JarheadBoom

If you're AFRC/ANG, then you know as well as I do that there's not many AFRC/ANG units that will use a school slot for a non-"connected" enlisted guy to get retrained in a new airframe, just so he/she can score a couple more years of retirement points before pulling chocks for the last time. Especially when they're being flooded with applicants from younger folks who have a lot more time left until retirement, and therefore offer a lot more ROI. In any case, it ain't worth brooding over. I'm sure ARPC will give me all the info and time I need to make an informed decision about what remains of my career, if/when we start flying one-shots to AMARC. [/sarcasm] Back to enjoying every flight as if it's my last...

My personal feeling is that I have 339 days remaining in this jet. I need about 3x that to get enough points for retirement. I may very well be screwed.

It was a diversion for the duffel bags of Ecstasy being taken off a jet...

I just got back; there were a few -10 crews that got off base a few times during their standard-duration deployment, so in theory it's possible once you get your Emirati badge. If you want to do this, I highly recommend getting signed off as an off-base driver; it will open up a lot more options for getting off base on your own schedule, plus you could make some money/score some free meals from crews looking for a driver to get them off base for a non-MWR day trip. All this is, of course, dependent on how willing your leadership will be to let you go off base frequently.

Well played... One of the annual Info Protection/Info Awareness CBTs (I forget which, and I really don't care) has turned into what amounts to an online role-playing game. With points that must be scored and talking characters you have to interact with. Oh, and a robot fight. Seriously.

CMC is adding thousands of duty roster openings Corps-wide, to be filled by CGOs and SNCOs, and wiring every Marine barracks for video surveillance, because the USMC is "flying right" and maintaining simple standards. Got it. THIS. As fucked up as the AF can be (even from my limited view as enlisted Reserve swine), it could be a hell of a lot worse.

Nice. Thanks to P&WC's oops a few years back with China, I am way more familiar with ITAR than I ever wanted to be (I work the .civ side of an OEM of both .civ and .mil aircraft). Back to my own lane now...

Serious question: Have you considered ITAR?

Like HU&W said, his books were an early inspiration for me to join the military; I borrowed The Hunt For Red October from my grandfather in '85 or '86... followed shortly by Red Storm Rising and Patriot Games. I ended up with all of his "major" books in my collection, and I've re-read them all several times over the years.

As I understand it (from a Wasington Post article I read through a FB link), he didn't have a choice - the personnel drawdown limited the number of bodies he had available to cover the not-drawn-down committment level elsewhere in his RC (RC-E, I think...). NOTE: I am not defending MajGen Gurganus. A lot of Marines (especially ones who wear shiny rank) feel that he is ultimately responsible for the Bastion incident, and were not-very-privately calling for his head. Of course, a lot of those same Marines are not exactly enamored with the guy doing the firing...

As of today, no.

It's weak because it should have been handled face-to-face, commander to subordinates. LEADERS have the balls to look their people in the eyes and tell them to their faces when they announce a policy that will be unpopular. MANAGERS have one of their staff write the memo for their signature, name others as their POC on the matter, then have the staffer email it to the unit on their behalf. LEADERS do not threaten to "tell Dad" about those who choose to violate the policy, they deal with those people themselves. I expect chickenshit from certain flavors of "leadership" (and not others) based on my personal experiences and observations, after 18+ years of service in two different branches.

You might be surprised (and maybe a little concerned...) by the number of aero engineers who have ZERO clue about how pilots/crew/mechs actually operate and maintain the systems they design. Technical questions (if anyone here can answer them): - Does the C-17 engine have a dedicated generator to power the EECs? - If so, at what engine speed do those generators provide enough power to the EECs that they are no longer dependent on the aircraft's buses to operate? Day man, I commend you for having the balls to "out" yourself to this community, knowing that you'd be exposing yourself to some tough questions and strong opinions/judgements. It sucks that you guys were sacrificed for ultimately "saving the day" for yourselves and 100+ others, but I suppose being alive to talk about it after the fact is about the best you can hope for in today's climate.

Holy shit, this is a FIGHTER SQUADRON commander? I would understand (and even expect) this kind of weak sauce from an AETC or AMC SQ/CC.

[drifting out of my lane] Because, right or wrong, Marines trust fellow Marines more than they trust anyone else. [easing back into my own lane]

Rule 34.

Serious question, that I never asked in any of the other threads about this... patch: - If there were dudes/dudettes in 14-05 that did NOT want this to be the class patch, would they still have to wear it? Is it even an option to wear something else? My understanding of the UPT class patch tradition is obviously limited; bear with me on what is, to most of you, a stupid question...

edit: Nevermind. Reading comprehension fail.

Concur. Plot was predictable as hell, but hey, it's a kids movie... what do you expect? I personally enjoyed the decent number of correct aviation references, both visual and scripted, especially compared to the massacre of aviation that Hollywood usually puts out.

As I type this, one of my roomates is blaring tunes from Pandora, and I'm in the usual sandy location for my airframe. Must be a local thing, maybe the Comm folks are getting wise to the workarounds?

Not sure how often he's here anymore, but Kuma here in the forum is a former Snake driver. He'd probably be of some help in your quest.

Don't confuse Air Force crew chiefs with Marine Corps crew chiefs. As you say, totally different career fields and skill sets.

Did you forget a pic or link, or was that just a general statement? On a semi-related note, I think the fact that a Video Music Awards show is hosted by Music Television, a TV network that hasn't actually played a music video in years, is WTF-worthy...

I frequent the vansairforce.net forums semi-frequently, indulging my RV builder/pilot fantasy, and the topic of flying in/around/through MOAs comes up occasionally. While it's mostly a very nice crowd there, there is a small but vocal group who strongly believe that if it's not a Restricted area, it's their right to fly through, and you guys will just have to accommodate them.