outbreak

I'm deploying in a few months for the first time in about 3 years. It's a non-flying gig. For some background, I'm the "gun guy." I have my own preferences on holsters that I've come to by trial and error. My last rote had me flying, wearing a bag, and a shoulder holster was the best option, for me. Now, we're all in OCP's, So a belt holster seems an easier and better option. I haven't been able to find an OI or AFI that dictates what kind of holster may be used for an M9 at the big OEF bases. What I need to know is requirements on position, material, retention, as well as magazine carriers. The easiest way is if someone can point me to the written regs on the subject. Otherwise, whatever keeps the E-9's off my ass.

Since everyone got out ok, I don't feel bad asking this. Shouldn't that be 27?

We had ours today. The basic gist of it was as standard SARC brief, with a very fire-and-brimstone speech by the WG/CC, and more of the same "rape is wrong" training. A lot of it centered on "professionalism." A few of us [single] guys extrapolated that if we cannot talk about the sexual part of our personal lives at work, then ultimate professionalism must be the total elimination of personal conversations at work. First to go is talking about anyones' kids. Children are a direct product of sex, and is therefore inappropriate and unprofessional. From now on, we will be offended by discussions involving dependents of any kind, family days, leave plans or recollections, etc. Pure professionalism... In other news, I have 1704 days, 16hours, 33min, and 53 seconds till I can separate.

To them... :beer: :beer:

I was talking to a friend from college who worked on the Raptor as a Crew Chief, with the added benefit of most of an Aerospace Engineering degree under his belt at the time. He surmised that it's not impossible, but not likely that it's an OBOGS issue. More likely, according to him, it's a contamination issue. Apparently there have been issues with oil seals in the engines, which could contaminate bleed air, which would flow into the OBOGS, and into the pilot. Pure speculation, but edumacated speculation.

I throw the BS flag. CONUS, I almost always forget to turn of my cell phone, and few aircraft could be less "shielded" than a Herk. The failure rate is the same as it is OCONUS, where I don't carry my phone.

You're crazy. I'm hours away from not being a LT anymore, and I know that date. But in the last four years, I've gotten so fucking sick of people lecturing me about my career. I don't have time for a career. I'm in phase for mission and qual checks, trying to start upgrade training, and semi-annuals are due in less than a month. That doesn't even touch my non-flying duties. How about I worry about my job and when I need to know my date of rank, I'll check VMPF.

Being a glutton for punishment, I briefly searched for this "next article." No joy.

Yup, saw the announcement for their show on the light-up color sign at KDYS today. At least they're not afflicting the base with their noise. They're playing at the Civic Center.

I am active duty. Thanks for the info.

I'm submitting a package for UFT (currently a C-130 Nav, trying to go RPA), and I'm trying to wrap my head around why my current FC1A does not fulfill the requirements of an FC2. Can anyone explain the differences between the two physicals? Common sense would suggest that a FC1A would be more restrictive than the FC2, but apparently not. Also, when I go in for my PHA, why is it so crazy to suggest they do a FC2 during the same visit?

We do, generally. My FE threw the first punch. I was working tactics first half of a rote, and joined the crew at halftime. The Eng started giving me shit immediately. I wasn't a total newb, either. It was the end of my second rote. I started by tying his shoulder harness to the inertial reel with 550 cord in such a way that I could release it in a second if I needed to, but it locked up when it was just an inconvenience for him. After three missions, he figured it out. A week or so later, he dumped koolaid mix in my boots. I wore them for a couple hours in October heat in CENTCOM, ended up throwing out a pair of insoles and a pair of socks. My feet were red for 2 weeks. I took a walk down to the vault one night and acquired a giant bag of shredded paper. I carefully filled the Engineer's pubs case- every nook and cranny between books, in his headset, gloves, pen caps, etc- with very very fine shred. He found it a couple days later, and called a truce. I am the only Officer that I know of that didn't get avenged by the E-corps for a prank on an E. Other guys have had their break bags left with ATOC at ORBI, and gotten "Load for a Day" duty as revenge for pranks on E's.

