Good post. Wish I had mod points.

Then they open the cabin door to let the other pilot back in or yell for help.

If you can stop a jaeger, you can stop a tsunami.

I share the sentiment. I work and am friends with people representing Abrahamic religions in many forms and variations, as well as atheists and agnostics, with varying levels of devoutness. I respect them all and treat them everyone professionally. Since God can neither be proved nor disproved, what's the point in getting upset or upsetting others?

I agree. With the tools and evidence available to us we simply can't know either way. People really struggle accepting this uncertainty. But it gets easier as you age.

Nobody does...

Good post. Wish I had mod points.

Bottom line: If they don't maintain the same standards as regular soldiers they will not be seen as soldiers by the larger force.

Some occupations get no respect (on the hooah scale) regardless of their adherence to military standards. Musicians and cooks come to mind. Yet they are still seen as soldiers because they take the same APFT, fire at the same ranges, and compete for promotion the same way as everyone else.

Credibility is important in the military. If cyber warriors are really needed in uniform then they need to qualify to wear that uniform. Otherwise just make them DoD civilians or NSA techs.

You're right, it likely wouldn't have come up. Like I said, I'll take your word for it on your reasons for leaving.

Yes, I knew very resourceful and crafty individuals at DLI, especially in the difficult category 4 languages like Mandarin. Some of the best people I've met in my life. The best of the best were also great soldiers who fulfilled their oaths before moving on to other careers.

I've known many service members who separated before completing their contracts. I'll take your word for it that you were sincere. However, as a hiring manager in IT at a large corporation, who values honorable military service, I would have some hard questions for you were you to apply here.

They're not mutually exclusive. I didn't serve a killing machine. I also don't believe all military personnel make the best IT professionals.

I believe honorable military service demonstrates a work ethic and set of values that is valuable nearly anywhere, as well as technical skills if the service member held an appropriate occupational specialty. Beyond that, college education, critical thinking and creative approaches to problem solving are variables unique to each individual. You can't equate an infantry corporal to a signal officer captain. They both might be leaving the service after their first contract is up and applying for the same IT job, but they are vastly different in experience and education.

How did you simply decide to leave the military after they paid for boot camp and a year+ of intense language training? I had a friend who declared himself a conscientious objector after DLI and got out. He was viewed as an oath breaker by his peers and not remembered fondly.

The rest of your post is consistent with my experience. The military is a good start, but linguists need further education after their hitch is up to make money with their language training, either at a government agency or in the private sector.

The number of service members called out of the IRR is extremely low. That's a poor reason to turn away a qualified veteran... not to mention illegal if it can be proven.

I'm going to blame this for my fantasy football loss this week... and all previous weeks.

It doesn't matter how old the phone, computer or iTunes installation is. Only the date of the backup matters. Just make sure to manually take a fresh backup of the old phone to iTunes before you setup the new one. (You should be running the latest versions of iOS and iTunes, too).

I'm on my third iPhone and about to get my fourth. The setup and restore from the old backup has always worked without a hitch. That's one of the big reasons I've stayed with iOS devices despite the lure of Nexus and Galaxy. I hate the idea of the walled garden but its seamless transition to new devices is a narcotic I can't seem to quit.

Citation, please. I served before, during, and after Rumsfeld's tenure and have no idea what you're talking about.