Prozac

The new Canadian PM is also stating an end to combat operations against ISIL ASAP. Wonder if they're thinking of eventually going the way of the Kiwis and abandoning fighters altogether. F-15 Det in Comox maybe?

11 men would be a pretty small platoon. Maybe the budget cuts are really hitting the Army hard.

11 man platoon? Army much?

Did you read the book? Interested to hear how the film stacks up.

Well, since Michael Bay is directing I'm sure it will be historically accurate and tastefully done.

Doesn't seem to me that the C-17 magically solves all the pallet problems discussed above. Sure, it affords the convenience of having a truckbed height load floor, but this is really only a necessity at truly austere locations. Keep some C-17s on hand for those missions and let more conventional tanker/transports do the rest. As far as the dedicated Loadmaster thing goes, I'm advocating for the Boom Operator career field here. If you really have a hard on for unloading cargo while I'm having beers at the hotel, well, have at it my friend. In my experience the Boom Operator skill set, culture, and overall mentality are quite different from Loadmasters. Not saying one is better than the other....just....different....I'll leave it at that. Here's the thing though: at locations with an ATOC, the Loads could be non-flying. Hell, hire some civilian retirees who want to live in Germany/Japan/etc.

Pretty sure a KC-46 hauls more than 6 pallets. Sure it doesn't have the outsize capability that a C-17 delivers, but how many C-17s would you really need if you had a few hundred (much more fuel efficient) KC-46s for the routine stuff? 767 freighters seem to work pretty well for FredEX, UPS, Atlas, and DHL. Why not the USAF? Just make sure to put a no shit Loadmaster on it for cargo missions. That thing looks like a -400 BCF with -200 motors on it.

In addition to all of the above, we (Reserve tankers) are hearing rumors of 120 day activations vs our normal 60 (which somehow usually works out to be 70 plus.....and FORGET about breaking it up into 30 days). Not sure how this will work as guys in the sandbox right now are hitting their 150 hrs rather quickly. I've heard everything from "could never happen" to "done deal - order signed by Gen Jackson" on this one. Anyone have the facts? Wouldn't it be nice if our so called "leadership" would pass along major changes in our modus operandi to the rank and file?

I would hope Big Blue would have some serious explaining to do in Congress if they implemented stop loss now. It is a program meant for use in extreme national emergencies. It was not intended as a tool to cover for this organization's complete ineptitude when it comes to managing personnel. While it may technically be legal, you'd better believe I'd be on the phone with my representatives raising holy hell if I found out I was being Stop Loss'd.

The story I've heard is that the rear pressure bulkhead on the 767 would have to be redesigned/moved in order to accommodate a conventional boom pod. This is supposedly more cost prohibitive than designing and producing the virtual boom station. Actually seems reasonable to me.

Had a sandstorm a few days back. The AC units turned into big sandblasters. Many of the rooms had dunes beginning to form. Fantastic. But hey....at least the food is top notch!

Don't worry. You've still got a good ten years of shitting with 300 of your best friends.

Jesus. The nightmares. I can't begin to imagine.

Moldyhole was a great place to cut one's teeth on the KC-135. Constant crosswinds, low-vis, and a short runway (for the tanker), all make for an excellent breeding ground for competent tanker pilots. The "Bloody Hundredth's" lineage will also be less meaningful in Germany. That said, having lived in both Germany, and England, I'm envious of the new generation of tanker bubbas who will get to experience all Deutschland has to offer. Please just remember to toast your Square D predecessors with a room temperature pint of Old Speckled Hen on occasion.

Despite the use of big words, this is some of the dumbest shit I've ever heard.

What would the Italians know about a traditional boom pod? As far as I know, they never operated boom equipped tankers until the KC-767. They don't really have anything to compare the boom station to.

I'd like to be the first to bravely volunteer to shoot a well aimed, full load of ordinance into the thermal exhaust port of that Death Star.

Not necessarily but it does take some to realize before you start the approach that it may look messed up at 300ft due to a shallow glide path angle. Not sure what the papi/vasi is set to there but I wouldn't be surprised if the PF saw a bunch of red and pitched up to correct. It's easy to miss such things as a 2.5 degree gpa in the brief when your tired. A more experienced crew would have been less likely to make the mistake. The AF is reaping what it has sown.

I think Boeing would like to sell more 767 freighters. Conveniently, FAA cert gives them a nice new variant to pitch to fedex and ups.

Boeing is no longer an aircraft manufacturer. Rather, it is a shareholder support company run by bean counters in Chicago. The engineers in Seattle no longer have a say. The company will continue to be satisfied with mediocrity.

Oldsism.

I guess Dos Gringos were wrong.

There's a fine line between badass and dumbass.

Saw this when it aired a couple weeks ago. Hilarious. John Oliver definitely deserved his own show. What ever happened to Dems like LBJ anyway? (Rhetorical question....not meant to start another political discussion in this thread).

How about 5 year commitments and make working conditions such that people actually want to stay in longer. No bonus needed. Problem solved.