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Quiet, scoobs.

I speak jive... "Are there any watch aficionados (that fly in Martin-Baker equipped aircraft) who encounter crewmembers who are hesitant to fly with them.?"

My favorite part of that class was when the instructor asked the class if it's ever OK to call a woman a bitch. One guy immediately said (very loudly), "Yeah. If she's being a bitch." I about lost it.

We have helicopters?

Good info; I was just looking at a brochure they left in my mailbox the other day. I think I'm just going to pave my whole yard at this point.

For those that hate that how slow FaceBook is on the AF networks or otherwise can't access it:

I don't think I know anyone who feels bad for the Air Force regarding manning woes. I feel plenty for the airmen who suffer the consequences of moronic decisions made by the Air Force.

to your uncle; it's awesome that even in his 70s/80s he would walk to the VA to support others. The world needs more men like your uncle.

Rest in peace to my Uncle George Kopack who passed away last night. George, born in 1917, was a former US Army combat medic and was one of those that waded ashore in Normandy early on D-Day in 1944 and fought across Europe until the end of the war. George was a member of a different generation - the last of the five Kopack brothers to serve in WWII - and until the past ten years would walk the five miles each way to the VA Hospital in Wilkes Barre, PA, three or four times a week, year round - just because he didn't think any of the "old guys" in the hospital (most of whom were much younger than he) should have to be there alone. Salute George, until we meet again. Next time the drinks are on me.

Should be European Americans instead of white.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/04/bond-between-strangers-vietnam-pow-bracelet-to-unite-pair-after-decades/ I still relish the one I wear.

I grew up wearing my 2nd cousin's red POW/MIA bracelet, Maj Curtis 'Dan' Miller. He was an AC-130 pilot in the 16th SOS and was shot down on 29 Mar 1972. When I was just beginning pilot training in 2008, I received a call from my grandmother telling me that the government had identified his remains. The family was skeptical at first, because the JPRC has been known to be eager to close out MIA cases. They elected to have an independent lab verify the DNA analysis. Finally on 29 Mar 2010, 38 years to the day he was lost over Laos, Dan was laid to rest at the national cemetery in Ft. Worth. I remember it made national news and his funeral procession was over a mile long. It meant a lot to the family, his widow, and his mother to have such a heartfelt homecoming. His wife Sue told me the story of how the Air Force had a Colonel escort her to Hawaii and the lab showed her all of the work they did to identify his remains. There they had his entire service dress uniform made up, and placed his remains in the casket and sealed it. She said he was flown home on American Airlines and when they arrived in DFW, the entire ramp shut down while they held a ceremony and transported Dan to the funeral home. I traveled to Ft Worth for the funeral, and was amazed that the 16th SOS had quite a large showing and provided an airplane for the flyover. Now I wear a black KIA bracelet with Dan's name on it since he has finally been brought home. https://www.wfaa.com/story/local/2015/03/08/13559954/

Now that's why I love the AF: "You're so valuable we will pay you extra to stay in....sign here." Years later... "Yeah you remember how we said you were valuable? Not so much to offer you continuation. See ya."

One of the comments to the most recent article posted: Right now this seems to be an Active Duty issue. But the real question is there really a sexual assault culture in the Air Force or is this just a wedge issue being pushed by the special interest groups? I ran across some interesting data from a DOD IG audit of cases from 2014. Air Force had 328 opened 2012 and closed in 2013. The main victim and subject (accused) age groups was 18 to 29, 70% junior enlisted. Both victim and subject had consumed voluntarily an intoxicating substance at a rate of 45 to 50 percent, basically both were probably impaired. At this time total force with civilians was 486000 and AD female population 58,560. Now the data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics for the same age groups focuses on females per 1000 students/nonstudents they show a rate of 6.1/7.6 per 1000 sexually assaulted. Using this model the Air Force had a sexual assault rate of 5.6 per 1000. The main theme running through both reports was intoxicant use by both victim and subject. As far as the Air Force is concerned Wingman may be not doing their jobs and looking out for their fellow Airmen. But our culture is on the whole is stronger than the civilian world." The commenter makes a great point.

Well done! I badly want a TRP, but with a son getting ready to go to college in the fall, it'll have to wait! That said, if I sold the four Springfield 1911s I already have, I could afford one. I just can't bring myself to do that! Cheers! M2

That individual worked up at the wing hq, so it's definitely not the norm. Most of the other 20-30ish t38-to-mc12 pilots didn't fare so well. Clark, you're right about the stovepipe, but I don't think it's a mentality issue - it's a manpower issue. 11F and 11R/U are critically manned. Not many pilots volunteer to go to 11R/U since it is a one way door due to manning. 11F would take more, but training capacity is too low to take anyone but UPT grads. 11S is shedding airframes, but not pilots. God knows what's happening in 11M; they can't decide if they are over manned or undermanned.

