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When judging truth I tend to lean towards the side that does not machine gun and behead babies, but that is just me.

The Ukrainians are not being forced to fight. They are doing so (at a national level) of their own free will. Obviously they would not be able to do it without our support, but that doesn't change the fact that the United States is not forcing Ukraine into fighting for longer. So when people start talking about the morality of throwing Ukrainian bodies into the meat grinder, I find it curious that they do not consider the Ukrainian point of view on whether it is a worthwhile loss of life to resist Russia. Personally, I trust the Ukrainian perspective on whether you Ukrainian lives are worth resisting Russia. Certainly more so than I trust the opinion of Americans who, while many of us have served our country and suffered for it, none of us have been even remotely close to living under an authoritarian boot. The Ukrainian memory goes back a while. I said from the start that I believe the concept of sovereignty is vital in both the moral sense and in preserving some sort of global stability. So I'm inclined to support any country that is in a war of sovereignty, which Ukraine very much is. Arguing about Russian borders from before the Cold war seems silly and irrelevant to me, as the USSR waged a decades long war to build their empire and lost. Losing the western territories was part of that loss. There is no allowance to the concept of sovereignty for historical borders. I also do not believe as many populist republicans seem to believe that there is a world where we can isolate and avoid conflict. I see the coming storm as inevitable, and given the opportunity to annihilate the fighting forces of one of the most likely major adversaries in the coming conflict, I say we take it. Again, I would not support expending American lives to do so, and I certainly wouldn't support forcing the Ukrainians to expend their lives, but so long as they are willing, I believe the cost is worth it. When you compare that cost to the other things we are deficit spending on, it might be the greatest deal in the history of Fiat currency. What better way to spend made up money? Would I support the same action against China? You betcha. If China wants to try to invade another country, and that country can bleed their military out using our intelligence and weaponry, and the people of that country are willing to fight, it's a no-brainer. Taking two geopolitical adversaries off the board before our economic death spiral starts to seriously impact our ability to project global power would be an incredible advantage going into the fourth turning. I think part of the key difference is that the populist conservative movement (best exemplified by Tucker Carlson) seems to believe that there is an option for some sort of perpetual status quo going forward, if only we don't rock the boat too hard. I disagree emphatically with that belief. History moves in waves, and just like real waves, trying to stop them is pointless, and potentially fatal. Move with them, even try to ride them, and you might end up on top. Might.

I respect your views but with regard to Russia, it is not about the price per acre of Ukrainian land. Instead, Russia has been humbled, their Army is in tatters and they are no longer a threat to the rest of Europe and beyond. You've invested in the geopolitics and some of the economics, look at the demographics, this is a turning point for them and it will take a generation to recovery...if they ever do. Demographic wise the U.S. population in the late 60's was around 200 million, we lost 55,000 Americans over 20 years in Vietnam and it changed our country. Russia today is a country of 143 million and they have lost approximately 120,000 in a year and a half. Russian birthrates are again on the decline after a sight recovery to years ago, they are in real trouble. Bottomline, for about 15% of the DoD budget we have taken a superpower out of play without the loss of any U.S. troops...that my friend is not a waste, it is a bargain.

Some crazy shiite going on. Let’s not forget our brothers and sisters downrange and their families stateside. Say a prayer, raise a glass, give them a holler…do what you do.

Russia invades Ukraine. We send over 100 billion, who knows how much ammo/weapons and deplete our oil reserves. Iran waits for this to happen. They then use their proxy militaries and attack Israel. We send more money and ammo/weapons. Two carrier strike groups, fighter squadrons and a marine amphibious unit are now tied up. China makes a run at Taiwan next? Terrorist cells go live in the US via the open border? All without a functioning congress, a president in bad health who is probably compromised with a son facing felony charges and a ex president in court. All while we fight over identity politics. Nothing to see here.

Whether this was an errant Israeli missile, or a Hamas one, Hamas knows its audience and how to manipulate social media far better than the west can. I expect far more of these "atrocities" to be broadcast as this war continues. What saddens me is how our media falls hook, line and sinker for the propaganda from the terrorists.

