jazzdude

Just to throw fuel on the fire... Didn't the navy start using MS Flight Sim for its SNAs a while back? I just got to Whiting, so I haven't asked about it, but if I remember correctly you could get the T-34 for MSFS. I agree it might not be the greatest or most accurate, but it could help with instrument stuff- crosscheck, flying instrument procedures, etc. Same thing with the RIOT trainer.

Someone's been spending a bit too much time over at airwarriors.com ...

Hasn't changed- that's correct

Major in something you enjoy. If you happen to like math/engineering- more power to you. You'll probably have a better chance at getting a scholarship. I went the engineering route- I had many late nights in lab, all-nighters, etc. Life sucked at times, but I wouldn't change a thing. Despite long hours in the lab, I had travelled numerous times (on the University's dime) and some great experiences in college, got selected to be a pilot, and am now sitting on casual. It's all about what you want your college experience to be. That being said, if you are working your tail off in a degree but your grades suck, change degrees, or at least look at your study habits/college goals/etc. But don't forget to think about the future- what happens if I don't get a pilot slot? or go med DQ? Force-shaped/RIFed? Just some things to consider.

lumberjack.

You wear service dress during inprocessing, for your flight photo, and graduation. I think we also wore open collar blues on one day also. As far as the reflective belt/armband- you'll get the armband issued, and you're *supposed* to have your own belt, but I don't think I ever saw anyone wearing it. Mood varies between flights. So if you have a good flight, it'll be bearable. Yep. Might as well put a little effort into it (at the very least skim the reading, and review prior to the tests). Have fun and all, just don't fail the academics.

3 ribbons at commissioning? I thought it was two was the standard for ROTC (National Defense Service and AF Training Ribbon), with the GWOT-Service after 30 days on AD (heh, my first 30 days consisted of ASBC- big contribution to the GWOT there...) Maybe something has changed recently. And at ASBC, the only time anyone said anything about ribbons was at inprocessing (they were wrong anyways). After that, no one seemed to care, or check.

No, you don't get the Longevity Service Ribbon after ROTC.

At my det, the deposit was mainly for dry cleaning- when you returned the uniform, you were expected to turn them in cleaned. For example, the blues needed to be dry cleaned. If you got them dry cleaned, and washed your BDUs, you got the deposit back when you turned in uniforms (or if you kept/bought them). But if you were turning in your blues and didn't get them dry cleaned, you lost your deposit, which went towards cleaning the uniform. If we just walked away with our uniforms without paying the half price for them, I'm pretty sure they (the det) would put a hold on your college transcript until you payed for the uniforms you took [ 07. November 2006, 22:03: Message edited by: jazzdude ]

keg-arator?

Id suggest doing your best at FT this summer, and it sounds like you've got a plan for PFT and GPA, and not worry about this until after pilot selections happen. Eyes on the prize... If by ground pounder you mean infantry i bet there's little to no chance at that unless there's significant improvement in your PT scores. From what I understand talking with my arotc buds, its really competitive (kinda like pilot slots...) As far as getting in to arotc, if you have a pulse, you're probably good to go if you can get out of your AF commitment. One thing to note is that army cadets go to camp after their junior year, so that may or may not affect timing. From what I've seen in ROTC, there are very different philosophies/mindsets between the two (duh), which might be something else to consider (read: get to know some folks in arotc before considering the switch) On a side note, the army gives their cadets some interesting choices on their service commitments. They can lengthen their ADSC in return for their choice of branch (if qualified, and there is still a bit of rack and stack involved) or first duty station.

Either way, you'll need: -plotter -E6B / flight computer of some sort -fuel tester -logbook -sectional map Also, definitely spend time at the link spinner posted for practice tests. I know it paid off for me when I took the written

I think LM is just trying to get a piece of the pie. Both Northrop and Boeing have UAV programs already, so like the article says, Lockheed's got some catch up to do (what better way to do that then use an existing platform?) If you think about it, what are the chances that the US government invests in a new fighter jet anytime in the near future after the F-22 and F-35 are completed?

