Air Force
Air Force
Posted on Jan 19, 2016
Did Chief Cody do a good job with Enlisted? Or did he cut too many gutting the AF?
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http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2016/01/18/chief-codymy-top-challenges/78844240/
I read this article and since I am retired I want to know what the AF Enlisted think. He seems to be emphasizing his EPR programs, and trying to play down the under manning and Ops tempo. Did this Chief do right by the AF?
I read this article and since I am retired I want to know what the AF Enlisted think. He seems to be emphasizing his EPR programs, and trying to play down the under manning and Ops tempo. Did this Chief do right by the AF?
Leadership
Enlisted
Airmen
Air Force
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 28
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BLUF: Good idea, poor execution.
My personal opinion is it was an idea based on good intentions but not realistic long term. Force distribution may work in some Squadrons with a few AFSCs but how well will it work in a Squadron with 13 AFSCs? CE for example has 13 AFSCs and that doesn't include shread-outs. Good luck if your Squadron doesn't have 11 promotion eligible TSgt (for example). For those that don't know, I will try to explain it as best I can without missing something. First off I must express that selection for promotion does not happen at Installation level. Big Blue does that and I really don't want to get in to that. The point I am really trying to express is Big Blue promotion selection is based on quotas per AFSC and does not happen at the base level. With that said, hold on and try to follow.- 5% of promotion eligible TSgt, SSgt, SrA will receive a rating of Promote Now (PN). 10% (15% for SrA) will get Must Promote (MP), the rest will get Promote, Not Ready, or Do Not Promote. These percentages are set in stone by AFI. If a Unit has 11 promotion eligible TSgts for example, 1 gets a PN, 1 gets a MP, the other 9 get something else. If a Unit has 10 or less, the Squadron Commander can no longer make that decision. It now has to be made by the Installation Commander. Not Group CC, Wg CC. He has to use these quotas to rack and stack all promotion eligible TSgts from every squadron that had less than 11 eligible. This will benefit the guy who sticks around and volunteers for everything. The Wg King will know him, he gets face time. The guy out doing work, deploying, and taking care of his Joes will get the shaft.
Another thing about the EPR that is frustrating is the execution, or lack there of, on releasing it. Really, every TSgt (and TSgt select)in the Air Force had an EPR due on Monday 30 November. We all knew it. We all saw it coming. We all prepped for it...except Big Blue. Big Blue released the new form on Wednesday 25 November. The day before Thanksgiving. Who thought that was the best time for release? The fact that Version 2 was released later that day and Version 3 was released on 1 Dec adds even more frustration. Then after all that, we are told that we can use ANY version if we can get the form to work properly. Why, because the form is broken. So far this system has been a Train Wreck.
I honestly hope that no one takes any of this as offensive. I am not trying to insult anyone, I just had to get this off my chest. I probably shouldn't type under the influence of pain meds but I had to get this off my chest. Oh yeah, I may have broken spell check. LOL
My personal opinion is it was an idea based on good intentions but not realistic long term. Force distribution may work in some Squadrons with a few AFSCs but how well will it work in a Squadron with 13 AFSCs? CE for example has 13 AFSCs and that doesn't include shread-outs. Good luck if your Squadron doesn't have 11 promotion eligible TSgt (for example). For those that don't know, I will try to explain it as best I can without missing something. First off I must express that selection for promotion does not happen at Installation level. Big Blue does that and I really don't want to get in to that. The point I am really trying to express is Big Blue promotion selection is based on quotas per AFSC and does not happen at the base level. With that said, hold on and try to follow.- 5% of promotion eligible TSgt, SSgt, SrA will receive a rating of Promote Now (PN). 10% (15% for SrA) will get Must Promote (MP), the rest will get Promote, Not Ready, or Do Not Promote. These percentages are set in stone by AFI. If a Unit has 11 promotion eligible TSgts for example, 1 gets a PN, 1 gets a MP, the other 9 get something else. If a Unit has 10 or less, the Squadron Commander can no longer make that decision. It now has to be made by the Installation Commander. Not Group CC, Wg CC. He has to use these quotas to rack and stack all promotion eligible TSgts from every squadron that had less than 11 eligible. This will benefit the guy who sticks around and volunteers for everything. The Wg King will know him, he gets face time. The guy out doing work, deploying, and taking care of his Joes will get the shaft.
