Resigning letter of a fighter pilot to his boss 2009

[RetiredF4]

My personal expierience as a fighter pilot in the GAF ended 21 years ago. I never looked back and questioned my decision, several developments around the job told me then that it was the right and only thing to do. This POV is unchanged.

Today I stumbled on the following DEAR BOSS resignation letter (US) from 2009 and was wondering, what the situation would be today.

The letter starts a bit down the page and ends with...

And that’s why I’m resigning…long hours with little support, no stability or predictability to life, zero career progression, and senior commanders evidently totally missing the point. Our only real heritage—an unfailing drive for excellence—has gone by the wayside in favor of a culture of square filling. I’ve had it—life’s too short to fight an uphill battle for commanders and staffs who won’t listen or don’t believe or maybe don’t even care. So thanks for the memories, it’s been a real slice of life…But I’ve been to the mountain and looked over and I’ve seen the big picture. It wasn’t all green. But it wasn’t Air Force blue either.

But read yourselve.

Fighter Pilot University :: Dear Boss 2011 (http://www.fighterpilotuniversity.com/wtfo/dear-boss-2011)

After 21 years in an civilian job (not related to aviation) I could write a similar letter to my present employer....
Things never change.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Things do change.

My resignation letter 22 years ago did not talk about these things going on, it talked about them going to happen. And that our dumb politicians would get us into stupid wars. I have met other guys who put exactly the same things in their resignation letters at that time.

They were told.

[langleybaston]

I retired at retirement age, so no resignation lettter.

I received a short letter from the Director-General, thanking me for my contribution of 41 years.

He added that "if there is anything you would like to say about how things were and are in the Office ......... please let me know."

My equally brief reply said that I had been telling the Office for at least 10 years that it was going down the tubes, and not a blind bit of notice was taken.

In those ten years I occupied some big-name desks, so it wasn't just squeakings from the lowest rung of the ladder.

And it went down the tubes.

[Cows getting bigger]

In my experience, the most effective resignations are the one's where the employee says nothing.

[Pontius Navigator]

Interesting.

I noted the comment about SOs at happy hour. Apart from the drink-driving laws and family life intruding, how many SO actually mingle rather than flock around the next more senior SO?

How many VSO get the chance to mingle with the plebs and escape their minders?

Apart from the 1Gp Dining In Night the only time I can remember was Ken Hayr at a Sqn party: he was AOC and an ex-Sqn member. Sadly he was given a harder time than he deserved.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

In my experience, the most effective resignations are the one's where the employee says nothing.

I learned that lesson after the first resignation! ;)

If they are going to listen, they would have done so before you had to resign.

[Courtney Mil]

Interesting.

I noted the comment about SOs at happy hour. Apart from the drink-driving laws and family life intruding, how many SO actually mingle rather than flock around the next more senior SO?

How many VSO get the chance to mingle with the plebs and escape their minders?

Apart from the 1Gp Dining In Night the only time I can remember was Ken Hayr at a Sqn party: he was AOC and an ex-Sqn member. Sadly he was given a harder time than he deserved.

Two good points there, Pontius. First Ken Hayr didn't ever really deserve a hard time, but all VSOs get them when they make themselves available. Second, most squadron parties in my experience were thought to be better without them. 43 used to have "Sledge" parties - no wheels.

[Wensleydale]

My particular favourite resignation from the forces was that sent by David Niven (the film actor) to his CO after escaping from detention in the mess and running away to America. It read:


"Dear Colonel. Request permission to resign commission. Love Niven".


The source is one of the better autobiographies that I have read, "The Moon's a Balloon". Do read it if you haven't already done so - it is a most entertaining read.

[Rossian]

....I'm sure I told this before - in the mid '70s? when he was Mr Flight Safety he came to St Mawgan to address the troops. Early in his presentation he mentioned "time off". There was a sotto voce rumble from the audience.
"That seems to have rattled a cage" he said. "Tell me". And he was told.

One of the big deals was doing crew training sim slots on Saturday nights until 0100 Sun. He was utterly flabbergasted.
He addressed one NCO with "What did you do last w/e?". He just happened to pick on one guy who seemed to have drawn several short straws. He went back 4 months before this guy had a Friday 1700 to Mon 0800 completely free. And he was not alone.

