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I GOT PICKED UP! I've been hesitant to post up here because there are still a couple hurdles to overcome and I didn't want to jinx myself, but I got picked up last month. I'm beyond stoked, excited and uncertain about the next steps, and wanted to hopefully give some confidence to the other old geezers out there that aren't sure it's possible if you're over 30. If I can do it, so can you! I pushed really hard to get my packet squared away, to get the right PoCs and follow up, and try to do as much of the preliminary work as I could on my own. A good line I heard from a friend was, "If you have a problem, be sure to present them with the solution to that problem." I tried to do this by handling as much of the paperwork myself so I was ready to go and not leaving it on anyone else to have to deal with. An even bigger help was making a ton of connections on and off this forum that were immensely helpful along the way. I am sure I annoyed the hell out of a lot of people and, for that, I apologize. But, all that said, all those people provided excellent advice and helped me get this far! To those hopefuls out there: utilize this asset! I actually got very lucky and went 2 for 2 on my interviews, getting offers from both the AFRC and ANG heavy squadrons I interviewed with. Both were great, but the AFRC squadron hit it out of the park with how awesome they were and I was immediately sold on being there. Also, the AFRC timeline to UPT seems to be a lot quicker than ANG, which is a big plus to me with my age, and everything I had done up until that point was with the AFRC side of things (recruiter paperwork, MEPS, FC1, etc.), so more delays would have occurred having things pushed over to ANG. I'm definitely putting the cart a little before the horse right now, since I haven't sworn in, my ETP is still working up the chain, and don't have dates yet. But, all of my paperwork is completed with the recruiter/squadron, my FC1 is certified, and I'm just waiting on the ETP signatures and my OTS board. If anyone has any input on the process from here or how to ensure all goes smoothly, I'd greatly appreciate it! Lastly, I just wanted to say thanks again to everyone here that helped me get this far; I couldn't have done it without you! This forum has been an invaluable resource with this process and the people I've met through it helped solidify that this is an amazing community that I'd be honored to be a part of. Crossing my fingers for no speed bumps as the last few things get taken care of! I'll update when it's fully official and I've got dates. Looking forward to being part of the pilot community and hopefully meeting/buying beers for some of you someday soon!

Hey, don't knock one of the only tactical counter-measures we have... Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

Liberal morality. That’s funny.

Pardon me if I refrain from rejoicing until we see how bad of an abortion the replacement system will be. Oh wait, it’ll probably take 10 years until it actually comes online. I’ll be well into my post AF career at Home Depot by that point while they take another 5 years to work out the lowest-bidder, “wasn’t in the contract requirements” bugs.

Remember? That dastardly American and his 16 year old son executed by order of the President without benefit of trial? The Attorney General of the United States being held in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over DOJ documents that were subpoenaed? (First ever such contempt finding) The use of the IRS against one political ideology? The FBI deciding that multiple actions that would've landed any of us for a long time in Leavenworth draws a "She was careless." The unilateral overturning of American bankruptcy laws? Telling the Senate when it was session despite what the Senate had declared? The use of the IC to surveil and then unmask several hundred American citizens? A dead of night jet filled with cash landing in Tehran? 57 states? A Navy corpseman? A JV ISIS? Nah, me neither... Brennan: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cia-director-john-brennan-apologizes-for-search-of-senate-computers/2014/07/31/28004b18-18c6-11e4-9349-84d4a85be981_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e4bc27014c6b As to the list of braying senior security clearance holders: Their value to various corporations/think tanks/media depends on access to their successors who are still in the game, thus the clearances hold significant financial value to each holder. Once their personal contacts bingo out, they fade off quickly into obscurity. I don't think Brennan is particularly wealthy. This was a direct hit on his bank account. Watch what Trump does, not necessarily what he says. Oh, and as to Trump savaging Mattis at some future point, there is that little catch-all, "serve at the pleasure of the President." As a guy said, "Elections have consequences."

This sounds like a copy and paste of the Democratic national narrative. However, the socialistic welfare state that side has been pandering for decades is the ultimate case of immediate benefit while eroding the future. Votes now from people for an idea of free things that sound good, while further handcuffing people to handouts by way of learned helplessness with no ability to pay for said handouts in the long run. Security clearances are granted based on a need to know combined with a job that requires said clearance to function. That’s the only reason any of us have access to any classified. These former officials no longer have the need for continued access any more than the day one of us leaves the service. Nice hypoerbole about SF86s, though.

