Captain Ed
Member
I recieved the following from an old buddy. retired TWA Capt., Ret USAF Fighter Jock:
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Ed - just took my annual refresher course trip to Europe (out of Dover on the severely sick C-5, and return thru Mildenhall on the C-17 - a most uncomfortable riding plane for passengers, but evidentally the love child of some past administration). Oh,. yes, it was complete with HRs.... two caskets out of Baghdad and another we stopped for in Mildenhall.
The C5 is a dreanm for passengers if it ever gets airborne. ROWS of them at Dover - and I would hazard that 75% are unflyable at any given time. The pilots were a furloughed NWA and a DL - both saying that the administration gives NO money to keep C5s going (big, beautiful, HAULers) but instead gives the tiny appropriations to the C-17.
I sat around Dover for 17 hours in the most interesting comedy of errors before going on the first flyable to Ramstein after three promised Moron C-5s died in a row. the TV board, which should show flights for 48 hours, had absolutely no relationship to what was happening, and nobuddy knew nuttin.... We finally got airborne at 5 AM with only one hour difference on the predicted flight plan (by the ''cabin attendant') and the actual time which you and I know by heart..
I thought Ramstein - a brand new terminal which I'm sure will be donated to Germany in the end - would be different. It was worse. Telephone notification (which we can dial up from anywhere) was severely lacking and stuff was never updated, necessitating questioning all the time of the kids who were supposed to update...
3.5 years ago Camille and I sat for three days watching the high school dropouts (boys AND girls) with their guns on the shoulder, heading for Kosovo. Now its Baghdad. Hordes of them, Duffel bags full of guns and ammo going thru security - Mind boggling! And of course that batch that got the Baltimore Vacation were TRYING to get back.. Flights were full to Baghdad so many of them were losing 2 to 3 MORE days of leave, paying for the rooms in Ramstein, NOT on vacation anywhere.
I talked to dozens, just sort of off-handedly. On the bus (I rode it around for awhile just to listen to stories - WOW! One male nurse from Alabama, a Lt. had already been activated TWICE. Most everyone was a reservist or guardsman, REALLY pissed because some AD were getting retired and going home ON THAT DATE,. but a reservist or guardsman is not allowed to retire till they are done using him...
One elderly gentleman who came back with us had spent a few days visiting his activated wife - an ANG nurse...
I adopted two kids and took them out to dinner at the EClub. One guy was from Wisconsin where I lived eons ago. He is trying to get back to Baghdad after his vacation - stuck in Germany, leave counting down.
Enroute home we had two emergency leave cases - kids in hospital. I dropped them off at PHL after we landed in Dover. They were based in Djibouti - he was a plumber so he was drilling wells to donate to the 'good citizens' in exchange for etc... 450 feet down for water. A goddam North Dakota Reservist who would be better off at home. I'll bet there's BILLIONS in such giveaways to these shitass countries. UAL quoted him $1600 to go to Nodak... He didn't have it, on a credit card or ANYwhere. IF he could get his orders faxed today, from Djibouti (fat chance???) he could go for $471, R/T, but would still have to get a taxi from BWI, DCA,, or PHL at $100 plus to get him back to Dover.
They are #### NOT taking care of these kids. Hell, he was gonna buy a one way ticket to Nodak before I talked to him.
One lady reservist sad there is a sandfly that will give CANCER within about three months if they are bitten..
Everyone hates Bush in the military.
And you know what - he'll still probably win.
Ed, I was 48 hours exposed to the bitterness, the ####-ups, the Idon't give a damns --
And Condosleeza sez everything is great.. So's her mouth...
I kept enough notes to write two chapters in a book!!! In two fuckin days!!
And then there was the husband-wife team non-revving, both army lawyers.... He's going to be a minister when he retires..
I asked him if that was legal..
It was great fun! The C5 is a dreamachine once it gets in the air - which is seldom. And its now my 46th consecutive year crossing the Atlantic...
Love life going great! I will probably sell farm within a year or so...Get out of Jersey, too. Maybe we'll move to New Mexico - we both like it out there.
