tk1313
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Posts posted by tk1313
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40 minutes ago, Ram said:
Yeah, I always consult the SOF about where to point my jet, the checklist I'm running, and which tactic I plan on using. GMAFB, dude.
As for wingmen, yeah...it's just a big fukkin peyote drum circle up there where we talk out our feelings while slinging missiles and killing shitheads on motos. You bet, champ.
Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums
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Hate to be the shallow one, but the looks alone are depressing. Did the design engineers not learn anything from the X-32? FFS...
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1 hour ago, matmacwc said:
Don't go with too many people, the island might tip over into the ocean.
... and capsize
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If we really wanted to see how hack-proof our unmanned systems are, we could send a couple RPAs over any type of artificial Islands the Chinese build in International waters, or even the Spratly Islands. Of course we would never actually do that because it's intentionally aggressive and stupid. We could possibly lose our tech to the Chinese, like we haven't done enough of that already... But I definitely think that if there were any flaws to exploit, L337 Ch1n353 h4x0R5 would find them.
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1 hour ago, nsplayr said:
Good on ya for saving as much as possible, however you must have had a ton of cash to throw around if you can casually shift from 5% all the way up to the IRS limit of $18K annually. Unless you're making $360K per year...if so then well played!
This article is excellent at explaining the pluses and minuses of Roth (or after-tax) investing vs traditional retirement investing.
BL: If you're not saving the extra money you have in your pocket due to a lower tax bill now, you're falling behind vs where you'd be choosing Roth. If you put the money you realize in tax savings into another savings/investment vehicle in order to foot your long-term tax bill, then you'll come out ahead. But very, very few people do that, and thus Roth is a good crutch (i.e. pay your taxes now, and whatever money you have on the backend is yours and yours alone).
Unless you know for a fact you'll be hanging with CH and the ladyboys in Thailand with a dramatically lower tax rate. My working assumption is that for most youngish, smart, hard-working, high-earning people, their future tax rates are likely to be higher rather than lower. Personally, I'd rather pay my taxes now and do my future budgeting without having to worry about unknowable tax rates biting a piece out of my pie.
Cavet: if you're even having these types of conversation you're in like the top 6-9% of investors out there, so don't sweat it too much either way. It's like working out, you don't need the perfect program to be better than all the fat slobs out there, just go out and do something and you're already way ahead.
Yep, for some reason I was thinking 10% was the max contribution, probably because I was painfully staring at the clock during indoc, thinking I was back in HS and the bell would ring any second so I could go to baseball/football practice.
Thanks for the article share and the great advice. I'll look into the tax-me-now option so I can take all that sweet cash with me when I'm older... Although obviously Latinas > Asian chicks, so I'll be on the opposite side of the world as CH. That just means less competition for him
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17 hours ago, ClearedHot said:
I would tweak the statement "put aside the max the government will match" to say put aside the "max allowable." Most view these vehicles and contribution rates as a function of trying to get the most "free" money you can from a match, when in fact they are also a tremendous way to reduce your current year tax burden.
My current company has a 4% 401K match but I contribute 25% of my paycheck which of course lowers my tax basis in the short-term and puts a much larger chunk of coin in play for investment growth. I will worry about the withdraw taxes in a few years when I am in Thailand chasing hookers and withdrawing from my 401K.
I am lucky to have a retirement that supplements my income and not everyone is in the same position, but if you have the discipline to maximize your contribution from your first paycheck you will likely never miss it and your future self will send a thank you note.
You forgot one thing, I'm a millennial. I'm all about right now. Future me can go fvck himself.
In all seriousness though, great advice. I'll change it so that I'm contributing the max amount I can financially sustain.
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17 hours ago, Victor/WhiskeyFlyer said:
How have people been getting in contact with units to get sponsored? It seems Guard units are a lot more open about hunting for applicants. I haven't been able to break that hurdle.