Take a look at how they are backtracking form the reports of the 93 million dollar parade. Mattis comes off the top rope to say “whoever sourced that is smoking something,” and now nothing about the parade in the media. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh please...progressives don't care about maintaining the integrity of government anymore than statists who self identify as conservatives. Just look at the IRS scandals, Fast and Furious, Obama's Attorney General refusing to cooperate with releasing government records to Congress, and on and on. So don't give me the "it's different now" BS. I'm not a fan of the political games/nonsense when Trump does it anymore than when the same was done by his predecessors. But to say that it's worse today than a few years ago just goes to show your bias. You don't like Trump because he signed a tax cut, has reversed many of Obama's executive orders/allowed for more deregulation, gets to put put at least two new conservatives on the Supreme Court, etc. You have even recently said yourself that our gun rights need to be reduced...again, you're a progressive, so I just see everything you post regarding Trump as bias. I, on the other hand, can tell you that there are many of Trump's policies that I disagree with and think is causing some harm to the country in some areas, while at the same time see thst some of his policies are improving quite a few things from just a few years ago. As for Trump himself, he's not anything close to as classy as Obama or Bush when it comes to speaking/rhetoric...but I've learned over the last couple of decades that actions speak a lot louder than words.

Did you ask for them to turn the lights up? Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

But, muh right to having a security clearance!

Go to Guam and cross the dateline a few times on a Coronet while dual billeted...

Well one way you can fire yourself is to publicly disparage your boss. No job in the world does that go over well. Anyone in that situation that tries to blame the boss for firing them after trashing them is only kidding themselves. Trump can hire and fire whoever he wants, I have no problem with that. It's his team to build and lead the country. The security clearance isn't about that. It's purely political vengeance because Brennan is being a thorn in his side. As with many things with Trump, I'm concerned that what we may let pass because it's just "trump being trump" will actually be long-term damage to our institutions as future presidents follow his footsteps and simply start revoking clearances or using other presidential powers to intimidate and otherwise undermine our democracy.

https://amp.timeinc.net/thedrive/the-war-zone/22988/us-air-force-t-38-talon-jet-trainer-crashed-into-a-field-in-oklahoma?source=dam

Glad the pilot is ok!

Real question: why do the -135 guys always have the lights cranked down so low in the AOR, while the -10 guys are lit up like Christmas trees? Only a few times I was really nervous in the AOR, and most of the time it involved night AR w/ a -135...

Doubly hilarious when they're saying that to a squadron full of flyers.

Really? No, in particular I do not find him trustworthy. He should have lost his clearance entirely if he didn't; with what he did.

Jesus, when did "white jet time" become a "credit"?

I’d say a 40,000lb airliner with a suicidal pilot who has already committed several felonies is closer to 9/11 than a 1,600lb Cessna wandering around NORDO. Apologies if I don’t follow your logic. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't mind the CC spots, and even 1Sgt spots--doubly so in front of the buildings they work out. It's the rest of the spots (5 GO , 3 Col , 3 CMSgt, 3 GS-XX) that were in front of the commissary, BX, gym that annoy the crap outta me.

Eglin is one of the worst offenders - reserved spots everywhere and labeled by number (i.e. 32-69). Always loved parking right in front and getting a look from some random GS-X that knew there was no way it was my spot. That base needs to immediately lose about 2000 reserved parking spots and every person attached to those spots.

To continue with the thread derail... I guess I’m old school/a terrible leader because I think the parking spots for Wing CC and other leadership (not fucking GS-15 or CCE, my God) are good because it’s a respect thing. Is it the most efficient use of parking spaces? No. But I think there’s a huge lack of respect in the military/American culture now. The E-3 and below parking spot type thing annoys me because that kid earns a spot over the E-5 that is his supervisor? What about the E-7 first shirt in the AMU that deals with the unbelievable amount of stupidity that comes along with that? I’m not very clearly articulating my point, but I hope it makes some sense. Standing by for righteous indignation from the peanut gallery.

McConnell.

As opposed to those crying about "why football man no stand!"

Right on brother! Also, we should have airborne DCA up over every TFR in the country ready to blast NORDO Cessna 150s out of the sky the moment they cross the line. Actually on second thought, DCA with blanket clearance to Fox 3 based on predictive path of any aircraft that approach the restriction. I assume for consistency's sake when it comes to your risk aversion that you rate preflight walkaround as extreme risk on your ORM worksheet?