Smokin

You know how I know Rainman's been here a while? When his profile says he has four posts, registered yesterday, and still has a ranking of "the godfather". Welcome back. On topic, I don't care if I get to jump in front of the line in security (which usually doesn't happen anyway; reference a previous story on here about some over-zealous security agent almost arresting someone for "trying that"). I use my mil ID to check in, if they're gunna give me an upgrade, it usually happens then anyway. After that, I'm John Doe reading my book in my jeans and a T-shirt.

This is one time I love saying I told you so! (except the "end of year" part was a little off)

To many people it has become part of their uniform. They just put it on without even thinking as to why they are doing so. Look at the MPF in the middle of the summer; the sun is up long before they get dressed to go to work but put the belt on anyway. Has anyone ever gotten the feeling that this is not a safety thing at all? That it may have started that way but has turned into a secret war against ops guys? They know that we hate the belts and its their way of sticking it to us?

I think that cartoon states the official Air Force position better than anything that could be expressed in words.

The more members the better! Sign 'um all up!

Membership up to 630 this morning from 350 yesterday. I think your goal should be more like 10,000 by the end of the year. This group could become like those email chains, once they hit the critical mass, they are unstoppable!

You're not trying to take credit for being the first person to use chromed 20mm shells as shot glass are you? To answer the tapered/cut down part - yes shells are tapered at the top, but that does not effect their use as shot glasses. I would not cut them if I were you.

Why cut them down? They're just fine as they are, just chrome them and call it good. See if the place you get them chromed will also chrome the inside too, some places just use a coating that wears off with use (namely when drinking Weed).

I understand what you mean, but I was merely pointing out that your "35 years' worth of *first-hand* experience" is still anecdotal evidence (being 'Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis' - www.thefreedictionary.com) which is exactly what you were attacking the previous posts for. Your latest post solved that to a degree. I was not taking sides as I do not pretend to know very much about the British health care system, I was merely pointing out the irony of your argument.

I did. You said he was not qualified to participate in a debate with anecdotal evidence, then you used your own anecdotal evidence as your only argument. I do not see a difference.

So now anecdotal evidence is to be totally disregarded an an argument? I would say SATCOMs experience about relatives coming to the US for medical help on their own dime when it was available for free in the UK as a valid point. If he is not qualified to participate in an argument with that point, who is qualified? How are you qualified to tell him he is not qualified?

Why do you guys keep putting up pictures of google maps? I don't get it.

In Korea: SDAK controller on guard: "(Osan A-10) Hot Doggie, Hot Doggie! Hot Doggie! Hot Doggie! You are approaching DMZ! Snap West, Hot Doggie! Snap West, Hot Doggie! Snap West, Hot Doggie! Snap West, Snap West, Snap West, Snap West Immedrety or I wirr kick your a$$!" 6-9 min later A-10 on guard "I'm 20 miles over the ocean, mind if I turn back before I get to China?:

It is a crime that it took until the 5th page for this beer to got listed. It has been scientifically and spiritually proven to be the best beer ever made. You can't get better than beer brewed by a monk, they have God helping them. After Andechs, the Augustiner in Salzburg is a close second (the Munich version is not nearly as good). You should only go to Hofbrauhaus House if you still live in a frat house.

Hey! What's that supposed to mean?

Possibly, but a link would awesome.

The easiest way to deal with the CGOC is to put an auto reply in outlook with a smart-ass but won't get you in trouble if it gets forwarded comment followed by an auto delete. I have received only two CGOC emails in the last 2.5 years and that's only because they apparently changed the person sending out the emails.

Slacker: Best....Post....Ever. stoleit2x was in the running until you had some dude dancing.

Badass! That's really funny. Does that mean I get a DFC? Or maybe just a DPC (Distinguished Posting Cross)

www.foxnews.com U.S. officials believe Usama bin Laden's son, Saad bin Laden, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Pakistan. Sources confirmed to FOX News late Wednesday that officials believe the younger bin Laden was killed by hellfire missiles from a U.S. Predator drone strike earlier this year. The death was first reported by National Public Radio. National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell told NPR that Saad bin Laden reportedly traveled to Pakistan last year after spending several years under house arrest in Iran. It is believed Saad, who is not considered a significant player in Al Qaeda leadership, was "collateral" damage in the airstrike and was not considered important enough to target on his own. It isn't possible to tell for certain whether he was killed, since a body has not been recovered, preventing DNA tests, a senior U.S. counterterrorism official told NPR. The source estimated the chance Saad bin Laden is dead at "80 to 85 percent." At least 11 senior Al Qaeda operatives have been taken out in the secretive drone campaign which has continued at the same tempo under the Obama administration. A U.S. official points out that Saad "had a marquee name" but was not actively considered a successor to his father. "We make a big deal out of him because of his last name," NPR quoted a source as saying. U.S. forces have stepped up their drone attacks in Pakistan since last September, targeting Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants in areas bordering Afghanistan. The United States has carried out close to 50 such air strikes since the beginning of last year, killing about 470 people, including many foreign militants, according to a tally of reports from Pakistani intelligence agents, district government officials and residents.

Awesome organization, thanks for the info.

It's now (at least in the Viper community) called SCAR - Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance. Basically the same as killer - scout or whatever of the 69 terms the same mission used to be called. It seems to me to be pretty worthless training. IMHO when a war kicks off, assuming that it is fairly traditional (going to war against a nation-state), I don't see this mission lasting more than a few days. Either the ground troops will be moving in quickly and we'll switch to normal CAS or the war isn't going well and we'll be doing DCA defending the BX.

Finally, we can agree with the French on something.

It's a sad cycle that builds on itself. Very few pilots want to be an ROTC instructor because it would take him out of the cockpit for 3-4 years and probably kill his career. Generally, only the Det/CC is rated and it's his retirement tour. You can tell the emphasis that the Air Force puts on the job in relation to other services. In the Marines, they send top guys to ROTC detachments. At my school, one of the Marine instructors came from being the senior officer instructor at scout/sniper school and afterward went on to be the XO of Marine Force Recon. One of the smartest guys I've ever met. I took two of the Marine ROTC classes because he taught them and he almost got me to join the Marines instead. If you want to try to break the shoe clerk cycle, take a job in ROTC.

************* Thread Revival ************************* I just found out I am going to Camp Red Cloud this winter. Anybody been there or know someone who has?