B-1 (Bone) questions

[Dewey...BoneDriver]

1- When I say we can't always ID with eyes, I mean that even if there is weather, night minus sparkle, etc, we can still ID targets using radar, not that if it is Day/VMC I can't see smoke or ID with my eyes, or that using my NVGs up front I can't see markers night/VMC as well so that I get the warm fuzzy that I am pointing at the bad guys and not the good guys. If that is required I can do that. And as we upgrade to targeting pods we will get even better at that.

2- J-FIRE doesn't say I can't release JDAM on moving targets (I can) and it doesn't prohibit releasing against moving targets, just recommends against it, due to JDAM being most effective against stationary targets (GP bombs aren't really more effective against movers, but JDAM are much more effective against stationary-essentially a JDAM vs a mover is like a GP). So if there are radar significant leakers running away from friendlies I would attempt to hit them with JDAM if it was requested and I had no GP bombs.

3. Uh, we can kinda tell how far the friendlies are from the target(s) ourselves based on target location and friendly location and determine danger close for our weapon. Additionally, why would you call danger close and then give me your initials so that I can release if it isn't danger close? I take the same care in either circumstance, the difference is that now the ground commander is making the call if he wants that particular weapon that close to his troops. If we are outside the actual numbers for danger close, just ask me to hit the target; if we are within the danger close numbers I am not going to release unless he clears me. The bottom line is that based on actual distances B-1s have released in danger close situations.

edited for spelling

[ 27. April 2006, 16:12: Message edited by: Dewey...BoneDriver ]

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Originally posted by Dewey...BoneDriver:

if it is Day/VMC I can see smoke or ID with my eyes, or that using my NVGs up front I can see markers night/VMC as well so that I get the warm fuzzy

Dewey, take a breath and stop trying so hard.

There is little point in you getting eyes on the target or friendly positions. You have no control over your weapons after release, they will start mnvrg as soon as they have safe separation. If the friendlies are eyes on the target they are likey inside the min safety footprint area for the JDAM (not frag) anyway.

Besides, it's not like you can designate a target by eyeballing it and rolling in. You can't slew your radar to what you are looking at out the window. It's just not what you do. That is why JCAS changed, to allow you guys to have procedures that protected the friendlies while allowing you to employ against the enemy.

Originally posted by Dewey...BoneDriver:

And as we upgrade to targeting pods we will get even better at that.

Targeting pods will not solve all your problems.

You may be able to see the targets and friendly positions but that will have little to do with minimizing the chances of inadvertant fratricide caused by a weapons malfunction. The only way to do that is to get close to the target and use a low yield weapon that will go from your jet directly to the target.

Originally posted by Dewey...BoneDriver:

The bottom line is that based on actual distances B-1s have released in danger close situations.

Sure. Probably not the first choice for a JTAC with his ass in a crack but he'll use you if the alternative is to die at the hands of the enemy.

I can say this, I have been working targets more than once when the bombers check in, blather about coordinates, release a shitpot of weapons and the JTAC (with eyes on the target) never even sees where they hit.

"Hey JTAC, that's timeout on those bombs...what luck?"

"Uh, Bone 1...I didn't see snything hit the targets over there. You sure you pugged in the correct coordinates?"

"Uh, yeah...pretty sure."

"Hey Hog 1, did you see 11 JDAMs hit over there on that ridgeline?"

"Nope, the targets are still there. You sure they were fuzed?"

BTW, please don't leap to defend your honor. This was not a criticism, just a funny (and true) story. I have lots of them about A-10 combat buffonery, too.

[Dewey...BoneDriver]

Look man, my original point was that we can and do employ in a CAS role. I have never tried to claim that we are the 'kings of CAS', THE answer to every CAS situation, or that we have no limitations that we either have to work around or that prevent us from effectively prosecuting a target. I do think that we are capable of effectively applying weapons in a CAS environment and that we do bring some unique capabilities to the fight. Apparently only the B-1 guys think that the B-1 has or can do CAS.

