nsplayr

From what I've seen everyone just uses external hard drives. They're bigger and you can't exactly wear one around your neck but it gets the job done and allows you to bypass the ban on flash media. And as a bonus they're way more expensive and are unnecessarily big!

Hoss, Here's my summary of other people's points on here: 1. OIF/OEF is serious business and no platform is perfect but we're all doing our best to win the wars 2. Missions in OEF are much less of a threat to aircrew than many missions during Vietnam and other previous wars 3. Missions in OEF are also sometimes monotonous (NTISR) and lacking in the inherent valor of old-school fighter wars 4. A "100 OEF Missions" patch is simultaneously (A) a throwback to AF heritage, back to a time when such a claim implied that you had gone through some serious sh*t and managed to live and (B) an ironic jab at the monotony of today's missions and the irony that living through 100 missions is still some kind of accomplishment. The proportion of A to B probably depends on the dude wearing the patch. I can understand the frustration when you think other people in a war zone aren't taking important stuff seriously, but it seems like everyone here agrees you need to breathe and count to 10. Did it bother you enough to confront this guy? Have you personally seen him or his crew screw the pooch? If not I think your frustrations are noted and possibly should be vectored toward some of the shoeclerkery going on over there. We should all probably move along before this becomes an unnecessary mud sling between CAS platforms. Bottom line if you are out there flying the line you are head and shoulders above most Americans who only bitch and complain about the war when things aren't going well. Sorry if that comes off like I'm a dick but just wanted to lay it out there.

OMFG...I looked at this yesterday when I submitted my idea and the Army was slightly ahead with like 500-some submissions with us a respectable second. What a difference a day makes...

Or if you paid attention...they taught CEP at nav school when we were doing airdrops; not sure what you plane drivers learn. May have been because my flt/cc was a buff dude, YMMV. Bring back: lingerie parties at the O-Club. So far before my time that it seems mythical and awesome. Also John Boyd jabbing generals in the chest with his finger in the Pentagon (great bio).

I put untold millions, was that appropriate?

Done...let's make this a reflective-belt type grass-roots campaign but let's actually win this time instead of just offering mild resistance. Down with TIB!!

This thread. /irony For realz: Buckley AFB, freaking sweet location between Denver and C-Springs. How about some UAVs to that place?

People have all kinds of patches...I vote if it was trying to throwback to actual AF combat heritage then all the better.

For your third option there I can answer questions if you have them. For pilots expect 6-9 months to get through training (the length of wait is getting better), then deploy probably 2-3 months after checkride. 2 on 2-3 off for the forseable future. Upgrade to AC after 3-5 trips depending on how much you suck and what kind of hours you get. Ok flying at home, will fly the sh*t out of you deployed. For me (I'm a CSO so YMMV) 2 trips = 500 hours. Small crew, great mission, good dudes at squadron PM if you have specifics.

Ancient Chinese proverb: A shoe with no sole hurt feet.

Agreed. JTACs are good at what they do but they're not super men. I can see it now... "Oh, so you not only want me to insert by helo at night in the mountains, hump it in for several km, run the stack, give weapons clearances, dodge bullets, and return fire, now I have to strap on this HUD, control a ball/pod, push the fire button, and sit there and lase the weapon on target? YGBSM." I can see in some situations where there would be a JTAC on the ground in a relatively calm infil and a UAV overhead loaded out with tons of weapons and you just have him do the target designating instead of having to talk on to coords over sh*tty satcom to some guy back in Vegas, but CAS isn't exactly a walk in the park and to lump in sensor work and weapons release/lasing from the air into the skill set of a dude who's already got a lot going on doesn't make sense to me.

Freaking hilarious...loved the "Jail or Deid?" section in the Feb. issue.

I totally agree...to me anything that cannot be covered by a t-shirt is not gonna be a good idea b/c it will be very obvious later in life when you're trying to land that big interview.

Really don't like tats huh? I think it's generational and a ton of younger people have them. Its like earings for generations past...it was taboo at the beginning, then more people got them, now it's NBD.

It's too bad all my VA people wanna play politics but then again, they're politicians. This is up to the minute proof why big defense contractors source parts and build equipment across 48 states in order to maintain Congressional support. Yea, jobs will be lost and that's tough in this type of economy, but I've always maintained that the DoD shouldn't be a federal jobs program, it should be about giving the forward-deployed commander the right tools, the right strategic guidance, and the right amount of troops and capabilities in reserve back home in order to carry out our national objectives. Screw jobs, being fair, everyone feeling important, etc.

Not the UPT expert here but they should be available from any track (T-38, T-1, T-44). Whether that's current policy or not IDK. And they are not the same as NSA so make your preference known if you want one or the other. Technique only, one has a much more desirable location than the other...

Along these lines, can someone explain to a young, naive guy why we still have numbered air forces??

Kill me, another informative thread turned political debate turned Obama bash-fest. Closing JFCOM is interesting news...thanks for the link CH et. al.

Stop, you're making too much sense and using logic. The first rule of bureaucracy is to throw common sense out the window and to then file a Form 763-B, wait 6-9 business days...

Not specifically military, but for all of us out there getting our MAs in Basket Weaving from the University of Phoenix, you get a free year of Amazon Prime (free 2 day shipping, etc.) for being a student. Just enter your .edu email address on the website below, check your email, and you're GTG. I'm doing AMU and can confirm it works like a champ. http://www.amazon.com/gp/student/signup/info

To me there's personal embarrassment for money, and there's professional embarrassment. This guy is embarrassing the service by claiming that he's the "hardest working fighter pilot" in the AF when clearly he's doing what every tom dick and harry pilot is out there doing on a daily basis. If was about how he's the "hardest working dad in America" and his job was a side note, fine, but if he wants to say he's an AF super star and breaking his back for his country you can't bring up how you went TDY to Canada and are working hard flying fighters and living in sunny Eglin, Florida. Give me a break. I hope someone in the military who's actually working hard, preferably a young enlisted guy making pennies on this major's dollars and humping it outdoors in a shitty location like Kandahar, kicks this guy in the balls straight away.

Great story man.

This can be useful if you want someone to read back something that isn't a required read back item but you want to be 100% sure they got it. You're mostly right and that's a hard one to break. OK in very specific circumstances but mostly that's a beer if you say "at this time."

Unfortunately for some situations the difference is important. If you have sole custody or something like that your kids should be your dependents, but if not and your ex is still in the military then you still can't both claim him/her as a dependent.

I feel ya man, believe me, but I was just surprised that this was a P-cola specific issue since this happens at every flight training base. It's not like what's happening there is different than what happens to prior E or former nav/abm, etc. guys when they go to UPT with a house full of stuff and potentially kids from past marriages. Schmooze the housing lady, ask about and get on the list to be moved off base, etc., but regardless of your efforts, if you're single and the man wants you on base that's too damn bad unfortunately. Being treated like a bitch again is part of signing up for new flight training regardless of whether you were a combat veteran or a shop chief or a top-rate tech sgt. or have 3 kids who aren't your full-time dependents...comes with the territory and it's part of the sacrifice to hopefully move up the ladder. Good luck moving off base b/c it is nicer for a lot of reasons, but I'd advise to keep expectations down WRT it actually happening.