az09
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Post by az09 on Mar 24, 2009 6:14:38 GMT 9
Lugnuts,
Jim is right about writing your memories of the early days down in a book form. I suggest you read some other basic training accounts that some of us have posted on this site. The accounts are similar but different. Some are on the introduction pages and some on this page.
My neighbors only had 2 men in their family serve in the military up until the "nam" era. One of the brothers graduated in 1970. He was the typically built football tackle, 6'4", 250 lbs, and strong as an OX. He was declared 4F for the draft. His younger brother had some minor birth defects and was a mess in the lower limbs, knock kneed and pigeon toed and skinny as a rail. To watch him run was akin to a stork running in place. The family just knew that if "Jr" was 4F, that Gary would be 4F as well due to his documented medical problems.
Yes he too reported for the draft physical and was selected for the "Marine" draft. The military swept him up and took him to "Boot camp". Meanwhile the family was having a hissy fit. To his credit, he went through training and was a fine Marine, making it thru "Nam" and back home in fine shape. He breaks out his Dress Blues quite often to rub it in on his brother. His mom is very proud of his results even though she was a letter writing buddy with his Commanding Officers over those years.
Every guy and gal have at least one great "war story" to tell. Past them on along to the rest of us.
Welcome to the board.
Dan Murphy
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Post by pat perry on Mar 24, 2009 8:38:58 GMT 9
Lugnuts, Every guy and gal have at least one great "war story" to tell. Past them on along to the rest of us. Welcome to the board. Dan Murphy Hey Lugnuts, That's a great story you wrote. Keep on writ'in and we'll keep on read'in. One day, I'll tell the story about marching to class at Sheppard AFB on the ice and slipping and just about wiping out the whole flight. Ah, the good ole days. Pat Perry :us_flag |
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Post by dude on Mar 26, 2009 13:57:03 GMT 9
Don't know if you saw my thread on Basic Training. But being back on Lackland after 36 years for my son's graduation and going through the dormitories and seeing the same bunks, lockers, etc. brought back memories. Some good... no check that. Mostly just weird. So here's one for you.
It's towards the end of my 5th week and I'm pulling an OJT dorm guard detail where you go to another dorm and baby sit a flight of newbies. It's around 23:30 and I'm suppose to be there for 90 minutes while the newbies rotate every half hour.
So I'm posted at the door with one of the greenies and he's a wise acre. But no mind, it's only 30 minutes and he'll be gone. Then his replacement shows up and I go from Wise Acre to Big & Stupid. But Wise Acre hangs around to BS for a few more minutes. Then finally Wise Acre announces he's going to turn in. It's about 23:45 and as he's leaving he turns to Big & Stupid and says,
"Oh I almost forgot don't forget the fire drill."
"What fire drill man?".
"Don't you remember the TI said there was to be a fire drill at 24:00 and he would be downstairs timing us. If we're not all down in 30 seconds, we'll be reset."
Now I'm hearing all this and I'm basicallly telling Big & Stupid don't worry about it because it's just BS, which it was. So Wise Acre heads off to his bunk and I'm left with Big & Stupid. We're whispering as I'm giving him the benefit of all my sage advice that had been acquired over the past 5 weeks. But as I'm talking I notice Big & Stupid keeps looking up at the clock. Well about the time I'm thinking this zero isn't going to do what I think he's going to do.... he does it. Big & Stupid jumps in the doorway of the bay and yells "Fire, Fire Fire" at the top of his lungs.
Almost instantly 50 ABs jump up out of their bunks and start running for the door screaming and yelling "Fire, Fire". I'm jumping back and forth between the bays yelling "False Alarm", but no one is listening. Not to worry, the door will stop them. Unfortunatly, being the team player that he is, Big & Stupid has already thought of that and is standing there holding the door open while 50 guys go dashing down the stairs in their drawers, past the overhang, and into the street. Suddenly I look around and I'm the only one left in the dorm. Realizing that there was no place to hide and my short, but illustrious military career is likely to come to an abrupt end, I follow them down hoping that just maybe I can get them collected and back upstairs before anyone notices.
