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Holy shit. I was around for bladegate 1.0, and maintenance malpractice 1.0. that was 14 years ago. You'd think they'd have this shit figured out by now. Edit: Weird to see that the boat is already being waived. Also, mid stage FLCPs was the best flying I think one could do. You're solo...

Can we sticky this and make it mando reading for every Marine? Are they still making 2nd Lts buy their own sword? Dress blues in the Air Force cost about $500 for everything, (yeah, we look like bus drivers, but still). Mess dress is like $800. A Dress Blue USMC coat costs $800. Don't waste...

Just realize that they have to go through flight school over again. The AF doesn't let non-pilots skip any part of any pilot syllabus. Not a bad thing, but not how the Navy and Marine Corps do business.

I recommend doing well at TBS and having fun with your bros there. You don't need to study early. Focus on the now.

Oh, they went to IOC. And yeah, it was during the big surge. I know one dude who checked into MATSG and went to IOC TAD. Why? He was single. Lucky him. Btw. This kind of falls in line with what is happening to @Hard Clutch . Would Hardy rather go to IOC and be a platoon commander in...

Keep drinking, I'll forgive you for one night of self pity. But tomorrow morning you're still a Marine, you're still living the dream as an SNA, a dream that a thousand people would gladly trade places with you for. You're still going to have to work your ass off to earn your keep, to earn...

There were some dudes who were sent to IOC and did a pump as a platoon commander in a reserve battalion during that T-34 redstripe. But that was also 2009, and we were conducting major combat ops. Those guys were hard chargers, but were all glad to be in aviation.

I waited a year to start primary during the T-34 redstripe of 2009/2010. I got paid as an officer to do nothing. It was a good deal that I wouldn't ever advise anyone to pass up. Some guys were bartending, some took grad school classes. Almost everyone bought a boat. I worked as a pro hockey...

Same for me in the 90s in Syracuse. It started in 6th and 7th grade. Shop was called "tech" but it taught us how to use hand and power tools, how do basic things like measure twice and cut once. But we also had to design and build balsa wood bridges that would hold x amount of weight, how to...

I think firearms safety and handling should be taught in our schools seeing as the right to bears arms is granted by the constitution. They should adapt and evolve as kids get older. We teach drivers education in schools and safety around streets and roads, but driving isn't a right.

Truth. There are waivers, but we only get so many UPT slots per year, and we have to manage our own recruiting and retention. We don't want to send someone to pilot training and then have them retire in a couple years. It's also getting tougher to bring higher ranks into the Guard. O-3 is the...

AGR is one way to do it (and the program I'm on). But we also have a lot of 365 MPA too. Bottom line, long term AD orders are available if you're willing to leave the airplane and fly the robot from a GCS. It's much easier to transition as an O-3 though.

The Ohio squadron is a good one. We regularly cover each other's line for some down days.

If you have any aspirations in the USAF/ANG, you want to be a pilot.

I don't think we have CSOs in Michigan. 110 Wing in Battle Creek is 172 ATKS flying MQ-9s. (My squadron). 127 Wing over at Selfridge has the 171 ARS (flying KC-135s but are transitioning to the KC-46) and the 107 FS flying the A-10, but their flying mission is pretty much going away when the...

Those guys are going to be deployed a lot. The Guard flying club is quickly becoming AD of another flavor.

I think this is a decent watch on the subject.

There is a difference between 20 years worth of AD points, and 20 years worth of reserve points. RDUs, AFTPs, and any inactive duty orders don't count towards that 20 years (that is, until you get 20 years of AD points, then they all count... which is weird). I suppose it's so much easier these...

Eh. If you get 20 years worth of AD points you get an AD retirement that you start collecting right away. Plenty of folks retiring here off of not just AGR, but MPA, ADOS, STAT, and Temp AGR orders and they're collecting retirement pay and benefits right away. Now if you want to double dip and...

Ah, so they're not reservists?

Yeah, I've had this discussion here before and still can't believe it. The ANG will work with folks to get them their AD retirement if they're close. In fact, it's encouraged by all levels of leadership. It's a win/win. Billets get filled by folks who volunteer and the volunteers get their...

So TAR is "Temporarily Activated Reservist" correct? If so, how do they change your orders to be able to deploy you on an IA? You can deny any set of orders as long as they aren't an involuntary mobilization without any negative action. And you have to accept any modifications to orders. This...

