That's a dangerous move... you are sure to get some pony shit and that should be interesting. For you.

I'm feeling rather manly this morning. Last night I drilled a bunch of holes in the floor and crawled around under the house running CAT5 cable. After crawling the last 500 feet to freedom through dust and spiderweb foulness, I emerged from under the house just as it started raining.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1384448223

w00t! 2,500th post and it has a Shawshank Redemption image

Tuesday I go to Miami with my recruiter and another guy who is joining. I get briefed tomorrow on the specifics, but from what I can tell, I test and get the physical on Tuesday, stay over night and then do my first swear in on Wednesday.

I'll know more tomorrow.
Thanks man! I should be leaving late January. Much, much sooner than I was preparing for. But I'm ready to GTFO of the keys. Take my gaymobile with me and leave behind my life of alcohol, strange he-she hybrids and dildos.

I'll text you when I get the specifics.
I wholeheartedly look forward to this :bowrofl:

That is pretty bad-ass.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1384450349

I think so, too. I was hard pressed between 15T/15U but both check my boxes for things I want (not to mention the armed forces are saturated and getting anything remotely close to what you wanted is not likely). Strong work force in the civilian world, hands on mechanical work, possible flight options if I decide to put in a WO packet and the 160th looks for 15U's when they come recruiting. I'm planning on staying in great shape so I can jump at my first chance of being in the 160th.

How I felt after I hung up the phone this morning and reality is set in.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1384453699

I have no idea what this 15U stuff is but you seem pretty stoked so I'm happy for you :makeout:

The US Army uses all sorts of meaningless numbers and acronyms to describe the various job specialties for enlisted personnel. Here is a master list: List of United States Army careers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


For instance, 88M means that you specialize in driving a truck. 92S means that you specialize in doing the laundry. 11B means that you specialize in being shot at and killing other people with an M4 carbine assault rifle.

15U is aviation maintenance, and specifically, the big-ass CH-47 transport helicopter pictured above. Someone who is a 15U is responsible for keeping that bird flying, and when they muster out of the Army, they'll be in a very good position to land an Airframe & Powerplant job with an airline, or similar.

That's the same thing I used. When Jack and Joe endorse a strategy and product, what more could you ask for? /appeal to authority

I don't bother with plywood under my jackstands and I drag around my low profile Craftsman jack with great vigor. If there are any scratches or gouges, I haven't seen them - and I didn't even lay down a proper coating as I ended up with extra.


Alright, that's my last piece on the garage flooring. I promise. :)

Some are still working with M16s. Although it's rare.

Also as for MOS, they change all the damn time too. Mine nearly changed 3 times while I was in. Originally I was a 98X, then 98G, then 35P. But since I was a linguist I also had extra identifiers too. And the X was actually just to signify that I could become a G or a C. G means linguist, C means analyst. 98 series use to mean SIGINT.

Remember that phone call you gave me 3 years ago while you were drunk in Amsterdam and attempting to steal a bicycle? This is about part of our conversation. :hustler:
Pretty much. I'm starting the find out that the list of specifics is much, much longer than I expected.

Prepare your anus for a bombardment of PM's from me asking stupid newb shit.

Edit: As I said above, I was being told that projections for those two jobs should be April at the soonest. Recruiter called and said, "You are one lucky mother fucker. Go buy us some lottery tickets." I'm not sure if someone gave up their seat, got cold feet or whatever.

Don't let them fool you. If you are qualified for the job, they are lucky to have you. 15U could be the one exception, but they like to tell you what you want isn't available. Usually it's a "let's tell him it isn't available and maybe he will take a shittier MOS that we need more people in". They do this regardless of spots open for you. Sometimes they will "make a phone call to *someone* and see if they can work a deal for you". They have all sorts of tricks to make you feel special, or try and get someone to pick a different MOS.

A lot of the less appealing jobs need filling, and they look for people who are in a hurry to join, then tell them the job they want isn't available, BUT you can have this OTHER job right now.

