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Breckey

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Posts posted by Breckey

    Air Force awards contract for new helicopters to guard nukes MH-139

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    So it looks like it's not going to be the "Striker" after all! 
    rufmPcOU_bigger.png  AFGSC‏ @AFGlobalStrike 2h2 hours ag
    The MH-139A name “Grey Wolf” falls in line with the current range of the Grey Wolf species, which encompasses the ICBM bases and the areas represented by AFGSC and the NCR. As a pack animal, the Grey Wolf name represents our mission sets which bring multiple #MH139s to the fight.

    EMKqmWOWoAA0Pz_.jpg
     
    I'm a one man wolfpack
    • Like 1
    • Haha 1

    AF Light Air Support Aircraft

    in General Discussion

    Posted



    If you’re referring to the festivities at BAF, that was for different reasons (gate guards literally locking down ECPs even to people briefed to cross them.


    But yes I’ve had permission to launch denied while I sat blades turning during IDF and told to remain level 1. So it’s too dangerous to fly because mortars/rockets, but no too dangerous to sit in a running aircraft while we receive that fire with a dude outside completely exposed to launch us.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    No this was at Al Asad.

    AF Light Air Support Aircraft

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Lawman said:

    But hey, you got Apaches staged at location X ready to respond to anything within 60 minutes.... if they ever actually get approval to launch (which we didn’t... even when we had a DART outside the wire).

    Was this just a few weeks ago? It was a great MISREP to read for our guys to get their "combat save"

    Investment showdown -- beyond the Roth, SDP, & TSP

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    22 hours ago, Pajaro said:

    BLUF:  What is the actual mechanism for investing the full $57,000 in TSP while deployed to a tax free combat zone?

    I haven't gone on a long deployment in a while, but am deploying on a 365 to Iraq this summer and will get the combat zone tax exclusion up to the max enlisted pay each month ($7,700).  That's $46,200 for the final 6 months of the year.  However, the TSP site says I can contribute $57,000 to TSP while deployed, which would enable me to go past the cap.  It specifies I could do $19,500 in ROTH TSP, but the remainder would have to be Traditional TSP. 

    So, what's the actual mechanism to be able to invest more than $19,500 in Traditional TSP?  Normally if you try to invest more than $19,500 it won't deduct from your LES.  Are DFAS and MyPay smart enough to know and let me do it?  Or is this something I have to organize with the deployed finance folks?

    Thanks, Pajaro

    My recommendation would be to do everything you can to max out your Roth TSP while your home-station. DFAS limits Roth TSP contributions at 65% since they don't know your in a combat zone and leave some of your pay for taxes. Once you start getting the CZTE then max out the Traditional to as high as you can muster (I did 100%). These will be noted under the "TSP Exempt" section of your LES. Once keep the high Traditional TSP the entire deployment and only switch back to the Roth once you get back home. This way you will have as much in the TSP tax free as you can.

    • Like 1
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    A Toast in Remembrance of the Fallen...

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I came across this article today...What's wrong with the Air Force? We don't have more leaders like Col Andrews.
     
    One of the most decorated airmen of the 1991 Gulf War, retired Col. William F. Andrews, died June 8 of brain cancer. He was 56. Andrews received the Air Force Cross as a Captain for heroism after he was shot down on Feb. 28, 1991. While hanging in the straps of his parachute—and even after breaking a leg on landing and coming under fire from advancing Iraqi ground troops—Andrews continued communicating on his handheld radio, warning two other aircraft to break away and launch flares in response to missiles he saw being fired at them. He was captured, beaten, and held prisoner for eight days, for which he received the POW Medal (See, Call From the Desert from the February 2011 issue of Air Force Magazine). Andrews earned two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" for valor in previous Desert Storm actions; one for attacking a heavily defended Scud missile plant and another for providing close air support for a Special Forces team, which was trapped under heavy fire. The team was safely extracted due to his action. In all incidents, Andrews was under continuous fire from missiles, anti-aircraft guns, and small arms. Andrews also received the Legion of Merit as a colonel for managing large-scale rapid deployments of force for operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, while commander of the 366th Wing Operations Group at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Andrews served on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon from March 2002 to June 2004, and then taught at the National Defense University and Industrial College of the Armed Forces, both at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., until his retirement in June 2010. In 1998 he wrote the book Airpower Against an Army, chosen for the Chief of Staff's senior officer reading list.
    Link to article
    He gave a talk when I was at the Academy. He made the break call over Guard on the PRC-90 and he made the joke that every aircraft within 50 miles broke and released flares. The Iraqis that we're about to capture him shot their rifles when he reached in his vest to grab the radio but since they were all terrible shots he was unscathed.

