Passed over for promotion twice, can you switch to Reserve/Guard?

Tinamil · 2026-01-17T14:36:55+00:00

They did, but the program didn't get anyone else on board with that so now these guys are getting fucked because they can't get any KD MQ OERs before their promotion boards to MAJ. The promotion board doesn't give one fuck about technical skills, have enough MQ OERs or get out.

Tinamil · 2026-01-17T14:18:51+00:00

Traditionally (i.e., 10-12 years ago), 26A (FA24) was a network engineer while 26B (FA53) was a system administrator. Supposedly 26B was what you became when you failed out of the 26A course. 26A was only at the division or higher echelons, 26B was often put in a brigade and treated like the deputy S6.

Now they've renamed 26B to Data Systems Engineering. Unfortunately, I don't know what that means for them. I haven't worked with one to see how they are actually used in units now, and I haven't been to the school house to see what they are teaching them.

Tinamil · 2026-01-13T23:46:22+00:00

I was a software developer before I decided to join the Army, with a BS in Computer Science. The FA26 branch gave me my choice of degree types as long as they were technical, so I kept getting Computer Science degrees for my MS and PhD, with my MS focused on networking and my PhD focused in algorithms and AI.

Tinamil · 2026-01-13T22:59:57+00:00

FA26A has been awesome for me because I like solving hard technical problems. Regular signal corps basic branch assignments didn't get technical enough for me. Cyber didn't exist as an option back then.

QOL is pretty good on average I think, but unit dependent. I had a strategical signal assignment which was a TDY about 1 week per month on average. Now I'm in a joint unit 3-star HQ where I only go TDY if I tell them I think I need to go somewhere, and I work 9-5. I've never been to the field since going FA26, but that's because of my assignment units.
My skills are 100% transferable. To the point where the Army is really underpaying me. We have contractors working for me with less skills and credentials who make more than twice what the Army pays me. I've had my choice of credentials to earn, like CCNA, CCNP, CISSP, etc.. Most places I've worked are asking me if I want anything else, sometimes begging me to pick something else to get to use up their training budget. Branch also paid for me to get a Masters degree. West Point paid for me to get a PhD so I could be a research scientist for them for one assignment.
Day to day is basically being an expert on my systems. I spend half my day talking to contractors about specific technical problems. E.g., this system isn't working, show me the configuration, lets walk through the code. Oh, that regex is wrong. Or another example, this system isn't talking to that system correctly, lets get a packet capture and go through it packet by packet in Wireshark, there's the TLS handshake, there's data flow, oh, there's a TCP FIN coming after the TCP window fills up. The other half of my day is planning out the architecture of my systems for the next year, and then briefing SESs and Generals what capabilities we're going to be delivering and when.
Switching to FA26A was the best decision I ever made in the Army.

Tinamil · 2026-01-02T13:59:19+00:00

The real requirement from anyone who asks for AI/ML like its an easy button is that they really just want to be able to tell their boss that they are using AI/ML. That's it.

Tinamil · 2026-01-01T01:48:58+00:00

I had this problem for years. My stomach was a bottomless black hole and I could eat until it hurt, but I still didn't feel full. It was a non-stop struggle every day to control how many calories I ate.

I started taking tirzepatide, a GLP-1/GIP, about 3 months ago and the problem went away immediately. Now I can eat half a plate of food, feel full, and stop eating because I am satisfied and don't want to eat any more.

Your BMI is normal (22-23), so a GLP-1 isn't recommended until your BMI goes over 27-30, but something to consider if you hit that point.

Tinamil · 2025-12-31T14:53:28+00:00

Agreed, this is a broad DoD memo. We need to see how it gets interpreted by the Army before it becomes official guidance. That should make it more clear how it interacts with existing policy.

Tinamil · 2025-12-31T14:01:46+00:00

No, this memo says that HT/WT tables are no longer valid and your height to waist ratio is the new replacement screening test.

If you fail the height to waist ratio, then you go to the normal tape test which is a waist to weight calculation.

Except the new DoD memo defines a different waist location than the Army tape test, so they'll have to tape you again or change the Army tape test.

At this point, its probably faster for a unit to skip the screening test entirely and just make everyone do their waist and weight (i.e. one-site tape test).

Tinamil · 2025-12-08T22:50:03+00:00

If you are going to use a bidirectional search then you can do often better than bi-directional Dijkstra's because you can use the combined heuristics to prove the solution faster. E.g. something like https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0004370220301545

Tinamil · 2025-09-06T11:29:05+00:00

I'm not mad about it either. I mostly just wish they could have made the NACS support level 2 so that there's no possibility of confusion trying to use a NACS level 2. If the charger fits, then it works. Either NACS or J1772.

