Toro

Pure genius--developed the face of future warfare--promote BTZ and send to IDE!

Eight.

Here's a clue -- 20 posts on each page. Math in public next time and the seventh page can be yours. PS - Sixth page.

There's been a general trend here of guys asking "How can I improve my chances?" and getting responses like "This has been discussed, do a search." I'm the first one to pass out a UTFSF card, but the way the info is arranged sporadically throughout a number of threads and jammed in the middle of a bunch of stats, I admit it's tough to search for and find. I’ve tried to merge the posts into one jumbo thread, but it was so random and scattered it didn’t make much sense, so I’m going to start a new thread with stolen and linked info from the old threads (click on each subject for a link to a separate thread on that subject). This is intended primarily for pilot slot applicants, but feel free to add info on how to improve your chances for ROTC/OTS/USAFA. After you read Brabus' post on evaluating your chances for a pilot slot and before you ask how to improve your chances, read through this thread. This is NOT for posting stats and chances, it's for generic methods of improvement. Flying hours – Not necessary and a lot of hours may actually work against you (un-learning civilian flying to follow the Air Force way), but a small number of hours could be beneficial to give you a general feel for flying and concept of the principles. Additionally, it shows that you’re motivated enough to get out there and get some training yourself. GPA/degree: Your GPA is huge, the associated degree is not. A technical degree will help you get into ROTC or help you if you want to be a test pilot down the line, but a 4.0 English major does not weigh higher than an engineering 4.0 major. High school GPA does not matter. AFOQT scores: You have the option to re-take, but the second test will be your score. If you score worse the second time around, you take a hit. The only question I have is whether there is a cut-off at which you would recommend re-taking the test? Citizenship – Get it. You cannot commission into the military if you are not a US citizen. Fitness: Improve it. Your Physical Fitness Test score weighs into your PCSM score. Commander’s Ranking: This can be huge, not only for your OM, but in terms of what your commander may decide to help you out with. Extracurricular: This will help you for the ‘whole person’ concept, but where you’ll really make your money is in volunteering, primarily in Det activities. Also reference the commander’s ranking thread. Ethnic background – Doesn’t matter. Affirmative action won’t help you and prejudice won’t work against you. “If you can fly a jet, I dont care if youre purple-skinned or Klingon. There is no gender bias. There is no racial bias. There is SKILLS bias.” That's what I've got it, discussion is open for additional recommendations and questions.

What's your disease? That may help the docs out some more. Read this for general waiver info.

It's really going to depend on where you go. If you go to a base with either a large facility (San Antonio and most overseas bases) or a base near a large city and facilities, then there are many options. As either of the two options you listed, she would have a better chance in a clinic somewhere in town since the optometrists in the AF clinics are all military (at least the ones I've seen), and I don't know how big the need is for physical therapists (not saying it's not there, I just don't know what it is). That leaves you with civilian jobs outside the gate - go somewhere like Del Rio and you'll probably be limited. Go somewhere like Langley and you'll probably have a lot of options. So like everything else in the AF....it depends.

Well I think I speak for everybody here when I say good work. Too bad there aren't more like you there.

Wow - you're all a bunch of unprofessional a-holes! You should all be ashamed of yourselves! This place totally sucks and I hate all of you...but I think I'll keep coming back here and posting to instigate you all! a_thomas, let me give you three bits of advice 1) UTFSF and crap like this might not happen. Wacky bizarre things happen when you type in 'running' into the search function. Running/workout/PT while at UPT Advice on running/jogging WOW! 2) Quit while you're behind and never pass up a good opportunity to STFU. 3) Don't post sh*t like the comment below.... ...and not expect me to respond (Yes, that is from a_thomas in the Baseops chat room thread, which I removed). Well, guess what- Too late....bitch! Now by all means Baseopers, continue with your learnings of this motivated young lad. Yup, I'm a dick. Noted, accepted, get over it, move on.

I can't see the video, and I don't know what type of aircraft it was but there's any number of reasons it could happen- 1) Aircrew switch error - they might have mastered arm when they shouldn't have or intended to be dropping in a training mode when they were actually in combat mode (F-15Es aren't allowed to do this over populated areas). This happened about six years ago in England and the crew dropped a BDU-33 on a factory. Unfortunately, this is usually the culprit. 2) Designation error - they may screwed up their target designation and dropped the bomb short of where it was intended. If the crew was out of Nellis, I would hope this wasn't the mistake as it's more of a rookie (B-course) error to designate that far off target. 3) System error - the ranging source in the jet could have ‘hiccuped’. I’ve seen this happen before where the system is doing a continuous ranging update to the target, then for no apparent reason it jumps well long or short (miles) of the target. In the Strike Eagle this usually happens in the last 15 seconds prior to dropping and if you’re not paying attention, you can miss it. Anything’s possible – but I would certainly hope not. Complacency is a possibility with BDU-33s, but we normally don’t fly with heavyweights and tend to put more emphasis on PACS (weapons) procedures.

That is re-gawd-damn-diculous. I was kidding when I made the post (I saw somebody in their blues and figured maybe they thought it was Monday), but crap like this doesn't surprise me any more. CBM leadership needs to choke themselves.

You got mine and Bender's right, but I think you're giving Steve too much credit. Here's his facebook profile.

So if Monday is a holiday (Columbus day), how about we make Tuesday a virtual monday! I mean come on, the commissary does it - we don't want to let our professional image take a back seat to a national holiday.

No, you should be okay. As long as you have some sort of documentation that you're having the authorities look into the matter as credit fraud, I don't think they're going to raise a big stink.

