Sketch
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Posts posted by Sketch
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22 hours ago, Yeeyee said:
Any gouge on the 307th bomb wing (B-52H out of Barksdale AFB)? They don’t show up on Bogidope, but they are part of the reserves. Any idea if they have UPT boards?
I was wondering the same thing but for CSO slots
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Whats intriguing to me is how we had a relatively robust light attack fleet during the cold war, at a time when a conventional war with Russia was the thing we were preparing for, then after the wall fell we got rid of all of our OV-10s, A-4s, A-7s, and half our A-10s and switched our CAS platforms almost exclusively to pointy noses when no near-peer enemies existed.
Then OEF & OIF rolls around and we have a situation where Vipers and Hornets are putting GBUs onto guys with AKs and trucks that cost less than a fin on said bombs. Seems like we went the opposite direction we should've.
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Calfire could definitely use some of these, considering how rough the last few fire seasons have been they need all the help they can get
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3 minutes ago, Waingro said:
Wait you don't remember who was before Welsh? Is that some sort of PTSD response? If you think Welsh was a disappointment, then Schwartz was straight up cancer. Or maybe AIDS. Probably both.
Jumper got fired in 2008 because he wouldn't sacrifice 5th-Gen capabilities to feed the Army's insatiable demand for MQ-1 orbits. They found a perfect yes-man in Schwartz, and we're still digging out of it today. It's my opinion that he laid the foundation for the "everyone is a warrior" culture that has been decaying us as a combat force for the last decade. When everyone's a hero, nobody's a hero. Don't tell the services guy that he matters as much as a TACP or bomb dropper or even a maintainer working 12s on the ramp. Because in addition to being false, everyone knows it's false, and it comes off as insulting. A little bit off-topic there but yeah, if you've really forgotten who was before Welsh, then considering that a blessing. Schwartz's tenure is worth forgetting.
It was Moseley not Jumper who got fired, mostly because he backed continuing F-22 production when SECDEF Gates, who had a chip on his shoulder for expensive AF projects, wanted it gone. That and the flown Nuke over CONUS by a BUFF.
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Based on what I have seen, if you have any type of mental health disorders documented anywhere you will be auto DQ'd and forced to apply for a waiver. Chances for getting one will depend on a variety of factors including specific diagnosis (anxiety disorder, major depressive, bipolar, etc), how long they received treatment (6 months, 18 months, etc), and if they needed any additional accommodations in school such as an IEP or registered with the disability office.
Based on what I've seen here, it is possible but will be an uphill battle. I recommend he get a letter from his psychiatrist explaining that they just talked and would have no problem serving in the military, can hold a TS clearance, etc. Also, get letters from each school counselor defending him with transcripts (hopefully A's & B's) and that he didn't need academic accommodations. His DODMBERB/MEPS package should have the full treatment history plus all of the documents I mentioned. Make sure he includes a document saying he did NOT take meds. Letters of Rec from you and other AF officers could help too. The DOD has a huge stigma against mental health and often make it very hard to get a waiver.
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6 hours ago, SLeon_17 said:
Asked when I took it late last year and was told no scratch paper
Same. TBH the only thing I feel it could've been used for were the quick math questions, but they aren't that hard anyway
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I think a lot of it boils down to attitude & what the individuals want out of their careers. I've met numerous cadets whom wanted to fly C-17s (mostly because of the lifestyle), some got solid pcsm scores and were bumped to ENJJPT, one in particular now flying hawgs, others barely scraped by and got bumped to pilot from RPA/CSO at the last minute. My point is, just because pilot slots are incredibly easy to get today doesn't mean you should take a chance on bad scores, do the work and get as high a pcsm as you can possibly get so you don't have to gamble and your slot is all but assured.
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On 2/11/2019 at 3:17 PM, ayz33 said:
For what its worth, nowadays at least, AF pilot slots are given to almost anyone who wants one from ROTC. I have a feeling we'll be shocked by the #'s next week when rated pref's come out. Doesn't mean it'll be the same when you go through though
Its almost comical how low some of the scores were for the cadets that got pilot slots last year. One of my peers said his pcsm was in the 30s with zero flight hours and still got one (great dude though, high CC rank).
