Military, LEO, Fire Fighters, EMT/Paramedics check in!

[reapereviltwin]

I was in schweinfurt too in 1-77 AR with the 1st inf div. They reflagged from 1-64 in the late 90' to 1-77. Loved the place but they moved me to Graf when we reflagged to 3-66 AR as part of the plan by the army to downsize europe.

Know what you mean, Schweinfurt was my favorite tour, was on Conn also, I don't know about now, but the building with the gym, snack bar, (think it's a Burger King now) Star and Stripes, and such was the maintenace building for the Luftwaffe in WW2. I lived in the town of Schonguen (sp) just east on B26
Just did training in Graf, I still tell stories of Camp Kasserine and Camp Cheb tent living.
see your going to the PAANG, think you will like it, I was impressed with the training, spent more time in the field than I ever thought a guard unit would do.
Hope we can wheel together sometime. You should be real short by now, when do you get back to CONUS?
Mike

 

[reapereviltwin]

Name: Matt
Rank/Position: SSgt (E-5)
Branch/Service/Unit: US Air Force
Job/Title: 1A171 Flight Engineer
Former 2A571 Crew Chief (KC-10's and AWACS)
Years of Service/working: 12+ years

Assignments:
1. McGuire AFB -- Wrightstown, New Jersey 1997 - 2001 (KC-10 Crew Chief)
2. Tinker AFB -- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 2001 - 2009 (E-3 crew chief then E-3 flight engineer)
3. Elmendorf AFB -- Anchorage, Alaska 2009 - present (E-3 AWACS Flight Engineer.

I love the Air Force. I've been able to provide a comfortable life for my family for the 12+ years I've been in, got a bachelors degree, traveled the world, etc. I'm a flight engineer stationed in Alaska. It doesn't get much better than that. I'm NOT looking forward to retirement. I'll stay as long as they let me. I guess I'd better make TSgt.

Matt, that's a lot of switchs and gages to be watching at the same time!! Are there any more?

 

[KC10Chief]

Matt, that's a lot of switchs and gages to be watching at the same time!! Are there any more?

Just these:

Honestly, it's nowhere near as intimidating as it looks. Everything is arranged by the system it controls or monitors. Hydraulics, pressurization, engines, electrics, fuel, aerial refueling system, etc. I also pre-flight the plane, and handle any in flight emergency or problems with the airplane in flight. Most of the time, I'm pretty bored. I prefer it that way though. The training was a year and a half of my life. We have a couple of simulators in Oklahoma City. They're the full motion sims and most of the time, I forget I'm not in a real airplane. They look and feel very realistic. We practice every emergency that's ever happened over and over and over. The very few emergencies I've ever seen in the airplane, were not a big deal at all. Matter of fact, on some of the 10 hour missions when we're just flying an orbit somewhere, I'm hoping that an engine will burst into flames so we can go home. I have to travel to OKC several times a year to meet my simulator requirements. It works out though since I'm actually from Oklahoma City. It's like a paid vacation to go home for a week or two.

There aren't many planes with FE's any more. On most modern civilian aircraft, a computer does my job. The military is too cheap to spend the tens of millions of dollars per plane to do away with my position. It's cheaper to keep paying guys like me. I'm still a little over 7 years away from retirement. I keep telling my wife that I'm going to work at Home Depot and sell lawn mowers or something.

 

[KC10Chief]

Here's a few pics I've taken recently. I took this one yesterday. It's the Nabesna Glacier in SE Alaska. It's the longest valley glacier in North America at 75 miles long.

Mt. Redoubt. An active volcano about 100 miles SW of Anchorage. It erupted last year and spewed ash all over my truck.

Mt. McKinley. The highest point in North America at 20,320 feet tall.

Downtown Anchorage.

 

[reapereviltwin]

WOW! Awsome pics! It's great for you to get to go to OK City for training and with being home for you. You make it sound simple, but I think I would be cross-eyed damn quick!
Thanks for serving.

 

[jonlax]

Here's a few pics I've taken recently. I took this one yesterday. It's the Nabesna Glacier in SE Alaska. It's the longest valley glacier in North America at 75 miles long.

Mt. Redoubt. An active volcano about 100 miles SW of Anchorage. It erupted last year and spewed ash all over my truck.

Mt. McKinley. The highest point in North America at 20,320 feet tall.

Downtown Anchorage.

Awsome job!

Is it a slow promotion rate in your job?

Jon

 

[KC10Chief]

Awsome job!

Is it a slow promotion rate in your job?

Jon

Yes. I've been in over 12 years and am still an E-5. The average for putting on E-6 is 14 years in my job. Hopefully I made it this year. There aren't many people in this job so it's really competitive. We have the second highest promotion score cutoff in the AF. But the Air Force recently reduced the amount of time that people in certain ranks can stay in the AF. So, some of the old guys that won't leave, are now being forced to retire. Sucks for them, but good for me!

 

[dislexiclawyer]

Also, for you Air Force people, people thinking about joining the Air Force, or pretty much anybody, there's a great forum for Air Force enlisted folks. www.afforums.com. We have thousands of members. Be warned though. It's not your typical forum. I'm one of the moderators over there. Same screen name. Check it out.

I thought this screen name looked familiar. I am over on the AF forums under the same screen name as well. I don't post very often though. I don't really post that often here either.

 

[Hevyg]

What an incredible view...
Thank you for sharing, and for keeping the wolves at bay!

