3 hours ago, Blue said:

Understood on the concerns about RQ-4 retirements, NDAAs, etc.

Putting all that aside, how have things been from your initial selection up until now?  Productive and rewarding?  Any specific things you've seen that you thought were done well, or things you wish would have been different?  

How could you possibly think this is still a good idea to entertain?  

6 hours ago, DFRESH said:

Their only registered bird is N89095, an all white, non-descript BBD-700 with a blocked Mode S and plane-spotter sightings in Panama and Portugal...

Can just anyone request their mode s be blocked?

6 hours ago, disgruntledemployee said:

Kenosha is my home town and I know it well.  BLM and etc jumped in to make a scene and others joined the fray and created chaos.  Burn it down, they said.  The asshole gov Evers, that piece of "gotta please the BLMers" shit, refused to send state help like the National Guard.  So the people said screw that, I'm not letting them burn down my town and responded, and brought guns.  And people are upset on a self defense verdict?  That kid should have stayed home.  Rosenbaum was looking for a fight and picked on a kid he thought was vulnerable, because that's what he's done most of his life, molest little boys.  If Rittenhouse wasn't there, it probably have been someone else, the next youngest and vulnerable looking kid.  And we would be reading about some other trial of someone that defended themselves against Rosenbaum.  Skateboarder Huber should have summoned the police instead of attacking. 

Side note and I've mentioned it before, is that many of the businesses that were looted and burned, are owned by non-white people and serve poorer neighborhoods.  Like this one below.  Some rioters tried to loot a deli/convenience store near my grandparents house.  The citizens heard it, and came out shouting.  They scattered and the store survived with some door damage. 

 

Wow, dude didn't seem to be flinching even with all the gunshots.  Not sure I would do the same.  

1 hour ago, SpeedOfHeat said:

I agree, but I think the real tragedy is that, for the overwhelming majority of people, it's a perceived, not actual, dichotomy. 

The media want us to believe it has to be one or the other:  Everyone who's outraged by Jan 6th are totally supportive of BLM riots.  And everyone outraged by BLM riots are Trump cultists that are a-okay with Jan 6th. 

It's bull$hit. 

It's designed to make people pissed off and/or afraid, since those are the two emotions most easily exploited for viewership/ratings.

In my experience, there's a LOT of common ground when regular people actually talk to each other.  Much, much less so when they watch mainstream media and build corresponding echo chambers out of their phone. 

**The same faulty dualistic thinking applies to the candidates themselves.  We're led to believe that if you support Trump, you must despise Biden.  And vis versa.  Totally false. 

You said you consider Biden a bumbling embarrassment.  Totally agree.  ...But I also think Trump was a bumbling embarrassment. 

Imagine if we had two decent, competent humans running.  Hard for most Americans to picture at this point, but yes, it is also possible to genuinely like both candidates.

That's a bingo.  The extremes have the loudest voices.  Twitterverse isn't America.  You would certainly think it though if you turned on the news.  

2017 it was 75% failure rate.  Its all theater.   Co-worker went through security 5 times before she herself realized she had a 4 inch folding knife in her purse.  

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellistalton/2019/01/28/is-the-tsa-really-necessary/?sh=87ca47825e08

39 minutes ago, M2 said:

A guy I work with (a retired USN helo driver) had the same happen to him.  Inadvertently left a LCP in his luggage and TSA shit themselves over it.  Eventually it came down to paying a fine but no record, ban list, etc.

I get TSA's weekly report which includes such incidents.  I estimate about 95% it is accidental with no nefarious intent.  It's ridiculous that such a big deal is made out of it, but that's TSA in a nutshell, isn't it?   A bunch of show but no real deterrence.   I am always amused when I get travel advice from their "experts" who don't look like they've roamed more than 150 miles from where they grew up.

Sorry to hear your wife had to go through such an ordeal!
 

In 2015, agents with Department of Homeland Security posing as passengers snuck fake explosives through the security lines of several of the nation's busiest airports. During the test, TSA officers missed 67 of the 70 fake weapons that went through the checks — a failure rate of 95%

 

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/20/whistleblower-says-tsa-is-trading-speed-for-security/

https://www.kold.com/2021/09/23/kold-investigates-d-m-investigating-air-force-officer-allegedly-trying-get-vaccine-card-without-getting-shot/

Southwest needs to take a look at their planes.  "weather" is apparently affecting them differently than the rest of the airlines.

On 10/3/2021 at 10:15 AM, CaptainMorgan said:

Gotta love the newest USAA commercials with Gronk. “It’s only for the military community.” I’m guessing their barrage of ads over the past years has resulted in plenty wasted time of the phone with prospective customers. Maybe advertising to a TV demographic that is largely ineligible for your product is a waste of ad $.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah I don't get it.  They have decreased a lot of their services offered while at the same time it seems they are advertising everywhere.  Nobody in the military is not with USAA because they've never heard of them.  

