dmeg130

Well, at least we won't have to carry ALL the PJs junk around any more! I've never flown a helo, so I won't presume to know what the best choice really is. Money is THE big driver here. Multiple airframes is a sure no-go -- need another schoolhouse squadron, HQ and WIC division, etc. The CV-22 is a small buy for us, but the USMC is getting 400+. The HH-47 provided a readily available platform with an existing HAR capability. If the Marine One H-71 had a probe, maybe it'd have a better shot. The original proposal did not comply with the DoD directive to solicit joint input for the possibility of common use. I think the one thing we can all agree on is that the -60 is too small (and the 60G is too underpowered) for the missions that we've been doing in GWOT. I personally find it hard to believe that we're buying 141 airframes to support Moseley's "moral imperative" that we rescue the 2 guys that get shot down every ten years (not to mention the possibility of buying the HC-130J) while non-vol-ing guys to Preds and PC-12s. Sorry, but the narrow mission constraints that the Chief wants us operating in cannot possibly justify the purchase of CSAR-specific equipment over other priorities (i.e. KC-X). If he wants to take the leash off and let us support the combatant commander instead of sitting around with our collective thumbs up our asses while waiting for the CFACC to lose one of his precious planes, then by all means, let's buy some new aircraft. But the numbers (loss rates, theater utilization rates) don't add up. And don't scream "China!" either. Even if we did lose planes in a double digit SAM ring, we sure as hell aren't going to send a couple CSAR-X in to get shot down too. Your skills are being wasted by leadership who has no idea what you can do with your helicopter.

We may bitch and moan about reflective belts and financial services transformation, but thank God we're not still in the Army. Happy Birthday, Big Blue!

Just tell your SQ/CC or DO what your plans are and how they would like you to proceed. They're the ones who have to answer the mail if you end up at the Key West hospital without leave paperwork, and know what the Wing King's "intent" is. The half-day thing only counts for chargeable days of leave, it's not an official definition of a work day, otherwise I'd be home at noon everyday. Usually they'll say "as long as I can get ahold of you, that's cool". Using leave always covers your ass, but so does a well-informed commander.

From what I've heard, you're giving it a pretty good effort. (I keed, I keed)

You can infer that I think better knowledge of instrument flying helps make you a better pilot, regardless of your airframe. All the fighter dudes that went through AIS with me said they thought it was very valuable. In fact, single-seat guys probably need the HIGHEST level of instrument skills since they don't have somebody to share their workload with them -- thus pilot weather categories. But for those who routinely fly into foreign-controlled airspace or commercial airports, this stuff is a very important part of their mission. Sorry you find that so boring. Stop reading these instrument discussions you so love. AIS provides a lot of the background knowledge for why we do things the way we do, and how to do it better. It's a great course, well worth the time.

Well I'm sure the next time an F-22 finds himself single-ship, Winchester, and Bingo, he'll try to avoid getting shot by an F-18. Otherwise... Remember the big uproar about how India spanked us in an exercise? It's called training rules. Take the cuffs off and it's a different story.

I'm not really sure how reinstating the draft would be any more equitable: everybody rich (politicians) got their kids exemptions for college, Guard jobs (oops! not so safe now!), or tickets for Canada/UK. Only "benefit" to drafting dudes is people who really don't want to be there with access to firearms and lots of civilians and their own officers to shoot at. Oh yeah, didn't we have kind of have a drug problem last time we did that too? We're not a sociology experiment. We terminate with extreme prejudice. That's not for everyone. If they really want to make a change, how about we draft people randomly for Congress? Sidebar: You obviously aren't familiar with Seamus McLoginname, the inventor of the Irish Car Bomb. The drink, not the actual IED, but IRA nonetheless.

Umm, hello... This is your aircraft for every era.

Yep... counting 563RQG at DM and Nellis, there are 3 OGs in 23rd WG. It's not small. No no no.

