Study: Nuclear Force Feeling 'Burnout' from Work

[10percenttruth]

That's the kind of heroism that the nuc deterrence medal was designed for. I salute those fine men!

[Tonka]

Ugh... That's pretty shitty, all around. Gives new meaning to dropping bombs, explosive diarrhea, shit hole...

[stract]

With a 20 year old ex-Army UH-60A/L. They couldn't at least transition to a UH-60M standard to streamline training in the schoolhouse. Instead the missile/NCR and PR units will still have different training, and limited opportunities to transition between the different communities.

there are only a handful of Mikes in the USAF inventory. And we have 21 Limas waiting in AMARG to be converted to Golfs. Only a select few will fly the HH-60U, by invitation only. My guess is everyone will train on the same platform at Kirtland and LMQT will become a little more robust for those minor differences between the Lima and Golf.

Edited November 15, 2014 by stract

[Breckey]

What's going to happen when the CRH comes online in 5 years and Kirtland is training guys on the HH-60W? Barely any of the HH-60 tactical flying outside of the monkey skills will be applicable to the missile field and none of it will be for AFDW. You may have continuity for 10 years but then you're on two separate platforms again. AFGSC/A3-5 is convinced that the UH-60 is an "interim" step until they get another helicopter but I highly doubt that in this tight fiscal acquisition environment. They won't get a new helicopter until at least the late 2030s after the results of the Army's FVL are in production. Keep in mind that they have been attempting to replace the H-1 since the late 90s and everytime it has fallen to more important budgetary priorities.

Also I doubt all of the fun toys on the Pavehawk (PDUs, GM/AHS, WX Radar) will be installed on the missile field birds. They are aiming for as cheap as possible. If they were smart they would cash in on the Army's common avionics architecture for their UH-60Ls and have an all glass cockpit, integrated avionics (FLIR especially), and RNAV. I would also hope that they add the gun mounts with GAU-2s for armament. While the M240s may be fine for an H-1 with almost no other options, having the mini-guns would be an excellent choice for the missile field mission. Keeping the internal rescue hoist would be fine, no need for an external one when most of your missions will never require it.

Unfortunately I foresee bone stock UH-60A/Ls with round dials, no WX radar, and M240s. If they're lucky they'll keep the CMDS. The UH-60 will continue to fail to meet the same DoD requirements as the H-1 while costing more than double in operations and sustainment costs. The only way that it would make good fiscal sense would be to completely standardize the training pipeline and crossflow opportunities between PR/ICBM-COOG units (ie be able to pull a guy from Warren for a PR deployment with only a tactical topoff and PR specific qual spinup. Hell move the 305th and 101st to one of the missile bases and/or open associate units with the Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and DC Guard. The current H-1 mission is perfect for AFRES/ANG and having a ready source of flying hours and aircraft should look attractive to the NGB.

[waveshaper]

It seems "Navy Tim" may have a problem

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/11/22/gambling-nuclear-commander-linked-to-fake-poker-chips.html?comp=700001075741&rank=1

Just a "few" excerpts from the article;

The admiral fired last year as No. 2 commander of U.S. nuclear forces may have made his own

counterfeit $500 poker chips with paint and stickers to feed a gambling habit that eventually saw him banned from an entire network of casinos.

Investigators said they found his DNA on the underside of an adhesive sticker used to alter

genuine $1 poker chips to make them look like $500 chips.

The records obtained by the AP under the Freedom of Information Act show Giardina was a habitual

poker player, spending a total of 1,096 hours or an average of 15 hours per week at the

tables at the Horseshoe casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in the 18 months before being caught

using three phony chips in June 2013.

He was such a familiar figure at the casino, across the Missouri River from his office near Omaha,Nebraska, that some there knew him as "Navy Tim."

On July 18 Giardina was banned from both the Horseshoe and Harrah's for 90 days, but he returned

at least twice to play poker at the Horseshoe before the ban expired. The second time, in October,he was given a lifetime ban from all gambling establishments run by the Horseshoe's owner, Caesar's Entertainment Corp.

The report included Giardina's remarks to a casino security agent about the polygraphs given at

Strategic Command to officers holding security clearances.

"(What) they're really trying to do is find out if you got, you know, if you're having sex with

animals or something really crazy or you've got this wild life that you could be blackmailed into giving military secrets out," he was quoted as saying.

Six days after he received the lifetime Caesar's ban, Giardina was kicked out of the Hollywood

Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the NCIS records that gave no

reason for that expulsion. That casino is not a Caesar's property.

The state investigator's report also said a review of surveillance footage revealed "odd behaviors" by Giardina at the Horseshoe.

"Giardina was observed taking cigarette butts out of public ash trays and smoking them," it said.

Giardina, who remains on the Navy payroll as a staff officer in Washington, was never charged

with counterfeiting. Instead he was found guilty in May 2014 of two counts of conduct unbecoming

an officer lying to an investigator and passing fake gambling chips. He was given a written

reprimand and ordered to forfeit $4,000 in pay.

Edited November 23, 2014 by waveshaper

[pawnman]

Forfeit $4000 in pay. So...one retirement check?

