[Pilot Math]

The back of 11-217 is full of them ...

[Phoenix and Luke AFB questions]

Don't waste your BAH on base housing ... read up on privatized housing if you don't know what I'm talking about.

Phoenix has been particularly hard hit by the housing meltdown ... which is good for you. Prices skyrocketed a few years ago and are now falling. Still probably not a good time to buy, as they will continue to fall. The good part is the inventory on the market (there's plenty). Most folks trying to sell will lease to have some money coming in. There are also plenty of foreclosures that can be had on the cheap.

Rent did not shoot up with house prices and is still reasonable. There is plenty of inventory on the rental market. Pick an area you want to live in, and there will be plenty of houses available. I live in surprise and there are easily 10% vacant houses with plenty more being built.

My husband and I will be moving to Luke AFB around September (at least, that's what we know for now). Does anyone know what on base housing is like at Luke or how the rental homes are? My husband would like to do a year long tour in Korea after his 9 month training, and I am nervous about living in an unsafe area alone for a year.

I know the tour in Korea might not happen, but I would still like to prepare if it does. If the surrounding neighborhoods are in nice areas with low crime, I would be fine with living off base. However, if it is safer to live on base while he is gone, then I prefer just moving onto base right away. This will potentially be my first time alone (first of many) for a lengthy period of time, and I am a little nervous. Any advice on long deployments or any housing thoughts would be great! Thanks!

[Information on PCS/moves/moving (DITY, TMO, DLA, storage)]

I think those trailer limitations are if you are having the gov't ship your HHG (including the trailer). I don't think that applies to a trailer that you use to DITY your own stuff.

"...that legally may be accepted and transported by an authorized commercial transporter ..."

BTW, a boat counts as HHG. So buy one before you move and drag it along. The weight counts for your DITY and you'll pay for the boat in a move or two. And the going rate the gov't get charged to store 6-9 thousand pounds of HHG boat is gigantic, and you get 90% of that as well. And don't let the TMO monkeys tell you they don't have to pay for boat storage, or partial storage of HHG, or storage after you buy a house. That's all crap. Bust out a JFTR on them and elevate as necessary. Even if they are trying to "save money" becuase there's a "war on" by screwing you out of your congressionally mandated ENTITLEMENTS

[Columbus AFB Information]

No problem storing in your HOUSE on base, jsut not dorms.

You can shoot rifles on the range on base, just get to know the sky-cops ... they used to moonlight as O'club bartenders.

Find out the laws, when I was there you could shoot on public land as long as you weren't within a certain range of a structure (1/2 mile I think). The banks of the tombigbee have huge tracts of public land, as well as outside the fence on the back side of the base (I've shot both places). Get a Lowndes county hunting map and it'll show you the public lands.

[The kidnapping of Mr. Bones]

If you ever find yourself in their bar, they keep all the "ransom details" from all the abductions ... you should be able to find the video, polaroids, and lovely poetry ... along with lots of other good stuff from Mr. Bones' previous trips.

[The kidnapping of Mr. Bones]

Damn ... good times!

[Hernia Information]

I've had 3 hernia repairs now ... one umbilical and one inguinal when I was young (12-18 mos) and the last inguinal when I was in the middle of T-38s. I guess I got the lucky genes. I ended up with a patch and plug on the most recent repair

Here's what I took away from it all.

(1) The flight docs will find out about it eventually, probably at the worst possible time (middle of 38s). Mine was also "small" and no pain at all. Still became a "must fix now" issue for the flight docs.

(2) Manage your care. I let them send me from CBM to Maxwell so an AF doc could do the operation (I guess he needed the practice) and I was supposed to drive my own happy ass home a day or two later. Bad Idea. I could have had it done in a perfectly good and modern hospital no kidding 300 yards from my apartment. What the AF saved in the doctor bill they wasted in per diem and travel costs. I was young and didn't know much better, but I should have put up a huge stink BEFORE getting shipped off to MXF. Also not great if you have complications after the fact and your surgeon is 5 hours away.

(3) You don't realize how much you use your abdominal muscles until someone cuts on them. It was fairly uncomfortable for a few days. I was walking normally in about a week and able to fly high-g (for the 38) in 2.5-3 weeks. Not a huge setback to the timeline and I was able to stay with my class.

(4) Take it easy for a few days afterwards. If you do a little too much and something bleeds a little, guess where that blood drains? Think about a GIANT (in my case) pouch like appendage in your lap. Ever watch a bruise turn blue to green to black over time? It's more disconcerting when it's that appendage turning colors. Also a good risk for infection with pooling free blood. If that happens, see a doc. Also see a doc if you have any numbness after (shouldn't be a problem with an umbilical, but they displace nerves and such with an inguinal).

(5) You notice and feel the patch or plug ... for a while. You get used to it, and it goes away.

(6) Arthroscopic is an option for a quicker recovery ... do your research and talk to some surgeons. There are pros and cons.

(7) It's a safe, simple surgery ... the highest risk is the general anesthetic.

[Information on PCS/moves/moving (DITY, TMO, DLA, storage)]

Another rule pertaining to DITY moves changed not too long ago. You are ENTITLED to 90 days of temporary storage for your DITY move weight. In the past, TMO just reimbursed the actual cost of this storage. The change is now TMO MUST reimburse you 90% (or whatever the standard DITY rate is) of what it would cost the AF to store that weight. It's a significant chunk o money. You have to actually have a paid storage area, but the difference in the rate b/w 3 months at the u-store-it joint and what the AF pays movers to warehouse stuff is HUGE.

[Post solo ops]

I got some MX buds to sneak me off the flight line, then a bro at an electronics store boxed me up in a TV box and delivered me to the flight room. Round trip in less than an hour. Still got dunked, but drank for free that friday

[Ear issues (Pain, ringing, tinnitus, tubes, perforations)]

Your inner ear is now likely full of fluid. Not uncommon, but ripe for infection. Flight docs usually give prophylactic antibiotics to prevent a bad ear infection. Go see the doc.

[Pilot watches]

If you're looking to buy a watch online ... I'd highly recommend princetonwatches.com.

They are an authorized dealer for everything they sell and generally sell for 50-60% of the "jewelry store" list price.

I've bought citizens and seikos from them and have been extremely satisfied (STS).

[Questions on State Residency]

For what it's worth ... I've been an "official" resident of TX for the last 10 years or so. No state income tax, no yearly paperwork to file, and generally very easy to work with when you aren't actually in TX for voter registration, car tags/titles, etc (especially if you deal with a county with lots of military like Bexar). They do, however, have sales tax (registering/titleing new cars).

[Wounded Warrior Insurance]

SGLI has already been re-wickered to pay some cash if you are severely injured but not kilt.