ASBC information

[brabus]

It would be a bad idea to go. It won't affect you in any way, except not wasting 6 weeks of your life. Don't mention it to anyone and thank God you don't have to go.

[Boxhead]

It would be a bad idea to go. It won't affect you in any way, except not wasting 6 weeks of your life. Don't mention it to anyone and thank God you don't have to go.

x2

I think an honorable goal of any officer would be to make a good career while not EVER setting foot on Maxwell AFB. My favorite CC just made O-6 and that is just what he did. (or didn't do)

I have made is past SOS w/o going, let's see what I do via correspondence next....

[Danger41]

I had a girl in my flight that was 3 months from pinning on Captain and she got sent there. The reason she was given was that it was PME and it doesn't look good when you go up for Major if you hadn't attended. Don't shoot the messenger on this one, that's just what I was told from her.

[slacker]

I had a girl in my flight that was 3 months from pinning on Captain and she got sent there. The reason she was given was that it was PME and it doesn't look good when you go up for Major if you hadn't attended. Don't shoot the messenger on this one, that's just what I was told from her.

Only PME commiserate with rank is considered for promotion board. Meaning if you somehow got promoted to Maj without SOS, your O-5 board will not look at the lack of SOS. Missing ASBC is kinda like missing 4K, you can still get into Kindergarten and by first grade, no one will give a shit.

Now is it easy money? Maybe, but so is Key West JAATTs and I’d rather get msn qualled and spend time anywhere but Maxwell.

[Cell Dweller]

ASBC is for the desk jockeys and casual LTs, and not for anyone over the grade of 2LT. Once winged, or a 1Lt with some responsibility, there is too much else to do to be worried about Kinder-BDE. There are plenty of people who 'missed' ASBC and by the time they hit their Maj board will have distinguished themselves enough that the lack of that sliver of PME will make no difference.

[XL0901]

...Anybody have any idea what the chances are of being sent after you get winged?

Slim...only guy I have heard about was a reservist that talked his unit in to paying him for 7 more weeks after MQT was over.

[Ram]

ASBC is for the desk jockeys and casual LTs, and not for anyone over the grade of 2LT. Once winged, or a 1Lt with some responsibility, there is too much else to do to be worried about Kinder-BDE. There are plenty of people who 'missed' ASBC and by the time they hit their Maj board will have distinguished themselves enough that the lack of that sliver of PME will make no difference.

Shack.

I went 3 months after I commissioned as a casual 2Lt. It was f*cking AWESOME because there was a kegger every other night, weekend trips to Pensacola/Ft Walton Beach/Atlanta/New Orleans/etc...and everyone was getting laid. I was an LT with a paycheck and NO responsibility, and I saw it as one last "hurrah" before I started ENJJPT.

If I had been told to go as a 1Lt with wings, I would have seen it an entirely different way. Things would have been WAY different.

If you're casual, WTF else are you doing? Just go, drink, and enjoy the TDY. Why is this so complicated?

[StoleIt]

Rumor mill says they are adding combatives and other stuff similar to the updates that ROTC field training went through. Expect bright orange rubber ducks and an extra week in tent city.

What kinda sucks the big one is that they claim 3 sets of utilities are "manditory." So cheers to dropping another hundo on a uniform I am going to wear for 2 months and then let collect dust. Also "cold" weather gear...I am definitly NOT dropping $250 or so bucks on a Gortex ABU jacket. Gonna suck that up and enjoy the chill if the weather goes south.

https://asbc.au.af.mil/asbcclothing.htm#field

And just read this little goodie:

Beginning in ASBC Class 09C1, students will be participating in outdoor field activities.

Due to time constraints, students will not be allowed to leave the training area for meals. Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) will be available for purchase. Please bring $21.25 (cash) on Day 1 to purchase MREs. You will only be allowed to purchase MREs on Day 1; therefore please bring the requested amount ($21.25) in exact change on Day 1.

Beginning in ASBC Class 09D1, the number of outdoor field activities will increase and students will be asked to bring money on Day 1 to purchase their MREs. Exact amount TBD.

THUPER!!!

[fastnumber15]

I wonder what would happen if I just showed up with 2 ABU sets instead of the "required" 3. Dont just have extra money laying around to go buy this stuff right now and hate wasting the money extra uniforms that will be used for like 2 months. I figured the military could cover at least some MRE's for us.

