RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Joined the USAF in March 1992 as an [link=http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob2w1x1.htm]Aircraft Armament Systems Specialist (462/2W1)[/link] working the F-15E and later the F-16. After 3 years of that I saw the light and retrained to become a [link=http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob1a2x1.htm]Loadmaster (1A2) [/link] on the C-5 Galaxy. Retraining was one of the best things I've ever done. I've flown around the world on Fred so many times now I've lost count... and I get paid to do it!

1992-1994, RAF Lakenheath UK, 492nd Fighter Squadron
1994-1995, Luke AFB AZ, 550th + 308th Fighter Squadrons
1995-2005, Travis AFB CA, 21st Airlift Squadron
2005-2007, Altus AFB OK, 56th Airlift Squadron (School House instructor/evaluator)
2007-present, Travis AFB CA, 22nd Airlift Squadron

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Excellent thread you guys have here; I'm by no means in the military, but I'm really hoping I can achieve my dream of flying fighters. Will be applying for NROTC soon and taking things from there. Its great to see that most of you have such great experiences serving, and I hope that if I do achieve my goal, I will have the same result with some fond memories. Any tips you guys have on helping me on my road to flying Hornets would absolutely awesome. God bless all of you! Go USA!

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Just wanted to add myself, (I know, its an old post) but what the hey

Grew up as an Air Force Brat, Dad was a Command pilot on KB-50s, KC-97, F-100s, C-7A, and C-131s- Born and lived in England, lived in TN, TX (x2), GA, and Beautiful Arkansas (where Dad retired with 20 yrs AD)

Currently I have 28+ years in the Army Reserve and currently an LTC - Uncle Sam says I have to retire next year

I have served in many units - qualified COMBAT ENGINEER 21B (Primary), Chemical Ops Officer 74A, and now an AG puke 42B

Just to let you know, its not just 2 days a month My 96-97 tour to Bosnia let my friends know that!

Also have been a GS for over 21+ years (20 years working for the Army Reserve)

I know that I had the great fortune to have served with some of the finest Soldiers in the United States. Thank You, the Taxpayer, for allowing me the opportunity to serve!

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

I was Army aviation. Eng. man, MOC & crew chief on Grumman OV-1 Mohawks. 225th. Aviation Co.
Boy was that a long time ago, now !! :D
Thanks, John

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

US Navy
AOC class 17-70
July 1970 VT-1 NAS Saufley Field - t-34b
Oct 1970 VT-3 NAS Whiting Field - T-28b's and c's
Mar 1971 VT-5 NAS Saufley Field - T-28 c - Completed first carrier landings April 2, USS Lexington. By the way, the first carrier landings were solo flights - no instructor - since they couldn't see anything from the backseat anyway.:eek:
April 1971 VT-28 NAS Corpus Christi TS-2b (Received my wings on Friday the 13th, Aug '71)[:o]
Mar 72 VAW-111 Det 1 E-1b attached to USS Ranger - Vietnam cruise from Nov 72 - Jun 73
Oct 73 RVAW-110 NAS North Island E-2b
Jan 74 VAW-111 E-2b attached to USS Forrestal
Nov 1975 VT-31 NAS Corpus Christi - TS-2b Flight Instructor tour and Senior Landing Signal Officer

Great thread. Gave me an excuse to dig out my old log books and reminisce. Made some great friends and lost a few as well.....bittersweet.

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

US Army 1997-2007

M1 Abrams Mechanic(45E '97-'04, 63A '04-'07)

2/72 AR,2ID Camp Casey, South Korea Dec'97-'98
1/8 CAV, 1CAV Ft. Hood, TX Mar'99-Jul'00
2/37 AR,1AD Friedberg, Germany Aug'00-Sept'04
Iraq Mar'03-Aug'04
61st ORD BDE Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD Sept'04-Oct'05
2/9 INF, 2ID Camp Casey, South Korea Nov'05-'06
20th ENG, 36th ENG BDE Ft. Hood, TX Dec'06- Sept'07 ETS

http://www.runryder.com/fastphoto/8757/abram13-5782.jpg

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Originally from New Haven, IN. I did 9 years AD/USAF right out of High School. Medically seperated in '98 as an E-5, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, MS. 3 1/2 years B-52H Crew Chief (Mechanic), Min(dr)ot, ND. 4 years B-2A Crew Chief/Phase Inspector, Whiteman AFB, MO. 1 year UH-1N/MH-60G Flight Engineer, Langley AFB, VA and Kirtland AFB, NM, respectively.

