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OMG, this video is hilarious!! https://www.youtube.com

You know, I googled my own name, and was surprised to find out that I am not actually an officer in the USAF because there's no open-source documentation of my commissioning.

Pope of Pocorn, Lord Protector of the Snackbar.

The differences mainly stem that I signed on the dotted line as a single guy in college. Now, I'm in my 30s with a family. Things I hadn't considered as positives: - Health care for life in retirement - The retirement cash flow - Vet's benefits for myself, wife, and children Things that I used to not care about, but now matter quite a bit: - How much I'm home - Missed birthdays/holidays - My kids being able/unable to get to know their grandparents ...to name a few. Don't get me wrong: When I was 20, I didn't think that a career in the military would be a cakewalk. Now that I'm watching my daughter grow up (way too fast!) right before my eyes, I think hard about why I do what I do and whether or not it's worth it. It's still worth it, of course. However, it's definitely NOT your normal civilian career. If my pay/benefits were changed to reflect what's "normal" for a civilian career, you bet your ass I'd have to re-evaluate my current plan to give 20+ years of service.

Grand Potentate of the Custodial Arts

Time for some older photos. Anyone remember when the ANG flew F-4C/Ds? ANG A-7s: Euro green A-10 (I wish they were still painted this way) More A-10s Disclaimer: Copyright David Brown; I did not take nor own any of these.

I don't know, but what I do know is that black bears are best. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica. In all honesty, that duty title from that LOE led to me being a squadron exec for a while and subsequently being put into the OG exec job. My wife and I have both received our #1 choice for our next assignment, thanks to the assistance of my former boss. Say what you want about exec'dom...it is what it is. What I'm getting at is that I knew nothing as a 2d Lt at Columbus; I wouldn't have ever known or cared what my duty title was or that I could/should get credit for my work. There were some great folks working in the 14 OSS that took the time and effort to put me into that job, and make sure my work was documented and made it into my first OPR. I entered my first ops squadron with an LOE full of good bullets signed by the Squadron Commander. Most of my peers had an empty training report or two. EDIT: This topic might seem ridiculous, but these kinds of questions are only going to get more common as long as the O-3 board buffoonery continues. While the answer might have been "who gives a shit, you're on casual" in the past, sadly that is no longer the case. Who would have ever thought that the casual job you are semi-randomly assigned might have an impact on whether or not you make Captain?

"Every Airman has a story" Glad it worked out well for them, but I have no such feelings for the sumbitches who've shot at, and hit, my aircraft and vehicles. Granted, I missed out on OAF, and my shooting wars were in Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan....but I would sure as shit "return to those places in a war machine" as ordered, and happily. And until we eradicated every last vestige of a credible threat to peace and liberty.

Your assumption that my friend was a pilot was incorrect. I left out the fact that he was a support guy due to the inevitable spears that would be thrown. You don't know me. Since I was both enlisted and officer support prior to becoming a pilot I have a deep understanding and respect for those functions and the people performing them. I also understand the weaknesses inherent in that culture. Leave is an entitlement authorized by congress. It should be used to keep the military member's personal and professional life in balance. How you use it should be determined by you and your boss within the rules congress and your service have set. If your boss doesn't like your plan, he can always say no, but that's between you and him.

Agreed. When I take a shower at the gym, I wrap the towel around my waist until I'm back to my locker, then I get dressed. It bugs me when the 70-year-old retirees wander around the entire locker room, chit-chat, shave/brush their teeth/whatever in front of the sink, rummage around in the locker or their gym bag...all naked. Getting my clothes back on is pretty much priority one for me in the locker room.

I don't think it is necessary unless you are taking a shower. I have been in locker rooms before where old guys are walking around naked unnecessarily for way too long. I don't know if that is a part of the generation gap or something but whats with old ass dudes walking around naked in the locker room for no reason. Shower, dry off, and get dressed. In the day and age of Jerry Sandusky, I think it is best too keep your cock to yourself if at all possible. Sometimes you cant tell who the weirdos are.

Noted.

Good thing guys never do either to moving targets. And thankfully there's never friendlies nearby or anyone trying to kill you to interfere with the easy task of strafing or bombing a target. I wonder what it's like having this epic of a level of cluelessness? Edit to add: And as far as "jinking / aware bandits" go, those muj squirters tend to jink quite a bit once we start shooting 40 and 105 at them. Unfortunately for them they just die tired.