SpeedOfHeat

Very glad that you included the grains of salt. Drudge has always exploited fear and hysteria as clickbait, but they’ve gone completely off the deep end in the last few years. Their headlines got especially ridiculous during Covid and only keep getting more ridiculous. Here’s a screenshot of Drudge on Nov 4th. 24 hours later, Trump won decisively and swept all the swing states. “….uhh….whoops….ohh well, on to the next headlines.” Today they’re stoking fear of nuclear war in Ukraine. What a total clown show that page has become.

Thank you for proving my point. You missed the central point about the contradiction: If these Generals are such shitheads and “swamp dwellers”….then why did Trump hire them if he “knows the best people. Great people.” In fact, he only “hires the best people.” The answer, is, he was bullshitting, which he admitted to on the Rogan podcast yesterday: Rogan: “how did you know who to appoint?” Trump. “Well, I didn’t. I didn’t have any experience. I was there 17 times in Washington, but never stayed over. But I didn’t know anybody. I was a New York guy. I was a New York builder andI knew that whole world. But I didn't know the Washington world too well. And all of a sudden, you're supposed to be appointing top people. It’s the biggest mistake I made.” He found out he would have to take recommendations from advisors. He discovered that there were important reasons why politicians typically got hired. He mentions that some of his hires were “bad.” Joe asks how, and he answers “bad or disloyal people.” So this is a decent example of a core reason that many people are appalled at Trump’s candidacy: He’s fundamentally too foolish and arrogant to know what he’s getting himself into, so he just tries to make it up as he goes. …possibly the biggest example of “fake it till ya make it” ever. And worst of all, as he fumbles around faking it, he makes decisions based on ego and self-interest. That’s it. That’s the lense through which he sees life. And I know……people will say he was already President and we survived. That’s true. And I’m sure many will disagree with me, but I simply think we got lucky. I do. He’s in way over his head. A lot can go wrong in another 4 years. I posted about this before, but I’ll summarize again: Every single time people claim that Trump is smart, it’s by implication. Just like you did. “He must be smart, just look at how rich he became” or some such example. It is absolutely stunning that people don’t recognize him as an idiot. It is, to me, his most obvious and pronounced trait. Instead of implication, try using direct observation: Just listen to him speak (unscripted). Does he ever say anything that only a smart person could say? He rambles. He rants. He complains. He calls his enemies names. He never says anything that demonstrates knowledge, wisdom, vision, or expertise. To me this is the most fascinating part of politics, and it just gets more intense every campaign: The way people convince themselves that their candidate is the polar opposite of what they actually are. If you read 1984, the chapter about “Doublethink”, ….holy shit….it is profound. I’ve talked to many Trump supporters who call him brilliant, ….when he’s obviously stupid. They call him an Alpha male…..a guy with man-tits, a combover, and makeup. A guy who Harris was able to toy with just by saying people were leaving his rallies early. They actually think he’s religious… he doesn't know a thing about the Bible or the core tenets of Christianity. They’ve convinced themselves he cares about people and is selfless, ….. he obviously only cares about himself…… Rogan’s first question was: “what was it like right after the inauguration, actually being the POTUS?” And Trump goes into a stream of consciousness about how opulent and luxurious the bedrooms in the White House were. Mentioning the responsibility, a sense of duty, the trust imparted by the American people, the hope and pressure to do a good job on behalf of American people. …..anything like that….. It doesn’t even occur to him. For nearly 3 hours, the guy talks about himself, complains about criticism towards himself, complains about other people doing “terrible jobs” and “destroying the country,” etc. Like I said before, he’s faking it. But even in faking it, he’s not smart enough to fake caring about other people. It never occurs to him to praise other people or show gratitude or appreciation. It never occurs to him to mention colleagues, coworkers, friends, his wife, or people that have helped him. He never speaks of his confidence in Americans as people. He never even hints that pride and the success of the country are dependent upon other people. He just makes nonsense threats that the country will literally “cease to exist” if he’s not elected. I just find it remarkable that AF pilots, who ostensibly target “Humble, Approachable, Credible” as a measure of good leadership, can doublethink themselves into applying those traits to Trump. But….as they say, my personal opinions and .50 cents will get you a can of Pepsi at the snack bar. So, I’m going to bow out of this until after the election. I’m sure many will be happy about that. But……for all the downvotes and videos of my mom and accusations of TDS, here’s the crazy thing: If we were in a squadron together, we would get along great. I know, because many of my closest military bros and lifelong friends are Trump supporters. We rarely had spirited conversations about politics, but when we did, it never affected or soured the friendship. More often we’d have conversations about family, flying, tactics, sports, etc. The internet is a cesspool. I’m sure you guys are good solid bros, pilots, officers, and people. (…..the jury is still out on HeloDude if I’m being completely honest….but maybe.) Cheers