If you're asking whether you should stick with this girl, that's something that only you can answer, but I'll offer some advice based off some of the things you've said. I'll be blunt here - if you two want to be married and in the same place and you want to be a pilot, then she's going to have to figure out a job that can follow where you go. If you've read through this section you know that things like nursing and teaching degrees are great for spouses who want to have an actual career when they're married to the military. If you have a casual status job that keeps you "really busy", then you'd probably be the first in the history of casual status. This will not be a problem is she wants to come visit you during that time. While she can't go with you to IFS, she could go with you (or visit) to ASBC, and there’s nothing preventing her from bringing her to UPT. Disagree. I was in a long distance relationship with my wife for about a year before we got married. Removing the physical aspect of your relationship for an extended period of time can be a good test. With only the phone and email, you should be able to learn and understand a great deal about each other. I’m a little confused here, and I think you may be as well. If she’s only in school through next year, why do you think the long distance aspect is going to last at least two years? The fact that you’re apart has nothing to do what you’re doing, it has to do with whether you want to have her living with you. If you don’t plan on you two living together (like even in the same town) until you get married, then that’s a different story, but the AF is not preventing that from happening once she’s out of school.

This wouldn't affect your chances at a pilot slot, it would affect your security clearance; any sort of financial problem (credit problems, bankruptcy, foreclosure, etc) are red flags. If the charge truly is not yours, I would get more aggresive with your situation (get the authorities involved - credit fraud is a CRIME) and don't sweat the pilot slot thing. Even if the situation was still pending when it came time to submit your security clearance, you can always explain it.

Nope. I swapped computers (not because of the problem), so I don't have to worry about it any more.

If you want to get into base housing you can fax/email your orders ahead of time to get your name on the waiting list, but it will all be based on when you physically show up. If you don't want base housing you can just check in when you arrive. You won't get to all of them - in standard shoe-clerk style, I'm sure most will be closed by 1530 or so. I would get done what you can, but don't sweat it too much and finish up on the 12th.

My old story stolen from the "Why SFS suck thread" ------------------- Back at the Heath it was fairly standard for people to take their parents out to the flightline to see the jets. Most people would do it in uniform. Well, one guy takes leave when his parents come out to visit and decides he's not going to put on his flight suit to take them out to the flight line (bad decision #1). Now, you don't need a uniform - though it helps - but you DO need a flight line badge. His flight line badge was in his uniform. Just so happens that the cops drive by these four people walking around the planes in civvies and come up to ask them what's going on. He says he's aircrew and - while he can provide a military ID, he can't provide a flightline badge. So this harmless tour ends up with - NSTFS - all four of them (him, his wife, and two parents) face down on the concrete with a cop standing over them with an M-16. Oh...but it gets better... So I happened to be driving out to the flightline and saw this. I drive up to them and say I can vouch for the guy - I have my flightline badge, I'm in uniform, and I know for sure that he's one of us. The cops say no - it's already broken protocol. The next thing I know, all four of them are being carted of to JAIL!!!!! They got inprocessed to the Lakenheath detention center until our commander could get them. We all laughed about it…but it only continues to prove my point.

Just got this emailed to me. 10% rule probably still applies, but still good --------------- In addition to communicating with the local air traffic control facility, aircraft are required to give the Iranian Air Defense Radar (military) a ten minute "heads up" that they will be transiting Iranian airspace. This is a common procedure for commercial aircraft and involves giving them your call sign, transponder code, type aircraft, and points of origin and destination. I just flew with a guy who overheard this conversation on the emergency frequency 121.5 Mhz while flying from Europe to Dubai. It's too good not to pass along. The conversation went something like this ... Air Defense Radar: "Unknown aircraft at (location unknown), you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself." Aircraft: "This a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace." Air Defense Radar: "You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!" Aircraft: "This is a United States fighter. Send 'em up!" Air Defense Radar: (no response ... total silence)

Ditto for us. We go through the Boeing contractors who run the simulators. A Loch is a large body of water in Scotland.

What are the staff guys doing that requires them to wear a flight suit? Since they don't have any duties that require it, they must be wearing it to feel special or separate themselves from their peers. I think everybody should wear blues. Cadets don't deserve the wings, but they got a pilot slot. Chill out about them wearing a bag. Now...space and missile dudes wearing a flight suit? That's right the f*** out.

Who the f*** told you that? Pass that word to your flight doc and he'll give them a running kick in the junk. Trying to suck it up of your own will is one thing - telling somebody else to do it is flat out poor. Let me pass to you the story of a guy who recently try to 'deal' with a head cold. The guy's a highly experienced O-5 with more Strike Eagle time than me, and a very good sense of how his body responds to flying and colds. He has flown with 'minor' colds before and never had a problem, so a few months ago he figured that flying with another 'minor' cold wouldn't be a problem. On decent from medium altitude, he got a sinus block. If you've never had a sinus block, pray you never do - it is in the top three most painful things I've ever had happen to me. He tried to level off for a while and snort some Afrin, but he was getting skosh on fuel, so he had to land fairly quickly. By the time he landed, he was in agony and he had blown something in the vicinity of his nasal cavity - blood was free-flowing from his nose. Obviously he went DNIF, and stayed DNIF for the next month while the docs tried to fix him with meds and rest. Oh by the way, guess what kind of sortie he was flying? Red Flag spinup....yup, he missed Red Flag. After a month of different meds, nothing was working and the docs were one last attempt away from scheduling him from surgery and a potential permanent DNIF. The last treatment ended up working, but six weeks and one missed Red Flag later, he'll tell you it definitely wasn't worth it. I'm not saying that you DNIF yourself every time you get the sniffles. I'm also not saying you should be a tough guy and push your body when you're at the point where you don't know how your body will respond. If you don't have the experience to know better, you either defer to the flight doc and let him make the decision or you don't fly.

WTF? Are they not teaching aerospace physiology any more?