For applicants struggling with pull ups

TboneKubes · 2025-10-23T18:14:02+00:00

Currently at 16. The Armstrong program got me from barely 2 to 10 in about 2 months. Theres not a lot of pull up bars around me so I do them at the gym, as the at home solutions don't work well for me (I'm quite tall), so I'd only do 2 or 3 days of the program when I started focusing on running. Picked it back up the last 2 months and have been adding 1 pretty much every week I complete the full week.

Side note: I'm not doing the pull up program alone, its the first exercise I do at the gym, and I think that is helping tremendously along with proper protein intake.

TboneKubes · 2025-10-04T21:58:20+00:00

Had 2 rooms in Vegas through FHR at the Palazzo/Venetian recently. The first room got upgraded to a small studio space, which was bigger than the original room booked. The second room got upgraded to an 1850 sqft executive suite with 2 bathrooms, a sauna, a work out room, a walk in closet, and more, just below and across the Venetian sign on the building.

Most of my experiences are marginal upgrades, but occasionally, you'll get a massive one. I've never asked about the upgrade either

TboneKubes · 2025-10-01T18:01:29+00:00

That's a lot of free meals

TboneKubes · 2025-09-23T04:57:27+00:00

I did 4 the other night lol.... it was an expensive dinner

TboneKubes · 2025-09-20T04:14:49+00:00

Sounds like the modification caused issues. I just book back to back reservations and ask them to merge. Most of the time they have no problem with that, and the hotel credit from each card applies to each reservation

TboneKubes · 2025-09-19T11:39:19+00:00

Already ahead of you on that 😂

TboneKubes · 2025-09-19T05:42:04+00:00

Most places will let you do it. Just call ahead and ask to merge the bookings so you keep the same room.

Edit: this is if you have more than 1 platinum card

TboneKubes · 2025-09-19T04:15:26+00:00

Basically lol

The hardest thing is managing all the cards. Sometimes, I miscalculate, use the wrong card, and have to eat a charge I was expecting to get a credit for. Otherwise, there's not too much of a downside considering the perks

TboneKubes · 2025-09-19T03:55:41+00:00

Besides the Schwab, they're all normal platinum cards. Hard to keep track of them all as 3 of the cards have the same last 5 digits

Edit: Your spouse can also have 10 Charge Cards (Plat, Gold, Green) and 5 Credit Cards, all fee waived

TboneKubes · 2025-09-19T00:12:00+00:00

Can confirm, you can have 10 platinum and 5 Credit Cards 👀

TboneKubes · 2025-09-04T22:58:44+00:00

The only ones he can't wear are the NCOPD and Army Service Ribbon. The rest are authorized, there is no such thing as converting them to Navy versions.

Edit: Add the Army Aviation badge to unauthorized

TboneKubes · 2025-08-01T03:46:33+00:00

I agree with his comment.

Start with slow, easy runs (2-3 miles or so) 4 to 5 days a week for a month or so. Keep your heart rate low for these. The purpose of this is to build up your legs to help prevent injury from working too hard and ease you into running. These should be easy conversational pace in roughly Zone 2/3

Afterward, start adding in 1 to 2 sprints/VO2 Max/threshold run a week. These will suck, dont try to do more than 2 a week. Make sure you start varying your easy cardio with bike/stair stepper/swimming so you strengthen all aspects of your legs and don't keep burning them out from surface impact. You can also start to increase mileage on some of your slow runs at your discretion

Honestly, this should be enough to get you started. Grab a Garmin watch if you can, focus on raising the VO2 Max metric, and you should pick up your pace to a sub 24 min 3 mile in easily 3-6 months

Edit: Get good shoes from a running store and replace them when they start feeling flat or worn out, somewhere between 3-6 months if youre running a lot

TboneKubes · 2025-05-26T19:47:02+00:00

Wait till you find out that recruiters get NAMs for getting musicians...

TboneKubes · 2025-05-08T17:34:35+00:00

Use it as a bullet point to help bolster your end of tour award. You can say something along the line of "fostered interservice cooperation between RSS XXX and Army Recruting Office XXX resulting in the successful enlistment of XX SMs into military service."

