What is right with the Air Force

[Duck]

What the fvck did I just read on there? Isn’t the first step to recovery admitting you have a problem? Also, no FGO is “poisoning the well;” our leadership has already done that. I don’t go out of my way to complain in front of Lts, but I’m totally frank with them when they ask questions.

With some of the very people responding, I have heard them talk about how the ship is sinking and the efforts to stop it have been pitiful. Put them on a Facebook page full of Sq, Gp and Wg commanders and leadership and they start talking about how “pretty darn good” things are. I am at a point where I don’t blame leadership anymore, I blame the idiot O-3s and O-4s who know how bad things are but would rather gain political capital by jerking off people in positions of perceived power.

[Fuzz]

33 minutes ago, ihtfp06 said:

What the fvck did I just read on there? Isn’t the first step to recovery admitting you have a problem? Also, no FGO is “poisoning the well;” our leadership has already done that. I don’t go out of my way to complain in front of Lts, but I’m totally frank with them when they ask questions.

Yeah, I respect said dude that made the post, but’s he’s off the mark there. Telling LTs about the AF screwing up RIFs, VSPs, promotions, squadron manning (I.e MAF crew ratio reduction) isn’t poisoning the well is valuable education albeit mostly negative. However, there’s an easy solution for this, if the Air Force doesn’t like us passing on the screw ups to the younger generations, stop fucking screwing up on a perpetual basis!

[Herkasaurus]

13 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

Yeah, I respect said dude that made the post, but’s he’s off the mark there. Telling LTs about the AF screwing up RIFs, VSPs, promotions, squadron manning (I.e MAF crew ratio reduction) isn’t poisoning the well is valuable education albeit mostly negative. However, there’s an easy solution for this, if the Air Force doesn’t like us passing on the screw ups to the younger generations, stop ing screwing up on a perpetual basis!

His entire post is par for his anal spelunking career. The entire thing is right out of AF PME....

Step 1. Relate to your audience:  “while I consider myself a pretty salty major”. Bullshit...salty majors don’t cry when they’re not a first look school select. Nor do they tell me to zip my flight suit pocket the day I get back from recon after a 6 month deployment. 

Step 2. Tow the party line: “I would challenge all of us to do some introspection and stop poisoning the well when we talk to the up and coming pilots.” GFY, you didn’t come to this conclusion, the brass at the top dropped that down your gullet like free shots at the Blue Oyster. Also, only GOs use the word “introspection”...not heroes like us with masters from Trident/Toro/TUIU/whatever they are now to keep them in business. (We all know the best schools change their name to maintain accreditation.) 

Step 3. Boast to the world how awesome you are. “Hey Pilot Network, I just sat down with the CSAF. Everyone look at me and how I just sucked my way to Sq/CC!”

I would love to read that OPR bullet. 

[Homestar]

Oh good. Another data point for the CSAF that “it’s not about the money.”

Could we as a union agree to stop shooting our own feet?

[Sprkt69]

9 minutes ago, Homestar said:

Oh good. Another data point for the CSAF that “it’s not about the money.”

Could we as a union agree to stop shooting our own feet?

The only way to do that is to punish the stupid

[NKAWTG]

There is a fairly easy solution to this all.  Go 10 years or so without Captain's PRFs, RIFs, VSP, TERA, and non continuing Majors.  All of us who remember those days will be out of the service, and you'll not have us imparting that kind of wisdom to the new Lt's.

[FishBowl]

It's a little insulting assuming LTs would be completely ignorant to the writing on the wall. It doesn't take 6-9 years in and well-poisoning to arrive at the same conclusions. "LTs are too naive and ignorant to be critical; let's let them enjoy their blissful ignorance."

[Duck]

New LTs at UPT were already saying “this is the coolest job in he world! Too bad the AF sucks and I will be getting out in 10 years” as soon as they showed up. No one was saying that 10 years ago when I went through UPT. LTs are dumb, but they aren’t stupid.

 

[dream big]

1 hour ago, Duck said:

New LTs at UPT were already saying “this is the coolest job in he world! Too bad the AF sucks and I will be getting out in 10 years” as soon as they showed up. No one was saying that 10 years ago when I went through UPT. LTs are dumb, but they aren’t stupid.

 

There comes a time in any organization where people start to get salty.  When I showed up it was about the time someone was a mid level major.  Now, it’s freaking LTs in UPT.  That’s a problem guys. 

