DC

To get the most out of Albuquerque you have to have a bit of a sense of adventure. It isn't so much what Albuquerque itself offers as much as the areas within driving range of it. Myself? I love the people in the albaturkey. Just a more laid back sense of things. Think casual Friday, only every day. I think people hate Albuquerque because they feel like with the size of the place there should be more there. But they just aren't taking advantage of it. Sounds like you'll be there for the Balloon Fiesta also. If you've never been you absolutely have to go. If you've been dozens of times it can get a bit boring unless you're on a crew. Marilyn will definately hook you up. One of my many civy jobs while waiting for OTS to start was as a temp replacement for the 377th SVS during a deployment at the reservation desk at billeting sitting right next to Marilyn 4 days a week for a couple months. She did everything in her power to get people what they wanted. Sometimes it was out of her hands, but more often than not it was easy to "throw" people off base that wanted off. Billeting there is usually near capacity anyway with people on shorter TDYs for various things.

Won't help ya w/ your training.. but get out to 505 Southwestern for lunch every now and then. Its quirky but its the best food ever. Again, I can't help ya with your qual or any of that junk. I know a bit about Kirtland from the short time I worked there-but others will be able to help you better with that. BUT-If you have any other Albuquerque-related questions feel free to PM me.. I lived there for 15 years and have a great love/hate relationship with my hometown. More love these days as absence makes the heart grow fonder.

If you're taking a family with you, live in the Whiting Field housing. Its called Whiting Pines (though after Hurricane Dennis it should be called Whiting Stumps) and its located approx 6-8 miles south of Whiting in Milton, FL. Yes, you'll be going a bit longer to get down to Pensacola for the first approx 6 weeks (not including inprocessing) but you'll spend much more time up at Whiting than at Pensacola. But you won't be alone up there and carpools will certainly be a viable option. Single guys can consider finding an apartment in the Milton area, but if you want any sort of life whatsoever live in the NE part of Pensacola. That way you aren't out in the sticks where there is nothing to do. The biggest issue from here is the drive to Whiting. From where I live its approx 25 miles to Whiting and 20 back. Its less back because due to I-10 bridge (re)construction I take a different route home. I'd highly reccomend NOT living near the beach. Get up high and away from the water. It'd be very awesome to sit on the porch with a beach view every day to study, but the oceans have proved to be especially fierce lately and .. frankly .. you don't want to lose everything you own.

Well, actually.. offending the enemy is a problem we need to think about. This is as much a hearts and minds war as it is a bombs on target war. Often even moreso. Standing up for what you believe in if it is hateful does not make it right, and that's the point. Having high standards means standing up for what is right reguardless of what you believe in. I honestly couldn't care less what you believe, but I do care what you stand up for.

We must hold ourselves to the highest of high standards. If that means having political correctness run nearly out of control, I'm okay with that. If you don't want to be PC and hold yourself to a higher standard you probably aren't in the right business. Yes, there is a difference between policies written out and how they are actually practiced. Yes, there is a difference between the "real" AF and AETC and the Zoo and whatever. That's reality. But still, we go back to the higher standard we should hold ourselves to. If how you feel is hateful, I'd rather you hide your feelings. It isn't spineless to do so. Remember, there is a difference between prejudice and discrimination. You are entitled to all the prejudice you want, but you sure as hell better not practice discrimination. [ 30. August 2005, 20:58: Message edited by: DC ]

At OTS the briefing subjects are sort of picked for you, yes. But you aren't expected to actually know what you're talking about, only to look like you do so it isn't so bad.

It is relatively new here at Pcola for us not to be allowed to swim. Apparently the AF either doesn't want their pilot students to get hurt or to fail out of UPT for not being able to swim. Apparently the pilots haven't had to swim for years, but until recently they did anyway to either not be separated from their class or because they weren't told they didn't have to. But now, not even allowed. Why they have the WSOs doing it, I couldn't tell you. It probably has something to do with at Whiting our flying is done mostly north of the area in S. Alabama and at Pcola where the WSOs do _ALL_ of their training, they'll spend a lot more time over water. [ 03. August 2005, 22:33: Message edited by: DC ]

I am __ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN__ that you will not swim if you are an Air Force pilot student training at Pensacola/Whiting. I am going through it now. When the Navy/Marines/Coast Guard/Foreigners/AF Navs go swimming I go to IHOP.

