I was told I would be on TDY status since I am reserve and prior service with the rank of E-4. What can I expect at tech school when I finally go? My main concern is will I be able to take my laptop? I am a single homeowner and will have many bills to pay online while I am gone.
Just like being TDY anywhere else, only difference is you will be going to school. After school, you will be able to do whatever you want to. Being an E-4, you may (depending on where you go) may have a room mate. Take a laptop, your XBOX, your DVD player and movies. I did....you will be able to do what you want and there is usually internet access in the rooms.
What schhol are you going to? When I went to mine, I drove my Jeep to school, had my desktop computer, stereo, etc. The E-4s in my class lived in smaller rooms, but they were by themselves. They had refrigerators, TVs with DVD players, etc. Like Wingnut said, time after school and on weekends is yours. Just remember to use some of it to study. We had mandatory PT three mornings a week too.
Yes, a lot of guys drive to Sheppard for schools. It's only hard on the guys right out of BMT. Since you're prior you won't have to worry about phases, marching, base details, PT, etc. You're just going to be TDY and after school you can do whatever you would do on any other TDY.
I'll be in the same situation only going to Goodfellow as an E-5. I've been told by other people in my unit that have done the same thing that the Marines run the PT for that group. I'm going as a 1N1 but I'm not sure what "that group" meant.
Originally posted by 119FWMXS: I'll be in the same situation only going to Goodfellow as an E-5. I've been told by other people in my unit that have done the same thing that the Marines run the PT for that group. I'm going as a 1N1 but I'm not sure what "that group" meant.
Now that concerns me, lol. The last thing I joined the USAF for is to have Marines running anything over me!
You should be in the TDY dorms, unless there full. I was there not long ago for 7 lvl school. Prior service is pretty cool because you get to do whatever you want for the most part. You can eat with your flight or head back to your room. During my Tech School, (F-16 Arm), the TDY folks didn't have to march with us or anything. We use to joke with them and tell them they were "just visiting" because they were treated like guests while we were treated like step children.
PD3rdACR is coming from a totally different perspective than all of you guys. Wingnut's response was "just like any other TDY".
Little do y'all know how suckA$$ the Army treats you in the schoolhouse...even as a prior service troop. I've been to 4 Army formal MOS (AFSC) producing schools...they sucked almost equally each time. I was an E-4 being marched to and from class every day. I was sitting 12 hour CQ shifts, pulling "area beautification" duty on most 3 day weekends (at least 1 of the 3 days) and standing guard at the gate as a Military Police augmentee for 12 hour shifts. NCO's had 2 man rooms with adjoining latrines with another 2 man room, and they were kept to inspection standard ALL through the length of class. I lived in a squad room with 7 other soldiers in bunk beds with green wool sheets. This is NOT in a "pipeline" enviornment. This is YEARS after the initial entry training days. In the Army, a student is a student...and an NCO student is simply able to take additional responsibility for managing said students on the numerous details. NCO's worked harder on the duty side than the lower E's, and they couldn't wait to get the hell out of school.
From what I undestand of the Air Force, things are not quite this way. All the ex-Army folks I spoke with at my 1st Air Force drill last weekend said it is a night and day difference in that regard.
Good luck PD3rdACR...if you hear any of these young AF kids whining when you get to the schoolhouse, be sure to sit them on your lap and tell them an Army story from the 'olden days'.
You will enjoy it. No marching to class, one the pipleline students do that. However, you will have mandatory PT 3 times a week, that is also not bad it will just keep you in shape. You may have a roommate, but you also may have a private room. The TDY Dorms are setup with 2 beds for E-1--E-4's. I went to Sheppard as a prior service student. Texoma is what you make of it. Utilize all of the base facilities.
Yes, I have also been TDY to many Army bases, you made the right choice with the AF.
Originally posted by lstgnfghtr: PD3rdACR is coming from a totally different perspective than all of you guys. Wingnut's response was "just like any other TDY".
Little do y'all know how suckA$$ the Army treats you in the schoolhouse...even as a prior service troop. I've been to 4 Army formal MOS (AFSC) producing schools...they sucked almost equally each time. I was an E-4 being marched to and from class every day. I was sitting 12 hour CQ shifts, pulling "area beautification" duty on most 3 day weekends (at least 1 of the 3 days) and standing guard at the gate as a Military Police augmentee for 12 hour shifts. NCO's had 2 man rooms with adjoining latrines with another 2 man room, and they were kept to inspection standard ALL through the length of class. I lived in a squad room with 7 other soldiers in bunk beds with green wool sheets. This is NOT in a "pipeline" enviornment. This is YEARS after the initial entry training days. In the Army, a student is a student...and an NCO student is simply able to take additional responsibility for managing said students on the numerous details. NCO's worked harder on the duty side than the lower E's, and they couldn't wait to get the hell out of school.
From what I undestand of the Air Force, things are not quite this way. All the ex-Army folks I spoke with at my 1st Air Force drill last weekend said it is a night and day difference in that regard.
Good luck PD3rdACR...if you hear any of these young AF kids whining when you get to the schoolhouse, be sure to sit them on your lap and tell them an Army story from the 'olden days'.
For me the hardest part of being prior service and then going to tech school as a TDY was putting up with all the whining pipeliners and the lack of respect shown to all us prior service by them. Another thing that annoyed me was that they were allowed to get away with it by alot of instructors.I was at Lackland AFB last year for 4 months in school, I had my own room as an E-5 and I had total freedom away from the " children " as we called them with the exception of PT 3 times a week and sitting in class with them everyday. After that, I was able to come and go as I pleased. I had my laptop with me but I used the computer room in billeting instead, it was nice talking to adults instead of 18 yr old know it all teenagers. Good luck at your school. Oh yeah, take your car if you can, you will go stir crazy without it.
I am a prior-service Air Force guy currently attending tech school at Keesler AFB in Mississippi. I am an E-4.
I have a private room but share a bathroom. I took my laptop with me as there is DSL provided in most lodging areas.
The worst part of tech school is listening to the whiny pipe-liners. Since I had twenty year break between Active Duty and joining the ANG I am older than all the students and all of my instructors so far. That's not the bad part. As the most senior persona in class, based on rank not age, I am the class leader.
Several of the Airmen in the class have very little respect for anyone below Staff Sergeant and they JUST got out of Basic Training! Simply amazing. I've had several tough moments trying to reign in the wilder people. The instructors are not nearly as strict as I think that they should be. Way too much horsing around is allowed when they should be serious.
Other than the whiny, nearly un-manageable couple of Airmen, I am having a great time going through tech school a second time.
Things must have changed a lot since I cross-trained. I cross trained as an E-4 and was just about sick and tired of the pipelines going out of their way to treat me like one of the NCO's. They were almost at the "suck up" level. Maybe it was because our school is in Lackland? BTW 7-Level was even worst.
Things most certainly have changed! I can't recall anyone in my class acting up when I was in tech school back in 1982.
A lot of kids these days seem to only show respect when they have too. They are far too mouthy. It's sad, really.
I don't want to paint a broad stroke against all kids. Some of the kids in my class who acted up probably wouldn't have done so if the main instigators were not in the class with them. A classic match to gas scenario.
When I first attended Tech School at Keesler it was only pipeline students, no prior service. And the instructors were all military. You did not dare even talk without permission. Loooooong time ago. I attended a 6 month tech school in 2003, again at Keesler, and things had changed so much. More than half of the class was prior service. But to be fair, it is not only the pipline students who are disrespectfull, it is also the prior service students. One of the biggest reasons they are that way is because they are allowed to be. There are class leaders and as such they need to step to the plate and not allow that kind of behaviour from any one.
