AirGuardianC141747

Cargo is kill’n it, but like Hacker said it’s always fleet dependent and always comes down to seniority. How long it will last is anyone’s guess but it will continue into peak so early next year will be a good indication if things start to subside. Oct 1 is coming so hopefully an uptick will take hold quickly while folks lay low during the summer, businesses eek by and checks stop arriving so the workers/services can get back to former employment if it still exists despite the up and downs the various state entities are choking the economy with. Article regarding American and JetBlue makes sense to capture the market, etc, etc, but it’s all based on survival bottom line. Only so much to pull out of the basket and you don’t want to have an empty hand. Super doubtful any of the JetBlue starting a Europe run or even American “adding” international anytime soon. Maybe adding back to the fray and minimal at best, but it’s dismal outside the U.S. I hope they all grow, but they must refill current gaps before they can “grow.” Heavies are still being dumped left and right... Japan Airlines just announced this week the obvious- freeze on hiring. But they did forecast 1 year for domestic and 3 years for international to be at a more sustainable load factor. It’s plausible flying around the world constantly. LAX representatives were busier than normal yesterday and all summer as they told me these folks you see aren’t the normal pax, but low fare jockies. “Normally I help maybe 10 or more a day with Kiosks and finding their bags, these past few months it’s been hundreds and some can’t find security/TSA.” I myself see the garbage bag carry-ons from time to time now, truly astonishing. No Facts or Truths declared, just actual daily observation touring the world in/out of destinations domestically but mostly internationally.

I myself HAD personal issues with filing any disability claims, but in the end it’s your right as a veteran. Good friend of mine came down for a visit from the D.C. area where we had both worked, different jobs same swamp antics. Anyway, one of his assignments included the collection and organization of Flag officer disability claims where he racked and stacked the inputs into the proper format before VA input. Not a VSO but something like that perhaps. Either way, I discussed the matter and he mentioned that Flag Officers never hesitate with well over 100K earned pensions so why should you (Not really about the 100K so don’t hyper focus on that) - It’s your right as a veteran whether the substantiating system is broke or not and the majority have been helped to some extent and yes there are questionable folks out there but name one place there isn’t. Like Sua Sponte said “It’s a crap shoot!”, so make sure you put down anything and everything you might think is related to your career. Remember, it’s “Service Connected!” Here is the Bottom Line: “VA Disability is like a dart board, you can throw everything at it but in the end it’s the VA that decides what sticks!” You may or may not agree with your final rating, but make sure you look into what positives each and every rating gives you access too. Minor things as local park entries for free and even more significant benefits which save you from paying a “funding fee” on a VA Loan which doesn’t require a high rating at all but saves you thousands upon thousands I kid you not. If you have a credible VA hospital nearby, check into it. I enrolled into mine which is within a few miles, keeps all my tests, physical therapy needs (if and when needed), bloodwork & annual review, medical prescriptions and required equipment like clock work. It has been incredibly easy to have my VA provide the critical information for my FAA 1st Class when needed and I am by no means in near perfect working order. It may not have always been this way but they even send me to Vanderbilt for critical medical needs. Not all VA Hospitals are created equal. FL wasn’t as good for me as TN has been, but there are so many so I hope you find yours if you reside there. Note for Guard/Reserve: Every time you come off orders you can input VA disability claims during your career which would have been much easier than the 2 years of physical reviews and work I did prior to retirement while in an AGR status. It’s all about research and your inputs into the process, no one does it for you it’s your responsibility. For once, do something for yourself since you earned it. I understand, pension, BX, Commissary and Healthcare is great but some of these extra VA benefits have been extremely useful if not life changing. *My Warning to you - The VA Podiatrist has spent many moons working on getting my stride back into shape after wearing combat boots for decades. Especially for those of you who have done a lot of Army type indoctrination, not just cross trainers. Dr Scholls ain’t got nothing on form fitted Frankensteins.

I seek to understand, than to be understood. Arguing is one thing/ or lively banter if you will, but to encroach upon ones land, freedoms and endangering family, friends and loved ones to oppress or depress others into your way of thinking, propaganda and eventually tyranny. History is trying to be erased, it will be repeated. “Got it!” No, I don’t believe for one second you do. That’s your right provided by thousands upon thousands before us.