Now at this point one has to ask the question, "What squadron First Sargeant in his right mind is working at 24:00 and why does he pick now to take his wastebasket out to the dumpster?" Well the answer is our First Sargeant. As I come out the door onto the pad, the first thing I hear is the 1st Sarge, "What the h--- is going on here." and then the dreaded, "Who's the @#$*& Dorm Guard?"
Well as the troops are filing back upstairs and I'm handing over every 341 in my possession to the 1st Sarge, I make one stab at trying to explain. I don't past, "Sir" before he says, "Airman we'll take this back up in the morning. Get to your dorm" So I drag my sorry butt back to my dorm and spend the rest of the night praying to any and every deity I can think of.
Sure enough the first thing the next day in comes my TI, collects me and escorts me to Squadron Admin where I once again come face-to-face with the 1st Sarge. He looks at me and asks, "What the @&*$ happened last night?"
At this point I've already decided that although discretion and valor and all that other good stuff is great,
this is my butt and I'm not about to have it shredded on behalf of Wise Acre and Big & Stupid. So I laid out the whole story just as it happened.
To my sheer astonishment he gave me back all my 341's and told me I could go. I learned later that they didn't do anything to Big & Stupid either, but they set Wise Acre back to day one.
In retrospect the only thing I can think of that saved me was our squadron had been lucky enough a few weeks earlier to win a parade, which I guess was a pretty big deal then. As a result we ended up just a few days prior to this incident doing a special command performance on our drill pad by the dorm for Gen Ryan, the AF Chief of Staff, who was visiting the base. Our TI had drilled us for about 3 days prior on some special manuevers to make us look good, and evidently it went well. This must have earned some serious kudos for the squadron leadership.
Otherwise, I'd probably still be there.
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Mar 27, 2009 3:34:32 GMT 9
Hey Dude, You write real well. I went through basic in the old WWII barracks. Real tinder boxes. If I'd been awakened by the sounds of "Fire, Fire, Fire!" My a$$ would have been running for my life also.  I pulled dorm guard twice. Once during the day and once at night. I covered that pretty well in my book. If I did not post that story in here yet maybe I will. I can't post too much or you will not need to but my book. ;D |
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Post by Jeff Shannon on Mar 27, 2009 6:19:27 GMT 9
Hey Dude, You write real well. I went through basic in the old WWII barracks. Real tinder boxes. If I'd been awakened by the sounds of "Fire, Fire, Fire!" My a$$ would have been running for my life also. I pulled dorm guard twice. Once during the day and once at night. I covered that pretty well in my book. If I did not post that story in here yet maybe I will. I can't post too much or you will not need to but my book. ;D Bullhunter post all you want I know I will be in the Looooong line to buy your book. :salute :thumbsup |
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Post by dude on Mar 27, 2009 14:59:06 GMT 9
Well thanks Bullhunter. Guess it comes from writing all those MA-1 FDT T.O.s when I worked for AAI. Good luck on the book. I can sympathize about the barracks. Although I was in a dorm at Lackland, when I got to Lowry for tech school they put me in the WWII vintage barracks that were originally used by the Air Force Academy. Besides what you described, they were also hot as hades in the summer.
