SPiF

There's the "Preseparation counseling form" that is supposed to be filled out and ended up in my AFPC records, but when I separated no one checked the rest of the forms. The folks at AFRC said that you were required to outprocess through them, but MPF didn't give a s**t. I don't think they even looked for the preseparation counseling form. What are they going to do, recall you to AD? Out of the weeklong TAP class about 30-45 minutes was useful, like the gouge on getting free LinkedIn Premium (you laugh, got 2 job offers that way, 1 of which I took...). The rest of the time I spent sitting in the back, surfing the net, and talking with the recruiters I'd been talking with before I went to TAP. And they were talking about how they were "getting" to add a 1-2 day "How to use the GI Bill" session because people kept jacking it up.

Just log in to AF Portal, and do a search for "Cyber 200". It's a different course, but the X-course is on the same page, called something like Cyber and Space assignments.

When I applied to separate and go guard, I didn't have a MOS and checked "I request that I be given an Air Force Reserve Commission", but on final separation approval they didn't give me one. Didn't cause me any issues. Now the ISR not flagging my records as going ANG and letting them go into AFRC purgatory, that caused about 2 months of pain to get fixed.

Correct. It's in the reg somewhere, but the PTDY taken as part of "terminal leave" or in conjunction with it, so as soon as one ends you start the other one.. even if it's a weekend/holiday/etc.. Mainly meant to keep someone from taking leave up until Friday, then not taking leave the weekend, and going back on leave Monday.

-No to contacting SFS. They're used to trucks showing up all the time with stuff for AAFES, UPS, etc. and will search it if needed when you get there. -It's been a few years, but you should be just fine going through the main gate. Keep in mind if you try to go through the aux gate that it closes early-ish (like 1800-2000, I think). Not a lot of room to turn around a truck towing a car, so I'd stick with the main gate personally. -Since it's your first DITY, don't forget to get empty and full weights. This includes having the car you're towing weighed both empty and with your stuff in it, as you can get paid for having stuff in the car. That, and most commercial CAT scales will let you re-weigh within 24 hours for free. FWIW.

You can keep Tricare Standard for something like ~$2200/quarter (~$733/mo), or join a guard/reserve unit and get it for $205/mo. Ran into the same issue getting out (Wife due right before separating, decided to go ANG). As a side note, most insurance you can purchase individually through folks like Blue Cross/United Healthcare/etc. doesn't cover maternity care. If you can get in with a small business/employer/trade group/etc., those policies usually cover maternity but check the fine print.

This. I commissioned in early May, and was on AD about 2 1/2 weeks later. Sometime in September they adjusted my DOR, which was after I came on AD (I was about 3-4 days into ASBC TDY enroute to my first duty station when the Academy graduated that year). And that's the DOR they've used to calculate promotions ever since. Another guy I was on casual with was in the same situation, same timeline, and CPTS actually went after his pay from that time. How could he have been paid from 26 May if his DOR is 30 May? They eventually gave him his money back...after withholding an entire paycheck from him to "correct the debt." (They took the pay, TDY money, and PCS money for everything that occurred before 30 May).

All TA has been put on hold, as there's no funding behind it. Some universities are giving out "grants" to military students enrolling in the next few weeks, you'd have to contact them. Most of my airmen that were using TA are just taking the next term off (if they're doing 8 week terms). Better safe then to get stuck holding the bill.

You can get something like StrongVPN for ~$20/3mos, if I remember right. What it does is make Hulu/Netflix/AmazonOnDemand think you're in the US. Since the Manas internet shows up as being outside the US, most of those sites will block you otherwise.

I agree he doesn't warrant the Bronze Star (especially based on what it took in previous wars to get it). But, I agree that if the standard for MSgts enforcing reflective belt policies at Al Udied is the standard for MSMs and Bronze stars, then we may be able to do better than just an AFCM for this guy. If he's with an Army unit, I'm surprised that they didn't give him an Army Commendation Medal as well. My unit sends guys out all the time with Army units, and it's very common for them to get both Army and AF/Joint medals. At least give the guy the "V" distinction to show he wasn't rewarded for enforcing combat showers at the 'died. I'd argue that, especially as a SrA, he was acting above and beyond what was expected of him. He's an AF junior enlisted member who stepped up in a combat situation when he was fully expected to sit back, find a defensive position, and let the Army go do its thing. Instead he took the initiative, utilized his training, and put lead downrange. As a deployed flight commander, there's nothing more painful then seeing deserving TSgts acting like SMSgts and having their MSMs downgraded by a deployed Chief solely based on their rank, yet seeing MSgts acting like SSgts and have their MSMs fly through the system unchecked. I was told he couldn't have the MSM, then told to rewrite the dec as it "sounded too good for just an AFCM". My boss went to bat for me, but the WG/CC sided with the WG/CCC over the OG/CC.

I know several folks (myself included) who have done Oklahoma State University's distance ed program. For military (even out of state), they lower their tuition to the TA cap. It does require more work than places like Park, TUI, and ERAU, but it's a worthwhile degree. Mainly professionals from all over with a good chunk of military mixed in. I'm about to graduate, and very happy with the program. Worked with me during deployments, esp. when I ended up in places where I couldn't download lectures. Also something that I'll use when I pull chocks and get the f**k out of the AF.

Nope, everyone else has the "SERE 100" CBT. I guess in case your computer crashes and you have to go to another building to get it fixed?

2. I know here in OKC we've had people getting popped for sleeping it off in the backseat of their car. As far as the cops were concerned if you were in possession of your keys in the car (who sleeps in the back of their car and hands their keys to someone else? really?), then you were going to drive drunk. It's actually become a commander's call briefing item on base. Don't get me wrong, if you drive drunk you deserve to get punished, and there are plenty of programs out there to help those who don't want to sleep in their cars get home (cabs, AADD, wingman system, etc.) But being retarded about enforcing the laws and passing retarded laws will only make the problem worse. I know the trend in our group has been if you get busted for a DUI then it's thanks for your service, here's the door.

Yeah, according to the article on AFtimes, they're looking to get rid of ~1400 officers. I know for FY09 they started offering the affected career fields voluntary options to get out. My career field (33S) has been directed to lose ~975 officers out of 2900. The RIF board is only affecting a few career fields, and only a few year groups. However, for all of the AFSCs on the hit list you have the option of B2G, Palace Chase, ADSC waiver, etc. Of course, that's for FY10. FY11's force shaping program is supposedly changing and I'm hearing RUMINT that FY12 will have more cuts as well. But, at least my ops tempo is high and I get a lot of tax free (33S). Doesn't hurt that a large chunk of the comm career field sits at home or "deploys in place" i.e. I-NOSC, Lackland weenies, profile queens, etc. BLUF is work your ass off and don't be a bottom dweller, no matter where you are. I got lucky when I med washed from UPT during the last drawdown and they worked hard to find me another home. Got the job I wanted and the career field (didn't have a lot of options as an engineer) I wanted, 'cause I wasn't a slug.

2, as a former group exec I saw it (as the old ABC and ASBC) on surfs. The outlook I got from a former AFPC assignments guy is that it may be a determining factor in case of another RIF (i.e. two similar records, but one guy went and another didn't), but other than that OPRs, SOS, and master's degrees tend to do the sorting. It shouldn't make a difference overall, but your mileage may vary.

For short-term taskings, they can ignore the band (and usually do). Granted, you're still required to go for your rotation when your band comes up, but it's not a restriction. If you're not in the right AFSC or (sometimes) if you don't have the right SEI then they won't take you as they don't need you. But if you tell your leadership you're a volunteer, they'll usually keep that in mind when selecting who needs to go. Now that I'm not on the flying side, I own mobility, the UDMs, and deal with that shit on a day-to-day basis. FWIW.

Depends. Does someone need an OPR bullet? If so, then see it in an AFI coming to you soon...

I know I got the message saying that they were having trouble with the finance system after I filed my latest travel voucher (schoolhouse class, so it wasn't in DTS). I filed it on 6 May, and got my message saying that it'd been processed on May 18th, within the 10 business day window I was told by finance. So there may be hope out there after all. Then again, most of the people in the class with me had trouble with finance, so YMMV.

I've used Continental and American. American was ok, but Continental seems to have a better network for transporting the animals (i.e. dedicated climate-controlled vans at each airport, special pet waiting areas, etc.). They also have shelters at many of their hubs in case something happens and the pets get stuck there overnight. Between the two the rates were about the same. My main issue is that my dog needed to make a connecting flight, so I was worried what would happen. American may be the better deal if you can get a nonstop. My .02

You can buy real beer on base, which helps.

I'm out here now, and the above pretty much sums it up. I'm in Moore, only because I didn't want to pay the $$$ for downtown, and didn't feel like driving to Norman every day. Overall, a pretty good place to be stationed. Not too far from Dallas, pretty decent bar scene, could be worse.

CB 09-01 (not exact...) T-38: F-16 T-6 FAIP UAV A-10 (Guard) F-16 (Guard) T-1: 4? C-17s (1 Guard) C-5 KC-135 KC-10 T-1 FAIP U-28 UAV I'm sure I missed someone in here. Definitely not the kind of history I wanted to watch happen...

I'm PCSing to Tinker here in the next few weeks, and I'm trying to find a good place to live (long term). I'm planning on renting for 6mos before I buy a house so I have a better idea of where to look. I've seen some lower-priced apartments in Midwest City, Del City, Norman, and NW Oklahoma, but have no idea what the neighborhoods are like. Also was looking at the houses between Tinker and Will Rogers, but again don't know what that area is like crime-wise (and if it's the kind of place I'd want to live). Drive time isn't the biggest concern for me, as I'm mainly looking to live somewhere that my bike has less of a chance of getting stolen/not coming home and finding my neighbors dealing drugs in the parking lot/find my car there in the morning. I'm also a single LT, so base housing is not an option. Thanks for the help!

Our class just went to the gym if we weren't flying that block. It was enough time to get to the gym, get a good 45min-1hr workout in, shower, and get back to prepare for formal release/newly scheduled event for the following block. Then again, for the most part, every person had a sim/flight/academics/RSU pretty much every go, or was the one person not doing anything and had to sit FIDO. But when there was a hole, we took advantage of it. My .02

A question on overseas auto insurance. Has anyone been able to save more using USAA overseas, or do they even cover the UK, Germany, or Japan?