Forum: Air Force Life

MKopack wrote:

[As you said, sometimes specilization can work against a person who is filling a more generalized role. Back in Phase at TJ, we knew all of our QA inspectors 'backgrounds' pretty well, and had 'inside knowledge' of their work schedule. The probability of passing an engine bay inspection goes WAY up when it is inspected by someone with a weapons or avionics background...

Mike

Oh, I definitely know the truth of this statement! Weapons inspectors have helped my pass rate tremendously through the years! I've also learned that if it's an inspector that you've PO'd in the past, the pass rate tend to go way down... Just FYI for the new guys out there...

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wwb23 wrote:

On the flip side of this, by "well rounded" I don't mean someone who has never/barely touched an F-16 before. Even F-15/A-10 guys don't seem to have a clue on how the F-16 operates, let alone someone off of, say, BUFFs. I'm not knocking them as people or their knowledge base, but when it comes to running the line for a 16 squadron, they are clueless for months...

Very interesting !!

I never worked for a Weapons - Pro-Super supporting flightline operations but sure, anything is possible I just never saw it, it just used to be the normal stepping stone for APG folks before becoming Maintenance Superintendent (if they stuck around or got promoted to that grade and area of expertize) Smile

They know the "conf loads that's for sure but overall aircraft systems, seems that might be a bit tougher for them (lack of that experience) but then again....its a new world out there

Two of the top 5 supers I ever knew were specs and 2 were c.c.'s. Dont rush 2 judge where they have a background, only what they do when you are there working for them.

Thank you but I never worked for a weapons guy (always CC had that role), they worked for me when I was Supering, then as Maintenance Superintendent I never had a weapons Pro Super either, I picked CC's because it was their normal progression in career buidling...big difference

Meathook wrote:

I never worked for a Weapons - Pro-Super supporting flightline operations but sure, anything is possible I just never saw it, it just used to be the normal stepping stone for APG folks before becoming Maintenance Superintendent (if they stuck around or got promoted to that grade and area of expertize) Smile

They know the "conf loads that's for sure but overall aircraft systems, seems that might be a bit tougher for them (lack of that experience) but then again....its a new world out there

I don't think I ever had a weapons Pro-Super (I almost said ex-weapons, but 462's are almost like Marines, once a 462, always a 462) but did have a couple that came from specialties & avionics who did very well. A lot of being a pro-super is a balancing/coordination act, and while I think that flightline expediting would probably help, there are some people who can just step into the position and do well, no matter their background. - On the other hand I also saw one or two who you'd think were 'shoo-ins' for the job, who crashed and burned. I think it depends more on the person than where they came from.

At MacDill we had one guy who cross-trained from supply as a Crew Chief (was a very young TSgt, made every stripe the first time, always said "Hey, I was in supply, I had plenty of time to study...") he didn't have a clue about aircraft (but he could definitely 'run' the supply system and get us anything we needed) but he stepped into the expediters truck and ran the line as if he'd been there for years, and did the same as a Pro-Super as he moved up. A 'natural'.

Mike

Glad to hear I guess (but I dont like the idea myself) in my day (as long ago as that was) it was strictly for APG but then again, it was part of our normal career progression career latter. Guess these days, everything being short supplied as it is, you take who ever can do it regardless of background (we used to train and promote folks for those positions from our field).

Hopefully APG still gets first dips within their own career field (if they can hack it). Then again, I don't have to live with that anymore, guess I am surprised the trend shifted into other career fields to handle that line of work, goes to show it is not the same USAF anymore. Shame, seems we may have lost something there but others might feel it provided a career broadening in some way, shape or form, oh well...life goes on, good luck to them all.

I would feel as if I was not given my fair shake if a supply person or weapons person took the transitional Pro-Super role away from APG (where it normally belonged) and I know I should have been given that slot (if I earned it) Shrug

, but that's me.

There are no "slots" taken from crew chiefs anymore. If the person can cut it, he keeps the job. Not enough folks now days to keep it strictly APG.

That's what I am hearing - thanks

At the time I mentioned, we had 2 bb stackers for supers. Dayshift guy was clueless and didn't seem to want anyone to help him get a clue. The swings guy, also a bb stacker knew nothing about acft maintenance, but, would actually listen to us. Makes all the difference in the world.

Forum: Air Force Life

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