08Dawg

Global Strike decided about a year and change ago to rebrand all the offenders as WSOs because supposedly "nobody knows what a radar nav is but everybody knows what a WSO is and WSOs promote better...". Whatever....I still think of my self as a radar nav. Our defense guys are still Electronic Warfare Officers, or "E-Dubs" for short. To the OP's question, the Buff, barring something entirely unforeseen, isn't going anywhere any time soon. My kid could fly the same jet I'm flying. There has been talk batted around the community of going from three smash-bug-wing types to two, but there is no way a Buff will ever fly with no 12s onboard, and we're likely to be in service possibly as far out as 2050. As for other platforms, from what I understand, AFSOC lobbied very strongly to keep CSOs/WSOs/EWs on all their various new J model variants, so plenty of job security there, too.

The locals are American, too...but yes, very good burgers

That seems to me to be what places like LA Tech, Delta State, UND and ERAU kinda already are. Tack on a government subsidy to the flight training programs and voila, a starting point to begin addressing the civilian pilot shortage.

Beat me to it....point being, there's already a precedent in the military flying community. I bet you could get a bunch of retired guys to sign up for it. All the fun, none of the queep!

Not surprising. Wonder when we'll start seeing the same from the AWACS community?

And that in a nutshell sums up the problems with the Air Force..."well, our metrics look good, so we must be ok!"

Here's a free piece of advice you should take- NEVER pass up the opportunity to shut the fuck up

Interview invites went out early last week.

You're reading too much into it. Active duty, AFRC and the Guard are all part of the Air Force. What it really comes down to is who's signing your paycheck at any given moment.

I get the sense all this would really do is knock the mins to be a regional FO back down to the 250-500 range and make it easier for all the poor kids coming out of ATP with $100K+ in debt to get a job. And since nobody I know has done anything but go straight to the right seat at Delta, American or United....nothing to see here, move along.

I had to write my own, as well, and I hated it. Just how it is, unfortunately. If you're already on active duty, pillage your squadron drive for other letters that other people have used, and then modify it with your information. Otherwise, Google is your friend.

The first one, no. The second one I got a letter from my RA and went to base supply and chose it myself.

The Mexican-Hawaiin love child analogy is spot on. I've actually said the exact same thing myself. I didn't mind Guam honestly, and I think being permanent party would be a better situation. My buddy out at Det 4 now has hit up Australia and New Zealand already, and he's been there less than a year, so if traveling is your thing, it could be fun if you choose to make it that way. Not a long hop to Tokyo from there, either I did start getting island fever towards the end of my six month trips. If you have family and take them, I think it'd be a better situation. All in all, not an assignment I'd actively shoot for, but not one I'd really dread either.

I got issued the same shitty type of jacket when I was an lt. Started flaking within a year. You're authorized two in your career. I opted to go ahead and get my second one, and chose one of better quality. Or, buy one from Pop's and never worry about it again.

Dunno on either the Bone of the B-2. Our next class isn't completely from the Tone side. We have a couple of ENJJPT non-fighter recommends, and the usual smattering of FAIPs. I'd guess if one bomber is getting Toners, we all are, but that's just my $.02.

Buffs are about to start dropping on the Tone side, per AFPC. Our next IQT class has both a T-1 FAIP and a newbie.

Bitch all you want about priorities....I cannot wait for the first time some E-9 with nothing better to do tries to correct me and I can pull this MFR out of my pocket. Oh, how the craniums will be explodin'!

No -135 navs, either RCs or KCs. Interesting. A good drop, though!

You sure it went out? I've seen it a couple of times in the past, but no joy yet this time around.

That would require us to have something digital in the aircraft, and that's not gonna happen!

Nope, it's all manual. That's one of the hangups with any potential plan to reengine the jet. If we go from eight to four, the rudder might not have enough control authority to counter a failed outboard, and adding a power assist is financially prohibitive.

With it being an inboard engine, I doubt he really noticed much of a difference. It's losing an outboard that makes it a sonuvabitch.

I knew at least one guy who barfed in his flight suit and used the waste straps to hold it in. Pretty sure it leaked down his leg on the way back into the building.

Interesting that that looks like it's been shot from a chase ship. Wing's flexed up too much for it to be on the ground.

Probably because they're all going to be needed for riot control when Trump is actually sworn in and half the libtards in the city lose their damn minds and start burning buildings and throwing bricks.