Herk Driver

4-star actually

It is not mandatory, for you based on the quote above. BTW, they force you into a contract with the GTC. There are few exceptions and you can decline the GTC. However, it appears that if you decline the Eagle card then finance will "decline" to cash your check. Of course, since you said you don't need finance to cash a check then you don't need to get one (i.e. not mandatory for you). Can you still get cash back from a debit at the BX? If so, easy enough work around.

When you come out (sts) on the promotion list you can go in and sign-up for the next level of PME.

So the question is does the Manas BX still take cash and/or credit? If so, then ignore the "mandatory" policy. Also, ask to see it in writing. If they can' t produce it in writing, continue to ignore at no peril whatsoever. BL: If they don't take cash or credit and only take the Eaglecard then it sounds like you are pissing up a rope.

Don't think AFSC makes a difference. Cheesy term, but I've heard it put "bloom where you are planted". In other words, your job performance in whatever AFSC, along with a good and meaningful stratification, your AFOQT scores, TBAS and private flying hours will make the difference.

So what exactly is it that in most cases I must specifically do to request these benefits?? Good info, but it looks like SSA takes care of this for each period of service.

That's a change.

Agreed, but didn't want to derail the thread and go down this rabbit hole, but since you did, I'll gladly oblige. What I said was that SF don't get to make a judgement call when he is ordered by a superior to go stop that car and give him a ticket by a superior that is sitting next to him. That's why I got out of the business. Couldn't get traction to change anything as a 2Lt and always wanted to fly. There are plenty of guys out there trying to work around it, but they get smacked down when they try to operate on their own. See post above about situation where he apprehended guy and got shot down by his superior (pretty much on the spot; not after getting the facts). There is no LE or Security anymore. They are SF, period.

Belle, My wife and I had our first child during UPT. It was during what would be considered Phase II ( I was at Whiting). I got a few days off and then back to work. I would help where I could, but my wife realized quickly that I couldn't get up in the middle of the night to help out except on the weekends. It can be done and it is not that difficult.

Here's a toast...

Got it. Won't quote the whole thing. 1) My point was that you over-reacted to a post by C-21 because unlike other members here you assumed that he said that all people on Guam during Vietnam weren't in the sh!t. 2) I think we may be in violent agreement on the stupidity of AF cops; I used to be an SP Officer so I can understand where you are coming from and completely understand why the Airman gave you a ticket. He doesn't get to make judgement calls (after being told by a superior to go give you a ticket) and cops eat their young. You get to give your ticket to the CC like the reg directs and he gets to make a decision about repercussions. Then his boss gets to chew his @ss because he got made a fool out of. Right or wrong, that's how SP's operate. The airman in the other situation overreacted but again was doing what he was told. They don't get to make decisions or get their asses handed to them. But once he apprehended your buddy, the next response would have been to apprehend everyone that entered that building in a hostile manner. 3) Oh, by the way, FourFans is correct. In that situation, that airman would have and could have apprehended all of the people that stormed into his office. He out-ranks all of you in that particular siuation. Ever heard of interfering with the duties of a sentinel? He has the authority of the base/wing CC to execute the duties that he has been given and that includes apprehending officers. You should check out the UCMJ sometime. Quite interesting. They usually will call an SP Officer to come do that dirty work, but nonethless... 4) Refer back to my point #1.

No, not from a crew dawg perspective. When you say to USAFE, do you mean on the staff or just that you went to Europe? If you went to the USAFE staff and supported a Operation Joint XXX, I would stop trying. It probably won't happen. If you deployed to the EUCOM staff ISO some operation, then keep trying. But, from what you wrote I'm guessing that is not the case. Someone who has more experence with this, feel free to chime in but I think you have to be filling a joint billet (e.g you are listed on a Joint Manning Document somewhere) to be submtted for a joint dec so it really depends on what you are doing. If you are flying missions in support of OJG/OJF, ect, you are not filling a joint billet. If not then read on... If I'm not mistaken, all Joint awards have to come to EUCOM for approval. If you aren't in a joint billet you can submit for a service specific dec, but a joint dec won't get approved, as far as I know. I can tell you from working at EUCOM that the decs we submit for people here are not very easy. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Talk to your personnel people and have them call the EUCOM J1 or go to the EUCOM website on the SIPR and you can pull the policy from the J1 links on the website. They should be able to answer all your questions. Hopefully, it is easier than I think it will be. Good luck.