That's not true. Very at-risk groups, such as those over 70-80, had a very, very high chance of surviving the vaccine, and a not-great chance of surviving covid. Especially if fat. For them it was a no-brainer. What's mind boggling to me is how effective the current corporatist-governmental establishment has "team-ified" so effectively that Americans are now seemingly incapable of seeing anything that doesn't completely inspire their political opposition. The vaccine, especially for the alpha and Delta variants, absolutely reduced serious illness and death from covid-19. It was also rushed into production, had real and meaningful side effects for certain demographics, was misrepresented by the people and organizations that stood to profit from it most, and treated a disease that was almost certainly developed in a Chinese lab, and accidentally released. Making the vaccine mandatory was immoral because it was new, unproven, and effective in a way that did not benefit from compulsory distribution. Not because it didn't do anything at all.

They have nukes and ambition unlike Brazil and Italy. Also, we are now fighting our FIFTH proxy war with Russia. Whether or not they meet your definition of a Superpower they have been a pacing threat for almost 70 years and have aggressively threatened our interests around the world. Our debt is obviously a huge issue, that being said thus far we have given Ukraine $113B, which represents 22.5 days of deficit debt accumulation at our current rate...yes, that is a HUGE bargain. Data should ALWAYS be be viewed in context. When you look at your math it seems like no big deal, I can assure you it is a HUGE deal. Look at the graphic below, it is not about the impact total population, it is about impact to males in younger age groups, especially in a population with an aging problem like Russia. While it may only be .08 of the total population, these deaths have touched every town and village in Russia. Keep in mind, the number of wounded is double further impacting the working population of males in Russia that will support the growing bubble at the top. Russia conscripts between the ages of 18 and 27, that group of males has a population of 3.9M, the impact of killed and wounded cuts that seven year group of men by over 12%...that my friend is a HUGE deal. And again, the birth rate behind these year groups is decreasing. They are seriously F'd and yes that offers challenges but it does reduce the likelihood that they try to invade another neighbor. Amen brother. I think 99% of the folks on this forum feel the same. Regardless of political affiliation or social belief everyone is part of the 1% that stepped forward to "Support and Defend the Constitution of the United States." I am thankful for each and every one of you REGARDLESS of what side of the aisle your beliefs reside. I think we face threats both outside and inside. I am certainly not the expert on Russia but I have had a particular interest in them since I wrote a paper on them in War College that ultimately led to me to traveling there on exchange. This war has and will change their society.

She needs to burka up and head over there. Talk is cheap.

Before they invaded Europe, they weren't a threat to Europe. And before he got shot in the head, President Lincoln really enjoyed the play.

Seriously? Over the past past 10-15 years via proxy and direct action Putin has been trying to rebuild the FSU. Have you heard of the little incursion into Crimea in 2014, that successful effort certainly emboldened him to do more. Myself and others believe that if Ukraine folded quickly as many thought, Putin would continue efforts west. A lot of people have been sounding the alarm the past few years, a few good outlines of what they have been doing and the implications can be found here and here .

But I'm sure someone will be along to tell us this is what Russia looks like when they're winning and how we're wasting our resources in Ukraine. I'm with Dirk. Its always a good day to watch Russian equipment roll up in a fireball.

This administration is killing this country. I hope people start voting these clowns out before they permanently f us. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Most of what you said was true, buuuuuuuut it's also wholly irrelevant. Since the vaccine doesn't stop transmission, it's not anyone's business whether or not you decide to take it. This is a free country, and that means people get to make decisions for themselves, both good and bad. Think about your logic for 2 seconds dude. The vaccine was forced on all of us, and yet everyone got exposed anyway. Read that last part over and over until it sinks in.