Someone is welcome to correct me, but I still think Reserves can hire just like guard units. The unsponsored board thing is a separate entity where you get picked up for a slot, fill out your dream sheet either before or during UPT and/or talk with units you want to fly for during that time, then finish UPT and accept the offer you most desire.
Guard does seem more open about hiring. I think the unsponsored thing is what people do when they are more focused on getting into an airplane faster and worrying about what they fly later.-
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"Don't go behind your sponsoring units back" - wise words IMHO
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1 minute ago, sforron said:
Isn't having gone through T-38s strictly better than T-1s, from a pilot's perspective? I've been selected by a Reserve heavy squadron, but if the opportunity to track T-38s came up I'd leap at it, just because it gives you better options ten years down the road (and, even if you're totally happy with heavies over fighters, as I am, who doesn't want to fly fighters a little bit?).
You know I'm not the expert, just giving my opinion/perspective. I'd listen to matmac and the others above who have seen the outcomes...
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9 hours ago, tacticoolpilot said:
I don't know if any of our posts will get top marks in an English class but it was coherent, so no worries! Being fresh out of college means my funds aren't unlimited. I'm still looking for my first full time gig, so I'm looking to be as cost effective as possible. Willing to work my ass off to pay for that PPL, but my entire package could use work so I don't want to focus too much on flying hours when the ROI isn't as great.
I think the answer I got out of it is, just get as many hours as you can, and that makes sense. In your experience do you know how often fighter slots open up? I know there's an F-35 one in Vermont, but I'm hoping to stay on the west coast.
As someone who is also going through the beginning process I find your knowledge valuable. Thanks for taking the time to explain it to me.
As someone who graduated with a ~3.9 in Aerospace Engineering while working 30-40 hours a week throughout college and even working for a Engineering contractor as an intern on a base at the time of graduation, I understand the struggle. Like I said, I didn't get ANY job offers after 3 months of being out of college. I applied to 150+ jobs, and the company I was working for was trying everything they could to get me hired (they finally did have something open up in Corpus Christi right after I accepted my current job). It honestly took multiple former USAF Guardsmen to convince me to wait it out.
Yes, get as many hours as you can. Here's a list I compiled of fighter/bomber units (package due dates in parentheses) before I stopped applying:
1. A-10 in Boise (Jan 17)... Update: PAST DUE
2. F-15 in Portland (Feb 1)... Update: PAST DUE
3. B-1 in Texas (Feb 1) --> possible T-1 track?.... Update: PAST DUE
4. A-10 in Indiana (Feb 28)
5. F-35 in Vermont (March 31)
6. F-16 in South Dakota (March 31)Anytime, dude! You'll find this community is a very valuable resource and full of people willing to help out. I've gotten an immense amount of help from them.
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1 hour ago, tacticoolpilot said:
Haha definitely is magical. I am currently 25.5, based on the answers so far I'm guessing I am only eligible for transfer once my contract is up, so that might not be a wise choice for me.
1/2. Right now I'm having a hard time being competitive on the civilian market because everyone wants someone with a few years experience that can jump right in, or someone with an SSBI to start. I was wondering if it would be possible to join the cyber unit to jump start my civ career while I put together my package. I'm inferring from your answer that I would be committed to stay in the field until my contract is up, and only then would I be able to transfer.
3. Thanks for the pointers on study guides. Although I should focus on pilot score for PCSM I should not neglect my AFOQT score due to the "whole person" concept correct?
4. I should clarify on what I meant by magic number. I remember in a few posts that there was a certain amount of hours that was ideal before diminishing returns made it impractical to push for more hours artificially (as in for the sake of hours).
5. What possible reasons would someone choose AFRES over Guard or vice versa? Do people usually go with whichever unit has the air frame they're looking for?
1/2. I get what you mean for sure. I was 3 months out of college, and was thinking "fvck it, I'll just join the active duty AF..." I was taken aside and told to be patient and my stellar GPA would pay off... And it did. I wouldn't know how an AF commitment would work and whether or not you would even be allowed to just say "see ya, I'm off to UPT."
