General Discussion

Can’t wait for the new Iron Eagle 6...or was it 7?

When all the men in a wedding party are wearing mess dress, is it rude/inappropriate/in poor taste to display all your medals if you have more than the groom?

This is somewhat Reserve/Guard-centric, but I thought it was worthy of general discussion. Over the last 10 years, I have watched with horror as the ANG has tried harder and harder to become like the active duty. Our leadership has yelled from the rooftops "We're just like active duty! We're an operational reserve, not strategic! Give us new equipment! Deploy us more!" Meanwhile.... The standard ANG AEF deployment has gone from 45 days to 180. ANG units are now being routinely tasked for non-voluntary, non-combat 90-120 day TSP deployments. And now it looks like the reserve component deploy to dwell ratio is in question. For many years, the RC's deploy to dwell ratio …

I just recieved my slot a few weeks ago for UPT and am anxiously excited to get myself prepared for it. i got my PPL when i was in high school and since then have used my license to more or less buzz around and enjoy myself. This summer i've got some money set aside and want to start flying in a much more disciplined manner to start gearing my mind for UPT... ie serious attention to detail and things of that nature. For example i'm planning on doing heavy 'mission' planning, restudying PPL material, a lot of practice with EPs, and spending time practicing manuevers with narrow altitude limits, etc. in other words doing what i should have been doing anyway. do you gu…

Col. Jeannie Leavitt will take command of the 4th Fighter Wing on June 1st. https://www.therepublic.com/view/story/b51824a3cfb74c858c5e596d9c41c183/NC--Air-Force-Female-Commander/ https://www.seymourjohnson.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123303403

Any of the more seasoned folks on here ever heard of this Colonel? https://ambaker9.wixsite.com/vdpcc/2022grandmarshall?fbclid=IwAR2KGTZa_g7M3v63qi5XkjU0dWSuaTKnT_OnJL56l5IQyLnbdZG7We9r_w4 Bunch of possible flags on this one. 1975 as a female flight engineer? Have been told they didn't exist yet. Then on to 'OCS' and eventually F-16s. Made Major as a 16 driver but crossed over to helicopters. Flew three different airframes to include the huey (not the flight school model), the 53, and finished in the 60. Many deployments to Desert Storm, Afghan, and Iraq. Even got shot down in a 60 as a full bird flying misssions in Afghanistan rescuing a bun…

Can anyone provide me with diagram of the Defensive Egg? Thanks, Ren

Baseops, I'll be attending UPT in May. I'm a very inexperienced private pilot with just around 100 hours (I'm a teacher so I currently don't have the $ to fly regularly). I was wondering if anybody has any online/study guides/video recommendations for general instrument lessons? I've been told that military instrument flying is 'somewhat' different than civilian but I would just like to have a decent base of how it all works. I've already used some of the helpful info about the T-6 info given on baseops.(Thank you for those that shared those items) Any and all help is greatly appreciated. -Chem

Hello, I am very green here and am looking for advice on the topic subject everywhere I can find it. I was hoping to gain insight from those with experience in/retired from the CAF about the pro/cons of flying a single seat fighter vs. the Strike Eagle, specifically on the individual vs. crew aircaft aspect. I've been able to get small bits and pieces of opinion from people around base, but nothing polarizing for either option. I am a UPT student and realize this may be moot as needs of the air force will ultimately be the deciding factor in the assignment I receive, but if granted the opportunity to choose, I'd like to be as informed as possible. Thank you in advance for…

Saw some interesting bits in the new 2015 NDAA just passed by the House and now going to the Senate. These changes are almost definitely going to be signed into law by the President. The number of AD Enlisted Aides in the entire DOD will be restricted to 300 (current level) OR double the number of AD O-10's plus one each for the number of O-9's, whichever is less. So currently there are around 300 Enlisted Aides for the 165 O-9's and O-10's, but that will shrink to around 245. There are currently about 80 Air Force Enlisted Aides. If our portion remains consistent, that should shrink to about 67, or 13 people doing a real job again in FY15. Non-AD (retirees, depen…

Disclaimer: Im a 2LT in the herk world. I dont claim to be an Old Head or anything like that. So, I have avoided being a SNAP for most of my short time in the AF. Mainly be knowing that my job for the most part is to STFU and do what I am told without having to bug people about how to do it, but I have noticed lately a lot of people talking around this board on topics they have no experience in and really no business commenting on. The lack of search function use has always been a common problem, but whatever, dealing with that is like changing the tides. So, I would like the Old Heads around here to share what they think people who havent put their time in (mysel…

My IP approached me today about going to Vegas for cross country. I'm hoping to get him to fly into McCarren and stay on or near the strip. Does anyone know of any great deals in vegas for lodging. The last thing I want to do is stay at Nellis.

