Drop night at Vance AFB

Pima said:
When they do the stop loss to close a squadron that is when it usually gets nasty.

I can't see how anyone right now could go, because of IFF, SERE could be delayed until after FTU, but IFF would have to occur prior. Plus, I don't know any FTU that has a class only a month long for training.

I went back to look at the drops for 10's since end of March, I think in total I counted 12 over the past 5 months. 6 since end of July, which I guess would be the ones now that would not be going A-10s. I wonder how many of them will get 38s as FAIPS instead?
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They will still have funding for anyone in the B-course by Sept 20th but they won't have the funding for any classes or students after that. So, my guess is that anyone who got A-10s after August 1st may never see them. I have a friend finishing up T-38s who got A-10s earlier this month. I'm curious to see if he makes it.

I also have a friend currently in the B-course and she was shocked to hear some details. Seems they have been hush hush with the students (but wide open with the ops squadron).

It could be interesting. My fiancee will put in a joint spouse request that will likely extend his time in DM....just hope that doesn't mean a year of no flying! Otherwise he's likely to end up in Korea for a year with no jets to come back to in the US.
 
A SHOCKING (sarcasm) development. Last minute funding by the AF for all the squadrons...... anyone care to gander as to why? *cough*Syria*cough*.
 
hornetguy said:
A SHOCKING (sarcasm) development. Last minute funding by the AF for all the squadrons...... anyone care to gander as to why? *cough*Syria*cough*.
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Do I detect a "slight" bit of cynicism in your post?:cool:
 
Do you expect the funding to stay in place for the A-10 squadrons since, at this point, the POTUS strategy has changed from garnering military strike support?
 
aggie83 said:
Do you expect the funding to stay in place for the A-10 squadrons since, at this point, the POTUS strategy has changed from garnering military strike support?
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Every time a new engagement looms, AF leaders change their mind. When things are hunki dori, the fast-movers seem to go, "hum, we can cut costs by cutting single-mission air frames. Why don't we eliminate the lowest cost-per-hour jet in the inventory! Hey it's ugly, too! And the F-16 can do CAS just great!" Then when it looks like war: "holy sh*t, the F-16s can't do the low-level CAS and airspace management! The Army is begging for A-10s to support! Keep them! Keep them!" :rolleyes:

The F-35 program once said they were replacing F-16s AND A-10s, they backed off of that stance. The Air Force signed a contract last week for Boeing to make 54 new A-10 wings as part of a larger 200+ wing order. The A-10s were supposed to stay in the inventory until 2028 and now 2035 with the wing contracts.

There isn't anything in the pipeline to really replace the A-10. But it keeps getting targeted for cuts. So who knows. It's the plane that just won't die, in more ways than one.

Granted, I really don't get to see the big Air Force arguments and decisions, maybe someone like Bullet does on the A-10. I just know that the guys/gals in the squadron at DM are all sorts of confused and cynical. It makes me sad because it is a squadron that I really like from my interactions and my fiance is at home in. It'd be nice if it was a viable option for me if I'm so able to get an A-10 in a year.

Something that has changed recently, when my fiance graduated the A-10 B-course back in May 2012, they graduated mission ready. Because of the fewer hours being given to the B-course squadrons, they have to train to MR after they get to their operational squadron.
 
aggie83 said:
Do you expect the funding to stay in place for the A-10 squadrons since, at this point, the POTUS strategy has changed from garnering military strike support?
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It sounds like they are still deciding the fate of the A-10, KC-10, F-15C, and the new CSAR platform.

Air Force Times Article

“You only gain major savings if you cut an entire fleet,” Gen. Mark Welsh, Air Force chief of staff, said in a Sept. 10 interview. “You can cut aircraft from a fleet, but you save a lot more money if you cut all the infrastructure that supports the fleet.”


Stealth_81
 
Newest and latest from the DoD side of the world.

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=120825

In his remarks, Welsh told the panel that if sequestration stays in place in fiscal 2014, the Air Force will be forced to cut flying hours by up to 15 percent.
“Within three to four months, many of our flying units will be unable to maintain mission readiness,” he said. “We'll cancel or significantly curtail major exercises again, and we'll reduce our initial pilot production targets.”
Over the long term, sequestration will significantly affect the service’s force structure, readiness and modernization, Welsh said, adding that over the next five years the service could be forced to cut up to 25,000 total force airmen, or about 4 percent of its people.
“We also will probably have to cut up to 550 aircraft, about 9 percent of our inventory,” the general said. “And to achieve the necessary savings in aircraft force structure, we'll be forced to divest entire fleets of aircraft.”
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I bolded the three things for different reasons.
1. Initial pilot production may be why the AFA posted that they do not have enough pilot slots for 14.
2. Can we all spell RIF if the economy doesn't pick up? 4% can occur through natural attrition, but if the Company grade is off kilter compared to the Field grade, they may have to do a RIF, or reduce the promotion rate for 04. They may also washout UPT students faster because of point 1, and point 3.
3. 550 aircraft is big. Divesting entire fleets to me means the A-10 is truly on the chopping block. Less pilots needed.

It will be interesting to see how Congress is going to deal with this. Running out of money the last week of Sept is not uncommon, but to say that they could only cover the 1st 3-4 months in a new yr., is uncommon.
 
We had a few people in my class drop A-10s (graduated last month) and are awaiting training. Last week their projected dates were all deleted and they were told to stand by. Apparently the current classes for the B course are being cut by 60%, moving some people from the Oct class to the Feb class, and moving people from the Feb class out. As of now, the plan is that Feb will be the last A-10 B course. Again, this can all change at on a whim but the two guys who had received A-10s were told to stand by and that they should know more next month.
 
eagle36 said:
We had a few people in my class drop A-10s (graduated last month) and are awaiting training. Last week their projected dates were all deleted and they were told to stand by. Apparently the current classes for the B course are being cut by 60%, moving some people from the Oct class to the Feb class, and moving people from the Feb class out. As of now, the plan is that Feb will be the last A-10 B course. Again, this can all change at on a whim but the two guys who had received A-10s were told to stand by and that they should know more next month.
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What'd you get Eagle? Are you the Black T-38 with the Raptor follow-on? (Guessing from your avatar)

Stealth_81
 
Thank Hornet. Yeah, that's what I got. It's a fairly new idea of a program (as far as receiving ADAIR out of UPT) but I'm stoked for it. And yes, I am quite scarce these days. Doesn't help that I don't know much about what's going on at USAFA anymore since I hardly know anyone there now. Still fun to check back when I get the chance
 
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