backseatdriver Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I still don't understand Fozzy's statement there. I have never flown a combat sortie unarmed. HD Me neither. I guess tanker guys don't fly with weapons? I don't know who "many other airframes" would include - maybe RCs? Everyone should be packing heat - except maybe the Pred guys - they're probably okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxhead Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Maybe it's: 1) Pax vs no pax? 2) Assload of fuel=fast death in any nonstandard landing try 3) afraid the report will ignite the fuel (It won't, but the safety guy...can make crazy rules) I always thought it was kinda just a "feel good" thing anyway...if you manage to survive whatever made you go down not on the runway you wanted, you see see A) People that like them or B) People that hate you. If they hate you, you can pretty much bet you will be outgunned. The only thing your 9mm will do for you is let you go down in a blaze of glory (OK, a flashlight of honor) and maybe get one or two of them too. It's not the aircrew's fault, the USAF just does not train us enough. Feels good on the ole' hip though. I have always liked having my weapon on me more when I am on the ground at "questionable" locations than for contingencies that start in the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LockheedFix Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 The only thing your 9mm will do for you is let you go down in a blaze of glory (OK, a flashlight of honor) and maybe get one or two of them too. Hilarious. You almost made me spit N/A beer out my nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PilotKD Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Me neither. I guess tanker guys don't fly with weapons? We used to carry on all combat sorties . Just like we used to sanitize, wear the survival vests and put the parachutes in the back of our seats. We don't do that anymore either. Now they sit in a box about 100 feet to the "stern" (getting ready for that ATP56B bull$hit). Things have gotten more and more laxidasical. It seems as though the possibility of diverting to another forward location after a mission, showing up without your patches on your flight suit and consequently having a shoe clerk have an aneurysm about you being out of regs is more important than concealing your identity in a wartime environment (true story). However, last time I was there, Intel was still issuing bloodchits and EVC's. I brought up the question of why we still carry this $hit out to the aircraft if we're not sanitizing or carrying weapons and of course I got a blank stare. Are we at war or not? Intel Amn Snuffy: "I dunno, just doin my job, sir.". I decided to bring it up to Capt Intel one day and pretty much got the same response. WTFO? So what you're telling me is, there is enough chance of having to use bloodchits/EVC's to still issue them to us, but we don't carry and don't sanitize. Cool. If I'm going to be sitting out in the desert using my EVC, I'd at least like to defend myself for 30 seconds against an AK/RPG so I don't die an unarmed man. From what I understand, there was an isolated rash of bafoonery with the weapons (like forgetting them in the aircarft). Yeah, us tanker guys f$cking up again. So, they said, "We're not issuing weapons anymore.". This was squadron directed, so I'm sure all the other airframes were still carrying. Of course there is the arguement that tankers are at very little risk of being shot at in the AOR *right now* (knock on wood). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiffler Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 We used to carry on all combat sorties . Just like we used to sanitize, wear the survival vests and put the parachutes in the back of our seats. We don't do that anymore either. Now they sit in a box about 100 feet to the "stern" (getting ready for that ATP56B bull$hit). Things have gotten more and more laxidasical. It seems as though the possibility of diverting to another forward location after a mission, showing up without your patches on your flight suit and consequently having a shoe clerk have an aneurysm about you being out of regs is more important than concealing your identity in a wartime environment (true story). However, last time I was there, Intel was still issuing bloodchits and EVC's. I brought up the question of why we still carry this $hit out to the aircraft if we're not sanitizing or carrying weapons and of course I got a blank stare. Are we at war or not? Intel Amn Snuffy: "I dunno, just doin my job, sir.". I decided to bring it up to Capt Intel one day and pretty much got the same response. WTFO? So what you're telling me is, there is enough chance of having to use bloodchits/EVC's to still issue them to us, but we don't carry and don't sanitize. Cool. If I'm going to be sitting out in the desert using my EVC, I'd at least like to defend myself for 30 seconds against an AK/RPG so I don't die an unarmed man. From what I understand, there was an isolated rash of bafoonery with the weapons (like forgetting them in the aircarft). Yeah, us tanker guys f$cking up again. So, they said, "We're not issuing weapons anymore.". This was squadron directed, so I'm sure all the other airframes were still carrying. Of course there is the arguement that tankers are at very little risk of being shot at in the AOR *right now* (knock on wood). Ya just coming back from Manas, we were given guns in a back pack...but they sat by the nav table. So, I guess if we planted it in the desert and lived, or if we were gonna bail out and the boom just spent 5 minutes pulling the chutes up, he could distribute them. So, 10 minutes after the initial "bail out" order, we would be armed and on our way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PilotKD Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Ya just coming back from Manas, we were given guns in a back pack...but they sat by the nav table. So, I guess if we planted it in the desert and lived, or if we were gonna bail out and the boom just spent 5 minutes pulling the chutes up, he could distribute them. So, 10 minutes after the initial "bail out" order, we would be armed and on our way. Yeah, well what makes me laugh and what is ironic is that one of us is required to be packing while deploying to the desert with PAX, but once we get over there, we don't carry. So I guess we're more afraid of ourselves than the enemy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fozzy Bear Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 (edited) So I guess we're more afraid of ourselves than the enemy. This actually is what the brass is telling us now. As far as sanitizing, it's changed for us almost every other week, depending on who the LtCol is behind the desk. Tanker missions don't always involve passing the go juice, and even on special sorties, there's no consistency. Blood chits and