I went back through 10+ pages of archives here to see if there was a thread I could bring back from the dead. I couldn't find one so I'll make a new one. I just recently transferred from the ANG to an AFRC IMA job. This post and thread will be a place holder for more information when I have more time to sit down and write a novel of my experience with this process. Like anything military personnel/administrative related, it was a nightmare... so far. Hopefully it'll all be worth it. I've got my 20+ years already, but decided I didn't want to fly anymore or do the UTA thing anymore and didn't quite think it was a good idea to retire yet so I decided to try the IMA world. *****EDIT***** I'll start answering some of the questions below. I really had to seriously compare the pro's and con's since my brain was pretty much committed to retiring when I stumbled across the IMA vacancy, but my main reasons for staying in were: I've already been an O-5 for a bit over 3 years. I was one who was good going out as an O-4 and then I promoted to O-5. When I did the math, an O-6 collecting an ARC retirement in 2037 with 6,000 points was over $20k per year more than an O-5. Well beyond what I had imagined, so it was a big factor in my decision. The opportunity to promote to O-6 is a good possibility in the position I'm in. There are a couple of O-6 positions above me in the unit already. I also decided that I wanted to stay in and try something different before I pulled the plug. The ANG has it's advantages in that you can be a flyer for your whole career if you want and retire as a mission-ready line pilot, but a part of me felt I needed to try something else. Military flying wasn't doing much for me anymore and I felt I needed to put that phase of my life behind me. There's only 24 IDT and 12 AT plus MPA when made available (reduced retirement eligible). I really don't need military days to augment my airline schedule anymore as I am very senior in base/in seat, not commuting and loving life. With the amount I was having to participate in my Guard unit (the ops tempo just never seemed to let up), it was basically starting to hamper my ability to pick up open time and make more money at the company anyway. One 2-day premium pickup is worth more than a whole month of ANG pay. No UTA's. I was really done with the whole one weekend a month thing. I won't work weekends and the schedule is very flexible. I'll be the only reservist in the squadron (it's all AD) and the position is basically a deputy Sq/CC augmenting my AD counterpart. So, I figured I'd give it go. Worse comes to worse, I hate it and I pull the handle in a few years. No commitment. Still eligible for TRS healthcare as an IMA (A or B, not C). THE PROCESS (I may add to this little by little): 1. Find the position you want. You do this by going on the Reserve Vacancy site off vMPF. It's in the same area you can find the PERSTEMPO and PRDA links. Click on that and go to IMA vacancies. If you're a flyer, you'll pretty much be eligible to apply for Pilot IMA (11XX) and Operations Support (16XX) vacancies. Note that IMA positions are rank capped, so if you're an O-4 close to meeting your O-5 board, you probably won't get hired into an O-4 IMA position and probably don't want to because you will not be able to promote until you find an O-5 position. If you're already an O-5, you can sit in an O-5 IMA position until your MSD (not a bad deal). 2. Find an AFRC recruiter. I'd imagine this process is a lot easier if you're already AFRC. The recruiter can get you more info about the IMA position. If there is no POC listed on the vacancy announcement, they can get you this info. I'd advise you contact the hiring official via email or phone and discuss the position. If it's local, you may even want to show up for a meet and greet, which I believe goes a long way in showing your interest. Lots of people apply for these positions and many of them are not local. There are IMA positions all over the country. The recruiter will probably have you fill out a bunch of AFRC application-type paperwork to start a file on you. 3. If you're ANG, you'll need to get an AF 1288 drafted and routed through your Guard leadership. Your unit may have other local processes for a separation, but it'll go up through your CoC (up to TAG) for approval. This takes a while. It shouldn't, but it does because FSS manages the whole thing. For me, it took about two months. Once the AF 1288 comes back signed, it goes back to your recruiter. The recruiter will have to put a separation date on your AF 1288. Picking this date is very important as I will discuss in a bit in my take-aways and how I would have done things differently if people actually knew what they were doing and gave me the correct information during this process. If you explore the IMA world from the ANG, expect that this will be the first time everyone is doing this and in the end, you're the one who can get screwed if it's not done correctly. 