I'm amazed this thing still has legs....
So....
1) There are a handful of squads out there that historically are known for both the quality of the individual sticks and the tendency to fly in a group. I've been a member of two such squads before I joined 71 SQD. I know that just like "lays potato chips" I'm rarely going to get just one. I much prefer the squads that "muck it up" vs those that "fly smart" {read high energy blow & go, rinse and repeat}. Personally I find groups like The Few, Muppets, 80th, AK's and others to be great fun to fly against...
2) I think the Fews SDL achievements speak for themselves, talk is cheap so I see no need to posture.
3) Anytime you get guys that are competitive and feel that they got swooped you tend to get hard feelings, anyone who knows me or flies around me even a bit realizes that I almost always work hard to keep guys out of a good fight. i'd rather lose a good fight then "win" a bad one.
4) One of the fundamental differences (not right, wrong, good or bad) between 71 SQD and the other "elite" groups is that we do not emphasize skill set, look for "hot sticks" or even have a formal squad night. We are collectively (in the "opinion of many") a bunch of great guys, not a bunch of great sticks. While many squads have to constantly "recruit" talent we find ourselves constantly looking to slow down so we can maintain a sense of "who we are".
Occasionally this means we lose quality guys like TnDep who feel the need for more or we are forced to kick guys to the curb who feel that being a "hot stick" allows them to be less then a good companion.
I've flown online since the end of Genie/beginning of AW/AOL and been here and gone more then a few times. If not for 71 SQD to fly with and groups like the few and those others above to fly against I'd have hung it up again long ago. At the end of the day who you fly against is almost as important as who you fly with. Personally I'd like to thank not only The Few but all of the other great squads who have provided both me personally and 71 SQD hours and hours of enjoyment