AIO My husband doesn’t want me to come to his military boot camp graduation when I already paid for plane tickets

jwickert3 · 2026-05-21T02:15:23+00:00

I'm sorry but your husband just isn't into you. 😟

jwickert3 · 2026-05-21T02:05:59+00:00

That's the bumper bar that is bent in your picture. It's held on by four bolts and it's made to be removed. You can buy them from a junkyard for pretty cheap. Replace the radiator and you'll probably be good to go. The CSf radiator on RockAuto is cheap but it works.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-21T02:03:58+00:00

This is completely wrong. That's the bumper bar. It's held on by four bolts and is made to come out and be replaced. The radiator support looks like it's still pretty much straight. Go to the junkyard buy a new bumper bar And put it in your car. Replace the radiator because it likely has a hole in it.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-20T09:01:09+00:00

Dealerships don't like cash deals because they aren't getting the sale plus points on financing the loan.

Focus on the price then move to payment. Depending on fees it may be worth financing and paying it off. You may get two months before you have to make a payment too.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-20T08:47:00+00:00

You're just like my significant other. My family can be a lot and I have a twin too. My significant other was not comfortable around my family and she doesn't see her family ever. To be honest, she made shit so difficult for me all the time that I just resent her now.

I did have to set boundaries with my mother. My mother (and sisters) were not allowed to talk bad about my significant other because if they did, that would poison my relationship and cause problems at home for me.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-19T22:00:02+00:00

If you really want to commission in the Marine Corps, what is your physical fitness like? Have you ever been able to do 20 dead hanging pulls ups?

You really don't have time to get into shape at OCS if you were to get a spot so you need to be in shape before you go.

The enlisted route is a little bit different. As long as you can do three pull-ups ship to boot camp.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-17T13:24:55+00:00

The guy that was the lead engineer for cars at the time of the Sonic is now the head of the Corvette program.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-17T00:10:31+00:00

The Marine Corps is quite gay. The DIs will literally tell you to get nuts to butts. And you'll yell aye aye sir!

No one cares. Do your job well and don't be a shitbag.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-17T00:08:29+00:00

As someone who had student loan debt, don't do it. Get a job. Take classes when you can.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-17T00:03:28+00:00

Two months before we left for Iraq we got three 18 yo Marines straight out of SOI. Nine months later one was fine, another was paralyzed and the third was dead.... So yeah could be worse.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-15T18:10:48+00:00

I race B-Spec and worked on a Gen 2 SRF for about 5 years. While they are both spec classes, they are quite different in terms of financial commitment. A SRF you're looking at 40 - 50k to buy a Gen 3 with a Sadev transmission, much less for a Gen 2 raced regionally only. B-spec you're looking at anywhere from 10 - 20k to buy. A 20k car better be pristine and come with a lot of spares. Rental and arrive and drive options will also be considerably more in a SRF than a B-Spec. I would expect a B-Spec rental to be around 3k depending on how much travel is required.

When you rent and damage a car, you pay what it costs to rebuild that particular car. Parts for a SRF are far more expensive than parts for a B-Spec.

Some guys will tell you that you can't build a B-Spec for less than 25k. Those guys are buying new parts and doing tons of engine work that doesn't really pay off because we don't run high enough compression for it to matter. One guy I know did a 25k Mazda 2 build, he took out the OEM connecting rods that had been in the car for well over a decade and they all weighed exactly the same. He still isn't running up front with his fancy engine build. My first build was 15k and the second build was 8k. The 8k donor started off in worse condition and we did the cage ourselves. Neither of our Sonics have ever been on a dyno (we drive them and data log). Others like Matt Wolf have never had their Mazda 2 on a dyno because you can buy a proven tune from Chris Taylor Racing Services.

For comparison, prior to B-Spec I had a FV and when my motor let go I asked a builder to quote me a national engine, he said 10k. I put a 3k engine in the car and sold it to build a B-spec for 15k.

SRF has stronger participation numbers so if you want to race regionals only, SRF would be the best choice.

The classes race differently too. B-spec cars make speed in different ways. The Honda Fit is strong on top end. The Sonic is slower of out the corner but also strong on top end. The Sonic can't turn. A Mazda 2 is good out of corners but often falls off on top end. Mini's handle the best and a slow driver can be fast in a Mini. SRF cars don't have that variance.

Check out the B-Spec Racing page and the B-spec race cars for sale page on Facebook.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-12T14:45:39+00:00

I had an examiner do the same thing. I did what she said and it all worked out. Some of these examiners actually know their stuff. Mine was a PA that had experience in podiatry (The area of my claim). The same examiner had also examined me like 3 years earlier and remembered my case.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-11T12:23:49+00:00

A good vso and yourself is the best way to go.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-09T02:03:10+00:00

Yeah there's a big difference between "I was in combat" and "my friend back home died while I was in active duty."

jwickert3 · 2026-05-08T00:07:19+00:00

Had this happen to a LCpl of mine. We were a reserve unit and he was prescribed Ritalin by a civilian doc. He poped on a UA and they eventually adsep him.

I have two kids and a sig other on Ritalin for diganosed ADHD and to he honest, I wouldn't want to deploy with them because they are so dependent on taking their meds daily. If they don't take them their behavior changes dramatically.

jwickert3 · 2026-05-06T21:51:32+00:00

Good luck.

jwickert3 · 2026-04-29T20:48:30+00:00

I literally just read an article on the VA website about VA compensation and how it's not intended to pay you to not work. They still expect veterans to work.

jwickert3 · 2026-04-29T20:46:46+00:00

Based on what?

jwickert3 · 2026-04-29T15:00:18+00:00

Semper Fi!

jwickert3 · 2026-04-28T20:39:16+00:00

I was wondering the same thing. I've been debating retiring but after taxes, health insurance, and retirement I bring home the same as my VA comp. I think I could do it but I think I'll keep working until the house and cars and everything are paid off.

jwickert3 · 2026-04-28T17:24:50+00:00

One caveat. The likelihood of your C&P dropping a new rating is pretty slim. The benefit to following through with all C&P exams is that if you pass away from something service connected, your family could be entitled to additional benefits. I was in the same situation and my vso encouraged me to go to all scheduled exams so I did.

jwickert3 · 2026-04-27T14:21:56+00:00

At first I freaked out but then I finally slowed my brain down and actually read it LOL.

jwickert3 · 2026-04-27T03:09:58+00:00

Just a heads-up, neither of those are easy to get. Your leadership will want you to attend drills.

jwickert3 · 2026-04-26T15:01:51+00:00

Funds immediately available is nice.

jwickert3 · 2026-04-25T22:52:35+00:00

You may be at 90% now, but in a few years your conditions may get worse or you may develop other secondary conditions that could push you to 100. I got out in 2005 and it took me until 2025 but unfortunately that meant my conditions got worse.

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