What's wrong with the Air Force?

[brabus]

During my senior year in ROTC, our NCOs fucked up the paperwork for ENJJPT - nobody went, even though 4 would have easily made it. All water under the bridge this many years later, but the point is they failed at a simple task and potentially caused career-altering impacts for some people. Such failure was completely acceptable to the officers running the show - great example to set for soon-to-be LTs. 

[Biff_T]

27 minutes ago, SnafuTofu said:

Not to move away from the commander logging flight hours. Just my perspective on what’s wrong with the Air Force. Two things the mindset and expectations(or lack thereof) they build in ROTC, and the discrepancy between mistakes in MX/OPs versus Support.
I’ve got people commissioning from ROTC, awaiting their EAD and almost missing their EAD/RNLTD because the NCOs at their detachment failed to update them on the EAD moving up. Only reason they made it was another one from their class went into Force Support, recognized the name and contacted the LT. No idea they were moved up by over a month. Same NCOs messed up their entire commissioning class certificates, wrong year, not full name and other issues. The NCOs both left getting decs.
Cadets and newly minted LTs are continuously told to take it on the chin and “be flexible”. We’re actively teaching the next generation of leaders that it’s ok to do subpar work, in fact you’ll get rewarded for it. I don’t know if it’s a lack of motivation, a lack of seeing the bigger picture, or what. But I’ve had multiple LTs from ROTC tell me they actively recommend people NOT go to AFROTC because of the BS they’ve been put through. I was prior E when I went through ROTC, so it’s hard for me to have an unbiased opinion on what’s BS when 17 year olds were telling me about “in the real Air Force”.

In my own experience I tried to go reserve pilot through AFROTC, and didn’t get put up to the board because my NCOs tried arguing I couldn’t go because of my type of scholarship. After emailing HQ, sitting on that email for two weeks, they informed me, a week after the deadline, that I could apply. When I went to the commander and Education Officer it was basically “tough shit, sorry it happened”. They proceeded to just not send applications for the next guy trying to do it.
I was MX before, if I lost a screwdriver I got in exponentially more trouble than the NCOs who potentially costs two people their dream careers. I’ll never understand the discrepancy between support mistakes and subsequent admin actions versus MX mistakes and admin actions. I get the life or death scenarios involved with mistakes in MX, I’m not arguing we should be more lenient. I don’t understand how jacking someone’s pay, not out-processing, not doing your job doesn’t result in the same leve of “punishment”.

Rant over


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Sorry sir, but we closed 5 minutes ago.   

[dream big]

1 hour ago, Biff_T said:

Sorry sir, but we closed 5 minutes ago.   

“Oh I’m sorry to hear, what’s your OICs name? Maybe he can help me” 

That has actually worked 69% of the time. 

[HuggyU2]

On 9/11/2022 at 3:35 PM, ClearedHot said:

His statement revealed his true character...

I don't know the guy but maybe you do.  

I've said some really stupid shit over the years... stuff that if I was an O-6 or above, I'd get fired for because someone would take offense.  

While it was a poor statement for a leader to make, I'm not willing to cancel a potentially strong leader because of one stupid thing that they said, without thinking it through.  

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by HuggyU2

[pawnman]

6 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

I don't know the guy but maybe you do.  

I've said some really stupid shit over the years... stuff that if I was an O-6 or above, I'd get fired for because someone would take offense.  

While it was a poor statement for a leader to make, I'm not willing to cancel a potentially strong leader because of one stupid thing that they said, without thinking it through.  

 

He was full of these gems as the WG/CV at Dyess.

As one of my buddies used to say, "I wouldn't piss on that man if he were on fire".

[ClearedHot]

7 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

I don't know the guy but maybe you do. 

I do.

[ATIS]

On 9/9/2022 at 8:35 AM, Majestik Møøse said:

Seems like the CMSAF wants to reduce the pay for special duty while increasing the pay for non-special duty. A continuing attempt by the Air Force to make the best less special and the average more special. Can’t have anyone being cooler than the Bobs…

I’m just a back-of-the-ready-room Navy guy here (and Scooters eye-rolling CAOC evil twin), but I find this a little odd that they are discussing cuts to USAF enlisted SOF-centric pay…while at the same time putting the honey-pot out for folks coming out of AFROTC and USAFA to join the SOF-centric community 🤔

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/09/13/air-force-creates-special-warfare-program-cadets-help-fill-empty-spots.html

 

Now back to shaking my fist at the Navy for high priority work they are doing (Navy has their lazy eye so off the F-ing ball it’s unbelievable).  
 

