Predator FWIC -- WTFO

Posted At : December 21, 2009 9:00 AM | Posted By : Jolly
Related Categories: WTFO / The Blog

Predator Weapons School, You gotta be shittin me? I guess it’s just called the “The School” now since the title “Fighter Weapons School” implies that anyone other than a fighter pilot is not worthy of the “patch.” The AF is using a female A-10 driver as it’s poster child for the new Predator Weapons School. Check out the story at http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123182852.

Not to be PC here at FU, but I need to point out that we mean no disrespect toward this particular female A-10 driver and would like to pass on our thanks for her service to our nation. The article pointed out that she was five months pregnant when she found out she was going to “The School” and would have to leave her 1 year old daughter and new born son in order to attend “The School” the following summer. I really don’t care to comment on that statement, it kind of speaks for itself. But, I say again, YGBSM right?

The article also points out that “The school”, initially created for fighter pilots, now integrates Airmen from 22 different aircraft and specialties. The addition of Unmanned Aircraft (no pun intended) is an indication of their value in current conflicts and the need for their inclusion in the broader Air Force mission.

I got this article from Grinder, a retired Viper Driver who calls the FU Frat House home. In the e-mail from him he said:

YGBSM!!!!! The world as I knew it is gone forever! WTFO! "I got the notification that I was selected for Weapons School when I was five months pregnant??????????" Has the world lost it's mind? God, it's good to be retired. Who's idea was it anyway to drop the "Fighter" designation from FWIC anyway??? OBTW, Merry Christmas.

Don’t know who’s idea it was to drop the “Fighter” word from FWIC, but maybe someone in our student body could fill us in. I’m with Grinder, it’s good to be retired old codgers. Grinder and I got spoiled during the 80s. We had Ronnie Reagan, money, great jets, amazing flying, and we were encouraged to act like the warriors we were.

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Touchy feely pc gone mad! 28 years in fighters with 32 total time...this just plain is rediculous. FWIC is for teaching flying and fighting not employment of radio controlled toys!
Doc

# Posted By Doc | 12/21/09 2:02 PM

Thank God our fighter pilot heroes (Rickenbacker, Bong, Boyington, Chennault, etc, weren't as closed-minded and opposed to change as you, brother. They were always looking for the next big step to take to make us more lethal. We'd still be wearing silk scarves and fighting only in day-VFR with rifles hanging out of open cockpits. The world is changing, and people like this Maj are now the ones making a difference while those of us stuck in the fighter dreamland of the 1970s are sitting on the bench. We can either embrace the future of air combat or we can become irrelevent fossiles who aren't much more than a footnote in history.

# Posted By Gucci | 12/21/09 3:56 PM

Gucci,

I'm all for us being more lethal. The technology we have is amazing, and the things we can do now along with the weapons we have are incredible. I'm all about being two or five step ahead of the bad guys. Unfortunately, I understand all too well that technology has advanced us to a point where it will no longer be necessary for us to put our lives on line to conduct warfare. That makes it way too easy for our politicians to pull the trigger and commit us to some UN peacekeeping event.

In my 20 years I saw us go from the high-risk mentality of always "buying the merge", to medium risk and maybe buying the merge if things were going our way, and then finally the low risk world of never buying a merge. As Boots would say, “NO GUTS, NO GLORY.”

I was RTB when a guy in my squadron was actually requesting permission from AWACs to commit on a MIG that was within commit criteria and met all required ROE for having his shit blown away while pissing all over the cap position I just vacated. That's the mentality we foster in the low risk approach to warfare. Pretty much a complete lack of the piss and vinegar demonstrated by Bong, Rickenbacker, Boyington, and Chennault.

When the future of warfare is having our Mom’s fight our wars from an air-conditioned trailer, then I guess I’m just an irrelevant fossil stuck in my old fighter pilot dreamland. I'm with Grinder, the world has lost its freaking mind.

# Posted By Jolly | 12/21/09 9:45 PM

Jolly – Modern airpower is lucky to have the likes of this young fighter pilot. She has already proven herself in the cockpits you reminisce of so fondly. Boyd and Mitchell would be proud of her, of her vision to move on and continue to serve. She does so 24/7/365, loitering ten times as long over the ground forces per sortie than you ever could, burning ten times less fuel, in an airframe less than one tenth the cost, unheard, unobserved, and unforgiving with her precision. To minimize this pilot's role could put you squarely in the same camp as the Cavalryman who could not fathom the sinking of the SMS Ostfriesland, and who joked ignorantly and arrogantly with his pals about those who ultimately would better them. Perhaps you should humbly acknowledge that this fighter pilot is doing what you yearn to do again – protecting our troops on the ground. My apology for putting you in your place old man, but that is what a good debrief is all about. You trained us to call it the way we see it.

# Posted By Buzz | 12/22/09 1:34 AM

Buzz,

All good points and can't argue with really anything you are saying. In fact, I'd have to say your debrief is a good one. My purpose is not to minimize the contributions of this fighter pilot. If that's the way I came across, then I apologize. I'm not a dumb ass and can see how valuable UAVs are to troops on the ground and our overall combat capability.

