Ask a US Airman Anything

[gact]

what is the highest that you have ever been?

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Snip

Cool, I work with a guy that was navy for eight years and he enjoyed it a lot. Advancement in the active duty world is very competitive an difficult you fail to advance three times you are looking at being non-retained (especially later in the career so they don't have to pay you a full 20 year retirement). In the Guard it seems a lot easier, slots are more frequently available and there is not as much competition on the base since newbies trickle in steadily instead of coming in giant waves. Force size has been pretty stead, I don't think they are going to draw down any time soon but of course I am the guy who sweeps the chapel and the shop so I would be the last to know.

I had a good choice of jobs because I scored high on my ASVAB. The other nice thing about the Guard is that I signed for my job and was guaranteed it before I went to BMT. My flight mates who were active duty were given jobs at basic, most got what they asked for but some people did get hosed. My Dorm Chief was super pissed, he signed up to go open electric (any maintainer job like GAC, Com/Nav or Electronics) and got put in Security Forces.

What limits jobs for the Guard is the base you enlist at. For example, there is no way I will ever be a Tac-P or an F-22 pilot because that shit doesn't even happen at my base.

Snip

Good luck on the board man, that must be nerve wracking. I am qualified for Basic Officer Training but I would have to give up my full time technician job and I don't think I will do that unless they are offering me a same or better paying Officer spot.

I have never had problems with any officers I have encountered, they were always polite and professional. Nobody on my base seems to worry about them at all. However, from guys who have been on various deployments Active Duty officers (O-1 to O3) who know you are a Guardsman are complete assholes who treat you like filth for not being active duty. Ultimately I think the enlisted folks will decide what they think of an officer on an individual level as opposed to assuming you suck just because you have a butter bar. Well okay, we might make a joke about how we all work for a living but it's all in good fun.

Sometimes I wish I had gone in straight out of highschool as active duty since I am loving it so much now, I am too old to ever be a pilot at this point but I meet every other qualification. Ultimately though I am passed the point of envy, everything I did before led me to this and 18 year old me in the AF might have hated it for all I know.

SNIP

Regarding NORAD I really have no idea. Do I believe we would help out our allies in a pinch? Absolutely, but I don't have any solid evidence to back that up.

We do qualify by shooting and M-16 and an M-9 before deployments, we also practice wearing and working in chem gear based on MOPP levels (my gas mask is actually more comfy than my paint respirator). During BMT we spend a week living in a simulated deployed environment where we work security on entry control points and respond to security issues (performins sweep for unexploded ordinance after attacks, etc.) As a maintainer my combat training is very minimal, security forces does a whole lot more.

Regarding nukes... I would rather we have them until nobody else in the world does, then get rid of them all. I wish for a world where nuclear weapons are not required for security but I pragmatically believe that day will not come in my lifetime. The fact that we can end the world is a great way to prevent other nations from wanting to launch nuclear weapons at us.

Are the Star Fox games the best fictional flight sim out there or what?

Did School Days need more airmen and women or what?

What's the best joke you heard on the field so far?

Star Fox is good but Wing Commander is better.

Everything needs more Airmen (women are also called Airmen just so you know).

This list got passed around in my Tech School class after we went over how to fill out discrepancy forms:

Aircraft Maintenance

These are purportedly from actual military maintenance forms filed by the flight crews to inform the maintenance crews of problems with the aircraft.

Problem: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
Solution: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

Problem: Test flight OK, except autoland very rough.
Solution: Autoland not installed on this aircraft.

Problem: #2 Propeller seeping prop fluid.
Solution 1: #2 Propeller seepage normal. #1,#3, and #4 propellers lack normal seepage.

Problem: The autopilot doesn't.
Solution: IT DOES NOW.

Problem: Something loose in cockpit.
Solution: Something tightened in cockpit.

Problem: Evidence of hydraulic leak on right main landing gear.
Solution: Evidence removed.

Problem: Number three engine missing.
Solution: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

Problem: DME volume unbelievably loud.
Solution: Volume set to more believable level.

