busdriver

Heard that, all the better for the group. Spank is a fucking fantastic leader.

Good a place as any, Tony (co-pilot) was medically retired last week. I was good to go right up to Aggie (Gunner) saying: "You're my pilot for life, and I'm your gunner" while presenting him with a chromed .50cal barrel display as a going away. The kicker was it was Aggie's gun from that day. I got some damn dirt in my eye or something after that, then Tony's father got up and spoke.... I was screwed .... Best part, Tony got up and was cracking jokes during his speech. Dude has a great attitude and said he wouldn't do anything different even knowing the outcome. I'm not as strong as men like this......

I had a commander that was prior Army. His input is that the AF system is better than the Army. As a commander in the AF he was also a tactical expert thanks to having that opportunity, so he could lead from the front. During his time in the Army he was a commander of a like sized unit with much less experience, and would defer to his senior Warrants on tactical matters. Bear in mind that it is very rare for a CGO in the Army to be an instructor pilot. Maybe the AF warrant officer corps is entered from the real life officer ranks(RLO, Army speak)? In other words, everyone gives a shot at the "command track" and those that don't meet that requirement but can still fill a need lose their rank and become the "warrants" how to pay said individuals can be up for debate. But the gist is getting to stay in after getting passed over is selective and individual versus mass year group, and you're gonna give something in the process. I don't know, just spit balling here.

This is important. We don't ever want to go back to air supremacy being in question.

I have a sudden urge to shit in a coffee can........

The EO thing is a bully tactic, it won't actually happen but the threat might be enough to get the right to come to the table.

The problem with the argument that we need to implement restrictions on firearms ownership to prevent something like the Newtown shooting, is that they look at what firearm was used and say: "we need to ban that!" Anyone could have done that with a revolver and a bunch of moon clips. They were kids, by default defenseless. Newtown would never have happened if that kid couldn't get into the building. Nut bags need mental health help, the assholes of the world will find a way to do bad shit. Trying to remove the tools by legislation is a losing battle.

Touche, that would explain his behavior much better. ETA: Either way, RIP sir. Your service will be missed.

I had the chance to "meet" Neil Armstrong. It seemed he was taken by his own celebrity, meeting him consisted of shaking his hand and saying hi. Not saying he was a bad guy, just that he seemed to be over taken by his own legend. On the other hand Gene Kranz, is one of the coolest and down to earth famous people on the face of the earth. The former was a guy you got to shake his hand, the second I got to hang out with and drink a beer.

It was the IPOE vul, who cares.

All it really comes down to is being a local whatever that means in your AO. Where I lived that meant riding a bicycle from pub to pub and hanging with the locals. Some of the best fun I had in Okinawa was just hanging in the local Izakaya.

If you want to avoid this shit storm, learn how to interact with the locals and avoid the traditional American hangouts. I've sang Karaoke and drank well past curfew in a Japanese dive bar only a couple blocks from my house (granted I lived in a mostly Japanese area, far from Sunabe) and had a blast doing it, and there wasn't any mention of town patrol anywhere in sight. Get away from Gate 2 street, and even further get away from Sunabe. Learn a tiny bit of Japanese and party it up across the red bridge.

And almost all of those limitations also apply to the other aircraft that whatever platform will be supporting. I'm not saying an F-35B wouldn't be useful, what I am saying is that the idea that the Marines need to have a purely organic answer for everything is BS. Could the AF/USN provide sufficient CAS support to make the F-35B not required? The obvious answer is yes. The real question is, are we as a nation better off paying more for a Marine Corps that doesn't require external support? Other than self licking ice cream cone doctrinal logic, so far I can't see how a fully self sustained MAGTF is anything more than a nice to have. \

Why is fixed wing CAS required for the MAGTF concept to work? What is the key capability that the F-35B would provide that the Zulu Cobra can not provide?

From what I've gathered, the Marines don't really need an LO fighter, what they really need is a new STOVL fighter to operate off their mini carriers. It just so happens the only option for the foreseeable future is the F-35B. Although I'd have to agree with Danny Noonin, do we need to take another look at what we expect the MAGTF to be capable of on their own?

I'm curious how this guy thinks an ISR aircraft is going to save lives, let's toss out Katrina as an example. How exactly would a couple generic ISR aircraft with generic capes (wouldn't want to piss off the OPSEC nazis) have really made anything better? What were the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard crews lacking in capability?

How often do you think the average cop trains at the range?

Wait, ISR is more than Pred porn?

Shot at and missed a predator, impressive.

Story has the ring of truth, regardless though it made me smile.

Risk Rescorla was an absolute badass, but also a true leader. A man that put his people before himself until the end, so that others may live. A rescue professional if there ever was....

No sarcasm from me, I was serious. You're right, F-15C strafe and targeting pods are two separate topics.

To the point, thanks for the re-direct

Does anyone really think that light grey guys would be present and so under employed they'd be able to enter a stack? If they're there, it's for a reason and strafe is a contingency. NOT saying they shouldn't train to it at least a little and have a passing familiarity but primary attack players isn't even remotely on the list of reasons they should practice strafe.

Kinda like I figured, violent agreement.