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No, it's the headquarters for air mobility command. View Quote |
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WO too Vietnam saw some SP5 flying as well IIRC View Quote https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._Holmes "In 1946 he was one of only 55 remaining enlisted pilots in the Army. When the US Air Force was created as a separate entity in 1947 he was one of only two remaining enlisted pilots. Master Sergeant Tom Rafferty was the other one until he died in a plane crash in 1949. Holmes continued to fly until he retired in May, 1957 " |
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Wrong. They'll throw captain/major at a doctor as an incentive for them to enter the military. And the commissioning training is like two or three weeks. My brother just came in, being an emergency medicine doctor they gave him major. And I didn't even mention the huge bonuses they give doctors too. View Quote The rank is commiserate to the time in training and practice. New M.D.'s start out as O-3 because they come with a doctorate and 4 more years of education (at least) than other officers who have just an undergraduate. A fellowship trained and board certified MD can command a higher rank starting based on their time of education and experience. A board certified ER doctor comes with 7-8 years more education than a kid with a bachelors, hence Major/LCDR. If you look at typical time in grade for promotion: O-2 at 2 years, 0-3 and 4 years, O-4 at 8-10 years, you'll see that it actually matches up rather nicely with the M.D. scale. The "huge bonuses" aren't that "huge" and vary year to year on what they need at the time. |
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I can't help but think the people in this thread who seem passionately irate about pilots being officers couldn't hack it in college/OTS and/or enlisted thinking they were going to be handed the keys to an F22 as soon as they finished basic.
Here's the truth about higher education, it doesn't automatically make you smarter, but it does a pretty good preliminary sweep of weeding out people who lack motivation and intelligence. Taxpayers seem to prefer those with certain easily verifiable credentials to fly their multi-million dollar machines and drop the bombs. Sorry, life's not fair. |
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My uncle went to Canada before the U.S. entered the war. He flew Beaufighters in England
Attached File After Pearl Harbor most if not all US citizens were transferred to US units. He was sent to the 8th Air Force and flew B-24's. Here he is in USAAF uniform, the left photo shows his wings he earned with the RAF/ RCAF. Attached File Edit to add; with the RAF he was a Sergeant Pilot. |
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My uncle went to Canada before the U.S. entered the war. He flew Beaufighters in England https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/175733/IMG-6440-268146.JPG After Pearl Harbor most if not all US citizens were transferred to US units. He was sent to the 8th Air Force and flew B-24's. Here he is in USAAF uniform, the left photo shows his wings he earned with the RAF/ RCAF. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/175733/IMG-6439-268159.JPG View Quote |
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They trust them to take them apart and put it back together again... and they also trust them to be the crew chief on some birds (IE they're in charge, the pilot is just a driver).
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I see a lot of majors and even colonels. What's the reason for this? What's the highest rank the Usaaf or usaf sends into combat? View Quote The USAF sends pilots into combat? When did that start? |
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Direct commission vs ROTC. Mrs 18B30 is a direct commission O-4 like your brother. BOLC is 4 weeks at FT. Sam. Bonus is 25K per year for reservist/NG with some specialties getting a higher bonus. Thank you brother for his willingness to lose 60K per year, most MD's would never make that sacrifice. View Quote |
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One of my good friends I graduated high school with flew cool stuff. Graduated in the top 10 of our class. Played football and baseball with the guy. Went to the Air Force Academy. Went on to fly the C-5, F117, and TR1. Retired as a full bird Colonel.
Hell of nice guy and obviously pretty bright. I think his plans were to stay in a bit longer, as he wanted a star, but sitting at a red light, some asshole slammed into the back of his car, messing up his back. He lost his flying status over that. Need to catch up with him, and see how he's enjoying retirement. |
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And yet many of them will hit Maj, LtCol, and even Col without having commanded any more people than a small Boy Scout troop in retirement.
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https://media.defense.gov/2013/Mar/18/2000066668/-1/-1/0/130318-F-OA505-001.JPG she is most likely a USAFA grad. View Quote She smart too! Colonel Themely received her commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1995 where she was a Distinguished Graduate. Following pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, she transitioned to the F-15C. She was a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, with duties on the Joint Staff as Chief of the Analysis Branch in J8, Program and Budget Analysis Division (PBAD), Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Colonel Themely is a Command Pilot with over 3,200 total hours in the F-15C/D, T-38A/C, and T-6A, including 1,400 instructor hours and 169 combat hours. EDUCATION: 1995 - Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 2001 - Squadron Officer School 2002 - Master of Science, Aviation Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 2007 - Master of Science, Strategic Intelligence, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington D.C. 2015 - Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington D.C. 2015 - National and International Security Studies, Harvard Kennedy School, Boston, MA |
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With a few rare exceptions Naval Aviators start out as Ensigns. So there would probably be more of them than senior officers. As you go up in rank people fall away. Some leave for civilian aviation careers after they fulfill their obligation. Some don't make their promotions and separate. Some can't pass their flight physicals anymore. Some retire as soon as they are eligible. I have to believe that there are a lot more LtJGs flying than Captains.