BQ, If you go back and read all 27 pages of this thread, you will see a theme; shoes at the Died or on Guam or anywhere else who think they are the war. That is who C-21 was referring to and most, if not all (but you) of the people on the board who read more than 2 posts, got that.

I can put it here if need be, but you can go to the AF Portal, use the search function (search: uniform), and the first link that appears will take you to a page full of uniform crap. On the left side, you will find Offical messages. Click on ABU Wear Policy message (Sep 07). I have the original somewhere that does not have the couple of edited/blacked out areas, but can't find it right now. I'm surprised this guy didn't try to make the wear of the ABU mandatory or something.

3. ALL PERSONNEL ARE REMINDED THAT WE ARE IN A MULTI-YEAR TRANSITION FROM THE BDU/DCU TO THE ABU. FLEXIBILITY ON THE PART OF ALL PERSONNEL WILL ALLOW CONTINUED FOCUS ON OUTFITTING WARFIGHTERS, WHILE OTHER DISTRIBUTION PLAN DYNAMICS ARE PUT IN PLACE. THESE INCLUDE INITIAL ISSUE OF THE ABU TO BASIC MILITARY TRAINEES AND LIMITED AVAILABILITY IN AAFES OUTLETS. 6. ABU SAGE GREEN BOOTS ARE AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR WITH ALL UTILITY UNIFORMS - ABU, BDU, DCU, OLIVE DRAB (OD) GREEN FLIGHT SUIT AND DESERT TAN FLIGHT SUIT. DESERT TAN BOOTS ARE ALSO AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR WITH THE ABU,UNTIL THE MANDATORY WEAR DATE OF NOV 2011. Thanks for doing your part to remain flexible and not require folks to spend a lot of money that they don't need to.

Or making it easier to get back into a flying job coming out of a staff gig.

Here's a toast... :beer: Hopefully there will be some better news.

Nice. Nope, never heard that one before. Next time do some f@cking homework and it won't hurt so much. I guess that number to call the base and the ETCA website so you could do your own homework didn't work out for you. I'll make sure my next post is not quite as helpful. Oh, I might add that you could go to Baseops.net, specifically Academics and Sims and get a ton of info. Next time, try to do your own work before calling someone out when they give you the info that you need (with a little work). Someone else will have to chime in since my info is dated.

First, call the schoolhouse and ask. But, typically you have to be there on CSD at the time indicated. Usually, at least it used to be this way, there is a handout at billeting that gives the details of where to be (i.e. Bldg number, time, etc). The first day is an in-processing day and the Beano briefing. You will probably have a full day. Second, call the schoolhouse and ask. Someone has to have the number, but DSN 731-1110 is the operator, IIRC. Ask for C-130 Student Admin. If the orders don't spell it out, check the AETC school website (https://etca.randolph.af.mil). It will spell out requirements. You start to get into the whole permission vs forgiveness discussion at some point.

I guess being grounded gives you more time to screw off. But, seriously, would an OEF hat been more appropriate?

