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Poohbah wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2025 2:32 pm
Well, it's Santa Ana season in SoCal, with an absolute Godzilla fire in the Pacific Palisades being driven by 25 years of Los Angeles County mismanaging the urban-wildland interface and hurricane level winds.
March AFB is okay, but we're imposing a serious fire watch; the base wing and all tenant units have assigned personnel to rove all areas and ensure that if a fire gets started, it's reported and put out quickly. Riverside County has put an absolutely draconian ban on any open burning; you will get six months in County Jail and a $10,000 fine.
The winds were crazy yesterday evening; I'd say close to 40 knot gusts.
IRL, I heard there was a ban put in the 90s on controlled burns to reduce the brush load to reduce the fire hazard. I wasn't sure I heard right, is that correct?
IC: Earthquakes and brushfires happen all the time there, how can they not to hazard reduction for brushfires. Considering how much they spend on earthquakes prep, how can the not do the same for brushfires?
It would like Houston not doing floor / hurricane prep.
Controlled burns were restricted due to air quality issues (Los Angeles is hemmed in on 3 sides by mountains and gets a lot of temperature inversions that trap pollution--nothing like climbing out from Tustin and getting above 8,000 feet and seeing brown smudge only a few hundred feet below the helicopter and realizing you were breathing that crap).
The problem is that fewer controlled burns means you need more actual worker bees out there clearing out brush, and that never happened because of not enough money.
During the war, I acquired a M1 Thompson submachine gun. After some issues with it during my last range visit, I got it back from the gunsmith. So, I was able to take it out for the Valentine's Day shoot.
Poohbah wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2025 2:32 pm
Well, it's Santa Ana season in SoCal, with an absolute Godzilla fire in the Pacific Palisades being driven by 25 years of Los Angeles County mismanaging the urban-wildland interface and hurricane level winds.
March AFB is okay, but we're imposing a serious fire watch; the base wing and all tenant units have assigned personnel to rove all areas and ensure that if a fire gets started, it's reported and put out quickly. Riverside County has put an absolutely draconian ban on any open burning; you will get six months in County Jail and a $10,000 fine.
The winds were crazy yesterday evening; I'd say close to 40 knot gusts.
IRL, I heard there was a ban put in the 90s on controlled burns to reduce the brush load to reduce the fire hazard. I wasn't sure I heard right, is that correct?
IC: Earthquakes and brushfires happen all the time there, how can they not to hazard reduction for brushfires. Considering how much they spend on earthquakes prep, how can the not do the same for brushfires?
It would like Houston not doing floor / hurricane prep.
It also doesn’t help when they do controlled burns on a Red Flag day, the burn gets out of control, and hilarity ensues as first responders have to rescue campers and their propane tanks from the flames.
(IRL, true story, except that the fire to burn off grass on the levee burned out a homeless encampment.)
Roberta was on the phone with Sophie this morning; Roberta then texted me that I would be contacted directly--and that she was ordering me to, as she put it, "shut up and soldier."
I was contacted directly--by CSAF Actual.
I am now the prospective CC for 24th Air Force, the Reserve AFCYBER proponent, pending Senate confirmation to the billet. My name has been submitted for the Reserve O-9 board next month, and I am going to be doing my command confirmation hearing in late April. Prospective assumption of command date is July 1st; I may be promoted by then. They are working this at the triple-quick.
When I got home, I found out why. The guy who had been nominated for the slot is now deceased . . . along with his mistress. The widow is being held on two counts of Murder 1--she is alleged to bludgeoned both of them to death with an heirloom-grade cast-iron skillet. Word from the cops in Clear Spring Ranch (south of CO Springs) is that the murder scene was extremely . . . chunky. (Thank God, Cindy was dealing with a jack-knifed tractor-trailer in Pueblo when the call went out.)
I'm . . . stunned. Shocked. I wasn't politicking for any command slot--I was hoping to quietly go to the IRR next year, actually.
But my wife told me to shut up and soldier. And so I shall.
And in other news, Boss-Ma'am was out doing morning PT with the Marines from 8th and I--and cutting a respectable figure for a no-kidding grandmother.
I Seen an old lady walkin down the street
She had a ruck on her back, jump boots on her feet.
I said hey old lady where you goin to
She said US Army Airborne school
I said hey old lady dont you think you’re too old
You better leave that jumpin to the young and the bold
She said hey young punk who you talkin to
I’m a Jumpmaster from Airborne school.
Then I seen an old lady walkin down the street
She had a tank on her back, and fins on her feet
I said hey old lady where you goin to
She said US Navy scuba school
I said hey old lady dont you think you’re too old
You better leave that divin to the young and the bold
She said hey young punk who you talkin to
I’m an instructor from scuba school
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
War is bringing hell down on that someone.
I do admire the widow for using a classic method for dealing with the issue. I do hope she was wearing a rain suit for dealing with the mess. It's not often you find someone willing to put up with the mess.
The news is coming out...the guy was apparently a known player in the Greater Denver Metro, on his fifth wife, and she wasn't willing to be bought off with a house.
(The goal is "one life, one wife," not to buy houses for women you don't like.)
CINCSAC has given me orders to visit DC next week to provide testimony for the Strategic Forces subcommittees, and to start doing grip-and-grins with Senators in advance of the confirmation hearing.
Wife confessed. (More like "wife bragged about it.")
Financial chicanery was involved, and the decedent's business assets have been seized by the state of Colorado.
As this is a reserve assignment, Roberta and I will be moving back to Mantell House in Couer d'Alene during late spring; fortunately, we also have a condo in Wichita (24AF is at McConnell) from my previous assignment as a staffer in the A-5 shop all those years ago.
Poohbah wrote: ↑Fri Feb 28, 2025 8:21 pm
Well, more has come out:
Wife confessed. (More like "wife bragged about it.")
Financial chicanery was involved, and the decedent's business assets have been seized by the state of Colorado.
As this is a reserve assignment, Roberta and I will be moving back to Mantell House in Couer d'Alene during late spring; fortunately, we also have a condo in Wichita (24AF is at McConnell) from my previous assignment as a staffer in the A-5 shop all those years ago.
I see some proctologist exams of various officers in the reserve side.