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On 5/10/2018 at 4:05 PM, RTB said:
Such bullshit that this article was even written or that charges were filed. The alleged victim, who made the allegations, is his soon to be ex-wife who, until a couple days ago, was fighting a losing battle for custody. Sad and disgusting that a dude's name is dragged through the mud before any of the facts of the case come to light.
I don't have a dog in this fight obviously but I remember meeting Bondo when back when he was the F-15 Demonstration Team pilot, seemed like a solid guy and it sucks this is happening to him.
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Major in something you might actually like to do for a career, in case the Air Force/flying doesn't pan out for some reason.
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Anyone else notice the Hot Shots patch on the first guys right shoulder?
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12 hours ago, ethanmccoy said:
Thanks for the response, when you say "better institutions" what are you referring to?
I'm referring to the fact that the Academys got lots of pros AND cons. I know several people that go there, and without getting into any details I have very little respect for the Academy's honor board. If you get in (say you will for motivation) most likely you'll avoid having any problems but one of my friends wasn't so lucky. Stay away from classmates who think they can get away with anything.. even if they do. Not trying to discourage you, just be aware that not everyone follows the core values.
And while I personally would pick the AFA over the other commissioning sources for a variety of reasons, as many others on here have said the other routes can work out just fine and may offer you a path better suited for your needs. ROTC is a great option, the standards for entry are much lower, and you can still get a pilot slot while living a normal college lifestyle.
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You'll need atleast a 3.75 GPA with APs if you want to get into the Academy. It was insanely competitive in 2008 when I was first applying and the incoming classes are even smaller now. You're almost guaranteed a pilot slot if you're medically qualified, but there are better institutions you can go to (you'll just have to pay for them). Some ROTC dets get more rated slots because some dets have more rated applicants. My det had very few that wanted to go rated. Also according to a friend whos there now, almost 100% of rated applicants get picked up at ERAU. YMMV.
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On 11/11/2016 at 8:53 AM, matmacwc said:
True, but if you are not honest on your commissioning physical and something happens later, you will get no help and are in a world of hurt.
Noted.
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On 10/29/2016 at 3:35 PM, matmacwc said:
Sorry fellas, we don't want or need people with any mood/depression/anxiety/polar/mental issues, it isn't the place. Go find something else, it isn't for everyone.
Everybody goes through shit at some point during their life, that doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't be qualified to serve in the military.
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On 10/3/2016 at 6:08 PM, BroadwayJoe said:
Right now I am 75% with my associates at Community College. The University that's close to me does have AF ROTC. What does ROTC usually look for, regarding transfers? If a Pilot Slot is my goal would being a Community College student hurt me compared to someone who directly attended a Four Year College directly out of high school? Also what GPA is considered ideal. Right now I am earning my Business Associates and have a 3.5 GPA. Is this low too? (I can still bring it up with my current classes and the last 5 I will take next year).
This is probably asked a lot but how does the pilot selection process work for ROTC? I've tried Googling around and most of the answers I find from Service Academy forums or Yahoo! (not a great source, I know) usually say it's all by chance or by the needs of the Air Force.
Since you are not attending the school the ROTC program is at you would be considered a crosstown cadet. There should be zero issues with you attending LLAB/classes as a crosstown so long as you meet all the requirements to join. My det was roughly half crosstowns and some would drive as far as 3 hours every Friday to attend training. Since you are almost done you should start as an AS250 and shoot for Field Training as soon as possible, however the learning curve will be steeper as you'll only have a year to learn what most of your classmates did in 2. And as far as CC's go I know a couple cadets that got pilot slots that transferred so its definitely possible. Your 3.5 GPA is solid for EA selection so as long as you don't fail any classes and participate (and pass the dodmerb) you'll be fine.
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On 10/5/2015 at 11:08 AM, radicaldude1234 said:
Hi,
Was just told by the local flight doc that he was not going to recommend that my waiver for depression be approved. I was also reassured by him that I was still commissioned qualified, but the recruiter thinks otherwise. Not that it means anything on a flight physical level, but mental waiver has been cleared several times on the MEPS level.
