50+ thread

when were you in and where??

 

I like my pay scale. I'm a WG as opposed to most gov't slugs being GS. We're considered "trades and labor" and is supposed to be comparible with Davis-Bacon and local operators, but it misses the marks. But I'm not seasonal so it's ok for now I guess.

 

Yeah I was Airframe Structural Repair AD 86 to 96 TAC/ACC -AMC and then Reserves then pulled back to AD in 05 till 10 . Worked Mainly RF4C's and C5's along with assisting with or repairing several other airframes. I always thought it was funny going into the ECM shop to do nose nut plates or panel nut plates they would escort us like hawks because you know an AFSC that mostly can't see color might remember what a circuit board had on it for resistors or some silly thing :}

Cypher

 

Impulse you knew this lol Austin , TX and Dover were my PCS bases TDY's lol sigh all over the place mostly places I liked some not so much :}

Cypher

 

1967-71 Lackland (naturally), Keesler 1yr, Ellsworth 1yr Goodfellow 10 months, Aircrew Survival, Fairchild 3 wks, Kadena the rest of my enlistment.
30 or so combat missions over Nrthern Laos and/or the north part of the Gulf of Tonkin (off Hanoi). We would fly down to the war zone --do a big long orbit for 12 hours then go "home' to Kadena from the war. we did these 2 orbits every single day with only 5 or 6 planes to use. Our ground maint. crews worked miracles. Our planes were rc 135m's 131,132,134,135,138, and 139. All are still flying to this day as 135W's

 

The combat pay and tax free pay was nice --problem was at that age one does not realize the dangerous situation you were really in!

 

To this day I can't believe I turned down 12k to reenlist? Heck 9 months later we bought a house (we are still in it) for 19K

 

Yeah just a little after you got out lol lets see I was 1 when you were at Lackland :} Welcome to the 50's thread :}


Cypher

 

Well I lost money in combat 2 dollars a month lol I was married to another military member so no dependents in their eyes so I lost BAS but gained combat pay that was 2 dollars less then my BAS was :} And yes you do not realize it then but you do think about it once your there ie what in the F was I thinking lol .

Cypher

 

It always seemed like the ECM field was always getting the latest and greatest in Tech stuff. When I went into the RC's it was all Top secret stuff --I was actually working on Digital electronic circuits in 1970 --Electrical engineers have told me I am lying as it did not exist then -- people forget who (military) gets the highest tech first!

 

I wanted to stay in but my wife did not --she won. She and my oldest daughter were over at Kadena with me at my expense of course

 

Lots of things the AF has now did not "Exist" in the 80's funny how the model air plane makers always seemed to be pretty spot on before a new toy was acknowledged :} Ever been on a base that had a hanger that could hold the noses and 2/3s the bodys of C130's get declared unsafe have to empty it of all the WRSK kits and rolling stock in 4 hours just before dark. And then get a briefing you did not see what we just parked in there over night .. Then magically the hanger is safe again at 0600 the next day and put all your stuff back in .. Nope we never had that happen...

Cypher

 

Our flight line shop at Kadena was right across the road from the SR 71's hanger -- That is one great and fascinating plane-- it would take us 3-4 hours to get to the Viet nam area ONE way-- The SR's would go down there do their loop d loops (same place-- trust me we knew where they were) do their thing -slow down enough to get refueled -- and be back to Kadena in 1 and a half hour!! think about that a minute.. You could set you watch by it -- we measured it many times while out on the runway working on the RC's, and it WAS THE EXACT SAME PLANE. you knew if they were gone more than 1 1/2 hrs --then they probably went back to Beale in Ca -or somewhere else?

 

That's the truth -- We got to tour the present RC's as old fart AMT's a couple years back -- man have they changed! I saw the 1st C5 land at Kadena --it broke its nose gear -it sat there for 2 days as there was nothing big enough to move it off of the runway. Kadena has 2 parallel runways -- and as busy as that place is/was it was a big deal

 

The funny thing about that plane is what year that plane was designed and it's advertised speeds etc all done pre computer :} they retire it and then had to bring it back but still you know they never get rid of something untill they have something better :} Oh and btw that thing leaked like a 100 year old boat when it was on the ground lol .

Cypher

 

For me I realized when they made us fill out a will, that wasn't until Desert Storm though. Was married then and now divorced and really hit me I need to update that thing LOL.

I was often asked why I reenlisted to work in hell. My reply was always the same, everyone has their price. Mine was $16K, $12,800 after taxes.

 

I would to love to know what they have now that replaced the SR71's. They have to have something -- Satellites can't do it all?

 

I am sure with your AFSC -- you know why it leaked -- The expansion and contraction of the titanium I think?

 

My wifes' first cousin is married to a guy that worked in Lockheeds' "skunkworks" (home of the Sr71 and the U2and who knows what else) To this day he won't talk about it!

 

Just a bit of expansion and contraction of just about every part of the damn thing !!

Cypher