brabus

Don't worry, they fix it in the next tape.

I think a simple no was the best response. He was probably completely expecting you to just give in and got the opposite. Playing the reg game just doesn't seem to work as well as the simple "no Chief" and then go on your way.

I'm with Hoss on all this. Don't burn time as a new LT doing this bullshit...focus your time on tactics, job in the squadron, etc. My viewpoint is you could do the "in before the buzzer" masters, but life only gets busier as you get older. I think starting as a just pinned on Capt gives you the balance you're looking for. Also, everyone has to make the choice of whether they're going to get a "real masters" or check the container. Ask yourself, are you doing this for the AF or are you no shit getting a legit masters that you want to use when you get out of the AF? Neither way is wrong, but realize the latter is going to take up a shitload more of your time. The way I see it, your masters work should NEVER take away from your flying, etc. The only thing I lose out on with masters currently is TV time, a bike ride, the gym once in a while, etc. It sucks, but the point is my time lost doing this bullshit degree is not affecting my job. So, give some thought to how you want to proceed once you decided to start the masters gig.

The most recent order I know of for the Aerospace was $2500/watch, so doubt anybody will get a price lower than that.

I'm so glad we're shit-canning 100% tried and true LOX for this bullshit OBOGS. Less MX is not worth this....then again neither are 69,000 new plasma TVs per year, but what do I know.

On a parallel topic...my opinion is always take the month's advanced pay you get when PCSing (in addition to DLA, etc). It's an interest free loan from the government and is auto-deducted out of your paycheck. Use it smartly and there's no reason not to take it. Even investing in a CD at 1% will make you a profit, which you can then use to pay for moving expenses of course.

2. His jacket is about 6.9 million times better than that piece of shit the AF is handing out these days. I think I paid about $240 for mine, including the zip-in liner, etc. Well worth it.

Dammit Guinea, how many times do we have to say don't give the shoes ideas! I can see it now, flashing shoes mandatory dusk-dawn, but not during daylight, so you actually have to carry a 2nd pair of shoes with you if your workday spans both daylight and night. Shit, now I just gave them an idea...ah fuck.

Seen disco belts inside on blues and ABUs, multiple times at multiple bases. It is a trend...start your drinking!

Closer, here's a question for you: Do you want to be the guy who stands up in front of the room filled with fighter, bomber and rescue guys and says, "Hi, I'm Capt XXXX, the tanker patch." Now that was some funny shit. On the other side though in all seriousness, doing what you can to be the best (in a good way, not in a back stabbing/pole smoking way) and provide the most contribution to your community is a good thing. It's retarded there's a "W"IC for tankers, but whatever, it exists and maybe that's just another way you can increase your ability to contribute to the community. On a second example, I have meet a tanker patch (haha, really?) who was a smart dude who worked well for us and even "pushed the rope" in planning to better support the vuls. Even something as simple as suggesting track movement, splitting 4 ships to different tankers, etc. are not ideas you typically get from a tanker guy, so good on him. I'll still laugh at the idea of tanker WIC, but that doesn't mean I don't think it's a good idea to better yourself as a pilot...the course is probably a good thing, it's just that it shouldn't be part of WIC. Whatever, back to my coffee.

No, people aren't perfect and will make mistakes, but I'm going on 6 yrs with not a cent of interest paid to a CC company. If you can't control your spending, don't get a CC, but if you can pay it off every month and on time, there are benefits to CCs. I don't agree with the "No CC ever for any reason" line of thinking...provided you're not one of those people with a spending/late payment problem. Just an opinion. My thought on the loan in question is do not take it if you're going to blow it on crap you don't need (and that includes a $25-30K car...been there, done that - not the financially smart decision). However, a low interest rate loan can be a good thing if you use it wisely. Hell, you could put the thing in a super low risk CD for 2.5% and pay your interest AND make profit. Will it be a lot of profit...no, but that's still an example of doing something smart with the loan. Just saying, there are good reasons to take the loan, but there's also a lot of bad reasons. Be smart about it and figure out which side of the fence you're on. I know too many dudes who spent $25K on an awesome European trip or an M3.

Sounded like you were implying Vipers or Beagles can't do CAS well. My bad if you weren't. In time and range. Seriously, are you really that confused? It can support a longer vul period/time on station than a viper or beagle, as those are the two real platforms it is replacing. I don't know or really care if it can out stay a Hog, it's a stupid idea to replace the Hog with it. That, I agree with.

Completely agree. That's why I said "Iraq/Afghanistan" CAS, purposely not being inclusive of all CAS scenarios. It'll be far better...at least according to the engineers, so yes, checks in the mail, but...