3. Pilot score is part of the AFOQT. I would focus on the pilot score in depth, but would also know a good deal about the other sections just so you don't have 95 pilot and crap in everything else. Also, I didn't have perfect scores all around, but good scores definitely get your foot in the door. The "whole person" concept is much easier to obtain if your scores are a non-issue. I didn't meet anyone who I thought was a huge tool, but I like people in general so...
4. I would just get as many hours as you can afford. Get a PPL so you at least have the option of skipping IFS/IFT. The minimum amount of hours you can get before your score can no longer increase is 201... I can't afford that much on my own, but I can't speak for your personal situation.
5. It seems like AFRES is leaning more towards picking up un-sponsored applicants. I can't tell you because by the time I was rushing units, I didn't visit or even have any Reserve units on my radar. The only guy I know who got picked up with a Reserve unit (to fly F-16's) was enlisted with that unit when he was selected. It seems like people who just want to get into UPT go AFRES un-sponsored because obviously they get into training faster and worry about who they are flying for second. Personally, I was rushing Guard units because they were the ones putting out hiring notices on the boards. There are also a lot of Guard fighter units if you are only interested in fighters.Hope that helps.
EDIT: I apologize for all the crappy sentence structure, it's been a long day. Just ask for clarification if you need it and I'll be happy to answer as best as I can. Also, remember I'm pre-OTS (so pre-UPT), just to put my answers into perspective.-
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Easy, Tiger... Remember what they told you last weekend--never pass up the opportunity. I speak from experience.
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2 hours ago, tacticoolpilot said:
Hello aspiring AFRES pilot looking for some answers. I have a solid background in computers, and have started down the cyber security career pathway. I have an interest in joining the AF cyber team for the experience and training, but flying jets has always been a lifelong goal. I am attempting to have my cake and eat it too by having a civilian career in cyber as well as being a pilot in the reserves.
- Whom has a better chance of being selected, with all qualifications being equal, an AFRES cyber warfare operations officer or Joe from the streets?
- Would being an officer in a technical field harm my chances?
- What are some current study guides for the AFOQT? All of the ones recommended on baseop has complaints on Amazon about being outdated, and/or inaccurate.
- Is the "magic" number for flight hours 68+ (in regards to PCSM score)?
- If one were to go unsponsored, when are the UPT boards typically held?
- What is it like to be a pilot in the reserves? What are your drill weekends like? Is it different from the "traditional reservist" schedule?
Thank you in advance for any replies.
I'll give my $.02
1. Just depends, but I think having a civilian cyber job would be beneficial as you're not legally bound by a commitment in most cases.
2. Again, it just depends... But you still have a commitment that you sign, so I wouldn't sign your life away for a cyber job in the AF if you want to fly jets.
3. Just study all the form S books, but focus on Math Knowledge, Table Reading, Instrument Comprehension, and Aviation Information. Those are the only 4 that count towards the pilot score on the new T version (Arithmetic Reasoning is no longer factored into the pilot score). Make sure you know the new reduced time for Instrument Comprehension (5 minutes instead of 6), and study accordingly. http://access.afpc.af.mil/pcsmdmz/Form T.HTML Use this site in addition to any and all form S study guides. PRO TIP: The book with the F-15 on the cover is excellent.
4. 69 is definitely the best number, but that has nothing to do with the TBAS. On a serious note, even if there was such a thing as a "magic number" (which I'm pretty sure was just misinterpretation), nobody on here would be able to tell you what it is since it violates the test rules (think Fight Club). For most people to get scores in the 90's, you need to be in the 100-200 or 201+ hours column. PCSM 2.0 is highly focused on flight hours, so don't get discouraged if your score looks crappy with 40-60 hours.
5. Unsponsored is only AFRES I believe. I honestly don't have a correct answer, but I think last I heard it was twice a year: once shortly after the new fiscal year, and once in the beginning of the summer.
6. I'm not a pilot, so I'm not qualified to answer this. Also, look into the Guard too because a lot of Guard units fly fighters.-
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8 hours ago, 1111 said:
Nice!
