Podcasts about weapons school

THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 14:35

Get the full, ad-free episode here: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/list10PCT EP88 – Dave “Khan” Carr | F-15 Eagle, F-16 Viper, Weapons School & AggressorsDave “Khan” Carr joins 10 Percent True to discuss an extraordinary fighter career flying both the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Viper.From Cold War intercepts over Alaska and Iceland to the pressure cooker of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, Red Flag, and Aggressor duty, Khan offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at elite fighter aviation.This episode explores how the USAF prepared to fight the Soviet Union, how air combat tactics evolved through the Cold War and beyond, and what it really took to become a top-tier fighter pilot.Along the way, Khan shares stories of Arctic alert missions, Keflavik intercepts, Weapons School work-ups, massive Red Flag battles, Soviet threat replication, and how the Eagle and Viper compared in a fight.If you've ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes in elite fighter aviation, this is one you won't want to miss.Timestamps2:20 A Quick Word from Steve 4:04 Welcome, Khan 4:50 Khan Introduces Himself 6:40 First Tour at Elmendorf – Flying the Eagle in Alaska 8:38 Early Career Challenges & Encounters 12:12 Discussing Losses in the Early Days 14:08 Dealing with Loss 15:34 Eyeing the Next Career Step – and Making It Happen 17:17 Keflavik – CFTs & Diversions to Scotland 19:47 Steve Geeks Out on CFTs 21:14 The Mission at Keflavik – Bears, Tomcats & Lightnings (with Tankers) 23:04 Honing Air-to-Air Skills as the Eagle Matured 25:28 Dialling Up the AoA – “It Depends…” 26:55 Rudder Use, Evolving Tactics & When to Use It 28:32 Weapons School – Selection, Work-Ups & Challenges 32:40 A Memorable Weapons School Sortie – Vark Speed & Perfect Execution 35:58 Why No “Super Squadrons”? 37:24 The Benefits of Weapons School Graduation 40:30 Expertise Across All Facets of the Mission 41:52 Tyndall & the FTU 44:35 Does It Get Better Than This? 46:18 Eagle Culture – Did It Change? 49:52 Peak Performance or Room for Improvement? The Importance of Comms 54:12 Getting Granular – What It Takes to Make It in the Eagle Community 56:34 Regrets About Missing Desert Storm? 58:12 Joining the Aggressors 59:48 Being a “True” Aggressor 1:04:25 Gloves Off? 1:06:10 Simulating the Threat Accurately – Who Sees Who? 1:09:48 Maintaining Situational Awareness 1:10:55 Becoming a Threat System SME – The Process 1:13:05 Expectation vs Reality as More Information Became Available 1:15:50 “Natural” Bias? 1:17:54 Views on Threat Advantages & Capabilities 1:21:45 Eagle vs Viper Comparisons (Intro Teaser Topic) 1:25:02 The “Bad Bob” (VX-9 F-14D) Encounter 1:26:55 Toughest Opponent as an Aggressor? 1:30:19 When Things Don't Go to Plan – Scaring Yourself 1:34:10 Eating Shit as an Eagle Guy Flying Vipers? 1:34:54 Twilight of a Career – Guard Life, MSIP A Models, NVGs & Iraq 1:39:32 Young vs Old Eagle Driver 1:42:14 Keeping Up with Evolving Tactics & Change 1:49:30 Fini Flight 1:53:15 Do You Miss It? 1:53:54 Thanks, Khan – Till Next Time

