ClearedHot

Russia rolling out the big missiles...big inflatable missiles.

You win the internet, I have been saying this since day one of the "Knife" deciding to Crazy Ivan the command. Are we so desperate to play in the big fight that we forget why SOCOM and AFOSC were formed? Oddly, in fighting the GWOT we gave up on some basic blocking and tackling that was the foundation of the command, did that need suddenly go away as well? These so called "transformational leaders" just force us to chase our tail in an effort to build "their legacy." IMHO there is value in being able to seize an airfield in a hostile nation and conduct operations, I can only imagine the flail if we tried to simul three MC's onto a runway and roll out the TF. Situations and adversaries change so the status quo is not always a good thing, but divesting basic tasks that took YEARS to develop and refine is a poor choice in a chaotic world. While we are at it, what defines "post-GWOT"...is it because we quit and went home? Did all the bad guys just stop because we went home? Obviously Afghanistan is turning back into a soup sandwich, but I hope someone is watching the brewing terror storm in Africa, South America, the islands in PACOM. It is absolute lunacy to think that just because we left Afghanistan GWOT has gone away. The real question is why does AFSOC think they need to transform so quickly, the answer is easy...$. After years of being the Belle of the ball they were worried they would become the B team and lose all the cash that was poured into and on the command. Keep in mind that on Sept 10, 2001 the TOTAL SOCOM budget was $2.1B, that swelled to $15.5 at one point and that doesn't count the many billions the services had to carve out of their budgets as "service common" to do things like RECAP the C-130 fleet ($10B), purchase CV-22's ($5B), buy RPAs and Ops centers for AFSOC ($4B). SOCOM/AFSOC certainly have a place in the peer/near-peer fight but in a desperate effort to play the big contribution we are homogenizing the C-130 fleet into missile trucks? Seriously? What happens when the phone rings and the boss asks us to insert some BAMFs deep (STS), to enable the fight? We are years away from the shinny new MCJ's having the TF and ECM capability we are sending to the desert on the T2s...while mothballing half the CV-22 fleet! Also, our shinny new gunships are still waiting for an ECM suite that is half as capable as the H model that went to the Boneyard 9 years ago. Good thing the near-peer fight won't be fought in a SAM ring. WTF is your problem dude, thinking we should follow our basic doctrine of centralized control, decentralized execution that has been written in blood many times through the years...F that nonsense! Define winning, which has always been the problem. Did we stop attacks on the homeland while murking bad guys "over there?" I think there was a certain value in that proposition but obviously it can't go on forever. As far as monitor and assess, I presume you are? The intel feeds and assessments are not pretty, Al-Qaeda, ISIS-K, Taliban and other Jihadist groups are most certainly rebuilding and spreading influence while our exalted leaders have shifted to countering domestic violence here at home. Sadly, there will be another big event, followed by investigations, finger pointing and over-reaction. I know I am a dinosaur but one would think there is a better way to plan for both. Back to the rocking chair and running kids off my lawn.

For the SWA folks is the negative press impacting hiring? My old squadron bros over there are posting some seriously nasty messages to the leadership about working conditions and an ongoing lack of a contract. I am guessing the past few days with 70% of the flying scheduled cancelled is not helping the situation. I absolutely hate SWA after what they did to my family a few years back, treated us like garbage and I was a top tier customer (two more flights and I would have earned my second companion pass in a single year). I know it is a management problem, sounds like a seriously unpleasant place to work.

Yes again we screw anyone who helps us. Why would anyone ever believe America again?

This is what these clowns passed last night with the help of Mitch. $410M for border security...for OTHER COUNTRIES.

Send it! I just had my plane out in Houston, need to swing up your way next time. About to close on my compound and need to add to the collection.

It is truly sad to see one narcissist lunatic not only protect another but pave the way for the second evil clown to advance. The worst part is some real leaders in AFSOC retired because of it. One two star in particular is a natural leader and would have done great things, now he is retired living in Oregon and working for industry...truly a crime.

The latest Twitter file dump should concern every American regardless of political party. It shows the FBI and the Justice Department in association with the Intelligence community, having possession of and knowing the contents of the Hunter Biden Laptop was real, tried (and successfully), discredited the authenticity of that information in order to sway a Presidential Election.

The serial liar that is Joe Biden is now being called out by the Australian press and this lie is a whopper. In a heart strings pulling story he claims to have personally awarded his uncle the Purple Heart while he was the Vice President. Only one problem, it never happened, his uncle died NINE years before Biden was elected VP. Standing by for "whataboutism", it's "Trump's fault" and other excuses from the left. Of all things to lie about, what a douche canoe.

A LONG history of narcissistic behavior, destroying careers while having his own failings covered up. It has been covered in other threads but trying to punish someone for losing a weapon downrange then doing the same himself, running a CV-22 into a tree, giving 20+ commander directed Q-3s as a SQ/CC, general caustic behavior that has been repeatedly rewarded. Ask anyone in AFSOC about "CAT 5", he got that name because he destroys everything like a hurricane.

Truly one of the worst humans to ever put on a uniform and a classic example of rot in the system, I feel bad for the men and women in AFSOC and what is about to happen to them.

Holla!

I don't trust the polls any more but most polls shows his support has crumbled. Numerous polls show Desantis favored over Trump nearly 2:1. Way way early but if Trump continues his candidacy (he is too much of a narcissist to quick now), it would be in the best interest of all if he gets trounced in the early primaries so the GOP can focus on a Desantis/Haley ticket. Also, interesting on DNC side with the hardcore Left urging Joe to declare now. I would have though they would delay and if his decline continues they can insert lunatic Gavin in his place.

It almost always is...

Argentina crapped themselves. Not everyone can afford a CVN.

Good thing the Brits didn't share your logic. Likely given the picture below. I remember hearing the story of the Navy exchange dude in one of my Dad's squadrons, he had the odd distinction of having flown the same tail number AFTER he had ejected from it. I believe it was an incident on a carrier with bad hydraulics causing him to punch out during landing but the plane stayed on the deck and was saved. Years later at a follow on assignment he flew that same tail after it had been repaired, he was one of FIVE navy pilots to do the same thing.

Ok...What the actual F!....more importantly through what twisted route to the end of the internet did you find yourself on that webpage. Of all the things I do not know, I am saddened that is no longer one of them.

"Unfortunate"...When a U.S. senator hols that view of the military...sorry I won't just let him cook. Sorry bro but racism is NEVER ok.

Here let me help you with a few of his quotes: 1. "America, no one can serve God and the military." 2. "No matter what happens next month, more than a third of the nation that would go along with this, is reason to be afraid. America needs to repent for its worship of Whiteness." Herschel is a mess, but this fake "Reverend" is simply a radical. I think to much emphasis was placed on what the polls said about the issues. Yes American's are worried about the economy but they hate Trump more. I also think the importance of the Abortion decision was understated.