ClearedHot

It can be used in a negative/humorous manner.... MANY years ago (before facetime and email), we were moving a couple Gunpigs around theater on a long deployment. We had a new guy on his first deployment and when we explained the set up he asked if he could call his wife. On the spare radio we briefed the other airplane, entered a fake frequency and the new guy went to work. The other airplane flawlessly pretended to be the MARS operator and added some appropriate sound effects. "Standby for your party, over", new guy thought his wife would answer and the sound of a dude threw him off. "Where is Rachael over?" "She is not here man, she doesn't want to want to talk to you, she is with me now - OVER." New guy melted down, I felt bad for him, even after they told him he had a hard time recovering. They finally got an actual phone patch to his wife and he recovered.

Steve - others have covered it well, but a bit more color. 100 years ago when I flew T-38's we would do a rudder effectiveness demonstration in the landing configuration. At altitude we would slow and configure the jet. As you got closer to touch down speed the IP would have the student move the stick form side to side, the jet was absolute mush and would barely roll. Next the IP would have the student rapidly apply full rudder, often you would find yourself hanging upside down in the straps. The change in pitch sensitivity Wheels mentioned along with the change in rudder effectiveness make for a different jet, especially when flying in close proximity to another aircraft and near the ground.

Before I give COAs (and not sure there are any good ones at this point), I have to wax philosophic for a moment. One of our biggest faults as Americans and with our foreign policy is our attention span. Unlike our adversaries we suffer from ADHD and Alzheimer’s, we quickly lose focus and absolutely refuse to play long ball. We have the world's most powerful and capable military but we want quick victories with few casualties so we can get home as and back to Facebook/Twitter. We constantly change our goals, shift our expectations and completely revamp our strategy as often as we change a roll of toilet paper. Our adversaries may adjust their approach for the current environment but ultimately, they play chess while we play checkers. China wants Taiwan and has been steadily marching towards that goal since they lost it shortly after WW II. Scholars have openly noted they were employing a 100-year strategy towards reunification. Our tragic flaw has manifest in every conflict since WW II. How many times did we change our Afghanistan strategy (if we ever had one), finally signally to the Taliban (and every other threat), if you wait, we will tire and go home. I think my theory is easily proven when looking at the situation with Ukraine. When the former Soviet Union collapsed and the wall fell, we went to great lengths to sway Ukraine in hopes they would lean to the west. At the time they had a significant stockpile of nuclear weapons which WE convinced them to destroy in return for a paper promise that we would provide security. While we did not offer full-fledged NATO membership, we certainly led them to believe we would be there when they needed us. Flash forward to 2014 when Russia invaded the Crimea and what did we do? Barack Obama suggested that defending Ukraine against Russia wasn’t a core U.S. national-security concern…sorry you gave up your nukes, you are on your own. Obama and his minions finally provided aid, but it was all humanitarian. In total since 2014 we have provided $1.6B in aide but we have mostly stood by and watched them struggle. That strategy came to full fruition in 2017 when Ukraine was forces to sign the annexation of the Crimea to Russia. The Trump administration did change the game in some regards when they agreed to give Ukraine lethal “defensive aide.” Philosophically I wonder, would Ukraine still have the Crimea if Ukraine still had their nukes? Putin immediately tested Biden when he took office, the buildup of troops and equipment along the border has taken time. The fiasco in Afghanistan sent a very clear commitment about our resolve. If Putin does move against Ukraine, you can bet your paycheck that will signal China to speed the clock against Taiwan. As far as COAs, there are only a few and the only palatable one I can see would be to act now at N minus to bolster Ukraine and deter Putin. It is one thing to give Ukraine more lethal aide, it is another to place U.S. forces in Ukraine. Perhaps a game of chicken but it would drastically complicate Putin’s calculus. Barring that COA we will likely melt like butter and Russia will steamroll Ukraine.

We ran from Afghanistan in the middle of the night, if we sit back and watch Putin steamroll Ukraine I wonder what that message sends China about Taiwan?

