Leadership at the 'Deid

[Guest Boom]

I wouldn't be surprised. Six months ago, the leadership was already mentioning that MOPP exercised were coming down the pike.

HD

Well then I'm either flying or in crew rest.

[Young Crow]

Well then I'm either flying or in crew rest.

Wait, there is actually time at the 'Deid when you're not flying or in crew rest? You tanker guys have it easy.... We're either in DNIF cover crew rest/preflight spare crew rest/spare crew crew rest/commander directed but truncated crew rest/double secret probation crew rest...

[Guest Globetrotter]

I heard they were doing MOPP exercises if you weren't "supporting the ATO."

Rumor?

Fact. I've been at the Deid for 3 months now and they've had one exercise so far with talk about another one happening before we leave. Being aircrew, you get an exempt sign to tape to your door and an exemption card to carry. One of the very few times aircrew gets the chance to give all the morale killers the big FU. However, they did shut down the Del during the exercise, so no 3 beers after your flight.

As the rests of the posts describe, all of the ness of the Deid abounds to this day!

[Guest Boom]

A bunch of guys who returned from the Deid this week said you don't participate in the exercises.

[Guest BoneDriver]

What the Died needs is some TCN to lob some sort of explosive into the bra. I'm sure the base would be paralyzed and every REMF's head would explode like a scene from Scanners.

[Guest IncompletePete]

I couldn't quite place why this all sounds strangely familiar, but then it hit me, it seems that my school when I was about 10 and the AF are remarkably alike.

[Guest Pan130]

Is the "Thunder Box" Aussie bar still there at the Deid? Many a drunk night there. Glad I will never have to go back.

[Fozzy Bear]

Is the "Thunder Box" Aussie bar still there at the Deid? Many a drunk night there. Glad I will never have to go back.

It's still there. They have a cool little compound with a sweet set-up. Good Folks.

[Fozzy Bear]

Nice new rule. Any aircraft diverting into the Al Udeid: someone from the aircrew must physically go into baseops to refile an 1801 with your flight orders. Oh by the way, they didn't tell anyone about the change, so the last few nights, we've had a lot of guys holding short in the hammerhead, trying to T/O, before they get the news. Major ass pain ensues nightly.

[tac airlifter]

funny that you mention that fozzy bear, i also found out the hard way they changed the rule in august while transient there. we used to show up on the ramp, offload our cargo and send some guys to the grab and go (great concept, by the way) to get food for the crew. we found out that you can no longer leave the ramp if you are transiet unless you first inprocess with persco there and go through the whole briefing. you know our ground times there are fragged for 1+30, so after the obligatory reconfig there really isnt time to do that.

so i say to my guys, lets just get out of here and hurry back so we can make dinner at balad (no 24 hour chow halls there) only to be told holding short that they cannot process our ifr clearance and we have to taxi back and refile in person. 2 things here of importance: first is that they could have easily put this info in the NOTAMs or ATIS so we dont waste all that time. second and more importantly, guess where baseops is located? outside the designated ramp area, which means my nav had to deplane and go inprocess at persco in order to be allowed off the ramp area to flie our flight plan.

the worst part of the goat rope is that AMD fragged us for a 90 minute ground time knowing it would take well over 90 minutes and then gave me shit for having to cancel a leg because the deid soaked up so much of the crew day. since we're all limited to the 12 hour tac day at balad, there is a lot of pressure to take the waiver to extend the duty day to complete misisons that AMD fragged improperly. luckily the leadership at balad does in fact provide top cover for us in these situations. still sucks that my guys get no food in the morning because the chow hall is closed when we alert, no food enroute because the grab and go requires inprocessing which we dont have time to do, and then no food when we land because, you guessed it, everything is closed again (there are flight lunches available at balad, but we could open a whole new thread about that bag of shit).

oh, and if you are transient and you feel the call of nature, you guessed it, you have to inprocess to use the portapottie just off the ramp. i just looked the other way while my loads left a stanley steamer where we were parked. so if you're walking on the ramp at the deid and you think you might have stepped in shit.... you probably did.

[HerkFE]

i just looked the other way while my loads left a stanley steamer where we were parked. so if you're walking on the ramp at the deid and you think you might have stepped in shit.... you probably did.

Awesome!

