Gas Man Posted September 30, 2011 Posted September 30, 2011 1: yielding or likely to yield a reward : valuable, satisfying We were a valuable asset to the guys on the ground and were involved in multiple instances where our team made the difference to either the capture or killing of the dirkas. My tour was satisfying. Maybe others flying fighters or a bomber that is actively involved would not find it as rewarding. Obviously you don't know what the E-11 does. I could tell you, but..................
Bluto Posted September 30, 2011 Posted September 30, 2011 Obviously you don't know what the E-11 does. I could tell you, but.................. It's a comm node, really? If they have another mission, then good on them.
Gas Man Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 It's a comm node, really? If they have another mission, then good on them. Yea, they have spent over $7 billion so they can have a jet aloft just to provide a comm node. I guess you do know all there is to know about the program... ;)
sputnik Posted October 1, 2011 Author Posted October 1, 2011 I realize it's a sweet platform and I assume it's an important mission, but the flying.....I'm guessing ain't very exciting is it? Far as the the MC12, the only buds I had it were in the first wave of volunteers. I'm guessing things have evolved but neither of them found it particularly interesting and neither were remotely interested in going back. It sounds like maybe the crew is getting more fun stuff to do?
Hacker Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 (edited) I realize it's a sweet platform and I assume it's an important mission, but the flying.....I'm guessing ain't very exciting is it? Far as the the MC12, the only buds I had it were in the first wave of volunteers. I'm guessing things have evolved but neither of them found it particularly interesting and neither were remotely interested in going back. It sounds like maybe the crew is getting more fun stuff to do? A bud of mine just got back from his 6 months in the BACN. He said that the short training program was a big advantage over the MC-12 in terms of time away from home. Other than that, he said the most exciting thing that occurred on the deployment was choosing which movies to watch during the flights. Yes, the MC-12 has evolved quite significantly since the first year of ops, and the mission sets differ (often considerably) depending on base/location, and even differ between supported unit and time of day. If you have the choice between the two deployments, which one is 'better' depends a whole lot on who you are and what you're looking to get out of it. IMHO, the BACN could provide a fighter-background guy with a type of flying experience (and ATP/Type) which would show future civilian employers some diversity of experience, but it wouldn't be very exciting so far as the actual day-to-day execution goes. The MC-12, while being a type of experience that some future civilian employers might not be quite as impressed with, would likely be more satisfying during the deployment while flying missions. The end-state reality for us military guys, though, is this: if we are hired by a civilian flying operation, what type of civil type rating we do or don't have is not going to be the reason why we are selected. Edited October 2, 2011 by Hacker
Bluto Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 I realize it's a sweet platform and I assume it's an important mission, but the flying.....I'm guessing ain't very exciting is it? Far as the the MC12, the only buds I had it were in the first wave of volunteers. I'm guessing things have evolved but neither of them found it particularly interesting and neither were remotely interested in going back. It sounds like maybe the crew is getting more fun stuff to do? Yes the mission has evolved. Were your buds in Iraq? If so, totally different mission and wasn't much going on.
guineapigfury Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 I realize it's a sweet platform and I assume it's an important mission, but the flying.....I'm guessing ain't very exciting is it? There is no shortage of boredom. However, I've had a few sorties that more than made up for the others where we were just burning dinosaurs. I'll leave with a justified sense of accomplishment when I'm done.
PasserOGas Posted October 3, 2011 Posted October 3, 2011 This plane is NOT an ISR platform. It literally orbits at FL500 and acts as a relay platform for electronic "stuff" collected by other planes. Very boring i would think, and that's coming from a tanker guy.
sputnik Posted October 4, 2011 Author Posted October 4, 2011 I hope the flying unit has a good Homer Simpson patch. Cause that's all I think of when I hear it. No wonder I want to fly it.
Guest Duke62 Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 So what's the best way to "volunteer" for a rotation of left hand turns?
sputnik Posted October 28, 2011 Author Posted October 28, 2011 So what's the best way to "volunteer" for a rotation of left hand turns? Make enough posts to PM me and I'll send you an email poc
SocialD Posted March 28, 2013 Posted March 28, 2013 (edited) Do they take ANG volunteers for this mission? Yes, or at least they did. Edited March 28, 2013 by SocialD
Chida Posted March 28, 2013 Posted March 28, 2013 I called the guy a few weeks ago and they're not taking reserve or ANG part-timers, just AGR. They don't have the money to fund man-days and have enough AD volunteers to last thru CY14.
Bergman Posted March 28, 2013 Posted March 28, 2013 I called the guy a few weeks ago and they're not taking reserve or ANG part-timers, just AGR. They don't have the money to fund man-days and have enough AD volunteers to last thru CY14. I am sure the Guard AGRs are lining up out the door for that opportunity.
Skyclops Posted June 2, 2014 Posted June 2, 2014 Read the following article about BACN: https://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/485153/battlefield-airborne-communications-node-ensures-warfighter-connectivity.aspx Seems like the program is continuing to be funded through FY15, with the idea of making it a permanent cape. Anyone in the know have word on what they're going to do with the E-11s after the drawdown?
Homestar Posted June 2, 2014 Posted June 2, 2014 This thing has to be the best flying gig in the AOR.
ARAMP1 Posted June 2, 2014 Posted June 2, 2014 LOL... "Ground commanders feel more secure knowing the BACN is flying overhead. You are saving lives" 1
ViperDriver77 Posted August 2, 2015 Posted August 2, 2015 Anyone know if this is still in use and, if so, what the volunteer status is? How would I go about volunteering?
ViperDriver77 Posted August 2, 2015 Posted August 2, 2015 You can PM me for details. Still in use and the coordinator is still actively taking volunteers based on your X Band. PM sent
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