HeloDude

Having been reading/posting on this forum for almost 5 years now, I would like to say welcome back Rainman. I look forward to reading your insightful and humorous posts once again. I for one was taught to respect my elders--question is, who's the oldest guy on here? Brick has to be up there.

The reason I came up with 200 lbs is because that's what we use for the 'standard' weight of a crewmember/pax on our aircraft--just an easy number for me to remember. In all honesty, I don't care what the number is as long as it's reasonable. But to play devil's advocate here--the airline spends more money flying you somewhere than they do flying me (disregarding our bags) to that same location. And just to the stir the pot even more, according the BMI scale, you're considered 'overweight'. Now for all I know you can run a 5K in 18 min and bench 350 lbs in which case I would say you're in awesome shape, but I don't know if that's true or not. So if it makes you feel better, we can say the max weight without paying a surcharge can be 225 lbs--always willing to help a brotha out (oh, and just in case you're getting upset, I'm just messing with you bud).

First off, the guy in Toro's post is only just obese--he's a big boy in terms of height and bone structure. I don't see a problem at all with charging extra for a person above X amount of pounds. Most airlines now charge an extra fee for bags and their reasoning was due to the added weight coupled with higher fuel costs. So why should I have to pay an extra $30 or whatever for a 40 lb bag when I only weigh 155 lbs? What I think they should do is either charge a surcharge per X amount of lbs after 200 lbs or say that everyone gets to board with 250 lbs (yourself including your bags) and anything more is an additional surcharge. I'm not all about the airlines nickel and diming everyone but I am about people paying their fair share--and also not having to sit between two, let's just say 'huge' individuals, that would be nice too. By the way, how come I never get to sit next to the hot chick that I see waiting in line to board?

Not sure if it's been mentioned in this thread or not (didn't feel like reading through the 4 pages) but guys taking their mid-tour leave on a year or longer deployment are 'supposed' to be in uniform until their final destination. That's at least what was briefed to us when we left Kuwait for our mid-tour leave. Sure it's nice getting to jump to the front of the line, getting some hook-ups on food/drinks at times, and getting thanked for your service--but there's something to be said for being comfortable on a flight. On the rotator no one really cares when people take their boots and ACU/ABU blouses off, but I don't think that would portray the best image on a civilian flight. I for one am happy they don't make us wear our uniform when traveling somewhere TDY--besides, I'd rather wear one of my Ohio State shirts and get into a conversation about college football.

This is not true as there is MUCH more guidance on what undergrad degrees are acceptable for TPS applications and what are not. For example, a 'B.S. in Aviation Science' will not allow you to apply to TPS. It must either be an engineering degree (engineering technology is specifically prohibited) or a science degree such as Chemistry, Math, Physics, Astronomy, etc. I believe all of this information can be found in the TPS application AFI, if not, it is detailed every year in the official announcement sent to commanders for those who wish to apply.

You're obviously not that experienced. I want to fly with people who are RESOURCEFUL and who are willing to help people out when the time is needed. In no way am I condoning cheating...but in the true scheme of things, all the tests in the world aren't going to help you out if you don't know anything on your checkride. If a guy is Q-1 that means (at least should) that he's up to standards--that's the evalutor's job. How does that guy get recommended for a checkride in a training environment?--His IP's understands that the student either knows his stuff or doesn't and makes the decision to send him to the checkride or recommend more training. So if guys somehow get a hold of stuff and share it with their buddies, then so be it--it's their ass if they get caught. Again, all the 'gouge' in the world is not going help you right then and there when you're in the aircraft on your checkride or sitting at the table with the evaluator getting a ground eval. Now someone that is resourceful, i.e. knows where to find information when and where it is necessary, now that's huge. In the past I've had an FE or two 'help me out' as young copilot during a checkride. Is that cheating? I call it being resourceful and getting a little lucky.

Probably should have posted here: But yes, a very good thing...one of the few things the current administration has gotten right since taking office.

Guess I see a test pilot being a better manager on acquisition programs than someone who has no clue what the end user truly wants and needs. To be a test pilot, you have to have the engineering/science background as well the ops background--hence a more well rounded leader and manager of these programs and commands. My reason for stating that I need to go to get my masters, do my PME, etc is because the Air Force wants us to be more 'well rounded rated officers'. So who makes a better leader of let's say the AFMC CV position?--I say it's someone who is well rounded in their specific career field as well as someone who understands what end users want and need in the field. Also, has anyone ever met one of these acquisition types? I had a couple in my SOS flight and though they were great guys, most of them had no clue how the operational world works and even admitted that they sometimes don't get the job exactly done right because they don't always know/understand what the end user really wants, their concerns, etc. Just my thoughts...but yes, bad on discus for posting her picture. Everyone quickly go look at the boobs thread to prevent blindness--technique only.

