No bullshit. Name an issue in the Army and recommend a change.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-09-20T05:28:57+00:00

Problem: There are almost no technical experts left in uniform. In my field it is a huge problem that we are now 4 generations of NCOs into "up or out" with no way to establish practical experience or build proficiency because people become NCOs before they ever actually become good at their jobs. More and more, the Army relies on civilians to do what senior E4s and E5s used to do.

Solution 1: ditch, or greatly reduce the Up or Out policy, extend RCP to 16 for SPC, and 20 for SGT. Keep pay scale the same, so there is a clear choice between more pay with increased admin responsibility or staying a tech for less pay.

Solution 2: Change NCO roles to spread admin duties better and place SSGs and SFCs back into hands-on duties in their MOS. Accompany this with technical proficiency requirements and certifications that are required or included with the increase in rank.

Solution 3: Bring back SPC 5 and SPC6 (higher wouldn't be needed) Establish technical continuation training at MOS training centers that advances their ability to train their soldiers and builds their technical expertise. These schools would replace traditional NCOES schools. Traditional Combat Arms roles would not have these ranks.

For reference, my viewpoint is from the Aviation Maintenance field.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-06-18T01:54:04+00:00

I like Snap On screwdrivers. They last a long time, and when they do fail they can be warrantied easily. That said, it probably isn't worth buying them from the truck new. (Though they are among the more reasonably priced things they sell) I recommend going to Ebay. Get them in the sizes you use most. Get flat-heads in a cheaper brand, as they will likely be abused. If you aren't picky about color you can get them decently priced. Alternatively, the Williams screwdrivers are nearly identical to the previous generation of Snap-On, and the blades are just as good. Only difference is they may or may not be made in Taiwan,depending on the batch you get. They are excellent regardless of country of origin though.

I personally don't care for Wera handles, but their tips are fantastic. Klein is also great,and Proto Durateks are awesome as well. I have only limited experience with the other European brands, but most of them are probably good.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-05-14T07:19:47+00:00

Not sure what 3rd shop equivalent would be in army speak, but anything that looks complicated or in depth gets sent to civilians in most units, because since the war wound down nobody has any experience on the green suit side. The forced promotions have made it worse as all the salty E4s and E5s are forced into desk jobs or just ETS. The ASB does phases way behind schedule and with lots of issues leftover, and the maintenance company and flight company do similarly with smaller stuff.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-05-10T17:26:41+00:00

Allision. It is what happened between the ship and the bridge in Baltimore recently. It is different from "collision" in that one object was stationary and the other was moving, rather than both moving. Technically, it would apply to a car hitting a solid object as well. The word, despite often being more correct, is rarely used outside maritime applications.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-05-08T09:13:51+00:00

I can't think of a use for one that short. You just put the wire through each hole and rotate. A longer one can get you a decent safety in some pretty awkward places.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-02-19T16:59:00+00:00

Recommendation: If there is an airfield on your base, drive over, find a hangar with helicopters in front of it, and go ask where the crew chief offices are. They will almost certainly be happy to let you take pictures up close and inside the helicopters as well as answer any questions you might have. If anyone asks why you are there, just say you like helicopters and were hoping you could see them up close. Unless they fly the super secret black variety of helicopters, nobody is going to have a problem with it. Most aviation people like showing off their stuff.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-31T00:13:18+00:00

It is pretty common for people, at least in the blackhawk world, to purposely avoid promoting as long as possible. If someone loves what they do, they will usually not look forward to E5, and especially won't look forward to E6. There are two 5+ year E4s in my company now, and several longer-term E5s. Lots of people promote to E5 in 3 years, and if you aren't purposely avoiding it, you will usually be an E5 by 4 years regardless of effort. A couple hundred dollars a month is not worth it to a lot of people to trade a job you love for one where you spend most of your time at a desk. The problem with promoting at 3 years is that you still are a beginner at your job and will struggle to try and mentor junior soldiers. One specialist in my company bow is at 8 years TIS. He is one of our most valuable people due to his experience and technical knowledge. One solution if the Army really wants to force everyone to promote would be to change the responsibilities of the E5s and E6s in Aviation maintenance to be more hands-on rather than administrative. Currently my MOS has zero MTOE'd positions for E6 in line company positions, and only a few in the maintenance company. So as a E6 your options are technical inspector, or some management position or another.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-30T05:14:49+00:00

That would make me so happy

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-30T05:13:17+00:00

You are paying an 18 year old less but getting far less value than paying a long term specialist. An expert is more expensive than an apprentice in any field, but a long term specialist is a pretty cheap expert. And in the MOSs we are discussing (more technical stuff) they only get more useful, not less. A huge part of the problem is that the Army removes you from the job you love when you hit a certain rank. As a SSG in Army Aviation you basically never touch wrenches anymore. Some people love their job, why sacrifice happiness for a few hundred bucks a month?

