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Libyan Air National Guard - what are my chances Hi everyone, long time lurker. It’s been my dream to fly the Mirage F1. I’m 45 years old, been flying KC-135s for the last 15 years. Hearing shift, slightly overweight, decent AFOQT and PCSM scores and even better Microsoft Flight Sim scores. What are my chances to fly the mighty Mirage F1?

For all the young guys getting their first look at school, the best gouge I can give you is to be prepared to be really pissed off when you see some of the dweebs that make it over good bros.

It's well known that the Libyans have been hiring mercenaries who don't have prior military or even fast jet experience. I am also aware of a Swiss national who morted flying the Mirage F1ED/AD a year or two ago. As for laughing at someone because he looks like a "goofball", how old are you?

I haven’t heard anything, but I was able to access the AWC distance learning website. **shrug** Maybe it means something, maybe it doesn’t, who knows.

How lenient is the Libyan Mercenary Air Force on vision waivers? Asking for a friend.

Seems like you you’ve put some hard work in to setting yourself up for success. Don't be a tool and Don’t obsess over the size of the ride (135s to F1s), they are all great. Overall, looks promising, keep us informed!

Well, add this to the list of alternate ways to get a fighter slot. Can’t get hired at your ANG unit? AFOQT scores too low? No bachelors degree? No problem!

here i was thinking i HAD to get a T-38 Form 8 to make shit happen for me

Appears to be a Russian ZSh-5 helmet, not uncommon for MiG drivers. Was standard Soviet issue for its pilots in the 1970s and 80s, and beyond for those who bought them secondhand...

I have a tough time believing that this guy was flying a Mirage as a mercenary. If nothing else, there has to be hundreds (if not thousands) of folks out there with actual tactical jet experience who would have been more qualified than this guy. Thinking former pilots from third-world Air Forces, etc. Got to think that any organization sophisticated enough to have a flyable Mirage would at least capable of performing enough vetting to determine if someone had some semblance of previous experience. Although hell, maybe this guy is enough of a bullshit artist to pull it off. Think someone could practice enough on a PC-based flight sim to credibly fly a Mirage?

Good to see the #FloridaMan search will continue to have strong input!

NGB: Good news guys, we're giving out a part-timer bonus! Pawns: YAY!!!! NGB: Ya, it's going to be totally awesome and will help retain our peeps...here you go. Pawns: (reviews eligibility requirement)....dude, like 3 people in our squadron are eligible, and they're not leaving anyway. NGB: .... NGB: Oh and btw, we need to review some things... Pawns: Opens up retirement donut of misery chart. NGB: So here are our new requirements... Pawns: (reviews new requirements)...dude, now only 1 person is eligible. Flips table! We seriously only had 2 guys eligible in a squadron of ~40 pilots and neither of them have heard anything either way. I really hope this is bad gouge, but no skin off my back, I was prior-E and not eligible anyway. Well it's a gorgeous day here in Barcelona, time to meet the crew for beach/wine/tapas.

I’m convinced we don’t send our best and brightest to AFPC

You answered it yourself in the first paragraph regarding the “They’re stupid to limit the target audience to retirees only.” Not so stupid from the bean counter perspective. You just guaranteed a 10 year, 20 year or even 30 year plus bill to pay in your scenario that has been playing out for years now. Multiply that retirement cost as long as the individual is alive. They have been closing the 15 year AD time or greater loop hole for getting orders for several years. 2010 was about when the first big AD orders cutback hit if I recall correctly. They have plenty of data of what it’s costing them now.... They’re stupid not to hand folks $300,000 or even $400,000 plus (half up front/other half when done) who left at the 10-12 year point and abuse them for 5-7 years. No indefinite continuous bill to pay. Basically paid for your services and be off with yourself. Selecting the “retired folks” is getting a $50,000 plus benefit on a bill that was already being paid..... think about it. Basically getting a Lt Col for $100,000. Even doing 4 more AD years and getting 10% more in retirement pay won’t catch up until decades upon decades for the $200,000 plus paid as a retiree during those 4 years if you stayed retired. Quality of life will dictate decisions differently for everyone. What does make sense is a retiree who recently was hired by an airline, has small children, finally has become a newly-wed (after the fact), tons of debt, a dog who has separation anxiety, etc. then it works out as better pay for a couple of years or so and then getting your $50,000 plus annual retirement bonus upon exiting the AD yet once again. (Better be non-deployable🙂

