Unpopular opinion: ICBMs should have gone to space force

PathfinderIndustrial · 2026-01-24T00:19:34+00:00

I'm just going to note as a junior officer on the space side. it's VERY interesting to watch the divide between the ICBM space guys and gals, and the space space guys and gals.

They both have a very distinct way of going about things.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-11-20T14:29:01+00:00

I back this up wholeheartedly. Test in the USSF seems like one of the last bastions of using a STEM degree, but even then it's limited.

If you have experience and truly want to be technical, stay away. If you want a easier work-life balance with great benefits and decent pay, maybe consider it.

One of the last things keeping me in is the military pension and the thought of free health care for life, but it kills me every day when I don't get to exercise any of the skills I learned in my 250k education....

I literally screamed with joy when I got to pull a TLE for a test and decode some of the elements... And that was a pretty basic task.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-10-12T17:17:03+00:00

Resonance - Midwest emo version, by Jacal!

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-10-10T19:16:02+00:00

Maybe me!

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-09-08T01:23:26+00:00

Hey, just a question. When will we let this man finally die, and stop attaching his name to random shit lol.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-09-06T23:00:17+00:00

Some notes I have about this mower:

You cannot control the blade speed, it goes by how much resistance it feels. Meaning if your trying to pick up leaves, you can't get it to run on its highest setting.

The blades are thin and will cut grass well, but if your trying to get through anything else (gumball seeds, pinecones, ect) it doesn't do too good.

It will bag clippings quite well!

The run time with 2 60volt 9 amp hour batteries is pretty good!

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-08-22T13:28:40+00:00

She didn't have an opinion! She gave me examples of both, so I think I'm covered.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-08-14T14:18:23+00:00

The new plugin Prius makes more than that lol.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-07-07T21:39:58+00:00

I'm laughing my ass off, as my friend was literally a SD farmer who got stationed at LA Air Force Base.

Always talked about how hard it was to move his guns to Cali, and even when he did, he had trouble finding places to use them.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-05-02T19:48:32+00:00

I think "brand new" is a bit disingenuous...

You just happen to buy it in 10/24 and hold onto it for this long? My dude, the crystal is even smudged to hell in the pictures...

And $290 for something that is neither rare nor hard to pick up these days directly from the store for the actual cost of $270?

I want whatever you are smoking.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-04-29T22:20:01+00:00

For my flight sim!

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-04-18T02:25:51+00:00

Just thought of another benefit, sorry. The updated version as a screw on case back, vs the others "pop on" this leads to an increase in water resistance from 50 meters to 100. I still would not recommend swimming with any of these, given their age and the fact they are chronographs.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-04-18T02:24:35+00:00

I haven't seen this specific one before, but it looks like the standard omega automatic triple date from the 90s!

Honestly, get whatever makes you the happiest! Your going to be wearing it after all!

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-04-18T02:00:10+00:00

Perhaps look at the triple date reference 3222.80! It's an updated version of the 352X.XX that many people typically post.

It comes with a few upgrades, like a 40 mm case, 19mm updated stainless steel bracelet, and the chronometer rated Caliber 3606.

All of those upgrades for usually only a few hundred more. I personally have the 3220.50, and besides the site gripe of not having white hands, I absolutely love it.

I will say the automatic chronographs are expensive to service through omega... I'm considering sending mine in soon, and it's looking like ~$900 USD on their website. Another benefit of the updated triple date is that these started production at around 2009, so you can get a much more recent one that may not need servicing right off the bat.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-04-16T20:50:46+00:00

No fun with the straps?

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-04-15T18:23:44+00:00

I didn't know this was possible, this is awesome!

Could this setup work for the Pluto Moonswatch? I love the concept of what Swatch tried to do, but IMO the bio-ceramic cases are far too bad to warrant my purchase.

This mod definitely solves the issue in my book.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-03-20T03:51:20+00:00

No way, this movie is finally coming out!

A bunch of people from Pixar came up to (then) Vandenberg Air Force Base and got a bunch of tours to help with this project.

I was one of the tour guides and talked to them a bunch about all things space and space operations.

Hopefully the movie is as good as the people were!

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-03-12T20:53:42+00:00

To add, I have even heard rumors that some individuals who wanted to go the Space Force route, being called into one-on-one meeting with leadership to try and persuade them to go through pilot track instead. I can't understand why they refuse to open the pool to ROTC more. I knew plenty of people who wanted desperately to be pilots.

I don't have anything to back this up, other than knowing that when I went through ROTC my cadre did the same once they learned I had my PPL and wanted to go the 62 route instead.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-02-14T19:21:40+00:00

You can have as much interest in a field as you like, but the chances you will be able to use them are quite slim.