Correct, let me use some lessons learned from current esteemed military leadership, F-35 marketers and USAF PA to bolster my multi role A-10 argument. Just as the B-1 has become a premier CAS platform and the F-22 has excelled in combat over Syria, the A-10 has proved itself an incredible multi-role fighter in the A/A realm. After scoring more kills versus aerial tgts in the Gulf War than F-16's and with a current A/A kill record better than the F-22 and F-35 combined, the A-10 also has also never lost an aerial battle, unlike Mig-29s and other 4th gen fighters. In fact with up to four AIM-9 sidewinder missiles and more bullets than any other A/A fighter aircraft, the A-10 is exceptionally suited for the majority of current A/A missions. According to USAF statistics 90% of A/A alert missions have been launched versus Cessnas and helicopters, airframes the A-10 can more easily intercept given its slow speed, tight turning radius and long loiter time. The A-10 can do missions such as Noble Eagle cheaper and with less risk of fratricide than fighters such as the F-15C which shot down 2 friendly helicopters in the past, making it the most dangerous twin engine, two tail aircraft with PW-220 engines to friendly pilots in the history of mankind.

Against a peer adversary, the A-10 stopped being a Day-1 weapon around the time that it was rolling off of the assembly line. We were simply going to accept higher attrition in the Fulda Gap as part of the plan. By the 90's, the Hawg wasn't even a Week-1 weapon. Going into 2020, the Hawg simply won't be in the fight until ground troops cross the line. But there's the rub--we don't roll ground troops under contested airspace. So yes, the A-10 will sit in the chocks until the air is permissible--and it's going to continue to need cover while it does it's job. But the capabilities simply do not translate to those platforms which are being counted on to bring down the air threat, and provide cover moving forward. The F-35 simply won't do under the weather, low vis, escort, rescort, knife-fight close proximity...and the list goes on. To be blunt, the A-10 and it's core TTPs just aren't that far removed from an A-1D over VN. But then again, linear battlefield infantry tactics (at least looking down from the air) haven't either. Leaders have become accustomed to pred feeds and the whispers of the military industrial complex saying "but with this new technology just around the corner, EVERYTHING will be different". My bet is that even in a German Formula 1 team garage, amongst the computers and precision calipers and multimeters, there's still a claw hammer in a drawer somewhere.

Ultimately, it's one big jobs program. That's it and that's all.

Was she hot?

I flew gliders for many years both before and after UPT. One very hot summer my Mom and Step Father came for a visit and hung out for a week where we drank and BBQ's to excess almost every night. At some point during the week my Step Father said he wanted to go for a ride and do some aerobatics. If for no other reason than to put it on record, let me state that my Step Father is the hardest working man I've ever known, a proud farmer, and a damn good man. He treated me as his own from the time I was 13 and if he wanted to do aerobatics, I was gonna make it happen. That Friday night we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning playing poker and drinking...apfelkorn. By noon the next day we were feeling somewhat human and decided to head for the airport. On the way My Step Father insisted we stop at Burger king where he bought and ate a Double Whooper meal. The glider crew was already set up and launching so we were airborne in minimal time. A quick tow to 2000' and I quickly found a thermal up that took us up to 8,000'. I started off gentle with a few loops and rolls, then moved on to a cloverleaf, he seemed to be handling it well so coming out of the cloverleaf I got a ton of smash and pulled straight to the vertical and held it there...As we slowed to a stop I kicked in full rudder and held the stick full aft and right at which point we departed into a very healthy spin. After the recovery I asked him how he was feeling to which he replied "I'm ok, but got damn its hot!" I looked up at the mirror and in the back seat I could see he was covered in sweat. I didn't want to get him sick so I rolled out straight and level and started heading back to the field. He was really quiet for a few minutes...then all of a sudden he yelled out "LAND THIS FUCKING CRATE!!!" .69 seconds later I heard him let go with a thunderous BURRRAHHHHHHH! Followed by another and a "GOT DAMN!!!!" The smell was overpowering and for a minute I thought I was going to puke. The glider has a solid plexiglass canopy with small squares cut in the side for airflow. I put my left hand out the vent on the left side and bent down with my face to get fresh air. I also dropped the nose and flew back to the field at maximum warp...or as much warp as you can have in a glider. I came screaming in over the trees, popped the spoilers and landed in the grass. We had no even stopped moving and I had the canopy open as I unstrapped and jumped out of the glider. I took a few steps and looked back and he was just sitting there covered in puke and laughing. In one hand he was holding my wife's camera and flicked his hand..."Here, Take a picture!" When he made that movement a chunk of hamburger came flying off his hand and almost landed on my leg. He got out and unstrapped and started to clean himself off...the worst part was when he knew he was going to get sick he was afraid he was going to throw up on the back of my head and somehow make us crash, so when he actually started to get sick he puked down his shirt...it was truly disgusting. We walked over to the hanger where he proceeded to take an outdoor shower with the garden hose. My Mom and wife jumped in the car and drove over to Walmart to get him some clothes. As he is stripping down and washing himself off he tells me he has lettuce in the crack of his ass...later we would learn he puked into the battery compartment of my wife's camera...we laughed so hard we cried.

All I know after reading through that link is that if I ever commit rape, I am glad I am in the Air Force and an officer, jail for a couple weeks (maybe) and I walk free? Those punishments are disgusting. Especially the ones involving children, sometimes their own. Punishments of 6 mos, 40 mos, etc? If I was the JAG, those motherfu**ers wouldn't make it out of the courtroom before they were lethally injected. I thought the UCMJ was supposed to be tougher on us because we are held to a higher standard. I am truly disappointed in every single one of those punishments. My daughters are no longer allowed to be in the military.

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