Obstacles to Opportunity - Col. (Ret.) Erin Staine-Pyne '98

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2026 39:32

Leadership isn't about perfection — it's about accountability, especially when things don't go as planned. SUMMARY From lessons learned as a cadet to leading her teams through complex challenges, Col. (Ret.) Erin Staine-Pyne '98 reflects on how transparency, empathy and trust define strong leadership in uncertain moments. SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK ERIN STAINE-PYNE'S TOP LEADERSHIP LESSONS AND TAKEAWAYS Own your mistakes quickly and fully. Col. Staine-Pyne's cadet party incident shows the power of taking responsibility and using failure as a positive turning point. Forgive fast — others and yourself. Col. Staine-Pyne highlights forgiving herself and the freshman who reported the incident as essential to moving forward productively instead of getting stuck in blame or resentment. Lead with transparency, especially in crisis. Both as a cadet and as a wing commander during COVID, she emphasized open communication. Be visibly human and vulnerable. Sharing personal context built trust and showed airmen she understood their fears, not just the mission. Practice empathy as a core leadership “superpower.” Col. Staine-Pyne stresses learning to truly understand people's perspectives and lives — not just knowing their names and roles — and then leading with that understanding in mind. Use your team; leadership is not a solo sport. From wing commander “tiger teams” to USAF Weapons School class dynamics, Col. Staine-Pyne consistently relied on senior enlisted leaders, peers, planners and classmates instead of trying to solve everything alone. Balance mission and people with nuance, not slogans. During COVID and high-tempo ops, she wrestled with protecting a “no-fail” mission while also protecting health and morale and adjusting policies and workloads rather than defaulting to one extreme. Don't self-limit; say yes to stretch opportunities. Col. Staine-Pyne nearly ruled herself out of Weapons School but trusted her leaders' belief in her and stepped into being the first woman in the school's C‑130 program — and graduated at the top of her class. Her advice: Apply and let others say no. Integrate work and family intentionally at critical career peaks. Instead of chasing perfect “balance,” Col. Staine-Pyne treats career and family as waves: Lean into work during when needed but consciously bring along family and use leave to truly refresh. See failure as a leadership classroom, not a verdict. From the cadet party incident to the week‑to‑week swings in Weapons School performance, Col. Staine-Pyne views setbacks as information and training for better leadership, not as permanent labels. CHAPTERS 00:00:02 – Introducing Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 00:00:49 – Cadet Party Incident: A Costly Mistake 00:02:59 – Owning Failure & Learning to Forgive 00:04:49 – Transparency, Reputation and the Cadet Wing 00:06:59 – Early Aspirations & Family Influences 00:08:25 – Becoming a Wing Commander Right Before COVID 00:10:13 – Leading Through a Pandemic & Tough, Unpopular Decisions 00:15:02 – Personal Impact of Command During COVID 00:17:01 – Mentors, Humility & Weapons School Opportunity 00:20:59 – Inside Weapons School: Pressure, Teamwork & Distinction 00:25:44 – Empathy, Tempo and the People‑Mission Balance 00:29:10 – Work–Life Waves, Legacy and Advice to Young Leaders ABOUT COL. ERIN STAINE-PYNE '98 BIO Col. Erin Staine-Pyne, U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1998, is a career mobility aviator and proven senior leader with more than 3,500 flight hours in C-17 and C-130 aircraft, former wing commander, and now general manager of mobility at Merlin Labs. Inspired early by a love of aviation and a father who graduated from West Point, she pursued her dream of flying through the Academy and went on to become an aircraft commander, instructor and, ultimately, the first woman to graduate from the C-130 division of the Air Force Weapons School, where she distinguished herself as the top graduate in her class. Her leadership journey includes commanding a 2,400-person C-17 wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord through the onset of the COVID pandemic, where she balanced a no-fail nuclear mission, the health and welfare of her airmen and their families, and her own complex family responsibilities with transparency, empathy and a deeply human approach. Known for her team-first mindset, humility and emphasis on learning from failure — as illustrated by formative experiences as a cadet and throughout her operational career — Col. Staine-Pyne now channels her leadership, operational expertise and passion for developing others into bridging military-grade mobility experience with cutting-edge aviation technology in industry, while prioritizing her role as a fully present mom. CONNECT WITH ERIN LINKEDIN CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor: Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Ryan Hall | Director: Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor: Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer: Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org ALL PAST LBL EPISODES | ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS: Guest, Erin Staine-Pyne '98 | Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Well, Erin, thank you so much for joining us here on Long Blue Leadership. Erin Staine-Pyne, Class of '98. We are so excited for this conversation, because, you know, you've had such an amazing career. You know, 3,500 hours in the C-17 and C-130 cockpits to wing commander — and now you're general manager of mobility at Merlin Labs. Just incredible. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 0:26 Thank you. Such a pleasure to be with you, too, Naviere. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:34 Well, you know, we like to jump right in. And there's actually something that is probably unknown, because you have done so many amazing things, and part of that comes with a story that's not always, you know, rainbows and butterflies. And so back when you were a cadet, if you don't mind sharing this with us, I know you were wearing your supt's pin. You were captain of the soccer team, and you found yourself marching some tours. Do you mind sharing that story with us? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 0:55 Yeah, no, I don't mind at all, because it turned out to be a great leadership lesson in my life. So yeah, I was kind of at the top of my game, I felt like in my senior year at the Academy, we had a short break going in our soccer season, we had a weekend off, which was pretty rare, and the other captain and I were like, Hey, let's get the girls together, right? We deserve to have a little bit of fun. Take a little break. Like, what could we do to make that happen? And we decided, hey, let's rent a hotel room. We'll throw a little party. We'll have some friends over. What cadets haven't done that exactly. We'll be super responsible. We'll get the hotel room so nobody drives. Yeah, we thought about taking care of each other, but as it turned out, we had a great night, fun time, no harm, no foul. But later that week, we found out that one of the freshmen on our team turned us in for underage drinking. And that was a big, shocking moment in my senior year. So it turned into most of the team being restricted, marching tours, you know, really having their reputation tarnished a bit. And even worse for us, maybe than that, was the season took a huge nosedive. You know, we were in a really good place from a from a sport perspective, and we just couldn't get it back together after that happened. And for me, you know, as I looked back on that event, I'm so thankful that it happened at the Academy and not sometime later in my career, when I was in charge of young airmen, but I'm glad it happened at the Academy and I took a couple of really great lessons out of it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:44 That is quite a lesson. I mean, I'm just thinking about someone who is a high achiever doing really well, has this reputation of that's, like you said, untarnished. Let's just take a moment in that space, because there are experiences that all leaders have, I think that are challenging in some way, that maybe is reputational. How do you navigate that? How did you carry yourself through that, when it probably felt dark? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 3:11 Yeah it was a little bit bleak. I mean, my family knew about it. But to answer the question, I found myself taking ownership, like, “Ooh, we made a really big mistake. I made a really big mistake as a leader. I took the team the wrong direction.” And so I apologized — like I apologized to the commandant, I apologized to my coaches, I apologized to my teammates, I apologized to some of their parents too, right, that we saw later in the season. And so I think the biggest thing that you can do in that moment is go, “I've really screwed up, and I'll take stock of that and change in the future.” And then the other thing is, you have to learn to forgive fast, like forgive yourself. I made a mistake. This isn't forever, right? It'll be something that I learned along the journey. But then also, for example, the freshmen that turned us in — that was a really emotional moment for the rest of the team. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:17 And you all stayed on the team together? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 4:18 We did for a while. She did end up leaving the Academy eventually, which I'm disappointed about. Like, I kind of feel like that's a little bit of another leadership failure there. But I just think the thing I learned out of it later was you have to forgive quickly. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:33 Wow. I mean, it seems so interesting that you had that kind of lesson so early. But I think one of the best things about the academy is really as a leadership lab we talk about, you know, being able to grow from learning lessons. How would you say your other cadets outside of the bubble? Right? The bubble being those who are in it with you. Because I think in life in general, when things happen, you kind of have this other perspective of people who don't know what's going on, and so then they come up with their own perceptions and thoughts on that. How did you navigate that as a cadet in the Cadet Wing? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 5:09 Yeah, I think it was trying at my first attempts at transparency, yeah, you know, like, “Hey, this is what's going on.” Like, people would ask us, “How much trouble are you guys in?” And at first we'd be like, “Well, we don't really know.” You know? “We don't know what this is going to turn out to look like,” and then once we kind of got our punishment, six months of restriction, 100 tours, 100 confinements, but with the potential, at least for the seniors to still graduate, we tried to share that with people too, like as if the leadership at the Academy still had some faith in us and thought we might still be able to graduate and be lieutenants someday. So, yeah, I would just say we tried some transparency. And, you know, there was also this kind of feeling of, I can't believe that your teammate did that. And we tried to address that too, you know, so it wouldn't come back, especially specifically on her right, as, you know, she was the one at fault here, right, like we were all at fault, you know, not doing the right thing. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 6:14 What a way to rise above. And I think really, what a beautiful story. Because I think some lessons in there, transparency, making sure that it, you know, it was responsibility that everyone took on, and it wasn't starting to point fingers. Because I think it certainly is easy to try and push things away from ourselves, isn't it? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 6:30 Yeah, absolutely, Col. Naviere Walkewicz 6:31 Oh, my goodness, thank you for sharing that. I'm sure that was quite a lesson. So you went on to graduate. Yes, yes. And so did you always know you wanted to be a pilot? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 6:43 I did. Yeah, since I was really young, I knew I wanted to fly airplanes. My parents sent me to Space Academy when I was somewhere around 11 or 12, and I thought, “Oh, I could be an astronaut. Someday, I want to fly the shuttle.” And so that just sparked the interest. And my dad's a West Point grad, and so when I went to him and asked him, “How do you become a pilot?” He said, “Well, you go to the Air Force Academy,” as if there was no other choice out there. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:10 So did you not even apply to West Point? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 7:11 I didn't. Much to his — I mean, I think that hurt his heart, but I didn't. He took me up there for a visit. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:19 Just in case you want to just see. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 7:20 Yeah, the Army has lots of pilots. Yes, no, the Air Force Academy was my destination. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:25 That is fascinating. So growing up, were you always someone that was a go-getter? Was this kind of ingrained in you because of your dad the way he raised you? Your mom, like, let's talk about your family dynamic. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 7:35 And yeah, sure, yeah. My dad an army officer. My mom, super hard worker. Worked in the Senate for a long time as a press secretary, and they just — yeah, they were they were wonderful, and I feel so lucky at the dynamic I had growing up. But yeah, I loved being a leader early, like I loved being in charge early. I could sense that about myself, like I wanted to be the person who helped others get to wherever they were going to. So I sensed that early. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:08 Oh, gosh, that's fascinating. So you went to the Air Force Academy, you came out, you got to go and you got to fly, and you're living your dream. I'd like to jump fast forward a bit, because in your leadership role, obviously, you know, as a pilot, you were doing some amazing things, and we can certainly talk about that. But there was a period of time in which you were a wing commander. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 8:28 Oh, sure. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:30 And I think you know, being a wing commander already is an amazing feat, but you were a wing commander during a time that I think was unprecedented in our country, COVID. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 8:40 Yeah, yeah, it was. It was an interesting time. I took the flag for Joint Base Lewis-McChord in early January 2020 and literally a month later, I was dealing with the first cases of COVID in Seattle, in the Seattle area. And so it went from being like, “This is everything I've worked really hard for and I am so excited to lead this amazing organization” to “I have never done anything like this before. No one has, and no one really has a whole lot of advice on what we're going to do next, and we're going to have to figure this out.” Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:22 So can you put it in perspective a little bit, just for us to understand? You know, when you're a wing commander, like, how large is this wing and kind of, what are the responsibilities that you were having to oversee while you're navigating a medical crisis? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 9:34 Yeah, so the wing is about 2,400 airmen. It's a C-17 wing, and so mobility operations never stop, right? Twenty-four hours a day, we're flying airplanes. I also had a clinic at the time, and then an airfield to run. Yeah, so a few things. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:53 Yes, just a couple. Oh, my goodness. OK, so maybe let's, let's talk about what that was like. Because I imagine, as a wing commander, while you do have a network in the way of working with your ,you know, those that are supporting you and all the experts, it still can be, probably be a little bit lonely. How do you navigate that? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 10:13 Yeah, well, I think a lot of people say that right, leadership is lonely, and I think it is in the context that at the end of the day, you're the person who has to make those final, tough decisions, no one else can make them for you, right? But the truth is, you have the most amazing a team around you, right? I had, during my time as a wing commander, two of the most amazing seniorenlisted leaders, two chiefs. My group commanders, also colonels, were really, really incredible and experienced. And then the wing commander network is actually pretty powerful too. So you have peers that you've grown up with as squadron commanders who are now in charge of other wings dealing with similar things. And so you lean into that too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 11:00 Well, we talk about networks in general mean, I think networks are so powerful, not even just in uniform, but outside of uniform. What was it like really trying to I think, when I think about the airmen that you were, you know, leading, they had their families and their own concerns as well. What was a challenging moment as a leader that you had to navigate, maybe where you weren't popular or did you feel like you actually navigated a space where everyone loved you? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 11:24 No. I mean, unfortunately, at the end of the day, you do have to make some of those really tough decisions. And so for us at McChord, we were in the middle of the biggest movement of nuclear weapons in history, and so an incredibly important no fail mission, right? And so my main focus was, how do I keep, specifically my crews that are trained to carry nuclear weapons, how do I keep them healthy? We don't have a lot of them, so if a couple of them get sick or something happens, then the mission really is at risk. So I really was focused on how to keep them healthy, but I also was just broadly worried about my older civilians who might be more susceptible to either getting COVID or having a real impact from it. I was worried about my airmen who had family members who might be immune compromised. I was worried about airmen who might go home and take it to their parents or grandparents. So it wasn't quite as simple as, “Well, our airmen are young and healthy.” You know, it's a much more challenging problem than that. And so when COVID was really bad, kind of the fall going into Christmas of 2020, one of the things I had to do was decide, am I going to let my airmen travel? The Air Force would eventually take care of that decision for me. But when the airmen are here, can they get together and celebrate the holidays? Are they going to have to spend Thanksgiving alone? You know, what kind of tough decisions am I going to have to make here? And so, yeah, I probably made some pretty unpopular decisions, thinking at the time that I was protecting the mission, and the way I handled it was it kind of goes back to one of those lessons I learned earlier, was transparency. Yes, we started doing things like Facebook Live, we let people ask as many questions as they wanted to or were brave enough to. And tried to do our best to answer them. And we also tried to convey that we know we're not making perfect decisions right now, like we're learning to right now. And just tried to be very human about it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 13:42 What an amazing approach, a human approach. And I think what's so great about the way you did that was most people only see the struggle from their lens, yeah. And as a leader, you're having to look at the if I make this decision, what's the second, third and fourth, you know, effect that comes from that decision on a much broader scale. And so I think when you talked about the transparency, that is really powerful. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 14:04 And it was a great way to get feedback too. You know, I, like some of my young airmen were struggling at the time, but actually it was some of my single officers, even who, you know, didn't quite have that family network around them where they were. And so we realized we had to pay attention to some other groups too, as we tried to think of ways to make sure we were taking care of the individual, but also the mission. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:33 My goodness. I mean, I just think about it, the standpoint of the weight that you carried in that space. How did it impact you on the home front, right? So you're leading up a wing, but you also have a family as well. What did that look like that? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 14:45 It was a challenging time. I had a 2-year-old at home, right? And at certainly, at the beginning of COVID, we didn't know what the impact kids was going to be, and so I was worried that she might be really vulnerable at that time. And my husband, who was also an Academy grad, his parents were living with us at the time, helping with the baby, and his dad had cancer. And so we were incredibly concerned about even me going to work every day, and the possibility of bringing something back to the house was a huge challenge. There was a time where I would enter through the garage and, like, strip down, put new clothes on, or go straight to a shower. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:31 Like a hazmat. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 15:32 Yeah. I mean, it was a really interesting time at the beginning. So many unknowns. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:37 Oh, my goodness. Well, I think most people can understand when I said hazmat, like hazardous materials and clearing yourself from it. But in a way, that's kind of what, how COVID did impact us. Wow. When you were talking in those moments as almost looks like a human and vulnerable leader in that approach, did you share, like, “Look, I understand these things as well, because I, too, have a family.” Did you — were those the ways you were… Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 15:58 Yes, absolutely. So anytime I got a chance to talk to airmen face to face, I would talk to them about how I'm my focus is certainly accomplishing our mission, but my focus is on their health, their family's health, and this is how I'm thinking about it, right? I'm thinking about my own family and the different dynamics we have going on, and how it might apply to them too. And I love the fact that before that, you would never have seen a wing commander doing something like a Facebook Live. But that just became such an incredible tool for that exact reason. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:33 Yes, so just thinking about the way you handled that, was there someone in your life, a mentor, or someone that you saw kind of display those traits that you emulated, or were they just something that you innately had in you? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 16:44 No, I'm sure I picked up on traits from multiple leaders that I had throughout my career. Col. John Murkowski is probably one of my favorite mentors. He was a DO in my first squadron… Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:00 Director of operations. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 17:02 Thank you; in my first squadron. And later I would work and work for him as a staff officer at Air Mobility Command. And I watched him lead, just with so much humility, very caring leadership style and certainly a good communicator. And you know, somebody like that is somebody you want to emulate in the future. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:25 Absolutely. And if I recall correctly, he's the one I think that might have turned your eye open to this concept of Air Force Weapons School, right? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 17:33 It's true. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:35 Let's talk about that a little bit. Because so for those listening and watching, you know, I was not an aviator, I was a logistics officer. And so I think even the thought of Weapons School, to me, is very much a pilot and aviation focused opportunity. Can we just talk a little bit about that in general, just so that we all can learn more about Weapons School? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 17:54 Yeah, I mean, certainly the history of the weapons school is focused on fighter operations. Right? The fighter pilot employing weapons being a tactical expert leading operations. That's how it started. But I think one of the best things the Air Force ever did was realize that in order to be successful in modern combat, you have to have a force that's integrated. So you need your intel officers to understand and provide information to the entire the entire force. You need space officers who can employ space effects at the right time. You need more than just the person in the flight deck or cockpit who's employing the weapons. So they somewhere in the '90s, right? We branched out. It started, certainly Intel officers were part of it for a long time, but it branched out into the mobility communities, and then later you would see it branch out into the space communities too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 18:53 So it was early and not very long before this opportunity was presented to you. Let's talk about that. Because had you, I know you had your site set on being a pilot. Were your site set on Weapons School? Erin Staine-Pyne 19:04 Never, never. No, I think — I felt, at least at that point, I felt really young in my career, still, right? I was an aircraft commander at the time. I wasn't an instructor in my weapons system yet. I wasn't an evaluator in my weapons system yet. And my director of operations came to me and said, “We want you to apply to weapons school.” And I was like, “I'm pretty young for that, Col. Naviere Walkewicz 19:30 And it's very competitive, right? Erin Staine-Pyne 19:31 It's very competitive. And the weapons officers in my squadron were like, they like, walked on water. Seemed like. They're so knowledgeable. So I hadn't really thought about it mostly in terms of time, like what it didn't seem like the right time for me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 19:50 So what made you say yes to apply? Erin Staine-Pyne 19:53 Yeah, I think, I think it was really two things. One was clearly my leadership believed in me, and that was hugely powerful, right? Somebody comes to you and says, “No, we think you are ready for this.” That was hugely powerful. And then the other thing is, they also said to me, “You would be the first woman to go through the C-130 program. We've never had a female graduate.” And I said, “Well, that's ridiculous.” Like, why is that still a barrier right now? And so I thought, “Well, if not me, then who?” Like, who's going to be the next woman who might be interested in that opportunity? And so I kind of threw a little caution to the wind I feel like, and said, “OK, let's do this.” Col. Naviere Walkewicz 20:43 What is that experience like? Because I know what it's like to apply to apply to the Air Force Academy. You know, you have this, the program you're going through when you're getting, you know, your weapon system up that you're going to get in pilot training. What is it like, this application process for Weapons School? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 20:57 Yeah, so I remember you have to fill out a bunch of forms. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 21:00 OK, so that's pretty similar. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 21:03 Yeah, annotated paperwork. You have to fill out a bunch of forms, but on the forms, you have to talk about your flying experience and all the things you know. You have to have certain boxes checked, if you will. And so I remember filling out the form. They're like, “You have to have 100 hours as an instructor pilot.” And I'm like, “I don't have that, you know, but we'll plan to have accomplished prior to Weapons School starting,” Um, so yeah, I remember filling out the form and just being like, “OK, this kind of confirms I'm not sure I'm ready for this.” Col. Naviere Walkewicz 21:35 But obviously yes. So how many people are — maybe the word is accepted — into Weapons School class, and then how many typically graduate? Like, what's the attrition rate? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 21:45 Yeah, so each platform is different on how many students they take. Typically in a C-130 class, you would have somewhere around eight or nine students and you're probably going to lose perhaps one per class. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:03 OK, the numbers are small to begin with; that's kind of significant. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 22:04 Significant, yeah. If the class isn't making it through, every once in a while, you'll lose two and that's a challenge. It's a challenge to run the program without enough students, too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:15 OK, so how long is that? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 22:16 It's a six-month program, OK, or maybe five and a half months approximately. So it's a pretty big chunk of your flying life to go to training for that long too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:27 So let's talk about that, because there was probably some growth in yourself as a leader. One feeling like you weren't actually ready, then you were accepted. So then you're clearly ready, but you know, you're navigating it, and almost enough in a first kind of capacity. What was it like from growing as a leader in Weapons School? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 22:43 Yeah, it was. It was just the perfect example of how obstacles can be opportunities, you know? And like, I talked to some of my younger airmen now and I tell them, “Don't ever turn down an opportunity, because you never know when that opportunity is going to be the thing that that really propels your career or changes what you're interested in, or leads you down a really interesting path.” And so I walked in the door, and I certainly was a little bit nervous, and perhaps had a chip on my shoulder about being the first woman to go through the program. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 23:18 Tell me what you mean by that. Chip on your shoulder. Chip on — you're like, “Why hasn't it happened yet?” Or chip on — like, “I have something to prove.” Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 23:24 Yeah, maybe I have something to prove, you know, like that, “I'm good enough to be here.” And what I learned, though, is, as soon as the program started, and I actually met the instructors and the people, you know, my classmates, the people that I'd be going through the program with, is it was completely unnecessary. They wanted nothing more than me to be, you know, wildly successful in the program. And so it just turned out to be such an opportunity and such a great experience. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 23:56 And I'm going to mention this because I'm sure that you won't, you end up being the top graduate from your Weapons School class. What did that look like through the program? You know? How did you earn that? And was it from different things you demonstrated as a leader? Like, what brought that forth? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 24:14 Yeah, I think, certainly it's especially in the Air Force flying communities, like you have to do the work yourself, right? It's hard work. You have to study. There's a lot of academics, but I think at the end of the day, what's really important is that you understand that the team dynamics. You know you're going through the weapon school with eight or another eight or nine other people. Are you the person who sits down and helps somebody out when you're good at something and they're not? Are you the person who recognizes what the other teammates are really good at and take advantage of that? It's really about learning those individuals and building the team dynamics up that makes you successful in a program like that. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:00 Erin, I'm just thinking back on all the things that you've shared with me, just in the way that you are such a team minded person. You know at the Academy, you were the team captain. You know at weapons school, you're, you know, the distinguished graduate. That what they call graduate, yes, and so wing commander. I mean, I think there's this theme. What would you say is probably that most important characteristic that you carry then as a leader? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 25:28 Yeah, it's, I feel like maybe this is a broken record with some other leaders, but I think it's empathy. I really do. I think one of the things I think about back to my Air Force Academy experience, is, you know, I had freshmen I was responsible for as a sophomore, or I had teammates I was responsible for as a team captain, and did I really get to know them? Like I knew them. But did I really get to know them? Could I really walk in their shoes for a little bit and practice empathy for them? And so it took me a long time to learn, like, what a skill it is to be able to see something from somebody else's perspective, and how you can use that when you're leading. But I'd say it now: It's a superpower. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:14 When have you found in your career that that could be really challenging, like the knowing that's such an important fabric in your being a leader but also having to balance the mission right? Can you share a story or anything? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 26:29 Yeah, I really can. So one of the things that was challenging at McChord was our tempo, right? We were really busy, especially in certain mission areas, and so I could see the strain on some of my airmen. And the question is, how far can you push right like, how far can you push before it's too far and they really get unhealthy? And so I found myself — because I certainly feel empathetic towards them, I've been the person on the road all the time — I felt myself wanting to go to my MAJCOM and say, “You guys have to slow down for us, like you have to give us a little bit less mission.” And yet, at the time, they needed us to do more, you know. And so really trying to get into the details about how much workload can we sustain? How can we find different ways to share the workload across the wing that maybe we haven't thought of before? I found myself trying to find alternate ways to balance those two things that were really ahead with each other. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:41 Was that something that you had the opportunity to talk through or work through with someone, or is this something that you really kind of just had to dig in internally and figure out? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 27:52 Yeah, no, it's a perfect example of digging into the team, right? Bringing the team back together. I had a great ops group commander who really understood the challenge. I had a planner who was the person who would really plan out the sortie pace, who really understood the challenge, and had great contacts at Air Mobility Command, like, No, I mean, we would bring a tiger team together to try to figure this out. And my job at that time was to give direction, remove obstacles out of the way, but then really let them at their expert level, dig in and try to come up with some solutions. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 28:29 That's fantastic. The team effort, everyone just kind of rallying around. So I'm curious on —because of the tempo of the roles you've had to be in and lead and experiences you've had, how has that impacted you? Your ability to be present with your family? How do you navigate that as a leader? Because I think that's something that leaders struggle with, like, how far do I go myself, and where am I willing to, you know, let things kind of go to the back burner. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 28:54 Yeah, I think it's one of the hardest challenges out there, right? People talk about work-life balance. I'm probably of the ilk that I don't really think there's a such a thing, right? I think it's more of a like a sine wave curve, where you pay attention to your career at those really critical times that you need to and then when there's an opportunity to kind of, you know, pull the throttles back, you do it. And if you learn that early in your career, that there are those peaks and valleys, you can build a healthy career over time. So I would find that certainly, anytime you're in a leadership position, right, squadron commander, flight commander, wing commander, those are going to be the times when you're right at the top and right, you've got to find ways to incorporate your family into the job. Yes, what I would tell you, and then the other times you can focus more on what they want to do. But yeah, when I was a commander, I would — my husband was fully involved in the squadron. When I was a wing commander, I had a Pack n' Play in my office right for my little one, because I wanted to make sure I got plenty of time with her too, and I would find ways to incorporate that too, right? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 30:08 And you actually showed that human side in leadership. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 30:11 Yeah. And I wanted my airmen to see it, to see that, you know, I wasn't all the time Air Force blue. We gotta go, go, go. No, I've got to find ways to make both of those things work Col. Naviere Walkewicz 30:25 In all those times when you were leading others, and, you know, working in a partnership with Frank, your husband and your family, when did you find time to take care of you? Like, what did that look like for you? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 30:36 It was hard, it was hard, but I think what I did was I tried to find the things that gave me the most pleasure and prioritize those. So for me, it was, for example, I'm a soccer player, right? Anytime we were assigned to D.C., I joined my indoor soccer team and played soccer on the weekends, you know, or sometimes it was just curling up and reading a good book that had nothing to do with military. Like, finding some pleasure in the small things I do think we scheduled. Like, I never gave leave back. I think that's really important. That is such an importan — I always took advantage of my leave. And I would plan big things for it too, like, we're gonna go to Hawaii, or we're going to go to Europe, you know, we're going to do things and experience something else. So we have some of those really fun things to look back on. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:33 And when you took that leave, I'm curious, how did you navigate that space? As I'm a leader, am I reachable? Or what does that look like when you're on vacation? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 31:41 Yeah, I think you have to be reachable. Yes. I mean, unfortunately, sometimes there are just things that happen that you have to be reachable. But I think you also try to set an expectation that the person running your squadron or your wing or your, you know, whatever organization it is, that they understand when those moments are like, “You're not calling me for the small things. You're calling me because something big has happened and it requires my attention.” Col. Naviere Walkewicz 32:11 No, that's perfect. So I'm as I'm thinking about your career, what is probably had been the most maybe rewarding, I'll give you an option, either, like, the most rewarding experience you've had as a leader, or maybe the most challenging, because I think, like, those kind of, you know, two ends of the spectrum really kind of forge us as leaders at times. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 32:30 Yeah, well, I'll tell you what the most rewarding is, because it's really fun. It's actually, it actually still happens now is, like, the other day, I got a note from one of one of my he was a staff sergeant when he was in my squadron, and he reaches out to me, he says, he's retiring, and could I come to his retirement? And, “Hey, you were the best squadron commander I ever had in my 20-year career.” You know, something like a piece of feedback like that, like I could sustain on that for a really long time, that that and that you made an impact in somebody's life, right? And they remember maybe some of the leadership traits you exemplified and used them themselves in their career. I just think that's like the full professional, complete loop. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 33:15 Wow, what a perfect way to take us here. Because one of the things I like to ask all of my guests on Long Blue Leadership is, What is something you are doing every day to be better? I mean, you talked about, you know, how you kind of lean into, you know, those moments and really celebrate them and be reachable, etc. But I'm curious, what are you doing every day? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 33:32 Yeah, I love this question, actually. So it made me reflect, “Am I doing something every day that will actually continue my own self-improvement?” And I think the answer is yes, but to be honest, right now, it's really focused somewhat inward on my family. Yeah. So I'm at that point in my career where I've spent a lot of time giving to the military, to the service, to whatever objective it was, and so today I am trying to be the best mom that I possibly can every single day. So I'll read a blog, a book, I'll talk to other moms, collaborate with her teachers. I'm really focused on trying to make sure I'm fully present as a mother, since I have the opportunity, because I was a little late to motherhood. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:22 Well, I mean, it sounds like a beautiful way to fill your own cup, right? Oh, I love that. Well, the other question we like to ask is, if you could turn back time and talk to your young self, or maybe just if you're thinking about cadets, and those who you know cadet hopeful is coming up and in, in today's day and age, what's something you would tell them to do now in the space they're in so they'll be better set up down the road? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 34:45 Yeah, I would tell them not to self-limit. Like, don't — if you think about something that you want to do in your career, or if you think about an idea that is possible, but maybe you think right now, you know nobody would support it or whatever. Don't self-limit. Like, go after it and be willing to take risks in that career space too. So there's so much that a single airman can do in this service, and there are senior leaders who want airmen who are kind of bold and willing to take risk and really reach their full potential. So yeah, don't self-limit. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 35:26 What does that look like? Like, what does — I mean the idea of saying to myself, “OK, like, I'm just going to be really open to things.” Or, how do you put that into practice? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 35:33 I think it means, if you want to apply for a program and you're like, “I'm not sure I'm going to get that.” Apply, right? Apply. If you are worried about going to pilot training and washing out, don't be like — go through it again. The system is designed now to really help you get through those programs and those experiences. So don't just, don't rule anything out in your own mind beforeyou know, let somebody else do the ruling out for you. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:04 Thank you for, I think, just expanding on that, because, you know, I think we can always look back, we know we're wiser and older now, right? And understand that. But I think actually, you made it so practical, and actually how you really do live that way. Yeah, thank you for that. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 36:17 Yeah, absolutely. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:18 Oh gosh. Erin, I mean, this has been incredible. Has there been anything in your leadership journey that we haven't talked about that you would really love to share? Because I want to make want to make sure we have that time with you. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 36:27 Yeah, I mean, you really hit some of the highlights, for sure. I just I've been so lucky to be part of so many great teams along the journey, and it's so interesting to see where you learn the biggest leadership lessons from, my opinion, is it hasn't necessarily been from some of those big successes. It's definitely been from the failures along the way. And so I just, I think seeing failure is that opportunity is really important. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:57 We talked about your cadet failure. Was there any other one in your, you know, in your professional career, post-graduation, that you did see? Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 37:04 I mean, I'm sure there were, yeah. I mean, Weapons School itself is a lesson in failing on a you know? One week you're completely failing, the instructors tell you how terrible you're doing, and the next week you're like, crushing it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 37:19 Sounds like basic training a little bit. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 37:22 A little bit, right? It's definitely emotional. And so, yeah, I just, I think there are lots of examples of “I know I didn't get it exactly right this time, and I'm just going to build on that for next time.” Col. Naviere Walkewicz 37:36 Oh, gosh. Well, thank you. I one of my favorite things about this time with you, Erin, is how you've navigated your career, but you've done it just even being in this room, like your smile is just effervescent. I have loved being in this room with you. Some of the lessons that I've taken away throughout this entire conversation: being transparent, being human. Just, I've seen it in just the work that we do together here at the Association & Foundation. I'm looking forward to seeing it in, you know, in this role that you're now with, with Merlin Lab, but I know you're going to be successful and the people that will get to work with you will just be thrilled, and will grow from that too. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 38:10 Yeah, thanks, Naviere. I love what you're doing with the Long Blue Leadership podcast, with all the Association events. I really think you're helping to connect future leaders and current leaders, and I just think that's so important for what we're doing today. So thank you for what you're doing too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 38:29 Thank you. Well, I just taken it from some of the lessons you were talking about. Meet them where they are, right? So that's what we're doing. Well, I want to thank you all for joining us today on Long Blue Leadership. You know, Erin Staine-Pyne, Class of '98 — she trained me, so you know I'm going to be good — But you know, the lessons permeate no matter where you are in your leadership career. Be human, be transparent, be present and then remember that your career, I think how you said it kind of on these waves. And so, you know, do what you need to do in the moment. You need to do them. And I think as long as you take care of yourself and take care of your people, you're going to be successful. So thank you again for joining us. Col. Erin Staine-Pyne 39:05 Thank you. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 39:06 And thank you for joining us on Long Blue Leadership. Until next time, I'm Naviere Walkewicz. KEYWORDS Air Force leadership, military leadership lessons, leadership failure, overcoming failure, accountability in leadership, transparency in leadership, empathy in leadership, leading through crisis, leadership during pandemic, mission versus people balance, building strong teams, mentoring airmen, women military leaders, professional development, resilience in leadership. The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation

