Clark Griswold

More build up of Russian forces, more fighting with separatists in the Donbass region. https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2021/04/07/russia-continues-massing-military-hardware-ukrainian-border/

Goodbye US led world order then, hello whatever comes next. I dislike free riding allies who talk us down and are ungrateful (at least publicly) but I doubt the world order that comes in the wake of Pax Americana is one we would be ok with. Unless we are willing to ditch globalization to the max extent possible re-industrializing our economy, eschewing owing debt to unfriendly countries, severely limiting migration/engagement (foreign residents, students, etc...) for some period of time (likely 20 years) for economic and security reasons and only carefully choosing any further foreign entanglements or military engagements... the future where we let vulnerable nations at the periphery of our sphere of influence meet whatever fate they meet is not one I would want. I'm ok with doing all of the above and becoming far more removed from the fray, I just think the consensus required to actually do that and create a far more independent and resilient Fortress America is not there, too many elites in America are invested in Global America vs. Fortress America so it's just not realistic IMHO. What to do if the winds of war with Russia blow over Ukraine? * Lethal aid, cyber, financial and SOF / PMC as COA 1. * Lethal aid, cyber, financial and Conventional Military Deployment to Western Ukraine (west of the Dnieper) at the public request of the sovereign, independent government of Ukraine as COA 2. - Deployed forces would be US + partners willing to immediately go (thinking UK, Australia, Poland, Baltics, Romania, etc...) - Size TBD but go big or don't go, 8 BCTs plus deployment of 3 CAF wings from the states. - Plan on this mission becoming a new Korea, long term / permanent deterrence presence. * Lethal aid, cyber, financial and Conventional Military Deployment to Western Ukraine (west of the Dnieper) at the public request of the sovereign, independent government of Ukraine as COA 3 but under NATO with the immediate incorporation of Ukraine as a NATO partner, status of the Crimea accepted as is now with no action nor recognition as Russian Federation territory. All other caveats remain for this COA but drawing on the Europeans for about 75% of the deployed forces. Info on Ukraine and population / language / cultural / political composition: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/could-partition-solve-ukraines-problems/ https://www.polgeonow.com/2014/03/ukraine-divisions-election-language.html Haven't read these but this what the Googler came back with: https://fivebooks.com/best-books/ukraine-marci-shore/

Yup, if yours truly were king for a day and still had to live in the realm of finite resources I would fix the Heavy Track Phase 3 problem thusly: Outsource to All ATPs or another contractor a ME program to get 25 hours of ME training. Get the bounces in the contractor's aircrafts and some more experience for Stanley. Return to your home base for T-1 training in a refurbished Nextant 400Ti. As you did your ME training and have your Instruments done in already in T-6s, you would have a short Instrument / Qual phase (no phase check) and fly this updated T-1 with avionics to get experience in datalink, BLOS voice, autopilot/autothrottles, FMS, mobility mission planning & execution, etc... Would not beat to shit this trainer in pointless and repetitive ground checks, bounce after bounce after bounce, but as what it should be, an introduction to flying crew aircraft with mission and flight management systems that must be set, monitored and used correctly to get a mobility/recon msn done Now back to reality...

This. Not saying that having a different trainer for studs tracking to the heavy / crew track is better but having a real advanced trainer for them is a must. Never flew the T-6 but if back in the day if they had just given the deplorables an extended T-37 course vs another more complex trainer it would not have been the same. Having to quickly learn another aircraft, more complex systems and get more cross country, simulated mobility missions and planning was good. Not perfect but worthwhile training, my opinion only. Everything is worth what you paid for it, min run training / go cheap and don't be surprised with what happens.

Notice the operative verb used over and over was feel, I felt this I felt that. He had no specific instances of racial discrimination, intimidation or reprisal to cite. He referenced his feedback received at different moments in his career and his interpretation of them as more evidence than the AF and the people in it in his community were aligned mostly against him based on his race, but he moved up. If the institution / some of the people in it are so bad/racist/unfair, how the hell did he get where he is in the AF? When you look around you think everyone or most are X derogatory thing, maybe you are the problem and not the institution / people in it... IDK, more context is necessary here but at first blanch he seems like a high performing type A who made it into a community of other high performing type A's and like every operational community, it has only so many upper level slots / prestigious vertical upward paths, not all will make it thru their filters. Like him, I have zero evidence to reference beyond my hunch but 40 something years of life and 20 years in the AF lend me to this suspicion.

