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USAF Enlisted Pilots, The Right Stuff, Stolen Bikes, AIC, and SWO pipe dreams.

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Maybe cutting down some of our operational commitments would allow us to be more selective, leaner, etc. I realize it’s civilian leadership that dictates our requirements in this arena, but I find it hard to believe we couldn’t meet our foreign policy objectives with a smaller, more highly trained and ready force.

Even if we cut our current air forces in half they would still be huge when compared to everyone else, I don't think folks realize just how small some of our allies' air forces really are.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
Even if we cut our current air forces in half they would still be huge when compared to everyone else, I don't think folks realize just how small some of our allies' air forces really are.

I was surprised by this when NATO went into Libya in 2011. It was amazing (and a bit concerning) how quickly our NATO allies were "tapped out".
 

RadicalDude

Social Justice Warlord
Even if we cut our current air forces in half they would still be huge when compared to everyone else, I don't think folks realize just how small some of our allies' air forces really are.
No I do realize... I’m not advocating an isolationist drawdown. But if op necessity allowed us to reduce numbers of CVWs, split their birds up between the rest, retired a CVN or two, decreased our manning requirements... it could fix a lot of what many JOs profess ails us.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
No I do realize... I’m not advocating an isolationist drawdown. But if op necessity allowed us to reduce numbers of CVWs, split their birds up between the rest, retired a CVN or two, decreased our manning requirements... it could fix a lot of what many JOs profess ails us.

If we do that, stand by for yearlong cruises again.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
No I do realize... I’m not advocating an isolationist drawdown. But if op necessity allowed us to reduce numbers of CVWs, split their birds up between the rest, retired a CVN or two, decreased our manning requirements... it could fix a lot of what many JOs profess ails us.

I think the stuff you propose would be of little benefit and only be a Band-Aid to the serious issues facing our force.
 

RadicalDude

Social Justice Warlord
If we do that, stand by for yearlong cruises again.

I think the stuff you propose would be of little benefit and only be a Band-Aid to the serious issues facing our force.

You guys are ignoring what I’m saying—- we need to reduce our operational commitments. Less WESTPAC, no more 1.0 in the gulf, complete withdraw from AFG. The problem is that we have become used to being at war 24/7/365. This is unrealistic and unsustainable. The manning and equipment issues below this ground truth. We have too much war and not enough shit.

Start with that, then we can implement the types of solutions I was talking about.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
You guys are ignoring what I’m saying—- we need to reduce our operational commitments. Less WESTPAC, no more 1.0 in the gulf, complete withdraw from AFG. The problem is that we have become used to being at war 24/7/365. This is unrealistic and unsustainable. The manning and equipment issues below this ground truth. We have too much war and not enough shit.

Start with that, then we can implement the types of solutions I was talking about.

I am completely in agreement that what we need is a sustainable strategy for this forever war we find ourselves fighting. This perpetual game of whack-a-mole is wearing out the hammer. However, my statement was made with the realization that it's unlikely the powers-that-be will reduce our operational commitments to that degree anytime soon. To be fair, they have come off the 100% presence requirement in the NAG, but now we have increased presence in the Western Pacific, so it's pretty much a wash (or even a slight increase) in terms of overall operational commitment.

My fear is that it will take a unit being literally unable to accomplish their tasking for the head sheds to realize the scope and severity of the hollow force that has been created by this. Not sure what form that mission shortfall will take, but I can only hope it's not one that leaves our troops hanging.
 
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pilot_man

Ex-Rhino driver
pilot
Negative. You’re moving the goalposts, bro.

Your point was that if we don’t require degrees, there would be no standards. I provided a counter example of the aussies who maintain a very high standard without requiring a college degree.

I agree it won’t affect retention at this point, but there is nothing stopping the baby from accessing folks to flying billets without a bachelors. Maybe worth looking into in the future. Bro.

They are linked you fucktwit. 1. We don't need to do it. 2. Just because a couple of Aussies do it doesn't mean we have to. They have a different education system and like 1 Super Hornet squadron. There is no reason to dilute our talent pool. See point 1, bro.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
You guys are ignoring what I’m saying—- we need to reduce our operational commitments. Less WESTPAC, no more 1.0 in the gulf, complete withdraw from AFG. The problem is that we have become used to being at war 24/7/365. This is unrealistic and unsustainable. The manning and equipment issues below this ground truth. We have too much war and not enough shit.

Start with that, then we can implement the types of solutions I was talking about.

That is not something the Navy can't impact, that is for our political leaders. I'd prefer the Navy start fixing what it can, and there is plenty it can do in spite of our continued commitments.
 

Goodfou

Well-Known Member
Post Radical initially responded to:
I agree that we need options for keeping guys in their aircraft, but I don't think the WO is the solution for many communities.

