Military Fighter Jet crashed into building at Buckley AFB

[hattend]

I realize the F-22 wouldn't be anywhere near an active duty base right now

There is an operational wing at Langley AFB, VA and as of early this month they received their 3rd F-22....more to follow!

"6/10/2005 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver delivers the second permanent F/A-22 Raptor here June 8. Shortly after, Maj. Charles Corcoran delivered the base's third Raptor. Colonel Tolliver is the 27th Fighter Squadron director of operations, and Major Corcoran is a pilot with the squadron."

Link

[billnaz]

Don't be ashamed to be a DAT. You and I have probably put our share of steel on target, and we got a tad closer to our work than the Air Farce.

Now, before I get flamed by the blue-suiters, please know that I was raised around Air Force bases, and an Air Force check put meat on the table when I was a kid, so I have a lot of respect for that branch.

[thackney]

Looks like an F-18 tail to me...

Maybe so...

[thackney]

doesn't the F-22 also have the angled tailfins like that?

Similiar....

[colorado tanker]

You and I have probably put our share of steel on target, and we got a tad closer to our work than the Air Farce.

Nothing quite like putting steel on target, is there???

[billnaz]

"Nothing quite like putting steel on target, is there???"

No, there isn't. I've tried to explain to civilians the rush you get when you see the tracer in the tail of the main gun round arcing toward the target, but they can't understand. And then there's the kick of firing a burst from the coax, as well as getting on top of the turret and pressing the butterfly on old Ma Deuce.

They made me a driver for a while. It was okay, but I didn't really enjoy it like I did being a gunner. I couldn't wait to get back in the turret. I think I'd rather be a loader than a driver. In fact, the only thing about being a driver that appealed to me was being in charge of one of the M3A1 "grease guns."

[Gunrunner2]

No offense. . .but your statement ignores the facts that many of us Air FORCE types have been a lot closer to the action than the Army types. FAC's/ALO's, GTACS's and all are stationed with the Army and are at the front, in the front of the main force, calling in air strikes.

[billnaz]

No offense taken. You're right. I've worked with a few ALO's and they got dirty just like us Army types.

[Dark Glasses and Corncob Pipe]

It wasn't SWA. Southwest Airlines doesn't fly to Denver.

[datura]

Almost as close and dirty as us 11 series grunts. Not quite, but close.

Of course, the zoomies lived in TENTS, but to them it was Hell.

[billnaz]

I posted this on another thread. I'm sure you can relate. I'm also sure some members of other services will ignite the flames on this one.

I was in the army, stationed at Biggs Army Airfield, next to Fort Bliss, Texas. My unit had just come in from a long field training exercise. During the exercise we had cold c-rats and lived in GP tinies. [Slight editing of previous post: We lived in GP tinies when we could.] We each returned from the field wearing about five pounds of Texas real estate in addition to our LBE.

A few days later an air force unit arrived to do their own exercise at Biggs. They set up wooden-floored tents on the flight line, along with shower tents. They were only a short walk from the PX. One day I was walking toward the PX behind two zoomies. One turned to the other and said, "Well, how do you like going to the field?"

I wanted to puke.