Veterans Network (VET NET) at FTE
#845
03-01-2012, 03:41 PM
#847
03-01-2012, 04:30 PM
Anyone seen this? I got it in a email I don't know what in this is real or accurate but it sounds plausable. This is the body of the email.
Military Pay
This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America .
Ms. Cindy William wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.
A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this.
"Ms Williams:
I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117..80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,49040 after.
I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington , D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three yearsˆ™ experience in my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum............ I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions. Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces.
Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN ; I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience."
As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them.
Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites.. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.
Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your open piece.
But, tomorrow from KABUL , I will defend to the death your right to say it.
You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.
And you, Ms... Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?
A1C Michael Bragg, Hill AFB AFNCC
Military Pay
This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America .
Ms. Cindy William wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.
A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this.
"Ms Williams:
I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117..80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,49040 after.
I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington , D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three yearsˆ™ experience in my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum............ I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions. Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces.
Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN ; I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience."
As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them.
Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites.. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.
Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your open piece.
But, tomorrow from KABUL , I will defend to the death your right to say it.
You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.
And you, Ms... Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?
A1C Michael Bragg, Hill AFB AFNCC
#848
03-01-2012, 06:37 PM
I had my 1911 issue in a shoulder rig.
A sawed off over and under in a thigh holster.
And a Gerber Mark II combat knife.
My weapon of choice those days was the M14.
OH there were no Red Targets I mean Crosses on the helmets either.
That crap is for the movies.
The enemy combatants We faced did not sign any conventions in Geneva!
#849
03-01-2012, 10:15 PM
#850
03-02-2012, 01:03 AM
#851
03-02-2012, 01:01 PM
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Outside of FCI Sheridan
Posts: 15,874
Received 4,073 Likes
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1,254 Posts
A company that had facilities next to where I was working for a bit developed systems for the military.
They were building a dune buggy type rig, looked like one of the rigs right out of the Delta Force movie. When they rolled it out for some test runs it had 3 SAWs mounted on it. Later when they rolled it out of their "secret" shop and loaded it onto a trailer to take up to Ft. Lewis, it had armour plate all around the thing with two SAW and an M60 mounted on a gun ring attatched to the top of the roll bars. When I talked to them they said the military was wanting a "fast recovery" vehicle. It was supposed to acheive speeds of 90 MPH with the purpose of racing into hostile territory and retrieving a single casualty. They said the top gun ring was designed to accomodate a number of different weapons systems.
They got a contract, but I never heard for how many or to whom they were going. When I saw them running it around the plant it was very fast and looked mean as h*&l.
They were building a dune buggy type rig, looked like one of the rigs right out of the Delta Force movie. When they rolled it out for some test runs it had 3 SAWs mounted on it. Later when they rolled it out of their "secret" shop and loaded it onto a trailer to take up to Ft. Lewis, it had armour plate all around the thing with two SAW and an M60 mounted on a gun ring attatched to the top of the roll bars. When I talked to them they said the military was wanting a "fast recovery" vehicle. It was supposed to acheive speeds of 90 MPH with the purpose of racing into hostile territory and retrieving a single casualty. They said the top gun ring was designed to accomodate a number of different weapons systems.
They got a contract, but I never heard for how many or to whom they were going. When I saw them running it around the plant it was very fast and looked mean as h*&l.
#852
03-02-2012, 01:24 PM
If it had 2 or 3 SAW's on it I wonder why not a 240 B or H instead of the ol M60? Sounds interesting like the "Howe and Howe Tech SR1" stuff.
Was your "medics" truck a hatch back or a tall medics hummer with the red + on it?
If it was a hatch back that would of been a Dillon Aero M134, I do not think they put a gun ring in the tall boy ambulance hummer?
Was your "medics" truck a hatch back or a tall medics hummer with the red + on it?
If it was a hatch back that would of been a Dillon Aero M134, I do not think they put a gun ring in the tall boy ambulance hummer?
#853
03-02-2012, 02:19 PM
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Outside of FCI Sheridan
Posts: 15,874
Received 4,073 Likes
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It was all black with no markings what so ever. The first time I saw it, it had 3 SAW's. The way they explained it, it was supposed to be able to accept a variety of weapons systems. I do not know if that meant mission specific, unit specific or what.
Chris, the company owner, is pretty tight lipped over his companies projects. He has a real phobia, justly deserved I guess, over industrial espionage and spying. He is a big supplier of UAV engines (man portable) and other stuff that is kept behind blacked out windows and very high security locks. To be honest when talking to Chris, it reminded me of my military days in Aircraft weapons T & E where there were some things you just didn't ask or talk about and wished you'd never heard of.
Chris, the company owner, is pretty tight lipped over his companies projects. He has a real phobia, justly deserved I guess, over industrial espionage and spying. He is a big supplier of UAV engines (man portable) and other stuff that is kept behind blacked out windows and very high security locks. To be honest when talking to Chris, it reminded me of my military days in Aircraft weapons T & E where there were some things you just didn't ask or talk about and wished you'd never heard of.
#855
03-09-2012, 06:43 PM
What was the maximum above ground heigh, do you think?
I've been wondering about small high-speed mobile assualt units with secure comms for a while, but I doubt I'll get anywhere with it for a long time.
Think of a desert racer four wheeler, but half the height profile
A high-speed all terrain intrusion and scout platform, but with tech firepower and comms.
I've been wondering about small high-speed mobile assualt units with secure comms for a while, but I doubt I'll get anywhere with it for a long time.
Think of a desert racer four wheeler, but half the height profile
A high-speed all terrain intrusion and scout platform, but with tech firepower and comms.