....right on cue, response #3, whataboutism. lol Also right on cue, for you specifically, missing the point. Unless by "poor performance," you meant they displayed disloyalty. Because that's why he fires people. Kiss the ring, or kiss your job goodbye. What senior cabinet official got fired for actual legit "poor performance." Can you name one, with examples? He had more turnover in his senior administration than any other in the past 40+ years. Most firings were done predictably via tweet, calling people things like "dumb as a rock," "a loser," and "a gutless pig." Gen Mattis resigned and gave 2 months notice, and Trump later turned around and claimed he fired him, calling him "overrated." And all the while, the glaring contradiction: Trump campaigned that he would hire "only the best people." He knows the "best people. Tremendous people. Great, strong people." Yeah, ...sure. Upon announcing his nominees and/or at their swearing-in, he showered them with praise and cited how smart they were. They were going to "drain the swamp." ........blah, blah, derp derp. ....Then, he fires them "like dogs" and calls them stupid losers. This same pattern repeated over a dozen times. How do you explain that? ....Or, should I just try to guess now which one of the 4 standard responses you'll use to avoid answering the question? He's recycled the same exact promise about hiring in this campaign. .....Who could possibly still buy this obvious bullshit? The one's around him next time will be his kids (minus Ivanka and Jared -- sounds like they had enough the first time around), and psychos like MTG, Laura Loomer, Tucker, Keri Lake, and Lauren Boebert.

Trump supporters only have 4 fallback responses to every single post: 1) “TDS” 2) “Fake news” 3) Whataboutism 4) Some version of the “lesser of 2 evils” argument Every response fits one of those categories. It’s true that the John Kelly quotes are secondhand. Believe him or not, it doesn’t matter. Personally, I ask which is more likely: That Kelly had a distinguished 46-yr career in the Marines, became Head of Homeland Security, was hired as WH Chief of Staff, and then all-of-a-sudden, decided to become a liar and traitor? OR…..that Trump is simply a shitty person and an idiot? But again, it doesn’t matter. You can dismiss the quotes as unverifiable. What’s not in question is the long list of people, in addition to Kelly, that all echo his comments. Pence, Mattis, Milley, Bolton, Tillerson, Barr, Esper, etc. Even Trump’s current VP pick was a Never Trump’er who called him an idiot. Again, what is more likely? All those guys are lying? Gen Maddog Mattis, (revered among Marines....like a living Robin Olds for us......) suddenly got a case of “TDS?” OR…..could it be…..wait for it……that Trump is a shitty person and an idiot? People are acting like Trump’s second term will be the same as his first. I hear that all the time. If they’re referencing the end, when he lost, they’re spot-on. If he loses, it will be nearly identical. You’re already seeing unfounded claims of voter fraud and building hysteria that “tHe fIX Is iN.” …..Strange how the “Stop the Steal” folks had 4 years to figure out how to stop the steal again, and apparently couldn’t do a thing to foil the democratic pentaverate’s evil plan. Weird. But I digress… If he wins, however, it will be much different. In his first term, people took comfort in having the “adults in the room." But imagine how different the next administration would look. It’s not 2017 or 2018 anymore. Everyone knows the rules of the Trump game now: Unquestioning loyalty and bootlicking, or you’re fired. That’s it. Put on the red MAGA hat and smile and feed into his ego ......or pack your $hit. No sane person of dignity, conviction, or genuine motives will be around him. And worse still, people looking to exploit the US and/or take advantage of Trump know exactly how to do it: Praise and flattery and adoration. Compliment him, especially about petty nonsense like crowd size or his golf game. Someone asked about Beta males. Ha. The joke’s on you. You’re about to vote for the biggest Beta ever.

