Yesterday was my 9,514th, and final, day on active duty--now with Bovine Recovery Team story Pg 5 - Page 2

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Yesterday was my 9,514th, and final, day on active duty--now with Bovine Recovery Team story Pg 5 (Page 2 of 6)

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:20:56 AM EDT

[#1]

Quote History

Quoted:
Congratulations. Can you tell us about living underground and what that was like?

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That is the best job in the military if he was a missilier

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:22:39 AM EDT

[#2]

Congrats

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:22:48 AM EDT

[#3]

Thanks for allowing me and my family to sleep well at night.

Enjoy harrassing those little punks in H.S.!

TC

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:23:31 AM EDT

[#4]

I take it you really enjoyed the pentagon tour.

Congratulations and thank you for your service.

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:25:44 AM EDT

[#5]

Congratulations. I've got 13 years in and I am already counting the days until I can punch out at 20. My job kicks ass but I just can't stand the climate these days.

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:26:27 AM EDT

[#6]

Tell us about the pentagon vacation also

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:30:24 AM EDT

[#7]

Thanks for your service! Congrats on retirement! Now---how do you feel about the pentagon?

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:33:44 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Yes, that includes leap days. 26 years, 17 days of wearing USAF blue.

I came on active duty on the 14th of August, 1989.

Since then, I’ve had 25 different jobs at 15 different locations, only three of which were both above ground AND had windows.

I've served under 12 USAF Chief of Staffs, 9 Secretaries of Defense, and five presidents, with my commission signed by a sixth (All Hail Renaldus Magnus!).

I’ve done 27 promotions, nine reenlistments, 31 commissionings, one retirement, and one court martial (not mine),

I've spent 279 days on nuclear alert, 300-ish days on space operations crew, 357 days deployed to Afghanistan, and served a three-year sentence at the Pentagon with no time off for good behavior.

I’ve been a crew commander, flight commander, detachment commander, instructor, evaluator, educator, staff officer, operations officer, and snack bar officer.

In my time in the Air Force, I’ve learned that at 30 below, a boiling hot cup of coffee thrown in the air will freeze before it hits the ground, I’ve had lunch with the Afghan Army Chief of the General Staff, I’ve visited some of the biggest nuclear weapons facilities in the country, I’ve had to figure out the best way to get a dead cow out of a sewage lagoon, and I spent one really fun Christmas Eve answering the phones for the annual NORAD Tracks Santa event, earning the undying gratitude of parents by telling their kids they had to go to bed RIGHT NOW or he’d pass them by.

And I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Except for the Pentagon tour.

The really funny thing is I never planned on making it a career—it just happened that every time I was wondering what the next step was, the Air Force promoted me and sent us off to another cool assignment in a great place that made it worth sticking around. So, here I am, a quarter century later, a lot more grey hair and a lot lower PT test scores than when I started, but MAN, was it a fun ride.

Except for the Pentagon tour.

Anyway, I’ve had a great run, but it’s time for someone else to sign for the alert.

Limaxray, Lt Col, USAF, and as of today, (Ret).

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Wow and you still found time to post here! That's a pretty full career you've had. Thanks for your long years of service to our country (even @ the Pentagon)

Now go enjoy your retirement.

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:36:14 AM EDT

[#9]

Congrats

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:37:04 AM EDT

[#10]

Congrats fellow O5-er! Great job, now rest and enjoy your new lifev

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:39:32 AM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:

Funny story, that "civilian groove" thing. No idea what you're talking about.

I took six weeks off during terminal leave, did the whole beard and no haircut thing. Hung around the house and harassed the wife.

Three weeks ago I shaved it all off, put my blues back on, and went back to work...as an AFJROTC instructor.

So not only am I still doing the USAF thing, I had my first day of high school....again.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Congrats. Treat yourself to something nice.

Felt strange to me, at first, when I retired but I got in the civ groove pretty quick. A buddy just retired lat year at 30 and took a year off to decompress. He's just now getting back in the game, but on his own terms.

Funny story, that "civilian groove" thing. No idea what you're talking about.

I took six weeks off during terminal leave, did the whole beard and no haircut thing. Hung around the house and harassed the wife.

Three weeks ago I shaved it all off, put my blues back on, and went back to work...as an AFJROTC instructor.

So not only am I still doing the USAF thing, I had my first day of high school....again.

Some folks never learn.

Congrats on your retirement!

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:43:24 AM EDT

[#12]

Thank you for your service, Colonel!

Sounds like you will have some awesome "CLASSIFIED" stories to tell your grand kids some day.

