billyb0b, my start time is 0310 tomorrow. So, alas, I cannot join you on the links, best of luck, my friend. Thanks for your congrats. It means a lot now that I understand where you come from. When you get to Seymour Johnson, send me an e-mail and I will buy you a beer.
SSG Schwartz
For #1, I don’t know how you’d even do this. My CBPO (MPF now I think) didn’t even receive the tests until shortly before the testing cycle and they were sealed until the proctor passed them out. Not only that, but there were a few different versions and you had no idea which you’d get until you sat down to take it.
Your 2nd bullet isn’t true at all. At least it wasn’t when I was in. We used to sit around, at work, with our CDCs and quiz each other; it was even encouraged by our section chief. This happened at two different bases with two different section chiefs. Knowing your CDCs most likely meant you’d be better at your job, and although it’d certainly help your chances for promotion, your CDCs had other purposes than WAPS preparation. Although it was never encouraged, studying the PFE together wasn’t discouraged either.
Changing EPRs? No way. You’d have to have a LOT of accomplices… people you didn’t even know in a lot of different areas.
Seems to me that these “documented” cases are just more junk to be aired on AFN.
Well, Sir, I’m not trying to see anything but the truth. If the Army feels you are a valuable member of their outfit I don’t see the value of singling you out as some kind of slacker or whatnot. It seems to me that your (all of you) value is that you are a unit, a team, together until the end. If all of your lives depend on each other it seems to me that even a HINT of hesitation amongst each other could be detrimental to the unit as a whole. I know this may sound kind of strange, as I have never been in the military but I have been in a gang. I have been thrashed many times because my friend didn’t want to take a beating. That was childs play. You people are risking your lives. This is the gist of my argument. You can’t play around with that kind of responsibility. Your lives, lives that I personally value are at stake. I know it probably doesn’t mean much to you, not knowing me, but every soldier I’ve ever spoken to told me to SUPPORT OUR TROOPS. It is the only thing as a civilian, I can give ,that will mean a damn thing, when your risking your ass for us, we, your friends, your country, whatever.
I’m not trying to be an attention whore, but the whole point is: You guys are good with each other. That is the reason behind all of my posts. All I have for you is Love.
I dont expect you to post your real name if you dont want to. I just assumed it was Schwartz, that’s all.
But whatever reason you have for not posting your real name, I assure you it’s in no way similar to my choice of username. Did you notice that even my AKO is bear.nenno? Bear is not a pseudonym, it’s a nickname in common use among my friends, peers, and coworkers. I’ve never balked when mentioning that my real legal name is Benjamin–not even on here. Hell, I’d use it more often if only I could just get assholes to not automatically think they can call me Ben. Fuck if I dont hate the name “Ben”.
Also, the reason your cutoff scores are usually so damn high is not because the Army actually expects you to be an expert marskman and in expert physical condition. Hell, it doesn’t even expect that of it’s infantrymen! It is simply because there are no open positions for SSGs in your MOS. The Army keeps the scores high because there’s no room to promote anyone. You’ve said yourself you’re working in an E-5 slot. There’s probably too many SSGs filling E-5 slots, so the cutoffs will stay high. Now if there were many E-5s filling SSG slots. . . then your scores would drop way down.
The Army lowers your cutoff scores when it actually wants to promote your MOS. They know what they’re doing. If there’s no need for SSGs in your MOS, then the scores will be maxed.
If you want to fast track, you need an MOS with a lot of available job openings.
With that said, I think it’s pretty obvious why your leaders only gave you a tap on the wrist for the PT Card and Weapon Qualification padding. Because, unfortunately, it’s a not uncommon practice to do so.
Yes, what I tried to say in post 27. There are only so many slots to go around. Hell you could have made 100% on your PT, firearms and other quals, but if there isn’t another SSGT getting promoted, dies or retires you have nowhere to move up to.
Still I think you should have had your ass handed to you for cheating in the first place.
From here Caution: PDF:
Bolding mine.
Group study for CDC’s is encouraged for those who are accomplishing their CDC’s (5- or 7-Level), but not anyone else.
Group study for the PDG (used to be PFE) is punishable under article 91 of the UCMJ. How long ago were you in?
Your bold speaks of test materials. I always took that as “Don’t tell anyone about the test after you took it.” not “Don’t participate in group study for the WAPS.”
Article 91 is “INSUBORDINATE CONDUCT TOWARD WARRANT OFFICER, NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER, OR PETTY OFFICER”
Are you sure that studying the PFE (or PDG) with others is punishable under that?
In any case, like I said, group CDC study was outright encouraged dury duty hours. The subject of PFE study never came up, but we did that too.
I was in from 1991-1996. If I remember correctly, you’re a recruiter, right? Are you filling your quotas? How are the retention numbers these days?
Everything in the PFE/PDG is, by definition “actual … or suspected test material.”
Sorry, I meant article 92, which covers disobeying a general order.
I am a recruiter, we don’t have quotas (they’er called “goals”) and I meet them. The Air Force as a whole meets them as well. Retention is great in the Air Force. If I didn’t have to run, I would link to pie charts with the numbers, but IIRC they are about 82% where we want them. This evening I’ll come back and link if you’re interested.
What did you do in the AF? I was an AGE guy stationed at Mountain Home AFB, ID in 1996.
Cool. I enjoyed my time in. I’m glad people are still interested in joining.
I started out as a 491X1 (computer operator), then they changed the AFSCs, so then I was a 3C0X1. My first base out of tech school was Scott. I joined up to travel so I put Worldwide-Remote, Worldwide-Short, and Worldwide-Long on my dreamsheet, and blamo, I had orders to Araxos AB, Greece (now closed). Because it was a remote, I got my choice for a follow-on assignment and chose Aviano. I arrived there in June 1994 only to find out that working in an air conditioned office from 7:30-4:30 M-F was not going to happen. I got stuck in a mobility unit (air control squadron). That wasn’t a lot of fun, but it wasn’t hell either. I was there until I got out in 96.
Omegaman, I was in a snarky mood last night, but the point I was trying to make is that there was one item in your quote that you chose to defend for me, and I chose to ignore. That meant that I had to respond. It seemed at the time that you were trying to address something that could have set off sparks. I doubt that was your intention, but that could have been the result. Anyway, Omegaman, thanks for your support. I don’t always take pride in what I have to do day to day, but I do take pride in providing a service to America, and sometimes the rest of the world. It is good to know that it is appreciated.
Bear_Nenno, again, I think it was lack of sleep that made my responses short or me read something into your post. I was thinking that you were doubting my promotion altogether. Rereading now, I see that I was seeing more than is written. I don’t use my real name, because I feel that I can say things with a little more anonymity, then I would if my real name was on the sig line. My user name is very close to my real name. People who know me IRL will strongly suspect who I am, but will not know. If I posted my real name, trust me, I am the only one with my name in the Army. I would not mind my real name being attached to 99% of my posts, but it is the 1% that may be questionable.
Also, I understand the point structure, but I’m still gonna bitch about it. My 1SG is telling people the only reason I got picked up for E-6 is because I came in with a degree. So Soldiers with a high OPTEMPO and a 310 on their PT card may be pissed that civilian education is worth 100 points. I understand that perspective is relative. I understand that the points drop based upon the needs of the Army. It is just a pain in the ass waiting for E-6 and E-7’s to die or retire.
SSG Schwartz