Now ask yourselves...what would have happened to a captain or SSgt caught doing the same thing? Allowed to retire? Honorable discharge? Still on active duty?

[Herk Driver]

I don't anymore about this case than you do...but typically people assigned as the special assistance to the deputy chief of staff or are on the staff of the vice chief of naval operations are awaiting some type of admin decision. Since most information related to this case would fall under protection of the Privacy Act, no one in power is going to come out and say what they are doing. I would speculate that he is under investigation and may face federal charges before this is over. These move at a glacial pace.

[czecksikhs]

I saw the crazy O-6 astronaut lady at KNGP 3.5 years after her cross-country diaper-wearing affair, still on the payroll for Uncle Sam. I guess the wheels turn slowly sometimes.

[raimius]

I would also hope that they add the gun mounts with GAU-2s for armament. While the M240s may be fine for an H-1 with almost no other options, having the mini-guns would be an excellent choice for the missile field mission.

Which is odd, considering USAF H-1s have had mini-gun set-ups since the 20th SOS was flying F/P models in Vietnam and elsewhere.

[McDonut]

Wow.

I'll remember this the next time I bitch about MICT.

Yeah, not a whole lot of glory in missiles, but a lot of boredom.

"You are sitting there being told you are operating the most vital system to the defense of the country," says a former missileer who worked in one of the affected capsules, "and then you are shitting and pissing in a bag. It just caused a corrosive lack of faith in our leaders."

"Nuclear bases that were once the military's crown jewels are now 'little orphanages that get scraps for dinner,' he says."

These two parts spell it out pretty well. Morale is something leadership at all levels, Capt to 4-Star, have to invest in. Improve the facilities, improve the manning, improve incentives to become and stay a missileer, and improve the training.

[Breckey]

Which is odd, considering USAF H-1s have had mini-gun set-ups since the 20th SOS was flying F/P models in Vietnam and elsewhere.

The N models in the 20th SOS had mini-guns and rockets as late as the early 90's when we still had Howard AFB open in Panama. There is a picture of one of Malmstrom's tails with 2.75" rocket pods and M134s in the academic building at Kirtland. Unfortunately they pulled all of the armament panels when they installed the GPS. Only guys that have them how are the test guys at Duke. The cops don't want a gunship anyway, everything to them is numbers. They (MAJCOM/A7S) would rather have two extra bodies on the helo than another FE and guns.

[Guest]

https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/defbudget/fy2016/fy2016_Budget_Request_Overview_Book.pdf
Overview – FY 2016 Defense Budget Request

the Air Force is increasing its Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile and supporting force by 1,100 personnel.

[deaddebate]

Huh, just some gee whiz info.

[Prosuper]

Which is odd, considering USAF H-1s have had mini-gun set-ups since the 20th SOS was flying F/P models in Vietnam and elsewhere.

Always wondered why compared to all the other services the AF helicopters had Flight Engineers that flew and the others used Crew Chiefs as gunners as well as their primary job of mx.

[stract]

FEs aren't limited to helos, FYI. https://www.afforums.com/index.php?threads/flight-engineer-history.15324/

Edited March 7, 2015 by stract

[504PIR]

New Air Force Helicopter Group is activated:

https://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2015/03/28/news/01top_03-28-15.txt#.VR6nhPzF_Nk

https://airsoc.com/articles/view/id/55196765313944cf2b8b456c/582nd-helicopter-group-activated-makes-history

[Breckey]

Back to the way things were 22 years ago.

[ExBoneOSO]

The more things change, the more they stay the same..

[HU&W]

AFGSC getting a 4-star billet. Gen Robin Rand announced as new CC.

[504PIR]

"News outlets reported last year that the Air Force would move forward with a recapitalization strategy that involves replacing the outdated Hueys with retired Army UH-60A Black Hawk utility helicopters. However, that information is incorrect"

https://www.airforcetimes.com/story/defense/air-space/air-force/2015/08/11/us-air-force-plans-industry-day-huey-replacement/31461933/

[raimius]

"News outlets reported last year that the Air Force would move forward with a recapitalization strategy that involves replacing the outdated Hueys with retired Army UH-60A Black Hawk utility helicopters. However, that information is incorrect"

https://www.airforcetimes.com/story/defense/air-space/air-force/2015/08/11/us-air-force-plans-industry-day-huey-replacement/31461933/

Not saying A/L conversions are the best solution, but they would probably increase capability quite a bit.

...looks like the AF still wants to do the expensive, "100% solution," even if it takes two decades and isn't a 100% solution.

[Breckey]

And were back to 2005 and CVLSP. This is at least the 5th rime they've tried to recapitalize the H-1 fleet. The only capability upgrades that would actually increase the capability would be a glass cockpit and a fast fin...just what we tried to POM three years ago. Anything else would just add weight.

The current aircraft has been neglected for over a decade because a new helo has been "only 3-5 years away". Also no rotorcraft exists that can meet the current requirements in two of the three missile fields. Any compensatory measures that would enable the H-60 to meet requirements will also allow the H-1 to meet it. I don't know about the NCR requirements.