Tim Medeiros leaving for BMT

[BillB]

Tim should have no problems adjusting to BMT life having attended several Florida Wing encampments as both cadet and senior. I predict he'll be wearing butter bars within two years.

[ColonelJack]

Bong was nice, LOL!

Standifer was crazy the first night.

I was standing next to a guy in the bay, that was messing up with dog tag chain rite of passage. In other words he could not figure out the little chain goes on the big chain.

Standifer came up and grabbed the chain (which was around the kids neck) and yelled are you a DUMB ASS?

Standifer played the bad cop, and Bong played the good Cop.

In touch with Standifer to this day. Great memories.

Of course Bong was nice ... he was the Team Member.  When I had him, he was Team Chief, and he exhilirated in the role. 

Gods, do I remember "Pick 'em up!  Put 'em down!"  And going into the bays for the first time, standing at our wall locker, being told to stare at the locker number until told otherwise.  At 1:00 in the morning.  And it felt like forever until Bong and Williams got back in there.  And the almost endless paperwork ... being shown how to make the bed (Williams showed us and almost screwed it up himself -- and when we laughed we thought he'd have a stroke or something, then he laughed too).  And being dorm guard ("Sir!  Dorm Guard!  Dorm B-114!  How may I help you?").  And seeing Bong smile for the first time about a week before graduation. 

I'd do it again.  (Well, as I said before, if I was 17 again I would.  Not now.  I'm too bloody old.)

Jack

[Earhart1971]

I was talking to a Air Force Captain. He started talking about Air Force Training, and mentioned "pick em up, put em down" my comment was "They do that in OTS Too?" No he said, I was enlisted first. I think he said he went through basic in the late 90s. The Tradition of Pick em up put em down continues!

And Col Jack, you went through Christmas in Basic like me. How was Christmas Day?

Air Force Training is not that physical. But they do make up for it in STRESS.

Example: You could mess up a little and it's your last week of training. Hey YOU ARE SET BACK. They can send you back to start the whole thing all over again. We had 3 set back of my flight, one airman was  set back 3 times to start over again and he never made it out. Got a General Discharge, and gone, after 3 tries at basic.

Be prepared to be on EDGE the whole time.

[ColonelJack]

And Col Jack, you went through Christmas in Basic like me. How was Christmas Day?

Jeez...I wish you hadn't brought that up.  I was 17, it was my very first Christmas away from my family, and all I really remember about it was that I was very down, we had the bulk of the day "off" (i.e., no scheduled training -- that didn't mean we didn't have to clean the bays, etc.), and we were allowed to attend chapel if we wanted.

Mostly, I remember being very depressed that day.  The rest of it is pretty much a blur.

Jack

[Earhart1971]

Sounds like us but we had KP that day, the whole flight. Got up earlier than usual, over the loud speaker as we are getting up, they are yelling and screaming "Merry  Blanking (you fill in)  Christmas".

And yes depressing, and it was rainy and cold. Texas has its own WORLD OF COLD, like Chicago Cold.

But I told Tim M. 2 yeare ago at the Airshow, go thru basic in the winter months, rather than summer.

[ColonelJack]

Wow ... KP on Christmas Day?  That's way sucky, my friend.  At least we didn't have that.

I remember Texas cold from that winter ... but it got hot a couple of days in there as well.  The weather never did make up its mind about what season it really was ...

But you gave Tim some OUTSTANDING advice about when to go.  No way would I want to be in San Antonio in summertime, doing what all we had to do. 

Jack

[caphornbuckle]

I went through basic in late January and was at Lackland until May for AT.  Then I finished AT at Ft. Dix, NJ through the month of May.  It would have been rough to go through Basic in the summer and then go to Dix in the Fall/Winter time!

[SarDragon]

I went through basic in late January and was at Lackland until May for AT.  Then I finished AT at Ft. Dix, NJ through the month of May.  It would have been rough to go through Basic in the summer and then go to Dix in the Fall/Winter time!

Eh, Dix sux pretty much all year round. April and October seem to be the only really tolerable months.

[abdsp51]

Air Force BMT has gotten more physical, to bring them in line with the standards on the rest of the branch.  I was there a few years ago for 7 level school and they were pting in the moring and afternoon.  There is also their BEAST training as well which is physical. 

[coudano]

i went through in 2006 which was just before they extended it out to 8 weeks.

we had PT every day except sunday,
and a 1 week BEAST expeditionary training
it was physical.

I believe their BEAST went up to 2 weeks (that's one of the 2 weeks they added)

[Jerry Jacobs]

I graduated BMT 3 weeks ago. I was there for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, I've got to admit I wish I was at other places for the holidays but they were almost down days.

First thing id advise is to try and be in band flight, for a number of reasons it'll make your BMT experience a little bit more enjoyable. Second is your goal should be your MTI shouldn't learn your name. I went 2 weeks until I became my flights academic monitor at which point he immediately learned my name.

Also BEAST is one week long still, however before going you will know your first aid, tactical movements, how to handle the M16 including assembly and disassembly

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask

[coudano]

I graduated BMT 3 weeks ago. I was there for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, I've got to admit I wish I was at other places for the holidays but they were almost down days.