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2022/09/13/navy-secretary-to-rename-uss-chancellorsville-usns-maury/

ATIS

[WheelsOff]

9 hours ago, ATIS said:

I’m just a back-of-the-ready-room Navy guy here (and Scooters eye-rolling CAOC evil twin), but I find this a little odd that they are discussing cuts to USAF enlisted SOF-centric pay…while at the same time putting the honey-pot out for folks coming out of AFROTC and USAFA to join the SOF-centric community 🤔

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/09/13/air-force-creates-special-warfare-program-cadets-help-fill-empty-spots.html

ATIS

Lol. Welcome to the Air Force.

Where “stupid is as stupid does” are words we live and die (and promote) by. 
 

 

[Biff_T]

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2022/09/20/air-force-reverses-plan-to-cut-special-duty-pay-for-enlisted-airmen/

[BFM this]

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/amc-commander-lays-out-mobility-manifesto/

Long time ago, a former CH-53 crew chief told to me that his training syllabus included a landing.  Nothing fancy, here's how you set down if the need arises, nothing more.  My guess is that future booms are gonna get some landing practice, just for funsies.

Edited September 22, 2022 by BFM this

[Chida]

This is a horrible good idea fairy. It’s just an extension of the sentiment that we’re all equal and that pilots can and should do other people’s jobs and vice versa. I don’t hold with it. Next up: we have a lack of booms, so copilots will now get out of their seat and operate the boom.

[HuggyU2]

What's wrong with the Air Force?

Exhibit 1:  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/air-force-academy-diversity-training-tells-cadets-to-use-words-that-include-all-genders-drop-mom-and-dad

 

[LookieRookie]

1 hour ago, BFM this said:

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/amc-commander-lays-out-mobility-manifesto/

Long time ago, a former CH-53 crew chief told to me that his training syllabus included a landing.  Nothing fancy, here's how you set down if the need arises, nothing more.  My guess is that future booms are gonna get some landing practice, just for funsies.

I don’t see anything crazy in what Mini said there.

He even said there would be 2 crews on the jet for those long duration sorties.

[B52gator]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/air-force-academy-diversity-training-tells-cadets-to-use-words-that-include-all-genders-drop-mom-and-dad.amp


TLDR: The USAFA is teaching cadets to not use words like “mom” and “dad”

[jrizzell]

Mini is the best leader I ever served under in the Air Force. He’s also been in INDOPACOM for years leading up to his AMC leadership. If he’s suggesting this, it’s because he thinks it’s needed. He’s always been mission and execution focused, He’s correct, the time to prepare is in peacetime, not during the fight.


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[Chuck17]

36 minutes ago, jrizzell said:

Mini is the best leader I ever served under in the Air Force. He’s also been in INDOPACOM for years leading up to his AMC leadership. If he’s suggesting this, it’s because he thinks it’s needed. He’s always been mission and execution focused, He’s correct, the time to prepare is in peacetime, not during the fight.

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I think it says something HUGE that he was picked for the AMC/CC job. That guy was ready to retire and surf in Hawaii...

What's more: show me one of the last half-dozen AMC/CC's who could muster combat-oriented USAF mobility vision that guy's been able to illuminate in the last year. Few could, or (in some cases) would. For too long AMC leadership's been coasting along on the backs of mobility airmen with a "You know the great thing about the MAF is you dont have to do anything or change anything" attitude...(an actual quote from an actual now-retired 4-star AMC/CC).... Because the airmen and the jets always perform. 

Maybe Mini wasnt the first of his kind, but he was brought in because he thinks different - and different is good. It highlights the need for deliberate development at every level, all the way to the top. For far too long there's been a "Build-a-General" program in the MAF that's tried to make everyone broad - minimally experienced in a lot of things - namely to make A1's job easier putting people in places (an actual quote from a former A1KB chief).

Expertise? Didnt matter. "We need generalists!"  Tripe. Non-thinking lazy personnel program garbage...