[FlyingWolf]

I wonder what would happen if I just showed up with 2 ABU sets instead of the "required" 3. Dont just have extra money laying around to go buy this stuff right now and hate wasting the money extra uniforms that will be used for like 2 months. I figured the military could cover at least some MRE's for us.

"2" on the ABU deal

Has anyone ever heard of them actually checking or discovered a reason to have 3 sets?

[Guest ibreon]

I wonder what would happen if I just showed up with 2 ABU sets instead of the "required" 3. Dont just have extra money laying around to go buy this stuff right now and hate wasting the money extra uniforms that will be used for like 2 months. I figured the military could cover at least some MRE's for us.

depends on when you go. i was in the 09B2 class with only had two sets of ABUs and i didn't have any problems. but if you're going to be in the "field" for any considerable amount of time, you'll want to consider getting another set.

as for ASBC going to 10 or 11 weeks, it's going to 8 weeks. if it goes up after that, has yet to be seen. but starting sometime in the spring/summer, it'll be an 8 week course.

[StoleIt]

Oh yea, not sure if I mentioned it:

A camelbak or a backpack with a built in camelbak (better option) is practically manditory. I was hating life with a web belt, 1 quart canteen, and a 1 LITER pouch.

Any pattern camelbak (I was told) is okay at ASBC. DCU, ABU, BDU, sage, black, hell even ACU is gravy. You will enjoy life much better with one of those.

[AEWingsMN]

What did you do "in the field"? Fill/tote sandbags

it was at that point at field training that I realized that it is worthless. I felt like I'd learned more about blue collar working than about leadership. 5 people out of the entire encampment were actually gaining anything worthwhile, and the rest were bitching and moaning about filling worthless sandbags.

I actually feel that I may have been more productive during my POC years had I not gone to field training.

Anyway, sorry to change the subject.

Edited March 16, 2009 by AEWingsMN

[Guest Krabs]

I'm not sure how up to date the ASBC site is, but I have taken some of the important nuggets of info and compiled them here. Paperwork...I hate it. Therefore, I make sure to make it as painless as possible by getting my shit together. If anyone has something to add/correct, please do, as is what is currently allowing me to get through reading the ASBC site.

Before you get to the wonderful land of Montgomery:

Know/Do/Bring this shit for registration:

- Detachment commander's info (name, rank, work address, duty phone, and email address)

- Checkbook, OR a Standard Form 1199A pre-filled by your financial fnstitution (For direct deposit, and hence, your pay. So don't f|_|ck it up)

- Your Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) & job title

- Fill out an immunization sheet (I even attached it to this post for those to lazy to find it on the site)

- 2 Forms of picture identification (such as driver's license, passport, etc.)

- 15 Copies of your orders (NOT just one like they say for TD1)

- Immunization Records - you will need them to fill out your Immunization Worksheet (just in case you didn't before)

- Valid proof of blood type (if you have proof)

- Names, addresses, and SSNs of your parents and other beneficiaries

- Junk on the list: https://www.au.af.mil/au/soc/asbc/asbcclothing.htm#field

In regards to the packing list, if anyone doesn't want to get issued canteens like back in the FT days and needs a Camelbak, I will sell you my Camelbak Viper for $50 https://www.camelbak.com/index.cfm. It can hold a bit of cargo, like an MRE, and has a 102 oz. bladder)

Once there, you go to...

Inprocessing!

One of two things will happen:

1. You go to the inpro building, you will type in you SSN, if they have you in the system (by the grace of God), you are good to go. Save and Print the "Student Information Sheet" and log out. This sheet apparently has all the info you will need. Go to lodging, give them the info on your sheet. Go to room, have .

2. Your name is not in the system. Big surprise.

From the site: "If you were a late fill or a replacement, then it's quite likely we don't have your record in our registration database." Which sounds like what I will probably have happen...

Fill out the form on the computer, save, print; go to lodging to get the run around, get a temporary room, get flight assignment on class day 1. Lodging will then put you in a room near your flight. Quoted from the site: "You'll need to arrive at Polifka Auditorium, Building 1403 at 0645 the first day of class so the Registrar can tell you which flight you'll be in."

