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It's ugly as hell, but at least switching to modern engines has a lot of advantages
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Oct 22, 2022 15:04
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CommieGIR posted:https://twitter.com/AthertonKD/status/1583516615173320705?s=20&t=4D_SC6n1lkQdPjl-3nYB7w Yep. Contract was signed a while ago.
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Oct 22, 2022 17:57
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And after 20 years and a bit I'm done. Okay, well, I'm on terminal leave but it's close enough. The lack of work stressors made it WAY easier to decide to stop drinking. Five days sober. I guess this is tangential to the thread but whatever. I needed to tell some of you all.
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Oct 23, 2022 00:58
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Congratulations on escaping. I mean that with complete sincerity. Enjoy your retirement!
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Oct 23, 2022 02:39
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Hell yes, congrats on making it to the finish line. I think you're probably loving insane for doing it, but it's sure as hell an accomplishment.
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Oct 23, 2022 02:56
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antimatt posted:And after 20 years and a bit I'm done. Thats good as hell man. Congrats on the retirement and even more congrats on sobriety. Now go get that sweet sweet disability money and some VA funded therapy.
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Oct 23, 2022 03:01
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Congrats! Lucky duck making it the full 20
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Oct 23, 2022 03:04
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Congrats at passing the finish line! It seems to get more difficult the closer you get to it.
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Oct 23, 2022 03:17
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Thanks everyone.Godholio posted:Hell yes, congrats on making it to the finish line. Oh yeah, I've never really been sane, and I'm less sane than before I joined. Wrr posted:Thats good as hell man. Congrats on the retirement and even more congrats on sobriety. Now go get that sweet sweet disability money and some VA funded therapy. The VA claim is already in the works through DAV. It's amazing how many pages of medical records you accrue in 20 years of service. No work stressors have definitely curbed the desire. Day 6! And yeah, to sum everything up I'd say years 14-18 were the toughest, 19 sucked, 20 kinda just flew by. I've got some sympathy for my rank-peer group, especially as lots of them made the rank far earlier in their career than I did and are looking at 6-8 years as a SNCO to make it to 20. Now it's time to learn how to dress like a human. And to figure out where I'm going to live. I don't have much family, so in a few months I'm just gonna pick somewhere I think I want to be and go.
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Oct 23, 2022 19:08
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What made years 14-18 the toughest?
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Oct 23, 2022 19:57
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Congrats! Civilian life definitely takes some adjusting too, but its very nice
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Oct 23, 2022 21:03
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Jimmy Smuts posted:What made years 14-18 the toughest? Rotating shift work, apathetic leadership, MQ-9 support. I know it's probably how they compartmentalize and deal with things, but god drat it's not a loving video game.
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Oct 24, 2022 23:03
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Ugh, UAV seems awful to me. Gotta go back to the family and act normal when you just pulled a trigger on someone. Sorry Goon, hope you live well in separation life.
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Oct 24, 2022 23:20
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Oh, yeah that sounds rough. Congrats!
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Oct 25, 2022 01:54
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antimatt posted:And yeah, to sum everything up I'd say years 14-18 were the toughest, 19 sucked, 20 kinda just flew by. I've got some sympathy for my rank-peer group, especially as lots of them made the rank far earlier in their career than I did and are looking at 6-8 years as a SNCO to make it to 20. This is actually why I got out at 15; at best I was looking at 5 more years of being a manager (especially as I'd probably my MSgt before 20) holding 5+ additional hats, being stressed the hell out, and basically hating my job as I wasn't actually doing what I like (IT). The retirement would have been nice (though my wife retires herself in the next few months so we still have that), but I figured knocking out my IT degree in a year through my Post-9/11 and then actually starting on building my career in a field I actually liked, and has good pay at that, during those 5 years was the better pay off financially and for my mental wellbeing.
