23 March – The PAC

Tags

cooking, cross fit, fighter pilots, health, pentagon, spiritual

Please go vote for LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT at ranting chef.com

Unshakeable!

Mind – The Pentagon Athletic Club, or PAC, to those working inside “The Building” is the savior for operators used to getting things done. The slow grinding pace of staff work is definitely an endurance operation. Operators go through three phases while working on the staff: 1) optimism, 2) disbelief, and 3) pragmatism. Upon arrival on station you want to fix the things “The Staff” continually screws up. After about six months, just about when you start to figure things out, it is hard to believe getting something done is actually that difficult and takes that long. Finally, you accept the Building’s bureaucracy and consider yourself lucky if you can move the ball down the field on 3-4 major projects.

One might make a pretty good argument for that approach in our own lives. How often do we set the new years resolution to lose weight, eat better, work out more, drink less, read more books, make new friends, and become absolutely superhuman? I think a better approach might be start with one thing and turn it into a habit, like hitting the gym for three days a week minimum for a year, then move on to other stuff. Just a thought.

Check Six

AJAX

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Body – Power Day

Wingman

Learn how to perform a kettle-bell snatch. Demo of Kettle Bell Snatch, click here.

Flight Leads/Instructors

AMRAP in 15 minutes of

10x 95lb Thrusters, scale as required

10x 25lb Ball Slams, scale as required

10x 24 inch box jumps

Weapons Instructor Course

Till U Collapse – Courtesy of the Horsemen

1. 50x Power Cleans @ 95lbs

2. 50x Situps

3. 25x Pullups

4. 50x Kettlebell swings @53lbs

5. 25x Pushups

6. 50x Ball Slams @25lbs

7. 25 Calories on the Airdyne

8. 50x Bench Press @95lbs

9. 50x Box Jumps

10. 25x Back Extensions

11. 50x Wall Balls

12. 25x GHD Situps

13. 250m row

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Night Out on the Town!

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Spirit – The Love of God – Attributes of God by A.W. Pink

“God’s love is no mere amiable weakness, or effeminate softness. Scripture declares, ‘whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth’ (Heb. 12:6). God will not wink at sin, even in His own people. His love is pure, unmixed with any maudlin sentimentality.”

I think about this often when I screw something up. Just as we correct our children because we love them, God also corrects us.

© 2013 by LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT. All rights reserved.

 The views of LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT are those of the author alone and do not represent any sanctioned  position of the DoD, USAF, or US Federal Government.

22 February – The Drool Bucket

Tags

cooking, cool stuff, cross fit, fighter pilots, Fitness, health, humor, spiritual

F-35 Cockpit
Photo – Lockheed Martin

Mind – Fighter pilots call the multi-function displays prominent in the cockpits of most modern aircraft “Drool Buckets.” Today’s amazing airplanes collect and display massive quantities of information, the importance of relaying that information quickly and correctly cannot be overstated. Oddly enough, actually flying fighters is relatively simple, but interpreting information and making decisions about utilizing all of the weapons while fighting is the hard part. That is why the engineers made the airplanes fairly simple to fly. The problem with these displays is they can capture your attention for too long, in other words, rather than looking outside and checking six for bad guys, mishap pilots mis-prioritize and sit drooling while looking at the display. Of course this is an exaggeration, but sometimes 1 second is too long…unless you are a Whizzo then you have all day to drool.  That zinger is for Dez and Bullet, two kick ass Whizzos who provide good office humor.  They have been too quiet lately.

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Body – Strength

Wingman

15-10-5 reps of Curtis P’s.  These are a combination of clean, lunge, and push press. Demo  Weight as capable.

