Posts Tagged ‘work’

• Two weeks down

  Date: 2010.09.03 | Category: Flying! | Response: 0

  We had another block test and I passed without issue (again). I did miss one question and it pisses me off because I second guessed myself. Damn.

  Earlier this week I had to yell at an airman for disrespect. He thought we were peers. He was mistaken. He can’t speak to me however he wants and he must do as he is told. It doesn’t matter that I am in the same class as him – I outrank him and if I issue a lawful order he had better damn well do it.

  I’ve got a three day weekend ahead and I haven’t yet figured out how to kill the time. We’ll see what I get into later.

• Flashbacks

  Date: 2010.08.19 | Category: Flying!, work | Response: 0

  Yesterday evening I arrived at Lackland, the home of basic military training for the Air Force. For the next two months I’ll be in class just like every basic training graduate. It’s back to basics for me. I’m retraining into the Loadmaster career field (1A2X1).

  Simply driving around this place has brought back long dormant memories. I saw the building that I lived in when I was just a trainee, the PT grounds that we all hated, and many of the other buildings we visited. It’s simply surreal.

  I’m a day early so I’ve got some time to kill. I think I’ll be able to manage that.

  I had to walk to the ATM this morning to grab some cash. I saw rainbows (brand new trainees that haven’t been issued uniforms) being yelled at, flights practicing marching skills, flights doing group runs complete with cadence, airmen being yelled at for sheer stupidity, and the next age group of Airmen ready to be molded and developed. It’s bizarre to see it again.

  I’m really excited about school – less than 24 hours to go. I can’t wait.

• Almost done

  Date: 2010.05.08 | Category: Life as we know it, desert, rants, work | Response: 0

  The replacements are here and the pass-on has been completed. The new guy doesn’t have any of his worker bees yet but I can’t do anything about that. If all goes to plan – and there is no plan – I’ll be home within the next 14 days. Isn’t that an overly broad swath of time? Isn’t there an overwhelming lack of preciseness?

  I wish that I was being overly vague because I’m not allowed to write about time lines for redeployment. In reality, they haven’t told me anything. I’ve got to find a way to keep myself busy over the next week (or two) or I’m going to loose it.

  I can’t wait to be home with my woman… anybody got an aircraft that has fuel tanks large enough for international travel? Want to come pick me up (along with a few thousand others)?

  For free?

  Guess not. Oh well.

• Filling the days

  Date: 2010.04.16 | Category: desert, work | Response: 0

  I’ve been adept at filling my days at work. We’ve had a constant stream of traffic coming through the door and whenever we find a lull we create additional traffic. For the last week I really haven’t had time to do anything at work but sweat and work. (our a/c is on the fritz… oh well).

  I’ve found that although I can fill the days at work I cannot eat up all of the time during my days off. My solution to the problem: never have a day off. To help keep myself sane, I’m only going to leave early for PT but aside from that I’m just going to work – everyday.

  All things considered, it’s probably the best choice for me. I’m more likely to get involved in some interesting shenanigans and I won’t go stir crazy. Best of all, I won’t notice as the days tick by. I’ve got roughly a month left and then I’m headed home.

• The cassette tape effect

  Date: 2010.03.30 | Category: desert, work | Response: 0

  In the first of many instances of dating myself, I’m using a metaphor for cassette tapes as my post title. What in the world is he going to be talking about? Read on intrepid explorer of the internet.

  Years ago I had a cassette player and I would listen to tapes for hours on end. For quite some time I borrowed my parents but one year I received my own – it was an upgraded model and had an auto reverse. I would listen to the same tapes repeatedly until the material started to warp. After a while the batteries would wear down and everything would start to get comically funny as the motors would run out of juice. The tape would slow down until it eventually stopped.

  Time feels like that cassette player on its last bit of juice – it is dragging. We’ve powered through most of our work and I’m digging for something to keep me occupied. Yes, I still have a little bit to go in each of my classes but its hard to study without break throughout the day. I need something to break up the monotony. We joke about it all the time and we’re sure that a bunch of work will be dumped upon us at any moment. I’m waiting for that moment – I’m waiting for those batteries in my cassette player to be replaced…. still waiting….. and waiting…

• Award Winning Stupid

  Date: 2010.03.23 | Category: desert, rants, shenanigans, work | Response: 0

  I work for three stupid people. They aren’t any brand of stupid, they are award winning stupid. I’ll refer to them as R, S, and O. (they might search the inter webs thus the anonymity).

  O wants everything done immediately and doesn’t understand that we cannot do everything at once. He screams mission at all times.

  S is a complete and total tool. He doesn’t have a clue as to what is going on and spends an overwhelming majority of his time up O’s ass.

  R has a standard answer for everything. Mission. He fails to realize that there are competent people in his workforce that are capable of running their own operation. They will break when necessary and do what they must to complete their work on time. They do not have the time available to take two hour lunch breaks that leave anywhere from 5-40 minutes late. They do not have the time to wait while everyone else wastes time. They want to leave, eat, pick up documents, and return. They can do all of this in less than an hour.

