The Next President is...

[HeloDude]

1 minute ago, FLEA said:

Dude most competent adults understand an exaggeration. I don't give a shit. Im done here. You're all worthless to me. The fact you don't have the balls to advocate your people tells me everything I need. Youre shills. Youre your own toxic leaders and frankly deserve every grievance you have at the service. I'll never forget the day a dude called HeloDude told me he deserves thanks for his service but he doesn't even have the humility or grace to thank the door gunner that went out with him, with zero control of the mission execution, the danger, the risk. WTF man? Why would I ever encourage anyone to service. Get fucked. 

You keep saying you’re done, I’ve lost all credibility, blah blah blah.  And you keep swearing because you’re so upset…are you ok?  Honestly?

Like I said, I’m all for the enlisted getting paid more.  But acting like life choices has nothing to do with those who struggle/their financial woes is completely disingenuous.  The most successful enlisted members I worked with lived well below/within their means and made good choices—what does this mean?  They had a basic car that was 5-10 years old, they didn’t blow their per diem (and then some) at the bar, they didn’t have a motorcycle in addition to their car, they didn’t go to the strip bars, they’re we’re spending money on different women all the time, they didn’t have tattoos, they were alway taking educational classes, on and on.  And the ones that didn’t do as well, well, they did the opposite of all those things and more.

[Biff_T]

I was enlisted 9.5 years, the rest officer.  AD.  I was a sheetmetal dude on F-16's and KC-10 Boom.  I came in as an E-1.   I fucked up and got chick pregnant as an E-3.  I grew up Catholic, so did she.  We got married.  I had zero CC debt, student loan debt and a cheap ass Honda Civic with no AC.   I used WIC because I had too.  I was embarrassed having to put my frozen OJ, and baby formula on the counter and paying using WIC.  There were other airmen I personally knew that were in similar situations.  There were a fuck ton of financial dumbasses I met as young enlisted man, but the ones with families sometimes struggled and weren't always financial dumbasses.  

[Boomer6]

38 minutes ago, FLEA said:

I will grant you there are definitely toxic E-8s / E-9s out there. Who do you think is standing behind them? 

Chief bass and the rest of the SNCO core that would rather have a group circle jerk so they can get promoted than take care of their ppl. The enlisted senior leadership is no different than the officer side. The difference is that senior enlisted leaders know senior officers will do what those officers have been trained to do, trust their SNCOs. Those SNCOs then have a free hand to do as they please and crush anyone that gets in their way.

Edited May 6, 2023 by Boomer6

[HeloDude]

12 minutes ago, Biff_T said:

I was enlisted 9.5 years, the rest officer.  AD.  I was a sheetmetal dude on F-16's and KC-10 Boom.  I came in as an E-1.   I fucked up and got chick pregnant as an E-3.  I grew up Catholic, so did she.  We got married.  I had zero CC debt, student loan debt and a cheap ass Honda Civic with no AC.   I used WIC because I had too.  I was embarrassed having to put my frozen OJ, and baby formula on the counter and paying using WIC.  There were other airmen I personally knew that were in similar situations.  There were a fuck ton of financial dumbasses I met as young enlisted man, but the ones with families sometimes struggled and weren't always financial dumbasses.  

A 2Lt with 4 kids is going to struggle as well.  Life choices include proper family planning.

I grew up in the 80s and was one of 4 kids…before my mom went back to work full time, money was extremely tight.  I had an older sister, so all my clothes were hand me downs from neighbors.  Tuna fish casserole and spaghetti were common dinners…that and sometimes pancakes, or grilled cheese and tomato soup.  Rarely ever went out for dinner, to include fast food.  Only time I ever got a new toy was my birthday or Xmas, and it definitely wasn’t excessive.  Only vacation was driving once every couple of years to see our cousins a few states away.  My parents were never on food stamps…maybe they could have, but that’s not what they wanted.  And my father was a civil engineer.  
 

What I’m saying is that our culture today (including those in the military) is to make excuses for those who make less than good choices.  Living an early life that is less than ideal teaches you and your kids many important lessons.

[Biff_T]

1 minute ago, Boomer6 said:

Chief bass and the rest of the SNCO core that would rather have a group circle jerk so they can get promoted than take care of their ppl

I didn't remember the ppl being that hard (sts) /s.  Or getting invited to the good circle jerks (ones that get people promoted) for that matter.  Lol

I've been out for a few years now.  

 

But seriously, I agree with your statement about Officer, SNCO trust

[Biff_T]

11 minutes ago, HeloDude said:

A 2Lt with 4 kids is going to struggle as well.  Life choices include proper family planning.

