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The Air Force was once cool, but that time is past. Cool planes are timeless.     
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Jan 5, 2017 00:24
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Nostalgia4Infinity posted:last one was army I was trying to find a good USAFE aircraft photo, but USAFE was only cool when it was part of the Army. All downhill since.  Edit: Grandpa Arc Light on the left. Arc Light fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Jan 5, 2017 |
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Jan 5, 2017 02:17
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It's raining here at Barksdale. But the rain is cold. That's how I know it's winter.
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Jan 5, 2017 18:54
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A transparent CYA attempt by the Air Force before the inevitable next big-news rape?
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Jan 7, 2017 08:59
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Casimir Radon posted:Any idea if a "business communications" class would coubt for CCAF? I was doing UCA interviews and one of our guys has a bachelors already but hasn't put in for his CCAF yet. He didn't take public speaking but has this business comm class. It may now. The speech requirement for CCAF this year is being replaced. You can now do speech or two written communications classes. I'll need to get to my .af email to get the details.
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Jan 10, 2017 23:49
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lite_sleepr posted:Good insights all around , except from rek. An lor is way too severe. The new letterhead is meant to be used across the Air Force, as far as I know. I got an email about it yesterday. Nothing about re-accomplishing existing paperwork, though. We were just told to use it for the remainder of 2017. Makes no difference to me, it's just a letterhead shell. Of all the things that you could give a poo poo about, I don't know why this would be a blip on your radar.
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Jan 13, 2017 19:34
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You did the right thing, but of course you already know that. Better to ruffle feathers than get busted covering for someone who's ineligible. If the kid is actually enrolled in the new semester, she can get the paperwork to substantiate it. Even in the more hosed up units I've seen, there's no way you'd lose your line for that. You made the acting sup look like a total chump, though, so he'll probably hate you. Edit: you can ID the enlisted traitors early by whether or not they spring for mess dress when they make MSgt.
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Feb 8, 2017 07:53
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Cenen posted:Also they were seriously not expecting me to come into work after WAPS testing today like it was supposed to be some arduous challenge and not like I looked at memes between tests.  Everyone knows exactly how "difficult" it is to bubble in multiple choice questions. It's so they can justify taking the day off when they test.
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Feb 16, 2017 06:39
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nullscan posted:Had to bus down to Osan today to take mine, got out at 130 to a text message from my LT saying he wants me to come back to work to sign my TSgt EPR. SMDFTB, I'm already getting crunk Unless your LT spoke to you, he'll never know when you got his text. On a related note, I keep my phone on silent except when I'm expecting a call.
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Feb 18, 2017 04:10
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Godholio posted:From following along over the past year, I think they're effectively passed over for promotion this year. People with line numbers will lose them and not get them back, even if they finish the course now. I think they'll be able to recompete next cycle. As far as reenlistment, I guess if you're up soon you're going bye bye. Unless something changed in the last month, people with line numbers can still get them back. Per the last update I saw, if an NCO busted their due date, they temporarily lose their line number. They get it back when they complete Course 14/15, *if and only if* they complete the course before the end of the year's promotion cycle. If they can't get it done by the end of the promo cycle, then they lose the line number for good. For guys who don't have line numbers, they're ineligible to reenlist until they complete the course. I don't remember if they're allowed to test for promotion if they're overdue on the EPME. Course 15 is a joke. There's no value to anything in the study material, and it takes time out of NCOA that could actually be used to network with peers. I get it, it's a stupid waste of time loyalty exercise, but ffs a year is plenty of time, and guys who have a legit need for more time (due to deployment/family emergency/etc) can get an extension. For everyone else, it shouldn't take more than two months, tops. I'm not the best test-taker, but two days study time was enough to pass each set. If an NCO can't find the time to knock it out within a whole year, they must be trying to sabotage their own careers. As for JQP, his site's gotten so alarmist and self-aggrandizing I'd take that 9.3k number with a grain of salt. Shame, because a few years back it was a pretty legit look at the underbelly of the Air Force. Now it's just dour bitching.
