Further hijack alert! (Sorry) FWIW, they were running in *really* high humidity in Singapore this morning. Not a vapor trail in sight! Was really hoping you may be tempted! Cheers, Ian
Yep A few friends of mine are flying it out there, they are glad to only be dropping it off. The deployments to train Afghanis to fly the C-130 have had an enormous impact on personnel, roughly 2/3 of the people I know who have been hit with it have quit the Air Force rather than go. The general consensus is that you are being put at extreme risk for a completely worthless mission and will get screwed over by the USAF as thanks for going. Nobody I know has been killed yet. One guy narrowly dodged death when an Afghani military guy shot up a bunch of US forces, he quit the USAF when he got back.
That remark could represent a few different perspectives. From someone of your vintage (no disrespect intended ) it seems that we could be perceived as a bunch of whiners who don't appreciate the sacrifices of those who came before us. The WWII guys were way more likely to be shot down and die or spend time in a POW camp. The pay wasn't nearly so lucrative and overall the military life was much tougher. So why are we quitting over a rough assignment? On the other side of the equation most all of us have been deploying for the last decade plus and are tired of seeing the same patch of desert which doesn't seem to stand any chance of ever being any less of a mess. If there was some threat with a more defined objective and political will to crush the enemy people would rally for the big win I suspect. Problem is nobody sees that on the horizon, they just see people randomly being cut and the crushing banality off many aspects of AF life. On the plus side it turns out that the masters degree the AF made us all get opens lots of employment doors. The real moment of truth will come for big blue if/when the airlines start hiring en masse. I cannot emphasize enough how many people are poised and waiting to make the switch over, it is gonna be ugly. I'm not sure how the fighter world will fare but the AF has been screaming bloody murder about fighter manning levels being in a death spiral for years so I doubt it will help much.
No less than SIX IP's (all captains) attached or assigned to my UPT flight recently got VSP. The ones that want to fly for the airlines already have offers. One IP in particular never wants to fly again, but then again I doubt she ever really liked flying. All (according to them, I'm not assuming) didn't want to deal with the BS. It doens't seem so bad in my eyes, but then again I don't know what really goes on (I'm sure its no different than the six years at my civilian job where the amount of stuff you had to do that wasn't "in support of the mission" was frustrating), but I don't blame them for essentially getting a bonus to leave for a higher paying job. On the plus side, two got hired by my reserve unit and one went to the reserve unit here, so at least the AF isn't completely losing the talent. I guess my point is if people are so eager to get out now, its only going to get worse. They will have no problem finding people who want to fill their shoes, they will just lose all that experience (which takes time- you can't buy it) and they definitely won't be able to train them fast enough.
Mark, my comment was aimed at the situation and the lack of integrity, certainly not at the personnel.
Mark, in 1967 I participated in the air show celebrating the 25th anniversary of Whidbey Island NAS. We were billeted with recently returning Navy fighter pilots from action in Vietnam. They displayed all the flashes and patches that bloom from action but the real badge was in their demeanor and that traditional patina of hard action in their eyes and on their faces. Their conversations were kept within their tight circle as they exchanged experiences. These men were all in their early twenty's but they were hardened veterans and faced returning tours. They hardly mentioned that in their talking and I thought back to my listening to WW2 friends. It wasn't much different. I have a stepson, a grandson, and a nephew, all of whom served multiple tours in the middle east and acquitted themselves well. One got the Bronze Star as a tank commander. I sense that it is still with us.