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Apr 11, 2009 1:18:04 GMT 9
Time for a bump in this thread!  If I have posted this in another thread, excuse me. With writing this book and all the posting I can't keep track of crap anymore. Do any of you remember "On the Job Training" or as it was called "OJT" when you were just a 3-level? This short story out of my book deals with being a 3-Level in OJT. Whit out the preceding story a few sentences seen out of place so here is abit of foundation. We have all had jokes played and seen jokes played: get a bucket of prop-wash, yard of flightline, etc, etc..... Well I hadn't fallen for any jokes and being asked to got on my 1st TDY I was so excited I let my guard down. TDY Nellis AFB Several weeks later we were informed that a Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY) was leaving for Nellis Air Force Base at Las Vegas, Nevada. Identified as Operation Constant Guard V. Our C-141 cargo jets would be airlifting supplies, equipment, and squadron maintenance personel of the F-111 fighter bomber squadron to Thiland. This was classified as a Secret squadron deployment and we were advised not to talk about it. I was still a pretty new mechanic in training, and I didn’t expect to be picked to go on this TDY to the fun city of Las Vegas. But to my surprise the chief called me into his office and said that another slot had been requested for a jet engine mechanic and I had proven myself to be one of the best young airman mechanics he had seen in a very long time. So as a reward I was going to Las Vegas. I had really excelled, I had been awarded airman of the month, completed my career development course (CDC) months early, and had just been given a waver for Jet Engine Run-up School as an airman. This duty and responisblity was mainly reserved for Sergeants. The chief said most everyone had completed their processing and I was to go upstairs to the orderely room to get my TDY orders and my prokit for deployment. So off I headed upstairs for the orderly room to process for my first TDY. I walked in and informed the secretary who I was and that I was leaving on the Nellis TDY, and I need my orders. She got up and went over to a table picked up my orders and handed them to me and sad there you go Airman Price, and she sat back down. I was left standing there and then said, “Excuse me miss, but I also need my prokit.” She looked puzzled and then said, “What?” I repeated myself and said, “I need my prokit, can’t go TDY without one”. She got red in the face and said in a low voice, “Sorry we don’t have them.” I stood my ground and said, “I need a pro-kit to go on this TDY, my shop chief said so!” By this time the lady was as red as a very ripe apple. I guess the squadron commander overheard the discussion and stepped out of his office into the orderly room and I snapped to attention, as commanders were all and mighty individual figures to young airman like myself. About that same moment the squadron First Sergeant came out of his office. Both looked it me and then the commander looked at the First Sergeant and said, “Take care of this.” As the commander walked back into his office he was shaking his head. The First Sgt put his arm around me and said , “Kid, lets step out into the hallway for a bit and leave the secretary alone.” Once out in the hallway he said, “You know the term prokit is used to describe prophylactics, you know, rubbers and condoms. You’ve have had a practical joke played on you and I think our secretary got the worst of it.” He then told me he would call down to my shop and let them know I was on my way down with my orders. When I walked into the shop, many of the shop supervisors were there along with the chief. Everyone started laughing and it was a few moments before I loosened up and joined in. My supervisor looked at me and said, “Never say never.” I’d let my guard down and they had played a huge joke, and I fell for it. Ha, Ha! The TDY to Nellis AFB was pretty much uneventful. It was exciting to only be 19 years old and be on the loose in Las Vegas after military duty hours. You had to be 21 years old to gamble in Las Vegas and when I told my Uncle Mike I was going to Vegas he helped me get a document saying I was 21 so I could play the slot machines. My Uncle Mike was very resourceful. |
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az09
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Post by az09 on Apr 11, 2009 1:41:17 GMT 9
Tech School Days ...Dec 1965 - Apr 1966......... We were first assigned to the 3355th Student Squadron. That Squadron was so large the school formations stretched from the Squadron area ( by the perimeter fence) to the main street just before the parking lot of Jackson Hall, the Jet engine tech school building. To get into school was a 6 week wait for your turn at Block One.
To relieve the back log of students there was another shift set up. The "C" shift, 1800 - 2400, 3368th Student Squadron, we also moved over to some previously permanent party dorms on the other side of the active run ways. These dorms had nicer rooms, 3 men to a room, more private latrines and warmer buildings. In the 55th's open bay, WW2 barracks we would wake up many days after some over night snow fall with snow on our blankets for those folks sleeping in the top bunks.
As we progressed thru school we got looser and looser after the TI's went home. One night there was a giant water fight on the second floor. The "skins" vs the "rain coats". The "red" rope was leading the charge of trash cans of water and the "green" rope was defending with the water extinguishers. We on the ground floor were happy not to be involved as you always had a big clean up to do after one of these Friday night / Saturday morning water battles.
