Smokin

To each their own, but I have absolutely no problem paying the .16% (yes, point one six percent) for the 19.4% I've made in the last year with Vanguard and I look at it seriously about once a year. Regardless, as long as guys are in the ~1% category, it should be no issue. I think I've mentioned it here before, but if you are unsure, take the time to read The Investor's Manifesto by Bernstein. He walks through a math example of someone who pays a broker a 3% fee and the broker invests his returns in a Vanguard type .1% fee fund. By the time they both retire, the broker has made more money off the client than the client made.

I would like to see the A-10 stick around, but the arguments I've seen from most A-10 guys throwing around on here and facebook as to why it should stay are not convincing. A decade of COIN has us thinking that the Army cannot conduct ground operations without constant close air support. When we get into a real war, every time a grunt hears an AK-47, there will not be a dedicated two ship overhead within 5 minutes. Yes, it is the best airplane ever built for killing tanks. But the absolute best tank killer is..... another tank. Two target strafe against moving armor is badass, but once we finally get that anti-armor laser guided 2.75" rocket (technically a missile?), we will be able to create the same effects on the battlefield above tactical AAA and manpads from just about any airplane. Seems to me that it is only a matter of time. If I were an A-10 dude, I'd be arguing pretty hard for a low cost medium tech LAS aircraft. And this is coming from a guy who wants to see A-10s still in the CAF a decade from now. I just don't see that happening.

So the husband basically volunteered for sloppy seconds to dogs? Wow. How bad does your life have to be for that?

I actually expected that video to instantly jump from the glasses being poured to waiting in line at the gate eating an egg burger and then to waking up the next morning with the shoes still on.

We'd better get that check up front and wait a few days after cashing it to make sure the funds went through.

As has been said before, it is unfortunate that civilians are dying in the crossfire, but there are no "good guys" to take the side of here. Both sides are evil. Help the refuge camps and let the monsters continue to kill each other. No good can come of helping either side.

Has anyone pushed to test on this? "..will not incur any additional Advanced Flying Training (AFT)/Instructor Qualification ADSCs which extend beyond 6 or 10 years as applicable, of continuous or cumulative rated service." This sentence is poorly written and seems ambiguous to me. I infer 'extend' to mean that it has to be continuous with your previous 10 year commitment, as in if you're at 8 years and get a TX, your commitment is still only 10 years not 11. But, I could also see it interpreted as anything past 10 years is an extension of your ADSC. As in, if you're at 15 years and you get a TX, you're only required ADSC is for the PCS with the TX.

Its called the ceremony of the keys. I really liked it, although I am a huge history nerd. However, you need months lead turn, not days. https://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/WhatsOn/theceremonyofthekeys

Need to add a square about having to learn everyone else's job because they obviously don't know it themselves.

ACC and PACAF have gotten early PCS orders for guys not originally on the VML (moving them at 2 years TOS), but the ones I know about have been to other ops assignments, so moving them early doesn't decrease the overall number. If anything, it moves a 1st assignment guy out opening up the spot for a new B-course grad which would actually increase the manning in the medium term. But in the long run, when those guys hit their stay/punch decision point, 6-9 PCSes in 12 years, plus pointless deployments that see zero combat, will likely weigh heavily on their decision.

If they're all assholes (probably at least 95% true), does it really matter how you chose to vote? It looks pretty similar to the bed gun safes some guy invented they showed on that doomsday show. The guy had motion activated pepper sprayers throughout his house that armed with his alarm and a gate that would stop a suburban doing 45. Interesting ideas, but kinda crazy to me. I bet he only forgot to deactivate his alarm once...

And his disgruntled "sit back" attitude is exactly what the AF is looking for right? (not calling you out di, just proving a point) Meanwhile, I'd say a solid 40% of the fighter equivalent to water cooler talk is of what guys are going to do when they get out. I had never heard of anything like that around the squadron when I was a Lt. And I've seen more guys 7 day in the last year than the rest of my career combined. May not be a majority (yet), but they were some of our better guys. And worse for the AF, many were the senior IPs the young Lts looked up to. Seeing them punch successfully is reducing the hesitation for future 7 dayers.

I called back after 10 weeks and they said it usually takes around 8 weeks but the department is backlogged. I'm thinking for some reason there was a wave of military applicants who somehow knew about this...

Obviously Trevon's baby picture. Maybe the ultrasound of him in the womb if it was still available.

If you haven't been involved in disciplinary actions, I think you would be surprised at how high and how quickly details are known to the chain of command for relatively minor offenses, let alone allegations of sexual assault. I would bet a large amount of money that Lt Gen Franklin would have done the same if it had been an A1C instead (if he had been the convening authority, not sure if that would be true for enlisted). Had it been an A1C, we probably never would have heard about it, which means Congress wouldn't be out for his nugget on a pike.

