Actual Combat

[SIG600]

I think as a general rule of thumb, if it's grey (or P-3 white), you're eligible to be shot at. Regardless of what you fly. I had someone try to tell me tanker guys shouldn't log combat time the other day. I wanted to scream.

 

[pkober]

I would actually change that defiition a little. Officially, the AF determines what is combat time and what isn't. Currently, any flights over the airspace of Iraq, Afghanistan, and, I think, Pakistan, is considered Combat time. As far as actual combat, I'd say the the threat of being shot at is what should be considered actual combat. In the entire time I flew over there, I was only "shot at," as in directly engaged by someone trying to shoot my aircraft down specifically, with a decent chance of actually doing so, twice. However, I'd say that I've been in actual combat more than just those two instances. It gets kind of weird sometimes, with all of the chest thumping in the military (esp AFSOC) about who and who hasn't been in combat, who did more, who deserved what medal, who had the more dangerous job, who's been shot at, blah blah blah. Gets kind of old sometimes.

Give me a break Deuce, Only shot at twice! You did low levels out of Little Rock. You probably go shot at on every flight by some drunk redneck in his beat up 1992 Chevy pick up truck.:laugh:

 

[Vandal]

After my first desert tour right out of Little Rock I had more combat time than regular time in the Herk. Off course a lot of that time is droning on the way in and out, but it still sounds cool...

As far as getting shot at I only saw incoming once, and even that was questionable...It's amazing, somehow the insurgents know only to shoot at active duty airplanes! Any guard/reserve guy who has sat through an OIF/OEF intel brief knows what I'm talking about.

 

[pkober]

It's hard to get medals if you've never been shot at, plus if you only do one tour you have to have some stories to tell back at home.

 

[SIG600]

It's hard to get medals if you've never been shot at, plus if you only do one tour you have to have some stories to tell back at home.

Are you kidding? The Air Force gives medals/ribbons just for going through training.

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

I think as a general rule of thumb, if it's grey (or P-3 white), you're eligible to be shot at. Regardless of what you fly. I had someone try to tell me tanker guys shouldn't log combat time the other day. I wanted to scream.

I'm convinced my 780 hours of tanker combat time is what got me hired at UPS a few years ago. I spent 20 minutes answering questions about what I did. My interviewer was a former Vietnam War C-141 combat pilot and we had some similar stories.

It's a little bit bogus that the guys flying overhead BGD at FL270 tonight are logging combat time. On paper it looks no different than the combat AR we did 4 years ago this week while being shot at. We had percussion airbursts that were so close it knocked the autopilots offline. But out of 780 hours, maybe 50 were actual combat. I got 8 Air Medals that I am ashamed to have when I hear some other stories. The C-17 pilot who recovered and safely landed after taking a MANPAD got an Air Medal.

It was hilarious the first week of OIF when they sent tankers into Iraq, but would not let the F-15C's go with us. They were sent back to Kadena because they were of no use in OIF. It's much more likely for a tanker/transport to get shot at in OIF/OEF than it is a fighter.

 

[pkober]

Are you kidding? The Air Force gives medals/ribbons just for going through training.

Bronze star's are hard to justify while flying around a MOA. However, if your a O-5 or above in even the smallest command position you can almost be assured that you will get a bronze star in OEF/OIF, if deployed.

That's why todays bronze star without the "V" is a medal that makes people roll there eyes.

 

[Fury220]

I'm convinced my 780 hours of tanker combat time is what got me hired at UPS a few years ago. I spent 20 minutes answering questions about what I did. My interviewer was a former Vietnam War C-141 combat pilot and we had some similar stories.

It's a little bit bogus that the guys flying overhead BGD at FL270 tonight are logging combat time. On paper it looks no different than the combat AR we did 4 years ago this week while being shot at. We had percussion airbursts that were so close it knocked the autopilots offline. But out of 780 hours, maybe 50 were actual combat. I got 8 Air Medals that I am ashamed to have when I hear some other stories. The C-17 pilot who recovered and safely landed after taking a MANPAD got an Air Medal.

