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HELL YEAH, BROTHER!! Excuse the all CAPS...but I assume you're hard of hearing after being that close to nearly 36,000 lbs of awesomeness! When I was an EWO stud Lt at Randolph, I was lucky to be there when the 100th Century of Flight Tattoo was held. 2x jets set off all the car alarms in the parking lot...the BONE and the Phantom...and all my old-school G-model instructors were quick to point out the F-4 didn't need the afterburners to do it.

my ADSC was up right when the world was exploding from covid, everything locked down, hiring paused...that plus a kid with significant medical bills and I loved my job at the time (T-6 IP), I decided to stick around. It was a mistake.

I miss the people and none of the bs. I retired when the fun was gone. I no longer enjoyed going in every day. And now I have more time off than I ever did before, and make more money. That’s pretty hard for me to argue against. Sent from my iPhone using [emoji638]][emoji640][emoji640]][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji640]]]Baseops Network mobile app

I got to be about this close at Osan back in the day

It ain’t Friday and this dude was Army, but he tells some good stories. Enjoy a brief glimpse of WWII. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16C4ZWyzAx/?mibextid=wwXIfr

If OSI and others aren’t interested in watching self storage places around Dyess, Whiteman, etc they are truly F’ing up. Stop worrying about catching Joe for throwing a few bundles of bottled water in their Dity move, and worry about actual threats to mission. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, since you were so interested in Nazi salutes earlier this year…here’s another one for you:

Because I am a big dummy. Honestly, WIC was a turning point for me...after that my ADSCs were overlapping after getting picked up for IDE/ASG/SDE and BPZ....almost felt like I had to stay or eat a crap sandwich for jumping off the fast train while I still had ADSC. It created a stink when I dropped papers as an O-6 HPO. I dropped papers at 4PM on a Friday and jumped in my car to drive home. I barely made it out the front gate when I got a call from the Colonels Group...followed .69 seconds later by the HQ "how dare you leave now", which reinforced I'd made the right choice. I applied for Med School and got in the same time I applied for WIC...sometimes wish I'd gone that route, but I would have made a crappy proctologist, pun intended. Looking back, I miss the squadron life and the flying...I do not miss anything else.

It would be so easy to pull off. Take out a giant chunk of stateside airpower.

33 years of combined service so far... and I'm not done yet. The people, the mission, the flying. 10 years ago, I tried to move into a very different and new career. Didn't care for some of the people and their level of integrity; didn't enjoy "the mission"; there wasn't much flying.

💯 Update: They also hit Severomorsk which is the primary base for Russia’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet and houses two-thirds of its nuclear-armed platforms. Among them are advanced submarines such as the Yasen-, Oscar II-, and Sierra II-class, as well as various special-purpose underwater assets. Reports of at least one nuclear powered sub on fire pier-side at the base.

I hope the US Air Force is paying attention to this and has countermeasures in place. If the PRC attacks Taiwan and doesn't do the same thing here in CONUS, they would be fools. Doubtless there are already PRC agents in place given our lax border security and student visa program.

Because service to my country still meant a lot to me, even after I passed 20 years. I was still having fun, I loved the flying/mission, and I really enjoyed being around the people I served with. Everyone has a limit and I hit mine at just past 21 years, but I had a phenomenal career and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Edit to add: Even after my AD service was over I wasn't totally ready to walk away. Currently a CI at the FTU. I easily could've gone to airlines but enjoy instructing and I like that I'm still contributing to the community.

Reminds me of this article from Air and Space Smithsonian magazine from 10 years ago. What Couldn’t the F-4 Phantom Do? Specifically the below. At the time, thought I knew most of the lore about the Phantom, but had never heard they chased Titan rockets with it.

Things continue to go well for Russia...they are truly in the midst of finding out. ~ $2B in lost or damaged assets. ~ 1000 miles from the front lines in one case. More than 2000 miles in another. Four bases struck. I'm told this is what winning looks like for them? Victory must be right around the corner. This is a major boon for them. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-attacks-russian-nuclear-capable-bombers-siberia-2025-06-01/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/01/russia-ukraine-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news5291/ https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-stages-major-attack-russian-aircraft-with-drones-security-official-says-2025-06-01/

Early today Ukraine Special Forces working with FPV drones launched a massive attack on the Russian Air Force. Early reports indicate as many as 40 Russian bombers have been hit, many of them TU95s. The destroyed aircraft include Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, and at least one A-50 airborne early For context, prior to this attack Russia had an estimated total force of 60 TU95s, 27 TU-22M3s (30 more in long-term modernization status), and 6-10 A-50s. Bomber2.mp4

If you have to ask, get out. If it’s good for you, good for your family, you’re having fun, and you like what you’re doing, stay in. Otherwise, punch when your ADSC is up. Keep your doors open by finding a job in the ANG or AFRC.

I got out after 10 yrs commissioned in 2012, involuntary due to 2x FOS to O-4. I had absolutely no intention of joining the reserve at that time, although I had considered it as a backup. Pretty much no one was hiring in 2012, my first job prospect didn’t pan out even though it was a “sure thing”. I found myself compelled to do reserve bc it was the only thing available and I needed money after 3 months of unemployment which was not sustainable. I got an OK job as a DOD contractor a few months later, then low paying airline jobs a couple years later and so all along the way I actually needed the supplemental income from the reserve or guard. By the time I got my final airline job and was being paid well I only had 4 more yrs to a reserve retirement. Not needing the supplemental income anymore, I transferred to an IRR job and retired from that as O-5 with 21 yrs total. So for me I stayed for the money, primarily, but also for resume enhancement and job security. Towards the end it was solely to earn retirement which will pay 37% base pay (top of the 2039 O-5 pay chart) starting at age 59-1/4. Only <14 yrs until I start getting paid. It was worth it.

I had three different AFSCs in my career. That made hitting 20 easier. I liked flying military missions. Nothing like that in the civilian world (other than aerial fire fighting). There were tons of good dudes that I flew with.

There are lots of reasons to get out but those who didn’t get out, why did you stay?