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Maybe it's because I don't watch any major news outlets...in fact it probably is precisely because of that...I haven't heard the above said even once. Have you considered that maybe you're allowing yourself to get jacked around by the media outrage coupled with the active disinformation that accompanies all armed conflicts? I'll grant that Trump is a loose cannon when he's in the media spotlight, which I think makes everything worse. I won't rule out the possibility that he INTENDS to be a loose cannon when in the media spotlight, but that doesn't really matter. In any case, spare the outrage and acting like you see something no one else does. There's already enough whiplash going around. Send your letters to congress and the president when the 82nd is actually ordered to invade. (which btw, I've already started drafting now that they've been given a WARNORD to deploy. Not happy about that)

Russia and China were well aware that our military is dope before we showed it off yet again. This isn’t some “oh shit” moment for them. They’re patiently watching, collecting valuable intel, and they’re celebrating that every JASSM, MOP, TLAM, PrSM, and high end interceptor missile used against Iran is one less we have for an eventual fight with them. We moved CSGs, marines, fighter squadrons, patriot and THAAD batteries, and countless weapons from other AORs to the Middle East and I’m supposed to believe this makes our force posture toward China stronger?! Our resources are vast, but not infinite, and everything you expend against a second rate regional power is stuff you won’t have to fight against the big dog. Also agreed, Iran with a nuke is not a good thing, but as I posted earlier, our own intelligence community assessed they were not trying to build one as recently as this past year. Which I guess is just an inconvenient fact that we’re gonna continue to gloss over. Then we “obliterated their nuclear program” in midnight hammer but now suddenly there’s an imminent nuclear threat of the bomb we already assessed they weren’t making, then “obliterated” … So what the fuck are we even talking about? This is all boomer GWOT Fox News alarmism. “IF WE DONT ACT NOW THEYRE GONNA NUKE TEL AVIV OR NYC NEXT WEEK.” How do you guys not see this is just the same old script the establishment uses to sell every war?

Was always a huge concern in the Gunship, especially in our Hot Cargo area which could be very dark and isolated. I always briefed the crew, especially new folks, a plan to move away from responding firetrucks in case of an emergency. On more than one occasion a crew dog was nearly run over by an emergency vehicle.

No. They really aren't. They're happy to see us step on our crank, but they're also very not happy to see how lethal our forces can be when partially unleashed. Russia in particular is very unhappy with the results of their own air and EW defenses. China, well, best indications are that China's leadership doesn't actually comprehend what our absolute and lightning fast decimation of Iran's defenses really means for their Taiwan plans. I'm willing to bet the rank-and-file PLA get's it, but the one-man command structure probably doesn't. Is the US stepping in it right now? Yup. Is it really hurting our strategic capabilities? Not unless we commit conventional ground troops.

ELT

here waiting on y’all!

I don’t think we are getting sucked in as much as we didn’t have a choice. Iran having nuclear weapons is not acceptable in any scenario, it is different than NK, Pakistan or Turkey developing nukes. Not only would they still hold at risk the Strait of Hormuz, they would still command some of the largest oil reserves and now a military capability that effectively holds at bay or at risk the world. They would have the means to if not push us out of the ME effectively, severely limit our options, if they developed a nuclear weapons capability. They are completely capable of nuclear terror, feigning innocence or ignorance if a weapon was used. It is completely conceivable they would strike us, Israel or Europe first with a nuclear weapon in an unattributable manner. Russia and China may be enjoying seeing the USA get into a fight with Iran and I wouldn’t intervene if I were them but we are not them. We occupy a totally different role in this drama, they can and will do things that we won’t because they, the mafia regime running Russia or the cult of personality running China, are the bad guys for lack of a better term. These are countries that might poison you with radioactive materials if the leader doesn’t like you or assign you to be worked to death and steal your organs if they want to. We are not perfect and neither are our leaders but by any measure we are more good than bad. I don’t like the fact that we secure a world that a lot of preening, hypocritical assholes free ride on and enjoy the benefits of while not doing shit but it is preferable to a world where China controls micro chips, Iran controls or threatens half of the worlds oil supply and Russia has retaken Eastern Europe. They will use that leverage to push us out, choke our economy and weaken us in ways we are not really widely thinking of. Chinese diplomats in unguarded moments have told American diplomats they wish to deindustrialize the USA, to turn us into an agrarian nation that supplies China and is essentially a vassal to it. Fuck that. Iran is part of the strategy to defeat that, not only for us but the free world and allies, as fair weather friends as some of them might be. We all have bitter memories of the GWOT, other long term missions or actions taken in the ME, we can legitimately be wary but we must be open that force is required yet again. The Korean War happened only 5 years after WW2, I’m sure the public was not happy with another war after fighting in the most destructive conflict ever but history waits for no one and reality is utterly remorseless, either we fight our enemies or we let them take what they want of the world.

100% This is gonna get blown up into a controller/FAA manning issue (as it should) but a huge portion of the responsibility shared by the fire truck crew is going to be lost on most people. Nothing against our emergency response folks but anyone who’s been a pilot long enough knows they kinda blast around airfields with very little regard for clearances. In the few times where I have ground egressed a jet, my primary concern after getting out was not being hit by a firetruck. And they aren’t pilots so they’re not going to have the same mental picture we might have after listening to a tower freq for a minute or two. I hope this incident prompts more airfield ops training for emergency crews because in my experience their shenanigans on the airfield and generally garbage comms tend add more chaos to emergency situations than they alleviate.

Yeah myself and a couple folks I know will be there. Been a wild week, didnt get our RIPs until Monday and only got my DTS approved this morning.

