What's wrong with the Air Force?

[Chuck17]

8 hours ago, pawnman said:

"Command post".  Not "Commander".  At least, that's how I read it.

Whew okay that makes way more sense. My bad on reading comprehension FAIL.

So far as CP jobs at the Deid: Eww, no. Nice folks there however, always very helpful with a thankless job.

Cheers,
Chuck

Edited November 25, 2020 by Chuck17

[M2]

19 hours ago, MyCS said:

AFPC asked if I would be interested in a command post position at Al Udeid. Is this a good assignment right before you pull chocks for retirement? I plan on marrying my old lady right before the deployment. 

Does this job provide you with wheels to get around? What is the living situation like in regards to sharing room?

[Tonka]

On 11/25/2020 at 8:03 AM, MyCS said:

My functional told me yesterday they just retired a guy from over there. You're the second person who has mentioned this potentially being problematic. Probably best to set a retirement date for 7-8 months after returning back home if that makes any sense. TAPs plus outprocessing about 2-3 months and then my 120 days of terminal leave. 

He/She might be a wonderful person, but in general they're flesh peddlers and they are trying to make you happy about the $hit sandwich you are about to eat.  I would say 7-8 months is a minimum, you have to factor in some extra time for an unforeseen "extension" to your deployment (and then cross streaming an in-processing and out-processing, good luck - the people at MPF are not our best and brightest)...   mainly because of this: no one in the military really cares to help you retire (YMMV). Regardless of what you hear or what other people experienced... in general it is all on you, you really have to become an expert, especially if you have ANY medical issues - those last 12+ months are pure gold while you are on AD to either: get them corrected/improved or get records of the treatment so when your knee blows out at 60 you have the VA to fall back on.  There are 100Ks of separated/retired individuals that didn't take care of themselves the last 12+ months and it has cost them dramatically over their post-military life... many of them had something like this forced on them and they had no choice, you'd be rolling the dice by volunteering for it.

So what benefits are you seeing from this?  Good job, good experience? bank BAH? your last 24 months you really need to start changing your mindset to what is best for you... if you've got a great job and you can land on your feet anywhere then great, otherwise you should have a 36 month plan (24 months before to 12 months after, with back up plans for a pandemic) and I if given the choice I would not want a deployment in the last 12 months if I could help it...

Here is a decent guide for retirement from the ARMY: https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Documents/2020 US Army Retirement Planning Guide.pdf 

But again, what is in it for you? I don't see it... a deployment to Germany where I can live high on the hog for 6 months - awesome, count me in.  It would have to be an insane amount of $/other reasons to get me to want to spend another non-flying day in the desert.

[17D_guy]

On 11/26/2020 at 7:48 PM, Tonka said:

 mainly because of this: no one in the military really cares to help you retire (YMMV).

 

Started retirement in Mar during the first wave of shutdown.  Couldn't agree with this statement more.  You do not want to be figuring this shit out, TAP'ing, job hunting and dealing with whatever relationship issues you may/may-not have in the mean time.

[Sua Sponte]

Never take advice on how to get out of the military from those who are still in the military.

[JTsundevil]

Not to hijack away from MyCS. But according to Air Force Mag, retention problems are a thing of the past. Removing bonuses, possible forced cross training, and AD to reserve/guard options. Ringing a bell from the 2013-2014 time frame? Can only hope they know what they’re doing here.

Playing devils advocate, with a surplus of people, what’s the right move for the Air Force? Is there a way to eliminate the ebb and flow we seemingly have at least once a decade?
https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-retention-soars-amid-covid-19-uncertainty/


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[JimNtexas]

Covid vaccines are two or three weeks away from distribution.   The economy is still strong.  There is no reason to think that private sector hiring including aviation won’t be back by mid-2021.

Edited December 2, 2020 by JimNtexas

[Darth]

I am sure in the last year the USAF has made tremendous strides in "culture" and "environment" that makes people want to stay ....

“But it also hopefully reflects a little bit of our ability to start to provide that kind of culture and environment where Airmen and families want to stay with us, and want to be part of what the mission of the United States Air Force is.”

[Magnum]

23 hours ago, JimNtexas said:

Covid vaccines are two or three weeks away from distribution.   The economy is still strong.  There is no reason to think that private sector hiring including aviation won’t be back by mid-2021.

Biden - Harris.

[Ziplip]

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article247558165.html

Interesting article on a congressional investigation into military aviation crashes.

Summary of findings:

- Do more with less due to Continuing Resolutions and Sequestration
- Sims don’t replace hands on training
- Admin has eaten into time that should be spent on training.


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[Guardian]

Don’t tell the UPT next people that. They only want to hear they are doing amazing contrary to the results. No wash outs in UPT next so that the program doesn’t die.

[Homestar]

3 hours ago, Guardian said:

Don’t tell the UPT next people that. They only want to hear they are doing amazing contrary to the results. No wash outs in UPT next so that the program doesn’t die.

What’s your UPT Next involvement? Just curious because I’ve seen pilots “wash out” of PTN and just go back to UPT. 

[Guardian]

Rather not answer

[Bender]

Don’t tell the UPT next people that. They only want to hear they are doing amazing contrary to the results. No wash outs in UPT next so that the program doesn’t die.

No washouts is unequivocally incorrect (in any version).

As to the first sentence, probably close to true, but what results exactly do you have an issue with?

