Clayton Bigsby

Thread revival. Kyrgyz are faulting the Airman in the encounter, and demanding the US hand him over. Looks like lots and lots of fallout from the Metzger affair... https://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1...925-2411990.php Airman shot Kyrgyz man in self-defense, service says Staff reports A security forces airman at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan shot and killed a civilian truck driver on Dec. 6 because he believed the man was threatening him with a knife, an Air Force statement said. The Air Force’s explanation of the shooting comes at the same time the Kyrgyzstan government is calling for a change to an agreement that prevents U.S. servicemen at Manas from being prosecuted by Kyrgyzstan. Earlier in the week, the Kyrgyzstan Foreign Ministry sent a request to the U.S. Embassy demanding that the United States waive the immunity of the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron airman, whom it identified as Zachary Hatfield. The incidents leading up to the shooting began when the fuel truck driver stopped at a base checkpoint at about 3 p.m. for a routine inspection of his vehicle and then went into a security tent to wait for his truck to be searched, the Air Force said. Kyrgyzstan authorities identified the driver as 42-year-old Alexander Ivanov. When the security forces airman approached the tent, Ivanov threatened him with a knife, the Air Force said. The airman drew his 9mm sidearm and fired in self defense, the Air Force said, striking Ivanov twice in the chest. A knife was later discovered at the scene. Air Force medics arrived on the scene and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Ivanov, continuing their life-saving efforts while en route to the base hospital’s emergency room, where a team of doctors tried to revive him. Ivanov was later pronounced dead. That the airman fired twice and struck Ivanov in the chest was in line with the training security forces airmen are given, the report said. If an airman’s life is threatened in a close-quarters situation, the airman is trained to fire two shots to assailant’s the upper torso to ensure the highest opportunity to stop the attacker. Security forces are taught to act immediately and instinctively, the report noted. Following standard procedures for a shooting, the airman was asked to turn in his weapon and has been placed on off-duty status. The airman remains at Manas. The Office of Special Investigations is looking into the incident, working jointly with Kyrgyz investigators, the Air Force said. Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev called Thursday for U.S. troops deployed in this former Soviet republic to be stripped of diplomatic immunity. “It would be reasonable if U.S. military based in Kyrgyzstan were brought to account for their illegal actions in accordance with national law,” Bakiyev told U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, according to the president’s press office. Under an agreement between the U.S. and Kyrgyz governments, U.S. personnel deployed in Kyrgyzstan have immunity from prosecution under Kyrgyz law. About 1,000 troops are stationed at Manas. The Air Force set up the base as transit point for troops rotating in and out of Afghanistan and as a cargo and airlift hub for the region.

I lived at Edwards for a time as well (as a dependent though). I enjoyed it, it wasn't such a bad place to be. Get a 4WD truck or dirt bike, lots of desert and trails to explore... Also, if you want a quick change of climate ever, just drive up to Tehachepi. About an hour away or so.

googled this one...some japanese or asian site kinda wierd. [ 13. December 2006, 14:28: Message edited by: Jumper Bones ]

I've seen a couple pics in Aviation Week and other places, showing the canopy opened forward. Is it forward-hinging?

That or a boomer named Mike Cahill...

That has got to be THE best usage of a reflective belt I've ever seen!!!

I'd say we're flying more. I talk to friends in AD squadrons, and I fly a ton more than they do - at least one stage a month, sometimes two. Our stage length overall, however, has gone down - we do 7 to 10 day trips now instead of 14 day'ers. I've had numerous SRT busts, but usually not much more than 2 or 3 days. Good news though is that we spend a lot less time at the deid. Before, it was almost guaranteed.

My roommate, who was maintenance, had gotten ahold of a "contractor" nametape and sewed it on his DCUs...any time he wanted to get away with something, he'd throw that DCU blouse on. Pretty easy, actually.

BTW I wanted to stress I'm not b1tching about per diem rates - hopefully there's no perception that I am. They are what they are and I don't get to set them. But it does bother me if I see Finance making up the rules as they go along, and it seems that's what's happened - and as mentioned, their mistakes rarely go in your favor. And they're the first people to suck back money from your check, without warning or explanation, if they even think they've ever overpaid you on something. For many months as a young Airman I had random "Debts" listed on my LES, at random, and even if I went to Finance to ask WTF was going on, sometimes they couldn't explain it. A big deal when you're an E-2 living in the dorms, that can be a big percentage of your limited pay. Especially on top of your MGIB and other payments. [ 26. November 2006, 01:05: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