EVCs: yeah, no where near us on the plane. For any booms on here, do you guys check the parachutes prior to T/O? Just curious. Edited March 26, 2007 by Fozzy Bear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xtndr50boom Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 For any booms on here, do you guys check the parachutes prior to T/O? Just curious. No chutes=no check Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fozzy Bear Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 No chutes=no check What do mean? The 10 never has chutes? We always do, but I laugh every time we carry pax, cause we certainly never have enough for them, and it's always an question brought up during the pax brief. Something to bing back: smoking on the jet. If we opened the sextant port, the smoke shouldn't really bother anybody. God, I'd love to light up on the way home from bad guy land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xtndr50boom Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 (edited) What do mean? The 10 never has chutes? Something to bing back: smoking on the jet. If we opened the sextant port, the smoke shouldn't really bother anybody. God, I'd love to light up on the way home from bad guy land. No chutes. If you manage to depressurize quickly (no emer decom lever) enough to open a door you'll smack a wing, horiz stab, or get sucked in an engine. Smoking in the 10's boom pod rocks! Tons of air inlets and outlets! I've had 3 booms smoking back there at one time and 10 minutes later you can't smell anything. Or prop open the 4R door seal with a leatherman and exhale in the direction of the door EDIT: Obligatory STS for "those" types Edited March 26, 2007 by Xtndr50boom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hydro130 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Something to bing back: smoking on the jet. If we opened the sextant port, the smoke shouldn't really bother anybody. God, I'd love to light up on the way home from bad guy land. Haha... When I was a young-pup co on one of my first Bosnia rotes, MCR 55-130 (the reg replaced by 11-2C-130) allowed smoking on the aircraft on a combat mission with the AC's approval - I've never seen that flight engineer so happy as when he was puffing away (sts) under the sextant port once we leveled off outta Tuzla. Good times, good times... And whatever happened to "regs" anyway? "Instructions"? Phooey. Bring back regs. Cheers, Hydro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PilotKD Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Haha... When I was a young-pup co on one of my first Bosnia rotes, MCR 55-130 (the reg replaced by 11-2C-130) allowed smoking on the aircraft on a combat mission with the AC's approval - I've never seen that flight engineer so happy as when he was puffing away (sts) under the sextant port once we leveled off outta Tuzla. Good times, good times... And whatever happened to "regs" anyway? "Instructions"? Phooey. Bring back regs. Cheers, Hydro The good'ol 135 still has ash trays up front next to the pilot/copilot. I can only imagine the days where everyone up front was puffing away and putting them out in the ash trays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herk Driver Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Haha... When I was a young-pup co on one of my first Bosnia rotes, MCR 55-130 (the reg replaced by 11-2C-130) allowed smoking on the aircraft on a combat mission with the AC's approval - I've never seen that flight engineer so happy. What? You can't do that anymore? But, my engineer said... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busdriver Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 The OV-10 and the A-7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fozzy Bear Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 I've got all these pictures of my dad in his AF uniform with an M-16. I've asked several times to be allowed to fire one, and gotten totally denied every time. I know of maybe two other officers in the USAF (out of SF) that have been trained on the M-16. Bring that back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxhead Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 (edited) Get to know the SFT Lt/Capt in your local cop shop. He is the guy that runs the range. A little time invested in a friendship there and you will be shooting everything they have, and on a pretty decently regular basis. End of the FY can be particularly fun...) You can go be a bad guy for some exercises which is also kinda fun. Just an idea/technique. I would, however like to see better weapons training across the board in the USAF...nothing scarier than watching some folks clear an M-9.... Edited April 4, 2007 by Boxhead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourFans Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 nothing scarier than watching some folks clear an M-9.... Heard F-bomb had problems with that...but that's another story... Bring back: - M-16 training - wall to wall councelling sessions - the C-27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Bring back: - the C-27 ???? What on earth is the AF missing without the Spartan?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourFans Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 ???? What on earth is the AF missing without the Spartan?? An awesome capability. But if you have to ask, don't bother asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craino21 Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 We get qual'd on the M4, and have a pretty fun little shooting course for a couple of days prior to every deployment We also have our M4s in the cockpit in combat too (HH-60s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerkDerka Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Bring back: - the C-27 What about the JCA? HD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hydro130 Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 An awesome capability. Ah yes, surely you must be referring to the capability to live large & party like a rock star in that Panama flying club we used to have. That is missed, indeed! Cheers, Hydro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Bigsby Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 The sense that the entire service/nation (not just isolated career fields) is at WAR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourFans Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Ah yes, surely you must be referring to the capability to live large & party like a rock star in that Panama flying club we used to have. That is missed, indeed! Cheers, Hydro Shack! Serious dude, how did you know what I was thinking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ruckerstud Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Howard AFB, Williams AFB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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