OK a little off topic here but this thread should generate some good ideas. I have just been tasked with taking over a hurting Snacko operation. We are basically broke since we owe our shirt dude more than we have in the checking account. Leadership has mentioned that we should just buy more shirts and sell them but I don't think the answer is just to go more in debt, especially since no one buys t-shirts unless you have to or it's Christmas and you're out of gift ideas. I'm curious what good ideas you've all seen Snackos in the past use to drum up cash. We have the standard snacks in the bar and Friday burger burns, but money goes out fast too since we're running …

https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100609/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

Just thought it might be fun to see what kind of automotive toys you bought (whether you're regretting it now or not) when you first pinned on your butter-bar.

F-22 Crashes Near Edwards Air Force Base Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Print EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — The Air Force says an F-22 fighter crashed in the vicinity of Edwards Air Force Base in the high desert of Southern California. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ann Stefanek confirmed the crash Wednesday but had no other details. Stefanek had no information on the status of the pilot. The F-22 is the Air Force's new top-of-the-line fighter. https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510588,00.html

For those of you in the MAF (perhaps also the CAF), you may have noticed a significant increase in the amount of currency and continuation requirements. There are now specific requirements from AMC to perform large force exercises for airdrop units as part of currencies, among other new requirements. A lot of this stemmed from Ex Mobility Guardian in 2017 which, for those who were there know, was an absolute clown show. There were absolutely shortcomings with the C-17and C-130’s ability to integrate in a large force tactical environment. It was literally an international embarrassment. However, all of this comes at a time when we are undermanned, overworked …

Dozens of U.S. Troops Killed in Afghan Chopper Attack Also in the WSJ: Afghan Chopper Crash Kills 31 U.S. Troops, 7 Afghans

Saw a Gulfstream V today on the ramp at CWF on my student solo from Corpus. Wow! What a plane. Meticulously (go ahead spell check Nazi's!) maintained, plush interior and avionics like I've only seen in movies (I thought Tweets to C-12 was a big jump!). One of the pilots was nice enough to give us a tour and a brief rundown on the capabilities (Ceiling FL 510, etc..) Amazing. Just wondering if any of the active flyers have gotten the DV airlift assignment and what they thought of it? Seems like working with 4 stars could have some great perks and some pretty big drawbacks too.

Doubt it'll pass as it has to be approved by Congress. I'm all for cutting the defense budget back a bit as the wars end but this may go a little too far if the Pentagon wants to maintain some resemblance of the increasingly scant military benefits everyone was entitled to when they signed on. https://freebeacon.co...ashing-tricare/

The course at Pensacola is Parachute Water Survival SV-86-A Fairchild's water surviavl is a different course. SV-90-A is non-parachute water survival and also dunker (For whirly crews). Most likely, you'll go to Pensacola as an aircrew member. PD

RR won the contract over GE and PW. With the engine and some other upgrades, sounds like the old gal will get a new designation to B-52J and fly well into 2050s. Would be cool if it made it to 2061 to make it 100 years on some of those models. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42517/rolls-royce-will-provide-long-awaited-new-jet-engines-for-the-b-52-bomber-fleet

https://www.acc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123445666&source=GovD 4/20/2015 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force have directed the realignment of the Air Force's B-1 bomber fleets and Long Range Strike-Bomber program from Air Combat Command to Air Force Global Strike Command, effective Oct. 1. The move will realign the Air Force's core mission of global strike and all of the service's bombers under a unified command responsible for organizing, training and equipping Airmen to perform this mission. "This realignment places all three Air Forces bombers under one command and brings the LRS-B program with it," said Secretary of the…

Hi folks, I am going to ask a question on the behalf of a very close friend of mine who is an E-5 in the Airforce AD. He pursues his goal to become a pilot/nav in the Airforce and he was determined to apply for the Airman Education and Commissioning Program (AECP) Today we found out on the AFOATS page that he can not become a pilot/nav under this program. Also US Military website on About network confirms this. https://www.afoats.af.mil/AFROTC/EnlistedCo...oning/pilot.htm Q. Can I get to be a pilot or navigator through the enlisted commissioning programs? A. Yes and No. Yes for ASCP, SOAR, and the Two-Year POC-ERP. No for AECP. https://usmilitary.about…

The Air Force lost a great airman today when 1lt Anthony Riggan and his wife nicole passed away in a single engine plane crash in Co Springs on their way home to spend Christmas with family. https://www.krdo.com/news/26248211/detail.html Anthony was a B1 pilot at Ellsworth AFB and a UPT classmate and good friend to me and many in the Air Force community. He and Nicole will be sadly missed.