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Wouldn't you know it? I had to get to the last page of the thread to find someone with more time in the military than I had. Congrats, bassfisher, when you get your twenty-nine years in. They let me have twenty-eight years and two months, promoted me to light colonel, and retired me the next day ! Of course that was in thirty-eight years ago !!
I blew out the candles on my eighteenth birthday cake, hopped the midnight train and bedded down the next night at Sheppard Field. While the candles on my next cake were still smokin' I was handed gold bars, silver wings and an expert marksmans badge at Luke. One thing led to another, and for quite a while I found myself involved in various unplesantnesses with a bunch of vicious little fellows (that's as politically correct as I can get) way out beyond the sunset, and on August 6, 1945, I was over the Land of the Rising Sun, (Not for the first time, and not in a B-29; I'm not famous.) The crumbs of my 20th birthday cake were still in my moustache.
After a few months of occupation in Japan I returned to the States and was released from active duty with the USAAF. Up to that time my flying had been confined to the PT-17 Stearman, The BT-13 Vultee, the AT-6, the P-51 and the B-25. Later, in the ANG, I flew the T-33, F-80, C-45 and C-47. In civilian life I flew most everything Cessna and Beech built, plus some odd-balls like the Mooney Might (sweet!!) and the Dehaveland Dove (Pneumatics, UGH)
Thank God for all the young guys who are still eager and proud to offer themselves for the service of Our Country, and Gos bless you, one and all!

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

blatiggle, what were you flying on the day over the Land of the Rising Sun? It's funny you list the planes that you flew. My Dad (joined in 52) had a lot of time in B-25s, a few hours in P-51s and a lot of time in C-47s (both military and civilian). He was a young 1LT as PIC in KB-50 after checking out in B-29s. (He said he hated being a co-pilot) After that, KC-97s, F-100s, C-7A (Vietnam) and finally C-131 (God know what else, I'm still trying to find his logbooks) before he retired from USAF. I know that I've seen pictures of his AT-6 and T-28 days as a student. He was my inspiration - he retired with 20 - only I went to another branch!. Only a few months to go for my 29. A couple of years enlisted (thank Goodness for ROTC, it paid for the first two years of college!) and the rest commissioned time. If I don't get picked up on the O-6 list later this year, I have to hang up my boots in May 2010, 29 yrs and 8 months. I'll miss it, I feel very blessed to have served with the greatest Soldiers in world! A friend of mine once asked me who my hero(s) were - I looked at him right in the eye and said - "My heros are everyone who has worn, is wearing, or will wear the uniform of our counrty" It left him speechless for a couple of minutes.

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Good to hear from you, bassfisher. On 6 Aug '45, I was, oddly enough, in the B-25. I flew all my combat with the 500th (Rough Raider) Squadron of the 345th (Air Appache) Bomb Group, 5th Air Force. We were flying out of Ie Shima, at that time our closest base to the Japanese homeland. The 25 was a rock-solid old bird, and with the version we flew, salve to the ego of a frustrated fighter pilot - - we had fourteen forward firing fifties and an extremely low level mission; straff and skip-bomb. The only negative is that with all those guns, and engines with no collector rings, "HUH ?" and "EH ?" have been the most used words in my vocabulary for the last 65 years.
One day about 38 years ago I was ferrying a Citabria from Oklahoma to Iowa, and right smack in the middle of the flight I realized that between take-off and that instant I had not consciously done any of the many things I should have been duing to assure a successful outcome to the excursion. I had been sitting there fat, dumb and happy, totally unconscious of what was going on around me, thinking that something as mundane as that little plane was beneath my concern, and unconcerned that what really was beneath me was extremely solid, really quite near, and definitely unforgiving. So at that moment I pledged that I was approaching my last landing at the controls. On final at my destination, an uncontrolled airport, I had the urge to land out of a loop. If someone didn't like it, they could lift my ticket; I was done with it. "I done it."
I kept the pledge I made to myself that day, and have only flown as a passenger. Fortunately, my youngest son became a pilot, and an aerospace engineer. He owned an antique Luscomb and lived in Alaska, and we had many fantastic flights in that beautiful country among the mountains and the glaciers. Unfortunately, he succombed to cancer seven years ago.
Once again, God bless you and every man, woman and child that offers himself to the service of his country!

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Sorry to hear about your son's death. I'm glad that you and he had the time to fly together. That was one thing that my father & I didn't get to do, he lost his medical in '75 from a heart attack and we never got to fly full size together - I never finished my PP, only soloed, but between school, work and a new bride, the money was not there to finish. Now, 25 years later, I love RC too much to go and finish up, but my son is starting to fly full scale. Funny thing, my Dad never could get the hang of flying RC, but he gave it a shot!

