| I was stationed in a remote site for a year, many years ago. It was in a third-world country, very remote, with sparse facilities - though permanent. Those of us stationed there dealt with the 'hard times' as a matter of course - that was life. You couldn't bring your families with you, the px was small and had little variety, there was only one 'club' on base for the enlisted, one for the officers, and the senior NCOs ran a private, members only club. (E-7 and above only, including officers)
The gym was old, equipment was aged, but workable. Most of us really only missed our families -
Then one day, I'm down at the airfield awaiting the C-130 flight out to the nearest Air Force base (500 miles away). The 130 only landed 3 times a week, if it could beat the crosswinds to land on our undersized runway.
so there I stand, off for a medical appointment (our clinic was too small to handle every situation) and this young Air Force female is there, a single mom from the air base 500 miles away. she and her 'crew' of newsies from the Armed Forces News shop had come for a 'two day tour' to see how 'tough' it was at our site.
The C-130 couldn't land that day due to high winds, so she and her crew had to stay for a couple of more days.
The waterworks started immediately, followed by histeria: "I HAVE to get out of here, I can't take it here!"
That was a lotta years ago, when soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines were a little less likely to whine about conditions.
Seems to me that various AF policies have ended up biting them in the butt.
On a positive note for the AF, they are some of the most technically competent people it has ever been my pleasure to work with.
but they do whine a lot about what I always considered to be silly stuff!
Old joke - Marine in a foxhole, in the mud, pouring rain - he says, "Man this stinks."
Soldier on a peacekeeping mission, patroling in mud, living in tents says, "Man this stinks."
Sailor on a ship, been out to sea for 3 months, has to miss port call because of some incident and is at sea a week or so longer says, "Man this stinks."
Air Force guy, sitting in his quonset hut, in the AC, opens the fridge to see - no beer and says, "Man this stinks."
E. |
