Ready to fly

[Thomas B]

First off, I would like to say that I enjoy reading the post that are in this forum.

I am to report to OCS on 23 March and the time is just not coming soon enough. I was lucky enough to get an aviator slot and I am ready to start flight training. Reading this forum just accelerates my ambition to be a naval aviator. I do have a couple of questions or remarks. I was prior emlisted in the Navy from 93-97 I was an AD and I loved my time in the Navy and wouldn't have traded it for anything. I was curious as to how many prior enlisted people go through the flight training and how do they do compared to an individual who has no military experience? I also have some flight experience in the civilian world but I can only imagine the differences in the training. One thing for certian that I can say about flying is that there is no such thing as a pilot who knows' it all! I only made to my instrument training but I really don't feel like I will have that much more of an advantage against a guy that has never flown. I believe to be a good pilot is all in that persons will to succede. One thing you learn in the military is the value of team work and just like my football coach used to say, "there is no 'i' in the word 'team'". I've already have the mindset of going in an doing the best of my ability and to contribute to the Navy and help out my shipmates the best that I can. I also believe that when you teach someone something you also will learn and have a better understanding.

Well I feel as if I am just rambling on so I will end my session here.

 

[Paul Burke]

How's it going Thomas! Thought I'd drop a line and say hi. I was enlisted from 93-97 also. AMS. I'm headed to OCS on May 18 with an aviator slot as well. Where and when did you go to boot camp? "A" School? Just a few months ago I ran into an AO that was in my sister company in Orlando. Where were you stationed at?

 

[Thomas B]

Hey Paul, I went to Boot Camp in Orlando also. I was in Company 057. I went to "A" school in Millington and I was stationed at NASNI in HC-11. I haven't ran into anyone from back then in a long time. May 18 damn that is just around the corner. I will still be there when you get there, cool!

 

[Paul Burke]

I was in company 065. I think you graduated there 1 week before I did. Millington was a lot of fun too. You weren't the guy that kept setting off my car alarm were you? Never did find that guy. I went to VAQ-138 at NASWI.

 

[Thomas B]

Nah, that wasn't me. I do remember an alarm that went off like every night though. So what made you decide on going back in?

 

[Paul Burke]

That was my car. I'm going back in for a whole lot of reasons. For one, the life isn't that bad, especially for officers. It's a good career and it enables a cazillion more options after you retire. I really don't have anything keeping me in Tennessee, one of the reasons why I joined in the first place, and it's pretty cool that the Navy pays you to fly some of the baddest aircraft around. You can't beat that. I didn't even know that I was eligible to be a pilot until last summer. I thought I was too old but they don't count prior service against you so I thought,"Hey, that would be pretty darn cool". So here I am. What about you?

 

[Thomas B]

Thats cool, same here. I live Louisiana and I graduate from Louisiana Tech on March 2 and around Thanksgiving 2000 a recruiter called me up and asked if I wanted to fly for the Navy. So I did all the test and physicals and signed my contract last May. I miss the Navy life and I too want to be the best pilot that I can be. The best pilots come from the Navy! I met this Delta pilot one day and he told me that I should go to the Air Force because the flight training was easier than in the Navy. I said no thanks I am always going to be Navy blue!

 

[Steven Ruiz]

Thomas,

Prior enlisted here as well. I was an AMH!You will not believe this.....it is such a small world...i was stationed in HC 8 from 95 till 99. What a coincedence, we are both frog men! I know, since you have been in the H46 community, what a frog man is! What a small world. As you know, the H46 community is very small! I probably know the same people that you know when you were in HC11. Dude, i can not believe that you were in HC11!!

Well, dude if you want, you can email me whenever you want. I know many people who came from HC11 and HC3, as a matter of fact, i was in HC3 for framp in 95'.

Well, i will be graduating in a year and going to ocs and flight school.

Thomas, good luck and hope to hear who you know in the HC community.

Take care,

STeven....aka AmH3 Ruiz (back in 99')

Steven

 

[Thomas B]

Talk about a small world! Man I bet we know alot of the same people. I have a real good friend, Jon Cagan who was in HC-11 with me. Come to think about it I went to sea with a girl Ad3 Leah Johnson, that transfered to HC-8 around the end of 96 beginning of 97. How about John Mautner, John Kolin, dude I can list people all night long. Dude we will be only a few frogmen that are left. They are finally putting the old Sea Knight to rest!