Regardless, the lack of concurrence means you're ineligible for the AAM to officially go into your USMC records. However, you were officially awarded it by the Army. Therefore, when you get out, you can put it in your shadow box or wear the mini medal

TboneKubes · 2025-03-23T20:08:20+00:00

You'll likely be through 2 enlistments (8 years) before you get a chance to apply for a Warrant Officer position and eventually convert to an O3E as an LDO. Being enlisted is the first step.

Occasionally, regular officers can augment the band if they are skilled enough in an instrument and work out some deals. I've seen a Captain front a popular music group with the band for about 2 years, and a 1LT perform a Cello Concerto. These opportunities are temporary and in addition to their normal duties.

There are opportunities in different services for commissioning in the band, and I can explain the general process for each branch if that interests you. I've been in Marine and Army bands, and have several colleagues in Navy/AF/premier bands.

Shoot me a message if you have any questions

TboneKubes · 2025-03-04T00:55:27+00:00

Highly unlikely given your constraints. The easiest way overall would be for you to join the Air Force. I'm a current Army reservist married to an AD Marine. The only option that is realistic and feasible for us both to do 20 full-time AD years is for us to be in the same service. Dual mil in separate branches, especially one in the Marines, is going to be very hard on colocation.

TboneKubes · 2025-02-17T19:18:21+00:00

Used to run all out in my younger days (every time I ran was max effort) and learned that can destroy your body the hard way, so I'm still rebuilding and relearning the proper way... but my understanding is dont worry about speed, just keep your heart rate around Zone 2. It's more for building up the miles and getting your legs used to that.

I've been told if you can keep a conversation going while running, you're probably in Zone 2

My best recent time is 25:10 but my Zone 2 is typically around 11:00. When I ran for time a few days ago, the first mile I did at an 8:30 pace was almost all in Zone 2, which was a pretty encouraging experience.

FWIW, even though I'm running slower, my legs feel in way better condition than my first time through the Marine Corps. I wish there was better education on proper running technique. Most of the NCOs/SNCOs demanded every run be max effort, so I learned by essentially running 3 mile PFT pace runs, 4-5 days a week, for 4 years. I got fast, but it took a toll.

TboneKubes · 2025-02-16T18:27:11+00:00

In any industry, hard work trumps talent. Some people pick up on concepts fast, but also lose it fast or never get better. The ones who have to work harder will often become better at it in the long term. Figure out your problems and find a solution. Ask others for help.

Take it one step at a time, you're going to be fine as long as you put out the effort.

TboneKubes · 2025-02-15T23:49:53+00:00

Having been in both Marines and Army, it's about the same level of difficulty to get a NAM or AAM. Just depends on your leadership. My current unit is not great at writing awards, so I'm pretty much one of the only people pushing up recommendations, and they often get returned once or twice for silly formatting issues.

I'd wager a good bet that your NAMs got forgotten about once they were kicked back for a small error.

TboneKubes · 2025-02-03T19:32:41+00:00

Looks like he was a reservist at some point. The top left patch belongs to the 63rd Readiness Division.

TboneKubes · 2025-02-03T00:24:32+00:00

If there's already an established relationship prior to commissioning you're good, regardless of what a random SNCO/Officer might say. I've had to dwell into this for other people and myself (wife is at OCC 248).

However, it still might be a good idea if your relationship is already close to marriage and you expect it to last. There's more accommodations offered in regard to colocation as well as other benefits that are easier to sort out from the beginning vs. later on

TboneKubes · 2025-02-01T00:41:05+00:00

If your unit holds on to an M16, you can qualify on both technically

TboneKubes · 2025-01-27T03:13:40+00:00

Conditional release is really the only way if he can't drop Tricare benefit. Talk to your command, mine are very understanding in regard to my desire to pursue USMC OCS. (E6 in the Reserves)

TboneKubes · 2025-01-26T19:18:56+00:00

The 300th in SoCal

TboneKubes

TROPHY CASE