I grew up in the 80s and was one of 4 kids…before my mom went back to work full time, money was extremely tight.  I had an older sister, so all my clothes were hand me downs from neighbors.  Tuna fish casserole and spaghetti were common dinners…that and sometimes pancakes, or grilled cheese and tomato soup.  Rarely ever went out for dinner, to include fast food.  Only time I ever got a new toy was my birthday or Xmas, and it definitely wasn’t excessive.  Only vacation was driving once every couple of years to see our cousins a few states away.  My parents were never on food stamps…maybe they could have, but that’s not what they wanted.  And my father was a civil engineer.  
 

What I’m saying is that our culture today (including those in the military) is to make excuses for those who make less than good choices.  Living an early life that is less than ideal teaches you and your kids many important lessons.

We grew up in very similar conditions, except my Dad hated tuna and was a plumber lol.   

I agree 100 percent with you.  There is a victim mentality in all aspects of the younger American generation (get off my lawn @nsplayr lol).   I don't feel sorry for people who make dumb decisions, especially if they dont learn from their mistakes or quibble about how they were not wrong.  You and I both know how crazy back enders can live.   Lol.  

Edit: I'm glad Capt Biff never had to fly with Amn Biff lol

Edited May 6, 2023 by Biff_T

[Lord Ratner]

On 5/6/2023 at 5:06 PM, FLEA said:

You all lost credibility in my eyes. Thought there were actual leaders on this forum. All I hear are a bunch of lazy pussies now who are only infatuated with their own success. 

If you don't do the volunteer work I do, you're a lazy pussy is a pretty hot take.

 

Sometimes you seem like a rational, intelligent person with some contrarian views, then you post some unhinged emotional nonsense like this and make me wonder if you're just another nut with too much time in front of a keyboard.

[Lord Ratner]

On 5/6/2023 at 5:51 PM, FLEA said:

You're all worthless to me. The fact you don't have the balls to advocate your people tells me everything I need. Youre shills. Youre your own toxic leaders and frankly deserve every grievance you have at the service. I'll never forget the day a dude called HeloDude told me he deserves thanks for his service but he doesn't even have the humility or grace to thank the door gunner that went out with him, with zero control of the mission execution, the danger, the risk. WTF man? Why would I ever encourage anyone to service. Get fucked. 

And here you confirmed it. I guess I should have seen this from earlier posts. 

[Pooter]

Or.. and hear me out for a second.. two things can be true at once..

Thing 1: go look at the enlisted pay scales and they are scarily low

Thing 2: lots of enlisted people make poor financial decisions that only exacerbate thing #1

maybe even a third thing!

Thing 3: enlisted pay/benefits are better than the average job you can get as a non college educated 18 year old

[Pooter]

On 5/6/2023 at 4:06 PM, FLEA said:

Food stamps qualification is based on income and family size

Yes.. which is why having a bunch of dependents you can't afford is a quick way to get on food stamps.. and why family planning is important. 
 

Life planning decisions impact both qualification, and your eventual spending. It seems like you're being willfully obtuse here and it's really strange. Your family size is an entirely controllable thing.

[brabus]

@Pooter Good points, especially #3. A new guy without a family in my neck of the woods is making $25/hr (assuming 40 hr week shoe clerk), in the 12% tax bracket, has free & comprehensive health care, 4 years in has a solid GI Bill to use, gaining good resume-building experience, potentially had an enlistment bonus, and more.

I’m not arguing they shouldn’t be paid more, but how about some people show me all the other options for an 18 yr old with zero skills that beat this deal.

 

 

[HeloDude]

1 hour ago, brabus said:

@Pooter Good points, especially #3. A new guy without a family in my neck of the woods is making $25/hr (assuming 40 hr week shoe clerk), in the 12% tax bracket, has free & comprehensive health care, 4 years in has a solid GI Bill to use, gaining good resume-building experience, potentially had an enlistment bonus, and more.

I’m not arguing they shouldn’t be paid more, but how about some people show me all the other options for an 18 yr old with zero skills that beat this deal.

 

 

We are truly living in an era where just about anyone can feel like they’re a victim for one reason or another.  One of those areas is the “haves vs have nots”…the enlisted, more specifically the younger ones, can easily believe they’re part of the “have nots”, especially when compared to the officers.  But like you said, if a young enlisted member plays it smart, they can easily exponentially improve their pay, education, skills, etc in not a long time.  But hey, it’s easier to play the victim card or tell people they’re a victim.

Edited May 9, 2023 by HeloDude

[pawnman]

6 hours ago, Pooter said:

Yes.. which is why having a bunch of dependents you can't afford is a quick way to get on food stamps.. and why family planning is important. 
 