When you were in Framp I probably ran into you at the breakfast truck..man I miss them breakfast buritos! So Where are you going to College at? Man I am so pumped on getting an aviator slot! Well I wont keep you long. Drop me a line anytime, I enjoy talking to people that were in the HC community.

Thomas aka AD3 Braeuninger back in 97!!

 

[Paul Burke]

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to helos but one thing I loved while at sea with HS-8 was that their chains were as easy to steel as VA-165's. Was I the only turd shirt here?

 

[Thomas B]

Chains, Stealing, I don't ever recall that! I was a Green Shirt and what we did alot was tag other helos when they landed on the ship. A 60 landed for fuel or something one day and I believe that we put almost 20 HC-11 stickers on it!

 

[Steven Ruiz]

Tagging other Helicopters...oh my, i remember that we used to do that too. When we were out to sea! Everytime a bird from another squadron landed on our ship....its on! Our mission change from Vertrep to "Tagging"! lol,its good to remember the good old days.

Thomas: I know who AD3 Johnson is. She was a dry crewman, right? She made second as soon as she got to HC8. Dude, i went to "A" school with this guy, back in 95', who came from HC11. His name was AN Toy. He became AMH3 when we graduated from "A" School. You probably know him too. How about AMS2 Cass or AE3 Mercado?

I can honestly tell you that NAS North Island was 150 times better then NAS Norfolk! I had good times there. I would always buy those burritos and for lunch a philipino lady used to sell nachos with Jalapenos! Yeeeeha!
I am now a senior at Florida International University, in Miami. I should depart to OCS by next April. Its such a long time, by i try not to think about it, so time can go by faster! Who am I kidding!
You know what is so weird, that from my det, which was det 6 at HC8, 2 ground pounders that i know of have gotten degrees and moved on to OCS and two crewman, one who now in API! I will make the 5th person from my Detachment who will be commisioned!

Well congratulations on our selection and good luck! Maybe someday we'll see each other, but this time wearing flight suits with butterbars instead of blue coveralls with Crows!!




[/quote]

Steven

 

[Steven Ruiz]

Sorry, i meant to write "Your Selection" not our selection.

Steven

 

[Thomas B]

Steven,
Hey dude chatting with you reminds me of the comrodity that I miss from the Navy! I know this sounds odd but at times I miss going to Sea. The work sucked but man when we got to port, what a blast.

That is one thing that I won't never forget is where I came from and what I had to go through to reach my goals. It will be different wearing the flight suits with butter bars, but I do have to agree it will feel awesome once we become commissioned officers!

Next April will be here before you know it. Just hang in there. I was actually scheduled to go to OCS back on Sept. 8 but I did not graduate on time. I was an aviation major and I was having a hard time trying to finish my flight certificates, going to class, and working a full time job with Northwest Airlink. So, I changed my major and that pushed me back on graduating until March 2. Now looking back it seems as yesterday when I signed my contract.

So, AD3 Johnson made 2nd class! Man, she was something else. She was mad at me when I made 3rd because she couldn't be as bossy with me. lol... When I was getting out she was telling me that I was making a mistake and blah, blah... so I told her that I was getting out to get a better eduacation and so on. Man I do remember that she had a lets see a correct way to say this...large backside...

I remember Toy! I don't remember that much about him but I do remember him. North Island was and awesome duty station. I had an apartment there on Coronado that was less then a mile from the front gate. Walking distance to all the Pubs: Island salon, McPee's, and Danny's Bar and Grill...

Congrats on you achieving your slot and who knows we may end up in the same squadron one day. So, what type of aircraft do you want to fly?

I would like to fly the F-18 since they are doing away with the F-14, what bummer, but basically I just want to fly!!

Thomas

Fly Navy!!


Edited by - Thomas B on 02/10/2002 23:09:17

 

[Dave Shutter]

Thomas B...

Your in good company as a prior going through OCS and flight school. About half of my OCS class of 57 were priors and many of the 24 of us that are aviators were priors also.