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/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:23:15 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:21:05 -0600
Rules!!! Rules are what matters, not the reasons for them, not the purpose for the mission, not the objectives, just the Rules! This is not an organization (not in my experience anyway) that understands "get the job done the smartest, fastest way possible" even if it breaks a few rules. If it had been the modern AF at Mobile Bay instead of Farragut, history would likely have recorded "Damn! Torpedoes! Pile on as much steam as authorized! But first do a risk analysis and don't exceed our monthly coal allotment!"

Sound bitter? A little. The AF is chock full of really good, really decent, and mostly very competent people, but the slavish adherence to rules is just mind boggling to me. I get it that planes require careful maintenance and people die and missions fail when that's not done, but everything is not life or death and some rules are just guidelines or they are just plain stupid. Doesn't matter, though. Rules is rules and that's all there is.

And I love that this is being handled by the "emerging technology division" as if blogs were just invented. Heck, most blogs are blocked by the AF net nanny anyway, as is any website that uses cold fusion to deliver content (anything with .cfm endings), and even alltheweb.com, which is owned by Yahoo, I think. I'm surprised they let Wikipedia in....

Yeah, I'm impressed.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82908 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82908 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:14:48 -0600
I guess this is a reasonable guide though I wonder how much flexibility would be permissible and practicable.  All the same it looks rather obvious to me.  I think unless something adds then the KISS principle should apply.

No not the bad makeup KISS.
]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82859 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82859 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:15:18 -0600
The good Captain is the "fainting goat" put out to lure the wolves away from the sheep.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82858 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82858 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:02:25 -0600
The chart is a typical brass-hat response. Capt. Faggard is either "Captain (Forever) Faggard" or he is a Colonel in disguise, but don't confuse him with someone young and "with it". Satire, for the Captain's information, is an INTELLIGENT response of a HUMOROUS nature. Satire is NOT to be confused with anger, which the Red Box means to warn against, so I proclaim the chart faulty and in need of a complete start-over. The Air Force could use this policy to bring some actual smarts to the fore, to the betterment of the entire Service, but not as THIS is written.

Give the Air Force some credit for trying, but a failing grade for the quality of their guidance.

Rivrdog
(Squadron Comsec/Opsec Officer in earlier times).
]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82842 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82842 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:21:01 -0600 ;-)]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82809 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82809 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:56:34 -0600 So, where is the link to the canonical list of Air Force jokes? I speak as the former executive officer of the AFROTC band at Ga. Tech, in 1969, or so. We were considered silly by the naval ROTC people, and the Army ROTC people, who actually marched to drill, with band, and road guards, and rifles, and everything. They were right; we _were_ silly. I'm sure there are plenty of non-silly, kewl&manly AF types (Michael Z. Williamson comes to mind) but sorry, AF guys, there is a wide-spread perception among the other services that the AF has serious silliness issues. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82782 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82782 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:41:23 -0600
@Mrs G Re: comments 12 JAN 2009 10:54AM and  10:57AM- About your "juvenile comment" and your question of being RAGER or MISGUIDED. First, don't let me rock the boat, can't have that  type of behavior. My answer would be this- If this is the captain's name, your comment is NOT juvenile, nor RAGING nor MISGUIDED. WARNING- I'm going to use a new term, the term is the word, "FACT". Now, my problem is where do I put them in this  [REDACTED] flow chart..

Lighten up and have some fun. Life is shorter than you think.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82769 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82769 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:27:31 -0600 heh.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82768 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82768 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:16:02 -0600 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82766 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82766 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:24:57 -0600 BTW does my juvenile comment regarding Capt Faggard fall under RAGER or MISGUIDED? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82764 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82764 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:57:46 -0600 his link. 

I will say, having an AF point man named Capt Faggard, doesn't help any ;P
]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82763 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82763 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:54:31 -0600
Which HQ should us retirees report to?]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82757 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/01/feed_me_seymour.html#comment-82757 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:31:22 -0600