but you can fly any event on any sortie.  So take off formation split up for contact maneuvers, then reform for a wing approach / ldg etc.  Sounds great but in practice it is a nightmare.  Students struggle to understand what a good flow should look like, and guidance is still weak.  Lazy IP's or otherwise inexperienced are allowing UI's to execute less than desirable sortie profiles thus wasting good training opportunities.  For example allowing a student working on Rear Cockpit Proficiency to not fly patterns on multiple sorties but instead knock out low level / contact area maneuvers instead, the whole point of RCP proficiency is for landings primarily from the RCP, not doing a loop from the RCP.    Perhaps over time a more commonly accepted flow will emerge, but right now I am constantly having to toss out the students plan or cancel the sortie outright because I refuse to allow them to progress and setup a situation where they have only seen ELPs from the RCP once in the entire block until the end or similar situation. 

Edited July 1, 2018 by DirtyFlightSuit
Added form 8 category description

[NKAWTG]

1 hour ago, Champ Kind said:

 

I had hopes for that initiative too. I can’t really think of a good reason to restrict “fly only” pilots to VIPSAM and keep that talent from the operational MAF.

To be fair, the article also says, “Or, the pilots could become instructors.” If they include the FTU in that category, then at least it’s somewhat viable.

 

Not really viable for KC-135/C-17.  That FTU is at one of most remote stateside bases and pilots tend to 7 day op or leave at first opportunity if assigned there.

[snoopyeast]

Three part series on the state of some of big blue's aircraft.

In-flight emergency: An investigation into flight safety at Offutt's 55th Wing

https://www.omaha.com/news/read-the-whole-series-flight-safety-at-offutt-s-th/collection_14992f1c-f68d-5330-9a65-fe89d3727760.html

A congressional WTF memo was shortly thereafter sent to SecAF.

https://www.omaha.com/the-nebraska-congressional-delegation-s-letter-to-the-air-force/pdf_7e3bac30-50fb-5715-b728-bb9cd81e3f01.html

[LookieRookie]

Other than the lack of ELPs I think the new T-6 syllabus is better for T-38 bound SPs.

[DirtyFlightSuit]

Tactical maneuvering alone doesn't make up for the cut in hours, you will have a lesser product don't you worry.  

 

[dream big]

18 minutes ago, DirtyFlightSuit said:

Tactical maneuvering alone doesn't make up for the cut in hours, you will have a lesser product don't you worry.  

 

The intent is that they’ll make up for the lost training at the FTUs.  Can’t speak for the fighter side but on the MAF guys, the FTUs are running at max capacity and min manning.  They will definitely not get their lost UPT training at the FTUs.  Then they’ll show up to the units and be our problem.  They will continue to be burdened with nonner duties because commanders can’t seem to follow CSAF guidance.  They’ll waste time on being equipment custodian, security manager, Christmas party planner, unit piss test POC or whatever.  They’ll have no one to set them straight and teach them how to be pilots because all of our experience is running for the airlines, if they aren’t shackled up at the wing exec or DS office.  We are so f*c&ed. 

[SurelySerious]

5 minutes ago, dream big said:

The intent is that they’ll make up for the lost training at the FTUs.  Can’t speak for the fighter side but on the MAF guys, the FTUs are running at max capacity and min manning.  They will definitely not get their lost UPT training at the FTUs.  Then they’ll show up to the units and be our problem.  They will continue to be burdened with nonner duties because commanders can’t seem to follow CSAF guidance.  They’ll waste time on being equipment custodian, security manager, Christmas party planner, unit piss test POC or whatever.  They’ll have no one to set them straight and teach them how to be pilots because all of our experience is running for the airlines, if they aren’t shackled up at the wing exec or DS office.  We are so f*c&ed. 

Checks. 

[Sprkt69]

3 hours ago, DirtyFlightSuit said:

Both syllabus changes were accomplished for the sole reason of reducing timeline.  The claim is using the timeline crunch to make "improvements" to training is just leadership continuing to lie to themselves so that when they retire and transition to airlines they can still sleep at night.   If these changes were legitimate we would have had at a minimum several control groups and a study case or two of classes before we whole sale threw out the old syllabus in its entirety for this new abomination.  For what its worth the PIT change is far less dangerous, so at least our instructors will continue to stink at roughly the same level.  The UPT syllabus is an abomination however, and I think we will see people die as a direct result in the next 5-10 years.  The problem is by then they wont be able to identify the root cause, and our instructor force will drop in quality as those guys show up to an already reduced PIT training syllabus.  

How comforting [sic]

[Sprkt69]

1 hour ago, dream big said:

The intent is that they’ll make up for the lost training at the FTUs.

And that right there is why this plan will fail

[HarleyQuinn]

4 hours ago, YoungnDumb said:

Link won't go beyond the first sentence for those without subscriptions.

And it wasn't just Veteran pilots who were pissed about it.  The new syllabus has a lot of good chances in it but also a lot of stupid things.  Like the fact that the students aren't taught how to fly ELP's (engine out procedures) anymore.  But hey it's air education and TIMELINE command

My apologies. It was in my Google news feed and all of the stories in my Google feed do not require a subscription except for the Wall Street Journal at times of course. Crazy how Google knows exactly what I want to read..nerd algorithms. 

Edited July 1, 2018 by HarleyQuinn