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Cold War Phantom: Nuclear Alert, Weapons School & Soviet Intercepts

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2026 31:35

Pinbag Shaw | 10 Percent True | EP83 Part 3In the final instalment of my conversation with Thomas “Pinbag” Shaw, we close out his Phantom career.From Cold War nuclear strike planning in Europe to flying large-force exercises at Nellis and combat-ready deployments in the Pacific, Pinbag walks us through the evolution of the F-4E and the realities of fighter operations in the late Cold War.We talk about weapons school culture, the arrival of systems like Pave Tack and ARN-101, Sparrow missile performance, Soviet encounters in the Pacific, and what it was really like operating the Phantom at the edge of the Cold War.And he finishes with one of the most striking stories in this entire interview series.0:00 Intro Story – Cultural Differences3:23 Welcome Back, Pinbag4:24 Follow-on Assignment from Korea – Hahn (Germany)9:59 TISEO “Qualification”11:26 AGM-65 – In-Theatre Limitations12:46 European Theatre – Differences from PACAF & Culture16:10 B-61 & B-57, SIOP, Hard Crewing19:52 Certification – Related Stories27:15 Victor Alert Targeting & “The French View” on West Germany28:38 Local Traditions & Low Flying31:00 TISEO in Operation33:50 To Nellis (Not Moody?!)38:03 The Place to Be – Red Flag, RDJTF, F-15 Integration & “The Box”45:58 Radar – Follow-Up47:30 The Eagles49:40 Personal Development Journey54:45 Back to PACAF – Clark (F-4 Fleet, Weapons, Equipment & 3rd TFS History)1:06:00 PAVE TACK1:08:10 WESEP / Combat Sage – ORU-1 Radar Upgrade & AIM-7 Developments1:17:00 Weapons School Experience – Culture Shift, Academics vs Flying, Staying Out of “The Box”1:28:10 The Aggressor Problem1:31:00 Fisher vs Glosson – Culture of the Time1:34:10 Focus on North Korea & Shadowing the Russian Navy1:38:15 Changes After KAL 007 Shootdown1:41:58 Post-Weapons School – Taegu as Weapons Officer (PAVE TACK & Range Betting)1:51:06 ROK Maintenance & Marshall Enforcement – Intro Story1:55:55 Evolution of the Rear Cockpit2:09:00 Battle Damage & Oddities2:11:05 Thank You, Pinbag

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How the Tornado Survived the Modern Battlefield | Luftwaffe Weapons School Insider

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2026 129:41

Mattes Kries 10 Percent True EP81 Part 2Former Luftwaffe Tornado IDS pilot and weapons school instructor Mattes Kries returns to break down how a Cold War–era strike aircraft was pushed far beyond its original design. From low-level nuclear strike doctrine to medium-altitude workarounds, “dumb” HARM employment, Red Flag and Nellis weapons school, and the arrival of TAURUS, this episode explores how crews compensated for limited kit with tactics, maths, and judgement. It's a rare, insider look at German Tornado operations, weapons school culture, and the real cost of keeping legacy jets relevant.0:00 intro teaser 1:35 welcome back Mattes2:55 recognition of the “different breed”6:30 The state of tactics in the prevailing atmosphere and “fooling” the weapons computer (the value of a good weatherman)18:25 shortcomings distilled19:31 targeting and low to medium altitude…..24:15 and then with GPS27:27 reversion mode targeting feasibility 29:28 a sense among crews that Luftwaffe is lagging behind peers?34:16 why?37:50 squadron re-roll43:30 flying rates? 47:15 competency levels as a result? 53:30 losses57:42 weapons school1:08:45 how to counter a 4-ship of Eagles1:10:40 electronic attack systems 1:13:10 BFM phase1:19:00 bomb in face and other survival tactics1:21:12 HARM 1:26:08 upgrades incl datalink and Marineflieger cross pollination 1:31:50 intelligence, access to information on other platforms?1:39:18 instructing at the weapons school and lessons in leadership1:47:20 TAURUS1:53:00 opinions on Ukraine - SCALP assessment?1:58:33 low level2:07:05 Thank you Mattes!

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Before the Weapons School: The Making of a Tornado Pilot

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2026 116:21

Mattes Kries | 10 Percent True | EP81 – Part 1In this episode, Mattes Kries—a former Luftwaffe Tornado IDS pilot and weapons instructor—traces his career from a hard-won start in NATO jet training through frontline Tornado operations, weapons school, and senior tactics leadership. He explains how Germany's Tornado force evolved from Cold War low-level nuclear strike toward conventional, medium-altitude employment; how lessons from U.S. and NATO exercises reshaped German tactics; and why culture, risk tolerance, and bureaucracy matter as much as hardware.Along the way, Mattes offers rare, candid insight into weapons school innovation, COMAO command without Link 16, live weapons integration, and the realities of training for combat in a force defined by safety-first constraints—grounded in vivid anecdotes and hard-earned lessons.Timestamps00:00 – The Greek instructor teaser01:58 – Welcome Mattes & Phil's subscriber questions: inspiration and most exhilarating mission12:05 – Matthew's subscriber question: history and pride in the modern Luftwaffe23:40 – Attachment to the past among today's Luftwaffe personnel29:10 – Starting out in the Luftwaffe34:02 – F-4 ambitions—and why fate had other (good) ideas41:28 – T-37 challenges (and the Greek instructor)49:00 – Turning early struggles into long-term success51:15 – Arrival on the Tornado at Büchel56:40 – Tornado IDS: roles, weapons, and mission sets1:05:35 – SIOP and nuclear strike planning1:10:40 – The MW-1 weapon system1:20:19 – Why the MW-1 was never fitted for training—and the power of German accountants1:29:30 – Staying on the boom: tanker planning as a weapons school student1:35:08 – Avoiding the KC-135 by design?1:36:35 – Responding to Starbaby's criticism of ECR capabilities vs decision-maker mindset1:54:25 – Part 2 incoming

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* Sneak Peek*MBRS 74: Stolen Valor Shootout & Air Force Weapons School Turf War

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2026 49:10

Send us a textPeaches rips into a viral stolen valor shooting in Seattle, exposing some of the worst weapon handling imaginable, and then unloads on the drama of Security Forces trying to brand themselves as “Air Force Weapons School.” If you want unfiltered truth about Special Warfare, concealed carry, and what actually makes USAF training elite, this episode delivers.We cover: • Nashville Operator Training Summit (AFSW prep event – land, pool, and mentorship) • The Seattle stolen valor shooting and embarrassing weapons manipulation mistakes • Concealed carry failures and why real firearms training matters • Inside the Air Force Weapons School: prestige, mission planning, and elite standards • Security Forces Weapons & Tactics Instructor Course hype vs reality • JTAC Weapons School, A-10 retirement, and what's next for Special Warfare • Recruiter pressure, cone excuses, and why some candidates keep failing⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & off-script start 02:10 – Nashville OTS details (land, pool, mentorship) 04:26 – Seattle stolen valor shooting breakdown 11:00 – Worst concealed carry fail: finger on trigger, pinky on barrel 17:24 – What it's really like inside the Air Force Weapons School 19:33 – Security Forces course hype vs reality 25:50 – Why SF grads don't belong in mission planning cells 31:56 – Copying patches, chasing four-stars, and PR stunts 35:33 – Membership perks & exclusive merch 38:00 – JTAC Weapons School, future tracks, and the A-10 sunset 42:48 – Parents, cones, and IFT excuses 45:10 – Recruiter pressure to ship early 47:23 – Burpees, excuses, and why cones keep failing 49:00 – Wrap-up & Peaches out

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From Warthogs to Reapers - Episode 66

Behind the Wings

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2025 38:10

Retired Fighter Pilot Lt. Col. Tammy Barlette shares how flying the A-10 prepared her for operating UAVs like the MQ-1.In this episode, she discusses the Warthog's capabilities, combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, controlling the Predator and Reaper drones, returning to jets after a spinal injury, and how she now shares lessons from the flight deck as a mental performance trainer. As air superiority continues to shift from cockpits to control rooms, we get an inside look at why the pilot's role is more complex than ever before. This one is going to be cool!Resources:Athena's Voice (Tammy's Speaking Website) Crosscheck Mental Performance (Tammy's Training Website) A-10 Fact Sheet (U.S. Air Force) MQ-1 Fact Sheet (U.S. Air Force) MQ-9 Fact Sheet (U.S. Air Force) Chapters:(00:00) - Intro (01:21) - Balancing Perfectionism (02:26) - Aviation Beginnings (03:44) - Tammy's Pilot Journey (05:15) - Flying the T-37 (06:53) - Selecting the Warthog (08:22) - From ROTC to the Cockpit (09:26) - Flying the Thunderbolt II (10:13) - Favorite Stories (12:17) - A-10 Capabilities (13:28) - Close Air Support Training (14:18) - Transitioning to UAVs (15:59) - Flying the Predator (17:58) - MQ-1 Capabilities (19:09) - Separating Missions and Personal Life (20:15) - Combat in Iraq and Afghanistan (22:24) - Weapons School and the MQ-9 (26:03) - Changing Policies (26:59) - From Jets to Drones to Jets Again (27:54) - Flying Mistakes (29:52) - Aircraft Performances (30:36) - The Future of Uncrewed Aircraft (31:22) - Mental Performance Training (35:50) - Tammy's Advice (36:45) - Outro

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#142 Rob “Trip” Raymond | F-16 Combat, SEAD, Iraq, and Dos Gringos

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2025 97:27

Colonel (Ret) Rob “Trip” Raymond sits down with Flash McVay for one of the most wide ranging fighter pilot interviews ever captured on The Afterburn Podcast. Trip is known across the fighter community for his combat time in the F-16, his leadership as a weapons officer and commander, and, of course, his role in the legendary fighter pilot band Dos Gringos.Become an owner in Winglore Spirits. Invest and join the Squadron here: Winglore Spirits Netcapital: https://netcapital.com/companies/winglorespirits Pick up a bottle of Winglore Whiskey: Supply Winglore Spirits: https://winglorespirits.com/supply Use promo code AFTERBURN2025 for 10 percent off your whiskey order

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S1Ep252 Debrief to Win with Fighter Pilot and VMax Group Founder Robert "Cujo" Teschner

The Business Growth Show

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2025 35:26

Debrief to win isn't just a military practice—it's a business imperative. At least, that's how Robert “Cujo” Teschner sees it. A retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and the founder of VMax Group, Cujo spent years training elite teams to perform under pressure, make split-second decisions, and lead with accountability. Now, he works with businesses across industries to bring those same high-performance principles into the boardroom. Before launching his leadership consultancy, Cujo served as an F-15 and F-22 fighter pilot, Weapons School instructor, and F-22 squadron commander. He also held a senior role on the Joint Staff and earned advanced degrees in operational art and national security strategy. But what set his military career apart was his deep expertise in the debriefing process—the structured, forward-focused method used by top military teams to learn, adapt, and improve. The idea behind debrief to win is simple but powerful: every mission ends with a disciplined review of what happened, what worked, what didn't, and what must change. It's not about blame—it's about learning. That same mindset, Cujo argues, is desperately needed in today's fast-moving business environment. The transition from fighter pilot to entrepreneur came with its own challenges. After a cancer diagnosis forced him into early retirement, Cujo found himself navigating civilian life without a playbook. But what began as a difficult detour became the foundation for his next mission. He founded VMax Group with the goal of teaching businesses how to “really team”—how to communicate, lead, and operate with the kind of clarity and purpose that's often missing in corporate environments. Debrief to win became the centerpiece of that work. Unlike traditional accountability models in business—often reactive, fear-based, and backward-looking—this approach is proactive, structured, and focused on building a stronger next iteration. Whether a project succeeds or fails, teams are trained to extract insights that improve future performance. What sets Cujo's model apart is the emphasis on learning, discipline, and tone. In high-stakes environments, the way a debrief is conducted can make or break trust. Leaders are taught to approach the process with curiosity, not criticism. That shift in mindset opens the door for honest conversations, stronger alignment, and real improvement—without triggering defensiveness or blame. Organizations that embrace the debrief to win model often see changes well beyond performance metrics. Communication improves. Teams become more resilient. People take greater ownership of outcomes. And over time, a culture of continuous learning begins to take hold. It's not just about fixing mistakes—it's about building the kind of high-functioning teams that don't settle for average. VMax Group, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, works with clients across North America, ranging from fast-growing startups to established enterprises. Cujo's background resonates with organizations seeking not just leadership development, but transformation. His work brings structure to chaos, purpose to process, and accountability to action. In a marketplace filled with disruption—from AI to economic uncertainty to shifting workplace dynamics—the ability to debrief to win is more important than ever. Teams that build learning into their culture are better positioned to navigate change, recover from setbacks, and seize opportunity. And as Cujo often reminds clients, the best time to debrief is not after something goes wrong—it's every time. Whether the goal is scaling a business, strengthening leadership, or improving execution, the path forward starts with a simple question: what can we do better next time? For teams willing to ask—and answer—that question consistently, the results speak for themselves. Watch the full interview on YouTube. Join Fordify LIVE every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Central on your favorite social platforms and catch The Business Growth Show Podcast every Thursday for a weekly dose of business growth wisdom. About Cujo Teschner Robert “Cujo” Teschner is a retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and the founder of VMax Group, a leadership consulting firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. During his distinguished military career, he served as an F-15 and F-22 pilot, Weapons School instructor, squadron commander, and senior Joint Staff officer. He is a combat veteran with advanced degrees in Operational Art and Science and National Security Strategy. From 2004 to 2006, Cujo was the Air Force's subject matter expert on post-mission debriefing—a methodology used by elite military teams to drive continuous improvement. Today, he brings that same system to the business world, helping organizations build high-performing teams through accountability, clarity, and structured learning. Through his work at VMax Group, Cujo has become a trusted advisor to executives, teams, and organizations looking to lead more effectively in disruptive environments. His mission is simple: to teach teams how to “really team” by applying proven, performance-tested leadership principles that deliver lasting results. To learn more about Cujo Teschner and how VMax Group helps organizations build high-performing teams, visit VMaxGroupLLC.com. About Ford Saeks Ford Saeks is a Business Growth Accelerator with over 20 years of experience helping organizations drive innovation, improve performance, and increase profitability. As President and CEO of Prime Concepts Group, Inc., Ford has generated more than one billion dollars in sales for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. An award-winning entrepreneur, Ford has founded over ten companies, authored five books, and holds three U.S. patents. He is widely recognized for his work in branding, customer experience, sales optimization, and digital marketing. His expertise also extends to AI prompt engineering, where he trains businesses to integrate AI tools like ChatGPT to improve operations and engagement. Ford recently spoke at the “Unleash AI for Business Summit,” where he shared insights on how artificial intelligence is transforming customer interactions, marketing, and organizational strategy. Learn more at ProfitRichResults.com and watch his business TV show at Fordify.tv.

