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Yeah, we're rooting for the Razorbacks.

Also got mine at Sanders years ago and would recommend Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Got mine at Sanders about 6 years ago. Would recommend.

Crazy tournament so far. Happy my Vols moved on to Supers, but a very tough test ahead of them. Not much faith they will repeat their Natty from last year. But they are fun to watch. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Thread Revival! Looking at getting my ATP here in the next 6 to 9 months. I've looked into Mil2ATP and Sanders Aviation. I'm looking to see if anyone has any other East Coast recommendations, or any gouge on the above locations. Thanks for the help!

Love the perspectives here and thankful for all you guys who continue to serve. For a different perspective, career part-time Guard guy here. I stuck around becuase I enjoyed the flying, the people, and it was fun...up until it wasn't. Glad I served, but I didn't have the same experience as many above. It seemed every time we found ourselves on a deployment, we did absolutely nothing. The worst being my last trip to Afghanistan (over a decade after my first trip lol) a few months before the pullout. We had an EA (and his JAG), over 1,000 NM away, who had puppet/hand up your ass close control. They also no appetite to do anything but watch the ANA/ANP get rolled. It truly was a demoralizing trip for the entire squadron and really showed that we had no intention of ever winning this 20+ year quagmire. Also, I'm happy to no longer have to fight self imposed road block after road block just to do the mission. Though it may not sound like it, I'm not bitter, but there is a sour taste in my mouth. Thankfully all that is far outweighed by the lifelong friends/experiences from my 22 years in service...the pension will be nice when the time comes as well. I would say I miss the camaraderie, but we all live within a few miles of each other, which is very close to base. As I type this I hear 2nd go coming back into the pattern and one dude just rocked our house (likely driveway check by a pilot who lives across the street from me). There isn't a week that goes by that I'm not having coffee and/or beers with an old squadron mate. This morning, I carpooled with a squadron mate who is a FO on my jet, and we flew a quick day turn for Delta. In a few weeks there are 20+ of us current/former squadron mates going on a 3 day golf outing up in western Michigan. I 100% would miss the camaraderie if we didn't have this dynamic. The airlines just can't compare...it's a job that I love only because I work very little and make lots of money. I need that to make up for all the years of lost time with family.

Not normally a baseball fan but the regionals were full of drama this year with the #1 and #2 schools both getting knocked out in the first round of Regionals. Also some drama with some of the Florida schools: 1. FSU made it to the Super Regionals but not without the star pitcher caught on film telling a Mississipp State layer to “Sit down… sit the FUCK DOWN. lil inbred bitch.” How nice. 2. Next up Was U of Florida and their lunatic coach Kevin O’Sullivan who had an absolute meltdown when his game was delay one hour. The University justifiably forced him to apologize and karma hit him twice with the Gators knocked out in the Regionals when they were expected to make the trip to Omaha ContentStudio_video.mp4 ContentStudio_video(1).mp4

When I was at Florida State I took a class on the Vietnam War. One requirement was you had to interview someone who had taken part in some form or fashion. I interviewed a retired Marine who had flown Hueys in the defense of Khe Sahn. He did pretty well and won himself an award or two. When be presented at the awards by a General he was asked what his plans were. He informed the General he had intended to become a civilian. "Very well." Later, after the ceremony the aide came to him and said "The General wants you to stay in, what will it take?" He responded, "Send me to Pensacola, give me a transition and let me fly the F-4." He told me, laughing - "Biggest mistake of my life. I had never been around a more competitive group. I ate two hot dogs, someone had to eat five. I had a six pack of beer, someone had to down a 12 or 18 pack. I just could never win with any of those guys. It was amazing flying the airplane, but I was just in the wrong place. Everything these guys did was just so over-the-top."

My exit plan was made, confirmed with the fam, and then a few things happened. The 95th Flying Badgers were moving to Pope and the AF gave me a school slot. It turned out well enough as the financial crisis happened a little later and airlines took a beating. But if Wall St hadn't fucked shit up and BRAC/Big Blue hadn't forced the 95th out of Milwaukee, I'd have been doing weekends in a Herc, M-F in a 737, and drinking great WI beer everyday.

Modern day sappers. Demonstrated, and now every base with aircraft on the ramp is a huge risk. Anti-drone tech/systems is where our R&D/Acquisition resources need to be focused and fast. And hard shelters, but those take a lot of space and if you leave the door open, it can still go boom. Z made a statement, and maybe the scale was set to what occurred, but what if his army was able to hit more bases, more planes, more radars/AA/Comms/Arty/drone stations/etc?

Yes. My wing recently had 2 must fill slots come down. From my understanding it's still a fairly good deal. A lot of hours, type rating, and an ATP if you play your cards right. We had dudes getting like 700 hours over the 6 months there for very easy flying.

I loved flying on AC130s and deploying. I was miserable until I got into gunships. Nothing in the world compared to a JTAC/Team calling you after the op and thanking you.