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Feb 27, 2017 05:31
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Shalhavet posted:Anyone know how correcting lost leave works? Finance is the office responsible, but hell if I know how you'd prove you lost leave. Probably need some combination of past leave & earning statements, leave docs, and MFRs.
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Feb 27, 2017 19:17
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What are you talking about? It was so successful that the AF decided to centralize comm software troubleshooting.
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Feb 28, 2017 01:40
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My chain of command is starting to get concerned that nobody in the squadron has reenlisted in the past year. Everybody either escapes with a PCS or gets out via ETS.
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Mar 11, 2017 00:46
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Get to know Songtan Sally real well. If Best Korea takes the shot, you'll never get another chance.
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Mar 24, 2017 22:59
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"Managing expectations" is a term that gets thrown around a lot in the Air Force, especially in relation to the guard/reserves. Basically, just lower your expectations until you can be happy with them. After my first couple deployments, I expected absolutely nothing. Even showing up for work in the right uniform was too much to ask. But then I was pleasantly surprised. A comm reservist was an IT guy in his day job, so he actually knew how to do his job. And another one was a professional baker. She wasn't (initially) a particularly knowledgeable comm technician, but goddamn she kept us well-fed.
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Mar 26, 2017 22:04
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Friar Zucchini posted:Some chucklefuck apparently decided that I, of all the thousands of Chair Force desk warriors sitting around doing nothing, am top of The List to loving deploy. (I The only time you'll ever wear your gas mask inserts is if you actually wear the gas mask. On all four of my deployments, I wore normal eyeglasses. If you're going to Al Udeid, you can also wear contacts. I don't remember if contacts were authorized in Afghanistan. The new gas mask inserts aren't lovely glasses on a rubber band. You don't actually wear them at all; they clip into the M-50 gas mask. I've never worn mine, but the old rubber band inserts sucked so I just never wore them. When I deploy, I just tell the UDM/IPR that I don't need glasses. Makes the bag drag much easier.
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Apr 1, 2017 03:56
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ed irl when i found out)
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Hamlet442 posted:I just walked into the bathroom where someone poo poo on the floor. Right in front of the toilet. Then stepped in it and tracked it out of the bathroom. What the gently caress kind of people do that? If you hate your job enough, anything becomes possible.
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Apr 6, 2017 19:20
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One of my friends separated a couple weeks ago. She had to do her TAPS program way in advance. It's now booked solid for the next six months.
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Apr 11, 2017 23:24
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We had a Numbered Air Force commander's call today. The two-star reviewed the results of a recent climate survey. He read a couple excerpts from my survey where I griped about manning and morale, and pointed out that I could be replaced with a computer. My squadron commander sat in the front row and looked increasingly uncomfortable. It was a good day. 
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Apr 12, 2017 21:58
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Prop Wash posted:This makes it sound like the two-star, after reading excerpts, himself pointed out that you could be replaced by a computer Deep in his heart, he knows it's true. Edit: to clarify for everyone else, I pointed out that I could be replaced by a computer if we were less retarded about streamlining workload. He read my quote as a caution to commanders about making sure everyone in their squadrons understands their "vital" role in completing the mission. Arc Light fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Apr 12, 2017 |
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Apr 12, 2017 22:20
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I realized a few months back that I was drinking every evening. Not enough to be dangerous, but every day. Until my current assignment, I never had alcohol if I needed to work the next day. I cut back to weekend drinking, but man, it sneaks up on you fast, if you hate your job enough.
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May 5, 2017 01:10
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There's an airshow going on at my base this weekend. I'll be working it, as usual, so I hate it. But I've got to begrudgingly admit that these things remind me just how cool airplanes are. It's also a reminder that the Blue Angels are so much better than the Thunderbirds it's not even funny.