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Oct 25, 2022 16:02
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BadOptics posted:This is actually why I got out at 15; at best I was looking at 5 more years of being a manager (especially as I'd probably my MSgt before 20) holding 5+ additional hats, being stressed the hell out, and basically hating my job as I wasn't actually doing what I like (IT). The retirement would have been nice (though my wife retires herself in the next few months so we still have that), but I figured knocking out my IT degree in a year through my Post-9/11 and then actually starting on building my career in a field I actually liked, and has good pay at that, during those 5 years was the better pay off financially and for my mental wellbeing. Yeah, I can definitely see how that would be a great choice in your situation. I may have made a similar situation but I felt I was so close to the end that I could just stick it out. I ended up putting on E7 at 16 years and 10 months, so perfect timing for that high-3 pay. A lot of the work I have done has been very IT adjacent so that may be the path that I continue into after I get bored enough to want to work again, or if I decide I want more money.
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Oct 26, 2022 01:29
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antimatt posted:A lot of the work I have done has been very IT adjacent so that may be the path that I continue into after I get bored enough to want to work again, or if I decide I want more money. Welcome to the janitor's closet, friend.
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Oct 26, 2022 01:31
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antimatt posted:And after 20 years and a bit I'm done. Welcome to the club. Report to the BX when it opens to purchase (starcard, of course) your requisite USAF VETERAN hat, an official Base X polo shirt, and look for some jorts.
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Oct 31, 2022 02:08
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Enjoy the freedom from work, and the freedom from alcohol.
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Oct 31, 2022 05:32
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any patches in here? Is WIC worth it? I just pinned on captain and am thinking of trying to in the next few years
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Dec 7, 2022 03:17
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Knives Amilli posted:any patches in here? Is WIC worth it? I just pinned on captain and am thinking of trying to in the next few years What’s your airframe, or are you in a non rated field like Intel or Cyber?
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Dec 7, 2022 03:55
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My (cyber) captain is heading off to Weapons School this week, and I'm desperately trying to convince her she should wear the patch afterwards and speak exclusively in Top Gun quotes
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Dec 7, 2022 04:14
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Knives Amilli posted:any patches in here? Is WIC worth it? I just pinned on captain and am thinking of trying to in the next few years I’d do it if my career field had it. It should keep you closer to ops vs administrative as you climb the ranks.
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Dec 7, 2022 14:01
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LtCol J. Krusinski posted:What’s your airframe, or are you in a non rated field like Intel or Cyber? im a cyber boi
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Dec 7, 2022 21:32
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Knives Amilli posted:im a cyber boi Go get a security CCNP and then CCIE, and make a fuckload more money with less bullshit in the private sector than being a Cyber officer. Real talk.
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Dec 7, 2022 21:48
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Unless you are wanting that sweet CW read-on, which is cool, but you are still gonna make less with any USAF path. It’s an undeniably cooler track than I’m making it out to be. In fact, given the choice I’d take WIC, but I’m a HUGE AirPower nerd, and loved operational level assignments over staff jobs every day of the week. What do you already know about WIC, Patches, and your future goals? I can probably better help you knowing that. LtCol J. Krusinski fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Dec 7, 2022 |
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Dec 7, 2022 21:57
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LtCol J. Krusinski posted:Unless you are wanting that sweet CW read-on, which is cool, but you are still gonna make less with any USAF path. Well for starters im a ANG guy and I work in private sector already. I asked the Active Duty thread this question Knives Amilli posted:So im a reservist. ATM im on active duty orders. They end in March. Im also getting my differential pay from my tech job. Im at a bit of a crossroads going forward however... And one of the biggest reasons Im considering AGR is, I wanna get a patch and Drilll Status guardsmen cant really go to WIC unless they have a SHITTON of ops experience. 1.What I know about WIC is that its a hard school and marriage killer. 2. Patches are supposed to be THE SME for your ops community and weapon platform is all about helping Sq. scale out your capabilities and keeping the squadron tactically proficient by teaching and putting a huge emphasis on the PBED process to accomplish these tasks. Im too junior to have worked with any of the Patches in GP but most of them have kinda been raging dickholes who while smart and capable can also at times be pretentious and condescending. 3. My future goals are kinda nebulous but I feel being a patch helps me get in a position where things like command are a better option. But i also love teaching and want to give more value to Sq in a authorative SME role
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Dec 7, 2022 22:29
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Knives Amilli posted:Well for starters im a ANG guy and I work in private sector already. I asked the Active Duty thread this question It was (A long time ago, when I was still in) a tenant that good Weapons Officers would be A) SME’s B) Master Trainers and C) Humble approachable officers. C) was usually a coin flip, but looks like you already know this. If WIC kills your marriage, you didn’t have a marriage, you had a dumbass relationship that was built on a house of cards built on shifting sand. It’s not hard, it’s memorization, integration, and application. If you can handle an information fire hose, you’ll be fine. I never did any time in the ANG, so I’m really not the best guy for career advice there, but I know command, especially non rated, is loving hard to come by in a lot of ANG wings. If that’s an eventual goal, WIC won’t hurt at all based on what I’ve seen. I can’t definitively say if it helps, because again: never was a guardsman. You interested in how your career field makes tangible impacts and effects on enemies? You big on AirPower? If yes, go WIC, if not, don’t.
