General Discussion

I couldn't find a recent or highly relevant thread for this topic. This thread can be for any drug abuse incidents or news stories that affect military personnel. Biden’s Son Hunter Discharged From Navy Reserve After Failing Cocaine Test - https://online.wsj.com/articles/bidens-son-hunter-discharged-from-navy-reserve-after-failing-cocaine-test-1413499657 Joe Biden’s Son Hunter Biden Discharged From Navy After Positive Cocaine Test - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/joe-bidens-son-hunter-biden-discharged-navy-positive/story?id=26257601 Biden's son discharged from Navy Reserve - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/16/obama-joe-biden-hunter-biden-naval-re…

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/obama-authorizes-national-guard-reserves-ebola-fight-n227336

The soon-to-retire Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, gave a speech on 15 Oct, saying: On 1 Oct, Stephen Colbert interviewed ADM Mullen (Ret), the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saying: And lastly, the Huffington Post had a rare moment of sanity and intelligence to publish an opinion piece a few years ago from one retired Lt Col Astore.https://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-j-astore/why-its-wrong-to-equate-m_b_655611.html These three pieces have stuck with me and I believe they perfectly encapsulate a major part of the Zeitgeist for the last 5 years, and probably for the next 5 years. They correctly describe the subconscious…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-29544064

https://www.kadena.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123427236 Yeesh... Word is they were taking pictures of the storm and 4 got washed into the sea. One made it back to shore, one was found by the coast guard and pronounced dead, two are still missing. Prayers to them and their families, friends, co-workers.

Hello, I plan to go into a 4 year university, enlist in the ANG, and major in aerospace engineering. When I graduate college, I plan to score high on the AFOQT and apply to fighter units. I have a few questions regarding this path. I really want to become an F35A pilot preferably with the Vermont ANG. My first is" Will a high AFOQT score make up for a low GPA in college?" I am worried that since I am majoring in a tough major, I will have a low gpa, therefore making my fighter wing application look less competitive. I also plan to have my commercial pilot license/rating by time I graduate also, plus my enlisted service, to make my application look competitive when applyin…

So I hit 20 years of service on 31 May 2015, and requested a 1 June 2015 retirement date. I have an ADSC for Advanced Flying Training (MWS Requal) that takes me to 10 December 2015. I put in my retirement request with a waiver asking to waive the final six months of my 3 year ADSC. The guidelines state that the waiver has to show that it is in the best interest of the Air Force. My justification included the following: 1) Letting me go six months early saves the Air Force six months of O-4 pay + six months of flight pay. 2) The AF is actively Force Shaping. I did not take the recent TERA offer because I was deployed, and doing so would have required me to s…

This is a good article on what happened to all those Dornier's that used to fly for the regionals: https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/check-out-the-us-department-of-state-air-wings-shadowy-1634123990

The jungle drums are beating in the UK planespotting community with the rumours of some USMC F-18's that are visiting Lakenheath to fly through the "Roundabout" in LFA7 in the coming weeks If anyone would be kind enough to confirm this either way then please can you drop me a pm Thanks in advance Alex

NATO Is Acting Like It’s 1985 ‘Maskirovka’ Is Russian Secret War Good articles on next-gen warfare as practiced by the Russians. Question comes to mind: Can we do the same to them in areas that they tenuously control or destabilize their allies the same way? If so legally, then morally? Thoughts?

Concerns the Navy, but how long until the Air Force needs it? The Navy restored the Aviation Command Retention Bonus...a bonus Navy Commanders receive once they assume command. Looks like 36K for agreeing to serve a set period of time, or at least until they are fired. Is the Navy losing too many O5 command potential/promotable officers, or is command just that undesirable that the Navy has to shell out the dollars to get some interested? Not a good sign to have to compel/pay officers to serve in a command position. Don't get me wrong, I am all for bonuses in attempt to shape the force and keep critical skills (pilot, enlisted specialities), but command has always…

One pilot rescued, still searching for the other one. Hopefully he's found safe soon. https://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/12/two-navy-fa-18-hornets-crash-over-western-pacific-ocean/

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/08/30/ISIS-says-it-forces-abduct-pilots-to-train-fighters.html

https://washingtonexaminer.com/army-cant-track-spending-on-4.3b-system-to-track-spending-ig-finds/article/2552808

https://m.ktxs.com/news/small-plane-crash-near-abilene-regional-airport/27818540 RIP...

https://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=1334219 This would be a fun refurb project. Wish I had stupid money.

Could be in the Russia or Ukraine threads but worthy of separate discussion, the genie is out of the bottle, I hope you can fight without GPS. https://www.gpsdaily.com/reports/Satellite_Navigation_Failure_Confirms_Urgent_Need_for_Backup_999.html

Just reported that an F-15C from MANG crashed in Virginia. Cause unknown Was en route from Massachusetts to New Orleans No info on injuries or fatality yet. Fingers crossed for the Driver, hopefully he bailed before. Chute-up

I PCS'd from UPT about a month ago for TDY enroute at Altus, but my departure date was a week before my class start date. Since it was a PCS departure, no more housing at the old PDS...it only took two days to arrive at Altus, so I was here for about five days with no class, but still spending money on the hotel. Went to finance to do an accrual voucher so I could be reimbursed for the hotel, and was told that I would not be reimbursed for any days prior to the day before my class start date....which means I'm paying out of pocket for an unwanted 5 day vacation in lovely Altus, OK. Does anyone know if it is possible to get an amendment on the TDY orders that puts me…

Anyone heard of this? https://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pages/2014/August%202014/August%2026%202014/Moody-Selected-as-Afghan-A-29-Training-Site.aspx

Read a good article in the Atlantic and wanted to see what the opinion of others was on the idea that we are actually close to another major conflict between the new Great Powers via alliances and waxing / waning influence. Yes, It Could Happen Again Instability in Ukraine, chaos in Syria, conflict in the East China Sea—the trigger points for World War III are in place.

A while back, I seem to recall reading a "noise complaint" letter from a guy who lived under a low-level route. The basic premise was "you guys aren't training right--you need to be lower and faster!" Anyone know the letter I'm talking about? If so, can you post it or direct me to it? Apparently my search skills are not as good as I thought. Thanks.

https://fox13now.com/2014/08/17/photo-air-force-plane-makes-hard-landing-at-hill-air-force-base/ At least they tried to get the gear down.... Sounds like the crew made it out safe thankfully.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/british-pilot-artificial-arm-comes-off-during-landing-flybe/5671748 I read this and had to share. My favorite lines are "The airline confirms that at no time was the safety of its passengers or crew compromised in any way, nor was the aircraft damaged." & "...he did this, but with power still applied and possibly a gust affecting the aircraft, a normal touchdown was followed by a bounce, from which the aircraft landed heavily," the report said. When you say no one was ever in danger you mean other than the part where no one was flying on short final right? Then they blame a wind shear for the rough landing? Really?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nCrY4Frdgn8