Jaded

You can buy external ETFs in the USAA brokerage.

I was going to say that calling Ambien a "hypnotic" is kind of dramatic, but thinking about it, that actually is an extremely accurate way to describe the experience.

RSAP? Can you expand?

There are many command sponsored individuals who live off base. The ability to live off base depends on timing and occupancy rates. I don't know of anyone in a key billet that lives off base though, so there could be some O-5 only policy I'm not aware of. IMO, off base provides higher quality of life and is worth the short commute.

Wait, the inexperience problem is going to get WORSE in the f-16 community? The last year has been a constant revolving door of SEFEs 7 day opting and being replaced by LTs. We are so undermanned that people are being recalled from leave to sit SOF. We are double tuning half the people in the afternoon go because it's the only way we can fill the schedule. What is the breaking point? I feel like we are already there. You are telling me it is going to get worse?

I don't think that is how batting average works.

If I was a wing commander, I would question the mental faculty of any B-1 aviator who volunteered to go to the BUFF. I keed, I keed....

What's so bad about it?

I'm hearing that there is serious talk of bringing back the ART bonus this year as well, which could further incentivize people to get out. Additionally, around the squadron there are serious fears about stop-loss which are driving people to get out ASAP when they might have stuck around a year or two more as they explored outside options.

Their mutual fund expense ratios are way high. It can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime. I would also recommend vanguard. You can purchase vanguard ETFs through the USAA brokerage if you want to keep your money in the same place.

This is going to sound like a crazy idea, but have you tried calling them?

You seriously think that their "tactic" is to fraudulently classify accidents to make other companies comparative rates rise? Are you one of those people that think 9/11 was an inside job?

6 months off. Thought it would be a slam dunk.

Thanks for the timeline. My recruiter and I are gonna have a talk.

Any updates for anyone? Mine has been at SAF/PC since 22 Feb. This is getting ridiculous.

No it wouldn't. It's a completely nonviable paradigm, but it's not because enlisted guys are somehow incapable of doing the job.

Saying enlisted guys are not capable of dropping bombs would be like saying warrants aren't capable of piloting apaches.

Good critical thinking Chang. Requiring CGOs to have masters degrees for advancement never had second order effects before. Should be fine this time too. Kind of standard for A1 though - can't think more than 1 assignment cycle down the line.

Only A1 would call paying a certain class of people 1/4 the money to do the same job "elegant."

LOL. Edit: dude, please send that email to Tony Carr.

It's interesting to me that you think this is all a joke. Is it just your contempt for operators that has driven you to be so bad at your job?

I sat in a 5 hours mandatory "professionalism" seminar this week where they referenced mcdew multiple times as an example of what we should all strive to be.

We've seen some super questionable studs come through MQT recently at my ops base, and it's hard to tell if it's just a couple of guys struggling or a greater trend towards lower quality pilots produced by UPT/IFF and our B course. Some B course IPs are indicating that there is some pressure to get guys graduated who may not be 100% up to snuff. There are a lot of pressures on the fighter pipeline right now.

How often is it that the top grads aren't requesting fighters?

Yeah, I've never had to turn the radar off and back on again in the viper.