[Homestar]

3 hours ago, FishBowl said:

It's a little insulting assuming LTs would be completely ignorant to the writing on the wall. It doesn't take 6-9 years in and well-poisoning to arrive at the same conclusions. "LTs are too naive and ignorant to be critical; let's let them enjoy their blissful ignorance."

New Lts are dumb. Seriously. 

If you’re taking career advice from a new Lt who is still in UPT then you’re dumb too. 

[FishBowl]

22 minutes ago, Homestar said:

New Lts are dumb. Seriously. 

If you’re taking career advice from a new Lt who is still in UPT then you’re dumb too. 

Yeah, definitely not taking career advice from new LTs. The point I’m making is, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out everything isn’t hunky dory. It’s not the jaded FGOs that are poisoning the minds of the new studs. And I’ve been here for 12 years. 

[Homestar]

I honestly don’t know what could bother anyone with less than 4 years in the AF. Seriously, what are Lts complaining about that hasn’t been complained about for generations?

Look, I understand that there are systemic things wrong with the AF. I understand that we are over-extended and undermanned—and underpaid. But so little of this touches anyone below Captain or Sergeant. 

 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Homestar
Autocorrect shenanigans

[SurelySerious]

20 minutes ago, Homestar said:

 

Look, I understand that there are systemic things wrong with the AF. I understand that we are over-extended and undermanned—and underpaid. But so little of this touches anyone below Captain or Sergeant. 

 

Until you don’t have but a few majors left...and it does. 

[FishBowl]

New guys/gals may not be directly affected by it, but they see what's happening. It's like cattle to the slaughterhouse. They don't know what it is yet, but they know they're gonna be in it soon; they've heard it's awesome! When they get there, they get put on the conveyor belt and see the ones before them entering the grinder. Just because it isn't happening to you or affecting you right now, doesn't mean it shouldn't concern you. I don't think any CGOC is going to save the AF. (Dramatic example? Yes.)

[Fuzz]

9 hours ago, Herkasaurus said:

His entire post is par for his anal spelunking career. The entire thing is right out of AF PME....

Step 1. Relate to your audience:  “while I consider myself a pretty salty major”. Bullshit...salty majors don’t cry when they’re not a first look school select. Nor do they tell me to zip my flight suit pocket the day I get back from recon after a 6 month deployment. 

Do tell more

[flyusaf83]

3 hours ago, Homestar said:

I honestly don’t know what could bother anyone with less than 4 years in the AF. Seriously, what are Lts complaining about that hasn’t been complained about for generations?

Look, I understand that there are systemic things wrong with the AF. I understand that we are over-extended and undermanned—and underpaid. But so little of this touches anyone below Captain or Sergeant. 

 

Completely disagree. When a new pilot or nav would get to my last Sq out of IQT, they would feel immediate pressure to saturate themselves in everything non-flying.  Gotta find bullets for that OPR, and flying could only be 2-3 of them.  They also got speeches from Sq leadership about how your wings don’t matter, it’s about being an officer.  Meanwhile, they have very limited flying and training opportunities to fly and get better.  They get pulled off the line for a week at a time to look at urinating penises, and other stimulating additional duties.  Most were shocked at how little flying matters in a flying squadron.

Maybe things are better in your neck of the AF.  I truly hope so.  

[Duck]

Completely disagree. When a new pilot or nav would get to my last Sq out of IQT, they would feel immediate pressure to saturate themselves in everything non-flying.  Gotta find bullets for that OPR, and flying could only be 2-3 of them.  They also got speeches from Sq leadership about how your wings don’t matter, it’s about being an officer.  Meanwhile, they have very limited flying and training opportunities to fly and get better.  They get pulled off the line for a week at a time to look at urinating penises, and other stimulating additional duties.  Most were shocked at how little flying matters in a flying squadron.
Maybe things are better in your neck of the AF.  I truly hope so.  

This. This and some more of this.

[di1630]

There comes a time in any organization where people start to get salty.  When I showed up it was about the time someone was a mid level major.  Now, it’s freaking LTs in UPT.  That’s a problem guys. 

Yeah but let’s not forget the generation gap. Face it, a lot of young guys are millennial p-ssies.

I had a young guy telling me how bad life as a new guy for some addt’l work he was assigned, I had to explain to him that having to talk to retired pilots about new aircraft technology that took up his xbox free time wasn’t the same as constant deploying then TDY plus the myriad of other crap that jaded my generation.

Bottom line, I crush young guys when they complain because they are too inexperienced and stupid to know any better.