Problem: Dead bugs on windshield.
Solution: Live bugs on order.

Problem: Autopilot in altitude hold mode produces a 200 fpm descent.
Solution: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

Problem: IFF inoperative.
Solution: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.

Problem: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
Solution: That's what they're there for.

Also, how many pilots does it take to change a light bulb? One, he holds it while the world revolves around him.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

what is the highest that you have ever been?

41,000 feet on a 747 heading to vacation in Hawaii for two weeks. Way more comfy than a C-130 or a C-17 for sure.

 

[Dalisclock]

Accidentally I am sure it has happened, mistakes always happen in war. That doesn't excuse it though, and there is always a through investigation when something like that occurs. If it was a preventable equipment malfunction the maintainer who worked it is screwed, if it was a pilot error he is screwed, if it is something like a Tac-P calling his strike location wrong he is screwed. Mistakes are always punished.

As to a pilot deliberately deciding to blow up a church, funeral or school... no. I don't believe it and if it does or did happen that pilot would be dangling on the end of a noose. I fully expect every member of my team to follow all the rules all the time, I can't cut corners in my job or I might kill a pilot, I demand the same from my team mates. If someone in the AF did do that I would be extremely angry with them, want them kicked out and punished to the highest degree.

I'm not trying to hijack the thread but rather add to your point.

I can't speak for the Air Force, but I was on an Aircraft Carrier while I served in the Navy and did two combat deployments in the Persian Gulf/Northern Arabian Sea. All I(and the vast majority of sailors onboard) ever saw of actual combat were the F-18's launching and landing the flight deck. Pretty much everyone on the ship knows when one launches because the entire ship shakes briefly and there's a noticeable roar from above. I routinely worked about 10 decks below the flight deck and I could still hear it each time. My job was to work in the reactor plant, keeping it operating so the engines kept turning, the ship had power, the ship had drinking water and the catapults had steam and water to launch planes. Most of the time we didn't hear what happened in other departments on the ship unless it directly affected us or you had friends in other departments you talked to.

As for what happened several hundred miles away in a combat zone, most of us knew only what we were told happened. If our planes bombed the wrong people or terrorists, only the pilots and the people directly involved in the missions knew for sure(Including the CO/XO). The rest of us got an occasional update over the loudspeaker from the Captain telling us that our planes dropped X bombs, fired Y rounds, blew up Z enemies. Useless trivia, really.

I really hope we killed no innocent people, but there's no way for me to know either way unless at some point there's another classified reveal that shows planes from my carrier during that period blew up a wedding party or something like that.

 

[Albino Boo]

Is the USAF ever going to something about its code base. The CH-47 and the C-17 have both not been cleared under safety rules by other nations due issues with the flight software and the the same question is been asked about the F-22. The only aircraft which hasn't been questioned is the F-35 which is joint development with the UK. In short is the USAF ever going to give Boeing the kick up the backside they need to fix the key issues

They have been isntalling software upgrades on older C-130's, I don't know about other air frames but honestly that kind of upgrade always rolls out damn slowly. We still fly the shit out of C-17's though so obviously this issue isn't really slowing us down.

The RAF refused to buy the C-17 on grounds of unsafe code. The C-17s in RAF use are leased from the USAF and the liabilities for any accidents remains with the US government. AH-64s, F-22s and V-22s have all been lost to software failures.

 

[Kolby Jack]

As an active duty Navy E-5, let me just say... fuck the chair force! WOOOOOOOOO!

God I almost feel dirty pretending to be so proud of being in the Navy. Honestly the life never suited me. Oh right, a question... uh, I dunno, how... many... push-ups... can you do? As if that matters.

 

[Strazdas]

I'm right there with you on muzzle control and no cover while outdoors... If anything most movies dealing with the military supposedly have former service people as consultants, you'd think that they would catch this shit. Its quite hilarious to me as well but I do get a few nervous tics seeing minor details being totally missed by movies and TV alike.

