What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

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Illusion
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What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by Illusion » Mon Feb 06, 2012 3:27 am

I know we have a members dotted around Europe and America, both of which appear to be suffering the weather pretty harshly! So what are you doing during this weather?

I'll kick it off
- Finally upgrading my linux box to a lovely new flavour of Fedora - keen to see the latest version of Gnome
- Trying to get my head down and actually do some study
- Working on my urbex website
- Tidying up and throwing away years worth of collected bits and peices; and ultimately doing a bit of decorating and DIY!
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Ghost
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Re: What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by Ghost » Mon Feb 06, 2012 3:52 pm

Lately i've been spending a lot of time on firearms - my AR, while nice, needs a fair bit of work to get it set up the way i ultimately want it. On top of that, i just picked up a few needed accessories for my 700p, so i can continue working on the basics of long range shooting. I guess i'm a little bit of a gun nut, so in the opping "off - season" that sort of helps to fill the void.

I've also been pretty busy lately with military stuff lately, as I'll be eligible for E4 late this summer. Unfortunately, there is a massive list of tasks i need to complete, things i need to study, and a fairly difficult two part test i need to pass in order to be able to rank up. I just passed the first part of that test this past weekend though, so if i keep going with things at my current rate i'll be done with everything by late spring, and then it will just be a waiting game.

That's about it, along with some serious 4chan lurking, sporadic working out, and beginning the process to obtain my concealed carry license.
"A man's greatest treasures are his illusions."

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Re: What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by NightKnight » Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:42 pm

i guess ill be Grinding on megatypers if im not going anywhere, try and get my $s up.
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Nukes
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Re: What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by Nukes » Tue Feb 07, 2012 2:22 pm

I'm on the east coast and we've hardly gotten any snow here. The temperatures haven't been too low so I've still been actively scouting and researching/planning ops and such for when it warms up a bit more. Reading up on stealth techniques, looking up different gear, and I'm going to start experimenting on taking some night shots with my camera so I can post better pictures when we go out. Right now the gang and I are planning on doing an overnight op and staying in an abandonment somewhere, but I'm thinking it'll be about another month before it's warm enough to do that.
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mib
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Re: What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by mib » Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:12 pm

You actually need to work for E-4? it isn't automatic after X amount TIS/TIG?

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Ghost
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Re: What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by Ghost » Thu Feb 09, 2012 1:15 am

Unfortunately, there's a ton of stuff we need to get done in order to be eligible. We actually have a few dirtbags who've been holding down e-3 spots for close to four years now, believe it or not. Things are strange like that, though. I've been getting e3 pay since i enlisted (2.5 years ago), but there was a gap between my enlistment and basic training, as well as a gap between basic and tech school (ait). Sadly neither of those gaps count towards time in grade, only time in service. So the stripe i should have put on this past summer, i won't be able to get for another six months.

Such is life as a lowly A1C :(
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mib
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Re: What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by mib » Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:33 am

In rare instances, I've heard of soldiers promoted to E-5 just because they were on a list somewhere, no board or anything. E-1 through E-4 is automatic over 6-12-24 months. AF has always been smaller though. Smaller footprint and less opportunities for promotion and advancement it seems. Is this your experience? Of course the army thinks you're all a bunch of pencil pushing pussies anyway.

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Re: What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by Ghost » Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:41 pm

It depends, but for us you're guaranteed to get to e5 provided you complete all tasks assigned to you, do all your training stuff, and successfully pass your CDCs. After that, promotions basically become a "who can suck the best cock" contest. Combine that with the fact that most SNCOs aren't just doing their 20, many of them stick around until they are literally forced to retire.

I haven't had too much direct interaction with the army, but things for me as a maintainer are certainly very laid back. Not to mention basic training being more aimed at producing mechanics/maintainers than infantry. I get more shooting done in an average range trip by myself than i did in the entirety of BMT. All that said, a POG is a POG, regardless of what branch they're in :P
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mib
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Re: What are you doing during "The Big Freeze"?

Post by mib » Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:52 am

These observations are not universal. No branch has exclusive rights on pencil pushing. What seems to be my consistent impression is a more relaxed pace and a higher standard of living in the air force than the army. I hear soldiers say if they could do it over again they might have joined the AF. Now that doesn't mean they hate the army as a whole. It's usually related to a specifically bad experience in their unit. The soldiers who are most satisfied and motivated are the ones in the 75th ranger battalion, 160th SOAR, green berets, etc., because they're naturally the best and want to be there, and those units are the most well funded, have the best missions, the best leadership and the best training. That's the other part of regret in the army, the ones who wished they'd tried, or who are going to try for more elite units.
It's funny thing - you get infantry and combat arms soldiers calling the air force wimps-but the army has the most support personnel of any branch. And they need them.
I'm less aware of air force special operations- but I know they must be just as elite. That's a difference in attitude at the top. You never hear any of those special operations groups bickering, regardless of where they're coming from.
And I think it's ironic to spend more time shooting on your own means. I would go as far as to say it's complacent for non combat units, and dangerous for mainline troops in the army to not get enough range time. That is one of the most fundamental skills for a soldier to develop, and it will keep them alive over there.

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