Your experiences in the military

[Zomboid]

Hello. I heard some of you have served in the US military.
So I was wondering if you guys can share your experiences from your days.

Experiences can be an example of your daily life in the military, most fun you had, BS you had to put up, or just which branch you served for if you'd like.


I'm in the USAF DEP and I'm gonna be shipped out for boot camp in winter.
My recruiter hasn't given me an exact date just yet.
I don't have much idea on how it's gonna go, so any story or tips will be really appreciated!

Thanks
Billy

[denali7432]

my father was in the military in iraq in the 60's..he was in the commando unit and says he enjoyed it..the most interesting thing he tells me is one day the general came into the tents they were staying in and said his daughter was very ill and he needed the poison and blood form a snake for medicine and my dad and his friend were the only ones who offered to go find a snake, kill it, and extract the poison and blood from it and in return the general gave my dad and his friend 3 days leave..lol my mom is currently serving with the united states army in iraq..shes been there for almost 4 years now..but doesnt really share many stories because she is not allowed to much communication with anyone outside of the unit due to where she is stationed and her position

[Zomboid]

lol, that's an awesome story. My dad was in the Navy for 16 yrs I think, didn't hear much story from him though.

Kudos for your mom who is serving in such condition.

[Soulend]

Hi Billy,

Well, as you know I'm a retired Marine. Although I've served alongside the USAF on many occasions I can't really offer too much that would be really helpful as to what your average day would be like. We have or at least attempt to foster a very different mindset, with a different focus. The Air Force won't even take a prior service Marine for any job outside of Military Police or Pararescue - regardless of ASVAB/DLAB/ARC score or prior experience - the mindset is so different. All I can do is compare to what I know, I have no inside knowledge of the USAF.

They do have very nice accomodations, a pretty relaxed work atmosphere and primo mess halls though. The mess hall in Elmendorf looks like a fine restaurant in some Swiss ski lodge or something complete with hewn-wood roof trusses and supports, potted plants everywhere, and even a huge stuffed grizzly bear. Food is outstanding. I'm honestly surprised they didn't have a sommelier on staff. Don't try to smoke within 200 yards of a govt. buiding though..whether there's an ashtray there or not.

In Misawa, Japan, we were sent to the 'ghetto' barracks - they stuck Navy in there too. Their idea of 'ghetto' was astounding to me - maids, microwaves, VCRs (this was in the 80's as an E-3), nice carpeting, a fridge, coffee maker, private bathroom, and you could call up the club and they would deliver beer by the case straight to your room, C.O.D. The duty hut where we would just have a guy with a phone was a free movie rental desk and cab service. On the second floor was all females. This was a time when our barracks elsewhere in Japan were open squadbays with tile floors we waxed every week, women in the same building was unheard of (legally), and having more than a couple beers per person in the barracks was a punishable offense. Needless to say I spent a lot of time on the second floor, Air Force chicks loved jarheads. They didn't care if you brought 'em down to your room and did the hunka-chunka there either. A couple weeks later some unit showed up and we were all stuck into tents. Even their tents were awesome. I can't even begin to imagine what their barracks are like now..probably like the Waldorf Astoria. USAF personnel used to get 'Inadequate Housing Pay' just to stay in our barracks.

At Clark AFB, in the enlisted club there were exotic dancers. In the club on base! Granted, this was the Philippines - Disneyland for adults at the time (you won't see something like this on a base in the States) - but on base, paid by the govt. and/or AAFES? Table dances straight on the gub'mint's dime! They didn't strip, just wore bikinis, but at that moment I decided that the AF brass must be just about the coolest motherf**kers on earth. THAT is creative use of 'Morale and Welfare' funds...hell, all we normally got was a cookout and a softball game. Marines even today just about jump for joy to get a deployment to an Air Force base.

Past E-5, the promotions in the USAF suck. They call an E-5 a Staff Sergeant whereas in the Army and USMC a SSgt is an E-6. Guess it's a concession to all the USAF E-5s that are at terminal rank. In Iraq I saw many an AF E-5 that looked like they should be drawing Social Security and getting reduced coffee prices at McDonald's.

What they lack in formality or military bearing (calling their senior NCOs 'Bob' and whatnot), they made up for with a very rigid adhesion to rules. Many of which a Marine would consider ludicrous or anal. Got many a story for this too...but that's enough for now. Most of my rememberances don't put the USAF in a very good light....so I'll shut up now. They do what they do very well I'm sure.

Thank you for your commitment to serve our country. What's your job field going to be?

Your hygro is on it's way, BTW..forgot to ask the old lady for a tracking number.

[Jimmie the Mum]

Thank you for all you guys who have served and are serving..

[Soulend]

Thank you Mum. Sometimes I think I probably should have stayed in, the very type-A personality and bull-headedness that served me well and got me glowing reports in the Marines seems to make me ill-suited to civilian life.

[BlackKnight]

I have minimal experience with one branch, although I feel it defined me, and I did 8 years with the U.S.N.R. in a CB rating.
I do not have any full time experience but will tell you this; if the military is the way you want to go, take full advantage of it. In other words whatever career path you take in the military, learn the job and do it well. Show some pride and initiative and you'll go far. It'll pay dividends whether you do fours years or twenty.
Good luck and thanks for making the commitment to serve this great nation of ours.

---

Thank you Mum. Sometimes I think I probably should have stayed in, the very type-A personality and bull-headedness that served me well and got me glowing reports in the Marines seems to make me ill-suited to civilian life.

That is something I've seen time and time again. It would have served you well in law enforcement, though.

[Soulend]

That is something I've seen time and time again. It would have served you well in law enforcement, though.

