Moving On

Stonewall · July 10, 2008, 08:43:54 PM

So, I'm at Lackland AFB at Combat Arms school and I see one of my former cadets....

One of my former cadets (Eaker type) who is now a full-time firefighter in Maryland and in the AF Reserves (former Air Guard Fire Fighter w/time in Iraq) ran past me today during lunch. Not just doing PT, but as I'm in my dorm room chowing down on some Subway (foot long for $5), I hear the PJ Indoc guys coming, as I do every day around 11:15 or so. In a big group, a CRO (captain) candidate is leading them, all with BDUs and big rucksacks on their backs. I see Stephen Langone smack dab in the middle and confirm it by the tape with his last name on his ruck. I'm up on the second floor and yell out "Get some Langone"[/b]. I saw his head move so I know he heard me.

Proud of that boy. Just like I am of all my former cadets. I've got PJs, pilots, school teachers, academy cadets, soldiers, airmen, you name it.

Stonewall · July 10, 2008, 09:11:37 PM

Quote from: capchiro on June 27, 2007, 07:57:42 PM
C/2ndLt Tiffani Sullivan: U.S. Air Force (training in Security)

Any idea if she got stationed at Moody AFB? I'm at a school right now and across the hall from us is a contingent of security forces folks and I saw an A1C with the last name of Sullivan, female type, one each. Tomorrow I'll ask if her name is Tiffani and if so, I'm gonna see if she'll recite the Cadet Oath.

winterg · July 10, 2008, 09:31:52 PM

I recently had the privilege of running into a former cadet that I trained all through high school. He joined the Army as a medic and I lost track of him. He just finished his tour and returned home. He came up to me in the bar and I almost didn't recognize him! It was a great feeling when he told me the impact I had had on him and bought me a beer. (not sure which one had the bigger impact! lol, jk)

Duke Dillio · July 11, 2008, 04:12:48 PM

^the beer.....

I haven't had the pleasure of seeing any of my cadets return from the military yet. Even fewer have joined up as most have gone on to college. Maybe it was all those horror stories that I told them about freezing my booty off in Korea.... or going through basic at Ft. Sill in the middle of the summer....

Hawk200 · July 11, 2008, 06:13:33 PM

Quote from: Sqn72DO on July 11, 2008, 04:12:48 PM
or going through basic at Ft. Sill in the middle of the summer....

Mobbing at Sill right now. Not exactly joyous about the weather. Haven't seen cold here, yet, but I'm told that this place can go through all four seasons in a day. Absolutely delightful. (/sarcasm)

mikeylikey · July 11, 2008, 06:25:46 PM

^ Dust storms would be what season again??

Duke Dillio · July 12, 2008, 12:21:19 AM

Eh, it's not cool to be standing near one of the starships when a tornado touches down 3-5 miles away, moving toward the post and the only place to find shelter is in the laundry rooms on the ground level. That's a lot of concrete that can come down on your head.....

mikeylikey · July 12, 2008, 02:03:18 AM

^ Not cool when you are on the Land Nav course, and the only place to seek shelter is the GP medium. Then that blows away and takes out three soldiers, while everyone else is running for the vehicles.

Reference the tornado of 2004. Man......I was never outside in a tornado before. Walking around there are actually pockets of hot air that you pass through mixed with pockets of cool air. That is a tell-tale sign a tornado can form. Now I know!

An Officer was fired over that fiasco, disregarded the warning calls, and thought everyone could stick it out until the storm passed. He regretted that I bet.

Grumpy · July 12, 2008, 04:05:48 AM

Quote from: mikeylikey on July 11, 2008, 06:25:46 PM
^ Dust storms would be what season again??

January through December

Grumpy · July 12, 2008, 04:08:13 AM

Oklahoma is the only place I've seen wher it rained mud.

mmouw · July 14, 2008, 05:12:21 PM

My wife signed on the line Friday with the Air Force. She entered the DEP and is waiting to leave for basic after Oct. 1. She joined CAP last Nov. to see more of me, and decided to wear blue full time (and get paid for it). Now I think that I may have to reenlist in the AF to see more of her.

Stonewall · November 25, 2008, 02:59:49 PM

I got an update from one of my former cadets. He joined in 1994 at age 12.... He is now a Captain in the Army after graduating USMA, serving as a platoon leader in Iraq with 82nd Airborne...he has completed the first step in becoming Special Forces by completing Special Forces Assessment and Selection and earning "Officer Honor Grad".

