I wish I could have done that. Certainly beats flying an RJ.

The "off duty cop" that shot the dude in OK actually worked at the plant, he just happened to also be a reserve Sheriff Deputy.

F_?* ya sir! Well done, thank you!

Jebus, where's the frickin like button?

I would like to buy you a beer. Or 12.

Respectfully, I don't think killing people by the hundreds should be gratifying, whatever the circumstances.

I'm amazed at how artificial and influenced by society 's whims our economy is. How can something so intangible be so fragile? Of course, if people just went on with their business on 9/12 it would've rendered the attack completely ineffective. They weren't just crashing planes, their goal was a reaction. And they got it. We brought the rest down on ourselves.

And you forget that your freedom and way of life are under attack and not guaranteed. Sometimes you have to fight against those who wish you ill (or worse). There are some in this world who don't want to talk or negotiate.

He wasn't killing people. He was eradicating vermin.

For the ISIS thugs, they should use napalm.

I too was there but in a more covert part of the AF--those folks are savages. Vermin implies animals--they are worse. The things I saw & stories I heard from the operators and buds that hauled prisoners would astound you.

Ah the good old "they hate us because of our freedom". Maybe we should take a long hard look at how the Brits divided up those areas with no regard for the individual tribes that hate each other. Meddling is what got us into this mess.

The only people attacking our freedoms are the ones that we were sleepily voting in to govern us.

You're displaying the truly uninformed and naive theories of a college professor. The real world is a different place. History has shown us periods where people have disqualified themselves from the human race by their actions. ISIS is just the latest example. I would post the picture of the anguished father holding up his 2 year old daughter still in her dress...with her little head cut off by ISIS, but it would violate the TOS and ruin everyone's sleep tonight. That's who we're fighting. That's whose disqualified themselves from the human race by their actions. While it's unfortunate that killing them by the thousands has to happen, it is no less gratifying when that operational necessity occurs.

That is the nature of all economies and fiat currencies. It's about trust and mass psychology.

Absolutely incorrect. We've added trillions of dollars in increased costs to the world economy just by the added costs of security. It would have been completely irresponsible to do otherwise. The shock to us personally did hurt the economy for a short time, but we recovered very quickly and was a very small portion of the hit to the world economy.

See above. Absolute nonsense.

Carl

Absolute far left lunacy. British colonialism and American "meddling" brought order and disease cure to millions of people who lived in horrific tribal conditions with extremely low life expectancies. That work was done by heroes in the British colonial services and the American military at great cost in blood and treasure. Now you call it meddling and claim it as the reason they hate us and infer we deserve it. I hope as you grow up, you'll realize how foolish you sound.

Pure stupidity. Do you even pay attention to world events?

Carl

Wow, what a pollyanna view. Vermin is even too good of a word for the cretins infesting the planet. The quicker we bomb them into oblivion, the better off the rest of us will be. Kudos to Indy for being a true American hero and doing his part. Thank you for your service, sir....

Can you point me to any book that can prove that the Brits didn't totally screw the pooch when it comes to their imperial colonialism in the Middle East? Please, tell me, what did the country of Iraq look like in 1900? 1600? How about Iran?

The Middle East deserves the conditions they live in. Let's try leaving em alone with an air tight immigration policy and some warheads aimed in their direction.


You voted for Obama huh? His administration has only further eroded the freedoms our military puts themselves in harms way to protect.

Patriot Act? Democrats too! What a mess this place is, and now the liberals want us to think that "if you don't have anything to hide" you should be okay with all this government interference.

I don't care why they hate us.

You have control of your vote. If you don't like it - work to change it.

Let's see how far you get if you don't agree with some of the opposing views and voice them in the open cencal.

I know exactly what would happen. Lashings would be the least of my worries. I spent almost 3 years in the 90s living in the "allied" country of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Those people think they can control Westerners in their country? I wore shorts all the time. True American women didn't follow their silly policy of covering their heads. Christmas, you're darn right!

Why? Why do we, 1) ally ourselves with Islam, 2) care about the humanitarian failure of that religion?

Jeez guys, I only suggested that killing in war shouldn't be a happy thing. You'd think I said we should offer them flowers and they'd be nice to us. Taking life is an unfortunate thing, and while it is sadly a necessary evil at times, like now, it's not a celebratory activity. That's all I'm saying. I can't believe that position needs explanation.
Tell that to all the guys who've been stuck at the regionals since 9/11.

I got my degree in 1978. Not a single book on world history described the British Colonial Service the way you just have. None. I don't know what kids are being taught now, but if you're any indication, the far left permanent professors have rewritten history to conform to the new far left standard that American and British work to help the desperately needy was all about occupation and plundering. Like I told you earlier, far left nonsense.

Horrific tribal hatred only held together by brutal dictatorships and warlords.

Sounds good, but no longer tolerable in this age where failed states are used as development grounds for terror.

You're new here aren't you.

Agreed, but not germane to this discussion.

Don't disagree, but that's quite the change of subject.

Carl

That's not all you were saying earlier. You were trying to shame the very people that gave you the freedom you have now. If you're trying to walk it back now, great. You needed to.

This might be hard for you to grasp, but the topic was the world economy...not your completely self-induced lifestyle at the regionals.

Carl

Remove the words "The only" above and change "were" to "have" and I agree with CenCal.

As for DJ's comment, there's no need to react emotionally. I did not relish the kill, but when the dogs of war are unleashed, it's best not to get in their way. Some really bad people needed to die.

I always had a slight nag on my conscience when hitting fielded forces, because those people may or may not have been true Taliban...many were just conscripted villagers. I usually never knew except when working with SOF teams (once they got there). It was necessary. However, true Taliban and Al Queda targets...different story.

I've never felt more alive than when I was shot at. I've also never been more proud of a job well done. I excuse not myself...but I also wouldn't ask one of the protected to understand.

Talons or Gunships? Great times working closely with both. Was honorarily inducted into the Air Commando Association at my retirement ceremony. Was given the hat and all.

Believe it or not, when I wrote that I hesitated to use the word vermin because rats (for example) are not all bad as they have uses in a civilized society.

Love the gunship avatar. I'd go back in tomorrow to fly one of those. I have 2500 hours in unarmed 130s, so I think I could at least get it started.....

Thank you! I couldn't have said it any better.