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Regular 20 folks get the medical and pension payments right away. Reserve Retired can use the stuff @snake020 talked about after they retired until 60 (gray area). After 60* you get the same medical as the folks who retired with 20 active. For myself and many others, it opens up the...

@MGoBrew11 covered most of it. One of my DHs in VTs picked up TAR and just made O-6 and command of a region recruiting thing. He did Pentagon after his VTP DH ride and was pining for the one TAR VTP command slot, but didn't make that. I don't think he's flown much or at all since his DH ride...

This is crazy to me. I did wings to fleet in 9 months and that included a PCS, a few months to class up, and SERE.

Rolex GMT Master II. The only real Pilot's Watch

Godspeed anyone in CENTCOM right now. Stay safe and kick some ass.

I have a Weber Spirit gas and Performer charcoal. I liked the idea of the gas assist for charcoal, but the little propane tanks are annoying and I just use the wax blocks with a chimney starter. I think if I had to do it again I’d get the Weber pellet grill and then a regular Weber charcoal...

0% shocked on this. We all hand waive the admin stuff.

Blasphemy. The real Battle of LA was 14 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle:_Los_Angeles

The T-7 is a dumpster fire of a program. If they Navy ordered T-50Ns today they'd probably get them before the Air Force got their T-7s.

As far as primary goes, I think you overestimate the universe of things SMAs do that’s novel. We put you in fairly canned scenarios in fairly contained areas to see if you can talk/fly/think at the same time, plus hit the FTI/FWOP points of performance while keeping everyone safe. There’s a...

I realize you're coming out of probably the hardest thing you've ever done so far in life, so I'm willing to cut you some slack. However as someone who instructed in VTs for 3 years and had 19 on-wings, you sound kind of whiny. NSS, MPTS, and instructors are not perfect, but it's the best...

Honestly wouldn't shock me if we got a Gulfstream variant ala the Compass Call in a few years.

It happens but it’s fairly rare. The one instance I knew they met outside of work and were in different squadrons, so while not my taste I didn’t care. I got more frustrated with male IPs who would refuse to go on CCX with female students out of fear they would be reported for…?

@HuggyU2 More like YF-23, the most beautiful plane never made.

I’m a big torso, skinny neck guy. So the tape does fuck all for me. Abdominal circumference I’m generally fine with. If I had to make weight again I’ll be at the sauna with @CommodoreMid Again, I realize there are a few generally slovenly sailors in our ranks, and any BCA change is a force...

You strike me as someone who’s never struggled with their weight. I’m 40, in arguably the best fitness of my life, and can’t pass height/weight or rope and choke. Not everyone is shaped the same.

Very thoughtful response. I’d argue the problem with a European deterrent is command and control. If France controls the codes for weapons in Germany, you are betting your states existence on aid from another state. Will they come to your aid when the chips are down? Are they willing to...

I said it before, but zero doubt in my mind Germany has an unofficial deterrent before the end of 2028. If Ukraine survives in a recognizable fashion, same for them.

@Monarch I'm not trying to shit in your wheaties, but you rolling in as a VOLTERM 1300 isn't going to put you at the high end of the list for competitive paper against your 1315 peers that did multiple flying tours. I have no idea what FAO competitiveness looks like, but just keep eyes wide...

FWIW plenty of cowboy boots on the line in 121 world, uniform regs be damned.

One of the FDNF squadrons? Or can you ask around the sea wall?

To the OP, are you winged? What's your community? None of your DHs have been to a CVN boat job?

Having gone to Oceana and Lemoore, it's better than the unintelligible ground calls you guys do. I get it, your flight schedule is in the tower and they know everything about you already so you can get away with brevity. Ain't the same everywhere my man.

I got it. Sadly the humorless scold crowd often doesn't appreciate humor. Also is that you Recovering LSO?

What's your take on the COPT-R students being disadvantaged in flight hours to make HAC later? Will they be able to go to VTs as instructors or other fixed wing career opportunities or will those be closed off? As someone who went HSC -> VT-IP -> airlines, I'm highly skeptical of the program...

Just personally, set the goal high (Omega/Rolex/etc), that way when you get it, it will matter that much more. I bought my Explorer II 5 years ago now and it still brings a smile to my face every time I look at it. I know what it took to get it, so it has intrinsic value. Rolex specifically...

Having lived in DC recently, the issue is more the lawyers/lobbyists/contractors that have their hooks into Uncle Sam making beacoup bucks. Unfortunately that's really hard to fix. So instead we get press releases and shiny videos that look like things are happening.