[Nanook]

Man, am I sorry to hear about these new rules...it wasn't anywhere near that bad in '03 and '04. Then, the worst we had to deal with was that they started making everyone actually go to the Grab-n-Go to sign for their food (wonderful grub and plenty of it). The 12 hr day is what made the guys in country less capable than us outta Masirah...go figure.

Any way to report the buffoonery, AC Report on Facilities, something? There has to be a way to avoid the persco nonsense.

Good luck, you guys need it!

[Scooter14]

That's great. WTFO. You came from Balad. What the hell are you going to bring into the Died from Iraq? Booze? Nope. Porn? Nope.

You already processed into all the bullshit that is CENTCOM. What can they possibly tell you at the Died that you haven't already seen or heard 69 times.

Someone needs to take the head of PERSCO on one of your missions and see how well they last in a Herk on a steady diet of beef jerky and mountain dew or whatever you managed to horde for a so called meal.

[Rifleman96]

funny that you mention that fozzy bear, i also found out the hard way they changed the rule in august while transient there. we used to show up on the ramp, offload our cargo and send some guys to the grab and go (great concept, by the way) to get food for the crew. we found out that you can no longer leave the ramp if you are transiet unless you first inprocess with persco there and go through the whole briefing. you know our ground times there are fragged for 1+30, so after the obligatory reconfig there really isnt time to do that.

so i say to my guys, lets just get out of here and hurry back so we can make dinner at balad (no 24 hour chow halls there) only to be told holding short that they cannot process our ifr clearance and we have to taxi back and refile in person. 2 things here of importance: first is that they could have easily put this info in the NOTAMs or ATIS so we dont waste all that time. second and more importantly, guess where baseops is located? outside the designated ramp area, which means my nav had to deplane and go inprocess at persco in order to be allowed off the ramp area to flie our flight plan.

the worst part of the goat rope is that AMD fragged us for a 90 minute ground time knowing it would take well over 90 minutes and then gave me shit for having to cancel a leg because the deid soaked up so much of the crew day. since we're all limited to the 12 hour tac day at balad, there is a lot of pressure to take the waiver to extend the duty day to complete misisons that AMD fragged improperly. luckily the leadership at balad does in fact provide top cover for us in these situations. still sucks that my guys get no food in the morning because the chow hall is closed when we alert, no food enroute because the grab and go requires inprocessing which we dont have time to do, and then no food when we land because, you guessed it, everything is closed again (there are flight lunches available at balad, but we could open a whole new thread about that bag of shit).

oh, and if you are transient and you feel the call of nature, you guessed it, you have to inprocess to use the portapottie just off the ramp. i just looked the other way while my loads left a stanley steamer where we were parked. so if you're walking on the ramp at the deid and you think you might have stepped in shit.... you probably did.

I have gone in there twice now w/o inprocessing. We call for crew trans and they take us to where we need to go. If you are wanting a safety net for that, just ensure you have the old orders that were stamped when you originally inprocessed while first deploying out here. I miss my H3's. AS sucks.

[tac airlifter]

we did complain and were told that the inprocessing push for transiets is being made by the qataris themselves, so there is nothing we can do. apparently they get more money the more people inprocess. same thing with the flight plans, qatar is requiring the refile in person, not the USAF.

[Fozzy Bear]

Talked to our ops shop and airfield manager. They say the rule was a mistake and is now corrected (not counting the numerous diverts over the last week.) It was a mistake and you absolutely should not agree to this rule, if imposed on you. Ask ground for the SOF freq, or that of the airfield manager. If you are one of mine, call our ops desk (get freq from ground or IFG) and they'll file for you. More to follow...

What's a form 54? (expecting to get slammed, but gotta ask)

Edited December 19, 2007 by Fozzy Bear

[KennyB]

So I'm on the 18 Dec desert-bound rotator out of BWI crammed with Army guys going out for a year, few AF/Navy guys sprinkled in. The flight crew is BLASTING Christmas music as we board for about an hour. I make the comment "That's pretty cruel to play 'I'll be home for Christmas' when we all know we'll be pounding sand through next year". She smiles and says "It's just to get us all in the Christmas mood! I love this time of year!"

So I guess she's good...

