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herkbum

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Posts posted by herkbum

    Changing/Switching airframes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Sounds like the buffoonery has not gotten better.  Back around 2014, we had a husband & wife in the community, both pilots, both patches.  They wanted to stay, they just wanted to stay together.  Leadership pushed for them to get squadron commands at the two different bases (Ellsworth and Dyess).  They both said "one or the other, we care more about keeping the family together than we do about our careers".  O-6s insisted on it, because it would "be a good career move" and "it's only two years" and "needs of the Air Force".  
    They both decided to get out instead of taking command.
    Another WSO was offered one of the SAM aggressor jobs at Red Flag.  She just wanted a break from the constant deploy-home-repeat cycles.  Told the OG/CC she just wanted to do the 3-year tour and come back to the cockpit.  OG/CC insisted that "I can't be the person who lets a WSO leave the base when we're so undermanned".  So she got out.  OG/CC now lost a WSO permanently instead of for 3 years, and some other base lost a body to fill the Red Flag spot. 


    The married couple now in the Guard? If so, I think I hired them a few years ago.


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    Upcoming Boards

    in Air National Guard / Air Force Reserves

    Posted

    I’m willing to bet every CONUS ANG unit that has a mobility mission is working this weekend to deliver Army National Guard and Air National Guard forces to DC with at least one aircraft. My state sent 25 Army, 25 Air so far and has three jets against it.

    Those 50 are above and beyond the ones we have mobilized to vaccinate, augment security within the state and man call centers for unemployment support and vaccine information.

    I’ve honestly never seen anything quite like this in 18 years of being in the Guard.


    I’ve been in the ANG for over 28 yrs and I agree with you. Lots of movement from my base to DC yesterday.


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    Rural Living, Self Sustainment, No Urban Weirdos, and such...

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    A twist to this conversation.  Due to family/work, I plan on staying in my area for the long haul.  Once I get out of the Guard, I plan on spending 3-4 winter months somewhere warmer....homie doesn't dig snow anymore.  I'm thinking initially of trying furnished, month-to-month type rentals (for 2 adults), rather than owning.  I want to be able to hit up different locations from year-to-year before I decide whether I want to buy at a specific location or just keep trying new places.  Has anyone done the same?  Has anyone found a good resource for such rental types?  VRBO?  Airbnb? Zillow?  bitchinbeachcondos.com? 


    Let me know what you find out. We are thinking something similar after my kids graduate high school (I have some time).


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    Rural Living, Self Sustainment, No Urban Weirdos, and such...

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    [mention=1838]herkbum[/mention] and [mention=1929]hindsight2020[/mention] don't be afraid to look at the western NC side as well. Asheville offers unique amenities (and people watching). Housing is expensive right around AVL, but the surrounding area still holds remote and and affordable patches of land, the views are hard to beat and the golf is top notch.
    Chattanooga is a great spot though, and TN offers certain tax/living advantages.


    Thx. We’ll drive over to visit, but we’re staying in Knoxville until my kids are out of school.


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    Rural Living, Self Sustainment, No Urban Weirdos, and such...

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    Word. Eastern TN has recently popped up in our radar for potential post .mil and empty nester relocation. Wife is sick and tired of the sprawl here in metro TX but I'm still probably gonna have to do about 10 years of a-word work after mil retirement to get me to the finish line, so we want to retain no income tax residency like we currently enjoy. Chattanooga is a primary POI for me right now.


    Chattanooga is up and coming. My brother has lived in the area for about 17 years. We moved to Knoxville last spring and we love it. I’m retiring in April and we are staying right here. And we have our first white Christmas in over 10 years, the mountains will be beautiful tomorrow when the sun comes up.


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    • Upvote 1

    Rural Living, Self Sustainment, No Urban Weirdos, and such...

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    I think one of the great things about the AF is I've lived everywhere from South Dakota to downtown Seoul. Really helps illuminate different lifestyles for you and set expectations on what you want in life. I'll probably be getting out after this tour, bit the expereince definitely made me recognize I want a city with good access to the outdoors. Something like Seattle is perfect for this. Then I can have the best of both worlds. Sip coffee in pioneer square on Monday, do some tent camping in the cascades on the weekend. 


    Sounds like Knoxville, TN. Tons of lakes, the Smoky Mountains with the App Trail all within 45 mins of downtown.


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    • Upvote 2

    118th Loses 3 member in private aircraft accident

    in Air National Guard / Air Force Reserves

    Posted

    Shelli was a very good friend of mine and the entire wing and state are hurting. We had a great celebration of Shelli’s life yesterday and was the largest attended funeral I have ever been to. She will be dearly missed and we will continue to honor her memory. We should all live our lives the way Shelli did. She never met a stranger and would help anyone out, anytime. She was one of a kind.

    The folks in Nashville have done a tremendous job of honoring all 3 members and they have closed in around the families. These type of events really show how powerful and caring the Guard family is when it’s mobilized. But we hate that these are the times when we get old friends together. Make sure you stay in touch and get the retirees together more often. We are all ready for 2020 to be in the rearview mirror.


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    • Like 3

    Green bag being phased out?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I plan to.  Hopefully we can implement a flight suit policy while I'm there...apparently they don't have one at the moment because none of the cadre are rated, and none of the cadets have rated slots...which is a big part of the reason the Air Force is starting to push rated officers into these jobs after years of claiming we were needed in the cockpit.


    Which school?


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    Should My Mentality Be Pilot Or Nothing?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    As a very happy former CSO (first half of career) and current RPA pilot (second half of career), I wouldn't totally discount other ops/flying AFSCs because I've personally had a great time in both of mine, BUT...it seems like you just really want to be a manned pilot. In that case, go for your dream and don't let anyone tell you "no" until your last appeal is exhausted.
    I was told I wouldn't be able to commission due to some medical issues and that flying was completely out of the question by the chief of flight medicine at Andrews my senior year of ROTC. Well the joke's on you Doc, because I commissioned 2 months later, flew manned airplanes as a CSO, did 8 combat deployments, and now am a pilot on a second platform.
    BL: Don't give up and oh yea also go Guard! I learned that second lesson a bit late.


    And you’re in a great place now!


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    • Like 1

    Leaving the Air Force for Something Other than the Airlines

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    Bringing my conversation to this thread so I don't derail the airline thread. 
    Question on guard/reserve jobs, my understanding is it's very difficult to get hired on guard/reserves as a Lt Col due to the limited number of billets in a squadron for O-5 and the unit preference to award those to people that grew up in the unit. 
    Am I wrong though I'm assuming that advice is mainly geared toward flying jobs? It seems to me that there are staffs out there filled with reservist, where an O-5 would be more appropriate. 


    Typically the answer is yes. But I transferred units last year as a Lt Col so I could fly manned airplanes again, so it’s possible. The transfer was a reward since I stepped away from my RPA unit for a year to be a SQ/CC at a non flying squadron.


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    Green bag being phased out?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Awesome...good enough justification for me! I'm also in the Guard at our own base with no Active Duty for miles and miles, so it's a low-thread environment for E-9 harassment. Our Ops Group Chief is a Chief in the best sense of the word.
    Now if we could only get the Massif ones issued...because paying out of pocket > $600 for a uniform is a little rough. I'm a spoiled flyer, I'm conditioned by years of getting my comfy green jammies for $Free.99


    The last 2 at your OG are 2 of the greatest dudes that have ever put on Chief stripes.


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