Leaderboard

Well, here at Dyess we are 3-D printing the controllers for the B-1 avionics system for pennies on the dollar. As well as replacement ICS switches, switch covers, and other cockpit components. I don't think we're quite to printing a new engine from scratch, but if I can get even these plastic pieces in a day instead of weeks, for a fraction of the price... I'm all for investing in the idea just to see what airmen can make. I'm old enough to remember bitching that the Air Force didn't want ideas from anyone below O-6. I'm sure as hell not going to shoot down airman Snuffy's good idea "because that's how we've always done it".

I don't know the answers to those questions. I've actually never seen a waiver from MEPS. In my experience, MEPS just does their thing and then Big Blue decides whether to send you on to compete the FC I. In regards to the FC I, nothing is done ahead of time as far as waivers go. The folks at Wright-Patt will review your case and decide if it makes sense to bring you. If it does, then any required waivers get processed after your eval.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you'll send in a packet prior to MEPS to essentially get permission to come into MEPS and anything you need a waiver for will be in that.

It's not about whether the action was actually illegal or not, it's a matter of perception. He perceived there was wrongdoing, brought it up. He did the right thing. You want to judge the action based on your perceived outcome, but that's not how things work. You want people to voice concerns when they have them no? You will never have a completely impartial complaint. It's not a thing, but you all act like every opinion is immediately invalid because someone has a perceived a bias. Immediately throwing out or silencing all complaints with any hint of bias is going to lead to there being zero complaints. This guy isn't the judge...he isn't determining legality or punishment, he simply raised his hand and said he had concerns and was silenced. The problem here is the right wing media is painting him as a partisan hack, which then puts the military in a bad light and you don't like. If the media were to simply look at him as a person voicing concerns through an established process (which he is), then it wouldn't be dragging down the "impartiality" reputation of the military. This is a predictable cycle though, as anyone who gives even the slightest shred of disagreement with Trump is immediately eaten alive, even if they are in your own party. It's easy to get riled up over him when you look at it under these set of political circumstances, but instead imagine a similar situation happening with an IG complaint, sexual assault, a maintainer sabotaging an airplane...etc. You don't want people out there witnessing potentially bad things to be second guessing themselves and being afraid of reporting. Report it and let the authorities sort it out. He did.

It’s CCAF credit, tho

Part of TAMI was to convert some rated staff jobs into enlisted billets. There are plenty of Career Enlisted Aviators hidings out in staff because they suck at flying, etc.

I suffered for about a decade but just chalked it up to normal fighter pilot back/neck pain and sucked it up. About 7 years ago I started having random weakness in my right arm and fessed up to the flight doc. Long story short, turned out it was due to my neck and eventually ended up having anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery at C6/C7. Translation: they took out my old degenerated disc that was pressing on my spinal cord and replaced it with a chunk of bone from a cadaver plus a plate and screws. Sounds nasty. Was no big deal. I can’t tell you how glad I am I had the surgery. I’m an old school believer that you don’t go to the doc unless you need a flight physical or are dying, but in my case they said no amount of Motrin or physical therapy could ever have made me feel better. I suffered like a fool for about a decade. As uncomfortable as I was all the time, I didn’t really realize how much misery I was in until I was no longer in misery after the surgery.. 6 months post-op I had a waiver to fly fighters again. My understanding is that one level fusion is waiverable, more than that is not. But I could be wrong about that.

I’m an inch shorter than when I started UPT because I was young and bulletproof in a viper. I am no longer young and my back and neck remind me of that every day. Was it worth it? Prolly. Ask me again when I’m 60

Look Broham, you are missing the point. You do not have an allergy unless the AF says you do. So, right now you do not have an allergy and do not care for the taste of peanuts. Repeat this five times in the mirror, watch top gun twice, and you'll be on your way.

Are you an Eagle driver?

How is it illegal? Show me where Trump’s foreign policy decisions are illegal and I’ll concede that the Lt Col made the right call and Trump needs to reign it in. The Lt Col even admitted that he only “had concern,” nothing anywhere about illegal activity. There is a dangerous precedent to be set when military members think that they can influence policy because they disagree with the administration. Generals for example advise, but in the end if their advice is not taken they either A. shut up and color or B. resign. Thanks for your concern about me being in a leadership position, I happen to be in one and encourage my subordinates to pass feedback on my decisions. But I’m not a civilian leader in charge of the military making national policy.