Life planning decisions impact both qualification, and your eventual spending. It seems like you're being willfully obtuse here and it's really strange. Your family size is an entirely controllable thing.

It's a shame our military compensation system creates an incentive for young enlisted folks to get married as soon as the possibly can. 

Live in a dorm room with drug sweeps at 3am, some asshole reving his Charger in the parking lot at midnight, and leadership randomly dropping by to see if you've dusted and mopped...all while sharing a bathroom with a kid who plays WoW 16 hours a day and has pizza boxes stacked to the ceiling (a ceiling covered in black mold, BTW)...or get married and move into an apartment off-base, away from your leadership's invasive inspections and your retarded dorm mate's behavior?

[VMFA187]

On 5/6/2023 at 4:02 PM, HeloDude said:

they didn’t blow their per diem (and then some) at the bar, they didn’t have a motorcycle in addition to their car, they didn’t go to the strip bars, they’re we’re spending money on different women all the time, they didn’t have tattoos, 

Are you talking about 1stLt and Capts in a Marine fighter squadron?

[Snooter]

Lots of focus on people’s monetary decisions but I don’t seem to see any conversation about the trillion dollar f-35 program, or the proverbial “end of year fallout programs.”  Anyone else think we need a new dress uniform?

[ClearedHot]

No surprise here but it is now official, the FBI is broken and corrupt as the Special Counsel John Durham has released his report to the Director of the FBI, the Attorney General and Congress.  It is a sad day for our country as an arm of the government placed its finger on the scales based on political hate.

Special Counsel John Durham found that the Department of Justice and FBI "failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law" when it launched the Trump-Russia investigation.

"Based on the review of Crossfire Hurricane and related intelligence activities, we conclude that the Department and the FBI failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law in connection with certain events and activities described in this report,"

"This information in part triggered and sustained Crossfire Hurricane and contributed to the subsequent need for Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation," the report states. "In particular, there was significant reliance on investigative leads provided or funded (directly or indirectly) by Trump's political opponents." 

"FBI personnel also repeatedly disregarded important requirements when they continued to seek renewals of that FISA surveillance while acknowledging – both then and in hindsight – that they did not genuinely believe there was probable cause to believe that the target was knowingly engaged in clandestine intelligence activities on behalf of a foreign power, or knowingly helping another person in such activities," the report continued. "And certain personnel disregarded significant exculpatory information that should have prompted investigative restraint and re-examination."

[brabus]

Glad it’s officially out there. Share far and wide, because the MSM will do everything it can to suppress this

[bfargin]

Sadly, I’m not shocked at all. As brabus said, spread the truth far and wide!

[Stretch]

There's some more context to add.

An FBI agent can't just open a case. You have to get concurrence from from a Department of Justice attorney in order to do so. They're the legal check and balance when it comes to whether something meets a legal threshold for burdens of proof. Likewise, a DOJ attorney signs off on absolutely every piece of paper that gets placed in front of a judge or a panel. It's easy to point the finger at the FBI here, but it's failure is exactly 50% of the problem, no more, no less. I don't expect the former infantry officer-turned-agent to be the sterling reviewer for burdens of proof, but I do expect that of the lawyers. I think most people are now seeing that some agents were set up to fail by some very senior influence who were just never expected to get caught. 

Likewise, the agents I know classify the FBI in three buckets - The FBI, the FBI in New York, and the FBI in DC. When you think the Law and Order FBI that most Americans (used to) think of, that is the FBI. When you think the aggressive, cowboy ops, -the-locals-and-take-over FBI, it's the FBI in New York. When you think sleazy & manipulative FBI, it's the FBI in DC. The three parts don't really play well together, for good reason. The NY folks piss everyone off but that's the nature of an aggressive organization. The DC folks piss everyone off because their hyper-political bullshit slams, derails, and scuttles lots of good work while replacing it with bullshit (such as this). The rest of the FBI doesn't piss anyone off, because they're doing their job just the way you want them to. 

Did it surprise anyone that the FBI in DC ran Hurricane Crossfire like a shitshow? Nope. Because it's run by political appointees and politicians, deeply ingrained in the shit-scented cultural winds of the moment. If you ask me, as a separate organization, the DOJ is even worse, because you have politically appointed lawyers. It doesn't take much for a few (very) senior folks to lean into a chain of command and skew priorities and processes. 

Want to redeem or fix the FBI? Only put experienced agents in charge - no more political appointees with no LE/intelligence background, no more lawyers. Baseline it to profession competency, highest moral standards, and absolutely ing decapitate the leadership who was or is in place when this all went down, to include prosecution where appropriate. 