Moreso, it's the complete opposite of the way the rest of the USAF works. When I see my CAF peers knowing who is going to replace them, and who's going to replace THEM, and what weapons system they came from - and compare it to the "next up" way we've been picking MAF leadership, it's staggering. That said, retention also plays a huge part, I get that - not everyone that we'd like to see stay decides to do so.

But times are changing... I'm not saying scrap what we do and copy the CAF, but I am saying we've been off track, and are correcting back to centerline. I know there are good people and programs doing just that - we've still got a ways to go. 

Chuck 

Edited September 22, 2022 by Chuck17

[Biff_T]

3 hours ago, BFM this said:

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/amc-commander-lays-out-mobility-manifesto/

Long time ago, a former CH-53 crew chief told to me that his training syllabus included a landing.  Nothing fancy, here's how you set down if the need arises, nothing more.  My guess is that future booms are gonna get some landing practice, just for funsies.

Enlisted ones have been known to "fly" Hueys at KADW.   We flew single pilot a lot and the FE flew in the left seat (CP seat in helos). I hit a goose flying 50 feet above the Potomac with a FE in the left seat.  The goose was 6 inches (sts) from taking me out.   I (along with others) always thought it was a good idea to let the FEs learn to land or at least maintain level flight.  The big Air Force did not like this idea though.  They do not like having non rated aircrew touching flight controls.   I'd always make sure the FEs in our sim refreshers learned how to do a slide landing in the Huey.  

[SocialD]

myEval...a great example of what is wrong with the AF.  Take something relatively minor (OPRs) and make it ridiculously more cumbersome.  On the plus side, less than 1% of the AF has successfully be able to make it work correctly...so we got that going for us, which is nice...  

 

Anyone have a status update on the new mypay system that is being rolled out Jan of 2020?  Would love to stop getting 8 paychecks/month.    

[FourFans]

8 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

What's wrong with the Air Force?

Exhibit 1:  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/air-force-academy-diversity-training-tells-cadets-to-use-words-that-include-all-genders-drop-mom-and-dad

🤮🤮🤮

[Biff_T]

The headline should read:  "Diversity training teaches ________ to not use words."

 

  

[Bigred]

12 hours ago, BFM this said:

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/amc-commander-lays-out-mobility-manifesto/

Long time ago, a former CH-53 crew chief told to me that his training syllabus included a landing.  Nothing fancy, here's how you set down if the need arises, nothing more.  My guess is that future booms are gonna get some landing practice, just for funsies.

Can a 46 pilot reach all critical items from one seat? 
 

Using the -135 as an example, there’s some things critical during emergencies that can’t be reached from the pilot’s seat, and vice Versa. 
 

I’m curious with the 46, if the boom is doing boom things and only a single pilot up front, could said pilot deal with every EP without assistance? 

[BashiChuni]

The genders/pronoun people need to be mocked relentlessly

 

[FLEA]

49 minutes ago, BashiChuni said:

The genders/pronoun people need to be mocked relentlessly

 

Having just separated and attended like 30 networking events ill say this..... if it bothers you.... don't get out. Because its like 100X worse in the civilian world. Seriously just sat in a meeting with CHRO's from dozens of large companies and DE&I is the new hot sauce. 

That said, in your benefit, veterans and their families (specifically children and spouses) are now coming under the umbrella of DE&I as an oppressed class. 

[BashiChuni]

Bothers me? They have mental disorders. I love how it’s been man/woman for thousands of years and in a short 2-3 year timespan we’re the assholes for not using they/them/zer

give me a break. It’s a mental health issue. 

[dream big]

7 hours ago, FLEA said:

Having just separated and attended like 30 networking events ill say this..... if it bothers you.... don't get out. Because its like 100X worse in the civilian world. Seriously just sat in a meeting with CHRO's from dozens of large companies and DE&I is the new hot sauce. 

That said, in your benefit, veterans and their families (specifically children and spouses) are now coming under the umbrella of DE&I as an oppressed class. 

Yes woke culture is everywhere but it lagged in the military. Now it’s impacting lethality and readiness and that I’m not okay with. Use whatever gender pronouns you want IDGAF, stop wasting peoples time with this crap during work hours.