Flight Leads

15-10-5

Curtis Ps

GHD Sit-Ups Demo

Ring Dips Demo

Instructors

15-10-5

Curtis Ps

GHD Sit-Ups

Ring Dips

Back Extensions Demo

Pull Ups

Weapons Instructor Course

“Bloody Nose” Courtesy of the Horsemen

5 rounds

3xDead Lift

3x Bench Press

15-10-5

Curtis Ps

GHD Sit-Ups

Ring Dips

Back Extensions

Pull Ups

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Recipe of the Day 

Dinner Out

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Spirit of Saint Louis Cockpit
Photo by Eric Long

Spirit – From inside the Sky, by Langewiesche. “What lies outside doesn’t matter. My world and my life are compressed within these fabric walls. Flying blind is difficult enough in smooth air. In this swirling cloud, it calls for all the concentration I can muster. The turn and bank indicators, the air speed, the altimeter, and the compass, all these phosphorescent lines and dots in front of me, must be kept in proper place. When a single one strays off, the rest go chasing after it like so many sheep, and have to be caught quickly and carefully herded back into position again.”  – Charles Lindbergh describing his historic instrument flying that kept him alive in his flight across the Atlantic.

Keep you eye on the ball.

Cheers

AJAX

14 February – Happy Valentines Day, Fabulous Fiends

Tags

cooking, crossfit, fighter pilots, Fitness, food, health, spiritual

Fabulous Fiends
(Wikipedia Image)

Mind – The second go around on the ROK (Republic of Korea) brought me to Osan Air Base and the 36th fighter squadron, HAAARUMPH. The Fiends are a mere stone throw away from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). DMZ is a complete oxymoron as this is one of the most heavily armed areas in the world.

I was attached to the Fiends while I worked with my friend SHIP at 7th AF. Remember the acronym rule? SHIP has 9 kids, and his name stands for Should’ve Had Injection Protection. It was a fun year flying close air support missions up in P-518, the prohibited flying area in the DMZ. One of my favorite stories was our FNG renaming night with the Fiends.

As you know, even old guys have to go through the ritual (reference 8 February Callsigns). One of the Fiend rituals is entertainment for the squadron; so SHIP and I decided set up a little golf competition. The Fiend ops building was out in the middle of all the hardened aircraft shelters, and like all good fighter squadrons, the ops building housed our bar and was where we entertained ourselves.

25th FS A-10, pulling into the shelters (Wikipedia)

The golf tourney that SHIP and I set up was no ordinary chipping tournament though; it was nighttime, the target was my $500 Korean-super-best-deal-truck, the golf balls were slathered in Vaseline, and flaming. What could go wrong? Nothing actually, it went off without a hitch. The next morning, however, the maintenance supervisor could not figure our why burned up golf balls covered his entire ramp, and he was not happy about it. Sorry Super Fiend, it was not the Korean driving range next door, it was your efffing fighter pilots again, but he knew that.

It was a fun night had by all, SHIP and I kept our callsigns, and the little truck carried us on all sorts of adventures across the peninsula. I brought that little truck back home from Korea with me, here it served me well too. And in case you don’t believe in angels, the picture of my little truck is what was left of it after a double concrete truck rolled over it with my wife in it. She walked away without a scratch.

The Concrete Truck

The little smashed Korea truck.

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Body – Power

Wingman

10 minutes active stretching,

5 minutes jumping rope

AMRAP in 10 Minutes

20 PVC Pipe Thrusters

10 Box Jumps

200m run

Flight Leads/Instructors

AMRAP in 15 Minutes

50 Jump Ropes

20 65lb Thrusters

10 24” Box Jumps

10 10lb Ball Slams

400m run

Weapons Instructor Course

AMRAP in 15 Minutes

100 Double Unders

20 95lb Thrusters

15 36” Box Jumps

10 25lb Ball Slams

400m run

Leg Day (photo by She Muscle

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Recipe of the Day 

Steak with Red Wine Sauce and Mushrooms

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

12 ounces assorted mushrooms, torn or cut into large pieces

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1 1 1/2-pound Top Sirloin, trimmed, pounded to 1/2″ thickness

Coarsely cracked black pepper

3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed

1 6″ sprig rosemary

1 cup dry red wine

3/4 cup low-salt chicken stock

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium heat. Season steak with salt and cracked pepper. Add steak, garlic, and rosemary to skillet. Cook about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest while preparing sauce.

Discard garlic and rosemary from skillet. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add wine; cook, stirring up bits, until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Strain; return liquid to skillet. Stir in stock; bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in mushrooms and 1 tablespoon tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon mushroom mixture onto plates. Thinly slice steak; serve over mushrooms. Garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon tarragon.

Per serving: 512 Calories, 41 grams fat, 4 grams carbohydrate

Modified from Epicurious.

