HU&W

Point taken (sts). My opinion is that the importance of PCS medals has been diluted by them being used as PCS medals. The "V" does indeed set it apart. Although his actions may have been 'routine' in Vietnam or even possibly to a Marine, he really rose above expectations. Kudos to him for actually having a warrior spirit.

It amazes and frankly disgusts me that the best the AF could do for this Airman was a commendation medal when MSgt's get bronze stars for enforcing uniform rules in a combat zone.

So does that make him the commander?

I heard something about mandatory 5 minute combat showers with an E-7 specifically deployed to monitor each stall for compliance (and an EPR bullet).

zing

Link to the White House flickr photostream where the shot comes from (including hi-res) Here's the official caption that contains the individuals in the photo.

Wasn't USAFE/CC looking for inputs regarding the problems with retention? I think we have a candidate.

I like the advertisement that shows on toolbar to the left of the map.

Waldo: 1 Osama: 0

I think this may be one of those turning points that will be discussed in the history books. Let's hope so. I'm looking forward to the President's comments. to the operators involved.

Here's a new one for you. As you know, when movers disassemble a piece of furniture at your old house, they have to reassemble it at your new house. We've been moved in for about a month. Tonight, my wife put our baby in the crib. 20 minutes later, she heard a scream and crying. When she went in to find out what was going on, the back half of the crib had collapsed. Our baby was pinned between the mattress, frame, and wall. Fortunately she wasn't hurt, but had her position been just inches different she could have been severely injured or worse. Looked over the crib to find out if something was defective. Turns out it wasn't the crib that was defective. The back half of the crib, behind the mattress, had no ZERO bolts holding it together. It was just jammed together and jammed against the wall. It held for a month like that. Suspiciously all the required bolts are in place in all the readily visible areas. Almost seems like someone reassembled the crib, ran out of bolts, and instead of telling anyone just made the empty spots somewhere invisible. Surely they had no idea they were endangering a baby. Bad on me for not dismantling everything they did behind them (STS) and verifying their work.

You'll be awaiting training and then in training for a long time here. Once you're trained, expect to be gone as much as you're home. That's squadron life. Clovis is flat, excessively windy, dusty, and smells like cow 2-3 nights a week. There's a Walmart, a Lowes, an Albertsons, a Hobby Lobby, a Hastings bookstore, a tiny mall, a small zoo, a few restaurants and a smattering of other places to go. The people are very nice, but they can't drive at all. Don't expect any good deals if you need something done, but there are definitely some honest contractors and businessmen out there. The fiber optic internet you can get is some of the fastest I've seen. They also have Patriot Outdoors, an excellent shooting range including a moving target range. The rental market is practically nonexistent with either broken down shoeboxes or extremely overpriced houses. Check Ahrn.com. Preowned houses are really overpriced. With the additional demand on the market due to base growth prices are up. New houses are on par with the rest of the south. Expect $110-$130 per square foot. I can recommend Linn Custom Homes for good build quality, reasonable prices, and a good warranty. The two "good" elementary schools are Mesa and Zia. Houses in their zones sell for more, but are also more apt to sell. Military members tend to cluster in the same neighborhoods. You will be a part of the upper income segment. The communities are very tight and supportive with all the deployments. Also good squadron unity among the spouses, but not the crazy weird kind.

So what you're saying is that your one week in the field is half Winter and half Summer? Most places call that Fall or Spring. It's nice that you won't have to deal with your all-leather boot getting slightly damp from the snow and then freezing overnight into a solid mass that you have to melt by the fire before you can slide it on. Wear a pair of normal waterproof boots, the fabric/goretex stuff is fine. "Jungle" boots are a specific type that were phased out years ago and were not waterproof. The weather should be nice when you're there, just bring good bug repellent. I'd recommend the issue deet (little green tubes). It's industrial strength, but works.

I'd put lots of focus on the news, especially current events and the historical context that frames them. I'm sure you're already well versed, but if not then now's the time...

For AF specific publications, take a look at this link. If you look under the product index and click on "departmental", you can find a wealth of knowledge.

Potentially right under his wingmen, esp if a breakout was required.

Just wait, on your next PHA, Airman Snuffy will be counseling you that you should sit down to put on your pants each day. Much safer than standing and lifting one leg at a time.

They're horrible to clean at first, but after awhile the mechanism is genius. Use a paperclip on the rear lever for disassembly. Watch the youtube vid for a good tutorial on all the tips and tricks.

Most crashes result from excessive negative vertical velocity combined with an unsuitable landing surface. The others are usually caused by excess closure.

I completely understanding wanting to procon every option before making your 'pick'. Just rank 'em by the mission you want to be a part of, remember they're all good, and when you get dropped something totally unexpected just enjoy it.

Awesome work. Keep it up guys.

AFA article on AFSOC evolution

Sort of. It primarily refers to the ejection decision. If you don't have the criteria met at ejection altitude (including landing profile), it's time to go.

Just found out one of the victims was from my old squadron. The world really is a small place. Thoughts and prayers with the families.