(snicker) Um, pal, were you NEVER paying attention when ANY military person was talking? Sheesh, I’m a lifelong civilian (although a bit of an AF brat and if they had more jobs for shoe straighteners and fewer jobs for targets in '72 that might have been a different story) and I know about “hurry up and wait.”
Hey Dave!
If they delay you long enough I know they great Dope-A-Ween thing you could come to!
Really!
Dave,
Maybe I missed this in some of your previous posts about going into the Air Force. What are you going into after basic? I’m assuming you’ve got something lined up.
IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP
Do not let the Air Force select a job for you
The recruiter told me to call today, as he would have a date for me. So I called, and lo and behold, he wasn’t there.
sigh Once again I am left out in the cold. This is the second time it’s happened, and there will not be a third, I assure you.
Now for all of you military personnel out there, I’d like to ask a question, with the utmost sincerity:
Is this really the standard way of doing things, or does it seem kinda weird to you? It seems very weird to me. Frankly, I’m starting to get very annoyed right now.
Thanks again for letting me vent before, and for letting me do so now.
-A very upset Dave
PS Bluepony, I’m going into Air Comm, should I ever go.
Airman Doors,
Yes and no. I think all of us “old salts” exaggerate terribly when it comes to how bad the food was and how much we had to “hurry up and wait.” Twenty or thirty yers from now, and you’ll be BS-ing with the best of us.
There is a barely controlled chaos to a lot of what the military does, and a lot of sitting around waiting for some sixth-grade gradute of a platoon sergeant to make a decision–any decision, for Christ’s Sake!, but I’ve never heard of someone being jerked around this much just trying to report to basic. Hell, my recruiter drove me from London, KY to Lexington to put me on the plane.
Sir Rhosis
Dave,
Can’t promise much, but us retired USAF-types keep in touch with friends in and out of the USAF. Lemme bounce this situation off of a few buddies who are in the Recruiting Service and see what they have to say. Might have to call in some poker IOUs, but what the hell. 
It could be as simple as a lack of MTIs during your projected training cycle. Lackland has scaled down quite a bit from the glory days of the Reagan build-up when I went in. There are only a handful of training squadrons left there and the infrastructure has shrunk down somewhat. Lately it’s been tough getting new MTIs, and even MTIs have to go on leave and take time with their families, etc. Your problem could be as basic as too few MTIs to take charge of new recruits.
Incidentally, recruiters are basically salesmen. You are a past, successful sale and now they must move on and get their quota. Nothing personal, but they’re hustling for the next sale. They don’t have a lot of control getting you to Lackland. That’s the domain of Air Education and Training Command and the Basic Military Training School at Happy Valley (Lackland).
FWIW, Dave, it seems a pretty weird way of doing business to me, as well. Usually the Air Force tries to get you there as quick as you can, in case you get cold feet and decide to back out.
Lemme see what my compadres in the Old Sergeants Mafia have to say about your problem. If you can get it solved before I have to sit through the mandatory exchanges of beer and war stories, more power to you Dave. I'll try to get a somewhat intelligent answer, if I can. :DIs it too late to go enlist in the Army?
No. This is not standard, and I’m getting pretty pissed by the treatment, or lack thereof, that you’re recieving.
While it’s entirely true that Recruiters are salesmen, and recruiting is sales, it’s also true, and part of standard operating procedure, that a Recruiter has two responsibilities: Make The Sale (find the recruit); and Follow-Through (make sure the recruit ships to Basic, and, as much as possible, ensure the recruit can make it through basic).
Now, I don’t know the Air Force procedure on how Follow-Through is done, but when I recruited for the Navy (three years ago), it was Manditory that the Recruiter contacted his or her recruits once a week at minimum, including at least one face-to-face per month. Further, it was the Responsibility of the Recruiter to begin the recruit’s military training immediately, at least in the Core Values, Sailor’s Creed, and Code Of Conduct. I’m sure the USAF has a similar requirement. If possible, the Recruiter was to try and get the recruit to finish as many correspondance courses as possible, as completing enough Military Education before basic could mean a promotion even before completing boot camp, which means more money in the recruit’s pocket, and less chance of the recruit attriting along the way.
I’ll tell you this: When I was ‘On The Bag’, if any Recruiter jerked his recruit around, the Chief Recruiter kicked his ass in a righteous manner (It happened once or twice, but not often: The results were too painful for it to common).
