Okay, could someone please claify for me? My son just left for Tech school in pesacola, Fl. At his graduation he said he was told that they can arm him & send him out to fight! Is this true? He is my only child, and chose the AF because he did not want to be on the front lines fighting for his life. He is training for structual maintenace of planes. Would they train him to go to the front lines and fight before they sent him out? I questioned his recruiter endlessly before he signed because of my fear of this exact situation, but, as I am finding out, there is A LOT they you aren't told before hand. We where told his job was a "safe" job with very little chance if any of being killed in service. I am worried sick about all this. He LOVES his choice so far, and has done extremely well. He is however worried about being shot at & possible death, being moved to the front lines of "hot" war zones. Is there any truth to this? He is my only child & I am worried sick.

Mom, you need to sit down and take a deep breath. OK. Better now?

Without a lot of beating around the bush, here's the scoop. When we signed on the dotted line, we all signed up for whatever came up--for richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. Sometimes you get all that in a single day.

Now, for the rest of the story. Your son is in a job that is just about as safe as any other in the Air Force--safer than many. Now, understand this: the AF doesn't put its airplanes where they're not going to be reasonably safe--as safe as they can make them. His airplanes are not going to be anywhere near a "fence", where they--or their maintainers--can be used for random target practice.

Is it possible he could, occasionally, be tasked for some duty that would take him off the base? Yeah, the possibility exists. But, his primary job is going to remain structural maintenance, nowhere near the front lines of a hot war zone. And, should the situation arise where he would be off the base, he would be well prepared ahead of time.

Both you and he need to take a deep breath, followed closely by a Chill Pill.

Thank you for always being the one to address my concerns, you are really on top of things I was just so worried, we kind of guided him towards this career path because it is an excellent path for his future! But, I would have never even dreamed of encouraging this path if I thought I would possiblly bury my only child. He loves it thus far, and is having a great time & excelling beyond my wildest dreams! (Won BEAST excellence, even though he HATED beast week!,never got a 341 pulled, etc.)He is just worried obviously about being killed in duty, so I was also of course. I guess they really put that in your head at BMT...you will be deployed in x amount of months, for x amount of months. You can be made to fight on front lines, etc. Just wanted to get any ideas of what to expect. Can't help worrying, sorry! I am so proud of him, but that young man is my HEART...always will be. This has been amazingly hard for me, what a roller coaster of emotions!

quote:

Can't help worrying, sorry! I am so proud of him, but that young man is my HEART...always will be.

No sweat, Mom--that's kind of your job, eh???

I joined the Air Force when I was just 21, back in 1969. You can take a quick look back at your history book for a little refresher as to what was going on in the world at that time--the world just wasn't a very safe place to be. My own mother just about had a stroke when I went down to talk to my Air Force recruiter--I had decided to stay out of school for an extra semester to work, and the Draft Board was breathing down my neck at the time, and to my mind, AF was an excellent alternative (when I went down for my initial physical, they had a group of draftees who were going on active duty that day; they had those guys lined up against the wall, counting: "One, two, three, Marine; one, two, three, Marine." 1 out of 4 of those draftees were going to the Marine Corps, the other three were going on active duty with the Army. I have all the respect in the world for the Corps, and for all those who have fought and died for the rest of us, I just didn't particularly want to be one of them.) I had a 24-year career with the Air Force, both enlisted and officer. I've been retired since early 1993, and I still miss being on active duty. But, to the day I had my retirement ceremony, my mother continued to live for the day when I was no longer active.

You'll be doing yourself, and your son, a big favor if you can just quit obsessing over all the things that MIGHT happen. There's a whole, great big ol' world out there, with worlds of possibilities. I finally got my mother to visit with me in most of the places where I was stationed (although I never got her to Germany--she said, "If they ever build a bridge." ), and she eventually realized that the Air Force was a life, and a way of life, that I loved--not that I didn't still love and respect her, and my dad, but I had a life of my own, with my family--and my Air Force family--that was very different from the one I left when I enlisted. And that life was what I wanted, one that left me very fulfilled and both satisfied and gratified with the things that I had accomplished.

Yeah, letting go is tough! I pray nightly for all of our service members,in all branches. So many "babies" in uniform. They are some mothers babies & I pray for their safe return home to mom. What a terrific bunch of young men & women willing to serve! It is rather like continueous prayer though. I want to hug & hold them all. I am a born "worrier" though & prayer is all I have.
I have been told though, that AF is the "safer" branch & amazing quality of life. Son is looking at career AF! We'll wait & see. I share your mothers concern though...I will breath easier when it is over! I have at least 6 years to go! I would love to send you a big hug for all your input, you have been my "angel" of comfort. Too many unknowns for my liking at this point...

quote:

Originally posted by wgraham969:
Now, understand this: the AF doesn't put its airplanes where they're not going to be reasonably safe--as safe as they can make them. His airplanes are not going to be anywhere near a "fence", where they--or their maintainers--can be used for random target practice.

They must not have cared much about our 141's or C-5's from WPAFB lol.....whenever we broke hard down range we were towed to the "fingers" which was right by the fence line.

Before that gets anybody worked up understand nobody was ever injured from this but it wasn't exactly a hardened, reinforced bunker that they put the shiny new fighters in...

When I was in Iraq, there was as much maintenance done outside the hangars as in them. You do what have to do, where and when you have to, in order to meet mission requirements. My hat is off to the young men and women who bend the wrenches under those conditions.

I've been wearing a beret and toting a gun for almost ten years now. In that time I have done plenty of things both inside and outside the wire that were less than safe. That said, I have never once seen a maintainer heading out with us on a convoy and manning a gun. Not trying to be negative at all, to all you maintainers out there I have nothing but respect, I don't know how you guys manage to stay out there all day long doing what you do.

That being said, the Air Force is trying to put itself and its new airmen in to a more "military" combat mindset. And, without sending OPSEC down the toilet, things are changing and it's not the same ol' AF that it once was. That is why in Basic Training the TI's try to instill in all the trainees that they are in the military and could be called to fight if the time comes. Even still, I can't ever forsee a time when we would have to run out the the line, hand out rifles and send everyone to the fence to fight "them" off.

I think your son has chosen a good field where he can gain a lot of knowledge and experience while still being as "safe" as one can be in the military. I know my mother still wishes I had a nice office job somewhere, but I couldn't give up my dog and my gun for the world.

Gunslinger,I appreciate your perspective. I make no secret of the fact that I'm years removed from active duty, and some information does get "dated." I try to give good information and good advice when I think I can, and I tend to keep my mouth shut (my fingers off the keyboard?) when I'm not sure I can contribute.

Again, thanks for your contributions, both to this forum and to our country's service.