TAMInated

I thought the same thing when I read the article: "Really? This is news?" I know of more than one guy that avoided TAMI21, a guy that got a DUI on base and wasn't even grounded, the list goes on...

What's the worst that can happen? They banish me to drones for the rest of my commitment AGAIN? I think I'll roll them bones...

Holloman, where else?

Too true. The next asshat that tells me "You volunteered for whatever the Air Force has in store for you when you signed you 10 YEAR commitment" is gonna get punched in the face.

I want to stay in, but it's blatantly obvious that the Air Force doesn't want me to stay in, or else the dirty whore named TAMI would not exist.

Ditto on what the other guys said about life in Vegas. I go to the strip every other month at most. Zion, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Tahoe are all within a half day's drive. By the way, you volunteered for drones to wash off your ISR stink? Let me know how that works out for you...

I would say job satisfaction varies wildly based on backgrounds. For me, the job is NEVER challenging and almost never rewarding. For those who think we kill all the time, realize that it's not nearly as often as the fighters and bombers in theater, especially when you consider the number of hours we operate. Don't believe everything you hear, it's nothing like flying a real airplane, the SA level is nowhere close to the same, we don't really drop that much and, despite what a certain field graders on 60 minutes say, the same rush isn't there. I don't know, maybe they're being told what to say to try to recruit people, but I doubt it. As for manning, ISR is important, I get it, uncle already! But you don't need guys like me or even guys out of pilot training to do this job 99.9% of the time. I say bring on all the punks, shoe clerks, retired guys, contractors, navs, whoever wants to operate these things. It's obvious that there is no consideration for skill, experience, or ability required even for that .1% of the time it's actually needed, so bring em on I say. Clearedhot, there is the capability to allow one pilot to control 4 drones at once, but the "leadership" doesn't want to accept the miniscule risk involved. "What if all 4 engines shit the bed at once? What if all 4 have to shoot at the same time? CHAOS! AHHHHHHH!!!!"

The brass want to reward me? Really? Well this is the first I've heard of it. What's that? You want to give me a medal? Seriously? You think a ######ing medal is what I want? Oh, you want to give me flight pay, too? And incentive pay besides? Awesome! How bout I give you all my flight pay, incentive pay, I'll take a paycut besides, and just get me out of here. Here's some better ideas if you want to reward me: 1. Allow me to compete against my peers and earn an assignment out of this God-forsaken community. I've worked over 2 years trying to make things better here and it just isn't going to happen. 2. If 1. is impossible, or more likely, you are just unwilling to do it, put a base at a place that is not the armpit of America. Indian Springs, Alamogordo, Clovis? Are you dry-poking me? I thought BUFFs had it bad. Do these clowns realize that you can "fly" these little white turds with wings from anywhere? ANYWHERE! Isn't that the whole point of drones? I don't know what I'm going to do when I lose my easy access to hookers and blow here in Vegas and have to go to Holloman. 3. Give me the same ADSC as the shoe clerks, navs, and E's that do the same job I am doing. 4. How about you try and....whoa....where am I?

Agreed. None of the places I went were as good a time as St Anton. I know of at least one DNIF that may or may not have been a direct result of skiing down from the Krazy Kangaroo after apres ski.

I'll take his A-10...

They actually put names on the doors to the trailers. I wish I was making that up...

Yes. And I use the term "leadership" loosely here....

There aren't really any viper bases that are that bad now that there aren't any jets at Cannon. I would go to Aviano. Italy is awesome, great TDYs, living/travelling in Europe is a once in a lifetime experience for most. I would also try to go to the ROK since it should give you an extra year in the jet, although nothing is guaranteed. Can't speak for the rest of the bases since I haven't been to any.

Isn't it a good thing to be averse to taking casualties? I sure think so, at least to a certain point. Politicians should be questioned by the press for sending people into harm's way. Sending people to kill at great risk to themselves is not a decision that should be taken lightly. At the same time, I think that if we aren't willing to risk any lives for whatever cause it is we're fighting for, then maybe we need to think a little more carefully about going to war. If we're willing to kill for a cause, but not risk any lives for that same cause, is it really a cause worth fighting for?

I am one of the guys going to Creech because of the miserable wench that is called TAMI. Me and the other bros that are getting screwed over have talked over beers about drones and the moral questions that they bring up, the main one being "Is killing without any risk to yourself honorable?" I'm not talking about lobbing a JDAM from the bozosphere. I mean no risk at all. None. Or are drones just a part of the natural progression of warfare? i.e. fists-rocks-spears-arrows-guns-etc. I realize this is a pretty deep topic for this forum, but I'm curious what you guys think, specifically the old skulls who've been shot at and dropped in anger before. Discuss... P.S. Please don't mistake me for some smelly hippie SNAP. There are people out there that deserve to meet their maker and I am happy to arrange that meeting and won't hesitate to hit the pickle button when/if the time comes, whether I'm in my mighty viper or in a glorified Winnebago "flying" something with a smaller motor than my snowmobile.