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:43:47 AM EDT

[#13]

Posted: 9/1/2015 7:45:09 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Congrats!

Now I've got to hear why that pentagon tour was so awful.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

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The first year was fun. Nuclear operations division, setting policy and doctrine for USAF nuclear weapons and systems. Great office, great people, our division chief called it the "Romper Room year" because of our juvenile sense of humor.

The last two years was sheer, unadulterated hell. I was the Air Force Secretary for Joint and National Security Council Matters. For those who have done a Pentagon tour. I was the JACO.

Essentially I was the conduit for all communications between the USAF, and the Joint Staff and other services. My job consisted of:

- Receiving taskers from the Joint Staff
- Assigning them to an office in the USAF to work
- Receiving the finished product from that office
- Returning it for the wrong format
- Returning it AGAIN for the wrong format
- Contacting the Joint Staff to ask for an extension because the idiots working the package can't get the format right
- Giving it to one of the four (yes, FOUR) colonels I worked for to approve it on behalf of the CSAF
- Transmitting the finished product to the Joint Staff.

8,667 packages in two years, according to my decoration. We also prepared our generals to attend the weekly Tank sessions.

I HATED that job. Great in the sense that I got to see how the big boys think, awful in the sense that I discovered I'm a product guy, not a process guy, and that job was NOTHING but process.

Almost quit four times in a year there. And I'm not talking about figuratively, I'm talking about calling MPF, asking what forms to fill out to separate, what timelines, etc.

The only thing that stopped me is the threat of my wife killing me for separating with 16 years in.

My wife said that during those years, I'd come home, and it was liked the lights dimmed in the house, I sucked all the joy out of it.

Valuable experience, don't get me wrong, but I don't ever, ever need to repeat it.

And now, I'll never have to.

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:10:01 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
The first year was fun. Nuclear operations division, setting policy and doctrine for USAF nuclear weapons and systems. Great office, great people, our division chief called it the "Romper Room year" because of our juvenile sense of humor.

The last two years was sheer, unadulterated hell. I was the Air Force Secretary for Joint and National Security Council Matters. For those who have done a Pentagon tour. I was the JACO.

Essentially I was the conduit for all communications between the USAF, and the Joint Staff and other services. My job consisted of:

- Receiving taskers from the Joint Staff

- Assigning them to an office in the USAF to work

- Receiving the finished product from that office

- Returning it for the wrong format

- Returning it AGAIN for the wrong format

- Contacting the Joint Staff to ask for an extension because the idiots working the package can't get the format right

- Giving it to one of the four (yes, FOUR) colonels I worked for to approve it on behalf of the CSAF

- Transmitting the finished product to the Joint Staff.

8,667 packages in two years, according to my decoration. We also prepared our generals to attend the weekly Tank sessions.

I HATED that job. Great in the sense that I got to see how the big boys think, awful in the sense that I discovered I'm a product guy, not a process guy, and that job was NOTHING but process.

Almost quit four times in a year there. And I'm not talking about figuratively, I'm talking about calling MPF, asking what forms to fill out to separate, what timelines, etc.

The only thing that stopped me is the threat of my wife killing me for separating with 16 years in.

My wife said that during those years, I'd come home, and it was liked the lights dimmed in the house, I sucked all the joy out of it.

Valuable experience, don't get me wrong, but I don't ever, ever need to repeat it.

And now, I'll never have to.

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Quoted:

Quoted:

Congrats!

Now I've got to hear why that pentagon tour was so awful.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

The first year was fun. Nuclear operations division, setting policy and doctrine for USAF nuclear weapons and systems. Great office, great people, our division chief called it the "Romper Room year" because of our juvenile sense of humor.

The last two years was sheer, unadulterated hell. I was the Air Force Secretary for Joint and National Security Council Matters. For those who have done a Pentagon tour. I was the JACO.

Essentially I was the conduit for all communications between the USAF, and the Joint Staff and other services. My job consisted of:

- Receiving taskers from the Joint Staff

- Assigning them to an office in the USAF to work

- Receiving the finished product from that office

- Returning it for the wrong format

- Returning it AGAIN for the wrong format

- Contacting the Joint Staff to ask for an extension because the idiots working the package can't get the format right

- Giving it to one of the four (yes, FOUR) colonels I worked for to approve it on behalf of the CSAF

- Transmitting the finished product to the Joint Staff.

8,667 packages in two years, according to my decoration. We also prepared our generals to attend the weekly Tank sessions.

