sputnik

More like douchebagging. WTF? I thought this was a thread about Hercs vs 17s? Can we start a "I hate everyone on this forum" thread for the whiny little f's and get this one back on track?

I can't find the attache list anymore. It's not on AFPC where it used to be, and their search function produces jack shit. Anyone know where it is? Help?

Yes. But that explains the xlarge thong panties I kept finding during my FOD checks.

A minor point but FCCs aren't aircrew and thus don't get crew rest. Most wings I've been in have some policy dictating a min amount off between missions (no where near 12 hours), but in general they are expected to sleep on the plane. Go to a C17 stage/EAS and count thencrews, then count the FCCs. There are way more crews than FCCs, they fly a lot more than the aircrews. I can't speak to your specific case, but when I was at McChord the FCCs were always authorized a rental car on orders. Reason being their duties started when we landed, therefore they couldn't ride on the crew bus with us (and often went in before us). When they were done typically trans wasn't all that helpful moving one guy. More to the point, they were often called in after hours (no crew rest to violate) to work issues, and couldn't depend on trans. If you're off base at most locations trans flat out will not roll a bus for one guy, "take a cab." Trying to get a cab in the middle of the night...get it on base...even our tight-wad base saw the logic of rental cars. Same rationalization on full meals. So why guys are getting that on orders to the 'Died, no idea. But I assume they got to and from the 'Died on something other than a rotator. And even if not, every other time they fly they have the blanket authorizations. You seem to feel like these guys are fucking you over personnally, and the taxpayer generally. Why don't you find the guy's commander and ask him why it's on there.

Wow, who would ever interpret that as a personal attack?

I don't know anyone who went to Twin Otter so I can't speak to that. But I know at least 3 people who've gone to gliders. Wasn't particularly hard for any of them, it's a standard AETC assignment just like any other white jets. Which means your funtional has to release you before you can go. Then again, it's a bill that has to be paid, so someone is going to fill it. Like any other assignment, timing is everything. If there isn't one available when it's your time, or your community isn't letting anyone go to a white jet, you ain't going. As has been mentioned, the CC has huge impact. If he/she doesn't think it's the right assignment for you it's going to be a tough sell. For most of the guys I know who went, this was the hard part. They got the 'this is a career ending move' speech, but then went anyway. One of those guys is a Sq/CC right now come to think of it. So much for career ending. Good luck. I kind of want to do that myself.

There's two sides to that. I've been known to rush out of the gym with the flight suit collar folded under. Looks retarded. I'm always amazed when I notice it later, and none of the 5 zillion people I walked by in the squadron bothered to tell me. And when someone does, I'll say thanks. I had a bad ass E6 JTAC come up and kind of nervously tell me I had some badges on my BDUs f'ed up. He was assuming [correctly] that I didn't know. I thanked him, I'd be walking around looking dumb. This in no way mitigates fuckstains checking socks at the chowhall or reflector belts or.... Sometimes people fuck up uniforms accidentally, and appreciate a heads up.

I'm not, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I've known a number of people who went there. I think it's pretty straightforward, if you meet the qualifications and can interview okay and have decent records, you can probably get hired by the 89th. Everyone I know who tried made it.

Are you talking in general, on checkrides or only for airdrop? Maybe I've just been lucky (or oblivious) but I haven't seen much (outside of airdrop).

EVERY contact.

Come on man, you have to share [the powerpoint show]. There are too many world class winners there in leadership positions to hoard that stuff to yourselves. The scarf email went round the world, you can't keep a new one to yourselves. Come on, every contact I do is a boom limits demo.

Wow, that was a little bitchy. The question was along the lines of what's wrong with Dover and McGuire? Answer: to each his own, but if you line up all the locations, some will be more popular than others. I agree that any assignment is what you make of it. I spent 4+ years in Del Rio and had a great time. I have zero intent of retiring and settling there though. I admire the fact that you like Clovis, clearly you walk the walk. If I get sent somewhere I don't care for, which has happened, I'll still enjoy myself. But given the choice, I'll go somewhere I want to go to. In answer to your question, Dover doesn't have any airdrop, so I doubt they could gin up a DZCO, which is required in the CONUS. Though I suppose SOLL II allows it. Why the big push on CPDLC? I've never quite got the hype. Granted, I usually am happy to make the CPs talk on HF (character building) but the last thing I want in the jet is the ability to be emailed in flight by TACC. Now that I read your post again, what do you mean by "we're pushing?" Pushing Boeing? I love the C17, the avionics are great. The FMS sucks but once you figure it out it works okay. That said, my little time on a J model...that thing is awesome. The HUD, the moving map, wow. 17 is great, but it's really mid to late 80s technology inside. Couldn't say when the J was designed, but the avionics are way ahead of the 17.

It's a to each their own kind of thing. Within the C17 world, those two (and Altus of course) are probably the least popular. While McGuire currently has amusing leadership issues, many of us don't like the locations. In general I think it's true that we have great, if not the best, locations. Certainly better than slicks--outside Germany. Why do you say that?

Fine, since no one else is going to, I'll speak up from a C17 perspective. First, a lot of the above is correct, you'll go to far more places in the AOR in a Herc than a 17. That's pretty cool. I think the image portrayed above of visiting the world's five star hotels sounds like fun, but not much like my life. That said, still a lot better for us I think. 10 day trip, hell, not in PACAF, our longest are usually 7 days. I'll make it to AOR in back in 5. Having deployed for months on end to the AOR, I'm quite happy to measure my flying visits in hours rather than months. There are two deployed C17 squadrons at any given time, far less exposure than the Herc's, but you'll still get to go at least every other year. In the 17, unlike the Herc, airdrop is a separate qual. You can go airdrop, work your way to Chucktown and go SOLL II and I think get lots of tactical stuff out of the way. Still, even the peon airland guys do ALZs and NVGs and LLs and...you get the idea. Not the same as the Herc, but you can still play tactical if you want. One of the best advantages of the Herc, as mentioned above, is the incredibly number of variants. It really depends what you want to do. 17 bigger airplane, smaller crew, flies much greater distance. Get both tactical and strategic flying. Both are excellent, just depends on your desires.