Wait... you're saying hookers and blow is not an investment?

If offending people for offering dissenting opinions and explanations with rational reasoning is cause for not posting anymore, 95% of us wouldn't be here anymore. If we lose that capability to give and receive honest feedback, we start debriefing like bottom tier air forces and lots of us will die when we get into a real war. The guys flying the line need the insight and the logic behind decisions that higher ups like you offer just as much as the higher ups need honest feedback from the line pilots. Even if we disagree with it, it is far better to have a clue as to why things are happening. Is my sarcasm detector broken? This is 180 out from everything I've heard.

From this, I infer that you mean informed and rational dissenting opinion that is constructive to a discussion. That guy's opinions were neither. Since we're using a democratic process here, I nominate him as a $5 name. Anyone who posts a reference of him with either of his screen names or a link to his mindless ramblings should be required to donate $5 to www.flyingsquadron.com. If we ignore him, his ego will implode and he will eventually disappear into nothingness.

Maybe we should just disband the chain of command system entirely. We could have a panel of civilians who direct all military actions at all levels, that way we don't have to worry about enlisted guys not trusting or respecting those appointed over them. Airman Snuffy showed up to work 2 hours late, let's have a panel of civilians review if he should be punished.

CE is actually deployed more often in the current war than pilots (based purely on anecdotal evidence) since they're filling in-lieu-of Army taskings in addition to the AF billets. If staying in one place is a must have, don't join active duty. I'm at my 5th base in 9 years and I anticipate another being at my 8th base by my 13 year point and I think that is representative of the Viper community. Pilots move more often, but just about everyone moves every 4 years or so. My family has gotten pretty used to moving and it is no big deal. Totally agree with 'normal' will vary. There have been months of calm where I was home for dinner many nights and there have been weeks where I haven't seen my kids Monday - Friday despite being at home. I can only speak for fighters (specifically the Viper), but our deployments are generally a little over six months. There was hope it would go back to the 3-4 months when OIF and OEF drewdown, but I haven't heard a reliable rumor of a decrease in the near future. Currently, most guys will deploy once or twice for six months in a nominal 3 year combat unit assignment depending on the timing of when they showed up versus when the squadron is scheduled to deploy. TDYs are similar to the 'normal' above. There have been times where I've been gone for 9 out of 15 months and then other times when I've only been gone 3 and those were all 2-3 week TDYs. Everything seems to go in waves.

So, does this mean everyone else can only wear the Airman's Battle Uniform when going into battle?

Running due to the sound of a shell being chambered is pure hollywood bullshit. All that means is either the gun wasn't loaded at first (which if I were an intruder would make me question your resolve) or you just ejected a loaded shell onto the floor. Either way it is absurdly stupid. As for the semi vs pump debate, it is a matter of budget and personal taste. I use an inexpensive Winchester pump 12 gauge and I am back on target for a second shot almost as fast as a guy with a semi is. The recovery from the kick to back on target takes me longer than cycling a new shell. Seconded on Timbonez post. There is an old FBI report (I've been looking for it for similar conversations at work but haven't found it; if you have it, please post) that compiled thousands of police shootings and broke it down by caliber. The end result was that a 9mm was less than 6.9% less effective per round than a .45 in dropping the bad guy. That small of a difference puts caliber choice to be again budget and personal taste driven.

Does anyone take the bonus and get out before 20 years? (Honest question, not sure if non-pilots might) For pilots, the 10 year commitment takes most traditional guys to around 12 years, then the bonus takes them to around 17 years. I'm sure it has been done, but I just can't imagine punching at 3 years to retirement.

If you had an unrecognized fear of flying, uncontrollable motion sickness, or just didn't have the aptitude for flying I could see failing since that is why the AF started IFS in the first place. But it seems like a bit of a dirty trick to kick them out and make them pay back school if the guys still wanted to serve. Just because you're not a good pilot doesn't mean you would be bad at other career fields. Likely better than guys who they out-competed for the pilot spot to begin with. I knew two in ROTC that had to pay back their scholarship. One failed a couple required classes and didn't have any money, so served enlisted. The other quit after the second year and made some sort of payment plan.

Coincidence that the first words under this picture on the website are "Method of mounting..."? That is exactly the type of door I was thinking about. I think that if I designed it into the original building of the house with one foot reinforced concrete walls and roof, it would survive pretty much any storm and a door like that should keep out any thief. Good points. I'd never seen videos of gun safes being broken into like that; pretty crazy. I stand corrected and will be bolting my safe to the floor in my next house. Reminds me of the videos on youtube of guys busting through most deadlocked front doors with one good kick.