    A toast....
    • Like 6
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    More Uniform Changes!

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    We don't have rank on ours.  I recently heard that our AFE Chief has said we're only suppose to wear them during flight duties (due to no rank), but we wear them all the time and we've never heard a thing.  Then again we're a stand alone ANG base, so not too many uniform NAZIs running around...
    CWAS is authorized in the 2903 so your AFE Chief can pound sand. We wear rank on the name tag as above. Winter time is the best because I always wear a beanie and nobody knows what rank I am.
    • Like 1

    Commanders are dropping like flies this year

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I don't know this commander so just my thoughts about surveys in general.

    I cringed a little at the survey. While there were definitely some critical comments there were also plenty of positive comments and ratings. I'm a university professor and we receive student ratings/surveys every semester and this sort of reminded me of one of those. Each semester there is the one student who thinks I was an ass for failing them and I get the 1 star across the board rating and associated snarky comments, and then there is the one student, who on paper anyway, claims I walked on water and was the best ever. I'd hate for my job to rest on the results of an anonymous survey.

    So, I'd hope the fire/relieve of command decision was based on more than just a survey with people whining about being made to do their job and not feeling supported. I get the human relationship aspect of command but some of the comments sounded like people needing s hug.

    The comments may be at either extreme but the survey results were in the shitter. When 25% or the squadron is giving a 1 on many areas there's a problem.

     

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 3

    Commanders are dropping like flies this year

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I am actually quite impressed by the DEOCS results. CCs always say that the results are anonymous and if the format given is what is produced then that it quite reassuring. Unless you give personally identifiable information on the comments there isn't anything linking you to the comment. Also it shows how effective well written criticism is in highlighting issues in the unit that a 1-5 point scale can't identify.

    Commanders are dropping like flies this year

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    He is literally the worst person that I or anyone else have ever worked for. He is a self serving sycophant who would do anything to make himself look good in front of others at the expense of his subordinates. I'll send more personal stories in a PM if people want.

    P.S. his WPS callsign is LIMBO because they couldn't set the bar any lower.

    • Like 3
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    • Upvote 1

    Commanders are dropping like flies this year

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --
    Col. Daniel P. Walls, 23d Wing commander, relieved Lt. Col. Scott Rein from command of the 41st Rescue Squadron, Sept. 23, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. After careful consideration, the decision to relieve the commander was made based on a loss of confidence in his ability to lead and command. Lt. Col. Chad Kohout is currently serving as interim commander of the unit.

    About time

    • Like 1

    Good military/aviation books

    in General Discussion

    Posted



    Any recommendations on good FAC books/CSAR?
    I just finished up reading “alone at dawn” John Chapman’s story which was extremely well written. As well as “surprise kill vanish” which is a incredibly interesting book about the history of our nations use of the “hidden hand.”


    Bury Us Upside Down is a great book about the history of the MISTY FACs in Vietnam. None Braver is about the early OEF PR support and was ok. As with most things it focused far too much on the PJs but it a good job taking about how we postured PR in the first 6-9 months of the war.
    • Thanks 1

    NVIS filter for EFB?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Same here. I wear it on my knee but turning down the brightness works for both ForeFlight moving map, instrument plates, and PDF documents in GoodReader. I can tell there is a screen there when I look directly at it but it does not cause blooming. I don't know if the canopy reflection in the Viper would be an issue.

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