Just PCS'd away from Kadena a couple weeks ago. 1. Second what everyone else says about the moving. I had a 2BR condo in Sunabe and it was plenty large for all my belongings coming from a 2BR place in the states. "American sized" places are more and more common. As with every PCS, it's a great opportunity to lean down the goods. The Oki Yard Sale groups on FB are great if you want to offload excess belongings at the destination. As for cars and space, I had a Subaru Legacy and had no issues geting around any small streets. In fact, a regualr sized car is a luxury when you're over 6 feet in Oki. But you'll pay extra taxes for it. A "yellow plate" or small Kei Car can be pretty clutch in tighter parking situations. Also, heads up, on driving...throwing on the flashers and stopping in the middle of the road to go hit up a vending machine is ops normal for the locals. 2. If you have a three prong plug, expect that it will not work in many outlets. There are "3 to 2" prong adapters at the exchange to make them fit the plugs. All my electronics, including LED TV worked just fine. The only thing that took a hit was the clock on the microwave lost time. 3. Having lived on the Sunbae Sea Wall for 3 years I can say that traffic gets slow at the 58 light, but that's about the extent of it. Leave your house 15 min earlier than your normal drive time and you'll mitigate that. I lived in a nice 2BR condo that was 180,000Y normally (in the neighborhood of 1st Lt pay) so my agency rolled in all my utilities except electric and raised it to meet the Capt's OHA (neighborhood of 200,000Y). Sunabe and Yomitan are the two best options for Kadena. It boils down to scenic agricultural and coastal views with a 20-30 min drive (Yomitan) or coffee shop/restaurant/sea wall/community with the homies on Sunabe. I recommend Sunabe. It's just easy. 4. USAA standard does a good job with fees. The Schwab account is also a good idea. I started to see a lot of Discover Bank accounts as well. Now as for credit cards and making your life easy: A) Have 5,000-10,000Y ($50-100) on you in cash at all times and you'll be golden. Most restaurants, small shops, and admittance for events are still cash only. Cabs, toll booths, FAMILY MART, airports, and larger restaurants all accept card. If card is taken, usually Amex is too. I never saw a place that was Visa/Mastercard only. B) Get the Amex Platty, then pocket that bish. Use it on your trips for travel perks back and forth and also huge purchases (purchase protection). It is NOT, however, a high performance points gainer. Now hear this...The best credit card for living overseas is the Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve series of cards. Period dot. You'll be able to stack points on all TDYs and locally on Oki since their bonus categories apply worldwide. Trip interruption insurance? Used it. Your bag went to China instead of Oki by accident? I got $100 a day for clothes from Chase till it showed up. Foreign transaction fees? Forget it. AND if you're a travel hacker, United/ANA is the DoD contract carrier of choice. Chase transfers directly to them 1:1. (Amex can as well if you go through an alliance partner like Air Canada). But I'd be remiss if I didn't give some props to Amex too. Finally, as of June 2019, Amex has loosened up on the Gold card and Grocery/Dining works overseas for points accrual too. At this point its your call, but I'd stick with Sapphire since it's a Visa. This is coming from a long time Amex lover. I have both the Sapphire Reserve and the Amex Gold. I found the Reserve more useful. YMMV. 5. I had everything with me including my Social Security Card and Birth Certificate. However, I think you'd be good with just your passports and other standard documents. I never touched either of those critical documents even once. I wish I had left them in a deposit box stateside as you suggested. Add ons: -Google Fi cell plan. Get it, love it. Port your number in from your stateside provider and don't look back. Let me tell you how perfect it is to have great reception stateside, land in Tokyo and resume trons, then land in Oki and have the same phone and setup. No sim card swaps, nothing. All fluid, all 4G fast at a constant billing rate, worldwide. Worked flawlessly in S Korea, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia for me. Can't recommend enough. I used both the Pixel2 series (their home model) and an iPhone XS with great success. -Go get an account at apobox.com if you buy a lot of stuff online. It's a freight forwarder that (for a fee) will send you things that USPS refuses to mail. I used it for more expensive items, chemicals for rustproofing or flooring, etc. Hope this helps.

9 July is the public release for both the Maj and Lt Col board.

Probably can’t fight it. Not a career ender. I’ve known multiple Q3 recipients go on to be great IP’s and Commanders. Get your story tight for the airline interviews. Don’t dwell on it. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

That sucks, but you were the AC and the aircraft was damaged due to an error of the crew. I don't know the AETC culture on student initiated mishaps, so I don't know if that is within the realm of ordinary. Legally speaking, that sounds like a valid Q3...even if it's really lacking in bromanship or understanding.

