Torch09

It was, and yet the text of that memo didn't make it into this AFI rewrite. It was either an oversight/failure to update guidance based off of the memo, or an intentional change.

36-2903, 28 Sep 18. I don't see it on E-Pubs yet, but leadership emailed it out. TLDR: New uniform AFI does not authorize rolling up flight suit or A2CU sleeves, but OCPs can. 8.3.7. Sleeves. The FDU/DFDU will have sleeves rolled down to the wrist when performing aircrew duties in-flight. Sleeves may be rolled under if not performing in-flight duties; if rolled under the sleeve will not end above the natural bend of the wrist when the wearer's arms are hanging naturally at their side. (Add) 5.3. OCP Coat (Shirt). ...Commanders may authorize sleeves to be rolled up on the OCP coat; however, the cuffs will remain visible and the sleeve will rest at, or within 1 inch of, the forearm when the arm is bent at a 90-degree angle. Regardless as to whether the sleeves are rolled up or unrolled, the cuffs will remain visible at all times. (referencing A2CU, 2-piece flight suit) (Add) 8.12.3.4. The sleeves will be worn down at all times, not rolled or cuffed. AFI_36-2903_28_Sep_18.pdf

1. Wrong gender. 2. Vipers, not Eagles.

On the FAIP commitment and early release/matching up with a spouse's MWS timeline: I was in a nearly identical situation. My spouse was due to finish her non-flying FTU and receive an assignment about 6mo prior to my FAIP commitment (3yrs from end of PIT) ending. I spoke with my Sq/CC, she called AFPC to see what MWS FTU courses were available, and I departed my FAIP assignment 5mo early. If your (or her) CC is willing to let you/her go and suffer the vacancy, it shouldn't be a problem. However, your/her CC also has the authority to deny that request and jack up your join spouse timeline.

We've been directed to AR in Bronco a few times to justify it's existence. There's a B-21s-at-Dyess incentive plan to bridge Bronco and Lancer, add in some Link-16 infrastructure all the way out to Pecos, and make a super-MOA. They call it the Raider MOA...keen.

I received my AZ absentee ballot: Vindictive careerist (R) Commie lunatic (D) Sonuva beech

Lancer is surprisingly busy: 90% Bones, the rest from BUFFs (KBAD), Vipers (NFW), C-130s, and the occasional F-35 (Lockheed plant, DFW). IR-128, while flat and soul-less, starts and ends in Lancer for a hip-pocket LOWAT rehack. Snyder is a pretty good EA site, used and abused by all 5 squadrons at Dyess. Adding some AETC traffic is possible, but not ideal.

I got a little bored. Data for those considering a join spouse relationship: Of the 6.4yrs/2,352 days my wife and I have been married, 2.5yrs/909 days have been apart. That's an average of 4.7mo/141 days per year physically separated by TDY, PCS, or deployment. The average duration of separation is 37 days, including the occasional 1-2 day jet-swap TDYs. We've had one PCS separation that left an 11mo gap, with the rest stationed together. Days apart does not consider leave taken to visit each other while separated via PCS. We also have jobs that are highly compatible, both ops-focused and relatively easy to station together. If we were committed to different MWS's or didn't have today's friendly AF policy directing join spouse assignments, it would be far worse. The 1-3wk TDYs aren't bad. It's enough time for the spouse still home to work on house projects, hog all the time with the kiddos, and then appreciate the return of the TDY spouse. Deployments longer than a couple months suck; 5-6mo are standard in our jobs. Thankfully, we've had CC's on our side for the couple times we've asked for a break. One was simultaneous deployments, leaving our 1yr old with family. The other was staggered deployments, with only 5wks together over the course of 2yrs. CC involvement in both cases helped shift things around, and both worked out well for our family. Things that helped make the separations easier: 1. Set expectations low. Even if it's an easy TDY, walk into each one as though you won't have time to talk until you're both home. Any contact is then a pleasant surprise. 2. Block off leave and family time for after the TDY/deployment well in advance. Keep it sacred. 3. If the AF is paying you to go to Nellis, find a reliable babysitter (i.e. grandparents) for the kiddos and fly the wife out there for one of the weekends. Second honeymoon. 4. Don't overcommit on unnecessary projects. You're both making a decent paycheck, so don't go full dad mode and install a deck by yourself at the expense of relaxing with the family. Pay for the labor on tasks that you don't inherently enjoy, and consider it an investment in mitigating the stress of future time apart. 5. Enjoy the crap out of the times you get the kiddos to yourself. It's a lot of work on top of your day job, but good grief it's fun. 6. Your Family Care Plan forces this, but it's a good idea regardless: Have 2-3 close friends in the local area that you trust to pick up your kids and care for them overnight. I had to ask for help a couple times that a night sortie was unavoidable. Work with DOS to ensure you have as much of a nuggets' up as possible on sorties that will impact your ability to pick up kids from daycare.

Posted yes, but details are slim: https://www.flyingsquadron.com/forums/topic/22416-usmc-f-35-crash-in-south-carolina/

Juice/squeeze = negligible. The vast majority of UPT students walk into IFS/UPT with very little or no experience. Some of the best students I had were CFIIs, but they paid for hundreds of hours of training and then were getting paid to teach others; it's not something you do on your own without a significant financial investment. A couple of the worst students I had were also CFIIs, who had a slew of bad habits and a shitty attitude. Be a bro, study hard, and let the AF pay you for all the training you need.

Specifically, enough distance for Sandy to mow down shitheads around you just before Jolly drops in. The effective range of the GAU-5A (considering barrel length, twist rate/bullet stabilization, muzzle velocity, ammo specs) was carefully compared to 'distance' data from friendly weapons to set a minimum threshold. The max was limited by available space in the seat kit. We sent a weapons SME and AFE tech to a conference a few months back to ensure the GAU hit all those requirements. I'm only familiar with what one MDS had to give up in the seat kit to fit the GAU, but given the ground picture in CENTCOM I'll gladly take the GAU over those other niceties.

Galil Ace Pistol +brace isn't a new model, but just got it yesterday. Probably the smoothest-cycling bolt I've ever felt (sts). Helluva truck gun: https://iwi.us/product/gap39iisb/

Gorgeous

I'm not in DOS, I just bitch about the product. How did you learn how to use all the PEX functions? In-house SME? The 1wk training course? Add: a PEX guide or gouge floating around? To clarify: We tried using PEX for everything...entering commitments, tracking currencies, real-time updates displayed on a big screen as the executing scheduler threw 'pucks', etc. The primary drawbacks were: 1. Visualizing commitments and people available vs. lines to fill. Physical pucks or Excel perform this function in a far cleaner format. Even the attached flyers take the time to ensure those two methods of commitments are accurate, vice battling the daily PEX server meltdown. I have 4 hyperlinks to PEX bookmarked... 2. Constant inaccuracies in aircrew currencies. I would show green in ARMS and whatever other program the HARM shop uses, but show red in PEX even after HARM/SARM tried updating it. Additional issue that drove DOT to create a separate RAP tracker: Aircrew would log MARs, sometimes 2-3x, and PEX wouldn't save it. I never had faith our RAP reports were accurate reflections of training accomplished, even assuming a 100% MAR completion rate from aircrew.

We just moved from a magnetic puck board to a combo of homegrown Excel and PEX. PM me an address and I can ship you a metric shitload of pucks, complete with aircrew names dating back several PCS cycles. The pucks I've seen in AETC and AFGSC both arrived on a reel and you cut them to size, if that helps you order them.