BFM this

Guard.

One wing? I'm not sure that's going to fix it, boss. I'm imagining three additional wings plus a half dozen TFI associate squadrons at guard bases. That might get us to the point where this fusion reactor keeps itself lit.

Haven't been an intel type, so take this fwiw: go 18X, unless you have some other opportunity to be a pilot in the works. With 18x, I doubt you'll ever worry about where the next paycheck will come from, in your lifetime. Plenty of opportunity in the world for intel types, but I think advantage goes to RPA.

meh...I'll bet my pogs against that, expecting even money that I'd be wrong. While RPA is in the spotlight, the 11F manning problem hasn't gone away, and all efforts on that front have only shallowed the cinderblock glidepath. But of course, I was in the camp that thought restarting UPT-direct was going full-retard, so what do I know?

Trying to figure out what's worse: -that I can now relate to most if not all of the list -that after laughing my way through the full list, I find that I had been the first reply to the OP (and apparently found it funny then also). Zero recollection.

While a lot of your contributions are salient and well thought out, at other times you're clearly out of your element.

Are you loath to make a decision? We value your indecisiveness. Here, here's another $10k/yr to help you feel good about undervaluing your life choices.

Soupe du jour

True: without a rewrite of the bonus, I don't think anyone would be eligible.

Are you saying that there is zero merit to their arguments? Military-Industrial Complex, my friend. Lessons should have been learned after Comanche was cancelled and the Raptor line was shuttered. Lessons were learned, but not the ones that serve national security interests. Instead, the MIC and those with shared interests learned to leverage ideas like "too big to fail", having involvement in as many and as important congressional districts as possible, and Foreign Military Sales partners who we just can't leave in the lurch (though they are all too willing to walk away from our Wizard of Oz prize project). F-35 is going to yield a treasure trove of technological spin-offs. It has been a splendid (albeit expensive) research project, but the final thesis should be obvious: yes, you can drive nails with a torque wrench, but it's not cost-effective to do so. Otherwise it's another F-111 with far better marketing and lobby efforts.

Scroll back 5 years and say that.

Valid. My viewpoint is limited to the steel-mill business models of Holloman and Creech. This is probably the most achievable course of action. But even before this option is considered, I can't for the life of me fathom why the Air Force has allowed the ACs to wither on the vine in the first place. We are the AIR FORCE, FFS! ACs allowed Amn Snuffy to wander in and try flying in a safe, cost competitive environment. I imagine that said Amn, during the course of training, might learn that his CFI worked at one of the Ops Squadrons (an interaction that never would have otherwise taken place). Pre-solo Amn would have at some point taxiied out to the runway alongside the local MWSs, another experience that is non-existent otherwise. Giving these experiences to the masses serves a much broader strategic purpose, extending to the veteran voters later on--advocacy of airpower. But instead ACs were cut; the myopia of the stance in a broader strategic sense is staggering. To your original point, sure: a monthly funded allocation of four hours per pilot plus annual stan-eval requirements, fly more at your own expense and on your own time. Never gonna happen, but it's fun to spitball ideas.

Even if the RPA community reaches manpower nirvana of 13 per cap, there will never be enough bodies to clear someone off a few times a month for CT flying. Never gonna happen. My guess is that we get to around 11 per, leadership gets distracted by some other squirrel, and suddenly CAP expansion drives back down to 9.5. Again, no room on the schedule to not sit in the seat for 6+ hours, 5(6)on, 3(2)off.

Well, yeah: financial infidelity counts both ways. Sure, the training did a shitty job of reflecting that reality, but it was never about pickup trucks regardless.

https://www.facebook.com/InternationalChemtrail/info?tab=page_info While the page itself is high production value, the comments are pure internet gold.

5 years from now, you will either look back on this "dilemma" and wonder how you got stumped on the easiest question of your life, or you will literally want to punch yourself in the nuts. You are holding a winning powerball ticket in your hands, and asking if it's worth all the hassle of cashing it in.

Go UPT. If you decide that you want to try RPA at some point, believe me, you'll have to little more than a Bewitched wiggle of your nose and you'll wake up in a dumpster in southern NV. Even in the reserves. Going from AFRC RPA to manned?...seen it happen, but it's really rare, and only with prior rated.

Somewhere in this thread is a suggestion of something that starts with an "F" and rhymes with broad.

Managed to get a non-A, since I had my family and a dog in tow. Beyond that, the managers at the apartment complex should be able to let you know who's doing corporate furnishings. Yeah, on base rate won't cover it, you'll have to supplement out of your BAH. Still worth it, IMO. But the on base accommodations are far from the worst in the AF.

...here we go again

Disregard: reading comprehension fail on me.

Your best source of information is the EFMP office at the location, and if able, get in contact with the SGH at the facility to discuss your case. Also, tricare standard is worth some serious consideration.

Even when HMN gets up to its projected capacity, those folks will average a healthy amount of casual. But HMN won't be the bottleneck--Pueblo/RND won't be able to get that number through in anywhere near a reasonable timeframe. That's a year of 18x at least. ...who's dumb idea was this? (Assuming it's more than just a rumor)

Who's laughing? This is my 47th week on day shift and I'm still not sleeping right.

Droids gave me cancer.https://www.bbc.com/news/health-33569161