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My spanking is acknowledged, we now return to your regularly scheduled posts........

Mambo, Nice use of the language of we farm animals............. My concern, if unfounded so be it, was I was just sayin'.........

Ok, only a controller, err, ABM, here, so I don't know my place, but might I suggest you ixnay on caps and lims in open source? Believe it or not, there are countries out there with real Air Forces that might like to know all the beeps and squeeks of what works and what doesn't. Or is that just some old SAC security neurons suddenly and randomly firing?

Since they announced a merger, it's probably a moot point.

The 'cool' intel briefs during mission planning.....

Concur. I had to do this while here in DC. Took a tux shirt, some gnarly fabric from a fabric store, went to the tailor who previously could not get his head around the concept, told him "cut this out, replace with this." Viola! One party shirt.

From horse's.......mouths (yeah, that's the word) who have sat on active and reserve promo boards (unknown re ANG), some universal truths........... Almost a Letterman Top 10 list for advancement 1. Command 2. PME (in residence if at ALL possible, especially ACSC/equivalent and AWC/equivalent. Although it's been done and guys have done well without it, not going to school in residence is the first major roadsign that your career has just stalled. Recoverable, but you have to Avis it and try harder. Getting command is really hard without in-residence PME.) 3. Advanced degree 3a. Weapons School., etc, is way good. 4. High stratification in OPRs/PRF. "My #1 of XX" is your goal. If that, then a DP is a given. 5. Medal commensurate with your grade and one in there within the last 12-18 months. Combat decorations score better than "I was there" medals. 6. Deployment (s) documented in your records. 7. Records are up to date/nothing missing. Make sure all your OPRs/awards are in there. 8. And although I disagree with this one in particular, exec jobs are a fast track way to accomplish #s 2 & 4. Look at the GO bios and see how many of them did it. Like promotes like. 9. Get all the above done ASAP, then you don't have to worry about it at the last minute. WG/CCs and above don't really care that you are "enrolled" in ACSC at the time your board meets. They want to see it done. 10. Enjoy the ride; if being CSAF is not your be all and end all, then relax a little. Many, many before you have made Maj and even Lt Col and can look at themselves in the mirror just fine without pinging about most of the above. For most promotion boards, each panel member takes about 15-30 SECONDS in the first cut to winnow out the dross or determine the top candidates The former go in the big "thanks for playing" pile and the second go in the "no brainer, promote now" pile. The middle ground is where they will take a little more time to look at records.

Yep. When I first got involved with my c/s issue with the FAA, I thought it might be a 67th at a Flag or some such, but it was the SCANG. Imagine, another COCK up....whodathougt?

Coincidentally, recently there was an ALTRV request to the FAA for the SC ANG using their well-known c/s of "Cock," as in "Gamecock." Center controllers, coordinating on the request, were actually refusing to work on it and were considering the dreaded EEO or other crap complaints. A little explanation of history and unit affliation went a long way to soothe things, but, man, was it funny to watch the spool up!

For the question about Reserve promotions and an advanced degree; we are following the active duty. If it's unmasked for them, it's unmasked for us. Same, say, as the PT test being on OPRs starting this year. (I'm an AGR -note to active duty guys; AGR program is the BEST thing since sliced dough.) Another program to consider having Uncle Sam send you to school for free is the Olmstead Scholarship program. Used to they'd send three regular officers per year from each service to the university of your choice. I don't know the current stats, but the program is still there. One's brother did that - he chose to attend University at Vienna, Austria, so he got to go to Monterray DLI to learn German for a year, then Austria for a year, then to ensure that he had a US degree, to Harvard for a year. All while earning Capt's pay - man, what I wouldn't have done to have money while going thru school..........

Ah, bourbon...a civilized drink. I'm partial to Order of Merit. Ok, it's actually a Canadian whisky, but it is the best I've ever tasted. Pity the distillery went belly up in the 1980s. Freakin' hard to find now.....

In the US, retired military can wear the uniform again for special occassions; you cannot wear the uniform and attend political events.

FNG post to break the cherry. This seemed an innocuous way to do so: Concur on "Once an Eagle." My all time favorite read. Recent reads: "Roberts Ridge," mentioned previously, very well done. "Vulcan 607," RAF long-range bombing of Stanley Airport during Falklands War in 1982.