Search results

Huh? Maybe the sarcasm was over my head there. @Hair Warrior was talking about EVs being environmentally sustainable, and your post was about the USG putting its thumb on the scale to make them revenue positive for automakers. Until we actually start looking at the parts of the problem that...

There sure is! :D I’m not retired yet though. Still got a year to go in the reserves. I still put on a G suit and fly upside down for my day job, too. I can even remember what a deck hit means although thankfully I’ll never be on the wrong side of a USN gangplank again. ;)

Nope, it’s all wind and solar. Because paving over ecosystems with unrecyclable components is so much better.

Don’t be an ass. You’ve worked in pri-fly, CATCC, and CVW Ops. ;)

I'll never forget the AOM shortly after arriving at Oceana where the state trooper was bragging about ending an O-5's career, in front of a couple of hundred military officers. VA cops are a special breed, but after seeing how horrible people drive in Hampton Roads, it's not hard to understand why.

Yes, the USN missed the boat several years ago when the jet was giving them warning it was about to expire. However, there is at least one solution currently in full-rate production which *could* be available sooner. For it to work, government budgets and politics will need to be in alignment...

Yes, I agree. Closing the material cycle would reduce end-of-life concerns, much like recycling used cars made of iron does today. I didn't address crash hazards of lithium-ion batteries either, that's a whole kettle o' fish by itself. Put me in the "new battery tech needed" camp, for wholesale...

Is the covert cop-car thing only legal in some places? I've noticed that it's much more common in the Eastern portions of the country than other places.

The material production cycle needs to be closed for "economies of scale" to work, or we'll be strip mining even more of the planet for a constant supply of lithium- trading one environmental insult for another. As far as I know, lithium batteries cannot be economically recycled, and that's a...

Second this. Retail prices are insane. I usually only buy test ammo locally, and once I’ve settled on the winner, buy online, in enough bulk to amortize shipping to something reasonable. AmmoSeek helps locate the best shipping rates too.

When I was a student at USNTPS in 2014, we always called it “Chuck Norris”, because the universe apparently bent to its will. The field was regularly shut down for F-35 test ops, and tower/approach would frequently vector aircraft out of its way. As a T-38 flier, I did not enjoy being run...

All the joys of life being replaced with rules and corporate subscriptions? Here’s the thing. I actually enjoy driving. The personal agency that comes with mastering the skill of controlling your own vehicle is hardly “plebian”. But Elon has a vested interest in convincing you it is, so you’ll...

Yes it is, and yes they will. I'm honestly surprised anyone in command approved this request. It may be irrational, but man is an irrational animal. This guy is "different" (age, prior service at a HIGHER rank), and people will have trouble understanding why. That is likely to lead to some...

An E-7O. That's where the VA gives you a rating and then takes back a portion of your retirement each month, because F you, Gunny, that's why. ;)

This is the third time the T-45 engine has randomly started shitting blades. CNATRA had previously gone on record to say they are one black swan event away from stopping all T-45 training. I'm going to go with "big deal".

No, and I haven't in a while. 9mm is so much cheaper that I haven't shot my .45 in about a decade or so, and have considered divesting in the caliber entirely.

Sorry to hear you've had multiple break-ins. I'm with you some of the way though, while data vary greatly, it's clear that the mere presence of a gun has stopped far more crimes than actually firing one. Having said that, I wouldn't threaten something that I don't actually have, on the...

What data do you base these factoids on? A .22LR is widely regarded as insufficient for personal defense against anything bigger than a bunny rabbit. Having seen raccoons take multiple rounds without slowing down on numerous occasions, I'm inclined to agree with conventional thinking on this...

To extend this point slightly, some would even argue that a streak of rebelliousness can be an asset in some communities within the military- provided it does not go too far. What constitutes "too far" quickly becomes a highly contested subject. That's a subject that entire books have been...

You should get a Highlander.

Hmmm… maybe a UTM round? They’re like tiny paintballs. Not sure if they come in .45, but they do come in 9 and 5.56, with special bolts to prevent accidentally chambering a live (as in lethal) round. I took a UTM in the arm during a force-on-force training class once, and while I’m obviously...

You mean like every admiral ever?

The other piece of this is that the T-45, structurally speaking, appears to be running out of airframe fatigue life. So even if you "fix" the motor, the frame its bolted to is going to time out sooner, rather than later.

Please elaborate on what you mean by "qualified" in this sense. For example, the Constitution only requires a Member to be at least twenty-five years of age, a United States citizen for seven years, and an inhabitant of the state from which he or she is elected at the time of election. What...

Off the market. Found another project rifle for this to live on.