Yes, let’s snicker and roll our eyes at the Air Force vet and current Marine out shooting. Meanwhile, Trump cannot even legally purchase or own a firearm. lol.

Yup, and shame on them. Shame on candidates that lose and refuse to concede, that undermine confidence in our elections, and that call into question the legitimacy of the winner, simply to safeguard their bruised ego. Shame on them, and especially so without any credible and/or compelling evidence of outcome-determinant fraud or suppression. Ok, now your turn……

All the talk of winning vs. losing is hilarious. <<Spoiler alert>> If Trump wins, he and his supporters will say he won and the election was free and fair. If he loses, he will absolutely say it was rigged/stolen/fixed, again. He has now laid the "it's rigged" groundwork ahead of three consecutive election cycles. 8 years of this bull$hit. And yet the MAGA fans (pictured in the coonskin hat below) still can't figure out the obvious: that it's just a guy with the world's most frail and vulnerable ego. A sore loser, plain and simple.

No, wide awake. I saw all his "policies" then too. Just to name a few.... --Building a wall that Mexico will pay for. --Replacing Obamacare with a "beautiful, tremendous" healthcare plan. --COVID will "miraculously disappear, probably by Easter." --Threatening Kim Jong Un with "fire and fury" one moment, and then "...we fell in love" the next. Yeah, awesome policies. A real "stable genius."

Additionally, I keep seeing Trump voters retreating to the justification of his “Policies.” "I'm not voting for him, ....I don't love his character or personality, but I'm voting for his policies," they say. Sure. My question is, …..what policies? How on earth can you decipher what his policies are when he himself can’t tell you? I’m sure many have seen this recent gem: When asked, “can you commit to prioritizing legislation to make child care affordable? And if so, what specific piece of legislation will you advance?”, here’s the transcript of his answer: And here's his answer last night to a question about his plans for health care: So again, I hear this over and over: "I'm voting for his policies." ....What policies? The guy says nothing. Inane rants. Total stream-of-consciousness rambling nonsense. He is a bull$hitter, through and through. He's the kid that got called on in class and didn't read the assigned homework. "Policies." Yeah right.

She mopped the floor with him. It was really something to see her manipulate him into being both old and child-like simultaneously. Old: squinting, tired, sweating, disheveled, and angry/crotchety. Young: easily tricked and baited, too cowardly to look at her. Immeasurably petty. The petulant child that he is. Also, thankfully there’s finally some consistent push-back on his insane talking points. Immigrants eating pets was a new one, but there are several others that make up his routine shtick: Women aborting babies at 9 months or executing them post-birth. Immigrants from now-empty "insane asylums" pouring into the country by the millions. And the worst of all, though it’s less specific, that the USA has been ‘destroyed’ or has become a “third-world nation.” He used the word “Destroyed” 14 times last night. Does anyone seriously buy this bull$hit? Ask yourself, how many immigrants have you seen eating cats? Do you know, or have you ever heard of a woman carrying a healthy pregnancy to 9 months and then suddenly deciding “ehh, never mind, I’ll just go get an abortion.” It's just so insanely stupid. Do you guys really encounter immigrants from insane asylums running rampant in your daily lives? As you go through your life in the US, is your perception really that the country has been “destroyed?” I travel all over this country as an airline pilot. We have challenges. We have problems, no doubt. It’s not perfect. There are improvements to be made and work to be done. But the USA is an amazing place to live. I for one, truly love it. Ironically, Trump plays “I’m proud to be an American” at the start of every rally, and then immediately rolls into a 90-minute tirade about what a shithole this country is. And the MAGA hats stand there and lap it up and ask for seconds. Trump started talking about this fantasy dystopian hellscape during his inaugural “American carnage” speech in 2017. 7 years later, it’s just so idiotic and predictable. He wants people to, as Orwell wrote, reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. He wants to gin up fear, hysteria, and panic. And the implication the entire time is that HE will be the one to fix it all. Not you. Not us as a country or society. Him. If he’s in office, all these problems will disappear, magically. And the opposite, of course, if he loses again. Our country will be “DeStroYed.” GMAFB. When either one of these two is elected, we will still have challenges and problems, just like we did under every other POTUS before. And America will still be an incredible place to live. Can you guys imagine a Squadron Commander that talked like Trump? That stood at the podium during a Change of Command and tried to appeal to the squadron members by telling them how shitty their squadron was? And how he alone would be its savior? Is that an inspirational leader? Are those the characteristics you look for in someone in charge? Trumpies are also saying the moderators were too hard on Trump, and fact-checked him too much, and were clearly in the bag for Harris. "....wHy DidN’T tHeY fActCheck HeR eQualLy????" Maybe, and this is a radical idea…. it’s because Trump has a short and predictable playbook of bull$shit lies and falsehoods that he routinely tells. Knowing 100% that he would say insane things like women are executing babies post-birth, ABC was obliged to take 5 minutes to prepare to counter those statements, rather than let obvious, crazy lies go un-challenged in front of ~60 million viewers. Maybe if Kamala had said things like immigrants are running around neighborhoods eating pets, or that the 2020 election was “stolen/rigged,” they would have fact-checked her equally.

