Dear Air Force,

I just want to fly. I am willing to work hard to do so. I don't want to be chief of staff or even a squadron commander. I want to fly the most fun aircraft that you will let me, but at the end of the day a glider at USAFA or even a few months in the McDozen beats the hell out my DELL OPTIPLEX with three monitors.

I have wings on my chest, please let me use them!

I'm sick of worrying about getting shoe horned into a UAV. I don't want to wastefully spend TA and my time on some useless online degree from a for profit school just to check a box. I don't want my job performance to be based on how much I volunteer at the special Olympics.

If you own an NFL team, do you compare your #1/40 hot dog seller with your #1/40 cheerleader with your #1/40 football player? That's EXACTLY what the Air Force is doing. Hey sorry Joe, I know you're a hard worker during practice but we're going to have to let you go because Timmy over here not only makes a mean Nacho and Cheese but he also helps special needs kids at the youth center while you're at summer camp training.

Being fair and politically correct will ALWAYS come at the expense of combat capability.

I remember thinking the day after UPT all those millions of pushups, long nights studying and marching BS where worth it - ten year commitment?! Scoff - I'll be doing something I LOVE. I've met more than one brand new Lt from USAFA who was PQ but did not fly because of the ten year commitment and what he saw is happening to pilots. WE ARE FAILING! How long with the Air Force make short sighted decisions with it's manning completely oblivious to second and third order long term effects.

Why am I being rated on my abilities as an action officer verse my check rides and tactical proficiency?!

You have to dedicate the better part of a DECADE to become a proficient tactical aviator, whether you fly a raptor or a C-17. It costs millions in training, with the current budget how in the hell are we wasting this time and money with pilots out of the cockpit or cross training to UAV hell?

I didn't see it at the time, but the very fact that we have a ten year UPT commitment is nothing more than the symptom of some very serious underlying issues. If it was so great, why would anyone want to leave? I certainly had no intention of anything other than staying twenty plus years as long as I got to fly. United may not have A-10's but they don't have predators or random 365's to the desert either.

Please Air Force, let us do what we signed up for, what we've trained for, and what we've worked our asses off for - it will increase our combat capability, retention and morale.