“Red is the new Green”

[dream big]

For those of you in the MAF (perhaps also the CAF), you may have noticed a significant increase in the amount of currency and continuation requirements.  There are now specific requirements from AMC to perform large force exercises for airdrop units as part of currencies, among other new requirements.

A lot of this stemmed from Ex Mobility Guardian in 2017 which, for those who were there know, was an absolute clown show.  There were absolutely shortcomings with the C-17and C-130’s ability to integrate in a large force tactical environment.  It was literally an international embarrassment. 

However, all of this comes at a time when we are undermanned, overworked and cannot retain anyone. Word up at the Mobility Mecca is that this drastic increase in flying requirements is designed to make squadrons go NMR, in order to produce a demand signal to HHQ to get more money, people and resources.

Any other MAF dudes on here experiencing the same thing in your squadrons? Personally I feel like this is going to royally backfire.  I have yet to meet an 05 DO/CC type that would let anyone in his Squadron go NMR..

[Warrior]

Has anyone seen the v1? I’ve heard rumors about what you’re referring to but haven’t seen any data.

[Champ Kind]

I’ll play along.... why is this a bad thing? Squadron manning aside, there’s still a job crews need to be ready to do. Sounds like someone near the top of the mobility world thinks we suck at parts of it and want to fix it. I think that’s good.

[BFM this]

A requirement to focus on flying and tactics?  Fvckin buuuuulllsh!t...

[mcbush]

I’ve seen the new C-17 v1. Some good changes, some bad, some that don’t make sense. On the positive side, you’ve got the elimination of some marginally useful training requirements like NDB approaches, as well as the ability of dudes at the A FTL to maintain their AR currency in the sim indefinitely. 

My biggest gripe is the increase in CBRNE training. Wearing the AERPS gear used to be required every 2-3 years and could be accomplished by throwing it on in the sim for five minutes. The new rule makes it a semiannual currency, which requires a full preflight, minimum 1 hr flight time, and at least one critical phase of flight to log the bean, and can only be accomplished in the sim every other time. 

The gear sucks, sure, but the real kick in the junk is that this is almost certainly a capability that won’t ever be used in real life, IMO. There simply is no plan or realistic way to decontaminate a C-17 that’s flown around in a CBRNE environment, which means the COCOM ordering each mission must be willing to take a $220M writeoff to get it done.

In theory, I’m not against increased training and currency requirements at all, especially in areas where we’ve showed we need to spend some extra time. But in practice, this is almost certainly going to result in large swathes of the squadron going NMR, which not only has a negative impact on squadron usefulness and DOC effectiveness, but generates the need for more paperwork to flow through the offices, taking more and more guys away from flying to process and track it all, resulting in more guys going NMR.

Bottom line at the bottom: we’re hanging on by a thread as it is, and asking for more, while a good idea at ground speed zero, isn’t going to work out in the real world. If readiness seppuku is what MAF leadership was going for, I think they’ll get their wish.

[HossHarris]

You don’t have to decontaminate equipment if it never leaves the Cbrne area ....

[Fuzz]

1 hour ago, dream big said:

For those of you in the MAF (perhaps also the CAF), you may have noticed a significant increase in the amount of currency and continuation requirements.  There are now specific requirements from AMC to perform large force exercises for airdrop units as part of currencies, among other new requirements.

A lot of this stemmed from Ex Mobility Guardian in 2017 which, for those who were there know, was an absolute clown show.  There were absolutely shortcomings with the C-17and C-130’s ability to integrate in a large force tactical environment.  It was literally an international embarrassment. 

However, all of this comes at a time when we are undermanned, overworked and cannot retain anyone. Word up at the Mobility Mecca is that this drastic increase in flying requirements is designed to make squadrons go NMR, in order to produce a demand signal to HHQ to get more money, people and resources.

Any other MAF dudes on here experiencing the same thing in your squadrons? Personally I feel like this is going to royally backfire.  I have yet to meet an 05 DO/CC type that would let anyone in his Squadron go NMR..

The new C-17v1 is now effective as of 15 Jun you can pull it off Epubs. As for MobGar when we have multiple crews Leroy Jenkins their way straight through called SAM WEZs because they have zero battle space awareness or understanding of what TAC C2 is telling them then yeah maybe we need to do more of that.

The TCM OG/CC has not waived NMR events at the end of the semi for 2 periods now to purposely not cover up had much training we couldn’t accomplish due to the Ops tempo and the SQ/CCs are all on board.

ETA: while I like some of the changes they also made some way more complicated, such as the formation currency with Night Vis Wing is going to been even a larger pain in the ass for IPs to ensure everyone gets.