I HATED that job. Great in the sense that I got to see how the big boys think, awful in the sense that I discovered I'm a product guy, not a process guy, and that job was NOTHING but process.

Almost quit four times in a year there. And I'm not talking about figuratively, I'm talking about calling MPF, asking what forms to fill out to separate, what timelines, etc.

The only thing that stopped me is the threat of my wife killing me for separating with 16 years in.

My wife said that during those years, I'd come home, and it was liked the lights dimmed in the house, I sucked all the joy out of it.

Valuable experience, don't get me wrong, but I don't ever, ever need to repeat it.

And now, I'll never have to.

So, how does one get a dead cow out of a sewage lagoon?

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:13:29 AM EDT

[#16]

Thank you.

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:14:27 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
So, how does one get a dead cow out of a sewage lagoon?

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Congrats!

Now I've got to hear why that pentagon tour was so awful.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

The first year was fun. Nuclear operations division, setting policy and doctrine for USAF nuclear weapons and systems. Great office, great people, our division chief called it the "Romper Room year" because of our juvenile sense of humor.

The last two years was sheer, unadulterated hell. I was the Air Force Secretary for Joint and National Security Council Matters. For those who have done a Pentagon tour. I was the JACO.

Essentially I was the conduit for all communications between the USAF, and the Joint Staff and other services. My job consisted of:

- Receiving taskers from the Joint Staff
- Assigning them to an office in the USAF to work
- Receiving the finished product from that office
- Returning it for the wrong format
- Returning it AGAIN for the wrong format
- Contacting the Joint Staff to ask for an extension because the idiots working the package can't get the format right
- Giving it to one of the four (yes, FOUR) colonels I worked for to approve it on behalf of the CSAF
- Transmitting the finished product to the Joint Staff.

8,667 packages in two years, according to my decoration. We also prepared our generals to attend the weekly Tank sessions.

I HATED that job. Great in the sense that I got to see how the big boys think, awful in the sense that I discovered I'm a product guy, not a process guy, and that job was NOTHING but process.

Almost quit four times in a year there. And I'm not talking about figuratively, I'm talking about calling MPF, asking what forms to fill out to separate, what timelines, etc.

The only thing that stopped me is the threat of my wife killing me for separating with 16 years in.

My wife said that during those years, I'd come home, and it was liked the lights dimmed in the house, I sucked all the joy out of it.

Valuable experience, don't get me wrong, but I don't ever, ever need to repeat it.

And now, I'll never have to.

So, how does one get a dead cow out of a sewage lagoon?

Dammit man, that's a national security secret! You'll just get a recipe in return.

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:15:56 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Yes, that includes leap days. 26 years, 17 days of wearing USAF blue.

I came on active duty on the 14th of August, 1989.

Since then, I’ve had 25 different jobs at 15 different locations, only three of which were both above ground AND had windows.

I've served under 12 USAF Chief of Staffs, 9 Secretaries of Defense, and five presidents, with my commission signed by a sixth (All Hail Renaldus Magnus!).

I’ve done 27 promotions, nine reenlistments, 31 commissionings, one retirement, and one court martial (not mine),

I've spent 279 days on nuclear alert, 300-ish days on space operations crew, 357 days deployed to Afghanistan, and served a three-year sentence at the Pentagon with no time off for good behavior.

I’ve been a crew commander, flight commander, detachment commander, instructor, evaluator, educator, staff officer, operations officer, and snack bar officer.

In my time in the Air Force, I’ve learned that at 30 below, a boiling hot cup of coffee thrown in the air will freeze before it hits the ground, I’ve had lunch with the Afghan Army Chief of the General Staff, I’ve visited some of the biggest nuclear weapons facilities in the country, I’ve had to figure out the best way to get a dead cow out of a sewage lagoon, and I spent one really fun Christmas Eve answering the phones for the annual NORAD Tracks Santa event, earning the undying gratitude of parents by telling their kids they had to go to bed RIGHT NOW or he’d pass them by.

And I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Except for the Pentagon tour.

The really funny thing is I never planned on making it a career—it just happened that every time I was wondering what the next step was, the Air Force promoted me and sent us off to another cool assignment in a great place that made it worth sticking around. So, here I am, a quarter century later, a lot more grey hair and a lot lower PT test scores than when I started, but MAN, was it a fun ride.

Except for the Pentagon tour.

Anyway, I’ve had a great run, but it’s time for someone else to sign for the alert.

Limaxray, Lt Col, USAF, and as of today, (Ret).

