Leadership at the 'Deid

[Boxhead]

Please tell me the cadets are not also getting HFP/IDP and CZTE from summer camp at Club Udeid...

Why not? I say give it to em...just add them to the list of folks that should not get that money....like everyone there who deploys to that location and goes no where else.

[Finance_Guy]

Why not? I say give it to em...just add them to the list of folks that should not get that money....like everyone there who deploys to that location and goes no where else.

Or those who transit airspace at 35k feet

[speedy782]

Here we go...opening the can of worms of who gets combat pay and who doesn't...I mean really, we had a guy in our squadron tear his ACL for slipping on some rocks while walking at the Deid. That's the way to earn the HDP! I'd rather argue about the fact that we should get "rollover beers" just like rollover minutes on cell phone plans. Just save your 3 beers a day til the last day of the month:)

[HerkDerka]

It sounds like Operation Air Force is teaching some vital skills.

Master Sgt. Brian Woodard instructs Air Force Academy Cadet Nick Varnum on how to complete dorm validations

HD

[Guest JL]

I'd rather argue about the fact that we should get "rollover beers" just like rollover minutes on cell phone plans. Just save your 3 beers a day til the last day of the month:)

[loadsmith]

greetings from the Deid.....well I did see the cadets earlier this week and just a few minutes ago playing ping pong while I was heading to the gym.....I will ask them in passing next time if I can remember about the HFP/IDP stuff.....also our shirt just told us that WiFi is coming in a few weeks but will only be available at the Bra and the nice permanant party dorm area.....guess we just have to wait and see

[FourFans]

We had a couple of them working in our shop a couple weeks ago. They didn't get the extra pay bennies.

And, 2 of them went on a C-130 ride, broke, and spent a night in a nice hotel in a non-combat location. I bet they had a good story to tell.

I can just see them getting re-fragged to go into the box...with cadets onboard. I would have the kid strapped to the bunk with no chance of getting up. Lord only knows what would happen if you broke your incentive flight cadet.

FF

[Murph]

Or those who transit airspace at 35k feet

Good point but at least some of the aircrew run the risk of having the bailout or for the airlift dudes driving through the WEZ of MANPADs on their way in/out of FOBs. I do see where you're coming from, though.

[Butters]

we had a guy in our squadron tear his ACL for slipping on some rocks while walking at the Deid. That's the way to earn the HDP!

Did he get put in for a Purple Heart?

It sounds like Operation Air Force is teaching some vital skills.

HD

"You can't teach this in a classroom," said Maj. David Higginbotham,

You are right, we have CBTs for that!

[Chuck Sargent]

What's the latest with the Eagle Cash cards being mandatory? Our leadership says they're mandatory but I recall reading someone else here saying they weren't.

Any other advice before we head over?

[Vertigo]

I left in January and they weren't mandatory then, but highly convenient... I'd recommend getting one. It's simple to get and works just like an ATM. You can transfer money from your home check/savings acct to it and use it like a debit card or pull cash out. Pretty much everywhere that you can buy something at the deid you can use your Eagle Card.

You can also transfer money from your card to someone else's card if you purchase a cell/ipod/whatever from an individual.

I was reluctant to get one until I saw how convenient it was.

[Techsan]

I left in January and they weren't mandatory then, but highly convenient... I'd recommend getting one. It's simple to get and works just like an ATM. You can transfer money from your home check/savings acct to it and use it like a debit card or pull cash out. Pretty much everywhere that you can buy something at the deid you can use your Eagle Card.

You can also transfer money from your card to someone else's card if you purchase a cell/ipod/whatever from an individual.

I was reluctant to get one until I saw how convenient it was.

Sounds like a paid testamonial.

[Chuck Sargent]

Thanks for the replies; bottom line though... are they truly mandatory or not?

[Guest Boom]

Thanks for the replies; bottom line though... are they truly mandatory or not?

They weren't mandatory when I left the Deid in March, however finance was pushing them big time. They aren't mandatory here at Manas either. The way I see it is the less copies the Air Force has of my financial information the less "oops we lost your personal information" letters I'll receive in the mail.

[Fozzy Bear]

They are mandatory... but you can still get by without them just fine. If you are coming to the Deid soon, bring lots of CASH to avoid finance all together - like 200 bucks for each month you're gonna be here.

[nrodgsxr]

They are mandatory... but you can still get by without them just fine. If you are coming to the Deid soon, bring lots of CASH to avoid finance all together - like 200 bucks for each month you're gonna be here.

who told you that? i was in deid finance last week and they told me its not mandatory and they don't know who's spreading the rumor that its mandatory. They will still cash checks.

In other news the wifi will be up by the 15 of july. I'm not holding my breath. The new cadillacs will be finished before the wifi gets here. That or the war will be over first.

[GBock]

War? There's a war going on?

[vsu8992]

greetings from the Deid.....well I did see the cadets earlier this week and just a few minutes ago playing ping pong while I was heading to the gym.....I will ask them in passing next time if I can remember about the HFP/IDP stuff.....also our shirt just told us that WiFi is coming in a few weeks but will only be available at the Bra and the nice permanant party dorm area.....guess we just have to wait and see

Unless they expand WiFi transmitters to outside the trailer doors, don't expect the signals from the Bra to cover the trailer park. The metallic roofing + distance will just bounce an RF signal back into the hot air. I may invest in one of these toys, hang it out the window and see what I can pull in from the room.. http://www.ccrane.com/antennas/wifi-antenn...fi-antenna.aspx

Edited July 3, 2008 by vsu8992

[Stiffler]

War? There's a war going on?