I know a dude who delayed to screw (sts) his ex-wife.

Ouch!

Jeffrey Epstein Pilot Recalls Flying Trump, Bill Clinton And Prince Andrew

How about we ask about this picture?

This is the rub for me...the OVERWHELMING majority of mainstream media outlets not only lean liberal but in recent years have actively sought to protect the liberal machine. I get it, FOXNEWS preaches the same for the Conservative side, but they are a lone lighthouse in that storm. Are there other outlets that defend the conservatives, yes, but none with the audience of CBS/ABC/NBC/CNN/Yahoo News/Twitter/Facebook. I'm old and I am an idealist, I want the press to be the 4th estate. We need that neutral and unbiased eye looking in to keep our system honest. In my opinion the press has completely abandoned that moral responsibility. I am glad COVID has been an eye opener, I hoped better from my government. I consider myself a man of science and when the pandemic started I was glad Fauci was standing next to Trump, maybe a voice of reason to shape the bloviating. I can not even begin express my disappointment in Fauci. At first I thought he had just morphed into a political animal, now I've come to believe he is beyond corrupt. He actively helped cover up the origin of the virus, has denied gain of function research to the point of changing the definition, and denies any relevant research related to natural immunity. He MUST go and should likely be prosecuted for both perjury and potential criminal actions related to work at the Wuhan laboratory. The mainstream press has stood behind Fauci and sung his praises completely overlooking any reasonable responsibility to research this clown and what he did. The second unforgivable failure of the 4th estate is the Hunter Biden laptop. Social media suppressed the story and the mainstream media drown the story in a "Russian misinformation" mantra." Have any of you liberals taken an honest look at what is on that laptop. I could care less about pictures of Hunter smoking crack or nailing hookers, has zip to do with the Presidency. I am talking about the repeated insinuations that Biden while VP sought a cut and was most certainly manipulated as part of an effort to sell influence at the highest level of the U.S. government. I HOPE it is false, but dear god shouldn't we take an honest look? The liberal hate machine spent years impeaching Trump and shaping the release of information, only to see the disinfectant of sunlight show it a nothing burger. Is no one else appalled that there could be even a grain of truth to all of this. I found Tony Bobulinski's testimony to be very compelling and at least justifies a deeper look, not a hand waive by the liberal media that wants to hide the truth. The NY Post won't let the story go and while the WSJ has done some background investigation on the finances, a MUCH deeper look needs to happen. I am hoping (probably idealistic on my part), the the fall of Chris Cuomo starts the dominoes falling so we can just get to the truth on both sides.

For a while he refused to pick someone to be a Squadron CC unless they were BPZ to LtCol, that was his pass fail test of leadership and fed his plan of trying to build as many AFSOC GOs as possible. That TTP went up in smoke when AFSOC started getting hammered on promotion boards and he ran out of BPZ folks. The incoming CAT 5 is just as bad in other regards. He HATED the Weapons School (although he surrounded himself with patches anytime he deployed), he actually stood up and clapped when another O-6 WIC hater suggested we close the AFSOC WIC at a senior officer meeting. As a Wing/CC he tried to shame his SQ/CC patches into not wearing their grad patches..."I should know you are a graduate by your performance." One of those CC's caved (Pavelow Dude imagine that), he ended up on the fast track and is now a sitting Wing/CC. That current sitting WIng/CC has pulled all references to WIC from his official bio and exhibits many of the same narcissistic traits as his handler.

