For Those Going Into Military

SlowwHand

King
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Nov 29, 2000
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Location
Republic of Texas
I dont know, I was just thinking that maybe it would be a decent gesture to have a thread dedicated to those who are in the military, or will be in the military in the days/years ahead.

It could be used to keep track of them, to let us know all is well.
To show them that they remain in our thoughts.
All countries, all our friends, that will serve.

What are thoughts on this proposal?
 
My brothers in the army stationed in Poland (last I heard).....
My baby sis is joining the Air Force and will be going to boot camp in Texas in November.

Though I doubt that either will be career military personell, it sure looks like they will have their chance at actually putting their skills to work.

I would be joining them if I was still a single man :rolleyes:

I'm anxiously waiting for an update from bro...will post when heard from.
 
Well, in couple months I'll have the first physical and psychological tests.

And I have two relatives on active service now, one in Jerusalem keeping order after all those prayers, and another one in Jenin taking part in all those incursions(lots of cool stories :)).
 
But I am one that really isn't into romanticizing what we do...

I am grateful for the thoughts and thanks, but sometimes don't understand why they are voiced so strongly.

The first time I was told "Thank You" by a civilian in an airport, I was a bit shocked and embarrassed...

I thought to myself, "What have I done to deserve thanks?".

It wasn't until a close shave in Bosnia (Of all places:() that I understood a little bit better about what she meant.

And now, with the country standing together more than I can EVER remember in my short life, I really can see why America is so great.

I thank everyone for support, and urge those joining or thinking about it to do it. It has been the best experience of my young life, and something that I will always be proud of. There are many sacrifices to be made, and many things to learn, but they are all worth it in the long run.


Drake: I think your brother is somewhere near the Polish border at a training area. We have sent people in the past over there and they had a pretty good time. It is probably just a training exercise that he is on, and then he should return in a few weeks time... No worries dude:). But your sister in the Air Force??? Now you can start worrying!!!;)
 
Drake: I think your brother is somewhere near the Polish border at a training area. We have sent people in the past over there and they had a pretty good time. It is probably just a training exercise that he is on, and then he should return in a few weeks time...

Yeah that was the plan...I'm not worried yet perse, but I would like to speak with him and see how he's doing.....

Sis in the Air Force won't really worry me either. She's most likely going to be in intelligence. Not exactly a high risk position (but a very valuable one)
 
In WW II, there were around 450,000 killed in action.
No idea how many wounded. Buku. Many.
In Viet Nam there were around 70,000 casualties and over 300,000 wounded.
Since 1979, there have been roughly 32,000 deaths, and we have been relatively lucky in our encounters.

Thoughts on a special thread are warranted.



BTW, Drake.
My date of reporting to Lackland was on a November 7.
Your Sis is close to same time. :goodjob:
 
"In WW II, there were around 450,000 killed in action.
No idea how many wounded. Buku. Many.
In Viet Nam there were around 70,000 casualties and over 300,000 wounded.
Since 1979, there have been roughly 32,000 deaths, and we have been relatively lucky in our encounters.

Thoughts on a special thread are warranted."


Insight so many forget. Even me sometimes.


Agreed.
 
I certainly support that idea. I'd definately be interested in the welfare of our Civfanatic brothers and sisters and their families out on the battlefront.
 
Wait... How did you manage to lose 32,000 people since 79?
 
That was the figure off the chart I looked at for a state by state breakdown.

Texas has lost the most with 900+, followed by NY, and I think Pennsylvania was third.
 
It would be nice to include the servicemen (& women) of all countries, as well as the veterans. Of course, if someone does not wish to include their info for any reason, that's OK to.



NOTE: The next few paragraphs are for those considering joining the US Military. However, seek out a wide variety of sources and opinions before deciding to join/not join...

My background is mostly Air Force (flying, engineering, management), though I do have some special Army training too. No, I'm not a recruiter. As someone who supervised and counseled a lot of 19, 20, 21 year olds coming in to my units right out of tech school, my input to those considering joining an all-volunteer force is to enlist because you really want to... not on an impulse. Do your research about what branch of service, and what job suits you best.

In today's Military, you will likely not be guaranteed the exact job you desire before signing up (get it in writing, never take a recruiter's word for it, LOL ;) )... this is the Military, not a civilian job. However, if you are really uptight about doing a specific job... there may be a way: join the Reserves or National Guard. That local unit can often be flexible and tell you exactly how they plan to use you before you commit. If you go Active Duty, and the needs of the nation change, you can be re-assigned to any number of jobs before you complete you basic and advanced training.

For a young person out of High School or College, however, this is a more than a slogan... the U.S. Military remains a great place to start (or at least spend 2 to 6 years). Not perfect, not high paid, and rarely filled with "Hollywood" moments, but still a good place to begin.

I do recommend one carefully consider the Reserves and National Guard, in addition to Active Duty. And remember that there are opportunities in five branches of the Armed Services... Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.

In the Air Force, if you want to see a lot of the world and be on the "pointy tip" of the spear in the modern battle plan not just for a single operation, but all the time... Loadmaster is a great opportunity. A Loadmaster can be trained and qualified out of High School (you don't need the extra 5 years that pilots and flight engineers typically do), and we have Loadmasters in Active Duty, Reserves, and National Guard.

