FreudianSlip

Needed to transfer some cash over to my mom's account as I'm deployed and I wanted to buy some fancy new mt bikes rims that are made by some random dude (with a great reputation) but he only takes checks. So instead of mailing a check all the way from the desert, I transfer the money to her account so she can write the check and there is a 12 dollar transfer fee, which since I'm deployed, they refund. SWWWEEEETTTT USAA all the way

I agree with C-21; I thought of it as training to be shift chief of a tactics shop while the Squad WIC rep is the overall head honcho. You get a little bit of this and a little of that; enough so that you could speak with a bit of authority but when it came to the big issues you would defer to the WIC officer. The only time it has come in handy was when my WIC officer asked me to be the airlift liason to the strike packages for Cope Thunder up in Alaska. He ran airlift tactics out of Elmendorf and I deconflicted airlift routes w/ the strike packages and helped integrate some of the foreign heavies that were based out of Eileson vs Elmendorf. Good class!

I liked it; pretty informative; playing with the MANPADS was fun!! I went 2 years ago and it was 2.5-3 weeks long. A few days ran a bit long, but nothing brutal. Plus I had a KC-10 buddy at Mcguire so it was fun to see him again. I would highly recommend it to anybody.

Had an FE call out the crew chief that there was a crack in the skin (about 4 inches long if I recall) near the armpit (on a herk). Crew chief said they could just speed tape it, FE said no way, ain't gona take it. Pro Sup gets envoled and starts to over power the FE so the FE heads into the squadron and tells the DO. DO looks at it with the Crew Chief, Pro Sup, and the FE and then whips out his cellphone and hands it to the Pro Sup and says, if you're that confident it will fly, call your wife and kids and we'll give them an incentive flight, I'll sign the paperwork right now. Well, I'm sure you can guess, the plane was tugged into the hanger and sheet metal got to play fixup with it for a few days. Of course now, I'm guessing that plane is now on the restricted list but I'm not at that base no more.

thats how the debate between a friend and me got started.

A lot of Wing CCs and other higher up jobs seem to have 1 year positions while the squads, at least in the Herk community, are doing 4 on/4 off. I'm curious about those positions, especially the DIRMOBFOR position.

Was talking with a buddy and can't figure something out. Does anybody know how long the tour is for the DIRMOBFOR position over in the desert? 4 months, 6 months, 1 year?? thanks...and no, I have no desire for that much rank! haha

awesome...F'en awesome

I was there for about 4 days and spent most of my time learning/researching rugs. If you are looking for something cool I would go with the rugs. I bought a nice one and then went to the base post office and shipped it home. I was going in-country for a few months and I didn't know how customs would look at it on the way in or out so I mailed it home. Now for the shotguns (the Hugulos....or something like that...I can't spel wel anyways). I did look into and this WAS my plan: On the way in I got the FFL forms from a dealer and picked out the shotguns I wanted and got the model numbers. I WAS going to mail the forms to the ATF, have them mail the forms to my home(a friend was picking up my mail), then have that friend mail them back to me. On the way out, I was going to buy the guns and fly home with them. When I met customs I would have the forms all done and presto. Since I dropped some serious $$ on the rug I didn't go through with it. Some guys from my crew were told they could do the following: buy the guns and have the dealer ship them home where the US post office would hold them until someone came to pick them up w/ the ATF forms. The individual would then fill out the forms, send them to the ATF and then have them sent home where their wives would take the processed forms to the Post Office. I don't think this worked and they were out some serious $$ as the post office never contacted their wives when the guns arrived and they disappeared. I would ship them to a FFL dealer and pay the fees. I also agree that the art work is amazing and I was simply going to "mount it over the fireplace" not really use it. If I could do it again. I would take in about 5K and buy a few different rugs. Keep one or two for myself and the others...well do what you want with them. I got a spectacular 4x6 for 800 hundred and even the others who were buying were amazed at the colors. Usually those sizes go for around 6-700. The 8x10 rugs are in the 1K+ range. Hope this helps.