Besides that, when people made statments about our capabilities that were untrue due to misunderstanding or misinformation I tried to clarify and provide accurate info into our capes.

As an aside, part of the reason that B-1 guys are so quick to defend their aircraft is that when most folks, to include planners for America's wars, think about the B-1 all that they are seeing is the jet that missed Iraq 1, or a carpet bomber with an outdated mission. We know better. They don't think about what we can do or bring to the fight. And we want to be in the fight. So until the time that we aren't the after thought to the air war we are always going to have to stand up for ourselves.

And just because I am trying to do that doesn't mean I have no sense of humor and can't laugh at even my own buffonery. (OK so it may take a little while to laugh at my own, but "2's" buffonery, now thats funny!)

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Originally posted by Dewey...BoneDriver:

Look man, Apparently only the B-1 guys think that the B-1 has or can do CAS.

Untrue, man. You were not listening when I said BIG BLUE has been selling the B-1 and B-52 as CAS assets for a long time. I'm talking SENIOR officers who are not bomber pilots. They believe. You need to believe that they believe.

Originally posted by Dewey...BoneDriver:

As an aside, part of the reason that B-1 guys are so quick to defend their aircraft is that when most folks, to include planners for America's wars, think about the B-1 all that they are seeing is the jet that missed Iraq 1, or a carpet bomber with an outdated mission. We know better. They don't think about what we can do or bring to the fight. And we want to be in the fight.

Here is the heart of the insecurity of the bomber community since the fall of the Berlin wall. I'm not sure there is a way to convince you guys that you are part of every plan short of bringing SAC back. You worry that you are not part of the plan but your fears are completely baseless. You are always part of the plan. Your biggest LIMFAC planning wise is that you are an extremely expensive part of the plan.

Originally posted by Dewey...BoneDriver:

So until the time that we aren't the after thought to the air war we are always going to have to stand up for ourselves.

Boo hoo hoo.

Wrong. Again, you are not an after thought. You have some key capabilities that are proven and well known. No one plans a fight without thinking about the B-1. That doesn't mean you have to be everywhere all the time, some things are not a fit. The Eagles were grounded during OIF. That didn't mean they sucked. They just had capabilities that were not required for that fight. I don't hear them trying to prove they are viable. Take a lesson from the way they have reacted and be the strong silent type who let's his work do the talking.

The Bone community can continue to rattle and clang about your CAS capability but it would be nice if you used a tone of voice a little less shrill.

[Guest bone dude]

Originally posted by Rainman A-10:

You worry that you are not part of the plan but your fears are completely baseless. You are always part of the plan. Your biggest LIMFAC planning wise is that you are an extremely expensive part of the plan.

shoot Rainman, you do have some pretty valid points. to shed a bit more light on this one though, i'd have to say there *is* a base. i've seen a surprising gap of capes knowledge out there, from hanging out at the CAOC, to indirect vibes from various CAF communities. for example: a far cry from fighter-mentality, dudes simply don't really grasp that we will go low, accelerate to well above standard fighter speeds, and then cruise there for significant time. i've seen it blow more than one young viper driver's mind. "and then you're gonna pop to level and deliver? b.s.!" and then we have to explain it. it really IS an uphill battle. or the TF capabilities--we're almost operating in a fringe niche environment. i'm relieved to know you realize our capes, but it is almost a kneejerk reaction to be spring-loaded for explaining things. a silly example i can go into here is the ecstatic reaction of some escorts in a red flag shot validation. they COULD NOT BELIEVE they saw that sliceback to terrain masking dive and honestly thought they were going to witness a bone auger-in. thinking the crew just escaped from sure death, i've never seen dudes so pumped up. it was so ridiculous, but a great example of not knowing what the jet next to you does. while considered a normal maneuver in the populous fighter world, this is not thought of as normal in a bomber--and it showed.

