General Discussion

I’m probably getting ready to buy a new or used car. Is there any extra benefit to being in the military when I go check out loans? Such as: better availability of interest rates or just a company I should check out (beyond the dealers finance department) for getting a loan? Since we are on the subject, does anyone have an opinion on buying now verses buying in 1.5 years from now? Just wondering if everyone is under the opinion that the interest rates might be a bit higher by the middle of next year. Thanks!

I am just getting service dress and mess dress uniforms ready for active duty here shortly and this is the question i have: I have purchased the two medals and three ribbons we get when we commission and i cannot put them on a ribbon rack to save my life. the medals are the pain in the a$$! when i finally do they look like sh*t and are halfway destroyed. is there an easy way to do this? am i missing something? thanks in advance [ 03. December 2006, 05:52: Message edited by: Toro ]

Surprised no one posted this earlier. Pilot “under evaluation” in the hospital last I saw. https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2022-11-07/in-flight-emergency-columbus-afb-7962990.html

Have you guys in the CAF experienced positive results from the 8's and 9's in your organization? My experience was that if they never showed up to work at all a better decision would've been made that day. That's from the squadron all the way up to the MAJCOM. I spent a 3rd of my career on Army bases and while there were some worthless E-9s, some of them were pretty damn helpful at accomplishing the mission. I personally never met one E-8 or E-9 in the AF whose pay fairly equated to what they contributed. Not questioning the MAF or support folks because an immediate flaming about how valuable senior NCOs are would ensue. I saw it at SOS. And at ACSC. A long ti…

Didn't see a similar thread for Iranian Tomfoolery. Besides them being in the news recently for trying to steal US Navy Saildrone Explorer USV's (new acronym to me: unmanned surface vessels)...looks like they just put in an order for 24 Su-35's that were originally tagged for Egypt. https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2022/09/04/iran-buys-24-sukhoi-su-35-flanker-e-fighters-produced-for-egypt/?fbclid=IwAR3BeYvM_22ZO2vRPgDaftw7WYRFZVJ9_q3Jljh4gv04-YjOI89sfuxbxxI

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/10/27/air-force-to-replace-kadena-f-15-squadrons-with-rotational-fighters/ Looks like the eagles will be leaving Kadena. Seems weird to pull them before we can fully replace them with squadrons based there. Any rumor who is going to be rotating there? Are the PACAF Viper units going to be doing most of the rotational work?

The 2022 National Defense Strategy was released today: https://www.defense.gov/National-Defense-Strategy/ While the content isn't surprising, the escalation in language, tone, and specifics from 2018 National Defense Strategy is. https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf The trend line continues to reinforce the Thucydides Trap theory.

The subject has been touched on in the past, but I'd like to open a thread to highlight all that is lame with current Ops at the 'Deid. When the shooting war was starting, everybody was too preoccupied with the no-$hit mission to worry about queep. Then the jets started coming back with bombs and the shoe clerk mentality started to grow. Here's my first story - Over in 'Ops Town' we had a bathroom that was just a short walk from our Ops Tent. By the time we got there, there was a good deal of penned-in graffiti on the walls of the $hitters. Standard $hitter immature crap. Well somebody got fairly pissed about it, sent in some dudes to paint over the walls an…

Apparently Rotax engines are a target of organized crime (at least in Europe for now). They are showing up in Iranian drones purchased by Russia and being used in Ukraine. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/bizarre-theft-wave-targets-same-rotax-engines-used-in-iranian-drones?fbclid=IwAR2BeFr1ribbpa62UkTrl4klDu-wzhr_O867JfQmLCzbN3EcM0OeTQ7D9mk

I have recently been considering joining the Air Force Reserve. Military service has been attractive to me for a long time, but I am only now giving it serious thought. Previously, I was very focused on a civilian career. For background, I am 28 years old and in the first year of law school, which is a three year program. I have an undergraduate degree in electrical and computer engineering. I intend to finish law school, and I will be 30 years old when I do. I am married with three children under the age of 5. I intend to have a civilian career at a large firm (not interested in JAG), during which I should be well-situated financially. I am motivated by a stron…

Hope he is ok. https://twitter.com/388fw/status/1582893659044708352?s=20&t=MTVQd_0vTp_NncTjHMj3aw