First thing id advise is to try and be in band flight, for a number of reasons it'll make your BMT experience a little bit more enjoyable. Second is your goal should be your MTI shouldn't learn your name. I went 2 weeks until I became my flights academic monitor at which point he immediately learned my name.

Also BEAST is one week long still, however before going you will know your first aid, tactical movements, how to handle the M16 including assembly and disassembly

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask

Congrats Airman, where are you at for tech school?

[AlphaSigOU]

Way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I enlisted in the Air Force, they used to offer 'Proficiency Advancement' to former CAP and JROTC cadets. Essentially, after the seventh day of training, the six weeks of BMT (back in the day) was compressed to about three. You were handed an appointment sheet and after eating breakfast with your own BMT flight, you were directed to other BMT units in more advanced stages of training. And in between appointments, you were directed to read the BMT study guide and operate as the squadron orderly room runner. Once your appointments were completed for the day, you returned to your flight, usually in time for dinner.

It was NOT easy... out of eight in my flight who were screened for PA, four turned it down, three washed out because of excessive 341s or not satisfactorily completing training requirements during their appointments, and I was the only one who successfully completed the PA program. It was like taking a drink from a fire hose, and I was thoroughly scared; at any moment I expected to hear an MTI bellowing 'AIRMAN CORWAY, GET OVER HERE!' PAs were almost always near the top of the list for 'TI targets' in the training area. I did not relax until the plane that took me to Denver for tech school at Lowry AFB was wheels up.

PA is no longer offered to trainees in BMT.

[Jerry Jacobs]

Congrats Airman, where are you at for tech school?

Going to be at Keesler AFB for Cyber Transport Systems, after this im going back to my unit at Travis AFB but Im going to be here for a while to say the least haha

[SarDragon]

I spent a month at Keesler/Biloxi on week.

[Earhart1971]

Way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I enlisted in the Air Force, they used to offer 'Proficiency Advancement' to former CAP and JROTC cadets. Essentially, after the seventh day of training, the six weeks of BMT (back in the day) was compressed to about three. You were handed an appointment sheet and after eating breakfast with your own BMT flight, you were directed to other BMT units in more advanced stages of training. And in between appointments, you were directed to read the BMT study guide and operate as the squadron orderly room runner. Once your appointments were completed for the day, you returned to your flight, usually in time for dinner.

It was NOT easy... out of eight in my flight who were screened for PA, four turned it down, three washed out because of excessive 341s or not satisfactorily completing training requirements during their appointments, and I was the only one who successfully completed the PA program. It was like taking a drink from a fire hose, and I was thoroughly scared; at any moment I expected to hear an MTI bellowing 'AIRMAN CORWAY, GET OVER HERE!' PAs were almost always near the top of the list for 'TI targets' in the training area. I did not relax until the plane that took me to Denver for tech school at Lowry AFB was wheels up.

PA is no longer offered to trainees in BMT.

My recruiter screwed up and did not tell me about this. Half way through they said Oh, you can bypass basic by getting copy of your Mitchell Award. I started the process, but got caught as DORM GUARD during an inspection. Guess what my Security Drawer was opened, LOL, it was a mess. The TI kicked it shut he was so mad. YOU AN't BY PASSING! Just as well, I would have got out only two weeks early. I was enjoying the Drama of training.

[spaatzmom]

Thank you to all who have sent Tim cards and letters. Please continue to send them.. He is doing well. Even though he was born a Yankee, when it comes to snow and cold weather, he is a definite Southern boy. Tim has been made an element leader and is adjusting well to military ways. Thank you again.

[Ed Bos]

A trainer at NESA this year did something cool for one of his friends in BMT - at NESA, everyone he could get to do it he handed a postcard and asked them to write some words of encouragement. He then collected and mailed them so his friend would always have mail. Maybe you can try to do this at his squadron or group?

If anyone cares how this story ended...

After my buddy Frank (Capt Frank deBros, CAP and now 2LT Frank deBros, USA) had been in Basic Training at Fort Sill and was in the process of finishing up OCS at Fort Benning we hatched the brilliant plan to send him 100+ postcards from his "friends" at NESA.

The staff and students filled out the postcards and I paid to have the gift...that was supposed to keep on giving... sent his way.

Earlier in his training Frank had mentioned that he was really glad to get mail. Even if he had to "pay" 10 push-ups for each piece. 

What I didn't know was that by the time he got his 1,140-push-ups worth of postcards HE was the candidate tasked with picking up the mail. The cadre had since stopped the additional charges. *Sigh*

Still a good gag, and I would recommend anyone who tries it shoot for early-to-middle of the training time line.

[Spartan]

Even if he had to "pay" 10 push-ups for each piece. 

Wow, I feel like I was overcharged for each piece of mail at 25 a pop.

[MSG Mac]

Even if he had to "pay" 10 push-ups for each piece. 

Wow, I feel like I was overcharged for each piece of mail at 25 a pop.

Good thing no one addressed the mail to Captain or Major Jones, rather than Private or Airman.