  R and S saw us at lunch and didn’t think that we could be competent people so they mandated that we take the bus. Starting tomorrow we will simply lock the doors at lunch time and all go. If it takes two hours it takes two hours. When we return, we can take our vehicle on a 35 minute round trip so pick up documents. So – for the people that scream mission – they’ve mandated that we waste 1 hour and 35 minutes.

  Award winning stupid… I can’t wait to be done with this career field. The smart ones leave and the morons are left behind. Miraculously they make rank… and their names are O, S, and R.

• So little faith in the management

  Date: 2010.02.17 | Category: desert | Response: 0

  Yesterday we get a call.
  They ask if we have a certain item.
  We tell them we do.
  They tell us we might need to ship that item.
  We ask for the location.
  They don’t know the location.(How did they know we need to ship it if they don’t know where it might go?)
  We tell them its due an inspection prior to shipping.
  They tell us to take care of it.
  We do and wait.
  We call throughout the day for updates.
  We need to know more info to proceed further.
  No information is flowing our way.
  The item might go back to storage today.
  They still don’t know anything.
  Why did they call us in the first place if they didn’t know for sure?
  Oh yeah, knee jerk reaction.
  I have so little faith in the management.

• Routine

  Date: 2010.01.31 | Category: desert, rants | Response: 0

  We all have routines that guide us through our day. My routine at home is far different from the one that I have when I deploy. My routine on the weekend is far different than what I have on weekdays. One constant always remains regardless of the situation – I attempt to adhere to my routine all of the time.

  I’ve been “out of the pocket” for the past few days and my routine has been absolutely destroyed. I have been waking up two hours later, not working out (don’t have the necessary shoes – At Balad you can walk in and workout in the shoes you are wearing as long as we aren’t in mudcon. At Sather you must carry your gym shoes with you – I only have one pair of tennis shoes with me so I can hardly carry a second pair. Sure, I have my boots and I thought about wearing them in and changing but I also have a transportation issue. Here, unlike Balad, I can’t walk everywhere. In fact, its almost a three mile trip from where we are staying to the rest of the base. ), eating terribly (I don’t have any motivation without working out), and generally accomplishing nothing. We finished our required tasks yesterday and have been waiting ever since to find transportation back “home”. We’ve been all over the “camp victory base complex” and we’ve almost gotten good at the navigation.

  I did get to take a tour of the “Victory over America” Palace. Saddam thought that since he was still in power after the gulf war that he should be a victor – so, he built a new palace for himself. This palace, unlike some of the others, was left unfinished when the war started. Our boys in the sky did a little renovation with a couple of 500lb JDAMs. I took a BUNCH of pictures. I’ll have to upload them at some point in the future.

  I can only hope I can resume my routine tomorrow. Sure, its not exciting but it’s what gets me through my day and makes the time fly by.

• Remain calm and don’t make any sudden movements

  Date: 2010.01.23 | Category: desert, rants, work | Response: 0

  The new crew has arrived and I could be in for a massive share of the workload. The new guy has been in less time than I have but has more inspection experience so he will be the senior inspector. I, on the other hand, outrank him and have much more experience in running all of the programs required to keep us out of trouble. The new management seems to be in high ping mode so I’m going to do what I can to keep them out of our hair. If I run through a few self inspection checklists before they even ask – they should be duly impressed and stay out of our way.

  Did I mention new guy (singular) – there is only one person to replace the three that are leaving. I’ve been told they plan on shifting things around but things aren’t looking good.

  Things could turn around in a week or two after everyone calms down – I can only hope that they calm down. If not, I’ll keep my blinders on and grit my teeth. It sounds like a trip to the desert is a vacation for most of the new guys. They’ve been working 12′s for the past 6-8 months. There is no reason to work 12′s unless there is so much work that you have to cancel all leave and have people sleep at the shop so they can get back to the task at hand as soon as they wake. In my opinion, they are horribly managed. I can only hope they left all of their “back home we do this” crap behind them.

  I haven’t been able to get a decent workout in for the past few days. I’ve got to go to the clinic and get some meds to kill some inflammation in the bottom of my foot/heel. I know what it is and I’ve been doing everything I can do prevent/heal the problem. I’m going to need a little pharmaceutical help. If it doesn’t clear up my mood is going to head quickly south – I need the gym. I need the endorphins.

• It’s a Rodeo – an AIR Rodeo

  Date: 2009.07.17 | Category: work | Response: 0

  I’ve got a few hours before I head back to work. Yes, its 130 on a Friday afternoon and I’m going to head back to work when everyone is headed home. For the next 7-14 days I am going to be running in my sleep – if I get a chance to catch some sleep.

  AMC is holding its bi-annual air rodeo and I’m a wrangler. I won’t be wrangling cows or giant mechanical beasts but I will be wrangling contestants, international contestants, luggage, generals, and anything else one might imagine. In the past week I’ve setup stages, assembled tents, delivered rental cars, decorated buildings, moved trash cans, chucked hay bales, and the list goes on. Its hard work but it is rewarding to do something completely different. The hours aren’t great but it will be over sooner…. or later.