Alas, I'm too old for many departments and my low tolerance for BS would likely wind up with me in bad trouble. That's why I have nothing but maximum respect for LEOs. Now if I could fulfill a function like just picking off idiots without having to deal with being some kind of counselor for domestic disturbances, trying to reason with drunks, and what have you; I'd be all about it.

Jeff Cuffee wanted me to be on their reaction team at Los Alamos, and the Director of Air Operations for the border patrol (who I know from sword circles - Carl McClafferty) wanted me to do the Border Patrol thing...but dang, those guys don't make any money....

Funny though, when some high school kids would have a problem when I was recruiting they would come to me instead of the resource officer, lol. I had zero authority to do anything but talk obviously.

[Zomboid]

Hi Billy,

Well, as you know I'm a retired Marine. Although I've served alongside the USAF on many occasions I can't really offer too much that would be really helpful as to what your average day would be like. We have or at least attempt to foster a very different mindset, with a different focus. The Air Force won't even take a prior service Marine for any job outside of Military Police or Pararescue - regardless of ASVAB/DLAB/ARC score or prior experience - the mindset is so different. All I can do is compare to what I know, I have no inside knowledge of the USAF.

They do have very nice accomodations, a pretty relaxed work atmosphere and primo mess halls though. The mess hall in Elmendorf looks like a fine restaurant in some Swiss ski lodge or something complete with hewn-wood roof trusses and supports, potted plants everywhere, and even a huge stuffed grizzly bear. Food is outstanding. I'm honestly surprised they didn't have a sommelier on staff. Don't try to smoke within 200 yards of a govt. buiding though..whether there's an ashtray there or not.

In Misawa, Japan, we were sent to the 'ghetto' barracks - they stuck Navy in there too. Their idea of 'ghetto' was astounding to me - maids, microwaves, VCRs (this was in the 80's as an E-3), nice carpeting, a fridge, coffee maker, private bathroom, and you could call up the club and they would deliver beer by the case straight to your room, C.O.D. The duty hut where we would just have a guy with a phone was a free movie rental desk and cab service. On the second floor was all females. This was a time when our barracks elsewhere in Japan were open squadbays with tile floors we waxed every week, women in the same building was unheard of (legally), and having more than a couple beers per person in the barracks was a punishable offense. Needless to say I spent a lot of time on the second floor, Air Force chicks loved jarheads. They didn't care if you brought 'em down to your room and did the hunka-chunka there either. A couple weeks later some unit showed up and we were all stuck into tents. Even their tents were awesome. I can't even begin to imagine what their barracks are like now..probably like the Waldorf Astoria. USAF personnel used to get 'Inadequate Housing Pay' just to stay in our barracks.

At Clark AFB, in the enlisted club there were exotic dancers. In the club on base! Granted, this was the Philippines - Disneyland for adults at the time (you won't see something like this on a base in the States) - but on base, paid by the govt. and/or AAFES? Table dances straight on the gub'mint's dime! They didn't strip, just wore bikinis, but at that moment I decided that the AF brass must be just about the coolest motherf**kers on earth. THAT is creative use of 'Morale and Welfare' funds...hell, all we normally got was a cookout and a softball game. Marines even today just about jump for joy to get a deployment to an Air Force base.

Past E-5, the promotions in the USAF suck. They call an E-5 a Staff Sergeant whereas in the Army and USMC a SSgt is an E-6. Guess it's a concession to all the USAF E-5s that are at terminal rank. In Iraq I saw many an AF E-5 that looked like they should be drawing Social Security and getting reduced coffee prices at McDonald's.

What they lack in formality or military bearing (calling their senior NCOs 'Bob' and whatnot), they made up for with a very rigid adhesion to rules. Many of which a Marine would consider ludicrous or anal. Got many a story for this too...but that's enough for now. Most of my rememberances don't put the USAF in a very good light....so I'll shut up now. They do what they do very well I'm sure.

Thank you for your commitment to serve our country. What's your job field going to be?

Your hygro is on it's way, BTW..forgot to ask the old lady for a tracking number.

I'm relieved to hear about the living condition. As far as I was concerned, I expected to sleep in a bunker with a bunk bed that's not more thicker than my T-shirt. But then I did some research and found out that USAF is the youngest branch, and their bases and houses are pretty much new. "'Inadequate Housing Pay'"...that's just funny.

Actually, I'm looking to be stationed in Japan. I'm not sure how the requesting process goes though. I was born between a Navy white father and a Japanese mother, and I grew up in Japan between 8-17. So most of my youth memory is from Japan. So it'd be nice to in one of the US military base where I spent my childhood at. I wonder how long you get stationed in USAF at each place though?

My job field is all over the place. I went to an IT school, but it's not like I have a passion for it. I just went with it because I heard the money is good, more job openings in the future, and I did not mind working with PCs. But I got a decent overall score on ASVAB, so I said "what the heck, I could try any of them". I picked "Network Intelligence Analysis", "Cyber Systems Operations" for computer stuff for my 1st and 2nd, and picked each maintenance job for air planes, both mechanical and electronically for 3rd and 4th.

After I heard from my recruiter that promotion is sort of based on test taking after E-3, I was excited about it because I'm good at test taking even if I remember nothing of it later. I don't know how much of promotion you can get in 4-6 years though. It's not like I have my mind set on leaving after 4-6 years, but...and I'm still wavering whether I should do 4 years or 6 years. Sounds like life in USAF could be a blast. Perhaps I should go 6 years, lol.

[Jimmie the Mum]

Where in Japan did you live? Do you speak Japanese?
I spent some time in Tokyo. Use to travel there for work..