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I guess put me down in the minority. Signed the bonus this year since I've just got 7 more years to go to retirement, and have made the decision to push for retirement. Probably going to be a terminal major, so it's refreshing as the VML comes up to focus on finding some interesting flying vs trying to play the game. It's still interesting work, and the flying is still good. Plus life's much better when you stop caring about promotion and just try to make what you can better while notching the BS.

You a fan of loaded questions? Why not provide your own intelligent perspective on PTN rather than offer it up like meat to lions? PTN can do whatever PTN does and it makes no difference to any UPT line IP’s life for the next 2+ years. This whole thread is a sport bitch exercise... PTN is literally the only counter weight to this thread’s topic, outside of UPT innovation flights...which wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for PTN in the first place. Captains and Lieutenants are actively trying to unf*ck what Lt Cols, Cols, and GOs have done over the last decades and even the last couple years...so focus your fire precisely and be constructive in your criticisms. This coming from a guy that climbed up hill both ways in the snow...way too old to not be able to empathize with the perpetrators...but smart enough to see both the heroes and the victims. Waiting for this thread to even find a glimpse of usefulness, ~Bendy

They have great cat videos.

I think it's safe to say that the majority of that 30 some odd % represents the dudes and dudets who have very little interest in flying airplanes as a career and eat that command/staff $hit up for lunch. We probably won't see the number drop much more, but it is still 30% less than what they'd like it to be.

I suffered for about a decade but just chalked it up to normal fighter pilot back/neck pain and sucked it up. About 7 years ago I started having random weakness in my right arm and fessed up to the flight doc. Long story short, turned out it was due to my neck and eventually ended up having anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery at C6/C7. Translation: they took out my old degenerated disc that was pressing on my spinal cord and replaced it with a chunk of bone from a cadaver plus a plate and screws. Sounds nasty. Was no big deal. I can’t tell you how glad I am I had the surgery. I’m an old school believer that you don’t go to the doc unless you need a flight physical or are dying, but in my case they said no amount of Motrin or physical therapy could ever have made me feel better. I suffered like a fool for about a decade. As uncomfortable as I was all the time, I didn’t really realize how much misery I was in until I was no longer in misery after the surgery.. 6 months post-op I had a waiver to fly fighters again. My understanding is that one level fusion is waiverable, more than that is not. But I could be wrong about that.

Contact Mr Bruce Wayne, Gotham City; he may be able to help.

It violated law. Don’t like it, change the law. My personal point though was more holistic - people these days immediately blow a gasket when they read something on the internet or the news anchor tells them, with no regard for the accuracy level of the info they just received. 100% of the time a person reads something on the internet or hears it on the news, the first reaction should be, “interesting, I’ll do some research on that before I form an opinion or spread a WOM like the clap at BQZip’s mom’s house.” Instead probably over half of the pop, including smart, successful people, go full rabble rabble and spread bullshit as their first reaction. It’s not just asshat millennials in Portland that are the problem...

Anyone in charge here? This article does not mention promotion, but these concepts should be considered as we're about to overhaul the system. Take note. "To find a solution without letting unvalidated assumptions dictate design, we eliminate solution-oriented language (e.g., "I need a car") and substitute problem-oriented language (e.g., "I need to be at work every day" or, even more simplified, "I need to accomplish work"). This is how we discover the value-basis for what we’re designing." https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2019/7/8/keeping-off-the-grass

Take a breather there, J. Jonah Jameson.

Still not mandatory unless it just recently changed. I didn't go and had a PPL and know there was another stud that wanted to go (even with a PPL) but wasn't allowed to. I had heard that they might have changed it to you'll have to go to IFT even with a PPL if you haven't flown in 2(3?) years, but I don't have a solid line on that.

There is a Reserve FTS here at Vance; The 5th FTS. We've had a couple guys fly with us in T6s and they aren't tied to specifically to us Reservists; they've flown with everyone in our class regardless of status. Wiki says the 5th instructs in 1s and 38s, too. Our Reserves LNO (officer who wrangles us Reservists at each UPT base), is attached to the 340th and also a 38 IP here. Not sure if he only flies with 340th 38 studs or not. Like @matmacwc said, these folks have been MWS trained and came back years later to instruct. It should be less than 30 days. I went to Inpro and was headed to OTS in 24 days from leaving Randolph and there were folks in our Inpro group that went to the class that started a week earlier than me, so definitely didn't have a 30 day wait. They try to keep a 30 day limit for breaks in training with the Reserves, so it's highly likely you'll be sent to SERE or IFT between OTS and UPT start. Some of my group went directly to SERE from OTS (seriously, the Monday after OTS graduation), others (myself included) PCS'd to UPT right after OTS then left for SERE a week or so after getting here, and others went to IFT and will hit SERE after UPT. YMMV, but that was the gist for our batch. Only a few folks that had already been to SERE or had a PPL and didn't have to go to IFT started right up with UPT after OTS. Their goal seems to be to keep training rolling over paying us to sit in a casual job, so they'll fit in what training they can.

Say it with me, single seat, single engine is the only way to fly.

Recently hired at the 76th FS board and yes, I did complete my PPL before I got hired by the Fighter Squadron; I’d highly recommend seeing that through. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Congrats! Were you able to complete your PPL when you got hired?

That’s why there were tears Side note, it took me 4 different PTs, but finally found one that actually helped. Big believer now, but it’s only to get me to what will probably require an MRI and surgery

Congrats!! Where at if you don't mind me asking?

Thought I'd recap and follow up with everyone. I've been super fortunate to have met some awesome people who have contributed to my success while I continued to pursue my passion for flying fighters. Not only did I finally get sworn in, but I also landed a fighter slot. Case and point, don't ever give up.