OK, I was pretty much with you up until that point. Do the powers that be really think that when making a rule they are changing behavior? Sock color?? Real important stuff. There for a reason? How about you can only have x number of sandwiches from the grab n go or whatever it is now? You have no idea what my schedule is or how long it may be before I can get to a chow hall in the future. What's that reason? There are exceptions for every policy yet no one wants to make them. They lean on the rules to back themselves so they don't have to think. Personal story. Probably told it before, but here goes... Just back from a long crew day. Landed just before the 20th hour. It was close to closing time for the chow hall. Grabbed a van and made a bee-line for the chow hall forgetting that my reflective belt was with my other gear that was in a different place (this was Camp Andy timeframe). Get to the chow hall just as the sun was disappearing, IIRC. Some Sr. NCO (and I use the term loosely) is at the door with a clipboard checking to make sure people were wearing their ID cards around their neck. I was in a group of people who mostly had reflective belts so it's not like I was going to get run over by a car (or if I did it wouldn't be because I didn't have a reflective belt). He asks me where my reflective belt is and I tell him after realizing that I didn't have it. He tells me that I need to go back to Ops town to get it since he isn't going to allow me in the chow hall. I point out that the chow hall is closing in about 3 minutes and I won't be able to eat if I go all the way back over to Ops Town and that I haven't eaten for about 7 hours. Sorry, you have to be in the proper uniform to enter the Dining Facility was his response, or he would have to report me. I handed him my name tag, asked him to ensure he spelled it correctly and went and ate. He told me that he didn't appreciate my attitude and I told him that his concern was noted and that I didn't appreciate his lack of customs and courtesies, so we left on "friendly" terms. Sometimes there are no real reasons for rules. (reference having a PT uniform shirt tucked in while jogging/running or lifting -STUPID, esp. when the basic reg covers this topic). There definitely is not a reason to deploy a bunch of extra people who have no real reason for being there except to be the uniform nazis. If they aren't working 18 hour days like the rest of the people there and I'm not including the uniform nazi time in that, then the USAF needs to re-evaluate why they are in country. Some rules are there for a reason, others are nothing more than the USAF trying to settle their desire for a zero defect force. If one guy sh!ts his pants, he should have to wear diapers. NOT everyone. Edit: FYI, this was from several years ago. I'm sure things have changed a lot since then.

IIRC, you only get mileage for the car you are driving plus the extra pax. The weight of the stuff you put in it should be allowable (not the car or the dolly but the stuff in it). Don't know for sure about that though. They've changed some of those rules since the last time I moved.

You were on solid ground up to that point. Don't know if you are late to rate or not, but from my experirence, this is not the case. I didn't want to go in the whole point paper like Slowmover did, but he is spot on evry where else. Obviously, my earlier statement like Bergman's is grossly oversimplified, but still a valid point. As has been said, the folks who are getting SOS DG are probably not slackersi n their day jobs. That is not to say that those that don't get DG are slackers. It is yet one more validator for a board, but carries much weight. You may be #1 in your Sq for such and such but you are not being eval'd against 599 of your peers in that group usually. Each and every "meaningful" strat that get is useful. I would point out though that this and beign a good dude in the squadron are not mutually exclusive as slowmover eluded to, "But if you just want to fly and be a good dude in your unit, here's my advice: do the best you can at the job you're given, pick your battles, do your PME and you'll probably be fine..." Do the best you can at what you are given. Piss and moan every know and again. Be a leader and get sh!t done. Make a difference. You will do well.

Off Topic, but while you are on the topic of missile dudes, I recently had a missile dude tell me that he had over 300 "combat missions" under his belt. When I asked, oh yes, you would be correct, he meant that he had sat over 300 alerts. YGBFSM. Anyway, I say we should all change to the Buzz Lightyear wings.

Brick hit the main points. DG will more than likely get you a DP on your O-4 PRF. Anything else and it means you checked the block. Obviously, there are other factors that go into your PRF besides DG but, you are taking 600 O-3's (your peers from around the USAF) and putting them together in one program. Those that get DG are going to be the bright and shiny's leaving that. Top 1/3, don't know how much weight that holds since it broadens the pool somewhat and doesn't mean the same. Most of the stuff is canned. I would find it difficult to believe that someone is going to take vengeance on you for having a difference of opinion. Now, if what you are trying to say by "didn't see eye to eye on what really matters" is that you didn't show up to class on time, were unprofessional, and had to see the Commandant 69 times for insubordination then I could see where your TR would get the special attention that it deserves. Overall, don't sweat it.