Navy or Air Farce?

A friend sent this one on to me I hadn't seen it before thought you would all
agree with his comments.
Sparky
USN or USAF?
by Bob Norris

Bob Norris is a former Naval Aviator who also did a 3 year exchange tour
flying the F-15 Eagle. He is now an accomplished author of entertaining
books about US Naval Aviation including "Check Six" and "Fly-Off".
Checkout his web site at http://www.bobnorris.com/.

In response to a letter from an aspiring fighter pilot on which military
academy to attend, Bob replied with the following.

12 Feb 04
Young Man,
Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force
Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a
fine way to serve your country. As you requested, I'd be happy to share
some insight into which service would be the best choice. Each service
has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself "Which one
am I more likely to thrive in?"

USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run.
Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet
high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are
top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent.
Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The
USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you'll know what
to expect, what is expected of you, and you'll be given the training &
tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a
situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for
most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force
pilot...so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry
one.

Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black shoes
(surface warfare) and bubble heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy
is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The
Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be
great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the
other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise
and months on cruise. The quality of the aircraft varies directly with
the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth;
you'll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from
terrific to the troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will
be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you
will be humbled and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training
will vary and sometimes you will be in over your head. You will miss
many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious
duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad weather and/or at night and
you will be scared many times. You will fly with legends in the Navy
and they will kick your ass until you become a lethal force. And some
days - when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will
catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be
drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it. The hottest girl in the
bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore.

Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in Colorado.
Banzai
P.S. Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.

On 04 Mar 2004 00:36:57 GMT, (Elmshoot) disturbed the
phosphur particles on my screen with the following:

(snipped a whole lot of truth)

P.S. Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.

Three things

1-The USAF is like a flying club but with bullets.

2- It's true that Navy wings are made of gold.
It's been said that USAF wings are made of lead.

3- Did you ever wonder what ever happened to those old Greyhound bus
driver uniforms?


SEMPER FI!

P.S. Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits. BRBR

They also flare to land and squat to pee...
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer

On 04 Mar 2004 14:14:04 GMT, (Pechs1) wrote:

P.S. Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits. BRBR

They also flare to land and squat to pee...
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer

Is there no one in this forum who will speak the truth?

We flare to land because we can. We don't squat to pee. We don't iron
our flight suits, they look that way because we put a clean one on
every day and it hasn't been through the ship's laundry.

We have a drink before meals and afterward as well. There's an O'Club
at our operating location. We can leave the water running when we
shower. They wash our airplanes so they don't look like something out
of "Junkyard Wars" or "Mad Max".

And, it is a helluva lot warmer in Colorado Springs in the winter than
either West Point or Annapolis.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

With 20 years in the Navy, many of them spent under Army or Air Force commands,
I must say that the AF has it the easiest. While stationed at March AF Base
going through a joint service school in the 50s, the Navy platoon sang this as
we marched to classes every day:

Up in the air, Junior Birdmen
Up in the air, upside down
Up in the air, Junior birdmen
With your noses to the ground
When you hear the grand announcement
That their wings are made of tin
You will know Junior Birdmen
Have sent their boxtops in
It takes..........
1 label.....
2 bottle caps
3 boxtops
and ...... one.... thin..... dime.

Hark! Hark! The Snark!
We shot a Snark into the air
And when it landed
We know not where
Hark! Hark! The Snark

That was a hundred years ago.... or was it two hundred.......
Dave

http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 07:44:19 -0700, Ed Rasimus
wrote:

On 04 Mar 2004 14:14:04 GMT, (Pechs1) wrote:

P.S. Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits. BRBR

They also flare to land and squat to pee...
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer

Is there no one in this forum who will speak the truth?

We flare to land because we can. We don't squat to pee. We don't iron
our flight suits, they look that way because we put a clean one on
every day and it hasn't been through the ship's laundry.

We have a drink before meals and afterward as well. There's an O'Club
at our operating location. We can leave the water running when we
shower. They wash our airplanes so they don't look like something out
of "Junkyard Wars" or "Mad Max".

And, it is a helluva lot warmer in Colorado Springs in the winter than
either West Point or Annapolis.
Hey, hey, hey --- the IMPORTANT thing here is that you served
honorably. Don't be so damn hard on yourself...
Regards,



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

Only in Navy Air do you get a single last shot to come aboard a pitching,
rolling carrier by flying under a steel cable into a nylon net strung above
the deck. And survive to brag about it! (just remember to pull that
parachute pack out of your puckered sphincter before you deplane.

WDA
CDR USN

end

"Pechs1" wrote in message
...
P.S. Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.
BRBR

They also flare to land and squat to pee...
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye
Phlyer

"Elmshoot" wrote in message
...

A friend sent this one on to me I hadn't seen it before thought you
would all agree with his comments.
Sparky
USN or USAF?


Naval aviation exists for those that can't qualify for the Air Force.

A version ofhat song was in a movie I saw when I was a kid in the '50s. Pretty
sure it was To Hell and Back, Audie Murphy's story
.. While stationed at March AF Base
going through a joint service school in the 50s, the Navy platoon sang this as
we marched to classes every day:

Up in the air, Junior Birdmen....

Well, I almost went the V12 program in 1950. My buddie's jarhead
aviator brother tried to talk me into it. Then I thought of sailing
around in a damn boat for six months at a whack in a strictly male
atmosphere and decided not only no but hell no. Next year I joined the
Air Force. Never regretted it. Got to fly the hottest airplane in the
world - the Dash 19 104A. Also got to spend 22 years in fighter
cockpits (F86/F102/F104/F4). Was still flying the F4 and filling a
combat slot right up to two months before I hung it up for good. Not
too shabby for a 49 year old. Go Air Force! I even almost forgave
DCS/P for that 4 years at a desk in USAFE after SEA.
Walt BJ