Ammo against the shoe clerks!

[Guest Jango]

You want Intel? - in the continuing quest to do more with less, the Air Force cuts manpower from all the wrong places (orderly room, MPF, finance, comm, etc.) We flyers realize that we have less support on base from support agencies, we get it. We can go without being paid, without our computers working, without our orders being correct or without our records being updated prior to promotion boards. We can go without our family separation pay, combat pay, flight pay, you name it. We can spend an extra hour or two after landing waiting for a bus or waiting for billeting arrangements to end an 18hr day.

We are doing more with less...less service from our supporting agencies. And we are doing more...

We get the job done and support the troops on the ground no matter what - proud to serve. What do you do?

Let's just say this shoe clerk makes sure parts that fix the plane get to the mechanics, and I have the dubious pleasure of trucking the onesies to their air craft. It's quite a disappointment to see how the flying community views the rest of AF.

[Guest Crew Report]

Let's just say this shoe clerk makes sure parts that fix the plane get to the mechanics, and I have the dubious pleasure of trucking the onesies to their air craft. It's quite a disappointment to see how the flying community views the rest of AF.

I was a non-flyer in a LRS and a MXS before I retrained and became a flyer. I know what Supply personnel do, and it's not much. Might be a reason why a majority of your careerfield (like others) are being contracted out.

[Guest Jango]

I was a non-flyer in a LRS and a MXS before I retrained and became a flyer. I know what Supply personnel do, and it's not much. Might be a reason why a majority of your careerfield (like others) are being contracted out.

Close...but no cigar....V-Ops. And if you want to say we don't do much.....that's fine, keep telling yourself that.

And talk about being replaced...can't replace me with a UAV.

[BQZip01]

Let's just say this shoe clerk makes sure parts that fix the plane get to the mechanics, and I have the dubious pleasure of trucking the onesies to their air craft. It's quite a disappointment to see how the flying community views the rest of AF.

Jango,

I used to be Comm and worked a bunch with shoeclerks. That said, I don't view all support personnel as shoeclerks (like some people). In fact, there are quite a few bag-wearers that are shoeclerks. It's a mentality of, "sir, I can't give you those boots because then I will only have 3 pairs of that size remaining. My regulations state that I must have 4 pairs available at all times" (true story BTW).

It's when people don't know the regulations of their own jobs and are going out of the way to make life difficult for the rest of us by going OUTSIDE of regulations that flyers get pissed off into the 3rd circle of hell.

The Air Force doesn't fly without maintenance and support.

[Techsan]

Don't feed the Troll

[zrooster99]

Let's just say this shoe clerk makes sure parts that fix the plane get to the mechanics, and I have the dubious pleasure of trucking the onesies to their air craft. It's quite a disappointment to see how the flying community views the rest of AF.

As a former MX dude: No you don't. MX does. MX has to go pick up their own stuff when things are time critical, because many times you can't be relied upon to find the flightline.

Edit: Toned it down.

Edited October 7, 2010 by zrooster99

[Guest Jango]

As a former MX dude: No you don't. MX does. You're too ######ing stupid to even get that right, so MX has to go pick up their own stuff when things are time critical.

You said it best yourself there, when time critical. Not everyone shops at the Air Craft Parts store on the flight line....so, perhaps you don't recall as much as you think you do. No worries, and so quick with the profanity.....was that part of your PME? Of course it wasn't. Meanwhile go have a smoke and calm down.....I have more threads to troll....

[zrooster99]

Clearly you do big guy. Oh, by the way, little FF (fun fact) for ya: not everything you need is at the parts store when there's a redball. Part of my PME? Fuckin' A right it was.

[Chuck17]

"I have neither the time nor the inclination to differentiate between the incompetent and the unfortunate."

- Gen Curtis LeMay

Chuck

Edited October 7, 2010 by Chuck17

[Vertigo]

Close...but no cigar....V-Ops.