Take care,
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Ed - just took my annual refresher course trip to Europe (out of Dover on the severely sick C-5, and return thru Mildenhall on the C-17 - a most uncomfortable riding plane for passengers, but evidentally the love child of some past administration). Oh,. yes, it was complete with HRs.... two caskets out of Baghdad and another we stopped for in Mildenhall.
The C5 is a dreanm for passengers if it ever gets airborne. ROWS of them at Dover - and I would hazard that 75% are unflyable at any given time. The pilots were a furloughed NWA and a DL - both saying that the administration gives NO money to keep C5s going (big, beautiful, HAULers) but instead gives the tiny appropriations to the C-17.
I sat around Dover for 17 hours in the most interesting comedy of errors before going on the first flyable to Ramstein after three promised Moron C-5s died in a row. the TV board, which should show flights for 48 hours, had absolutely no relationship to what was happening, and nobuddy knew nuttin.... We finally got airborne at 5 AM with only one hour difference on the predicted flight plan (by the ''cabin attendant') and the actual time which you and I know by heart..
I thought Ramstein - a brand new terminal which I'm sure will be donated to Germany in the end - would be different. It was worse. Telephone notification (which we can dial up from anywhere) was severely lacking and stuff was never updated, necessitating questioning all the time of the kids who were supposed to update...
3.5 years ago Camille and I sat for three days watching the high school dropouts (boys AND girls) with their guns on the shoulder, heading for Kosovo. Now its Baghdad. Hordes of them, Duffel bags full of guns and ammo going thru security - Mind boggling! And of course that batch that got the Baltimore Vacation were TRYING to get back.. Flights were full to Baghdad so many of them were losing 2 to 3 MORE days of leave, paying for the rooms in Ramstein, NOT on vacation anywhere.
I talked to dozens, just sort of off-handedly. On the bus (I rode it around for awhile just to listen to stories - WOW! One male nurse from Alabama, a Lt. had already been activated TWICE. Most everyone was a reservist or guardsman, REALLY pissed because some AD were getting retired and going home ON THAT DATE,. but a reservist or guardsman is not allowed to retire till they are done using him...
One elderly gentleman who came back with us had spent a few days visiting his activated wife - an ANG nurse...
I adopted two kids and took them out to dinner at the EClub. One guy was from Wisconsin where I lived eons ago. He is trying to get back to Baghdad after his vacation - stuck in Germany, leave counting down.
Enroute home we had two emergency leave cases - kids in hospital. I dropped them off at PHL after we landed in Dover. They were based in Djibouti - he was a plumber so he was drilling wells to donate to the 'good citizens' in exchange for etc... 450 feet down for water. A goddam North Dakota Reservist who would be better off at home. I'll bet there's BILLIONS in such giveaways to these shitass countries. UAL quoted him $1600 to go to Nodak... He didn't have it, on a credit card or ANYwhere. IF he could get his orders faxed today, from Djibouti (fat chance???) he could go for $471, R/T, but would still have to get a taxi from BWI, DCA,, or PHL at $100 plus to get him back to Dover.
They are #### NOT taking care of these kids. Hell, he was gonna buy a one way ticket to Nodak before I talked to him.
One lady reservist sad there is a sandfly that will give CANCER within about three months if they are bitten..
Everyone hates Bush in the military.
And you know what - he'll still probably win.
Ed, I was 48 hours exposed to the bitterness, the ####-ups, the Idon't give a damns --
And Condosleeza sez everything is great.. So's her mouth...
I kept enough notes to write two chapters in a book!!! In two fuckin days!!
And then there was the husband-wife team non-revving, both army lawyers.... He's going to be a minister when he retires..
I asked him if that was legal..
It was great fun! The C5 is a dreamachine once it gets in the air - which is seldom. And its now my 46th consecutive year crossing the Atlantic...
Love life going great! I will probably sell farm within a year or so...Get out of Jersey, too. Maybe we'll move to New Mexico - we both like it out there.
Take care,
