FourFans

Ok. Who let Hunter on the forum?

aren't these standard issue for loads and booms?

I'm with Prozac on this one. 'Analyze the situation' comes before 'take appropriate action'. Understanding the foundations of the environment you are about to jump into is incredibly helpful. Just like you wouldn't interview with a company without reading up on that company, don't join a union without understanding why it's there. It's definitely not step one, but it's definitely step beforeyoushowupatyournewhireclass. That's coming from someone who didn't do that homework and had to learn the hard way.

Find me any politician anywhere without baggage and skeletons. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gavin in it in two years. He's got charisma and tactical prowess...though he does suffer a terrible track record. It all depends on how the next two years shake out after the upset over the cheating/election denial ends post 2022 elections.

Great, ya'll referenced that ridiculous monetary theory three times, thereby summoning Random Guy. Stand by for inane drivel...

oh yeah, that was definitely a beer rant right there.

So BQZIP's mom is Rosie O'Donnell?

She's a pitcher?

...and this is how the new Defensive Egg was born...

Why do you think the 'trans' movement has begun as it has? So the "under 20" somethings can have their "NON-COSMETIC" mandatory 'gender affirming' surgeries that were "affirmed" by their parents who would be criminally liable if they decided not to affirm said surgery. Have you heard what heathcare is like for those transgender individuals post-op? At all? Yeah, not so great...and completely un-funded. Enjoy your new wedding tackle. Be careful with that "non-cosmetic" phrase my friend. Let's not ignore responsibility though. If you're a boomer and you're reading this: THIS IS YOUR FAULT You raised a generation to think they could be whatever they wanted without any price...and guess what...they're asking for it No doubt, m'fing' F the F out of the F'ing BOOMERS who voted themselves...and themselves only...into social security. In case I'm being vague: I SINCERELY DISLIKE THE BOOMERS WHO THOUGHT SOCIAL SECURITY WAS A GOOD THING FOR AMERICA That team had absolutely no regard for demographics or facts. BTW (for the boomers: that's By The Way), the generation you raised is now incapable of working the hours demanded by your social security, and are unwilling to pay the taxes deemed by your generational voting habits, and are completely against...well...ALL your values because of...you probably didn't guess it...YOU The sad part is that your values could save America. Dear Lord Ratner: You claim to be a conservative liberal. Will you please start acting...and more importantly AVOCATING like one?

Tanker pilots who take command of tactical airlift wings and vs versa, and Phoenix crossflow airplane tourists who become squadron commanders in airframes they have 100 hours in without ever being squadron DOs. Specialization and actually being a professional in a single mission set is obviously a bad thing in AMC. That mentality has even crept into the Reserves.

Don't say this too loud, the anti-gun lobby will hear you.

So I understand this correctly: Your solution to the democratic party being overtaken by the ideology of their small, yet extreme, violent, and exceedingly outspoken minority, is to have conservatives talk those extremists out of being extreme in polite and kind ways? Wouldn't it make more sense for moderate democrats, such as yourself, to do that, or simply overwhelm the extreme element by voting in non-extremists? We've see the past couple years what happens when conservatives stick up for what they believe in. Extremists liberals quite literally shit, spit, riot, and protest all over moderate conservatives for simply saying "no" to the extreme agendas. How did you come to your conclusion that it's the conservative's job to save the country, and not the democrat's to police their own fools?

So what is your solution here? If classically liberal (not crazy) Democrat voters continue to vote democrat right now, they continue to vote for the insanity. I sincerely want a Democratic party that polices itself...yet a whole bunch of extreme left politicians continue to get elected. Are D voters waying to be recognized as 'not as extreme as the people we voted for' before they come to their senses and STOP electing these people? Sounds pretty millennial, and I refuse. I've had celebration of other people emotions shoved down my throat for long enough. I understand your view of the problem, and I agree. 20 years in the AF taught me that admiring problems is really popular, really easy, and entirely worthless. What's your solution? Pro Tip: If you have an honest and genuine answer, it won't involve the word "Trump". I get that you hate him, so do I.

Preach. I've heard too many new balance wearing, iphone holster toting, cheapskate airline left seaters try to explain how I can dodge taxes through creative residency, airbnb'ing my own house, or other such interstate tax nonsense. I'm not buying. Don't mess with IRS...especially not with those extra 87,000 agents who are specifically targeted at exactly our demographic. Post year-one airline pilots make a metric ton of money. Pay your taxes, or give it to charity to lower your tax bill. If you're having a hard time living within your means, go visit Dave Ramsey.

These days over Ukraine, I'll bet it is.

