Originally Posted by
FlyBoyd
I have always wondered but never been able to confirm this....
When the USN/USMC units are forward deployed they basically live the same way during peacetime or war time. Deployed time is roughly the same. A boat is a boat wherever it sails. Marines are used to doing more with way less and living in the dirt. They are crazy like that. OPTEMPO may change but the level of suck is about equivalent, IMO.
The forward deployed AF crew during peacetime pretty much has a standard FOB with all the typical AF type facilities. TAD/TDY length is short. During war time the FOB is wherever the conflict is located and is really substandard when compared to the peace time facilities/locations. TDY/TAD times are usually much longer. With these changes the level of suck increases dramatically.
Thoughts?
Basically true.. the vast majority of AF bubbas deploy to pretty nice facilities (i.e. Al Udeid) However it is becoming more and more common for AF folks to deploy to ****ty locations right along with the Army and Marines for lengths up to a year (still not as bad as an 18 mth Army deployment). For what its worth, during my 9 trips (3-6 mths each) to the mideast, only twice was I at what I would consider a cush base (Kuwait). Shorter trips are the norm in the AF but when you are home for 2 months and go right back for years on end it wears on you and your family. Life is all about choices though... and from what I have seen from this conflict, the Navy appears to be the most under-represented, but then again most of them are probably on the boat (which I am sure hot bunking sucks)...once again choices. Of course the Navy has way better base locations worldwide for when you aren't deployed, so you win on this one hands down!