Not in the Died. Last I checked Qatar was an ally. Although the clerks want you to think you are at war in the Died

[Guest shoeclerk]

Not in the Died. Last I checked Qatar was an ally. Although the clerks want you to think you are at war in the Died

I've been reading the forums for a while, but now I finally felt compelled to reply.

I know the deid isn't under threat of constant attack and going beyond the wire is a trip to get shwarmas at the BAM. But to sit on your *&%^ing soap box and berate everyone @ the deid is getting a little old.

And to think that the deid won't become a "combat zone" the minute Israel swacks Iran, then you don't have a clue!!!! Also, don't forget the Khobar Towers!!!

I know there are always the "shoeclerks" that commanded their ROTC det and think they're winning the war themselves, but don't belittle every single person there that's just doing their job, oh and by-the-way ARE contributing to the war, even if they're not directly in the kill chain.

Shoeclerk Out

[Stiffler]

Clerk,

Of course everyone is in the battle and helping win the war. The argument is not with this base and its mission or the clerks and their jobs (which are essential to war fighting.)

The argument is the insane BS that permeates the Died. The "importance" of perfectly tucked in PT gear, the "essentialness" of black socks instead of white, the "criticalness" of having a chow hall-- sorry DFAC-- monitor to inform you that your glasses are not to be on your head. And if you have been there you know exactly what I am referring to. Are those important in winning the war? F*ck no. Is every ounce of energy spend enforcing those rules a waste of kinetic energy that could be placed on the heads of Hadji? Yes.

I just got back from four months in the middle of Iraq, a real combat zone. It pissed me off to hear that security forces in Qatar allowed people to put on a vest, and hold a rifle, so that they can get a picture of being in the "bush" to show their friends.

And the Died is not a combat zone, and wont become one when Iran hits the fan (i highly doubt Iran would attack Qatar...). However, even if it had the POTENTIAL to be one, it IS NOT one.

Every mission is essential to the war. Lets just quit trying to make ourselves feel more important.

Finally...giving a personnel officer a Bronze star for setting up a chow hall (I mean DFAC) in Kuwait just adds fuel to our piss-off-ness. True story

[fueL2Fight]

I agree with stiffler except i don't think everyone there is critical to warfighting. I'd gladly take fewer services and comforts in exchange for sending nasty, confrontational shoeclerks away. I don't need someone to check out DVDs at the hotspot or be a worthless first shirt/supt for a second useless squadron-split-into-two-so-we-can-have-a-group. We don't need the FP'ers. Honestly, they are actually counter productive. I do less work less enthusiastically whenever they show themselves. I can't help it. They can DIAF and i would rather get blown up than have to hear them berate the status of my shirt tuck. The place feels like the goddamn air force academy.

[Guest flyingfrog]

I agree with stiffler except i don't think everyone there is critical to warfighting. I'd gladly take fewer services and comforts in exchange for sending nasty, confrontational shoeclerks away. I don't need someone to check out DVDs at the hotspot or be a worthless first shirt/supt for a second useless squadron-split-into-two-so-we-can-have-a-group. We don't need the FP'ers. Honestly, they are actually counter productive. I do less work less enthusiastically whenever they show themselves. I can't help it. They can DIAF and i would rather get blown up than have to hear them berate the status of my shirt tuck. The place feels like the goddamn air force academy.

2.

The problem is that there are too many people at some of these deployed locations. Everyone wants to be important and make a difference...its only natural. The problem is that some people just don't have a real job. If they physically had to be supervising the turning of wrenches out on the flightline or <insert job here> we wouldn't have this problem. Why do we have deployed CGOCs and Top 3 groups...because 5% of the people aren't getting their asses kicked everyday at their job. The other 95% of people are too tired to do anything besides chill out, eat, or sleep.

BL: Send some people home or get them into the fight somehow.

[Guest shoeclerk]

2.

The problem is that there are too many people at some of these deployed locations. Everyone wants to be important and make a difference...its only natural. The problem is that some people just don't have a real job. If they physically had to be supervising the turning of wrenches out on the flightline or <insert job here> we wouldn't have this problem. Why do we have deployed CGOCs and Top 3 groups...because 5% of the people aren't getting their asses kicked everyday at their job. The other 95% of people are too tired to do anything besides chill out, eat, or sleep.

BL: Send some people home or get them into the fight somehow.

My initial comments were written after a 20hr day so I was a little grumpy. I totally understand what everyone is saying about stupid*&^ rules being enforced or for that matter being made up to piss-off ops guys (atleast it seems that way). I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think the majority of the folks would rather not be at the deid, but they're there doing the "J-O-B" anyways.

I actually think a lot of the B.S. jobs are going to the TCNs and they're getting rid of the 1-2 strippers doing the menial work. Which, surprise, the TCNs do better and w/a better attitude.

I can't argue w/those stories about the chow hall dude or the SF pic. That's retarded. I guess the deid has already partially stolen my soul and desensitized me so a lot of the shit just rolls off my back.

At any rate, this forum is about dumbness at the deid. Just remember that not included in the AF Core Values are 1)Effeciency & 2)Common Sense!!!

just my 2 cents....

[GBock]

...getting rid of the 1-2 strippers doing the menial work...

There are strippers at the deid!??!!?