View Quote

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:17:00 AM EDT

[#19]

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:19:26 AM EDT

[#20]

Enjoy your retirement!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:19:29 AM EDT

[#21]

Congrats on a great career, thank you for your service and have a great retirement.

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:21:28 AM EDT

[#22]

Congratulations and thank you for your service.

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:21:37 AM EDT

[#23]

Congrats

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:22:40 AM EDT

[#24]

Thank you sir!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:23:27 AM EDT

[#25]

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:24:14 AM EDT

[#26]

If I could do it all over again I would have joined back in '88.

Congrats man

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:28:04 AM EDT

[#27]

congrats!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:31:08 AM EDT

[#28]

Congrats!

What was your first job in the air force?

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:33:22 AM EDT

[#29]

congrats

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:34:51 AM EDT

[#30]

congrats on many accomplishments LX!!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:35:29 AM EDT

[#31]

Way to go!

I always enjoyed your posts here, especially when somebody started a "we can destroy the world 10 times over with nukes!" thread. I spent most of my military years on the conventional side, but we both worked with things that go boom. Yours would just make a lot bigger boom!

Enjoy your retirement!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:37:00 AM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:

The first year was fun. Nuclear operations division, setting policy and doctrine for USAF nuclear weapons and systems. Great office, great people, our division chief called it the "Romper Room year" because of our juvenile sense of humor.

The last two years was sheer, unadulterated hell. I was the Air Force Secretary for Joint and National Security Council Matters. For those who have done a Pentagon tour. I was the JACO.

Essentially I was the conduit for all communications between the USAF, and the Joint Staff and other services. My job consisted of:

- Receiving taskers from the Joint Staff
- Assigning them to an office in the USAF to work
- Receiving the finished product from that office
- Returning it for the wrong format
- Returning it AGAIN for the wrong format
- Contacting the Joint Staff to ask for an extension because the idiots working the package can't get the format right
- Giving it to one of the four (yes, FOUR) colonels I worked for to approve it on behalf of the CSAF
- Transmitting the finished product to the Joint Staff.

8,667 packages in two years, according to my decoration. We also prepared our generals to attend the weekly Tank sessions.

I HATED that job. Great in the sense that I got to see how the big boys think, awful in the sense that I discovered I'm a product guy, not a process guy, and that job was NOTHING but process.

Almost quit four times in a year there. And I'm not talking about figuratively, I'm talking about calling MPF, asking what forms to fill out to separate, what timelines, etc.

The only thing that stopped me is the threat of my wife killing me for separating with 16 years in.

My wife said that during those years, I'd come home, and it was liked the lights dimmed in the house, I sucked all the joy out of it.

Valuable experience, don't get me wrong, but I don't ever, ever need to repeat it.

And now, I'll never have to.

View Quote View All Quotes

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Congrats!

Now I've got to hear why that pentagon tour was so awful.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

The first year was fun. Nuclear operations division, setting policy and doctrine for USAF nuclear weapons and systems. Great office, great people, our division chief called it the "Romper Room year" because of our juvenile sense of humor.

The last two years was sheer, unadulterated hell. I was the Air Force Secretary for Joint and National Security Council Matters. For those who have done a Pentagon tour. I was the JACO.

Essentially I was the conduit for all communications between the USAF, and the Joint Staff and other services. My job consisted of:

- Receiving taskers from the Joint Staff
- Assigning them to an office in the USAF to work
- Receiving the finished product from that office
- Returning it for the wrong format
- Returning it AGAIN for the wrong format
- Contacting the Joint Staff to ask for an extension because the idiots working the package can't get the format right
- Giving it to one of the four (yes, FOUR) colonels I worked for to approve it on behalf of the CSAF
- Transmitting the finished product to the Joint Staff.

8,667 packages in two years, according to my decoration. We also prepared our generals to attend the weekly Tank sessions.

I HATED that job. Great in the sense that I got to see how the big boys think, awful in the sense that I discovered I'm a product guy, not a process guy, and that job was NOTHING but process.

Almost quit four times in a year there. And I'm not talking about figuratively, I'm talking about calling MPF, asking what forms to fill out to separate, what timelines, etc.

The only thing that stopped me is the threat of my wife killing me for separating with 16 years in.

My wife said that during those years, I'd come home, and it was liked the lights dimmed in the house, I sucked all the joy out of it.

Valuable experience, don't get me wrong, but I don't ever, ever need to repeat it.

And now, I'll never have to.

Where did you live at for those 3 years?

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:37:17 AM EDT

[#33]

Gratz OP sounds like a life fully lived. Me on the other had I've drug my ass in to a 8 to 5 Job for the last 20 boring ass years. If I had it to do over again...