Ok... bus driver. Thanks for clueing us in on your level of intelligence.

Disengage. It's not nice to pick on those with disabilities.

[Guest Crew Report]

Close...but no cigar....V-Ops. And if you want to say we don't do much.....that's fine, keep telling yourself that.

And talk about being replaced...can't replace me with a UAV.

You don't do much. In fact, you do so little and cant be relied on to show on time, my crew has walked to our parking spot and back my last three flights.

[Guest Jango]

You don't do much. In fact, you do so little and cant be relied on to show on time, my crew has walked to our parking spot and back my last three flights.

And that's where your feelings are misplaced. Crews walk because Command Post forgot to call, no ,matter where I have been CP has been the weak link in crew pick up. So if you walked, give those guys a shout and ask them WTF? Becareful calling them, they record all phone calls. Out bound crew? Did your Ops office call for crew pickup?

Ok... bus driver. Thanks for clueing us in on your level of intelligence.

Disengage. It's not nice to pick on those with disabilities.

I assure you we are more than just bus drivers. But then any cargo flyer is a bus driver.....so see we have alot in common.

[Hammer]

You are an idiot.

And being a bus driver comes with perks...

but not for you...

Edited October 7, 2010 by snizz

[FlyingBull]

Please just stop encouraging him.

[SurelySerious]

And talk about being replaced...can't replace me with a UAV.

http://www.autotalk.com/audi-autonomous-tts-pikes-peak-4791/

http://www.insideline.com/audi/tts/autonomous-audi-tts-pikes-peak-will-make-high-speed-driverless-test-run.html

http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2008/08/13/fully-autonomous-buses-head-for-france/

Troll the troll.

[El Sloppo]

you gotta pay it.

[Guest Hueypilot812]

You don't do much. In fact, you do so little and cant be relied on to show on time, my crew has walked to our parking spot and back my last three flights.

I walk every time...even when parked on Oscar or Pappa row (which is a looong way from our ops building). Why? Because it takes trans no-shit 15-20 minutes to get a bus to our airplane..I can be back in the building by then.

I give kudos to our MX troops because for the most part, they work pretty damn hard. As for ferrying parts to the flightline, I've got TONS of stories where the MX troop was sitting around waiting for the part, telling me "it's just a 10 minute fix, but they are waiting on the part..." 2 hours later, he's got the part in hand.

As for bus drivers...my favorite trans story:

I planned an exercise for our crews to prepare for the upcoming ORI. We were to do some ATSO drills out at the CE facility with flash-bangs, and have them brief in their MOPP gear. Normally, trans sent two buses for the crews...a bus for the Loadmasters and FEs, and then later a bus for the pilots and navs. My intent was to do all the briefings in their gear at the CE facility and have trans bus them to the aircraft at the normal time (so not to screw up trans' schedule). I called about a week out and said "hey, we're still going to go with the same two buses at the same times, but instead of picking them up at the squadron, I need you to pick them up at the CE facility (which was right down the road)".

Response? "Sir, we can't do that because we're undermanned, and you didn't coordinate with us to support an exercise".

Me: "OK, well you guys aren't in the exercise...I just need the same two buses, at the same two times, to pick up the same people, just at a different location"

Trans: "Sorry, you don't understand, we are way undermanned and we can't do it. You'll just have to have us pick you up at the squadron"

Me: "Right. Let me ask you a question...why does changing the pick up location change your manning situation?"

Trans: "Because we didn't plan for it"

Me: "OK, let me talk to your NCOIC"

I spoke with the NCOIC and got the same story...sorry, we're undermanned and can't support your change of pick up location. Ditto with the OIC (a young 1LT). So I re-attack and get our chief of XP (Lt Col) to make a call to their Squadron Commander....from my boss, he said the Trans Sq/CC reluctantly agreed to change the pick up location.