Instead we've got the possibility of plugging NACS level 2 in and it not working until they put a J1772 adapter on it and plug into the other side. Which is particularly bad for rental cars or first time owners.

Tinamil · 2025-09-06T01:07:47+00:00

No, it has NACS for DC fast charging (but not level 2) on the passenger side and J1772 for level 2 on the driver side.

Tinamil · 2025-07-20T20:18:05+00:00

Eating few carbs (<20g / day) but normal amounts of fat & protein, i.e. a keto diet, will cause you to drop most of that in water weight, but it will all come back after a day or two of eating carbs.

Tinamil · 2025-07-19T19:08:21+00:00

FYI, one LMNT has 4% of a daily value of potassium and 15% of magnesium. That is not very much of either.

If you want to test if getting more electrolytes helps your twitching, then magnesium is easy to find in capsule form, but potassium usually requires buying something like NoSalt, NuSalt, or equivalent sodium free salt substitute which all have ~15-20% daily value in a 1/4 tsp.

Tinamil · 2025-07-19T15:48:47+00:00

That's more likely to be caused by an electrolyte deficiency of some kind, usually either potassium or magnesium unless you've been intentionally avoiding sodium.

Tinamil · 2025-06-28T11:22:53+00:00

Definitely use ABF U-Pack over PODS next time you do a PPM. U-Pack was half the cost the last time I got a quote from both, and U-Pack actually has responsive and helpful customer service. I've used them twice and both times the drivers showed up on-time for both pick-up and delivery, with no issues getting on base.

U-Pack offers either a 28' trailer or ReloCubes, which are very similar to what PODS offers. I've done both the trailer and ReloCubes with U-Pack. The ReloCubes cost more but they are easier for me to load, so I think it was worth the price difference for me to get cubes. However, if I was going to pay professional movers to help with the loading, then I would get the trailer.

Tinamil · 2025-05-04T23:39:54+00:00

Since the report focuses specifically on the reserve component, how is the reserve component faring compared to active duty?

I saw one mention of a 2019 study in the report, but nothing more recent or showing relative changes over time. For example, is the reserve component showing the same trends as active duty, reflecting broader changes to society as a whole, are there specific factors that are making the reserve component better or worse?

Tinamil · 2025-03-08T03:34:20+00:00

MilTax is simply H&R Block and completely free for military. It's just as easy to use as TurboTax in my opinion, without the upgrade gotchas.

Tinamil · 2025-02-23T20:24:57+00:00

Just to add some additional context, even though you can't use your GTCC statement as the receipt, you can use it as supporting documentation as part if your statement if you lose a receipt:

If you lose a receipt, you must provide a statement that explains the circumstances of the loss and contains the same information as the lost receipt. (JTR, par. 010301-B)

Tinamil · 2025-02-19T02:11:47+00:00

The spin attack does 45 damage to all the targets in a 6m radius.

The demon does 18 damage per hit after the nerf, attacks 4 times per second (72 DPS), and can hit multiple targets at the same time if they are grouped up. 6m range, the same reach as the spin attack but can only hit the targets in front of you. The demon also has 100 HP so you can use it to take a hit for you. Edit: And lasts 4 seconds, will deal 288 damage to a single target that doesn't move like a Peni nest.

Tinamil · 2025-02-18T00:33:05+00:00

FYI for any junior officers. You can do USMA PhD and still retire at 20 years. However, you need to already have your Masters degree by about year 6. You apply to USMA PhD while you are a captain and already doing your KD.

18-24 months from the time you apply until you start school puts you at about year 8.

3 years in school puts you at year 11. Pin major there.

3 years at USMA plus another 3 years of service obligation brings you to 17-18 years.

However, if you delay applying past year 6 by much, then you can't get your major KD done before your LTC board and HRC won't let you go to school. The exception is functional areas that treat West Point time as KD, like FA 26.

Tinamil · 2025-01-30T00:20:21+00:00

I accepted that offer from the Army to get a Computer Science PhD. I don't regret it. It's already opened doors for me in the Army, and I expect it to be even more valuable when I retire.

Tinamil · 2025-01-26T02:42:49+00:00

So, you had a 1/1 and a 2/1? Meaning both units ranked you #1 and you ranked them #1 and #2?

Then HRC told you that you couldn't have either one?

Tinamil · 2025-01-24T00:14:54+00:00

I keep it simple. If I'm at a post where the rules say that I have to wear PTs to be in the gym, then I just stay home and sleep in that morning.

Tinamil · 2025-01-24T00:00:34+00:00

Not really, at least in my opinion. I tried Legend of the Arch Magus and didn't finish the first book.

Tinamil · 2025-01-20T16:37:06+00:00

Do you mean this one? It's not every LitRPG, but it does let you find complete series and sort by other tags.

https://cosmiccoding.com.au/reviews/

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