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Spirit – Mathew 5:37 “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

I have to catch myself on this often.  I was talking to a friend the other day about the “Maybe” response. In reality we use it all to often when we don’t have the courage to say no.  Fill in the blank, “Dad can we go do ______?” Maybe really means no.  So here is to throwing down and making a decision.  Fighter pilots like to say any decision is usually better than none at all.

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© 2013 by MackNBee Inc and LIKEAFIGHTERPILOT. All rights reserved.

Not all photos are original, but credit is given where possible.

11 February – The T-Bolts

Tags

cooking, cross fit, exercise, fighter pilots, food, health, spiritual, T-Bolts

T-Bolts

 

Mind – Squadrons are the most fundamental unit of the United States Air Force. A squadron is the foundation upon which all other larger operations are formed. Oddly enough, all squadrons have personalities, and I thought it would be fun to briefly describe some of the squadrons that I have been in.  The 389th Fighter Squadron, known as the T-Bolts, was my first combat unit. Although no longer an F-16 unit, it is still operational as part of the 366th Fighter Wing, known as the Gunfighters. When I was part of the T-Bolts we were Wild Weasels, a moniker used because of the squadron’s mission, a mission still carried on today and dates back to the original Wild Weasels that flew a variety of aircraft starting with F-100s, and moved through F-105s, F-4s, and finally F-16s. The Wild Weasel’s suppress or kill enemy air defense systems. In other words, they hunt the enemy shooters. Being part of the T-Bolts was a phenomenal experience because the Gunfighters had just formed into a composite wing. A composite wing included each kind of aircraft that was needed to conduct large-scale autonomous air operations; we had F-15C’s for Air Superiority, F-15E’s for interdiction, B-1Bs for long-range strike, KC-135s for air refueling, F-16 CJs for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, and EA-6Bs attached for Electronic Warfare. It was a sight to behold, and when the Gunfighters landed, the location was referred to as MOTOWN because of our two letter tail flash identifiers… MO. The wing was one of the best trained in the USAF, and by far one of the most lethal I have ever been in. Unlike other wings that only got to train with such a wide variety of aircraft about once a quarter, we trained with our sister squadrons in large force strike packages everyday. Because of that level of training, Mountain Home was a hard team to beat, and the Gun Fighters regularly kicked some serious ass when we deployed to Red Flag or for real world operations. The T-Bolts were led by LtCol. Mike “Haze” Hazenfield, one of the best commanders I ever had. His attention to detail and care for “his guys” was unlike I have ever seen.  BA Andrews was my DO, check out his story. The T-Bolts were also home to my best buds “Poacher” and “Homer” which you have heard about previously. “Haze” taught me what it means to take care of your people, something we can all apply.

Col BA Andrews – after returning as a POW

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Body – Strength

Wingman

10 Minutes Stretching

 3 rounds of

20 Air Squats Demo

20 Mountain Climbers Demo

20 Push Ups Demo

Flight Leads

25x Situps

8-10 Reps of

45lb Barbell Clean and Press

45lb Barbell Curls

5lb Dumbbell Lat Raises

5lb Dumbbell Curls

45lb Barbell Upright Rows

45lb Barbell Push Presses

5lb Seated Dumbbell Curls

45lb Narrow Grip Bench

45lb Barbell Wrist Curls on Bench

45lb Barbell Reverse Curls

Instructors

3 Sets of 8-10 Reps ,  weight as desired

Barbell Clean and Press

Barbell Curls

Dumbbell Lat Raises

Dumbbell Curls

Barbell Upright Rows

Barbell Push Presses

Seated Dumbbell Curls

Narrow Grip Bench

Barbell Wrist Curls on Bench

Barbell Reverse Curls

Upright Rows

Weapons Instructor Course

5 Sets of 8-10 Reps ,  superset, weight as desired

Barbell Clean and Press

Barbell Curls

Dumbbell Lat Raises

Dumbbell Curls

Barbell Upright Rows

Barbell Push Presses

Seated Dumbbell Curls

Narrow Grip Bench

Barbell Wrist Curls on Bench

Barbell Reverse Curls

Kettlebell Swings

Tough Mudder …Get Ready

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Recipe of the Day

Sriracha Fried Rice

 

Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main entree

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

5 or 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps finely chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

3 cups cold leftover rice

3 tablespoons Sriracha

3 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Freshly ground black or white pepper to taste

1. Break up the cold cooked rice into smaller clumps.

2. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and cook for about 30 seconds, until just aromatic. And the mushrooms and stir-fry for about 1 minute.

