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This Photo Sums Up The Current State Of The USAF
I love the individual in the right hand corner going “WTF!”
Dude in the middle be like, “Generals give me a headache THIS big!”
Nope, he’s looking at the dirt and calluses he got from holding the butterfly handles. Seriously, he really is…
Actually, he’s throwing up the international sign for shitbird!
Might those be blanks they are shooting? All cloud no thunder?
It has been said that there are only 2 real branches of the military- the Navy and the Army. The Marine Corps is a cult and the Air Force is a corporation…
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Uncle Phred, I have never heard that expression before but I find it fitting.
I was a Sailor who was attached to Marines the majority of my career. With a little self actualization of my Military service and I must admit I think I swallowed the Kool Aid in the USMC xmas party punch. A cult indeed, but for the most part a good cult.
Excuse me sir, do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior, Chesty Puller?
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHahahahahahahahahahah. damn right
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Based on what I see about the AF officer corps, I would say they qualify as a cult…
Hey now
Even funnier when you start zooming in. The guy peeking over the wall, another on his smartphone, everyone trying to figure out how ear pro goes on without having to have their hat off.
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108119/lieutenant-general-lori-j-robinson.aspx
Heroic J-Stars and AWACS ISR warrior with a Ma Deuce. With blanks.
Wow. Impressive. 11 months of SW Asia time in the past fourteen years spread over two assignments.
I see guys enjoying gear, nothing wrong with that. If you were offered a ride in a fighter I’d think you’d both take them up on the offer and enjoy it. Hopefully the operators wouldn’t poke fun at you as seems to be going on here.
The state of the Air Force as I see it is a service that has had it’s funding and staffing cut to the bone and is still doing it’s job to support it’s sister services and country, just like Army, Navy, and Marines.
Matt
“cut to the bone” – yeah, right. Funny that they can still afford a Trillion dollar boondoggle like the F35 then…
But not the A-10….
Don’t worry, for once you can count on the Republican majority to stay the hands of the corrupt USAF and keep those babies flying.
On the other hand an unrealistic but optimistic outcome is we could bring back a pseudo “Army Air Corps” and give them A-10s to work with, to let them forget the idea of an Army F-35 variant. Harharharhar
That’s Funny- cause I hear stories of ice creams carts with all the toppings and steaks on one side of a wall (AF) and MRE’s on the other (Marines). No offense to the C130 pilot in the house, but I’ve seen Marines take wet holy socks and turn them into uniforms and walk tall. You cannot not admire a USMC. However, I do hear they steal shit from the AF guys with too much gear:-) maybe a snack or a sock. At a dinner party I once had- an AF Colonel and A USMC Colonel had words and the next thing you know- all my China is busted and they end the night drinking out on the porch together. This has been going on longer than the 5 generations I know that have served:-) Tradition. Thank God for Both Branches.
Shootin’ blanks, bro, shootin’ blanks. That sums the AIr Force up more than anything.
Agree with your first paragraph.
Strike Hold nailed it about teh second paragraph.
The Air Force is trying to do the job it wants to do, regardless of whether or not it supports its sister service. If the AF had its druthers it would get rid of the CAS mission because it doesn’t fit its image of itself but if it did so it would give an opening for the Army to overturn/disregard Key West and start operating their own fixed wing CAS once again.
The AF doesn’t mind doing log runs, so long as it uses large heavy lift aircraft no smaller than a C-130. Forget the smaller intra-theater lift stuff, that’s not cool enough for the Air Force but it’s too cool to let the Army have.
What the Air Force likes is air superiority, strategic bombing, nuclear missiles, anything to do with space, and now cyber warfare. They see themselves highest tech branch of the US military and nothing high tech and shiny is too good for them. Forget the dirty/low-tech missions, they’d rather not have to deal with that and they definitely don’t want to give that to the Army to do either.
Horseshit, those of us in the CAS world are fighting tooth and nail to stay in the fight.
Right on bro – but sadly you guys aren’t the one’s running the USAF. Riceball is absolutely right.
Pretty sure those sister services enjoy air superiority as well, otherwise they would be getting bombs dropped on their heads. When was the last time the Air Force was practicing arrested landings on a carrier with an F-35? There not the only branch dabbling fingers on development. Hey it’s okay, some people don’t like smiling but you signed up for grunt duty while they signed up for maybe a deployment of two in their twenty years, not a bad way to serve.
Don’t forget Tops in Blue!
See that sharp crease in the general’s pants? ABU, ACU, OCP, somewhere somebody with rank will always think “those uniforms look frumpy. Lets start ironing to look professional.” She probably despises the rough-out boots too.
There were probably Sgts Major in the Corps, Army, and AF when the new wash and wear uniforms came out who insisted on them being pressed & starched despite being wash making pressing and starching completely unnecessary and, at least in the case of starching, actually bad for the uniform. But then again, starching was supposedly bad for BDUs too but everybody starched them anyhow.
Shooting blanks with no BFA??? WTF…
Nevermind, now I see the BFA attachement… doh.
Is it at all ironic this posted just above the “Tactical Kilt”?
Why does Eddie Murphy’s “Party All The Time” keep playing in my head every time I look at this photo?
First this thread was retarded, second why in the actual fuck would you shoot blanks through a 50 on a static range?? This looks like a dog and pony horse fuck to me.
Omg their blanks… U don’t need the ear-pro
Sums up my Impression of the Air Force. Four Star, in a Green Fleece, no gloves, stupid ear pro, sitting all kris cross apple sauce…cause these are all the proper ways of doing things. Then hey look at her safety to her left, big fat Oakley Glasses guarantee they are not ballistic eye wear. Oh yea and we are shooting BLANKS, COME ON. GET REAL CHAIR FORCE!
This is a pure Dog & Pony. They were so bad at Hurlburt that we had a 200 page guide of how to set-up and conduct Dog & Pony’s for VIPs. We needed ten extra PJ/CCT on the unit manning document to conduct these gay affairs each and every week……..
Sucks being near the flag pole. The same is true if you are in 3rd SFG(A) / SWC in the army. I am not sure if the East Coast or West Coast Navy SOF get more visits. I think the Marine Corp still likes to pretend MARSOC/Raiders don’t exist.. maybe they have a reprieve.
Though you are not fully masters of Dog and Pony shows till you have equipment just for static displays, with everything painted and dress right dress.
Sounds like SSD needs to have a “quote this pic” contest for some swag….!
Pony pet.
This is not my fathers Air Force.
Good if the chain of command is maintaining situation awareness to the lowest levels. Bad if it is just an unnecessary dog and pony.
As a proud AF Vet I can clear this up. This all revolves around the reflective belt. You see, one cannot shoot a real bullet without propper PPE. Eyes and ears are only the start of safety. A disco belt is required. If you are not visible from space you will be run over by heavy machinery. Safety is no joke…its a way of life.
Over 4 years in Security Forces and I still haven’t even seen an M2 in person. This is not surprising at all. More wasting of people’s time and the USAF resources to impress some general…
First time I’ve ever seen .50 blanks lol
I’m not AF so I’m wondering if guy on the right is out of regs with his coyote boots?
I’ve gotten away with wearing (matte clear framed) Oakley Holbrooks in the rear but I personally wouldn’t wear them for shooting since they arent MIL-PRF-31013 rated, let alone near higher ups.
These dog & pony shows make me sick!