Ops Brief 044: Daily Drop - 12 May 2025 (Drones Get Cruise Missiles, & Roasting Cannon AFB)

Buckle up. In this flaming hot Ones Ready drop, Peaches unloads on the latest Air Force news like it’s target practice. From the Pentagon’s DEI purge to putting cruise missiles on MQ-9s (because why not?), we’re diving deep into the bureaucratic chaos of the DoD’s week. We question why the hell an OA-1K would carry a cruise missile, throw shade at “aspirational” tech projects, and get uncomfortably honest about childcare, base closures, and how many damn generals are collecting paychecks. Also, our only search and rescue dog retires, and it gets emotional. Pour one out for Callie.

Meanwhile, only four slots remain for the Operator Training Summit—12 hours in the pool, mask clearing, buddy breathing, underwater misery and mentorship with the Ones Ready crew. Don’t miss your shot to suffer with a purpose in San Diego this June.

🔥 Key Takeaways:

DEI content is out, and merit-based military academy admissions are (finally) in
The DoD’s “Golden Dome” wants to hog more spectrum—and maybe accuracy
Tricare got people out here wondering if they even have healthcare
Cruise missiles on Reapers? Okay. On OA-1Ks? LOL.
Eglen cuts childcare hours, shift workers take the hit
ACC’s new “Readiness Metrics” are... probably not operational yet
Callie the SAR dog retires after jumping out of more planes than some lieutenants
Cannon AFB slander remains undefeated.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro & Operator Training Summit slots open
02:00 – F-47 Cybersecurity: Lock it up before China does
03:00 – Golden Dome spectrum grab
04:30 – Tricare fail: Set your autopay or pay full freight
05:15 – Special Ops doctrine: AI, Indo-Pacific, small teams
06:30 – DEI purge and merit admissions policy
08:00 – Readiness Metrics: RIM is a thing now?
09:00 – MQ-9s with cruise missiles… and OA-1Ks for no reason
11:30 – Air Force One delivery might not take forever?
12:00 – Eglen childcare cuts = big problem for mil families
13:00 – Retirement of Callie the SAR dog (Respect.)
14:30 – Space Force says space is... war now?
15:30 – China’s space threat & orbital mess
16:00 – India/Pakistan ceasefire kerfuffle
16:30 – Hypersonic GPS-denied nav systems
17:30 – DoD has too many generals (surprise!)
18:00 – Base closures: Not a recruitment issue, it’s a common sense issue
19:00 – Cannon AFB roast & call to join the training summit