Just when I was letting my guard down to pop and Ambien, they kill the Christmas music for a minute to ask us "Chicken or beef?" Then I knew who I was dealing with.

Get back to the circle. Merry f'ing Christmas.

[FourFans]

So I'm on the 18 Dec desert-bound rotator out of BWI crammed with Army guys going out for a year, few AF/Navy guys sprinkled in. The flight crew is BLASTING Christmas music as we board for about an hour. I make the comment "That's pretty cruel to play 'I'll be home for Christmas' when we all know we'll be pounding sand through next year". She smiles and says "It's just to get us all in the Christmas mood! I love this time of year!"

So I guess she's good...

Just when I was letting my guard down to pop and Ambien, they kill the Christmas music for a minute to ask us "Chicken or beef?" Then I knew who I was dealing with.

Get back to the circle. Merry f'ing Christmas.

Quit you bitch'in and be glad you'll be at your second home for Surf and Turf...wait...nevermind. As you were.

[Herk Driver]

Talked to our ops shop and airfield manager. They say the rule was a mistake and is now corrected (not counting the numerous diverts over the last week.) It was a mistake and you absolutely should not agree to this rule, if imposed on you. Ask ground for the SOF freq, or that of the airfield manager. If you are one of mine, call our ops desk (get freq from ground or IFG) and they'll file for you. More to follow...

What's a form 54? (expecting to get slammed, but gotta ask)

AC report on Services/Facilities

AMC Form 54

[Guest lstgnfghtr]

...And wouldn't you know it...the guy who didn't have his ID card (who was let into the CAOC) wasn't allowed to partake in some biscuits and gravy, and was told that he had to have his ID in order to eat. That just cracks me up!!

I can't wait to go back

I hate the stupid-ness as much as the next guy, but do try to remember the bomb that went off in the chow hall in Mosul, shortly after I got to the desert myself, in December of 2004. That was a TCN planted bomb, and it caused some SGLI payments to be made. I was still at Arifjan in Kuwait when that went down, and from that day forward, there were absolutely ZERO bags, packs or purses allowed past the head-count NCO. You never know. Also remember the movie theater in Doha, Qatar that went boom...even that far south of the 'Berm', shit happens. There are people who have armpits that smell like rotten onions that DON'T like us very much...and they live ALL OVER the place.

I will in no way defend the other stupid-stuff (I would have creatively had a FIELD day with the aforementioned Lt. Col who threatened to arrest the kid for correcting him...what a dick!! He's gotta sleep SOMEtime, right? Officer or not, you piss off enough NCO's, and you can end up with a very miserable tour), but I don't have any issue with denying access to ANYTHING for a troop that can't carry his/her ID card in the AOR. I wouldn't let you in on principle alone...and if you are assigned to me, it would be a quick "on-the-fly" verbal counseling session to make sure you understand WHY you need that ID card on you all the time.

Just my $0.02 on the ID card thing...2 of my friends that we've buried so far were products of something that went "BOOM", so just like waiting in a TSA line at the airport, I am willing to make small concessions like that to remain just a little more vigilant...

[Guest Yoda]

Just my $0.02 on the ID card thing...2 of my friends that we've buried so far were products of something that went "BOOM", so just like waiting in a TSA line at the airport, I am willing to make small concessions like that to remain just a little more vigilant...

Think Benjamin Franklin made a fantastic point about this over 200 years ago, about making "small concessions". Kind of like not wanting your mail opened....but that's another story for another day. And, really...sorry for your loss.

Been at the Deid since August 07. Painful would be one word to describe it.

4 Commanders calls

1 Squadron in brief

2 Base in briefs

7 Duty Section briefs

14 times, I have been convinced that failure to tuck in that damn PT shirt is a direct correlation to blowing off every other rule or reg. Believe it or not we had our E9 (some are Chiefs, many are E9's). He made the corralation that if he saw some of our load planner's with their shirts untucked he'd be fearful of planes crashing due to them not caring about rules. Painful to come to the realization how some people rationalize stupidity.

A few pet peeves over here:

"It could be worse"

Lets for once and all retire that one from the vocabulary. Could that not be said at anytime, anywhere, by anyone?!

