Ref above posts...
Hooters girls are welcome in our bar anytime. However--amount they are here is inversely proportional to amount of b!tching from wives. We had EXCELLENT lean forward leadership to overcome the "anything fun in the AF is bad" mentality (thanks Heater and Bean) and our current leaders are also excellent. So...our Wives..not the AF...is the "governor" on how wild our parties can get. However...discression and common sense are required--we don't want to screw anything up for our buddies down the road. And no...I haven't seen a "real" stripper in a squadron since Tailhook hit the fan in 92. As for me--I married a great looking gal and don't cheat, but I do enjoy a little lively atmosphere at the bar when appropriate. If I drink too much, my wife usually shows up, joins me at the big-house (O club) for a margarita and dinner, then carts my sorry butt home and laughs at me Saturday morning. Not everyone is so lucky.....
Big issue for 95FS, the Wing leaders, and the AF was how much of the party act to show to the public. Yes...we have fun...for a few hours on Fridays a couple times a month. However...those few hours are offset by a LOT of long days and hard work through the week. In the end, AF decided to say "H@ll with it" and show the real act. Do you want fired up warriors flying F15s or a bunch of sensitive new age types? And yes...I've lost several bar buddies along the way....which is why we often toast our fallen bros to start any official festivity.
I flew w/Marcus Gregory later in the program, and I do some interviews on his progress. In "TV land", everyone has to have a label....."rebel Boy (Giggy)"....."family man (Love)"...and "religious boy (Gregory)". The reality is there is a bit of ALL of those traits in most of the guys. Marcus wants to learn to have fun and fit in without becoming a drunk or
[email protected] a bad goal really. Somehow that gets blown a bit out of preportion in the TV world where not everyone has "LA/Southern Cal" type values. I won't give much away by saying he conquers his weak stomach and goes on to be a very good student--and I've heard nothing but good pireps on his act from the Ops world. (Imagine for you AF types how tough it would be for the whole world to see your FTU clown act--thats a lot to live down!)
Giggy's patches are gone for a reason--he isn't a Bonehead anymore. It would ruin the suspense for some if they see his Grim Reaper patches.
Most guys....(AF guys can back me up) have a problem learning when to speak and when to shut up when learning the fighter business. This class (had 8...you see only 3) had a harder time than most figuring out that IPs didn't want them quiet because we thought we were great, but because we had a finite amount ot time to teach them one heck of a lot of new stuff. I think they as a class realized about 1/2 way though we were on there side, and turned the corner. The antagonism towards Giggy's stupid hair, hat, and general act isn't Hollywood, however--that was 100% real. Again--ain't givin' much away here--he went on to do okay in the ops world and I think is a more "mainstream" fighter pilot.
One observation I had a long while back (UPT) that many are catching onto with this series is that the "prettiest" dude ain't always the best pilot. Sometimes...that Capt American football captain type gets smoked by the dorky looking dude with contacts. Usually--if a guy has been successful in other areas....athletics, leadership, etc. the success carries over into flying as well. However...in the "real" fighter world (vice movies) you do see some very "non-Hollywood" types turn out to be some darn good drivers....again...most active duty guys probably know at least one patch wearing death blossom who you'd NEVER mistake for a fighter pilot on the street.
As for Family Man's question...does it get old? Maybe if I was SO GOOD I had learned everything, or figured out the right way to handle every tactical problem....it would be dull. But I've got almost 2000 hours in this jet, and I still learn every time I fly. Besides...you are only as good as your last fight. I think I'll have to quit long before I want to. There is a saying that goes:
"There are 2 things that can happen to a fighter pilot, and both of them are bad.
1- He can step to the jet knowing its his last flight in a fighter or:
2- He can step to the jet not knowing its his last flight in a fighter."
I'm hoping for option 1, but I'm in no rush to get there. I've had a few buddies have option 2, and I'll close this with the reminder that as goofy or great as you think those 3 TV chimps are, they've all been on multiple combat missions doing the J-O-B since you've seen the show on TV.
Albie