FReeper Canteen ~ Military Structure: Air Force ~ Jan. 3, 2006

linked in thread | Petunia Pig

[StarCMC]

  

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

  

By request, the FReeper Canteen looks at

Military Structure
~ Thread Five ~

 

~ Link to thread One ~

~ Link to thread Two ~

~ Link to thread Three ~

~ Link to thread Four ~

 

This will be a series of threads, starting out with some basic overviews and continuing with specifics for each branch of the Service.  Hope you enjoy!  When we finish, we will return to our regularly scheduled Military Short Speak threads.

Disclaimer:  I am not nor ever have been nor claim to be an expert on the military.  I rely on the accuracy of internet sources for my information!  If there is anything incorrect in this thread, please feel free to respond on the thread and let me know!!  Please do so kindly however, and know that I am doing my best as a silly-vilian to get it right!!  No animals were harmed in the creating of this thread.  All rebates apply.  Tax, title and licenses are the responsibility of the purchaser.  Proceed with caution...you are about to enter...the Military Zone.

           

The United States Air Force

While this can change somewhat based upon the type of unit, the basic elements for the Air Force are:

Airman: (single Air Force member)

Section: Two or more airmen can form a "section." Generally, the section is the place (duty section) where the person works. For example, the Administrative Section, or the Life Support Section. It's not absolutely necessary to have a "section." For example, many aircrew members and Security Forces (Air Force "cops") don't have a "section." Instead, they belong (as a group) to a "flight." In Air Force Basic Training, it's called an "Element." Each basic training "flight" is divided into four "elements," each with an assigned "element leader."

Flight: Two or more airmen can form a flight. Two or more sections can also form a flight. It depends upon how the Squadron is organized. There are three types of flights: Numbered, Alpha, and Functional. Numbered flights incorporate small mission elements into an organized unit. For example, flights in basic training are numbered flights. While in basic, you could be assigned to "Flight 421," for instance. 

Alpha flights are components of a squadron and consist of elements with identical missions. Flights A, B, and C, of a Security Forces Squadron would be an example, or A, B, C of an F-16 Fighter Squadron.

Functional flights consist of elements with specific missions. The "Military Personnel Flight (MPF)" and the "Social Actions Flight" are two examples of functional flights.

Squadron: Two or more flights form a squadron. The squadron is the lowest level of command with a headquarters element (example, a Squadron Commander, or Squadron First Sergeant). In the Air Force, a squadron commander is generally in the rank of Lt Col (O-5), although smaller squadrons may be commanded by majors, captains, and sometimes even lieutenants. Squadrons are usually identified both numerically, and by function. An example would be the 49th Security Forces Squadron, or the 501st Maintenance Squadron.

Group: Two or more Squadrons form a Group. In the Air Force, Groups are usually based upon assignment of squadrons with similar functions. For example, the Supply Squadron, Transportation, and Aircraft Maintenance Squadron would be assigned to the Logistics Group. The flying squadrons would be assigned to the Operations Group. The Dental Squadron and the Medical Squadron would be assigned to the Medical Group, etc. Usually, Groups take on the number of the Wing they are assigned to. The 49th Logistics Group, for example is assigned to the 49th Fighter Wing, at Holloman AFB in New Mexico. The group commander is usually a colonel (O-6).

Wing: Two or more groups compose a Wing. There is only one Wing on an Air Force base, and the Wing Commander is quite often considered to be the "Installation Commander." There are two types of Wings: Composite and Objective.

Composite Wings operate more than one kind of aircraft. Individual composite wings can have different missions.Objective Wings streamline and consolidate responsibilities and clarify lines of command. They may have operational missions, such as air combat, flying training, or airlift, and they may provide support to a MAJCOM or a geographically separated unit (GSU). Wings may also have a specilized mission (e.g., an "Intelligence Wing").

Whatever the wing's mission, every wing conforms to the overall concept of "one base, one wing, one boss." Wing commanders most often hold the rank of O-7 (Brigadier General).