For me I knew I wanted a specific job (just like you), and I held out and finally after they "made a few calls" they told me that I got lucky and they found a spot for me. Go figure lol.

This is a constant theme you will run into, so it's best to just wise up to it now. There are very few people who will really care about you and what you want until you get to your first duty station.

Source: I was an instructor at an MOS producing school for 3 years.

Lulz, yeah that was a fun night. Good to hear you're finally making progress man :)

What mileage on a maintained 7.3l engine would scare you away? The E-350 bus sold last weekend before I could get out to it. So I found a new year van, but with an extremely high mileage count. It has had a rebuilt engine and trans, and service records are available.

High mileage on the rebuild?

Service life past 300K is not uncommon at all for the 7.3 PSD. If it's past 400K, I'd probably walk off, unless they're giving it away- It seems that's the teetering point on whether the issue is something like a sensor (there are a few that regularly fail) or say, an HPOP or something that is going to require you to lay down $$$$ 4 digit repair money.

Owned a diesel before? You're looking at $100 oil changes every 5K, $38 fuel filter changes every 10K, air filter's $50 at 10K, etc... There are 2 batteries. 10-ply rubber is expensive ($1600 for a set of tires on mine, granted they're 20 inch wheels, but you get the idea...)

It's going to get about 16MPG. with .50 at least more expensive fuel...

BUT- they pull like a motherfucker, If you've towed with a gas truck, you'll never want to again...

I love my diesel beast. I also like driving the miata, and letting that big expensive bastard sit there, and not slurp down fuel.

I have never owned a diesel before in my life. I want a van to use to tow my different miata's around. Long term I am envisioning towing an enclosed trailer with a miata and loaded with tools. Going from the gas 5.4L to diesel 7.3l doubles the towing rating of the E-350. I know to stay away from 6.0L and up, so newest I can possibly get is 2002. I have registered on powerstroke.org and I am starting to read through the stickies and such on there. All the vans I have seen have had 200k or more on them. I honestly do not think I will find any that have much less then that.

The diesel van will mostly sit and not slurp down fuel. I expect it will get driven twice a month, mostly just to pick up things I cannot fit in a miata. Other then that just going to and from the track. So the slightly higher fuel prices are not a huge concern.

Bad news. I was going over my list of things I need to do and, well, found out I might actually have a slight red/green color issue. I scheduled an eye exam for Monday. If all looks good, I leave for MEPS Tuesday. If not, I have no idea what I'm going to do.

I think it will work out fine then, and it'll pull your car and trailer well. Consider perhaps a longbed crewcab with a camper shell...

I have the 6.0. (2007) Mine was troublefree until 195,000- It started the "hard to start when warm" problem- these motors employ a high-pressure oil loop to drive the injectors, that are fed fuel on a low pressure loop... There are plugs in the high pressure rail that have o-rings that develop leaks, and when the oil's hot and thin, the HPOP (High Pressure Oil Pump) has to overcome all the leaks and build ~650 psi pressure before the ECU will command injection... So I gotta change them out, and the fitting at the HPOP itself, go ahead and remove the emissions shit that causes the catastrophic meltdowns they are famous for etc...

I watch my CAN traffic for a high differential on oil and water temperature, that will cause the EGR cooler to flash boil, explode, send coolant into the intake, raise cylinder pressure to levels that cause the stock head bolts to lift, causing combustion gas to travel to and pressurize the coolant system, blasting it out, making motor run hot, causing internal plastic bits to melt, getting sucked into oil galleys, blocking them off, and then, total destruction.

Gotta monitor.

Where were we? Oh yes, you want a tow vehicle... Yeah do it. powerstroke.org will help you fix anything that goes wrong, but the standards are a bit lower over there.

Presupposing that you've already signed on the dotted line, Infantry.

True story.

I have had a pickup in the past. I would rather have a van for use at the track.

That is all the stuff I have read about the 6.0. From what I saw is you have to sink some serious cash into one to make it semi reliable. That is something I do not want to do.

I have noticed standards being a bit lower. Out of all the disel forums I have looked at, they seem to be the best though.