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Post by KILROY on Nov 17, 2006 11:29:44 GMT 9
WHY did you enlist in the air force the first time?For me it was not for god and country. it was to keep my skinny ars out of the army and Korea.
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Post by Jeff Shannon on Nov 17, 2006 12:52:01 GMT 9
Because my Father was in the Air Force, I went to all the recruiters and then went Air Force. and spent 22 years in. NO REGRETS  |
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Post by Jim on Nov 17, 2006 13:05:45 GMT 9
WHY did you enlist in the air force the first time?For me it was not for god and country. it was to keep my skinny ars out of the army and Korea.  ::)Say hey KILROY, welcome back.......In answer to your question, when I was a wee lad, during WW2, I got an airplane ride in a CAP airplane out over Lake Erie... The pilot, a friend of my dad's told me we were looking for German submarines--- I believed him for while.........From then on, I was hooked on airplanes and had planned on joining the air force, and in July '52 I enlisted out of high school.....I wanted a six year enlistment, but the recruitin Sarge, (a MSgt) explained that it would be a smart move to only go for 4 the first time- I did, but all the rest were 6 years- for a grand total of $2000 (before taxes) enlistment bonus......25 plus yrs later I turned down E9 and an all expenses paid unaccompanied trip to Turkey and retired because it was gettin to be toooooo politically correct for the Old Sarge what never learned kiss ass or kowtow to bull$hit.......GLAD THAT I DID HAVE THAT CAREER WHEN I HAD IT..........And I be a thankin those that followed me  The Old Sarge |
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Bill Sullivan
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Post by Bill Sullivan on Dec 8, 2006 3:31:13 GMT 9
I admit that I was a very reluctant enlistee. I was very much into all the "peace and love" scene when I was kicked out of college and found myself not only 1A but #30 in the new birthday pool. Entering the military was not a question of if, but when. And rather than take my chances at whatever the hell I would end up with if I waited to be drafted, I decided to take what little control I had and volunteer. Why the Air Force? Because it wasn't the Army, it wasn't the Navy, and it surely wasn't the Marines! And I always liked airplanes. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I did a lot of maturing in the Air Force, and finally saw a part of the country well outside the city limits of Philadelphia. I actually ended up liking it! I signed up for a second hitch! Go figure, the hippy who marched in peace protests was now wearing Uncle Sam's uniform and got to work on a fighter that could actually shoot nukes! And I loved it! Some of my fondest memories are of my times on the flight line. And I still get nostalgic whenever I get a whiff of jet exhaust at the airport. And at an air show this summer, when I saw the Thunderbirds take off, my eyes filled with tears as the Air Force song played over the PA. |
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Dec 11, 2006 9:18:58 GMT 9
Well I sort of go along with Bill above. I was 17 and out of high school. Draft selection was 1A#29. Was bound to come around fairly quickly. I had no money for college. I love aircraft and had been to two air shows. Thunderbirds & Blue Angeles. Vietnam was on and I had no desire to crawl through the jungles. Flying over them might be OK. So I enlisted in the USAF. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did. Spent 21 years on the flightline and 3 years at the McChord Air Museum as the Director/Admistrator. That U.S Air Force retirement check has never once been late. I worked as a appliance service manager & technician for 10 years after I retired from the USAF. Now at 53 I'm retired. |
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Post by daoleguy A.J. Hoehn (deceased) on Aug 7, 2007 11:20:15 GMT 9
Let's say it beat the Marines in 69.
A J
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joeabby
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Post by joeabby on Aug 8, 2007 12:18:41 GMT 9
I've loved airplanes all my life and spent most of my growing up years flying control-line models [still do!] In the late 50's the F-104 was the latest rave and living close to Wright Pat gave me the opportunity get close to the big warbirds.
Around April, '59, 3 of us decided to go to Piqua and talk to the recruiter just to get out of school. We all went to Ft. Thomas, Ky, by bus, and enlisted in July.
At Lackland, they asked me if I'd like to work on fire control systems of the F-104. I didn't want to be a firefighter, but I liked the Starfighter. It's now called Weapons Control for some reason.
I never got to work on the F-104 as they went to the ANG and I suddenly became an F-106 MA-1 weenie [GDAC]. It was the career of careers for me, I loved every minute of it. When ADC went to TAC, I retired in Colo Spgs in '80.
There will never be another aircraft like the 'SIX'.