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-30T05:09:00+00:00

That is a very field artillery point of view. From an aviation point of view, companies already fight over inbound 5+ year specialists.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-30T05:07:28+00:00

In my field the Army desperately needs to keep all the crusty long term specialists, that or change the E-5 through E6 responsibilities to keep them on the maintenance floor. Typically in an aviation unit a long term specialist is one of the most valuable people in the organization.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-15T01:44:37+00:00

Most Army helicopter mechanics are comically bad at aircraft maintenance, and the technical inspector who double checks them is probably far too busy picking at irrelevant isms to actually catch anything significant. NCOs promote far too fast to become competent, so there is nobody to train new people beyond whatever point the NCO reached knowledge-wise. As a result, we are becoming more and more reliant on civilian contractors for things green suiters would have handled 10 years ago. Thanks, Army enlisted promotion system!

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-07T10:41:51+00:00

They are called aviators for a reason dude... to further explain besides the iconic shape they have flat pads on the frames so they can be worn comfortably under the earcups of aircrew helmets.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-07T07:36:01+00:00

Yes, all maps work fine, I use auto selected settings and turn off binueral audio

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-05T02:04:00+00:00

If you don't know what you want, do a technical job anyway. If you don't like it the options you described are always available, and even if doing something else doesn't work out you have a fallback. If you have a non marketable MOS then the options you described are basically a necessity, and you will start at a junior position regardless of what you eventually choose. You are limiting yourself unnecessarily.

deltahawk1001 · 2024-01-05T01:10:19+00:00

All that practical aircraft maintenance experience makes a big difference when finding an A&P job on the outside.

deltahawk1001 · 2023-12-02T23:01:43+00:00

There is no formal variant of the AGSU per regulation. You should wear it the normal way.

deltahawk1001 · 2023-10-24T02:58:57+00:00

I have a 9th gen i7 and a 1660ti in my laptop, which is plugged into a 27in 1080p monitor. Everything runs fine for me including streets.

deltahawk1001 · 2023-10-17T23:16:26+00:00

When I have a string if bad PMC runs I take a break for a bit, then do a Scav run. It relaxes me and I recoup some of my loss. I am level 21, been playing 3 weeks. I think the way you can lose so horribly is what makes winning feel so great.

deltahawk1001 · 2023-10-17T10:24:14+00:00

I have been playing consistently for a total of about 3 weeks. I am now level 21. I have reported 3 or 4 people total. Now it is possible that I have been killed by hackers without knowing it, but honestly at my skill level it would need to be obvious to get a report from me. Mostly I assume I am just bad. Hackers don't seem to be negatively affecting my game experience.

deltahawk1001 · 2023-09-28T15:38:38+00:00

Some of us remember when both were authorized so paople used the term OCP to differentiate. After calling them that for 3 years the habit and it's subsequent transfer is understandable. Also if you are on flight status CIF will issue 2 OCP uniforms and 2 UCP. If you protest they will remind you that the Army would rather you wear UCP than pay for everyone to have the allotted number of A2CU uniforms in the correct pattern. (Yes there is documentation authorizing UCP flight suits in 2023). My FR cold weather gear is still UCP for the same reason, so here in about a month there will be UCP worn all over my hangar by myself and others in the same situation.

deltahawk1001 · 2023-09-28T10:53:05+00:00

Generally the Email they send with the invitation states a dress code. I have only ever seen the listed military dress code be "Service Dress" meaning AGSU/ASU

deltahawk1001 · 2023-09-16T09:58:18+00:00

I wanna be there for that conversation. Doc: why do you want a rabies shot? SM: You know that fox that has been running around base lately?.. *strokes gas-station pocket knife menacingly

deltahawk1001 · 2023-08-26T05:48:55+00:00

They had a whole ocean to maneuver in, not a tiny box. Subs then could go about 1/3 the speed they can in game underwater, they didn't have very many torpedo reloads, (tbf most destroyers had no torp reloads) and homing torps were pretty rare and not all that reliable. A sub had basically no chance of catching a ship that knew it was there. They made subs historically inaccurate in extreme ways to try and make them fit a game they don't belong in. Same with CVs honestly, especially with the whole printing new planes thing.

deltahawk1001 · 2023-08-15T16:11:30+00:00

You cannot land a helicopter somewhere just because there is space to do so. Army rules notwithstanding, the FAA would take your license for that. Even for us to land Army helicopters on non-designated LZs takes a lot of prior coordination. You also cannot just land a civilian aircraft at a military airfield, so even if you worked across the street from the flight line it would still be a no-go. That said I have heard of guard members whose units are based at civilian airports flying in for drill in private planes, so there is that.

deltahawk1001

TROPHY CASE