Advice: Contact your Recruiter’s Squadron and inquire directly. If you’re not getting the attention you deserve, you’ve become an attrition risk, and the Squadron will want to know about it. Leadership means acting responsibly towards your subordinates (among other things), and your Recruiter hasn’t done so towards you, or you’d not be here in the pit, asking if this was common behavior for a Recruiter.
I thought I might drop a line in on this, since I exited the AF in '98.
I may have been an exception to the rule, but here’s my story:
I went to the recruiter’s station at the age of 21. When I walked in, SSgt Battista was with another victim, er, potential recruit. He paused breifly to see who came in and asked me if he could help me. I told him I wanted to join the Air Force. The look on his face was priceless. He clapped his hands together and urged me to stay right there while he finishes up his meeting. A few minutes later the couple he was seeing exited and we sat down and talked. He never lied to me, and he did the best he could for me, or if he wasn’t there the other recruiter TSgt I forget his name now, would help. They got me set up with the ASVAB and invited me to the monthly gatherings. Sometimes it was Pizza Hut, another time it was Paintball. I needed to lose weight (I was 218, and I needed to be under 211, but he wanted me under 201) so he took me to the basketball courts at the reserve facility to play ball during his lunch break. He suggested that I take diuretic pills to take off a few pounds of water weight, which I did. This all started in Feb, and I shipped off May 10th.
The only thing that I thought was bad was the day I was to ship off. My dad dropped me off, and he greeted us, and asked what was up. “Um, I start basic tomorrow.”
“Oh Yeah! We gotta get to the bus station!!” (Austin is close to San Antonio) So we hopped in the van and drove to the station. On the way there he was saying, “basic sucks. It’s terrible. But it’s only six weeks and as long as you stay straight, you’ll be fine.”
He never lied to me, and as I looked back, there were some things he didn’t tell me, but I chalk that up to either me not asking or him not remembering it. It’s a lot of stuff to remember.
The shoe aligner is good advice. Cleaning bathrooms is not. That’s what I got to do. If you get that destinction, suggest that everyone use only the toilets, not the urinals. Use baby oil on the showers. Make everyone either sit to pee or clean up after themselves. It’s a thankless job and it sucks. Bed aligner was a cool job too, if I can remember. Hopefully you’re not short, because the shortest person is the Guide-On. Gets to march out front and carry a pole with a flag on it.
I suggest you learn to dry shave. It will save you lots of time. I dry shaved everynight before I went to bed while I was writing letters (yeah, about 2 or 3 wks into it) or cleaning my locker. It’s a little painful at first, but once you get used to it it’s easy. Plus you won’t have to worry about cutting your face while some shlump pushes you to get to the mirror in the morning while the TI is screaming at you. Also, if you can volunteer for dorm guard, do it at night! No one comes to the door at night (usually) and you can sometimes sleep at the post, but it looks like your reading your ATO. Keep quiet! I talk a lot, so I always talked, but the guys who had it the best were the ones that were quiet. Oh, and get along with the guys who will end up sitting next to you. My number was 34, so I had to always sit next to McElroy (we weren’t related) and McGuire(he was cool). If you don’t get along with those two guys who will always be placed next to you, it’ll be a long month and a half.
I know that’s a lot but hey, I like looking out for AF people. They’re good people (usually) and the AF is like a family. Oh, don’t choose Nellis AFB, but if you can go TDY there, do it, and see if you can get put on swing shift. You’ll miss some shows, but you can go gambling every night after work, then sleep till you have to go back. It was fun, oh and stay off the strip, those are expensive. Go to Sam’s Town or something that’s been paid for… that’s in the future…
Lastly, when you do get in write me, and let me know where you’re going for Tech School. If you go to Shepard AFB, you’ll be stopping at Richland Mall at about 11a here in Waco. That’s better than what I got. I got the Luby’s in Bellmead. Can’t check out the new music at Luby’s. Until then, email me: tmcelroy@hot.rr.com. Let me know when you go, so I can hear from you.
If necessary, take this up the chain of command and keep bringing it up till you find an answer that makes you happy.
If you get all the way to the head of the line and keep getting jerked around, your local congressman’s office has a special aide on staff that works with the military and VA. They can get results where no one else can.
It would not surprise me in the least if this guy really isn’t following up on your ship date. But do take it up with the chain of command, and you WILL get results.
Robin
Dave, I feel your pain. For those of you who have been keeping track, I’m going to be a US Foreign Service Officer. I’ve known that this was what I wanted to do since I started college. I got out, got my degree and have been working for two years. I passed the Foreign Service Oral exam back in March, and was told that clearances, etc, security checks would take about three to six months. The problem is that they only run three or four “classes” of officers each year. This year, the last class is slated to begin in September.