Joe A
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Post by Cougar on Aug 9, 2007 13:57:26 GMT 9
I wanted to be around fast jets, and spend time in sunny California; finding both while at Castle as a 431 with the 456 FIS (62-66). Then it was off to Korat and crewing a Ryan's Raider Thud. Lost an aircrew on May 15, 67, which was more than I wanted to deal with so I pinned the loss on the Mac-Lyndon follies, a bull $hit operation run by a couple of piss-ants in the Brown House. My version of war is that you take it to the enemy by crushing their testicles and bringing them to their knees. That wasn't happening so I finished up my 8 year career after a 2 year stint at McConnell. In retrospect, they were without a doubt 8 of the best years of my life, a lot of great people, a lot of great memories - not to mention two Thud ACM flights and 3 trips through the barrier, one of them in the rear seat of 57-2520. I wouldn't trade my Air Force time for anything.  I should add that the VC didn't notify the US that they were holding my aircrew as POWs until mid-1970. Maj Benjamin Pollard (released March 4, 73) and Capt Donald Heiliger (released February 18, 73); both of whom I salute. |
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Post by daoleguy A.J. Hoehn (deceased) on Aug 14, 2007 5:52:15 GMT 9
The POW/MIA issue is one very close to me. I have been very active in the rights involved there. I am hosting www.lastpow.com/ on my server and working the site when I have time. Some interesting VN reads there. Some of these guys were seen alive as late as the early 90's. Tell me why did the US let that happen. Charles Shelton was one. He was shot down in an F-101 out of Thailand in Loas in 1965. I have personal contacts with his family. If anyone is iterested in helping with the site, give me a shout. I can use it. The site really nneds updates. A J |
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Post by lindel on Aug 14, 2007 8:21:03 GMT 9
One of my brothers was in the AF, as was a cousin. Dad was big into soaring when I was born, and I learned to walk on the wings of one of his sailplanes. (It's currently in Elmira NY and the national soaring museum)
I knew what I wanted in Junior high, and signed up when I turned 17. I left 5 days after graduation and never looked back.
Did 8 years at the Griff, and decided to separate in 85 because I didn't want to do "monkey maintenance" on F-15's or F-16's. No offense intended to those that worked on them, it just wasn't for me.
I'm current working for the FAA at Dallas Love Field.
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sixerviper
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Post by sixerviper on Sept 4, 2007 12:18:59 GMT 9
For me, it was go to school or go to war. I went to school, but nobody told me that ODU offered no majors in partying. Hence, I flunked out. Hmmmmm. I decided to be a draft-dodger. I joined the Air Force so that if I went to Viet Nam I'd at least be (relatively) safe on an air base. I figured I'd donate two extra years so I wouldn't have to listen to some weasel point his finger at me and say "Congratulations, son--you're a Marine."
Little did I know that it'd take me 36 years to get out of the military. I don't regret a minute of it, either.
PS--I never did go to Viet Nam. Closest I got was Minot.
PSS-one of my coworkers in the VaANG, an F-105 WCS weenie at Takhli, called me a draft-dodger up to the day he retired, saying that ANY person who was in ADC during Viet Nam was a draft-dodger!!
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vmo
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Post by vmo on Apr 23, 2009 19:53:58 GMT 9
My grandfather was a flying sgt. My dad was a 431 from 58-78, so it was nautral that I would go in. I couldn't wait. My high school sent my diploma to me when I was in tech school in Chanute. My dad was at Griffiss with f-89s and 101s around 59-60. Then went to Wurtsmith with the 445th on 101s, and then to Wilmington NC with the 444th on 101s. Then started the SEA rotations. He was at Sheppard as a Tech Instr from 66-67 and at Duluth 69-70. 2 tours to Korat in between. I enlisted in 72, and he went to the 57th at Nellis, where he retired. I made it 10 years, and didn't realize how great of a time I had till I was out. Neither of my sons chose the military route, so that ends that tradition with this family.
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Apr 24, 2009 11:39:35 GMT 9
You will likely have some grandchildren. Never know what they will do.
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Post by jimpadgett on May 12, 2009 22:26:52 GMT 9
I enlisted in May 1961 after dropping out of college and working at odd jobs for 8 months. My car had broken down and I had no money to fix it and I was fed-up with parents advice (wish I had listened to more). Never regretted the decision to enlist or re-enlist. Retired in 1987 rather than take an assignment to bug smashers in Florida. My son carries on the tradition as an AF MSgt with 20 years service currently in Germany.
