I know I am going to open a can of whoop-ass on myself but here goes.
I got out with 12 years (2.5 years as a ground pounder) joined the Guard/now Reserve.

I am 135R Guy, I spent 5yrs and 5days of my 8.5 years flying deployed.
I live in compounds with 12' walls barbed wire and armed guards. While it was supposed to be for my protection jail is jail. I have seen buddies die.

I figure I have a 1.5 years living in Turkey (add three more deployments in the Guard/Reserve)
2 years in Bahrain / Saudi / Manas
3.5 year prison sentence!!!!


On the Good side ROTA, Canne, Mildenhall, Geilenkirchen, Istres, Souda, Sicily......I joined the Air Force to see the world, Diego to Iceland, Korea to Germany, and I loved it.

I was getting paid pretty good and had great commraderie. (NOTE: I was single)
Where else can a 1000 hr pilot be captain of a 4 engine heavy flying from Grand Forks to Saudi?

As long as the bosses were good life was good, one S#@# head in the chain can make everyones life misserable.

I always wondered if I made the right choice in joining the Air Force.

Then I went to get my ATP:

The guy teaching me was 22 years old with 700 hours. He was making $1000 / month to live in Long Beach CA. He was working 14 hours a day 7 days a week.

We all have a tough road to hoe to get to be pilots.

It sucks that it is not a respected profession anymore, but the gut check on my life has been when someone would ask "What did I do Yesterday"

I could say refuelled: B1, B2, Thunderbirds, flew over Tikrit (during the war), flew through th Aurora Boreallis over the North Atlantic. My buddies, working desk jobs are jealous. I actually met some Formula 1 drivers in a coffee shop one day who thought I had the cooler job! (yea crazy I know)

Yes much of the time it has been a hugh S#@T sandwich but in the long run it was my choice.

Now I have a wife and daughter they are most important. As an airline guy every plane , hotel room, airport all start blending together into one.
I really do not care where I fly only when I am getting home.
The problem is as cool as our jobs is, it is not a respected profession any more.

Doctors, Lawyers, Pilots, Military, many Americans marginalize us.

I am not sure what my point is, but I will say looking back my life, I have done well, and I am proud of my time in the military.
Maybe someday Style/Class will come back to Airline Bussiness


So Mox Stay the course and enjoy the time you have left. The grass is a different shade of green then you imagine (more brown).