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Ep 507: So You Want to Be Special Warfare? Here's Your Future Career

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 56:53

Send us a textCongrats, you survived the pipeline and think you've made it. Spoiler: nobody at your first team gives a damn. In this episode, Peaches and Trent rip the lid off the “career trajectory” nobody tells you about. From being the new guy fetching radios to running a team, dodging AETC orders, and getting stuck in jobs nobody wants (ops shop, anyone?), we break down exactly how fast you go from “student stud” to “old guy with back pain.” We torch the myths, clown on guard bros, debate steroid use in the team room, and even drag the almighty Chiefs' Group. It's blunt, funny, and probably the most accurate look you'll get at life after selection.⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro and Nashville OTS plug 02:30 – Gummies, discounts, and random sponsor chaos 05:00 – Parents: stop thinking your kid's a Navy SEAL 09:30 – Career trajectory kicks off: post-pipeline reality check 13:00 – First assignment: proving yourself, schools, deployments 18:30 – Second assignment: team time, AETC purgatory, broadening 24:30 – Victims of your own success (sorry, Spencer) 28:00 – Third assignment: Tech/MSGt life, team sergeant grind 34:30 – MAGCOM, CFMs, and the bureaucracy circus 39:30 – Senior years: SOCOM, Weapons School, Chiefs' Group hell 48:30 – Officer track: rinse, repeat, go to school forever 53:00 – Dumb team room arguments and badge drama 55:00 – Steroids, recovery, and castration jokes (yep, we went there) 56:30 – Wrap-up: educational, slightly offensive, but accurate

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Ep 504: Inside the Next-Gen Pilot Training

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 57:33

Send us a textPeaches sits down with Bane—combat-experienced F-15E pilot—to roast the insanity of modern warfare expectations. From Ziploc-bag bathroom breaks at 30,000 feet to the Air Force's genius idea of “just fly 16 hours and THEN fight,” this one dives into the real limits of human performance. They rip into burnout, busted culture, risk aversion, and the coming era of human-machine teaming. Forget free massages—this is about survival, lethality, and fixing a system that breaks its people before the war even starts. If you think “human performance” is just foam rollers and protein shakes, strap in. This episode goes full throttle into Alter, the Weapons School's vision to rebuild warfighters for the fights nobody's rehearsed.⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – One's Ready intro and “attributes-based selection” rant 01:45 – Bane's combat pilot reality check (ISIS fight, 10-hour sorties, Ziploc pee bags) 05:30 – Why 16-hour war plans are insanity 09:15 – The real limits: focus, boredom, and staying lethal under exhaustion 12:20 – Cognitive burnout and the price of long-duration missions 17:00 – What the Air Force is actually doing (spoiler: lots of memos, little progress) 21:00 – Introducing Alter: not just massages, but a cultural shift in human performance 26:00 – The hero's journey, humility, and sacrifice at the Weapons School altar 30:00 – From UFC PI to Nellis: building labs, data streams, and brain maps 39:00 – Why collision spaces, competition, and even video games matter for warfighters 45:00 – The Arena: bringing back risk, competition, and the will to win 52:00 – Scientific proof: linking human performance to mission effectiveness 56:30 – Call to action for leaders: fund this before the fight arrives

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Ep 503: Why Military Influencers Keep Crashing Out + One Absolute Badass

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 67:57

Send us a textThe boys went full chaos mode—no prep, no filter, straight smoke. Ones Ready talks squats and Lizzo-as-a-unit-of-measure, then the crew dives into the viral “Braveheart Girl” story out of Scotland and the absolute clown show of UK laws. From there it spirals into stolen valor scandals, Nate from Valhalla torching Shrek McPhee, and the dumpster fire of the military influencer space. Is calling people out good for the community, or are we just feeding the negativity machine? Oh, and Hollywood is taking a swing at Alone at Dawn—so buckle up, because if Ron Howard screws this up, we riot.⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Absolute chaos intro, no show prep, panic face Peaches 01:00 – Squats, deadlifts, and measuring weight in “Lizzos” 06:00 – The Braveheart Girl: Scotland's knife fight with reality 12:30 – Why UK laws are broken beyond repair 20:00 – Violence as an option: when cultures collide 26:00 – Social media hate, DMs, and why negativity never scales 32:00 – Nate vs Shrek McPhee: stolen valor and dirty laundry 39:00 – Military justice system: GOMARs, demotions, and gray zones 46:00 – Tasty Gains ad break (Peaches on nootropics = locked in) 48:30 – Ron Howard directing Alone at Dawn—will Hollywood screw it up? 55:00 – Takur Ghar, Chapman, and the truth vs Navy PR 01:02:00 – Why creators sound clunky when they overcorrect 01:04:30 – Peaches mortified at Weapons School graduation shoutout 01:05:30 – Wrap-up: no agenda, all smoke

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Inside the USAF Weapons School: Lessons in Failure, Leadership, and Air Combat

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 146:48

Want ad-free, early access? https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listMaestro Renken EP74 Part 2In this powerful interview, Maestro offers a raw, insightful deep dive into the unforgiving crucible of the Weapons Instructor Course. He shares hard lessons on failure, leadership, tactical innovation, integrating multi-domain capabilities, and preparing aircrew to fight peer adversaries like China. A masterclass in humility, instruction, and modern air warfare.

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James Ragland from the Defense Nuclear Weapons School (DNWS) shares the school's history, mission, and the various courses it offers. He talks about the evolution of the school's focus from Cold War-era nuclear weapons to contemporary threats, the types of students who attend, and the unique courses available, including specialized training for first responders. Ragland also highlights the importance of the Nuclear Weapons Instructional Museum and the role of DNWS in enhancing nuclear education within the military and government. James Ragland is a former Bioenvironmental Engineer and a 15-year veteran of the United States Air Force. Since 2003, he has served as a faculty member at the Defense Nuclear Weapons School, the nation's premier institution for nuclear and radiological education. Mr. Ragland is recognized as a subject matter expert in nuclear policy and deterrence, with extensive expertise in nuclear weapons design, effects, and issues related to nuclear proliferation.Socials:Follow on Twitter at @NucleCastFollow on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nuclecastpodcastSubscribe RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/Rate: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nuclecast/id1644921278Email comments and topic/guest suggestions to NucleCast@anwadeter.org

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Episode #108 – The Tanker World's in Trouble: ARSAG, Anaconda, and Global Tensions on the Nation's DIME.

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2025 104:49

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Episode #110 – The Drone Swarm Wake-Up Call: Is the US and our Allies Ready?

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2025 57:48

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Episode #108 – The Tanker World's in Trouble: ARSAG, Anaconda, and Global Tensions on the Nation's DIME.

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2025 104:49

Episode #110 – The Drone Swarm Wake-Up Call: Is the US and our Allies Ready?

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2025 57:48

SEAD Part IV - Operation Iraqi Freedom

THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 133:33

Mike “Flash” McVay welcomes a seasoned fighter pilot and Wild Weasel veteran to break down the evolution of the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses mission in the Viper community. From crafting airplanes out of bobby pins as a toddler to executing real-world SEAD missions over Baghdad, this guest's career spans decades of pivotal moments in combat aviation. Listeners will hear how a single incentive flight in an F-16 transformed a lifelong dream of flying Eagles into a passion for the Viper's multi-role capabilities.The guest shares his formative years at Nellis as a maintenance officer during the transition from F-4G to F-16CJ in the Weasel role, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how the mission set developed. He discusses deployments supporting Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch, including a gripping account of being in Turkey when 9/11 occurred and the following political complications. As the conversation shifts to Operation Iraqi Freedom, he recalls leading night SEAD sorties over Baghdad, vividly describing the chaos, coordination, and execution of real-time missions under fire.

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Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Burt Field '79 - 5 Values for Leaders