A girl in the HB tent?? A rare sighting indeed. (That tent is such a sausage fest)

Yes. Of course. Because that’s what he wrote. I know Trump lies incessantly and is a master bullshitter, but when there’s a lengthy tweet from his account, with no other hints of sarcasm or jest, yeah, I take him at his word. It’s so insane to think that in your heads, the subject of terminating the constitution, election fraud, etc. are a subject fit for jokes from the POTUS. That’s how you justify it…. “Ohh, the constitution and declaring himself the rightful winner?? Come on, don’t be such a stick in the mud! He just likes to fvck with us for the lol’s.” Of course this is a response from someone who gets called out for their BS

Of course not. I don’t have to agree with everything they’ve ever said or tweeted. However, when they say they want to terminate the constitution because they lost an election, I don’t know, I guess you could say that’s where I draw the line. Can you really not draw a distinction there? Between questioning the Constitution and “everything” else they’ve ever tweeted or said? lol. Yeah I guess we’re just too far apart on this issue. The President of the United States calls to terminate the Constitution…..a significant and appalling statement in my mind. To you, ehh… it’s just saying “dumb shit.” Unbelievable.

ha. By “called out,” you mean you previously did exactly what you did in starting this exchange: You missed my point entirely, and tried to have me answer some hypothetical gotcha question. Except there’s no gotcha, because you didn’t understand my point. I’m not “obviously afraid he’s going to suspend the Constitution.” …..and it’s just additional icing on the facepalm cake that in totally misunderstanding my point of view, you described it as “obvious.” Not sure how else to break this down for you. Either you’re trolling me, or you’re hopelessly dense. I’ll give it one last try. Think of a few cherished American principles. For example, freedom of speech or religion. The right to peacefully assemble. Voting rights, gun rights, etc. etc. Pretend for a moment that a prominent politician (…..go ahead and picture a democrat if that helps you get over this mental hurdle….) advocates for doing away with one or several of those rights. Maybe by prohibiting a certain religion altogether. Or banning guns entirely. Or maybe it’s a military action - something violating all western norms and principles concerning sovereignty - like us annexing Mexico and/or Canada. Something outrageous…… a prohibition or action so extreme that it would never actually be enacted. But here this politician is, on record for having advocated for it. Then you hear someone claim that this person “supports American principles.” You wouldn’t find that objectionable? You wouldn’t think “holy shit, this person is saying that this candidate represents the direct opposite of what s/he actually does”? You wouldn’t think “hmm, maybe I’ll take a moment to point out the glaring dichotomy between a guy that ‘supports American principles,’ but would like to, for example, subvert the Constitution to overturn an election. I wonder…..does Brabus simply not know that Trump wrote this, OR, is it just the usual nauseating blind/hypocritical tribalism, and he doesn’t care?” If a democrat tweeted that they wanted to literally ban all guns nationwide, you’re telling me you’d respond “why should I be concerned? It’ll never happen.” Give me a break. You can make reasonable assessments about what something thinks, what they know, and how intelligent and wise they are by what they say. The more you listen to them talk, the more accurate this assessment becomes. With a Presidential candidate, what they say or write gives clues into their understanding of American principles, the ways in which they intend to steer the country, and in a broader sense, their character and integrity. Just because Trump cannot actually suspend the Constitution, does not mean it’s not concerning that he suggested it. It, along with many other examples, demonstrates to me that he does not support American principles, nor does he understand them. If you still don’t understand this, if you’re still a military officer who doesn’t think it matters that a President can call into question the Constitution (…the singular basis upon which you took your oath), when an election doesn’t go his way, then there’s nothing I can do for you.