as for the cost factor, yes we are an expensive jet to operate in an absolute sense. however, the relative cost for the capes available is good. how many vipers and tankers would it take to keep as much on call and flexible firepower available? how about creating/maintaining a forward deployed fighter base vs. a bone that cruises in from afar, tanks, strikes, and then goes home to an established base. the cost savings are ENORMOUS, as well as the risk savings in exposure to enemy shelling/attack/etc. i know you're probably thinking that the planners and higher-ups know this, but if there is such ignorance in the lower ranks, when do they ever REALLY learn? capes school should be the norm, not just something a few dudes go to, and i'm glad there are forums here that can educate some of the bros as to what we all do. see ya.

[F-15E WSO]

CAPES cancelled all of their classes for FY 06 and JACS also.

You shouldn't feel bad or complain about having to explain something to some young viper dude. He's a young viper dude! He's going to be ignorant on a lot of things. His job is to stay visual, hit his target and shoot down who his flight lead tells him to.

Having a DACT fight while you're within visual range of a B-1 should be a great learning experience for everyone involved. If you're an instructor, be an instructor. Wade through the ego of the young viper dude, take the time to teach him something, and press.

You can probably learn something from him too.

[scoobs]

Does anybody know if the Bone is still overmanned for Co's? If so are they being sent to the fly UAV's?

[ASUPilot]

Overmanned? I would say no. Am I looking at the UMD and cross-referencing a spreadsheet, no. However, reclama is the game being played right now. Requirements for Alpha Tours have not gone down; if anything they've increased. There's still a push to send guys to UAVs, ALOs, UPT (lucky) and the U-28(again, lucky). The Bone's have a schedule of 6 on and 12 off. So basically for almost 12 months the Commanders reclama everyone because if they don't, they won't be able to fill a combat deployment. They need guys for the months leading up to the deployment around so they can catch beans, upgrade and complete AOR spin-up. The real kick in the balls occurs about halfway through the deployment when the Alpha bill drops. It's a blood bath to say the least. So at any given time one squadron is taking the brunt of the Alpha bill is the ass. It's a sick game. The result is you have squadrons in the CAF with experience levels in the 30 - 35% range. Not the gospel, but I think I heard once in passing that squadron experience levels should be 55%. The Bones, like everyone, are in a experience deficit. When you Alpha a young AC or a WSO who's about to upgrade to IWSO, they're replaced with MQT dudes. It's certainly NOT a one-for-one exchange of equals. IMHO, things are so unbalanced right now, so backwards on a myriad of levels, that I've given up any hope of ever seeing common sense in the AF. I just spoke with a Viper brother of mine at HL and I am stunned at what's happening there. So this doesn't appear to be just a Bone or bomber thing.

[pawnman]

Overmanned? I would say no. Am I looking at the UMD and cross-referencing a spreadsheet, no. However, reclama is the game being played right now. Requirements for Alpha Tours have not gone down; if anything they've increased. There's still a push to send guys to UAVs, ALOs, UPT (lucky) and the U-28(again, lucky). The Bone's have a schedule of 6 on and 12 off. So basically for almost 12 months the Commanders reclama everyone because if they don't, they won't be able to fill a combat deployment. They need guys for the months leading up to the deployment around so they can catch beans, upgrade and complete AOR spin-up. The real kick in the balls occurs about halfway through the deployment when the Alpha bill drops. It's a blood bath to say the least. So at any given time one squadron is taking the brunt of the Alpha bill is the ass. It's a sick game. The result is you have squadrons in the CAF with experience levels in the 30 - 35% range. Not the gospel, but I think I heard once in passing that squadron experience levels should be 55%. The Bones, like everyone, are in a experience deficit. When you Alpha a young AC or a WSO who's about to upgrade to IWSO, they're replaced with MQT dudes. It's certainly NOT a one-for-one exchange of equals. IMHO, things are so unbalanced right now, so backwards on a myriad of levels, that I've given up any hope of ever seeing common sense in the AF. I just spoke with a Viper brother of mine at HL and I am stunned at what's happening there. So this doesn't appear to be just a Bone or bomber thing.

