Leaderboard

Those going to Oshkosh planeless stop off in Minneapolis, pick up my RV-8 and fly there in style. I'll even throw in a full tank of 100LL with the sale.

If I was an enemy commander I would try the same thing, except I would target every Tanker we have in Conus and make our bombers and fighters dependent landing for refuel.

I stayed in the Sanders double wides and thought it was a good option. Cheap, fairly nice, and a 2 minute walk to the FBO. It has a kitchen so you can cook your own food. Also is easy stumbling distance after you get shitfaced at Gordo’s FBO rooftop bar.

We should take used compact car tires and cover all of our heavies with them.

The Trump/Elon relationship lasted longer than I thought.

Mil2ATP was a great course. It’s not a pay to play program, but the instruction is top-notch and it’ll make you a better pilot. I did the CTP through the Delta training center (highly recommend) and the ATP practical in Goldsboro.

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.

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.

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.

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.

33 years of combined service so far... and I'm not done yet. The people, the mission, the flying. 10 years ago, I tried to move into a very different and new career. Didn't care for some of the people and their level of integrity; didn't enjoy "the mission"; there wasn't much flying.

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.

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