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Fuck no. It's because it's their flying club... er Air Force... You can't be a commander without being a zipper suited sun god. It's pretty fucking stupid considering the shithouse leaders a large majority of aircrew are, but like I said, it's their Air Force. View Quote |
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Not that I've ever seen, other than misplaced speculation a year or more ago. View Quote |
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I fly Reapers everyday. 99.9% of the sensor operators see the movement to allow them to start flying in the pilot seat exactly for what it is: the AF looking for a quick way to unfuck their epic personnel mismanagement. They say, "pay me the same for more responsibility? Fuck no. Gimme that sweet contacting job doing the same shit for 4x the cash. Adios AF." View Quote Well it lets the academy grads get back to what they signed up for, working on their ATP in the good ol boys flying club. RPAs have never been a popular assignment, but you know that better than I do. I know there are guys that chose that route intentionally, just like there are in the rotary wing and airlift communities, but by and large pilots want to fly, and that sweet southwest job doesn't give a damn about RPA hours. |
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Why not. Army satellite controllers get wings. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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What? Rank of pilots in the Navy is O-1 to O-10. CWO fly in other services, View Quote Like with drones - usaf claims they need officers to pilot drones. IIRC the Navy uses E5+ for the same thing. And for steering the ship on the open ocean? Hell that's usually an E3 or below. Had an officer (also usaf IIRC) who was a bit flabbergasted when he was visiting my first ship and saw that. |
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Sometimes you wait for them to give you an aircraft... ...other times, you just take it. https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-tale-of-when-a-marine-mechanic-stole-an-a-4-skyhawk-1745015819 Gotta love Lance Corporals....lulz. View Quote I was at MCAS(H) Tustin- just down the road from MCAS El Toro- when that asshole pulled that stunt. Fun times on the flight lines after that. |
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It may also be for job security. It's how they justify having so many officers, especially in the air force. Like with drones - usaf claims they need officers to pilot drones. IIRC the Navy uses E5+ for the same thing. And for steering the ship on the open ocean? Hell that's usually an E3 or below. Had an officer (also usaf IIRC) who was a bit flabbergasted when he was visiting my first ship and saw that. View Quote |
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WW2 had enlisted US pilots too and those planes were very expensive in the 1940's. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Because they're trusted with expensive and powerful shit thousands of feet off the ground? Despite discrimination from some officers, 2,576 enlisted men are known to have graduated as sergeant pilots under this program. Ultimately they flew virtually all types of AAF aircraft. Half of the first graduating class of flying sergeants went overseas with the P-38-equipped 82nd Fighter Group. Members of this class shot down 130 enemy aircraft, and nine became aces. In all, former sergeant pilots destroyed 249.5 enemy aircraft and 18 became aces flying fighters. William J. Sloan was the leading ace of the 12th Air Force with 12 victories. Four WWII enlisted pilots became general officers (seven pre-WWII enlisted pilots also became generals). |
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She's fucking hawt! She smart too! Colonel Themely received her commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1995 where she was a Distinguished Graduate. Following pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, she transitioned to the F-15C. She was a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, with duties on the Joint Staff as Chief of the Analysis Branch in J8, Program and Budget Analysis Division (PBAD), Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Colonel Themely is a Command Pilot with over 3,200 total hours in the F-15C/D, T-38A/C, and T-6A, including 1,400 instructor hours and 169 combat hours. EDUCATION: 1995 - Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 2001 - Squadron Officer School 2002 - Master of Science, Aviation Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 2007 - Master of Science, Strategic Intelligence, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington D.C. 2015 - Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington D.C. 2015 - National and International Security Studies, Harvard Kennedy School, Boston, MA View Quote And she just took over the 80 TFW at Sheppard...which is where ENJPT is at (aka "Euro-Nato"). http://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2017/05/25/themely-takes-command-80th-flying-training-wing/102144674/ I was always under the impression that a "wing king" and a promotion to one star went hand in hand. ??? which reminds me...who has been eye searingly absent from this thread? bullf16 that's who. |
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From what I have heard and seen, is that most of the older pilots are more invested and want their 20+ retirement.
A lot of the young guys are bouncing to go fly drones for contractors or going to the airlines. We had a guy leave here 20+ retired LTC and pulled a $300K job flying for FEDEX. Right now, pilots and crew chiefs are leaving the AF in droves, Obama Co and his holdovers have gutted the AF with their PC bullshit. |
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