The basic issue, as I see it, is the chow hall/deployed facility thing - 3.50 is used (after the first day) for places like the 'deid, manas, balad, bagram, etc that have a DFAC or chow heezy or whatever you want to call it, where you sign in upon entry and that's how the contractor gets the money for the food from the gov't. Otherwise, if you're on your own with the local economy (PK Inn, Mean Gene's, Sailor's Club, stupid-ass-rules-central Navy chowhall, CPO club, etc) where you pay for your food, then you collect FULL per diem. That's how it's worked for every TDY I've been on, until this one. I mean, if we go to the 'lik, it's 75 bucks a day every day, and there's a chow hall there too...but I gotta pay for it, and I can't always make it there. It makes sense if you're a part of a deployed AEG, like at the 'deid, and if your meals are contracted and at no cost to you personally. However, when that's not the case...especially when our finance shoe clerks need to do their homework - AMC crews are NOT a part of a BOMBER expeditionary wing, and can't eat in their free chow hall anyway! And that wing (and chowhall) doesn't exist anymore anyway!...that makie no sense. Oh well, guess I get to go argue with all the shoes on monday. Maybe I should show them pictures of the no-more-tents in Camp Justice, just to prove it's been abandoned. They'll probably say I photoshopped them. Retards. And yes *******, I have seen those that choose to schedule themselves to get the 'double ching' at the ends of months, but I am not that guy - I disagree with it too. If I'm there around the end of the month, I've most likely already been there a couple times before in the month so it really makes no difference to me. Not really sure how that became subject matter appropriate for this issue/discussion, but ******, if it makes you feel any better, I don't do that.

I recently passed through Diego, and ended up staying there a couple days. Voucher finally paid, and for each succeeding day after the first, only $3.50 was paid for per diem, instead of the usual $27.50. My only beef with this is that we were not a part of the deployed AEG at all, but rather a transient crew...in fact, Camp Justice (or whatever they were calling it) is completely shut down now, the tents torn down, and no free chow hall like you get at all the other $3.50 locations. Now Diego isn't exactly expensive, but...I was certainly paying more than $3.50 on sundries, incidentals and meals on a daily basis. So, anyway, if you're paying for meals shouldn't the per diem be the full rate? If you're not a part of the deployed AEG (that isn't deployed there anymore anyway!!!), shouldn't you get the full rate? Thanks

Funny that the TTR airfield is even being discussed in any way...I thought it wasn't a suitable subject of any discussion, despite the press going there once the F-117 was declassified. Cool to see the AF finally own up to at least some of this - some those MiGs have been circulating around the AF for some time, popping up at museums or being used as gate guards or static displays for airshows...kind of like the MiG-29s we bought from Moldova to cockblock the Iranian sale. One pops up every once in awhile. This all was also discussed in the "Dark Eagles" book. One thing though...no tech data. Yeah that'd be fun. My crew chief roots don't like that idea, one bit... [ 19. November 2006, 12:34: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

Lots of people do stupid things, worthy of bashing. Do I have to know all of them to criticize in any way? Like Flav-a-flav the Major from Manas? And to the comment of "the tools are the ones looking at the internet on friday night", NOT EVERYBODY WORKS M-F 8-5. Think about that. What are you, his ROTC fraternity boyfriend or something? Personally I couldn't stop laughing after what Jenna said at the top of this page. Good stuff!

You know, in about a year, he'll be whining about all the constant deployments, how they take him away from his love life/family back home, how The Man makes him wear PT uniforms downrange and even enforces how long and what color his socks can be, and how he can't get out of this job, just BEGGING for Palace Chase or VSP. yeah, whatever.

So why is it that O's have to do what the Shirts say? If you can get your CC to back you up and agree that the requirements are retarded, can't you tell your shirt to sod off?

It's stupid as supposedly it's optional to wear ribbons on the shirt; however EVERY time you go through ANY sort of PME or AETC course, they require you to wear your ribbons. Even FTAC (First Term Airman's Center), which is supposed to just be a basic orientation to your first duty station. The reasoning behind it is to prove that you know how to wear ribbons, but to require it for each and every PME class is fvcking retarded. Hence more and more enlisted think it's mandatory. Kills me, as I don't like wearing them on my shirt, just on my service coat.

That is pretty gnar gnar. Can you fit anything larger than an H-58 or H-6? If you take off the rotor mast, can you fit an H-1? We can fit 8 of the Kiowas, but that goes along with the whole much-bigger-airplane thing. Don't know anything about the kandahar turd. All the downrange stuff I've done recently has been OIF. So what was it - blown gear struts? The plane "leans" to one side to change tires, a self-jacking job type thing, maybe it got stuck?

Herkbum, if you're referring to the Bagram accident -17, that's not in my department (LM). That plane very nearly became a permanent static display there! Interesting to see the WB-57 there without its NASA titles, as they're the usual operator. But I guess the US Gov't 'owns' NASA and can appropriate their aircraft whenever they want... I have many similar photos as well, and I've seen that Silk Air Il-76 all over the place. Except my photos aren't near as good. [ 30. September 2006, 20:32: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

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YEAH BABY!!! AS GOOD AS IT GETS!!! LET'S SEE YOU HERC HOMOS DO THIS!!! [ 30. September 2006, 18:02: Message edited by: Chuck Farleston ]

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