Numbered Air Force: A numbered Air Force (Example, 7th Air Force) is usually assigned for geographical purposes, and primarily used only during wartime. In peacetime, they generally only consist of a limited number of headquarters staff who's job it is to prepare and maintain wartime plans.

Major Command (MAJCOM): Air Force Wings usually report directly to MAJCOMs. Air Force MAJCOMs within the Continental United States are primarily organized by mission. For example, Wings who's primary mission is to fly combat missions (fighters and bombers) would likely be assigned to the Air Combat Command. Wings who's primary mission is training would likely be assigned to the Air Force Education & Training Command (AETC). Overseas, MAJCOMs are generally organized by regional area. Examples would be PACAF (Pacific Air Forces). Wings located in the Pacific Region (Hawaii, Japan, Korea, etc.) would usually be assigned to PACAF. Another example would be USAFE (United States Air Forces Europe), which control most wings assigned to Europe.

Air Force: MAJCOMS report directly to Headquarters, Air Force.

There is no set size (number of personnel) assigned to any specific element. The size of an element of command depends primarily upon the type of unit and mission. For example, an aircraft maintenance squadron would have a different number of airmen assigned than a medical squadron because it has a different mission, different equipment, and therefore different requirements.

 This information found here!

And now for a little Air Force humor...

Air Force Dictionary

BLAMESTORMING - Sitting around the squadron discussing why a suspense was missed or a mission failed and who was responsible.

SEAGULL COLONEL - A colonel who swoops in, makes a lot of noise, and dumps stuff all over everything.

SALMON DAY - The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die in the end.

ASSMOSIS - The process by which some people seem to absorb success and promotability by kissing up to the commander.

CRM - Career Restricting Move - Used among officers to describe ill-advised activity. Trashing core values or discussing Delta's pay scale while your commander is within earshot is serious CRM.

ADMINISPHERE - The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the wing level. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are generally profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.

DILBERTED - To be exploited and oppressed by your boss. Derived from the experiences of Dilbert, the geek-in-hell comic strip character. "I've been dilberted again. The old man changed my leave schedule for the fourth time this month."

FLIGHT RISK - Used to describe troops who are suspected of planning to retire or separate from the service soon. Alternatively, any O-6 or above that gets behind the controls of an airplane.

404 - Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located. "Don't bother asking the boss . . . he's 404, man."

GENERICA - Features of the Air Force landscape that are exactly the same no matter which base one is at, such as Burger King, Robin Hood, the BX, and AMC terminal. Used as in "We were so lost in generica that I forgot what base we were at."

OHNOSECOND - That minuscule fraction of time after hitting the "enter" key or clicking "ok" in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake.

PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE - The fine art of whacking the crap out of a $200,000 inertial navigation unit to get it to work again.

40% REDUX RETIREMENT - The new retirement plan that will result in reduction of Air Force manning to 40% of wartime requirements.

AVIATION CONTINUATION PAY - The $16,308 a month paycheck you'll earn when you get out and continue to fly until you're a senior captain at United Airlines.

 Found here.

 

 

[StarCMC]

Music  Incoming!

 

Genre: Patriotic/Country

Bruce Robinson - Traveling Soldier

David Ball - Riding With Private Malone

Safe for Ma and Kids? Yes

Hope ya'll enjoyed the music!!
I'll be back later this evening to play some more!

To all the Kids of the 231st MICO,
thank you one more time for
everything you're doing!!

Want more information about the artists we play? Perhaps
you'd like to buy concert tickets or their CDs?
Click the links below for more information!

ArtistDirect.com l Amazon.com l Ticketmaster.com l Songfacts.com l Walmart.com

*Please ping laurenmarlowe to any requests that you may have.
However, if the lyrics are inappropriate for children, please ping MoJo2001.*

*If you would like to be added/removed from the Canteen Ping List,
please FReepmail MoJo2001 or Kathy In Alaska. If you want to be
added, please keep in mind that on Friday nights/Saturdays,
you could be pinged at least 100 or more times.