None of the below pertains to responsible/peaceful protesting. May it never come to the worst case scenario. I do pray that it will not. But when pushed far enough it’s obvious where the buck will stop and God favors the prepared: “violence begets violence” Not in reference to the MLK speech in any way. It was Col Jeff Cooper regarding his response to a reporter “It is my earnest endeavor to see that it does.” That’s how it’s done and that’s why militaries exist for the most part (fewer rampant cases of “countries needing breathing room.”) I pray we do not reach the final stage of failed deescalation and like countries/children need to be spanked it seems adults/domestic enemies/terrorists may require the same. Everyone here locks your doors home/car, take precautions on a daily basis. We do not live in a utopia. Evil exists and it is your duty to protect the sheep as Sheepdogs of our society. “Trust in God, but keep your powder dry” - Civil War.

Happy 4th of July everyone. Never forget those who paved the path with their blood and fortitude for us to enjoy such Freedoms. Truly cherish the Independence you have to express your views in an open forum with our fellow Americans and others. Truly a gift. Be safe, be free, long live the Republic.

Cool, let me know when you’re both there so I can buy some type of beverages If y’all request an off-Base pass 72 hrs prior to my arrival. Intercontinental Doha City is quite nice, might have a couple of spare rooms again. My buds couldn’t get off-Base last time to hang out due to that so-called 72 hour prior pass request, or they just hate me...

Correct, Cargo is hiring at it’s normal pace and apps are in the 10s of thousands even for ACMI’s. Can’t project how long the Majors will be below the line until 1 Oct -Dec or so, hopefully early retirements and normal retirements stem the tide of any layoffs. Many will be structured/shaped differently and domestic recovery will be incredibly faster than international travel. Just a few “Big Jets” flying around and I am skeptical that even half are pax birds. Pax birds never have ALL their window shades down.

Let me know when you and one other (your wife) are courageous enough to do what they did amongst many. Fear brings out the best and worst. Griswold’s great example has been going on for decades across the oceans afar. How small minded we are never to look across them, visit them, witness such occurrences and reflect what really can/is happening here. Military folks should know better than most. Stay informed, stay armed, stay well. It may very well be you and only you who can protect yourselves, etc. Sheepdog or sheep, your choice.

If they hadn’t come out, then what. Good for them...

Retired out of the 601st in 2017 after various staff jobs and another great unit. Peace of mind check of the month club is worth a lot of @$$ pain from this side of the fence finally.

Totally, AF started draining significantly almost 10 years ago and hadn’t stopped until the cyclic airline dumpster 🔥 fire. Always seems to be something and you had better have some intestinal fortitude to weather this game. Not for the faint of heart. While not pressure driven like military pilot paralysis (Combat Zone, PME, CBT, ROE, PT, etc), AD was pretty much a safe income source comparably speaking outside of RIFs and Passover’s. With greater security comes vast amounts of responsibility and we salute you.

Very knowledgeable statement. While in my first Guard unit (in a couple) we were fortunate there were limited folks in this position. Most had their shot, some not - but overall I enjoyed having a Nav and Engineer on board C141 days vs C17s. Extra eyes, extra safety and bigger party of friends roaming the world. Most of our Engineers became Loadmasters. Imagine this: 2 of my super smart engineers became Loadmasters, meanwhile they were already 747 engineers at their civilian gig. Their company (mine as well) allowed them get their civilian tickets on their own in a special program and eventually move up front to the right seat. Now they are Whale Captains a tad senior to me. (One is a Line Check Airman) SNCOs with vision and grit, can’t beat it. I actually rib them into buying drinks = priceless!!!

Did I mention Never Give Up!