I spent six months there in 06. It's about 95% Army there the only AF was the TACPs, a Red Horse unit, and the Port guys. Personally I prefer the Army when deployed, or at least during that deployment. The port was in the middle of the AF, pretty much on their own. Self contained squadron. Army chow halls, much better than the AF ones I visited in AOR. Gym was decent. BX, all the usual MWR stuff if you got the time off. Base is massive, very spread out. You guys are totally on your own, have to drive to get anywhere. Both a blessing and a curse. Like I said, been a few years for me, but it wasn't very busy, at most a half dozen flights a day. If you got a unit swap out, more. But most of the time it was pretty slow. I was buds with the CC over there and used to swing by once in a while, he was kind of bored. There is a full up ADACG there to handle pax and cargo processing, so AF just handled AF load/unload and the C2 stuff. So, bad--no. Boring--quite possibly. Base is outside Tikrit, close enough to hear gunfire but that's about it. We didn't get shelled that much. Used to be the Iraqi AF Academy so there's all the old family housing (you won't be in it, other side of base). There's a pool. Unfortuantely 4ID used it as a tank bath in 03 and it hasn't worked since. Pretty cool stadium that 4ID used as target practice with chain guns, again not so functional but it made running stairs more interesting than your typical stadium. PM me if you have more specific question or want some photos.

Yes to the first, I'll ask and get back to you on the 2nd. But advance guess...it ain't a [ flying assignment. You end up doing a lot of officer stuff for the ASOS, there's only 3 officers in the squadron and one is usually deployed.

Here's a question for finance guy, we got a guy going overseas with a TDY enroute. Guys want to send spouse to overseas location (Hawaii) in lieu of having her rot with him in Altus. So, can his Hickam BAH, etc start based on when she gets there, or does he continue to pull BAH from location he was at till he finishes TDY and reports in? I'm pretty sure I know the answer (it's not the one he wants), but every person he asks at finance has a different answer. As per everythign else.

I like it too, but didn't the Tweet start in '54?

I'll second Oxford, good company. Couldn't remember the name at first. I bought some civilian stuff there and it is real high quality. Couldn't tell you why I don't like the AF jacket so much, just feels kind of cheap to me. I got mine 97 or so, I can't tell from looking at it who made it. Though I still like the Pops mod.

I know at least one guy at 11th who flies with AKANG--and I don't know many people up there. The AMLO also flies with them (and jumps with the Army). Don't sell yourself short though, if you want to fly the 12 keep trying. There's 10 slots, someone has to get them.

Hadn't heard that. Mil uses a lot of 7.62 as well, so I'd think they'd rise in tandom But as others have pointed out, you can get an AR in 22LR, which is pretty dang hard to beat price wise.

Cheapest I'm going with .223....but you can probably get 7.62 of AK variety for less Expensive I'm going with .50 BMG....but skies really the limit on the high end. I'm totally outclassed on this topic, just felt like throwing a vote in

What do you want to know? 2 planes, about 10 pilots. Part of 517 AS which also flies C-17s (switched from Hercs last year). Flies some awesome missions into some awesome places. Closest to FIXED WING bush flying I've seen in AF. As mentioned in 130 thread, an active duty associate unit is supposed to stand up in '11 to fly Guard Hercs. And there are a handful of AD Herc guys in staffs or random assignments up here that fly with Guard now. So don't rule it out. Edit for busted balls by rotary guys

There are people here who know way more than me so I'm not going to rank manufacturers. I have two Bushmasters though, both have been excellent. A Varminter that is a blast and an M4 for when the Russians come (as our governer pointed out, we can see Russia from here). Have a number of friends that have them, uniformly good reviews. I'd recommend Bushmaster to anyone. I have a bud with a couple Amalites, an AR10 and AR15. He had some problems with the 10 (extraction, incredibly bad groups). But he sent it back and they essentially replaced the entire thing with no harassment. I guess they had some manufacturing defect for a while there that is supposed to be fixed. At least they had good customer service. Damned expensive though.

F22s are Reserve associate, C-17s are Guard associate. 'Cause it makes absolute sense for a Guard unit (state defense) to have a strategic airlifter, whereas there is no clear state role for an F22 pulling actual alert. I digress. Far as the Herc's, here's what's facts (granted I haven't read BRAC in a while and have no intention of doing so) - Guard already flies Herc's at Kulis (on ANC Int'l), entire wing will be on Elmo in '10, Kulis handed over end of FY11 - BRAC mandated active associate unit to fly Guard Herc's - BRAC supposed to be done by end of FY11 - BRAC is law, no tinkering allowed - C17s moving buildings mid O9, building gets significantly enlarged for Herc unit (plus others), done some time in '10. Reality - As far as I can tell there's already been a ton of BRAC violations with no consequences so who TF knows. How's that Pope Army Airfield project moving along? Scuttlebutt - Start moving active duty ADVON in FY10 for an FY11 standup - Huge rumor that they'll bring enough guys to hand over a guidon, then hand it back over. Apparently BRAC only makes you stand up a unit, nothing prevents you from immediately standing it back down. Why would they do that? No idea, I just hear it a lot Interestingly, on the active side no one here talks about it at all, it's easy to forget it's even supposed to happen. Helpful? I didn't think so. I'd start watching assignments middle of 09. If it's going to happen that's when they'll drop.