Another thing about the EPR that is frustrating is the execution, or lack there of, on releasing it. Really, every TSgt (and TSgt select)in the Air Force had an EPR due on Monday 30 November. We all knew it. We all saw it coming. We all prepped for it...except Big Blue. Big Blue released the new form on Wednesday 25 November. The day before Thanksgiving. Who thought that was the best time for release? The fact that Version 2 was released later that day and Version 3 was released on 1 Dec adds even more frustration. Then after all that, we are told that we can use ANY version if we can get the form to work properly. Why, because the form is broken. So far this system has been a Train Wreck.
I honestly hope that no one takes any of this as offensive. I am not trying to insult anyone, I just had to get this off my chest. I probably shouldn't type under the influence of pain meds but I had to get this off my chest. Oh yeah, I may have broken spell check. LOL
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MSgt Robert Pellam
MSgt John Carroll wow that sounds like a cluster F. I am not surprised on the failure of the forms. Big Blue never impressed me. Remember the Uniform Fiasco 10 years ago? Or even back in the mid 90's. I always assumed that those who made those decisions in Big Blue were the people who volunteered all the time, but never deployed once. They have all the rank and medals, but none of the common sense. Just a Retirees opinion. Keep up the good fight MSgt, and never fear. Something else will change tomorrow.
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MSgt (Join to see)
MSgt Carroll - Ditto. Only difference though is the squadron CC still decides who to send to the wing board. If they have 10 eligibles they can send 10, one, or even none if they choose. Just found that out today when our wing commander briefed that of 63 eligibles, only 15 TSgts records met the small unit board. Wow is all I can say...just wow...
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SMSgt Thor Merich
Well said. When the MSgt rollout happened it was a mess. Trying to get direction from up high was impossible. Only time will tell if the new system will be a success, but from what I have seen so far, I have my doubts. I hope that I am wrong.
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MSgt John Carroll
SMSgt Thor Merich - I signed my 30 September EPR in mid December. One of my five TSgts EPRs has been signed. It was signed last week and he isn't promotion eligible.
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Somehow this quote keeps running through my head: "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions"
From what I can see from conversations with some of my old troops, the new EPR system had the best of intent but looks like will end up being the azz-kissers and boot-lickers that get the nod from the Boss. The folks that get stuck in the duty section making sure the mission gets done will be passed over as they won't have the "exposure" from the Head Shed needed for the promote statements.
From what I can see from conversations with some of my old troops, the new EPR system had the best of intent but looks like will end up being the azz-kissers and boot-lickers that get the nod from the Boss. The folks that get stuck in the duty section making sure the mission gets done will be passed over as they won't have the "exposure" from the Head Shed needed for the promote statements.
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MSgt Frank Martin
Gee That sounds familiar.. each time i saw the EPR system tweeked between 1984-2007 that is what happened.
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MSgt Robert Pellam
Ahh yes This is very familiar to me. Now don't get me wrong, I pushed some troops up made them volunteer, getting them promoted and such because they were great troops. But yes, as a SNCO, I met many SNCO's that had been promoted but didn't know anything more technical then how to ensure their boots were shinny.
I do remember the Enlisted clamoring for a "Fair" EPR system. I think this may have been the solution leadership came up with. Make it worse so people think the other way was better. Who knows
I do remember the Enlisted clamoring for a "Fair" EPR system. I think this may have been the solution leadership came up with. Make it worse so people think the other way was better. Who knows
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MSgt Walter Thomason
Interesting thread... The performance system will always be bloated because $$$ and prestige is involved. I recall when the EPR first came out. It was the "fix" for the over-bloated APR system. Heck, I saw firewall 5's for a person who cared more about a Saturday morning hair appointment than getting a flight safety critical peace of equipment back up, nor could they determine the equipment had no power was going to it (circuit breaker tripped). Years later, I was threatened with a reduced EPR because I had a trainer that was so hated, because of the way he treated people, I had every single crew chief come up to me asking he NOT train them. Not once was this person's performance feedback asked for to see if this had been addressed. The point being, far too often, the "great guys/gals" will get the attention of senior leadership while the bread and bones that keep the mission moving forward are overlooked. You can't take human nature out of the process.
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First and foremost, anyone in this position is a politician. They are suppose to represent the enlisted folks but I seldom saw any of them during my tenure really listen to the troops. IMO, he listened to much to his bosses and has done hard to undo damage to the force.
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MSgt Robert Pellam
SSgt Jim Gilmore I always found that Ironic that we sent the Senior enlisted advisor to the Pentagon to represent the Enlisted, but because of the politics they just turned around representing leadership to the Enlisted.
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