I appreciate the “Never Give Up” attitude more then most and just understand timing is everything despite the best laid plans. My late 80s/early 90s story among many other great stories out there. 1. Planned to join Air Force ROTC work hard/stay focused and earn a Pilot Slot. 2. Several of us in the running for a pilot slot in a non-normal environment. Graduating Class before us multiple pilot slots awarded, our class a total of 0. It was Post Gulf War 1 drawdown and ROTC dropped from 1200 slots to 100 slots annually. Try applying several years after Top Gun came out and a Reduction In Force Impact - nothing was tougher. Haven’t seen anything like it since. Banked Pilots, no fly just working other jobs awaiting a seat in aircraft that didn’t exist. 3. Next focused attempt. Give it my all to earn the Commandant/Vice Commandant Award at Basic(Camp) since all previous award winners were given the choice of either a Full Scholarship or Pilot Slot (Rated Position). Finished Basic and received the Vice Commandants Award. Finalized paperwork for Pilot Slot opportunity vs Scholarship and missed the writing on the wall. Due to continuing cut backs we regret to inform you we have canceled all Pilot Slot awardees via the Top 4% Award Winners program and I was unable to go back and receive the Full Ride Scholarship to further kick sand in our face. 2nd Upset, Timing is everything. 4. Elected to enter/serve the USAF as a Maintenance (MX) Officer and continue to compete for slots while young enough. Applied every other year for a total of 2 more times while banked pilots continued to roam the base in alternative positions. 27.5 years old was the cut off and that ended the Active Duty pursuit. That’s 4 legitimate full force attempts where I crashed and burned. 5. Sent to the Air National Guard Headquarters as an Active Duty Staff MX Officer. Worked hard as always, especially taking care of my assigned ANG units. Saw the light with the Guard and while many were offering the opportunity for me to transfer to their units as an MX Officer, several of my preferred locations did not have those positions and asked if I was interested in becoming a pilot? Imagine that, someone working on your behalf which was new. Told them I was too old and they never batted an eye as they had the political gusto to cut red tape and make it happen. Offered amazing opportunities by three units and one other Great unit officially hiring me as B-1 WSO (Now JSTARS) just in case my age waiver was torpedoed by the USAF Chief of Staff. Turns out the Director of the Guard had Gen Ryan at the time personally endorse the waiver, especially after the UPT age limit just rose to 30. I entered Pilot Training after nearly seven years of Active Duty at the ripe age of 31 as a senior Capt. Just happy to be there. While pushing for Pilot I broke myself physically and paying for it now while doing CCT/STS Team tryouts annually. Much easier life now and I probably would have been dead on a mountain in Afghanistan or at least divorced so someone up there is looking out for me. Overall, it’s not necessarily what you but who you know, the work effort and trust you will build with those above below and around you and once again timing is everything. Let your work speak for you! You never make the shot you never take! Fully retired now, C-141s, C-17s, too much Staff Work , but I am making up for it here in Korea resting up for my flight to Australia flying a 747. Some senior officer (New OG at Columbus AFB) once told me during pilot training - “You shouldn’t be here!” He was one of the AD Staff O-6s holding back my application packages at the Pentagon, but our General swiped it from him. Look at me now: Multiple incomes, flying The Whale and loving every minute of it. Even if doesn’t last, it has been an amazing opportunity. Hard work eventually pays off, but it was those below and above that raised me up and pushed me up to the front of the line. You only have “ONElife”....

🍺...Be at peace Warrior

Sounds like ya’ll need to work out more and not just lose weight. Get that “V” shape (not excessive) working again. The difference between a few of you and me was I made it look good. Hahaha! Now I have the upside down “V” shape or more appropriately pear shape going for me, which is nice - not really. But for myself, my post military surplus green pajamas are very useful when working on the cars in comfortable weather (yeah you got me temp wise) or crawling under the house filling my pockets with camel crickets, spiders and what not. *When I had to buy my own boots for the first time after more than two decades of servitude, it was just another tightening of the screws that made it easier to depart the fix.

Totally agree it will rebound. It will take time and every state, country or territory is doing their own crisis management in their own way. Once everything settles down and stabilizes universally. Maybe we can smack this thing down quicker as there have been spikes already in multiple states as of late and these waves die down eventually. 2020 hindsight will hopefully provide much needed insight to mitigation procedures/lessons learned that work well. We can’t afford another impact like this. Passed thru Hawaii yesterday which was back to “stay inside” not quite lockdown again due to another minor spike after they recently held a parade. They were at zero for a bit and everything was opening back up until an average of 9 new cases everyday reared its head. Most hotels were shutdown when we arrived and ours was primarily aircrew populated. This pic of the Marriott across the street was eerie like all the hotels surrounding us. Not even balcony chairs were left out. Lifeless for now just waiting for bathing suits to be drying out on the balconies once again.

