Champ Kind

Would have taken the AF a lot longer than that. And then they would have paid her to come back in 6-9 months later.

"Combat Airlift" fills more white space on an OPR.

I'll throw out another recommendation for Troy University. I did their MS in Int'l Relations and I found it to be a legit program. You will pay about $350 out of pocket after TA per class. It is a no shit school with an actual campus with a good reputation in the Southeast. It is also accredited. All of the professors were PhDs and while they were military friendly, they did not cater to the military. There were deadlines for assignments and we were expected to meet them unless there were extreme circumstances. TDY did not generally fall into that category unless you were going somewhere that you knew didnt have Internet connectivity and you told your professor in advance to make other arrangements. The only knock I have for the program is their admin. I was OCONUS so it was difficult to get ahold of the back office folks when I needed to talk to admissions/IT/registrar/advisor, etc. They don't post phone numbers on their website and it was generally like pulling teeth to get them to respond to an email. This was NOT the case for the professors though. I always received timely responses and feedback from them. I thought Troy was a good compromise between some of the diploma mills out there and some of the pricier programs out there.

Bait and switch.

Techsan, if the pearly gates open to reveal such goodness as was depicted in your picture, then on that fateful day I will be a happy man.

"All things being equal, I'd rather have the gas."

^Please tell me that's just urban legend.

Let's hope the Chinese match the specs to the "t" in their reverse engineering!

When does the media ever sugarcoat the news, particularly when it comes to natural disasters?

Jughead, not sure if this will help or not, but here is an excerpt from AFI 34-246 (Air Force Lodging Program) - Linky 1.13. Transient Aircrew Lodging. Lodging provides a private room/private bath to officer transient air- crew members (accommodations may include a shared kitchen and/or living area). For enlisted transient aircrew members, lodging provides a private room and a private or shared bath. Aircrew members are defined as anyone on the flight crew order. Ensure gender is considered when assigning lodging to air- crews. 1.13.1. When construction or maintenance in the vicinity of aircrew quarters could interrupt crew rest, general managers will not assign aircrew members to buildings in the area. 1.13.2. Lodging may assign other TDY personnel to transient aircrew accommodations if not required for aircrews and other on-base lodging is not available. When assigning other TDY personnel to aircrew accommodations, advise them of the varied aircrew members sleeping hours, and ask them to refrain from making any noise or disturbance that could interrupt crew rest. 1.13.3. Lodging will maintain aircrew integrity by housing the entire aircrew either on base or off base. If housed on base, lodging will house them as close together as possible, with no more than two stops to pick up all crew members. If lodged off base, lodging will house the aircrew in one commer- cial establishment. 1.13.4. The installation commander or the aircraft commander may waive aircrew lodging requirements on a temporary basis for reasons of military necessity.

I LOLed.

So, so, so true. Learn it, live it, love it.

Sounds like the kind of commentary I'd expect from the vice wing CC at a base with no flying mission. Tool.

How is being "more safe" a mockery??? Safety blasphemy!

Flame me if you will: if they start messing with pay, I'm out at the first opportunity. I am proud to serve my country, I love the flying, and I like most of the people. However, the pay and benefits to me serve as a balance for all of the " do more with less" bullshit we have to put up with. Once that changes, I will be much more willing to explore my options in the civilian world, even if it means a pay cut, as it would be apparent that the "stability" that we are supposed to have in the military would no longer exist.

I think Rainman is saying it's an internal matter and should be handled as such.

So true that this is my new sig block....

These guys think that being Tops in Blue alums is synonymous with being Weapons School graduates or something? That's sure as fuck what it sounds like to me. I hope they enjoy getting back to their rigorous 10-2 every-other-day work schedule. Fuck Tops in Blue.

Would all of that fit on one line?

Probably because most of the "media" can't even VID a normal Blackhawk.

From the one place that the biggest, Chevy dealership-sized American flag should be flown and the absolutely loudest, eardrum-blasting playing of the national anthem should occur.

Let 'em worry. They made the freakin decisions to make it what it is today and what it might be in the future. In true USAF fashion, they will panic with a resultant knee jerk reaction when they think it gets bad enough.

What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand....

Holy shit I have not laughed that hard in a while!

You are both kind of coming across as tools.