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Gonna hang it up next year and make it an even 30. 23 years AD and 7 in the Reserves. I've always said that when the bullshit outweighs the benefits, I'd vote with my feet. Apparently I have a higher tolerance for the bullshit than I ever imagined. Like some have said, it all comes down to what right looks like for you. It wasn't right for me to take a pay-cut and alot of time away from home for a couple of years to get the ultimate benefits that the airlines offer. I loved what I did-- flying the A-10 and being in a position to teach young pilots has always appealed to me. I executed my career MY way, to the detriment of promotions on AD-- did a great staff gig in Europe but refused to go to ACC or the Pentagon. Got passed over for O-6 on AD but picked up immediately once I joined the Reserves-- best thing that ever happened to me. I would have been tossed around like a barracks bunny on a Saturday night as a full-bird on AD. Had to wait to pin-on with the Reserves, but got a great opportunity out of it that worked out well for my family. Through it all, I was able to do what I loved and provided great opportunities for my family. And now my beautiful bride has decided that she doesn't want to leave our current location and so that means it's time to hang it up. Assuming I don't get myself fired in the next 8 months, I'll have had a chance in this seat for far longer than is normal for a command tour. I enjoy being in the trenches and leading from the front, and I found a way to do that. It cost me some opportunities, but kept me true to what I valued most career-wise. I deployed six times, flew on some pretty high-end real-world missions, earned a WIC patch, got to command a couple of outstanding organizations, fly the A-10 longer than the eleven-year old version of me who started this dream could have ever imagined, but most importantly, got to coach my kids' sports teams for 12 years and help my wife start a number of successful businesses. But I never felt like I had to sacrifice who I was and what I truly believed in to further my career. Maybe that's why I tolerated more BS than I thought I could. Hell, it's only a lot of work if you do it. Turns out you can still be a fighter pilot in today's Air Force. Then again, I've joked that I'm not really in the military-- I'm in the AF. And I'm not really in the AF, I'm a Hog Driver. Don't use these stories as a recipe or a map-- what worked for me and others won't necessarily work for you. There's nothing wrong with getting out-- if you're doing it for the right reasons. And there's nothing wrong with staying in-- if you're doing it for the right reasons. Just make sure the right reasons are still with you when you hang up that smart-looking uniform for the last time. Now the hard part: I have to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

Because I am a big dummy. Honestly, WIC was a turning point for me...after that my ADSCs were overlapping after getting picked up for IDE/ASG/SDE and BPZ....almost felt like I had to stay or eat a crap sandwich for jumping off the fast train while I still had ADSC. It created a stink when I dropped papers as an O-6 HPO. I dropped papers at 4PM on a Friday and jumped in my car to drive home. I barely made it out the front gate when I got a call from the Colonels Group...followed .69 seconds later by the HQ "how dare you leave now", which reinforced I'd made the right choice. I applied for Med School and got in the same time I applied for WIC...sometimes wish I'd gone that route, but I would have made a crappy proctologist, pun intended. Looking back, I miss the squadron life and the flying...I do not miss anything else.

Early today Ukraine Special Forces working with FPV drones launched a massive attack on the Russian Air Force. Early reports indicate as many as 40 Russian bombers have been hit, many of them TU95s. The destroyed aircraft include Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, and at least one A-50 airborne early For context, prior to this attack Russia had an estimated total force of 60 TU95s, 27 TU-22M3s (30 more in long-term modernization status), and 6-10 A-50s. Bomber2.mp4

Love the perspectives here and thankful for all you guys who continue to serve. For a different perspective, career part-time Guard guy here. I stuck around becuase I enjoyed the flying, the people, and it was fun...up until it wasn't. Glad I served, but I didn't have the same experience as many above. It seemed every time we found ourselves on a deployment, we did absolutely nothing. The worst being my last trip to Afghanistan (over a decade after my first trip lol) a few months before the pullout. We had an EA (and his JAG), over 1,000 NM away, who had puppet/hand up your ass close control. They also no appetite to do anything but watch the ANA/ANP get rolled. It truly was a demoralizing trip for the entire squadron and really showed that we had no intention of ever winning this 20+ year quagmire. Also, I'm happy to no longer have to fight self imposed road block after road block just to do the mission. Though it may not sound like it, I'm not bitter, but there is a sour taste in my mouth. Thankfully all that is far outweighed by the lifelong friends/experiences from my 22 years in service...the pension will be nice when the time comes as well. I would say I miss the camaraderie, but we all live within a few miles of each other, which is very close to base. As I type this I hear 2nd go coming back into the pattern and one dude just rocked our house (likely driveway check by a pilot who lives across the street from me). There isn't a week that goes by that I'm not having coffee and/or beers with an old squadron mate. This morning, I carpooled with a squadron mate who is a FO on my jet, and we flew a quick day turn for Delta. In a few weeks there are 20+ of us current/former squadron mates going on a 3 day golf outing up in western Michigan. I 100% would miss the camaraderie if we didn't have this dynamic. The airlines just can't compare...it's a job that I love only because I work very little and make lots of money. I need that to make up for all the years of lost time with family.

