Bullhunter
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318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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Post by Bullhunter on Apr 18, 2009 2:56:42 GMT 9
I have two say that I have two regrets. First one was while I was at Griffiss AFB 1975. I applied to cross train into Boom-Operator on KC-135. I passed the test and the flight physical. I'd been married about 2 years and had a 1 year old baby. Wife did not like the 7 day alert force duty that came along with a SAC Aircrew job once a month. So I backed out. Had a school date and all. Then I got orders to the 318th FIS. Second regret, I was asked by the USAF to cross-train into computers. My ASVB test scores were very good. This was maybe toward the end of my tour with the 318th FIS, circa 1978. Computers back then were nothing like they are now. And they were all inside jobs. I'm an outside country boy. Hate being inside all day. And I was having way too much fun taking F-106's to the trim pad and getting rides in T-33's. So I told the USAF thanks, but no thanks. Now that would have been a great oppertunity and I passed on it.  Right after that the USAF sent me to Sembach Air base, West Germany. Payback or what?  I always have wondered what whould have happened if I would have taken one of those cross-traing positions. Who else has a regret? |
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Post by Jeff Shannon on Apr 18, 2009 5:48:11 GMT 9
I know I have a couple, but the one which stands out in my mind the most was the move to Luke AFB from Griffiss. At one time I was stationed at Hancock Field, 40 miles down the road at Syracuse, NY we only had 3 T-33's and I was the only Egress guy there. They came and closed us down and moved 90% of us to Griffiss (with the per diem rate a the time I got a whopping $40.00 in travel pay) which wasn't to bad, T-33's and F106's. However the USAF in its great wisdom decided to move me to Luke (airplane patch) in 1981. I had forgotten it was one my base of preference sheet. I tried to stay at Griffiss but the powers that be said "NO" I tried several times to go back but by 87 the F-106's were on their way out, I just knew it wouldn't be the same on the SAC side of the house so I ended up staying at Luke. Now I had to volunteer for a special duty assignment to go to Misawa Japan just to leave Luke, and they sent me right back when my time was up. So I volunteered to go into recruiting and spent 4 years in it and they sent me back to Luke. I had to retire just to get away from Luke! So my one regret is leaving Griffiss, the people, area, base were all great. the camaraderie was fantastic, you felt like you were really part of something. Luke and my other assignments were okay however the units were so big you just became another number, :  , :  , I never felt the closeness like I did at Griffiss and the 49th FIS! |
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Post by Cougar on Apr 18, 2009 6:13:02 GMT 9
Now I had to volunteer for a special duty assignment to go to Misawa Japan just to leave Luke, and they sent me right back when my time was up. So I volunteered to go into recruiting and spent 4 years in it and they sent me back to Luke. I had to retire just to get away from Luke! Only spent a couple of weeks at Luke, and it was a hell hole. The flight-line was like a blast furnace, over 120 degrees; our accommodations were close to the flight-line, which made for lousy sleeping; not to mention all night M-61 bore-sighting sessions, which didn’t help the sleep situation either.  |
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Post by jesup on Apr 18, 2009 7:49:58 GMT 9
I have many regrets and the biggest is not staying in for 20. I could have done less hunting and fishing and used my time more wisely. I played in a band around the mohawk area and that was wasted time. I was in the 465th, 606th, and the 49th from 56until 59. Griffiss had to be the best duty in the air force. I had a ball. Bill Price :patriotic-flagwaver
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Post by Jeff Shannon on Apr 18, 2009 8:18:00 GMT 9
Now I had to volunteer for a special duty assignment to go to Misawa Japan just to leave Luke, and they sent me right back when my time was up. So I volunteered to go into recruiting and spent 4 years in it and they sent me back to Luke. I had to retire just to get away from Luke! Only spent a couple of weeks at Luke, and it was a hell hole. The flight-line was like a blast furnace, over 120 degrees; our accommodations were close to the flight-line, which made for lousy sleeping; not to mention all night M-61 bore-sighting sessions, which didn’t help the sleep situation eather. Your right Cougar the flight line was a blast furnace, we use to take 2 water jugs with us, one to drink from and one we would put on the stand. We would grab the tools out of the tool box and throw them in the water before we could use them some times you could hear the "hiss" as they hit the water. we wore gloves with the fingers cut out. I don't miss that at all! |
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Post by pat perry on Apr 18, 2009 8:45:52 GMT 9
The only regrets I have were the day I went in and the day I went out. Sounds kind of like the happiest two days of a boat owners life!  Seriously, there was something special about being in a F-106 outfit that I never really experienced in the assignments I had in Okinawa, Vietnam and Thailand. There were great folks in every location but the 456th was by far my favorite. Maybe because I was a newbie and Castle AFB was my first PCS assignment. Maybe it was because there were so few F-106s compared to all the other aircraft in the USAF. But we were always tenants on SAC bases and they spent a lot of energy reminding us that were were low on the totem pole of respect. I think that pulled us together. Plus we had some damn good fighter pilot CO's in most cases and they usually did what they wanted to and to heck with the SAC boys. Give me a fighter squadron any time! Pat P. :us_flag |
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biendhoa
F-106 Expert
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Post by biendhoa on Apr 18, 2009 10:35:58 GMT 9
8-)The only regret i had in the 25 yrs i spent in the USAF was getting stuck in ADC from aug of 1959 until june 1963 "vietnam " for a year. June 1964 got stuck right back in ADC,until dec 1968.The sad part of it all was I was at Tyndall all that time.I did go tdy with the 48th to korea in the summer of 68 for 6 months,that was ok had a good time with the 48th troops.I can also pat my self on the back in saying no one knew the 106B better than me,mechanical accessories systems that is. : |
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Post by lugnuts55 on Apr 19, 2009 23:16:07 GMT 9
I loved my time in the AF (like most of you) but if I had one regret, it would be that I had to leave the 106 to have all the other experiences I had. I got everything out of my enlistment that I wanted, and more. I liked the F-4 and Thailand and the UK but, as someone already said, there wasn't the comraderie like there was in ADC. There was comraderie, but not like in a 106 unit. I can't put my finger on one specific thing, either. Maybe it just came at the right time in my life.
