dgskydive

Sounds like the officer stood up for his troops an is taking the heat. Didn't think it would be the soldiers refusing. They would have done what they were told. As far as all over the news stuff. I try and not listen to the news to much. It is very sad everytime I turn it on. Dom

I only wish that was the case Glen. Dom

I love ya more everyday Spark! Dom

As a dealer you make a lot of calls by instinct. You can tell if a guy has been around by the questions they ask, by the answers they give. They should have asked your jump numbers, what type of canopies have you been jumping things like that to gage where you stand. No one dealer is perfect. I myself have probably sold something to someone that wasn't qualified for it. We are all human, we may not ask all the right questions that day. Or our radar might be jammed up. That is why I am against any type of black list or things of that nature. I can honestly say that we always try our best to find out if the gear you want is the gear that is suited for you, but shit happens from time to time. Now the dealer in question in this thread, had all the right info and still choose to sell this his future pain and suffering. To me it shows a complete lack of respect for human life and our sport and the image that it gets when a D.G.I.T goes in. The only way we can be 100% sure would be to have some sort of license for different canopy sizes and wingloadings. Customer- "Hey, I really want a Stiletto 107!" Dealer- "Sure. Send me a copy of your canopy rating card from the USPA and I will be happy to send you that canopy if you are so rated for it." Ahh, a perfect world. Wouldn't that be nice. Dom

It's not as easy as just driving a truck. There all kinds of certifications they have to get. Takes time and money to train them. Much cheaper to call up a guy that has all the requirments and experiance. They may also be short in a certain rank. They mayhave enough drivers, but not enough NCO's to lead them. Many reasons why they would call a guy like him back into service. I am glad they did away with my MOS (actually combined it with another). I did have fears of them trying to call me back as well. I wouldn't be surprised if one day this thing has drug on long enough they try and call up more people that have skills they need. There has to be more to that story then is being told. Soldiers don't have the luxury of refusing to do anything, unless it is an unlawful order. FOr the record, I bet that being a POL driver over there is one of the most dangerous jobs they have do get done. Can you imagine being at a POL site with thousands of gallons of fuel around you and knowing at any time some yahoo can drive up with a car bomb? Dom

Yes they can. When we went to the first Gulf War we had a guy that was 2 months away from retirement. They slapped a stop loss on him. He went with us to Saudi. A few months later they decided they didn't need his MOS that bad. They let him go home. He had a heart attack on the flight home from Saudi and died on the plane! WE also had a guy from our unit that got out about 2 months before the invasion of Kuwait. After I was over there and one my way home, I ran into him over there. They had called him back and he had been there just as long as I had. He only had 6 months left on his service requirment when they called him back. Even failed a drug test before they called him back. Dom

Bush didn't do this to this guy. You guys are going to try and pin anything on him. This is either a very bad mix up , or some obscure clause in the enlistment papers that all the Military signs when we join up. Ridiculous to blame the President for something like this. Did Bush make up the enlistment contracts that people sign when they join the Military? I bet it is a mistake made by some clerk when they typed in his date of enlistment, or they typed in the wrong date on his release from inactive duty. You guys are grasping at straws here. Dom

It's not a draft. THere is an 8 year obligation fro everyone that ever joined the Military. Meaning if you sign up for 4 years and then get out. You still owe them for the next 4 years if they call you up. I am willing to bet that there is a clause in there somewhere that states they can call you back even after your 8 years are done, if your skills are needed for national security reasons. I am guessing here. Him being a POL driver, makes him very attractive to the Military. Not agreeing with what they are trying to do to him, but it is not a draft. This is a very different situation. Dom

That is a whole different topic. For the record. The guy with the 107 was here with one of his senior instructors from his home DZ. I spent an entire night bowling with them and took every chance I had to tell them both what I thought of the situation. I think the word that Hooknswoop uses is Apathy. I gave this guy shit for over a week. He asked me who was a good packer that he could use. I told him they are all very good. So good that they won't pack you rig because it is so dangerous. Dom

I just need to becareful what I say Andy. It sucks. For me to blast a dealer by name in public could get me in trouble in more ways then one. Dave you sick or something? Dom

Very frustrating! The day that I quite SQ1, I am going to write a tell all book and name bad dealers in it and tell horror stories from actual customers of this person. I bet it would sell pretty good. Dom