Here's the whole article. ================================================ Back to the drawing board You didn’t want retro, but the chief wants ‘heritage.’ So now what? By Andrew deGrandpré Staff writer When Gen. T. Michael Moseley became chief of staff last year, he set out to infuse his Air Force with two things: a sense of urgency that this is an Air Force at war, and an appreciation of what he calls “heritage to horizon” — that is, the service’s storied past and exciting future. He ordered office-bound airmen to hang up their service dress uniforms and don camouflage utilities and flight suits to feel a greater solidarity with those deployed to war zones. And he directed his uniform board to look at historic service dress uniforms to inspire a new and improved dress coat for today. Known by the pioneering generals who wore them, the Billy Mitchell and the Hap Arnold prototypes hearken back to World War I and World War II, and include throw-back features, like a stand-up mandarin collar, or broad, peaked lapels, scalloped breast pockets and a full-length necktie, even for women. But something happened on the way back to the future: Airmen balked. After Air Force Times published pictures of the new prototypes in May, more than 140 letters poured in, most of them opposed to the new look. An AirForceTimes.com poll conducted in June tallied more than 1,200 votes — 54 percent of them in favor of keeping the existing blue suit. Only 23 percent opted for the Billy Mitchell, with its mandarin collar, and a paltry 5 percent backed the wide-lapelled Hap Arnold model. Nearly 19 percent of the votes said the Air Force should scrap both and start anew. The Air Force uniform board solicited its own responses, and you gave it to them — in spades. Officials received more than 2,000 e-mails, said Senior Master Sgt. Dana Athnos, chief of the Air Force Uniform Board. “The younger people didn’t like it,” she said. “They want more pop, more pizzazz.” Now, leaders are taking your ideas and heading back to the drafting table. “This is going to take time,” Athnos said, “but it’s the right thing to do.” A starting point Air Force officials are planning to contact various designers and solicit as many as five new concepts for the next service dress uniform, Athnos said, noting that it’s still too early in the process to say what you may eventually see. Indications are that it won’t be either the Billy Mitchell or the Hap Arnold spot-on — but it may be similar, she said, perhaps “an evolution of what we’ve seen previously.” We know what we don’t want, which is what we have,” Athnos said, referring to the current service dress uniform. “We tried these two [prototypes], the force wasn’t happy, so now we need something in between” the two prototypes and the current blue uniform. She referred to the Air Force’s goal as a “military-looking uniform that doesn’t look like a business suit.” “We’ll tell these design houses, ‘This is your starting point. Go be creative.’” There’s no timeline yet for seeing the project through, Athnos said, noting, however, that the service typically turns around a uniform — that is, from introducing the idea to stocking shelves with a product — in about 4½ years. If that were the case, a new service dress would debut in late 2010 or early 2011. “The chief isn’t willing to put one on the shelf if the force … won’t support it,” Athnos said. “He’s really listening to the troops’ feedback and wants to make sure everyone is happy.” Pop and pizazz In late July, officials summoned to Washington 10 airmen whose comments on the uniform had been been published in Air Force Times. They heard directly from Moseley what he’s aiming for, and he and his staff heard directly from them what they wanted. The group brainstormed a heap of uniform issues and their input, along with the 2,000 e-mails, is helping to shape the next set of prototypes, Athnos said. “They want the lapels smaller,” she said, “and no belt. Or a more prominent belt that stands out — not the cheesy-looking belt on the prototypes.” Many airmen like the idea of silver or white lining along parts of the uniform, perhaps a stripe running down the pants. Others sought something comfortable, practical and, well, good-looking — with shiny buttons, a jet fighter insignia, fancy belt buckles, silver stripes or piping to make it stand out. Standout suggestions Those ideas were revealing and not far removed from the suggestions Athnos noted: Airmen want more panache — and comfort. Lt. Col. Derek Hirohata, a judge advocate general deployed to Iraq, wants a uniform that resembles the Billy Mitchell coat but with an open collar. That, he said, would allow airmen to wear ascots, which recall the silk scarves worn by pilots who flew in open-air cockpits. The ascot would bear the Army Air Corps logo, Hirohata said, and its color would be linked to an airmen’s career field: blue for air ops, black for space, white for medical, purple for legal and so on. “A closed mandarin collar does make it a stiff uniform,” he added. “An open collar, with an ascot, would be a little more comfortable.” Hirohata likes the idea of introducing a ceremonial dagger “to signify to everyone that we have a duty with weapons.” Bunched up in an unforgiving dress uniform, Staff Sgt. Kimberly Collyge endured a bit of hell each morning just trying to fix her hair. Mobility, she said, is very constricted in the current service dress uniform, and it can be a fight to raise her arms high enough to carry out the requisite primping. Mornings are rough enough, she said. Why can’t they make dress clothes that are more flexible? Then, last year, someone told Collyge, who works in the equal opportunity office at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., that she could go to work wearing her utility uniform instead. For her, the change meant goodbye fuss, problem solved. Still, she began to miss the sense of pride that materialized once she got all gussied up — evidence, perhaps, that having a spiffy uniform really does matter. And like many of the women who offered suggestions, Collyge said she wants a uniform that first considers the female form and, further, makes her and all airmen look like the warriors they are. “I am a woman,” she said. “I’m not straight-hipped. “And I’m not a civilian businessperson. I’m in the military. I want something that distinguishes me from everyone else. I want to stand out.” She believes new garb, with the right fit and style, will boost morale for those who already serve and will arouse interest in those considering it. For a recruiter, Collyge said, there’s no better weapon than an awe-inspiring uniform. Andrew deGrandpré is deputy news editor for Air Force Times. He may be reached at adegrandpre@airforcetimes.com or (703) 750-8667

The article is off of this week's AF times.

I've gotta agree with Rainman. If you take off your pilot hat for a sec and take some time to read up on what UAVs/UCAV/UCAS can do or where the R&D is heading, its some pretty amazing stuff. UCAV

the advice i got is to take a few instrument rides, just to get introduced to some concepts and terminology, and then just spend time getting good at vfr. I'm probably going to try and add the complex endorsement, maybe do a mountain area checkout in addition to that. I've got about a year before upt do do that, so, yeah. my 2 cents

Yeah, i hear that the wait has gotten much better. Whiting was last on my list, but Im excited to go none the less. oh, and off the AFPC website... Changing UPT Bases

dont sweat it too much- take what life gives you and press. from what i've read/heard, its just different. and it could be worse- at least you're on AD now and getting paid and not having to go out to the civilian workforce for a while [ 12. June 2006, 17:26: Message edited by: jazzdude ]

maybe they'll incorporate reflective belts into the uniform [ 17. June 2006, 06:45: Message edited by: Toro ]

shit- I'd probably fail at this one- I gotta get out more. ****in EE labs...

See AFROTCI 36-2020 paragraph 3.4 Basically, you can wear valor awards (for example, silver star, purple heart, airmen's medal, anything with a "V" device, etc.), and if you've qualified for the AF small arms marksmanship ribbon, you get the ROTC expert marksman ribbon. Everything else is a no-go.

If you've got the time, try to arrange a visit to the academy before you accept and see for yourself if that is what you want to do. I wish you the best of luck there.

Well that goes without saying- ROTC and acdemics have priority during the week, but when the weekend rolls around... :D

For ROTC, there is a reg saying that GMC cadets can't wear corframs (AFROTC 36-2008) The reg also lists other things that GMC can't wear