What are your thoughts on the U.S. Air Force ordering a cadet to remove a biblical quote from his whiteboard?
Religion generally doesn't belong at work, unless your work is religion.The Air Force is not about religion. It is about killing people and the support structures necessary to efficiently kill people. That is what military structures are for.There are a couple of points here.This is an order to a cadet. Cadet's are given a lot of orders, some of them contradictory. Cadets are in an academy to learn how to take orders and how to give orders. Outside of a very, very limited set of fundamental rights, cadets are to do as they are told. The fact that something this minor has gone beyond an interaction between the cadet and their commanding officer does not speak well of the cadet's ability to manage their own affairs. Religious belief and basic religious activities like carrying copies of sacred books, prayer times, meetings and limited, standardized religious clothing is pretty well accommodated in the US military branches. The military is not required to accommodate every religious expression, and 'Barred From Writing Scripture Verses on a Public Whiteboard' does not even tick my concern about religious freedom.Finally, the Air Force Academy has a terrible reputation from the activities of commanding officers and teaching staff, as well as many students in the late 90's and early 2000's surrounding accommodating religious beliefs other than a dispensationalist, pre-millenial, dominionist kind of American Western Protestant Christianity. Reining back in the 'default Christianity' of the Air Force Academy should have been done far, far earlier.Oh, and copying directly from Brian Fischer's AFA emails is a novel standard of proof.
What are your thoughts on the US Air Force’s shift towards developing AI or remote controlled aircraft for fighters and not just attack drones?
There’s two obvious HUGE upsides to unmanned aircraft. The first is that aircraft that aren’t carrying a human can be much more maneuverable. The shape, weight and size of the aircraft need not be constrained by the need for a cockpit and the aircraft can likely be put into higher G force states than an aircraft with a human because of the limits of human physiology.The second is you never have to worry about the political and PR mess of having captured aviators tortured or put on TV. There’s no beheading video for a drone pilot.The two largest downsides have to be lag and perspective. It’s very hard for a human to have the same perspective from a remote position as an actual aviator will have from inside the aircraft. I’m sure there are technologies being created to minimize lag (moving the pilots to a ground location closer to the target might help but ultimately beyond the horizon unless you’r making a command and control ship that’s flying nearby you’re relying on satellite relays and that’s introducing some lag that could change the outcome of a battle.AI is another question all together. You might soon see AI handling the defensive maneuvers and systems of an aircraft but allowing AI to make offensive decisions is big mental leap that opens many possible nightmare scenarios. We’re not even in love with automated cars which are already likely safer than human drivers because when a robot car runs someone over (as happened recently) it’s very difficult to make an argument about all the people that are being saved by AI drivers. This is multiplied 100 times over once you start letting a computer launch a bomb that might hit civilians.
Im having second thoughts about joining the Air Force?
My twin brother and i signed up togeather and were in the DEP for a year. He just left yesterday, a month before i am supposed to, and im freaking out now, and am really nervous. I joined because i wanted to pay for college which is what id do either during and for sure after active duty. But this unknown is stressing the hell out of me and idk if i should stick with it because i dont want to let anyone down but i would rather go to college off the bat and do what id really like to do. I also dont know if i should do it if i have doubts because i want to be certain about my decision, which would also make basic training and tech school easier psychologically i feel. This is not the first time this has happened, so idk if this is a sign or what. I dont want to let anyone down or break any promises but i do want to do whats best for me but i just dont know what to do, im conflicted
Your opinions about the Air Force?
Hey everyone, I just wanted to get opinions from active air force members. I'm interested in either enlisting or going in as an officer. I don't want to go to a recruiter just yet because I don't want a biased opinion just to get me to join. I was hoping to hear your opinions, the good, the bad, everything. I want to know what you love and hate about it. Any experiences good or bad that you have and don't mind telling me will help greatly. My dad retired 10 years ago as a Master Sergeant. He said that he loved the Air Force but I just want some more opinions be for I make my decision. Thanks everybody!
What's your thought on the Indian Air Force pilot's capture by the Pakistan Army?
The IAF pilot is being released by Pakistan - as a ‘peace gesture’. By tomorrow he’d be home. The announcement from Pak PM Imran Khan just came through.A good development, indeed.The way Pak’s PM delivered his address to his nation yesterday with sobriety and maturity, I had the inkling that it’s matter of time that the pilot would be handed over to India without much ado or harm. That it came so soon after, is highly welcome.That the pilot was treated well, shows that Pakistan’s military elite too, like any other professional military, comprises ranked officers who’re gentlemen officers - not street dogs, but trained professionals who don’t get personal.However, In a way capturing of the pilot did some good, if seen from a particular angle. It helped shut up the bow-wowing war-mongering fuckheads celebrating in the streets and the likes of that one-eyed patanjali dodo on TV, and allowed the prudence to get heard and discussed.Besides, these gung-ho morons, sitting far away from the border, have no idea what’s it like here near the border. My present residence is few minutes away by air if PAF decides to get adventurous.That a twenty something dunderhead, maybe sitting on a floating rock in the sea near Rameshwaram 3000 miles down south, and spitting in the air that ‘India will wipe Pakistan off the map, jai hind!’ has no fucking idea that Pakistan might be guilty, bankrupt or whatever, but it is still the same Punjabi soil that doesn’t give birth to cowards.Besides, it’d us, the Indian Punjabis living near the border, who will have to suffer - like we did 70 years ago during partition. Keep that shit in mind.India’s PM should also tone down. His smirking ‘one pilot project is successfully done’ in response to Pak’s gesture is in bad taste. It’s ok for the election rally, but not on the world stage. It’s time he should behave like a statesman and seize this ‘ being on high ground’ opportunity and get the things done by talks. And this time Pakistanis are in no position to scuttle away by bringing in the ‘Kashmir issue’. So seize the day.What he mustn’t do is to be degrading toward Pakistan. That’d be like provoking a cornered cat - that too a Punjabi one - to keep harbouring the malice. They won’t forget it, despite being guilty as hell.
Why do marines and army hate navy and airforce?
Why does the Marines and army think that they somehow, are the best branch out there? I enjoy being in the Airforce and thought we were all on the same side, but the way they talk about our Airforce and navy is laughable. We are the ones who soften up targets in an AO so you can come in and mop up! Also our special operations can save your *** should your harcore troops get hit. So please tell me why Navy and Airforce are so bad?
What are your thoughts on Trump appearing to have invited some of his club members on an Air Force One tour?
Pretty clear abuse of position. Trump treats the Presidency like a celebrity position and not like the elected office it is.Man does not respect the Presidency or the American people, he likes his rich buddies and friends.Not sure what else is going on with his pals, but if he is giving out any classified information then there should be more investigations especially if there is any risk to national security from Trump’s inability to treat the office with respect.He would rather socialize and be popular than be President, we have always known this.