016 - The Air Boss

On this episode, retired US Navy Vice Admiral Mike “Shoe” Shoemaker, whose last tour on active duty was Commander, Naval Air Forces, joins us to discuss the current state and future of naval aviation. We touch on numerous high-level strategic issues and spend several minutes answering listener questions.
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[@HabitualButtonPusher]

Wow! When you say Air Boss you mean AIR BOSS! I was just expecting a Carrier Air Boss

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Nope. Admiral Shoemaker was in charge of ALL the carrier air bosses, and then some!

[@paulloveless9180]

Im going back to old episodes and I had to do a double take when I saw 3 stars!

[@drafter131]

Brilliant man. Thanks for your service and wonderful interview

[@OmgReaverDrop]

Found out much later that VADM Shoemaker was Ward Carroll / Mooch's academy classmate and Kevin Miller / Hozer's XO. Small world!

[@oldsailor8593]

The 105th had 4 future admirals including vadm Shoemaker at one time he did his dept head

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

If you mean VFA-105, no Navy sailor would ever call that squadron the "105th"--that's an Air Force thing.

[@oldsailor8593]

@@FighterPilotPodcast Friend you know not what you are talking about , around NAS Cecil field if you were in or had been a member of the Gunslingers you spoke of the squadron as the 105th. I was the Ordnance Senior Chief for several years. Others not part of the 105th never understood!

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

@@oldsailor8593 that explains it!

[@simflier8298]

I remember attending an airshow in 2012. The Static display Superhornet NFO said there were several fighters at major jet bases with no engines. They were removed and sent to carrier fleets due to budget cuts

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

They Navy struggled with supply issues for awhile but things are improving.

[@709mash]

Is it fair to say that the air force always gets the fancy stuff, with a bit of a better supply chain?

[@butchcassidy7289]

Any chance you could get someone from Stroke flight on your podcast? Stroke3 himself talking through that infamous sortie would be amazing!

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Have been trying to corral one of them-is proving difficult.

[@jonathanbaird8109]

@@FighterPilotPodcast Even though he wasn't one of the Strokes, Captain Keith Rosenkranz, author of "Vipers in the Storm", was in Package Q. His Desert Storm/Desert Shield experiences could make for a very interesting listen.

[@mxcollin95]

Can you post a picture of the sky art?

[@pontiacGXPfan]

The mini boss is the one who was born other than first in the family, so to speak. He might not be king but he still has a way to exert influence over his part of the kingdom

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

...um, okay. But we weren't talking aircraft carrier air bosses here--we're talking the Commander, Naval Air Forces.

[@pontiacGXPfan]

@@FighterPilotPodcast Commodore? This is a rank I know very little about

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

@@pontiacGXPfan The US Navy no longer uses the rank of Commodore, but it is used as a title for various billets, such as Type Wing Commanders at the various aircraft bases.

[@mike28003]

The biggest issue with retention is the military going woke I left in 98 when all the political correctness started because I got sick of it.