[Soaring Feather]

Good Morning Troops!
Thank You, for your service
Thank You, for my freedom.

Canteen Mission Statement: Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.

[StarCMC]

Ms. Gummy is feeling under the weather tonight, so we're going to give her the night off!! Ya'll come on over and let's visit!

And Gummy, take care of you and please feel better soon!

Sarge -- got the Sickbay ready??

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, they're fighting for our Freedom.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic, for which it stands;
one nation UNDER GOD,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

Prayers going up.

[StarCMC]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Click on the pic and I'll guide you
to the start of today's thread




FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT
Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.
CLICK HERE TO FIND LATEST THREAD.




Proud Patriots - Sending care packages, e-mails, and snail mail to US Military worldwide.
Proud Patriots is a group of private Americans who are working to ensure
that our brave military heroes receive the support we believe they deserve.

CLICK HERE
TO ENTER PROUD PATRIOTS



If you would like to be removed or added to my ping list please click below.

Please Remove Me

 

CLICK HERE to FReep mail to remove from ping list.

Please Add Me

 

CLICK HERE to FReep mail to add to ping list.


CLICK FOR Current local times around the world

CLICK FOR local times in Seoul, Baghdad, Kabul,
New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Anchorage

[SteveMcKing]

Marines being part of the navy, I never understood why they get equal billing.

Nor the Coast Guard for that matter, since they make up our "lightly armed" forces.

[The Mayor]

January 3, 2006

A Three-Step Conversion

Read:
Acts 2:38-47

Those who gladly received his word were baptized . . . . They continued daily in the apostles' doctrine. —Acts 2:41-42

Bible In One Year: Genesis 7-9; Matthew 3

Someone has said that a committed Christian undergoes three conversions: "First to Christ, then to the church, and then back to the world."

We see an example in Acts 2 and 8. With their baptism, 3,000 people declared their conversion to Christ (2:41). Then they demonstrated their conversion to the church by devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and fellowshiping with other believers. "Having favor with all the people" (2:47) suggests they were also helping others. Later, when persecution scattered them, they "went everywhere preaching the word" (8:4). This was their conversion back to the world.

Conversion is first of all a commitment to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This brings salvation. But once we know Jesus as our Savior, it is only natural to want to join a fellowship of others who share the same faith. "Lone-ranger" Christians—people who don't want to get involved—tend either to slip back into their old ways or become smug and self-righteous.

Although fellowshiping with other believers is vital, there is more to our responsibility. We need to return to the world with compassion, loving deeds, kind words, and warm smiles. It takes only one conversion to be saved but all three to be what God wants us to be. —Herb Vander Lugt

Once we receive God's saving grace
New life in Christ has just begun;
Then as we study, serve, and pray,
We'll seek that others may be won. —D. De Haan

The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment; the growth of a saint is the task of a lifetime.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
How Do You Live The Christian Life?

[trussell]

Good evening Star. Thank you for tonights canteen.
Gummy... feel better soon, you will be in my prayers for a quick recovery.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Petunia : Thanks for pinch hitting for Gummy!

Gummy : Get some rest, feel better.

[mylife]

Rest well dear gummy

[Darksheare]

Bridge simulator?
I'm afraid to ask, and I'd likely find a way to run a simulated ship into the simulated South Street Seaport..
At 30 plus knots.

[Army Air Corps]

Hola!

[StarCMC]

Dear Admin Mod, If and when you have the time, would you mind changing the year for me?? I promise to try not to do that again until next year!! Thank you!!

[AZamericonnie]

Supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen at more than 1,000 places across the U. S. and around the world.

~Tribute to Our Troops~

[StarCMC]

They are each different and have their own niche missions. We honor them all here in the Canteen.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

FYI : Look in upper right corner of "My Comments" page.
Set it for "Brief" instead of Full.
You only will get title of thread and who pinged you.
No graphics will load.

[StarCMC]

Howdy!

[Darksheare]

Let's do Timewarp again!
*ugh*

Now I have that stuck in my head.

[Jet Jaguar]

Thanks Star!