di1630

I’d say 90% of it was a waste. I dropped my first bomb 19+ years ago in the Koregal, what I realize now that I didn’t then, I’d probably be fighting the US foreign invaders also if I were a remote Muslim tribal farmer with no education. Most of you would too. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

We didn’t waste 20 years…probably just a good decade+ or so. We should have pulled out after we got Bin Laden vs nation building. That would’ve shown that we stood by our resolve to kill that o and given closure. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

I have a friend in a foreign Air Force who’s moving to the US on exchange and wants to bring his European spec car. Any issues? Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Depends if short or long of the FSCL generally for AI vs CAS. Targets drive weapons so sometimes we have enough….sometimes we don’t Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

One of the first things I learned about the CAS mission was that CAS and a not there to win the Army’s war. The Army needs to do that and CAS is a tool to attack rear echelons, temporarily supplement the battle or quickly add reinforcements when outnumbered, arty can’t reach + a few more tenets. It is not a primary tool. Makes sense for the Army to have its own effects. I’d much rather have good HIMARS and arty linked to accurate targeting capes than an F-35 or A-10 for that matter. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Zero chance the USAF invests a dime into new CAS capes. And with good reason. Bigger things to focus on. CAS was a popular buzzword after 9/11 and brass wanted a piece of the pie back then. Now it’s a min run effort. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Stealth jets carrying GBU-12?!?….how f-cking stupid…oh wait. We do that in the F-35. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Yeah so question I’m asking is that based on 28 yrs from commissioning or the sum of active+MPA etc as in 28yrs worked? Hope that question makes sense. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Question for guard/reserves: the 28 yr mandatory retirement for Lt Col…..is that from commission date or based on the sum of time served? Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

If you lower your standards and scenario threat expectations enough, you can make CAS super easy. Which I’ve witnessed as it went from MCO to COIN style focus over 2 decades. If you make A/A super challenging where you are outnumbered and are always out of missiles, well I’ve seen that too. Imagine how easy DCA would be if we did it like we did CAS to mirror the sandbox. “Hey we’ll fly as a 2 ship and if a bad jet crosses the line we’ll shoot it down. Threat today is a heavily laden SU-24 with a gun” This isn’t an argument to do more CAS. I solidly support deleting it from the USAF F-35 mission set to focus on high end A/A and SEAD. Let’s just not BS ourselves and say we care or are good at it. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

I hope it meets the USMC needs for the sacrifice in capabilities the F-35 program made to get that variant. I stand by my assertion— I don’t want to be anywhere near a MCO CAS environment in the F-35. I’ll happily stand-off and enable the jets that have the weaponry and survivability to get up close. Manpads and AAA while I’m heads down in my 2005 era TFLIR lasing a Vietnam era gbu-12 from my $100m single engine stealth designed to to stand-off aircraft?!! No thanks. We can do better. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

I disagree but I understand your perspective. I’m not emotionally attached, just old. I’ve flown CAS and seen it evolve for 20+ years and I just think the way we are doing it or proposing to do it is not a good use of F-35 resources. Also, very familiar with the A-10 proposals but I think it’s too late based on hearing some high ups speak. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

CAS in the USAF is effectively dead for a multitude of reasons. First off the USAF has castrated the A-10 community no doubt, basically keeping them separated from knowledge and interoperability that would keep them effective in a big war. So the USAF just sticks with the line “the A-10 isn’t survivable” and people buy it. The A-10 community hasn’t helped themselves. I’ve personally tried to get them to work into higher end scenarios and the interest is what practicing they’ve been doing for 20 yrs in Afghanistan. When they do try a higher threat scenario, (see above) they don’t have the knowledge as a community to integrate to the realistic threat. Now the F-35 CAS capability is different and in my opinion - horrid. As a airframe it currently lacks CAS friendly weapons, and it lacks many of the features you’d want in a CAS platform. But all that doesn’t matter because the community doesn’t care about CAS. And that’s fine, because it’s not the F-35 mission. The real tragedy is most leadership doesn’t understand any if this. F-35 leadership will ignorantly or falsely say they are capable of a mission they barely understand and inept top brass will buy it. Time to turn the mission back to the Army. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Lots of paths, some happy, some not so you’ll get mixed responses. I did 20+ yrs Active duty, enjoyed it enough to separate into reserves vs retire. I could have more money but feel I have plenty (just being disciplined, not smart, not lucky) a line # and I still get to fly fast, low/hi etc. so other than the USAF being a shitshow, it was well worth it. My social circle is now fairly hi end and the super wealthy people are more jealous of me than I am of them….money isn’t everything is what I learned. To me nothing can replace a day of flying fighters then drinking afternoon beers in the squadron bar like I’m 22 again. I do it again in a heartbeat. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

It’s sad that the only officers that can perform operationally are a majority pilots. Pilots succeed in roles they aren’t trained or even familiar with simply because they are federally people who can succeed in a variety of situations, This goes all the way back to recruiting and the low standard we have for non rated officers. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

The problem goes all the way back to recruitment. We aren’t getting America’s best…we are getting the best the USAF can/wants to recruit. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

People complain about the USAF because right now pilots have numerous well paying alternatives. If the economy goes to hell, the airlines furlough, etc, those same sideline sport b-tcher’s happily resubmit and beg for employment from big blue. I’ve seen it multiple times in my 23 years. Right now is unprecedented though. Pilots have a ton of well paying opportunities so it just really comes down to personal priorities (money/family/flying cool jets vs a fat bus etc) and life circumstances. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Forgive me Huggy but should we keep teaching form landings for B-2/U-2 companion trainers or were you getting at something else? For the record I have 1200+ hrs in the T-38 and form landings never scared me but in 4,000+ hours spread over 4 airframes, it was never once necessary. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

How accurate is the “take hourly airline pay x $1,000 and that’s your pay” guidance? A guy told me that’s accurate for year 1 but then the reality after is much higher. Anyone have good data? Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

No, it’s still being worked out. If interested start talking to a undermanned unit. This won’t be for every airframe/every location. It’ll be used to fill shortfalls in specific MDS and locations that need to retain experience. I’m betting FTUs and pilot training bases will see the most opportunities. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Guard reserves are 1100 pilots short…unfilled TR positions in certain AFSCs can go to retired people. There are limfacs such as time out of the jet/retraining etc. Not everyone will qualify. No timeframe given for implementation. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Craniums up…the indispensability program is on the upswing so if you are near retirement and want to retire then serve as a TR with an undermanned unit, it may be possible soon. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

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I hear non-coyote brown Friday shirts are soon to be gone via the new uniform reg update. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Where I’m at, a guy everyone thought should/would be fired for abhorrent performance and loss of credibility among all who worked for him was just made a commander. USAF standard Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app