Federation Commander

I removed the reference to Photobucket and just left the generic comment (image hosting service). Good catch.

Indeed, good catch.

For those who don't know, PhotoBucket devolved over the last few years. Their actual website became more and more clouded in ads (including virus-laden ones), eventually slowing to an unusable crawl.

Their most-recent bit of jerk behavior is to restrict "third party linking", which means using their site to host images elsewhere, such as pictures and signature line pictures here, was turned off. Considering that is pretty much the main reason anyone uses their site anymore, they must be in their death-throes.

So, yes, Imgur seems to be the new recommendation. I am using it now and signup and setup are a snap. Moving all your albums out of PhotoBucket, not so much.

Yes, that Photobucket change was a pain. I've got all my Fed Comm pics updated here, now have to find other forums that need updated!

I went with PostImage.org for my new host. Very similar to how Photobucket worked. I tried Imgur and Flickr, but found them too fussy and annoying!

By the way, is there a key to what your different ribbons mean?

Yes, the explanation image is HERE.

There is a link to it at the top of the Wall of Honor page, but it's easy to miss.

Thanks for that link, Will.

The reason I was asking was I had been checking for an updated pic of my ribbons after the Photobucket debacle. I notice the 2425 ribbon I earned has a silver? or grey central square compared to my 2400 ribbons, and was wondering if it is just because the 2425 range I commented on has a slightly different ribbon or something else?

Mark

Test post ... I finally got around to making an image of my ribbon rack.

Tell me if I got these right

Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal (2)
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal (2)
Army Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (6, one for valor)
Air Force Good Conduct Award (eight)
National Defense Service Ribbon
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terror Expedtionary Medal
Global War on Terror Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Short Tour (2)
Air Force Longevity Medal (6)
Air Force NCO Professional Development (3)
Air Force Training Ribbon

You missed the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (3).

It's kind of weird that I have nine unit awards but only seven duty stations and three deployments.

My first assignment, which lasted two years, we were a subordinate unit that received the AFOUW ending the first year I was there. My unit then picked up another AFOUW for the following three-year period, which covered my second year there.

The "V" device was for Detachment Seven, Fifth Weather Squadron, located at Fort Ord. We deployed to Panama during Operation Just Cause, and Squadron put us in from the Presidential Unit Citation. However, because the entire unit did not go down, we didn't qualify for the PUC, and thus it was down-graded. We were told that we were the first unit since Viet Nam and the smallest unit ever (to that time) to received the AFOUW-V. That award covered a two-week period during and immediately after the Operation.

A few months later, Fifth Weather Squadron "and subordinate units" received the AFOUW for a three-year period. There was a big question as to weather or not Detachment Seven had to be excluded due to our "V" award. In the end, a four-star at HQ-USAF decided to let us have both.

The AFOEA was awarded to both units I deployed to over in the sand-box (1998 & 2004), plus the one I was stationed at in Korea (2001), if I remember right.