Donnie is 70 year oldish multi-millionaire marketing genius
I love this guy's flips shit is Olympic quality
-mexico will pay for the wall...let me take a closer look at that maybe we pay now then we ll find a way
-china, we are not bound by your one China policy....oh wait China we honor it now
-Iran deal was terrible thing so bad I am going to rip it up...let me take a look at what it actually says
-folks we gonna get rid of ACA (aka Obamacare) immediately...give me like a year tops I promise I got something for you
-folks Barry is a foreign Muslim...my bad guys he was born in the USA who'd have thunk it
Donnie just figured out how to sell you the same bowl of shit packaged under the guise of i am not a politician
Blues: don't worry about it...it ll be okay you had 8 years of POTUS to stank it up
Reds: stank it upAll I really want him to say is, "Look, I know I said I was going to build a wall, but I'm going to do something more effective. I'm sure the media is going to run the story for weeks about how I'm a liar for NOT building the wall and that's OK, let them whine. I've realized that the best way to stop the massive amount of illegals flooding into the US is to make sure to prosecute those who overstay their visas. In addition, we're going to halt ALL federal funding to the cities who enable this illegal behavior by acting as 'sanctuary cities'. Citizenship is an earned privilege, not a right. We'll work on immigration reform to ease the process of obtaining Citizenship for those who are willing to conform to the American way of life, and who do NOT take advantage of our charity. OK, media... Go ahead and throw your tantrum."
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7 hours ago, Ho Lee Fuk said:
.... I'm so confused. I was told that Mexico would pay for the wall.
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1 hour ago, 17D_guy said:
Yea, I get it. One of the arguments made by WA was that a non-American spouse of an American would be impacted by this ban. I don't know if the non-American had a green card, I'm inclined to think not the way they were discussing it.
Additionally, I think (again, not a law-dog) that if the law is discriminatory in nature (no Muslims) it doesn't matter if it applies to non-US citizens only, because it would still violate our other laws. Perhaps along the lines of Mark1's spirit of the law.
I get it that politics is politics. But I think if the conservatives I usually stand with had taken the high road, and not done tit-for-tat shit (ex. we hate Obama's EO...Trump's are fine), we'd be in a much better place politically and looking even better going into 2018. As it is now, I've heard of little that's going to benefit those very red-states in the middle, I hope that's coming soon.
They admitted the mistake of banning people with green cards/visas etc that have already been properly vetted. I believe this ban is to actually vet people, something Obama didn't really care about regardless of the fact that ISIS was spewing propaganda 24/7 about needing to get foreign fighters in the US through our unsecured borders. I don't want America to stop being the beacon of hope for the downtrodden any more than you do, but I DO want proper vetting of people coming in, so we don't confuse rabid dog with refugee.
The ban is not discriminatory in nature. There are way more predominantly Muslim countries that aren't on the "keep-out" list than there are ones on it. Even so, I think we can all agree that terrorists are predominantly Muslim these days.
Don't confuse me for a political expert either, but I think the whole reason the right is pissed off about all the negative coverage of the ban is because Obama did the exact same thing without hardly any negative response. Also it doesn't help that politics has now become "I don't care if what Trump does will 100% no doubt help this country, we're going to fight him every step of the way." And people wonder why he's not completely draining the swamp. He needs people who have played the political game, and know how to screw the left over without them being able to do a damn thing about it. He's a businessman, he knows he needs to keep strong arms around.
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Forget about the ban and just send everyone to California. They seem a little confused about the contents of the Constitution anyways.
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Two distinct issues:
1. Upper pressure garment inflating early restricting blood flow
2. OBOGS regulator (panel-mounted I believe) issues during negative-g: causing insufficient partial pressure of oxygen (PPO2) outflow to the mask.-
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17 minutes ago, HerkPerfMan said:
Working on a new-design supersonic jet? Hell yes. That's a very rare occurrence these days. But the engineers don't make the decisions anymore.