"Repetition is annoying" Irony at its best. wxpunk, I have tons of respect for ya- but this just adds to the pile of complaint posts that have popped up here lately. I definately don't disagree with you, but it made me chuckle a bit. Whoever posted the idea of a trash forum to be added so the conversation in here and in some of the other areas can remain civilized was on to something. As it stands right now, the Aviation Medicine forum is the most professional despite the fact that its the same 5 questions being asked over and over.

My story is pretty similar to Razorback's. I didn't exactly set out to be a pilot, per se. Its just happening that way. Its definately the best thing that ever happened to me.

Another difference is OTS is broken down into rated/tech and non-rated/non-tech boards. If you apply for pilot you'll apply on a rated board. The way the rated boards work you'll either be selected for one of the choices you put (can be pilot only, but you can also include any combination of nav and abm) or you won't be selected for OTS at all. ROTC does not work this way. If you do not get a pilot slot you would end up as an officer in a different job, and it could be entirely different from flying. You could do what I did and apply to OTS thinking that if that didn't work out I'd find some way to go to that grad school I couldn't afford and do ROTC. I ended up getting into OTS. Of course, that meant taking a year+ "off" ~ from the time I first called a recruiter to the time I was accepted into OTS was nearly a year.. it was over 18 months until I was actually AT OTS and I could have got a grad school education in that timeframe!

commander's rating and PFT scores aren't part of the OTS package ~ they don't use an OM either. GPA and AFOQT are probably larger parts of what they look at because they have less of you to look at. basically all they have is AFOQT, GPA, LoRs, a "resume" including extra-cirriculars, and the officer interview

I think Navy and Air Force helmets are different? -- that's probably why you had to give yours back after Whiting. They told us when we fitted for them that we'd be using the same helmet when we "got to the fleet". In otherwords, not us AF guys.

If I got into OTS with my credit after I got out of college (yeah, I was young and irresponsible, and did I mention broke?) then you'll be fine. I didn't have as much CC debt (though I had more student debt) but I didn't have a spotless credit record. "Bills? What are those?" Anyway, I straightened it all out over time and I'm clean now.

Don't concern yourself over it. The worst thing you can do is be stressed out there because that will trip you up quickly if you don't have any colorblindness. If you are colorblind, don't worry, they'll let you know right away. It might seem like they're telling you absolutely nothing while you're there -- but from what I understand if they're saying nothing that's a good thing. Except the heart ultrasound.. apparently you have to wait on those results for a bit. So whatever happens during that test means nothing until a doctor looks at the results later.

The CV plates at Brooks are "harder" than any I'd seen before. I know of a couple guys, including myself, that were going through them too quickly and had to be stopped to look at one or two a little closer. I could definately see how a slight form of rare colorblindness could trip someone up there.

My car survived a hailstorm/tornado at OTS. I didn't see a single cover on any cars out there. My car was COVERED in a filthy orange dirt after sitting there a few months-- but it all washed off in a rainstorm on my way here (Brooks).

Hmm.. wondering if I should switch to Washington when I go AD in November (OTS). I do have family there so if I need a physical address I could definately provide one (hell, the ONLY family I have that was in the military lives there). I wouldn't want to screw something but by not being legit as one of the very first things I do in the military though!

I read it 5 times before moving on to your next post and getting the explaination.

How did you ever figure out you had nickle-induced contact dermatitis?? Check your PM.

Go to your University health center (if possible). It will still likely cost you some money and it will be less than top-notch care.. but it will be A LOT cheaper.

http://www.airforcelife.net/ [ 10. September 2004, 12:24: Message edited by: Dennis ]

http://carcino.gen.nz/images/index.php/00b9a680/463c5922 I love when people start dumb arguements on these message boards. Makes for fine entertainment.

See, I was thinking the correct answer would have been, "I never watch the show, but Catherine Bell is pretty damn hot." Damn you MadMax for beating me to that answer!

Though I do understand why you looked it up -- I too looked up ways to decrease blood pressure after they made me re-take that part of the physical, apparently for no reason because the 5-day average I had way well below the levels considered by the AF to be hypertension and none of the techniques for lowering blood pressure work except over a long period of time -- Despite the fact that hiding a medical condition that would potentially disqualify you is just plain wrong you will absolutely not want to do this because you ALREADY have a waiver for your condition because of your DoDMERB. Good luck.