So what is a Load (that is our everyday term for them)? Simply put, the Loads are in charge of the cargo and people in our aircraft. They are the pilot's eyes and ears. They have a great deal of direct responsibility. They are Aircrew, and stay with the pilots, navigators, and flight engineers.

A lot is expected of a Load... we all rely on each other on the ground and in flight. You should have a good attention to detail, and be able to quickly and accurately work with numbers and calculations (checkrides test all of us on our aircrew duties), be able to read and understand complex regulations, and be able to improvise and think on your feet. You should not be afraid to carry and properly use a 9mm pistol. Most of all, you must have a professional attitude.

Strategic Airlift Loadmasters.... There is no other job in the US Military that will allow a 19 year old to see so much of the world so rapidly. If you like to fly, are relatively young, and want in on the action... being a Load could be just the ticket (no pun intended ;) ).



Here is my plane, the C-141, during for Air Refeuling operations. It closing in from about 200 feet with a KC-135 tanker. The job of a tanker is to pass gas :). The refueling boom (top of photo) has been moved up to get a clear photo. The boom will be "plugged" into the little hole above the pilot's windows on the C-141. With Air Refueling, the US Air Force can deliver people and equipment to any location on earth (including Afganistan), in about 14 to 20 hours. The reciever pilot must fly the aircraft by hand (no autopilot, despite what Hollywood says) to an exact location (plus minus one foot) under the tanker. It takes about 20 minutes to get 130,000 pounds of fuel (20,000 gallons). BTW, it takes one AR (or two if weather is bad or carrying maximum cargo weight) to reach Afganistan from the East Coast.

c-141s.jpg
 
After I discharged from the Air Force, I don't know how long it took, years, before I could sleep in a quiet night.

I was so used to hearing all manner of noise associated with airplanes, especially engine runs by KC135's and B52's.
 
by Slowwhand:

...
Texas has lost the most with 900+, followed by NY, and I think Pennsylvania was third.

"Give me an Army of West Point graduates, and I'll win a battle... give me an Army of Texas Aggies and I'll win a war".

- General George S. Patton, Jr. (circa 1945)



Texas provides a great deal of our Nation's fighting men and women, and almost all Air Force personnel train in Texas at some point. Here is my youngest sister's college outfit (Squadron 2, Air Force) in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, which supplies more officers to all branches of service than any other source except the government service academies. Whooooop! Gig 'Em, Aggies!

TAMU_sq2.jpg
 
Ugly plane :p, why not use these toys against Afganistan?
 
What's wrong with that transport? I like it. It has nice, clean lines.
Besides, the B-2 costs something like a billion $ a piece.
 
Ugly plane, why not use these against Afganistan?

The C-141 is also about 35 years old, but it remains the only plane that can both fly right into battle anywhere in the world, and that the planners will actually risk using in that role. The new C-17 can, too, but it is only rarely used in that role to this point... mainly because of the expense and small numbers if one was damaged or destroyed.

No other nation on earth is capable of inserting and maintaing a Army anywhere in the world, and this is the backbone for doing it. However, as more C-17's are built, the C-141 is being phased out. But look for it to continue a bit longer if the war is extended.

The C-141 is also Air Force One at times, if the President wants to get into certain locations. The C-141 is the primary aircraft for Presidential support, and we carry the Secret Service, communications gear, bulletproof limos, personnel, etc. wherever the President goes. I've flown with Presidents Bush Sr. and Clinton (but they've never flown on my aircraft). We usually are the #3 behind Air Force One (the pretty 747 you see in the news) to land on an overseas Presidental visits, like the G-7 (now G-8) summits, etc. I guess there is a reason the cameras don't like to film us, LOL ;).
 
quote:
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Ugly plane, why not use these against Afganistan?

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Oh, no, no, no, grasshopper.

A-10 Warthog. Spent Uranium rounds (are they still using those, after the Gulf concerns??) In my experience, the most intimidating thing was seeing a half dozen flying in veerryy slowly supporting a ground force. Sureal and scary, all at once.

http://www.a-10.org/photos/photos.asp

Some cool pics, but they do *not* do them justice. Truly ugly, creepy, scary planes (my favorite!!!)

They might have only limited use, given the terrain, but if they are used at all I sure hope CNN runs footage. The sight would leave a few mullahs with soiled drawers.

Lifter.. your opinion? (on the off-chance we might actually *agree* on something :D )

Ashoka
 
Originally posted by Ashoka
quote:
A-10 Warthog. ... Sureal and scary, all at once.

Truly ugly, creepy, scary planes (my favorite!!!)

Lifter.. your opinion? (on the off-chance we might actually *agree* on something :D )

May the skies grow dark with A-10s... but the A-10 is built for the modern armored battlefield, and is effective, but not most effective, in a low-tech mountainous region.

That aid, the Taliban does have a small amount of armor, all of it of older soviet origin... Well, they have it for a few more days or weeks anyway. :)


america1s.jpg
 
At my time of service, the 141 Galaxie rocked.
It flew as fast as commercial flights, and except for the troop seats, were every bit as good as commercial flights.
 
Eli, your personal title is so funny :), but I'm affraid that people over here won't understand it.


well, I'm currently serving at my country's army, but I do not do a hero-type thing over there.
 
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