Not saying you're AMC, but a buddy was just telling me about a recent CC directed Q3 in AMC. Naturally there are 3 sides to every story, but this isn't the first time I've heard stories of seemingly ridiculous sounding Q3s in AMC. Some of the stuff I've heard would have just been a few days non-flying and maybe a briefing in front of the squadron...seems like AMC uses it more as a punishment tool.

Congrats to Shaft! He recently got his "card", and after many years of hard work is now a full-blown Initial Attack Tanker Captain. Well done, Sir!

I got to see Shaft's S-2 last year. Frickin' gorgeous. As clean as the day it left the factory. Here's a screen shot of Shaft doing shit that saves lives.

In general, I would get away from thinking of the industry as a part-time or retirement gig, and more of a career to pursue. Sure, there are certain jobs available that fit that role, but they generally don’t pay much and are inconsistent year to year. If all you want is a little fun flying fire, then look to Air Attack jobs with any number of contractors in a 690 or King Air. The more serious, better paying jobs generally demand more dedication and time. You basically have Fed jobs (USFS & BLM), Fed contractors (Air Attack, SEAT, & Large Tankers), and State jobs (CalFire, etc). These may be year round or seasonal, but also full-time work. Its a small industry and I’ve found most opportunities are found through good old fashioned networking. That’s a tall order for a pilot coming off AD, believe me, I understand. Vets do have an advantage getting Fed jobs, so that is one way to get started. I flew a Fed Air Attack (contractor) for a few years before getting the chance to get on with CalFire (DynCorp). Met tons of people and got a good feel for the industry. The real challenge is the transition from a good paying job, to a path that may or may not work out for you. Especially with all the opportunity in the airlines right now. There is no standard path in this industry, everyone just kind of finds their way somehow. Usually hard work and sacrifice. Having a mil retirement helps ease that transition.

I know a dude who volunteered to come back (he's probably on here). He was twice passed over for Lt Col and took the 15 year retirement as a Major. He's been flying for the airlines for around 4 years now. He volunteered to come back for a 3 year tour and AFPC's response was "we're only taking pilots who retired at 20 years at this time". LOL. Personally, I think they did him a favor.

