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Fellas, It's been a turbulent March--for people and mustaches alike. I created this gem a few weeks ago when a friend of mine attending SOS confirmed that a champion of the victim culture complained about Mustache March and its inherent sexism. On behalf of all decent females in the AF, I apologize. We hate these women's studies majors just as much as you do. To all the dudes I serve with, it's been a blast being an honorary member of the boys' club. Mustache March 2014.pdf

AFPC just sent out a correction. The 550 is metric and AFPC still uses standard. The actual number after conversion is 341.755005157394. I rounded off the last digit.

After 30 years of flying, a MEL ATP and 12,000 hours a variety of jets large and small, I finally got my SEL in a C-172 via a Commercial Inst check last Saturday. Did the Figure 8 around pylons, chandelle, stalls, short field takeoff/landing, soft field takeoff/landing, power off 180 and normal takeoff/landing. Probably left something off that list. Was it perfect? No, but I passed. The check pilot wasn't expecting perfection, he was expecting safe. Flying small aircraft is dramatically different from the large jets we are used to. If you plan on carrying family and friends, I would highly recommend doing those things that will improve your understanding of how the aircraft performs. It doesn't take much weight or winds to start making large differences in how that thing flies. Adjusting my brain around those ideas took a little time and practice. That, and the fact I'm no longer sitting 15 feet off the ground in the flare.

I don't remember a Bible ever being part of the Missing Man table. Stolen from Wikipedia: Table: set for one, is small, symbolizing the frailty of one isolated prisoner. The table is usually in the range of the entrance to the dining room. For large events of the Missing Man Table is set for six places: members of the five armed services (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard) and a sixth place setting reminiscent of the civilians who died during service alongside the armed forces or missing during armed conflict.[8] Table is round to represent everlasting concern on the part of the survivors for their missing loved ones.[9]Tablecloth is white, symbolic of the purity of their intentions to respond to their country’s call to arms.[10] Single red rose in the vase, signifies the blood that many have shed in sacrifice to ensure the freedom of our beloved United States of America. This rose also reminds us of the family and friends of our missing comrades who keep the faith, while awaiting their return.[11] Yellow ribbon on the vase represents the yellow ribbons worn on the lapels of the thousands who demand with unyielding determination a proper accounting of our comrades who are not among us tonight.[12] Slice of lemon on the plate: represents the bitter fate of the missing.[13] Salt sprinkled on the plate: symbolic of the countless fallen tears of families as they wait.[14] Inverted glass: represents the fact that the missing and fallen cannot partake. Empty chair: the missing and fallen aren't present.[15] Candle: reminiscent of the light of hope which lives in our hearts to illuminate their way home, away from their captors, to the open arms of a grateful nation

Numerous PDF scripts for non-official POW/MIA ceremonies reference the bible, but it seems it was thrown in more as an afterthought than an actual part of the ceremony. The only official doc I found had no mention of a bible. http://www.62aw.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-120524-091.pdf The most annoying thing about the Fox News article, though, was that they incorrectly argue that the first amendment's freedom of speech allows those that are pro-religion to force official military events to continue with religious nuances or have religious undertones. I don't know about you, but I always feel a little bit weird when at a commander's call or an awards ceremony or any other random event, the commander or chaplain starts praying, sometimes even prefacing it with something like, "If you like, join us." I can always look up and see that, while there are plenty of guys going along with it, plenty of truly Christian people in the Air Force, there are also a good 1/4 to 1/3 of the people there wondering "WTF is going on?" Forcing religion directly into the mainstream military culture is not something that the AF should be doing or caring about whatsoever. The point of religion is to help bolster someones personal spiritual life.

We didn't lie, the truth just changed.

Ah yes, the "changing goal post" technique. Helping warriors meet their objectives since 2008.

The duck-facing Col is a former C-130 Sq/CC and later the OG/CC at Ali Al Salem. Trust me, he is not what is wrong with the Air Force.

Who would you rather follow into combat, the one who is dignified and would never stoop to looking goofy on the internet, or the one who knows their people and isn't afraid to occasionally look a little foolish for them?

Might have been 600 so far they just haven't been notified yet. I give my above info about 60% accuracy. I wasn't there and the people I talked to weren't completely current on the developments to date so their interpretation may have been way off base. I wanted to give partial info. As they say sometimes half an answer is better than no answer. Big news is it sounds like some kind of new info will be dropped on myPers tomorrow at which point everything I've just said will be proven wrong.

Talked to a friend at SOS. Bare in mind this is from a guy who didn't apply for VSP, so probably slept for half the speech, but it sounds like Gen Cox gave more generic BS with a few gold nuggets. Discussed numbers of applicants, eligibles and possibly numbers to get approved. Sounded like approx 2000 officers applied with 1400 eligible and they will approve approx 600. He also talked about UPT ADSCs. Said they originally had authority to waive up to 1 yr but had received delegated authority to waive up to 6. He was kind of unclear on these details but he was sure about the 6 yr number.

I got an email from my boss today saying that they will waive 550 pilot/flying ADSCs for VSP. There were no details on how many to which year groups, airframes, etc. though so take it with a grain of salt. Here's hoping.

I respect that Michael Bay took a story about mutant turtles doing martial arts in multicolored bandanas and said "not stupid enough".

Ain't nothin' wrong with that. As stupid as I think this duckfacing (whatever the f*ck) thing is, I give the dude props for the atmosphere he's appeared to have created in that office. Being able to hang loose with the boss (and vice versa) is pretty damn far from what's wrong with the AF.

Yet an awsome first post!

Pics and we will accept the apology.

I can keep faith without being a Christian, and Article VI is pretty specific about it being MY god, whatever I determine that to be, not a specific religion. And like StoleIt pointed out, I've never seen a Bible as a part of the Table.

You know how I know you're a racist? A disgusting, idiotic, and reprehensible ghetto chick on a bus has one thing in common with the POTUS, and you bring it up. Stay classy, guy.