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on May 13, 2009 9:13:18 GMT 9
Just got to love that! My married last year and has a new baby son. He recently said to me, "Dad, I have a new found respect for you, how did you do it all those years." Don't ya just loved it when that happens?  |
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Post by dude on May 13, 2009 10:30:53 GMT 9
 Well I grew up 20 miles from Bunker Hill (Grissom) and used to love watching the B-58s scramble out of the barns. Tried for the academy but didn't have the 20:20 needed to be a pilot. Ran out of money after 3 semesters in college and knew that going back home and living off the parents was not an option. Someone once told me if you enlist, join the Air Force. Its the only service that puts the officers in the weapon and sends them off to fight while the enlisted guys get to stay home and cheer. So I enlisted in 1973 as a 6 year wonder. Did the whole tour at Langley as an MA-1 tech. Got out and did the GI Bill thing at Purdue University. Graduated as an electrical engineer and got hired by the guys that built the MA-1 Fault Detection Tester (AAI Corp.). My first job was back with the Six doing software updates. From 1982 until the Six retired I was involved in all the FDT updates for the Six. (Yes I'm the one to blame). In total I guess I spent about 16 years with the Six. Also did the FDTs for the F-4/E/G and RF-4C/D and some later gear for the F-15C/D. Eventually I became a VP of Business Development and retired in 2006 after 25 years. Today I'm an independent consultant to the defense industry.
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Post by falconkeeper on Jun 17, 2009 6:24:02 GMT 9
I graduated high school and, ate up with love for planes and patriotism, wanted to join the Air Force. I had a hernia and was classified 4-Y (only in national emergency), but my ASVB was aced, so the recruiter got me in for a medical remedial under McNamara's Project 100,000. I went to Lackland, got my hernia repaired, was offered my pick of electronics jobs and picked missiles. I was slated to be in the last CGM-13B Mace class, but it was filled with retreads. I was thrown into air launched missiles (TAC side) and went to the 23rd TFW, Flying Tigers at McConnell. Spent 6 months and was sent to Takhli RTAFB in 70. I helped close the base in Dec. and went back to McConnell. The problem with TAC at that time was mobility. If the wing had 3 squadrons, you head to be able to man 3 shops (in case the squadrons were sent to separate places). Can you say "Overmanned", boys and girls. I was then sent on vacation to Aviano AB, Italy, before they had any airplanes, for 3 1/2 years. I rotated back to Minot and took a 5 year tour to keep from being sent back overseas in 2. Near the end, I was offered the FTD slot at Tyndall and jumped at it. By then, the Sixes were being phased out and I retrained in wideband microwave at Keesler and went combat communications at 3rd Com at Tinker and a year at OsanAB, when I retired.
I loved the 5FIS, because we worked together as a small unit on a SAC base. Working munitions always kept me out of the higher-ups' eyes. When I got E7 in communications, I had to deal with the politics and got promoted away from the equipment. I knew that it was time to take my monthly retirement and go.
The Air Force was a great way to go, as long as you were willing to "play the game". I had a lot of great times with a lot of good people and this forum reminds me of those times.
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::)Say hey KILROY, welcome back.......In answer to your question, when I was a wee lad, during WW2, I got an airplane ride in a CAP airplane out over Lake Erie... The pilot, a friend of my dad's told me we were looking for German submarines--- I believed him for while.........From then on, I was hooked on airplanes and had planned on joining the air force, and in July '52 I enlisted out of high school.....I wanted a six year enlistment, but the recruitin Sarge, (a MSgt) explained that it would be a smart move to only go for 4 the first time- I did, but all the rest were 6 years- for a grand total of $2000 (before taxes) enlistment bonus......25 plus yrs later I turned down E9 and an all expenses paid unaccompanied trip to Turkey and retired because it was gettin to be toooooo politically correct for the Old Sarge what never learned kiss ass or kowtow to bull$hit.......GLAD THAT I DID HAVE THAT CAREER WHEN I HAD IT..........And I be a thankin those that followed me 
Well I grew up 20 miles from Bunker Hill (Grissom) and used to love watching the B-58s scramble out of the barns. Tried for the academy but didn't have the 20:20 needed to be a pilot.
