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ATIS

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Posts posted by ATIS

    Retirees: Suit vs. Service Dress & Tux vs Mess Dress

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    On ‎1‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 4:41 PM, Lawman said:

     

    The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Ray E. Wilson, Jr. (821221), Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving as a Rifleman of Company I, Third Battalion, Twenty-Sixth Marines, FIFTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 14 March 1945. When heavy and accurate machine-gun and sniper fire held up the advance of his company and inflicted severe casualties in his platoon, Private First Class Wilson volunteered to act as guide for the tanks after his Company Commander requested tank support. Exposing himself to hostile fire near the tanks to use telephone communication with the Tank Commander, he crept and crawled over fire-swept open terrain for fifty yards to reconnoiter and to guide the first tank into an advantageous firing position. After firing tracers at the enemy machine gun nests to indicate their positions, Private First Class Wilson returned three times and led the remaining tanks to previously reconnoitered positions, on each occasion, in full view of the Japanese and under the continuing hostile fire. After maneuvering the four tanks into position for more than one hour, he moved forward with the company and continued to guide and direct the tanks although he was seriously wounded in action. His initiative, unselfish courage, and indomitable fighting spirit were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

    Story basically went that a week before graduation they asked all the candidates "do you have any VIPs coming to graduation." Now VIP is typically E9/O6 and above and somebody always has somebody. Well my uncle didn't think about it since neither of the Marines he was expecting made E9, though granddad was close. Morning of the graduation he says one of the Sgt Instructors just exploded at how he didn't tell them who was coming. And he was like wtf are you talking about. And out on the parade field there sits uncle Ray under the nice shaded area with all these high level O-grades in dress while he's just sitting in a suit and they are shaking his hand and even some of the Sgt instructors and staff are going over to pay respect to the man. Paul had no idea Uncle Ray had received a Navy cross, but apparently there was this one full bird who was kicked off the dais to sit in the sun with the normal people who was just over himself to be apologetic about not wanting to give up his seat when asked.

    Private First Class... maybe 19 or 20 years old at the time...Iwo Jima..."Excuse me General/Admiral and with all due respect, move the F over, this seat is for him".

    Having been to Iwo Jima over a dozen times during my three year tour in Japan (best ever FLCP [Field Carrier Landing Practice] area around), all I can say is that must have just been a brutal killing ground.  Just walking off that island in the Feb-March 1945 timeframe demands RESPECT.

    Appreciate you sharing.

    V/r

    ATIS

    Gen Welsh - USAF Chief of Staff

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2015 at 8:29 PM, Lawman said:

    But if I can't expect you to follow the pointless inane BS that doesn't actually have a written reg or policy letter to reference, how can I expect you to read my mind on all the actual mission decisions and do things that aren't written as a requirement...

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    I hate this F-ing argument and I hear it all the time from management from above (fully understand the point Lawman is trying to make). 

    Treat folks like big boys and girls...fully realize folks will get in trouble and you punish accordingly, zero defect mentality is BS.  This Dudley Do Right atmosphere is perminating all of our services (some more than others). 

    When the gong goes off....I want folks running to the door to beat me though it.  Boss's concerned about "pointless inane BS" have lost the mindset of "running for the door"...something leaders in the profession of arms should never loose.  My opinion of course.

    ATIS

    WTF? (**NSFW**)

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    8 hours ago, Lawman said:

     

    Yup,

    But she's got a ranger tab in her DA photo for every promotion board so her career is on rails short of her publicly F'ing a goat.

    Army Vs Navy this weekend, just sayin.

    Sorry for the loss of your shipmates.

    ATIS

    Career Advice Needed

    in Q & A Forum

    Posted

    Mid:

    20+ year Navy 0-5 (Reservist but sitting up here in Newport RI at the War College on active duty right now) and staring 0-6 in the face (blind squirrel [me] may find a nut [STS 0-6]).