I wholeheartedly disagree that you could replace every pilot with a warrant. Hopefully you agree that not everyone can be a Naval Aviator. It takes some level of intelligence, dedicated work ethic, hand-eye coordination, expeditious decision making ability, and the capacity to multi task while keeping SA to a multitude of things. A college degree shows that you are at least somewhat competent in the first two categories. Are there outliers? Sure. But showing that you can focus long enough to get a 4 year degree is a good indicator that you can handle the stresses and workloads of flight school, and the fleet.

The task loading put on an aviator acting as the strike lead for an Airwing strike is a lot different than on a guy whose job is to take off from point A and then go land at point B. There might be areas where the warrants would work, but there are also areas where it definitely would not.

So you are saying that a warrant can't be successful as a strike lead? After all, Army warrants do nothing but fly from point A to point B in Apaches because they don't have a college degree...Or is it their lack of intelligence and/or dedicated work ethic because there is no way to tell if a warrant has either without a degree?

Reread your own poorly written post and understand why the comment about the Aussies was brought up in the first place. I bet you won't. You'll just vomit out a very intelligent comeback of profanities to all who dare disagree with your opinion....reminds me of the quintessential liberal.

Cheers.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
....So you are saying that a warrant can't be successful as a strike lead? After all, Army warrants do nothing but fly from point A to point B in Apaches because they don't have a college degree...Or is it their lack of intelligence and/or dedicated work ethic because there is no way to tell if a warrant has either without a degree?

Reread your own poorly written post and understand why the comment about the Aussies was brought up in the first place. I bet you won't. You'll just vomit out a very intelligent comeback of profanities to all who dare disagree with your opinion....reminds me of the quintessential liberal.

For ~80 years the completion of a college degree has been used by the Navy, in addition to the Navy and Marines, as a screening tool to determine who can meet the initial qualifications to be a student aviator. There have be times when that requirement has been relaxed, as in the case of NavCad's, MarCad's and STA-21 candidates, but that requirement has served the services very well. To me, introducing Warrant Officers into those services with the exception of UAV's and other similar roles is a solution in search of a problem. There are plenty of tweaks and adjustments that could be made to the existing system before taking the step of introducing FWO's again.

As for the Army and how they fly, they simply don't play the same game as the rest of the services when it comes to aviation. It isn't the difference between minor league and big league ball but different sports leagues altogether. The Army utilizes its aviation more like just another vehicle to support ground movement, like a tank or IFV, instead of its own separate warfare discipline to be used separately. There is good reason AOC leadership is full of O-6's from the USAF, Navy, Marines and allied air forces but none from the Army. It isn't because Army aviators are a bunch of rubes, it's because Army aviation fights a different fight, one with a view from 500 feet instead of 20,000 feet. Just a fact of life, nothing more and nothing less.
 
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BarrettRC8

VMFA
pilot
My fear is that it will take a unit being literally unable to accomplish their tasking for the head sheds to realize the scope and severity of the hollow force that has been created by this. Not sure what form that mission shortfall will take, but I can only hope it's not one that leaves our troops hanging.

The Marine Corps already is, and has been for years, at the point you describe.
 

pilot_man

Ex-Rhino driver
pilot
Post Radical initially responded to:

So you are saying that a warrant can't be successful as a strike lead? After all, Army warrants do nothing but fly from point A to point B in Apaches because they don't have a college degree...Or is it their lack of intelligence and/or dedicated work ethic because there is no way to tell if a warrant has either without a degree?

Reread your own poorly written post and understand why the comment about the Aussies was brought up in the first place. I bet you won't. You'll just vomit out a very intelligent comeback of profanities to all who dare disagree with your opinion....reminds me of the quintessential liberal.

Cheers.

1. You don't even know what an airwing strike lead is. Do some research and then you can come at me.

2. I am saying if you take 100 people and put them into a pilot syllabus, and 50 of them have a degree, and 50 of them don't, the 50 that do will statistically do better. The same way that if you take the 50 that have a degree, and split those up into 25 that played sports (or lots of video games) growing up, and 25 that just read books, the 25 with the hand-eye coordination will do better than those that just read books. If we aren't currently hurting to find 25 guys that have a degree, and have hand-eye coordination, then why fix a problem that isn't there. The Navy doesn't currently have an accession problem. Who cares how the Aussies do it? When we can't fill our minimum quotas then we can look at reducing the requirements.

3. I did re-read my post. Please tell me where my post is poorly written.

4. Since you don't seem to get the idea: There are different levels of difficulty to Naval Aviation. There is much less task loading put on a guy flying a C-40 from Oceana to Fallon than there is on a one as part of a Large Force Strike. Maybe there are specific areas where the FWO would work, but then again, if you have enough guys who are more qualified then why even try?

5. I don't vomit profanities to all who disagree, just the Retarded Douche. I remind you of a quintessential liberal? You are high my friend. I knew they approved medical marijuana in Florida but I didn't think it was OK to smoke while in the military.
 
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