Any bets on how many races get put into the "they cheated" category after the election for the next two years until complaining can resume about cheating in the presidential election again? My guess is about 5.

dude that chase drone was either really lucky, or part of the strike team. In any case, that's a LOT of effort put into taking down a drone.

where's my explosive expert? To my untrained eye that looks like a small shaped charge that was actioned upon detention of a target, igniting it's warhead in front of the target (left center of image)...the ignition point being indicated by the thin smoke trail which plumes into a full detonation on, and actually slightly behind (from the shaped charge's approach aspect) the target. That leaves a debris cloud projecting aft (image left) of the explosion. Something liking...oh i dunno...a modern manpad might do something like this. If that's the case, the vehicle recording this video got VERY lucky, or the engagement vehicle is significantly advanced...like, a lot...notice the complete lack of launch, acceleration, or tracking smoke trail. This was no SA-7 shot. Hmmmmm. From a completely different angle and timing, this could look like an explosively formed penetrator igniting while being carried by the 'target' drone. In that case the ignition imaged is actually the forming explosion and the whisp of trail leading left is the shaped penetrator departing the explosion from image from right to left. I'm less inclined to believe that, as the size of the drone does not indicate that it's carrying such a munition. But I'm just a herk dude.

The glint off something at the tree road intersection, a firing spot with 3 escape routes, seems a logical launching point for whatever smoked this thing. What's interesting is that whatever hit it was smokeless until engagement...similar to a shaped charge. Yeah, no western influence to see here. Move along. I'm just a drone, tracking drone killed by another drone...

Quoted for posterity. Having absorbed rounds (which I was later told didn't hit my airplane) over that continent and put wheels down in places we "have no presence", certain places can decimate the US military, in it's present set-up, if we keep pretending there is no fight there. I was by no means even close to the tip of the spear. The "just the tip" concept we're employing there right now will do nothing more than get American's killed in yet another local civil war. Either we roll heavy, or we shouldn't roll at all. I'm tired of America's hairy chested bearded men coming back home in body bags because weak dick 'men' in charge aren't sure how to make a decision. It didn't appear to do so. It DIRECTLY did so. With people, and equipment, and tactics, and will power... Instructional Fix: In every presidential debate and senate confirmation hearing: A significantly sized character, with timing unknown to the candidate, full force open hand slaps the candidate so the whole world gets to see how they respond to be humiliated on a world stage. Because that's what certain parts of africa...and china...and the south pacific...and eastern europe... can do to America if they organize themselves correctly. Can we please have man in charge of our country again? Please? Where is a Reagan when you need him?!

Reading this, I realized I was one of 'those' who would have stayed for an eternity, or generalship, or until big blue spit me out. In hindsight...I'm so glad I got a 'USAF appreciation tour' in NATO...after which I chose the Reserves...where I will happily finish my career. Big Blue is VERY tarnished in my view...rightly and justly so. In the same right, I fully understand the source, and the reason for the "puppy mill" of the academies...because the logic is sound. No logic can ignore a university who's sole purpose is to create a man who is dedicated to that university's founding principles. Literally EVERY university sits on that basic logic. The military academies make absolutely complete and logical sense. It has unfortunately and inexorably been twisted by 'the state' that we currently experience. When you poison a state, the first symptoms appear in that state's premier presentation of itself: It's institutions. I'm both saddened and not at all shocked. In the real world of men who abide by, and strive to, a moral life...a moral reality upon which our country was founded and ideally strives towards...a university experience where the elite study and strive against each other for excellence and achievement makes perfect sense. No wonder our modern generation is confused by it. Doing hard things because they are difficult makes no sense to a generation who was raised by a generation who sought comfort that they earned...thanks boomers. "You can be whatever you want" made sense to both the generation who fought to make it happen, and the generation who grew up hearing it. It does. That's what I would offer to my kids if I'd earned it on the beaches of Omaha and Utah...but I didn't. Unfortunately our current millennial *not Z* generation didn't simply hear those words, they internalized them. The world we have today is what happens when you expect the world to be given to you with no price tag. The "millennial" attitude is obvious. (I know many millennials that are not 'millennial'...and I thank them for their wisdom). Can I give thanks to Gen X? or the Millennials who were wise? Yes. We have a Gen Z that is good. Gen Z is tired of the entitlement. They want to know the answer to a simple question: "Why". I am sincerely hopeful that we have a Gen Z (and beyond) that will turn into the newest version of the the Iron Ass Reagan Babies...while skipping the need for a greatest generation. ****the historian in me dreadfully hopes I am right, but the realist in me sincerely knows that they will have to be the next 'greatest generation...but let's be optimistic**** They can. Unfortunately, it is now up to some significant hard times, and the stiff upper lip of older men to make sure our country survives to be inherited by these Gen Z's. It's also up to us to vote in those who will lead them into that capacity. We must be the crusty NCOs and Lt Cols that survive the shit times and train these young men to carry our nation into success. None of that can happen if we vote ourselves out of existence. ****Listen up MFers. If we don't vote right, we become the EXACT same as the generation that created WWI and WWII. We can do better. Biden is our Chamberlain AND FDR. Stop this shit****

I know the current version of the bonus was established in the 90's at 25k...but I don't know the exact date. I used the 1995 for the CPI calculator for an average... $48,277 is what it gave me for current dollars... Is a post WWGulfWarOne pilot during draw-down somehow worth more than a current get-ready-for-china pilot?

Dude. That's awesome...and terrifying...