He then addressed the wheels "How come this happens?" And was told.
Operations/SAR/ Stn duties/but the sims were the biggy.

He then dispatched his PSO to SHQ to inspect the leave records of all the aircrew on the station.
Sat night sim slots stopped there and then. I was one of several told to put a leave pass in the next morning and I WAS to go on leave for two weeks.

I think most guys in that room would have followed him a very very long way, because he put his money where his mouth was. Sure, it probably caused a bit of admin chaos for a while but it certainly got the high powered attention.

The Ancient Mariner

[Courtney Mil]

Nice story, Rossian. He was one of those guys who could be pleasant, genuinely interested and in-touch, but still did well.

[newt]

An Officer and a Gentleman I'd say Courtney!:ok:

[Tinribs]

Not wanting to drift too much but I had a slightly similar experience when the then boss of CFS, IB, threw me out on the first morning of the flying instructors course.

Basically he said the head of standards, BJ, was moving from my refresher school Manby to CFS and had taken against me though he couldn't understand why. If I remained said senior would make my life impossible and would likely fail me at some stage. It was best for me to go now when I had not yet been seen by CFS and it would permanently clear to all that another factor applied

I didn't understand at the time and still don't but I had to give him best for trying to explain an impossible situation to a sprog flying officer.

Some years later said senior broke an airoplane on his last day of service by self authing when the weather was far outside the aircraft limits, I felt good

It was one factor in my early plan to sell my wings to the highest bidder, British Midland

[The Old Fat One]

In my experience, the most effective resignations are the one's where the employee says nothing.

Nailed it.

[Hueymeister]

Things haven't changed a single bit....I am about to say farewell to the best Boss I have ever known; he's proper old school, each day he comes around the 'shop' at least twice a day and chews the fat with every single one of us; he knows our names, spouse's names and what we're up to job-wise and at home. Very approachable.

My previous Boss was a lovely guy, but espoused the best (worst) 'David Brent' (The Office) management style whilst leadership his style was the worst of Capt Mainwaring (Dad's Army). Never seen a Sqn run aground quite so comprehensively...was sad to have to release early, but so glad to be away from that train wreck.

[Pontius Navigator]

As Sqn bosses go, Isn't strange how variable they can be.

Good then bad
Good then bad
Good, good, bad
Bad, iffy
Good, bad
Bad, good, good
Good,good
Bad, good
Good, good
Good, good

Very rough assessment but more good than bad I am pleased to say. The criteria has to be that you want to do work for the one and are made to do work for the other.

[MPN11]

Curious perspectives on Ken Hayr, who was my AOC at 11 Gp. I shall mull it over, as his SASO [the delightful Dink Lemon] used to come and hide in my office for a filter coffee and a King Edward cigar on occasions when AOC was being "difficult". :cool:

Can't say we ever related, but then I wasn't a FJ pilot. I just got boll**ked for wearing a green jumper and shirt with my combat kit [including webbing, and a full water bottle, because I had them] during a call-out ... apparently I was supposed to wear Blue under my DPM. Who would have thought that?

I vividly recall some Lightning incident at Binbrook, involving a VERY low-level visual circuit to get in, where he had half the HQ investigating the rules and regs ... as I discovered when I phoned someone at STC who said something like "You're the 3rd person to ask me that from 11 Gp today ... WTF?".

Whatever, his career was more successful than mine ;)

However, it was a certain Scottish Air Officer who really turned my lights off, along with a few other Gp Capts who really got on my mammaries. Not that any of them cared, of course.

[smujsmith]

Gentlemen, as a standard "baldrick" I doubt that my input will carry any weight, I offer simply this. Ken Hayr was one I certainly looked up to during my time in the RAF, and he always seemed to me to offer a fair judgement of matters of concern. Unfortunately, many more senior personnel have stamped their own desires over his balanced opinion. I suspect that this thread is already diverting to a willy war about who was the best "leader of men" surely the OP had the intention of looking at why people, of whatever trade, left our service, and, the reaction of the management to their departure. I, like many, would always suspect that the first to leave are our best assets, and no, I'm not one of them, I was discharged due to being broken in a flying incident. Is the OPs intent to discuss who was the best senior officer you knew ? I doubt it.

