Clayton Bigsby

hmmm....you're right, it's iffy. I guess stout tequilas could make up for it, but if it's a margarita machine...then yeah it's kinda gay. were it Diego or Guam it'd be one thing.

where is said hooch? Diego?

Choice G - stock good tequila. and call people pussies if they have it any other way than on the rocks, stiff, w/ 1800 at the minimum.

Yeah it was the Northrop YA-9A. from wikipedia: It is alleged that the YA-9 more strongly impressed the Soviets than the US Air Force, and the Sukhoi Su-25 was largely based on spy footage of this aircraft. However, actual resemblance is very superficial and at any rate, work on what later became the Su-25 began in 1968, four years before YA-9's first flight. you can read the entire wikipedia article here [ 06. June 2006, 00:09: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

what he said. They're terrible. Really not joking, pound-your-head-on-the-wall bad. Also look out for them allowing duty pax and anybody else to come out to the aircraft STILL fully armed. No magazine collections, nothing. I don't know how you feel about people being armed up on your aircraft, but usually I prefer to be the only guy packing heat. Although I'm sure those SF guys could jam my M9 up my ass. Anyway the sad fact is those Halliburton guys could give two shits, they've got the contract. Some of the bus drivers are helpful, but the dispatch people there suck a mean c*ck.

The mod = new silk liner, and uber cool blood chit sewn inside. in all honesty...wear the b*tch to every event you possibly can, write your name inside, sew in a nametag, whatever. Mine never has been stolen. On the other hand, I don't wear mine on missions like some Film Actor's Guild members do. That's why God created Gore-tex jackets (or the green/brown flyer's/tank commander's jackets for pilots who never have to stand outside for engine start). I just wear my leather to work and on locals, if it's not raining anyway.

Look man, here's my 2 cents... CAP is a Air Force Boy or Girl Scouts. Some kids just cannot wait to get into the service, feeling that this is their calling; CAP gives them what they think the military's about - a pretty uniform to wear, learning marching and drill, honor/color guards, etc. Plus the SAR mish too, they can help out as aeriel observers or ground search teams. the sad part is, minus the SAR stuff, that stuff is only a couple of weeks of basic/field training, a miniscule part of the actual Air Force experience. And just like ROTC people can turn into homos or academy guys douche-nozzles, some kids can get waaaaaaaay too into the experience and become that "Hitler Youth". I actually can't think of a better term to describe it than that. From what I understand, this is a HUGE achievement for CAP - tantamount to becoming an Eagle Scout. I wouldn't know as I wasn't a CAP freak as a kid, I was into Boy Scouts instead. But I was briefly a Senior Member in college, and a person I knew in school had achieved the exact same thing. Not everybody ascends to that level. Now, FWIW, that guy was a special guy in his own right...home-schooled his entire life, only social interactions with his peers were CAP I guess, and let's just say he was and still is pretty awkward socially. But the guy's got a good heart and is smart as hell. Now this chick...yeah, I'd hit it, and her sis... ...if I were 14...

here is a crazy thought - not regulating the type of undershirt to be worn underneath the short sleeve blue (except for it being plain and white)...so people have the OPTION of the crew-neck, the v-neck, or even the wife-beater... perish the thought that it be made a choice! we're already given the choice to wear it with a tie or not...

One is BGen Bob "Dice" Allardice...former McChord wing CC. He also was the one who got to do the press announcement for the ABDU. Or ABU. Or whatever it's called. This stuff goes on all the time. Uniform concepts are presented to leadership, seen in person, etc. What's sad is that our leadership seems to be searching for purpose or some higher meaning to what we do, when I'd rather see the money applied to properly maintaining our personnel and weapons capabilities, and maybe some leadership standing up and saying "no" when proposed cuts leave the service gutted and damaged. Being the "can-do" guy all the time makes you nothing better than yes men.

thank you so, so, so, so very much for this. I am rolling on the floor laughing and dying from this, this shit is hilarious!!! HD, perfect Star Wars shot. Maybe they'll go for the 70's chops too? I'll do it too, but only if I can do them in the angular Star Trek style and sooooooo funny to see 'Dice' as the AF uniform b*tch. "I lead a combat brigade airdrop into Iraq, and then I amount to this?!?!? by the way, the belt is sooooooo gay, but maybe it'll help me reef in my beer gut. [ 12. May 2006, 16:47: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

if you flick yourself in the testicles repeatedly, it may help you go permanently DNIF (and make your erection go away). It's an old trick here in India.

Get the KY anal lube ready! I suggest valu-pak size, it'll save you money... seriously though, congrats. You'll have some really cool opportunities not many others get to do (soaring at the competitive level for one)...enjoy them, and don't turn into a tool! Good luck, have the most fun you can. [ 01. May 2006, 02:30: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

you could somehow get yourself knocked out, in a way that a doctor witnesses (like maybe Boxing or something like that). IIRC, any history of periods of unconciousness = instant DNIF.