Yeah if there’s one thing sure to improve our positioning in the world it’s getting sucked into another middle eastern boondoggle 🙄 Russia and China are absolutely salivating over this. Why do you think they haven’t stepped in to broker some kind of ceasefire? Because you don’t interrupt your enemy when they’re in the middle of curb stomping their own dick.

Anyone at Wright Pat doing the MFS on the 26?

Does anyone know what the 'alarm' sound is when the controller is keying mic during the incident?

I get it, I would say I’m not a neo con but a realist. Neo con or Neo libs are trying to make the world a better place, to make said regimes like us, I harbor no illusions about that. I just wanna keep them from running the place.

Will look at that Good discussion on School of War on Iran https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-of-war/id1589160645?i=1000756399444 I’m not a neo con, I’m not looking for dragons to slay but if we want to prevent the three authoritarian systems of the east with capabilities, resources, position and intent on reshaping our flawed but acceptable current world order into something we will not like, we have to act.

Yup, that would be fine too. Placing this program(s) at some BFE location would have the opposite intended effect and likely require salaries that would not be approved for the IP cadre. Driving distance from a domicile, I’d define that as less than 100 miles, good pay as a contract pilot or as an ARC member. Street hire civ pilot positions would be there too but the job requirements / role would be clearly communicated. To incentivize the mil community living in domicile, I could see special exemptions, carveouts, bonuses, etc… being offered. Assuming legalities, getting new ones or exceptions to policy… non deployable billets, bonuses for X number of training flights per FY, Tricare benefits, etc… Spread the love, West-Central-Southeast locations. PHX, DFW, ATL as likely bases to be near. Give each location two planes, single and a multi engine program.

Gabbard recently (18 Mar) said: "It is not the intelligence community's responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat."

Phew thank goodness the 2026 DNI report says China isn’t gonna move on Taiwan now because of our big dick moves in South America and the Middle East. I’ve always considered the DNI report to be the gold standard analysis. Wonder what the 2025 report said about Iran.. checks notes.. “WMD We continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that Khamenei has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003, though pressure has probably built on him to do so.“ 2025 DNI report pg. 26 https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ATA-2025-Unclassified-Report.pdf well shit. I guess the main thing to know about DNI reports is that you should ignore them if they don’t justify another forever war in the Middle East

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/u-s-deploy-82nd-airborne-iran-middle-east/ mmm yes it’s all going according to plan. -we’re actively in talks with Iran according to trump -but also we attacked them the last two times we were in talks -and also Iran says we aren’t in talks -and now potential movement toward boots on the ground -but it’s probably just to secure Kharg island which is like.. not really boots on the ground.. Goalpost shift in 3.. 2.. 1..

No, I don't think that would work. But I think you're close. This idea of yours needs to happen where the major airline hubs are. That's where you could find cfis with military experience and a general willingness to fly for money. I can think of a lot of guys at American Airlines who would love to moonlight teaching the next generation, as long as it didn't take away from their lives in the same way that all the other Air Force /guard/reserve duties do. Pay for a retired or separated Air Force pilot working at the airlines to get their CFII, and then give them a decent "per day" pay for showing up and flying two or three student rides. Do it like the Air Force academy liaison program and allow them to accrue time towards retirement, but no official Air Force pay. You get the idea. That would end up being wildly cheaper than active duty pilots at an active duty base teaching, but you could get that military-esque training. Just a thought

Giving them 1.7 billion 10 years ago might have been a mistake.

There are defiantly positive second and third order effects from the Venezuela and Iran efforts. Interestingly the DNI 2026 report was just released and they have shifted to say they no longer think China will jump for Taiwan in 2027. If you follow this AOR you will know there are BIG factors (economic/population), that were pointing at 2027. I have only skimmed it so far but a huge change in the assessment. As an aside, INDOPACOM hosted the POST conference in Hawaii two weeks ago and their assessment does NOT align with DNI. DNI 2026 Report.pdf

Probably Regime alter Venezuela, regime change Cuba, keep pressure on Mexican cartels, keep Russia from taking more of Ukraine, make amends with Canada & Europe, build an asymmetric thread to hold at risk a cross Taiwan strait invasion from multiple axes… secure the greater peace with strategic blocking moves.

Talking with a controller friend, it's not all that uncommon for that time of night. Technically two controllers "on duty," with one off status resting while one controls the entire show. I know I've been at the busy early morning push in EWR and we couldn't raise anyone on clearance for a full route clearance. Jumped over the ground and the controller apologized, "I'm the only one here right now." Dude was reading full route clearance after full route clearance, then asking guys to read back only their squawk, because he was busty issuing taxi clearances. I assume he was issuing T/O and LND clearances as well, but I wasn't on that freq. Our controller staffing hasn't recovered from the hiring freeze during rona, among other reasons... I still have no idea why they won't accept military controllers who over >30, seems like they're leaving out some qualified candidates. Relatively small pool, but seems like a terrible policy with the current shortages.

One of my biggest issues with the current administration is their attacks on free press. We've all seen Trump's contempt for new organizations that attack him and while some of what they say is not true...the same goes for many things he says. There is a reason freedom of the press is in the First Amendment...the founders thought it was that important. As Edmund Burke stated, the Press is the 4th estate...a final check and balance outside the control of the government. Current efforts by this administration are horrific and I hope the courts continue to punch them in the face. For those not following the story below, Hegseth tried to limit which press organizations could freely roam the halls of the Pentagon...sounds odd but it has been going on for years and if you know anything about the Pentagon it is normal to see Barbara Star and others standing in line to get coffee or lunch down stairs. A federal Judge struct down previous restrictions so Hegseth is doubling down and moving EVERYONE outside...very ungood. The Pentagon Imposes New Restrictions on Journalists