M2

Thanks for the inputs. One of the only reasons I would prefer the hardtop is for the extra security. I have a tendency to go out to the gun range and would prefer that my weapons be a little more protected by something that cannot be cut open with a pen knife. I rarely leave a gun in the car, and of course I can never bring one to work as the "SF" guys hate to be outgunned by long-haired hippies like myself; but even at the range I usually only bring one long-gun in at a time, swapping them out while I am there. But being in San Antonio, I would probably use the bikini top 10 months out of the year. I haven't heard back from the owner yet, and I obviously want to test drive it before I drop any cash on the table; but the comments here echo the ones I have heard from other Wrangler owners. And Wilco, I agree with you on everything (manual shift, 4WD) but not on the short wheelbase. I still like the thought of a little more stability from the longer Unlimited version (plus I can always brag that mine is "longer" and "unlimited!" ). And, as the wife has a 05 Honda Odyssey, there is little chance that the Jeep will see any significant highway miles. That is just not their baliwick! Cheers! M2

Thinking about buying a used one...the current battlewagon (a 96 VW Passat) is showing its age and nickel-and-diming me to death lately. Have always wanted a Jeep and there is a two-year old Unlimited for sale here in town that may not be a bad deal. Any current/previous Jeep Wrangler owners out there who have any advice, good or bad? It has a hard top with a bikini top thrown in, a manual transmission, and the 4.0L in-line six with 35K on it, ABS, A/C and a CD player. I prefer the extended rear bed and wheelbase of the Unlimited. Cheers! M2

'2' on Progressive (a.k.a. EmblemKing), Eric's son Mike is in UPT at the moment. As for other manufacturers, try this list. Cheers! M2

BS. I've known many military-married-to-military folks who have served professionally and without problem. Unless there is a direct chain-of-command issue (and one that you have absolute proof of, not just what you "think" is going on), then the USAF can go suck an egg. WTF, people complain about having to wear a fucking reflective belt but have no problems with the Air Force telling you who you can and cannot marry? Get real, if you have evidence that there is wrongdoings going on, go to the IG. If not, shut your cakehole and quit spreading rumors. We have enough of that shit going on. And I am still waiting for pics of your cadet g/f to make the final determination as to whether she is work tanking your career or not! Cheers! M2

Looks like Rachel Smith, a.k.a. Miss Tennessee, took it... Cheers! M2

Herka! Where's your espirit de corps? Let's just for a second imagine she isn't a stuck-up bitch and actually male-friendly, wouldn't you like to see one uf the USAF's finest win the Miss USA? By the way, there is a nice PA piece on her on this web site (scroll down). Cheers! M2

HD Whereas Olds may have advocated it, and took his to a new art level; he is not the inventor of the combat mustache. I know Godfrey and Gentile of the 4th Fighter Group grew them during WWII, and I believe the tradition goes back as far as the First World War. And ENJJPT IP, glad to hear you've got your entire squadron participating in Mustache March, including the studs. Gotta make for some humorous 'staches; but as you know that's not the point of Mustache March, it’s the camaraderie of everyone growing one regardless of how bad some look. Matter of fact, at the end of the month we used to hold a contest and one of the categories was ‘Cheesiest mustache.’ I am happy to say I never won it… Cheers! M2

Steve Nice one! Actually, during my enlisted days (early 80s), we used IBM keypunch cards to input data into a program called MILAP. As a matter of fact, I even found a picture of the machine we used, an IBM 029: (However, we found ours worked better plugged in!) I used to program the fields on these things, there was a spool in the center section that would hold a card that defined each field as it was typed in. Anyhow, after I got out and went to college, I took a course in computing that said IBM keypunch cards were 1950s technology... Cheers! M2

NATO airlift missions...especially ones with senior GOs aboard... Cheers! M2

Actually, for certain software like Geographic Information Systems this kind of interface can be much more useful for doing analysis than the basic desktop. My office is actually looking to get something like this, but probably not this sophisticated. And as Bendy pointed out, the computing power required to drive this monster is expensive... Still, it is a good look at the future. Figuring it wasn't that long ago that computers looked like this... ...this technology may be around quicker than you'd think! Cheers! M2

You think the USAF regs are anal, go look at the Army FMs or any COCOM that is Army-centric (e.g. EUCOM). When I was in Slovakia on the MLT, we actually had to get a waiver from EUCOM to drink during the duty day... Cheers! M2

I was wondering how long it would take Rain to roll in on this one! I am sure the Reserves or a Guard unit will be more than happy to pick you up...once you have completed your ADSC. Not the best post to start off with! Cheers! M2

ACJ I picked up a BFM a while back, but as I since retired it now serves as my extended "go bag" that doesn't see much use. I like its extra pockets and it is a bit larger than a MotherLoad (it'll hold two 3-liter bladders), and all in all it holds up to the high standards of the CamelBaks. Highly recommended. I think the Cool Gadgets thread is dust in the wind...which is too bad as it was a good 'un! Maybe we can start another in the Squadron Bar section of this forum. And while we're at it, it might be a good time to start another gun thread as well! Cheers! M2

Due to circumstances I ended up selling about a month's worth of leave when I retired. I was lucky in that the organization I was working for pretty much cut me loose to do whatever I wanted those last few weeks so I didn't have to burn any leave. Yes, I only got my base pay and after taxes were taken out, but it was a nice little chunk of change. And a major rule has changed since I retired, that being that officers on terminal leave cannot work in any government spaces during that time. I was able to "double-dip" for a few weeks, as I started on my contract before my retirement date; but a later re-look changed the ROE: Just to note this all came out about mid-June 2006... Cheers! M2