Edited July 14, 2018 by Fuzz

[BADFNZ]

I have no problem adding new requirements...as long as some go away.  If they don't,  then leadership has to know that crews will go NMR and it's just a cost of doing business.  If you have a good DO/CC, they won't be afraid to show red on the slides and hopefully senior leadership has their back and can echo up the chain that these new requirements will have ripple down effects in readiness.

[dream big]

2 hours ago, BFM this said:

A requirement to focus on flying and tactics?  Fvckin buuuuulllsh!t...

Haha there is nothing more important that we should be focusing on..the issue many people have is the increase in requirements with the intent of making squadrons go NMR in order to provide a demand signal for more people and resources.  How many DOs / CCs do you know that would let that happen?

I don’t need some clown up at MAJCOM HQ to tell me to focus on tactics and flying, those worth their salt do that anyways as professional aviators.  Plus, this technique isn’t going to sharpen people’s tactical proficiency.  People are just going to get even more creative, cut corners in order to check the box and be green by the end of the semiannual.  Seen it happen before.

 This isn’t about letting us focus on the important stuff:  If MAJCOM really wanted us to increase tactical proficiency, they would eliminate queep - like making WOs execs / aid de camps / additional duties / resiliency day etc.  So far, except some weak memo from the CSAF, have not seen that effort. 

 

[ThreeHoler]

Stop lying about readiness and proficiency? It’ll never happen.

[SurelySerious]

Devil’s advocate: to get more training hours/events/funding, there has to be a demand. The vol 1 and RTM provide that. 

[MooseAg03]

Fly what you can, log what you need.

If we go NMR, we leave fewer people to execute the mission. So...all this stuff will be prorated anyway. If it isn’t, then we will punish those who are proactive to get all of their beans accomplished by increasing their Ops tempo. Brilliant.

As for the tactical stuff, 95% of what we do (in my community) operationally ends with vectors to an ILS final. If you want us to practice large force integration, that’s fine. Then eliminate AR quals for 90% of our crew force because we NEVER do it operationally. Then we’d have plenty of time to practice C2 integration, brevity, and all that jazz.

[FUSEPLUG]

Every now and then I start to feel guilty about being non-current and/or NMR and think about going in to the unit to fly a local. Then I read shit like this and decide it’s just easier to go fly a Caribbean turn.  From what I’ve heard, this new C-17 Vol 1 is going to be an abortion on the Guard/Reserve side of the house. 

[Right Seat Driver]

M052 is a bullshit bean, especially because the C-17s can establish currency in the sim while other MAF aircraft can only maintain it with DMO (how's that working out MAF-wide?). You can't sit there and tell me to accomplish a sortie with a tactical scenario all at the UNCLASS level with 69 caveats that the process is worthless. Not to mention I have to coordinate with outside players such as TAC C2, DCA/OCA and ISR, etc. You think I can get a four-ship of Eagles and an RC-135 to magically show up for my little training requirement? And if I can't get external support to help out with my shitty M052 requirement I can just say the external support to the MAF mission is "notional." UFB. How about the MAF starts to actually care about Red Flags, WSINT support and the other LFEs out there. And when I say care I mean setup MPCs at both home-station and at the TDY locations to actually start getting crews to think smarter about their mission set and focus on integration.

The minimally staffed AMC/A3D/V barely put in the work and pushed this pile of shit on the units. I get AMC/A3D/V is struggling, but the execution was rough. Put the time in the process before you push the product. You know get the MAF to focus on readiness and proficiency? Get rid of the risk averse atitudes that values the CFC, Christmas parties and the CGOC because they are too scared or ignorant to employ their aircraft. Fire commanders that can't execute, instruct an advocate for their unit's mission and replace them with those who can.

Oh yeah, and slash the MAF Vol 1s and replace them with RAP.

Edited July 15, 2018 by Right Seat Driver
Expanding data.

[mcbush]

1 hour ago, FUSEPLUG said:

Every now and then I start to feel guilty about being non-current and/or NMR and think about going in to the unit to fly a local. Then I read shit like this and decide it’s just easier to go fly a Caribbean turn.  From what I’ve heard, this new C-17 Vol 1 is going to be an abortion on the Guard/Reserve side of the house. 

That checks. Our new vol 1 is live and posted on epubs, but the word from leadership is that we’re not going to abide by it this semi due to guard/reserve pushback.

Edited July 15, 2018 by mcbush

[Homestar]

52 minutes ago, Right Seat Driver said:

replace them with RAP.

What is RAP?

[Champ Kind]

5 hours ago, dream big said:

Haha there is nothing more important that we should be focusing on..the issue many people have is the increase in requirements with the intent of making squadrons go NMR in order to provide a demand signal for more people and resources.  How many DOs / CCs do you know that would let that happen?