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Dec 7, 2022 22:48
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I put in my sep paperwork today. It's been fun, but I need a sabbatical from work.
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Dec 11, 2022 03:31
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Dominoes posted:I put in my sep paperwork today. It's been fun, but I need a sabbatical from work. You still overseas?
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Dec 11, 2022 04:45
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Good memory! No. Have been stateside for a few years now. First assignment really was the best through, with and without the rose-tinted glasses. People are more settled here.
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Dec 11, 2022 05:29
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Hit my 1 year retired a little bit ago. My worst day as a civilian was still better than my best day while in. Hint: I never had a best day when I was in.
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Dec 17, 2022 04:29
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lite_sleepr posted:Hit my 1 year retired a little bit ago. Gonna need you to complete your annual ex-USAF PT test. Please ensure your back and knees still work.
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Dec 17, 2022 05:11
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Until I bounced for higher pay/lower cost of living/to get out of the southwestern US earlier this year, I was a contractor in the WS. I worked with the C2ISR and every fighter squadron daily, and participated in Integration. By "participated" I mean planning, executing, and being the C2 lead for a couple of the early INT missions. We didn't see cyber or space (or MAF, most of the time) until INT, when they were roped in. I know how the patch will alter a flyer's career trajectory. For cyber, I have no idea. Tier 1 time is typically in the squadron. This is what everyone thinks of. Tier 2, you're usually either at a group or wing, back to the WS to get your black border patch, an AOC or similar, etc. Tier 3, think Joint Staff, an AOC staff (vs T2, where you're the ops guy), MAJCOM or NAF. AFMAN 11-415 breaks down how manning works for WOs, and gives the assignment priorities. ANG is a spin on this that I'm not too familiar with...I can only think of one guy I know who went to WS as a guardsman, and that was less than two years ago so he's been in one seat since graduation. At every level, you're in the middle of whatever's going on. Whether officially or not, patches get the chance to weigh in on major decisions. They're usually represented on the staffs that write long-term programmatic plans (ie AWACS being replaced by Wedgetail), they're the bulk of operational planners, and they're well-represented at the decision-maker level. And they very much have their own little club, giving extra weight to opinions that come from someone wearing that patch. They write the papers (WS papers, white papers, operational assessments, etc) that drive future requirements and tactics development. To me, there are two things that make up a good weapons officer: the ability to plan and apply their craft well, and the ability to teach. The best patches are the ones who bring knowledge back and share it with the unit; the rest of them come back and do paperwork and send emails and go TDY all the time. Teach, teach, TEACH until the flag goes up, then plan the gently caress out of our response. quote:You interested in how your career field makes tangible impacts and effects on enemies? You big on AirPower? If yes, go WIC, if not, don’t. This is big, and a good way to put it. When poo poo kicks off, the patches are the ones who sit around the table and develop the courses of action to be presented uphill. I got to meet a bunch of the people who, as captains and majors, planned out what became the US military response to several big news items that were discussed in here at the time. Tier 1s and Tier 2s, called in from multiple bases, given the intel update, and told to get to work. And up until that point, teaching. If you go through the course, you will see poo poo at WIC that brings everything together in a way you never will in any other exercise. It's one of the very few truly eye-opening things I experienced in the AF. Red Flag is amateur hour. "Humble, Approachable, and Credible"...from what I've seen they've gotten much better at this. My first few weapons officers were complete assholes. The first one remains the biggest rear end in a top hat I've known in the AF, and I've been in or on the periphery for almost 20 years. But about 