10 hours ago, Tank said:

Officially retire in April, will probably start terminal in February.  
 

I’m looking into DoD SkillBridge also that I can start 6 months prior to retiring in my retirement location.  

You can move as soon as you have retirement orders in hand.  Those will come a couple weeks after you apply.  You should be good to go. 

27 minutes ago, Tank said:

I can retire in April 2023.  My family wants to move to where we’re retiring to post-military in December 2022 so my sons can start second semester at their new school.  
 

My question: will the military move me for my final move earlier than my retirement date?

Start terminal in April or official retirement date in April?  If its the official retirement date, you'll have orders long before december so I think it should work. Think...

2 hours ago, Danger41 said:

If you love the Air Force, why don’t you stay in? I know of a guy in the F-15 that made multiple millions on a Vegas jackpot that stayed in for similar reasons.

 

Was this late 90s early 2000's? 

25 minutes ago, brabus said:

Never have heard that, and I know a couple people with multi-millions who were/are in the mil with larger than average security clearances.

Yeah, thats my point.  It's one of those persistent myths. 

15 hours ago, FLEA said:

Like "how much" new money? Go see a JAG. If it was THAT much the AF may just honorably sperate you no strings attached. For example, if you win the lottery over a certain amount the AF will separate you. The reason is you're considered a liability if you have enough money to not give a fuck. There are security implications etc.... 

I've heard this my whole career but have never seen or heard of it actually being a thing.  

2 hours ago, MC5Wes said:

Update

So, basically were looking at

1 Year for GE and Pratt to appeal the decision. 

2 Years to build the first 8 motors.

2 Years to modify the airframe and avionics.

2 years worth of flight testing at Edwards.

Air Force asks Congress for funding for the program.

Congress cancels engine program, Proposes buying additional B-21s.

My laughing reaction was a nervous laugh 🙂

3 minutes ago, torqued said:

 

I-rock gets me every time.

If you're not running an adblock extension on your browser you are severely missing out. 

2 hours ago, LumberjackAxe said:

I’m a cheap bastard and can’t get past that paywall. 

Icognito window on google chrome

1 hour ago, TheNewGazmo said:

3 hours ago, BrightNeptune said:

The base is out of shots. New stock comes in in a couple weeks. I was told it was only one type. I am required to get that.

Can't go to Walgreens or CVS with your ID card? I did with TRS.

You can here at least.  

3 hours ago, Lowspeedhidrag said:

Hahahah….have to agree there! On the VMPF checklist there is a spot for dorm manager,….maybe they somehow didn’t notice that I’m a major that’s retiring versus an Amn that’s separating…..We'll see how medical goes……aside from go/no go pills, I can count the number of times on one hand that I’ve ever had to go to the MDG (PHA/predeployment excluded)…..

Trick is to tell them you are final outing in a couple days despite what the checklist says.  Shit starts flying off that list with ease.  

On 8/25/2021 at 11:57 AM, Lowspeedhidrag said:

Searched for this info, but came up empty…..apologies if this is a double tap….Have approved retirement orders & final out, PTDY and terminal should begin in December. Looking at moving out of the area & starting a new job, just like 99% of retirees, but have concerns about randomly getting recalled & having to travel back for admin queep. In 19.6 years I’ve seen it all just about…..so maybe a bit jaded. Has anyone seen any ‘terminal leave shenanigans’? Thanks!

Retirement outprocessing is mind blowingly simple.  I probably spent about 1/2 a day emailing/geting signatures and was done.  Medical takes the most lead time.  

The chess board placement was key.  

33 minutes ago, Waingro said:

Spoiler alert: ten-minute production, filmed in an abandoned school bus in the woods, where he verbally resigns his commission and talks about all the shít he’s seen in the corps. And to Venmo his wife money. And then that he needs philanthropist support to do what he’s about to do next. Which he later says is to “bring the whole fuçking system down.” And then “we’re just getting started.”

Pretty cringey, overall.

2 minutes ago, Guardian said:

Since when does someone put on their Bio aircraft they have rode in but never really flown or been qualified? She’s already lost credibility.

Yeah, never seen that.  

12 hours ago, DirkDiggler said:

So I just got my forth COVID shot (2x Moderna through the military, 1x J&J, and just threw in 1xPfizer for the hell of it at the local Walgreens).  No adverse side effects, got some extra solid gainz at the gym this morning, and honestly feel great.  As an added bonus, my phone is currently crushing it on 6G.

No issues with signals canceling themselves out?