First day of class:

You will need the following information on TD1:

- Detachment commander's info (name, rank, work address, duty phone, and email address)

- Your Air Force Specialty Code & job title

- At least 1 copy of your TDY orders for attending ASBC.

After that...

30 weekdays of (but TDY pay-worthy) "training."

Immunizations.pdf

[Guest Tekray]

Alright I just got back from BLUE THUNDER at ASBC. I'm in the D1 class and it's about 85% compliant with the final pipeline. There's still some old stuff, but I saw alot of random questions on here that I would have liked answered before I came. I've taken BaseOps knowledgebase for a while now and thought I would try to give back.

1 - Finance

--If you are coming straight from ROTC they will walk you through your finance

--Take advanced pay or not, its up to you, just have a bankaccount with account numbers ready for finance guys. Making their life easy is the best thing

you can do

--They do need like 5 copies of your orders, so bring 15. It's just spare paper

2 - Billeting

--The rooms are nice, kind of small, and yes you share a bathroom

--You get a sink, small fridge with a small freezer, and a microwave for cooking your own meals (save you money!)

3 - Blue Thunder

--Try to match the packing list as best you can, 3 abu's aren't needed but you do get yours really dirty

--Yes you leave on day one so be ready. Come with your crap ready, don't think military clothing will get your uniforms turned around for you because

they are way overbooked with a bunch of stupid 2Lts trying to get their stuff turned around in a day

--Pay for the meals. Someone posted on here not too but I'm fairly certain they make you and their not bad. Hae your money ready or you will piss your

flight mates off because someone has to pay for you

--CamelBaks are nice. If you get one, I'd reccomend some storage capacity. Not alot, the only thing you put in it is one MRE a day and your airmans

manual. As long as it can hold those two items you're good. If its can't then you're cargo pockets are full. If you can only find a camelbak w/o storage

take it, its better than toating a canteen around.

--Bring something to do, reading materials, football, cards, whatever, you have ALOT of downtime

4 - CBTs - you get alot of certifications here so hold of on SABC, CBRNE, etc CBT's because you will get the full certification here.

I guess that's pretty much. Have a positive attitude because some of the stuff is repetitive, slow going, and like I said you have alot of down time. Hurry up and wait kind of crap. They are now doing training reports so if you're chasing a DG/SP marker get yourself prepped.

Thanks BaseOps for the wealth of knowledge - the guys on here have really walked me through alot of stuff!!! Hope I can return some favors. If you want more info just PM me class gets to a point where I think I can post something valuable I will.

[brabus]

They are now doing training reports so if you're chasing a DG/SP marker get yourself prepped.

They've always done training reports, so that's not indicative of the existence of DG/SP. Maybe it might affect shoes, but ASBC matters zero to aircrew. No one is going to give a shit if you even went to ASBC, let alone how you did there.

[Guest Flyin' AF Hawaiian]

They've always done training reports, so that's not indicative of the existence of DG/SP. Maybe it might affect shoes, but ASBC matters zero to aircrew. No one is going to give a shit if you even went to ASBC, let alone how you did there.

That checks. When I was on casual I was asked by my SQ/CC why I didn't just do ASBC via correspondence. I wish I had been given the option!

[MoTx]

No luck trying to access the site from here either. Here's a word copy of the list as of 25 March, when I last looked... if it's outdated, it's news to me. Hope it helps-- see you there.

Side question-- I talked to the TMO folks about me doing my PCS with ASBC enroute... is anyone else counting moving their ASBC crap as a partial DITY? I didn't think you could do that, but if I can get paid for it like they said, all the better. That being said, I could be absolutely wrong on understanding what he said and getting myself into paperwork hell.

--Stretch

Thanks man. Yea...they really hooked us up. We're doing a partial, and they went ahead and took our stuff to my final, post-ASBC base. They're even letting us pick up our base house, and take delivery of all of our stuff in a couple days, like a week before I EAD (didn't want to take my wife to ASBC).

If you can't do that, the TMO folks can pick up your stuff and store it free of charge for up to 90 days at your permanent base, then just get it delivered when you arrive after ASBC. I recommend going to your local TMO office and talking to them...they were really helpful, especially about moving us before I EAD.

Mo

[jango220]

Alright I just got back from BLUE THUNDER at ASBC.