WTF??? This in addition to a plethora of finance screw ups, cops trying to arrest me and my toddler kids on the flightline (while I was in a flight suit with line badge...and yes, I had authorization to take them out there), and comm ing up my email box to where I couldn't get email for over a week...just the tip of the iceberg. If there was this level of incompetence in the flying/mx world, we'd be losing jets weekly if not daily. And the most frustrating part...the USAF leadership is catering to the "lets make the support people feel like they are the mission" mentality.

Edited October 7, 2010 by Hueypilot812

[Vertigo]

so see we have alot in common.

Uh no we don't. I'm not a cargo flyer... You know what they say about ASSumptions.

[Dead Last]

And that's where your feelings are misplaced. Crews walk because Command Post forgot to call, no ,matter where I have been CP has been the weak link in crew pick up. So if you walked, give those guys a shout and ask them WTF? Becareful calling them, they record all phone calls. Out bound crew? Did your Ops office call for crew pickup?

I assure you we are more than just bus drivers. But then any cargo flyer is a bus driver.....so see we have alot in common.

I'm gonna feed the troll! Fvck you if you think I should do differently

I'm at a lovely little airbase in the southwestern US and no it's not Dyess, I don't know how many times we(the squadron) call (trans dispatch not CP) well over an hour ahead of requested pick up time. We are not a busy base and Trans is and has been atleast 20 minutes late to pick us up at the squadron. At bus time we call dispatch back and get "we were never called" or some other BS excuse. I'd walk but it's well over a mile each way and carrying all my shiite I refuse to do it! Seriously, take some personal pride and pride in your job and get us, the "Air" part of the Air Force to do our job. This isn't the Trans Force or the Personnel Force or the Shoe Force!

FML

cheers

[Guest Hueypilot812]

But then any cargo flyer is a bus driver.....so see we have alot in common.

If you truly believe that then you're an idiot. With some minor training, I could drive a bus. I could drive your other GOVs you use now, no problem. I'm quite sure you couldn't jump into a C-130J and fly it.

No, "cargo" pilots aren't "bus drivers".

[SocialD]

Wait, you guys have people that drive you to your planes! WTF...I'm going to have to talk to the union rep on this one!

[Toasty]

No, "cargo" pilots aren't "bus drivers".

Correction: Only cargo pilots can refer to themselves as "bus drivers".

[pawnman]

Here's my favorite transpo story:

In the B-1, if the taxi light is on during ground ops it means the radar is on and radiating. The taxi light is a signal to everyone else on the ramp to steer clear of the nose by at least 150' (give or take).

We're sitting in the jet, running the radar through the preflight checks, and one of the pilots yells "Holy shit, that guy just drove right by us!" Seems young transpo dude did not remember his flightline driving training and managed to get himself and another B-1 crew radiated. The crew in the van with him asked "Hey, you know what it means when the taxi light is on, right?" His response? "Yeah, but I couldn't remember how far away I had to be".

So instead of asking, or at least erring on the side of caution and going to the other side of the ramp, he decided that 10' was probably far enough. Oh well, it's probably better if he doesn't breed anyway.

This is why at RCA we have an FNG to ferry crews out to the jet. We've long since given up on the transpo squadron to do anything useful.

Close...but no cigar....V-Ops. And if you want to say we don't do much.....that's fine, keep telling yourself that.

And talk about being replaced...can't replace me with a UAV.

I could replace you with FedEx and a rotating MX dude. And then I might actually get the parts I need in a timely fashion. And probably for less money.

[Tank]

Quick question: I'm on my way to Osan unaccompanied and want to live off base. Currently the dorm manning is about 80% and to automatically be granted off base housing, the dorm manning must be above 90%. Well, the problem is that my wife and kid will be visiting a great deal while I am there, so I need to live off base.

The question is: what is the reg that the dorm management office at Osan follows? I want to have read the reg so that when I go in to get off base clearance, I know what I am talking about, thanks.

[PirateAF]

Dude UTFSF.