brabus

https://www.primaryarms.com/strike-industries-emp-glock-43-enhanced-magazine-plate-plus-2 These go on the stock 6 rd mags...easy to install, give a larger grip area (a must have for my bigger hands; wife didn’t care either way), and I’ve had no issues with them for ~5 years.

Direct from CDC website: “For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death.” 94% of COVID deaths in our country are with underlying health conditions. So when we say 180k died from Covid, what they should really say is 10.8k have died from COVID, and 169.2k died from a combo (combo because the avg is 2.6 additional factors) of pneumonia/flu, heart disease, hypertensive disease, etc. and covid was a possible CF to some extent (but not a RC/sole cause). the hype about how it’s “deadly” to healthy people, etc. and we had to destroy our economies, way of life, harm our children, etc. because of it is gross negligence. There are sensible ways to reduce risk and address problems, and then there is lose your shit and emotionally freak out, then hide under a rock until the bogey man goes away. The media and others have pushed millions of willing Americans into the latter group. This whole thing is like a FLUG-ee with an 8 ship aborting and calling mission canx because there’s a single flanker 100nm away.

I don’t think your PCSM is an issue; we look at what the 201+ score is, regardless of how many hours the person has. I’m guessing there are other units who are similar (and of course those who are the opposite). However, a PPL is a bigger factor...shows commitment to the whole flying thing. I would overlook your GPA (tough major, more understandable than poli sci or business) if I had a good pulse on who else you are besides the academic part. That comes first from your cover letter, second from resume, third from LORs. Meeting you in person prior to the board could easily trump all three (hopefully in a positive way). Ensure your cover letter is genuine and does a good job of convincing me why I should spend further time looking through the rest of your package and giving your name some real thought. A meh cover letter combined with not meeting somebody is an easy way to not make the top X who get an interview. Overcoming those things can usually only be done with stellar scores and resume (99s across the board AFOQT, 4.0 in engineering, impressive work/leadership experience on resume, etc.)

That’s the only place that would actually make sense to increase outreach. Stop all this bullshit and simply increase awareness and education on officer/pilot opportunities in areas where there is likely zero of that going on. How many tens of thousands of kids in large cities even know being a pilot in the AF is an option? How many of those kids who even slightly mention the idea are told it’s “impossible” by some civilian who doesn’t know jack shit? The same can be said for a poor, rural area. If these kids are even approached by military recruitment, it’s to enlist, and even the recruiters likely tell them flying is such a long shot they should just get it out of their minds immediately. Someone with actual SA reach out to minorities/women and tell them how very doable it is to become an officer and pilot; we’ll actually see diversity increase the right way.

Nothing to back the skewed claim up? 1. My uncle died from multiple problems, but the doc SUSPECTED Covid (never did a test)...death labeled as COVID. He died from several things and was going to die regardless of covid, but without even a test,COVID was labeled the cause. Total bullshit. 2. Several family friends work in hospital admin; they handle the money and see how it flows. They said the above situation happens more than you think because the hospital receives extra money from the govt for covid patients in their care. Docs are pressured to declare Covid in some cases. That’s not a conspiracy theory, that’s real people working in the money side of the hospital who deal with it directly. So, there’s some excellent support for the fact that this shit is happening. Now, I’m clearly not arguing all covid deaths are invalid, not even close. But, when you subtract off 20% (made up number for illustrative purpose), then increase the total number of positives to account for the untested, it rapidly becomes a significantly different problem than what has been sold by the media (which millions of Americans have bought hook, line, and sinker). Also, what FLEA said above.

One of our guys is about to start 2.5...the overall timeline is about one month shorter than traditional UPT. So it doesn’t save any appreciable time getting guys to the operational AF, which is the problem they’re trying to solve. So, if it doesn’t produce more and faster, what is the benefit?

Ammo prices will go down again, they’re very cyclical based on political and media frenzy du jour. If you’re going to carry, practice with what you’ll use (e.g. shoot 9mm, not .22). Not to say .22 isn’t a good way to get basic reps/plinking fun, but it’s not a replacement for the gun/ammo combo you’ll carry. I have multiple v-line mechanical safes for the guns I keep loaded/want quick access...they’re great and come in several varieties depending on your specific needs. We have one electric safe on my wife’s night stand that’s a quick button combo to open...it has worked great for years, but I subsequently decided I didn’t want any risk of a safe not opening due to electrical failure, hence all others in our house are mechanical. For all the guns that aren’t loaded/desired quick access, they’re in lockers (gym locker room style) in the basement. All of my guns are insured...really my only requirement is to keep them locked from kids or a smash/grab/run quick burglar. I accept the fact that they won’t be saved in a fire or safe from determined burglars with time. Just one way to look at it.

Hadn’t heard of the 43x...I might soon be answering the standard question, “why did you get another gun; how is this one different than what you already have!”

