posted 03-21- 06:34 PM            

Let the whole page load with your speakers on. I had a good laugh.

http://www.lackland.af.mil/737trg/737web/BMT/index.htm

posted 03-21- 09:20 PM               

I'm so glad that's all WAY behind me now. Although I'm practically out of the USAF now, I will say this. If you know of a young kid (say 16-18, or even higher, heck I was 23 when I signed up), who hasn't found him or herself yet and maybe could use some discipline in their life, doing at least a 4 year tour in one of the services (I chose the USAF since I heard it was the best, and treated you the most decent, plus the brainy types were most likely to be in it too) isn't all bad. I've learned a lot in my 11 years and I'm sure I'll be looking back with many fond memories for years to come. The best part is is that I've seen most of our planet, and had I not enlisted I'd most likely NEVER make it to places like...

Australia
Got to tour around Sydney (Gorgeous city!) and we spent some time in Alice Springs, in the center of the continant as well.

Cairo, Egypt (Africa)
(The Great Pyramid GIZA was across the street from our hotel!!) Spent 60 days there and toured around ALOT! Got to horseback ride around the pyramids wearing a turbin on my head, felt very much like an Egyptian. Also saw King Tut's museam (spent a whole day seeing everything in there and it STILL wasn't enough, 2 days would have been perfect).

Frankfurt Germany
7 months there during the Gulf War, refueling and repairing C-5's and all of the "militarized" civilian fleet of 747's, DC-10's, L-1011's, DC-8s, and so on, on their way to and from the Gulf. (Saudi and Kuwait) I got to see TENS OF THOUSANDS of troops first hand on their way to and from combat. A major bonus was traveling around Europe on our 4 day off weekends (other than that we worked MANY 12 hour+ shifts). I learned how to snowboard on the Zugspitz, Germany's highest mountain. Also toured Dachau, one of Hitlers concentration camps. VERY creepy.

Karup Denmark
Beautiful country with amazing small towns.

Mildenhall England
I wish we could have made it to London but we weren't there long enough. I loved being there though as I'm part British and felt I was seeing a major part of my heritage.

Amsterdam Holland
Took a weekend tourbus trip and saw the "many" sites around there Also we were involved in a VERY GRUESOME accident in which I saw 4 out of 6 people get killed right before my eyes. Just horrible. You know people drive VERY fast over there.

Italy (Cicaly)
We weren't there long enough to really enjoy it but it was cool. I'd always wanted to go there and finally had a chance.

Spain, Rota and Madrid
WOW, it's great! Had a fantastic time. A good friend who was stationed there took me all over the place and I got to practice my 4 years of Spanish classes. I was surprised I that so much of it came back to me quickly.

Japan
Been to Tokyo a bazillion times, Yokohama, etc. Always an interesting time. Yokota Air Base is famous for it's excellent Japanese food at the Terminal where we ate every time we went through.

Okinawa Japan.
A gorgeous island that I'd go back to anytime.

Korea
Seoul and other cities. The shopping in Osan Air Base area is AWESOME! GREAT bargains on mink blankets, clothing, watches, etc. Always fun to do a quick 4 hour turn around and squeeze in 2 hours or so of shopping and good food.

San Tiago, Chile
My first trip as a full fledged flight engineer, and it was with our Base Commander! General Williams. (a 2 star). I was a trip to be sitting up front in the flight deck, just he and I, chatting about his future. That was an exciting yet scary time to be around so much "brass"

Takli AB, Thailand
This was such a cool trip! Got to fly along the Vietnam coastline on the way in (thinking of ANYTHING I'd ever seen to do with Vietnam and of course the many lives lost there during the war. Got very teary eyed yet we were all in awe of it).
Once on the ground in Thailand we did some serious shopping and found some good restaurants to eat in. The food was actually pretty good. On taxi out to the runway a HUGE black cobra (snake) went RIGHT IN FRONT of our C-5 Galaxy on the taxiway and only myself and one other guy saw it. It was BIG! The scary part was, a few moments before we were walking around in that same tall grass! Could have gotten really ugly.

Philippines - Manila / Subic Bay
Wow, the scenery around there is just breathtaking. Spent a couple days touring around.

my whole point was just that you can see the world and get paid while doing it

Let's just hope civilian life is kind

posted 03-22- 12:15 AM               

I'm not sure man. Both my grand Dads were in the Canadian Navy/Airforce and Canadian Airforce. My Dad US Airforce, My step dad Canadian Army/Airforce. And I did a small stint in the air cadets when I was 13?(somewhere around there).

So you would think it would be in my blood. But I really don't think I could take the Commands of some the stupid self serving people that are higher up them yourself and even below you. Plus the whole political aspect and the Crazy stupid decisions the Higher ups make when their ass isn't on the line or when it just plain doesn't make sence at all.

I've read plenty of war books and heard plenty of stories and they are all filled with INSANLY STUPID, GOING AGAINST COMMON SENCE (sorry i can NEVER hehe remember how to spell that word) choices. I always say to myself or Mad Dog WTF were these guys thinking. I am so suprised there isn't more Dead higher ups killed by there own men during war.

I'm sure its great and I have heard plenty of great stories of my dad having great times in the middle east and even just training and hanging out with buddys. But I just don't think I could hack it unless the people higher up then me were at least somewhat.... well somewhat somthing.

Not saying I can't listen to orders. I'm just saying I can't listen to stupid ones.

If I were to enter service I personally think I would like to be Flying Helis and I'm not even thinking combat stuff. I would really like to be in Coast guard saving lives or in a war situation Saving downed Pilots. That would be pretty damn cool. Wouldn't have to be killing people and would have some pretty good job satisfaction.

Just to be sure I'm not bashing any of the services. I just don't think it would be my bag. I have though of maybe joining reserves but its just a thought right now.

Oh yeah hehe. If I was to do anything I think it would be with the US. I'm From the US and I think Canada is STILL!!!! trying to get some decent helis.

posted 03-22- 09:36 PM               

But I did just think of some more.
Alaska
Elmendorf, Anchorage, etc

Hawaii
Hickam AFB (Honolulu) a zillion times
Barbers Point
saw the island (a real island) where Gilligans Island was filmed for many years.
Hawaii, man I love that place and could easily live there. It's like paradise.

Guam... MANY days there.

Pago Pago
A cool little island where the big Samoans live (they are a BIG people!)

Oh, on our way to San Tiago, Chile we over flew Peru, and had to get special clearance. We were all honestly worried that they'd shoot us down, since they did take out a US C-130 at one point.

Saudi Arabia (Dharan and other bases there)

Kuwait City, Kuwait
This was an exciting tense time, we flew in as the oil wells were on fire just at the end of the Gulf War. Kuwait International airport was shot up to hell, including the tower. We were told to stay on guard while on the ramp because they figured there were about 20,000 Iraqi soldiers surrounding the field at various locations. They also said snipers were everywhere and at any moment we could be picked off. THAT scared the crap out of me! First and only time I ever felt that kind of fear, like I was being hunted. That was also my only time ever in a war zone, where I could see vehicles and buildings blown to bits. You know how rain looks when it hits your car's windshield? Imagine OIL! We had oil covering all our windows and running off (like rain does) on our approach into the field. It was strange! Luckily it did run off, otherwise we'd have been screwed. LOTS of bumps from the intense heat pockets all around us though. And wow, I've never seen a sky so black in all my life.