My concern is with our approach to modern warfare. I guess I'm wondering how we keep the warrior spirit alive while smoking a lucky in a van down by the river (well behind friendly lines) flying our UAVs into combat. Also, when it becomes that easy to conduct warfare with no risk of human life I think it gets too easy for our political managers to pull the trigger and commit us to a conflict that would otherwise be unacceptable.

Thanks for the debrief. I guess Bam Bam was right, I have become an old codger. I'd much prefer a debrief over a whiskey between songs. Cheers.

OBTW--looks like I taught you well on how to conduct of a good debrief. Not the first time I've been poked in the chest and I'm sure it won't be the last. Thanks.

# Posted By Jolly | 12/22/09 7:50 AM

BARF and GAG!!!! You do not even sit in the thing. You set at a monitor. The PILOTS I know , all had something between their legs to hold onto. OH WELL, new President, New times SAME OLD BS!!!

# Posted By J R Wilson | 12/22/09 5:33 PM

Jolly,

Much as I understand and sympathise with your outlook - yes, I'm a really ORF!! - we just have to suck it up and be incredibly grateful that we had our times when we did. These "modern warfare experts" will never know the thrill or satisfaction we did, irrespective of their undoubted effectiveness in the air-to-mud regime. Sitting in an air-conditioned trailer is never gonna replace sitting in a jet in the merge - no matter how they attempt to rationalise or justify it.

And I couldn't agree more with your comment about automated warfare making it easier for the morons we insist on electing to push the button when their vast egos get out of control. But of course, that'll never happen.......yeah. Right.

Say hi to Bam Bam for me, please?

# Posted By ridgeback | 12/22/09 11:43 PM

Jolly – appreciate your humility, and I offer my own in sensing you made a good flight lead. That will probably make JR barf, again, but chances are he was prone to airsickness. Good thing he can find an ejection handle between his legs. As to your thoughtful questions on “modern warfare” and “warrior spirit” – I think what unmanned close air support aircraft crews discover after thousands of hours on target, connecting with supported units, is perhaps it’s not about us, our pilots, our fighters, or our warrior spirit necessarily, but instead maybe it’s about the warriors on the ground. This is less USAF-centric, but also perhaps healthy to better understand our role in the fight.

# Posted By Buzz | 12/23/09 1:07 AM

Buzz,
Your comment on the folks on the ground is spot-on. They are the real heroes in our current battle that goes on 24/7. The hawgs, vipers, strike eagles, F-18's, harriers, countless foreign assets and UAV's would not be able to fight this fight without the excellent air superiority we have enjoyed. That's the facts. This war we are in is absolutely about the 18-50 year old on the ground that needs close air support and doesn't care where it comes from as long as it is effective and timely. My thoughts go out to each and every one of them and they are the first thing we should be thinking about every morning when we get up. They are our great generation and we owe them more than we can pay. Their battles are no different than any other warriors' throughout our history and they barely get noticed by our press. They are the tip of the spear. We are support.

# Posted By Borg | 12/23/09 5:30 AM

JR I'm with you. This PC is making me a bit Nausious...no...just plain I want to puke. Taking the man out of the machine is going to be the same as taking the gun out of the jet!
Yeah it is nice having loiter time but is it so with the ragheads having the simple computer savy to monitor the data link? The little sheet heads may live in caves and wipe their asses
with their left hands but they apparently are not stupid! What is going to happen when the Chinese take down the data link by jamming or simply shooting the damned satalite down? That is
coming.
I agree, hit the bastards with everything we have including the kitchen sink. Bomb the bastards back into the dark age caves they crawled out of! This crap of lines on a map has done more to
retard the winning of this war. Shades of Jimmie Carter all over again. Lived through that one too.
The grunts humping in the boonies need all we can bring to bare! But FWIC for Radio Control flyers come on. Wonder how their BFM skills are? Well at least we know they won't GLOC and spill their coffee into the console.
Doc

# Posted By Doc | 12/23/09 11:26 AM

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,208037,00...

Note first para........asks if UAV pilots should get same flight pay as line pilots?

# Posted By ridgeback | 12/31/09 1:19 PM

It should be noted that the only A-10 flying she did was at the RTU and a very brief stint with the ops squadron at the same location... it was "highly encouraged" she find another job which "did not involve actual piloting." The FIGHTER Weapons school is going to hell in a handbasket with this little catastrophe... so much for enforcing any kind of standards whatsoever...

# Posted By Rage | 1/27/10 11:27 AM

Okay, UAVs are part of the future but.... sitting in a van half way around the world ain't the same as rolling down the chute with bad guys lobbing nasties at you. The AF is losing its identity - to be a general anymore you need to have 5 fellowships, four Penagon tours, and a sissy haircut.....

# Posted By Ogre | 2/11/10 11:03 AM

Ogre,
Missed one on the generals selection...after Clinton, Castration is a requisit.
Also.
Doc

# Posted By Doc | 2/11/10 11:52 AM

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