Nice! This thread went full tilt. To finalize and further perpetuate the lifestyle. When things get better/great again (anyone’s guess), there is no PME, no OPRs, no multiple sideline requirements, responsibilities unrelated extra duty unless you actually volunteer for them like FAA certified Designated Examiner, Line Check Airman, Sim Check Airman, Sim Instructor/Operator, Ground School Instructor which lets be honest - these sound like opportunities that actually pertain to your chosen profession with increased monetary benefit for most. Even when given the opportunity for Captain, it’s your choice to proceed for more clams - it’s just waiting your turn based on seniority. Even Quarterly CBTs requirements gets you paid for most groups. Wow, paid extra to do your CBTs what a crazy idea. When your off duty, your off duty and I never think about my work just home work, errands, home life, extracurricular activities, family time, whatever it is your into. If/when they call you it’s not for deployment - it’s to get them out of a jam and they compensate you with a big chunk of clams more for your time, but that’s only if you choose to accept it or answer your phone which I don’t. More senior the better of course, but you all understand it based on previous information given. It’s a pretty good deal and nothing’s perfect. Prior to COVID19 most airlines increase your pay by 60K, 70K, 80K and several over a 100K when you jump from FO to Capt. While you see the outright pay scales - many times it’s the soft pay behind the scenes that can benefit you even more dependent upon the carrier. Lifestyle vs pay is a constant choice/crossroad/conundrum you will meet and many stay FO for better schedules, time off, control of their life and there are varied opportunities as a senior FO picking up open time (overtime) at many carriers to close the Captain pay gap. Here’s a personal example: Many Captains rib me about electing to stay FO for several years now and giving up 65K or more. Unless he’s one of the Senior Original Gangstas I simply reply - Whenever have you been #1 at your base Good Sir??? They all understand at that point. Top 10% at any base is usually pretty good and others have it even better depending on the base schedules. It’s all how you want to live your life. If I needed more clams I could spring for it but enjoy my time off personally and haven’t missed a Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years or any other holiday, birthday or anniversary I have chosen for many years. While in the military I can’t remember how many times all the holidays or special days took place on another date due to being on another continent. Yes I am quite senior at my outfit, but an FO I flew in today with who has been with us for 4 years now said the same. It varies everywhere/situation dependent. To be honest I speak from a different perspective having a mil retirement, etc. which helps me exceed our particular Capt pay, but once again it’s pressure free and I am very fortunate no doubt. If you can attain a full retirement or other consistent means of financial backup I urge you to do it. Definitely not a life for everyone and it’s still challenging at times being away, but my wife sees that I am nearly stress free and enjoy showing up to work and never talk about work when at home. Heck, I get more sleep at work lately (home upgrades, immense amount of landscaping/chopping trees down = not smart I know) and she’s stuck with it all like most of you know all too well. If/when I pull the plug, or my outfit were to collapse, be bought out, etc., at least the retirement provides a softer landing... Here near Sydney Australia today by the beach for 55hrs. By product of COVID19 = Ocean view suites available for us til 31 Aug. It’s pretty much cake normally, but it’s the icing at times that makes things easier. Traveling around now vs after projected retirement when my body isn’t quite up to par is priceless. It’s not as challenging/rewarding as flying during my military career, but I was so bored last night and wanted to brush up on what little skills I had that I hand flew the departure out of Hawaii all the way up to cruise altitude (100 Kilos shy of Max weight) squirrelly sucker at our weight passing FL250, then droned on for the next 9.5 hours to basically Winter in Sydney. 19C or about 66F. I like Winter here and then off to mid 90s in Thailand next. Wonder if they’ll take my temp there too?

What would you say you really do here? I’ve got people skills dammit!!! Great Bobs reference Flea and exceptional SA.

Good info right there. ANG sometimes gets lucky but it’s not always luck and this isn’t luck. It as exactly as projected over 20 years ago, but pretty awesome to get new birds whatever they may be. Even though back of the line in this case it is definitely better than our failed paralleled attempt at the C-130 AMP project. We’ll see who has the politics, mission statement priority and older equipment just to name a few of the criteria. Stay flying is better than not for most units. Although even a non-flying mission is better than no mission.

Very true, but it was Big Blues plan well prior to pitch for a new shiny model (substantially better than status quo = next generation) and not just a new somewhat upgraded variant of the C-130. You never ever have the latest and greatest of the legacy model of anything when going before Congress. Look here Congress, our Reserve Component will be doing fine for decades; however, our aging fleet should be of great concern, but we have insight to the possibility of the next generation “Super Herc” and we believe we can stretch our current fleet and replace them all with one single next gen Super Herc. Very strategic move on their part - very well thought out and I gotta give it to them. Chess game played extremely well. Remember, first C-130J flight was in 1996 and it was being redesigned well before that obviously - right around your early 90s timeframe. Overall, in 1997 at the Guard Bureau we vigorously attempted to combine all our variants to one combined effort with the Reserves calling the entire fleet modification C-130 AMP (Aircraft Modernization Program). We constantly traveled back and forth to Warner Robbins for multi-source contract comparison and bids to bring the USAF as a whole to 3 variants vs 13. Desperately pushing for C-130J Active Duty, C-130 AMP (Guard/Reserve) and the whatever the Special Ops required. It was an attempt to modernize decades sooner then wait at the back of the line and here we are today. What a bust at the time and I will admit pretty much a checkmate move by True Blue - very well done. That was a teaching moment and we learned some valuable lessons. All I can say is ANG is C-5 free, can’t win every battle but we have a few grand slams and we shuffle iron very well at times and not so much as well. C-27 what a fiasco, but during my 2nd staff tour when I first arrived and given the order to divest them (not my program), we were able to make some deals to transfer to another service and the Spec Ops community as not to waste a nearly brand new and some coming off the line from Italy. They were actually headed to the bone yard but we were very creative. Such a waste in Mil-con $$$... terrible.