I don’t need some clown up at MAJCOM HQ to tell me to focus on tactics and flying, those worth their salt do that anyways as professional aviators.  Plus, this technique isn’t going to sharpen people’s tactical proficiency.  People are just going to get even more creative, cut corners in order to check the box and be green by the end of the semiannual.  Seen it happen before.

 This isn’t about letting us focus on the important stuff:  If MAJCOM really wanted us to increase tactical proficiency, they would eliminate queep - like making WOs execs / aid de camps / additional duties / resiliency day etc.  So far, except some weak memo from the CSAF, have not seen that effort. 

 

This could be fuel for the argument that's come up in a previous thread:  the MAF doesn't know what to do with WOs. Well, here's their chance.  You want to beef up training requirements to reflect the current threats out there and the integration required to mitigate them?  You've got people on your base that can have your crews ready when shit hits the fan.  You just need to let them develop and execute a training plan and leave them alone as far as the other jobs and queep Dream Big discussed above.  And when your units are better off than they were before as a result of the hard work, reward the guy or gal appropriately (and I don't mean with a sweet exec "opportunity") and push them for leadership roles.  

This really is not that difficult.  

[SurelySerious]

17 minutes ago, Homestar said:

What is RAP?

Ready Aircrew Program. CAF baseline bean requirements to stay CMR. 

 

Administered via the RTM, an addendum to the vol 1. 

Edited July 15, 2018 by SurelySerious

[sixpack]

No problem we'll just log what we need and fly what we want.  MAF standard for years. 

[MooseAg03]

RAP would be much better, as it gives the SQ/CC the power to make aircrew NMR or waive requirements and let them keep CMR status based on their unit’s mission areas.

At the end of the cycle, each unit drafts a memo advertising their shortfalls and explaining why they occurred. This is transmitted to the MAJCOM by the group and can be used to argue for more manning, training, etc. We did it for years in RPAs to argue for dwell, and hopefully that will become a reality soon. I’m not sure if the pro-ration letters in MAF squadrons ever get pushed to HHQ, but they should.

[ThreeHoler]

Nobody at the MAJCOM really cares what Mr Pencil says you did.

[Fuzz]

11 hours ago, MooseAg03 said:

Fly what you can, log what you need.

If we go NMR, we leave fewer people to execute the mission. So...all this stuff will be prorated anyway. If it isn’t, then we will punish those who are proactive to get all of their beans accomplished by increasing their Ops tempo. Brilliant.

As for the tactical stuff, 95% of what we do (in my community) operationally ends with vectors to an ILS final. If you want us to practice large force integration, that’s fine. Then eliminate AR quals for 90% of our crew force because we NEVER do it operationally. Then we’d have plenty of time to practice C2 integration, brevity, and all that jazz.

We haven’t dropped an atomic bomb since 1945 I guess we can scrap AFGSC but that logic? We are a strat airlift asset which means we must maintain the capability to execute intertheater airlift. As an IP I know the pain of trying to get AR training, it sucks especially given the MX status of the tankers when at home. However, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me “we’ll never do that for real or it will be the SOLLII/WOs/Leads” in the last 3 years I’d be sitting pretty well off financially. There’s a lot of things the Air Force as whole doesn't do on a daily basis but still trains too because it’s about what we can do when the flag goes up.  

[Guest]

We haven’t dropped an atomic bomb since 1945 I guess we can scrap AFGSC but that logic? We are a strat airlift asset which means we must maintain the capability to execute intertheater airlift. As an IP I know the pain of trying to get AR training, it sucks especially given the MX status of the tankers when at home. However, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me “we’ll never do that for real or it will be the SOLLII/WOs/Leads” in the last 3 years I’d be sitting pretty well off financially. There’s a lot of things the Air Force as whole doesn't do on a daily basis but still trains too because it’s about what we can do when the flag goes up.  

You’d probably only have $50, if that.

[war007afa]

16 hours ago, HossHarris said:

You don’t have to decontaminate equipment if it never leaves the Cbrne area ....

 

[MooseAg03]

We haven’t dropped an atomic bomb since 1945 I guess we can scrap AFGSC but that logic? We are a strat airlift asset which means we must maintain the capability to execute intertheater airlift. As an IP I know the pain of trying to get AR training, it sucks especially given the MX status of the tankers when at home. However, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me “we’ll never do that for real or it will be the SOLLII/WOs/Leads” in the last 3 years I’d be sitting pretty well off financially. There’s a lot of things the Air Force as whole doesn't do on a daily basis but still trains too because it’s about what we can do when the flag goes up.  

C-5s are strat as well, and AR is a special qual for them as far as I know. We could limit AR quals to IPs and with all ER jets it wouldn’t change much.