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2024 45:04

In Episode 10 of Long Blue Leadership, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Burt Field '79, now president and CEO of the Air & Space Forces Association, discusses his leadership philosophy, and emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, effective communication, family, and the five core values by which he lives. Listen now! SUMMARY Burt Field, a retired Lieutenant General and CEO of the Air and Space Forces Association, discussed his career and leadership philosophy. He highlighted his upbringing as an Air Force brat, his academic journey at the Air Force Academy, and his early leadership roles. Field emphasized the importance of continuous learning, effective communication, and avoiding being an "asshole" in leadership. He shared impactful experiences, such as leading during the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, and the significance of family support. Field also discussed the Air and Space Forces Association's efforts in advocacy, education, and family resilience, stressing the need for strong national security and defense. LEADERSHIP BITES Values-Driven Leadership: Burt shared his 5 core leadership values - integrity, fortitude, excellence, teamwork, and service. Defining your values and using them to guide your decisions and actions is crucial. Continuous Learning: Burt emphasized that as a leader, you can never stop learning, whether it's about your organization, industry, or even topics outside your expertise. Staying curious and open to growth is key. Empowering Others: Burt stressed that a leader's job is to empower and inspire their team, not try to do everything themselves. Recognizing and rewarding excellence in others is vital. Effective Communication: Burt noted that leaders can never communicate too much or well enough. Repeatedly delivering clear, consistent messages is essential for alignment and buy-in. Humility and Inclusivity: True leadership requires humility, giving credit to others, and making the organization successful. SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK TAKEAWAYS Never stop learning. As a leader, you must continuously learn and expand your knowledge, even in areas outside your expertise. Define your leadership philosophy and values. Burt shared his 5 core values of integrity, fortitude, excellence, teamwork, and service. Having a clear set of guiding principles is crucial. Recognize and reward excellence. Identify and empower those who have put in the hard work to become experts in their fields. This builds a strong, capable team. Communicate effectively, repeatedly. Effective communication is critical, but leaders often underestimate how many times a message needs to be delivered clearly. Burt emphasized the importance of being inclusive, giving credit, and making the organization successful rather than yourself. Avoid toxic, self-serving leadership. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to General Burt Field 01:52 Growing Up as an Air Force Brat 05:40 Choosing the Air Force Academy 10:26 Life as a Cadet at the Academy 19:09 Leadership Development During Cadet Years 23:15 The Integration of Women at the Academy 24:12 Influential Leaders in General Field's Career 28:28 Learning from Subordinates 34:15 Career Path and Leadership Philosophy 37:54 A Chance Encounter: Love and Military Life 41:13 Building Resilient Families in the Military 42:12 The Journey to Leadership: From Air Force to AFA 45:57 Empowering the Next Generation: Education and STEM 49:46 Leadership Lessons: Insights from Experience 5 FRANK KEYS TO LEADERSHIP SUCCESS "You can never stop learning. You have to learn. And whether it's leadership or anything else, you have to always learn." "Everything comes from your values. When I make leadership decisions, or when I look at how we're going to move forward, or what, how we're going to accomplish the mission, it should reflect those values in my decisions, how I act, how I from the biggest thing of creating a here's the strategy, or in objectives on on what we're going to accomplish, to the smallest things, like how I conduct a meeting." "If you want to be a really good leader, you need to be really good at something. So you got to put in the work when you're young to be really good and understand how hard it is to be really good at something." "You cannot communicate enough, and you cannot communicate well enough. So I use this example all the time. I come up with a message. I craft it, I think about it, I write it down, I practice it, and then I deliver it, and it's awesome. I was perfect. I nobody could have misunderstood me when I'm done with that, and I really think that I have hit the mark with maybe 20% I probably got to say that again, that way or differently, about another 10 or 15 times when I can barely stand to hear myself talk anymore, and I'm still not going to get everybody." "I'm going to give the credit and I'm going to take the blame. That's how you become a good leader." - Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Burt Field '79, October 2024 ABOUT GEN. FIELD BIO Lt. Gen. Burt Field, USAF (Ret.), is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Air & Space Forces Association, leading the Association's professional staff in its mission to advocate, educate, and support the Air & Space Forces. As CEO, he oversees operations and resourcing for AFA and its 113,000 members, including events, publications, and the Mitchell Institue for Aerospace Studies, the nation's only think tank dedicated to air and space power. A veteran of 35 years of Air Force service, Field retired from active duty in 2015 following his final tour, as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements. Throughout his career, Field commanded a squadron, the Air Force Weapons School, three wings, a numbered Air Force, and a sub-unified command. A command pilot with over 3,400 flying hours in the F-16 and F-22, he served twice on the Joint Staff and completed a tour in the State Department as the military assistant to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In his last assignment, he led policy and requirements decision-making for air, space, irregular warfare, counter-proliferation, homeland security, and cyber operations. Prior to that assignment, he served as the Commander of United States Forces, Japan, and Commander of 5th Air Force from 2010-2012 where he led the U.S. military response to support Japan during the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster of 2011. Following his retirement, he served as the Vice President of Strategic Planning for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, developing strategies that guided and contributed to over $5 billion in growth in a five-year period. He also managed a $500 million New Business Funds portfolio for independent research and development. Since 2020, he has been an independent defense consultant, served as a subject matter expert working with and mentoring Airmen at all levels, and a member of the Board of Trustees for the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation. Field graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1979 and earned a master's degree in business administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He and his wife, Lisa, have two sons, both officers in the USAF. - Bio image and copy credit: AFA.org CONNECT WITH GEN. FIELD LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK | AIR & SPACE FORCES ASSOCIATION ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates! TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS GUEST: Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Burt Field '79 | Host: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Naviere Walkewicz 00:00 My guest today is Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Burt Field USAFA Class of '79, president and CEO of the Air & Space Forces Association. He spent 35 years in the Air Force, retiring in 2015 as deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements. Gen. Field has held many positions of leadership throughout his career, including squadron command, the Air Force Weapons School and three wings. He has served as a command pilot with over 3,400 hours in the F-16 and F-22. He completed a tour in the State Department as the military assistant to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. He has also served as the commander of United States Forces, Japan, and commander of the 5th Air Force from 2010 to 2012. In his post military career, he served as vice president of strategic planning for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. He has been an independent defense consultant and has served as a subject matter expert, working with and mentoring airmen. He is also a member of the board of trustees for the United States Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation. Today, we'll talk with Gen. Field about his life before, during and after the Academy. We'll discuss his role in leading the Air & Space Forces Association. And finally, we'll ask the general to share advice in leadership development. Gen. Field, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Burt Field 01:23 Thank you, Naviere. Please call me Burt. Naviere Walkewicz 01:24 OK, yes, sir, Burt. Will do. And I will say that was quite an introduction. You have had an incredible and ongoing career. Burt Field 01:30 Well, frankly, and no false modesty, I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time and take advantage of the opportunities presented to me. Naviere Walkewicz 01:39 Well, I appreciate you saying that, and I think our listeners are really going to enjoy hearing about what some of those right places at the right time kind of look like. But here's what we do at Long Blue Leadership: We like to rewind the clock a little bit and start with Burt as a child. What were you like growing up? Where was home? Burt Field 01:56 Well, I'm an Air Force brat. My dad was a fighter pilot. I like to say his first assignment was the Korean War, flying F-86s and his last flight was in an F-4 over Hanoi. Now, didn't get shot down, but that was his last flight. So, I grew up traveling around both country and the world and went to a bunch of different elementary schools and then three high schools before I ended up at the Air Force Academy. Naviere Walkewicz 02:27 Wow. I can imagine some of our listeners have also been some kind of service brat. As I always say, I was an Air Force brat as well. Are you an only child? Do you have siblings? Burt Field 02:37 I have three sisters. I have one older sister and two younger sisters, which irritated me to no end when I was a kid, but now we couldn't be closer. Naviere Walkewicz 02:49 So did you get special benefits because you were the only boy of all the girls? Burt Field 02:53 Of course not. Now, their stories are a little different, but of course not. Naviere Walkewicz 02:57 Understood. And did they also serve as well. Burt Field 03:01 They did not. None of them did. My older sister's a doctor. My next down is an accountant and CFO, and the one below that is a bunch of different medical community things and a nutritionist. Naviere Walkewicz 03:15 Wow. So, you are the one who followed in the military family footsteps. Burt Field 03:18 I was, but interestingly enough, I never really thought about it growing up. My dad just happened to be in the Air Force. He just happened to fly airplanes. And you know, whoever you were, your dad was a doctor, lawyer, plumber, dentist, truck driver, whatever, and now let's go play ball. And that's pretty much the extent of it. But when I was in high school, I knew that I needed to start figuring out what I was going to do, because I'm pretty sure my dad wasn't going to let me just lay around the house after I graduated. And I was definitely afraid of being bored, and nothing really sounded good — doctor, lawyer, dentist, plumber, truck driver — none of it was good. So, I came into the house one day in my junior year, and I attribute this to the Air Force Association: The magazine was laying on our coffee table, and it was face down, and on the back was a picture of the F-15, which was one of the brand new airplanes that was coming out. And I looked down at it, and for whatever reason, it clicked, and I said, “That does not look boring.” And I went and talked to my dad, because I figured he might know how to do this. So, he did some research for me, and he said, “Well, to go to pilot training…" And this was 1974 and that's the wind down of the Vietnam War and letting a lot of people out of the Air Force, “…to go to pilot training, you have to be an Air Force Academy graduate, or distinguished graduate from ROTC.” Well, my dad had retired, or was about to retire, and we were going to move to Florida for my senior year, and I was going to go to the University of Florida, like everybody in my family did, except for two, and so I knew that the Air Force Academy would provide me an avenue, and the University of Florida would provide me an avenue to be a bellboy down in a Key West hotel when I graduated. Naviere Walkewicz 05:18 So you chose the Air Force Academy, of course. So, that's interesting. Forty-five years later, you are now the president and CEO of the Air & Space Forces Association, which was what kind of caught your eye in high school. Burt Field 05:34 It's really kind of amazing. And the editor of the magazine — they have a bunch of back issues at our headquarters building, and he found that magazine. Naviere Walkewicz 05:47 Oh my goodness, I hope that's framed in your office now. Burt Field It is. Naviere Walkewicz Oh, that's amazing. What a story. And we're going to talk more about that. I really want to hear more about that role, but let's stay in the childhood range a little bit. So you were going to go to the Air Force Academy. Were you already involved in sports? Was that something— Burt Field 06:06 Yeah, so, I played baseball growing up. We moved around a lot, so it was hard to play a lot of other sports. I did Pop Warner football, played basketball, you know, on teams growing up. And I was a good athlete but not a great athlete, and so I wasn't recruited for going to come here to the Academy. But I played football, I wrestled and played baseball until my sophomore year, when I blew up my shoulder and couldn't throw anymore. Then I just wrestled and played football for the rest of my high school career, and then when I came here, I just played intramurals until a friend of mine that was a couple years older was on the rugby team, and so he kind of said, “Hey, come on out, you'll like this.” And so it was the rugby club back then, and it was a way to get out of stuff in the afternoons when you're a freshman. So I came down and I played on the rugby team for a few years. Naviere Walkewicz 07:10 I have a lot of rugby friends, and it definitely is, it's a family, for sure. Burt Field 07:15 It is. And it was really that way back then. It was all local Colorado sports teams. You know, the guys who were 45 and over down to other colleges around the state. Naviere Walkewicz 07:28 Your extended family. Burt Field Right. Naviere Walkewicz So, speaking of family, how did your — I think I know how your dad felt about you wanting to come to the Air Force Academy. How about your mom? Burt Field 07:37 She was pretty proud of me. Both of them were mad because I only applied to one place. Naviere Walkewicz 07:44 So, it was here or a bellboy. Burt Field 07:48 It was here or a bellboy somewhere. But they were pretty proud of me, and they were really proud, obviously, when I graduated. Naviere Walkewicz So, you came into the Academy. You had a little bit of an idea of what to expect, because your dad had been the military, right? Burt Field 10:06 Well, no, nobody is prepared for the Academy. Naviere Walkewicz That's true. Burt Field I mean, your dad went to the Academy and… Naviere Walkewicz They were classmates. Burt Field And you were not prepared. Naviere Walkewicz That's true. Burt Field Because you are immediately thrown into the deep end of a very cold, murky pool and told to start swimming. But the interesting thing: I came out with a few guys from my local area, and the way we did it back then is, you told the Academy what hotel you were gonna stay at, and they came and picked you up in a bus and they drove you onto the Academy and dropped you off at the base of the ramp, and you jumped off the bus, and all your newfound friends started telling you all the things that were wrong with you personally, with your family, your genetics, your upbringing, and how you would never amount to anything ever in your entire life. And then they take you — I wasn't really good with authoritarian figures. Naviere Walkewicz 11:10 Well, I can imagine, with three sisters, you probably chose your own path, right? Burt Field 11:15 So, you can imagine — as we're most of my classmates. We all are kind of like that. So, I wasn't sure that this was for me, but it was 1975 and everybody had long hair. So as soon as I got my head shaved, I said, “Well, I'm staying here at least until I get my hair back.” Naviere Walkewicz 11:37 That was a good thing then. Burt Field 11:39 That kept me here. And so then I kept staying. But that first day was a bit of a shock, as it is with everybody around here. But, I have a great memory. I was standing in line getting something issued to me, and the guy behind me and I started talking, and he actually graduated from the high school that I spent my ninth and 10th grade in in Las Vegas, Nevada. His name's John Pickitt. And so we became friends, and he's the godfather of our oldest child, along with Tom McCarthy, who you met earlier today. Naviere Walkewicz 12:16 Wow. I mean, it really is… We talk about family a lot in our podcast, and family spans way beyond blood. Burt Field 12:26 Yep, it sure does, especially with graduates of the Air Force Academy. Naviere Walkewicz 12:31 Yes, 100%. Wow. So you jumped into that murky pool and making friends along the way. What was life like for you as a cadet? Were you really strong in your academics? I mean, obviously you were an athlete, because you were doing everything. Burt Field 12:45 I mean, everybody did that kind of stuff. So, I got good grades in high school, and I got good grades here, except for one semester. So, I was on the supt's list every semester except for one. That's just the way it was. Naviere Walkewicz That's amazing. Burt Field I would do it different now, if I had it to do over again, because I got on the dean's list by cramming instead of doing my homework. And so every young person that goes to the Air Force Academy, I tell them, “There's one way to success and happiness at the Air Force Academy…” I don't tell them this, not that they're going to be happy, because they're not. But I tell them, “Do your homework every night.” Naviere Walkewicz 13:32 That's right. I think there was a saying: “If you wait to the last minute, it only takes a minute, but then you get to see… Burt Field You really reap the results. Naviere Walkewicz 13:42 Exactly, exactly. Burt Field So, that's no different than a lot of my friends. And back then, you're pretty restricted to the Academy, especially your first year, and then gradually you get out more and more. So, it wasn't like we were out and about very much. Naviere Walkewicz Right. Burt Field We stayed around here. We worked out a lot. We played games, sports on the weekends, and that was it. Naviere Walkewicz 14:07 And were you 1 and 3? What was the squadron change like? Was it 2 and 2 back then? Burt Field 14:13 And so 1 and 3. So, I was in 35 as of Doolie, and the only squadron— 35 and 38, they're still together, but it was carpeted, and we had carpeting, and so we took a lot of heat from people just because of that. Naviere Walkewicz Because you had it nicer? Burt Field Yeah, then I went into 27 and graduated from 27. Naviere Walkewicz 14:38 OK, and your son is also a graduate from your legacy squadron, 27. Burt Field 14:42 He is. He graduated in 2008. Naviere Walkewicz 14:43 Love that legacy. Great. What a wonderful legacy. So your cadet time sounds like it was pretty pleasant, or… Burt Field 14:50 Oh yes, just like everybody's. Everybody leaves here with a love-hate relationship with the Air Force Academy and it changes over time from mostly hate to mostly love. So, that was no different with us. I had a group of great friends, both in my squadron and outside my squadron, from the rugby team and a couple other places. And so it was like — I tell everybody, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th grade. Naviere Walkewicz 15:24 I love that. That's a great way to put that into an analogy, yes, because you're still developing. Burt Field 15:31 Classes, you know, five or six classes a day. I play sports after school. I go home and do homework or avoid homework and go to bed so I can't go out during the weeknights. Can't go out very often on the weekends. And, there you go. Naviere Walkewicz 15:45 That's right. That's very much like high school, absolutely. So we like to talk about how you developed as a leader, even early on. And so we're getting to know you a little bit better. While you were cadet, did you hold any leadership positions in particular? Burt Field 16:02 Well, I was the — what did I do? I did something as a third-classman. Oh yeah, chief of training? Or whatever. Naviere Walkewicz 16:11 Sounds like it could be accurate. Burt Field 16:12 Back in the day, the the guy that was in charge of training for the freshman. I was an ops officer when I was the, I mean, op sergeant when I was a junior, squadron commander when I was a senior. So nothing hugely out of the ordinary. I like that kind of role and that kind of challenge, but I wanted to stay inside my squadron. So, when I got offered a chance to, “Hey, do you want to be on a group staff or wing staff?” I declined. Naviere Walkewicz Tell me more. Why? Burt Field Because my brothers were my squadron. Naviere Walkewicz OK, I love that, yes. Burt Field So, I didn't want to leave that for six months or four months, or whatever the time period was back then. Naviere Walkewicz 17:05 So, leadership in your squadron, and this is interesting, and this is a good topic, because some of our listeners, some of the challenges that they experience in leadership is on a peer level, or maybe, you know, how do you lead someone that you're really close with? How do you earn that trust? So maybe you can share some lessons that you have learned about yourself during that time. Burt Field 17:24 Well, I always tell people that the hardest leadership challenge that we face is when you have no authority and you still need to lead, and regardless of what we say about cadet squadron commanders, you know, we can all think we're in charge, but we're not that in charge. And so what you had to do is you had to lead by influence and by doing the right thing. And so whether we agree with that, it's the right thing, because I don't want to do it, because it's no fun, because I'd rather do something else. Everybody knows what you have to do at the Air Force Academy on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, on the way through the week. And so we just went and did it. And I encouraged people to come and do it all with me, whether it's doing drill, whether it's playing intramural sports, whether, “Hey, it's your turn to be the referee for this season,” whether we want to go to these whatever it was. So you just encourage people to do that, and then you talk to people and try to empower them so that they can figure that out on their own, and then later pass that on as leaders themselves. Naviere Walkewicz 18:44 No, those are really great examples. And I think just leadership tidbits that some of our listeners can take, and it really is some of the best ways, just leading by example and then inviting them to join you on that, absolutely. OK, so your cadet career was, I think, really important to you, because it formed you, and it formed you like you said your brothers, because you were the last class of all men cadets together. So how did that translate? And if I may be so bold, you started having women cadets there while you're at the Academy as well. Can you share some of the dynamics of that then at the Academy, and maybe some of the stories that you saw of how that really evolved into a stronger Academy that we have today? Burt Field 19:26 Yeah, let me put some of this in perspective, and I'll start with a story. I get a large ration of crap from my friends that are in '80 and '81 that I'm really close with because of my role in terrorizing the women of the Class of '80, which I said, “Exactly, what role was that?” Basically, these guys considered us the source of all evil. My perspective was different, and it's just my perspective. When I talked to my classmates, most of them — I'm talking about most of them, not all of them — we were children that grew up and came of age in the late '60s and early '70s, which was basically that whole protest movement, grow your hair long, protest the Vietnam War, and we really didn't care that much that women were coming into the Air Force Academy, because most of us were smart enough to know that the only reason that women were not in my class and they were in that class was an accident of birth and the accident of when the legislation passed to do the right thing in the United States of America. So there's nothing special about being the last all-male class. There's nothing special about being the first class that had women in it, other than, you know, it was the end of one way of doing business and the beginning of another way of doing business. To your point, I think it makes the Air Force stronger. It certainly makes our Academy better. While they were here, the first semester, all the women were in one part of the state, in one part of the Academy over in Fairchild Hall. And they were only in 20 squadrons, so 1 through 20. Naviere Walkewicz In Vandenberg? Burt Field In Vandenberg, I'm sorry. So we're they were only in 1 through 20 the first semester, for whatever reason. Then they came the next semester to our squadron, and you know, well, one of them I'm still friends with, so, to me, it was a no brainer. I wish I was more profound on this. This is one of the things that my friends from later classes yell at me about. But I didn't consider it to be that big of a deal. I didn't, at the time, think that this is some big historical event and change in the Air Force or the military, or anything else that we could all maybe talk about better today than I could back then. So for me and my friends that I knew, it was not an issue. I don't think I treated women any different than I treated men, and I don't think I treated women or men badly, regardless of my role and their role at the Academy. Naviere Walkewicz I really appreciate that perspective. Burt Field Yeah, so, you know, bluntly, most of us just didn't care. Naviere Walkewicz 22:50 You were there just trying to get through the Academy, right? Burt Field 22:53 That sounds terrible, but, I mean, I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about social implications of race, sex, gender, however you want to put it. I was just trying to get through the day without getting yelled at, like everybody else. Naviere Walkewicz 23:12 Thank you for sharing that, because I think it's sometimes a question that people have, and it's really helpful to hear a perspective that really is, “We're all just trying to get through the Air Force Academy, we all come in, and we hope that we all graduate.” Burt Field 23:23 Yeah, and some of them, very impressive, had huge careers. You know, Susan Helms, just one of my heroes, frankly, as a person, as an officer, that have nothing to do with her role in space. That just makes me more in awe of her. But, you know, there's a lot of great, great people out there, and a lot of them are women. Naviere Walkewicz 23:49 Yes, thank you. Thank you for sharing that, and I appreciate that you said that. You know, Gen. Holmes is one of your heroes as well. Let's talk about some of those that maybe inspired you in leadership roles. It could be while you're a cadet, or maybe early in your career as an officer after you graduated. Maybe talk about some of those influencers. Burt Field 24:09 Well, I had some great AOCs. My freshman AOC was a guy that was a Fast FAC in Vietnam, and actually was the guy that gave me a ride in a T-37, which was fantastic and really solidified what I wanted to do. My sophomore and junior year, my AOC was not that guy. Naviere Walkewicz We learned from those leaders too. Burt Field We'll probably talk about leadership philosophy later, and if you'll remind me, my last bullet on my leadership philosophy partly came from him. And then my senior year, we had a great guy named Ken Lawrence that came in that several of us are still in touch with. And he was both a welcome relief and a great role model for us as we spent that last year here at the Academy, before we went off. I went out in the Air Force and my first two squadron commanders, the first one was a guy named Tiny West, 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, barely fit into an F-16, and taught me how to fly fighters. Naviere Walkewicz 25:21 I totally understand his call sign then. Burt Field 25:24 Just a great guy. A second squadron commander was a guy named John Jumper, who ended up being the chief of staff of the Air Force and is still kind of like a second father to me. Naviere Walkewicz Oh, wow. Burt Field Let's see. And then multiple people along the way that you know, from crusty old majors and young captains that taught me how to fly the F-16 and in what we called RTU at the time, now, FTU in how we kind of learn together. Because when my class showed up at Hill in the B course, we went into the 34th at the time, tactical training fighter squadron. We were their first class, and the high-time guy in that squadron with F-16 time had 30 hours. So they were teaching all of us second lieutenants how to do this. Went from there down to Nellis and served under Tiny and John Jumper. So, that was how I started. And there's lots of great people in that time frame that obviously I'm still in touch with, and taught us how to fly. There's my squadron commander in Korea, which was my second assignment, another great role model. And then just on and on. When I came back to Nellis on my third assignment, I worked for a guy named Sandy Sandstrom. Sandy was one of my RTU instructors, also, and we became really lifelong friends. And he and his wife, Jeannie, have sadly passed away, but we, Lisa and I keep in touch with both their children to this day. Yeah. But anyway, there's a lot of great leaders, both above us in squadron commander roles, and then you watch your fellow officers and brothers and sisters, and see and you learn stuff, watching them, how they develop relationships, how they train, how they identify what's important, how they communicate, how they focus, how they connect. All of those things are important, and you can learn something from everybody around you. And if you don't, you're probably missing out. Naviere Walkewicz 27:48 I appreciate that perspective. I think, especially as someone who is more experienced in leadership, the fact that you are looking to continue to learn and see what you can kind of pick up from those even that support you and serve under you. Can you share an example? Is there one that sticks out in your memory of someone that you're like, “Wow, that's something I really took back”? Burt Field 28:08 Are you talking about somebody that served under me? Naviere Walkewicz Mmm-hmm Burt Field Oh, yeah, so, there's thousands of these. I'll tell you two stories. So I'm a squander commander, and I had a friend, a very close friend of mine, who was a squadron commander, and one of his guys was coming to our squadron, and he said, “This is a great guy. You're going to love him. Really good pilot…,” blah, blah, blah. It's his second assignment. And so he shows up in the squadron and we have about four or five guys about that that time in their career, and they're ready to become flight leads, which is leading flights in the fighter community. And so I put him in without really thinking this through, and one of the other guys came up and said, “Hey, I need to talk to you.” And he came in my office, and he explained to me how I wasn't looking at everybody through the same lens and was probably missing some of the things other people were seeing. And I mean, pretty blunt, pretty focused, not yelling, and just a straightforward conversation. And I sat back and thought for about five seconds, and I said, “Holy cow, Bruce Fisher is totally correct. I have missed the boat on this, and I'm never going to do that again.” Naviere Walkewicz Wow. Burt Field And so that was one guy. The second example I have is in Japan when I was a 3-star general. I was there during the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, and it was a wild time. It started on a Friday. On Monday, so Friday was the earthquake and the tsunami. Saturday was the first explosion in one of the nuclear reactors. Monday was the second explosion in another nuclear reactor. On Monday, I also went up with the Japanese minister of defense and the head of their military to a place up near the epicenter, or the center of where the disaster area was, and they stood up, for the first time, a joint task force in Japan to take to take on the role of trying to work through all the things they had to work through. So we tried to land at the airport and could not. We tried to land at one of the air bases and barely could in a helicopter, in a helicopter. So I flew over Sendai Airport, where we couldn't land, and it was totally flooded, and it looked like when you tell your 5-year-old son to pick up his room and he shoves everything over into the corner, so there's trucks and cars and toys and giraffes and boxes over in the corner of the room and he says, “I'm good.” That is exactly what this airport looked like, except those were real cars, those were real cranes, those were real age equipment that was working on airlines, all swept away into the corner. So came back, and that night, met a guy named Rob Toth. Now we were getting a lot of people in to help, and Rob Toth had actually, he was the commander of the special ops group that was down at Kadena that we had brought up to Yakota. And he said to me, “Sir, my name is Rob Toth.” He's a colonel. And he said, “My guys have been up to Sendai, and I think we can open Sendai in about two weeks.” And I looked at Rob, and I said, “Rob, no way,” except I added a word in between “no” and “way.” And he said, “Sir, I know how you feel, like, I knew you'd feel like that, but just listen to me.” And I said, “No, that thing's not gonna be open until the summer.” And he said, “Sir, hold on. Let me tell you something.” Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm starting listening to him, I'm thinking, “OK, here's a special ops guy telling me how his experts think that they can go up and solve an enormous problem for us. They know how to do this. And I am telling him no, because I flew over it in a helicopter and it was flooded. Why don't you just ignore your opinion and say yes to a good idea?” Because all I have to do is say yes, and the worst that can happen is I'm going to be right. The best that can happen is he's going to be right and they're going to open the airport. Well, guess who was right? Not me. Naviere Walkewicz He was right. Oh, wow. Burt Field So, three weeks later, the first airplane, well, two weeks, a week later, the first airplane landed on it, and three weeks later, the first commercial airplane landed there. Naviere Walkewicz Wow. Burt Field Just say yes to good ideas. Naviere Walkewicz 33:14 I think that's a leadership nugget right there. Burt Field 33:16 And it's all from somebody that, you know, he had never met me before. I'm a 3-star general. He's a colonel. Took a lot of courage to tell me that, and keep persisting when I said, “Forget it,” because I was busy and didn't believe it, and I had just been there, so if you're not listening to people, you're probably not gonna make the best decisions. Naviere Walkewicz 33:38 That's an incredible story. Thank you for sharing that. Burt Field You bet. Naviere Walkewicz Oh, that's fantastic. So, your career was outstanding. I mean, I think you had the opportunity to really lead and impact a lot of lives by the time you put on your third star. Had you known that was your destiny? When you graduate the Academy you want to be pilot. We knew you went into the Academy to fly. Burt Field 34:01 To fly fighters. Naviere Walkewicz To fly fighters. Burt Field Actually, to fly F-15s. Naviere Walkewicz 34:07 OK, OK, so very specific. Burt Field 34:08 Yeah. So I ended up going to third lieutenant to Langley Air Force Base. And I kind of, I was fortunate enough, because I traded with a guy that was from California. I was going to George. He was from California. He had the Langley slot, so we switched, and I went out there because I wanted to fly in an F-15 to make sure I liked it, because it was after sophomore year, before junior year. And I knew that I wasn't all that fired up about the Air Force Academy at the time. It was not the most fun place I'd ever been. And so I wanted to ensure that this was something I really wanted to do. Fortunately, I went to a great squadron, great people. They welcomed us with open arms, and I flew three or four times, five times during that third lieutenant and just loved every second of it. Now, of course, I didn't fly the F-15, except in the back seat a couple times later on. But I was lucky enough to get an F-16 out of pilot training. So 1980, F-16, go through that RTU with those guys, and we're all learning this together and into a squadron where we're all learning this together. Cool part about the first squadron I was in is we had… there was a squadron, which means that we had 25 people in the squadron. So squadron commander, an ops officer, and 23 other folks. And when I went in there, 12 of us were lieutenants and classmates. Naviere Walkewicz Oh, my goodness. Burt Field And so it was really cool to go through that experience with people like that. But it's 1980, the Cold War is in full swing. We're pretty sure that we're going to be in a fight with the Soviet Union, and basically I didn't want to die in that fight. And so I figure what you need to do to not die is be the best there is. And I was went to work with a bunch of other guys that felt the same way, and so we helped each other. We competed with each other. We pulled people along. We got pulled along. And we all became really good at what we did. And it was just that drive to be really good at what was important — which was flying — that drove me, and that's what drove me to try to go to the Weapons School. That's what drove me to go back as an instructor. That's what drove me to train people to be the best that they could be, so that when we went to combat, we would all come back, because anybody can lead men and women into combat. I want people that lead them home. Naviere Walkewicz I'm so glad that— Burt Field Anyway, so that's what drove me. That's what drove me. You know, because I had friends that didn't come home. Naviere Walkewicz 37:27 So part of what you've shared with us today, and I think we're really appreciative of how much you're sharing, because I think it gives us a sense of really who you are, and the family aspect with your brothers, the family aspect with your extended family at the Academy, on your teams. When did your family come into play? Because I had the opportunity to meet your wife, Lisa, and she's lovely. When did she come into your life? Burt Field 37:54 Well, I like to tell everybody that I met her at a bachelor party, which I did. But, we were in pilot training at Willie Air Force Base in Phoenix, and somebody was getting married, and we're going to have a bachelor party, but it already required way too much planning, and somebody had to host it, and that meant somebody had to go buy stuff for it. And basically we just went down to where we went every Friday night, and that was the bachelor party. And I met her that night, and then we just started talking on the phone, and we started dating, and then we got married. And so we got married in 1981 and she's still putting up with me. Naviere Walkewicz 38:48 Wow. She's literally been part of your life since the Academy. Burt Field 38:53 Oh, yeah, so I married her a year and a half after I graduated, and so we have two sons, and both of those boys are in the military. My oldest son is a University of Florida grad. Naviere Walkewicz 39:06 So he did follow the family footsteps. Burt Field 39:09 But he's smart. He graduated with a high GPA, and anyway, he's a maintenance officer in the Air Force. And my youngest son is a C-130 pilot in the Air Force, and he's the 2008 grad from the Academy, and he's married to our daughter-in-law, Natasha. And right now, both David and Natasha fly C-130s for the Alaska Air Guard up in Anchorage in Elmendorf. Naviere Walkewicz 39:36 That's amazing. Burt Field So, it's the family business. Naviere Walkewicz So, dad, you and your son? Burt Field 39:39 Not only that, well, one of the reasons, when we bring up Lisa, when I met her, she said, we started talking, and I have short hair, because most people, have long hair. She goes, “Obviously, you're in the Air Force.” And she had told that to her roommate, and I said, “Yeah.” And she said, “Oh, my dad was in the Air Force.” And we said, “Where'd you all live, and what'd your dad do?” Well, her and my dad flew together and so stationed in the same places, sometimes at the same time. And when we went home and called our parents and said, “Hey, do you know this guy or this guy?” Without hesitation, both of them said, “Oh yeah, I know Dave.” “I know Burt,” and so they were in the other squadron. They didn't really hang out together, but they knew each other. So both my dad and my father-in-law were F-100 pilots and fighter pilots. And so Lisa is also an Air Force brat. So both of us are — we call ourselves nomads because we've never really lived anywhere longer than five years. Naviere Walkewicz 40:44 I used to say that, and now I actually can. But can you claim anywhere longer than five years now? Burt Field 40:52 No, getting close though. So I've been in five years, five years in a couple places, but never longer. Naviere Walkewicz 40:58 Oh my goodness, what an incredible story. Burt Field 41:00 Yeah. So anyway, this is one of the things we're doing in AFA now. And I think the Air Force is Air Force and Space Force are recognizing that if you want strong and resilient airmen and guardians, you need strong and resilient families behind them. And you need to have that kind of family dynamic that's supportive of what you do with your life and what the country is asking of you and your family to be all in and if we can work with the families to change that dynamic, to make sure that we're focused on building strong and resilient families, then the strong and resilient guardian and airmen will come out of that effort. So both the Air Force and the Air & Space Forces Association, that's part of what we're doing these days. Naviere Walkewicz Before I get into the last couple of questions I want to ask you, what is the best way that anyone that's listening can learn more about the Air & Space Forces Association? Burt Field Well, we can go to afa.org, simple as that, and do that. That shows you how to contact us. For another thing, you can join, which is what I would like you to do, and become a member, and then you get access to all of that information. And you can find out how to do that again, on that website. But joining gives you access to that information. It gives you access to what we do. It tells you where the chapters are that are close to you, that are similar-minded people doing similar things. And we have about 120,000 members right now. We have about 230 chapters in every state except Maine, and in several foreign countries where we have airmen and guardians stationed. Those chapters can do a lot of this work, whether it's working with your local government officials, with your state officials, like your congressmen or your senators, and it arms you with the things that you can deliver these messages with. It also arms you with how can I get access to these kind of programs that help with my family, my friends' family, the people I work with, their family. Where can I direct an airman when she needs some help? Where can I put a guardian in touch with somebody that can help him get through something that he's got a problem with? So, you have a lot of resources at your disposal that can help both you and your brothers and sisters you work with Naviere Walkewicz That is outstanding. So I mentioned two questions. I'll start with the first and then we'll come back after a short break. The first one is, some of our listeners aspire, at some point to be a C-suite executive. What's the coolest thing that you've done, or that's happened for you since being CEO? Burt Field Oh, man, that's a hard question. Naviere Walkewicz Well, take a minute to think about that. But first we're going to take a moment and thank you for listening to Long Blue Leadership. The podcast publishes Tuesdays in both video and audio, and is available on all your favorite podcast platforms. Watch or listen to all episodes of Long Blue Leadership at longblueleadership.org. So have you had a chance to think about something cool that's happened since you've been CEO? Burt Field I would say that the coolest thing about this job is that you get some pretty good access. Because of what we try to do in support of the Space Force and the Air Force, I've been able to spend some time with the chief, the CSO and the secretary. And you know, the vice chief, the vice CSO, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, chief master sergeant the Space Force. So that part has been really interesting to me. Next week, I'm going to something with Secretary Austin, and so that that's kind of interesting. And then we do some work up on the Hill. And so I've been able to go up there and meet a few of the members up at the Hill. The good news, though, is that I knew a lot of those guys already, so, you know, because I'm old and. But it's still good to be able to listen directly from a leader on what he or she really is trying to communicate, as opposed to get it interpreted by somebody else or through some rumor or, “Here's why their vision doesn't match up with what I know we should be doing.” So, it helps us in our mission to kind of advocate for those strong forces when you know exactly what the leadership is thinking and what they're driving at. Naviere Walkewicz No, that's powerful, and that's transparency that you're able to bring to the members of your organization and all of their families. So, we like to leave our listeners with kind of leadership lessons, and I wanted to go back earlier in our conversation. You said, “Remind me to tell you about a leader that's shaped one of my bullets, maybe on how not to lead.” Or something to that effect. So what are your lessons of leadership that you want our leaders to take away today from you? Burt Field Well, so first off, you can never stop learning. You have to learn. And whether it's leadership or anything else— when I was in Japan during that disaster, I didn't know the first thing about nuclear power plants. Virtually nothing. I knew that there's some kind of nuclear reaction. They put something in water. It made steam power to turbine. Viola, you have electricity, period. There's a chance I might not even know that. So, I found a couple books that in the three or four hours a day that I didn't have work, I read so I could learn about nuclear power plants, the effect of nuclear radiation on the human body. What we can with withstand, what makes you sick and what kills you. So you have to always learn. And that goes double for being a leader, and you can never rest on your laurels. And so, I have been fortunate to be in a lot of different leadership positions and work for a lot of great leaders, most of them military, but some of them civilian as well, like Richard Holbrooke, a completely different leadership style than most military people. In fact, when I was working for Richard, my direct report was the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Mike Mullen. And I talked with Adm. Mullen virtually daily, and my other virtual three-times-a-week conversation was with Dave Petraeus, who was running Afghanistan at the time, because of what a Richard's job was and they always want to know what he was thinking. So, it was interesting to watch all three of those who have three distinct leadership styles and learn from take the best from all of that. It was a learning experience. But the upshot of it is, having been exposed to people like that and being able to ask them questions about leadership, why they did things, helped shape my leadership philosophy. So, one of the things that I think everybody should do is kind of define what they think leadership is and have a leadership philosophy. And so, the way I look at leadership, it's, how how do you empower people? How do you inspire people? How do you get people to get the job done? Because you can't do it yourself. You're not going to win the war, you're not going to make all the sales, you're not going to get all the gross profit, you're not going to reduce all the expenses, you're not going to fight all the fights. You're going to be part of a team if you're going to be successful. So, how do you inspire that to happen? And how do you ensure that that team that you're building has the resources that they need? And resources come in all shapes and sizes. Some of it is equipment, some of it is money, some of it is the people that are in those roles? Do they have the education, the training, the experience and access to what they need to be successful? So that's what your job is, in my opinion, as a leader. And then how you go about doing that? You need to have a list of things that you do. So I start with values. You should have a set of values. For the cadets listening, and you're going to go into the Air Force, the Space Force, and if you cross commission into something else, every one of our services has a set of values, which are your values. Now you can have more, but your values include those. But at my stage of life, I have about five, and it's integrity, which everybody knows, and most people say, “Hey, that's when you do the right thing when no one is looking.” In the last four or five years, I added a second one to that, and I call it “fortitude.” Fortitude is when you do the right thing when everybody is looking. Then excellence. You know, from Excellence in All You Do. Teamwork and service. So those are my five values. And so when I make leadership decisions, or when I look at how we're going to move forward, or how we're going to accomplish the mission, it should reflect those values in my decisions, how I act, how I from the biggest thing of creating a here's the strategy, or in objectives on what we're going to accomplish, to the smallest things, like how I conduct a meeting. So, that that's the second thing. So everything comes from that. I think you need to be really good at something. If you want to be a really good leader, you need to be really good at something. So, you got to put in the work when you're young to be really good and understand how hard it is to be really good at something. Normally, when we “grow up,” in quotes, and become leaders of large organizations, there's a whole bunch going on in that organization that you will have little or no expertise in, but you know how to recognize excellence, and you know how to recognize effort that it takes to become excellent. And so you can look for those because you've seen it in yourself. So, that's the other thing. The next one is communication. You cannot communicate enough, and you cannot communicate well enough. So I use this example all the time. I come up with a message, I craft it, I think about it, I write it down, I practice it, and then I deliver it, and it's awesome. I was perfect. Nobody could have misunderstood me. When I'm done with that, and I really think that I have hit the mark with maybe 20%. I probably got to say that again that way or differently, about another 10 or 15 times when I can barely stand to hear myself talk anymore, and I'm still not going to get everybody. So, one of the things that you have to recognize as a leader is you're probably miscommunicating. So, you have to check and recheck to make sure that the message is going out the way you think it should be heard. So, communication is really important, and probably one of the biggest things that infects an organization is somebody misperceiving what somebody else is communicating, and then they get mad, and everybody's feelings get hurt, and on it goes. And we've all seen that. I told you about the “say yes to good ideas.” Naviere Walkewicz That was fantastic. Burt, is there anything that I didn't ask you that you would really like to leave with our listeners today? Burt Field I think we pretty much covered it, and I appreciate the opportunity to come on and chat with you and watch your act, because you're very comfortable doing this, and I need to take some lessons from you. Naviere Walkewicz Thank you so much for that compliment. And I must just say it has been a pleasure being on Long Blue Leadershipwith you. I can't wait for our listeners to hear more about your story and the way that you will, I think, affect great change for our Air and Space Force leaders. Burt Field Thank you, Naviere, it's really an honor to be on here and I appreciate the opportunity to share some of the lessons that I've been able to learn throughout my career, and also what the Air & Space Forces Association brings to the table, and why our cadets and our grads and all those out there who care about strong Air Forces, strong Space Forces, a strong national security and defense in the future. Naviere Walkewicz Thank you so much. KEYWORDS Air Force brat, leadership philosophy, Air Force Academy, rugby team, squadron commander, family dynamics, career progression, leadership challenges, communication importance, resilience, Space Force, education programs, family support, military service, leadership lessons Long Blue Leadership is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates and Foundation