10 years ago I started seeing names getting selected for WIC that made me think, "Oh poo poo, are they fixing it?" It's not perfect, but I'd say the successes outweigh the assholes, at least in the CGO/FGO flyer world. It's not easy, but they're not there to wash you out. Figure out what the game is, and attack it. In my squadron, the big keys were to be able to brief effectively, recognize execution failures and peel the onion back to the REAL learning point (it's almost never "just a mistake/error"), brief THAT effectively, and a big one that probably got as many WUGs hooked out as anything else: the ability to take criticism and feedback, recognizing that it's an attempt to make you better, not to attack you. Don't take it personally, don't get mad. My opinion on Weapons Officers has changed drastically from when I was a lieutenant. I've seen what they ACTUALLY do (vs the first few, who were more interested in pinning you down in offices or hallways to demonstrate their superiority), and I've seen what they can bring to a unit when they actually take their motto seriously. Godholio fucked around with this message at 18:45 on Dec 17, 2022 |
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Dec 17, 2022 18:37
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Godholio posted:Until I bounced for higher pay/lower cost of living/to get out of the southwestern US earlier this year, I was a contractor in the WS. I worked with the C2ISR and every fighter squadron daily, and participated in Integration. By "participated" I mean planning, executing, and being the C2 lead for a couple of the early INT missions. We didn't see cyber or space (or MAF, most of the time) until INT, when they were roped in. back from a long TDY and saw the reply post, thanks for the info guys. I stand a pretty good chance of being hired as a AGR for my sq (which is the first step to being patch, cant be a DSG, though the job isnt Chief of DOK) and im taking all of this info into account should i be selected.
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Dec 28, 2022 01:38
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The good thing is that before you even apply, you get vetted and will to some degree shadow a weapons officer if there's one remotely local. They SHOULD prep you. In the aviation world that means you practice briefing, you practice writing, you study your rear end off. Then when you get to Nellis you can at least function, even if it's awful being a WUG. I wanted to say they WILL prep you, but the ANG dude we had a couple years ago didn't have access to anyone. He was the first one in years. So he TDY'd to Nellis repeatedly to shadow WUGs and practice controlling and all the other things that his home station doesn't normally do. Worth mentioning that not everyone who wants to go gets to apply.
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Dec 29, 2022 00:13
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lite_sleepr posted:Hit my 1 year retired a little bit ago. For the people who ETS'd. Do you ever regret not sticking it out, even though you would likely have been be retired by now?
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Jan 27, 2023 22:13
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Sacrist65 posted:For the people who ETS'd. Do you ever regret not sticking it out, even though you would likely have been be retired by now? Sometimes but my health was suffering pretty badly and despite it being acknowledged as service related they refused to waiver my run, so it was out of my hands. I was also making plenty of money off-duty so kind of a no-brainer.
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Jan 27, 2023 23:37
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e;dp
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Jan 27, 2023 23:56
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Sacrist65 posted:For the people who ETS'd. Do you ever regret not sticking it out, even though you would likely have been be retired by now? I regret getting retired. It’s better than Active Duty in absolute terms (Money and health insurance for life for no further military service) but in practical terms I’ve lost a lot of drive and ambition since retiring. It took a long time, basically until the wife and I started trying to have a kid, before I found any kind of worthwhile direction instead of just doing things to be doing them. I’m torn on the issue. I truly loved serving in the USAF but it was probably for the best getting retired. I know my family is happier even if I’m not.
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Jan 28, 2023 04:12
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