Quote
Hey Man,
Guess who's volunteering at the . . . I just realized that I'm starting out this letter like a girl. Anyhow, I've started to go to CAP while I'm at FT LIVINGROOM, USA [I took out his location] for the next couple of months. I'm going through an easy course, so I've got lots of time outside of the classroom. I've only been to one meeting, but it's pretty exciting. I really look forward to the next one and wish that they would have a meeting on Thanksgiving, just like when I was a cadet.

There is almost zero experience amongst the cadets, but that's cool, because this way, we can shape them the way we want. The DCC is a former cadet. She and her assistant -- another former cadet -- are super motivated, but seem to have limited themselves on what they're willing to do to influence a bunch of new cadets. I was a cadet during a time where I had the luxury of being brought up by cadets and then I was given the trust to lead other cadets when it was my time. I think with this group, there needs to be some more senior member input now, so that the SQDN can mature into an FCS or MVCS of the '90s (maybe that's a little ambitious, but that's the goal, in my mind). The good news is that somehow I had instant credibility when I went in there and the CDR and DCC readily hand over the reigns when I have ideas. I appreciate that, but it wasn't something I expected them to do. I hope to shape things the way that you did, Kirt, and I think that if I am deferent to their authority to make decisions, and keep good lines of communication with them, they will give me a lot of leeway in doing that.

Anyhow, you hung your hat for now, but part of me believes that you'll be at it again one day, along with a couple of other Bowdens. While you're sitting out, I'll try to impart the same influence on these cadets as you did on countless others.

Much love,

CG

P.S. Selection went well. I was the officer honor grad and an old Paratrooper from my BN in the 82nd (he got out and is coming back in) was the enlisted honor grad -- total stud. I'll be in FL in DEC for Christmas -- I'd like to coordinate a stop at your place at some point.

Stonewall · March 28, 2012, 11:19:30 PM

Quote from: Stonewall on June 30, 2007, 06:57:49 PM
C/Lt Col M. McIntosh: 3rd year West Point, I'm going to pound jump wings into her chest on Tuesday. Yes, the same set of wings that were pounded into my chest in 1991.

Update from a post several years old...

She is now a US ARMY JUMPMASTER!

From 5 years ago...

Flying Pig · March 28, 2012, 11:36:11 PM

"Yes, the same set of wings that were pounded into my chest in 1991."

Hepatitis

GTCommando · March 29, 2012, 01:50:07 AM

C/2d Lt Richard Walker: US Navy Corpsman (current grade escapes me)

One of the guys that molded me into the cadet and young adult I am now. Without him, I probably never would have learned drill, passed the CPFT or made my uniform presentable. Unorthodox though his methods were, my hat goes off to him for what he did for me, and a handful of other cadets. Our cadets-turned-warriors will never be forgotten. :clap: :clap: :clap:

Extremepredjudice · March 29, 2012, 02:38:42 AM

Quote from: GTCommando on March 29, 2012, 01:50:07 AM
C/2d Lt Richard Walker: US Navy Corpsman (current grade escapes me)

One of the guys that molded me into the cadet and young adult I am now. Without him, I probably never would have learned drill, passed the CPFT or made my uniform presentable. Unorthodox though his methods were, my hat goes off to him for what he did for me, and a handful of other cadets. Our cadets-turned-warriors will never be forgotten. :clap: :clap: :clap:

SarDragon · March 29, 2012, 03:11:39 AM

Quote from: GTCommando on March 29, 2012, 01:50:07 AM
C/2d Lt Richard Walker: US Navy Corpsman (current grade escapes me)

FYI, Sailors don't have grade, they have rates.

PHall · March 29, 2012, 03:35:27 AM

Quote from: SarDragon on March 29, 2012, 03:11:39 AM
Quote from: GTCommando on March 29, 2012, 01:50:07 AM
C/2d Lt Richard Walker: US Navy Corpsman (current grade escapes me)

FYI, Sailors don't have grade, they have rates.

I thought your rate was your job, aka MOS and grade was what they paid you.

SarDragon · March 29, 2012, 04:16:37 AM

Pay grade - E-1 thru E-9, etc.; in my case, E-6

Rating - job, like Aviation Electronics Technician (AT)

Rate - combination of the above; in my case, AT1

The Navy also has numbers to go with jobs that are sub-specialties of rates; these are called Navy Enlisted Classifications (NECs); mine were, in no particular order: 9502 - Instructor, 6673 - Field Calibration Activity Technician, 6609 - Aircraft Electronic Identification (IFF) IMA Technician, 9527 - Miniature Electronic Repair Technician, 8380 - UH-1N Systems Organizational Maintenance Technician (applied for, never designated).