General Discussion

Come this fall, there will be a new and extremely powerful supercomputer in Afghanistan. But it won’t be in Dave Petraeus’ headquarters in Kabul or at some three-letter agency’s operations center in Kandahar. It’ll be floating 20,000 feet above the warzone, aboard a giant spy blimp that watches and listens to everything for miles around. That is, if an ambitious, $211 million crash program called “Blue Devil” works out as planned. As of now, the airship’s “freakishly large” hull — seven times the size of the Goodyear Blimp’s — has yet to be put together. Full article: ISR Blimp

Are the pilot jobs at this squadron for TPS grads only? I'm unfamiliar with their mission other than what can be found online. Thanks for the help.

Pretty neat bird! https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/6836386475/sizes/o/in/photostream/

It appeared in the inbox today - but links to a .org address...but it's not like they ask you about the Raptor OBOGS. It uses an individual PIN, so forwarding isn't going to work.

If you own a house in Florida, filed a homestead exemption, and have been deployed in the last year to OEF/OIF/OND, read this: https://srcpa.org/. Florida approved an additional tax exemption on top of your homestead exemption proportional to the days in 2010 deployed. Looks like it'll be every year from now on, too, so keep it in mind next time you get non-vold to Balad. If you're home right now, you should get something in the mail, so this is more for guys that are deployed or instinctively throw anything from the Taxman's office in the shredder. Here's the application. https://srcpa.org/dr501m.pdf

I am at a GSU to a GSU currently, and was wondering if anyone here knew what this year's DP allocation rate was for the LAF O5 board. Thanks.

The Wall Street Journal has a subscribers' only article about the Afghan Air Force using aircraft to transport drugs. Here's Reuters' take: https://www.reuters.c...E8270DU20120308 Who knew that the Afghanis had C-5s?

Fucking SHAMEFUL! https://news.yahoo.com/remains-274-us-troops-dumped-landfill-report-081234306.html

Came across these articles while while doing some thesis research, thought i'd share. Cliff Notes: 1. Beijing asking Russia for Su-35 Super Flankers due to an inability to use the word engineer without using reverse in the same sentence: https://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2012/03/04/china%E2%80%99s-sukhoi-submission/ 2. China's fighters suck and will get their ass handed to them by the USAF (surprise!): https://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2011/03/10/chinas-fighters-wont-match-us/

Story developing on CNN. Fox actually has a little more detail... Shots Fired at Bus Carrying U.S. Soldiers in Germany

All, I am married to a German citizen who only hold German citizenship and I won't ask her to change that. Our daughter holds dual US/German citizenship. She would like to apply for an ROTC scholarship or an academy appointment. As a prospective officer, does she have to give up her German citizenship to make these things possible?

"Air Force Official Says 9/11 Remains in Landfill Did Not Include Shanksville Victims" https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/us/air-force-official-says-9-11-remains-in-landfill-did-not-include-shanksville-victims.html?_r=1&ref=us

Greetings, Anyone in or around HRT/AFSOC hear a rumor about the 1 SOW OG/CC recently putting a CV-22 into the trees about 200m short of the LZ, then throwing the copilot in his seat, jumping off the bird while the crew continues the mission, and then handing out Q3s to everyone for it all? Plus, we haven't heard anything about it at any safety meetings. Im sure I dont have all the facts but it sounds pretty lowball to me.

Link I hear that you'll need to be masters' and PME complete to be competitive... </sarcasm>

Don't know any details. Nose gear collapsed, ended up in the grass.

Looks like all the canucks made it out safe https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1135032--fire-breaks-out-on-military-aircraft-all-nine-crew-evacuate-safely?bn=1

I remember hearing that if you get stationed at Mildenhall or Lakenheath you have to put your pets in quarantine for X number of days/weeks. Is this still in effect? What's the story on this? I'm hoping to get stationed at Mildenhall, so I'm curious as to how this works (I've got 2 dogs). [ 09. April 2004, 18:39: Message edited by: backseatdriver ]

Apparently certain year groups in the MX Officer career field have significant short falls at my base and they are asking aircrew to help back-fill AMU OIC and MX Ops Officer (MOO) positions. The deal is that the rated folks would be allowed to continue flying and maintain currency but their main job would be MX for a given period. I was essentially offered such a position and since I am a former MX officer thought it might be a good fit/opportunity. My understanding is that in my case it would be to take over a MOO position. Apparently, also, It's an initiative that the WG/CC is a big proponent of. Does anyone on here have any experience with this sort of situation …

Just thinking out loud, looking for some opinions. I'm up for assignment, not soon, but soon enough to begin thinking about it. I have nothing to weigh me down and have pretty much decided that I want to go OCONUS. I'm not a flyer but Intel, and will not be restricted to just AF billets - wouldn't mind joint billet. Thoughts on different locations in terms of quality of life, things to do, cost, mission etc etc.? Wouldn't mind a beach..

Article here: Link Thoughts?

I'm currently in an MBA program (after about seven years active duty and now a dirty Guard guy on the side) and am in the summer internship search process. I got an email today from Pratt and Whitney about their summer internship program, and am going to talk to someone in their HR department hopefully this week to get the what's what on the job. Anyone around here have any experience working with/for/against P&W? Know anyone that has? I'm planning on doing the school alumni database search, but I'd love to get a bro's perspective if there's one out there. Also, bigger picture for anyone who has gone down this road before--I'm not wedded to the idea of s…

I just found out that I will be on casual status at Travis. I will be completing my IFT there and I was wondering what is the good the bad and the ugly about being there. [ 04. April 2004, 15:50: Message edited by: gobucks ]

another stellar piece of USAF R&D news.... https://defensetech.org/2012/01/30/usafs-big-penetrator-needs-to-be-harder/

For all of the airdroppers out there, here's a USA Today article about precision airdrops, https://www.usatoday....rops/52902982/1. I was in the Tactics shop in Bagram back in 2006 when this was introduced into Afghanistan. Good to see it is still successful and getting the guys the stuff they need to kick ass and survive!

Pilot is ok! https://www.wctv.tv/mobi?storyid=130592053