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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.

China at it again!

That phenomena is real. Happens at a different point for everyone, but it usually happens.

No one was ever making that argument. The airlines allow me to be a better husband and a better father. I can provide more and be around for more than the military ever allowed. It's not even close. I will never have to say goodbye to my kids for 6-12 months, or watch the birth of the next one on Skype. I absolutely enjoyed the shit out of my military career, even with the rather disruptive ending, but it's not even remotely questionable that my family is better off with an airline pilot rather than a military pilot at the helm. It's a young man's game.

Vance 25-11 AM/AF (T-1/T-38) T-1 XPW: C-17 JBER x2 KC-46 Pease ANGB KC-135 Eielson HC-130J Gabreski ANGB KC-46 McConnell C-130J Ft Worth C-5 Travis C-130H Reno C-130H Rosecrans ANGB C-17 Pittsburgh ARS T-38: T-38 FAIP x2 F-35 Jacksonville Guard F-16 Holloman C-130J Yokota

Isn't that just falling into the common attitude that "if we only understood them better and found common ground we would all get along"? There is an extreme faction of a particular middle eastern religion that wants us all dead and wants to take over our country and wipe any record of our existence off the planet. We have no ability to affect that one way or the other. So, the premise that we have anything to do with the actions or goals of those on the other side of that war or the current less obvious war is ludicrous in my opinion. Their end game remains unchanged regardless of what we may or may not do.

Not under the ROE we had at the end...unless you really like watching ANA/ANP get rolled by the Taliban and being unable to do anything about it. I was specifically referencing camaraderie. Sense of mission accomplishment just wasn't there for this guy. The flying was cool and I did some cool stuff for sure, I'll never discount that. It's just that none of that was used on any of our deployments....[bad] luck of the draw I suppose. Up to a point, I believe that was true. Toward the end, I couldn't help but think we were now just killing (or not) the product of our own doing. The proverbial self licking ice cream cone.

I don’t think we need very many tabV harden shelters like we have in Europe here in the United States. But pretty much every valuable airplane to include tankers and high dollar transport should be in enclosed building. Drones can fly into open doors or into hail, sheds or sun sheds. This is such an obvious precaution to take. I doubt anything like that will ever happen instead will be laser and microwave energy, directed weapons that built by one of the big contractors for a few million per unit and we can only afford one per base that’s the most likely outcome of what we can learn from this Ukrainian Pearl Harbor

Affordable? Our MIC is not interested in affordable!

They didn't have bazooka microphones in my time so no, I didn't talk $hit....I was an angel.

I stayed 21 years because people were great and mission was awesome; I wouldn’t have stayed if we weren’t at war. Although the war was managed poorly and much was wasted, we were killing terrible people and I’m convinced my 20s and 30s were spent doing tasks worth my best efforts. That’s very cool and rare in life.

If you told me I can go do gunships in Afghanistan tomorrow I would.. and I'd do it for free.

Yep. Turning point for me was when leading started to feel more like coaching. I love to see the young guys and gals grow. And then there is the whole service thing - at some point, this country will get into a big one again, and I desperately want us to win. With all that said, I got back from my last deployment, looked my growing family in the eyes, and submitted my retirement request. It has been an amazing ride, but my family needs me at home for awhile.

Sanders 6 months ago for the practical, recommend. They were booking up pretty far out, I would recommend getting on the books sooner rather than later. Did the CTP on my own about year and half ago at Delta, it was a good experience, did the test on base. You can book a package deal through Sanders to knock it all out at once. FAA test while not hard, has a lot of questions, get a study software and set aside a bunch of time.

This right here fellas........just remember the almighty dollar/drug that is the airline career will NEVER compare to what we have accomplished in a 30+yr mil career which is why a preponderance of us still serve

Also got mine at Sanders years ago and would recommend Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Got mine at Sanders about 6 years ago. Would recommend.

When I was at Florida State I took a class on the Vietnam War. One requirement was you had to interview someone who had taken part in some form or fashion. I interviewed a retired Marine who had flown Hueys in the defense of Khe Sahn. He did pretty well and won himself an award or two. When be presented at the awards by a General he was asked what his plans were. He informed the General he had intended to become a civilian. "Very well." Later, after the ceremony the aide came to him and said "The General wants you to stay in, what will it take?" He responded, "Send me to Pensacola, give me a transition and let me fly the F-4." He told me, laughing - "Biggest mistake of my life. I had never been around a more competitive group. I ate two hot dogs, someone had to eat five. I had a six pack of beer, someone had to down a 12 or 18 pack. I just could never win with any of those guys. It was amazing flying the airplane, but I was just in the wrong place. Everything these guys did was just so over-the-top."

I loved flying on AC130s and deploying. I was miserable until I got into gunships. Nothing in the world compared to a JTAC/Team calling you after the op and thanking you.

I was dead set on getting out as a Captain. WIC was a huge goal for me and I went later in my career despite adding a year to my ADSC. Afterwords, serving as a patch and feeling like I was making an impact on the next generation was a turning point for me. I loved serving, leading, and having a sense of fulfillment. So I stayed…jury is out whether it was the right decision but I’m essentially locked in to retirement. I love flying, and while airlines were tempting, the job wasn’t for me. I’ll likely buy an airplane when I retire to scratch the itch. There is a lot that is wrong and frustrating with the Air Force; but focusing on what is right (the dudes in the squadron doing the mission) and honing in on that pushed me to stay and try to make it a little bit better.

Reminds me of this article from Air and Space Smithsonian magazine from 10 years ago. What Couldn’t the F-4 Phantom Do? Specifically the below. At the time, thought I knew most of the lore about the Phantom, but had never heard they chased Titan rockets with it.

Converting billets for the new SpecOps Fighter Pilot Career field.

Any time it’s written or said that the Air Force supports the CAS mission: Straight up bullshit.

You don't have any balls unless you takeoff in the front seat and land via the back.

I thought the only reason all the EXs were 2 seat is that Boeing hasn’t had a single seat version of the -15 in production for quite some time. It was easier to continue the production line with the two seat model.

For the fun times that come with a WSO maybe?

The pilots at Selfridge have to be psyched to get the upgraded -15 over fat Amy.

There are still Golfs flying. So I know that isn't true.

California is still flying Golfs.