 

[2-Stripe]

So? how did you do?

they passed me up but In April I am going into the Army as a light wheel mechanic

 

[jonlax]

they passed me up but In April I am going into the Army as a light wheel mechanic

No such thing as a light wheel mechanic. Last time we had one was 2006!

91B which is wheel mechanic you will be working on everything from HMMWV to Hemmits and everything in between. Make sure when you get to your first duty station you ask to go to school to get ASE certs. That was my best move and now since i am getting out have a little more options.

NEVER PASS UP ON EDUCATION! College or military will help you in the long run.

Jon

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

Name: Kevin McInchak aka Mac
Rank/Position: Petty Officer 1st Class (E-6)
Branch/Service/Unit: US Navy
Job/Title: Sonar Technician
Years of Service/working: 19+ years

Assignments:
1. USS Berkely DDG-15, San Diego(De-commed and sold to Greece)
2. USS Lake Champlain CG-57, San Diego
3. Navy Recruiting District San Francisco, NRS Salinas
4. Uss Paul F. Foster DD-964 (De-commed)
5. Integrated Undersea Surveillance Sea Component West
6. Navy Recruiting District Seattle, DEP Coordinator

 

[jonlax]

Name: Kevin McInchak aka Mac
Rank/Position: Petty Officer 1st Class (E-6)
Branch/Service/Unit: US Navy
Job/Title: Sonar Technician
Years of Service/working: 19+ years

Assignments:
1. USS Berkely DDG-15, San Diego(De-commed and sold to Greece)
2. USS Lake Champlain CG-57, San Diego
3. Navy Recruiting District San Francisco, NRS Salinas
4. Uss Paul F. Foster DD-964 (De-commed)
5. Integrated Undersea Surveillance Sea Component West
6. Navy Recruiting District Seattle, DEP Coordinator

Had a Sonar technician attached to my Task Force in iraq also a petty officer. His job was to make sure the CREW systems worked on our trucks. I think he might have had a second MOS also with electronic warfare.

Enjoy that recruiting job. I applied for it twice but the war machine kept turning.

Jon

 

[mackenziet]

Name: Tim
Rank/Position: Firefighter 12-8
Branch/Service/Unit: Hamburg Township, MI
Job/Title: Paid on call Firefighter/Paramedic
Years of Service/working: 2 years

and

Rank/Position: Tactical Paramedic & MICU Paramedic
Branch/Service/Unit: Livingston County, MI
Job/Title: Full time Paramedic
Years of Service/working: 1 year

 

[shoop22vb]

Name:Kris
Rank/Position:deputy sheriff
Branch/Service/Unit:Virginia Beach Sheriffs Office
Position:Corrections
Years of Service:2

 

[askingxforxit]

U.S. Army Reserve
OIF '06-'07 Mosul, Iraq

 

[Verno]

Name: Kevin McInchak aka Mac
Rank/Position: Petty Officer 1st Class (E-6)
Branch/Service/Unit: US Navy
Job/Title: Sonar Technician
Years of Service/working: 19+ years

Assignments:
1. USS Berkely DDG-15, San Diego(De-commed and sold to Greece)
2. USS Lake Champlain CG-57, San Diego
3. Navy Recruiting District San Francisco, NRS Salinas
4. Uss Paul F. Foster DD-964 (De-commed)
5. Integrated Undersea Surveillance Sea Component West
6. Navy Recruiting District Seattle, DEP Coordinator

Damn, and here I wuz thinkin as I went through this I was gonna be the first swabbie/squid/canoe crew member. DWD- when were you at FLEASWTRACENPAC?
My info:
Name: Vern Bissell
Rank/Pos: Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9)
Branch: US NAVY (and damn proud of it!)
Job Title: STGCM(SW) Surface Sonar Technician
Yrs of Service: 24 Retired April 2002
Assignments:
USS Harold E Holt (DE-1074 then FF-1074) PEARL HARBOR DECOMMED
USS Acadia (AD-42) SAN DIEGO
USS McCluskey (FFG-41) SAN DIEGO DECOMMED
USS Peterson (DD-969) NORFOLK DECOMMED
FLEASWTRACENPAC (Code 212 Instructor)
NAS BRUNSWICK, ME
Naval Reserve Station Lubbock, Tx
USS Defender (MCM-2) INGLESIDE, TX DECOMMED
FTSCLANT DET INGLESIDE TX
After 18 yrs chasing steely black hunter/killers of the deep, went to Mine Warfare community.

 

[beyerodeath]

Name:
Rank/Position: civilian contractor
Branch/Service/Unit: USMC
Job/Title: AH-1W/Z,UH-1N/Y aviation ordnance Technician
Years of Service/working: 10 years (active),1 year (contractor)

Assignments:
1. Camp Pendleton, CA.
2. USS Essex LHD-2, 31st MEU
3. Okinawa Japan, Fetuma Airstaion
4. Camp Snake Pit, Kuwait.
5. Al Taquadem Airstation, Iraq.
6. HMLA-369, HMLA/T-303,HMM-268.
7. DOD Contractor for 1 year now and am currently trying to get all systems CDI.

 

[beyerodeath]

gotta figure out on how to put pics....

 

[POS Camaro]

Damn, and here I wuz thinkin as I went through this I was gonna be the first swabbie/squid/canoe crew member.

After 18 yrs chasing steely black hunter/killers of the deep, went to Mine Warfare community.

What, us 'steely black hunter/killers of the deep' don't count as part of your canoe crew?