In D1 too. To track along with what Tekray said, MAKE SURE ALL YOUR BLUE THUNDER GEAR IS PACKED SUNDAY NIGHT! Also, do a commissary run to get some food the night before as well because you will get 1.5 hours (more like 1 hour when you count in running to/from SOC) to eat lunch and pack for a week. It sucks, but you'll get over it. Being out in the "field" wasn't bad (if you think that tempur tents, air conditioning, hot food, and hot showers counts as being in the field). You will essentially be on your own from 6pm on, so bring a book or something. 2 dudes in my flight even hauled out laptops with air cards so we had internet access as well ha. Also, only 2 sets of ABUs are really needed for the week, so save yourself from hauling out crap you don't need. Also, in true Air Force fashion, they think that mobility bags are backpacks, so spend some cash and get yourself a decent bag that wont destroy your shoulders and back. This is the one that I have: Kelty MAP 3500. And get yourself a decent camelbak. Get one before you get here too, because the BX and Clothing Sales are slim pickings after ASBC/SOS/ACSC etc roll through and buy them.

Also, don't be like half the dumbasses in D1 and show up without your uniforms and/or nametapes/rank sewn on. Get them purchased and sewn on BEFORE you get here. That more or less goes for the ROTC en-route people, because some detachments are apparently dropping the ball on that one.

[Stretch]

https://www.au.af.mil/au/soc/asbc/asbc.html

New site.

[Guest Zero000]

Going to be attending ASBC in the next couple weeks and got some questions on how much money I should be bringing.

I'll be arriving ASBC with roughly $1300 in the bank and am wondering if that will be enough? From what I understand after reading the thread and the ASBC website, we should receive TDY pay within 5 days of arriving at Maxwell so long as all of our banking information is correct?

[jango220]

Going to be attending ASBC in the next couple weeks and got some questions on how much money I should be bringing.

You won't be receiving your full TDY money until after you report to your gaining base and file your travel voucher. Assuming all of your finance info gets inputted in a timely manner, you will receive your standard base pay within 2-4 weeks (it took 2 full pay periods to get mine started). You have the option of taking an advance on both your TDY pay (about $1200 if I remember) and on your salary. I didn't take either, but in your situation I would suggest taking the TDY advance. Everyone that took that got that payment within a week or two, as it processed separately from your base pay. You'll be dropping about $1200 on housing alone, and that doesn't even take into account all of the eating and drinking that I guarantee you'll be doing there. Expect to have some high balances on your credit card(s), so make sure you don't have any large or outstanding balances going in. Also, if you have USAA, you can call them and request to have your credit limit raised since you are on active duty now.

[StoleIt]

You would think that ASBC would tell us a ballpark figure on how much we should be bringing with us. I'll definitely have to take the advanced payments in order to survive in this case.

It really depends on you. I know guys that spent maybe $1 a day. Granted they were in scrounge mode the entire time and probably forgot they graduated from college and could afford real food...I knew a dude that hit up SAM's club the first weekend there and probably spent $40 dollars the entire month.

Other dudes would be going out to eat 2x a day and would easily blow by their per dium.

I would probably eat at the golf course every other day, the chow hall 90% of the dinners during the week, and go off base for the weekend. So figure you are spending no more than $50 during the week on food and then whatever you want for the weekend. My average bill at the chow hall was less than $5 a meal.

This doesn't include booze.

Edited July 15, 2009 by stoleit2x

[dirkdigler9]

I am just finishing up here now. We didn't get paid until the 15th of June and most of us had been here since the 4th. The $1300 should be enough to last you but I would definitely have a credit card as back up and definitely take the advance pay. There were a lot of people that had issues with getting paid on time.

[jango220]

You would think that ASBC would tell us a ballpark figure on how much we should be bringing with us. I'll definitely have to take the advanced payments in order to survive in this case.

On-base billeting is $27/day for University Inn. If you are coming straight from ROTC, you'll be at ASBC for 45 days. Most people don't know billeting rates off the top of their nugget, but hey, you are just starting. Pretty soon your brain will be chock full of useless knowledge like that and how an ATO is developed (enjoy that hellish alphabet-soup lesson). Consider it a lesson in financial management. Usually things like billeting are put on your GTC anyway, but that's another thing us ROTC grads don't get until we inprocess at our gaining base. FYI, drinking at the O Club is much much cheaper than anywhere off base.

Edited July 15, 2009 by jango220