B-2s to the Guard

[AlbieF15]

In other words, Draginass is a poser who doesn't know $hit....

In all seriousness...even some of the "easy" jobs these days demand a lot of time of the part timers. The min-run type just can't really do it anymore (IMHO). The training units like mine are "easy" when it comes to deployments and chem gear (training only and none, thank you...), but you are an IP every day...expected to be able to execute at an IP level. There aren't any "wingman" in my detachment. So--even an "easy" job isn't always so easy. There may be some cush jobs out there--I'd be interested in what they are and what guys think.

My Fedex bros who fly Vipers not only keep up with tons of different missions, many have had combat in OIF or the follow on campaigns since. Ditto the Hog guys and the C130s guys are always swamped. Several units I know have been activated for a while.

The budget says we are going to do it. Its up to us...active, reserve, and ANG...to find a way to make it work and use each other's strengths. We've heard all the same complaints....even up to a Wing CC level...about using ANG guys in active duty wings. The answer at the 4 star level is the same--make it work. The taxpayers are getting a pilot at a discount, and the money crunchers like the math. Politics aside--its the wave of the future. The guys who will be most successful will be the guys who can utilize their part time guys successfully and make it work. The guys who waste time being Don Quixote and fighting it are wasting their own precious resources.

This is coming from someone who "got mine..." I have no dog in this hunt anymore--I got my 19 years and 50 good points for year 20 as a part timer in an active duty wing. I want to see it work not just as a Guardsman, but as a taxpayer and as an American citizen. Having seen the growing pains at my base and watching other bases now doing the same thing, I think its safe to say the concept has been bought. Its up to those on the team now to make it work effectively. Our enemy is the threat, not the guy with the different MAJCOM patch or the guy who's W-2 comes from a state office.

 

[frog_flyer]

Sounds like draginass may be my new hero..

 

[Carl_Spackler]

If you take a look at the actual seat you are sitting in, it really is not that much different.

The key word here is "look". They may look the same, but they do not feel the same. I fly one, and I've ridden in the back. Far and away the worst airplane pax seat that I have ever sat in. The seats are so hard, my a$$ goes numb before we take off.

 

[JimNtexas]

Is it really true that B-2 pilots carry plywood boards onto the planes with them to use as beds?

 

[bagasticks]

Draginass, you would know, I once did a briefing/report on the B-1 in the guard and government accounting documents claim that the GA, and KS ANG operated the B-1 @ 9,000 dollars cheaper per flight hour due to higly experienced MX personnel (most are E-6 and above). I know several old mx folks from MAFB that claimed this as well. Have you heard this, or do you know it to be true. ?

 

[LearLove]

Is it really true that B-2 pilots carry plywood boards onto the planes with them to use as beds?

I saw awhile back on the history or discovery channel a b2 pilot being interviewed and he said they placed a lawn chair in the cockpit to sleep on on the 36hr flights.

 

[Draginass]

Draginass, you would know, I once did a briefing/report on the B-1 in the guard and government accounting documents claim that the GA, and KS ANG operated the B-1 @ 9,000 dollars cheaper per flight hour due to higly experienced MX personnel (most are E-6 and above). I know several old mx folks from MAFB that claimed this as well. Have you heard this, or do you know it to be true. ?

No, I had not heard that, nor do I believe it. Mx problems/MC rates with the B-1 were primarily due to parts availability under the 2-level maintenance concept, not expertise . . . at least in my experience. Perhaps some guard units had less manning which artificially contributed to a somewhat lower per hour rate or were illegally repairing LRUs rather than sending them back to depot, but $9k is 45% less than nominal. Active units were pretty experienced on the airplane as well. Some problems with retaining 5-levels just like everywhere. Another problem with the dispersed basing was the limited number of tool sets in the initial procurement. Granted, this will not be a problem with the B-2 as the airplanes wouldn't be spread out over 6 bases like the B-1 was.

The caveat is that at the unit level, I was not privy to the detailed costing of other units, so this is my opinoin only, not to be take as gospel.

I'm always skeptical of figure like that, because figures can be made to look like anything you want. Big politics behind the ANG and Reserve, just like everywhere else, with figures compiled to match the agenda.

 

[bagasticks]

agreed, and the government reports that I read were prepared by state governments trying to keep these airframes in their state.