It has nothing to do with focused attention on each platform, and sadly crossflow won't stop the tribalism. The issue is and has been the Pavelow Mafia and what they have done through the years. I am skimming the surface on their TTPs but in short they executed what Big Blue tried to do on the GO development side. They picked key talent VERY early and made them the "chosen ones". They stratified a few thoroughbreds in each year group, and pushed them forward no matter what. Dudes actually knew what there "number" was in their entire year group and once they were "made" the senior folks carefully managed the chosen ones to make sure they were BPZ at multiple ranks, in the right job, at the right school and in the right position to continue the program. For many years AFSOC had only one wing and the Commander was almost always a Pavelow guy. The Gunships, Talons and Shadows were relegated to second tier jobs. A few MC guys leaked through once in a while, but the Pavelow guys always made it back into the rotation. Any time a gunship bro would excel the mafia made sure they didn't get command at Hurlburt...the only wing with gunships. Fiel and Hiethold popped as GOs but both had to be Wing/CCs elsewhere. I think the first gunship dude to make BG as the Hurlburt Wing/CC was Westy and they made sure he retired as a one star. Honestly I blame Fiel and Hiethold. Fiel enabled the current sycophant and his CAT 5 successor to survive and enabled their caustic ways. CAT 5 did a lot of F'd up things and Fiel could have ended him, but he was persuaded the dude could be "fixed" and he let him continue. Rather than fall on his sword and take the case to CSAF, Hiethold took the easy route and pushed them both away to Korea, where they put their rings together and survived to rise from the ashes. A Pavelow followed Hiethold in the AFSOC/CC chair and the deal was done. A complete travesty...Elton should have been the pick and he would have done wonders for the entire enterprise. I don't think most know how bad it really is. The AFOSC/CC does not like AC-130 types, he thinks they are stone cold killers that need mental health help, something he has openly been heard saying in the halls of the command. He actually ordered a reflection event for the gunship community, not because of the woke nonsense, but because he thinks the gunship community kills too many people to easily. It is absolutely shocking some of the things this clown has said to other senior officers. He has even gone as far as to offer to give up all the AC-130's in the command to enable his other pet projects. And let there be no doubt, the lunatic coming in behind him will continue the destruction.

The situation at AFSOC is horrible but NO ONE CARES. The system encourages what has happened and the internal AFSOC politics made it even worse. There was a big purge of AFSOC O-6s a few years ago but nothing really came of it other than some very talented people ran for the door. You would think Big Blue leadership would pay attention when the sitting Group Commanders of your two premier AFSOC Wings bail at the same time. Both were on the Wing/CC list and they said nope...adios. Wait until the CAT 5 hits AFSOC....the current guy is horrible, so convinced he is right he do anything to preserve his legacy including getting rid of all the AC-130's...sadly this is not a joke. The incoming dude is pure hate, a vindictive cult of personality who will salt the earth behind him. Both have lined up their DOJ's (inside joke), and puppets who will continue to do their bidding to perpetuate the evil. I still talk to many folks on the inside and there is one overriding theme from all of them...dark dread. It will take AFSOC a generation to overcome, if it ever does.

A-Frickin-Men

I was offended....LOL. I knew what you were saying brother.

Stay safe brothers and sisters. Flurry Of Air Force Transports Head To East Africa As Potential For Ethiopia Evacuation Grows

So it was most likely wasn't terror, but still extremely fucked up. Brooks had left the scene of the domestic disturbance before officers arrived, and he was not being chased by police at the time of the crash, according to the chief. Police were drawing up five charges of intentional homicide against Brooks, 39, of Milwaukee, Thompson said. He has been charged with crimes 16 times since 1999 and had two outstanding cases against him at the time of the parade disaster — including one in which he was accused of deliberately running down a woman with his vehicle.

Absolute carnage at the holiday parade. Kind of crazy that in this day and age we have to speculate a terror attack, revenge for the Rittenhouse verdict or a horrible DUI.

Not Guilty on all counts. I guess you can defend yourself when someone is beating you in the head with a skateboard.

I bet there is a mad scramble to get the wreckage off the bottom for someone else can.

Pilot ejected and was rescued.

Word is Biden did a little shit slinging at the Vatican...in his pants.

Camilla Parker Bowles can’t stop talking about Joe Biden’s ‘long fart’ I finally found a reason to like Biden.

Truth, although there is something to be said for being told to proceed direct Sammy for 69 turns in holding.