National Blue Beret

[flying Raptor]

Sounds like NBB is worth the money. Can't wait.

[Schmidty06]

I find it funny and somewhat ironic that I was in Golf Flight, and on our night out we went mini-golfing at the putt-putt course right accross the street from the airport

[CAPSGT]

Back in my day, we didn't go mini-golfing, or to the movies on our night out.  Aside from going to Ardy & Ed's (that's just plain tradition), the highlight of our night was going to Wal-Mart!  I can't remember if the extended nights out started in '02 or '03.

[Mac]

I seem to remember a few nights that the ES team would leave the compound and head strait to Ardy & Ed's. Of couse that was before the airshow started, once we went operational we were to busy to get off compound before 10pm.

The ES team has a rough life. 

[Schmidty06]

I actually saved and still have my Ardy and Ed's burger wrapper from when we went there.  Also, my flight leader made a nice little drawing about why guys can't be Ardy and Ed's wait staff which they hung in the restaurant.  Going to have to go back and find it this year.

[flying Raptor]

Do NBB graduates get to wear the NCSA patch on their left sholder? Is this patch the 8ball with a beret on? Is the NBB simlier to a school where you work for a week or so and gradute at the end?

[Pylon]

Do NBB graduates get to wear the NCSA patch on their left sholder? Is this patch the 8ball with a beret on? Is the NBB simlier to a school where you work for a week or so and gradute at the end?

Yep.  NBB graduates can wear the NCSA ribbon on their uniforms, plus they have the opportunity to earn the right to wear the Search and Rescue ribbon and the Find ribbon over the course of the weekend.  Graduates can also wear the NCSA patch on the BDUs, and you're right, it's an 8-ball with a blue beret on it.

NBB is like the other NCSAs in that, yes, you are considered a "graduate" of the program and receive a certificate and other things if you go through the entire time period without dropping out or getting kicked out.

[Pace]

Going off what Pylon said,  NBB is designed to give you basic training in comms and DF use and flight line signaling (fancy hand waving that many pilots have trouble understanding).  After a few days of training, you go operational (the airshow starts), and you put to use the skills you learned.  As with any other NCSA patch, it cannot be worn on blues, and it must go on the right shoulder of the BDUs.

It's a great activity.  If you haven't been, I encourage you to apply next year.  The only NCSA I've been to that was better was Civic Leadership Academy, and nothing beats touring the Supreme Court, DoD, State Department, Arlington Cemetery, and CIA HQ in the same week.

[flying Raptor]

I applied for NBB this year and was accepted. I can't wait, I have heard so many good things about it. Touring CIA HQ sounds like a real treat. I would want to see the NSA HQ.

[Pace]

I applied for NBB this year and was accepted. I can't wait, I have heard so many good things about it. Touring CIA HQ sounds like a real treat. I would want to see the NSA HQ.

I should have read earlier posts to see you are going to NBB this summer.

Anyway, if you want to tour the CIA and all of the others I listed, you can apply to the Civic Leadership Academy in October or November.  It runs from late Feb or early March.  The one catch is that you have to have your Mitchell to apply.  I actually don't remember there being any second lieutenants; however, there were several 1st Lts, a bunch of captains and lieutenant colonels, one major I think, and one colonel.  Only three cadets per region are accepted.  It's worth it if you get in.

That reminds me.  I need to e-mail Maj Gen Wheless and get those challenge coins he promised me and Bell.

[flying Raptor]

I sent my payment in, should I be expecting some sort of information(paperwork, hat size shirt size, ect.) via my Squadron Commander or via snail mail,E-mail?

[Schmidty06]

You'll get a packet via snail mail.

[Mac]

If still haven't gotten your packet you can get the info off of the NBB site at National HQ.

National Blue Beret 2005 NCSA

[Schmidty06]

This should bring back some memories from NBB '04.  The picture was taken during the last formation before the banquet.  Everyone except the Alpha Flight Commander is in it...  sorry!

[flying Raptor]

How picky is NBB about the black socks? I only have green socks 

[Pace]

Green socks=bad
Black socks=good

You're going to want to get black socks.  You're only supposed to be wearing black or white socks with BDUs anyway (reference CAPM 39-1, Table 2-3, 5. Socks).

EDIT: Make sure to buy the thick black socks and some gel insoles for your boots.  Also bring some mole skin for when you get pressure sores.  Trust me, you'll be glad to have all of those.

[Pace]

I still wish I could get my hands on that kid who kept taking Golf Flight's clothing out of the dryer, putting it on the dirty floor, and putting his nasty wet boots into the dryer.  When we would put our stuff back in the dryer, he would come back through and put our cloths back on the floor and his boots back in the dryer.  After the third time he did that (third time's a charm) in 30 minutes, I bet he had a hell of a time finding his boots considering they ended up somewhere in the boyscout camping area.

[Schmidty06]

You're evil, Dan, you're sooo evil.    But seriously, I thought that you had either threw/placed them somewhere within the compound somewhere, but not the explorers camp.

[Pace]

You're evil, Dan, you're sooo evil. 

I know.  I have to be.  I'm turning to the dark side in 1 month and 16 days.

But seriously, I thought that you had either threw/placed them somewhere within the compound somewhere, but not the explorers camp.

Nope, I got so pissed it was either toss to boots or toss the cadet (and I really didn't feel like getting 2b'ed that day).  I opened the door by the dryer, look for an open space in the explorer's camping area, and threw the wet boots are far as I could.  Then I put our cloths back in the dryer and what do you know they were dry when I woke up the next morning.

[Schmidty06]

Heh, ouch. 

So there's going to be 12 flights this year instead of 11, wow.  Does this mean that they built the extra barracks building that they were talking about or is that still on the drawing board?