I’m a shooter. And I’m active. Does that make me an active shooter?

Man, you’d hate driving in KS… people camp in the left lane like it’s their job out here, although they aren’t usually rude about it- just a “small town” mindset. Or they’re on their phones. 😤

That’s certainly valid for CQB with a plate carrier. But I didn’t realize shouldering a rifle was now considered absurd. How interesting. ETA: and a high-offset optic/irons

That paradigm is shifting. Many of today’s kids watching all the hoopla and politicization around student debt aren’t eager to be a part of it. My oldest hasn’t quite started high school, but we already talk about college as the means to an end (rather than for its own sake) and strategies to...

I had both growing up too. My kids’ school does something called FACS, which covers a lot of the same stuff. Among other solid practical options, the local High school offers shop, welding, and automotive maintenance as electives. This school district is a big part of the reason we moved here.

Tom Cruise flew it in personally, after re-attaching the nose landing gear in his China Lake hangar. ;) Or for an alternate alternate theory, Iran flew it in. +1 on the Connie though. That airplane is timeless. Saw it in person at Oshkosh last summer. :D

Get out, find a quality range and instructor, and train on your own time. Sounds a hell of a lot better for QoL.

Wholeheartedly agree! The older I get, the more I think government and big corporate interests want to eliminate as much personal agency and critical thinking as they can, to consolidate their hold on power and money. Be part of the solution. Teach a kid to fish/shoot/change the oil in the car.

Ridiculous. Why the F is MWR the financial backer for a small arms range? This is a readiness issue, whether the USN will admit it, or not.

Thanks. I figured it was something along those lines. Fortunately, I never saw shenanigans like that during my deployments.

I’ll bet the USN’s response wasn’t to ensure the individuals/units in these incidents were properly trained. It was probably to add more rules and restrictions, and effectively disarm more members of the military. Example: when I flew into combat, I wasn’t allowed to load my pistol. Pure...

This. I have always seen basic small arms as a fundamental military skill, just like learning how to march in formation and properly wearing a uniform. Even if you don’t know how to properly set up the optic, it should be obvious something (several things, in fact) is/are seriously wrong with...

Would love to hear more about this. Whenever I deployed (09-20 timeframe), a mission over the beach into a combat zone (Iraq, Afg, or Syria) was 1 air medal point. Employing a weapon earned 1 additional point for that mission- even if multiple weapons were employed. Does “doubling up” by...

Agreed. It’s a joke either way, and despite how ignorant the USN insists on remaining with small arms (outside of select units, at least), the armorer and RSO in this situation should have known better. I maintain that everyone in the military should know how to shoot, and basic firearm safety...

It’s like they were going for “Max fail in one photo” or something. Maybe it was an intentional joke.

Name and shame. That kind of behavior deserves to be called out. I have a couple of ideas who this might have been.

“Not good enough. When you do get home, two years from now, I need you to remain in surge status, and we’ll have a FLAILEX and a CLUSTER right away. All post-deployment POM is canceled. All your guys will be exci- hey, why is everyone leaving?”

The latter for sure. As for recoil assist, it’s a spicy .22 for sure, but it’s not THAT spicy. Hence the “stock above shoulder” TTP, also on display.

Holy mother of God. Thats so inexcusably awful that I hope it turns out to be photoshopped or something. If it’s real, I don’t know who I’m more disappointed in- the captain, for shooting a rifle with an optic he clearly can’t see through, or the armorer for setting up the rifle that way in the...

Wasn’t on the B-52 flight; maybe I was at the CAOC or something since I don’t even remember that happening. I’ll be honest- I’d like to forget most of that damn deployment- minus the people. We had some amazing folks in the airwing. But before they powers-that-be sent us to hide in the corner of...

Or just base them in theater. I have a buddy who deployed to Iraq doing CSAR and CASEVAC in the 60S.

I have nothin’ but love for you guys who extended into that shit show of a deployment. Glad you got some land range time- it was surprisingly hard to come by. As compared to my previous ME deployments, the powers-that-be were very averse to us playing with security partners in theater, a fact I...

When we were off the coast of Oman for what felt like 8 years straight (Lincoln 2019-2020), my ops team took to calling it operation Enduring Training. We finished squadron SFWT. All of it. Literally had zero JO ULT upgrades left that we could do from the Boat. Everyone was level 4 except the FNG.

It’s too shiny. Needs more flat paint, more camo, and more grease and weathering. Then I’ll believe it’s a USMC bird. 😆

Based on your fingers in the photo, that book looks tiny. Like it’s 1.5” by 2.5” or something. Do you read it with a microfiche, or is it just a really short book?