I can tell you from an FTU standpoint the BONE is hurting for new WSOs coming into the program. There aren't enough WSOs around, apparently.

[pbar]

I can tell you from an FTU standpoint the BONE is hurting for new WSOs coming into the program. There aren't enough WSOs around, apparently.

That's because about 18 months ago the wait at the B-1 FTU was almost a year and F-15E was short of WSOs, so B-1 WSO production got cut back. Standard afterburner to idle back to afterburner system of personnel management....

PBAR

[Container STS]

Just met with the Bomber AFPC dude in the traveling roadshow today, we had an interesting talk about bomber flows.

The most argumentative point was the fact that 55% of ALO's come from the fighters and 45% from the bombers - but you have to understand that the bomber force is MUCH smaller than fighters - a little disparaging? discuss amongst yourselves.

Also, ALO requirements are going up!!! from 198 to 300 as of right now...yes!

[Skitzo]

Does anybody know if the Bone is still overmanned for Co's? If so are they being sent to the fly UAV's?

According to everyone not in an OPS squadron yes. I keep trying to argue that the BONE is actually undermanned for what our OPS tempo is and really it is underfunded as far as MX goes. The whole TAMI thing could have been avoided had they not started axing the maintaners. That being saidTAMI is still alive is well and she's taking no mercy. The three options for those TAMIed are U-28s to AFSOC (with no return) or MQ-9/1s (with a slim chance to return).

With all that said, the BONE is a great AC with a great mission, I knew after I washed out of IFF that the BONE was overmanned and even though I'll probably get TAMIed I would put it down number one on my list again.

[Skitzo]

I've heard that the BONE can be a great place to end up if you were formerly a FAIP. Something about direct-to-AC-upgrade (after FTU) based upon flying hours. Is that going on?

(I'm just asking the question...you never know how IFF is going to go...so I'll count my VIPER chicken AFTER it hatches. :) )

Well it's not so much a direct upgrade persay, in order to qualify you have to have 300 hours post FTU and 50 RAP/Contingencie sorties or 750 total hours plus 50 post FTU hours.

That only is half the ticket though really as you would have to fly with someone also qualified as a mission lead. In order to upgrade to that status its the same hour requirements as AC except you have to be combat ready for 6 months.

So a FAIP will move along the timeline faster than other copilots but it's not an all encompassing direct upgrade.

[hindsight2020]

Well it's not so much a direct upgrade persay, in order to qualify you have to have 300 hours post FTU and 50 RAP/Contingencie sorties or 750 total hours plus 50 post FTU hours.

That only is half the ticket though really as you would have to fly with someone also qualified as a mission lead. In order to upgrade to that status its the same hour requirements as AC except you have to be combat ready for 6 months.

So a FAIP will move along the timeline faster than other copilots but it's not an all encompassing direct upgrade.

Which is kinda foul for a FAIP. On the Buff side a FAIP (who completes his assignment) goes straight to ACIQ. Yep, no gear bitch for you on curtain #2 bob. Sweeeeeet!

Other than that, what afnav said. For a place where people find solace in deployment stability Buff land ain't happy camp lately (has it ever?) with the shifting going on. Plenty of unused sunblock north of, and hysterical fiancés south of the mason-dixon line.

As to the co overmanning issue, it is a fact on the buff, and tami and other morale "vectors" are doing their part to worsen the situation. I would say the bone situation yields a similar effect; whether the lack of resources comes from MX axing or it is true co overmanning, you're not getting love as a co on the Bone period.. I've yet to see anybody argue the manning of IP/experienced ACs on either bomber is adequate and guess what, that affects your upgrade and flying negatively as a co on the bone a little more, since it doesn't have the "clown car" feature. Not that riding in a clown car is my version of flying but I digress.