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Episode #92 Lessons from the Hercules with Colonel Scooter Golden

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 81:32

Welcome to Episode #92 of the Lessons from the Cockpit show! I'm your host Mark Hasara, retired KC-135 pilot and Weapons Officer. I met Colonel Barrett “Scooter” Golden recently at the 2024 Airlift Tanker Association convention in Dallas. Scooter is a long time C-130 pilot and also a graduate of the C-130 Weapons School. During an off station trainer Scooter and his crew were told by the Special Tactics Team on the ground his aircraft did not come off the Red Devil Assault Strip intact. An iPhone photo texted to him from his wingman confirmed his situation not covered in the Pilot Manual Emergency Procedures. Coloonel Golden's Instagram is: https://wallpilot.com/product/c-130h-hercules-arkansas-air-national-guard/ And his website is at: https://www.scootergolden.com/ This episode is financially supported by Wall Pilot, custom aviation art for the walls of your home, office, or hanger. These four, six, and eight foot long profile prints of famous aircraft peel off the vinyl and can be stuck on any flat surface. There are 152 Ready-to-Print profiles of famous aircraft from P-51 Mustangs and Me-109s to fifth generation fighters like the F-22 and F-35. Wall Pilot can also draw your favorite aircraft with your name on it, your favorite unit and weapons load on any profile print. Go to https://www.walllpilot.com to order several of these highly detailed aircraft prints. Colonel Golden has flown several versions of the C-130 to include the C-130J which his crew experienced a gear failure in. This is the C-130J Hercules of the 19th Airlift Wing Commander at Little Rock AFB. The Arkansas Air Nationall Guard flies the oldder C-130H version of the Hercules at Little Rock AFB. This is one of thier retro WW II paint schemes they painted on the aircrafft during the 2022 Airshow Season. This and previous episodes of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast can be found on my YouTube channel @markhasara or any podcast host like Libsyn and Apple. Support the show by becoming a member of the All Ranks Club for a monthly fee. All Ranks Club monthly subscribers have access to drawings, stickers and Q&A sessions each week with me. Go to my Patreon All Ranks Club to join. Next week on the Lessons from the Cockpit show I interview a pilot that has overcome a physical issue which ten years ago would ground any pilot. He flies time sensitive cargo missions all over the US in Citation jets. Please join us next week on the Lessons from the Cockpit show!

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Episode #92 Lessons from the Hercules with Colonel Scooter Golden

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 81:32

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#112 Wade "Prada" Hetrick | The Mighty C-17

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 64:43

Join John "Rain" Waters and guest Wade "Prada" Hetrick on Ep 112 of @AfterburnPodcast. "Prada" is a C-17 Weapons School graduate and instructor who shares his insight and experience flying the C-17, the C-17's performance capabilities, and How the C-17 fits into the operations against a near-peer adversary.

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USAFWS 75th Anniversary Keynote: Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. John P. Jumper

Around the Air Force

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2024

Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. John P. Jumper delivered a keynote speech during the 75th U.S. Air Force Weapons School 75th Anniversary dinner, May 18, 2024. The Weapons School traces its roots to the Aircraft Gunnery School established in 1949 at Las Vegas Air Force Base, which later became Nellis AFB in 1950. This organization brought together a cadre of World War II combat veterans dedicated to teaching the next generation of pilots.

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#100 Col (Ret) Scott "Soup" Campbell | 3x Distinguished Flying Cross | Operation Anaconda |

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 107:20

Episode 100 of @AfterburnPodcast with Colonel (Ret) Scott 'Soup' Campbell shares his experiences and insights from his time flying the A-10 during the early days of Afghanistan. Col. Campbell led the first and second A-10 missions into Afghanistan during OPERATION ANACONDA. He was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses (citations link below) as a result of those early combat missions. He is a former A-10 Weapons School graduate and instructor. Distinguished Flying Cross Citations: https://www.theafterburnpodcast.com/post/col-scott-soup-campbell-distinguished-flying-cross-citationsHelp a Veteran - Guns Garin Memorial Foundation gunsgarin.com/rain

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Debrief to WIN with Robert “Cujo” Teschner

Connecting the Dots

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 31:28

Robert “Cujo” Teschner is a combat veteran. He's a former F-15 “Eagle” instructor at the prestigious U.S. Air Force Weapons school—the Air Force “Top Gun” program. He's also a former F-22 “Raptor” fighter squadron commander, having commanded one of America's precious few operational F-22 fighter squadrons. During his time teaching at the Weapons School, Cujo served as the U.S. Air Force's Subject Matter Expert on the practice of team accountability. His published work from that time is still in use throughout the Air Force today. Specifically, Cujo authored “The Vocabulary of the Debrief” and helped mold the Methodology of the Debrief, defining the language and accountability practices that the Air Force uses to the present day.A 1995 distinguished military graduate of the Air Force Academy and a 2013 distinguished graduate of the National War College, Cujo retired from the Air Force in December 2015, achieving the rank of full Colonel. But because of a battle with colorectal cancer, Cujo and his family decided to retire from the Air Force early. Team Teschner's ambition was to focus on Cujo's health and to accommodate the fact that his body was largely broken. This led to Cujo's introduction to entrepreneurship.Back when he was teaching at the Weapons School, Cujo believed that the principles he was teaching applied to a much wider audience. In fact, as Cujo started to refine and update the Accountability practices he would teach for the entirety of his time at the Weapons School, he also started thinking about translating those principles to business. Once cancer forced him to give up his ability to fly high-performance fighter aircraft, he pivoted to teaching businesses the principles that allow all teams to thrive in disruption. And he's never looked back.Cujo is now the founder and CEO of VMax Group, an international leadership training company. He is also the national bestselling author of Debrief to Win: How America's Top Guns Practice Accountable Leadership … and How You Can, Too! His second book, Aiming Higher: A Journey Through Military Aviation Leadership also immediately went to #1 on the Amazon bestseller list. Cujo has built his growing company from scratch, and everyone in the company is committed to the company's purpose: To teach and inspire real teamwork so that teams thrive in disruption and keep our economy strong.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

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Breathing in Extreme Environments with Lt Col Justin "Astro" Elliott

MOPs & MOEs

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2024 99:22

In this week's episode we're focusing on breathing in some pretty extreme circumstances. Our guest is Lt Col Justin "Astro" Elliott (depending on when you're listening to this, possibly Colonel already). It's hard to find someone more qualified to talk about breathing for extreme physiological demands - Astro has flown 30+ different airframes, commanded the Thunderbirds demonstration squadron, and led the Air Force's efforts to address breathing problems among fighter pilots. Astro went to Yale where he was a D1 collegiate swimmer and a Mechanical Engineering engineering major, so he embraced the high performer life early. He graduated and commissioned in the Air Force in 2005, and went on to fly the F-15E in Afghanistan, including participating in the Battle of Kamdesh, which is featured in both Red Platoon and The Outpost. He went on to get Masters Degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Flight Test Engineering, and is a graduate of both the USAF Weapons School and the USAF Test Pilot School. He commanded the 59th Test and Eval Squadron (which includes All 6 fighter/attack jets in one squadron), and then most recently served as Thunderbird 1, the commander of the USAF Thunderbirds. He just wrapped up that command and is now at the NATO Defense College in Rome. Bonus facts about Astro: He is the first person in history to complete all 3 Air Force elite flying programs (Weapons School, Test Pilot School, and Thunderbirds). He combined fighter breathing knowledge from 9 communities into 1 unifying brief to explain fighter physiological performance across disparate communities. He is a founding member of COPE Fighter, (characterizing/optimizing the physiological environment in fighters). He founded "Crowd Sourced Flight Test" - pulling fighter test data from fielded forces to avoid test environment stovepipes and accelerate iterative learning. He was a finalist in the NASA Astronaut 2017 board. He also participated in the 2021 board, but withdrew to accept the Thunderbird 1 assignment.