Yeah, wasn't talking about the STOVL variant specifically...I do not know what differences there are in payload based on the model. But, I do know the A model carries quite a nice payload and has a shitload of gas. I find it interesting that some people seem to think measuring dicks in an Iraq/Afghanistan CAS war is somehow a measurement of the usefulness of an asset. I'm by no means claiming to be as good at CAS as a Hog or AC dude, but seriously, it isn't cosmic. There's far more than CAS on DOC statements...shocking, I know. It means a longer loiter time/vul time coverage and further combat radius. It's not rocket science.

2. Let it die, it's only a matter of time before enough people complain about how unfair it is that the AF forces them to pay 10 grand to get a masters if they want to be promoted. Then it'll degenerate into allegations that someone got promoted over someone else because they're single and have more money than the other dude with 5 kids. It'll happen...and then this horse shit masters req will go away.

The problem is you're thinking internal carriage only. You can load it up far more than a Viper when using external hardpoints. Which in your example is no problem in a CAS war like we fight today. IADS takedown, deep strike through an IADS, etc. it'll only carry 2x2000 LB bombs (or more of other weapons out there), but anything not requiring LO will allow the F-35 to carry a pretty hefty payload for a fighter. But I do agree with you on the 200 rds of gun...that just sucks. Tons of ways, none of which will be talked about here. Open source media, reports, and etc. is not a smart way to base opinions on things like this.

Completely agree. BUT, there are some shows they are apparently "desired" and not "required." Also agree. They are definitely the "very few," but I was just saying the situation I talked about absolutely will happen in those "few" situations. Either way, I don't disagree with anything you said, just bottom line of the topic is I think it's wrong to think ONLY RPAs will take down an IADs. As if the IADs will be completely dismantled prior to any manned fighters going in. I think a day like that is well into the future and manned fighters will still have quite a while before they won't have to worry about contending with IADs because UCAVs went in first and smoked everything.

I'm aware. Hence why "can we get CALCM's to target X,Y,Z?" is one of the first questions asked in MPC, and of course naturally we get denied 99% of the time. Oh well, always worth asking. My comments had absolutely zero to do with CALCMs, TLAMs, HARPY, etc. And yes, as I'm sure you're aware, the AF is willing to not wait on the aforementioned and go straight up manned fighters out the door night one into an IADs. Definitely not in every scenario, but they certainly will in some.

I'll buy the fact about the fusion problem. Things being more complicated to replace, update, etc. is just something that goes along with getting more advanced stuff. Yes it's easier to slap a new radar into a legacy fighter, but there's good reason why we need new planes and not just constant upgrades. Not to say I don't want an AESA radar right now, but you can only upgrade so much on a 20+ yr old fighter. The increased PITA of sensor fusion, etc. upgrades is worth having those things to begin with. Just because money is spent on A/G upgrades does not mean the jet is suffering A/A. The Raptor is doing just fine in the A/A realm. Yes. Do you think complex IADs aren't trained against by manned fighters today? Do you really think the AF won't send manned aircraft flying through multiple MEZs to get the job done? Additionall, the operative phrase in you statement being "a RPA can do it instead." I'm not blind, maybe in 20 years, but for now the job simply cannot be done via RPAs alone. Not now, not anytime in the near future. Yes technology continues to evolve and maybe we'll have a RPA only solution to that problem down the road, but there is nothing on the shelf that solves this problem without manned assets.

Well, as long as there is legit flying in the JPARC and the Big R down the road, it's still not a bad deal. But hell, I'm about to take Homestar's advice and step out in front of a bus wearing 5 reflective belts...someone has to pick up the flag.

Agreed. You have to talk to ANC to get into the airspace and you have to talk to them to get out of the airspace, or have Range cancel for you if it's a VFR day. Nothing better than "negative, you can't enter the airspace because it doesn't start until 5 min from now." Really, because there's so much traffic in the Alaskan interior. Nothing like having to come back with 15 miles space between 2 ships when its IFR. Unbelievable...I never thought flying overseas would be so much easier and less of a PITA, but every time I come back to here I'm reminded of just that. At least when you're in the airspace it's pretty bad ass.

Sounds like you ended up going to the party.

That's most likely the cause. Well at least I don't have to waste energy looking both ways while crossing the street, cars will just see me since I have a reflective belt on. At least it seems to work for all the Airmen. By the way, when did parents stop teaching their kids looking both ways before crossing the street might be a good idea? I'm guessing somewhere around 18-20 years ago.

Unfortunately, yes. Now there's even signs posted on doors around base stating "Disco belts mandatory, blah blah." It's from "well above" the CTS, but not outside of the Wing if you catch my drift. Can't say I'm surprised even the least amount. Apparently reflective belts are the mission at Eielson, not RFA. Literally, leadership is saying you will not be allowed to do Eielson's primary mission if you don't wear a reflective belt.

Where are you getting your info...WOMs? Agreed...and their limited A/G ability does not detract from their A/A ability, so there's no reason to "make them A/A only." Right...good luck with that hypothesis.