Late For Changeover

S3E16 Army BG (Ret) Chris Petty, Part 4

This is part 4 of my interview with General Petty.  We discuss his time as a NATO Commander in Bosnia.  In 2015, he was moved to his next assignment at the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, VA as Special Assistant to the Director.  After only a year at the National Guard Bureau, he took an assignment at the Pentagon as the Deputy Director of Operations for the DAMO-OD (Dept of the Army Management Office-Operations and Contingency Plans Division) on the Regular Army Staff.  His next assignment was to USNorthcom at Peterson AFB, CO as the  Deputy Director of Operations.  General Petty retired in 2018.

Don’t Thank Me—Just Give Me a Spaceplane (Nov 15 23)

This week on Late For Changeover, we dig into the Battle of Ia Drang—the 1965 clash that put air cavalry on the map and taught everyone that helicopters make terrible getaway vehicles. Then we fast-forward to the future, where Lockheed Martin just got handed $33.7 million to cook up a nuclear-powered spacecraft. Somewhere, a space force podcast host just fainted with joy.

Also on deck: the mysterious X-37B space plane is heading back to orbit (probably to do top-secret alien stuff), the B-21 Raider flexes its stealth in a historic first flight, and the VA finally rolls out free healthcare for WWII veterans—only took 80 years, but who’s counting? Oh, and we also explore why most service members would rather be hit by indirect fire than hear, “Thank you for your service.” It’s News for Vets with a side of orbital weirdness, just how you like it.

10,000 Flight Hours & No Crash? Witchcraft. (Nov 8 23)

This week on Late For Changeover, we salute the life and orbital legacy of Adm. Ken Mattingly—Apollo legend, space pioneer, and the kind of guy who actually did what every astronaut podcast dreams about. Then we shift from space to stupidity with some of the best prank stories this side of a barracks latrine (spoiler: one involves duct tape and a colonel’s coffee mug).

Meanwhile, the Air Force casually hands Lockheed a cool $1 billion to soup up its next-gen ICBM reentry vehicle, SOCOM might get a shiny new pew-pew, a Lt. Col hits 10,000 flying hours without spontaneously combusting, and the Army drops last-minute recruiting orders like it’s giving away concert tickets—except, you know, it’s your life. From Space Force news to classic News for Vets, this episode is a full-spectrum force of mayhem and nostalgia.

Space War Paint & the Military Movie Deathmatch (Nov 2 23)

This week on Late For Changeover, we kick things off with a bang—literally—as we look back at the deadly 1968 explosion aboard the USS Westchester County. Then we launch into the stars (and maybe into war?) with a brand-new Space Force painting that gives us a not-so-subtle peek into future space warfare. Add in the Air Force’s new all-electric plane (cue jokes about plugging it in at a flightline outlet), and we've got lift-off.

But wait—there’s more dysfunction to go around. The Air Force and Space Force just raised the max age for active-duty recruits (because apparently we’re all still young at heart), the National Guard hasn’t paid thousands in promised enlistment bonuses (surprised?), and Guard and Reserve troops are getting ghosted on disability claims. We close it all out with the Military Movie Showdown Game, where we battle-test the most iconic military films for glory and probable factual inaccuracy. If you’re into Space Force news, furious footnotes, or News for Vets with a side of snark, you’re in the right AO.

Starlink, Space Spas & the World’s Toughest Marine Mom (Oct 25 23)

This week on Late For Changeover, we honor the 40th anniversary of the Beirut bombing that took 241 American service members—a sobering reminder of the cost of service and the power of remembrance. Then, in true military fashion, we launch into the chaos: SpaceX news as they sling 23 Starlink satellites into orbit in one day (because 22 just wouldn’t cut it), and Space Force unveils its plan to call in commercial backup during a crisis—Uber, but for orbital warfare.

But wait, there's more: The Air Force’s only active-duty tugboat gets its time in the spotlight (cue the Top Gun theme on a foghorn), and we break down the “space spa” restroom aboard high-altitude balloon flights for tourists who want to pee with a view. Oh—and a Marine mom is running one hundred 100-mile ultra races because clearly, sleep is optional. If you're looking for space podcasts with a tactical edge and News for Vets with a side of disbelief, this episode hits escape velocity.

Buddy Checks, Boot Lies & the Rise of the Space Ranger (Oct 18 23)

Custer’s Ghost, Starshield & the Great Astronaut Quiz Debacle (Oct 11 23)

This week on Late For Changeover, we dig up the ghost of LTC Custer and his awkward posthumous cameo at West Point—because nothing says "legacy" like getting re-buried by committee. Then it's time to update your space playbook: Space Force officially takes over the JTAGS mission from the Army, because nothing says “modern warfare” like tracking missiles from orbit while drinking high-altitude coffee. Oh, and SpaceX scored a shiny new Starshield contract, so cue the SpaceX news klaxon.

We also break down Defender Challenge and Defender Flag 2023, where Security Forces get sweaty and competitive in ways HR probably doesn’t approve of. Plus, the Army just dropped a new MOS—42T, for all you future recruiting warriors. And finally, the crew takes an astronaut quiz and proves once and for all that we’re better at orbiting sarcasm than actual science. If you're into space podcasts, Space Force news, or News for Vets with a side of dark humor and trivia fails, this one’s mission-ready.

Space Force Drip, Army Draft Talk & the $9.7M Oopsie (Oct 4 23)

This week on Late For Changeover, we rewind to Operation Gothic Serpent—the mission behind Black Hawk Down—and unpack how it shaped modern military operations (and Hollywood's understanding of them). Meanwhile, the Space Force is handing out its first-ever Good Conduct Medal, which is probably just a silver rocket for not making memes in uniform. They're also entering the final phase of uniform testing, which means we're this close to seeing Guardians cosplay as Star Trek extras full-time.

We salute NASA’s Frank Rubio for setting a new U.S. space record, chat about Ukraine’s new database that can apparently track every single American weapon faster than the Pentagon can track anything, and break down how the VA accidentally gave $9.7 million in bonuses to the wrong execs—because of course they did. Oh, and just a heads-up: the Army’s thinking about raising a force for large-scale conflict again. So, like… maybe keep that go-bag packed. It’s News for Vets, space podcast vibes, and military madness wrapped in one glorious episode.

Service Headline News 27 Sep 2023

Today we talk about the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918, the Space Force looks to accelerate launches, America’s new approach to air warfare, the insane plan to turn C-130s into ‘glass cannons’, the Air Force Revamps ‘Zero Week’ at BMT, and the Buckley SFB idling policy for Government vehicles.
Rapid Dragon:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZLDDpIzGvg&t=55s

Service Headline News 20 Sep 2023

Today we talk about the 76th Birthday of the U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon plans to produce 100,000 artillery shells a month in 2025, US weapons headed to Ukraine at risk of theft from lax security, a German goes on drunken joyride in stolen Humvee, and we play another round of “Guess the branch-business edition”.