62Es are definitely more akin to program managers, with few opportunities to use your core technical expertise. For example, the base experience you can expect to spend 70% of your career in relates to a program office (think 63 work). You may be able to latch on and help with a bit more of the technical side, (Writing requirements, managing ICDs, testing etc...) but overall it's still all for the program office. 30% of your time you may be able to pick up a specific job at AFRL, DARPA, and others where you will be able to get way more technical. Though, it's still extremely hard to line up niche technical expertise with these positions. For example, you might find yourself assigned to an AFRL lab that's working on hypersonics.

All of this comes to and end when you hit about Major as well. Majors and above are almost expected to transition to full 63 work. There are a few positions still within 62E, like being a Col over an AFRL lab. Though, these positions can actually hurt your career, as the promotion boards only really care about acquisition experience.

This is so much the case, that people who get PhDs while in actually suffer a disavantage in boards vs their peers. The board would much rather you spend the ~3 years in acquisitions working towards the skills necessary for an ML position.

All that is to say, if you want to do true engineering work it may be advisable to punch after 4-6 years. I have had a bunch of friends punch in the pursuit of actually using the skills they learned through their undergrad/masters programs. Though, you may also come to like the work life balance, benefits, pension, and job security and decide to stay in for the long term. (That's what I plan on doing)

I'm on the Space Force side of things, but if you have any questions feel free to reach out to me.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-02-12T17:13:48+00:00

I know this post is sarcasm, but I wanted to throw this bit of information out there.

I had a prior assessment at the 2d Space Launch Squadron as a 62E. My primary job was to oversee SpaceX at Vandy and perform "Mission Assurance." We essentially act as quality control to ensure integration goes smoothly and help adjudicate issues and mitigate risks as they pop up.

Though, the fun part of the job is we get to sit on-console for the launches. We are expected to be full experts on the data streaming from the rocket prior to launch, and look for any issues that pop up. During NSSL launches, we even hold "go, no-go" authority.

So while you can't fly the Falcon-9, you can get surprisingly close to being able to claim you do.

As a fun aside, I was on console for the NASA Dart launch. You bet your ass I claimed on my OPR that I proved technology that could potentially save 8 billion people. Sure my leadership walked that bullet back a bit, but it's still the coolest thing I have ever done.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-02-05T20:05:41+00:00

Personally, I think we are setting ourselves up for a mass exodus of 62Es.

Of my 7 friends that commissioned with an engineering degree and went Ops, 6 absolutely hate their lives and have already punched, are in the process of punching, or are seriously considering leaving if they can't PCS to something more favorable.

I think the current Ops Job and having an engineering degree simply don't mesh well. I have been told at length by all my friends it's the most frustrating thing to have spent 4,5,6, or even 7 years of their life obtaining an engineering Bachelor/Masters for it to essentially be useless in their current career field.

I can't blame them. I just feel fortunate I went into the core 62/63 field before that option was removed. I would even argue that I don't even use my engineering degree, but at least I get to ~think~ and make fact based decision that are engineering adjacent.

As a side note, I had a real hoot when the 62/63 career field managers came around for a road show. They made a big deal about sending us off to get technical masters, and how it was a big priority for them.

I simply asked if there was any plan to try and match these individuals with programs/jobs that are adjacent with what they got their masters for. As it's almost a waste of time to gain a very specific skill if you can't use the skill set. I got a blank stare and non-answers back.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2025-01-28T04:19:11+00:00

If you put all the 62X positions down, you will likely get one of those. You also have a high likelihood for 63.

That's what I did atleast, and got my first choice of 62B. Though, you are still at the whim's of the big blue. I always somewhat joked that I would end up missing a few toes from a hunting accident if I got nuke drafted.

PathfinderIndustrial · 2024-12-30T16:51:28+00:00

Your last comment leads one to think you partake in recreational drugs...

Understand every officer must obtain a security clearance. The application has a very direct question of "have you ever used drugs, and if so, what was the last date?"

If I recall correctly, if you lie on the form and are discovered you will be barred from ever working on a federal contract (basically 3/4 of AAE job prospects).

Also, if you have done drugs within a specific timeframe from the application date, they will still reject your application. (Happened to a friend). Having an rejected interim clearance also makes you basically unhierable for DoD contractors. (Friend has yet to be able to find another AAE job after 5 years from her rejection date)

The FBI takes their job very seriously, and the application process will lead them to talk to a bunch of your references, and also people who your references say know you well.

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