Fluster Cluck and Chicken Poop

[Packo]

Well, after over 2,700 miles in 6 days and endless trips from downtown San Antonio to Lackland, I crawled back in late Monday night. The weather was the worst in San Antone in 22 years. The drive from Bay St Louis, Mississippi to San An was god awlful. Pouring rain the whole way with bad winshield wipers. Going around Houston was an adventure, one I will never do again. The Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Bay St Louis, $69 a night, was the high light of the trip...really. What a great place. I was saddened to see what happened to coastal Mississippi and how it is still destroyed. No whinning though from the people, not like New Orleans. I didn't recognize the coast anymore. One of my favorites, Pas Christian, was pretty much, gone.

The main point of this thread is to tell you how dissapointed I was with the Air Force, today's Air Force, and what a Cluster_uck the graduation was and the treatment of the new Airmen. I watch many graduations at Parris Island and let me tell you, the AF should come visit and see how it's done. First off, it's indoors in bad weather. We had to be there at 0715 to get a bus to the parade deck, and it didn't start until 0900. It was almost 40 degrees, rain, and wind. The AF provides no coffee, hot chocolet, etc. Just a small trailer that sells it and a line of people for about a half a mile. The USMC provided refreshments.

Thursday we could visit Lindsey on base but not until after 5:00 pm, and had to leave by 8. Graduates not allowed off base even with family. We had to sit around outside and yes, it was cold and rainy. USMC marches the recruits to the parade deck by 0900 and then releases them to the families for family day by 0915. The can go off base but have to be back by 9pm.

Graduation on PI, the Marines are let go immediately after graduation to go with their families and friends. Not the AF. We had to wait until like 1 or 2 on Friday, then she had to be back by 8. No overnight, even with family. They also are not allowed to have a drink of alcohol or smoke a cigarette.

Saturday it took until about 10 for them to release the Airmen for their families, then made them come back at 6 pm because 2 Airmen were 15 minutes late getting back Friday.

Sunday, only base liberty. Airmen not allowed off base.

I felt the whole thing was unprofessional and full of chickenshit. All of these grads could be serving in a combat zone soon, especially security forces, and they were treated like children.

I am home fighting off either a serious cold or worse. It was the trip from hell. We came back a different route, I35 to Dallas, then I20 to Atlanta and it was a much better drive and basically the same distance.

The main thing though, is that we got to see Lidsey and she is now in 2 weeks of Flight training, then to the Army Linguistics school in Monterray Calif for 63 weeks, then 4 weeks of Crypto school, then a bunch of survival school and more flight training. I was very proud of her. She also carried the Guide On from day 1 to graduation. Her T.I., a former Marine, said nobody has ever done that, he fires at least one a cycle.

Man, am I glad to be home. Every day in San Antone was cold, rainy, and windy, except the day we left.

Pack

[DMZ-LT]

Welcome home Tom. Hope you get to feeling better quick. Was a Army BCT Company Commander at FT. Knox for awhile in 72 -73. Got a ton of great trainee stories. Don't think we ever had a graduation that a civilian didn't get thrown out of the bleachers when we marched by with the flag cause they didn't remove their hat or show the proper respect

[reconeil]

Sorry to hear you had a lousy trip and: "Graduation"(?).
Though truly surprised hearing that The Military even have graduation ceremonies?

Granted and though many moons ago, my and the other 149 Recruits of
10th Recon Co's 16 Weeks of no Sundays or Passes called:
"Basic Training", merely got to lead off a 10th Div. Parade
past a revueing stand and bleachers on Post at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Bleachers sure looked full,...but never got to mingle with anyone.

After Parade were marched back to barracks, and a chosen few
were given 12 hour passes into either Junction City or Manhattan, Kansas.
A few more were similarly given their first 12 hr. passes the next day or Sunday.

Whatever, and whether in a questioning or just in a jealousy mode
what's with all this Marine Corp: "Graduation" comparison?
Is one of yours one of the about 400,000 or so: "The Few, The Proud,.."?

Don't mind me. It's just an inate 7th Cav b-bustin thing, and actually
hope all Marines stay just as well & safe and have charmed lives,
as do for all the other Branches of Service and/or: "America's Finest".

My Salute & "GarryOwen" to them ONE & ALL.
Neil

[Packo]

Neil,

I work a bunch on Parris Island and get to see graduation whenever I want. They do it better than what I saw at Lackland.

John, I can't wait to hear some of the stories on the Mountain. What's funny is that they have to give instructions on flag eticate, like standing, hand over heart, etc. Sad. They have to do that on Parris Island also. I learned in school and from my father. Have never needed to be reminded how to show respect for our flag.

Pack

[SEATJERKER]

...

...thats why it is always better to spend 4 years at a military high school that has Jrotc,...

...allows you to test out after 7 days with the flt. and as long as you "know" all there is to "know" about basic, your otta there in 8-10 days,...

...on casual as they call it as you wait for your slot to open up at tech school,...

...never got my official picture taken, no graduation, just over to the other side of the base for work detail, Sgt. says one morning while in formation, ? anybody know anything about carpentry?, and seeing how all they lawn "grooming" eq. was parked all around, I figured I'd offer my services, stuck up my hand, and the Sgt smiles, says, come here, walk over, and he says, "see that picnic table, I give him a yes, and he says there's the wood, and tools, get building, so I did, the rest of those still awaiting assignments were told to don their metal shoes, googles, and pick a mower, or rake, or,, or, ... Boy am I glad I did, it was the 2nd week of Jun, and HOT, I mean HOT, so there I worked under the tree, makin picnic tables for a week before shipping out,...

...yep, those 8 days of basic were tough, and my Ti hated me for by-passing, tried every way he could to fail me, rest is history,..........

...

[catman]

Tom...the hell with all the horror stories.......did you get the Playboy signed?

Trav

[SuperScout]

You truly have perfect timing! We have the worst weather in four years, and here you come! Sorry you had a bad experience in San Antonio and environs, especially with the Bus Drivers, aka, United States Air Farce. What do you expect form a group that never learned how to blouse their trousers, shine their boots, or wear a c-hat properly? Sheesh! And while youwere freezing your buns off in SAT, I was watching a couple of my trees bite the dust, due totoo much ice coating. Oh well, figured the Good Lord thinks I need the exercise with my chain saw, and we'll just pile up the firewood for next winter!

Brice
Scouts Out!!

[b3196]

Curtis
Are you saying that as long as you attended JROTC, you only had to do 8 days of basic???
bOOger

[Keith_Hixson]

He can't even spell New York and He graduates from basic in 8 days.
Now we know what's wrong with our military. Scary isn't Bob.



Paco Tom,

God has placed a curse upon you because you are a "sipping Baptist" drinking too much French Wine.

Keith







P.S. I'd better get a rise out of this.

[Robert Ryan]

Remeber the day I graduated Basic at Fort Jackson, left 5 hours later for Fort Polk for AIT on damn bus no less to the Airport to fly to SHreveport (tiniwini airfield) then on to Fort Polk.