Concur, it is a key player in the decision tree matrix when unit conversions are discussed at the National Guard Bureau level. If using capabilities on an very specific Orange vs Orange contrasting argument there is much validity to your statement. Back in 1997-2000 during my first staff weenie tour as a Maintenance Officer there were 13 variants of the C-130 within the inventory it was a nightmare of sustainability. Having been the Tactical Airlift Branch Chief at the Air National Guard Readiness Center - ANGRC (2013-15) there were/are a myriad of reasons to keep the legacy models moving forward. First and foremost the full scale wartime effort requirements to meet a 1.5 or 2 front posture (always fluid/changing environment based upon current and future threats) calling upon the Reserve Component = RC (the term used for Guard/Reserve combination) is mandatory with nearly 500 tails on the books depending on your count that day. It has decreased due to several unit conversions to UAV, C-17 and other platforms/mission set requirements. Other headliner reasons include the aforementioned political aspect no doubt and the always looming issue of strategic budget impact. You cannot meet the Quadrennial Defense Review dictated by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by simply converting all or most units with limited funding or simply closing them down (And then the politics become truly ferocious). Everything gets divided by each service at the 50,000 foot level as it finally makes its way down to each and every MWS and the capability it provides at the 500 foot level. As one simple example, the Army has airlift requirements to meet its wartime objectives when they push full scale or tilt and that calls for much more than the Active Duty can provide, hence the Reserve Components existence is mandatory. All services have an “Authorized Strength” Limit and are bumped up accordingly as the SECDEF approves dependent upon the contingency requirements. We also have active duty folks (Subject Matter Experts - SME’s) working with us on staff within the NGB/ANGRC HQs to assist unit integration/conversion/mission statements, etc. and my fellow Strategic Airlift Branch Chief was active duty and retired (lucky old bastard left me with it all - great friend even as a Nav,) so I had to take over both branches. Not only 20 C-130 units, 20 Tanker Units, 5 C-17 Units, and OSA. O-6 got pushed to Deputy A3 and they threw me in his spot overseeing all Airlift and AE Ops with a Total Operating Authority (TOA) of over $11B not million. That drove me up to the 30,000 foot mark for almost a year before an actual O-6 showed up when I left for Homeland defense. Job was mine, but I chose not to struggle thru PME during my staff horror. Not that I really had the time being on call 24/7. Staying O-5 helped me land the Homeland Defense spot on the beach I had been eyeballing 2 years prior. Apologies as I digressed. *Zero reason to keep the C-141 around due to the superior performance of the C-17 and that was broadcasted by Big Blue back in the day. Once again, a very true observation 1 on 1. What the active duty failed to realize was despite its increased capabilities/cargo load, etc. they could not be in as many places at once with far less aircraft, hence the ever increasing aircraft procurements over a prolonged period. Other politics were involved, but bottom line is the footprint of nearly 300 C-141s cannot be filled by substantially less aircraft no matter how capable. Initial order was 120, then up to 160, 180 and finally 223 C-17s. Still more then 60 shy of C-141s but far better than what they thought they could do with far less. Very costly, but necessary to maintain a substantial foot print and how many times have you seen USAF aircraft procurement increase that rapidly from initial request other than UAVs, but that is new technology to be honest. Big blue even approved “Core 63”, an upgraded 75% all glass version designated as the C-141C model as they needed to extend the viability of an older aircraft (63 of them in the Guard/Reserve) while waiting for fresh off the assembly line C-17s to fill the huge gaping hole of airlift. This was my baby as the Program Manager during my first staff tour as a MX Officer and I eventually flew it as well after pilot training. Pacer Crag (KC-135 Cockpit/Avionics Upgrade) was the other debacle but don’t blame yours truly as I was 2nd in charge laughing at my boss pulling his hair out more than me. Trust me, I wish we could swap out aircraft at a rapid rate giving our warfighters far better capabilities they deserve without a limited annual budget, procurement rate and bureaucracy involved.