4. Once the 1288 is ready to go, the recruiter will submit it to HQ RIO/DET - X. Depending on what MAJCOM this IMA job falls under, that Detachment will vary. RIO/DET will review your application and send it to the hiring official after they review it. Keep in mind, you may have already had a hand-shake agreement that you have been hired into that position by the hiring official. If you haven't been hired, your application may just go into a pile with everyone else's. These IMA jobs may be a lot more popular than you may think so it is important to network and/or rush the unit. RIO/DET had my application for almost two months, which at the time, I was told was longer than usual, but apparently there was a hold up with their HARM reviewing my flying records. We're now at about the 4-1/2 cumulative month mark from when I began the process. 5. RIO/Det adds some things to your AF 1288 and will send the package back to your ANG unit's FSS. Your FSS will submit the separation package to ARPC. This happens through the new "myFSS" system, which at the moment, is a colossal train wreck (because vPC-GR was so broken, we had to change it, right?). Even though your 1288 got routed through your leadership for you to apply to get out of the ANG, your separation package will now be routing electronically through myFSS to your leadership again (at least through SQ and OG/CC's) for approval. Even though this should only take a few days, expect another month. 6. Once the package is signed by your leadership, FSS will submit it to ARPC. If there are any errors in your separation package, ARPC will kick it back (there were thanks to my FSS). This will delay the process more. 7. The ANG and Reserves like to play games with manpower numbers so depending on what time of year and what those numbers look like, they may not let you out until it's good for their PowerPoint presentations. Mine sat with a technician for three months. Depending on what separation date you put on your 1288, this could screw you. More about that below. 8. When my 1288 came back from RIO/Det earlier in the process, my FSS told me that once they submit the package to ARPC, it'd only be several weeks for an approval. Why I believed them, I don't know, but I did so when I chose my separation date, I picked one out ahead about a month. Well, the process took another six months. With each and every day that went by past my separation date, my separation was to be back-dated. The catch with this is that I could no longer do military duty with the ANG past this date and I could not do military duty with the AFRC yet prior to being gained, which meant I was pretty much in limbo. Depending on your points situation and your R/R date (which stays the same going from ANG to AFRC), you may back yourself into a corner getting your 50 points for a good year. Your 15 ANG membership points will be prorated based off your separation date. My recommendation is to set your separation date out further in the future and make sure you get 50 points for the year before you separate. I was already past my 20 year mark, but I'd still not want deal with not getting a good year. Also, if you are using Tricare Reserve Select, back-dating your separation will screw with that and DEERS as well because you may show a break in service for a while until the AFRC gains you (could be a week or more). Expect disrupted military email service, CAC certificate issues and you will come up "terminated" when they scan your CAC at the front gate. It will also not work at the commissary (but they let me shop anyway). I am also hearing "rumors" that approved reduced retirement applications that were done in vPC-GR are "lost in space" and especially so going from ANG to AFRC or vice-versa. I am in the process of trying to track mine down. It is no-where to be found in the new myFSS system and vPC-GR is gone. What is even sweeter is that ANG AROWS doesn't talk to AROWS-R and once you are separated from the ANG, you will no longer have access to your orders. So, it'd behoove you to download all of your orders from AROWS-ANG and store them somewhere safe (maybe multiple places) because you won't be able to get them. Ask me how I know. Of course, don't expect anyone to tell you this very valuable information at your unit or find it on any out-processing checklist (probably a good place for it). Luckily, I was able to talk my ANG FSS into downloading and emailing me all of my 200+ orders after I was separated. Don't expect the same treatment. More to follow....