    You go Submarine, you won't be able to break from that gravitational pull and switch to aviation.  I have seen a few surface warfare officers do it...but I haven't seen a sub driver yet.  You will be invested in heavily to get through Nuc school and then pushed hard on your first SSN/SSBN/SSGN tour...chances are likely you will be more interested about getting out of the Nav then going to flight school by that point.

    "Of course, there's no guarantee of fighters, and while the navy has other cool planes and helicopters, 10 years (flight school + 8) is a big part of my life to commit to the Navy without having much control over what I'll be doing or where I'll be".....VERY VERY short sighted.  If you want to fly...go to flight school.  Get your head out of the "fighter pilot of bust" mentality.  Flying a helo hunting subs or shooting Hellfire at ships or a P-8 on a SRO track/mowing the lawn on det is not a bad deal compared to being a sub driver. All the aviators I have known have been happy with the community they ended up in, some were upset when they didn't get their platform of choice, that's only natural.  I didn't get my first choice...made the best of it and eventually was able to fall into the best military aviation job I could have hoped for (I'm a plankowner in the 319th out of Hurby...folks on this board will know what that is).  I have a ton of respect for what the undersea community does but don't be fooled...they eat their own and they ride them very hard.  I work with 4+ former sub skippers (one a classmate of mine from college)...all are getting out as either 0-5 or 0-6 because they are just trashed.

    "I would enjoy and excel at aviation"...BOOM....those words came out of your mind, through your fingers and showed up here.  That is the attitude to have.  Period. 

    PM me if you like to discuss further.  Now where did my Woodford Reserve go?

    Cheers

    ATIS

     

    • Upvote 1

    Panetta to Lift Ban on Women in Combat

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    "all will be open to women unless a good reason can be found not to"

    That right there is political two-step.  Reason is variable...not black and white.

     

    "serious information".  Guess I need to dig into my pubs to find a definition of "serious information" before I get it mixed in with my Top Serious/Serious Compartmental Information pile.  If I stood up at a test meeting and said we are recommending the MDA not send a product to the user or the next phase of testing based on "serious" information...I would be ushered aside and have my lips pulled out through my a$$hole.

     

    U-28...How long is it going to be around?

    in Combat Systems Officer (CSO)

    Posted

     Replacing the U-28s with MC-12s on active duty was the plan and that plan got very far down the path toward implementation but died in Congress and is no longer happening.  What does eventually replace the U-28 is TBD and I'd wager probably 5 years out at least.  My $0.02.

    Plan should have died before it even went to Congress.  They didn't want to spend the $$$ on what was really needed.  IMO it would have been a step backward from what U28 folks are used to now.

    Washington DC

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    A lot of my folks live down that way...slug in very early to beat the traffic up 95 in the morning, leave early to get back down 95 in the afternoons. I live on the Hill and end up locking up the spaces every night since everyone is gone by 1530.

    As mentioned by the back, right seat B-1 rider..... train/METRO is probably your best option.

    Cheers

    Collin

    Save the A-10: Give It to the Army

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    "...the Air Force estimated that divesting the A-10 would allow it to save $4.2 billion over its 5-year budget plan; however, our analysis found that the Air Force’s estimated savings are incomplete and may overstate or understate estimated savings. In presenting its budget to Congress, the Air Force provided a number of alternatives to A-10 divestment that would also result in approximately $4.2 billion in cost savings. However, these alternatives were rough estimates that were illustrative only and not fully considered as alternatives to A-10 divestment, according to Air Force officials."

    If you work in acquisition long enough, cost estimation is a rampant problem. Accurately predicting cost of a program or cost savings is a huge risk to any program counting on those figures for any APB or funding/approval. You build in some margin for cost growth, but that never truly represents the creep you will see. Plus the fact that when the boss's don't like your cost figures and you show them how they are based on historic programs of the same nature...with margin built-in....they send you away because the initial funding baseline is a lot less. I have been asked by some SES'ers..."can you test a entirely new aircraft with just one test asset"? Overestimate cost saving...low ball initial cost of programs, we are becoming a self licking ice cream cone that is pricing DoD out of business.

    ATIS

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