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TIme for my boy to start shaving so I'm getting him one of these - https://www.amazon.com/MERKUR-Classic-MK-33C-3-Piece-Double/dp/B002A8JO48?th=1 And a pack of these to pick a double edge razor he likes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038KA5RC Taking time to learn how to wet shave, and the ritual involved, seems like a forgotten thing. I know I've let it slip and am currently using a Schick 5-blade cartridge. But when I was divorced and out of money, it came in handy paying 10 cents a week to shave.

While luvvy actors and the liberal elite give each other a pat on the back for being so wonderful (i'm talking about Oscar nominations, if that's not clear), this video reminded me of the people who really make the world go round.

Go on Facebook and search for John Motley. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Do congressional delegations get tax free when they visit a combat zone?

Harry's represents me, you, and what real masculinity is all about by giving 1% of our money to fine organizations helping shape a better generation of American youth (https://www.harrys.com/en/us/social-mission). I actually think they partnered with Gillette a few months ago when I saw their home page plastered with the LGBTQ-NGB+++ Rainbow Pride Honor Limited Edition razor. In all honestly, I've heard Harry's razors are great....I vote with my money, time, and feet when it comes to razors and sports. "The Representation Project": Harry’s helps support an Annual Youth Summit that brings together 100 14-to-21-year-olds to expand the narrative around traditional gender roles. "A Call To Men": A CALL TO MEN works to promote a healthy and respectful manhood and shift attitudes and behaviors that devalue marginalized groups.

You got me dude.

If you look up the actual job posting on USAJOBs (https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/516960200), under the qualifications section, it says UPT grad gets you GS-9, 300 flight hours in MDS gets you GS-11, 750 gets you GS-12. I'm not sure if that means you have to have that number of hours in your actual aircraft, because just below that it says student pilot and simulator hours are creditable. I got hired by a Reserve unit right around the time that 5 year ART contract thing popped up, as far as I know it went away, at least I haven't heard anything about it.

Haven’t signed the contract yet, it’s a choice made after UPT whether you want to go Traditional or take the TDART. I’m definitely leaning towards it though. Like you said, job security. I’m not a huge fan of the feast or famine thing. Also I got my dream location up in NorCal.

@A779R PM me some more info. Are you able to open the game (planes are moving, you just can't move the reticle(s) at all or they are incorrect inputs)? @gatsby PM me some more info as well. Does one input control both at the same time? I'm guessing you already tried hitting the switch input button? Lets have both of you guys download the following file: Detection Test Same thing as the TBAS file, download it, extract it with 7zip, and run the file. Should look like this: Open it and plug in your joystick and rudder, one at a time. For the joystick move it left and right and then up and down and record the axis numbers. For example, mine are 0 for left and right and 1 for up and down (joystick) and 2 for rudder petals (left or right). Then navigate to where you extracted the TBAS source files and open the "project" file (type is GODOT file). First off, at the top right hit the play button (or F5). The game window should pop up. See if you're still having issues inside this. If so, on the bottom left hand side there should be a "scripts" section. Expand that and open the "bottomReticle.gd" and then the "reticle.gd" sections. BottomReticle is the rudder and reticle is the joystick. At the top of each there should be a line "joystick = JOY_AXIS_X". In my case for the rudder, the input is 2 (i.e., JOY_AXIS_2). See below: The numbers you got from the detection program are what your computer is recognizing as the inputs for those hardware devices. See if the numbers in the two reticle files are the same as what you got from the detection program. If not, we'll need to change them to what you got from the joydetect program. So for example, my rudder was axis 2. The toe brakes on it were axis 0 and 1 (for each, respectively). If I edit the JOY_AXIS from 2 to 1, then save it [control button and s on keyboard at same time, then hit the play button on the top right (or F5)], then my toe brake controls the horizontal movement of the reticle. Try this and let me know how it goes. When you save the changes, you may need to hit the "switch inputs" button. If you notice in the two reticle files, joyPort is 1 and 0 for the two devices (joystick and rudder). This is basically going to depend on how your computer recognizes the devices. You may need to "swap" them by hitting that switch inputs button in case your PC recognizes them differently. Hopefully this helps you guys along, PM me if you're still having issues, we'll try to work through them!

I was about to say, sounds like my current mission, but I have no weapons, no stealth, and no 38.

https://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/January 2019/Donovan-No-Buy-of-Light-Attack-Yet-More-Experiments-More-Types-to-Consider.aspx I’ve stated it before in this thread; the AF does not give a fuck about this program and does not value it highly when viewed alongside acquisitions like B-21, KC-46, F-35, next gen ICBM, 6th gen Air dominance, KC-Z, new advanced trainer etc. SOCOM/AFSOC will not pursue acquisition of this by themselves; AFSOC is prioritizing-130J, more CV-22s, and next gen ISR. Anyone who spontaneously ejaculated in excitement about the possibility of a “jet type light attack” reading my previous post missed the point, the AF is going to continue to drag it’s feet and make vague statements until this goes the way of the dodo.

