<p>Just a wife speaking here, so my opinion is from the outside in. </p>
<p>The AFA doesn’t exist to bang out fighter pilots, or pilots for that matter. It exists to bang out the best officers! The best officers come about because of their intense desire to be a member within this small community. They look out for each other, and do not have the “me, me, me attitude”. </p>
<p>The fighter community has changed drastically over the past 20 yrs and it seems like you have more of the attitude that is now officially frowned upon in that world. Gone are the days of barstoolers or singing songs like the S &M Man at the club on Friday night. Pull a Canadian Rodeo today and you will be facing an Article 15, 20 yrs ago, they slapped your hands.</p>
<p>It is funny to believe that because they are the top at UPT and chose fighters means that they are cocky. Those pilots that show up at FTU with the cocky attitude are quick to find out that they are eaten up by the squadron. I have heard too many stories about guys like that. One guy after graduating UPT got to Elmendorf thinking he knew it all. He went toe to toe with the IP who had the most hours (2000 in fighters). For the past 15 yrs he has had the call sign TUNA. Why? Because the IP had 2K and he had NA. </p>
<p>I have also seen AFA grads wash out of FTU, so don’t go into the AFA thinking that when you hit UPT they will give you a pass. Academics and handling a stick are 2 different things.</p>
<p>I will say Bullet was never one of those with the fighter personality when it came to his personality, but I also know there was 2 Bullets…the officer and the flier. The officer treated everyone with the same respect, the flier knew that he had to have that confidence Flieger spoke of to get home safely to us. Don’t walk down the path that you can only be one or the other, because in he end you will lose.</p>
<p>You have a very long path in front of you before you get to see the inside of any aircraft. Right now you should be about enjoying these yrs and the friends you will make, not about having the pilot mentality, or what you believe is the fighter mentality. Those friends that you make will be the ones that help you get to UPT when you are struggling academically. </p>
<p>In other words live for today not for 5 years from now.</p>