Standard red headed stepchild treatment. If I were a UPT stud today and I had to hedge my bets I'd say the best deal out there is getting FAIPed. Surest way of getting to fly for six years straight and gain AC/IP status = options in the process. IMO.

see ya!

[Dewey...BoneDriver]

Don't think this has been stirred recently.

As a guy who has been out of the loop for awhile (T-37s @SPS), how do you guys like having a pod? Talked to some of the Bros right after introduction of it last year, but with more time I'd be interested to know how it has worked out for y'all.

Also, how is the manning situation going? They still drop one about every drop here at SPS. Dudes getting to stick around for three years and get upgraded or is it two and alpha or what?

Trying to remain informed so I can still speak intelligently to what is going on when students ask.

Thanks!

[Wing Sweep]

Don't think this has been stirred recently.

As a guy who has been out of the loop for awhile (T-37s @SPS), how do you guys like having a pod? Talked to some of the Bros right after introduction of it last year, but with more time I'd be interested to know how it has worked out for y'all.

Also, how is the manning situation going? They still drop one about every drop here at SPS. Dudes getting to stick around for three years and get upgraded or is it two and alpha or what?

Trying to remain informed so I can still speak intelligently to what is going on when students ask.

Thanks!

Pod:

We love it. It's like crack candy. It's like somebody took the blinders off. I'd say we're using it quite effectively in the AOR.

Manning:

WSO = Not letting anyone go ALFA due to the forecast of few to no studs arriving to B-1 IQC for a while during the upcoming transition for "WSO/CSO/NAV/EWO" from Randolph to P-Cola. WSOs can pretty much expect to stay 3+ years and upgrade to IWSO before a PCS.

Pilots = Slightly overmanned, but nothing gross. Lot's of ALFAs to always fill. Like it normally happens after every deployment, we're expecting a complete raping of pilots to ALFA billets. I'd say dudes can expect an AC upgrade around the 2 year mark (+/- a few months) and an ALFA assignment at the 2.5 to 3 year mark.

Building time:

It's a bitch. If we don't deploy the full 6 months, we're hardly getting any hours. Some guys get hosed (sts) and end up doing SOS while were deployed. That cuts into their time building severely! For both WSOs and Pilots, the hours we fly in one sortie in the AOR is what we're flying in a whole month back at home station. This upcoming fiscal year is not looking better for us either. Some of the talk concerning this coming fiscal year's hour program would make your cranium spin!

Deployments:

Still doing a year at home in between doing six months at the hell hole. Most guys can expect two deployments before PCSing. Current leadership at our AEW has 0% focus on the mission and 100% focus on all that is related to REMFs. Hopefully things change with new leadership at the OG and WG levels, but I'll leave this point for the "Lack of Leadership at the Deid" thread.

This is all DYS stuff. I'll let the RCA folks speak to what's happening in their neck of the woods. Hope this helps.

Edited June 16, 2009 by g2s

[pawnman]

On the bright side for ALFAs (at least for you single dudes)...A year in Korea often ends up being closer to 10 months, and if you take a checkride before you leave, you'll still be fully qualified (just non-current) when you get back. One of our guys already has his RIP to come back, and it seems like he just left.

Good news on the WSO side...I knew there was the possibility of PCSing at the two-year mark, but I was hoping to stick around.

Also, Ellsworth > Abilene. Green trees, green grass, actual seasons, literally square miles of public land for hunting, fishing, camping and hiking...I'll be depressed when I get my orders back to Dyess.

[ASUPilot]

"Also, Ellsworth > Abilene. Green trees, green grass, actual seasons, literally square miles of public land for hunting, fishing, camping and hiking...I'll be depressed when I get my orders back to Dyess."

'2' same

[rockchalk]

I was hoping to get some more info on the B-1. Dyess vs. Ellsworth in particular. I've heard that Ellsworth is definitely better for outdoors stuff which sounds way better for me but looking at a map there doesn't seem to be much around there for the wife to do (she's not much of an outdoor adventure person). I've never been to Abilene, just how bad is it?