Been in the Guard 18 years with 10 years in the squadron as a pilot. I would say it varies widly by squadron and even from year to year. 9 years ago, I would say our "camraderie" was rather low...today, MUCH higher. The big detractor is that most guys are from the local area (various burbs...with family/friends close) so we're kinda spread out all over the city, the kids are in different school systems and most of the wives have jobs. With that, everyone has their own thing going on and busy lives. Another factor is our average age is higher so most guys have older kids that have them going non-stop...not to mention many of us have other jobs. I don't think we could ever hold a candle to an overseas fighter squadron who mostly live on base and/or in the same neighborhood. That said, I've flown with the same bros for 10 years and they're truly like brothers to me. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Another unique thing about the guard is that many of us are prior-E and many people stay on the base for 30+. Our tightness is expanded grately outside the squadron. Example...when I was a SrA, I had an awesome E-9 who always took great care of us. Fast forward 13 years and I'm the projo for a a two week TDY. That same E-9 is my NCOIC for the trip...what a humbling experience to have that guy call me sir and be my right hand man for the trip. When I walk out to my jet, a buddy from my crew chiefin days is launching me out. When I walk over to the expediter truck, it's my buddy Bill and not just MSgt Snuffy. When we go TDY we ALL party together. We know our crew chiefs, weapons loaders and avionics guys by first name and we know their families. When we want to buy a car we talk to one of our part time AFE guys who manages a local dealership. When I need HVAC stuff done I know a guy in a Mx backshop who has a side business. If we want property management, we have a part time E-9. We even had an enlisted dude recently kill it on Shark Tank and is doing very well for himself. On the flip side, we can be like a small high school...everyone know everything! We're a giant family...sometimes a dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless.

I’ll never understand some of the AFSOC leadership that are so opposed to the Friday shirts, callsigns, etc. Dudes love showing off their squadron and having a little fun in their jobs. IMHO, this sort of thing is in direct contradiction to Goldfein and his “revitalize the squadron” initiatives. I’m sure some people don’t like them under the guise of “professionalism” or something but miss the forest for the trees.

Youre going to have to explain what you mean by “direct effects.” If I take an 29 ship of C-17s loaded with a brigade from the 82d, wrap them in a gorilla package of SEAD/Strike/CAS/ISR, and send them north of the DMZ to seize an airfield, that has “direct effects” on the enemy. They teach that at the WIC... Or do you mean “weapons effects” when you say “direct effects”? If so, I’d say that limiting the WIC education to the employment of guns/bombs/missiles/radars is a Blue-4 level of understanding of the employment of airpower. The WIC is not about that (beyond Core One/Two academics...) it’s way more. Your post is littered with double speak and lack of understanding of not only what the Weapons School teaches and produces but of the operational-level employment of American airpower. But it takes time and experience to comprehend how much one doesn’t know, especially about other MWS’s, employment, tactics, etc. and I’m far from an authority... Just trying to give you a view of what the WIC sees - take it or leave it. It’s already been said - the WIC isn’t all about weapons employment. If the name is all that matters to you, I don’t really know what to tell you and you certainly don’t want to hear it from me. Chuck

That’s not what your mom said.

