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:For apples-apples comparison: Airline+AFRES guy here: My avg days off/mo was ~17, or 209 total days off in the past 12 months. And that's actual days off, meaning at home, no duty, not commuting (I live in base). That number will improve when I retire from AFRES pretty soon here. Compare that to when I was RegAF. The avg days off baseline was ~12 days/mo (includes 30 days' leave, weekends, holidays, and family days), 153 days off total. Then throw in weekend TDYs and deployments and that number goes down considerably.

I feel you there. Though I didn't have a lifetime dream of flying in the Air Force growing up. There is more to flying in the Air Force than a paycheck. I enjoy my job. I like my coworkers. Job satisfaction is high for me right now. I'm also at the end of my career and am transitioning to the civilian sector where my flying training will be properly valued (at least by second year pay--I don't believe that the airlines pay well out of the goodness of their heart). I'm proud of what I've done in the Air Force, I'm grateful for the places I've been, the people I've met, and the missions I've flown. So many people in life are just angry. Angry at "the Air Force", angry at "the libs", angry at whatever. I also understand that many have had negative experiences in the Air Force. I have too. I was non-vol'd to Afghanistan for 364.5 days during a time where Greens were killing Blues. But I also had doors open from that experience that served me well later in my career. I wish I made $300/hr plus profit sharing in the Air Force. I'd stay longer. But the money has been good enough and now I'm moving on. And a great big "thank you" for those who leave after their UPT commitment is up too! You served. Most Americans can't say the same. Go make that bank. Buy that boat, plane, or second wife. Enjoy life. Be happy. Staying in the Air Force isn't for everyone. But it is for some.

Yep, sure did. And I didn’t even have to post it twice. Guys have been saying to “vote with your feet” since at least 2014. How’s that working out for us? Congress controls the purse strings, they just don’t think we have a problem because that’s what the senior leaders are telling them. They aren’t in the weeds everyday like we are, so they believe them. I also don’t believe it’s going to happen, but instead of bitching about it I’m at least saying something to somebody that in theory should be able to change it.

Like this? https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/08/fbi-agent-pleads-guilty-destroying-evidence-frame-pro-trump-political-prisoner/?utm_source=Gab&utm_campaign=websitesharingbuttons

Normal? In 200+ years of existence, no president current or former, past or present has had their home raided by law enforcement. Normal would not enter the conversation. Unprecedented would be a better choice. The regime had better find a check from the Russians written directly to Trump for nuke secrets, stealth technology, the location of Jimmy Hoffa, the recipe for Coke (original not New Coke), and Scarlett Johansson s phone number. Any failing to dot an i or cross a t bullshit isn't going to cut it but I think that's what the FBI has done.

Great post Danger. Just wanted to highlight this one part directed at a general audience…a big YMMV, but I punted airlines for a while due to this belief. But reality is even if you’re flying a “full” schedule of say 16 days, that’s 2 weeks of a month you’re doing 0% work, not even getting texts about work. Now let’s throw in the thousands of games you can play in the airlines schedule/money wise that can reduce that work-money ratio significantly in your favor. It’s worth considering what “home between airline trips” is compared to “home while working for the AF.” And FWIW, there are tons of schedules out there that are not some heinous 5 on/2 off, repeat…unless you’re in the regionals. To be clear, not a spear at your personal plan or your reasons (I think they’re great), but more just putting this out there for guys like past me. Talk to your airline bros before immediately passing on the idea because “I don’t want to be gone from home all the time.” It’s far more nuanced than that.

I know financially it makes sense to get to the airlines ASAFP and never look back. I unfortunately suffer from delusions of grandeur and Stockholm Syndrome and don't really want to leave the job that I wanted to get for my entire life. I'm also not totally selfish and know that my family could really benefit from the extra $$ in an airline career. In my current and future job I will absolutely be gone from home more as an airline guy than an AF pilot. YMMV on that one, big time. It's a no brainer to me that (in my own situation) the only extenuating variable is money. Why not pay up? I have a unique perspective on all this stuff though as my dad was an airline pilot that went through not getting hired for awhile, mergers, furloughs, and 9/11. He punched early after 9/11 to try to get back in the AF as a 59 year old retired O-5 but they didn't want him to fly tankers so he just retired. Even I tried to jump right to the airlines in mid-2020 and that wasn't exactly good timing. All that to say is that I know more about the airlines than the average Joe that never experienced any of that stuff and has just been living the good life the last few years. Honestly the hardest part for me is thinking back on some missions where my crew and the team writ large was able to make a big difference and bring Americans home from some pretty hairy situations. I know that's stupid and you've got to move on but that type of feeling is nagging me more than I thought it would.