The problem is that average movie public want spectacle over realism and the producer overrules consultant calls. I heard "The Last Ship" is pretty realistic though i never saw it myself. But majority is spectacle-over-realism.

 

[Thaluikhain]

As for the movies, it just makes me laugh instead of get angry. My wife took me to see Aloha which has a girl character in the AF who just walks around all day outside with no cover on. That was funny.

No cover on?

But yeah, Emma Stone was much criticised in that film. And now she's in something by Woody Allen...smart move...

I would not be in any other countries armed forces, period. If I had to switch I would go to active duty air force or (if pressed super hard) the US Navy.

Hmmm, how does the USAF/you personally feel about the fixed wing aviation of the Navy and USMC, and the Army not having any?

 

[Barbas]

How do you get along with your own paratroopers and the foreign ones?
What makes this site appealing to you?
How do you get along with repair and maintenance crews?

 

[SmugFrog]

Not trying to hijack either, but I had some thoughts to add.

Other people of similar ranks are just fine by me. I went to Tech school on a Navy base so I was surrounded by Sailors and Marines for months and most of them are fine. I will say most of the Marines seemed to think the AF is weak and unnecessary but they were Boot Marines which means they have never been in a Combat situation where close air support saved them.

I think a lot of this is instilled in boot camp, where the cadences put down the other branches and such. "We're not the chair force; the low flying chair force." etc. We joke and jest with each other but it's all one big family and we'll back each other up. I think some of the smack talk comes from not working with those other branches and seeing what they're going through. And sometimes you get guys like this:

As an active duty Navy E-5, let me just say... fuck the chair force! WOOOOOOOOO!

But at least he's honest about not liking his job either. He's jealous of you. Kolby: I had to give you a hard time brother. It's the same type of smack talk that's on the ship between the Combat Systems, Engineering, Operations, Supply, and Admin people. We all know that Combat Systems is the best of them though, because without us what's the point of going there in the first place.

As a senior Navy man, let me tell you I have much respect for you guys. I worked with the Texas Air National Guard Security Police forces in Fort Worth, Texas for a few years and had a wonderful experience there; one of the biggest highlights of my career guarding Air Force restricted areas and base police operations. My shift had a Senior Airman (E-4) that was the field training officer, teaching E-6's how to do business! On my shift, if I had a Master Sergeant or Gunnery Sergeant filling in (E-7), they would ask where I wanted to post them - that doesn't happen in the Navy from senior personnel. I met a Senior Master Sergeant that was a ship rider a few years back and gave him a tour of the radar system I maintained; he was a radar guy too and gave me a command coin.

Do those skills transfer well to civilian occupations once you leave the military?

Some do and some don't, depending on your job field in the military. Fortunately they've really increased the amount of credits given for military training. Without any college in my career and based solely on my training, I'm close to getting my associate's and should have my bachelor's in the next year.

How frequently do you hear of other airmen accidentally(..or not so accidentally) bombing funerals, schools and hospitals in 3rd world muslim countries?

Realistically, you cant expect that all pilots will follow the rules when they are up there flying do you?

It is not a video game out there where you can attack whatever you please. Almost everything is recorded and scrutinized in unbelievable detail - especially flight operations, bombings, missile attacks. If only you could see the videos of an attack that went wrong (wrong identification) and hear the heartbreak in the voices of those at the controls as they realize they made a mistake. Sure, there are those young ones that think fighting and killing is going to be fun; but once the stuff hits the fan reality hits them hard. I suggest you read a book like Generation Kill, which documents the Iraq invasion. There are a few instances of civilian casualties that are documented by the reporter that was with them if you want to read about what that's like and how it affects them. Also check out With the Old Breed if you want a disturbing account of war.

Are you documenting your injuries and illnesses by going on sick call? If not, *pimp slaps you upside the head* DO IT!