[Karl Hungus]

10 hours ago, Homestar said:

I honestly don’t know what could bother anyone with less than 4 years in the AF. Seriously, what are Lts complaining about that hasn’t been complained about for generations?

Look, I understand that there are systemic things wrong with the AF. I understand that we are over-extended and undermanned—and underpaid. But so little of this touches anyone below Captain or Sergeant. 

 

Speak for yourself.  I was smart enough to recognize how incredibly fucked up and toxic active duty is while a casual LT awaiting UPT over a decade ago.  Perhaps it’s more of a challenge to do so for the brainwashed masses leaving USAFA.

[viper154]

12 hours ago, Homestar said:

I honestly don’t know what could bother anyone with less than 4 years in the AF. Seriously, what are Lts complaining about that hasn’t been complained about for generations?

Look, I understand that there are systemic things wrong with the AF. I understand that we are over-extended and undermanned—and underpaid. But so little of this touches anyone below Captain or Sergeant. 

 

It was a real kick in the nuts to wait almost 2 years after commissioning to start UPT, 2 weeks before assignment night to get told 2 of your 7 AD T-1s are going drones, spend more than a year in the drone pipeline, (I’ve been praying for the day to get back to a jet) but they are kicking us all out now. AFPC denied waivers for the UPT-D dudes that wanted to recat and stay drones. The gross mismanagement of people was very much apparent to me before I was even on active duty. UPT was a shimmer of hope, I loved flying almost everyday and raging with the bros. Now a mid level Capt, every time I see a step forward soon after there are two steps back.  

[norskman]

9 hours ago, flyusaf83 said:

Completely disagree. When a new pilot or nav would get to my last Sq out of IQT, they would feel immediate pressure to saturate themselves in everything non-flying.  Gotta find bullets for that OPR, and flying could only be 2-3 of them.  They also got speeches from Sq leadership about how your wings don’t matter, it’s about being an officer.  Meanwhile, they have very limited flying and training opportunities to fly and get better.  They get pulled off the line for a week at a time to look at urinating penises, and other stimulating additional duties.  Most were shocked at how little flying matters in a flying squadron.

Maybe things are better in your neck of the AF.  I truly hope so.  

3! 

Cannot agree more. I always had to remind myself Queep will never kill you, but the aircraft will....quickly.  Prioritize accordingly. 

Because of my prioritization, I'm now teaching UPT (an idea I used to abhor) and really enjoying it. 

Edited June 11, 2018 by norskman

[Homestar]

1 hour ago, viper154 said:

It was a real kick in the nuts to wait almost 2 years after commissioning to start UPT, 2 weeks before assignment night to get told 2 of your 7 AD T-1s are going drones, spend more than a year in the drone pipeline, (I’ve been praying for the day to get back to a jet) but they are kicking us all out now. AFPC denied waivers for the UPT-D dudes that wanted to recat and stay drones. The gross mismanagement of people was very much apparent to me before I was even on active duty. UPT was a shimmer of hope, I loved flying almost everyday and raging with the bros. Now a mid level Capt, every time I see a step forward soon after there are two steps back.  

Valid. 

Like I said, there are serious systemic problems in the AF. This is one of them. Most people in the AF haven’t been screwed like this tho. I understand that it doesn’t make your situation any better. 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Homestar

[BFM this]

1 hour ago, viper154 said:

but they are kicking us all out now. AFPC denied waivers for the UPT-D dudes that wanted to recat and stay drones. 

You're being RIF'd?

[Jaded]

1 hour ago, viper154 said:

It was a real kick in the nuts to wait almost 2 years after commissioning to start UPT, 2 weeks before assignment night to get told 2 of your 7 AD T-1s are going drones, spend more than a year in the drone pipeline, (I’ve been praying for the day to get back to a jet) but they are kicking us all out now. AFPC denied waivers for the UPT-D dudes that wanted to recat and stay drones. The gross mismanagement of people was very much apparent to me before I was even on active duty. UPT was a shimmer of hope, I loved flying almost everyday and raging with the bros. Now a mid level Capt, every time I see a step forward soon after there are two steps back.  

Nah, it must be because you're a "millennial." 

[M2]

On 6/9/2018 at 2:24 AM, HarleyQuinn said:

Try the share drive being down for 8 damn days. Nobody wanted to work over the last 4 day weekend to fix it. Can you imagine Google, Apple, or Microsoft network drives being down for 8 days?

That ain't shit.  Earlier this year our PST files got schwacked.  Nearly 12 years of archived emails gone in a flash. 

Now the kicker, turned out our J6 wasn't backing them up...