It’s true...hospital admins are the most reliable source, the Denver post is not. They literally have received more money if the patient is in the hospital for covid. Now maybe that program truly has good intentions (and I can see that), but it is a direct financial incentive to label someone as a covid patient, which absolutely skews case and death numbers.

Good point; our’s are fucked, and not in the way that you probably think. The CDC has said our infection numbers are likely 10 times higher than reported (due to tens of millions having it, but not going to the hospital/getting tested). That significantly reduces the actual mortality rate. I’m hopeful that Japan and other nations aren’t paying hospitals more money for reporting cause of death as COVID vs. something else. So we have inflated numbers on deaths that aren’t valid...another thing that reduces mortality rate even further. And since this doesn’t support your opinion, you’ll likely come at me screaming “source!” Multiple family friends who work in hospital administration and deal with the government money directly, plus my own uncle’s death being a perfect example of this “money scheme” (because that’s what it is...hospitals are businesses).

My wife and I both typically carry a G43...8+1 (with 2 rd mag extension) single stack makes it east to handle for her and easy for me to conceal in shorts and a t-shirt. I like the G23 also, but it was just too big to comfortably carry IWB in shorts. I’ll sometimes carry that when it’s winter and I can carry OWB since I have a fleece/jacket on. My wife also carries a ruger LCP2 in 380 when running...small enough she doesn’t even notice it. I think overall 9mm is a good choice for many people, regardless of sex...in the end what matters is rounds placed where you want them, expeditiously. 45 is great, but not if you can’t hit shit in a stressful situation. blue label is a great deal, I would definitely find a dealer who does that...you won’t find a better deal on new Glocks.

If I had a buck for every dude who fucked away HABFM at a merge in an LFE, I’d be rich as hell. Turns out the basics still matter. So anyways, all BFM in the sim now, who’s with me!?

I know several WSOs who are great dudes and solid “force multipliers” in the strike eagle. They kick ass, and I mean that. But I also have a lot of previous strike friends now flying F-16/15C/35 and all of them have a similar statement: flying with 10% of the WSOs was great and increased effectiveness in the strike, but the other 90% were boat anchors for one reason or another (and one reason may be the pilot’s inability to work well with a specific WSO, so the PCF can also be on the pilot).They would never want to go back to 2 seat and are incredibly glad to be flying single seat. Haven’t talked to a single one of these guys who wishes they had a WSO in their new jet. So, it’s not that GIB=bad bro, it’s just that technology has well surpassed the need for one in fighter aircraft (outside of the strike, which is obviously specifically meched for 2). Guys can be offended all they want at this post, but it won’t make it any less true.

Welp, there’s goes the theory that ACC handles fighter training better than AETC. I should have known better.

Prozac - You’re all over the place... 1. You’re blaming Trump for many things that the state level chose to do or not do. He is absolutely right to be hesitant at throwing down with national mandates...he’s executing in accordance with our federalist system. He let governors govern their states, as he should; not just because that’s how our system works, but because COVID effects have been wildly different within states, let alone amongst the states. This would have been one of the dumbest “one-size-fits-all” things if that’s the way we would have gone. Be pissed at governors if you disagree with their state policies regarding COVID response, but being pissed at the executive branch because they’ve executed per the law and our federalist system, while acknowledging this situation is light years away from being “standard” among the 50 states, is plain dumb. 2. Mixed messaging, changing positions/opinions, etc. has been predominantly driven by the “experts” getting it wrong in a new way on a weekly basis. He was spouting what his advisors told him for the most part. Lots of unknowns that changed many times due to new info/increased understanding of the virus will obviously drive changing positions/opinions. I’d be concerned if his tune hadn’t changed throughout. I’d expect the same out of 100% of people in his position (take your hindsight vision away for a second). 3. Testing is available for free everywhere I’ve been...of course not in the beginning, but I fail to see how he is “wrong” about that, at least on a macro level. The U.S. has conducted the most tests in the world...so...I’ll just leave it at that. 4. I agree he shouldn’t have been so flippant about it in the beginning, but AOC and Pelosi were calling people racist if they believed in the “China virus” at the same time. So, at best this is a push. 5. His administration put out the economic stimulus. All while governors made draconian decisions that tanked local economies. Again, if you’re pissed about the economy, people being able to pay rent, small businesses closing, etc. then you should be glaring at the governors. They’re the ones who have fucked this up by the numbers and created all the problems you so quickly blame Trump for. 6. Were #9...as in 8 countries doing worse than us, including some prominent European countries. That’s not bragging, because I’m not saying it’s great, but it’s still a far cry from the toted “worst response in the world” diatribe. This also doesn’t account for how large our country is and how connected we are with tons of other countries. There’s a lot of countries who have lower per capita deaths, but they also aren’t connected like us...e.g. this is not a direct correlation with medical capability or availability. For ex, AFG and Ethiopia are doing “better” numbers wise, but they’re also way less connected than us and you’d be retarded if you argued their medical availability/capability is in the same league as us (or better). Not saying you are arguing that specific point... 7. He sucks at communicating, I’m with you on that.