I got lucky. But I work with people who are like "eh... I could see how people think fighter jets are cool... I just want a paycheck." It goes against every instinct I have to NOT apply knuckle to cranium.
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7 hours ago, neptune said:
Alright, so I did a little more research just to be thorough. I am finding conflicting information. On one hand, the wiki page for the USAF states "The USAF, including its Air Reserve Component (e.g., Air Force Reserve + Air National Guard)...", clearly implying that, as many of you suggested, the Guard is a component of the USAF, therefore being a guard pilot makes you a USAF officer.
However, on the other hand, looking at the Air National Guard wiki page, I find the following: " When Air National Guard units are used under the jurisdiction of the State Governor they are fulfilling their militia role. However, if federalized by order of the President of the United States, ANG units become an active part of the United States Air Force".
I'm sure this is just a technicality, but it would be nice to get this right so that my letters of recommendations don't contain errors.
Thanks for all the comments so far everyone.
Like others above have said, you're a USAF officer regardless. No ifs/ands/buts--you're an officer.
The Governor/President just determine whether you're on guard duty, or are "activated" as an active duty component of the USAF. But that is all separate from being an officer.
Officer - who you are
Pilot/job - what you do
Active/Guard - who you work for-
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8 hours ago, Dynamite said:
I'm sure Boeing will have something to say if the contract goes to some other company.
That's not how it's supposed to work, though. You don't just get to put out something weaker than the competition, then cry about not getting selected and say "But it's my turn now!"...
And I honestly don't understand why more companies didn't bid for the contract... As an aerospace engineer, it seems there are a lot worse things to be working on than a supersonic trainer for future fighter pilots.
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3 hours ago, brickhistory said:
Dear President Trump,
*letter*
I particularly enjoyed the reference to the hot mic.
Obama: Ugh, Putin just leave me alone right now so I can get re-elected... It's MY time... Annex Crimea next year, but just get off my back for a second... -
7 hours ago, nsplayr said:
No relationship with Putin huh?
The acceptance of Trump cozying up to Russia by much of the right is the most confusing thing to me. Being oddly aligned with Russia isn't a Republicsn position, it's not a conservative position, it's not a patriotic position. O'Reilly is right - Putin is a killer and drawing moral comparisons between his regime and the US is an insane position for a US President to take.
I'm no expert in behavioral analysis, but when he said "I do have a relationship with him." I believed him as much as my wife believes me when I say, "Yeah, honey... Of course I remember that conversation we had three weeks ago about that random girl at work that you hate. Every detail is chiseled into my mind. What's her name? Uh...You know I'm better with faces, love."
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7 hours ago, neptune said:
Thanks for the advice everyone.
If I may ask, I have done a lot of searches on google for guidelines that can be used to write OTS/ANG specific letters of recommendation. From what I can tell, the format is as follows:
Paragraph 1: Establish credentials of author, establish purpose of this letter.
Paragraph 2: Describe the character/qualities of the applicant. Give specifics.
Paragraph 3: Tie it all together. Speak about how the qualities in paragraph 2 mean that the applicant is exceptional.
These are just guidelines I have found online. I am tempted to follow them, but I don't want to come off as sounding to scripted either. Any advice is appreciated, thank you.
That's about right. I would mix in how the author met, and now knows, the applicant in the second half of paragraph 1. This will directly relate to the specific examples of character/qualities in paragraph 2, which set up the foundation for exceptional officer/pilot qualities in paragraph 3.
As for how to not sound scripted, I would focus on the personal encounters that you had with the person who is "writing" (editing your draft of) the letter. Basically, I don't think some random guy/gal on the internet should be able to take your letter, change the name and a couple of words, and pass it off as their own.
Marriage/wedding - Best time to Marry?
in Military Spouses
Posted
Pictures will help me make an informed decision on when or even if. Seriously though, my honest advice is to go to the courthouse ASAP. I feel better knowing I did it before I will even go to MEPS.