Sua Sponte

When I was at Altus some people commuted from Lawton and even OKC. One guy commuted from Atlanta to Robins daily due to having family in the area and not wanting to live in the shit hole known as Warner Robins/Macon.

If you’re single, sure.

Great read!

Being a Guard tanker guy (to include Pease who just converted to KC-46s) is the life.

I grew up with my parents smoking weed, they are great parents. I've seen alcohol ruin more lives than people that smoked weed, yet alcohol is legal minus all the "blue laws" Southern states have. If weed was so dangerous, then why is it legal in multiple states?

Yeah, Gingrich just led the charge for Clinton to be impeached for lying about an affair with an intern while he was having an affair of his own. Oh, and had ethics violations as Speaker of the House, which was a first. He resigned before the House Republicans had a mutiny due to having one of the worst midterm elections of all time. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/09/us/politics/09brfs-GINGRICHSAYS_BRF.html If you’re going to talk shit of a pretty well known fact, then at least acknowledge the other side with the same problem. You look like a hypocrite when you don’t. As someone who’s given years of checkrides, your analogy is flawed, but that probably explains your ad hominem attacks.

Congress, just like the rest of federal/state/local politics, is too busy with protecting their partisan tribalism than to do what's best for Americans.

So Kennedy and Clinton are POS's, but yet you leave out Newt Gingrich. Interesting. It's almost like he wouldn't help your narrative. Read up on the "Biden Rule" and what they did with Garland's nomination. Where does the Constitution say the Senate has to have a vote for a nominee? While that my have been customary, there is no requirement per the Constitution that they have too.

You guys won the terrible decisions in Citizens United v. FEC and Bush v. Gore. Don't really know one Associate Justice of the SCOTUS stops an entire political party?

Omega bought the two(?) KDC-10s from the Dutch. Another company recently purchased the four KC-135s from the Singaporeans.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/16/in-a-twist-american-partners-with-jetblue-in-bid-for-new-york-and-boston.html

Disagree to a degree. Both my brother and I became Boom Operators after being SSgts in non-flying career fields and did well in initial qual. I graduated college at 37, summa cum laude, and currently have a 4.0 GPA in a competitive grad program that's different than my undergrad. When I taught at the -135 FTU usually older students caught on faster than younger students. Friend of mine who spent years in the oil industry is a 3L in law school and said those that state how horrible/difficult law school is are usually those 22-24 year olds whom came from their undergrad and have no real world experience other than being a college student. I can only attribute the fact being older usually means you just have more life experiences, more working experience, possible better work ethic, etc. Does that mean there aren't young people who learn fast and older people who don't? Of course not, but YMMV.

As someone who was on the crew who flew three KC-135s to the boneyard, it’s always a sad day knowing that’s its final resting place.

That may be true but the OG/CC of the base where the sim’s located is probably more concerned with keeping his/her aircrew proficient in the sim than some random ANG TR guy. Also, a lot of ANG/AFRC aircrew go TDY to sims at AD bases that have been scheduled out months in advance. Sorta like Space-A as a retiree, it might work out with scheduling and having open availability, but you’re not the priority.

Not having a NAF/CC makes the Convening Authority for General Courts Martial the MAJCOM/CC, which would be a job within itself.

The MAF has always had boner for T-Tail airlifters in leadership positions. The running joke at the KC-135 FTU was if you’re the #1 tanker guy in the wing, you were #15 guy in the wing behind all the C-17 drivers. Getting rid of Phoenix programs would be a positive in the MAF.

I’m curious on your use of the term grift when the VA, through comp and pen exams, determines what, if any compensation to be awarded for anything claimed. Either they award it, they don’t, or if you claimed it under false pretenses and they awarded it, they can investigate you and possibly file federal charges for defrauding the government. This isn’t claiming an expense under $75 on a travel voucher with no review or audit. There’s a review conducted and they determine if you are to be compensated or not. Even if you’re awarded any disability payments, those are subject to review whenever the VA chooses. You can use your uncles scenario all you want, but he didn’t award his own rating, nor was he accountable for conducting a review of his rating over the years. Is it an imperfect system? Yeah, much like everything else in the government.

I have 3,000 hours as a -135 Boom. I look fine and walk like an old man due to the boom pod and teaching four years at the FTU. The VA gave me 10% for my back. It’s a crap shoot. There’s also the people who do the holier than thou stance of not wanting to file a disability claim. Which is fine, but that’s a personal choice, but that doesn’t extend your beliefs to other people with their claims. When I was a broke full-time college student my disability pay paid my bills, and I was thankful for it.

Dude’s bio reads like a military pilot version of Tony Stark.

There’s two 100% disabled. One you can work, one you can’t. Disabled veteran benefits vary by the state. In Washington, one pretty has to be 100% disabled for most benefits. I’m moving to Colorado next month and I’ll get free plates for my car due to being over 50% and free hunting and fishing licenses for life if over 60%.

The VA disability ratings can be reduce before 20 years or permanent 100%. One thing that makes it difficult is VA law is very veteran friendly with a “more likely than not” legal standard. There are Facebook Groups for VA disability on people trying to fineness disability claims. The big one is 100% since federal student loans are completely forgiven. Some people have $200K+ in debt forgive due to 100% being awarded.

Looks like they didn’t make it. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/pilot-dies-after-f-16-crash-at-shaw-air-force-base-in-south-carolina-1.635798 Former McChord C-17 Load Him, Him 🥃

Speaking of echo chamber...

Tell that to the 13.3% unemployment rate. Or better yet, the employees of Tesla who got told to stay at home due to COVID-19, then given termination notices. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/25/tesla-plant-firings/ Civilian employment is far from being as secure as the military. Even in the military when you’re removed from your position due to misconduct or incompetence, your current pay doesn’t change. When 2008/2009 recession happened, I knew I wasn’t losing my job, I was in the Air Force. I bought a truck at 0% APR that year. And I’ve had healthcare plans that had HSA’s, some that didn’t, some that had higher deductibles, some didn’t. One’s experience completely depends on a multitude of variables. One could argue that the military manufactures war. It doesn’t just happen with one party. They also manufacture requirements for equipment to use in war. Contractors just don’t randomly come up with designs of equipment that doesn’t meet government listed requirements. You quoted responding to me, but I didn’t say this. However, I wouldn’t say “wasted on contractors.” I don’t think you fathom how expensive military personnel are when you factor in pay, that socialized healthcare, allowances, etc. Also, that retired Lt Col instructor pilot is more qualified to be teaching academics with experience than that young Captain who’s a new instructor pilot. And that goes back the military promotion system, which relates to positions within a unit. It’s not that one is “the most qualified.” A lot of the time it boils down to the more senior ranking person.