Prosuper

For all you pilots that got banked and became mx officers, how did you endure your time in mx before going back to requal? Was it eye opening to see the other side of the debrief table? Did it help as you progressed during your career? Just curious from a Crew Chief that had a few banked pilots in my section during the early 90's. The early 90's was not very fun after Desert Storm from the mx side, VSI/SSB early retirements gutted alot of experiance on the active duty side which made for more long days if you were the only 7 level.

Here is a link of USAAF operations on IWO Jima after the Marines paid for it with blood and became a fighter base for P-51's and divert for B-29's enjoy. https://picasaweb.google.com/7thfighter/IwoJima?authkey=Gv1sRgCIW06db_6oth&feat=email#slideshow/5299163150448181842

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L._Howard I wonder if this guy complained about reflective belts or tucked in t shirts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Hartmann Here is another German bad ass, he had over 300 kills flying a ME-109.

You should have seen RAF Mildenhall when Operation Eldorado Canyon kicked off along with 20 KC-135A's all taking off heavy with water injection.

Being a prior flying Crew Chief on EC/KC-135's, E-3's and VC-137's I prefer flying without FE's. I am not begrudging the FE community but the AF diluted the FE DNA too much. With new FE's being taken out of every AFSC now without a mx background I have gotten into many severe discussions with FE's over what is a write up and what is not. During mx debriefs I could always tell the difference between a fuel panel management and checklist reader specialist and a real FE who knew what they were talking about. Back in the 80's new FE's had to be prior Crew Chiefs, jet mech or hydro troops which those 3 afsc's were almost impossible to Xtrain out of, I know I tried to be a FE 3 x's, needs of the USAF come first. Having a prior cop or services guy now a FE has alot of drawbacks starting out they can't tell the difference between what is good and no good , they just know what their checklist says. I always enjoyed having a non prior mx FE tell me how to do a repair, I always responded with "can I tell you how to fly".

I thought this a good place to post a link, this is what it is all about with our CSAR guys doing the mission despite shoeclerkness that goes on. These were taken by Michael Yon a independent journalist prior USA special forces. https://www.michaelyon-online.com/pedros.htm

I have been trolling here for months and could no longer stay silent. As a old Crew Chief/Expeditor/Pro Super MSgt now retired since 03 I hope all the CGO's here who bite the bullet and become career officers, that when you pass over to the field grade that you remember what went on at AUAB and not repeat this buffoonry. Having served in that part of the world since 1981 Elf One,Desert Shield/Storm,Op Provide Comfort, ONW/OSW,OEF I see that the gents who never deployed in my day who stayed at home station and made my life horrible are now deploying in vast numbers. Which in my 23 years I stayed deployed just to stay from those REMF's. As a interested observer who finds civilian life just G*& D*&% boring my suggestion is to get everyone on the same page, like take your non op CGO to work day, give them a taste of what your life is like from mission planning,execution to op/mx debrief, make them a duty pax. Now in turn work the schedule and find out what it takes to run a air base(remember when you get up the food chain your going to have to know that shit). Don't be that guy who is too cool for school when a Crew Chief is trying to teach you how to take care of your jet when you divert into a place with zero support and no flying Crew Chief. Many of you I probably know your faces if you ever had to deal with KTIK TA during your UPT/AETC days. I was the one wearing a blue shirt and pants. Remember you guys are doing what most of us dreamed about when we were kids to be a military pilot, I'm pissed they did not invent lasik back in the early 70's since I lost the DNA lottery with being nearsighted and all.