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May 5, 2017 21:55
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Casimir Radon posted:Are you going to be the guy from that parody commercial holding the parking sign? That guy was me every year up through staff. Then I made tech, so I became the guy who sells beer under a nice tent. Also the guy who drinks beer while selling it. It's legit the only time of the year I'm glad I live on base, because I sure as poo poo won't be good to drive afterward.
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May 6, 2017 02:28
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After nine years in the Air Force, I'm finally working outside a SCIF. I can carry my cell phone. My room has a window. There are no SIPR or JWICS terminals in my building. The highest ranking dude here is a Master Sergeant. No officers. I'm... happy?
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May 24, 2017 02:41
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Yeah, the simultaneous lowering of rank and PT requirements for the job seems like a red flag. Though, really, anyone who would choose to become a TI probably has a bunch of red flags already.
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Jun 28, 2017 00:51
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Larry Parrish posted:Who the gently caress wants to volunteer for MTI anyway. One of my old coworkers volunteered. She seemed to be a decent TSgt. She immediately despised the job, and is finally at the end of her four year tour. All her years enlisted, and the one assignment she specifically asked for is the one that made her hate the Air Force.
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Jun 29, 2017 06:24
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If anything, it'll be like the NOAA. Everyone will wear a uniform and be covered under the Geneva Conventions, but it won't be a military branch as we'd know it. Done correctly, it would be an organization of technical experts, directed by people who came up the ranks working on satellites. Being the spawn of the Air Force (assuming it ever happens, and I assume no such thing), it won't be done correctly. I eagerly await an organization with no combat experience and a giant inferiority complex about being "armed forces."
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Jul 1, 2017 10:59
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Yikes. I guess it'll just be the commander's favorites - the EPR Must Promote / Promote Now types who kissed the ring the best.
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Jul 2, 2017 07:19
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lol if your squadron snackbar isn't inside the SCIF and thus free from AAFES snooping. Just lol.
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Jul 7, 2017 01:22
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Incidentally, if you *do* have a huge appetite, Big Emma's has a food challenge. Eat a kilogram of schnitzel and drink three litres of beer, and they put a plaque on the wall to remember your food heroism. Buddy of mine did it. Dude's seven feet tall, and I can only assume his stomach is proportionately giant.
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Jul 7, 2017 21:19
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The true Ramstein experience is going to the Turkish alterations place by Pulaski, and having to park in front of the brothel next door.
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Jul 9, 2017 21:11
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xaarman posted:And I'm out! Congrats on your escape! 
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Jul 14, 2017 04:12
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I'm still in, with a year left on my contract. Might stay, might bounce. I made E-6 fast, so I still have more than a decade to twiddle my thumbs and coast to retirement. I put in no effort, but am perceived as a subject matter expert and a top performer. I don't understand. The only real work I do is keeping leadership off my airmen's backs. My fullbird referred to me, without a shred of sarcasm, as his most forthright and straight shooting TSgt. That terrifies me. I'm pretty sure I'd be in the lower quartile of employees at any other organization. I guess the problem is that I'm a fundamentally lazy person, and I like getting a paycheck without being challenged. The local comm industry pays much, much more than the Air Force, but I assume I would need to earn that paycheck.
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Jul 14, 2017 21:54
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Weird as it sounds, for me the key to not going crazy is volunteering. I always hated the mandatory Air Force volunteerism bullshit (and I still hate that it's on EPRs and 1206s), but I eventually found something I like to do just for the fun/satisfaction of it. My squadron is all about volunteering off-duty, so I look like a champ for doing something I would do even if there were no incentive. I keep getting put in for (and sometimes winning) NCO of the quarter/year because my extracurricular poo poo is on point. My Air Force job is basically just a way of paying my rent so I can afford to do my volunteer job. That being said, as a matter of principle, the Air Force shouldn't grade its personnel on their off duty activities.