[daynightindicator]

I was hoping to get some more info on the B-1. Dyess vs. Ellsworth in particular. I've heard that Ellsworth is definitely better for outdoors stuff which sounds way better for me but looking at a map there doesn't seem to be much around there for the wife to do (she's not much of an outdoor adventure person). I've never been to Abilene, just how bad is it?

I'll honestly try to answer this without ranting.

FWIW I'm currently in Abilene after spending ~5.69 years at Ellsworth (and ~1 year before that at Dyess).

Personally, I vote for Rapid City all the way and twice on Sunday. The city is vibrant for a small town and is in the middle of a great little growth spurt. Although it's population is ~75000 (not counting the Lead/Deadwood/Sturgis peeps), which is smaller than Abilene, since it's the only "big" city for about 350 miles in any direction, it's got a lot going for it. There are about twice as many places to eat with a much better variety than in Abilene. It's got a good small local arts scene, all the shopping you need, and is in the middle of a downtown renovation project that's bringing some awesome small business growth (both shops and restaurants/bars). There is a semi-pro hockey team and the games are a blast.

In South Dakota, you can shoot in just about any state park, and CCWs are $10 with a mil ID (reciprocity in something like 17 states). The folks are mostly conservative but with a libertarian streak, so state government stays out of your business for the most part. Schools are about average. I don't have kids but my friends who do usually don't complain much.

Winters are harsh, although the last few have been fairly light. Expect a good solid 2 week period in late January or February where temps don't get above 10 degrees. It's not unbearable and you don't need anything crazy like engine block heaters. You will get sick of the wind and learn the true meaning of wind chill.

You mentioned the outdoors activities so I won't harp on that. Tons to do outside. Lots of tourist spots to hit up - Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Bandlands, and Sturgis to name a few. Deadwood is a blast. There is skiing available at Terry Peak about an hour or so west of town.

The local airport has ~5 different carriers. You will still pay regional airline prices, but you have decent options for flights.

Since the only two B-1 squadrons are ops squadrons, the base seems to be more focused than Dyess. For the last 6+ years, Ellsworth has had a squadron deployed for 12 out of every 18 months. MX rates are generally better than Dyess. There is currently a big airspace initiative that would give Ellsworth the biggest training airspace in the CONUS (about 2x bigger than UTTR/NTTR). If that goes through, flying will get even better. The backyard MOA (Powder River) is better than at Dyess (Lancer), and allows for low level training.

In short, I had a blast at Ellsworth and would go back in a heartbeat.

As for Dyess, I'll just tell you the reasons why I don't like it and you can decide if they apply to you or not.

Abilene is so anti-progress it boggles my mind. The city council actively works to prevent new businesses, especially restaurants and bars, in some misguided attempt to prevent the city from becoming like "the metroplex" (which is an insane notion). The downtown, and I use that term loosely, is usually a ghost town after business hours. There are two decent restaurants downtown, but you'll spend ~25 minutes driving there from the good areas of town where everyone lives.

Bars must close by midnight on weekdays and 1AM on weekends. I realize this isn't a huge concern for a lot of dudes but it says something about the local population and their values.

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a church - some VERY conservative. Again, might not be a negative for some.

It's Texas - west Texas at that, and you can't easily escape it. American Airlines is the ONLY carrier at the local airport and routinely cancels flights for weather or lack of aircraft availability.

The flying at Dyess is sporadic and frustrating. MX rates are consistently low. The scattered nature of the units on base (schoolhouse, weapons school, test, and one ops squadron) seem to prevent the wing from having a real focus. The local airspace sucks - to get good training accomplished requires scheduling at least two or three different ranges.

On the plus side, there is a zoo. You are also 2.5 hours from Ft Worth, 3 hours from Dallas, and 3.5-4 from San Antonio and Austin.

