.
Rainbow, Rainbow,



Hello folks,

"Rainbow, rainbow don't be blue!"

That's part of a song they used to sing to us in our first week of boot camp. (The second part of the lyric should probably not be repeated here. lol)

"Rainbows" because until you get issued your uniforms, your "greens" you are all wearing different colored civilian clothes...

In fact, first you are a "rainbow", then when you get your greens you are a "pickle", and a week later when you get your name tags sewn on you are a "canned pickle".

Finally, around your 25th day you get your Air Force "blues". (A bunch more uniforms to prep and a new set of shoes to shine. )

"PICK "EM UP! PUT 'EM DOWN! PICK 'EM UP! PUT 'EM DOWN!" The training sergeant screamed at us in the first 5 minutes of boot camp. (He was talking about our luggage.)

This was at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas... 1980.

We were still thinking we might go to war with Iran because of the hostage crisis.

We worked very hard through the week and hustled all over the base. Over here to fill out reams of paperwork, getting our shots over there, classes every day... just going to chow was stressful and an ordeal of it's own.

Physical training, daily chores, folding your underwear 6" square.

Marching, marching, marching!

Believe me, you were very busy until lights out at 10 o'clock.

We had to be downstairs in the morning so fast I had to sleep with my socks on. To take the extra few seconds to put them on would make me the last one for muster!

On Saturdays... we would have a party... a "G.I. party"

That is where you strip all the floors and mop, wax and buff them. Even though they already looked like glass.

On Sundays, they really did give us a day of rest...

Oh we were still in the military, make no mistake there... but everyone got to go to church for about four hours. Just hanging out in front shooting the cabbage with your friends for about two hours waiting for the two hour service to begin. Lackland is a big, big base and everyone was at church except maybe the guards at the front gate.

After boot camp I attended tech. school at Chanute AFB in southern Illinois. I was going to be a flight simulator technician... fix the flight simulator, a 35 million dollar machine...

Hot Dog!

After tech. school I was stationed at Holloman AFB and Cannon AFB, both in New Mexico. I worked on the flight simulator and also trained pilots to fly and fight in the air. Some of those pilots might be bird colonels now, I hope they are alright.

I was stateside and at peace time for my whole tour, thank God!

Maybe you have a testimonial of your own experience or of a loved one or questions on what it was like, post 'em here!

Thanks everyone and God Bless and God Bless Our Troops, rainbows and all!

I chuckled as l read...Everybody in church huh? Must have been a boring place be to drive the unbelievers to sit in church...

And strip and wax floors that don't need it?! Yikes!...

Well.. We've got good men and women serving us

and as the days wind down l know that there are many more that will say yes and they will do a darn good job.

Thanks for all you do and may God have mercy on our troops.

Your post made me smile. Ever been to Carswell AFB? I got quite familiar with that one when my sons father was stationed there.

It was a secured base with an interesting history. Nobody passed, unless one of the soldiers varified who you were.

I'm thankful that it's still being used. Apparently now by the Navy.


Carswell AFB was selected for closure under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 during Round II Base Closure Commission deliberations. As part of the Department of Defense's 1991 consolidation efforts, the decision was made to relocate the 7th Bomb Wing from Carswell AFB. During a 1992 Air Force-wide reorganization, the famed Strategic Air Command was officially disestablished. First-stage closure activities were initiated in 1992; all aircraft were relocated to Barksdale AFB by January 1993. The B-52 Stratofortress was the last bomber to leave Naval Air Station JRB Fort Worth (then Carswell AFB) in 1993. The base ceased operations on September 30, 1993, and was transferred to the Air Force Base Conversion Agency (AFBCA) for property distribution and reuse. On October 1, 1993, the Air Force Reserve 301st Fighter Wing assumed base responsibilities, establishing Carswell as an Air Reserve Base. In 1993, Congress directed the establishment of the nation's first joint reserve base under the Base Realignment and Closure authority. The base was realigned and renamed the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Carswell Field (NAS Fort Worth JRB) on October 1, 1994, when the U.S. Navy assumed control of the property.

Well, it was better than sitting at the barracks and you were not required to attend the services, I always attended at least one, for there are few atheists in foxholes, lol.

Stripping the floors even though they didn't need it, that is par for the course.

A lot of what boot camp is, is a culling out process. Most people pass, but if a person cannot cope with a degree of stress they don't want them in.

They will usually take the person's contract, tear it up, and tell them it doesn't matter and give them a ticket home. At least in my time, peacetime it was that way.

The job of the peacetime service is to be ready.

I hope and pray this war will come to a close soon and those troops on multiple deployments can come home.

Thx

Cool story THX. Thanks.

My little story.

My dad joined the Army Reserves when he was about 18 I think. He learned to be a mechanic. Told us about parachute simulations etc which sounded pretty cool. He got out of the Reserves, then Joined up with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) right as they were starting out. This was probably in the early 60's? They sent him to Europe with his mechanic's skills, and, gave him a bunch of cash to buy used cars and fix them up. He went all over Europe, stayed in other Christian's homes who signed up to host YWAM kids, bought cars, fixed them for the mission which was to smuggle Bibles into communist China. So, he fixed 'em, shipped 'em out, then people put Bibles in the seat cushions and under the trunk spaces etc. Then they went into China. Pretty cool.

About 40 years later he searched for one lady in Italy who hosted him and found her. He went back over there for a visit and met all of her family. Pretty cool reunion. And a good use of those military skills, lol.

As for me, I was about to be sworn into the Marine Corp Back in '98-99? My recruiter penciled over something I had done when I was a kid, but, my conscience got the better of me and I told the peeps at MEPP's the truth. No Corp for me! Lol. It's ok though. Some girl talked me into joining anyway.
There's the story!

Huah!

I had never been to Carswell, just Lackland in San Antonio, Chanute in Southern Illinois, Holloman and Cannon in New Mexico.

Looking back at boot camp it was kind of fun and funny, once you were there for a few weeks and weren't so green let's say.

There were a million little "tests" and certain ways things had to be done. All of your clothes had to be marked a certain way. You could spend most of the evening trying to fold a couple T-shirts just right. You have to march everywhere, even in the chow hall. Especially in the chow hall because there are about 20 sergeants sitting at one table, the dreaded "snake pit".

I am glad I had that experience and I was able to stay in electronics for years after my tour.

Thanks for your posts you guys.

Thx

Wow, sneaking Bibles into China! That's cool!

I guess the AF is the least "military" of the branches. We only fire the M-16 on one occasion.

What we have in the AF are "war skills". They might have you take a stack of wood and make pallets out of it. Then, take the pallets apart and re-stack the wood, lol. Time and motion studies.

Most of the troops had to report for alerts. This is where you have to show up on a transport craft with a full duffle-bag they check to make sure.

(Except us sim troops... all we had to do was show up for work, have a couple donuts and go home... nothing to do, a bonus two week vacation. lol)

The chow, was awesome. Even though in boot camp you are too nervous to appreciate it. They took pride in the fact that all the food service was civilian, except the cooks.

Even though the pay was low I was able to save more money then than now.

Are you in the service now?

Thx