So there’s this whiny FGO in my squadron that seems like he doesn’t want to fly with me. I’m the DO, and I have a ‘go-fly’ list of people I want to fly with. I specifically ask Skeds to put us together, but every time we end up on the schedule together he takes “emergency” leave or says he can’t clear his ears. I’m pretty much the best pilot in the squadron, if not the wing, so I know I can show him a thing or two. When I talk to my life-size doll of Robin Olds, (that I keep in my office) his mustache speaks to me and says I should just smash his soul out of his body. Oh whatever should I do? These damn millennials…

Hello all, I am very interested in getting into the tactical mobility area of flying. I will be commissioning from Norwich University in about 50 days, and I will be going to UPT later on this fall. Right now, I’m really setting my sights on C-130s and C-17s because it seems like an awesome community to get into, and I really think that the overall mission fits my personality (if that makes any sense) I have a few questions, so PLEASE feel free to answer any and (preferably) all of them: 1. How hard is it to GET C-130s or C-17s? I have read in the forum that the best way to get Hercs is to bypass T-1s and try to get C-12s or T-44s at track select. Do you …

Hey everyone. I’ve looked everywhere online and done multiple searches on this forum to find the answer to this question but haven’t been able to find anything concrete. Do pilots commonly switch aircraft within their types (cargo, tankers, afsoc aircraft, fighters) or do they stay on the same airframe for their entire career? For example, do C17 pilots commonly switch to the C5 or C130 in their career or do they stay with the C17? Thanks in advance!

https://defenseopinion.com/in-a-dangerous-world-new-pentagon-mitigation-plan-would-hobble-u-s-forces/183/ One excerpt. Interesting from the perspective that major combat would probably be hampered if you apply the same expectations as HVI hunts with Hellfires, which he argues we are doing.

This thread is in response to all the healthy discussion on an unrelated thread not about the RQ-4, so now there is a thread just for the GH. Hopefully this will help my community fight two battles, the battle to be embraced by big Air Force so we can showcase our capability and the battle to address concerns that we have no capability at all, aka U2 vs RQ-4. So, we would love to integrate in a more meaningful way at Red Flag and tap into our Intel Patch's talent...As it was explained to me, the billet for an organic intel officer was established within the last year. I assume there is an Patch wearer on base but there isn't one in our squadron after former SQ/CC …

Question was asked and I'm looking for your expertise... For someone who is 5' 5" and flying the C-130J, they are curious if there's a good seat cushion on the market that is recommended by y'all. Apparently, the J-model HUD isn't adjustable (brilliant, Lockheed) and it wasn't installed for someone with a shorter seating height. Do any of you Herc Drivers have any suggestions? Thanks.

I was asked a question today by a fledgling aviator regarding instrument approaches. Instead of shooting from the hip, I decided to fire up my iPad and open up the AFMAN 11-217, but alas, it (the AFMAN 11-217) was not there. I went on to e-publishing and it’s not there either. I found a copy from 2019 on the Columbus AFB site via Google, but what am I missing here?

Apparently there was a crash of a Cessna Citation into the Baltic due to what looks like a loss of pressurization. Fighters were scrambled when there was no response to ATC as it flew on autopilot until it ran out of fuel: https://youtu.be/ZDFHOW6DxdA

Surprised it wasn't posted yet, but happy 50th to the Eagle bubbas here. An amazing combat aircraft and a brilliant piece of American technology.

Anyone know about this course down at Randolph. I know it's probably gay, but I had a good time down in San Antone during PIT and I'm looking to revisit some hos down there.

Congrats to Stalin. I'd say she's already had a successful run these past few months as the East Coast TACDEMO pilot. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/meet-lt-amanda-stalin-lee-first-woman-blue-angels-jet-demo-pilot

https://battleland.blogs.time.com/2012/05/02/drone-pilots-we-dont-get-no-respect/ "…what is the differential risk between 10,000 feet and 10,000 miles in current conflicts?" “but I argue strongly that the differential risk of being an RPA operator in this war is at least that of an in-theater pilot.” Rodney Dangerfield would be so proud.

Read something about this from another air show guy. I haven’t been able to find anything. Anyone have info?!

Sad news for the air show circuit. Prayers for all involved. Shockwave Accident