Current A-Pool/API students? Pathetic...or The Great Mustin Beach O'Club Thread

[Beans]

Did someone take down the sign on the A-pool bulletin board about brown shoes? I guess someone ought to make a new one. And I have also attempted to tell people the lore of brown shoes to no avail. I've even gotten this excuse: "I don't have any brown socks yet, so I can't wear mine." The pussy can't even tell me that he disagrees with me!

To the winged folks, when one of my peers boneheadedly refuses their brown shoe heritage to you, they are saying at least one of the following:
1. They think they know better than you. It doesn't matter how much experience you have. The cocky SOBs think their self-created superstition is more important than your attempt to encourage and welcome your younger brother or sister in aviation in to the time-honored fold. How's that for a veiled and passive-agressive "f-you"?
2. They think that after reaching adulthood (presumably), a rigorous selection process, and years of leadership training that a silly and false superstition has more power over them than their own hard work and perseverance. They have essentially given themselves up to astrology.
3. They don't care about the history and tradition of your Naval Aviation community.

So, winged ones, when one of my peers refuses, this is what they're saying to you. Act accordingly.

Esteemed (aside from the shoes) peers: please get brown shoes so some LT doesn't decide to play "hide the steel toe" with you.

 

[MIDNJAC]

I agree that black shoes are lame for us STUDS, but I guess I can kind of understand where some of those dudes are coming from. In A-pool/API you are pretty much still a 100% wannabe who has yet to prove anything, not to mention all the NPQ/DOR/attrites at that level of the program. I wore my browns with pride the day after I commissioned, but if someone doesn't want to look presumptuous then I would say that is their prerogative. Once you get into primary and beyond though, it seems a whole lot weirder to me. You actually ARE flying Naval aircraft (though maybe not very well), and at that point I want to ask "so are you planning on not making it through the program?" Just my take as a fellow SNA, FWIW (probably not much )

 

[a_m]

Do I have to fly down to Pensacola and begin kicking peoples asses?

Seriously guys, if you can't keep the PCola O-Club open, how the hell do you expect to keep anything nice in the Navy/Marines?

You are in API or A-Pool. You are NOT that busy. If API takes more than the scheduled class, and MAYBE 2 hours before tests, you are retarded. If that is the case, you might as well get retarded at the club.

And SNFOs.. You can go there for lunch or a beer after a flight. If you are with a couple certain IPs (Hozer and EA6BFlyer amongst others) you might even be able to talk them into a debrief at the club where the knowledges you won't find in an FTI or NATOPS will be shared.

I tried to get lunch there but half the time it was closed and it took about 1+45 to eat when it was open. Of course, that was over a year ago. Of course, the one time it was open, my wife got food poisoning.

 

[a_m]

Do they still have the little burger/dog stand inside the fence by VT-86's hangar? Now THAT was the best/cheapest lunch on base

I had that stash job for about a month. Much more suck than fun.

As for the shoes, I got brown ones while still in A Pool. I finally got a pair of brown boots yesterday, and they are a huge improvement.

 

[armada1651]

I wore my brown shoes my last week as a mid (NROTC) in the CO's Ethics class. He would've thought it funny if he noticed, but didn't until a few weeks later in a staff meeting, where he laughed and said, "You guys have brown shoes already?" I told him, "Sir, we wore them in your class a few weeks hoping you'd say something."

As for people saying they'll "jinx themselves," I tell them they're more likely to jinx themselves by wearing black shoes...dress like a SWO and you'll end up one. To be fair, I am a bit superstitious about wings; I refuse to touch a pair until I earn them. I think that's somewhat more warranted. But black shoes have never touched my commissioned feet.

 

[bubblehead]

I've fucking given up on the brown shoes. Every time I tell some student to go buy a pair of genuine American Naval Aviator kicks, they get that slightly alarmed, kicked-puppy look in their big droopy eyes and give me some bullshit about "not jinxing myself".

that's pretty sad... pretty, pretty sad...

 

[Pags]

<---has a slight feeling if he doesn't show up to the club tomorrow he will be found and shit upon.

Don't go because you're scared...go because you want to drink some beer and hear some sea stories or just hang out with your buds or just to make Phrog stop raving on the internet. Apparently "human factors discussions" have brought out the angry in him.

 

[MasterBates]

I usually harass everyone about that when I see them on SDO or such and wearing black shoes.

When I checked into the RAG, there was a WINGED Naval Aviator who was wearing black shoes with his Khakis wandering around while a SNFO was wearing brown shoes.

He was afraid he'd "jinx" himself if he wore brown shoes before finishing the RAG :facepalm:

I wonder if he will be afraid to wear brown shoes before he makes CAPC, LCDR, CO, etc...

 

[bubblehead]

I went there for lunch a few times, but it always felt awkward to be sitting next to a table of O-6s, if you know what I mean.

No, we don't know what you mean... Please explain...

I, personally, have never felt awkward speaking to anyone of rank - either military or civilian - even going back to my days as a non-qual E-3.

IMHO, as long as you can carry on a conversation, are abreast on current affairs, both military and civilian, don't act like a douche, and listen, you'd be surprised.

I have found that those at the O-6 level are somewhat impressed by yearlings who can handle/carry themselves properly while surrounded by senior O's.

Remember, they were lowly JO's at one point in their careers too.

 

[armada1651]

By the time I got over there for lunch, that white Rubicon had the ENS spot. But while I was waiting for a friend to show up, I saw it leave, so I actually went back out and moved my car, sir, just to make you happy.

The place was actually pretty busy today. The AW tirade seems to have done the trick.

 

[C420sailor]

There were about sixty (yes, 6-0) of us Ensigns there for lunch today.

 

[H20man]

Don't go because you're scared...go because you want to drink some beer and hear some sea stories or just hang out with your buds or just to make Phrog stop raving on the internet. Apparently "human factors discussions" have brought out the angry in him.

Oh I'm not scared. I've met phrog before so it would be easy for him to track me down if I didn't go.

I was a regular at the I-bar in SD. It was great being a stash Ensign in San Diego. Awesome sea stories and a great way to get info on different communities. Its also fun beating the Navigator of the Nimitz at dice.

Speaking of dice... are there dice cup(s) at the O'Club here in Pcola?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Speaking of dice... are there dice cup(s) at the O'Club here in Pcola?

An Acey-Deucey or dice table sounds like a fine contribution for some API/VT winging class to make.

 

[MasterBates]

Dice sounds like a great idea.

Who is going to happy hour at Oceana tomorrow? I'll be there around 1500 for a beer or two schedule permitting.

 

[picklesuit]

I can't believe how gay-riffic the A-Pool has become. Shit, my classmates and I went to the O-Club as Candio's back in '06 just to get away from OCS for a while. The TW-6 Skipper was there right as he was checking in...nice guy! His wife was asking about OCS and what-not...