Winging/Graduation Parties

[AD SUPT Hopeful]

Lately the Officer's Club mafia has been forcing various UPT and Navy Advanced bases to hold their Winging parties on base at the O-Club. Making studs shell out decent money to fund the party at the club. I know this may sound whiney to those who used to party their a$$es off at the clubs. However, with SF nazi's throwing someone in cuffs who looks at them wrong, limited accessibility for outsiders and a lack of "resources" and price gouging most people now adays find the O-Club to be a slightly better option than throwing the party in the squadron bathroom.

Thankfully our class escaped the O-Club gestapo, but I'm wondering if this is something "they" can legally force studs to do...

 

[danish22]

Nothing changes... I was at Vance in 94/95 and we set up either our assignment night or grad night party at Gary's. The prices at the club were ridiculous and they wouldn't let any of our local "friends" on base for the festivities. After we had is all set up the Wing CC gently told us we could either have it on base...or not at all. Same stuff as always...

 

[CCDiscoB]

Same thing back in the late 80's. What can you do? Look on the bright side, they're not making you get married there. Are they still making officers become "club" members?

 

[AD SUPT Hopeful]

Ok, I didn't know it went that far back. The club at Vance doesn't force anyone to join, but most do since the club has pretty good incentives.

 

[Huggyu2]

No, I don't believe they can make you do it. But it's going to take some balls to either
- blow the club off altogether
- give the club a token number of $$, and hold it somewhere else anyways.

Face it, you're graduating UPT. Assignments are in hand. They can't really force you to stick around, but can probably complicate your life.

Try the "nuclear option": threaten them with a congressional complaint if they play hard ball. Like I said, you better have some big cajones.

 

[PHX767]

Sorry, been away from active service for a while.... what does this mean and who is "SF?"

However, with SF nazi's throwing someone in cuffs who looks at them wrong,

 

[Mooseflyer]

SF = Security Forces. The new name for the SPs. Hey, don't laugh, sombody got promoted over that!

 

[AIR2MUD]

No, I don't believe they can make you do it. But it's going to take some balls to either
- blow the club off altogether
- give the club a token number of $$, and hold it somewhere else anyways.

Our UPT class went with the second option. We ran into all kinds of flak with the 'upper echelons' about blowing off the O-club and going off base, yada yada yada. Well, I went to Sheppard, home of ENJJPT and the worst-dressed, oversexed, and overpaid European pilot pipeline. Notice key word - overpaid.

The Europeans were not about to let the authorities ruin a good party, so they pooled a fraction of their monthly stipend and bought the minimum kegs of beer and paid whatever other tribute the powers that be wanted. We chartered busses to bring all of us from on base to downtown Wichita Falls, where there was a pretty cool Irish bar that did right by us. We had busses run back and forth throughout the night, to drop people just about anywhere they wanted to go within the Wichita Falls city limits and even back on base. The busses actually turned into part of the party, too!

Where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[NTS ALL 4]

Are they still making officers become "club" members?

I was a Reserve UPT guy at Vance AFB back in the early 90's. The O-Club tried to make me a "club" member when I was already a member at my home station. They said I wouldn't be able to use and enjoy the benefits of the O-Club if I didn't join theirs. Well, I didn't join theirs and never heard anything from anyone from the "higher ups". I also saved myself about $25 / month in dues because my home station dues were in the $2-4 range. Then I could afford to buy more beer at Vance's Club.

If you are in UPT find the nearest Guard/Reserve base that has a club and research how much the monthly dues are. You can join anywhere at any branch of the service. Just find the cheapest one and join. Usually, the Guard/Reserves are the cheapest because they are combined and have all the base personnel join.

Beer is good food.

 

[PHX767]

SF = Security Forces. The new name for the SPs. Hey, don't laugh, sombody got promoted over that!

Wow! Security Forces! Very impressive. Haaccckkkk!! (sound of hairball)

I am dating myself, but I remember when the "Security Forces" wore these goofy white naugahyde (sp?) hats and were the uniform patrol. Yep, used to give little citations if you were less than an example of sartorial splendor. I got one once for disgracing the BX with my presence in a sweat, hydraulic fluid, and JP4 soaked set of jet jammies.

Sorry for the thread drift!

You can always have a mandatory fun event at the club for all the old farts and then head to a different venue for the real partying. The shuttle bus is a great idea to avoid those unfortunate career ending incidents.

Party on, young dudes!