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Speaking of the CIA....... There I was - RFO (relief pilot for 2-man crew) flying MD-11 from Taipei to Anchorage. I've since learned the CIA presence in Taiwan is significant - more on that later. Deadheaded into TPE about 24 hours before departure, arriving about 19:00L and basically crashed. I had enough fun on the trip up to that point and was ready for some rest. Met up the the CA and FO at hotel pickup time the next night and headed to the AP for the flight. They had pushed it up the night before at a local watering hole called Canegies. Wed night, ladies night. In the car, they were exchanging recaps of the night and were also apologetic to me for not contacting me prior to heading out. I was cool with that since I was dragging, so no biggie. I just stayed in listening mode. The left seater was an old school dog and found his standard-one-each Filipino LBFM for the evening. The FO had ended up with an American chick who he later discovered was CIA. I'm pretty sure our driver didn't speak English since I saw absolutely no reaction to some of the rather graphic stories being shared. They both wrapped up the stories detailing the difficulties of getting their companions to leave the next morning. The LBFM wanting to clean the bathroom and organize toiletries and the American wanting to lounge around over coffee and room service. A good time was had by all in the end. So, a few hours into the flight. The CA is in the bunk and the FO and I are just chilling somewhere over the Pacific. I had a thought as I was listening to their stories that I couldn't keep from bringing up at that point. "Hey, I'm not judging or anything. I'm a huge fan of strange pu$$y. But do you think stepping out on your old lady with a chick from the CIA was the best move? I mean, if she turns out to be a Glenn Close/Fatal Attraction type, she's got some resources to possibly track your ass down." My man was visibly shaken for a minute and then said quietly - "You know, that's a valid point. Let's hope it doesn't come to that." I didn't mean to freak him out, but i always think of him any time I'm Taipei. Actually heading there on my next trip. Every round-eye I see there now is a potential spy. 😁

From a bro: “Jax phone interviews to go out in the next 1-2 weeks”

bingo...not only did they not push back, they were complicit.

The military leadership reported/testified time after time how things were getting so much better in Afghanistan, how the Afghans were making all the improvements, etc. They were either lying or severely misinformed by their own subordinate leaders—regardless, the military deserves a lot of the blame.

I hate to see an older American in that distress, but it doesn’t surprise me. I belong to the Daedalians along with my dad and attend meetings whenever I can. I’m the only still active flight suit wearing dude there and most of them were Vietnam guys with a few before that (including guys that participated in Ploesti and P-51 pilots with kills that were also shot down). They always absolutely grill me about all the culture war talking points about LGBTQ+ stuff, woke policies, socialism, etc. They then don’t believe me when I say I don’t see that stuff and haven’t seen it. We all then have beers and burgers at the O club and shoot our watches for awhile and have a great time. I recommend pilots look into it and hear some great stories before they aren’t around to tell them. Navs and other folks have fraternal orgs that I’m sure are great, as well.’ On the topic of military confidence, I personally have great confidence in our American military to fight and win our nations no shit wars. If you let the military off the chain with a clear objective and victory criteria, I have no doubt that we will get there. I have way less confidence in our ability to do small, dirty wars successfully that require significant political involvement and clear, consistent military strategy. I also don’t have a ton of confidence in our Generals ability to handle entire campaigns beyond the initial actions. This video from Tom Ricks discusses how relieving Flag Officers in WW2 was much more common and not a career killer. It was based on performance. My $0.02

https://www.duffelblog.com/p/army-creates-new-future-douchebag-congressman-mos Solid work from the heroes over at the Duffelblog. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

i can't imagine why!

I have great faith in our military. They'll get shit done if they're given the keys to the car with little to no cuffs. I do not trust my government to give them that freedom. In the days of live feeds, precision everything, our leaders unnecessarily hamper our efforts. Make it fast, make it violent, get in and get out. Given the opportunity, that's what we do best.

Afghanistan

China is effectively 4 countries. While the North and Central China have held power the idea that China is this massive united population is a false impression/oversimplification. North China is the China culture we associate as Americans when we think of China as an opponent, but they are about to go through a disaster to their economy and debt/savings structure that will make the Great Depression look mild by comparison. And their A2AD structure works both ways, so having this collection of countries that hate you as an immediate barrier island chain able to interdict your entire coast lines importation of sea going vessels is bad for their economic model. Especially when their economy is the largest importer of pretty much ever raw material/oil/food stuffs on the planet. We don’t even need it to go kinetic to ruin them. If you did what the world did to Russia with sanctions and market exclusion you would hobble their economy, cause upwards of 35-40% unemployment overnight and completely upend their ability to just issue state backed credit models to keep their economy churning. It would be a death sentence for their current unification and basically send them back to the 30s. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I pulled a chair up to the window here in Crystal City, and I can see part of the puzzle palace, the monument, and the Dome. I'm not as impressed as I once was. Believe it or not, I'm constantly challenging my own thoughts more than anyone else and I don't like the feeling of, or giving the perception of, shytting on my country. But just when I convince myself that my concerns are overwrought, they get reinforced. Like this article from Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/509189/confidence-military-lowest-two-decades.aspx My career in service was a pretty big chapter in my life so I have an interest in whether my investment was a wise one. Yesterday, I saw a video of a 100 year old Marine Vet crying over America and how it isn't what he fought for. Pretty sad. I don't want to be that guy. But why is it average Americans have such a dim view of the military during one of the most dangerous times in recent memory?

What?

Probably should let it play out, like most mishaps. The T-6 loss affected a number of us. Devyn was awesome.

https://twitter.com/CIA/status/1686048802489110528?s=20

It was the military’s fault for never pushing back, first on regime change without economic investment and then on leaving based on an arbitrary timetable. Edit: ok I just read the article, and from looking at the graphs the confidence increases greatly when your favorite politician is president.