Your lack of reading comprehension is astounding. If you are really this dumb, it is truly next-level.

Trump won’t do anything to the Constitution. Thankfully, there are checks and balances to prevent that. It was simply another idiotic and far-fetched thing he tweeted. What’s important is that he suggested it, and would clearly welcome it if it were in fact possible. So when people assert that he “supports American principles,” I think it’s relevant to point out that Trump believes the Constitution should be waived. Brushed aside, and of course in a way that benefits himself. I can’t think of anything that is more antithetical to American principles. And, as you see above, not a single Trump voter will even acknowledge it. “Well, he would never really be able to change it.” Or….”I prefer his policies, that’s what’s important.” No one, even among military officers, can simply say, “yea, that tweet was really shitty and/or deeply concerning, but….”

Absolute bull$hit. If Kamala had ever suggested “terminating the constitution,” you would be appalled and outraged. And you know it. There is zero chance you’d respond with “well, she says a lot of off-the-cuff dumb things” (which is absolutely true). ….. “she’s not really going to do it.” GMAFB You make excuses for Trump because he’s your guy. Period, end of story.

…Like “terminating the Constitution” when you lose an election?

Typical Trump fanboy. Anything you don't want to hear immediately dismissed as ".....fAkE nEwS....." And "10,000 word essays"....nice. Translation: "I, like Trump, don't read. Reading is difficult." As Trump says, he "loves the poorly educated." To your laundry list of hoaxes, yes, idiots on both sides have unfortunately fallen for a lot of obvious lies. You and your fellow MAGA "NPCs" can play bingo with the following: The election was stolen; Mike Lindell the Pillow Guy; Trump's going to 'drain the swamp'; COVID will go away by itself - probably by Easter; QANON; the Deep State; the vaccines are microchipped, Mexico will pay for the wall, Obama care will be replaced.....and on and on. Go to a Trump rally, or watch Jan 6th footage, and tell me those people aren't brainwashed. There's no mental gymnastics. It's actually just mental capacity and reading comprehension on your end. I get it -- this question about how many indictments are political is your clever little "gotcha." Except you never actually articulate your point, so the gotcha never comes. Brabus, honestly, you can't be serious. Biden is severely diminished, no doubt. Anyone can see that. He can barely formulate sentences, and often looks confused and lost. It's really embarrassing, and only his (very few) die-hard fanatics pretend not to see it. And I don't agree with Biden's policies and/or direction for the country. But to say that: "buffoon. Willfully ignorant, petty, petulant, spiteful and jealous. Selfish and self-serving" also describes him "perfectly" is ridiculous. He doesn't have the mental capacity to even be those things if he wanted to. Biden is a dementia patient, and a few of his remaining marbles are $hitty liberal talking points and ideas. While I agree that he should not be President and I cannot vote for him, it's far from "equal in $hit character" to Trump. And then to go on to lump all politicians into that category? With all due respect, give me a break, man. You think those traits describe DeSantis, Ramaswamy, and Haley? Those 3 aren't perfect by any means, but come on, they're clearly not selfish without measure, willfully ignorant, and child-like in the way Trump is. Not remotely close. I will never vote for a democrat because of their terrible ideas and policies. I also cannot, in good conscience, cast a vote for Trump, which is why I wish desperately for Haley to be the nominee. Given the circumstances, I would have gladly, with a big smile on my face, cast a vote for DeSantis, Ramaswamy, or Haley. But here we are.

