nsplayr

That's a problem with your people, not the test brother. Come take a test with me and you'll be judged fairly. We can even do hand-release pushups, that's fairly easy to judge Really...1 hour per year to assess our physical fitness is too much to ask? It seems like I spend more time training how to combat human trafficking and operate a fire extinguisher.

YGBFSM. If that were the case this would be probably the "fittest" person on the planet. Let's not worry about strength, power, flexibility, agility, coordination, etc. None of those are important WRT military/combat fitness... Don't get me wrong, dude's a beast at the marathon, but this is not what a "fit" soldier should look like IMHO. Just because a run is easy to measure and cuts out bias pretty easily doesn't make it suitable as a single-component fitness test. By your logic why don't we just have a waist measurement-only test? The tape measure doesn't lie either, and that way we could focus just on looking fit skinny rather than actually being fit!

View from my community: Don't DOR once you get to the FTU. Your wings will be taken away and you will have seriously F-ed your buddies. Enough said on that but it has happened recently so don't be that guy. I don't think the instructors over there are seeing much difference between P-cola grads vs RND grads. In terms of area, we're right down the road at Hurlburt so the area is pretty much the same, so bonus if you like the P-cola area.

Dupe, So you were picked up without a technical masters? Did you have a tech BA I'm assuming? What's the role of a test nav? Honestly I know nothing about the career field at all; interesting that AFSOC let you go and do that. Interested to hear more about it from your perspective.

Word...that's basically what I'm asking. In that case then yea, there's no reason not to put them at favorable locations other than to further dick with the operators.

I wonder what the management's thoughts are on actually doing what we're talking about...i.e. separating RPA drivers from the actual UAVs. While it's technically possible and I think a good idea WRT morale of the actual folks, you'd be splitting your operators and maintainers permanently and you'd have guys "flying" "planes" they'd never actually seen even more so than we do today when they fly the CAPs downrange. Just a thought...here's to hoping that better bases happen

Looks like some Arab Jews living in Texas may not be attending this class... He's on track to get that pesky license revoked so he won't have this dilemma in the future.

Figured this was appropriate here...McCain eyes barring retirees from Tricare Prime. Selected quotes: McCain himself says, "As someone who has committed his life to serving our nation and the men and women who protect it, this was not an easy decision. I believe we must all share in the burden to ensure that our nation’s debt does not imperil our economic and security future. Supporting modest Tricare reform to protect the long-term viability of this important program is a step we must strongly consider."

Man, I've had a flight suit for almost 4 years still going strong. Probably won't save my life but it's comfortable as hell.

They issue those at HRT to flyers...not sure where it's written however. GL, I like them better than the bellvilles.

Especially on Big Blue BAF. Walking on Disney or at the chow hall you're the property of the installation commander and by God if you're wearing something unauthorized you will be Chiefed at your earliest convenience. SOF ground ninjas included.

Yea, the system doesn't always work right, but if the above is true then a majority of the problem is self-induced. If the reg allows people to "expire" while deployed, let them. That's an easy kill if inspectors ask why Capt. Joe Blow isn't current...he's deployed and that specific situation is addressed by AFI-69-1234.

Eh...wasting time on unnecessary requirements is a problem (not the biggest IMHO), and CBTs are small fish when compared to the endless ORE-ORI-UCI-ASEV-rinse-repeat cycle, dog-and-pony shows for DVs, re-writing regs/SSS/OPRs to add that extra return after the properly formatted date, etc. With the new Tier 2A/2B scheme that covers most of the CBTs, it's really only every 2 years that you have to accomplish large amount...I think there's only 6 you have to do yearly (plus whatever is required by local regs). So I guess I feel your sentiment but disagree with the scale of the problem...click through as fast as possible and be done with it.

I stand corrected.

IDK, the AFI doesn't say I can pull my flight suit down around my ankles to take a shit, maybe that's not authorized... My humble view is that in general (and especially on queepy stuff like uniform wear), if it doesn't say it's not authorized then it's authorized UFN.

Word. While I agree that the Americans who run off and join AQ and fight against us deserve to eat hellfires for breakfast, I wouldn't be so harsh on the families who may or may not be involved in or even supportive of their kids actions. I'm guessing DoS called since that's generally something that occurs when a citizen is killed abroad, regardless of his/her status as a huge asshole.

I wouldn't say I'm necessarily for it...hell, it just got announced. I guess I am for taking the fight to a variety of enemies and Africa is the next playground so count me in. We've spent enough time in A-stan killing the same groups of assholes only for their sons to take their fathers' places in the ranks of dudes who hate America. In the wise words of Sean Carter, on to the next one. Have fun out there man.

Afghanistan.

I don't think we're lacking resources to fight AQAP. Personal opinion only. I wouldn't say an offshoot of AQ but linked for sure. You're right, not the best example, but then again that have been numerous people asking me randomly why the U.S. military is in the Philippines so to Jon Q., he doesn't now the difference or why we're there either. WRT to the LRA, from what I understand it's somewhat of a help to Uganda since they committed a contingent of their troops to Somalia to fight al Shabbab, where we're loathe to put boots on the ground for obvious reasons. Worthy of ~100 armed advisers apparently. Dude, I'm on board with that...the Nobel guys are seriously regretting their stupid decision. Obama has been all for kicking peoples asses whether it's in Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, etc. and apparently Uganda/South Sudan/CAR is next on the list. Peace through superior firepower I guess...

Not that I disagree, but did you even read the story you posted? DoS contacted the family of Samir Khan, who was another American AQ type killed in the strike. There wasn't anything in the article at all about anyone contacting Awlaki's family. IMHO Kahn had it coming too, and citizen or not he was probably a huge asshole, but I guess since he wasn't the target of the strike he was "collateral damage" and thus deserving of a family phone call? IDK...my main point is that your headline is grossly inaccurate based on the story in your link.

AQAP wasn't he point of sending troops here since they, ya know, operate on a different continent. AQEA is obviously a threat we have on our radar, but apparently the LRA is worthy of it's own group of dudes to hunt them down. To me, this pretty much falls into the same category as SF dudes helping out with the fight against the FARC, our efforts in the Philippines, etc. There are a bunch of groups out there that aren't exactly knocking at our door but that still threaten our interests. And if you think the GWOT is over, come on man, that change was made for political reasons and we all know it. I don't think there's any doubt about the current administrations intentions WRT counterterrorism ops in various sunny locales around the globe.

More importantly, where does it say you can't have a flashlight attached to your zipper? And just for clarification, this question is rhetorical...they can take my photon light from my cold dead hands... Better yet, who said you could have a knife clipped to the pocket rather than fully inside the pocket? Who said you could roll your sleeves up once or twice so long as they still looked all the way down? Who said you could tie your boots in regular knots rather than wrapping the laces around? Where are you damn flyboys getting these ideas from?!? We need another uniform jihad to rid our ranks of the regulation infidels!

Yea, that checks, but what I'm asking is that does that make them any less dangerous? Does that make them any less deserving of an ass kicking?

What?? Nigeria is sort of in western Africa, where terrorism is a problem, and the LRA operates in Uganda South Sudan & CAR, all of which are in central and eastern Africa, where terrorism is also a problem...which of these is unimportant again? Does the LRAs non-Islamic ideology somehow make them any less terrorist-y than other groups?

SOF guys going around the planet killing people who are assholes...man, who knew...