Hacker

Apologies for the continued thread derail, but this is the 1997 AF Times article where the 2nd "Dear Boss" letter appears: Bird, Julie. Punching Out: In a Letter to His "Boss", A Pilot Explains Why He's Leaving the Air Force. Air Force Times pp 12-14, March 17, 1997.

There was definitely a 2nd one written during the Fogleman era, '97ish. When I read the AF times article on it, that was the first time I'd even heard of the Keys letter. I had a vague recollection in my mind that there was a 3rd letter written post 9/11, but maybe not.

Damn, some great quotes in this short thread all ready. A month or two ago I heard of a new-in-2009 "Dear Boss" letter. Anyone else seen such a beast? Given the current circumstances both inside and outside the USAF, I'm interested to see what this one says. Perhaps it will get all the same attention and action that the previous two (or is it three?) USAF Dear Boss letters did. I think there's a BIG lesson to be learned out of the fact that the first Dear Boss letter's author wasn't able to fix the issues he brought up in letter #1 even as a MAJCOM CC. The bigger lesson is probably that you could change a couple of the terms in Keys' letter and it would apply just as much today as it did in the 1980s.

This. Sorta.

Definitely a Hind, NOT a Hip or MD-500. Chewie was my SQ/CC back in the day, and I had many chances to talk with Rhino Bennett over beers while we were both deployed to OIF in '03. They both adamantly said it was a Hind, and that it was clearly visible in their LANTIRN video. Tons of bro network discussion about it being an F-15E that shot down the UAV. And, it was a Reaper, not a Pred.

The F-15E shoots 20mm. The spent casings are relatively tough to come by, as they're 'controlled' by the ammunition folks on base. Not sure exactly what they do with all of the spent casings, but they're accountable items that the ammo dudes have to 'turn in' when done. That being said, the ammo guys will horsetrade for spent casings -- a case of beer is always a good place to start. The real problem for you, as a spouse, will be simply finding a point of contact in the Ammo squadron that you can work with. I'd start by talking with your husband's Flight Commander in the Rockets. He will probably be able to work opening the doors better than you can alone.

Yes, it would be a bad idea. They are different squadrons with basically the same mission. There has always been a rivalry between the Chiefs and the Rockets, sometimes friendly and sometimes unfriendly. It's like a "State U vs U" type rivalry. If it's your man's first fighter squadron, he's probably pretty attached to it -- it's a little but like your first love, first kiss, or the first girl you slept with. Buying him a print that depicts the 'rival' squadron probably wouldn't make him all that happy. The only other commercially-available 335th print that I can think of is "On The Warpath" by Jerry Bean, which was done in 2002 after the Chiefs came back from Operation ANACONDA in Afghanistan. It depicts the Battle of Roberts Ridge, and has depictions of some of the Chief's noseart that their jets had on that deployment. I don't have a copy of the print, but I think it's this jet (at the time, the Chief's flagship) that is depicted in the painting: One final note: most squadrons have a supply of art prints that they internally sell through their Snacko, and usually at prices that are significantly less than what you can buy them for commercially. I recommend you check with someone in the squadron to see what the Snacko store has, and don't "waste" your $$ buying him something that he can get in the squadron.

None...but I have the original painting hanging over my fireplace.

I read an article that stated this, but it was written by someone who wasn't involved in the process in any way whatsoever -- it was his speculation on why the T-6 would be the best platform for the COIN role. Unfortunately, fresh UPT grads are not the "good candidates" for this platform. Initially, at least, this platform needs seasoned CAS and FAC pilots, with ISR, PGM, strafe, and NVG experience. The fighter porch assignments guy at AFPC said that there is a line "a mile long" of experienced fighter guys who are climbing all over each other to get assigned to this platform when it comes out. Good luck to the Pred guys to get thrown a bone, but I highly doubt this will be that bone. If it is, it will be a huge mistake.

What base will he be assigned to? The Ron Wong F-15E prints are all for RAF Lakenheath, the Keith Ferris print is a 335th jet from Seymour Johnson. Here are a couple prints of some 336th FS (Seymour Johnson) jets: "No Fly Zone" by Mike Goettner, a print depicting an Operation Northern Watch mission. "Pressing West At Frisco" by Wade Meyers, a print depicting an Operation Iraqi Freedom mission.

Wish somebody had thought of that, say, 20 or 30 years ago. Dual cockpit, dual control, T55 engine (same as in the Chinook) and (could) carry/drop anything you could hang from a 1,000 pound bomb rack (including targeting/shooting a Maverick). Also, a version of it carried the largest gun ever mounted on a combat aircraft (sorry Gunship guys), the 106mm recoilless rifle Nuthin new under the sun...just a very short memory in the USAF accompanied by a corporate failure to learn from the past.

Other than the fact that: - For decades the USAF has scoffed the CAS/COIN mission - The acquisitions process is so utterly broken that it takes decades to design, build, test, and field a military aircraft these days. Dave Lindsay tried to sell the USAF on the Piper Enforcer for damn near two decades, and time after time the USAF said "not just no, but HELL no!"

Generally, if fighter dudes are, they are logging IP time anyway.

Booyah! Looks like I'll be picking up 69+% disability when Big Blue is all done with me.

Foul, two. Just because an officer was in logistics doesn't make him a 'shoe clerk', nor does it make him undeserving of such recognition. It's valid to say that was an underhanded way to get the base named the way someone wanted, but at least the name recognizes someone of importance, rather than just being "Wellston AFB". In my mind, it's better that it happened that way.

Just remember that there are reams of AFBs that have been closed over the years that were named for many, many other USAF/USAAC heroes. Just because their names don't grace currently-open AFBs doesn't mean they haven't been previously recognized.

That's exactly what airliners need -- a real-time data feed to someone on the ground. Certainly nobody would be looking at that data for violations, right?? It would ONLY be for safety data after an accident, right??

No, because the appropriate term for that is "ball walk" or "hang brain".

Sorry, but "crew dogs" don't need this info shared with them -- they're all ready on the slow train to begin with. All of us who didn't go to ACSC in residence (and thus not going to get staff jobs...) are never going to be jousting for Joint Staff vectors from the DT. In case you hadn't noticed, the *majority* of O-4s out there fall into that category, and if you look at the O-5 promotion statistics that shows who is on the fast track and who is not. You're still talking about slivers of percentages of people on such a career track. That kind of info is absolutely useless to anyone who is not all ready a command-tracker, to be honest. It's like discussing the merits of a Breitling vs a Rolex to a hungry, penniless, homeless person.

Maybe they'll see the economic impact, too.

If only politicians would stand behind what they've said -- and speak their minds -- then we solve a lot of problems in American politics.

Kanye said "of all time", not "of the decade". Re: Taylor *almost* nipple....I see it in there. That makes it full up. As Dice Clay said long ago, "and if you look REEEEAAALLLY close, you could see bush." Maybe....but the VMAs were in New York (notice the "NYC" in the background?). -1 for SA. :)

Game, set, and match. However...go have fun with Taylor and I'll be more than happy with Beyonce as a "castoff" since she's not good enough fer ya.

I am speechless.