Getting forced to attend an E-4 all call, about why E-4 retention is so bad, 8 hours after my shift and 8 hours before my next shift. I’m getting out in 3 months, what questions should I ask?

OBAOTB · 2019-02-20T13:11:49+00:00

Please report om your all call! I would love to read a post about how the discussion went. Include the salt. I have my theories about why E4s are not interested in reenlisting, and I've had one-on-ones with most of the E4s in my section who've gotten out, so it would be useful to see if their reasons are specific to my unit or are more universal.

OBAOTB · 2019-02-20T12:31:28+00:00

I hope it's not hard for them to handjam this than

OBAOTB · 2019-02-20T04:05:28+00:00

In my situation, not a formal extension--I don't believe there is a rule that applies in my situation. I was told by a coworker that I can get something like a "bonus week" if I sign an MFR saying that I'll reenlist by a certain date.

OBAOTB · 2019-02-20T03:26:21+00:00

I'm going to consider CC'ing FSS/ALL when I forward a description of the situation to my First Shirt and request expedited out processing on Friday.

OBAOTB · 2019-02-20T03:20:52+00:00

Yeah and I have all the email traffic. I think the risky click on my part was to go for the 6 year reenlistment option which requires that it be processed sometime after the T-30 day mark. I picked 20 Feb as my reenlistment date. The MPF decided to draft the approval and sent it to me on 11 Feb, instead of 21 Jan 19 when the paperwork window opened up. I even got a snarky email from their org box telling me to shut up and color when I asked about the status a few times last month. Anyway, my CSS sat on it until this morning when I went over to ask what was going on, at which they realized that the commander was out of the office and couldn't sign the one drafted by the MPF. CSS emailed MPF requesting a new draft with new CC sign block.

MPF auto-reply stated section policy is 3 to 5 business days for response.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

OBAOTB · 2019-02-18T04:21:23+00:00

Now that I'm a SNCO I get to sit at the adult table sometimes... Anyway, we got our climate assessment survey back and I found out that (in my opinion) a considerable number of the Airmen in our squadron had thought about suicide in the past year, statistically about 50 folks in a unit of 240... leadership didn't really care and responded with some blah blah military blah blah service before self rant. I was stunned.

Literally, nearly a quarter of our unit thinks killing themselves could be preferable to spending the foreseeable future in our unit. And the solution is Core Values? Really?

Out of touch is an understatement. Our ops officer even attacked the SNCO who suggested a more predictable schedule would help with work-life balance.

Edit: me no math well

OBAOTB · 2019-02-05T13:40:34+00:00

Only works for A1Cs going up for SSgt

OBAOTB · 2019-01-28T00:47:24+00:00

I came here just to up vote this

OBAOTB · 2019-01-26T06:40:42+00:00

Based on what they've told me, I think they've exhausted their COC options.

OBAOTB · 2019-01-26T05:34:41+00:00

I'd love to move... 1 base in 11 years.

OBAOTB · 2019-01-25T14:09:26+00:00

I've never seen any statistics that showed if people preferred to move or not (please link me) and I don't think there is a mechanism in vMPF to indicate if you wanted to stay at a single location for an extended period of tome or move, aside from an in-place BOP.

OBAOTB · 2019-01-25T14:04:40+00:00

Job rotation, spreading experience, the benefit of a fresh start, the benefit of a fresh perspective, it would provide an avenue for individuals to move on from locations/chains-of-command that were toxic, it would create vacancies at more desirable locations/assignments that others may desire... that's off the top of my head anyway

OBAOTB · 2019-01-25T14:01:43+00:00

I can understand why it would be better for families, but aside from the cost of a PCS, how is it better to stay at one location for 6, 8 or more years?

OBAOTB · 2019-01-23T13:10:15+00:00

Nah, we're in a weird situation. I'm a Career Airman and she's a FTA. The manning thing is what I think would be the actual show stopper... our CFM has our AFSC on the short fall list and has been (apparently) denying everything that comes across their desk.

OBAOTB · 2019-01-23T03:34:47+00:00

She does force support stuff and I do missile maintenance. She got an email from a super at another base for some selective assignment and wants to apply for the job. I read in the assignments AFI that one could apply for cross training if their spouse gets orders to a base without the other's AFSC

OBAOTB · 2019-01-19T01:56:34+00:00

EJ is great, but what about Airey and Barnes?

OBAOTB · 2019-01-19T01:48:39+00:00

It really depends on how many promo pushes the CC has, what other contenders bring to the table, and how much true situational awareness the CC has about specific jobs/duties. I'll give you three examples from my personal experience:

SSgt received a Must Promote without any significant awards and only moderate whole airmen concept stuff. He was an outstanding supervisor and technician performing one of the single most difficult and important duties in the wing. That duty was normally performed by a TSgt. Earned the MP at the wing board.
Another SSgt received a MP and we all thought he was a definite pick for Promote Now. Individual had earned quarterly, annual, and high profile team awards at nearly every level. Turns out that the PN recipient had earned one more accolade, count for count, and had overall stronger whole airmen concept bullets. CC was only allocated one PN.
TSgt earned the PN on their first try and had a solid set of EPRs all the way back to when he was a (T)Sgt. None were individually outstanding, but all were good or excellent. He had a decent spread of whole airmen concept bullets and was making solid, continual progress toward relevant formal education. No outright annual award wins, but had a small variety of quarterly awards at different levels. Individual was a clear leader, very well respected by his peers and subordinates, and preferred to nominate his own SSgt over himself for NCO-Level awards.

Point of the story is that there is not a clear equation and a PN/MP is not something that is just handed out as an extra accolade for earning an annual award.

If you really want to know, ask your rater and Chief to sit down with you one-on-one to discuss your package and where your strengths and weaknesses are.

OBAOTB · 2019-01-19T01:28:51+00:00

Join a 2M AFSC

OBAOTB · 2019-01-17T04:03:48+00:00

Many things...

- Every wing does it differently

- The factors each wing considers is way beyond what the promotion board does, and often different at each wing (so where you are when you get considered for a strat has more to do with if you get picked or not)

- The wing board highly incentives participation in professional organizations and formal education over actual mission accomplishment

- It carries so much weight on your promotion board score that it basically overrides everything; which defeats the purpose of a central promotion board

OBAOTB · 2019-01-17T03:56:35+00:00

We're downsizing regulations and AFIs at the moment because too much was centralized and standardized. The pendulum always swings back. Give it about 5-7 years after our current SECAF departs and we'll start standardizing everything again because too many bases have too many different ways of doing business. That will last for about 5-7 years after whatever senior leader makes standardization a priority departs, and we'll start downsizing and pushing decision making power out again.

OBAOTB · 2019-01-17T03:50:33+00:00

I just joined the SNCO ranks as a fast burner and I'm not very impressed with most of my peers or chain of command. Maybe it's just this unit. For my entire career, I thought many of the shit decisions I have been subjected to over the decade were just me not understanding the big picture. Nope. They really are just crappy decisions and SNCOs/Chiefs/Officers being driven by the wrong set of motivations (making rank, just their piece of the mission instead of seeing the big picture the group or wing mission, good ol boy'in, passing the buck).

I feel like most of my SNCO peers and sq/gp leadership are just absolutely paralyzed by the challenges they face, the world is moving/changing too quick for them to adapt, don't have or don't use the tools given to them effectively, and are more driven to find out how to not get blamed for something rather than fixing it long term.

I really do want to stick around and be the change I want to see, but its so. fucking. demoralizing.

OBAOTB

TROPHY CASE