I should state for the record that I hate the state of Texas with the burning passion of a million suns. Hope this helps.

[SuperWSO]

I'll put in my 2 cents for Abilene. I was an exception in the B-1 community - I liked Abilene. I grew up in the southwest, so hot summers and mild winters are my idea of good weather. I never had to dig my car out in Abilene. There are a lot of churches, but there is no crime (its TX, everybody is armed). The people are very friendly and the city is very supportive of the military. They have the "Worlds largest BBQ" every year - military and their families eat free. Its at the Convention center and they fill the place up.

There are restaurants. Not much in the way of Applebees (1) or Bennigans (0), but there are a lot of good local places (Joes Pizza is great!) Single guys don't like it because there aren't a lot of women. It is great if you have a family - housing is much more affordable than most of the country, and the prices have held relatively level. The Schools are good (I think Wylie schools were better than those in Colorado Springs).

I've been gone too long to talk about flying, MX or ops tempo. If I could go back, I would. From what I know of SD, there is a naked lady behind every tree within 2 NM of the base, but they are both fat biker chicks. YMMV

And as for the comparison to Clovis, and Altus - I've been there and Abilene has those two beat without question.

[WheelsOff]

The only caveat I'll give about Abilene is that if you try to get plugged in to various churches, kids in schools, etc... they aren't overly welcoming unless you are 1) born and raised in Abilene (lots of good 'ol boys), or 2) are a college student attending one of the universities in town. This was my wife's observation/experience living there for 5 years as an AF brat at one time in her life.

I lived there for 4 years as a student at one of the local universities and didn't have the same outlook (ref #2 above).

YMMV

(edited for my .02)

Edited July 26, 2012 by WheelsOff

[Bones19]

I was hoping to get some more info on the B-1. Dyess vs. Ellsworth in particular. I've heard that Ellsworth is definitely better for outdoors stuff which sounds way better for me but looking at a map there doesn't seem to be much around there for the wife to do (she's not much of an outdoor adventure person). I've never been to Abilene, just how bad is it?

Rockchalk, if you are FTU bound...there is no decision...try to get to Ellsworth. It is 1000% more focused on tactics and is a way better place for a young guy. The MX and sortie rates are demosntrably better in the Tigers and TBirds. If Texas is your kind of place and you stick around long enough, you'll end up there anyway. So go to South Dakota. There's plenty to do in Rapid. Abilene will be waiting like a giant vacuum of suck to bring you back anyway

[daynightindicator]

All of the above about ops focus and better flying are correct. There were reasons Ellsworth was chosen to support the strike during OOD (first-ever B-1 strike launched from CONUS, big deal for the community). I also think the new Reaper squadron will add to the combat focus of the base.

To address a few other points...

Crime is statistically higher in Rapid, but it's primarily seen in the Native American population, and for the most part it stays within that community. Lots of DUIs (very high among military as well), petty theft, domestic violence, some knife crimes, but not much in the way of gun crime. My ex-GF had a car broken into in front of my house (in a decent neighborhood) but it was unlocked and the items were returned within a few weeks when the genius criminal tried to pawn them to an undercover cop.

BL - I was never, EVER concerned for my safety, even stumbling out of the bars drunk at 2:30.

Single women options are severely limited in both locations. Abilene probably has the advantage here since you can leave after work on Friday and be in Austin or Dallas to troll that night. Easy to do major cities for the weekend whereas Rapid is a 6+ hour drive from Denver, making anything less than a 3-day weekend hard to pull off.

Bones19 hit the nail on the cranium. If you're an FTU stud try and get to Ellsworth to soak up what may be the last of the recent deployment cycle and take advantage of the plethora of experienced instructors and weapons officers up there. All roads eventually lead to Dyess, so if you don't like it just change your ADP.

[OBOBs_11]

I have track select coming up and I heard that B-1's are mainly taking FAIPs right now, any type of FAIP to be exact. Can any one clarify on that?