Russians dont care about dead Russians. There are some interesting German diaries on youtube from officers involved in Stalingrad. Pretty gnarly.

Boom. Roasted. Stroke of a pen.

At every setback/defeat/victory in the last 2 years, there is always the comment of "I don't think Putin is stupid". Every time there was a fuckup, there were people there to state "this is all part of the plan". How long does this go on? I don't think Putin is necessarily stupid but he certainly isn't smart. He was fed a bunch of non-stop bullshit on the state of his forces and he believed it. He DRASITCALLY underestimated the will of the Ukrainian people and more importantly the will of the western world to supply and defend them.

Individual Ukrainians may, in fact, be drafted into service. That's not the point being made. The point being made is that the government of Ukraine could stop fighting at any point. The US and NATO aren't forcing Ukraine to fight, we're enabling a decision they made for themselves.

Arent Ukrainian Males in forced conscription? So yeah they kinda are forced to fight. The war goes back to 2014 with the Maiden uprising. Losing the pro Russia govt is what pushed Putin. The question is how involved was the US in those uprisings? State Dept was there. Not saying this is just cause for Putin but an expansion eastward of Western influence put him in a defensive position. A question to ask is if/when western support dries up in Ukraine and Russia eventually wins...will that loss of life be worth it for Ukraine? Did we just help delay the inevitable and cause more death and destruction for a goal of making Putin's military weaker. I dont think Putin is stupid. I think a lot of things going on now are all related.

scle·rot·ic /skləˈrädik/ adjective 1. MEDICINE of or having sclerosis. 2. becoming rigid and unresponsive; losing the ability to adapt. "sclerotic management"

Jordan cancels Biden's visit. Biden's visit with Egypt and Palestinian leadership also cancelled today. Iran embassy in Syria tells Israel "Time is Up" as Iranian foreign minister flies to Jeddah for emergency meeting with Saudi government. Edit: UN sanctions on Iran for the purchase and sale of ballistic missile and long range drones expired 3 hours ago. They are now free to provide weapons to Hamas, Hezbollh, Russia, etc. US embassy in Beirut attacked. British and French embassy in Tehran attacked. Israeli embassy in Turkey and Jordan attacked. Large protests in Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Yemen, and Canada. Meanwhile, the sharks are circling. https://x.com/jenniferzeng97/status/1714343936204878261?s=20 Nice work, Joe.

I'm surprised we're exposing POTUS to this level of danger by sending him into theater. I understand the value of optics, but a trip right now doesn't seem prudent.

Rog. And I hear you. I will say though, that I've yet to see such immediate and blatant disregard for the rule of law. Exhibit #1 is the student loan "forgiveness" debacle. Joe Biden loses it in court, and then immediately turns around and says "fuck that." This is dangerously corrosive to the underlying system we have in place.

Always a good morning waking up to burning Russian equipment.

It would make for a pretty good office comedy, if people didn't die because of DoS's incompetence.

Its mind boggling after three years of having COVID in our life’s, that there are still people clinging to the vaccine as being beneficial. It was rushed to market by Big Pharma to make them BILLIONS. It wasn’t about saving anyone Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

that was NOT the question during peak covid hysteria. the demand was you MUST take the vax REGARDLESS of any risk/reward calculation. people were fired from jobs and lives were ruined due to your stupidity. a little humility is the right answer for you and your ilk, but like a fool you will double down.

We're so fucked as a people. Nobody puts ANY critical thought into what they are seeing and sharing. Just, if it looks like it supports my thoughts, fire away.

Wild that the same people who fell for Russian talking points are now falling for Hamas talking points...

True, I typed that partially in jest, but partially to make the point that we are contributing a portion of your and my productive value to a conflict over land that has little intrinsic value. So if we're not protecting the land, what is it we are receiving in return for our investment in this conflict? "We're taking out a global superpower." Why is anyone calling Russia a superpower? Primacy of learning. We were taught as kids that they were the big baddies 40 years ago and forgot to check and see if they still met the criteria. Look at the infographic I posted above. They're number 10 or 11 in the world economy. It is because they have nukes? They're one of maybe 10. They're no more a superpower than Brazil or Italy. What is the only thing Russia has going for it? Energy. Something that is finite in supply and the rest of the world, especially the West, has a growing appetite for. The real lesson here is "Don't fuck with the petro-dollar." Soverignty, Freedom, Anti-Authoritism, is all made up BS to garner public support. Those things exist en masse in countless places around the globe. Somehow it only matters when energy and wealth are involved. "It's a bargain". I have sister-in-law that that likes to shop. They're in a $350K house, up to their assholes in debt, and she's bringing home some bullshit knick-knack doo-dads because they were a good deal at 50% off. Well, he, an engineer, recently got a pink slip because the DoD decided they really didn't robot fuel trucks as bad as weapons for Ukraine and now I'm supposed to bail them out by buying their things they shouldn't have charged to the credit card in the first place. Sorry, that's your debt, not mine. Who is buying our debt? China currently owns about a trillion dollars worth of US treasuries. In a conflict, they would use that to wreck our economy. By indebting ourselves to fight one foe, we're exposing ourselves to another. "They're a threat to Europe and the West." I've asked this before. If all it took was a throwing a bargain sum of money at the problem to stop Russia a few miles into Ukraine, how were they ever a threat to anyone that really matters? What's the score card on former Soviet republics joining NATO vs. joining Russia. After decades watching them being absorbed into the other team, Russia finally decides to take a stand over the shittiest and most corrupt one of the bunch. I'd say have at it. Let UKR be the anchor around their neck for next few decades, because that's exactly what they're gonna be for us. Sort of like Greece for the European Union. 120,000 of 143,000,000 is eight one-hundredths of one percent. If 15% of the DoD budget is an insignificant number, what is .08% of Russian population? I do agree with you, however. Overall, Russia is facing a demographic problem and has been since long before this war. The war isn't moving the needle. But if they are facing a demographic collapse, wouldn't that further substantiate my position that they were/are not a viable threat? I contend that the collapse of Russia is a greater threat than its existence. As Russia leadership has a numerous times, "Why should the world exist without Russia?" There have been times in recent history where our relationship with Russia has been cooperative and mutually beneficial. Can anyone figure out the common thread during times where the relationship has soured? This is an immensely complicated issue, and I'm trying to weigh as many factors and variables as I can comprehend. I love my country, and I love my life in it. After trying to consume and process as much information as I can, attempt to eliminate my biases, it seems apparent to me that the biggest threats to me, my family, and my community are coming from within, not without. I can appreciate that my worldview may not be 100% correct and I've said before that I'm willing to abandon it if presented with a better one. That's why my intent here is to be somewhat disagreeable and challenging. If I were pawnman, I'd instantly submerse myself in whatever the official narrative is for the "current thing", be it COVID, Ukraine, Israel, etc., and regurgitate it without a single original or critical thought while trying to high five everybody in the room for being one of the bros. Nobody likes that.

