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For all the whining that happens on this forum about reflective belts and shoeclerkery other non-mission focused nonsense (and how the shoeclerks grab on to that nonsense and blow it out of proportion) there sure is a lot of high-horse lecturing going on about the importance of lieutenants saluting lieutenants and other ridiculous shit. "it's easy to salute"...yeah well it's easy to wear a reflective belt inside too. Let it go.

If you want to give your bros a notice or feeling of change in rolling over the 1Lt mark, take them to a bar or the shopette and demand free drinks. They'll feel the change when they wake up with a hangover and check their bank account. Hold them accountable!

Nothing funnier than a lieutenant that claims to be so busy that they can't remember to salute! It ain't gonna get any easier, boys; learn to deal with all of it from the onset; otherwise you're not gonna be a happy camper in the near future. One day you'll look back on these days with pure envy as to how simple things were!

"Where do we get such men?" --Fredric March as RADM George Tarrant, The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

Not knowing your date of rank for the 2Lt-1Lt changeover is absolutely idiotic. Seriously...it's generally very near the day you commissioned, except 2 years later, shouldn't be that goddamned hard to remember. vMPF is your friend if you're iceberg is too full for that particular penguin. Big "2" on the making the dudes buy drinks. I too laugh at the completely unnecessary pomp and circumstance of the 2Lt finance officer promotion party (and I've seen pics from my friends recently), but that's their tradition. In a flying squadron you buy you bros drinks and get sh*tfaced, embrace that tradition and be glad it's a hell of a lot more fun than putting on service dress and standing on a stage with your SQ/CC. LTs not saluting each other in appropriately low-threat situations, smart & very bro-like. LTs not having enough SA on when they themselves pin on new rank and then quibbling that they were "too busy," give me a f*cking break.

Not knowing when you're supposed to get promoted is kind of like not knowing when your mortgage payment is due, or when your insurance expires, or when your next flight physical is supposed to be. It's so simple, takes so little effort...but is kind of important.

You're crazy. I'm hours away from not being a LT anymore, and I know that date. But in the last four years, I've gotten so fucking sick of people lecturing me about my career. I don't have time for a career. I'm in phase for mission and qual checks, trying to start upgrade training, and semi-annuals are due in less than a month. That doesn't even touch my non-flying duties. How about I worry about my job and when I need to know my date of rank, I'll check VMPF.

This video accurately depicts my reaction to that link.

Flame me if you will: if they start messing with pay, I'm out at the first opportunity. I am proud to serve my country, I love the flying, and I like most of the people. However, the pay and benefits to me serve as a balance for all of the " do more with less" bullshit we have to put up with. Once that changes, I will be much more willing to explore my options in the civilian world, even if it means a pay cut, as it would be apparent that the "stability" that we are supposed to have in the military would no longer exist.

Shack.

Good for you guys! Sounds like a couple Lts with a rough ass life right there. Sorry to break to you to you boys, but your precious time will only get less with every year you're in the AF. Wake up, manage your own training (and I guess I need to add promotion in there!) and stop whining. Good to hear how rough you guys have it. It must only be sunshine and roses once you get past SUPT. Shack.

The $400 billion cut is over 10 years, so by 2023 since the budget request for 2012 is already submitted and includes the original $400 billion Gates has already identified. Story. Most of the time pay "cuts" are really either freezes or measures that slow their growth (like smaller cost of living increases, etc.). Honestly, if we're serious about cutting deficits all of a sudden, why is this not on the table? Everything should be on the table so the American people can really see what the options are, no sacred cows on either side if we're being serious. The voters will see that the sentiments to "make cuts" are not nearly as easily met when the things that are eating the vast majority of our budget are quite popular (i.e. not foreign aid, the department of education, etc.). WRT DoD, it's either make cuts to personnel costs (either less troops or same number and pay them less) or cut R&D, procurement, or operations. A lot of reductions are projected from drawing down operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and obviously some major procurement items have been cut recently as well. I don't want a reduction in pay or benefits for active military members but if cuts are gonna come you realistically have to expect that they will hit that aspect of defense spending. Some of the proposals have even been very reasonable (Tricare fees) but have met a firewall of categorical opposition that defies logic. Attached good report on DOD personnel costs with a sh*t-load of graphics and numbers on the issue. Forgot to attach and lost the file...

Vance 11-69 ass night T-38 F-22 x 3 F-35 x 3 Space shuttle x 1 (moon) T-1 AC-130 x 10 C-27 x 8 T-6 FAIP x 2 (Pensacola)