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Meh, make fun all you want. I am expecting to get picked up at this point. I am now just curious as to what kind of BS the AF has concocted to “make the spreadsheet green”. As soon as I get word back, I am throwing in a Palace Chase app.

They are probably going to say: "Well that was a nice experiment. We are going to file that one as evidence, throw the results out, and skip over '09. CY18D will proceed without '09. '09, thank you for your service; it reflects great credit upon yourself and the United States Air Force. Now goodbye."

I want to meet huggy hes a straight Bawse capital ‘B’

Mutually exclusive.

Yes. Everyone has different circumstances resulting in different calculations.

That’s what it sounds like. I will say if I didn’t have a wife and children I would probably volunteer for a second year (and probably commit career suicide). I actually am really enjoying it. It’s just rough with a family.

So long as North Korea and Syria are the 5 meter targets (as they should be), we need Russia and China to cooperate more than we need to correct long standing issues. We still get to and do Piss them off (sailing Burke’s through the SC Sea, or knocking heads around in Syria of a bunch of Mercs). But we can’t just go throw our weight on somebody with permanent security council veto power and expect the headway we’ve made in places like NK to last.

Hmmm... anyone know where I can contract HIV? Kidding... kinda.

Currently the AFSOC community (CV-22s at least) wants -38 grads over T-1 guys (shh, don’t tell them that). Apparently they’ve washed out quite a few of them in CV-22 initial qual over the last year. Reason they prefer -38 grads is because of their greater exposure to tactical flying/mindset in their syllabi (both SUPT/ENJJPT). Edit: As to the OP’s comment about ENJJPT dudes being better pilots...the academy guys that get those slots are better at playing the game/checking the squares to be more competitive. They’ll make great HPOs one day, but definitely doesn’t translate into being a better stick and rudder pilot. Not a slight towards ENJJPT guys by any means, but the dudes who go -38s in SUPT earned their -38 slot by actually proving themselves in an airplane. Just food for thought. If you have the opportunity to go ENJJPT however, I’d take it.

My recollection is that they weren't... but some people that had them were going to try to manipulate the orders to make them so. I don't know if they succeeded. In my case, I had no need for an exemption from the 5 year clock, so I never paid attention to that aspect.

LOL I nearly spit my beer out.

Yeah, this is freaking weird. Who wants to bet that they delay it for the end of the month/first week of july?

C'mon, we've all seen enough UCMJ shenanagins lately to know this stuff: Former ADM Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, also formerly CINCPACFLT, was caught up in the Fat Leonard scandal among other nefarious goings-on. Since the last grade he served honorably was O-6, he was reduced in rank to that. Since he will have a dishonorable discharge DD-214 when he finally gets out, he can't go airlines. Also, since he's on the hook (no pun intended) for some serious, and seemingly unending, alimony payments to former smokeshow, now ex-dependapotamus, Kelly McGillis, he has to stay in to make ends meet. Thus, he's the investigating officer for the F-18 (and other jets) OBOGS issue. The extra 40 lbs he's packing since his Top Gun days aren't helping either... It's not that hard a plot to go with...

I got a joke for ya. CY17D Majors board release date. In all seriousness, something is going on. I’ve never seen a board delayed this bad with ZERO explanation from our Senior Overlords.

Surprised at how many people don’t understand this.

Do what you can to get a true picture of what the MC-130 does if you're going vector hard towards it. In no way am I trying to steer you way from it, but my impression of what the MC-130H did when I was in your position was nothing but terrain following low level, threat penetration, high speed airdrop of clandestine forces, and that seemed pretty cool to me. Turns out, although those may be capabilities, they're rarely exercised and 95% of the time the MCs aren't doing anything a slick -130 doesn't do (excluding HAR/TAR as my impression is the crews don't consider it especially enjoyable). There's nothing wrong with "slick missions", but it may not be what you expect from the MCs. I had a strong desire to end up in MCs initially, but by dumb luck ended up elsewhere in AFSOC and wouldn't have taken an offer to cross-train into MCs after I had seen their reality from up close. Again, not to discourage you. If that's what you want, go for it. Just do what you can to be sure you understand what you're working towards.

ENJJPT made me a navigator. Avoid like the plague. YMMV.

I think you're missing the part where these women were already in treatment for things like rape and sexual assault. I wouldn't call their judgement regarding the person who was supposed to make them whole again "impartial". It's the same reason Larry Nassar was able to get away with it for so long. People invest a certain level of confidence in their doctors to know what they are doing and to have the patient's best interests at heart.

For your high-altitude viewing pleasure... Nicely done, Meat.