BQZip’s mom…like a golf ball through a garden hose.

Where is that written, exactly? The constitution? Who does the justice department fall under? Is it like the Federal Reserve? There's nothing normal about raiding an ex-president's home, who very well may be a president-elect again. If you're right and these idiots thought such a decision should be made "independently," we're in bigger trouble than I fear. You can't possibly be this obtuse.

Just a couple months ago progressives weren’t so supportive of the “rule of law” when SCOTUS overturned Roe and told states that citizens can can carry firearms outside of their homes.

Look dude, if Trump is deemed by an impartial court as having broken the law, then he should suffer the consequences. Let’s not pretend that the impartiality part is even remotely possible. What little faith in our justice system will go to shreds if Trump is sent to prison let alone convicted. I’ll tell you this though, if the above happens, there will be a political backlash like none other we have ever seen. He still has a very loyal base; they will see this as a political attack and martyrdom, especially after Hilary has gone scott free and still runs off her mouth. I’ve never seen our country more polarized but I think this might make the cut. The rest of us are simply acknowledging the second and third order effects. Also, legal precedent might be a factor here?

Sure. But one wonders things like: Why did it take 18 months? Why was it a raid instead of requesting it from the lawyers? Why was it urgent to raid Trump's house 90 days before the midterms, and not last year? Why wasn't Hillary's house raided in similar fashion? And this isn't in isolation. One may also wonder: Why handcuff Navarro at an airport instead of having his lawyer bring him in for questioning? Why does the Jan 6th committee seem so interested in the testimony of someone not in the vehicle, but has no interest in interviewing the secret service agent driving the vehicle, after it was claimed Trump tried to wrestle with the steering wheel? Why is there no cross examination of witnesses for the Jan 6th committee? Maybe you think this is all impartial. I sure don't see it that way.

I'm not advocating anything because one side may already be there. I'm wondering if both sides should play by what seems to be the newly accepted rules. I don't hear too many Democrats or media, but I repeat myself, standing up saying what has occurred is wrong, unfair, or illegal which means they are okay with it. You say bring the FBI to heel but an agency that has displayed a variety of lies, omissions, and contempt to unseat a president isn't going willingly to that end and can't be made to go without BOTH parties calling for it. Sliding into partisan authoritarianism? By my observation, we've slid. One side put us there and seems happy with it. But you start to make the voting process questionable, force a variety of mandates on people, and the rule of law only applies when one side benefits and the problem will be people NOT giving up on America but how they respond. It won't be good for our country. For example, look at the wonderful label this guy just applied to half the citizens of this country. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2022/08/18/what-obamas-former-cia-director-just-said-shows-why-people-dont-trust-their-government-n2611946

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Supposed to where? Is it in the federalist papers? Are any of the founders known to have elucidated such a barrier? Is there a law that has been passed declaring such. Or is this just your opinion? Law enforcement falls under the executive branch, which has only one elected official. Two of you count the VP, but no one does. It is specifically the president's job to oversee these bureaucracies. What you are advocating for is an uncontrolled regulatory state, which is sorta what we have right now and it sucks. For the people, by the people. If the president isn't directly engaged in the management of the FBI and all of it's functions, then we the people have no recourse to change the FBI when it, let's say hypothetically, launches an investigation knowingly based off opposition campaign research, eventually lying to the FISA court in order to obtain warrants to surveil Americans who are participants in the nation's most important political process. Your perspective on this particular issue is perfectly demonstrative of the failing of liberal thought. The system should work this way. Best practices. I don't want. It shouldn't be. Ideals. An idealist would create an independent FBI and think that it will act in accordance with everybody's fair-minded values, even though there is no agreement on what is fair-minded. Conversely, our entire system was designed explicitly acknowledging that idealist independent systems will always devolve to tyranny, and instead used checks and balances amongst the competing branches of government in order to rein in the inevitable corruption and political posturing that would follow. An independent FBI is precisely what Americans should fear, and the history of the organization is so laughably demonstrative of this that I'm surprised you, usually historically aware, would think otherwise.

