air force ??

George Grand

By the time I got through with AF basic training in 1976, I couldn't even TELL you where the "Confidence Course" (the place where you had to crawl under wire, swing on the ropes, climb log things) was. The reason for that was, the ONE DAY we were supposed to attend, in 8 weeks of basic training, well it rained that day. We didn't have to go, and even back then I was aware enough to know it was because our drill instructor guys didn't want to get their boots muddy.

They made me be a squad leader there. I didn't want to do that cause I only wanted to be responsible for me, and nobody else. That lasted about two weeks, because I told some loser that he was the worst bed maker in the squad, and he cried. My T.I. took me in his office and yelled at me for saying that, then took my squad leaders badge away. I was never happier in the 8 weeks I was there. Shooting the M-16 was the only thing that was even remotely interesting.

TroyD

MikeC78 wrote:

Isn't that the damn truth! I think they issue out a full row of ribbons just for completion of boot camp, what a job well done!:rolleyes:

I remember back in 03 when I was at Lackland AFB for K9 school(that is where AF boot camp is located), those guys were all eating at Burger King, wondering around the PX/BX store like it was no ones business!

What a joke... Not to make it sound like Navy boot camp is tough or anything, but heck I sure in hell didn't see any civilization for the 9 weeks or would even think about eating BK for crying out loud.

Mike

A lot of those kids a the BX etc were probably pipeline students as Lackland has a pretty substantial population of tech school kids.

AFBMT is about as stress free as you can get though.

Also, the Army does have a few small fixed wing C-12's and so forth. I think the Golden Knights may (not sure but MAY as in not 100% certain) have a dedicated C-130 (whose crew is most likely an AF crew from Pope).

Ribbons? Man, when I'm decked out, I look like a third world dictator.

BDT

[Deleted User]

Hello George,
I remember going through the "confidence course" on my 20th birthday. I think I fell off of the swinging rope and landed in the mud. It must have taken two hours to clean my boots. I was a squad leader too, my room mate was Joe Coffee (real name). I had a guy threaten to hang himself (no joke) with a coat hanger. The drill sergeant was Sgt. Noack, pretty cool guy after you got to know him. This was in the late 60's and everybody was a little more squirrelly then.
Glad you liked the Shturmovik info, tough little plane! Some of those pilots, both Russian and German flew thousands of missions.
Once, here at Polk, I talked with a fellow who was a British pilot who flew the Spitfire in WWII. In fact he became a fighter pilot instructor in Burma. It was great hearing him talk about the engine torque wanting to flip the plane over once it left the ground. You had to give it right rudder (maybe left rudder) as soon as the wheels cleared.
Ken

George Grand

Ken,

I love great stories about guys like the Shturmovik drivers. Thousands of sorties in just a couple years of flying/fighting. Hartmann, the German ace with 352 victories. Marseilles, "The Star of Africa" got shot down a few times racking up all his kills. Last time he got shot down was the last for sure. When he bailed out he got wacked by his own vertical stabilizer and it killed him.

For a good read, google up B-17/All-American. Our county surrogate was the ball turret gunner that day. My barber asked me if I wanted to meet him, and 15 minutes after I got my haircut, I was in the guys home and he autographed an 8 1/2 x 11 glossy of the aircraft inflight for me. He kept a stack of them in his attache case! His name was Elton Conda and he died last year. My barber (Joe the Barber) was a B-24 waist gunner in the Pacific theater, which I think was lucky for him. Out of three brothers that went away and flew, he's the only one that came back. Both other brothers were lost over Europe, one in a fighter (the English Channel) and the other in a B-17. Joe is about 83 now, and hacks half my ear off once in awhile, but I love the guy. It's not like I'm actively dating or anything anymore, so a bad haircut or a ear gash is worth going and hanging around with him for a half hour or so.

hearingimpared

Wow this is really neet stuff Ken & George I could listen to stories like this all night long.

disneyjoe7

Those are great stories. Engine torque to flip the plane, flown a little a few years back student pilot I can't even imagine having engine power that.

cfrizz

Nice story George!