Ha! Haha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Based on when they will probably cancel the U-2, most of the younger pilots will go to the new U-4 transonic high altitude recon platform. A handful may be initial cadre in the SR-76. Some of the older pilots will go to AETC to fly the T-52 trainer (an Alenia M-346). A few will get to fly the new T-6 replacement.

Huggy will be pissed that I told you, but he retired last Friday. The Air Force and the brotherhood will miss him dearly. Good luck my friend, and thanks for your 58 years of service. HAIL DRAGONS! Fini flight: Last landing, STWF...nice.

Just Just a reminder.... bitchez..

Here's a letter a retiree wrote. I'd recommend changing some of it (and shrinking it down). It's not perfect, but it's a good start. For example, the RQ-4 is out of electrical power. You can't plug any more into it. (Correct me if I'm incorrect, RQ-4 drivers on here). Oh... and be sure to mention the fact that they just announced the RQ-4 will require $1,900,000,000 in upgrades to match the U-2 capes. Of course, you KNOW that figure is probably way high, and the contractors will come in under budget... just like the RQ-4 did. Oh wait!!! Hi Mr Nunn! Hi Mr McCurdy! Subject: DO NOT LET THE AIR FORCE RETIRE THE U-2 Last year, the US Air Force received congressional direction to reverse their decision to de-fund the remaining three Global Hawk Block 30’s and put almost $500,000,000.00 into the Global Hawk account and killing the U-2 program in the process. The United States, the Combatant Commands, the warfighter, and the taxpayer cannot afford the loss of the venerable U-2! The Global Hawk unmanned system has served this country well. Its capability, in terms of autonomy and endurance are very noteworthy. It has provided valuable intelligence data for use by decisionmakers. But…at best, the Global Hawk is merely complementary to the U-2. While it's understandable to view the Global Hawk and U-2 as interchangeable reconnaissance aircraft, they are not! It does appear that the congress has received and acted upon information on the Global Hawk that is false! The U-2's multi-INT reconnaissance sensors are far superior. The U-2 operates in all whether conditions at altitudes ten to fifteen thousand feet higher than the Global Hawk and carries a robust defensive system that allows for operations in more challenging environments. The Global Hawk doesn't have any self-protection equipment and is limited to operating in clear skies since it doesn't have an anti-ice capability. That said, the Global Hawk does not possess the aggregate capabilities of the U-2. The Global Hawk does not fly as high as the U-2, it does not “see” or “hear” as far as the U-2. While the U-2 soars through 65,000 feet in less than 30 minutes and operates between 65k and 70+k feet, the Global Hawk takes many hours to pass through 50,000 and takes 15+ hours to climb to its maximum ops altitude of 57,000 feet. And much more… The U-2 does so much more. The U-2 has the ability for Multi-Int (IMINT & SIGINT) cross-cueing that can be dynamically re-tasked. The Global Hawk does not. The U-2 is modular in design and can “plug-in-play” its sensors. The Global Hawk does not. The U-2 has a defensive system. The Global Hawk does not. The Global Hawk requires dedicated, and expensive, AWACS for DUE REGARD in the PACOM AOR, the U-2 does not. The U-2 is also communications node for 5th to 5th and 5th to 4th fighters and US Navy combat ships. Fortunately for the taxpayer, the U-2s have been modernized, been re-engined, have glass cockpits, and have a service life well past 2050. With the incredible budget challenges facing the United States, we cannot afford to fund a partially capable system of the Global Hawk and force the USAF to ramp down the U-2. Just ask the Combatant Commanders!! Therefore, I request action: Provide congressional direction to Defense Department and USAF to continue to fund, sustain, and improve the U-2 program until such time as an adequate system is developed to replace it. Signed, US Citizen & Taxpayer

Almost correct: 28 of the 32 remaining airframes were built in the 80's (the last being delivered in 1989). The other four were built in the 1968 build. In any case, it's irrelevant: - the airframes have 50,000 more hours of life on them. - the "stuff" that does the ISR mission is somewhat "modular"... i.e. there is a ton of "new stuff" on the jet, in the from of MULTI-INT "stuff". -- yes, it's true! The sensors on the U-2 are from the 21st century! Stop focusing on the airframe as the only piece of the equation!! Oh... and no need to do a bunch of flight testing and integration with said sensors: we've already proven they work on the U-2. Good luck with the RQ-4! And watch out for the icing.

If you ignore that it doesn't make a better recon platform than the U-2.

From Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2014/02/20/u-2-vs-global-hawk-why-drones-arent-the-answer-to-every-military-need/