As to a return to the OPs original question on going back to UPT vs SUPT, UPT would be IMO better for the AF overall and would make a less bifurcated and cohesive Rated cadre If SUPT were not already atrophied and going to get worse I would at least keep it versus SUPT 2 point whatever where everyone not tracking fighters gets fornicated with a rusty pipe An idea, why not contract out Phase 3 completely like IFT with AF evaluating the final product? Pay for it thru O&M and only rent not buy. Figure $100k per stud to a contractor for 75 flight hours and 15 simulator hours, classroom instruction 75 million plus costs for TDY but just WAGing it at a per FY thru put of 750 studs, it would probably be around 95 million or so for every thing. Less than fixing these T-1s and dudes get real flying and the money could be found eliminating that which is not actually necessary https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39945/the-air-force-spent-134m-to-repair-39-hail-damaged-t-1-jet-trainers-its-about-to-retire Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s weekend Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just high on life at the moment Gimme the Shat anytime to make it swanky One more to nerd out on: Remember drunkenness is required to really appreciate these fine selections Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Add these to the list: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Legit point The mention of their interest in the Gripen E was interesting, surprised we haven’t heard (yet) a PLAAF fighter with an OMS for rapid integration/modification of systems I bagged on the techno novel 2034 but the authors did have one threat right, Chinese cyber capes via embedded malware (hardware & software) delivered or activated by a nondirect broadcast As they make a shit ton of chips, boards, drives, etc... I’m sure they (CCP) haven’t thought of this... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah but I’ve got hope buried under a lot a cynicism that you, me and most others are not the only ones realizing that blathering away about immutable or irrelevant differences is not in the long run worth it Still holding out hope for a non straight white male heterosexual GO to say to whatever SJW / PC politician or political appointee trying to make them a poster boy for X cause “ f you Im not your toy” As to the original subject of this thread, either this is a moment of uncharacteristic honest assessment from the PLAAF on its performance that slipped out or disinformation https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2020-02-08/plaaf-senior-pilot-reveals-poor-performance-joint-exercise-rtaf?fbclid=IwAR2vYhx5CUm8PjYjuk9mJoBOysZKYmbTbOmDeh373u1nqdwkE64mLlj6aBM Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

True I should not have put the accusation on them, neoliberal / neoconservative globalists are the culprits It’s shaping up to be western corporate power structures vs Eurasian autocracies fighting proxy wars, high tension stand offs and cold technology / information wars. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The aftermath... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not if we grow a brain and realize if we don't give a fuck about what libtard pussies think and just kill the enemy Starship Troopers (1997) Disable His Hand - YouTube #drunk and honest

What was the facilitator’s reaction to your brazen belief that individuals are allowed to have their own beliefs and that if those beliefs do not affect the mission or unit that it is no one’s business? Like you I would just avoid said hypothetical bigot’s company Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Love the ideas from Hush Kit, Top Gear for aviation The Ultimate What-if: British Aerospace Super Lightning | Hush-Kit

All this Air Force / DoD mid-level leadership virtue signaling bullshit is a gold mine for cheap shot jokes. I am seeing on FB now, O-6s I knew as O-3s spouting the political line to score higher in some apparatchiks list of approved officers for O-7. So this is how the end begins...

Offensive squadron patches are a serious matter in the Peoples Non-Binary Trans-Unicorn Positive Affirmation Air Force. They are often contrary to the ultimate goal of creating the impossible utopia that we will use any means to attempt to achieve for the 690th time.

You went thru SERE, go back to the circle whenever possible, food-water-shelter.

No but, everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt but the electronically documented exchanges are not good. Things can be faked but there comes a preponderance of shit when the voters just move on, too much bullshit. He's not a bad guy and I really hope this is not something that taints an otherwise good tenure where he represented a part of the Republican party I don't ascribe too but respect his honest defense of his wing's beliefs and policy positions.

Not good https://nationalfile.com/opponent-demands-answers-from-kinzinger-for-russian-internship-racy-photo-intimidation-scandal/

2034 - Next WW Just finished the audiobook Do not recommend- 2/5 and that’s generous. Predictable story, weak technical details and essentially a modestly woke wanna be Clancy novel. Scenarios are implausible even for a mil techno thriller and shoddy / jump around, there’s hardly a single time in this book where America doesn’t step on its dick while everyone else for the most part is uncharacteristically awesome at everything. Summary - Americans are complacent and proud to a fault, Chinese are cunning and almost invulnerable, Indians are wiser than everyone and the Iranians not that bad. Russians have a small part in book and are essentially just modestly dangerous rogues. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agree as to not making an anti-China platform do too much and to riff off your point as to it getting harder to win as we currently and historically envision it then we might want to shift a not losing / them not winning strategy as a good enough / affordable / realistic COA to keep them from thinking that aggression will get them what they want at an acceptable cost & risk Less expensive, fast, long ranged, defensible platforms to launch XX standoff LO weapons that can strike alternatively the aggressing force or his homeland will likely cause authoritarian regimes pause before attempting short range land grabs or quick hit missions to intimidate regional neighbors Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That perhaps plus a serious look in the mirror moment. I think the CSAF knows this has to happen now before they (China / Russia) try something serious but Congress / large parts of the MIC have developed an unreal case of cognitive dissonance / willful blindness. To get their attention it will have to be dramatic, propose a comprehensive plan for reform, modernization and force structure changes, open to critique and discussion. Give a general concept, then a more tangible outline of what you think the AF should become and then the practical plan to get there, who gets cut and why, who grows and why, what new stuff and why we need it. If after some period of time of working with the SECDEF, SECAF, Congress, etc... you can't get them to move at all, resign in disgust and make it known far and wide why you are resigning. Don't rationalize to yourself you'll be the good guy in secret working from the inside using Jedi mind tricks or some other bullshit to fix the system. Tell them their baby is ugly and that's it. Powerful, public leaders have the ability to do big things when they try and if they don't succeed they usually cause enough damage so that if their successor is also willing to try it, they might succeed. In more practical terms, they are going to have to use Sutton's Law and go where they can get the money and lose capabilities no longer needed. BRAC, divestment of legacy MDSs built to support an Air-Land strategy of warfare, massive personnel and enterprise policy changes, etc.. all have to be proposed if we want the kind of money to build out a new AF.