Man, after reading about the missions you flew, I'm glad I'm able to correspond with you. Skip-bombing and low level staffing, makes me wonder if you still have a little bit of seat cushion still sucked up:) I'm a little familar with that version of the B-25. Were the 25's that you flew the factory variant with the forward firing .50s or a field modification? I know how mechanics can get if they have a free hand and no supervison:D I can understand the slight loss of hearing!!! I know the after hearing some of stories about the 25 from my Dad, it was not for a low time pilot, but after a few hours behind the yoke, it was a joy to fly.

My hat is off to your for having the *alls to be able to fly those misisons and live to tell about it! If you have any scanned photos, please post them. I know a vast majority of the folks here would love to see them!

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

20 Years USAF here. I am proud to find so many EX-Military here. I enlisted in the USAF expecting to head for Vietnam in 1974. I told the recruiter that I would take anything in the whole book of AF jobs except three. Well, you guessed it, I became one of those three. I was a 462 Armament Systems tech. and went right to MacDill Fl for my first assignment. What a great base, never did make it to SEA. I worked loading bombs, rockets missiles and guns on the F-4C, D and Es.
I was the first maintenence technician from MacDill to be to be kept at MacDill to work the F-16s with the people that came from Hill to set up the F-16 units at MacDill. After working the F-16 a while, I was made an offer that if I would go to Kunsan to help set up the F-16 program there, I could have my choice of follow on assignment. In 1982, ( yes, 8 years at MacDill) After a year at the "Kun", I headed right back to MacDill and shortly after was offered a job teaching F-16 weapons launch and release systems for the wing CAMT school. About a year later, I was offered a teaching job at FTD 311 and began teaching the F-16s there. I was excited to be selected to be part of a mobile training team and traveled to TDY Jacksonville to teach F-16s to the Air National Guard there. Also traveled TDY to Wright Patterson and taught the F-16 to the reserve unit there. In 1990, ( yes, almost 15 years at MacDill) I was told I was a non-volunteeer to go to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan to set up a training center there for Air national Guard F-16 training. Spent 2 years building and setting up the school from scratch, then after the military realized that was not a good place for a school, spent 2 years tearing it back down. But it was a great time for me, I helped out the base museum working on aircraft and a lot of time volunteering helping out the Starbase program working with inner city kids, a fantastic experience. After a while, I didnt even go into work, I just called them every few days to check in. My commander supported what I was doing, the school superintendant was not so enthusiastic about my being away. Since we didnt have any students, all they did was sit around and tell war stories. The superintendant was always after me and several times went to our commander to make me spend more time at the unit. My commander knew, there was not much else to do and that the museum and Starbase was a good cause, so he told my Superintendant to leave me alone and that I was doing what he wanted me to do. I retired in 1994 and moved back to Florida. I went to work for Fantasy of Flight in Polk City for Kermit Weeks, but it was just too far to drive each day. I always enjoyed aviation, I loved the technology. I have been restoring Norden Bombsights, gunsights a few Rolls Royce Merlin engines and many other WW2 era things for museums and customers. My wife began complaining about the aircraft fuselages on her carport so I had to scale down a bit. In around 1992, I bought my first RC plane and have been hooked on the hobby since. I fly at TRAC, and in about 2007 I was at a local swap meet and met Capt Sweetwine who had been The Commander at the school in Selfridge, I hadnt seen him in yeasr, he is now into RC airplanes also. Sure was nice to see him and also to find out he is in the hobby too now. Damn, didnt intend on this being so long, but anyway, Thanks to all that served. My grandfather and all of you are my heros!

Denny

http://rides.webshots.com/album/552141172xfdmUK

I have posted a lot of pictures here of military aircraft and all kinds of aviation related things in case anyone is interested or needs some images for scale references. There are pictures from my grandfathers album in the 1920s of military planes to the more modern F-16 and such.

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

12 yrs ADAF. IP on the Tanker. Currently doing Operational Test at McGuire. Lovin' every minute of it (if you believe that I've got some land to sell). God bless all the vets on here. [8D]

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

I have 3 brothers in the Army...if I joined it would have been Air Force since I'm into planes. Thanks for all your service and great pics
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RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

10 Yrs. and still going. Some may not count it, but i'm a "Guard baby" in the IA ANG. I never was in the active duty, but I went through AF basic and tech school, served in turkey (operation northern watch,) Qatar, and twice in Balad, Iraq. I am currently a flightline avionics tech "pointy head" and loving every minute.