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Jul 15, 2017 02:35
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Kawasaki Nun posted:What kind of work schedule are you on where you have time to significantly volunteer? I got promoted up to a Monday to Friday, 0700-1700 job. Before that I was doing 12s as a shift worker. And yes, shift workers get turbofucked re the volunteer/education crap. The Air Force is kind of backing off from it, but for the longest time, awards and enlisted performance reports were more dependent on "volunteering" and off duty college education than they were on actual job performance. The theory being that everyone was expected to do good work, so it was the extracurricular bullshit that would set the best troops apart. I put volunteering in quotes, because needless to say, it wasn't actually volunteer work for most people. It became an all but mandatory check in the box to get a good performance report (and thus get enough promotion points to pick up rank). Similarly, all the enlisted end up wasting gov tuition assistance money on worthless degree mills so they can say that they got x credits this year toward their degree, with a 4.0 average. Again, this is supposedly changing. We'll see. The AF adopted a new performance report a couple years ago, which has less space for non-mission fluff. I have little faith, though, because the people who benefitted from the old system are the ones responsible for the new one.
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Jul 15, 2017 16:55
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Derek Dominoe posted:gently caress you ... AFPC
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Jul 16, 2017 06:48
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I sit in an office, where my day consists of a mix between technical work,  supervising my NCOs and their airmen, attending meetings, and watching videos on youtube. I could make better money on the outside, but goddamn my job is so easy. Even with poo poo additional duties like COMSEC and CA/CRL (for the unfamiliar: paperwork and inventory intensive bookkeeping, basically). It wasn't always like this. As a young airman, I dug trenches, pulled cable, set up mobile radio networks, drove convoys, got shot at, picked up thousands of cigarette butts, and mopped up literal rivers of human poo poo when a sewage main broke in the dorms. Somehow, despite all that, I still earned a better paycheck than many of my friends who went to college instead of enlisting as teenagers.If you commission as a non-rated officer, you'll have a far better paycheck and launch right into the managerial office work and never ever live in dorms, or get turbofucked with the enlisted scum because someone in another flight got a DWI, or perform any sort of manual labor. Some bases suck, and some of the people you'd work with will be losers, but you'll be treated like an adult from day one, and it's sure as poo poo better than moving back into mom's basement with an advanced degree. There are worse ways to make a buck.
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Jul 24, 2017 02:16
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Larry Parrish posted:Maybe it's just a pilot thing but every officer I knew had an epic hazing story from reporting to their squadron. Well except the wing king. He had a heart warming story of having no duties at all as a butterbar outside of scheduled training flights so he just breathed down the schedulers neck every day to get more hours Officer epic hazing is presumably done behind closed doors. Enlisted hazing is/was open. And back in the not-too-recent past, it was very much still a thing for new airmen. I've got fond memories of being chased down by the rest of the shop, tackled, physically subdued with my wrists and ankles duct taped up, and then trying desperately to free myself before the older airmen/NCOs could drag me to the GOV and deposit me someplace embarassing. One of the other guys couldn't get free. He got ditched in front of security forces HQ, bound and gagged. Ah, to be an A1C again. EDIT: we were game for it. The airmen who weren't cool with roughhousing didn't get the FNG treatment like the rest of us, but I assume they were secretly looked down on.
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Jul 24, 2017 18:43
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Godholio posted:It's not hazing if it's accurate.  E: for non AF observers. Those were all 100% normal, including the "need a waiver to be alone with a woman, aka the Threshold Rule" story. Arc Light fucked around with this message at 14:36 on Jul 26, 2017 |
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Jul 26, 2017 14:34
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 06:10 |
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I enlisted to fulfill a proud family tradition of honorable wartime service. I expected a life of adventure and danger, surrounded by America's best and brightest. After almost a decade, my current goal is to do no real work, and get paid to finance my off-duty hobbies. I have more than two brain cells, so despite zero effort, I'm somehow still a top performer. It's working out better than I could possibly have anticipated.
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Jul 31, 2017 02:23
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