M2

Not just in the USAF...

The final HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter in the entire U.S. Air Force was retired on December 18, 2024, by the 56th Rescue Squadron at Aviano Air Base in Italy. This marked the end of an era for the Pave Hawk, which had been a crucial part of combat search and rescue missions for decades. https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2024-12-20/air-force-pavehawk-aviano-helicopter-16227298.html Prior to that... The last HH-60G Pave Hawk at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico was also retired in early December 2024. This helicopter had been in service for 34 years and participated in various search and rescue missions. The 106th Rescue Wing at Gabreski Air National Guard Base in New York retired its first HH-60G in June and finished its conversion by October. And Kadena Air Base in Japan welcomed its first HH-60W in January and retired its last G model by August. The 41st Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia retired its final HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, tail number 356, on September 29, 2021. This helicopter had served for nearly 30 years and participated in numerous rescue missions around the world. Thirty-seven Golfs were heading (STS) to the Boneyard in fiscal 2024, and another twelve going in fiscal 2025.

Brotallion!! 🫡🫡

Give me some time, but I will take move it into that thread as well...

Some in the Army are starting to get it! More than Half of Senior Army Officers Are Turning Down Command Consideration U.S. Army Col. Christopher J. Kirkpatrick receives the Joint Multinational Readiness Center colors from Brig. Gen. Steven P. Carpenter during a Change of Command Ceremony near Hohenfels, Germany, Aug. 16, 2024. (Staff Sgt. Dana Clarke/U.S. Army photo) More than half of the Army's senior officers are turning down opportunities to command, choosing instead the stability of staff roles over the high-stakes demands of leadership, or retiring, according to internal service data. The Battalion Command Assessment Program, or BCAP, a cornerstone of the Army's effort to evaluate leadership readiness, assesses 800 to 1,000 lieutenant colonels annually through interviews, psychological tests and physical fitness evaluations. Historically, 85% of those participants have been deemed fit for command. Yet this year, 54% of eligible officers voluntarily chose not to participate -- a significant uptick from the 40% average opt-out rate seen since 2019. "The predominant reasons were personal and family circumstances, such as retirement eligibility and family stabilization," Maj. Heba Bullock, an Army spokesperson, told Military.com in a statement. The rank of lieutenant colonel carries unique prestige, offering officers the chance to command units of roughly 1,000 troops and to play pivotal roles in Pentagon plans for preparing forces for war. The position sits at the intersection of the Defense Department's big picture and the daily life of rank-and-file troops. But while a command position is extremely high-profile, it also comes with endless work hours. Instead, some officers are drawn to staff positions -- less-visible, lower-pressure roles that promise stability for the same pay. Those jobs lack the excitement of leading troops but offer something many midcareer officers might crave: a break from the relentless grind of command. In other cases, lieutenant colonels are reaching the retirement mark of 20 years and have to decide whether they're going to seek the rank of general or retire. However, it was unclear what drove the recent spike in senior officers walking away from potential command opportunities. The command selection process itself has recently become mired in scandal. Gen. Charles Hamilton, the former head of Army Materiel Command, was fired this week after he inappropriately intervened in the BCAP evaluation process for a subordinate who had been deemed unfit for command and ranked among the lowest-performing candidates in her cohort. Against Army policy, Hamilton arranged an unheard-of second evaluation, which the officer also failed. Nevertheless, she was included on a list of candidates approved for command -- an action ultimately signed off on by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. Following investigative reporting by Military.com in March, the officer was immediately removed from the command list, and Hamilton was just relieved of his duties and fired. Reactions within the Army are divided over whether the credibility of the BCAP has been undermined by the recent controversy. Critics interviewed by Military.com, including some general officers, argue that the incident reveals systemic vulnerabilities in BCAP, with one senior official describing it as susceptible to favoritism. They contend that the subsequent accountability -- highlighted by Hamilton's firing after media reports brought the issue to light -- occurred only due to external pressure. Others, however, point to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth's swift and decisive response as evidence that BCAP's integrity remains intact. By addressing the scandal quickly and removing the officer from the command list, they argue, the service demonstrated its commitment to maintaining a fair and rigorous selection process. Beyond the controversy, deeper structural challenges may be at play. Separate internal Army reports cite work-life balance concerns and scheduling conflicts as significant factors influencing career decisions at the lieutenant colonel and sergeant first class ranks. At those midcareer stages, troops often face the dual pressures of heightened professional responsibilities and the demands of raising families. As soldiers rise in the ranks, so do concerns over their spouses' careers, an issue that peaks at lieutenant colonel. Families have long raised concerns that the constant pressures of military life, including unpredictable schedules, long-term missions and the generally rural locations of many installations, make it difficult for spouses to build their careers. Access to child care has also emerged as a pressing issue, with military-run facilities facing space shortages and civilian day care costs soaring. Those logistical hurdles further complicate the decision-making calculus for officers weighing the rigors of command against the relative stability of staff roles.

To BQZip's mom's house?!?

ADMIN NOTE: The posts concerning drones over the Northeast have been moved to their own thread...