It was hilarious the first week of OIF when they sent tankers into Iraq, but would not let the F-15C's go with us. They were sent back to Kadena because they were of no use in OIF. It's much more likely for a tanker/transport to get shot at in OIF/OEF than it is a fighter.

Brother, I was right with ya until the very last sentence of your post.

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

Brother, I was right with ya until the very last sentence of your post.

FAIP. 'nuff said.

 

[JungleJett]

Brother, I was right with ya until the very last sentence of your post.

It is a FACT that can be easily proved.

AFurry...as for the F-15C's in theater. There were some with us at "undisclosed" location and they left at the end of April 2003. We thought it odd but since we had air supremacy, I guess they figured they were not needed. They had a banner above their MX hangar that read "When Gorilla's Fly, MiG's Die" it looked a little tattered so we assumed it was from the first Gulf War when the Iraqi AF actually got some airplanes airborne. From what I remember, there was a not a single aircraft launched by the Iraqi's. So I guess the F-15's can take partial credit for that along with their other brethren.

We had a running joke that the banner should say "When Gorilla's fly, boomer's get practice" Nothing but love for those that fly on high. we depended more on the much loved Hog for our escort.

 

[RedDogC130]

Brother, I was right with ya until the very last sentence of your post.

Stick to AETC. When you get to fly something other than a trainer, then you will get it.

 

[Afterprop]

Thanks to the guys who provided the info about the mil 737s . . . must be a nice gig, if you can get it ;-) Or maybe not . . . as for me, I enjoyed my tours with the Herk, overseas, and at the schoolhouse . . . although I HATED AETC and what they tried to do/did to Herk training . . .
'Props

 

[Fury220]

It is a FACT that can be easily proved.

AFurry...as for the F-15C's in theater. There were some with us at "undisclosed" location and they left at the end of April 2003. We thought it odd but since we had air supremacy, I guess they figured they were not needed. They had a banner above their MX hangar that read "When Gorilla's Fly, MiG's Die" it looked a little tattered so we assumed it was from the first Gulf War when the Iraqi AF actually got some airplanes airborne. From what I remember, there was a not a single aircraft launched by the Iraqi's. So I guess the F-15's can take partial credit for that along with their other brethren.

We had a running joke that the banner should say "When Gorilla's fly, boomer's get practice" Nothing but love for those that fly on high. we depended more on the much loved Hog for our escort.

I'm not arguing that point. Maybe when ya'll are saying "fighters" you really mean to be saying "F-15Cs."

When I say "fighters," what I really mean in this context is "A-10s, F-16s, F-15Es, and Hornets."


...but I'll step outta this so you fellas can play oookie cookie by yourselves. Enjoy!

 

[JungleJett]

I'm not arguing that point. Maybe when ya'll are saying "fighters" you really mean to be saying "F-15Cs."

When I say "fighters," what I really mean in this context is "A-10s, F-16s, F-15Es, and Hornets."


...but I'll step outta this so you fellas can play oookie cookie by yourselves. Enjoy!

Actually, the second part of my post was in agreement with Lil' Seinfeld and not you. That was my bad.

When he said fighters, I would assume he meant all the airplanes you listed. What he said about tankers/transports getting shot at more, a simple fact and not opinion, and again, easily proved. Not that getting shot at makes you any cooler. Now, plug in Afghanistan and the see what you get.

 

[dtfl]

It's hard to get medals if you've never been shot at, plus if you only do one tour you have to have some stories to tell back at home.

WHAT?!?!?!? What about all the senior NCOs (SMSGts and CMSGTs) that deploy to the rear and ride our *sses about reflective belts and haircuts just so they can get a Bronze Star to hang on their wall after retirement?

Or the idiot SF Sgt who gave a WG CC a SPEEDING ticket in Iraq when he was speeding around the perimeter to head out to one of his airplanes (Id speed around a fence in Iraq too - too easy of a target) I bet that kid got a medal.

I todays AF were the AF I was looking at in the late 80s I would have never joined.