tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post705169419120572061..comments2023-11-03T09:36:22.100-04:00Comments on In From the Cold: Desperate Hours in SudanGeorge Smileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049707648660651119noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-59593530352518115422009-10-31T19:56:49.298-04:002009-10-31T19:56:49.298-04:00Excellent discussion with comments 1 - 6. I was a...Excellent discussion with comments 1 - 6. I was a enlisted guy when I served in the USAF and agree.<br /><br />However, reading this I wonder what am I missing? Besides the questions raised about the support and treatment of the aircrew during and after the mission I've come up with more questions that I think deserve investigation. <br /><br />Who ordered the mission? <br /><br />Who decided this particular airframe had to fly there post haste rather than a more generic cargo version? <br /><br />How does it happen the crew gets there and is told the liaison officer left a week ago and all they are to do is pick up 6 locked duffel bags? <br /><br />What's in the duffel bags? <br /><br />Why couldn't the duffel bags go out on the normal embassy resupply?<br /><br />Why wasn't CENTCOM notified of the stand-off situation in real time?<br /><br />Who made the decision not to inform CENTCOM? <br /><br />We can come up with more questions if we put out heads together.<br /><br />This situation stinks!<br /><br />Once again, Lt Gen Gary North is in the middle of a great mystery that doesn't make sense and the AF isn't the least bit curious.<br /><br />Not a good sign for the new CSAF and SECAF supposedly cleaning things up.<br /><br />OK, where am I wrong or what am I missing?Northlanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11386258010703688682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-40791979811794551952009-10-30T10:39:33.408-04:002009-10-30T10:39:33.408-04:00Good comments all...from my perspective, the AF...Good comments all...from my perspective, the AF's leadership problem will continue until someone is finally held accountable. The USAF brags that none of its general officers has ever been court-martialed--and it certainly shows. Personally, I can think of at least a dozen Air Force flag officers who deserved jail time for their transgressions, but the worst punishment any received was a reduction in rank, or a letter of admonishment. <br /><br />Meanwhile, the AF continues to throw the book at junior personnel who screw up. I remember one TSgt at a base in Oklahoma who claimed $75 too much on a do-it-yourself move. He received a dishonorable discharge and confinement--his career was destroyed. <br /><br />Compare that to retired Maj Gen Stephen Goldfein, who was "disciplined" for his actions in the "Thundervision" scandal. He steered a $50 million contract to a firm run by one of his former mentors, breaking all sorts of contracting regs in the process. His punishment? A letter of admonishment. He still retired as a two-star, and I'd venture that he's doing a lot better than the former TSgt who was crucified for his mistake.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12712369389411084085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-56536869340467995642009-10-30T10:36:31.194-04:002009-10-30T10:36:31.194-04:00I hate to say it, but it is the same in the Navy (...I hate to say it, but it is the same in the Navy (which I retired from after 26 years of service). Inept leadership at the local command level and up has hurt all of the services for at least the last 10 years.<br /><br />When leadership stop awarding promotions based on "connections" and start basing on performance will the change in mindset start.fmfnavydochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10714903349176056488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-14471071912965168192009-10-30T02:02:51.228-04:002009-10-30T02:02:51.228-04:00No one will ever rid us of the cult of the perfume...No one will ever rid us of the cult of the perfumed princes. The last General officer I personally knew who had any integrity, Norman Seip just retired at 12th AF, I truly belive that there is no one left to replace him. Everyone thought the new Chief of Staff was the answer, but were has he been in addressing the double standards like are referred to in the entry, I can tell you nowhere. After all Gen North did pick up his fourth star.<br />When I read the list earlier this year on newly appointed one stars I saw there is hardly a combat vet among them, lots of staff tours but very few with lots of seat time and one of the logistics officer who will soon be a General was so incompetent as a Capt sortie generation officer (but very political) back in the mid 90’s at RAFL, that the command kept the other Capt around an extra 8 months until they could get rid of him.<br />I truly loved the Air Force until the last year or so I was on active duty before I retired in late 2000. It was then when I stood back and saw how far we had fallen from a truly capable world wide fighting force to one that was too politically correct and had been mismanaged to the point that we would actually have a hard time flying sorties like we did during Desert Storm. People will argue that point but all I will counter with, were are the dedicated jammers, new radar for the C models and radios for the E, Photo recon, real Wild Weasels and new tankers? I can answer this by stating that Generals in the Air Staff over the last 15 years have effectively disarmed the USAF in their bid to secure to few generation 5 fighters. It may be simplistic but someone tell me what the real answer is. Hopefully nothing-serious will happen in the next five years that will reveal the true shortcomings of the current force structurebillmillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935148113752374830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-29151442660876705382009-10-29T15:58:00.741-04:002009-10-29T15:58:00.741-04:00.....the point being, is it *really* that bad in t........the point being, is it *really* that bad in the USAF? is america *really* saddled with a 3rd-world AF run by perfidious, perfumed, prancing, dishonorable dilettantes? i read these "senior officer follies" posts, and i think, "this sounds like the iranian AF. or, worse, the french army in 1415, say."<br /><br />will no one rid us of these troublesome incompetent generals?ici chacalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17314251303373330753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-77643545889363374842009-10-29T07:31:49.131-04:002009-10-29T07:31:49.131-04:00ici - tell us the obvious.ici - tell us the obvious.OldSarghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08391054336563427915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-25919746509857597112009-10-29T00:56:20.441-04:002009-10-29T00:56:20.441-04:00y'know, i've been following this blog for ...y'know, i've been following this blog for awhile now. i gather you the authors are ex-USAF, or at least have dealt with USAF folks for quite some time. so naturally, you're going to focus this blog on USAF and their myriad snafus. fine. no problem. i get that: write about what you know. <br /><br />but over the last 6 months or so, your tales of air force perfidy, cowardice, incompetence and ass-covering has grown so voluminous, that i gotta wonder: you guys realize that what you're describing is a (very well-equipped) 3rd world air force? an air force in which connections and PC override small things like "merit", "ability", "accountability", and "the truth"? an air force in which a lost/mishandled nuclear weapons situation is met with yawns and coverups is NOT a 1st class AF, last i checked. <br /><br />this latest deal, where the air crew gets crapped on by the same general who broke rules to protect his (uniformed) honey maybe takes the cake. the part where he gets **promoted** later (to 4 freakin' stars?!?) is just icing on the cake.ici chacalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17314251303373330753noreply@blogger.com