FourFans

You're not wrong. I had that perception too. Similar experience, but I decided that the people who's opinions matter to me noticed important things in my life, all other's opinions don't matter.

Carnies. Small hands.

Why is Anderson Cooper shooting your gun? You can tell it's him by the hair.

This is freaking cool!

Addressing the OP: If you thought the USAF screwed you over, just wait until you experience an airline during contract negotiations. It sounds like outside influences have been crafted your outlook for you. It may be completely true that you were actively screwed by the system, but getting bitter only means you're letting the system win. The airlines will happily assume the role of screwing you over if you let them. I can show you a large collection of 30-year widebody captains making millions of dollars who are thoroughly convinced they've been screwed by the system. They are no fun to be around. It's all perspective. Pick your's with care. Choose gratitude instead of trying to pinpoint who's screwing you over. The answer to that question will always be "someone and/or everyone". Conversely, if you focus on what you're grateful for, you'll find a lot of good things in life. Pick one, you can't focus on both. I punched at 17 years and joined the reserves for 3 years. Now I'm at a major airline. In all three of those locations it is VERY easy to look around and wonder why the grass isn't as green as advertised. Reality is that the grass on the other side is just a different kind of grass. Once you get into a new organization, you'll see all the warts. You get to decide if it's good or bad, but if you let the system decide, it'll definitely suck. Truths: The system (usaf or corporate) doesn't owe you anything. Your hard work will be overlooked, but it will craft your reputation among your peers. Once you're gone, the system won't care. Maximize your personal gain without screwing others over, ignore the BS, do your work will, keep your integrity in tact, find a niche you can enjoy. Focus on good things, and your next career will be great. Focus on the hate, and you'll hate it. It's a DAILY choice.

Sounds like the commentary of a boomer who is almost completely tone-def to the future of air combat. Flying hours and airmanship are important...but not nearly as important as QUALITY of the training. If those hours are spent dogfighting and other "fun" things, they are largely wasted if the pilot will be expected to manage a fleet of drone wingmen. Fly hours is the wrong metric and has been for a long time. PROFICIENCY at required tasks is far more important. Hard to track, but not impossible. I agree our young pilots need more time in the air, but not just to get in the air. Chasing proficiency will have the side effect of building airmanship if the program is built properly. Thanks for the v-necks McPeak.

The best part is the expertly executed black-curtain deployment

Same. Was saddened to hear that Crenshaw is in that bucket from their perspective. I was hoping he'd be one of the good guys. Perhaps he is, but the comment Ryan mentions about Crenshaw's "boys down at 6" was disheartening.

precisely my point. I grew up 3 hours away from D-town, and it used to be a place you'd go just because you could...much like NYC. NO ONE goes there now unless they have a specific reason. NYC could easily go that way. It would take a couple decades, but I've lived in and visited major cities (well beyond seeing the airport and hotel) that suffered through the awesome-to-aweful transition as the result of socialist mismanagement. Bucharest, Sophia, Tbilisi, Beirut, San Francisco, and specific burbs of the LA basin all stand out as examples.

Detroit was technically too be to fail too. Been there recently? Given communist rule, ANY city is fully capable of collapsing and consuming itself.

I wouldn't expect them anytime soon. ID and NOK notification have to occur, and it appears the aircraft crashed into occupied buildings.

You remember those proclamations from Obama's term? That'd be 2008-2016...when you joined this forum in 2022? That's a significantly long lurk before registering to share your opinions which you seem really eager to share. Gaslight much?

This is heart breaking for the bros here at Brown. The MD crew force is packed with a great dudes.

Have you listened to Mamdani? "communist" isn't far off the mark. Communism is to socialism what nirvana is to Buddhism.

Are you a bot? The chatgptness of your response and your Thai fitness webpage makes me think you're a bot.