Wasn't sure the best place to put this but the discussion thread seemed to be the best after using the search function.... Just thought it was worth the discussion--I know not everyone in the Air Force is in the ops world, but take a look at her ribbon stack--not one short tour or any type of deployment ribbon (that I can tell). We're promoting people to 3 stars who have no clue what it is like to actually be where the war is happening. So the Air Force wants me to be a more 'well rounded' officer, so in addition to all my flying, currencies, checkrides, additional duties, TDY's/Deployments, the Air Force also wants me to get a masters degree, complete all my PME in correspondence and then later compete for residence, and oh, if I can learn a language and do 500 hours of community service a year that would be great too. Here's also a link to her bio: https://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=8209 Anyone think this has anything to do with our current administration? I'm just sayin...

About 1/3 of those people living in Jordan are from Palestinian descent so that is where the confusion may lie. On a side note, if you ever have a chance to visit and tour Jordan, do it--by far one of the coolest placest I've ever been.

I max'd out the SDP when I was on my 365. Here's the deal though: You can only put in a maximum of $10,000,you have to start it in a combat zone, and interest only grows for the time you're in the combat zone. But when you're deployed, it's definitely a good deal.

Here's the deal with gold (as it's been explained to me many time before)--gold HOLDS it value, that's all. The rising/falling prices of gold has to do with inflation, short term spikes in the economy, etc. That's why you see it fluctuate so much over time. Someone once told me that if you had one gold coin back in ancient days, you could get a very nice tunic, robe, head piece, sandals, etc. What will one gold coin get you now?--a nice suit, shoes, etc. Grant it there are a lot more factors to look at, but it's a pretty interesting comparison.

Actually having to tuck in your PT shirts in the AOR is an AFCENT and/or CENTCOM policy. I just can't stand those guys are just waiting for the chance to correct someone after walking 10 feet out of their pod to take a piss.

I don't blame you for being disgruntled on a non-vol'd 365, missing the family and all, but come on!--the Died is cake! You get all the tax free stuff, combat pay, and hazard duty pay that you get in Iraq/Afghanistan but yet there are no combat operations directly taking place anywhere near there. Plus, you have hardened rooms with indoor plumbing, 3 beers a night, free wifi, a day off once in a while in which you can do downtown and shop/eat a real restaurant while wearing civilian clothes, etc. From everything I've seen and heard, the Died is going to be around for a bit, so why not make them all 1 year remotes? We do it in Korea, and some of those are even going to 2-3 year tours. It's a freaking joke when it takes your support folks 3-4 weeks just to learn how to do a job correctly and then 2-3 months later they leave and you have to start the whole process over again. There are such things in things in the Air Force called 'short tours' and I think the Died is a pretty chill place to get credit. I'm not directing all of this at you afnav, I know you're doing your part, but there are so many guys out there that seem to try and get out of every little thing. Guys need to know that volunteering for a 365 to the Died is wayyyy better than getting non-vol'd on a 365 to Iraq or Afghanistan. On the recall program, hey, if they volunteer to come back, they 'volunteer' for anything--just like the rest of us. How bad do they need money?

I know you haven't been in long, but let me bring us all back to about 4-5 years ago when the then Chief of Staff (Gen Jumper) masked master's degrees for the promotion board because he said something to the effect 'I want people to focus on their jobs and their PME...and if the Air Force wants you to have a masters degree, then we'll send you away to get one'. What happened when he left and Gen Mosely took over? That's right--masters degrees became unmasked again and Captains/Majors were scrambling to get their masters done it time before their boards (the new rule went into affect 2 years later to give guys enough time to knock out a masters to be competitive). See what I'm getting at here? Things change, 'promises' are broken for whatever reason, and that's just the way things go. Did you even happen to read what they're doing to guys returning from 365's? They were 'promised' a year of no deploying and it was just recently announced that due to manning, 6 months will now be the minimum time off. The sooner you realize that these things happen, the sooner you can spit the koolaid back out and just focus on your job as an officer/pilot and put in for what you want to do later. As for your 'morale', hey, what can I say man--you guys got something you didn't want, sorry. This happens to guys (officers and enlisted) all the time. What makes you guys so darn special? The Air Force needs you to fly UAV's. That might turn out to be your only aircraft, and if so, just the way it is. Your job is to do the best in your position, whatever/wherever that may be, and if after your ADSC is up if you want to get out, then that is your right and I'll say to you what I say to anyone who has served 'God bless you, and thank you for your service'. I agree--always fight for what you want, regardless of what it is. If you or anyone else can make a drug deal/work the system, I say go for it! I'm happy for people when they work hard and get what they want. Just don't think the Air Force 'owes' you any anything, especially anything more than they owe others who have taken jobs they didn't particularly want. I volunteered for a 365 and was told that we would get our first choice location/follow-on's when we got back--guess what?--didn't happen. Needs of the Air Force trumped my desires. It's cool to bitch for a while to your friends and family, but after a while it gets old, trust me. My old man gave me some awesome advice years ago when something didn't work out they way I had planned and what he told me is 'You can't plan out your entire life and expect it to go that way. All you can do is perform your best in whatever situation you're in and good things will happen'. What a wise man my father is. Be the best UAV pilot you can be and good things will happen to you--whether it's getting back into a cockpit or some other path God has chosen for you in life. Edited for clarity.