When you are on active deployment, or active service directly, go on fucking sick call!!! I work with my state VA office, helping vets file for claims, and the #1 thing that prevents vets from getting their benefits, is the vet themselves. They try to be all tough and gung ho, and "walk it off", and they don't report shit, and then when they get out, and years of wear and tear aggravate a service injury (that never got documented), they can't get benefits because there is no record.

It's good to hear from someone who's looking at it from the other side, but I don't think this is entirely on our vets. Speaking from the Navy standpoint, with one IDC (independent duty corpsman) on the ship (destroyer), we are many times forced back to active duty even with injuries and TOLD to walk it off. I'm still trying to rehabilitate from leg injuries 4 years ago; and I still have to perform the physical fitness test and maintain which is only causing more harm. Getting the time off, and the proper care to document, is a big problem and I hope some day this all comes out in the open. While working with the Air Force guys, for instance, one of my Staff Sergeants on gate guard duty started complaining about a stomach ache. We sent him to the Navy clinic on base, who told him they couldn't see him today but could get him an appointment for the next day. He was still in incredible pain, so we sent him out to the emergency room at the local hospital; he called me back saying they were rushing him into surgery to have his appendix removed.

I recently got out of the Navy and worked as a Navy Recruiter not too long before getting out.

Dalis! Never knew you were a Navy man. We might have talked at one point about it, it's been a long time. I never did recruiting - I have a friend whose wife said she saw him more when he was on sea duty. He was covering a big chunk of SW Texas. He's now a retired Master Chief, but still - not for me. My family time is important to me.

Which military games in your area of expertise tick you off the least/are actually fairly good representations of the real deal? If there aren't any, would you be interested in seeing one?

For the Navy, Jane's Fleet Command was (with one of the patches that Sonalysts released - without that the Tactical Action Officer wouldn't even self-defend their ship) a pretty accurate rendition of what goes on in the CIC of a ship. I never could get into it; it was too much like sitting watch staring at a radar screen. Most have some flaws here or there as its rare for them to put in the effort to make everything as real as it can be. It always annoys me when a game gets so much right, but can't research little details like uniforms being completely wrong, calling women "Sir", or even ship models being completely wrong. I understand sometimes there are gameplay concessions such as in War Game: Red Dragon, which, watching those SM2's (missiles) fly and hear the CIWS (close in weapon system) taking out incoming missiles looks and sounds pretty realistic. Unfortunately they only used the Korean variant of the Aegis ship and no U.S. version (except for frigates which... really? REALLY? FRIGATES?!).

Star Fox is good but Wing Commander is better.

Amen to that. Wait, we are talking about the old ones, right? I II III and IV?

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Sorry, been away for a while. Hopefully this isn't necroing...

How do you get along with your own paratroopers and the foreign ones?
What makes this site appealing to you?
How do you get along with repair and maintenance crews?

Army paratroopers are fine, I do feel bad because they are treated like crap compared to us. Foreigners I have no idea, I have never interacted with them.

I like Yahtzee and sometimes the cynicism pervading this forum is amusing, it's like if the goth kids from Southpark posted about video games.

Mostly fine, maintainers are kind of universal across the service. Do more for less, the pilots don't care about you, why are you always so dirty. Universal.

As for the movies, it just makes me laugh instead of get angry. My wife took me to see Aloha which has a girl character in the AF who just walks around all day outside with no cover on. That was funny.

No cover on?

But yeah, Emma Stone was much criticised in that film. And now she's in something by Woody Allen...smart move...

I would not be in any other countries armed forces, period. If I had to switch I would go to active duty air force or (if pressed super hard) the US Navy.

Hmmm, how does the USAF/you personally feel about the fixed wing aviation of the Navy and USMC, and the Army not having any?

Cover = hat, we must wear our covers when outdoors.

I think Marine and Naval aviators do fine work and are necessary to the warfare capability of the US. I also think if they practice hard enough they might just be good enough to fly for my team some day, lol.

Amen to that. Wait, we are talking about the old ones, right? I II III and IV?

Of course! There are no other Wing Commander games in existence after all!