Air Medals can also be awarded for single missions not warranting a DFC

Be sure to get your facts straight on this -- PJs are ENLISTED ONLY. CROs go through the same training,etc, but aren't typically team leaders or "operational" in that sense. Guys who got sold on the "officer PJ" concept of CRO were a little bitter when they found out the majority of their job entailed manning staff jobs and writing EPRs, not "hacking the mish". CCT officers are a different story. PJs tend to be like most other operators: highly skilled, highly aware of that fact, highly deployed, and highly impatient of queep. I find them to be on the whole a great group of dudes who do their job very well, but occasionally need a little reining-in from higher-ups. I'd trust them with my life, and they seem to (warily) trust me with theirs. Although the 20th pass of JMD that results in yet another no drop because they couldn't see the target get old, I'd venture to say having my ass on the ground somewhere would get old a whole lot quicker. My EPA brief always starts with "Team leader, if we all go down, you are calling the shots. I just nod along."

AFSOC flying jobs are U-28s ONLY -- there may be a chance to crosstrain into other aircraft later. At least the frequent deployments will minimize your time in Clovis.

It ain't just the -47, man. Can the S-92 or US-101 do any better? BTW, calling the SOAR and HH-47s "old" is like calling the C-130J "old". Incidents involving U.S. helicopters in Iraq in 2007: - April 5: A helicopter carrying nine people went down south of Baghdad, wounding four. An Iraqi official said the chopper was a Black Hawk and militants in the area were using an anti-aircraft heavy machine gun. - March 1: An OH-58 Kiowa made a hard landing near Kirkuk, wounding two pilots. An initial investigation blamed mechanical failure rather than hostile fire. - Feb. 21: A Black Hawk went down north of Baghdad amid small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. All members aboard were safely evacuated. - Feb. 7: A Marine CH-46 Sea Knight was shot down by insurgents in a Sunni-dominated area in Anbar province, killing all seven people on board. - Feb. 2: An AH-64 Apache crashed in a hail of gunfire north of Baghdad, killing two crew members. The military said it was likely the aircraft had been shot down. - Jan. 31: A civilian helicopter owned by the private security company Blackwater USA went down south of Baghdad. The military began an investigation after The New York Times reported that insurgents had brought it down with ground fire. - Jan. 28: An AH-64 Apache went down during heavy fighting near Najaf, south of Baghdad, killing the two crew members. - Jan. 23: An OH-6A observation helicopter owned by Blackwater USA crashed in Baghdad in heavy gunfire, killing four civilian contractors. A fifth contractor in a second helicopter died of gunshot wounds. - Jan. 20: A Black Hawk crashed in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, killing 12 soldiers aboard. The military said it might have been shot down by a shoulder-fired weapon, although their investigation was continuing.

Not exactly the feel-good spot, but the Holocaust Museum is exceptional and sobering. If your kids are a little older, I highly recommend it.

And that, right there gents, is our real heritage. From the beginning, we were people who thought differently than the establishment. We thought of better ways of doing things (operationally) and made them happen whether or not it bent the rules. We have always focused getting the mission done while accepting the inherent danger of hurtling through the air in a metal box while getting shot at and shooting back. We tolerate the associated bureaucracy that enables us to do that job, but we do not admire it. That is the bureacracy that says we must have heritage uniforms and goal cards to know what an Airman is. I say those things undermine the very essence that makes an Airman. I don't want a PT uniform, a reflective belt, hand-washing Nazis, Core Values, Combat Action Medals, AFSO 21, TQM, CBTs, DTS, or ORIs. If there's a job that needs doing, I want to get into my plane and do it. Sorry if I went over my duty day and didn't request a waiver. Sorry if I wasn't current for that event or if the WX was below mins or if that gauge was inoperative the whole time. I did it because somebody was counting on me to do it. And I'll do it again tomorrow. That, my fellow Airmen, is our heritage. Unfortunately, that doesn't play well with the brass, who want everyone to feel "included" and equally special. I know the names and the dates that form our history. I know Leon Vance's half-severed foot was stuck in the rudder pedals so he couldn't bail out and that Bernard Fisher pulled his buddy into the back seat after landing while under attack. I know there are plenty of dudes who have done amazing stuff that we have never heard about, which is probably a shame. Do I feel a kinship with the Doolittle Raiders, the 8th AF bombers, and the Air Recue Service? A little. Do I feel a kinship with the guy who was facing long odds but did his job anyway, because that's just the way we do things? Absolutely. I won't speak for everybody, but that's why shoe clerks are held in contempt. I don't feel a sense of loyalty so much to the Air Force, but to the people get the Air Force's job done. If that's too cynical or jaded, so be it. But you can't legislate a sense of heritage and make me feel it. So if someone wants to know about heritage, go ask a pilot how many times they think they've almost died, and listen closely.