~Bendy


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[Guardian]

Wasn’t saying that was true to results. Just what the mentality around the program seems to be. It’s like listening to used car salesmen

[Magnum]

12 hours ago, Ziplip said:

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article247558165.html

Interesting article on a congressional investigation into military aviation crashes.

Summary of findings:

- Do more with less due to Continuing Resolutions and Sequestration
- Sims don’t replace hands on training
- Admin has eaten into time that should be spent on training.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Funny that the congressional findings basically implicate... Congress. And who's responsible to create fixes for the congressionally created problems? Not sure, but I am pretty sure it won't be congress. 

I bet the next budget post Trillions $$ spending on COVID will fix the root cause.

[Homestar]

4 hours ago, Guardian said:

Rather not answer

Because you’re close to the program and have some doubts or because you’re not and don’t have a clue?

[FLEA]

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/12/02/after-hitting-record-retention-numbers-air-force-may-push-some-troops-toward-reserves.html

"Regarding pilots, Kelly said the service is "happily manned" and almost overmanned in field-grade officers, or O-4s to O-6s, but undermanned in the ranks of second lieutenant through captain.

That "has a lot to do with our ability to actually produce and deliver more pilots," he said."

 

WTF? 

[jazzdude]

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/12/02/after-hitting-record-retention-numbers-air-force-may-push-some-troops-toward-reserves.html
"Regarding pilots, Kelly said the service is "happily manned" and almost overmanned in field-grade officers, or O-4s to O-6s, but undermanned in the ranks of second lieutenant through captain.

That "has a lot to do with our ability to actually produce and deliver more pilots," he said."

 

WTF? 

Wow. Looks like the rated community is going to lose it's voice in the staffs (at least at the AO level), and staffs are going to continue to push their work down to the line units, both of which will just make life harder for the line flyer.

[FLEA]

41 minutes ago, jazzdude said:

 

 

Wow. Looks like the rated community is going to lose it's voice in the staffs (at least at the AO level), and staffs are going to continue to push their work down to the line units, both of which will just make life harder for the line flyer.

 

Can Kelly explain then all those pilots that go out as Captains? Cause I'm not seeing them? We sure as hell didn't RIF any during sequestration (they were too young then). So the only way he could have come to this position is to conclude that the AF never produced enough pilots.....

[Sua Sponte]

On 12/3/2020 at 6:50 PM, Guardian said:

Wasn’t saying that was true to results. Just what the mentality around the program seems to be. It’s like listening to used car salesmen

 

[hindsight2020]

FY 18 SUPT numbers were closer to 150. So even SUPT has not been getting 2-hondo for a while now.

[17D_guy]

4 hours ago, MyCS said:

https://warontherocks.com/2020/12/instructors-wanted-apply-within-why-the-air-force-is-failing-to-change-its-culture-and-what-to-do-about-it/

Nobody wants to go to Maxwell. Duh

Had a buddy that did a gig there as SOS instructor.  Loved it.  However, you're basically forgotten from your AFSC.  Depending on the O6's that are coming around some even viewed it as "ditching the career field."  You're busy just instructing, while everyone else is "leading."

If you're career...why would you ever do that.  Lets look at the bios of a statistically significant sampling of O6's and 1-stars...how many have PME instructor as a Capt on there?

That said, Maxwell in 2017 was actually really nice.  Hard to believe.

Article pushes out some interesting ideas.  It would make SOS more like ALS, which it basically is now.  To claim the instruction there gets down into doctrine, strategy, or anything of lasting value is a lie.  Other service school are much longer, and we just don't instruct the same way.

Edited December 9, 2020 by 17D_guy

[StoleIt]

5 hours ago, MyCS said:

https://warontherocks.com/2020/12/instructors-wanted-apply-within-why-the-air-force-is-failing-to-change-its-culture-and-what-to-do-about-it/

Nobody wants to go to Maxwell. Duh

Quote

More abstractly and perhaps more importantly, these instructors also educate these officers in the art and science of future wars, which will likely be high-technology fights with China and Russia. The academic instructor’s job is vital — Secretary of Defense Mark Esper put the onus on the Air Force (and Space Force) to take the lead in preparing officers for future wars.

Yea...unless SOS changed DRASTICALLY since I attended...there was absolutely no war fighting value in the curriculum there. Sure, we played the worlds shittiest video game for a couple classes...but at no time do I recall any art, science, or war talk.

I guess Project X was still fun to do for a THIRD time. And drinking with classmates was good bonding. But overall...what a waste of time.

[dream big]

17 minutes ago, StoleIt said:

Yea...unless SOS changed DRASTICALLY since I attended...there was absolutely no war fighting value in the curriculum there. Sure, we played the worlds shittiest video game for a couple classes...but at no time do I recall any art, science, or war talk.

I guess Project X was still fun to do for a THIRD time. And drinking with classmates was good bonding. But overall...what a waste of time.

They could get rid of SOS and the service’s capabilities wouldn’t change nor would anyone worth their salt blink an eye.  The only positive things I hear about it are trivia night downtown, stellar BBQ and drinking games, all of which I can do at my Squadron bar anytime.  SOS DG was also a self licking ice cream cone of HPO production, many of whom didn’t have to do jack all to remain on said golden path. If they actually want to teach doctrine, keep it virtual with some reading material and essays.  There were some good lessons like the promotion board exercise (which made many of us even more jaded when some of the nonners ranked the CGOC president who hooked numerous checkrides over the Weapons Officer.)