"We're here to help you guys"

This comes from the E9's when they confront a junior NCO doing something forbidden. Let's consider how "helpful" you are: You as an E9 get your own room, your own vehicle, your own office, your own phone line, computer, printer etc...... To top it off all you can do is provide top cover. As an E9 you can provide some past expterise or some connections. Do everyone a favor and open that living space, give up that vehicle and go back home. Your top cover would be great, but really it isn't needed right now. As a lower ranking NCO what does he have to stride for? Isn't RHIP being able to NOT have to spend 6months over here if you don't want to? As an E9 if you come to the point of worrying about sunglasses, socks or PT shirts....the AF is on the losing end.

Laundry Tickets

We are instructed to "shred all paper" this includes laundry tickets. Have been told that justification is that it has valuable info (last 4, name / rank). Guess, they haven't figured out that you TURN THOSE THINGS IN WITH YOUR LAUNDRY!!

[Herk Driver]

I hate the stupid-ness as much as the next guy, but do try to remember the bomb that went off in the chow hall in Mosul, shortly after I got to the desert myself, in December of 2004. That was a TCN planted bomb.

I'm just guessing that nobody actually vouched for the TCN, without an ID card, that planted the bomb in the Mosul chow hall.

I, too am sorry that you lost friends and in no way am trying to belittle their service. But there are better ways to solve the problems than to zero in on everyone, not just those causing the problems.

I was still at Arifjan in Kuwait when that went down, and from that day forward, there were absolutely ZERO bags, packs or purses allowed past the head-count NCO. You never know.

Seriously, the AFN commercials couldn't have affected you that much. You do know that most GIs and those that look like GIs aren't planting said bombs. Especially one with an ID card that you would've let into the building on that principle alone. Because all of us know that I couldn't carry a bomb in the cargo pockets on my DCUs.

Another example, back before OSW ended and OIF kicked off, we had an E-9 mandate (at another base on the peninsula) that one had to have dog tags worn around the neck to get into the chow hall. I suppose that someone could rationalize that one as well as a prudent measure. What about the kid who simply misplaced them before boarding the plane to the desert and had his wife place them in the mail? Well they had not arrived yet and now he's not allowed to enter the chow hall?? Give me a break. Some things and the knee jerk reactions to them are over the top. Let's not try to justify any painful reactions when we know that the individuals they are aimed at are not the ones causing the problems.

[speedy782]

"2" on Yoda's comments...I'm headed over there very shortly and I got back from there in June. I should probably just leave my PT gear under someone's bed b/c I only need 1 set of that stuff here and need 6 sets there. I can't stand the rationalization of "it could be worse"...I just retaliate w/ "it could be a LOT better".

I just want to throw a quick "Merry Christmas" in there and hope everyone can find some joy in their holidays whether deployed or at home. God Bless!

[Clayton Bigsby]

Merry Christmas and :beer: to our deployed guys. Thank you and stay safe.

[Skitzo]

I haven't weighed in yet but the following is pretty dumb.

So I brought three personal checks with me to the AOR, I'm not rolling with the Eagle Cash Card, screw that. I check the ECPTS website for information regarding check cashing, 200 dollar limit no problem. I then proceed to write a check out to cash and go merrily along my way to finance. I arrive to find out I filled out my check wrong, you can't write it out to cash. So I am instructed to fill my check out exactly like the example on the wall. I chalk it up as my fault and go back to my room and get another check. This time I roll into finance and carefully study the example on the wall, which to my dismay on the line used to write out the amount of your check says the following "The Sum of:" So I proceed to fill my check out exactly like that, I figure that is pretty gay but it's also pretty gay to not allow checks made out to cash either. I proudly present my check and am told by the person behind the window that it has to say exactly the amount, not including the line "The Sum of:" So two checks down and one to go I roll back into my room, get another check fill it out exactly like I did previously and hand it over. The friendly airman stamps my check in two places and then tells me to initial next to the stamp, I swear if I wouldn't have asked that question I would have been out three checks.

Anyways, maybe it was just the lack of sleep, or maybe I'm just dumb, but be forewarned, if you plan on cashing checks at the Deid, make sure you fill it out exactly like the one on the wall..except for amount line.

Oh yeah, if that wasn't dumb, then I do think it was dumb that someone in our squadron was REMFed for having his hands in his pockets in PTs and when asked why it wasn't allowed was told that it was a safety issue because he might fall.