Bigred

The amazing thing is it's not exactly like the API building is just inside the gate either. It's a bit of a drive from any gate you go through to get there.

The Navy started merit based reordering last year. I have two friends that both screened for O-5 and squadron command. One guy ‘merit reordered’ to promote at the start of the new FY, the other didn’t. Both were weapons school grads, had masters degree, and jpme-1 complete. Point being, a lot of squadron commanders (and the rest of us) were left scratching our heads on what was being used to define the merit reorder. It’ll be interesting to see what the AF uses.

They also do English language training and some other training as part of the FMS training. When I went through several of the foreign guys I went through with would be given a lot more opportunities/rollback. They were typically only one or two from their military in the country and so they sorta ‘had’ to pass.

Any chance you can give details/opinion on what is perceived to be inferior?

The FY-18 NDAA created the option for 5 years zones. My Google-fu is weak and I’m unable to find anything about it getting rid of the need for continuation if 2x failure to select, so perhaps a loophole?

Looks like there might be an opening up at Beale for anyone looking for a airframe change. https://taskandpurpose.com/u2-pilot-fired-cocaine-drug-test

So to quote the venerable Lloyd Christmas, ‘so you’re saying there’s a chance’.

Existential threat? Depends on how nuanced you want to make the definition. Can the camel jockeys stand toe-to-toe with the US and threaten our existence in a straight up fight? No. Can the camel jockeys drain our treasuries and bankrupt our economy? Possibly. Afghanistan has been previously referred to as ‘where empires go to die’.

Curtis LeMay comes to mind here. Why? Because the last time we actually did this (WW2), we won. Do we need to flatten or firebomb cities? Perhaps not, but we have been fighting a war since 2001 so maybe it’s time to rethink the current ROEs?

Career timing and post military opportunities. In the Navy, if you don’t screen for squadron command the odds of flying post department head (ADO) are almost zero. For me personally, I’m a senior O-4 that flew helos in the Navy and I was looking at a non-flying desk job for at least three years. With no guarantees of flying afterwards (even though I volunteered for UPT instructor, etc), and the Air Force offering me the chance to fly heavies for at least the next four years, it was a no brainer. Even if I don’t fly till I retire I’ll have a lot better shot at the majors afterwards instead of slogging through the regionals for 5-6 years waiting on flow through. The same applies to a lot of the guys I know that have swapped over. No real aspiration for command but happy to fly our asses off for the rest of our careers. That, and the 75 day tanker deployments are quite ok when compared to 6-9 month boat deployments.

Whether Gallagher was guilty or not, the Navy prosecutors were doing some straight up shady shit. The whole episode, from start till now, has made a mockery of the military justice system.

If Altus is indicative of the rest of the Air Force, that 54 is all of us former gold wingers who switched over. I can count at least 5 dudes I know of in the C-17 and KC-135 pipeline. It helps but no where enough to really even make a dent in that ~2100

They have to be made on a GTC unless your GTC doesn't work. I've done that a couple of times when my GTC didn't work for various reasons. You are then allowed to use your personal card. I think the takeaway was by having the cadet use their GTC to pay for her room, the cadet is now on the hook for paying that expense off, not her. I agree with you though on the overall idea of the GTC.

Our OG exec asked for our info but said no guidance has been given as they are still waiting on the PSDM. They wanted our inputs to be ready when it comes out.

When I lived in San Diego I would occasionally hop a Spirit flight back and forth to Vegas for about $30 each way. Just walked up to the counter and go. It also worked well when I’d go support the Trough during Nellis weapons school classes and going home on the weekends. Cheap, easy. But, just like betting in Vegas, it was money I could afford to lose, and I did a couple of times. Their reliability is such that’d I’d never plan an actual trip.

There’s a decent population of Iraqi Kurds in San Diego that drive tow trucks. From 2016-2018 I was in the process of restoring an old Jeep and had to get towed home several times so I met a few of them. Incredible stories of both persecution and also getting out and settling in the US.

When I was there they only took actual FAA medicals instead of the "mil comp" class 3 from our flight physicals. Probably a function of being on Okinawa, but I was bummed when I spent ~6 months on the island and couldn't get a FAA medical to putt around in the Cessna.

Is there a way to look up the current manning of a squadron? I.e., if I wanna see how many open billets are in a squadron at a certain location?

Only on the weekends.

Not entirely true. Any VA rating that reduces retirement is not considered in a divorce. Also, if you are in the military and get divorced in a state that isn’t your legal residence (ie a Servicemember who is a Florida resident getting divorced in California), you can object to said state having jurisdiction over your military retirement. If you don’t object, there’s a law that allows the state to divide it as a marital asset. The 10 year rule is merely a function of DFAS. If you are married for 10 years (and a few other timing things) and your ex gets a part of your retirement, this rule just means your ex gets paid directly from DFAS instead of you writing a check. DFAS also only pays out what percentage is ruled in the divorce. It’s possible to be married for 15 years and pay less than 50%, and its also possible if you get divorced at 9 years and 364 days a judge can legally give your spouse 50% of your retirement, you just have to write her the check. Also, DFAS cannot pay out more than 50% of your retirement pay, even if you have multiple exes. If you f-ed up real good and had two exes and owed them say, 60% of your retirement, DFAS would pay 50% of it and you’d have to write the check for the other 10%.

Bernie Sanders is total shit when it comes to money, and I’ll explain why. When I heard his net worth was over $2 million I started looking at his history because he’s a pretty dang wealthy socialist. Turns out others did the research for me. He has been in public office since around 1990, and has made at least $100,000 since around 1990. Fast forward to the 2016 elections and he started writing books, which is reported to have made him at least $1.7 million. So, if had been investing like you said, he should have a helluva lot more than $2.5 million. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2019/04/12/how-bernie-sanders-the-socialist-senator-amassed-a-25-million-fortune/amp/ https://www.politico.com/magazine/amp/story/2019/05/24/bernie-sanders-millionaires-226982

How do we sustain such an operation? I agree on principle but continual war is running our aircraft into the dirt and emptying our coffers.

When is block 50 supposed to come online?

Yeah, and it’s probably a discussion for a SCIF but I too would like to know the true defensive capes of the 46.

One point I thought interesting, the author said the KC-46 is ‘less capable in its primary mission’ than the KC-10. What’s the metric? Current systems problems with the 47 notwithstanding, I’d argue a tanker that has defensive systems would be more capable in a near peer conflict than a tanker with no defensive systems at all. There is obvious trade off in sheer quantity of gas available, but it gets the gas closer to the fight. That said, I don’t think tankers are going downtown Baghdad on opening night of shock and awe, but some defensive capability sorta balances out the less gas available. Just my $0.02.