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Did twenty plus as a wrench turner onF-86d's, F-101b's ,KC-135's FB-111.Bounced back and forth between the 461 and 431 career fields'Got my CSMEL,Instrument and CFI which enabled me to get to fly all over Europe and the US.I spent time at Ramstien (2 tours),Hahn Germany,state side Ivisited Kingsley Field Oregan,Loring AFB,Maine,Grand Forks AFB ND,carswell AFB Tx,Holloman AFB NM. Korat AB Thai, Kunsan ab Kor,Cam Rahn Bay viet Nam.Meet a lot of GREAT folks,only had two lousey assignments but all in all it was a good ride.Iretired in 1981.Iwas a light bloomer to RC Istarted in 1976 I thought it would be a snap,Ihad a few thousand hours in my log book,I was flight instructor so how hard could it be? That Tower Hobby 40 trainer ate my lunch.But I'm glad I stuck it out I've made a bunch of good friends and still enjoy it

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

cfircav8r,

It all counts... I meant to make th at comment when you posted last month.

Bob

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Great thread!
I saw a gentleman called crazyherb posted a few years ago stating he was at Howard AFB.  I was across the ditch at Rodman.  We use to play basket ball in your gym two or three days a week.  Loved Panama.  Loved the guys I served with!
Bob

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Seems like every time I come on RCUniverse, I find another thread that takes precious minutes away from my building projects. Draftee in September 67, at the induction station station saw the poster that said ( Who says you have to be a college grad to fly!! Ask about the Army Warrant Oficer Aviation program?) and here we are 43 years later, retired since 92 as an Army CW4 helicopter pilot!! Two tours in the vacation wonderland of Viet Nam ( 1970 medevac home in June after 5 months in country and Aug 72 til March 73 when they started shutting down the only war we had at time) flying OH-6's for the 17th Air Cav. God Bless Hughes for building the most crashworthy aircraft the Army ever had!! Even today the best the Army has is the ( IMHO )C models theSpecial Ops guys use!! Talk about great assignments, even had the sameroom on my second tour. Been flying models since the 50's with breaks for service duties and other ( now totally unimportant ) attempts at making a living. The most fun you can have with your pants on is rolling in hot with your minigun spewing tracers at an enemy target! Of course, all gunship pilots will argue with you. Always brings up the of the smells of JP-4 and gunpowder. Sad thing was we only carried enough ammo for a30 second adventure into Red Baron territory, but WOW was it a 30 second adventure to be remembered Most of the time!! Had a ball, loved it all, bad times won't recall. Nuff of my war stories! I'll be back!

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Way back in 1952 when I graduated A&P Mechanics school, the USAF called on us to come in as Aviation Cadets- I did and after training, frlew B-26's out of K-8 (Kunson) and after that spent a year towing targets with them in the 6th Tow Target Sqdn at Johnson AB in Japan Loved that duty there and when it was over, my assignment to SAC and KC-97's cured me of the USAF. I got out in '58 bad timing on my part, but I did manage to stay employed till my first retirement in '91.
The B-26 could outrun almost anything that was prop driven back then- I loved it!

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

4 years USN 1956-1960 Nas cecil field Fla. than 2 years Nas Boca Chica Key West Fla all with Vf101 Grim Reapers Plane Capt on F4d Skyray than wrench turner in the engine shop. Was on Uss saratoga for operation Strikeback in 1957. operating above artic circle. Anyone else out there that served in VF 101 during that time. Dave.

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Just found this thread, great to hear from the WWII aviators, and every one else.
I did 10 months chrew chief on a slick in Nam, Plantation heliport, Long Bihn.
In 95 I worked with a crane operater who crewed B-17's over Germany.
I asked him if he got his 25 missions, and he chuckled.
He said when they got close, it was changed to 35, then 50 and finally 75.
He was over 50 when they got shot down and spend the next two months, moving between prisioner camps,
till the war ended.
Good luck to all
Warlord 772

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
 

Hi British Army 1976-1984 as a vehicle mechanic, also worked on chieften tanks.
Spent my basic training at Sunny Boredom{Bordon} then of to Germany finished
up at Royal Artillery missile range on Benbecula in the outer Hebrides. I then worked
for the Ministry of Defence working on plant equipment.
I really enjoyed it and made some of the best friends in my life there,
example being a few weeks ago I was at the christening of my friends grand daughter,
who is the daughter of my god daughter.
I don't know if other people find this but when I meet my old army
friends we just hit it off like we were never apart.
Jim.