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So, Here's a cool hack that happened. I think the story illustrates well what I've been trying to discuss in the other threads about capabilities development and utilization. story - https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/12/iphone-zero-click-wi-fi-exploit-is-one-of-the-most-breathtaking-hacks-ever/ Blog post - https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.com/2020/12/an-ios-zero-click-radio-proximity.html (Very long) For those that don't know Project Zero is a Google initiative to get after bugs in software in a very aggressive manner. About page - https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.com/p/about-project-zero.html These guys are genius level hackers, working with literally unlimited funding going after the biggest names in the business to break their things...and get them patched. The take away - "one person, working alone in their bedroom, was able to build a capability which would allow them to seriously compromise iPhone users they'd come into close contact with." Something to note about software development - having 2 guys work on the same thing doesn't reduce the time by half, or even at all. It can, but is not likely. So, if you're thinking, "Well, the FSB probably has 20 of these guys so they could do it faster." Not really, and they don't have 20 of these guys. There's very few of these guys, and Google pays them 7+ figures. These Project Zero folks are the same people that are trying to get after our voting systems to help protect them, and we have enemies that could be trying to do the same thing to reduce confidence in our democracy. Right now we have no evidence of the later and evidence that they are trying to hack those systems isn't evidence that they have. Cyberops is tied very heavily into Intel, and there's legit concerns about Intel gain/loss and weapons loss that we and our enemies go through. As I said in the other thread, if the National Security Orgs had a wiff of this going on, we'd be hearing something about it. Probably from the President himself, because he can't shut his mouth about it. Think about what would happen the first time this bug dropped, and apply that to the election.

I asked and was told we’d hear back after 2 weeks. Tomorrow is 2 weeks to the date so I’d say off chance we hear back tomorrow but I’m expecting early next week. Cheers and good luck!

Loved that story, and agree wholeheartedly with your points.

Is this the part where we pretend, regardless of the intentional or unintentional nature of the squib kick, that this makes sense. Take the top male kickers and pit them against the top female kickers. There will be no surprises. The fact they had to put a female into the weakest position on the weakest team does more damage to the cause. Absurd. There are plenty of sports where gender is irrelevant. Why pick one where it's most relevant? Remember this gem? https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/australian-womens-national-team-lose-70-to-team-of-15yearold-boys-a3257266.html

Wow. Looks like the rated community is going to lose it's voice in the staffs (at least at the AO level), and staffs are going to continue to push their work down to the line units, both of which will just make life harder for the line flyer.

Just FYI, you can do 100% of your VA disability stuff up until 1 year after separation and get back pay until your date of separation. This is what I did and had no issues.

Wasn’t saying that was true to results. Just what the mentality around the program seems to be. It’s like listening to used car salesmen

I do think one of the good things in the response has been states taking an active or leading role for their states. Much closer to their population, so local areas can have mitigations based on their needs (or based on what they value). It's probably one of the clearest points on the need for strong state governments and not just centralizing power in the federal government. COVID (and to a lesser extent all the race/BLM issues that have flared up) also bring to light the importance of local and state elections (just as important as the federal level). As an aside, it has made me reconsider (or at least added a consideration to) where I'd be willing to retire based on the state's pandemic response. A nation-wide lockdown, or other heavy measures, don't make sense at the federal level. The situation is different in different parts of the country. Plus we're a very large country, spanning many different climates and population densities, so comparisons to other countries (like New Zealand, which is much smaller, and an island) may not really be valid. Rather, the federal government should be funding research (CDC, vaccine programs, etc), publishing recommended guidelines, and making resources available as states need them while balancing limited resources.

A nonpartisan documentary shedding light on election security vulnerabilities is not the same as partisan hacks conveniently showing spotty evidence as "PROOF" of fraud in specific battleground states following an election defeat with the intent of undermining the credibility of said outcome.

Find your state’s veterans affairs department (either where you are now or where you’re going when you retire). reach out to them now, make contacts, and explain your situation. the state folks are usually pretty good (and pretty aggressive) working your issues with the federal VA. our base guy was good at getting the ball rolling ... but missed a lot and it required a lot of work/coord after I retired. ive got florida contacts if you want them.

Interesting discussion. For all the legitimate gripes [and gratuitous sport-bitches alike] I have about AFRC, I can say they've haven't yet treated the nuances of my career motivations with the level of backhanded derision intimated on this thread of much of AD. In further fairness to AFRC, at least under my current NAF, they've made inroads towards keeping the conga line moving on the promotion front for those so interested in management, by converting line O-5 AGR positions into term billets. Separating them from those of us in non-term (AFRC speak for voluntary-permanent) positions (an O-4 control grade). This is being done in order to not get stuck with MSD "squatters" in O-5 AGRs who tended to time out younger guys with aspirations/grooming for command. That had been a legitimate problem for a decade plus. Shocker as it may be to the AD audience, not everybody has a penchant for making O-5 as the litmus test for feeling dignified/properly compensated in life. The ARC doesn't penalize you for it by forcing an up-or-out on the lower (O-4) control grade. I think that was a good balance and compromise all things considered. One man's opinion and all that. Of course, one is encouraged to keep all avenues open, which is why I completed ACSC DL. But my point is that in general, nobody around here is shaming me (so far) for taking pride in being a high time IP/EP, expending my time and energy in mentorship roles in ADCON/OPCON alike, while looking forward to a very much earned 20-24yr O-4 (or even O-5 in the right circumstances) AD retirement and Tricare in my late 40s. Based on this thread, it's clear to me that is viewed with derision if not outright contempt in AD. Maybe they should work on that cultural blind spot. I suppose if one wanted to be believed when uttering that tactical experts are indeed a quantity to be valued/retained, perhaps don't start off the salvo by insinuating that role should be compensated at the level of a slick wing O-3 with no bonus, just because the O-5 aspirants regard flight ops to be menial CGO scutwork on their way to middle management. Dynamic which I find ironic, given half of them weren't worth a shit at flying/employing in the first place. I could further retort that AD grants IP/EP credentials to these managers-in-training waaay too soon/liberally for their britches, leading AD flying organizations looking like a bunch of unsupervised children who end up bending metal, while petulantly smearing the bystanders' (ANG/AFRC Silverbacks and Iron-Majors et al) warnings as ramblings of irrelevant malcontents. I could further point at the dozen or so class-As as exhibit A thru L to further illustrate the fruits of that blind spot, but I think I've made my point, so I digress. I like some of the ideas floated previously, especially a non-punitive look at later-in-life opportunities to cross-flow/special flying programs. "Choose your own adventure" indeed. Cheers!

"Flabbergasted" or "Apoplectic"? The consecutive posts of alternating large/small double underlined font could indicate either. I appreciate the time you've taken to present your opposing viewpoint. Just understand that I'm not a Johns Hopkins professor with a PhD. I just find it interesting that one would attempt to make such a controversial claim, and for what reason? If you're looking for somewhere to direct your apparent anger and indignation, her contact info is easily found. I fully understand that, as Mark Twain says, there are three types of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics. She has hers, you have yours. Statistics, that is. As for the claims on both sides, I think there's always an element of truth. The answer always lies in the middle. Did 300,000 people die from COVID? Possibly. Are there errors and misrepresentations within those numbers? Possibly. It's impossible for either of us to believe we 100% know what is true unless one of us has unsubstantiated faith in our sources. Brother, relax a little. If you're going to get all bent out of shape and attempt to contravene, ridicule, and silence every bit of information out of existence that competes with your beliefs, you're gonna wear yourself out. I'm glad you're skeptical of these things, as am I. Same team.