U.S. Air Force, Fly in here!
03-31-2012, 05:41 PM
#36
So the time has come... I'm about to embark on an epic journey called my career in the real Air Force!!
For those of y'all who don't know me, I signed up back in the fall of 2008 to join the USAF through their Officer Training School. That's when I got picked up to be a new Combat Systems Officer, which basically means that I'm learning a combination of the old Navigator, Electronic Warfare, and Weapons Systems positions.
As with all our boys in blue, I was introduced to the military through the eyes of the wonderful Air Education & Training Command. Mine was Basic Officer Training at Maxwell AFB in June of 2010 (yeah... a year & a half wait) followed by commissioning as a butterbar that September. As I fumbled through my first PCS to sunny Pensacola, FL to go hang out with the Navy, I got to do lots of various admin jobs while I waited on the brand new training program to spin up. I went back to Maxwell for a few weeks for that glorious (and now non-existent) ASBC followed by Pueblo, CO for my first experience flying for the Air Force in Initial Flight Screening (which couldn't've come at a better time: seriously... who, when living on the Gulf Coast, wouldn't rather spend all the spring break weeks in the CO desert?). That was followed by water survival training & then finally, last May, I started my CSO training. Fast forward 11 months of academics, T-6 instrument & low-level flights, navigation & weapons simulators, T-1 instrument & low-level flights, more weapons simulators, and finally campaign planning - here I am... two weeks from graduation, and my class just got our airframe assignments last night!!
Ever since the first day of class when our Group/CC asked us what we wanted, my first choice has been the B-1 bomber. Even since I was a kid, I've always wanted go fast & blow stuff up, so this or the F-15E were my two best bets (well... also the F-111, but that's been retired). Well folks, after a ton of butt-bustin, countless hours studying & mission planning - trying to be the best I could, the time has come to see where I'm going to be spending the next few years of my career (finally outside of the extra-crazy-stipulation mentality of AETC schooling). So we threw this giant party down at the Officers' Club (that I swear we always have more AF guys than Navy there) to reveal our assignments. For our class as a whole, we had a fantastic drop! Most of us actually got one of our top three choices & the few who didn't got something along the lines of what would help accomplish life/career goals for their families. Our Flight/CC really hooked us up! Well... now for the most exciting news (from my perspective anyway...) - what I'm going to...
THE B-1!!!!!!!
I'm headed out to Dyess AFB in Abilene, TX!! This is a complete dream come true!! I thank God so much for taking care of me & helping me to stay motivated to be the best I could be which has obviously paid off because assignments to these jets have been pretty scarce lately due to some other people transferring there from other aircraft. We were told to not really expect any, but we ended up getting TWO (one for me & one for an F-15 hopeful that they didn't have any 15s left for)!!
I want to give a big THANKS to my PT.net friends who've supported me along the way & been voices of insight to the military, reason for tough situations, and hope when I thought it was gonna be too hard. Thank you!!
Now the next chapter of my career is about to start - I just gotta make it two more weeks so I can pin some shiny wings on my chest!
For those of y'all who don't know me, I signed up back in the fall of 2008 to join the USAF through their Officer Training School. That's when I got picked up to be a new Combat Systems Officer, which basically means that I'm learning a combination of the old Navigator, Electronic Warfare, and Weapons Systems positions.
As with all our boys in blue, I was introduced to the military through the eyes of the wonderful Air Education & Training Command. Mine was Basic Officer Training at Maxwell AFB in June of 2010 (yeah... a year & a half wait) followed by commissioning as a butterbar that September. As I fumbled through my first PCS to sunny Pensacola, FL to go hang out with the Navy, I got to do lots of various admin jobs while I waited on the brand new training program to spin up. I went back to Maxwell for a few weeks for that glorious (and now non-existent) ASBC followed by Pueblo, CO for my first experience flying for the Air Force in Initial Flight Screening (which couldn't've come at a better time: seriously... who, when living on the Gulf Coast, wouldn't rather spend all the spring break weeks in the CO desert?). That was followed by water survival training & then finally, last May, I started my CSO training. Fast forward 11 months of academics, T-6 instrument & low-level flights, navigation & weapons simulators, T-1 instrument & low-level flights, more weapons simulators, and finally campaign planning - here I am... two weeks from graduation, and my class just got our airframe assignments last night!!
Ever since the first day of class when our Group/CC asked us what we wanted, my first choice has been the B-1 bomber. Even since I was a kid, I've always wanted go fast & blow stuff up, so this or the F-15E were my two best bets (well... also the F-111, but that's been retired). Well folks, after a ton of butt-bustin, countless hours studying & mission planning - trying to be the best I could, the time has come to see where I'm going to be spending the next few years of my career (finally outside of the extra-crazy-stipulation mentality of AETC schooling). So we threw this giant party down at the Officers' Club (that I swear we always have more AF guys than Navy there) to reveal our assignments. For our class as a whole, we had a fantastic drop! Most of us actually got one of our top three choices & the few who didn't got something along the lines of what would help accomplish life/career goals for their families. Our Flight/CC really hooked us up! Well... now for the most exciting news (from my perspective anyway...) - what I'm going to...
THE B-1!!!!!!!
I'm headed out to Dyess AFB in Abilene, TX!! This is a complete dream come true!! I thank God so much for taking care of me & helping me to stay motivated to be the best I could be which has obviously paid off because assignments to these jets have been pretty scarce lately due to some other people transferring there from other aircraft. We were told to not really expect any, but we ended up getting TWO (one for me & one for an F-15 hopeful that they didn't have any 15s left for)!!
I want to give a big THANKS to my PT.net friends who've supported me along the way & been voices of insight to the military, reason for tough situations, and hope when I thought it was gonna be too hard. Thank you!!
Now the next chapter of my career is about to start - I just gotta make it two more weeks so I can pin some shiny wings on my chest!