Definitely a happy ending... 🤙

Story time: when I was TDY to Al Dhafra, the U-2 pilots could go in to Abu Dhabi and get massages with an American chiropractor. Apparently, the Emir was in Minnesota a few years earlier, used their services, and asked them to set up shop in Abu Dhabi because he was impressed. I head downtown the day after a flight, and during my consultation with the American doc, I discussed my neck issues, explained that I had almost no feeling in my 4th and 5th finger in my right hand for the past 2 years, and he took x-rays. Finally, I go back for my 1 hour massage with one of the four masseuses. All four of them were from China, spoke almost no English, and apparently were pretty well trained. After about 10 minutes of her working on my back and neck, she has me turn over, and in broken English asks which fingers are numb. She proceeds to work my chest, pectoral and arm pretty hard. After about 15 minutes, she sees the tears working their way out of my eyes and in more broken English says "too hard?" "No! Keep going!" When she was done, I felt like my chest and right arm had been turned in to ground meat. But it felt great. About an hour later, on the drive back to Al Dhafra, the feeling in my fingers came back. And it remained for many years. I could hardly believe it. That experience made me a believer in massage therapy and chiropractors.

KEND 19-23/24 Drop T-1 U-28 Hurlburt C-17 Charleston (AFRC) C-17 McGuire KC-135 Tinker (AFRC) KC-135 Seymour Johnson C-17 Dover AC-130J Hurlburt (I think?) E-3 AWACS Tinker RC-135 RJ Omaha C-17 McChord C-130H MSP (AFRC) C-130J Little Rock KC-135 MacDill T-38 A-10 DM B-1 Dyess T-6 FAIP B-52 Barksdale F-15E Seymour Johnson F-16 Kelly F-16 Kelly F-15C Fresno (ANG) F-16 Kelly F-16 Kelly Fairly certain I got everyone..🍺

Appreciate the feedback. Wanted to hear it "from the horse's mouth" to eliminate any remaining self doubt so I can commit 110%. Thanks again.

I’m an inch shorter than when I started UPT because I was young and bulletproof in a viper. I am no longer young and my back and neck remind me of that every day. Was it worth it? Prolly. Ask me again when I’m 60

I had no idea how many of us have neck/spine issues. Mine aren’t probably caused by g forces but probably due to hundreds of hours of NVG use. I’m waiting for MRI results after a c spine X-ray revealed degenerative problems in my C4-C6. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What if you can’t remember all the names/nationalities of the mothers?

Former viper bro now working in the embassy world already crushed this WOM - according to him, only applies to children of parents who were not naturalized US citizens at the time of child’s birth. So basically this affects very few people. Another bait article completely misleading people, likely in order to incite dislike for the current administration. Standard bullshit that even smart people choose to form an immediate opinion on without doing any actual research/fact checking.

The sad part is everybody here was trying to help Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

He's going to do well at UPT.

Thanks for the comedy. Preciate it. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Guys, this dude has uncovered my true identity... I am just a fat, prick, internet troll pretending to be a fighter pilot. Damn... it was fun while it lasted

We're conflating grievances here. They could give him a T-6 to SPS, problem solved. No meltdown, no waiver needed, no PCS expenditure loss, wifiey can still be assistant DA (jesus how many times did he mention that, it was like watching one of Khalessi's minions announce all her titles on GOT). As to the rest? Get a fvcking grip man. I have a story too. Many of us have a story of personal grievance in this line of work. Life's not fair, we make lemons with the batch we get pelted in the head with. I didn't go on a whiny bender on the internet about it. I have family challenges too, one I seriously considered quitting the military over. Jesus T-1 driving Christ do you AD folks not have better friends to commiserate to than the internet? Or is this a millennial thing, and it pains me to say that as technically I'm the oldest year of a millennial. Here's a pro-tip for that guy: Fighter units in the ANG/AFRC pick up separating heavy drivers every now and then as a consequence of circumstances/PFA/et al. Having a god damn melt down and posting it forever on the internet, where you allocute to still having a fundamental chip on your shoulder about legitimately sucking hind teet in ENJJPT and/or not getting what you wanted out of UPT 6-9 years ago, is not the starting point to a clean transition to the next chapter of your flying career. Here's another pro tip: There's a metric fvck ton of AFRC UPT drivers on this board (and FB). Ask me how I know. Guess who's also at the hiring boards for said FTG. Our main source of guys is separating AD UPT cats. Don't drink and internet,folks, though it may be a bit late for some.

KEND 19-19 38's: B-52 Barksdale F-16 Luke F-22 Eglin T-1's: C-17 McGuire C-17 McChord C-130J Little Rock C-5 Travis B-52 Barksdale KC-10 McGuire KC-135 Mildenhall T-6 FAIP T-1 FAIP 19-20 38's: B-52 Barksdale F-15 Seymour Johnson A-10 DM T-1's: C-17 McChord C-17 Travis KC-135 Fairchild KC-135 Kadena RC-135 Offutt C-130J Little Rock

Good for you guys, I don't give AF what you say or think. I'm going to get picked up to either fly the F-35 or F-22 and prove you wrong. What you think of me doesn't matter, your snowflake opinion is worthless to me. Have fun complaining about me on here, looks like that is the only thing going on in your lives! Pathetic you took that much time to reply to me on a Saturday night. Don't have any better plans? Whatever. Have a good life people, your opinion has no bearing on my future. See you in UPT.

Question from the peanut gallery: UPT Next: Threat or menace? https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article/1946135/pilot-training-next-graduates-14-in-learning-experiments-second-iteration/