What do you think about the supposed "manpower collapse" in the Air Force?

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 19:14:56 -0500

http://www.jqpublicblog.com/in-total-reversal-welsh-admits-air-force-is-on-verge-of-manpower-collapse/

In Total Reversal, Welsh Admits Air Force is On Verge of Manpower Collapse

Less than two years after implementing an elective drawdown that predictably crippled the service, CSAF now admits there is a manning crisis.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 3 at 2015 7:35 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 19:35:20 -0500

Not surprised. Air Force recruits some good quality people and gives them some good training and getting recruits when the Economy is a little Rough and Employment Opportunities are Slim is Easy. Employment is improving, Employers are once again offering better Employment Packages and Air Force has to compete in that Environment. People they trained are getting out into a better Employment Situation and others don't necessarily see the need to join the Military anymore.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 7:46 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 19:46:03 -0500

I think manpower is a very real concern. In 1990 the Air Force was 535,000 strong and today it stands at roughly 313,000. I don't think the demand for air dominance, global strike, mobility, and everything else the Air Force provides has decreased but yet our force has.... I think it's naive to believe senior leadership didn't know that two years ago when they decided to cut 19,000 personnel though. I would venture to guess the political pressure and budget concerns took precedent over the health of the Air Force. It's sad but hopefully these pleas don't go unanswered...

Response by MSgt John Carroll made Dec 3 at 2015 8:07 PM

MSgt John Carroll — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 20:07:33 -0500

I saw it coming. It is just history repeating itself.

Response by Capt Walter Miller made Dec 3 at 2015 8:45 PM

Capt Walter Miller — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 20:45:22 -0500

Do we need the Air Force we have?

Walt

Response by SrA Daniel Hunter made Dec 3 at 2015 8:48 PM

SrA Daniel Hunter — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 20:48:08 -0500

Not surprising, it's been coming for some time. The private sector will feel it in less than 10 years.

Response by A1C Charles D Wilson made Dec 3 at 2015 8:51 PM

A1C Charles D Wilson — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 20:51:40 -0500

I can go back if they let me roll around the flight line in a wheel chair. I would love to work on my F-15 and F-16 again. Ohhh well Congress will learn the hard way.....one day.
Chuck D

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Dec 3 at 2015 9:16 PM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 21:16:56 -0500

It's not a collapse when it does exactly what was planned.

They wanted a smaller AF, they got a smaller AF. Now they noticed that they don't have enough people. That's a failure of thinking ahead.

IF something was predictable AND predicted, it does not happen "unexpectedly."

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2015 1:52 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 01:52:12 -0500

"He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it" - George Santayama

Response by MSgt James Mullis made Dec 4 at 2015 10:12 AM

MSgt James Mullis — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:12:57 -0500

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think the current administration (and their Progressive friends) have purposely driven the Department of Defense and the Component Services into a near "disaster" scenario. The next step will be a complete review of the Component Services with a nod toward reorganization for both cost effectiveness and the realities of a modern world. Think the National Security Act of 1947, but on steroids.

The questions that will be asked are do we need separate Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, TSA, NSA. Homeland Security, etc? or could they be reorganized or possibly even integrated with the Militaries of our new trading partners and the UN? All toward the goals of a safer more peaceful world to do business in.

Response by Lt Col John Eliopolo Cpc, Eli Mp made Dec 4 at 2015 12:44 PM

Lt Col John Eliopolo Cpc, Eli Mp — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 12:44:37 -0500

The AF leadership followed a "Tyranny of the urgent" strategy to satisfy the politics and budget pressures related to reducing manpower, and now they are dealing the second and third order effects of that strategy. Nothing new here, has happened before in drawdowns of the past; unfortunately, will happen again in future situations I imagine. I just feel sorry for our troops that have to deal with the effects of all this. They end up being the ones to pay for it in the end with longer duty hours, double/triple the workload and other related fallout.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2015 1:15 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 13:15:19 -0500

Outsource it.....I hear IRan has some F16s

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Dec 10 at 2015 7:54 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 19:54:39 -0500

Easy fix. Give Soldiers the opportunity to go green to Blue. We need to drawdown right? I guarantee that Soldiers would fill every AFSC shortage in weeks. Steak and lobster over MRE's? Not even a debate...

Response by SMSgt Thor Merich made Dec 10 at 2015 7:56 PM

SMSgt Thor Merich — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 19:56:46 -0500

Its the same old story. We did it after WWII and every war since then. We forget, draw down, and then seem confused as to why we don't have enough resources to handle an issue the politicians created. Our budget is controlled by the politicians who have little memory of history. Its a battle that the military will always have to fight.

Response by SrA David Steyer made Dec 10 at 2015 11:56 PM

SrA David Steyer — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 23:56:02 -0500

My AFSC was 100% to 150% overmmaned from E1 to E4 around the time I got out a few months ago, sure it is still high. No way to get check since I am out and I think the system that tracked that is down and removed but I remember seeing it when I was checking numbers because people I worked with didn't know about the system - THRIMS and I was showing them.

Response by MSgt Jim Wolverton made Dec 28 at 2015 8:49 PM

MSgt Jim Wolverton — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 20:49:40 -0500

This reminds me of the huge culling in the 90s, VSI/SSB, followed by the huge enlistment bonuses in the late 90s and early 00s. History truly does repeat itself.