My exit plan was made, confirmed with the fam, and then a few things happened. The 95th Flying Badgers were moving to Pope and the AF gave me a school slot. It turned out well enough as the financial crisis happened a little later and airlines took a beating. But if Wall St hadn't fucked shit up and BRAC/Big Blue hadn't forced the 95th out of Milwaukee, I'd have been doing weekends in a Herc, M-F in a 737, and drinking great WI beer everyday.

Dibs!

You KNOW I'll be there. Actually, we are bringing The Deuce (and a Black Talon). She arrives Monday, leaves Monday. https://www.eaa.org/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-news/2025-04-10-us-air-force-to-bring-iconic-u-2-dragon-lady-to-airventure-2025 Unless Congress changes it, the U-2 is done "operationally" in 121 days. Oshkosh will be the last time in public... unless things change. We shall see.

I miss the people and none of the bs. I retired when the fun was gone. I no longer enjoyed going in every day. And now I have more time off than I ever did before, and make more money. That’s pretty hard for me to argue against. Sent from my iPhone using [emoji638]][emoji640][emoji640]][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji640]]]Baseops Network mobile app

If OSI and others aren’t interested in watching self storage places around Dyess, Whiteman, etc they are truly F’ing up. Stop worrying about catching Joe for throwing a few bundles of bottled water in their Dity move, and worry about actual threats to mission. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hope the US Air Force is paying attention to this and has countermeasures in place. If the PRC attacks Taiwan and doesn't do the same thing here in CONUS, they would be fools. Doubtless there are already PRC agents in place given our lax border security and student visa program.

Because service to my country still meant a lot to me, even after I passed 20 years. I was still having fun, I loved the flying/mission, and I really enjoyed being around the people I served with. Everyone has a limit and I hit mine at just past 21 years, but I had a phenomenal career and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Edit to add: Even after my AD service was over I wasn't totally ready to walk away. Currently a CI at the FTU. I easily could've gone to airlines but enjoy instructing and I like that I'm still contributing to the community.

Things continue to go well for Russia...they are truly in the midst of finding out. ~ $2B in lost or damaged assets. ~ 1000 miles from the front lines in one case. More than 2000 miles in another. Four bases struck. I'm told this is what winning looks like for them? Victory must be right around the corner. This is a major boon for them. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-attacks-russian-nuclear-capable-bombers-siberia-2025-06-01/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/01/russia-ukraine-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news5291/ https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-stages-major-attack-russian-aircraft-with-drones-security-official-says-2025-06-01/

If you have to ask, get out. If it’s good for you, good for your family, you’re having fun, and you like what you’re doing, stay in. Otherwise, punch when your ADSC is up. Keep your doors open by finding a job in the ANG or AFRC.

Thanks for the response Pooter. I’m not one to get into internet arguments or go back and forth with people online. But, I’ll respond. I honestly wasn’t trying to compare one side vs the other, I was simply trying to point out that there is some interesting science behind the manipulation of large groups of people through politicians and the media and that there are real negative, tangible consequences because of the manipulation and herd mentality. With that said, I’m struggling to see how pizzagate, Obama birtherism, wind turbines cause cancer, the war on Christmas, satanic panic, or immigrants eating dogs are anything other than silly clickbait. Those headlines have not had a tangible negative effect on our society. The other examples you listed have had more tangible negative effects on us. Americans died because of gross mismanagement and poor decision making by those in charge in Benghazi, much like the exit from Afghanistan. Vaccines may or may not cause autism, however the truth is coming out about the vaccines. And it’s not good. Stop the steal references the 2020 election. We should all be aware of how big tech, social media, legacy media, politicians and Hollywood coordinated to suppress one side of the political aisle while ignoring true scandals by the other including the laptop and the pay to play schemes the Biden's were involved in. Hindsight is 20/20 and the truth always comes out. Hillary’s emails and the facts surrounding that fiasco exposed the double standards in the legal system between regular people and those in power. That’s tangible and factual. You and I would have been locked up for what she did. BLM marches and the associated violence based on policing lies caused real destruction as well as setting race relations back. Trans issues are very real. The massive increase in the trans population needs addressed. Whoever or whatever is driving this for profit scheme needs exposed. There are endless young people being physically altered permanently because of it. Jews are being harassed and now in at least one example killed over violent rhetoric on college campuses. Yes, groupthink is an issue on both sides. No doubt about it. I’m interested in the science behind it. That’s all my original post was meant to highlight.

Russia sucks

Drop out of deep left field, somebody on EWO track dropped E-7 Wedgetail, airframes are always changing it seems!