We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:53:08 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Apparently waay too many officers. Too many airmen. Aging equipment. Money woes. And those damn'd dirty greedy grasping geezers (retirees) are killing TRICARE (a self-inflicted wound by the Services, two Administrations and five Congresses) A comment I posted over at Milblogs: Heh. They *all* look young now. When you realize the Lieutenants weren't *born* when you were commissioned... sigh. But since young Noonan is a Zoomie, putatively in an "armed service" one wonders how he'll defend this, from an internal AF document running around the .mil mail circuit: --M-16 training weapon- a real weapon (but modified not to fire) [John... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html Tue, 16 May 2006 07:28:30 -0600 Wow. Let's see -- Air Force "Smart Operations 21". Looks like warmed-over TQM in a new bottle. Guess I need to re-read the SECAF memo on it, but that was my gut reaction the first time. *Another* new service uniform? Tossing out Lt's, while I sit through personnel briefs whining about the "bathtub" in certain YG's caused by the *last* RIF (make no mistake, that's what the FSB was). I gotta check the calendar. Are y'all sure we haven't fallen into a time warp and it's 1994 again? I'm another one of those "Emperor has no clothes guys" who's reached terminal grade.....good thing I have a retirement date. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45313 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45313 Wed, 17 May 2006 08:03:33 -0600 No pigskin boots? Wha? That's absolutely hilarious. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45293 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45293 Tue, 16 May 2006 18:02:05 -0600 Major, yeah, that story about the NCO club is true, but it was back in the Carter years... sigh... and I suspect much has changed since then. What we were amzed by, mostly, was what we considered the opulance of the place, compared to what we had. The Navy was having their fleet cut in half, we had ships that couldn't put to sea because they either didn't have enough fuel or enough crew or both. Our flight hours were meticulously accounted. It was a hell of a way to run a military. Things got so bad that were were only allocated 2 warshot torpedoes to drop for qualifications, and that was among 6 active squadrons. In fact, my crew had to fly a P-3B out to Burbank to the Lockheed facility for a retrofit, and we were bringing another back to Maine. Over Nevada, we got a flash message to land at Hill AFB in Utah, and that orders would be waiting for us there. Well, we didn't know if the balloon had gone up or what, but we landed and taxied over by the tower and the Pilots and Mission Commander went over to find out what was going on. It turns out that our squadron had exceeded it's fuel allowance for the quarter, and we had to remain at Hill AFB for 5 days until the new quarter started and we could burn more fuel. Lovely..... Anyway, I don't have any hard feelings for the AF. Those guys have some neat toys, and the base at Lajes in the Azores is a BEAUTIFUL location. I offered to reenlist forever if I could stay there. Respects, http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45276 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45276 Tue, 16 May 2006 10:42:30 -0600 Since John mentioned my name, I guess I'm obliged to comment. :-) First, lets clear the decks (Navy talk). I am not implying the Navy is better, just different. That said, my tour in Iceland was instructive about different ways that the various services see things. Most of the Air Force folks up there in Keflavik thought that Iceland was the worst place in the world you could be sent to and still bring dependents. Gripe, gripe, gripe. The Navy people on the other hand, thought duty up there was gravy. My command had a 50% extension rate. The usual Navy response to duty there was something like "What? You say I get to go home EVERY night, I get to drink off-duty, I can see my spouse and kids, and it counts as sea duty? Where do I sign up for more?" Just goes to show that everything is relative. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45275 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45275 Tue, 16 May 2006 10:42:15 -0600 The Air Force should send all recruits over to Fort Sam for a week of basic infantry/ground defense training before letting them loose on the world. When I was stationed at Ramstein in the 80s, the philosophy in the event of a Russian invasion seemed to be: A - rely on the Army to hold the line or B - Run away!!! In a year of Army support in Korea, I participated in a dozen field exercises, but never had any real Army training. I guarantee they weren't going to ship us Zoomies out when the balloon went up. It would have been nice to have some clue how to handle myself. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45274 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45274 Tue, 16 May 2006 10:40:33 -0600 Being in the Air Force, and an officer (17 years so far), I've seen the state of various clubs around the world. Yes, the AF does tend to have nicer clubs. But if I remember correctly they're all NAF (Non-Appropriated Fund) operations, meaning there is no budget line for the clubs. They make or break themselves. And for the most part, the clubs overseas prop up the ones in the CONUS. As to not letting in guys in bags, well, if there was a special function in the entire club I might see it happening, but my feeling is there should always be a place in the bar for the guys who wear them. After all, THEY are the tip of the spear. And for the record, I do NOT wear one. I'm a Comm guy. BTW- nice joke about building an airfield. Sad to say there may even be more than a grain of truth to it.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45273 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45273 Tue, 16 May 2006 10:28:10 -0600 Fellers, I remember well, from my days as a Navy Zoomie, the standard joke about the AF designing a new airfield. The surveyors come in, and then the Base Design Comittee lays out everything. Let's see.. the golf course can go over there, the pool and Four Seasons facility here, the BOQ and VAQ there, the fitness center over that way. Hmm.. lessee now... Exchange in that area, barracks and chow hall here... Hmm.. seems we need to build a runway and fuel facility as well... Out of funds? Hey.. anyone got the number for the SeaBees? The first time I flew into Rammstien, we had to RON while an Admiral got done with his conference and fly him back to our base. We decided to hit the NCO club for burgers and beers. We go in the door, and they are having a fashion show. TINS. Brass stanchions, velver ropes, waiters in short white jackets... Thought we were in the O club by mistake. The fellow checking ID's wouldn't allow us in as we were in our zoom bags. We were dumbfounded. Seriously. Amazed. What we wanted to know was how they could AFFORD all that stuff.... we had an NCO club with poured concrete floors and vinyl siding. Cold beer and cheap, yeah, but NOTHING like that club in Rtown... Turns out many AF clubs were of a similar model. Yeah, I KNOW that creature comforts affect morale, but ya need to pay for the weapons and facilities to support the weapons FIRST, because without them, it's just a social club..... Respects, AW1 Tim http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45265 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/the_air_force_is_in_a_hurt.html#comment-45265 Tue, 16 May 2006 08:39:51 -0600