brabus

It’s all hindsight - of course it’s easy to sit here and think about all the negative shit as a disgruntled 10+ year vet. You also had a lot of good times and did awesome shit. Tell kids those stories and let them go have the same awesome experiences amidst the bullshit. News flash, there’s bullshit in every avenue of life. I don’t envy the 23 yr old Delta FO a single bit. I couldn’t give two fucks how senior he’ll be at 65, how much $ he’ll make over a career, etc…he will never have the badass experiences I’ve had, he’ll never go to awesome places I’ve been, he won’t know the camaraderie that combat brings. I acknowledge he also won’t ever know the pain, the hardship, and the struggles. No ragrets - do it young guys.

That’s a normal experience when first using RDS on pistols, happens to everyone. It can help to still pick up the front sight first (helps you find the dot) and then transition 100% to the dot before you would be lining up the rear sight. Sounds like your “defeating the purpose” of the red dot, but you’re not, it’s just an intermediary training crutch. You’ll be subconsciously finding the red dot immediately in no time. It’s so much faster than iron sights on initial and follow up shots, especially on multiple targets.

Everyone who died in AFG (and elsewhere) was not for nothing. I’ll give you that some did, but not all. I hate the waste of mil ops over the last 20 years as much as the next guy, but don’t devalue our bro’s sacrifice so easily.

There are no one size fits all answers. I know several CAF ANG units that refute every single point hindsight made…and I also know units who (at least in the past) resembled hindsight’s points. Feast or famine as they say, but even in famine I’ve never seen guys not make something happen. Getting as far from AD (ANG no associate is the farthest) is a premium worth every penny you pay for it. There is simply no comparison between QOL/QOW in an ANG FS vs. an AFRES FS. I can’t say for MAF, AETC, etc. In the end though, dance with the one who gives you a shot (as hindsight put it), you generally won’t regret it.

Is it your first pistol with an RDS? Definitely takes a bit to get used to RDS vs. iron sights.

Get the vax or lose your livelihood - millions faced that order from their company in this country. No different than a mil member being told get it or be force-separated (aka lose your livelihood). Critical thinking is hard, isn’t it?

I haven’t heard anything regarding ANG pause. Which would make the whole thing that much more laughable. The ANG has been kicking AD’s ass on the bonus for years.

UAL seems to have done a great job…except no tumi bag, so obviously vote that shit down!

CFI of the year.

Well this is the Gen Z Secret Service - 500 is a lot, kind of a lot of work, eh just too much effort. Case closed.

Dammit Biff, I just nearly choked to death on a piece of steak.

Assuming your kids are young. So you could FAIP and be home more, but then when your kids are older and actually can process the difference between 6 days and 6 months, you’ll be gone a lot more in your non-AETC assignment (vs. doing it in the opposite order). If you’re not prepared to miss cumulative years of your kids’ lives, don’t fly for the AF.

It’s an interesting thought and clearly there is increasing merit to the idea. Seems it does work for many situations, just lacks the firepower one may need in others. But if it’s the 80% solution, fuck it, procure more tech like this and let it rip.

You guys are terrible at critical reading. I directly said the hypothetical dude is not getting a civ tank driving job. I’m saying the experience he gains is a solid resume builder to help obtain good jobs in the civ world post-mil. Employers want to higher mil-experienced people, even if only for the perceived value of the “intangibles.” Of course its even better if the AFSC/MOS directly correlates to the same job in the civ world, but that’s not the only means the mil experience helps build resumes and land jobs. Bottom line, it’s still a great way for a young person out of HS to gain some valuable experience, build a resume, and be a more marketable and better hire in the civ world when they leave the mil. If it helps your mental block, replace tank driver with SARM (who I know several with excellent jobs not linked at all to aviation or the management of it), maintenance (know several who aren’t doing anything MX related in the civ world), etc. The only way a mil person doesn’t walk away with a leg up on their civ counterpart (apple to apples comparison) is if they have self doubt and downplay their own value…probably because they were told bullshit about how there’s no opportunity out there for them because there aren’t tank drivers at Walmart.

Well the canopy bow serves the purpose of being fucking retarded and annoying to the pilot…as is tradition.

You’re wrong. You’d be amazed at how well mil people of all backgrounds can do in the civ world assuming they don’t shoot themselves in the foot with a deflated sense of value and skills.

And when there’s 2 of those guys, and one says, “well I also shot the shit out of things with an Abrahams and banged hot E-strange in the dorms nightly”…bam, you’ve got a decisive winner!

If you pretend this is a Brit forum, then it’d be odd if you weren’t called a cunt!

@pawnman Ah. Well GI bill still wins by a long shot over straight TA, but the TA diff is certainly a valid point. Also, don’t be obtuse, you know I’m not insinuating the hypothetical dude is going to get a civ tank driving job. He’s going to have a resume with skill sets that far outpace the hammer swinger, all while likely making more money and having greater benefits. That’s the point.

So embarrassing...the guy literally needs to be in assisted living. Don't care what political party the president is from, this is just sad and unacceptable. Cut him loose and come up with someone else for 2024, that's the only decent move for the Dems. If they don't, it just further emphasizes all they care about is power...and yes, I'd feel the exact same way if it was a Republican in the seat.

It’s been available forever - called absentee ballots. The difference between those and “mail in” is significant and I think widely misunderstood (people think they’re synonymous when they are not). Nobody is barred from voting if they can’t make it to the polls, just takes a few min of effort. All I’m saying is if you’re not willing to put those few min of effort in, then you don’t deserve to vote (e.g. kill all “mail in” ballots immediately). I agree. All I was arguing previously is it’s bullshit to say it’s a “barrier” to not allow it (and have some limitation like registration up to 7 days prior or whatever). I don’t really care if it’s Election Day or 14 days prior (obviously there’s some reasonable limitation that should t be exceeded), everyone has the opportunity to register, and it’s your fault if you don’t get it done in time based on whatever requirement your state has (caveat is the scenario of turning 18 within “the closed window.”)

@Blue I get your point, but there’s still awesome enlisted jobs and the things I referenced are just as applicable and valid if you do an apples to apples comparison. Drive tanks and blow shit up for 4 years vs. swing a hammer for 4 years. The mil guy did way cooler shit you can’t do anywhere else and walked away with GI Bill and a solid resume for post-mil work, while likely making more $/benefits. That’s one example.

How so? Not a snide question, I really am curious. The mil is free college (state school) plus books and living expenses (capped obviously). They beat that? I grew up in a fairly well off area where the majority of my class went to college. And I’m fairly confident I have out-earned most of them to this day and now with the airlines am exponentially out-earning them at a rapid rate. Even the doctors I know aren’t out-earning me (when you take into account my zero debt and their mega shitload of debt still remaining today). The best part is I’d bet out class’ highest earner is a great blue collar dude who owns his own business and is killing it. Point is the mil earning potential really is hard to beat unless you’re a young dude straight to the investment world with connections, or something like that.