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To: centurion316

We stopped at March AFB while coming back from a deployment to NTC (National Training Center at Ft Irwin) years ago. We had to wait a couple of nights for airlift. We were staying in the TDY Quarters while the Army was using cots on the flightline - by choice, since there were lots of rooms available.

The NCOIC of my TACP was talking to the brigade commander (US Air Force TSgt to US Army Colonel for those not familiar with the military).

“I had to tell my guys to be careful about drinking the booze in the fridges. You can run up a big bill fast.”, my NCOIC said.

The Colonel stared at him. “I didn’t have a stocked refrigerator until I was an O-6!”, he said.

“And THAT is why I volunteered for the Air Force!”, my NCOIC replied.

I’m a good Baptist boy and didn’t drink the booze. But they weren’t exactly giving away the Diet Coke either...

But really? I logged years worth of time in tents at PSAB. They did have shower tents, although we once got down to one working shower for 5,000 people. They eventually had hard billets, but a fellow isn’t tired if he can’t sleep in the back of a HUMVEE.

And yes, there is a reason my youngest daughter is now in the Air Force, to include the advice she got from my son (US Army) and my oldest daughter (USMC).


65 posted on 08/28/2019 5:09:06 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools)
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To: Mr Rogers
We were staying in the TDY Quarters while the Army was using cots on the flightline - by choice, since there were lots of rooms available. Not exactly. When Army units travel, they aren't authorized TDY, a legacy of chasing Cornnwallis and Indians. Air Force units don't really travel, their crews do and they always have some sort of TDY support. While the Air Force is with the Army in Europe, the Balkans, Middle Easst, NTC, Asia, etc and share all of the hardships and lifestyle of the grunts, when they have a chance they can get away, find a gasthaus, a motel, TDY billets, etc and wash off the grime. No can do in the Regular Army O.

USAFE had a handy dandy handbook for the Air Force guys stationed with the Army divisions, telling them to sew little nametags in their underware, how to get a shower at a Schwimmbad, reminding them to file a TDY voucher when they went to a meeting in Frankfurt, and how to be comfortable in the field. Most of all, they were told that they were serving a hardship tour.

The good news is that these days, the Air Force is with the Army in every fight and it makes a difference. Life is hard in the desert, but making fun of the USAF keeps it real.

73 posted on 08/29/2019 7:22:38 AM PDT by centurion316
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