Boxhead

I'll let ya know in a few weeks....I am participating in my first CAP event on the 10th...the sq here (in Vegas) seems pretty nice, most of the guys are retired military, pilots from just about every airframe and branch of service...think a more active version of the VFW...they are still flying, having fun, drinking beer and yet still get retirement checks... The counterdrug thing here is rare from what I have been told...mostly just SAR exercises and then finding the odd hiker on a fairly regular basis. The flying is free some of the time, and cheap (about $40-50/hr, wet...I will get back with ya on the restrictions...) plus, a bunch of the members own their own planes....from what I hear you just pay the gas and off ya go...again, depends onthe sq and your ability to make friends, I suppose. Anyway, PM me in a few weeks if you are still interested

I agree with everything pencil said except this...if you don't get a "#X of XX Co-Pilots type bullet, just don't put one, the Top 5% type statements are, like he said hard to track, and the higherups know it and so they don't care if it is there...they might as well say "ready for more challenges" or "Standout officer/crewmember"...some stuff only sounds good to people who don't know any better! Or, just use some of the suggestions form the Yokota fellas...after all, I was an exec there not to long ago...so they HAVE to be smart on this stuff! (Enjoy the bar fellas) All technique...

Concur, I got my Sociology degree and all was fine...GO TALK to the AFROTC people, just fill out the application, you can always take classes and not get $$ You can pay for college and do all of ROTC all on your own dime, and you can get whatever degree you want....if you want the AF to give you money for all 4 years, you may need to look at what they want, too...or they are much more lax for 2 year scholarships...really, you just need to get out of this forum and go talk to the peple there at the det. Good luck!

Bergman, you need to get to Yokota...the new bar (see other thread for 36th all call) is going to be done soon, kegs, wet bar, the freakin works...right in the sq building...I am kinda sad I will miss it. I was singin Karoke in the O Club one night, and right in the middle of Kid Rock's "Cocky", a few O-6s and E-9s rolled in in Mess Dress from the event in the adjecent ball room...just in time to hear me dropping the f-bomb about 6 times and talking about "slapping my gardeners and fvcking my maids"....I saw a few surprised faces, but no grief was given. My rendition of Chef's "Chocolate Salty Balls" did not cause too much of a stir either! Plus, free food and drink specials every Friday night! Lots of folks hated the club at Yokota, but when we actually got a few folks in there, it was fun...otherwise, pretty damn dead and boring. Back to the thread: What do I want to bring back? Hmmmmm.... 1) Wall-to-wall counseling 2) MEO's lack of existence 3) Leadership that does not need to tow the party line to get promoted 4) Cops that are there to keep you OUT of trouble...not get the paperwork started 5) An overall attitude of work hard party hard...but don't be dumb and if you are, just that one guy gets hammered 6) Khaki uniforms w/ shorts :) 7) Col Vance Zider and Col Steve Parker...two guys that should have run the USAF...best CC's ever 8) The C130/H3 production line 9) A healthy respect for the Chain of Command and rank structure in general 10) Warrent officers and enlisted navigators

Rats, I have overthought my post. While I don't want to change it or retract it, I admit that it is WAY off topic and should not be continued. So, to those who are cursing why they had to read that in an aviation forum, sorry. __My portion closed___

Were you drunk when you poted this or just typing in a huff? God knows that if my pay depended on spelling and grammar, I would be poor, but I can't even figure out what exactly you are trying to say. It's almost tough to respond, but since I am bored while waiting for class to start I will pass some time and reply, since I am thinking your post and associated vauge threat were aimed at me, at least in part. Wow, do you really believe that? That must be a tough way to live. Most social case studies would say that is pretty typical of someone who has zero self-esteem and continualy does and says things that they feel are "bad". You can go talk to a counselor for free on AD, just FYI. There are lots of things that I have never experienced and don't really understand that I have opinions on. I would venture to say that I am not alone on that. As a matter of fact, just a quick glance through these forums will let ya know LOTS of folks do that. For instance, gay butt lovin, mass murder, drug use, etc....I have never "been there done that"....I don't understand them and I am OK with that and my negative opinions on them. Hey, we agree! (always look for the positive!) "weasels" are everywhere. Luckily, they are the minority. Now what a small group of weasels have to do with "being a resiliant SOB"...I am not sure. Whoever, I am pretty sure that "resiliant SOBs" are created by a person experienceing prison, POW camp, abbusive famillies...etc....that is some great company you are putting service academy people in. Hell, even with my negative view on the academy as an institution, I would never be that harsh the the thousands of good produtctive folks that are are graduates of those good (just unnessasary, IMHO) schools. Again, there are people to talk to if you are really lugging around all that pent up anger and violence. Plus, I am pretty sure that laws against that sort of anti-social response to a conflicting viewpoint have been around a bit longer than the 21st century. The laws are around for those that don't grow out of that befre they enter the real world and are resposible for their actions. Work is done, the test is studied for, and now I am just enjoying time doing this...and as far as the STFU part, well in combination with your pent up anger, low self esteem and penchant for violence, I suppose throwing out vulgarities to people you don't know just adds icing to the cake! You are a stellar example of whatever commissioning source you went through.

I hear ya brother, it would be tough, but I think it would work and be way cheaper, then again, I was a Sociology Major...money is just thing thing my wife tells me I make, I really don't have to much to do with directly at a micro or macro level, so my idea may just be a big fat crazy, implausible thing. Could very well be. But I know my ROTC Det was anywhere between 60 and 200 cadtes depending on the semester, I am pretty sure all Dets can flex that way, and I think the approx 1000 folks can find spots somewhere. Plus, it was always a bit more fun with more anyway.

I have been saying that all the academies should be shut down for years now. Not for this type of stuff...the lying and cheating is small potatoes as far as I am concerned. The real travesty of the service academies is that they have outlived their necessity, and no one seems to notice or care. The only reason they exist anymore is tradition and nepotism. Now before USAFA folks get all bent out of shape about this opinion...it has nothing to do with you all. I think it's great that you got into a very competitive college and got what I can only imagine it is at the very least an above average education. Back in the "day" the academies were created basically to give the people chosen for a career as a military officer a place to get away from society and learn the craft. This is back when the enlisted force were uneducated and patriotic at best and often borderline (or not so borderline) criminals or people that (depending on the decade) were drafted, good and bad folks all together, but for sure not professionals that wanted to or volunteered to be there. I can see that the services would want a place to take their young officers and mold them how they want them. Now that I have painted that nostalgic picture, welcome to the 2000s, where the services are all volunteer, it has never been more educated from E-1 through O-10, and the service academies, while great schools, are not producing a product that is required anymore. A good your officer today could have gone to any college, come from any background...they can learn basic AF stuff in ROTC or OTS...and learn how to be a good officer like everyone does, from other officers and SrNCOs. I am looking at it purely fiscally, there is no reason for the service to spend money on an institution that has outlived its usefulness. Spend the money elsewhere, have people get their educations at civilian institutions...the quality people the AF wants will still rise to the top...and good officers (and bad ones) will continue to come form all sources, but why spend extra money to end up with the same product? And then...we could all be spared about hearing how some college students did what every other college student does and gets all kinda crap for it. I feel bad for em, but then again, they did sign up for it. I hope my opinion did not upset anyone to bad, if it did, remember, this is a conclusion I came to based off money spent vs. required product received...not you all personally. It's institutional, not personal!