Originally Posted by Tweetdrvr

With the exception of the folks, who came in late in the Carter era and lived through the Reagan era, it only gets worse.

I was able to see the last of the great J.O.C. nights at Mather in 88-89.

I sat the second to last week of alert in the fall of 91, and watched SAC die in May of 92 when McPeak was chief of staff.

I saw the last of the days in ATC/AETC where there was practically unlimited weekend flying for those who wanted it. Take the gas cards and go. You just had to not work more than 14 days in a row.

I remember when bomber and tanker co pilots had an ACE program with jets and not C 12s, oh those did not last long.

I watched the AETC bases slowly cut back weekend hours for airfields from open on Saturday and Sunday 0800-1800 local, to Sunday only for three hours to catch off station returns.

Now most bases are closed for transients and trainers all weekend unless it is real world OBO.

The Auger at Randolph is now dead on Friday nights. Find a club at a non UPT base that is ever busy or fun any more, is it out there?

There was a time when you could belong to the O club without being forced to have another credit card you did not want.

The only thing open on many bases past 9pm is the Shoppette. past 10pm and lodging office is all you have for snacks and beer.

The flight docs used to make appointments and would see your family, now it is just you and only at sick call.

I watched TAMI 21 take newly minted aviators away from assignments they busted their butts to get only to be told you may never see that MWS again.

This is just my list of minor annoyances and observations over 26 years.

But here is what I do know. With the current fiscal budget situation and the number of planes we are not buying. Today's AF will be the good old days for the young folks who survive this draw down and stay in.

Just my .02