An different article on a USAF leader

[Scrapdog]

I think about 90% of the Squadron Commanders I had over 20 years were very capable and did as much as they were allowed to concentrate on mission and people first.

About 10% were incompetent and some of those were evil. Sadly the promotion rates of the incompetents to O-6 was 100%.

That was your situation - on a more positive note there are also plenty of 0-5's who make 0-6 or even 0-7 that are top notch individuals.

 

[Huggyu2]

On a continuing good note, I worked for an O-6/O-7 who just made O-10. Those of us that worked with him would rate him as one of the finest WingCC's, people person, leader, warrior, etc... that we've worked with.

 

[McGillicutty]

That was your situation - on a more positive note there are also plenty of 0-5's who make 0-6 or even 0-7 that are top notch individuals.

Agreed.

 

[Floyd R. Turbo]

Huggy,

Who's that?

 

[YeOldeProp]

Story told by an old buddy over a few German beers in the late 90's...He was a Herk Loadmaster who's wife was an AFPC senior NCO at Randolph. They get together these officer promotion boards a day or two early to let them practice with simulated/sanitized (meaning no name, SSN, etc) performance report "bullets" before they jump into the real deal. They have a president of the board, a local AFPC officer and some local AFPC NCO's to guide them through the process and make sure they follow all the rules and stuff.

Seems for one of these practice boards someone compiled a list of much older bullets for them to work with, and mixed them in with the regular bullets for the board to practice on. Pretty much the entire board looked at all the info presented (the feats they covered, the "picture" the words painted, the leadership skills identified, etc)...and put nearly all of the "older" reports in the "not promotable" pile. Just not what they board felt was good quality leadership for the AF of the day.

After the exercise was over, they were told that the bullets/reports they deemed unsuitable came from reports on guys like Patton, Eisenhower, MacArthur, Chennault, Gabreski, Chappie James, Olds, and a variety of other military leaders from WWII through the early 80's. Someone had talked to a friend (from wherever the old historical archives are) and asked them to find some of their performance reports. They put together a list and someone got the idea to float them past some of the promotion boards to tweak the system. Gotta figure it was some of the venerable "Sgt's network" or an on-the-way-out senior officer who wanted to make a point with the new leaders on the board.

Of course, the board was embarrassed and complained, and the practice exercise got "politically corrected" and the list was gone. But...it raised the queston of why these former leaders weren't suitable any more. But, if you have "birds of a feather" with their chest thumping and all trying to justify themselves...you get answers that benefit those birds of a feather and obviously make the case that they are the present and therefore "better" leaders.

Just thought it was a funny story...reading the rants and raves of this thread brought it back to the brain cells that still work.

 

[71KILO]

That was your situation - on a more positive note there are also plenty of 0-5's who make 0-6 or even 0-7 that are top notch individuals.

Maybe in ACC and the guard but that is not true in AMC and the reserve. Screw up to move up!
My ops officer is an idiot that only flys with one seeing eye IP. Stan Eval threatened to bust him last checkride but didn't out of "professional courtesy." WHAT!?

The fat @$$ is going to make O-6 next board. (You don't have to be a Sq/CC to make O-6 in the reserve). Cares more about the way his records look than the pilots in the unit. Standard pervasive attitude in the heavy community.

 

[Scrapdog]

Maybe in ACC and the guard but that is not true in AMC and the reserve. Screw up to move up!
My ops officer is an idiot that only flys with one seeing eye IP. Stan Eval threatened to bust him last checkride but didn't out of "professional courtesy." WHAT!?

The fat @$$ is going to make O-6 next board. (You don't have to be a Sq/CC to make O-6 in the reserve). Cares more about the way his records look than the pilots in the unit. Standard pervasive attitude in the heavy community.

Again - that's your situation and that's why that is my first sentence in my earlier post. Every situation is unique obviously. I, on the other hand, have witnessed plenty of very high speed 0-5's making 0-6 and above. Is there a few situations on ACC or the ANG that have bad eggs moving up...Of course! Are there guys in the AMC world or the Reserves that have great guys moving up - of course! Every situation is different. Glass half full man - gotta have the PMA.

 

[Huggyu2]

Floyd,
"Chili" Chilton. You just missed him.

 

[71KILO]

I am glass half full. I've stayed in being optomistic. I've tried to outlast the bastards. It's like they breed them somewhere. Your avatar say it all. You are blinded by the blue. In my travels and 17 years "into the blue" I've seen nothing to show me otherwise. One commander in my career, I felt cared and worked hard to take care of his people, got out as an O-6 because he couldn't get promoted. Everyother good O got out due to burn out. The good guys never get to the top. Your situation is unique or you're part of the problem. If you're not sure who the jerk is, it might be you!

Again - that's your situation and that's why that is my first sentence in my earlier post. Every situation is unique obviously. I, on the other hand, have witnessed plenty of very high speed 0-5's making 0-6 and above. Is there a few situations on ACC or the ANG that have bad eggs moving up...Of course! Are there guys in the AMC world or the Reserves that have great guys moving up - of course! Every situation is different. Glass half full man - gotta have the PMA.

 

[Scrapdog]

I am glass half full. I've stayed in being optomistic. I've tried to outlast the bastards. It's like they breed them somewhere. Your avatar say it all. You are blinded by the blue. In my travels and 17 years "into the blue" I've seen nothing to show me otherwise. One commander in my career, I felt cared and worked hard to take care of his people, got out as an O-6 because he couldn't get promoted. Everyother good O got out due to burn out. The good guys never get to the top. Your situation is unique or you're part of the problem. If you're not sure who the jerk is, it might be you!

WTF are you talking about? Blinded by the blue? Because I'm an academy grad and like to support my alma mater? You've got to be kidding me dude. I have insisted on here multiple times that currently there are plenty of strong, positive things going on with our leadership and our service, both AF active duty, guard, and reserve. Are there some issues and does some crappy leadership get through? Of course. But currently we're the top fighting force in the world and that just doesn't happen by magic. It's the hard work of the enlisted force, the junior officers, and of course the leadership that directs them in that direction. I think you're blinded - blinded by pessimism. Continuous negative people as yourself are the problem, and the jerk is you! Look for positive aspects in both your leadership and your career or get out, we don't need dudes like you to get to a leadership position...we need optimism.