Smudge

[teeteringhead]

apparently I was supposed to wear Blue under my DPM. Who would have thought that? One is unsurprised - sadly.

I was working in HQBFFI a few years after the War - probably '85-86'-ish, when we were visited by the RAF Staff College, then single-Service and at Bracknell.

Their "operational visit dress" was as follows:

DPM
Blue shirts - with ties. :eek:
Blue woolly-pullies :eek::eek:
DMS boots - with puttees!! :eek::eek::eek:
And all topped off with SD hats!!

Oh how we laughed. As one of a minority of crabs in the HQ, took a lot of flak over that.......

[MPN11]

Sadly, TTH, the RAF didn't see a need to outfit everyone to scale with 'green things', and just issued on loan from central stores [Innsworth in my case, for FI in 83]. In my case, as a regular Bisley competitor, I had acquired all the necessary over the years ;)

I do agree, though, it tended to generate a bit of a Fred Karno appearance when combining blue/green.

[Wander00]

FI in first third of 86 I operated in "greens" and a beret. On t'other hand at Worthy Down for a year of the CIMA course, in blues and woolly pully the army thought I was MOD Guard Force until I had a little word with the RSM. Then there was the Sunday evening at WD when the siren went " for real" - someone had found an unmarked bag. I turned up in hastily donned DPM with NBC suit et al. The army turned up in everything from sports kit to pyjamas - as the only guy in uniform I was pinged as Defence Commander. turned out to be someone's sandwich supper got "wheelbarrowed"

[teeteringhead]

Indeed so MPN.

Fortunately, as a fully paid-up member of the SH Force, I could dress appropriately as a Joint SO2!

Colleagues in the HQ even decided I was an "Air Major" rather than a Sqn Ldr - confused the postmen a bit though :ok:

[Rossian]

.....as an Oggie in the early 2000s I was sent as a member of an exercise analysis team for a NATO exercise. It had been decided that we Oggies would wear DPM although none of the aircrew/groundcrew would.

Consternation reigned in the face of the German Navy Commander who was our team boss. After a day or two he came to me and said "You are/were aircrew, you think like a submariner but you dress like a soldier??? I shall call you The Ancient Mariner". He then proceeded to to quote from the "rhyme of the ancient mariner" by Mr S T Coleridge word perfectly. I objected to the line "grey bearded loon" but it was an impressive performance. (He was also pleased that I was the only one on the team prepared to be paired with the French Navy officer. The Canuck refused point blank!)

Hence my signature block below.

The Ancient Mariner

[Wander00]

Then there was the "B" Sqn Ft Cdr at the Towers early 80s who always wore a blue shirt, with gold cuff links + black tie with DPMs and an SD cap.

[MPN11]

About the time my OH was there as IOT DS. There were several well-dressed gentlemen in those days :)

As PMC at Stanley in 83, I presided over a Stn Guest Night with everyone in DPM and black tie.

Standards, old chap ... must maintain standards :)

[kintyred]

Late 80s. SH had a reputation with the Pongos for wearing a wide variety of garments on exercise and The Powers That Be decreed that we should be more uniform in appearance when working with the army. As the first captain to have to enforce this I told my crew, in front of the authorising Flt Cdr, that I expected them to wear only issued flying clothing for our forthcoming sortie. Slight frown from auth and knowing smiles from the crew.....with a little collusion we ensured that not only were we differently attired, no garment appeared twice between the four of us! The directive was subsequently quietly dropped!

[Big Pistons Forever]

The dirty little secret behind those promotion messages

Major to LCol: Remove Heart
LCol to Col: Remove Spine
Col to General Officer: Remove Brain

After 36.5 years in the Mob as a Reserve officer, I got the PFO letter from the big guy. Had a great run, made it 3 ranks higher than I ever expected.

I have only one boast. Every higher ranking officer gets issued a magazine with 5 silver bullets. I will retire with "no rounds in my possession, sir"

Sadly far too many leaders will retire without the stones to fire even one silver bullet for the betterment of an individual grievously wronged or the organizational good...