One skermish came down to our hall way and to a man we came out to stop the invasion. As our "red" rope was telling them to go back up stairs, we don't want to play, we noticed the big white globes on the overhead lights in the hallways were filling with water. The whole upstairs was flooded with water and was running down to the first floor. Seeing the electrical / fire hazard in progress we shut down all the lights and started to empty the light fixtures of water. The "skins" and "raincoats" went back upstairs and started mopping up the flood waters in the hall ways. We waited until the large mess was swept and mopped away to start with the smaller flow of water in our hallways.
The following Monday the TI mentioned that the dorm was extra clean and even the light fixtures were better looking. We all looked at each other and just went on about our business, not to ever talk about this again until we were at our next duty station.
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Apr 11, 2009 4:13:02 GMT 9
That story reminds me of a shaving cream fight we had on my TDY barracks floor at the end of our deployment to the NATO Bomb Range, Zaragoza AB, Spain.
We left the next morning for home base and when we arrived I home I had to see the CO and 1st Shirt for a big ass chewing.
I was the ranking NCO on the that floor and was told I should have stopped it instead of joining in.
You know, It seemed like the fun thing to do at the time.
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az09
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Post by az09 on Apr 11, 2009 4:23:30 GMT 9
It's all fun, until some one gets hurt. OR, pukes on the Commanders shoes.
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Post by Jeff Shannon on Apr 11, 2009 4:46:22 GMT 9
That story reminds me of a shaving cream fight we had on my TDY barracks floor at the end of our deployment to the NATO Bomb Range, Zaragoza AB, Spain. We left the next morning for home base and when we arrived I home I had to see the CO and 1st Shirt for a big ass chewing. I was the ranking NCO on the that floor and was told I should have stopped it instead of joining in. You know, It seemed like the fun thing to do at the time. Ahhhh yes the shaving cream fight. I walked in on one while we were TDY to Indian springs NV. there was so much shaving cream on the walls, floors, ceiling!?! I knew there was going to be a run on the shopette for it the next day! Anyway the troops who had participated in it cam out and cleaned every bit of it up before the Commander and 1st Shirt got there. everybody was wondering if I was going to say anything to the CO (I was the ranking TSgt) One of them came up to me and asked if the CO and 1st Shirt knew and I said knew about WHAT?  I told him do you think your the only person in the AF to have a shaving cream fight? ;)And since it was cleaned up I didn't think they needed to know. He just smiled said Thanks, the next night while in Vegas I had all the free beer I could drink. |
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az09
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Post by az09 on Apr 11, 2009 5:27:44 GMT 9
TECH SCHOOL - Chanute AFB, IL - Winter 1966
The weather had turned very very cold. The kind of cold that causes the nose hairs to freeze in place. The whole Saturday had been spent in the dorm, with no one leaving the dorm except to go to the chow hall. So it was agreed that everyone would stay in and write letters home, watch TV, play pool in general do things that did not involve going outside.
After 3 - 4 hours of writing letters and BSing about "home" and the sweethearts we left there, it was time to make a trip to the mailroom just across the runway. One of my friends volunteered to go and I agreed to join him for the trip on foot. We get over to the mailroom in good time and drop off the letters and then go from mail box to mail box checking and collecting mail of the guys who trusted us with their mail box combinations. We packed up the letters and headed back after stopping at the cafeteria for coffee to warm us on the trip back across the end of runway.
We get back and deliver the mail to the guys and we sit down to read our letters. My friend from home came down and told me he wanted to get his letters back from the mailroom. I didn't know why he was coming to me. I asked why, he said he had written to his hometown girlfriend and one to his Tulsa girlfriend who he had a "friend with benefits" relationship. And you guessed it he wasn't sure which envelope he put the letters in to which girlfriend. DUH !!!