Treat it just like you want the AF to be treated - the core mission has been rotted away by leadership completely out of touch with the line force, programs and politically motivated bullshit that takes time, effort, and resources away from your actual mission, and a system where dipshits promote other dipshits because they look the most similar to how the senior dipshit looked back in the day. You want a CSAF/leadership that is mission centric, teflon to the politics, and willing to push back on anything that doesn't progress the defense of the nation? The FBI wants that too. I actually believe the FBI has a better chance of doing that than the AF does, given the lack of rigid rank structure. 

Soap-container dismounted. I've got a number of connections with the Bureau and this has been a topic of discussion for a while. 

 

Edited for spelling and to add: 

Just like the AF, I don't think anyone (who shouldn't be removed) in the actual organization will look at you and say that the Bureau is faultless or innocent in this. There's a tumor. Remove it with vengeance. I am on team Hold Those At Fault Accountable, but I don't see burning down the whole FBI as the solution. Public hearings, prosecution, and removals - sunlight destroys corruption, show the whole world. 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Stretch

[tac airlifter]

1 hour ago, Stretch said:

I've got a number of connections with the Bureau......

 There's a tumor. Remove it with vengeance. I am on team Hold Those At Fault Accountable, but I don't see burning down the whole FBI as the solution.

Tell your friends they work for a corrupt garbage organization.

Since the FBI is incapable of holding responsible those despicable agents who used their position of great public trust to manipulate an election, the entire thing should be burned down.  We would rebuild something eventually, because we need federal LEO.  But the FBI is beyond reform, time to elect someone who will defund & disband it.

[BashiChuni]

and like the Afghanistan debacle, no one will be punished and no changes to the organization will be implemented.

amazing stuff really.

they do this with zero consequences. makes me really think the deep state is untouchable

[Boomer6]

2 hours ago, tac airlifter said:

Tell your friends they work for a corrupt garbage organization.

Since the FBI is incapable of holding responsible those despicable agents who used their position of great public trust to manipulate an election, the entire thing should be burned down.  We would rebuild something eventually, because we need federal LEO.  But the FBI is beyond reform, time to elect someone who will defund & disband it.

Did you read what he wrote? I despise this level of corruption just as much as the next dude, but let’s not immolate the patient due to an infection. If global strike command porks away some nuke handling procedures do you recommend the entire AF gets burned to the ground? If LRS fails the upcoming UEI for the 3rd time do we burn the entire base to the ground? Someone posts a factual account of how something like this happens (giving Stretch the benefit of of the doubt here) and your first thought is to go General Jack D. Ripper?

Edited May 16, 2023 by Boomer6

[BashiChuni]

1 hour ago, Boomer6 said:

Did you read what he wrote? I despise this level of corruption just as much as the next dude, but let’s not immolate the patient due to an infection. If global strike command porks away some nuke handling procedures do you recommend the entire AF gets burned to the ground? If LRS fails the upcoming UEI for the 3rd time do we burn the entire base to the ground? Someone posts a factual account of how something like this happens (giving Stretch the benefit of of the doubt here) and your first thought is to go General Jack D. Ripper?

The FBI has been corrupt from the start. Hoover ran it from 1935 - 1972 and he was corrupt to the core. It needs to be dismantled. The upper level of the FBI are traitors to the constitution. 

[tac airlifter]

1 hour ago, Boomer6 said:

Did you read what he wrote? I despise this level of corruption just as much as the next dude, but let’s not immolate the patient due to an infection. If global strike command porks away some nuke handling procedures do you recommend the entire AF gets burned to the ground? If LRS fails the upcoming UEI for the 3rd time do we burn the entire base to the ground? Someone posts a factual account of how something like this happens (giving Stretch the benefit off of the doubt here) and your first thought is to go General Jack D. Ripper?

Yes I read what he wrote.  Are you familiar with the implications of this story?  FBI actions are not analogous to failing a UEI, nor is their senior leadership a mere temporary infection in an otherwise healthy patient.  If Global Strike Command deliberately manipulated their position of trust to neuter a sitting President, Commanders would be fired, the institution disbanded, and responsibilities given to others.  Here they’re just saying “sorry!”  GMAFB.

 He’s right the cancer needs to be excised.  But I think he’s wrong that the FBI or DOJ is capable of such precision.  You’ll know I’m right when no one is held accountable, like always.

 My opinion is that dismantling the institution, although blunt, is necessary.  Without drastic action our most powerful internal institution will never recover legitimacy.  And I’m completely fed up with the “rank and file agents are great guys” narrative.  

[BashiChuni]