In a world where everything is viewed as transactional, principles don’t matter, Article 5 is now just a bargaining position. SCOTUS can’t order the military to Latvia. After Friday’s display, Europe know they can’t rely on the United States. Putin is too weak in the short term to move on the...

I reject the idea that the democratically elected governments and the peoples therein do not have agency to decide their own path. Membership in NATO is a backstop against exactly what we're seeing in Ukraine. These people have very real memories of what Russian oppression looks like. And...

The reality of pulling back from NATO is nuclear proliferation will rule the rest of this half of the century. Germany, Ukraine (if it survives), Asian democracies, maybe Poland and the Baltics will all want their own deterrent now that we've proven to be an unreliable partner. The bill for...

My point was that they've gone high and right with a pretty big hammer. Regular 30min ground stops with holding/diverts for VIP/POTUS movement will throw a wrench in schedules. I can grant you the helo corridor below an approach path was pushing the mark, but this is a crazy "interim solution".

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/24/faa-national-crash-marine-one-delays/ Better start booking to Dulles if you want on time flights. Seriously hope the FAA unfucks this ASAP.

My understanding from talking to folks is that it is small numbers and heavily timing dependent. As has been stated in this thread, the only Navy pilot JTACs I know of were WTIs, pointy nose folks attached to the NSW Groups, or some random very off drug deal/by name request. I say that because...

Short answer, you're unlikely to find a flying gig as an O-5 walking in the door. Everyone in a hardware unit wants an over-grade waiver at O-5 and there aren'y many to give out, although previously qualified HM might get you somewhere in Norfolk. They always seem to be hurting for bodies...

I've only been in and out of MEX a few times, but I go into Asia, Europe, Middle East, and others a ton. Language barrier, weird radios (Karachi, seriously, buy new ones), going from cold/sea level to high/hot, Meters Ops in China, a STAR that's more of a suggestion, mandatory continuous...

Just go do a discovery flight or two at a local flight school and see if you have fun. Usually cheap. I too would advise against coming out of pocket for a full PPL. As someone who had 0.0 hours before going to OCS and subsequently instructed Navy Primary in the T-6B, you 100% do not need...

Say military is exempt, unsure if that's DoD wide including civilians. Also some jobs are fully remote when created vs office with telework. Will be interesting to see this play out.

Maybe let's not creep shot peoples photos and put them on here...

Back in ~2014 during my fleet tour one of the 2 seat Oceana squadrons had those done, but with hearts on the shoulders for rank. The wives were all in them for a photo shoot, except one actual active duty spouse in her actual flight suit. It was....something....

1000% this. I too thought it was cool as fuck when I was an SNA. Once you realize the actual path to get there, it's less interesting.

We wore them as a VT-P instructor for flying recently. Not "operational" but I was attached to a rocket chair and surrounded by det cord in plexiglass.

This is hilarious in a Navy way. Reserves was way out ahead on this, shockingly. Took me like 5 mins to get it back in November. I am a little frustrated they added a bunch of access requirements to get email/Teams on your personal phone. I enjoyed webmail on my phone to just triage. Once I...

Mac and NVD are awesome for telework, especially in the reserves. iPhone and the various apps they make you install now, meh, might not bother with those once I get back from MOB.

I'm assuming you weren't cross assigned? In that case, sure, they own you and your musters. As I said before, buyer beware picking a unit. But if travel was so arduous even with IDTT, you have the option of a TRUIC change to your most local NRC. Be it the RSU as a general holding tank, or...

100% Agree in that regard. Non-flying SELRES O-6s can expect to get the Djibouti Base CO gig to stay upwardly mobile. Maybe my ambition is low but SELRES is the first place where "Up or Out" doesn't apply strictly.

1) Unless you have to be an O-5 or O-6, who cares? You can retire as an O-4 with 20. You could also do continuation and they'd love you in this manning environment. 2) They cannot make you reschedule or travel for IDT if you are cross assigned. AT needs to be with your unit, but it's paid and...

I just, *sigh*. To anyone reading this considering SELRES, you should really do your homework on your unit. It's not like Active Duty. You get to pick. You can pick a unit halfway across the country and drill at an NRC closer to your house. There's contact information for every billet in...

Beers on me to the first BM who paints MISSION ACCOMPLISHED on CVN-83's tower.

I liked it better when they were putting animations over Red Storm Rising audiobook clips. That was actually fun.

It's called presumptive condition and it was a major win for veterans. If you were there at that time and have the listed condition, it's covered. https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/