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Flying At Top Gun And Working With Navy Seals - S02E01

The Mark Lewis Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 103:46

I talk with Mark Stufflebeem. Mark is a retired, Naval aviator. Having flown both F-14s and F-18s, he's a TOPGUN graduate and two-time Weapons School instructor. He also spent time, working on the ground, in Afghanistan supporting special forces. Nowadays, he flys for a major airline, competes in triathlons and contends with beach volleyball jokes on a regular basis. To support the channel, and get access to FULL versions of the Friday Podcast: ◘ https://www.patreon.com/Marklewisfitness or

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Ep 276: F-15E Pilot Maj Nicholas "Bane" Caraballo

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 65:21

Peaches sits down this week with the creme de la creme of the Air Force fighter pilot pyramid, weapons school instructor, and F-15E pilot Major Nicholas "Bane" Caraballo. Bane, a seasoned veteran with years of experience, shares his incredible journey from aspiring aviator to a top gun in military aviation. Bane's tales from the cockpit will leave you on the edge of your seat as he reveals the rigorous training, unmatched dedication, and unparalleled teamwork that go into becoming a fighter pilot.But this episode isn't just about the thrill of flying at supersonic speeds. It's also about the invaluable life lessons Bane has learned. Tune in as Jared and Bane discuss the parallels between Air Force leadership and everyday life leadership. From the importance of clear communication and trust to the critical role of adaptability and resilience, their conversation is a masterclass in leadership.And don't miss out on Bane's insights from his time after completing the arduous Air Force Weapons School. Discover how his experiences have shaped him into a better leader and a more compassionate human being.00:00 The Intro (part deux) 00:50 How the Weapons School works 02:20 How Bane became a fighter pilot 06:20 The Team you Serve12:00 The levels of officership- doing the little things18:00 Mistakes that Officers make29:30 Human Performance for Fighter Pilots 45:00 Training for the future fight, exercises, and what fighters bring to the fight56:30 Bane's advice for Officers, Pilots, and all elseCollabs:18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1ReadyAlpha Brew Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLeteCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYEberlestock - Promo Code: OR10Hoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYStrike Force Energy - Promo Code: ONESREADYTrench Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYGrey Man Gear - Promo Code: ONESREADY The content provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The host, guests, and affiliated entities do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. The use of this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship, and the podcast is not liable for any damages resulting from its use. Any mention of products or individua...

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Battle Management with Colonel Mark "Boner" Waite

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2023 99:16

Welcome to the sixty-fourth episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast! I am your host Mark Hasara, Air Force vet and KC-135 pilot. Colonel Mark Waite took a very interesting route to fill one of the most critical positions in the Air Force as Airborne Battle Manager, surveilling the air over a battlefield and directing fighters and bombers to targets. Boner was a Senior Director in the E-3 AWACS on the opening night of Desert Storm. He's a graduate of the US Air Force's Weapons School and later an instructor in the Command and Control division. Some of his most interesting lessons learned come from serving in the Al Udied CAOC during the Afghan elections and now working in the cyberspace world, both offensively and defensively. This episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast is financially supported by Wall Pilot, custom aviation art for the walls of your home, office, or hanger. Over one hundred thirty incredibly detailed Ready-to-Print side view profiles of famous aircraft are available on the www.wallpilot.com website, in four, six, and eight-foot-long prints. The E-3C Airborne Warning and Control System or AWACS aircraft from the 961st ACCS based at Kadena Air Base where Mark was stationed is available in the Ready-to-Print section. The RC-135 Rivet Joint provides battlefield electronic and signals intelligence to commanders and a Ready-to-Print graphic of the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron, the new RJ with the CFM56 engines is available on the Wall Pilot website. The U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane works closely with the other Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft on the battlefield through datalinks which Mark discussed in the podcast. The U-2R Dragon Lady continues to fly ISR missions all over the world at 70 years of age! The F-15E Strike Eagle was one of the airplanes in the Close Air Support role during the Afghan elections and this 335th Fighter Squadron Strike Eagle is loaded for that typical CAS role. The B-1B Lancer bomber carried out CAS missions during the war in Afghanistan. This B-1B graphic is the 77th Weapons Squadron flagship, a division of the US Air Force Weapons School. Thanks for downloading and listening to this of the LEssons from the Cockpit podcast, found on the www.markhasara.com website under the Podcast pulldown tab. The previous sixty-three episodes of the Lessons from the Cockpit show can be downloaded from my www.markhasara.com website.

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Battle Management with Colonel Mark "Boner" Waite

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2023 99:16

The Nerve Center of Air Mobility

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2023 92:38

Welcome to the sixty-third episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit Podcast! I'm your host Mark Hasara, a retired KC-135 pilot of the United States Air Force. After five fantastic years and the greatest flying assignment of my career at Kadena Air Base on the island of Okinawa Japan, it was time for an assignment change of station or PCS. I took a Headquarters assignment to a location all of us in the Young Tiger Tanker Squadron laughed at because they had absolute control over all air mobility operations around the world except us at the 909th! This assignment became one of those tremendous learning experiences of my Air Force career. I left this assignment feeling bulletproof in my knowledge and capabilities. This assignment gave me additional experience and expertise needed to help in my next assignment working with a great team creating and standing up the KC-135 Weapons School in the fall of 1997. The Lessons from the Cockpit podcast is supported and financed by the book Tanker Pilot found in all four formats, hardback, softback, Kindle, and Audible on Amazon. Tanker Pilot gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at air refueling operations in four wars and numerous air operations. Thirty-two pictures taken during the operations discussed in the book are included. All pictures in the softback version are in black and white, and color in the other three. Lessons from the Cockpit is also financed by Wall Pilot, custom aviation art for the walls of your home, office, or hanger. Profile graphics of aircraft printed four, six, and eight feet long on vinyl can be peeled off and stuck on any flat surface. There are 129 Ready-to-Print aircraft profiles extensively researched and very detailed available on the website. Wall Pilot can create your name, tail codes and numbers, and weapons load on your favorite aircraft/ Take a look at some of the custom profiles Wall Pioot has done for customer hangers, one thirty feet long! Please go to www.wallpilot.com and purchase one or two of these incredible graphics for your walls. For over twenty-four years I flew the KC-135 Stratotanker available as a Ready-to-Print graphic. A 909th Young Tiger Tanker Task Force KC-135R Model in the old SHAMU scheme or current Air Mobility Command Grey can be found at these links. The KC-10 Extender acts as both a tanker and airlifter flying support missions all over the world. KC-10A Extender profiles from Travis AFB and McGuire AFB are available at these links. In the summer of 2022, Air Mobility Command christened a Charleston AFB South Carolina C-17A Globemaster III "Spirit of the Candy Bomber" in memorium to Colonel Gail Halvorsen, the famous Beling Airlift Candy Bomber. Little Rock AFB is the Center of Excellence for Air Mobility Commands Tactical Airlift fleet. A C-130J or Arkansas Air Nationa Guard C-130H from Little Rock AFB is available in Wall Pilot's Ready-to-Print section. Thanks for downloading and listening to this episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast! This and previous episodes of the podcast can be found on my website at markhasara.com. If you have an hour or so during a morning or afternoon commute while stuck in traffic, the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast has some great stories and lessons learned for you to listen to!

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The Nerve Center of Air Mobility

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2023 92:38

#71 Mike "Flash" McVay - Flying the A-10, F-16, and F-35: Insights from USAF Weapons School Instructor

Go Bold with Joetey Attariwala

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2023 96:04

Mike "Flash" McVay is a United States Air Force Weapons School Graduate and Instructor. Flash's remarkable journey took him from flying the formidable A-10 Warthog to the mighty F-16 before ultimately becoming an accomplished F-35 fighter pilot. Visit the sponsor of this episode https://aura.com/afterburn to see if your personal information has been leaked online - Get a 14-day FREE trial! *Support the Channel Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theafterburnpodcast *Shop Merch https://bit.ly/ShopAfterburnPodcast Launch Your Aviation Career with BogiDope :https://bit.ly/BogiDope 5% OFF with code "Afterburn" *Check out E3 Aviation Association: https://bit.ly/E3Aviation ------------- Contact Me Email: https://bit.ly/contactTAP Website: https://bit.ly/AfterburnWebsite --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-afterburn-podcast/message

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Robert "Cujo" Teschner | Top Gun Leadership

Manlihood ManCast

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2023 58:30

Listen to the Manlihood ManCast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube and wherever you get your podcasts Welcome to the latest episode of the Manlihood ManCast! In this episode, we have the honor of hosting an extraordinary individual who has not only served as an instructor at the prestigious U.S. Air Force Weapons School but has also commanded an operational F-22 fighter squadron. With a passion for team accountability and leadership, our guest today is Mr. Robert "Cujo" Teschner. Cujo's remarkable career spans from his military service to his successful transition into entrepreneurship. Through his company, VMax Group, Cujo teaches and inspires real teamwork, enabling teams to thrive in times of disruption and contribute to a strong economy. His expertise has been shared in his national bestselling book, "Debrief to Win: How America's Top Guns Practice Accountable Leadership... and How You Can, Too!" and his second book, "Aiming Higher: A Journey Through Military Aviation Leadership." Join us as Cujo takes us on a transformative journey, recounting his experiences, and sharing valuable insights on accountable leadership that are applicable to various industries and teams. Cujo's military background and combat experience have provided him with a unique perspective on accountability. As a Subject Matter Expert on team accountability, Cujo authored "The Vocabulary of the Debrief" and played a pivotal role in shaping the Methodology of the Debrief for the U.S. Air Force. These practices are still utilized today, demonstrating their enduring effectiveness. Realizing that the principles he taught at the Weapons School extended beyond the military, Cujo made it his mission to translate those concepts to the business world. His goal was to enable teams to thrive even amidst disruption, fostering an environment of accountability and success. By embracing the principles of accountable leadership, businesses can adapt, innovate, and overcome challenges. Cujo's journey took an unexpected turn when he faced a battle with colorectal cancer, which ultimately led to his retirement from the Air Force. Determined to focus on his health and embark on a new chapter, Cujo transitioned into entrepreneurship. He founded VMax Group, an international leadership training company dedicated to teaching the principles of accountable leadership. Through his company, Cujo has built a passionate team that shares his vision and purpose. Together, they work tirelessly to inspire and empower teams across various industries, helping them navigate disruptions and contribute to a thriving economy. Cujo's experiences as a combat veteran and instructor have shaped his ability to inspire and drive transformation. His unique insights into accountable leadership provide a roadmap for individuals and organizations seeking to excel in the face of adversity. In this episode, Cujo will share his "TOP GUN" story, captivating us with tales from his military aviation journey. Brace yourself for a compelling narrative that not only entertains but also imparts valuable lessons on accountable leadership. To listen to this episode and discover the incredible journey of Mr. Robert "Cujo" Teschner, visit the Manlihood ManCast website. Prepare to be inspired and learn how accountable leadership can revolutionize your approach to team management and success. Don't miss out on this transformative episode with Mr. Robert "Cujo" Teschner! Tune in now! Website | https://robertteschner.com/ VMax Group | https://www.vmaxgroupllc.com/ More from Josh Hatcher at Manlihoodhttp://joshhatcher | http://manlihood.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/manlihood/message

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Go Bold #42: Stories from the Cockpit: Maj. Ridge Flick a USAF Weapons School Instructor Pilot and A-10C Warthog pilot

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2023 102:05

In Episodes 9 & 10 we had the honor to speak with retired United States Air Force Colonel Scott "SOUP" Campbell, a Wing Commander and fighter pilot who graciously shared his experiences and perspective on flying the incredible A-10 Warthog.At the end of that 2-part chat, we agreed to do another episode where we'd discuss in detail the newest variant of the Warthog, and that is the A-10C.In planning that follow on episode, Colonel Campbell recommended that I speak with an active duty pilot that he once commanded, because as SOUP said, he's one of the most talented A-10 pilot's that he knows.That person is U.S. Air Force Major Ridge "KELSO" Flick, who is our guest for this episode of Go Bold.Maj. Flick graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, after which he did pilot training to become a fighter pilot.Today Maj. Flick is an A-10C Warthog pilot who has flown combat missions over Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, and at the time of our chat he was a Weapons Instructor Pilot at the Air Force's Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.For those who don't know, being a Weapons School Instructor Pilot is the equivalent of being a University Professor who teaches PhD students -- collectively these folks are pilots who are among the elite in the United States Air Force.The U.S. Air Force Weapons School trains tactical experts and leaders to control and exploit air, space and cyber on behalf of the joint force. The weapons school mantra is: "humble, approachable and credible". These folks form a band of trusted advisors and problem-solvers that lead the Department of the Air Force and enables it to integrate its combat power seamlessly alongside those of other military services. Maj. Flick embodies the tenets of the Weapons School mantra, and he graciously shares his time with us to describe his experiences of training, leadership, and in flying the mighty A-10C Warthog.The A-10C configuration incorporates modern avionics which enable the use of precision weaponry.As Maj. Flick says, the A-10C is a "1st Gen fighter with Gen 4++ avionics".Maj. Flick describes how the A-10C systems - like the moving map, helmet mounted sight, and targeting pod - provide enhanced situational awareness and functionality which makes the A-10C incredibly effective as a Close Air Support and attack aircraft.You'll hear first-hand perspective on flying the A-10 and what its like to shoot its amazing GAU-8 30mm cannon. You'll also hear about the A-10 syllabus at the Weapons School.It's a great conversation from one of the best in the business, so we thank Maj. Flick for his time and insight.Be sure to listen to our next episode where Maj. Flick shares some of his experiences of flying the A-10C in combat!The A-10 community says ATTACK, and we echo that with GO BOLD!

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The World's only Air Refueling Graduate School

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2023 73:25

Welcome to the fifty-fifth episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast! Thanks for downloading and listening. A three-inch thick manila folder on my desk in my new assignment to the Air Mobility Command Director of Operations or AMC/DO staff ended up being the worst four years of my career and yet the most rewarding looking back on it. This graduate-level curriculum changed the way the US Air Force air refueling community did business... right before 9/11! And nobody wanted us! I was second in command of the Initial Cadre of eighteen airmen tasked with creating the KC-135 Weapons School, now the 509th Weapons Squadron. Twenty-five years later, the 509th Weapons School has produced over 200 graduates. This episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast is sponsored by the book Tanker Pilot: Lessons from the Cockpit, found in all four formats; Hardback, Softback, Kindle, and Audible. Thirty-two pictures taken during air refueling operations are contained in the book. Please buy one or two copies as sales keep the podcast financed and running. Four, six, and eight-foot-long profiles of aircraft involved in the US Air Force Weapons School printed on vinyl you can peel off and stick to any flat surface can be found at Wall Pilot, custom aviation art for the walls of your home, office, or hanger. Wall Pilot can create custom profiles of your favorite aircraft with your name, unit patches, tail number, and weapons loads by going to the website and filling out the custom profile print form. A print of the KC-135 with the 909th ARS markings can be purchased here. Prints of the 57th Wing Flagship, an F-15C Eagle based at Nellis Air Force Base Nevada, home of the US Air Force Weapons School, can be purchased here. The 65th Aggressor Squadron's F-15C Eagles in the Flanker and Splinter paint schemes are also available from Wall Pilot. Prints of Nellis AFB 64th Aggressor Squadron F-16Cs in the all-black Wraith, the Splinter, the Digital, and the Flogger paint schemes are available at Wall Pilot. Thanks to all of you for downloading and listening to this and previous episodes of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast, found on the Mark Hasara website under the Podcast pulldown.

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The World's only Air Refueling Graduate School

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2023 73:25

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Ep 184: 57th Wing Command Chief TACP Tom Schaefer

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2023 57:34

CMSgt Tom Schaefer lives by the words, "Humble, Approachable, Credible". As the Command Chief of the 57th Wing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chief Schaefer is responsible for a wide array of Airmen of all AFSC's and capabilities. Chief Schaefer lays out his philosophy as a team guy for his entire career all the way up to his current position. From candidate to active duty operators, there are many lessons learned in this one, no matter what your career is. Make sure to follow the entire 57th Weapons School on IG @57thwing_command_chief and he has an open invite to come back on soon! Huge thanks to Chief Schaefer for coming on; we will definitely get him on again! 00:00 Make Sure to check out Hoist 00:30 Peaches goes hard for no reason to establish dominance01:00 Chief Schaefer's Origin Story 05:30 Aaron phrases a question longer than the answer itself09:00 Aaron does it again, this time about connectedness11:40 Chief wets everyone's beak with a teaser13:14 Check out Hoist and make sure to use the code ONESREADY at checkout! 16:30 Peach and Trent play CSI Vegas and talk Span of Control and Influence19:30 Kraken to the Rescue 23:10 Truly Leading- Knowing the Line 47:14 Advice from the ChiefDon't forget to subscribe to the Podcast on your favorite player! http://bit.ly/2OG2OlfHave a question? Email us at info@onesready.comFollow us on Instagram http://bit.ly/2OeNoFIAs always, THANK YOU for your support, we truly appreciate it.#tacp #onesready #military Collabs:18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1ReadyAlpha Brew Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYATAC Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADYCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYEberlestock - Promo Code: OR10Hoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYOut of Regs Pomade - Promo Code: ONESREADYStrike Force Energy - Promo Code: ONESREADYTrench Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADY

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Ep 181: Combat Control MSgt (ret) Phil "PIMP" Freeman

The Professional Failure Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2022 66:49

MSgt (ret) Phil "PIMP" Freeman had a historic career in Combat Control, and he was gracious enough to sit down with Chief Peaches and Trent and walk us through it. Phil was instrumental in the hunting of war criminals in Europe and his contributions to the Weapons School have been immeasurable. From his experiences in the pipeline to his experience with the Fulton recovery system, to Desert Storm, his time overseas in Bosnia- just an unbelievably exciting story of his life in Air Force Special Tactics and how diverse it can be, no matter what the career field. Thanks to PIMP for coming on and sharing his amazing history and showing us just how rich and varied our culture is- we can't wait to have him on again! #AFSPECWAR #onesready #military Collabs:18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1ReadyAlpha Brew Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYATAC Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADYCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYEberlestock - Promo Code: OR10Hoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYOut of Regs Pomade - Promo Code: ONESREADYStrike Force Energy - Promo Code: ONESREADYTrench Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADY

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EP 72: Robert “Cujo” Teschner | Air Force Top Gun, Building a Team That Wins, Celebrating the Victories, The Bonds of Trust, Leadership is Situational, and Ambition for Humanity

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2022 48:27

Story of failure: Burning vegetables in the air fryer.Mr. Robert “Cujo” Teschner is a combat veteran. He's a former F-15 “Eagle” instructor at the prestigious U.S. Air Force Weapons school—the Air Force “Top Gun” program. He's also a former F-22 “Raptor” fighter squadron commander, having commanded one of America's precious few operational F-22 fighter squadrons.During his time teaching at the Weapons School, Cujo served as the U.S. Air Force's Subject Matter Expert on the practice of team accountability. His published work from that time is still in use throughout the Air Force today. Specifically, Cujo authored “The Vocabulary of the Debrief” and helped mold the Methodology of the Debrief, defining the language and accountability practices that the Air Force uses to the present day.A 1995 distinguished military graduate of the Air Force Academy and a 2013 distinguished graduate of the National War College, Cujo retired from the Air Force in December 2015, achieving the rank of full Colonel. But because of a battle with colorectal cancer, Cujo and his family decided to retire from the Air Force early. Team Teschner's ambition was to focus on Cujo's health and to accommodate the fact that his body was largely broken. This led to Cujo's introduction to entrepreneurship.Back when he was teaching at the Weapons School, Cujo believed that the principles he was teaching applied to a much wider audience. In fact, as Cujo started to refine and update the Accountability practices he would teach for the entirety of his time at the Weapons School, he also started thinking about translating those principles to business. Once cancer forced him to give up his ability to fly high-performance fighter aircraft, he pivoted to teaching businesses the principles that allow all teams to thrive in disruption. And he's never looked back.Cujo is now the founder and CEO of VMax Group, an international leadership training company. He is also the national bestselling author of Debrief to Win: How America's Top Guns Practice Accountable Leadership … and How You Can, Too! His second book, Aiming Higher: A Journey Through Military Aviation Leadership also immediately went to #1 on the Amazon bestseller list. Cujo has built his growing company from scratch, and everyone in the company is committed to the company's purpose: To teach and inspire real teamwork so that teams thrive in disruption and keep our economy strong.In today's episode Cujo talks about:watching Star Wars as a kid in St. Louis, MOidentifying with Luke SkywalkerTop Gun and the roar of fighter pilotsdisappointment of not getting accepted into the academy at firstfighter jet with 104-0 record in combatteaching in flight schoolcommanding a fighter squadrongetting colon cancer diagnosis and pivotingthe pain of colon cancer and having to retire earlydeciding to live someplace close to familyraised as a Cardinals fanbecoming an entrepreneurhow do you build a team that wins?building the VMAX Grouplife is always going to be hard but how do we deal with the challenges?the importance of the debrief“The best teams on the planet know how to learn well.”failing in a positive wayas a fighter pilot, it's impossible to do everything perfectlytwice the speed of soundpassing another fighter in the sky9 times the force of gravityyour blood being pulled out of your brain and eyesthe dangerous environment of trainingthe story of a practice dog fightthe fighter pilot objectivethe mechanism to make the next mission better than the lastreinforcing the goodExcellence In All We Dofree from pride and egohumble, approachable, and crediblenobody's ever going to be perfectthe one debrief of Top Gun and why it has changedteaching teamwork principles across America“The best leaders are the best instructors.”a team with a willingly vulnerable leadertimes of not being a good instructor and learning from ithis dad as a big mentorhis dad winning a bronze star in Vietnamloving being around JAG officers at the baseGary Langford as a mentorsquadrons with strong commanders and leadersdoing something epically wrong and learning through itall that needed to be said about a mistakemovie to watch: 12 O'Clock Highfailing consistently and early and bouncing backpainting some degree of calmdoing something that would highlight youtrying for the Wings of the Blue Parachute Teamgetting a cold before the first high altitude jumpgetting sick on the wrong dayconditioning himself to know nothing goes according to plan“How are you going to bounce back and be resilient?”graduating #1 in pilot training and making it to F-15 school and working through failurestory of failure: tape review after his first practice battledoing the exactly wrong thing while thinking he was doing the right thingthe X-rideover G-ing the aircraftpassing the Elimination Rideworking from the bottom of the bottomon the cusp of eliminationtaking full accountabilitywilling yourself“You don't know how you're going to respond to something until you're in that situation.”“Once the mission is done, it's done.”centering on team purpose at homehow cancer drew his wife and him even closerthe epic failure turning into a tipping point in his journeya prayer in the early phase of the diagnosisCujo's ongoing ambitionhelping America dream againshowing people the wayyou can't be defensive in the debrieftelling himself “You were right! And it's working!”lucky to have a great familynew team members to VMAXBook - Debrief to Winwww.RobertTeschner.com www.Vmaxgroupllc.com

Bro Chat with Flash McVay

Kodiak Shack Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2022 78:28

On this episode we chat with Flash McVay. He has flown the A-10, the F-16 where he went to Weapons School, and now is a Weapons School instructor in the F-35. He is a wealth of knowledge and a really great guy!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/kodiak-shack-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Bro Chat 5.0

Military to Financial Planner Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2022 80:30

Mike "Flash" McVay joins the Bro Chat with "Vader" and "Bender" from the Kodiak Shack Podcast. "Flash" has flown the A-10, F-16, and F-35. He has also instructed at the USAF's Weapons School. You can check out a great article by Flash over on War on the Rocks: Still Flying and Serving, Just Not Active Duty Today we talk SEAD, the next fight, near-peer threats, pilot retention, and more. Kodiak Shack Podcast https://apple.co/3EzhttV Shop https://bit.ly/AfterburnMerch Patreon https://bit.ly/PatreonAfterburn Launch your Aviation Career https://bit.ly/BogiDope_Rain "Afterburn" for 5% Off' Wingman Watch https://bit.ly/WingmanWatches "Rain10" for 10% off YouTube https://bit.ly/YouTube_AfterburnPodcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-afterburn-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-afterburn-podcast/support

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John Boyd, a Fast Corvette and a Faster Fighter Jet with COL Ronald E. Catton, USAF (Ret.)

Leadership Under Fire

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2022 46:51

This episode features the recording of a discussion that was held at the 2018 Leadership Under Fire National Conference in Evanston, Illinois. The team was grateful to all of the leaders who contributed to the event and the types of individuals who spent two days rigorously contemplating the moral, mental and physical aspects of mission-oriented leadership and optimal human performance. Of course, that includes our guest in this episode, retired Colonel Ronald Catton. Catton was a graduate and instructor of the US Air Force Fighter Weapons School. He was the first of only two students to ever complete the course with a 100 percent score in all academic subjects. Catton also flew with legendary Colonel John Boyd, then the chief of academics at the Weapons School. He served in the Vietnam War, flying hundreds of missions and later flew hundreds of airshows, including those with the Thunderbirds.

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Fighter Pilot Focus with Brian O'Neill

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2022 39:45

Today on the podcast we welcome Brian O'Neill; CFP, and founder of Winged Wealth Management and Financial Planning. Brian launched his firm in early 2021 after retiring from the Air Force with a specific focus on working with military pilots. Brian flew F-16s and F-35s while on active duty, served as Weapons School instructor, and commanded in various roles before finishing his career at Eglin AFB, FL. Winged Wealth Management and Financial Planning began many years ago with an idea that Brian had: In order to get sound financial advice, pilots and the military community shouldn't have to use a giant financial services company that sells high-priced, high-commission, and often inappropriate financial products. Instead, they deserve sound, fiduciary advice and they should be able to choose how they get it. I love how his website and marketing are specifically designed to nurture and attract in this sub-niche. Be sure to listen as he shares how his content creation has become a powerful machine through consistency, technical expertise, and speaking the same language as his clients. Brian also talks about the head trash and confidence gap he overcame on both the entrepreneurial journey and household finances side as well as becoming the technical expert in the planning sides. I know you will learn from and be inspired by his story. https://www.wingedwealth.com/

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Col Josh "Mule" Koslov...The Crow

Leadership Domain Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2022 63:17

“The association of old crows is a world premiere organization for professionals engaged in the sciences of information and electronic warfare” (https://www.crows.org/members/group_content_view.asp?group=205204&id=706707). Today we're going to talk to an old crew who is also a leader, who is a warrior and has the mindset that I hope a lot of people will pick up. We talk about his leadership priorities, the challenges of mentoring, and how he “thinks in bets”. I think everyone will connect with his philosophy that “destruction breeds creation”. Mule is the Commander of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing and previously, he commanded the 609th Air and Space Operations Center, the 55th Operations Support Squadron, and twice commanded the 43 Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron supporting Central Command combat operations. If you lost track, that is three combat commands for this Crow. Colonel Koslov received his commission from Officer Training School after graduating from San Francisco State University. In 2004, he was a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and was assigned to Nellis AFB as an instructor at the Weapons School. In 2010, he was selected for the legislative fellowship education program in the office of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. I hope you all enjoy the conversation we have with Colonel Mule Koslov, a great friend, and a great leader. Thank you for listening…lead ‘em well.

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TOPGUN Maverick Review

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2022 69:13

Welcome to another episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast, episode number 30! I'm asked several times a day "Have you seen the movie"... of course referring to TOPGUN Maverick. Of course I have, the opening night! During this review, I talk about the Air Force's TOPGUN school, the US Air Force Weapons School based out of Nellis Air Force Base north of Las Vegas. Attendance to the Weapons School is by a competitive review board of each applicant. Often graduates or "Patch Wearers" as they are called get summoned to work complex military operations because of their planning and leadership skills. The scenario of the movie is not as far-fetched as you might think and I give some examples of planning missions, why planners chose a course of action, and some historical operations to strike and destroy nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons facilities as depicted in TOPGUN Maverick. And how do pilots and aircrew members get those crazy callsigns you hear about in the movie? Wikipedia has a pretty good write-up on the Israeli Air Force strike on a nuclear plant in eastern Syria called Operation Outside the Box, the name chosen because Syria and North Korea tried to hide the nuclear facility under a boxy-type building. Syria's air defense system was rendered totally inoperable during the raid using means developed by the US. I could not find the website Above Top Secret Surface to Air Missile Google Maps overlay. Here is a picture of the Russian airfield near Latakia Syria showing the S-400 SAM sites... which Israeli Air Force F-35 seem impervious from attack! Notice the Russian SU-35 rolling out on the runway and the IL-76 AWACS parked on the ramp! Article on the B-2 bombers attacking Sirte Libya. This was a long mission planned and led by Weapons School graduates and required 950K+ gas from Air Force tankers to accomplish. Thanks to Tanker Pilot: Lessons from the Cockpit for sponsoring this show. This and previous episodes of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast can be downloaded from markhasara.com Thanks for listening and tune in next week for another episode of Lessons from the Cockpit.

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TOPGUN Maverick Review

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2022 69:13

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Review of the movie TOPGUN Maverick

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2022 69:12

Welcome to another episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast, episode number 30! I'm asked several times a day "Have you seen the movie"... of course referring to TOPGUN Maverick. Of course I have, the opening night! During this review, I talk about the Air Force's TOPGUN school, the US Air Force Weapons School based out of Nellis Air Force Base north of Las Vegas. Attendance to the Weapons School is by a competitive review board of each applicant. Often graduates or "Patch Wearers" as they are called get summoned to work complex military operations because of their planning and leadership skills. The scenario of the movie is not as far-fetched as you might think and I give some examples of planning missions, why planners chose a course of action, and some historical operations to strike and destroy nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons facilities as depicted in TOPGUN Maverick. And how do pilots and aircrew members get those crazy callsigns you hear about in the movie? Wikipedia has a pretty good write-up on the Israeli Air Force strike on a nuclear plant in eastern Syria called Operation Outside the Box, the name chosen because Syria and North Korea tried to hide the nuclear facility under a boxy-type building. Syria's air defense system was rendered totally inoperable during the raid using means developed by the US. I could not find the website Above Top Secret Surface to Air Missile Google Maps overlay. I'll keep looking! Article on the B-2 bombers attacking Sirte Libya. This was a long mission planned and led by Weapons School graduates and required 950K+ gas from Air Force tankers to accomplish. Thanks to Tanker Pilot: Lessons from the Cockpit for sponsoring this show. This and previous episodes of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast can be downloaded from markhasara.com Thanks for listening and tune in next week for another episode of Lessons from the Cockpit.

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The More Thou Sweatest in Training...

Becoming Your Best | The Principles of Highly Successful Leaders

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2021 28:36

On this the eighth episode of Lessons From the Cockpit: The US Air Force has its version of TOPGUN, training the best of the best from 18 different weapons, intelligence, command and control, Special Operations, rescue, and intercontinental ballistic missile forces. It's called the US Air Force Weapons School, based at Nellis Air Force Base in North Las Vegas. A Navy SEAL once said "The more thou sweatest in training the less thou bleedest in combat." During one large force night training event, things did NOT go well for the Weapons School students. One mistake snowballed into the loss of numerous aircraft. If this had been the opening night of a real Shock and Awe campaign, eleven airmen would not be coming home. The students who flunked this training event took ownership of their mistakes, learned from them, and were better prepared when they crushed their simulated adversaries the following night. To experience a night mass launch out of Nellis AFB: https://youtu.be/6IqEvddN1YU https://youtu.be/nl7Cz97poro Special thanks to Wall Pilot for sponsoring this episode of Lessons from the Cockpit, custom aviation art for the walls of your home, office, or hanger. Three 64th Aggressor Squadron aircraft, stars of this episode, can be purchased at: https://wallpilot.com/product/f-16c-18th-aggressor-squadron/ https://wallpilot.com/product/f-16-aggressor-digital/ https://wallpilot.com/product/f-16c-64-aggressor/ Wall Pilot F-15 prints can be purchased at: https://wallpilot.com/product/f-15c-eagle-57th-fww-flagship/ https://wallpilot.com/product/f-15c-eagle-44th-fs/ Thanks again for listening and please share this episode with family or friends and subscribe to the show.

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Episode 43 - Nellis AFB Train Like You Fight: Preparing for Near-Peer Conflict

The Aerospace Advantage

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2021 34:35 Transcription Available

Episode 43 – Nellis AFB Train Like You Fight: Preparing for Near-Peer Conflict Episode Summary: In episode 43 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast, Nellis AFB Train Like You Fight: Preparing for Near-Peer Conflict, 57th Wing Commander Brig Gen Michael "Johnny Bravo" Drowley joins host John ”Slick” Baum and co-host Lt Gen (ret.) David Deptula to discuss how the Weapons School, Red Flag, Aggressors, and other key facets of his team are developing and training the tactics, techniques, and procedures to address future threats, especially peer competitors like China and Russia. A key part of this comes down to integrating air, space, and cyber capabilities to leverage powerful effects at the right time and place. So, if you want to know where the Air Force is headed, you better understand what's happening over the skies of Nellis AFB with the 57th. Links: The Mitchell Institute Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace The Mitchell Institute LinkedIn Page: https://linkedin.com/company/mitchellaerospacepower The Mitchell Institute Twitter: @MitchellStudies The Mitchell Institute Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themitchellinstituteforaero/ @themitchellinstituteforaero Credits: Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret. Producer: Daniel C. Rice Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Brig Gen Michael “Johnny Bravo” Drowley, 57th Wing Commander, USAF Guest: Lt Gen (ret.) David Deptula, Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

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Episode 290 - Life Lessons from a Fighter Pilot

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2021 34:34

After spending 10+ years as an F-16 fighter pilot and finishing his career as a US Air Force Weapon School instructor, Steven C. Shallenberger is grateful he didn't listen to the Air Force instructor who visited his school when he was in seventh grade and told him he'll never be a fighter pilot, that it wasn't for anybody.  Today, I am pleased to welcome one of my sons, Steven C. Shallenberger, CEO of ElementOne, a startup focused on restoring clean air while allowing the continued use of our modern transportation economy. He holds a BS in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Air Force Academy and an MBA in Financial and Entrepreneurial Management from the University of Pennsylvania.  In this episode, Steven shares his experiences as a fighter pilot, the challenges he overcame during that time, and how those experiences helped him upgrade his leadership abilities. We have an inspiring conversation about leadership, humility, resilience, and situation awareness. Steven kindly shared the mantra that helped him successfully carry on with the privilege of being part of the 1% of pilots and technicians that turn into instructors of the Weapons School.  Tune in to Episode 290 of Becoming Your Best, and enjoy the inspirational insights Steven shared with us.  Some Questions I Ask: Could you give us a little background and share a couple of key points from the Air Force experience? (3:06) For anybody interested in getting into the Air Force Academy, could you tell us what the process is? (4:21) Can you talk about some of the adversity that you had? How are you able to overcome adversity and setbacks? (13:17) From your experience, what are the traits of a successful leader within the fighter pilot community? And how can these be applied in everyday life? (17:26) In This Episode, You Will Learn: Steven talks about the sensation of making his dreams come true by getting into the US Air Force (7:05) The relevance of having a clear purpose for overcoming adversity (8:09) What it was like to be in hostile environments as a fighter pilot (10:52) Steven talks about how understanding the struggle between humility vs. ego helped him overcome setbacks (13:20) Steven explains the mantra: being humble, approachable, credible (17:34) Connect with Steven: LinkedIn Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best University Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: support@becomingyourbest.com  Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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2nd Air Force Command Chief Adam Vizi

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2021 61:00 Transcription Available

On this episode of the Ones Ready podcast, we are joined by Command Chief Adam Vizi of the 2nd Air Force. The 2nd Air Force is responsible for five training Wings and one training Group. One of those training Wings is the Special Warfare Training Wing which we're all very familiar with since we are all interested in the ins and outs of Prep, A&S, and the remainder of the pipeline. Command Chief Vizi discusses his time as a TACP instructor as well as the initiatives they're exploring in AETC, what it was like standing up the first enlisted Weapons School, and finally wrapping it up with some advice to existing Airmen who are in BMT or their tech school. Please enjoy the episode and give us your feedback. If you liked it and feel so inclined, please leave us a review. If we didn’t answer your questions, please let us know, and thank you for your support!Want to watch this episode on Youtube? https://youtu.be/_qdRloEsJZQNeed the show notes? onesready.com/episode/77Have a question? Email us at info@onesready.comFollow us on Instagram @onesreadyFollow us on YoutubeFollow us on Facebook

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Everything TACPO