Howzit going aviators! I just finished sophomore year of college and am about to start my part 61 flight school in a couple weeks. However, I have had a few weeks to myself and it sucks not being able to be productive towards this goal. Ive been talking to our pilots about it and most ask me, "do you have leadership experience outside of the military or in your enlisted shop?" "do you volunteer?" and it made me realize that I don't have much special extracurriculars or stand-out leadership experience. Ive asked my supervisors about leadership and I was pretty much told that as an E2 its impractical which is justifiable. As a result, I was thinking about what I can do for my church, or doing student government for American military University, however, i'm not sure if where i'm aiming is what they want. For any guard pilot, past or present board member, or anyone that has some gouge on this, what other things in my free-time can I do to make my application for fighter squadrons more appealing? Thanks in advance bros!

If I was an enemy commander I would try the same thing, except I would target every Tanker we have in Conus and make our bombers and fighters dependent landing for refuel.

I was dead set on getting out as a Captain. WIC was a huge goal for me and I went later in my career despite adding a year to my ADSC. Afterwords, serving as a patch and feeling like I was making an impact on the next generation was a turning point for me. I loved serving, leading, and having a sense of fulfillment. So I stayed…jury is out whether it was the right decision but I’m essentially locked in to retirement. I love flying, and while airlines were tempting, the job wasn’t for me. I’ll likely buy an airplane when I retire to scratch the itch. There is a lot that is wrong and frustrating with the Air Force; but focusing on what is right (the dudes in the squadron doing the mission) and honing in on that pushed me to stay and try to make it a little bit better.

Dibs!

Gonna hang it up next year and make it an even 30. 23 years AD and 7 in the Reserves. I've always said that when the bullshit outweighs the benefits, I'd vote with my feet. Apparently I have a higher tolerance for the bullshit than I ever imagined. Like some have said, it all comes down to what right looks like for you. It wasn't right for me to take a pay-cut and alot of time away from home for a couple of years to get the ultimate benefits that the airlines offer. I loved what I did-- flying the A-10 and being in a position to teach young pilots has always appealed to me. I executed my career MY way, to the detriment of promotions on AD-- did a great staff gig in Europe but refused to go to ACC or the Pentagon. Got passed over for O-6 on AD but picked up immediately once I joined the Reserves-- best thing that ever happened to me. I would have been tossed around like a barracks bunny on a Saturday night as a full-bird on AD. Had to wait to pin-on with the Reserves, but got a great opportunity out of it that worked out well for my family. Through it all, I was able to do what I loved and provided great opportunities for my family. And now my beautiful bride has decided that she doesn't want to leave our current location and so that means it's time to hang it up. Assuming I don't get myself fired in the next 8 months, I'll have had a chance in this seat for far longer than is normal for a command tour. I enjoy being in the trenches and leading from the front, and I found a way to do that. It cost me some opportunities, but kept me true to what I valued most career-wise. I deployed six times, flew on some pretty high-end real-world missions, earned a WIC patch, got to command a couple of outstanding organizations, fly the A-10 longer than the eleven-year old version of me who started this dream could have ever imagined, but most importantly, got to coach my kids' sports teams for 12 years and help my wife start a number of successful businesses. But I never felt like I had to sacrifice who I was and what I truly believed in to further my career. Maybe that's why I tolerated more BS than I thought I could. Hell, it's only a lot of work if you do it. Turns out you can still be a fighter pilot in today's Air Force. Then again, I've joked that I'm not really in the military-- I'm in the AF. And I'm not really in the AF, I'm a Hog Driver. Don't use these stories as a recipe or a map-- what worked for me and others won't necessarily work for you. There's nothing wrong with getting out-- if you're doing it for the right reasons. And there's nothing wrong with staying in-- if you're doing it for the right reasons. Just make sure the right reasons are still with you when you hang up that smart-looking uniform for the last time. Now the hard part: I have to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKVgvnANzsj/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D The face behind Bitchin Betty.

I stayed past my UPT commitment because COVID caused my CJO to disappear (don't burn bridges on your way out BTW). After another PCS, 3 years later, I managed to get out "again" and Palace Fronted over to the ANG. I'll probably go back to full time here in the near future to get my AD retirement because it just makes sense numbers wise. Purely a long term financial decision. QOL is far superior at my airline job over AD.

During the height of the Cold War the Soviet war plan with Sweden was to send in Speznaz teams to kill Swedish fighter pilots!

Got a hotel for the week, not sure I’ll be there the whole time.

I left active duty after my initial commitment, but flew another 21 years in the Reserves. I loved the Air Force, but I had a charmed life, in that I flew all 28 years. I never got caught up in the desk jobs, climbing the promotion ladder. Also, as it turned out I showed up at McGuire in 1987, and retired with a lot of my original squadron buds from active duty. Like a big family and I loved putting on a bag to go flying. Airline life is good, but it doesn’t compare.

The more democrats open their mouths, in the media, government, and even here, the dumber they sound.

Yeah, I saw you guys got the primo Boeing plaza parking! Not too far from us. I’ll definitely be over.