Paranoia Meets Pandemonium

We all know @Biff_T is lurking in the shadows!! 🤣🤣🤣

Yes, I do believe she actually earned it; and yes, I do believe she is a badass! Air Force Names First Female SERE Specialist as Chief Master Sergeant Published Dec. 9, 2024 By Miriam A. Thurber Air Force Accessions Center Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas Tiffany Zaloudek became the first female survival, evasion, resistance, escape specialist to earn the rank of chief master sergeant, the highest enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, Nov 1. Although not the first female SERE specialist, when Zaloudek earned her beret in 2007, she broke an eight-year dry spell in which no women had graduated from the specialized training course. Reflecting on her initial recruitment, she remembers her recruiter handing her a SERE brochure with no women in it. “He told me that he only knew of one woman to ever graduate SERE specialist training and that I didn’t look like the type who would do this job because I was so feminine. Well, that and because I had previously owned a pet rabbit,” Zaloudek said. “I understood SERE was a demanding career path, but I felt I was ready for the challenge.” Sure enough, 8 years later, Zaloudek was out in the woods demonstrating to students how to properly skin and prepare a rabbit, all while rocking a bleach blonde ponytail and acrylic nails. SERE specialists like Zaloudek prepare personnel in high risk of isolation for survival across the full range of military operations. If Airmen find themselves isolated anywhere in the world, they must rely on their SERE training to find food, build shelter, evade adversaries, navigate the terrain and assist in their own recovery. Because Airmen rely so heavily on this expertise, SERE specialists need to intimately understand every aspect of survival, evasion, resistance, escape and personnel recovery so they can adequately prepare their students. This means proficiently operating in arctic, coastal, desert, jungle, mountain, urban, water and captivity environments whether the area is friendly or hostile, day or night. SERE specialists must be able to provide basic emergency medical care, avoid capture, operate a parachute, construct shelters that blend into the surroundings, know how to safely procure food and more. When Zaloudek first began her training, some people doubted her abilities simply due to her gender. They jokingly called her “Combat Barbie” and questioned whether she would make it. Her response to them was always the same: “I don’t know if I’m going to make it, but I’m going to leave it all out there.” During SERE specialist training, Zaloudek said her goal was to not only meet but exceed every standard, and she told herself that quitting was never an option. She was determined to be judged on her capabilities, not her gender—she just needed the chance to perform. Training phase after training phase, Zaloudek excelled until she ultimately earned both her beret and recognition as a top performer by the SERE cadre. Zaloudek recalled her parents—who were initially scared when she announced her plans to become a SERE specialist—attended her graduation and told her how proud they were. “Growing up, I just wanted them to be proud of me,” she said. “I was my dad’s shadow; we would do everything together. They taught me to never quit or be afraid of hard work. They actually prepared me really well for the Air Force because, in this Air Force, you have the world at your fingertips if you just put the work in.” Zaloudek credits the SERE specialist career field for looking beyond gender and evaluating her solely on her performance and execution, not just during training, but throughout her entire career. “My leaders, colleagues and Airmen saw me giving my all every day,” Zaloudek said. “I wrote a report for Congress on integrating women into special warfare career fields, I played a key role in developing and implementing fitness programs at numerous bases, and I spent my free time volunteering at homeless shelters and assisted living homes. I also became the first woman in USAF SERE to qualify as a Military Free Fall Jumpmaster and Test Parachutist.” Many people throughout her career recognized her hard work, nominating her for awards and even promotions based solely on merit. Even so, some people still diminished her accomplishments by saying she was only successful because she was a woman. After becoming a SERE specialist, Zaloudek stood out as a woman in the small career field and quickly received a lot of attention. At times, she recalled her extroverted and bubbly personality being mistaken for weakness by others. As a result, Zaloudek went into what she called “survival mode,” feeling like she had to act more reserved, stoic and introverted. According to her, many women she has talked with have experienced the same thing and have chosen to downplay certain aspects of their personalities as a response to unwanted attention or overwhelming accusations that their success is attributed to their gender or looks. “At first, it felt almost natural to downplay parts of myself as a protective shield, especially when society has such firm ideas on how successful women should look and act,” Zaloudek said. However, she added that over the years, she began to regain confidence in herself and to truly believe that there is no “correct” way to be a woman. Zaloudek decided not to let external judgement define her and slowly began reclaiming her identity. Today, she uses her social media platform and her Air Force leadership opportunities to encourage people everywhere, especially women around her, to do the same. “To all the women out there, please know that strength and femininity go hand-in-hand,” Zaloudek said. “You don’t have to act or look a particular way to do well in a career dominated by men. I personally like wearing makeup and doing my hair; that doesn’t make me less of a SERE specialist. And for those who prefer not to wear makeup or do their hair, that doesn’t make them any less of a woman. You can look however you want to look—within regulation—and be your own brand of woman.” Zaloudek urges everyone to take the leap towards their career dreams “because you’ll never know what is possible until you try. Train hard, exceed the standards and never quit. Your determination and execution can outweigh any perceived limitations.” She also encourages women not to shy away from service because today’s Air Force accepts uniqueness in uniform while maintaining uniformity and ensuring lethality. If you are interested in joining Zaloudek as a SERE specialist, reach out to your local recruiter and begin training for the physical fitness requirements. Before joining the technical training course potential SERE specialists need to complete eight pull-ups in two minutes, 48 sit-ups in two minutes, 40 push-ups in two minutes, a one and a half mile run in less than 11 minutes.

OK, it's Army, but dayyyyum!! Army Secretary Fires Four-Star General for Promotion Board Meddling Perhaps a sign of things to come (STS) based on Trump's EO for a "Warrior Board" to purge GOs!

No bueno!

So, did they they get it right?