3. Toss in the rice and break up any remaining clumps with a spatula. Add the peas. Continue to stir-fry until the rice starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add pepper to taste.

4. Optional: In a separate pan, fry an egg to top off the fried rice. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the egg if you’d like.

5. Transfer the rice to bowls, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.

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Spirit – Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

9 February – Mustaches

Tags

cooking, cross fit, fighter pilots, food, health, mustache, spiritual, traditions

Mind – Some would say it is way to early to talk about mustache March, but tradition week can’t pass without covering this particularly hairy topic. Growing outrageous mustaches during the month of march, or any combat deployment, drives wives, commanders, Chiefs, General’s, and for that matter most of the fighter pilots growing the wooly caterpillars, crazy. But actually that’s the point. I am sure some old timers are going to chime in with earlier antics of fighter pilots growing these beasts, but Robin Olds is the guy that put this tradition on the scope of disapproving brass. In his memoir Fighter Pilot, Olds describes an encounter with the Air Force Chief of Staff, General John P. McConnell.  It was immediately after Old’s return from Korea leading the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in combat. “I dropped my salute as the boss walked toward me. He gave up on lighting the cigarette. With it dangling from the side of his mouth and Kleenex billowing from his nose, the general pointed a forefinger under my nose and said, ‘Take it off!’ Just like that. He obviously meant my rather flamboyant mustache, which I knew somehow had outgrown all semblance of air force propriety. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t all that fond of the damned thing by then, but it had become a symbol for the men in the 8th Wing.” These things drive everyone nuts. I remember my first mustache after deploying, it was fiery red, and WAY over the limits. It was enough to make my one and a half year old daughter Elizabeth burst into tears when I hopped out of my jet and pulled of my helmet and mask. I think my wife Lisa was a little scared too. The only guy worse was my partner in crime “Poacher” who not only sprouted enough facial hair to shame his Viking ancestors, but he also was working on the Poacher pompadour, a hairstyle with enough volume as to drive a life support helmet resizing. Our antics brought the same kind of response from our commander “Bees”, as Old’s got from the CSAF, it also bought Poacher an exile tour to the OSS scheduling shop. So why do fighter pilots continue with this tradition of flaunting the rules? Many think its because fighter pilots are a bunch of undisciplined jet jocks who don’t think the rules apply to us. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Fighter pilots are some of the most disciplined, well trained, and hard working warriors on the planet. And flying combat aircraft has lots of rules, and we adhere to them with zero tolerance for breaking them, because our rules are written with the blood of our brothers. Many criticize and ask how we don’t place ourselves on slippery slopes for flaunting some of the rules. I think the answer is simple, we don’t come up with bullshit rules, we do what’s right, we do what works, we listen to critique and change if we need to.

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Body – Active Rest Day

Wingman/Flight Leads/Instructors/Weapons Instructor Course

Hit some baseballs, golf driving  range, skeet range, or indoor race track.

 

Recipe of the Day 

Date Night Out – You need to earn points for Valentines day, and at every opportunity leading up to Mustache March

Jalapeno Popcorn

1: Fill Red Solo Cup 1/3 – 1/2 full of oil.

2: Add oil to kettle with 2-3 kernels.

3: When kernels pop the oil is hot enough for the peppers. Add 1/2-3/4 full Red Solo Cup  of drained pickled jalapenos, more or less based on your taste. Salt to taste, about 1 tsp.

4: Let simmer 5-10 min with the stirrer going, until the jalapenos are JUST now brown. Do not over cook.

5: Add full Solo cup of korn.

6: Dump when the popping is almost done.

7: Add  “MORE SALT!” and cayenne pepper/pepper as desired.

