More Bad News
 

The latest version of the AF Times had an entire article devoted to DOD wide bonus increases. However, it appears the ACP bonus is not slated to go above 25K per year for the foreseeable future. Apparently the source document for the article was a bonus proposal plan sent to Congress from the Pentagon for FY 08 and beyond. I have no idea how legitimate the story is, but was struck by the fact that the article didn't even come close to mentioning an increase in the ACP bonus. The author spent considerable time touting the other bonuses that were going up in the near future so it would seem odd for him to leave out something like an ACP increase to 40K.

On the good news side of things it appears that Flight Pay will be going up in either FY 08 or 09 to $850/month (at 6 years)...:cool:

Its about friggin time....6 yr Flight Pay has been the same since I started flying 11 years ago.

More good news
 

I was at a SUPT RTRB at Randolph a few weeks ago. A side-bar conversation was that there will soon be 70, that's right 70, 365-day TDYs to Iraq and Afghanistan to serve as UPT IPs for the new Iraqi and Afghani Air Forces. Here is an exerpt from an email I got today (I "X'd" out some of it), notice the part I put in bold...wonder where these 70 IPs will be found?

The volunteer request below is an extraordinary opportunity for some young IPs to do some unique flying while working directly with the Iq AF to achieve one of our country's primary goals. I'm heading out to be the 52 EFTS/CC in XX in Aug...Lt Col X is heading ng out in Sep to be the DO...we'll be setting up the squadron from the ground up and need some hard chargers to help get the job done right.



If you know any IPs that may be interested have them contact me direct.



Thanks for your support.



Cheers

X


Guys, get out while you can!

I had heard a much larger number of slots than that!!!

SUPT in the combat zone? I think that's a first. What's the pattern breakout procedure for the flight you're in trail of taking a manpad launch?

Doesn't Blackwater have this in their contract?

Absurd
 

Sounds absurd to me. Send the students to SUPT in the states, not SUPT to the war zone. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that this is the brain child of some AETC "warrior" that wants a combat decoration. I can see the citation now...flew 15 training sorties under extremely dangerous and trying conditions while expertly navigating the traffic pattern at great risk to himself and his student. OMG! It isn't as if we haven't been training foreign students in the states forever. Today is the 8th anniversary of my retirement from the AF and I have to say it was definitley time and still one of the best decisions I ever made. Good luck to you all. ExAF

FWIW, the Navy this year has 90 eligible(those that decide to stay past their initial obligation for you AF guys) candidates for the Dept Screen board in VFA(F/A-18 Community 64 pilots 26 WSO). Last year the Navy selected 67 DH's from the eligibles, again VFA - can't speak to other communities. Of the 90 this year, I don't know how many are second look guys from last year. Either way the Navy still has enough to pull from. I would imagine other communities are in better shape numbers wise, hence no ACCP increase. Again just my .02 from the Navy side of the house.

As for the IA side of the house Buzz, the Navy has been doing those 365 day stints for at least 2 years now. I'm sure AF has been as well in some capacity. The Navy has been pulling dudes out of shore tours and sending them to Iraq, Afghanistan, HOA etc anwhere from 3-12 months in country. Last count was on the order of 13,000 pairs of boots on the ground from the Navy(officer/enlisted alike) to support the Army. My squadron(RTU equiv) alone has 3 dudes in Iraq and 1 in Afghanistan as we speak. The Navy has now said rather than pulling dudes out of flying jobs they will send IA's overseas in PCS orders. The funny thing is we attrite guys out of the FRS and they get to walk as winged aviators and get out or take VSP and good dudes who have served well in their fleet tours are being pulled for IA's. Makes no sense to me why a guy/gal with an 8 year committment can walk if he/she can't perform in the jet.

Yeah, we have a Major (former F-16 driver now a T-38 IP) from my squadron in Iraq now training the new Iraqi AF. She is flying a SAMA (Zenair) CH-2000 (looks like a C-172 to me) and a Cessna Caravan.

http://www.defendamerica.mil/article...112906sj1.html

It's a brave new world. I am not sure why the Iraqi AF students aren't being sent to the states to learn to fly. I' don't know where they are gonna find 70 bodies to send to Iraq and Afghanistan to accomplish this mission with all of the AF heavy drivers getting out via Voluntary Separation Pay and all of the fighter folk running for the exit!

One of my guys (USN Maintenance Officer, VFA type) just got picked for an IA in Afghanistan. Supposedly they are pulling a bunch of the ground pounders over there to help train the budding Afghan AF. Ummm, last I checked, there was no Afghan AF, but whatever...

At any rate, his story lines up with what the USAF guys are saying here about sending IPs over there to establish some kind of UPT capability.

How to build an AF from the ground up? No matter what, I'm sure it won't be cheap.

I got this one last week (edited). What I find funny is that I, a major, can go to Iraq on a 365 and get exactly the same job I've been in for the last 4 years, ADO. They're not even making the slightest effort to make this appealing to the career oriented types.

I'm not saying I'm that career oriented, I'm that 'staying married to current spouse and father to my kids' oriented, but there are those majors who might do something like this if it scored them a DO or CC tour. As it should.


This email is being sent to all qualified rated Majs with at least 6 months time on station. No lists have been run. No one has singled you out personally.

Squadron ADO Position Description (C-208) – Grade 0-4: Dual qualified in the C-172 and C-208 aircraft. Primary duty: Assistant Director of Operations for expeditionary squadron tasked to provide flight training to Iraqi students in the C-172 and C-208 aircraft. Manage all aspects of student and instructor training in the C-208 aircraft. Other duties will include in-flight and simulator instruction in both the C-172 and C-208. Squadron Assistant Director of Operations will be a qualified Flight Evaluator in the C-172 and C-208 aircraft. . Will be dual qualified in the C-172 & C-208; accomplished in US as pre-deployment training

Squadron ADO Position Description (C-172) - Grade 0-4: Dual qualified in the C-172 and C-208 aircraft. Primary duty: Assistant Director of Operations for expeditionary squadron tasked to provide flight training to Iraqi students in the C-172 and C-208 aircraft. Manage all aspects of student and instructor training in the C-172 aircraft. Other duties will include in-flight and simulator instruction in both the C-172 and C-208. Squadron Assistant Director of Operations will be a qualified Flight Evaluator in the C-172 and C-208 aircraft. . Will be dual qualified in the C-172 & C-208; accomplished in US as pre-deployment training

I've deployed with the Army to both Afghanistan and Iraq (though for far less than 365) and I'm the odd sort who actually enjoyed it. But I got to tell you, flying around Taji with UPT students? No f'ing way. The USAF won't fly around Taji period...and you want me to to pattern breakouts? For the same level job I can do in CONUS? They will probably find some volunteers (I was dumb and bored enough as a single FAIP), and God bless those who do. But I got to say, they're not doing such a great job of selling it.

They don't send them to the states because they don't want them to go AWOL. Imagine how that would look - a large number of Iraqi officers jumping the fence and going bye bye in America...

Thats my guess...

-LAFF