Memorial service scheduled for Elmendorf general (Suicide Likely Cause)

I understand what you are saying. The individuals whom I remember were great people on an individual level and I believe could have handled the pressures if they had progressed through normal or near normal timelines and gained the needed experience. They all did believe that they were well qualified to be commanders and decision-makers while many of their contemporaries believed or knew otherwise. I think that the higher level sponsorship and adulation that goes with these situations does the recipients little good when they are in a corner and find that they cannot live up to the expectations of their superiors or their own expectations of themselves. The military does not do anybody any favors by consistently pushing untested officers into and through very responsible positions before they are really ready.

Was this the downsizing that occurred during the 90s ?

Hey AF vet!

I hope you know I remember you Happy Grrrl as a great Freeper.

In answer to your question......oh nooooooo.

This was a recent massacre - called "Force Shaping" (nice PC term, huh?)

Air Force to Cut 40,000 Troops

Air Force officials announce 2007 force-shaping initiatives

Air Force to Cut Over 8,000 Commissioned Officers

Basically, it was all a scheme to try and sacrifice human being serving their country for procurement dollars.

I know this was part of the reason Secretary Gates was so pissed off.

In fact, he was so ticked off, he reversed the decision to do so while Gen Moseley's firing paperwork was still warm.

Gates: No more cuts to Air Force personnel

Now, here is the current Air Force problem.

Moseley basically raped every nickel in the Air Force budget he could for the F-22. He called it every name in the book: "Lean", "Six Sigma", "Smart Ops 21", etc...

Basically, it was TQM, "Do more with less", and "Work Smarter, Not Harder!"

People have lost faith.

There is also a bigger problem.

Thousands of highly skilled contractors have had their contracts terminated, and Moseley had a "plan" in place to convert them to GS positions.

Only one problem.

A lot of engineers, contracting specialists, PhDs, consultants, and other highly skilled people don't want to have the honor of being a GS-10, GS-11, or GS-12 with its awesome pay! (SARCASM)

Moreover, now the Fed Union is involved and wants to increase its numbers - so the Dems in Congress are cheering this sham on.

Moseley screwed that up too.

The last thing he really screwed up on was ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Recon) aircraft.

He refused to see the benefit of looking for more ways to perform ISR missions. The Army got tired of asking the AF to do it - so they installed the electronics on board their own C-12s and other aircraft and just did the job themselves.

The AF looked like total fools.

Anyway, sorry to bring this all up on this thread.

I am angry and saddened at Gen Tinsley's death, and what this did to his family. My wife knew his wife pretty well.

My prayers to them.

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