How many hours are pilots/WSOs coming out of F-15E B-course with? Curious how it compares to the F-16/F-35, as those jets are both AETC vs. ACC, and as close a comparison as possible regarding breadth of mission sets. Hypothesis: ACC knows fighter business better, so why is AETC sticking its hands in the fighter pie with 2 of the 6 fighter MDS.

One will shoot the 4 ship and go out NLT MAR. The other will have a discussion on which missile to select for which contact while riding the sled all the way to death. I just saved the government $50M in unnecessary testing. I’ll be looking for my innovative check in the mail shortly.

The “Fuck everyone who’s not a progressive socialist!” will be the downfall of the Democratic Party. See how this goes? You are an idiot if you can’t see this bullshit coming from both sides. The problem with America is 80% of us are generally moderate +/- center a bit, but the other 20% are bat shit crazy and have consumed politics, the media, etc. Instructional Fix: The 80% get off their asses and do something about it, instead of just bitching in private and doing nothing about it. FWIW, I live in a very liberal/libertarian area. The amount of hate, intolerance, and “assimilate to us or you should fuck off and die!” is HEAVY from the left and almost non-existent from the libertarians and conservatives. It’s truly amazing to see the difference in discourse...us moderates are absolutely disgusted with it, which helps push me over the edge to the other side. So that dovetails into... We have trump because of the insane bullshit the far left was pedaling - and they’ve quadrupled down in the last 3 years. I mean WTF, lots of moderates don’t want trump, but we also don’t want anti-constitution people who are attempting to shove socialism down our throats and fundamentally alter America in a negative way. Bring the Democrats back towards the center, push the far left lunatics into a new “Progressive” party, and we can have a 4 party system (the other being Libertarian) that will give better options than Trump or Kamala. The democrats even may have had me at Tulsi, but she was too moderate for them.

When you talk about a DOD seaplane venture, this is all I can think about... https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/army-decided-replace-bradley-fighting-vehicles-17-years-22b-ago-ncna1136141 The embedded “pentagon wars“ video is especially funny...in a 100% accurate and sad way.

The majority of the “trumps a dumpster fire” crowd boils down to they don’t like his personality, how he communicates (verbal and written), etc. It has little to nothing to do with policies and facts/results related to those policies. I’m not saying they’re wrong to dislike that side of him, but I do think it’s ridiculous that many have essentially boiled this whole thing down to I don’t like his face, so I’m voting for the other person. I feel like we’re in high school where kids vote for the popular girl who’s a total dipshit over the unpopular girl who actually has great ideas and follow through that’ll make HS better for the majority. Half of America has been swooned by the hot chick who will drive this bitch into the ground...but she’s not that other chick, so totally worth it!!!

Or maybe task saturated lamenting the days when an FE got the ATIS and they didn’t have to.

The eagle won’t be anywhere near where the AI wingman are truly needed, and the tyranny of distance/enemy NKE will prevent them from effectively tasking and controlling the AI, even if they had the legs to get from the eagle to the 5G+ fight. Now, when we have hypersonic AI Jets with also high on station time, then we can maybe talk. Perhaps a handoff of control to the 5G guys once the AI arrives. Either way, we have a LONG ways to go before this is operationally feasible.

Just like a single seat guy couldn’t possibly use a TGP or an ASR to find and kill things...yep, that happens every day, and with great success. Maybe they’ll take the seat out and strap a power pack back there for the tiger shark’s laser gun.

To an extent, yes, I don’t think we should have to. Spending 1/2 a sortie doing tac turns and rejoins because the dude can’t even do that right is beyond egregious for an MQT sortie. The basic shit that gets fucked up should take less than 5 min of the debrief, not a large portion of the debrief. This doesn’t apply to every new guy by any means, but it sure applies to far too many of them. As far as the hours discussion, we had guys from the viper FTU show up with 70...I had 90, and with no extra rides. 20 hrs in those initial days of flying a fighter are HUGE. I don’t think the quality of student has decreased, but the lack of air time quantity/lowered standards is what’s crushing our flying force. That said, the F-35 FTU has been producing some great wingman, and I really mean that. But unfortunately, that’s probably because we’re still riding the wave of getting the top performers...that’s going to change in the near future.

AFOQT scores are only one factor...we have skipped hiring lots of people with high 90s because test scores are not what gets you the job. They certainly are a factor in getting an interview, but so are several other things (cover letter, LORs, meeting you in person prior to interview weekend, etc.) Good advice from Cav.