Fox just showed what appeared to be live ordnance at the crash site. I'm not a "carnivore," but when the fin they show has "AIM-120," and "No Lift" written on it, I assume that's a missile. I also think it's safe to assume that the Libyan rebels don't have EOD to go take care of it.

Glad the crew is ok. I'd love to learn more, but I'm not going in today and for the moment, the fact that our guys are ok is the important part.

2

13 years in porn? That's pretty impressive. And I believe the rules of the board require any mention of wives be accompanied by pics.

True story. We had an airplane broke on an LZ, coordinating an MRT through CTII and Sat-phone. OGV storms into our ops room demanding to know what's taking so long, and why the AC of the broke airplane isn't glued to the Sat-phone and hovering over the laptop; he wants constant updates. That's why we pay thousands of dollars for these systems. The SQ/DO says, "Yeah, can you imagine if we didn't have these expensive comm systems? That airplane would have been home three hours ago." It's funny as an O-2 when you see an O-5 drag another O-5 out of the building and puts him at attention for "counseling."

I started collecting coins when I was a dumb airplane geek of a kid. Anytime I visited an air museum, usually on family vacations, I bought one. I quit that crap when I realized coins you buy but have no connection to mean nothing. Since then, I've bought coins for the Squadrons I've flown in, and been presented with a few that have personal meaning. I got one in high school when a 2-star Admiral who is an alum came to visit and handed them out for asking or answering questions during his speech. I hung out after the presentation and actually talked to him and got a coin from the Admiral, not his assistant. I also got one from the CENTCOM Command Sergeant Major when we flew the Wounded Warrior Project into ORBI. It was an honor to meet and fly those guys, so the coin was just a bonus, but again, it carries some meaning at least for me. YMMV. Of course, getting off the rotator on the way home from my last deployment, the local congressman (I'm not even registered to vote where I'm based) was the first person in the delaying-my-beer-drinking line shaking hands and handing out his coin. That one is somewhere in the bottom of that drawer we all have that's full of old Squadron patches and uniform parts. Don't freakin care. I have carried my current squadron coin in my wallet since I commissioned. Don't plan on stopping because some shoe-clerk or cabinet member has his own coin.

I'd rather just see him meet some real CCT's one day. I agree that "stolen valor," or "wearing fake medals" or whatever you want to call it is a shitty, self serving, dishonest thing to do. But it's not illegal to be a shitty, self serving, dishonest douchebag, and I don't think it should be.

Very small portion of the Air Force called out for not dying. And the whole branch blamed, hypocritically, I might add.

We had aircraft identification in our little knowledge book at Field Training in 05. We had to be able to rattle off the number and nickname of each aircraft. We had some Navy dudes on some kind of incentive flight a couple weeks ago. Their boss walked them out to the airplane, introduced them to the crew and then I took them up to the flight deck, gave them a little safety briefing on the EPOS, emergency exits, puke bags, etc. I asked if they had any questions and one of them asks, "so what kind of airplane is this?" I understand they're Navy, but not knowing what a C-130 is kinda blew my mind, sts.

Salem isn't all that bad. We're noticing the queep level slowly get higher with the advent of Vibram shoes, and there seems to be an unofficial campaign to pressure us into shaving our combat staches. I've also noticed a lot more CMSgts lately than I did last rote, and there's at least one who will drop the fork and walk across the chow hall to "correct" someone, or chase you across the base to tell you that you can't eat ice cream. All that said, you don't see a thread around here bitching a lot about Salem. The queep isn't bad. No reflective belts required(for you, or your backpack) on "The Rock," nobody hassles you about a horizontal shoulder holster, etc. The free wireless is great, gym isn't bad, and they're playing almost first-run movies for $1.50 a head.

My deployed squadron has a 100 missions patch, but it's just the squadron patch with a little "100 Combat Missions" tab on the top. Very under-stated, no big deal.

Yeah, the guys were trolls. They are legend (infamous?) in some of the online shooting forums. I have a theory that the movie "Observe and Report" was loosely based on that thread. Lots of parallels.

:beer: :beer: