The Military.

Originally Posted by Gumby

What country you are currently serving for, what particular branch, and MOS/Rating (your job). Have you ever seen action or deployment into a hostile area? So far what has the experience been like for you?

I'm currently serving the US Airforce. My job is in telecommunication/satellite and maintaining electronic equipment, mostly the fun stuff.
I haven't been in any hostile action yet (just 5 years worth of training, so I'm not complaining), but I will be ready when it happens.
What's it like? Well in my profession you don't get to fly jets, we ride in C-130's instead =p. Seeing as that my unit resides in hawaii we use them a lot. But my work environment can be either hectic or laid back* as the purpose of my job is to transmit data and maintain that equipment.

* Oh and when I say laid back I mean sticking my nose in 1000 page service manuals, I think my unit calls them TO's (technical ordinances.) Other services might know them better as TM's or technical manuals. If you use equipment, especially the expensive toys TO/TM's quickly become your favorite book.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by julia

Kairyu ~ I edit TO's for a living and I see C-130's every day at the base in my city. We call them technical manuals because we do them for Honeywell, who in turn is doing them for Boeing.

Ever heard of the 5th Mob? Big communications group here at RAFB.

I'm usually not good with names, its a wonder I can remember the hundreds of acronyms in need to know.
Anyway, did you mean the 5th Combat Communications Group in Robin's Airforce Base? If so, I was there for a few a weeks after 9 months of tech schooling . It was for going through their MOPP school, which is basically a fun version of basic training.

Imagine having to defend a base (with 15 or so other people of various rank) on your own for 3 days, against your instructors. We got to use smoke bombs, M16's with blanks, and nightvision equipment. Oh yeah, you can be taken prisoner. That is if you're crazy enough to ignore orders and play rambo against ex-marines.
On the first day it really did look like we were playing a real life version of Call of Duty.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Ulysses

I've been reading up on it via the web and haven't found a detailed enough explanation. So if any of you military blokes know, could you explain to me exactly HOW super-cruise improves efficiency and negates the need for after burners on the F-22? I know that's totally off-topic but I have a special interest in jets.

I believe the reason to use super-cruising is to reduce heat exhaustion. Large heat signatures while afterburning was a problem with fighter jets. So to improve the f-22's stealth capability was to use super-cruising. There is one disadvantage I believe, and that using it too much can damage the engine or literally melting the exhaust fins.

I'm sure there was more to it, I'm just remembering stuff off the top of my head.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Gumby

Kairyu: I have a friend going into the Airforce for the same thing you are doing right now. I think he has some misconceptions as to what it is you guys do :/

Ouch, like what kind of misconceptions? I'm sure their recruiter explained it fairly clearly >_>. Heck my recruiter almost talked me out of it when she kept mentioning how much physical labor was involved (she wasn't kidding, but I do enjoy it anyhow.)
But my job isn't the most glamorous. Half the time I'm in a small box configuring modems and transmitters.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Gumby

Kairyu: My buddy seems to think this is a real layed back job were he can fuck around most of the time/drink on the job :/

Well I think that depends more on who his supervisor is rather than the job he applied for .
But compared to the Army's workcenter I would almost say my place is laid back, but I wouldn't go as far and say you can drink while on the job. I never heard of anyone doing that =/.

I was speaking idiomatically.