Not really. The difference between Trump and everyone else (R and D) is that he wanted his minions to publicly declare fealty to him. One of his many character flaws. If you think there has been independence between the president and his cabinet, I have a bridge to sell you in Manhattan.

That’s a far cry from this. https://www.npr.org/2018/11/07/539109386/jeff-sessions-out-as-attorney-general-after-steady-drumbeat-of-criticism-from-tr

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128392138 I think it's great that so many liberal-minded people are suddenly engaged in national level politics and paying attention, but that doesn't mean everything that happened before you were paying attention is ancient history.

@Danger41Well said. I am in a similar boat to you. I am also a guy who was denied VSP in 2014 and had a reserve job and separation date in March 2020 and the rest is history. I hit submit on my apps the first week of March only to be told the second week everything was freezing for who knows how long. My wife came clean and said she liked the stability of the AF, I wasn’t thrilled about working two jobs (reserve and airlines), so we decided to stay in. I took the three year bonus, this is my last year so this interests me to see what the AF does. In my opinion, if they do this “revamping” of the bonus right they can keep some fringe guys and start with a clean slate. Big IF though, the AF has fooled me way more than once. All that being said, I’m happy as well for the guys getting out. I hope their careers have no turmoil, and I’ll most likely be calling them in 5.5 years for some recommendations. But for me, that will all be with the peace of mind of an O-5 retirement.

Whether the documents were or were not declassified is the point of contention. You say his standing order to declassify what he brings home is absurd, but as the ultimate declassification authority, no it isn’t, that’s the whole point of this. I understand you disagree with that viewpoint, and apparently so does the FBI and justice department. TBD in court I guess. Regardless the precedent of cops raiding your political enemies over something so minor and murky is extremely dangerous. This will amount to as much of a nothing burger as the Russia gate hoax. But since gambling is more fun than arguing, I’m happy to wager a bottle of booze on my assertions. Be warned, I have a flawless predictive track record on disagreements where booze is gambled.

Dude, there is a receipt from the FBI for items removed from Mar-a-Lago. Amongst those items are boxes of classified information. No one has accused the FBI of lying about what they took. In fact, Trump has tacitly admitted to having classified documents in his possession by making the absurd claim that he had a standing order to declassify them. Maybe look away from One America News for a minute?

Do you know this as a fact or are you regurgitating accusations? You bought into the Russia collusion hoax hook line and sinker; recommend learn from that embarrassment. TDS is real.

I wish this was the level of political scandal we were dealing with in the US.

Literally. Some might say.

This point of view is completely incompatible with military service. Did you forget what forum you're on? Yikes

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2022/08/biden-administration-ends-covid-19-testing-aimed-unvaccinated-workers/375978/

BLUFF: RAF General Officer resigns over controversial diversity push, causing responses from PM Candidates. https://www.foxnews.com/world/british-raf-recruiting-head-resigns-protest-pause-hiring-white-men-appease-diversity-goals-report

That article was actually pretty good. We haven't heard anything yet beyond what was released publicly. Personally I'd start flying again today, but I'm not the one paying for repairs

Care to make an argument instead of clutching pearls? Please tell me how your service, or mine, has defended the constitution from enemies, foreign and domestic. Please tell me how we have more freedoms now than when when we joined the military. While you're at it, make a case for all of the service members that were killed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other hellholes in the last 25 years. How did they die for the constitution? How are the millions of dead civilians in line with the constitution? How is going to war without declaring war in line with the constitution?

Don’t understand your point. Are you saying Biden didn’t know and allowed the FBI, part of the Executive Branch, to act without his oversight, or are you saying he’s lying? Either look isn’t good for him. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Please point to me the exact phrase in the Constitution that allows for the FBI to exist. There are millions of things that go against the oath we all swore. The oath is useless and Constitution means nothing. None of us actually defended the Constitution. We supported and continue to support our destroyers.