 

[Xan Krieger]

With the failure of the F-35 program what could you come up to improve on the A-10 design so we can retire the F-35 before it hurts anyone?

 

[Treeinthewoods]

With the failure of the F-35 program what could you come up to improve on the A-10 design so we can retire the F-35 before it hurts anyone?

People's love affair with the A-10 is based on a dream. It functions well in the current war because we are fighting a group without effective surface to air capabilities. During Operation Desert Storm the A-10 had a floor it could not operate below because effective AA fire shredded the shit out of it. Even if it didn't go down it came home so damaged that it took forever to get it flight worthy again. They are old, they are fading and the niche they fill is so small that I personally consider it the one plane the F-35 can replace effectively.

The F-35 lacks when it comes to replacing the F-16, F-18 and other specialized fighter jets, it has less maneuverability and less field of vision. The problem is that you can't really replace a group of various highly specialized jets with one jet and truly expect it to do everything as well or better. It's like trying to replace a semi, a pick up, a sedan and a Porsche with one car that does everything the other vehicles do.

Effective close air support, however, needs to move quickly and be able to strike from a distance without getting shot to shit while slowly strafing along the road firing gating bursts. The A-10 needs to go and is the only plane I feel the F-35 is fully capable of replacing.

EDIT - The only concern I have with the F-35 when it comes to pilot safety is the B variant for the USMC. The VTOL is not well designed and I would personally get rid of it. Of course the Harrier also killed pilots and was a notorious ***** during VTOL so that might not be a deal killer at all for higher ups.

Every new plane has accidents while problems get ironed out though, it's unavoidable. I believe the F-35 is here to stay at least in some capacity for quite a while.

 

[Barbas]

Sorry, been away for a while. Hopefully this isn't necroing...

Nah...only if it's been about a month or more. Even then, we've been asked to go a bit easier on people who do that.

 

[Silvance]

What're your thoughts on the 0-5 rating system? I'm in the Army, but I've seen a lot of my friends stress because they got 4s instead of 5s on the rating system and they said that it ruins their chances because other units just give everyone 5s. Also, when you were in AIT did you have to do the stupid roadguard thing where you wave your arms around in the road and then about face? That was fun to watch. Speaking of, where was your AIT?

Edit: I forgot that AIT is an army term. Your job training. That's what I'm referring to.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

What're your thoughts on the 0-5 rating system? I'm in the Army, but I've seen a lot of my friends stress because they got 4s instead of 5s on the rating system and they said that it ruins their chances because other units just give everyone 5s. Also, when you were in AIT did you have to do the stupid roadguard thing where you wave your arms around in the road and then about face? That was fun to watch. Speaking of, where was your AIT?

AIT is the second half of Basic for you right? Where you get specified training for your job? Our BMT is always Lackland, Technical Training happens lots of different places depending on your job. I spent the whole time at NAS Pensacola, my friend who went load master spent one year going to four different bases (including three weeks in Pensacola for water survival.)

You are talking about road guards. I, thankfully, never once had to do that crap. I felt awful for the guys that had to do it, usually they pissed someone off to get that job.

The 0-5 is working well for my little group, most get threes (you do your job fine, will get retained, will be eligible for promotion, etc), four and five means you are going places quickly. I have heard from my friends at other bases that it is more political than performance oriented. I guess I think it works great for people that use it right.

I do wish the military as a whole would do more to retain people who are already in instead of constantly looking to get people put and bring in new talent. Letting someone remain at a certain rank and position for a long time because it is where they shine is just not okay for some reason today. You're either moving up or moving out it seems.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Nother question how do you feel pay is in the military. Fair, low, high? Retirement?


Just running the calculations by the time I'd be done with training I'd be at 90+ thousand and by the time it comes to re up after 6 years i'd be well over 100-110 not counting incentive pay to re up. Even enlisted pays well with an e5 pulling down 50( assuming BAH)
Seems like a good deal if you go in at 18 get to e4-e5 by your early 20s be making more than a college graduate, retire at 38 as an e7-8 making 80-90 a year then go on to another career while collecting your benefits.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Nother question how do you feel pay is in the military. Fair, low, high? Retirement?