I also wish I could have made it to 20 but it wasn't meant to be. My wife got sick and I had to leave at 17 years. Not a regret because we do what we have to do. But I would like to have made it to 20.
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Post by jimpadgett on May 16, 2009 22:36:11 GMT 9
My only regrets were being assigned to MAC. C-130s at Pope 83-85 and C-5s at Dover 79-81. Aluminum clouds were not for me. Loved ADC, even did not mind too much when TAC took over air defense. AWACS E-3A 81-83 was OK because it was remote with an ADC squadron nearby. But MAC ugh! jim
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Post by daoleguy A.J. Hoehn (deceased) on May 17, 2009 1:19:36 GMT 9
My only reget was getting out at 12, but as it was my Ex created the issue. She got involved in ripping the BX off with her girlfriends which reflected on me directly. I was exonerated (still had to pay BX reparation) and she turned government witness. Then a co-conspirator torched our base housing, a pain to prove, but did it. Easy assumption, my career was done. I was clean, but we all know how a dependent can ruin that.
I've never realy talked about this before, a bit ashamed I got stuck in it. I fairde better than other husbands knowing of the scam. I just shrugged and got out knowing I was done, innocent or not. A SMSgt hubby was forced out with no retirement, and others got similiar results. One jail. Leaving the USAF was the hardest thing I have ever done.
AJ
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Bullhunter
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318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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Post by Bullhunter on May 17, 2009 2:28:38 GMT 9
AJ, I know that is hard to share and touches on old memories. One chapter in my book deals with my ex-wife at Sembach Air Base, West Germany. She got into lots of things with the wrong people. she abandoned me and our two children (daughter14 months, son 5 years), along with adultry, drugs, and the USAF finely deported her. I ended up putting her boyfriend in the base emergancy room. Its a long story but he was a two striper and me a TSgt. After I punched him in the mouth he fell down. He then said, "your introuble now I made Sgt yesterday and you hit an NCO!" His smart ass remarks pissed me off even more so I said, "well $hit then I'm going to make this worth my while!" I went at him punching him all over as he tucked into a ball in the snow , and some of the snow had red blood in it. It took 2 Germans and my ex-wife to seperate us and the Germans kept saying "stop save it for the Russians." The main reason I was in such a rage is that my son had told me about drugs that this dude brough into my house while I was TDY. My commander many times threatened me with court martial. He'd find me on the flightline working and harass me about it and finely one day I told him to get on with it as I had enough and I was contacting my Dad after I got off work and he would contact his friend (really a distant cousian) who was a PA State Legistator who then would be contacting my congressman and senator on our families behave. I reminded my CO that I had reported these activities my son told me to him and the OSI and nothing had been do to this dude. To cut this short my Dad a week later contacted me and told me that our congressman reported that he contacted the commander and if I was charged with anything then the CO would be next and he would do what he could to block his future promotions. I believe it as the CO never mentioned it to me again. THe CO got his revenge as he ordered my reporting offical to give me a bad performance report. I later got that removed from my records with the help of my reporting offical, several supervisors, and a pilot (Major) that I went TDY with several times. All my previous performance reports were outstanding and this was a drastic change. It still was a fight that lasted about two years to get removed. For the full story and details you will have to read my book. Plug, plug, plug,  BTW,,,I don't regret putting that little SOB in the emergancy room for stitches.  |
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Post by daoleguy A.J. Hoehn (deceased) on May 17, 2009 2:54:01 GMT 9
I hear ya Gary. Dependents can kill you and the USAF. One kicker that really hurts was when this came down I had been selected Squadron NCO of the Month and year. I also was selected Base NCO of the Year, but that was reduced to runner-up. Can't have a felon's old man win that. The only savior I had was a 33 year CMSGT that had faith in me. Honestly that part realy broke my heart as I left the USAF the following year. That drive out the gate killed me. I have no idea where my ex is and really don't care.
AJ
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Bullhunter
Global Moderator
318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
Currently: Offline
Posts: 7,441
Location:
Joined: May 2005
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Post by Bullhunter on May 18, 2009 13:51:34 GMT 9
That is a fact, seen it happen to several good troops.
"A worthy whife is her husband's joy and crown; the other kind corrodes his strength and tears down everything he does" Proverbs 12:4 (The Living Bible-Pararphrased)
What more can be said?
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, :
, I never felt the closeness like I did at Griffiss and the 49th FIS!