<<facepalm>> You completely missed my point. Maybe re-read it? Especially the last paragraph. I did not admit that I believe his indictments to be political. I literally said "I don't know. Some?" (...the question mark used to underscore my uncertainty.) Once again, it is not the indictments (be they legitimate or illegitimate) that I'm using as a reason to dislike him, but his insane responses to the indictments, ....among many other things. I'm afraid his character flaws go far beyond being a "jerk." Trump is a buffoon. Willfully ignorant, petty, petulant, spiteful and jealous. Selfish and self-serving. Those are terrible, maybe even dangerous, traits for a President to have. Especially a President in a second term (and at old age) with nothing to lose. ....I know many are already writing me off as having "TDS." Sure. Whatever quasi-clever label helps you dismiss and ignore his core personality traits because you like aspects of his platform, or, more likely, hate the platform of the left. Trump voters will do some really astounding mental gymnastics to downplay his character flaws, just like you did. He's simply a "jerk." Or, more commonly, the tired and idiotic: "at least we don't have mean tweets" zinger. I point out (to a military officer, no less) that the guy openly calls for the termination of the Constitution to benefit himself and his baseless lie, and the response is "hey, it's not like I'm trying to be friends with the guy." lol. It's beyond ridiculous. You don't get it. Full steam ahead towards the ice berg!!

Good point. Probably not. Biden's speaking ability and mental capacity are beyond pathetic at this point. Likewise, Trump has self-declared that he won't do debates, because he's a pu$$y and a coward. So maybe we've already seen our last debate of this election year? I don't know. Some? I don't even try to keep up with all the indictments, court appearances, and mug shots. It's too much of a circus, just like his presidency. If charges brought against him are illegitimate political attacks, that is, of course, terrible. But consider this. Lets' say for the sake of argument that all the charges are illegitimate political attacks. How should we expect someone (especially someone who aims to be the most powerful man on earth and leader of the free world) to work through adjudicating these charges? Is it ok, for example, to simply call for absolute immunity from crime? Does that make any sense? Does that sound like someone with a good grip on the guiding principles of our country? ***Side note, I'm sure when he says "a President must have full immunity.....," he's totally ok with full immunity for Biden or, had Hillary been elected, for her. There's no way he was just thinking entirely of himself, right? Afterall, how dull would the Trump rallies be without all the "Lock him/her up!" chants? Zero chance that Trump's brain gravitates towards "Rules for thee, not for me" thinking without contemplating the double-standard, right? Another example -- Pretend that we were actually presented with specific examples and concrete evidence of election "fraud and deception" that he claims was rampant. Great. Would it be ok to "terminate all the rules, regulations, and articles in the Constitution" to reverse the election? How many of us (who swore an oath to support & defend the constitution) are willing to vote for a guy that openly calls for 'terminating' the constitution for his own benefit?? So that's my point. Even if the allegations, charges, indictments, fraud, etc. brought against him are in fact all BS, his responses to them are outrageous and disqualifying. His responses showcase his character. He has the mind of a child. He's selfish and self-centered to the extreme. He doesn't understand the fundamental concepts and principles of our country, and is driven only by ego.

What a train wreck. Haley could win, easily. Young, vibrant, appears intelligent & acts presidential. Can actually speak in full coherent sentences. She would absolutely wipe the floor with Biden in a debate. She would get tons and tons of independent voters, women, and, if she was the nominee, many Trump supporters that will give her the vote as a vote against Biden/the left. But instead, we’re going to get the guy that lost vs. Biden. And if he loses again, …it’s back to the Trump playbook — the election was “rigged and stolen.” …in-between his many court appearances, of course. If we as a country allow that to happen again, we deserve what we get.

Boeing stock….