My turn My turn... So I'm having a serious kidney stone attack and I drive myself onto base which was only about 10 minutes away, park in the the emergency room parking lot (note, I parked in a parking lot, not on a curb or any place unsual) and crawl my way to the emergency room. Well after a big dose of Demerol (sp?) I'm pretty much drooling on myself so I have to call a friend to drive me home. The next morning when when I get a ride in to pick up my car I pull up just as some SP is writing me a parking ticket. I ask why am I getting a parking ticket in a parking lot and was told that this is not an over night lot. I tell him my story as he's getting into his car and he say's to take it up with the cops at the SP shack and flys off. So I drive over there, now realize, I'm still in pain because I haven't passed the kidney stone and a little pissy right then because I just got blown off, but I start talking with the cops over at their office. I first ask why I would get a ticket for parking in the emergency room parking lot? They respond, "well we can't have people parking there long term, it's only for emergencies." So I figure just explain it and off I go. I tell them I parked there and couldn't drive home. Then the head SP dude tells me that I should have had the person who picked me up, move my car to another lot then drive me home. My response was a very loud, "You're telling me, that while I was so doped up on demerol that I was incapable of driving myself anywhere, AND drooling on myself, that I should of had the mindset to ask my friend to first move my car from the emergency room parking lot because I shouldn't have parked there?" Before he can respond I then tell him, "My commander will be calling your commander in about 10 minutes, you better warn him about this because YOU will be paying for this." (and when I say 'paying' I didn't mean in the monetary sense) The two guys I was dealing with look at each other then ask for the ticket back and tell me not to worry about it. My response, "Good idea," and I walk out. At least the idiot chain was finally broken. Oh and yeah, I've gotten a ticket at 0200 in the morning for going 4 over the limit after a long flight. But thats another story.....

Elmendorf is slated to absorb Kulis's (Anchorage ANG) Herks via the BRAC. When I left EDF about a year ago they were in the process of narrowing the pipeline and were planning to completly turn it off soon, then the BRAC situation throws a wrench in it because now they want to move those Herks over AND still have C-17s. The ramp space up there was always weird, now I don't know what the plan is. If they do move Kulis and have that AD/Guard assosciate unit thing I would jump on a chance to back....hell I'd fly C-12s to get back to EDF. There was suppose to be a major airlift review via the DOD out last spring but its been delayed to this fall. My guess is its going to tighten its belt around funding for E and H1 model Herks and just let them fall apart. Try to keep what H2/3s up and running and start purchasing Js (although you won't see a 1 for 1 trade off between E/H1 and J model); and then of course ramping up the C-17 production line. I'll have to wait a few more months. They're probably waiting for the BRAC thing to finish up before they put their finishing touches on it.

Does anybody know about how to get MS Office through the Air Force for cheep...like 25 bucks?? I've heard you can do it, just don't know how...yes I did a search.

My guess is that it would depend on your airframe a bit. I don't see them saying they are going to let you skip out of a vast majority of an ADSC. As a Herk driver I see the 'winds of change' blowing. For as much as they need the Herk community over in the sandbox, there are not enough Herks to keep us current when we're home. So what do you do?? Buy more Herks or get rid of a percentage of aircrew...how do you think the bigwigs are looking at it? I'm a bit nervous that after this BRAC thing falls into place they will skim a year here or a year there from ADSCs for those who have to PCS for those of us in the Herks community. As for A-10s, I'm not in the know so I can't speak intelligently. I'm guessing that the whole F-35 replacing the A-10 (which is bull in my opinion) is to far away to have an influence on the this force shaping where as the C-17s and the J models (we'll see how long that lasts) rolling off the assembly line will affect the Herk community. Those of us with a year or two left might get the axe, those LTs out there will get crossflowed and yes I would keep your nose clean because any problems you have are just an excuse for The Man. Also its not a RIF because we have exceeded our congressionally mandated numbers so its on ourself to thin the ranks, not congress. But then again I'm a pessimist