Is this just like a year ago (in this same thread) where people told me that we were going to see massive changes in China in just a few months?…and I’m still waiting. So when exactly will this massive economic disaster in China actually occur? 3-6 months? 6-12 months? 2-3 years? As for comparing our trade with China to our trade with Russia (pre-sanctions), this isn’t even a comparison. Pulling a Russia on China would royally screw our economy—and no one wants that to happen. If you’re up for some homework, count up how much money you have spent in the last 3 months on products/services which relied on some sort of trade with China.

More info is needed. Confidence to do what exactly?

Sometimes I don't like how things are going...but an analysis of alternatives doesn't offer a ton of better options. Keep working to keep your neighborhood (literally and figuratively) in good shape and encourage others to do the same. Edit: when asking for faith in the military, it's a really broad question. Do I think we can destroy any enemy nation? Yup! Do I think the DoD always makes the best decisions and takes care of people?...not as much.

I've failed my hearing test the last three years in a row. Each time the tech tells me "sir, you need to be back within 30 days to retest so we can reset your baseline." But no one has mentioned it again when I never show back up... Probably just a WOM, but I've talked to 3-4 guys that had the same thing, fell for the trick of actually going back, only to get 0% for hearing when they retire. They think the reset baseline makes it look like they've had zero hearing loss. Or maybe the VA hearing baseline is absolute and based on a retired artillery NCO.

“Reinforced by the players beard and a tattoo that read Biff loves soccer” @Biff_T is this true?!

Well, progressives can’t even define what a women is, so doesn’t this make us all non-XYZ, LGBTQxxxx, etc? What I truly don’t understand is how the left will say they can’t define what a woman is, and just minutes later complain about woman rights?

If goes both ways. Nothing like a chick boomer that gives good radio to start a politically incorrect conversation on the inter-flight freq. I fly the flag on my boat while I'm contemplating whatever -ist or -ism I might be accused of by those without a better argument. The flag generates questions and explaining the history of Yankee Air Pirate is a good time.

Is that a bonus hole or a shit factory? Lol. I’m confused. Inshalla….lol

We flew the Jolly Roger in the KC-10 on the crew I was on in OIF from March 20 to the end of June in 2003. You would have seen it in the Boom’s glare shield. I also flew random centerfolds. I even got a chick 11F to comment on one of the centerfolds somewhere over Iraq. Lol. Good times. Break, break Hunter Biden smoked crack in uniform. That is all I need to know about him.

Conspiracy theories all fail when you realize that POTUS couldn’t keep secret the fact that he had an intern blow him under the desk. Two people knew that, pre-social media and it became public knowledge in under 2 years. There is no way we are getting frequent visits from extraterrestrials and keeping it quiet.

It is all starting to unravel... Hunter Biden admitted to a federal judge Wednesday that he received over $600,000 from a Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-backed company, contradicting President Biden’s insistence that nobody from his family "made money from China." Transcript from the plea deal hearing... "I started a company [in 2017] called Hudson West, your Honor, and my partner was associated with a Chinese energy company called CEFC," Hunter said. "Who was your partner?" the court asked. "I don't know how to spell his name, Yi Jianming is the chairman of that company," Hunter responded. In 2020 about an email showing Hunter reaching out to Zhao Runlong at CEFC, asking that they please "translate my letter to Chairman Ye, please extend my warmest best wishes and that I hope to see the Chairman soon." "I hope my letter finds you well. I regret missing you on your last visit to the United States," Hunter wrote in the attached letter, dated June 17, 2017. "Please accept the best wishes from the entire Biden family as well as my partners." "We are all hoping to see you here again soon, or in Shanghai," he added. Hunter’s apparent confirmation in the courtroom that he made more than a half million dollars from a Chinese company directly contradicts President Biden’s previous denials. "My son has not made money in terms of this thing about, what are you talking about, China," Biden told then-President Donald Trump during the October 2020 debate." "The only guy who made money from China is this guy," Biden said at the time, referring to Trump. "He’s the only one. Nobody else has made money from China."

That dude just needs to bail on that relationship now because you know with her feminine logic she will blame him for a Tiger mauling for the rest of his life.

Took my private student for the day yesterday. Three laps in the arrival with a buttload of joe sixpacks, 5 miles in trail because of the smoke and a closed runway, guy balled one up on takeoff. My stud got an education

Wasn’t ever in heavies. But in the fighter world, Cgo’s are expected to learn the mws and tactics first and foremost. And ensure the bar is up to snuff secondarily. if you didn’t know 3-1 inside outside backwards and forwards in short order during your first ops assignment, you were fucking up.

Save every document with your name on it. Document every medical visit. Do partial DITY moves. Randomly buy pizza and beer for the Es.

Talk less, listen more. Get in the vault. Time in the market beats timing the market.

Thread stays—bash all you want.

cheesy bread

I heard they’re creating a secret tanker unit at March. They’re moving the KC-10s back there instead of the boneyard. Lol That’d be awesome 😎

100% possible. But, statistically unlikely. My class (granted this was a while ago) got AD to Scott, March, and Birmingham in the same drop. Figure, they get one or two new people a year.

It is an associate unit--Total Force Association/TF Integration, what have you. Like CaptainMorgan said, your best chance is join spouse. There are a handful of KC-135 TFA units out there, and they drop infrequently. They are also quite popular.

It has happened, but I wouldn’t count on it unless you have a join spouse preference. I’m also pretty sure it’s a reverse associate unit, not AD tenant. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The three standard lies: “checks in the mail”, “I love you”, and “no, I won’t c** in your mouth.”

Maybe some of the crusty keyboard “warriors” in this community should put their money where their mouths are and run for Congress instead of typing the same drivel every week on this site.