No problem, I thought, and made plans to be in that class.
Turns out that even though I already have a TS clearance, they had to do an entirely new clearance process, which is going to be done this week. So I probably won’t get the September class. No real problem there, I figured I’d ride it out at my current job until then. Then I got the talk, and got informed that I’ll be made redundant as of Sept. 14. So now I have to find work that will keep the rent paid until April at least, and get told jack squat about what my chances are.
I have a liason officer and everything, and it’s like getting blood from a turnip to get him to tell me anything.
Now, since this is my dream job, I won’t tell the gummint to go screw themselves, but this will mean that if I get the April class, it will have been an entire year from the time I got told “You passed the test! Come work for us!” to the time I actually start. And now I have to go find another job on top of everything.
don’t volunteer…check
get the Shoe aligner detail…check
be a guide-on…check
been there done that. I once got yelled at by a TI for spinning the guide flag like one of the honor guard troops…hehehe.
Hell, basic was even fun if you had the right mind set. I look back on it now and laugh. Anyone remember the snake pit at lunch time?!
I wish you the best, Dave. Hopefully your patience will pay off soon.
I am oh so close to telling this guy to take a hike. To this point I have been patient and understanding. I understand that these things do happen.
But if this MSgt does not return my call on Monday I’m gonna crack some skulls. I called him twice this week, in addition to one of his associates, and all I got for my trouble was an opportunity to talk to an answering machine.
I’m thinking I’m gonna go to a different recruiter and ditch this guy, because he is clearly inept at his job. I haven’t heard even so much as an excuse for why I’m being delayed in a full week and a half.
Guys, I’m ashamed to say this, but my enthusiasm is waning rapidly. I worked so fucking hard to get where I am today, I made a decision to better myself and the Armed Forces of my country, and to reflect my pride I went so far as to change my SN. Well, I just don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t have the strength to endure this for too much longer.
This is the very last you’ll hear about this unless it’s good news, since I’m sure you’re all getting as sick of this as I am.
-Dave
You are welcome to align my shoes and clean my toilet for a few days until your recruiter comes through.
You have heard.
Both from servicemen and prior-servicemen that this is the norm in the military.
While I have never heard of such a SNAFU at the recruiting level. Be advised this is SOP.
Ah, know the feeling. I’ve been active duty for a few months now, but I still have another month of waiting and doing odd jobs till I get to Intel training. My clearances are done and I am ready to go, but I’ve got to wait for the next class start date. There’s a backlog of trainees, so I must bide my time calmly.
As for the new personnel system, it’s a bit of a mess. A sergeant where I work is currently waiting for like 2 or 3 payments/bonuses that were supposed to come in a long time ago. I don’t think that excuses the inattention of your recruiter though. If nothing comes of this, get contact info for a superior NCO or officer and point out the inattention you’ve been getting and what effect it is having. Hopefully that person will light a fire under the MSgt.
Don’t let it get you down. Your positive attitude will serve you well at BMT, but a negative one will make for a long 6 weeks.
I certainly feel for your anguish and would like to suggest an alternative: THE ARMY!!!
Signed, USN (Ret.)
Just kiddin’; hang in there. Above posters (USAF) are correct. You’ll grow to love hanging around and waiting; trust 'em!
Dude, that is cold. Accurate, but cold.
Please keep us posted, Airman. Really.
Robin
Mmmm… butt ramming Dave Cartwright…
Update, please? A month? A year? Running away to the Arctic to live in an iglu?
I finally got to speak to my recruiter. He told me that is was now out of his hands, that I was in the system. He said that he would know exactly what was going on in about a week. He further stated that I would have approximately three weeks of advance notice.
Adding it all up, I now have approximately a month to wait before I leave.
I’m taking this with a huge grain of salt, especially after my earlier disappointment, but at least there seems to be a light at the end of this tunnel.
I’m still annoyed at the damn recriter, though. He has not made any effort to keep me apprised of the situation. I’ve done all the calling, all the checking. But when I’m gone, that will all just be an unhappy memory.
As far as the Army goes, I have but one thing to say: 
[sub]Sorry, ExTank.[/sub]
So that’s my story as of 8:30 pm Thursday. I’ll be sure to let you guys know what’s up.
PS Ginger, if I do in fact move to the Arctic, you’ll be the very first to know. 