To piggy back on the well written post above........ In my opinion, there is a lot more to pilot retention than bumping up the pay check, QOL or additional duties. Those have always been issues and have forced a percentage of pilots out. Those basics need to happen and are actually pretty easy fixes if someone in senior leadership would grow a pair, acknowledge the obvious and fix it. 365s shouldn’t be a requirement like PME. But another important but possibly intangible issue is the struggle to maintain a culture of warriors in the USAF. What seems to be a new, added problem is the attempt to move USAF away from a force lead by the actual war fighters towards what looks more like a peacetime corporation. It’s been a slow leak over the last couple of decades. I have a lot to say about this but I'm finding it tough to put some of it into a sensible message. When I entered the ranks of USAF fighter pilots, it was 1989 and although we didn't know it yet, we had reached the pinnacle of a long journey toward an extremely lethal combat air force. As a Lt, I had no part in that. I simply benefited from being exposed to some of the most hard-charging, capable fighter pilots created during the post-Carter, Cold War, Reagan years of huge military expansion, boo-coo dollars and total focus on enhancing our capability to wage war from the air. As a result, we brought serious game to the first protracted combat ops in almost 2 decades when Desert Storm kicked off. It was a truly amazing thing to be a part of. Here's where I begin to struggle to put some concepts into words: I'll do my best. I had the honor of meeting and hearing a few hours of wisdom from George "Bud" Day during ROTC field training. Five years later, he presented me (and everyone in my UPT class) with our wings, drank whiskey with us and told us amazing stories at the O-club standing among us in his mess dress and Medal of Honor. I heard similar stories from F-4, B-52 and Thud Drivers, guys with gold stars on their flight suit sleeves (anyone remember those?), read books by Broughton, Basel, Risner, Drury and many more. I and my contemporaries soaked in every bit of warrior lore and attitude we could find and experience. It was evident that it was all important. None of us needed that explained to us. We came to realize that the traditions, attitudes and perpetuation of the fighting spirit that was born out of past air wars were absolutely necessary to becoming an effective Air Force combat pilot. The simple fact is that pilots who woke up every day to begin preparations for missions like daylight bomber or fighter raids on Germany, attacking the Paul Doumer bridge, going "downtown" to Hanoi or any number of other daily tests of testicular fortitude knew there was a high chance they wouldn't see the next sunrise or if they did it would be through prison bars. If it wasn't them, then it likely was someone else in their unit with whom they shared the experience of air combat. While I don't claim anything close to that, my small exposure to what it must have been like for them came on my third combat mission. I had "that feeling" based on experiences on my first two missions and strapped on my jet with a solid, tangible feeling that I wasn't coming back. I couldn't shake it, of course I went anyway and thankfully, I was wrong. You don't do that every day, strap on a fighter or bomber, lose friends, fly RESCAP over their smoking holes, come up initial in a 3-ship that left as four without coping mechanisms. Drinking in a readily accessible squadron bar might be the most obvious, sharing stories only another warrior could understand or appreciate, raunchy fighter pilot songs, running the gauntlet of hurled whiskey glasses in a wake to mourn a fallen comrade, burning pianos, and the list goes on. To outsiders they may seem strange, stupid or unnecessary, offensive antics by fraternity brothers who are still waiting to mature into adults. We didn't have to explain ourselves in the past, but that no longer appears to be the case. But those same PC, judgmental, clueless outsiders, politicians or leaders with a lower-case "L" have no idea what it takes to willingly take on a mission like that during sustained combat operations where we potentially lose people and aircraft daily. The pilots who do are long since retired and far more have left this world. My war in 1991 lasted about 6-weeks and losses in the air were in the double digits at most. Since then, we've had a few surges but nothing that rivals the experiences of our predecessors. But that doesn't mean their combat tested traditions should be forgotten or set aside as relics of the past. The fraternal bonds of combat are indescribable and something no one can appreciate second hand. They are also absolutely necessary for a fighting force to gain the required trust in each other and be truly effective in their mission. They also don't just happen out of thin air when a squadron suddenly finds themselves launching their first combat mission. As I alluded to at the start, it's difficult to put this into a cogent message. I don't know if I have but I have no doubt many of you fellow warriors, past and present, have a general idea of what I'm trying to say. Being an effective combat pilot isn't something you just start doing the day the balloon goes up and shit gets real. Combat pilots from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's showed us how it was done, gave us traditions to perpetuate and those were carried by the next generation of pilots into the final two decades of the 20th century. I have no doubt that today's combat pilots are doing their best to follow in the footsteps of the warriors who came before them. However, doing so is not supposed to be a struggle with the very leadership you're charged with following. We should be embracing and continuing these traditions, not throwing them aside because of someone's BS sensibilities. I guess the bottom line is this: Being a warrior, an aggressive, professional, lethal killer is not a politically correct, peacetime, 9 to 5 job. It's highly specialized and the skill set necessary to excel at it requires an extraordinary amount of resources and effort, probably more so today than ever before. Pilots attempting to attain and maintain this excellence need to be able to focus the majority of their working hours on this task. We have been fighting this battle for at least 50 years and probably will continue to do so. What is new, however, is the fact that pilots now have to prove that they and their mission are, in fact, actually different from other officers and support personnel. That they are not interchangeable and in spite of how "unfair" it might be to some, not everyone in the USAF is an actual war-fighter. No excuses are necessary for this - it's simply reality. If that offends someone - too fucking bad. You want in on it, go to UPT or shut the F.U. and support the mission. We need warriors. They don't come about using an HR department, worrying about a PC culture or who is going to be offended by the process of creating highly trained, lethal killers. Rant over - 🤬

Start the scroll ASAP. You should be able to do it by emailing the reserve recruiter; it can take ~4 months, and there’s no harm in having it done.