(Part 4) Top products from r/AirForce

I'm a really big fan of "It Worked for Me" by Colin Powell. If you ever want to believe again in the American Dream then his autobiography "My American Journey" is great as well.

Aside from that 'Leading with Honor" is good as well. It has a lot of good messages and a lot of historical information from that time.

"Generating Buy In" is a very good and very short read.

It isn't quite leadership but "Profiles In Courage" by JFK fits the bill in my opinion. It's about lawmakers doing the right thing instead of voting along party lines.

"In the Company of Heroes" by Michael Durant is a good read as well. Learning about his time in captivity was enlightening but I really enjoyed the whole book. I didn't quite understand why he chose that title until I got closer to the end. He used his platform to not only talk about his time there but also about the guys in his unit that died that day. Through that book you can draw out some lessons on how to lead people and some positive traits.

Amazon links:

http://www.amazon.com/Worked-Me-Life-Leadership/dp/0062135139/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462164926&sr=1-1&keywords=it+worked+for+me

http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Honor-Leadership-Lessons-Hilton/dp/098387932X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462164899&sr=1-1&keywords=leading+with+honor

http://www.amazon.com/Generating-Buy--Mastering-Language-Leadership/dp/0814409059/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462164874&sr=1-1&keywords=generating+buy+in

http://www.amazon.com/Profiles-Courage-John-F-Kennedy/dp/0060854936/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462164840&sr=1-1&keywords=profiles+in+courage

http://www.amazon.com/Company-Heroes-Michael-J-Durant/dp/0451219937

Here's what Ive used so far:

http://www.amazon.com/Barrons-Military-Flight-Aptitude-Tests/dp/1438005695/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1458833715&sr=8-4&keywords=afoqt+study+guide+2016

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Officer-Candidate-Tests-Petersons/dp/0768937809/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1458833823&sr=8-6&keywords=afoqt+study+guide

Keep in mind those sources have practice tests and content geared towards the older Form-S exam which is no longer relevant. For example, rotated blocks and hidden figures sections no longer apply. Also, the table reading section uses really small tables. From what I gather the tables used on the actual test are much larger grids. The instrument comprehension pictures look like ink blot tests they're so poorly rendered. MOST of what is in those books will help regardless. But in order to get a better idea of what exactly is on the new Form-T test you should look at the study materials provided here:

http://access.afpc.af.mil/pcsmdmz/Form%20T.HTML

Another tip, you'll find that if you study a lot you may run out of good practice materials and begin to remember answers to the content available. A huge help in that regard and also in brushing up on general math (which for me is the most difficult. Its been 7 years since college math) is the GRE exam prep guides. This one in particular covers what you should be comfortable with math wise and has practice questions that are extremely similar to what youll see in the practice tests and prep books:

https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_math_review.pdf

Good luck!

A couple good recommendations I have (aside from Tom Clancy stuff which I read for recreation) are going to be

Guide to effective military writing

and

AF Officer's guide (Incredibly useful even as enlisted)

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I'm currently reading Ghost in the Wires, it's pretty neat. It's about this guy who hacked the FBI and then hacked their hack on him... pretty fun stuff. Talks a lot about the social engineering side of security.

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The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553447718/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_nyBJBbFJSPCPJ

GET. THIS. BOOK.

Seriously. It's used in marriage counseling and has an amazing success rate.

I wish someone had given this to me when I first got married. It's good for EVERY serious, romantic relationship. This book would have saved me literally years of heartache and struggle to keep my marriage afloat.

www.AFOQTGuide.com has some things that may help, along with some links to other sites. It wasn't around when I was studying, but looking it over it has some good stuff.

The books I used were Master the Officer Candidate Test and Barron's Military Flight Aptitude Test. The Officer Candidate book covers the entire test. The Flight Aptitude book was just a good reference for the pilot portions.

I was a pretty good swimmer before I started training but I picked up this book in 2006: Total Immersion and it really helped me get better in the water.

This book series claims that it will be the Navy, since they were founded to "ensure freedom of navigation" and "defend civilian transportation".

A great book recommendation is: The Whole30.
It goes into unhealthy food relationships and helps you on what To Eat. My wife and I read it 5 years ago and it changed our food lives.

In case you shop Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Whole30-30-Day-Guide-Health-Freedom/dp/0544609719/ref=asc_df_0544609719_nodl/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312178271755&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3499817873983818254&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007743&hvtargid=pla-450195540651&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=60258871377&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312178271755&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3499817873983818254&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007743&hvtargid=pla-450195540651

You’re referring to Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben book. He was a Prussian “Barron” who trained the American Revolutionary Army to fight the British. The book link below was one I enjoyed on the subject.

https://www.amazon.com/Drillmaster-Valley-Forge-Steuben-American/dp/0061451649/ref=asc_df_0061451649_nodl/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343276534991&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7965480453808620867&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=21164&hvtargid=pla-574162265892&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=66484626702&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343276534991&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7965480453808620867&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=21164&hvtargid=pla-574162265892

There is a book about this called Roberts Ridge.

I heard this has been required reading for all new AF general officers.

For those of you who are really bored and don't have anything better to do, this book, on the Billy Mitchell court martial has been on the CSAF reading list a couple of times and I've always found it interesting.

USB Camera Adapter, RVOKOMS Male to Female OTG Extension Cable, iOS to USB-A Female Connector Compatible iOS Devices with MIDI Keyboard Electric Piano Drum Mixer Microphone Audio Interface Camera 6in https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SDPB2LT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1OeVDbDPVK5EN


I found this but didn’t want to wast money without asking. Lol

Ha, no problem! I'm actually getting this study guide so hopefully I do well.

Sounds like a classic case of the war of Extroverts vs. Introverts.

http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Starter-Set-Roleplaying/dp/0786965592

Hahaha.... Yes. Yes people have felt this way before. I am not laughing because your question is funny - I'm laughing because those in the profession of arms, self included, have been feeling this way since the cradle of civilization in the war after the first war.

I'mma step on my soap box for a bit:

Speaking as a guy who has been in for awhile and been to the places that you've mentioned - anybody worth their salt has had those same feelings about the conflict(s) before them. I imagine most pilots over Iraq would have preferred to have been dropping bombs over the shit instead. Pilots from the 'Nam era talk about the glory days over MiG alley, and pilots over Korea will tell tales of victories and lost friends over Europe. Every Marine everywhere will always drive an extra mile for Chesty. In Korea the Glorious Glosters were literally wiped out while holding on to the greatness bestowed upon the badges of their regiment... earned 150 years earlier in Egypt against Napoleon's forces. The old soldiers storming Normandy hoped to honor those lost at Meuse-Argonne, and I could keep going on and on and on.

And now, speaking as a guy on the internet with no authority over you, I'm giving you homework. Amazon links are attached, but check your local library. Read about a soldier who was furious that he joined too late after WWII. Read about a small generation of men who was told the war was over, and that there was no need to train hard during peace. Read about some Air Force nonners who were promised protection on a lonely mountain top... in a country they weren't supposed to be in. Read about the fictional - yet all too true lesson that war is hardly ever over and that things never change.

I don't have a non-douchy, yet motivational way to say this... so hear goes: Your job, whether we are actively involved in a major conflict or not - is to prepare to go war. Your time may come, and when it does, it's best to be as prepared as possible.

And if it doesn't... well... at least you got a baller GI Bill and some tendies.