Just saw this in the news this morning. I thought this would have already been posted here, but couldn't find it. I'd like to buy this guy a beer. I bet he has some insane stories. U.S. Air Force veteran accused as mercenary in Libya’s civil war is freed June 25 at 10:48 PM An American Air Force veteran who was accused of acting as a mercenary in Libya has been freed after a six-week detention, officials said Tuesday, in a murky episode that highlights the tangled nature of that country’s civil war. Jamie Sponaugle, a 31-year-old Florida man, was piloting an aircraft near the Libyan capital of Tripoli on May 7 when his plane went down, according to officials and individuals familiar with the incident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Libyan National Army said it shot down the aircraft, which it said was a Mirage F1 combat jet piloted by a man The Washington Post is now identifying as Sponaugle, as it conducted bombing raids against LNA forces in the area. The Post withheld publication of Sponaugle’s detention at the request of U.S. officials who were working to secure his release. The LNA is one of two factions locked in a years-long fight for control of Libyan territory and government institutions, a conflict that has plunged the country into a protracted limbo and erased much of the hope created by the 2011 revolution. The apparent involvement of an American military veteran in a battle for Tripoli between the LNA and its rival, the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord, illustrates the complexity of a long-simmering conflict that has emerged as a major global proxy war involving illicit arms and dueling accusations of mercenary use. It also draws attention to the shifting U.S. policy on Libya. While senior Trump administration officials have devoted limited time to Libya, the president appeared to upend years of steady support for the Tripoli-based GNA in April when he publicly praised Khalifa Hifter, the strongman who heads the rival LNA. “We are always pleased to see Americans held captive overseas returned home to their friends and family,” Ambassador Robert O’Brien, President Trump’s envoy for hostage affairs, said in a phone interview. “We appreciate his captors’ decision to release him. We also thank the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its role in resolving this case.” Officials said that Sponaugle was flown on Tuesday to Saudi Arabia, where he was expected to meet with U.S. consular officials and undergo a medical and psychiatric examination. According to an individual familiar with the case, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took an interest in Sponaugle once Saudi officials learned he was being detained and asked subordinate officials to get involved. The Saudi government did not pay the LNA for his release, the individual said. In remarks to the media the day after Sponaugle’s release, Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Mismari, spokesman for the LNA, said the American had been held in the eastern city of Benghazi before being “extradited” to his home country. Showing a video of Sponaugle pointing to locations on a map of western Libya, Mismari said he had “confessed” to conducting strikes on bridges and other infrastructure but had not carried out requested operations on more populated areas around Tripoli. Stephen Payne, president of Linden Government Solutions, a firm the LNA has retained to lobby on its behalf in the United States, called on the United States to “seriously investigate reports of other American mercenaries fighting for the GNA, including other pilots, and, if proven true, demand their immediate return.” The GNA did not respond to a request for comment. Sponaugle, whose identity as an American has not been previously reported, became an enlisted airman in 2006 and worked as a mechanic, Air Force officials said. After leaving active duty in 2013, he served in the Florida Air National Guard until late 2016. His last job as an active-duty airman was airspace technician, and his last duty station was MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. He was not a pilot in the Air Force but earned a pilot’s license following his active duty service. In images released by the LNA shortly after the incident, Sponaugle is seen bloodied and receiving medical treatment from LNA forces after his aircraft went down. Video that appeared on social media showed him identifying himself as a Portuguese national named Jimmy Rees and saying he was in Libya under a civilian contract focused on “destroying bridges and roads.” Sponaugle did not say in that video that he worked for the GNA but named someone named “Hadi” as his chief Libyan contact. Senior GNA officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeg, who was in Washington this month as part of a trip designed to drum up American support for his government, have denied that the GNA uses foreign pilots. A Western official with knowledge of Libya said that foreign instructors had long worked at Libya’s air academy, based in the city of Misrata. Even after his release, U.S. officials do not have a clear understanding of what Sponaugle was doing in Libya. If Sponaugle was piloting a Mirage, a French-made fighter jet, as the LNA alleges, he is unlikely to have had the kind of combat training that military pilots typically undergo because he was not a pilot in the Air Force. It’s not clear whether Sponaugle would have violated U.S. law by working for or fighting in Libya. Many countries, including the United States, employ foreign security contractors, who can play a variety of roles and are sometimes armed. The GNA and the LNA have repeatedly accused each other of using foreign fighters. Ben Fishman, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who worked on Libya policy during the Obama administration, said the incident “demonstrates that the longer this phase of the conflict lasts, the . . . higher the risk will be of more foreigners getting involved.” “It’s bad enough that there’s a clear flow of weapons and technology,” Fishman said. “Mercenaries or contractors from the region, Africa, or even the West would signal a new and dangerous form of escalation.” Already the Libyan conflict involves a host of foreign actors. U.S. officials have said that the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have long provided support, including weaponry, to Hifter and the LNA, which have sought to depict themselves as the only force capable of defeating extremists in Libya. Turkey, meanwhile, is among the nations that have provided support to the GNA. Just before he launched the Tripoli operation in April, the Saudi government offered to help Hifter fund the operation, the Wall Street Journal reported. U.N. officials have sought for years to broker an end to the Libyan conflict in a peace process that has moved in fits and starts. While the feuding sides have at times seemed close to striking a deal, they now appear far apart as the Tripoli operation remains locked in what analysts say is an extended stalemate. Initially, the State Department condemned Hifter’s offensive in pointed terms. Then, in a seeming about-face, the White House shortly afterward announced that Trump had held a call with Hifter. Describing the call, the White House highlighted Hifter’s efforts against extremists and did not address the ongoing battle for Tripoli, appearing to enhance the Libyan leader's stature on the world stage. The LNA said following Sponaugle’s capture that he — at a moment when he was still being identified as Portuguese — was being treated humanely and in accordance with international law. But U.S. officials remained concerned about his welfare as they spent weeks in discussions with LNA officials. Sponaugle’s father declined to comment when reached at his home before his son’s release. More details: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-air-force-veteran-accused-as-mercenary-in-libyas-civil-war-freed/2019/06/25/08cafbe6-49b2-4295-88e0-56c2377312e3_story.html?utm_term=.b6fa2d930e78 https://taskandpurpose.com/air-force-veteran-libya-mercenary https://www.rt.com/news/462716-libya-pilot-identified-american/