In no particular order: - Maintain a personal logbook and check it against the HARM records every 6 months. You can check it online via ARMS or AAMS from the AF Portal. Get smart on the various rules about logging time. Refer to the actual flight records reg - there are lots of guys logging their time wrong/inaccurately and spreading bad gouge. Use Milkeep or something similar on your phone. Having an accurate logbook will save you tons of time and stress if you apply to a flying career after the AF. - Learn about VA Disability Claims. Waiting 20 years and then trying to claim stuff at the end and navigate the process is a recipe for disaster. There are tons of videos on YouTube. Just search “Maximizing your VA disability rating” and spend an hour or two watching and taking notes. It’s not about fraudulently claiming things and playing some sort of game…..it’s about building SA. It will give you an idea of what conditions are claimable - you might be surprised - and how evidence for those conditions is evaluated to determine a rating. Knowing this at the beginning will help shape how you approach your medical visits. As others said, document every visit to a health professional. It’s a bit like keeping a logbook. Every year or two (depends how much medical care you need/receive), compare your personal notes to your AF record. Get smart on the MHS Genesis site and/or go to flight med and formally request a copy of your records. Again, this will save you tons of time and heartache at the end of your career. *Heads up in the fighter world, it might have changed, but as of a few months ago, visits to OHWS….massage, athletic trainer, etc…… were still NOT being logged on your official medical record. That’s a huge problem. I think OHWS is great, but if you have legit neck, back, joint problems, you have to go to the med group PT or ortho if you want things documented on your record. And you do want them documented, I promise. Finally, if you have an issue, go get it looked at. Don’t “lie to fly” or “walk it off” or “man up.” The AF will operate just fine if you’re DNIF. Your health is the most important thing. And rightful compensation for any injuries or health impacts your military service caused you will be hard to get if you don’t get it documented and then follow up to make sure it’s in your record: i.e. “You don’t graduate, your gradebook graduates.” - Moving sucks. Moving companies, in general, suck. This is just my opinion and I’ve admittedly had some horrific move experiences, but don’t buy really nice stuff. The movers will likely break it, scratch it, damage it or lose it. If I could do it all over again, I would minimize the amount of stuff I had in general, and lean heavy into Facebook marketplace and Craigslist at the beginning and end of each assignment. Or Costco, or the BX, or other affordable place to find furniture. Obviously keep the stuff you love and that makes you happy and that you use often. But furniture is just furniture. *Caution, many wives are violently opposed to this strategy, so YMMV. When you move, photograph everything and don’t rush to sign the inventory. Make sure everything has a sticker and everything’s on the inventory and it’s legible. If not, don’t sign. “If it’s not on the inventory, they didn’t ship it.” So if they lose (or steal) it, too bad for you. GPS trackers are worth their weight in gold. Also, buy the movers lunch and have plenty of cold water bottles for them. Know ahead of time who to call at TMO if things start to go wrong. - Do everything possible to get stationed overseas. Again, just my personal opinion, but travel as much as you can. “Spend your money and you can make more. Waste your time and it’s gone forever.” Kids are wonderful, but obviously change your life drastically. Travel and explore before kids. Go anywhere and everywhere. Go see the main tourist attractions, but also make it a priority to get off the beaten path - that’s where the really good stuff is. Don’t be afraid to use Space-A - just get smart on strategies for it and stay flexible. - Don’t take a bad deal in hopes that it will get you a good deal later. The AF is far too dynamic and ever-changing to play that game. At the end of each assignment, ask for the best assignment available right then and there. Follow your heart and ask for the assignment/jet/location that makes you feel Iike a kid waking up on Christmas morning. If people are encouraging you to go somewhere because “it’ll help your chances for upgrade,” or “set you up for ‘school,’” ignore them. Find the people that talk about assignments in terms of the great bros there, or the awesome skiing, or the great schools for your kids. Go where you and your family will be most happy. - Do deliberate career management along the way. “Career management” is vastly different from “careerism.” It simply means you give a shit. You seek mentorship and try to excel and generally know what’s required to make the rank that you aim to make, get the assignments you aim to get, and meet other goals you set for yourself and your family. *Careerism, by contrast, is trying to attain pieces of flair: medals, awards, titles, accolades, and high rank insignia for the sake of improving individual ‘status’ or sense of self-worth. It’s brown-nosing the boss, attention seeking, and stepping on the bros along the way. Don’t do that. - Work really hard to maintain family relationships and see family as much as you can. It can be really awesome living all over the world. But it can also steal a lot of time away from family members. A lot of people assume they can spend time with family…..their parents, for example,…..after they separate or retire. At least I did. Not always the case. It’s a real gut punch when you envisioned a future filled with quality time with family members, and instead the clock runs out and their health declines and/or they pass before you get that chance. You will meet great people in the AF and make life-long friends. But family is family. The pinnacle of career management is making sure you run out of AF before you run out of family. - I’m not going to give you specific financial advice. Just do research now, up front. No big surprise, most people build wealth in the stock market or in real estate, or a mix of the two. There are many strategies……..I will just say that most of the strategies require TIME, which is a resource you have now but not later. Best of luck!