I always thought this was silly too but I bet there were people double dipping medals. I bet people were logging O-1 time for their actual in the box time and O-2 for all the other time. Then using the same mission number for an Air Medal and an Aerial Achievement Medal. Some of our Es (who need medals for points and are excellent at interpreting the rules for their benifit) tried to do this and it didn't fly. I've always been told if you reach the Box that day, its all O-1, if not then O-2. Silly, yes; surprised thats how we do it, no.

people in uniform are more likely to get picked than the hohum average person. so it benifits you to wear your uniform. I had a USAFA buddy who did it too...but he's flying C-17s and I don't know what he won.

It was hot, I was slow and trying to climb over some Mts when my MWS went off and flares kicked out....didn't scare me till 5 minutes later though.

Looks like it would a three year commitment if I read that right. Going from Es or Hs to Js requires a full FTU spin up; its a completely new aircraft even though it has a similar look. I think the FTU is similar to the old fashion herks: about 5 monthsish. bummer

HercDriver, weren't you all suppose to replace some of your superEs with Elmendorf H1s? Whats the status with EDF H1s? Any of them go restricted??

Just kinda wondering, if they ever get the J off the ground, and regular joe-schmo slick guys switch to the J, what would the service commitment be? Would there be one since it would be going from C-130 to C-130? Any guesses out there? Just asking

the latest plan I've heard was that LRF was suppose to be all H3s (the operational squads: 50/61, not the skool house), Dyess was suppose to be all H1s (although they are steeling guard E models to replace their restricted tails) and Pope all Es till something else is worked out, ie: the J model.

if anybody is curious, i did find an answer to my question about deployment rates. it was in an air force times from feb i think, and yup u guessed it: Herks lead the way. Finially we're number one in something!!! also if anybody is curious, the 2AS was told by our WG/CC that all AMC Herk units were offered several months ago by HQ/AMC to reduce their AD capabilty by 25%....nobody took them up on it. Lastly I might have misspoke; technically I guess the higher ups haven't signed off on 50/50 but they were the ones who pushed and individuals in the 2nd haven't been identified who will/will not be AD. In fact those going on the ORI, there will be AL only crews. Now I can get my assualts finished off...yeah!

yeah, its the 50% AD thing; its been in the works for about a month or so. Higher ups directed us to make it work and there has been a selection process on who is/isn't going to keep their qual. We'll find out in a few hours what all the details and who is/isn't on the list. me

FYI: just happened...now its offical...we'll see how long it lasts and how well it will work...?!?!

nothing from the top but I was looking at the crew list for the ORI after the umptenth itteration and there was a remark next to each crew (ie: LD/NAL, AD/NAL, NAL Only) My take on it was they were remixing the crews to reflect who was/wan't going to remain airdrop. I'm pretty low on the tottempole over hear, and yup, just another rumor really, but the Flt CCs were brought into the DOs office and asked how to implement who would and who wouldn't stay AD about 2-3 weeks ago then I haven't heard anything since. Our leadership was pushing for 100% single ship AD vrs the 50/50 concept which I thought was smarter but I think he lost out on his arguement. And I agree, I don't think this whole 50/50 thing is going to solve any problems...if anything I think its going to make things harder now and down the road. U in Ali right now?

There has been a lot of up and down talk but I think its going to happen any day now: 2AS here at no hope is going to cut the squad 50/50 airdrop and airland only...50% would loose their airdrop qual once their currencies run out. My guess is the 41st will do the same once they're back. Just an FYI. Hey how's Dyess doing?? Has anybody seen any air force time articles on deployment rates lately? I remember seeing things in there a lot about who was deployed the most and haven't seen anything like that in a while. Maybe they don't want to show that its the good ole Herk doing a lot of the work now a days...who would want those mission hackers to get some credit?? [ 20. April 2005, 20:03: Message edited by: FreudianSlip ]