I am not for the black listing thing. I think it would hurt good people that just got the wool puled over their eyes. This dealer is well known and has been around for years. The thing is that many jumpers I have talked to know the way the guy is and still buys from him. You don't need to think tohard about who it is, if you have been around for any length of time. To be honest, most manufactures know about this person. They still allow him to be a dealer. I don't know if PD knows for sure. If it was as easy as a phone call to stop him, believe me I would have done it way before now. It's just to easy for the dealer to say "Hey, I didn't say that. Not in a million years would I say that." This same dealer sold a Stilletto to a friend of mine a year ago that he said was new. The thing had like 200 jumps on it when she got it. You could tell it was a used canopy without a doubt. SHe sent it back to this person. I few weeks later a friend of hers bought a "NEW" Stiletto from the same deale. He sent her the canopy he had already sent to my other friend. SHe had put 10 or so jumps on it before she sent it back. What a fucker! Dom

I hate dealers that don't give a shit! I hate dealers that would rather make a buck then worry about someone getting hurt. I don't want to say names but, I just had a guy with 60 jumps call me and was shocked to find out that a wing loading of 1.8 on a fully elliptical canopy was not the smartest thing for him to do at this point in his progression. The dealer in question told him he would be ok as long as he wasn't a shit bag! WTF!?!? This same dealer also sold a 107 Stilletto to a jumper with less then 100 jumps that is loaded at over 2.0. On top of that the container the guy has is made for a 190 and he is putting the 107 into it because he was told it would be easier to close the container!!!!!! I don't usually bad talk other dealers to customers. I had to with this guy. I can't believe a person can stay in business for over 20 years and still do shit like that?!?!?! I go out of my mind when I see or hear stuff like this!!!!!!!!!!!! WE need a mad face with smoke coming out of it ears iicon on here! Dom

Free Moose! Do you make them stand up against a cliff so it pushes back? Dom

Hey man don't knock my sluttiness. It's taken me 33 years to work up to that level of sluttiness. One day grasshopper you to can be a high ranking slut. It just takes time and practice. For the record. Humping Moose in the woods doesn't count eh! Dom

Checking it right now, EH. Dom

Wouldn't you have to become a man first? I don't think Canadian he-she boys count. Dom

Go through a third party. Send it to a rigger at the dropzone that guys jumps at. Have the rigger take money and give the rig. Works for a lot of people. Dom

You as well. Glad to read these updates. Things sound better. I am glad for you! Mom's are hard to come by ya know? THey are special people for sure. All the shit we give them ads kids and they still love us. All mom's should get medals and no taxes! Dom

Yes you did explain it better. Thanks Since when did wanting an education that you or your parents couldn't afford become selfish? Sounds like someone trying to better them selves. AS far as people trying to run for Canada. They are pussies. They knew the risks when they joined. IT is selfish of them at that point to run away. NOw someone else may die in ther place if that was what was going to happen. I joined for the college. I was told by my recuiter "We don't forsee any major conflicts within the next 7-10 years, you are only joining for 4." Before the first 2 years was up I was shot at over 15 times at least and served in a war. I could a run and went AWOL. I knew a few guys that did. I didn't because woudl have been slefish and got me thrown in jail. QuoteThis is the attitude that pisses me off. Again, I appreciate those who serve. But to think that you are the be all and end all of the protection of American freedom is arrogant, condescending, and wrong.Quote Hey without an Army, Navy, Airforce and Marine force, you wouldn't be stting there now saying how pissed you are about my additude. Or better yet you may have been drafted into service and got your ass shot off. OR better yet let's not have an Army and see what happens. Maybe then you will realize how has payed for your freedom since the beggining of our country. I also belive that service members that earned an honorable discharge shoudn't have to pay taxes ever again. They should be given a free home when they exit the military and free medical and dental for the rest for the rest for the rest of there lives. We shoudln't have to wait around in lines anywhere for anything and get to smack people in the mouth that disagree with our thoughts and feelings on War. Dom

Are you actually questioning his reasons for joining the military? TO say anyone joins the Military for selfish reasons is....... well it shows lack of understanding of wha the military is ans what people do in it. To join the Military is one of the most UNSELFISH things an American can do. There are all kinds of reasons to join, but potentially laying your life down for your country is not a selfish act. Protecting you right and the right of others to say what they want is not selfish. In fact it gets thrown back in the face of many service members. So we have reason to talk louder about our opinions and the way we see things, sure. We are the ones that help insure your rights to say and do what you want. Freedom ain't free and we paid the price for you and everyone else that doesn't do anything but talk. Military members that travel around the world have a better grasp on what really goes on in the world anyway. Stupid news reports what they want to and the truth sits with the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen that are in the shit seeing for real what goes on everyday in the world. Dom

Shot in the dark! AT least I tried. Dom

Is that what that is? Dom

Althorp House in Northamptonshire the place of Princess Diana's memorial? Dom

In my experience the ones without the jobs spend more time "Sooooo fucking wasted" then not. Hmmm, maybe there is a connection there..... Me I only get "so fucking wasted" when I don't have to work the next day. I need to have more days off. Dom