Just running the calculations by the time I'd be done with training I'd be at 90+ thousand and by the time it comes to re up after 6 years i'd be well over 100-110 not counting incentive pay to re up. Even enlisted pays well with an e5 pulling down 50( assuming BAH)
Seems like a good deal if you go in at 18 get to e4-e5 by your early 20s be making more than a college graduate, retire at 38 as an e7-8 making 80-90 a year then go on to another career while collecting your benefits.

Personally I think the pay is pretty fair. Lot's of people see it as too low but honestly most of a military members compensation comes in the form of benefits.

In active status I got a base salary of roughly $1,200 per month which seems low, but add to that $1,300 per month tax free as Basic Allowance for Housing (I own a house) and another $250 per month tax free for separation pay (I have a wife and daughter). Additionally my entire family had totally free medical and dental care because Tricare is freaking amazing. My daughter fell off a slide while I was gone, knocked out a tooth and broke her arm. The ER and dentist were all free, the bill without it would have been thousands.

For active duty the pension is also amazing, after 20 years you get 100% of your salary when you retire. Good money if you were up the ladder as an enlisted person, incredible money if you went out as an officer.

Add in money saved with things like VA loans for homes, military discounts at various places and you can do damn well.

I guess the only thing I would really increase old be hazard pay for anybody in combat and better quality medical care for wounded and disabled veterans. Those guys really earn it, I truly feel that an infantry man e-3 in the Army getting shot at and scanning for IED's deserves a lot more money than I make for replacing loose rivets and patching cracks back on base.

 

[MeatMachine]

What are your opinions about the tacit consent every serviceman has to take when they enlist in the US military? Specifically, how do you feel about having to surrender your ability to act on your own values if they conflict with the directives given to you by protocol or orders?

I ask because I struggled deeply with this quite often when I was in, even as a stateside aircraft electrician. Veteran A1C 2A6X6 here, who was active duty and served in a joint active duty-ANG role in MAFFS firefighting missions.

For active duty the pension is also amazing, after 20 years you get 100% of your salary when you retire. Good money if you were up the ladder as an enlisted person, incredible money if you went out as an officer.

That's not quite true - it's more complicated than that. There are two ways to take retirement:

High 36 Option: Compute your retired pay using the same formula as the Final Pay system, except you use the average basic pay for your three highest paid years (36 months) rather than final basic pay. This is called the High 36. Under the High 36 system you you get 50% for 20 years of service up to a maximum of 100% for 40 years. **
CSB/Redux Option: Compute your retired pay by multiplying your High 36 by 2% per year for the first 20 years, and then 3.5% for each additional year between 21 - 30 years, and 2.5 for each additional year between 31 - 40. That means you get 40% of your High 36 for 20 years, but up to a maximum of 100% for 40 years.**

**Note: Recent changes now allow retirement pay to reach up to 100 percent of the basic monthly pay for those who serve 40 years.

...so, at 20 years, you usually make about 50% of your base pay as retirement, and have to serve much longer to reach 100%. On top of this, if you were married for most of your service years, half of your retirement is given directly to your wife, whether you are still married or divorced. Also, if you are medboarded (medically retired from the military with service-connected disabilities,) after your entry-level phase (first 6 months) but before you retire/don't re-enlist, you will be given a disability rating and compensated with medical retirement pay according to your rating.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

What are your opinions about the tacit consent every serviceman has to take when they enlist in the US military? Specifically, how do you feel about having to surrender your ability to act on your own values if they conflict with the directives given to you by protocol or orders?

I have never been put in that spot yet, I maintain transport aircraft. As for directives regarding personal conduct and the like I have no issues with any of it.

If I was to receive an order that went against my personal values I might feel bothered but following lawful orders is something I knew I would have to do when I signed up so I would do it without hesitation.

What were you ordered to do that conflicted with your personal values/beliefs?