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I'm on the same boat regarding that point. I never had a problem negotiating that conclusion either, but I have nothing but empathy for those who struggle with what essentially is a public loss of their religion. I lost my OTS class leader to green-on-blue over there. Complete waste of potential; a solid human being and family man at the hands of a distrungled and corrupt local. A true believer my friend was, and a bona fide hero in my eyes. Such Heroism wasted on an unreedemable place, and unreedemable people. I got too many stories of personal corruption and cowardice from that so called allied force, even stateside. Fuck. That. Place. In the macro, I never bought into any of that shit. Our self-defense Air Power objectives in that shithole were largely completed by 2003 from where I saw it as a civilian college student. That was a full 3 years before I would even see the inside of a military building. So 9/11 was never a draw for me. Lord knows I disagreed with the second invasion of Iraq from the jump, as I also disagreed with the criminal decision to disband the Iraqi Army (may Paul bremer and his blood-soaked hands burn in hell.... a lackey of Kissinger, this is my shocked face). Full circle now during my time in, we get tasked to bomb the predictable offspring of that decision 10 years later in Syria, and I'm supposed to put my brain on pause and grab some pom poms? Nah I'm good. It was a waste when my friend Nylander lost his life, and it was still a waste in the Levant as we wrecked strategic heavy bombardment assets over turkey shoot medals with what could have been accomplished with surplus Yak-52s and recreational AR rifles a la Texas hog hunts. Digressing. In due credit to the Service, it did afford me the opportunity (via ARC) to focus on a role I not only could tolerate for 14+ years, but personally thrive in. I was always an aviatior purist at heart. I've never been fazed by the "flying for the sake of flying" supposed aspersion it's meant to imply, usually uttered by cOmBaT veT true scots fallacy merchants. I've legit enjoyed the amount of upside down flying the service has afforded me as a career instructor. Much bigger sense of personal accomplishment, in what conservatively is circa 500+ individual pilots and still counting. My time in the CAF left me rather unfulfilled by comparison, though that was a combination of poor career timing and luck (BRAC 05 no fighter soup fo you, TAMI-21, then PRP/PACAF babysitter bitch while the bones got all the turkey shoots). At any rate, my decades spent building something of personal import to me in the training command is a legacy that will outlive both me, as well as all of Uncle sammy's bullshit wars... and I'm here for it. We all have our rationalizations, I won't apologize for mine. My username checks. Now FUPM. 😄

Trump: Old, loud, unsophisticated, shoots off at the mouth, takes enemy fire up close, they keep trying to get rid of him but he sticks around longer than anyone thought. Harris: Remote controlled, annoying to be around, a threat to US citizens. Goes down a lot.

I had a family member (actually two) who was a Viet Nam Veteran. When I was young, I never really comprehended his bitterness to the political establishment for pissing away the mission there. After Aug 2021 I had a much better understanding of his point of view.

Watch and listen.

Bro, there isn't an answer to this question for me. I'm not looking to be inspired by a politician, or to become emotionally involved about their opinions. I'm voting for Trump only because I believe his policies will make my life and this country better. I don't care if he shit talks John McCain or some retired general (the GWOT generals can't win and deserve derision anyway). Well I agree with this & cheers back at you; I appreciate reading your opinions despite thinking them completely wrong and slightly retarded. I'm sure we'd have a fun conversation over whiskey then go crush a mission and have each others back 🇺🇸 But you do have TDS 🙂

Flew down last minute to attend the game with some Bros from college and my boy, scored some great seats. The game was closer than the final score, FSU found a way to pressure Cam with a series of Zone Blitzes...it worked and I hope we fix it in practice. What FSU could not stop was the run and it cost them. Miami running back Fletcher lost his father this week when he died unexpectedly, he honored his dad with an unreal performance. I was surprised at how civil both teams were given the rivalry...yes there was some back and forth but in between plays I saw a lot of shaking hands and laughing, especially in the secondary. There was a point in the second half went a FSU player went down hard and stayed down for a quiet a bit (they did not show the replay but I think he got knocked out). Most of the FSU players went down on one knee and the Miami players AND coaches quickly followed suit. Refreshing even in a rivalry game. FSU's QBs showed some grit, they are both going to be sore today. Minor gloating to follow - 2024 State Champs - The U!

Homer's TDS is so bad he is completely Tumbleweed.

If a progressive doesn’t like me because of my values then I’ll consider that a compliment!

Should’ve opened up lithium mines and never left

Enjoyed the read and I hope this dude finds his peace. I really don't struggle to find meaning for my trips to Afghanistan (all post 2010), it can be summed up rather simply...a complete waste of my time away from family. Thankfully I'm at peace with that. Sadly, I think the lessons will be lost in time and the bureaucracy that is our government/military. If that weren't true, we wouldn't have made the same mistakes as we did in Vietnam.

Whatever. This thread needs pics.

On 27 Oct 1954, 70 years ago this Sunday, the U.S. Air Force got its first black general officer when Gen Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr., was promoted to Brigadier General (temporary grade). The promotion would be made permanent in 1960, and he would eventually retire from the Air Force as a Lieutenant General. In 1998, President Clinton advanced him to a full (four-star) General. General Davis Jr. broke many barriers and accomplished many “firsts” during his career, such as when he became the first black officer to attend Air War College in 1950 or when he became the first black wing commander of an integrated wing in 1953. He originally earned his pilot’s wings in 1942, and participated in WWII with the Tuskegee Airmen, commanding the 99th Fighter Squadron and later the 332nd Fighter Group as a whole. In the photo below, his father, Gen Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. (who was the first black general officer in the Army and in the Armed Forces as a whole) is pinning a Distinguished Flying Cross to him (when he was then a Colonel) at Ramitelli Airfield in Italy in Sep 1944. He earned the DFC for a Jun 1944 bomber escort mission where he managed to lead his outnumbered fighter escorts in defending an Allied heavy bomber formation against approximately 100 enemy fighters. (Photo: USAF)

M2 might remember this song

She was gropable. Thanks for the pics