flyguy2181

Lindsey Graham has been doing it for a while. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/14...ty-afghanistan/ I won't comment on the five day deployment (though I'm happy he does what he can do)

My brother got me a M9. Where as a sword is tradition, an M9 is an officer carries today. Also, becoming a pilot, he figured correctly that I would carry it alot into a war zone and thought it was best that I was a good aim w/ it. My girlfriend got me a Pen, something I used to sign my life away.

Just an fyi... on the last day when they leave you out in the ocean for an hour or so, do not take off all of your flight suit and lpu and suntan. They caught some people who weren't ready to be picked up when they came to get them. They threaten to fail the people, send them home to their unit and then make them redo the course. I do believe paperwork was issued to some of them (yes, gay i know...not arguing that). If you do decide to take it all off, at least put it back on before they come to pick you up... it's a great morning when all you are doing is hanging out in the ocean, getting a sun tan and watching the Blue Angels practice.

Here is the departing message from the presidential pilot, Col Mark Tillman. It also mentions Col. Scott Turner is the new presidential pilot. https://www.andrews.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123125372 FWIW, I read where he was slated to get his first star but the message mentions something about retiring.... The people I talked with in the 99th and the 1st enjoyed their jobs. I think most of them enjoyed spending the last years in the Air Force until retirement in a nice flying job and not behind a desk (esp as O-5s)

When you are selected to go to the 89th, you are "tracked" to either the 1st or 99th. Each of these squadrons fly different aircraft and support different people. From these two squadrons, people are then choosen to "fly" Air Force One. Yet, there is only one presidential pilot. The commander of the presidential airlift group is the presidential pilot and only he flies the aircraft. The other pilots that he selects to fly with him only talk on the radio and gear jerk.

Expect the first three months to be spin up time. After that, at most, I would expect one 10 day trip a month. You will see your place often so get something you will be happy coming home to.

Camp Lemonier, Djibouti - - the volunteer opprotunities off-base (orphanages and english discussion groups) - the opprotunities to get involved with other services (flew on C-26 and CH-53s, trips to aircraft carriers and watching live fire F-18 bomb excercises) - travel opprotunities (1 wk Safari and trips to Ethiopia & Rwanda), - working w/ foreign militaries (french air force/french foreign legion) - MWR (scuba diving trips, fishing trips) all in four months....great if you can tolerate the hot, humid, crappy weather