What Did You Work On While In The Military?

[Okieboy]

DRINKING BEER , CHASING WOMAN AND MI RIFLE

[volstateguy]

My job in the Air Force is Aircraft Structural Maintenance, which has several aspects. We fabricate repairs and replacement parts for the aircraft skins and structure working mainly of course with aluminum and steel, but also occasionally titanium and we also do repairs to fiberglass structures as well. We also manufacture and repair hydraulic and fuel lines. Another aspect to my job is aircraft painting...until the early 1990s these were actually 2 separate jobs but were combines as a means to trim manning. Along with the aircraft we also paint and repair any and all aerospace ground equipment. I have worked on numerous aircraft in my time because my career field is not tied to one airframe.....we work on them all. So I have worked on F-111s before they were retired, F-15s, F-16s, A-10s, C-130s, C-5s, C-141, and HH-60 helicopters. That was my job for most of my career, however for 4 years I did have a unique opportunity to work in a bare base unit stationed out of Holloman AFB in NM. It was for the most part a CE unit and the mission was to inspect/upkeep bare base equipment and when the need arises deploy to location X and build a bare base from the ground up. Now you ask why is an aircraft maintainer assigned to a CE unit....simple, some of the shelters maintained and deployed from our unit were manufactures using aluminum skinned honeycomb panels. Same type construction used on some aircraft, so this unit had a small number of aircraft maintainers for the purpose of repairing those panels as needed. Of course we also got deploy along the CE troops as well. My most memorable time in that unit was a deployment to Kuwait to build a bare base for use by special operations units....Navy Seals, and Army Rangers. We landed and were basically third on the ground. Only security and EOD troops beat us there. We landed after 25 hours in transit and started building tents as soon as our boots were on the ground....otherwise we would have been sleeping under the stars the first night. We spent 3 weeks there building the camp, it was a great experience. Not only because it was something and someplace new that I had never gotten to experience, but because I knew I was part of something important.Now here at Columbus, AFB where the primary mission is pilot training and all the aircraft maintenance is contracted out, my job is QA. I work more or less for the contracting officer who oversees the aircraft maintenance contract. My office is about a 50/50 split of military and civil servants and we oversee the contractors to ensure maintenance being performed is being done so correctly. Its actually a really easy job...the easiest I've had in the AF and a great way to wind down my career.

[Jake]

I was in tanks, Centurions then Leopards in the Aussie army for 22 yrs, no active service.

Hello ThommoPerth,I'm trying to get my teenage high school son to get into the Marines or an Army unit dealing withthe Abrams tank. Being a tank or maintenance crew, how was your time in the Aussie Army?His second choice is to go into any technical field that he could use once he gets out. I figuredanything to do with high tech equipment, fixed wing or rotary aircraft maintenance should be histicket of getting a good job on the outside. Any other ideas?By the way, to my fellow vets of all flags, I wish to salute each and every one of you guys for ajob well done. At least we did not come home in a body bag. Most importantly, on behalf of myfellow vets, may all the fallen warriors rest in peace. Edited February 19, 2012 by Jake

[gapotwo]

TANKERS and Submariners are the same. we have no time for Bu##sh$t. Tanks EJ. :cheersty:

[Jake]

Retired from the US Navy in 1990 as ETCM (E-9) after serving 21 years of active service.  In retrospect, I was glad that

the US government dictated my career path (mandatory draft during Vietnam War). Otherwise, I would probably still be

a bum and living off my parents....he, he.  

 

My rating was electronics technician, responsible for all comms, navigation and radar systems that are installed on typical

naval warships.  Also certified as a cyrpto and satcom geek and later, as combat systems tech working on missile launching

systems. Out of sheer boredom, during the last several years of my career, got certified as conning officer, CIC watch officer

and command master chief.

 

My last command was a nuke powered missile cruiser (USS Truxtun) and what a piece of chit that was.  Me being regular navy

mostly on frigates and cruisers, the nuke navy finally did me in.  Never met so many prima donnas, both enlisted and officers.

In fact, I had to obey my first direct order by forcing me to attend my own retirement ceremony.  I refused to shake the hands

of the captain, a total douche bag.  My retirement speech is probably the shortest in US naval history:

 

I detest leadership by fear and leadership by arrogance.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Jake
spil chek

[i am bob]

You lucky buggers!I am credited with 19 years service here in Canada on CH125 SeaKing Helos (affectionately known as the SeaPig) and the CF104 Starfighter (LawnDart). Though initially trained as an Integral Systems Technician, we eventually amalgamated with the Comm and Radar techs into a full Avionics Techs. But, as Canada is known to stretch manpower, I also was able to move out of trade for a bit and become a Systems Administrator on the computer network and then the Training Coordinator which was basically a school administrator / Ministry of Transport Licencing Authority. And in the same vein of stretching manpower, secondary duties over the years consisted of Tech Librarian, Tech Writing, Torpedo Loading Crew, NDT, firefighter, flight line servicing crew, Transient Services Crew Chief (for visiting aircraft), flight deck crew member, tow crew member / director / tow operator, aircraft maintenance QA, Sports Officer Junior Ranks (oops - volunteered for that one), hanger canteen manager, tool crib operator, administrative staff for the Air Maintenance Servicing Officer, Aircraft Crash Crew and probably another 20 or more positions but my fingers are getting sore!HEY! WAKE UP!!! :cheersty: :lol: :540:

Edited February 19, 2012 by i am bob

[Art2ro]

But, as Canada is known to stretch manpower, I also was able to move out of trade for a bit and become a Systems Administrator on the computer network and then the Training Coordinator which was basically a school administrator / Ministry of Transport Licencing Authority. And in the same vein of stretching manpower, secondary duties over the years consisted of Tech Librarian, Tech Writing, Torpedo Loading Crew, NDT, firefighter, flight line servicing crew, Transient Services Crew Chief (for visiting aircraft), flight deck crew member, tow crew member / director / tow operator, aircraft maintenance QA, Sports Officer Junior Ranks (oops - volunteered for that one), hanger canteen manager, tool crib operator, administrative staff for the Air Maintenance Servicing Officer, Aircraft Crash Crew and probably another 20 or more positions but my fingers are getting sore!

Yeah Bob, I know what you mean! I may have just worked on 2 types of aircraft, but I was also a jack of all trades working other aircraft systems which only specialists did as if my job didn't have enough to do! In the beginning of my military career, we were just taught your basic mechanic duties, which turned into other duties like electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, radio comm and navigational systems as manning decreased! We also had to learn how to drive these big heavy duty tow vehicles in towing these gigantic C-5 aircraft and also the high reach vehicle to get to the tail of the C-5 70ft in the air or just to deice the surface exterior of the aircraft and we also changed tires and brakes, which there are 28 of them on a C-5 weighing in at 120lbs each, which we averaged half a dozen tire changes per 8 hr shifts! It was a daunting task, but some one had to do it! I also had another career field where I didn't get my hands dirty as a "Production Scheduler" for either aircraft maintenance in job control command center or in the fabrication branch repair cycle as a scheduler and a local manufacture scheduler, which I did for about 4 years, but since the pay wasn't good I decided to get out of active duty and go back to working on the C-5s as a Civil Service employee / (ART) Air Reserve Technician and the salary was a bit better and still get to travel to where the aircraft went! Edited February 19, 2012 by Art2ro

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I was an Engineman in the US Navy. One of the duties is working on the big diesels on ships using them for main propulsion. Luckily I was on a gas turbine ship. So we worked on pretty much anything mechanical that wasn't the main engines. I did the air conditioning, refrigeration, galley equipment, laundry equipment, the steering gear hydraulics. But my favorite thing was the distilling plants. We made seawater into potable water. and we made so much we dumped water overboard 4 or 5 hours a night. It is easier to dump it than shut down/restart equipment - they are quite finicky. But I only got about 5 years in before my seizures started. They decided it would best not to re-enlist. But at least they still pay a littleAnd if anyone cares I was on a Spruance destroyer Gulf War era. USS Fletcher DD-992. There is a horrible Youtube video showing the sinking. Damn Aussies and their torpedo's! (It's ok, it was during Rimpac and was supposed to get sunk)

[Jake]

You lucky buggers!I am credited with 19 years service here in Canada on CH125 SeaKing Helos (affectionately known as the SeaPig) and the CF104 Starfighter (LawnDart). Though initially trained as an Integral Systems Technician, we eventually amalgamated with the Comm and Radar techs into a full Avionics Techs. But, as Canada is known to stretch manpower, I also was able to move out of trade for a bit and become a Systems Administrator on the computer network and then the Training Coordinator which was basically a school administrator / Ministry of Transport Licencing Authority. And in the same vein of stretching manpower, secondary duties over the years consisted of Tech Librarian, Tech Writing, Torpedo Loading Crew, NDT, firefighter, flight line servicing crew, Transient Services Crew Chief (for visiting aircraft), flight deck crew member, tow crew member / director / tow operator, aircraft maintenance QA, Sports Officer Junior Ranks (oops - volunteered for that one), hanger canteen manager, tool crib operator, administrative staff for the Air Maintenance Servicing Officer, Aircraft Crash Crew and probably another 20 or more positions but my fingers are getting sore!HEY! WAKE UP!!! :hystery: :hystery: :mocking:

OK Bob, you need to be more explicit on your job description regarding hanger canteen manager. Was that hazardous duty status?

[ThommoPerth]

I was in tanks, Centurions then Leopards in the Aussie army for 22 yrs, no active service.

Hello ThommoPerth,I'm trying to get my teenage high school son to get into the Marines or an Army unit dealing withthe Abrams tank. Being a tank or maintenance crew, how was your time in the Aussie Army?His second choice is to go into any technical field that he could use once he gets out. I figuredanything to do with high tech equipment, fixed wing or rotary aircraft maintenance should be histicket of getting a good job on the outside. Any other ideas?By the way, to my fellow vets of all flags, I wish to salute each and every one of you guys for ajob well done. At least we did not come home in a body bag. Most importantly, on behalf of myfellow vets, may all the fallen warriors rest in peace.

I had a good time in the Aussie Army.I recommend these days to young people to do something that will give them employment when they leave the services. Because there is not much call for tank crewmen and grunts in civvy street.