WTF? I was 42 when I picked up my CBR!! Don't be a wuss! Seriously, if your ZX-R is anything like a Ducati, I know what you are talking about! It is one of the reasons why I went for the CBR, they are much more comfortable than the other litre-class bikes! Cheers! M2

Action -- Result -- Impact Follow that format, and lead off each bullet with a "power word(s)" (e.g 'Expertly,' 'Outstanding,' 'Team Player'), and you will have the USAF format as I remember it down pat. And try to quantify (i.e. 'Best of six,' 'My top lieutenant out of 10') or add numbers ("Saved $100M...," "Responsible for $3B...") where you can. Keep in mind that your future PRFs will be mainly written from your OPRs, so quantification and specifics will help you down the road... Whatever you do, do NOT buy that little blue book on OPR writing and directly use anything from it. At best it can give you ideas, but the bullets from that book are too generic and are tired. Another good source of info is try to find someone who will give you a copy of their OPRs. I kept a binder in my desk with mine, along with my decorations, it was always a handy reference. Hope that helps! Cheers! M2

And I have ridden Deal's Gap (The Dragon) before, it was fun (318 curves in 11 miles) but I would advise against going there on the weekends or during the summer. It is extremely popular and everybody from RVs to Miata Owners Groups will be out there. If you want to see some great photos from that area, try Killboy's web site, or more of his pics here. Actually, although Deal's Gap was fun, my ride down from Baltimore via Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway was more enjoyable. Anyone coming from that direction should consider that route. Cheers! M2

VFR800 It is easy keeping a motorcycle while on AD, as long as you are willing to put up with the occassional witch hunts after someone does something stupid on theirs. The AF will move your bike in your household goods, my ST1100 went to Europe and back twice without a problem. Just let TMO know you have a motorcycle, and it is a good idea to call the moving company beforehand to assure they also know. As for a place to keep it, the only concern I ever had was when I lived in a highrise apartment complex. I wasn't comfortable leaving it in the parking lot, and it got knocked over several times. But if you have a house and more importantly a garage then it is not a problem. Just be warned that there are some adamantly anti-motorcycle people in the military, I have seen several GOs state they don't want there officers riding them (to include a two-star I worked directly for). However, I didn't let that stop me, I just kept the fact that I rode quiet. Cheers! M2

Been riding for most of my life. My latest bike is a 2005 Honda CBR1000RR Repsol rep... AirGuardian has one just like it. I've also got a 1991 Honda ST1100 sport-tourer that has been sitting dormant for the past few years. I don't find much motivation to ride it when I have the CBR; but I have been thinking about getting it back on the road as it makes a good alternative for commuting to work. Cheers! M2

He's talking about the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge, which from 1979 to 1983 was the largest tactical fighter wing in the world, with six squadrons of Hawgs during most of that period. The 81 TFW also had four Forward Operation Locations in Germany (Sembach, Leipheim, Alhorn and Norvenich). This was USAFE at its finest. Unfortunately, those days are long gone, and the only two A-10s left in the UK are the static bird at RAF Alconbury (with the God-awful noseart) and the one that hangs at the US museum at Duxford. The 510 TFS moved to Spangdahlem in 1993, and later became the 81st Fighter Squadron. The Panthers are the only contingent of A-10s left in USAFE... Cheers! M2

It would be a great reason to break up with her if you wanted; but from your comments I see you don't want to break up with her, so just don't go sucking face at your detachment and you should be fine. Serisouly, don't AFROTC cadre have more important things to worry about?? I remember 100 years ago when I was enlisted we had a pretty hot looking female captain walk into our office with the same name as one of the colonels that worked in our building. Someone asked if she was that colonel's daughter, and she replied that she was that colonel's wife! Needless to say, we all had a healthy new respect for that colonel! And next time post some pics of your girlfriend in a bikini or something so we can better assess whether she is worth the trouble or not! Cheers! M2

Steve On that scale, about a 0.69! As for Bendy's problems, what concerns me the most is how he is referring to himself in the third person, a.k.a. "The Jimmy!" Cheers! M2

Mustache March is a USAF tradition, much like Flattop February. Well, at least it was back in the day. In today's PC world full of SNAPs, it may not be as common as it once was... Cheers! M2

Errrr....Univ of Phoenix and DeVry ARE actual universities, just because they have online programs doesn't mean they aren't "real." Matter of fact, I am about to start my second Masters degree from American Military University. I know that some of you are saying "why?" as I am retired and no longer "need" a Masters (and I already have one). Well, several reasons. For one, despite the burden it may seem, an advanced degree can be a learning experience! Secondly, the AMU program I am going into ties well into my new contractor job, and it never hurts to give yourself an edge in the business world. Thirdly, my company is offering 100% tuition assistance with only a one-year commitment afterward, it's almost as good of a deal as the USAF is offering! Bottom line, a grad degree—whether through the USAF or via a company—is a great opportunity that will never hurt you if you take advantage of it. However, passing on it can adversely affect you down the road. I got my first grad degree—a MS in Info Systems—as I thought I might be going into that world after my USAF career. I didn’t enjoy how highly technical the program was, but it was a well-paying career field. However, a different opportunity presented itself after I retired and now I want to maximize my advantage as I follow this path. Maybe some of you young pups haven’t realized this yet; but life doesn’t always go as you thought, and it is always smart to have a backup plan (or two). And the best way to do that is to be prepared, as the more prepared you are, the better you can adapt to those “surprises.” It is a simply matter of survival… Cheers! M2

Now I am getting the same problem with the 'View New Posts' option... Cheers! M2