If I learneded me anything from SERE, it's that that all you need in the woods for subsistence, clothing, camouflage, or shelter are a couple of EPAs. Those and some tape and you could rig up a sweet shelter, totally.

you never can have enough fiber.

The one thing I want to ask, about double standards... So the chow hall in CC has plastic silverware, and paper plates. We don't want to be wasting water washing dishes and whatnot, water is precious and keeps us all alive so take 2-minute showers, blah blah blah. Anyway, that's the explanation, which was all fine and dandy until one day we ate at the chow hall in Ops Town just before a flight out, which happens to be right next to the Base Command section, and the CAOC and its DVs are relatively nearby too...and they've got, no shit, metal silverware. Glass plates. For Chrissakes, the f*ckers even have a PASTRY CHEF on hand to make elaborate pastry displays. WTF?!?!? NEXT gripe is the laundry situation - not everybody operating out of OTBH is necessarily STAYING there for 120 days. A 3-day turnaround for laundry is NOT okay if you might suddenly get diverted for a medevac in flight, never to see your laundry items again. Apparently C-17 ops somehow finagled a deal to have 1-day turnaround for us, but THAT got taken away by leadership because that's too good a deal, and we can't be having that. So thanks to that bullshit, I have to pack 2 weeks' worth of brown t-shirts, underwear, socks, and civvies into my already pregnant and bursting-at-the-seams suitcase (which my unit will no longer issue to us btw, because it has been deemed a "luxury item" from on high - so no replacements if I break mine being TDY 200+ days a year). Might get stuck there for awhile, since like Manas, the 'deid is the black hole from which there is no escape. And doing your laundry in the sink in a Cadillac isn't much of an option. Buy more essentials like that at the BX you say? Yeah, will do, their selection is great, you can get brown t-shirts in sizes M or XXL ONLY. But, you can buy a big-screen TV there. Now where TF can you put that? But I can't even do my own goddammed laundry. perfect. [ 17. April 2006, 01:49: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

EDIT - I should say that's probably either Kandahar, or Basra. If pre-OIF could be Kuwait. only reason I don't think it's Kandahar or Kabul is the total lack of mountains. anyway, whatever, it's impressive. [ 08. April 2006, 13:41: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

Said criminal charges also became serious jailtime. I think like 30 years for the pilot, IIRC. Backseater got some sweet jail action too. Ukrainian justice...

are you doubting the photojournalistic integrity of acclaimed photographer Xu Zheng? I mean he's...Xu Zheng... Chinese people ALWAYS tell the truth. Glorious people's ace Wang Wei was outfoxed and outmaneuvered by an overly imperious and aggressive and hegemonious Yankee dog EP-3E pilot sky pirate.

THAT is a good question.

I'm in a C-17; no chance for personal gear, besides what I have in my baggage/backpack. The parachutes and seat kits stay with the plane, and a strong rumor has it those may disappear as well.

Japan has been the one place (well, besides Diego Garcia, but they just don't have service at all) my phone hasn't worked - they're running quad-band shit, all way ahead of what we are. As has been said, text messages are the way to go. W/ Cingular, the International plan is another 10 bucks a month I believe, plus whatever charges you incur using it internationally. The rates vary from place to place. Also, I haven't had to do any code or sim card BS, it all just works. Have a Moto Razor for a phone. For me, it doesn't cost me too much, as I'm single - I don't have a girlfriend or wife at home to help run up the charges. Honestly I have it for emergencies, so people like my landlord or family can get ahold of me if need be, friends can sort of stay in touch, etc, etc. I actually use it as my alarm clock wherever I go too. The tanker guys at the 'died (Forko Grande at the moment) have squadron iridium phones, so they can stay in touch with family, no matter where they are...and avoid the "morale line" issues you get with the DSN system.

I do - mine (Cingular w/ International) works fine. I get signal at Manas, the 'deid, Ramstein, etc...no idea how much it costs, I just got the phone recently and haven't quite had the chance to budget it, but it does work. only beef is Caller ID doesn't work. So, I'll be sleeping (or doing whatever) at the 'deid, and a friend will call, doing the usual BS they might do back home - kind of sucks to be paying 3 bucks a minute or whatever it is to listen to BS games. Sucks to be a dick and say "listen, I'm overseas, make it sweet", but that's what you gotta do. I wish they somehow had some sort of secretary voicemail prompt thing that said "hey, I'm overseas, but press 1 to go ahead to call me, otherwise just leave a voicemail and I'll talk to you when I get back" That way necessay stuff gets through, and the BS waits for when you're back home.

Funny; this approach didn't work out too well for old -141 people switching to the C-17!!!

ahh yess, the old "control+alt+delete"