Go deploy on a 365--they give you one for free!

Dude, if you don't think that the Air Staff and Gen Swartz had a lot to do with the final decision of taking guys directly out of UPT to go UAV's I think you were asleep most of late last summer/early fall. There's a reason this happened after our previous Chief of Staff and Secretary got fired. Grant it, AFPC/Manpower/Plans crank out the numbers (in terms of option A vs B, etc) , but this final decision was made at the higher level. Found the article below:

First off, like the others have said, good on you for having a good attitude and working hard--this will be key to much of the success you'll have in your career. However, as for 'Integrity First'--that is a core value for those of us in the Air Force, but not for the Air Force itself. The Air Force goes back on their 'promises' or commitments ALL the time. The Air Force, like the other services, is a huge bureaucracy. It is ultimately politically run and thus changes quite often. Big Blue often goes back on what they have originally said at one time or another. The Air Force only has one value--and that is 'Needs of the Air Force' to accomplish the mission as dictated by the senior and civilian leadership, and everything that is done afterwards is done to ultimately support that cause. Why do you think AFPC has such a horrible reputation? They say one thing and then do another. Here's a recent article perfectly explaining my point: Airmen face just 6 month between deployments So, not to be negative, but realistic, IMHO the majority of the guys straight out of UPT to UAV's will never see the inside of a cockpit. Perhaps the new guys graduating from UPT in a few years will have a different story if this new UAV career path goes 100% but you current guys and the ones in the next couple of years will be too far along. Feel like you got hosed?--not disagreeing at all, but that's life, and especially life in the military--some just get it worse than others.

Between 7'' and 8''....wait, misread the topic. Here's a question: How do I make my deck 1' long? --I fold it in half

I know my helo brothers will join in me saying--We don't need a freakin' runway! However, on a serious note, I give CE more props on the non ops side than I do most of the other fields. In a lot of their jobs they work long hours and it's pretty physical. Plus those dudes are deploying fairly often. Also, doesn't EOD fall underneath CE?

Wishful thinking man--not going to happen. 'If' the Air Force gets to keep their CSAR mission (ie it not going 'joint') ACC will not release the 60's. And if AFSOC wanted a spec ops helicopter so bad it should have found a way to keep the 53 alive. Just plain stupid.

Apparently you've never been to Amman, Jordan. Jordan is one of the neatest places I've ever been to and the site seeing is unbelievable--take Petra as a perfect example. Grant it, most people you deal with in Amman seem to speak at least decent English, but I'm sure knowing some Arabic wouldn't hurt, especially if you were assigned to the embassy. I bet Dubai in the UAE is along the same lines. Here are the points I'd focus on when choosing to learn another language: -Do you want to use it when you get out of the Air Force? -If you've got considerable time left in the Air Force, is it one of the languages that will pay you? My best friend speaks fluent Hungarian and they pay him something like $250 extra a month...bastard. -Is it a language you're personally interested in learning aside from the Air Force/future work? This will make you much more likely to stick with learning the language.

Not disagreeing with you on this one bud, but look at some of your previous OPR's (especially before they changed the form)--unless you did several different things spectacular while flying, at least half of your bullets (if not more) was filled with non-flying crap. You had to make sure you participated in a couple volunteer events, gave to the CFC, was in charge of a change of command, blah blah blah just to make sure you didn't have any white spaces left. Thank God it's gotten better with the new OPR's, but it hasn't entirely gone away. Think about how many shoe clerks get base level recognition just because they're in charge of the Air Force Assistance Fund for the entire base. This chick is probably some serious ass kisser but I bet with our wonderful leadership these days that it will pay off. On a positive note, same question, is this chick hot? We need pictures to verify. I bet if you get her a little drunk she could be fun to hang out with--prob wouldn't be a bad lay either.

I don't know about her--but I've been pleasing myself with all the vids on the thread. I think this thread has finally inspired me to get my own avatar.

Dude, that is a freakin' waste of money, especially for a new LT. You finally graduated from college, got commissioned, and are earning a decent paycheck--I understand that you now you want something to show for it, but don't blow your money just because you can get the financing. My youngest brother just got commissioned in the Army and he took the USAA loan and bought a 2 year old Nissan Exterra that cost him a little under $20K. I'd say around $20K is reasonable.