Fair Game - Good ribbing: Actually you kind of said it correctly for many Guard/Reserve units. You were quoted “that’s why we CAN have nice things”. Reserve components historically have received the hand me down airframes. I.E. - All active duty C-130J models vs only 2 or so in the Guard at most are the legacy H models. Active normally gets the nice things first so you were correct - just poking. However, when we get the previously worn clothes - we clean them up and make them nicer than they have been for decades. Longevity Pride is what I call it and we rarely get new toys... Timing is everything and we got it. Good jab, good jab.

Good advice on how to get the credentials to be looked at. Between now and then find a Guard/Reserve unit and start building ties as you transition into the commercial world. Why = you will have a backup income if/when the industry goes South yet again as it has been cyclic. Even folks who had 3-5 years of seniority with a major have been worried if the numbers below them will keep them safe from furlough. Whether or not that becomes fact, the warm fuzzy of alternate income does help. *If you can stomach the military side when in the Guard/Reserve (different animal, but still military) you may want to consider building active duty points on orders for them/you. Surpassing the 15 yr point of accrued AD points and having already landed your preferred airline (Line Number), most of the airline folks who have ran back to full time gigs (AGR, etc.) during this virus will be vacating such opportunities and you have a good shot at finishing out with an immediate full retirement. 13.5 years is a tough decision to throw away while in good standing. That monthly income in the hand and benefits is hard to beat, but full freedom maybe your best choice and is totally up to you.

Red Hat in a Democratic sanctuary = probably not smart. This whole thing kind of stirs up the Rodney King time if anyone was around or in CA which I was during college. But BLM has a much stronger force behind this. Former African American Chief of police killed; African American police Captain shot performing his duty assisting a call during a looting shot dead along with several other incidents - BLM doesn’t discuss such matters as it’s not part of their narrative. Collateral damage perhaps? Either way, just think - Gun control, take away the right to protect yourself. If it had succeeded before this and it may very well in the future then where might some folks be now when the cry out to defund the police is pressed. Let that sink in as the masses would become sheep to the slaughter. A police report is just that - an account of the aftermath. Presence helps but they cannot be on your lawn for you. Only community (if you will) lightly abused during the Rodney King timeframe were the Koreans. This is why they were “lightly abused” = Welcome to Korea Town storefronts avidly protecting their property with firepower putting down the menace to society no matter what race. Have guns, will travel and word got out quickly - don’t go there. Could get ugly as most Americans have armed themselves based on criminal behavior and fear of a tyrannical government these past decades. Now, we can only hope WROL does not prevail and the blowback would be catastrophic. Side note: As far as immigration is concerned. Father was 1st generation Japanese to step foot in America the proper way and became a naturalized citizen giving up his Japanese citizenship as he saw the opportunity and was amazed by the Great USA. In his early teens he worked in a bullet factory during WWII. Took bombing shrapnel from Billy Mitchell’s friends as he would say. During his training as a physician in Japan, he gave up everything as the first born to his younger brother and left for the U.S. to finish his residency. After decades practicing in the U.S. he returned to his home country to share his knowledge like many current great country citizens have. Not all do and that is why many countries remain below standard as an observation and cultural differences play a huge part. In fact, he started work with the US Military in Japan at the largest private hospital which was one of the first to have an MRI when it was first introduced. It was so successful that he was sought after by the State Department or whoever and vetted by the Secret Service and became President George Herbert Walker Bush’s Neurosurgeon when he traveled in the Far East. (I was adopted; therefore, too stupid to be a doctor so I became a USAF maintenance officer, staff weenie and then a pilot.) Became a staff weenie as a pilot too and now retired flying rubber dog crap out of Hong Kong and better for it because of my fathers tenacity and ferocity. Bottom Line: My father took a lot of crap as part of the Greatest Generation on the wrong side. Racism galore and well founded based on the era, but see how others have risen - get a clue. He sought perfection at all times and earned every success. Thru intestinal fortitude and down right grit he became a major contributor to American society and more successful than most. Americans of all color or whatever are great and he did it right, there is no excuse. Effort and discipline X 1000, unfortunately becoming a rarity in some cases. I always had a good home, good food and a great father that guided me and made me work for everything I had and truly blessed. Even that base model puke yellow 1981 Monte Carlo in 1987. Should have bought a Toyota Corolla. Truly miss gentleman like my father. Our future generations need to be greater once again.