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The Air Force MARS Phone Patch Net has been operational since the Vietnam War. Hundreds of patches daily were handled through the early 80’s when bases starting closing their MARS stations. Today the net is tasked to handle DoD patch requests in support of transports, tankers, bombers and other aircraft and ground units handling routine weather, ETA/Customs, maintenance, etc. calls as well as emergency support. Morale calls are still happily handled. For more information see the website below. In the fall of 2014 the Chiefs of AF & Army MARS approved joint operations with AF and AR MARS stations participating. Chief Air Force MARS has approved a re-designation of the legacy AFMARS Phone Patch Network (aka - PPN) to the nomenclature of “MARSRADIO”. For operational reasons, amongst others, to offer nomenclature continuity to DoD customers / users this change has been made. Effective this time / date, PPN ceases to exist as an operational entity and is replaced as MARSRADIO. MARSRADIO is recognized as a global service authorized by the DoD that supports HF phone patch request and equipment checks (voice and SELCAL) as a backup to other communication services. If there are any questions, need more information, please contact the network manager directly. Richard Duncan, AFN6P (N6P) afn6p@marsradioglobal.us https://marsradioglobal.us Note: Propagation has been very poor lately and calls may be missed due to that. If unable to reach on 13.927 MHz suggest try 7.6335 MHz. Both frequencies are monitored.

Average mil dude isn’t going to be at a regional long enough to keep their bonuses.

IFF has never sought to teach BFM tactics -- it teaches basics. The concepts of control zone BFM are the same today as they were in WWI, and still just as valuable today regardless of changes in tactics, sensors, and weapons. This is like saying it is no longer useful to teach fingertip formation since we have radars and datalink and in the "real world" only fly sit-visual detached mutual support and tac line abreast. IFF-style BFM is learning a basic building-block concept that will be relevant as long as we are flying airplanes that turn in circles while fighting.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Got great news today that the standard loan limits will be going from $424,100 to $453,100 for loan closing in 2018. High cost area loan limits are increasing as well. I'm waiting for the official release from the VA, but the Federal Housing Finance Authority pushed it out today and the VA piggy backs on their limits. Below is the link to pull up your county's or future county's 2018 limit. As before, you can still go above the limit but you'd need to put down 25% of the difference (500,000 purchase - 453,100 limit = 46,900 difference X 25% = 11,725 down payment) Let me know how I can help you. Cheers! Marty https://www.fhfa.gov/DataTools/Downloads/Pages/Conforming-Loan-Limits.aspx

So this must be good news for the RPA community. Finally a decent AD location. https://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Tyndall-to-house-new-MQ-9-Reaper-Wing-460607493.html

The new guys we are getting out of FTU can barely fly as it is! They get 6ish flights and take a checkride. Then show up back home and get 6-9 more flights. That is obviously with the full-up T-1 syllabus. Typical USAF thinking...save hours on a $1000/hr jet...only to spend more hours on a $10,000/hr jet a few months down the road. Idiots.