Could these "old farts" have just been giving a warning instead of setting up for an "I told you so" moment? Before 9/11 I flew with many former rEAL pilots that gave me these same warnings about what happens when times get bad. I didn't take it as them trying to rain on my parade. I was thankful to learn from their experiences. And damn near everything they told me came to fruition, continuously, over the next 8 years.