I was just wondering if there was any recourse for me and if there was a way for me to go for a lower medical like a FCII for RPAs? Or if there was a way to challenge the diagnosis? And if not, a gist of what the medical process is for a non rated position?
Thanks in advance for any adviceAny follow up on your situation? Were you prescribed meds of any kind for your depression? I'm very interested to hear the full circumstances. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post it publicly.
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As someone who did exactly what you are doing right now, and rightfully got pounded for it, take what these guys are saying and go with it. Arguing with Danger makes it look like you're going to do the same thing with your instructors at UPT.. see how that goes for you. You say you're passionate about getting a fighter, great, let it show through your work ethic.
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On 5/8/2016 at 1:47 PM, pilot97 said:
Thank you for all your input! What was voted #1 worse overall???
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-la-worst-traffic-20160314-story.html
LA traffic shouldn't deter you from picking a detachment, its merely another factor to consider when choosing and subsequently getting there once a week if you're a crosstown cadet. I had to sit in traffic for almost 2 hours after every LLAB which was very frustrating but in my opinion it was worth the benefit of spending every Friday at an awesome nationally ranked school surrounded by great classmates and thousands of gorgeous girls. Bottom line ROTC is what you make of it. Very few, if any detachments are mediocre enough that you can't grow as a person and achieve the goals you want. I spent time at 2 different dets and had vastly different experiences from each one. Its all about attitude.. sprout where you are planted and make the most of whichever one you end up at.
Do some research, find a det that best fits your needs and show up with an open mind ready to work hard. It can be as rewarding or as miserable as you want it to be. Yes being a cadet (especially underclassman) does suck at times but its only four years and you will learn a lot about yourself again if you are willing to put in the effort. Find a balance between studying and tearing it up on weekends just don't be stupid and break the law like getting a DUI and don't let your grades slip. The cadets that usually fail out (yes it happens) are the ones who don't find that balance and focus too much on one thing. I let my grades slip early on and it ultimately cost me a Field Training slot after 3 years of hard work. Also don't be the guy that only shows up to PT and LLAB then bails either, get involved in your wing and show them you truly want to be an Air Force Officer and work hard to get the scores to back it up.
Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any questions regarding ROTC/LA dets.
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32 minutes ago, Moosepilot said:
Thought USC was the game 'cock' school too until sketch mentions LA traffic.
Voted #1 worst overall in the US several decades running!
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LMU is a much smaller det, but generally had lower EA selections than USC from what they said. But, downtown LA traffic is absolutely terrible. I recommend giving the UCLA det a look, their EAs and rated slots are usually fairly high.
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3 hours ago, Clark Griswold said:
Likewise but you never know, every now and the idea comes back, either like herpes or hope springing eternally.
It has percolated to CNN now:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/21/politics/f22-raptor-congress/index.html
We're coming up on a change in leadership at the top, likely other positions when the new CSAF comes in, there is a narrow gap in a slightly open window at that time for a change in major procurement vector(s) if it is ever going to happen it would have to be then.
Where did CNN get that $412 mil figure? Seriously, I thought it wasn't even close to that.
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Just FYI i would say roughly 30-40% of the cadets at my det were on a 5 year track. I'm assuming you are a tech major which is no big deal, you would just be a super senior your 5th year and pretty much just sit back and help out with anything your POC/upperclassmen need until you commission.
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Unless things have changed in the past 2 years (which they probably have) there are scholarships available to ROTC cadets that are either tech or foreign language majors. The are very few, if any, set aside for nontechs. However, there are a handful that are awarded by the commander based on merit, so its definitely possible.
Concept aircraft
in Squadron Bar
Posted
Yep its still there, I drive by the museum regularly. They used to occasionally open up the cockpit for viewing which was cool even though all of the avionics were stripped out, not sure if they still do. Theres also an ex dual-seat RAF harrier sitting in one of the hangars on the west end of the field