Dragons

[Commander Truestar]

As an "add on" to what I posted about my training."
Our Chief instructor, an E-7 who'd served in the end of the Viet-nam conflict, had an interesting training tool
He told us to buy a length of ribbon and a handful of collar brass for our existing ranks.
Each time we mission killed someone in our training exercises, his orders were that the person we "killed" had to hand us one of their purchased collar brass. We would then have to add that brass to our ribbons - in descending rank order

I was the only one to have our Chief instructor's collar brass on the top of my ribbon.
And I had two of them

 

[aramis]

I've seen F15 guys do some dubious stuff.

• Dumping fuel over a neighborhood on downwind leg
• flying with RBFs still on
• touch and goes at a nearby uncontrolled airfield rather than dump fuel (The guy I saw do this was using perfect VFR approach and departure including unicom comms... he did warn he was going to use full after on the go.)
• Buzz an uncontrolled airfield at high enough speed and low enough altitude to shake the parked planes.
• Fly inverted UNDER the floor of the Anchorage TCA (which means over the city itself)
• Depart for an intercept low enough to be able to read the name on the canopy.
• Tell a Navy pilot he wasn't "a real jet jockey"... Before reading the squadron patch. (This was at the O'Club.) Dude was an EA-6B pilot. Sent in early for participation in some wargame.
• Ask their new RCAF Loaner Major what he was doing there, and if the RCAF played Crud. The Major happened to have checked the photos and was the new XO of the squadron. (Crud is attributed to being created by the RCAF...)
• Disrespect a Canadian WO by not returning the salute. Same flyboy also failed to return my salute.
• having an alcohol-containing drink at the O'Club at happy hour (1800-1900) when he was slated for ready alert duty at 0000. His boss dragged him out. I'm certain other consequences followed. (Lesson: always check the duty roster before hitting the O'Club.)
• One saw my gold disc as a CAP c/FO (1 gold disk - Cadet Flight Officer, the AF term for a warrant) salute me and address me as Major. (I gently corrected him.)
• USAF 2Lt Not salute an RCAF 1LT at the post office, while I pointedly saluted and address the RCAF guy. At least this one knew the CAP Cadet Rank insignia (pips and diamonds just like MCJROTC AROTC and AJROTC.) And the RCAF 1LT knew what my disks meant.

I'll note that Elmendorf has often had Canadian exchange officers in the fighter squadrons. in the 10 years that dad and I hit the Elmendorf O'Club almost weekly, I've seen about 10 guys hurt themselves playing crud.

 

[Commander Truestar]

in the 10 years that dad and I hit the Elmendorf O'Club almost weekly, I've seen about 10 guys hurt themselves playing crud.

Isn't karma a wonderful thing?
Especially when the falling boom is visible to all

 

[TamsinP]

As an "add on" to what I posted about my training."
Our Chief instructor, an E-7 who'd served in the end of the Viet-nam conflict, had an interesting training tool
He told us to buy a length of ribbon and a handful of collar brass for our existing ranks.
Each time we mission killed someone in our training exercises, his orders were that the person we "killed" had to hand us one of their purchased collar brass. We would then have to add that brass to our ribbons - in descending rank order

I was the only one to have our Chief instructor's collar brass on the top of my ribbon.
And I had two of them

That reminds me of the story of Sergeant Katue of the Papuan Infantry Battalion. In 1942, after the Japanese had landed at Buna-Gona and advanced up onto the Kokoda track, he found himself cut off. So, he decided to act on his own initiative behind the lines, gathering intelligence and attacking the Japanese whenever opportunity presented itself. Over the course of 3 months he had gathered a small group of assistants, killed several Japanese and executed two tribal leaders for collaborating. When he finally made contact with Australian troops, he had proof of 26 of his kills - he'd sewn the rank badges of officers and NCOs to his uniform shirt (he didn't bother with those of privates). Taken back to Port Moresby, he was commended for his efforts and awarded the Military Medal. He had to leave the town not long afterwards as the husbands and fathers of a number of women from the local tribal settlement were rather unhappy (their wives/daughters apparently much less so).