Empty leg from LAX back to the Springs, 'round '97... Take off, then settle in to watch "Terminator 2" on the laptop. After about 20 minutes, look at the other dude -- "You heard ATC for a while?" "Nope." Looks at wafer switch. "Oops." Thought he was playing the audio from the computer over hot mike. I chime in: "Ah, SOCAL, JOSA 123, you still up?" "Roger JOSA, we've had some kind of music or something on freq... Contact LA Center now on..." Glad they didn't have DF equipment.

There's only so many golden eggs out there, and I think the -130 guys will generally agree that Ramstein is one of them. The J model does present some interesting issues for navs in the community. As they come on line, there may be more opportunities for slick navs to crossflow into SOF and rescue platforms that will continue to have navs. Even if the J model is the new tanker, we're pushing hard to maintain a CSO position as a requirement. Where you will end up and when is hard to say. As for the BUFF, you know where you're going. You can put a crapload of iron out of that thing -- where YOU want it. And that's a great job. A good problem to face. Good luck -- we need good navs.

Nice job Coug -- somebody representin the P-N-W. Rest of the NW's finest: Full Sail Amber Bridgeport IPA Mactarnahan's Scottish Pyramid Hef (Apricot is too fruity...in all respects) Rainier (who doesn't need a little Vitamin R on a hot day?) Red Hook ESB (in my hand right now) Tribute to the zoo: Breckenridge Avalanche Laughing Lab 1000 times better at the actual brewery: Shiner Bock (seriously, make the trip. It rocks) Don't miss at the Ramstein Class VI: 1878 Perminator To each his own... I admire those with strong convinctions and sense enough to honor a man's own choice of beverage. Even Fat Tire. Or Strongbow. But not Zima.

Consolation line forms outside 314AW/PA Monday @ 0730. Get there early and practice sad face.

I think you really want to arrive at the LZ at about 97KIAS. But that's just me. Navs can give you the delta V they use for LZ slowdowns (I forget what it is off the top of my head, something like 13 seconds) which should give a pretty good TOT. PM me if you need further details.

I don't buy it. That's like saying that the C-130J is 50 yr old technology. Internal room was a big factor, yes, but so was power/high-alt capability and the ability to meet the procurement timeline. I think that both the 92 and 101 are very capable airframes as well, but neither has had a probe mod as far as I know. Speed may be life, but even the Apaches are getting whomped on, and everybody's got to hover sometime. Is there really a big difference between a 150kt target and a 200kt target? Surely you're not suggessting the Osprey as the solution? In this case, the speed we need is to replace the -60 as soon as possible.

There is an exchange position with the Coast Guard at Clearwater flying 130s as well. It's typically a rescue/SOF pilot billet, but a good deal. Living in Tampa, flying 'bergs out of St. John's.... Their other 130 bases are Elizabeth City, NC; Sacramento, CA; Kodiak, AK, and Barbers Point, HI. Other than E-City, not too shabby.

I'd take an "I was there" ribbon. And does no one else see the humor in "Sgt Cross-my-heart"? Man, I must be old...

Maybe the CSAF will add this to his reading list.

Don't forget your hair dye and extra running shoes so you can get back to base when you're "abducted" -- if it's not at the BX, you can probably get it at the mall downtown.