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Spirit – Luke 12:25-27 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

5 February – Strapping In

Tags

fighter pilots, Fitness, food, health, spirit, Yoga

Mind – Yesterday we were discussing the importance of traditions, today we continue with a tradition that goes a lot farther to ensuring your butt makes it back in one piece than anything else. When pilots climb into the cockpit and hop into the ejection seat, you can count on the fact that following up the ladder is the crew chief. The crew dawgs perch themselves on the canopy rail while the pilots stow their gear and flip a myriad of switches. They do this to back their pilot up. The lap belt and g-suit hose all get connected and the chief snaps the shoulder harnesses into place. The order and sequence varies by pilot, but you can bet every crew chief knows his pilot’s routine. One thing that never changes though, before the chief hops down the ladder he and the pilot shake hands. Without any words being spoken the pilot is saying, “I will do my best to bring your jet back in one piece” and the chief is saying, “I have made sure this jet is perfect and ready for combat!” This bond is hard to describe in words. Once the canopy closes and the pilot brings to life this mechanical beast that rumbles and smells of jet fuel and oil, the crew chief is the last person the pilot had human contact with before returning safely to base. This relationship is built on trust and mutual respect. Relationships are the key to life. If there is one thing that we could all do better is to cherish relationships, foster them, create them, build upon them. These are worthy traditions.

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Body – Mobility and Flexibility

Wingman/Flight Leads/Instructors

Yoga

Weapons Instructor Course

Bikram hot yoga

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Recipe of the Day 

Spicy Italian and White Bean Stew

Chorizo and White Bean Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo or Italian sausage links

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 sprig thyme

2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)

Smoked paprika (optional)

 

Ingredient info: Smoked paprika can be found at most supermarkets.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook, crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Slice chorizo and fold into stew; add water to thin, if desired. Divide stew among bowls; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Bon Appétit

February 2013

by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

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Spirit – Anonymous “Don’t wait for the right person to come into your life.  Rather, be the right person to come to someone’s life.”

4 February – Shoulders of Giants

Tags

body, cooking, fighter pilot traditions, Fitness, health, mind, spirit

Nickel on the Grass

Mind – This week I am going to talk about traditions and their importance. Traditions remind us of the spirit, courage, and character of those that have gone before us. Traditions remind us to live up to standards of excellence, built so that we can stand on the shoulders of giants like Billy Mitchell, “Hap” Arnold, “Tooey” Spaatz, Frank Luke Jr., and Lance Sijan.  This week we continue to mourn the loss of one of our own, Major Luc “Gaza” Gruenther.   http://www.lucasgruenther.com/ He made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. We want to thank him and his family. Our prayers and thoughts are with them. The tradition of throwing a nickel on the grass dates back to the Korean war and is done ensure your butt returned safely from those especially hairy missions. The thinking is that if you ensure your buddies have the money to make the phone call, they won’t need it. “So here’s a nickel on the grass to you, my friend, and your spirit, enthusiasm, sacrifice and courage – but most of all to your friendship. Your’s is a dying breed and when you are gone, the world will be a lesser place.”

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Body – Strength

Wingman

Today I want you to learn how to bench press.  Remember to keep your feet flat, hands just outside shoulder width, wrist straight and locked, and your back against the bench.  Lower the bar in a controlled manner, then explode upwards.  When just learning, start with a 45lb bar and make sure your hands are equally positioned on the bar by using the knurled lines on the bar.  Finally, make sure to use a spotter when just starting.

3 x Sets of 8-10 Reps working up your weight so your last set you can just barely squeeze out the last rep.  Record your weight for future reference.

10 Minutes As Many Rounds as Possible
20 Pushups
10 5lb kettle bell swing Click Link for demo video
20 Situps
5 Pullups

Flight Leads/Instructors/Weapons Instructor Course

3x 100 Double Unders
3-5 Sets of 8-10 Reps

Kettle Bell Swings
Barbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Incline Press
Dumbbell Pullovers
Pullups
Seated Row
Deadlifts

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Recipe of the Day

Thai Chicken Curry

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 4-ounce can or jar yellow curry paste
3/4 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2″-thick rounds
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1″ pieces
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3), peeled, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
1 13.5-ounce or 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
Chopped fresh basil and cilantro

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, onion, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add potatoes, chicken, coconut milk, and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Divide curry among bowls and top with herbs.

Bon Appétit
January 2013
by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

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Spirit – Psalms 91:2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”