So mailroom trip #2 comes about. I walk over with him and he asks the mailroom worker on duty if he could get his mail back. After explaining his predicament the guy fished the letters out of the mail bag and my friend opened up the envelopes and found that he did switch the letters to the "bad" mailing situation. He whips out 2 newly addressed envelopes and makes the right mailings.
This whole "drama" was a pre curser to how he viewed his personal problems. Some one else was at fault, never his causing of the situation.
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Post by lugnuts55 on Apr 11, 2009 23:48:13 GMT 9
I was at Sheppard AFB for Jet Aircraft, one and Two Engines mechanic in January 1970. There was an ice storm one night that knocked out power to most of the base. As luck would have it, it was a Friday night. During the night it got real cold in the dorm. I got up and got dressed and went back to bed. A few hours later, it was time to get up but we didn't know if anybody had power or heat. Somebody came in and said the Airman's Club was open and they had power. And it was WARM. On the way there, we marveled at how everything looked coated in ice. We spent most of the day there since it took that long to get the power back to the rest of the base. Somebody kept playing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on the juke box. It was a new song and by the end of the day I hated it. I can't listen to it without thinking of that day at Sheppard.
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Post by falconkeeper on Jun 18, 2009 5:28:02 GMT 9
I had a very unique look at basic. I was medical remedial with a hernia, so I went to the MedRep flight, instead of basic training.
I got to Lackland on Fri., Sept. 13, 1968, at O-dark-thirty. We were herded into a holding area with folding seats and told to sit. The TIs kept an eagle eye on us and occasionally selected individuals to chew out (psychological warfare, now that I look back). In the early am, we were loaded on busses with the TI escort and bus drivers with attitude problems. Since I was going to MedRep, the rainbows were dropped off first, with their TI. As soon as they were out of earshot, the bus driver got friendly. It was all an act for the recruits. I was dropped off at MedRep, given a cot and got some sleep with out the 0530 wakeup.
I spent 6 weeks waiting for my surgery, getting repaired and recovering. By then, I had all my issue, so, when I got to my recruit flight, I was made a squad leader. Our TI was a gem. SSgt Oxenholm was married to a WAF TI (male and female were segregated at that time) and he kept saying how they would like to get our flights together. Our sister flight, on the other hand, had a short TI that carried a bad attitude for his flight on his shoulder. At times, I pitied them.
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Post by falconkeeper on Jun 18, 2009 5:48:07 GMT 9
My first tech school was the usual, except that I was in the drum and bugle corps at Lowry. That got us out of the daily cattle call of PATS.
My second tech school at Keesler was interesting. As I was a MSGT in PATS and the PATS supervisor was a TSGT. He told me to just call in each day to see if anybody needed me (LOL). I spent 3 weeks hanging around my off-base rental, calling in each morning.
When I finally got my slot, I went to basic electronics and and told the instructors that 1) I had been to electronics basics in 1969, 2) I had gotten an associates degree in general electronics from CCAF, 3) I had an FCC 1st Class Radiotelephone License with Ship's Radar endorsement and 4) I was an FTD instructor and we made lousy students (I knew what I could get away with). I mentioned that I probably did not need basic electronics again. They agreed and sent me to Wideband school.
As a senior NCO, wideband school let me take the course by sitting in the instructors lounge and reading the course and taking the tests. I would take the practical when the next class had one scheduled. In that way, I completed a 3 month sets course in 3 weeks and I had a 93% average. The school superintendent gave me an honor grad certificate (supposed to have 95%, but he figured 3 months in 3 weeks made up for it). I think, now that I should have sat through the basic and sets and just relaxed for the 6 months, but I was antsy to get out of a place where so many airmen marched in formation.
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Post by lindel on Jun 18, 2009 9:14:05 GMT 9
I was wideband radio in the Guard, TRC-97A in a Combat Comm group.
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I told him do you think your the only person in the AF to have a shaving cream fight? ;)And since it was cleaned up I didn't think they needed to know.