So he gets an out of cockpit and away from family IA nut punch that turns his 3 year FRS IP gig into a 2 year one (and that nut punch will leave him behind his peers in instructor quals and therefore ranked lower) , but he'll also still have to suck up a shitty boat tour that he probably doesn't...

@Empire16 Take note of this: @Meyerkord is your buddy going to stay in Naval Aviation after that tour?

I've always wondered why these didn't go out as guard/reserve mobilization orders. Plenty of folks were/are always looking for a set of AD orders to plus up their reserve retirement or even get them over the 20 year equivalent in points mark for an AD retirement. Even just a chance for 6 months...

We agree on this 100% That's not what I'm saying and you know it. Did we though? I don't think so. What got us in at 22 or 24 doesn't keep us in at 32 or 34. We spend a shit ton of money on recruitment, but not a whole lot on retention. How much did it cost the government for you to tell...

Sometimes for the AD military but it's most times for the civilian world now. Now that I've been out of the AD military and live in a non military town I see how many married couples both have careers, and kids, and aren't having to choose which is more important than the other. They may have to...

You're looking at this from the wrong angle. A company wouldn't hire my wife as an account manager in North Carolina because "you're great and we think you'd fit in well, but it's obvious from your resume that you're a military spouse so you'll quit in 2 years. We chose someone else." The...

There is a lot of momentum driving combat capabilities to develop and move in that direction- especially within the ISR communities.

Did you really just say "choose your rate, choose your fate." in regard to spousal employment around Navy installations?

Not a joke- My wife, and a good buddy's wife, both had to attended a spouses orientation when we were Lts at MATSG-21. My wife has her BFA in, and is an Equity Stage Manager (union recognized, not easy to do). Buddy's wife is a Lawyer, but not a member of the Bar in Florida. They had to sit...

Every retirement ceremony, every change of command, that I have attended in my now 15 years in the military, the officer has said, "I couldn't have been here if not for the sacrifices of my wife and children. Sacrifices they didn't choose to make, but had to endure for my career." It's perverse...

https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-third-test-flight-launch Starship tried again.

As has been said earlier, bandwidth becomes a big issue (it already is), and those cameras on that SUV only have to see a few feet in front of them. We have a nose camera in the MQ-9 that is all but useful once the airplane is in the air. Very true. There is, and will always be a push for...

I live in the Zoo these days, so naturally I'm a member of the Air Zoo. I *think* that photo is now sitting in the entrance to the building on the flight line, where they do all of the restorations now. I'll have to go look.

You never know until you try. For the relationship to survive you have to talk to him about this. Perhaps he's all about it. Maybe he won't be. If he's not, you have a decision to make. The right person won't make you give up on your dreams to be with them. You'll support them in theirs as...

If he's having trouble behind the boat its one thing. If he can't hold and time or hit a TOT it's another.

If it's lack of the monkey skills that got you there then the drone world is a good one to land in as long as you're okay with not being in the airplane. I'm not sure of RQ or MQ options in the Navy as a primary career field for an unrestricted line officer, but it's something to consider as well.

Sometimes you're the dog, sometimes you're the fire hydrant.

Pledge ANG units stat. You might still be able to get in. It will take you longer than 5 years to get to an AD retirement, but it's worth it. And it will let you get to the airlines quicker- which gets you a better seniority number.

?

Episode 3 was pretty good. It really made me think about aerial gunnery training back then. I want to research how they did it- especially in formation. I assume it's just like a convoy where you assign sectors of fire and what not for the entire formation, not just the one airplane. I was...

This. It's a good time to be in that AOR. It's like it was in 2016/2017. Almost everyone is getting good at employing tactically.

What's up with the blatantly obvious Chinese posts in the last couple of days?

Masters of the Air on Apple TV shows some real promise. The first episode is good. Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have done a good job. The CGI is still CGI, and thusly I prefer the HBO Memphis Belle in that regard, but it looks good so far!

Can we sticky this post and get a bot that auto links this as a reply to the "AF vs Navy/USMC" question?

Will Station SAR respond to civilian boats/airplanes in distress? I know the ANG Rescue units will, but it comes from the USCG (or other agency) through NORTHCOM to the Governor. I don't remember if Pedro ever did out of KNKT. They were sundowning about the time I was showing up to the VMUs.

Okay. So, stupid question, but other than who they work for (DHS vs DoD) what is the difference?

You're not too late. I didn't start the process until I was 25 and had been out of college for a few years. Do well in school. Don't get into trouble. Don't do drugs. Have some leadership in a club or a sport. Take a flying lesson. Tons of people say they want to be a pilot but then have...