How, exactly, was Russia a thread to Europe and beyond before all of this?

Eh, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. We've started wars over more dubious intel and you survived.

While ironically acknowledging my stupidity for bothering to engage you on this...your stupidity is tiresome. When a person is infected by a SARS virus they have an immune response. In a small number of cases that immune response has collateral impacts on the body. When a person is vaccinated against a SARS virus they have [functionally] the same immune response. In a small number of cases that immune response has collateral impacts on the body. Sound familiar? The difference being that they are not also under threat of a replicating virus that can overwhelm the body's ability to defend itself. It's no surprise to thinking people that the same increase in risk of cardiac inflammation that comes with infection also comes with vaccination. It would be surprising if that was not the case given that, from the immune system's perspective, vaccination is indistinguishable from infection (with a few links in the response chain bypassed by mRNA). The only question then is does the overall reduction in risk through vaccination outweigh that of exposing 'everyone' to the collateral immune response risk when a small portion of them may otherwise avoid ever being exposed to viral infection. And the answer is yes...by orders of magnitude. Thankfully the people employed to come to these conclusions are typically not exceptionally vulnerable to tribal group-think conspiracy movements, and they base their conclusions on reality. You may now return to wasting your life away by willfully sifting through all the wrong information in order to find the next trump-card that isn't a trump-card.

If you want to take a shot at me, grow a spine and do so directly. Obviously, you're a big fan of indirect engagement, but I think it's a weak way to handle your business. I could draw it out for you in crayon and stick figures, and you'd still be incapable of understanding. I do not support Russia, and you're a fool for believing you, me, and the people we care about will experience a better life as a result of this. You're watching the conflict unfold from a half a planet away, and through a soda straw, while nutting in your underoos because you saw a bad guy get exploded. Ok, enough insults. 😄 Here's what I see: a great unraveling of global political, social, and economic orders. Consequences of unlimited growth in world of finite resources. Thucydidies trap. A bunch of 80 year olds spending our nation into oblivion to settle old conflicts before they kick it. Some napkin math I just did: The average price, per acre, of land in Ukraine is $580. Russia has assumed control of approx 30 million acres of mostly farmland. That's $17 Billion dollars. For the $113 Billion we've spent, and gotten nothing, we could have bought the land, built homes and infrastructure, and populated the area with Mexicans, Palestinians, Ukrainians, Africans, Americans, Liberals, Transvestites, whomever... and still had money left over. NATO could have thrown Russia into chaos without a single weapon. This whole thing is hilariously insane. So yeah, big f'n waste.