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:37:37 AM EDT

[#34]

Congrats!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:39:23 AM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:
So, how does one get a dead cow out of a sewage lagoon?

View Quote View All Quotes

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Congrats!

Now I've got to hear why that pentagon tour was so awful.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

The first year was fun. Nuclear operations division, setting policy and doctrine for USAF nuclear weapons and systems. Great office, great people, our division chief called it the "Romper Room year" because of our juvenile sense of humor.

The last two years was sheer, unadulterated hell. I was the Air Force Secretary for Joint and National Security Council Matters. For those who have done a Pentagon tour. I was the JACO.

Essentially I was the conduit for all communications between the USAF, and the Joint Staff and other services. My job consisted of:

- Receiving taskers from the Joint Staff
- Assigning them to an office in the USAF to work
- Receiving the finished product from that office
- Returning it for the wrong format
- Returning it AGAIN for the wrong format
- Contacting the Joint Staff to ask for an extension because the idiots working the package can't get the format right
- Giving it to one of the four (yes, FOUR) colonels I worked for to approve it on behalf of the CSAF
- Transmitting the finished product to the Joint Staff.

8,667 packages in two years, according to my decoration. We also prepared our generals to attend the weekly Tank sessions.

I HATED that job. Great in the sense that I got to see how the big boys think, awful in the sense that I discovered I'm a product guy, not a process guy, and that job was NOTHING but process.

Almost quit four times in a year there. And I'm not talking about figuratively, I'm talking about calling MPF, asking what forms to fill out to separate, what timelines, etc.

The only thing that stopped me is the threat of my wife killing me for separating with 16 years in.

My wife said that during those years, I'd come home, and it was liked the lights dimmed in the house, I sucked all the joy out of it.

Valuable experience, don't get me wrong, but I don't ever, ever need to repeat it.

And now, I'll never have to.

So, how does one get a dead cow out of a sewage lagoon?

You take a long steel cable and tie one end to the cow's legs. The other end is tied to that really big steel & concrete hatch on the silo.
You then push the correct button and Voilà the cow is gone!

OP
Thank you for your service and great stories over the years!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:41:58 AM EDT

[#36]

Congrats. Thank you for your service. Go buy a pair of overalls, and some ink pens that are not blue, black, or blue-black. Use them.

And get started on that beard. It'll take a while to get used to it, and it will be shaved off several times. But I've been working on this one for about eight years now and it's looking pretty good. I retired in 2000 from Offutt AFB, and it's still good to occasionally go back on base to get pills and see what I'm (no longer) missing.

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:44:54 AM EDT

[#37]

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:46:17 AM EDT

[#38]

Awesome!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:47:37 AM EDT

[#39]

Congrats sir!

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:49:32 AM EDT

[#40]

Amazing. Thanks for your service.

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:51:32 AM EDT

[#41]

Quote History

Quoted:
You take a long steel cable and tie one end to the cow's legs. The other end is tied to that really big steel & concrete hatch on the silo.

You then push the correct button and Voilà the cow is gone!

OP

Thank you for your service and great stories over the years!

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

So, how does one get a dead cow out of a sewage lagoon?

You take a long steel cable and tie one end to the cow's legs. The other end is tied to that really big steel & concrete hatch on the silo.

You then push the correct button and Voilà the cow is gone!

OP

Thank you for your service and great stories over the years!

Depends how long it's been in the lagoon

Was it a popper or was it still drag-able?

Posted: 9/1/2015 8:54:21 AM EDT

[#42]

Awesome OP

Posted: 9/1/2015 9:00:45 AM EDT

[#43]

Awesome! It's good to see you put your uniform back on. You will make a difference in a lot of young lives, I owe my JROTC instructors a lot.

Posted: 9/1/2015 9:01:07 AM EDT

[#44]

Throw your copy of Tongue and Quill in a bonfire!

I'm guessing you had the joy of working NWRM taskers a few years back; I wouldn't envy anyone cleaning that mess up.

Posted: 9/1/2015 9:01:16 AM EDT

[#45]

Quote History

Quoted:

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Congrats, first and second round on you

Enjoy your time off.

Posted: 9/1/2015 9:02:51 AM EDT

[#46]

Have you looked on USAJobs for openings at the Pentagon?

Posted: 9/1/2015 9:07:52 AM EDT

[#47]

Enjoy it! You earned it!

Now you get all those retirement perks! First in line to Med Clinic Pharmacy, immunity to doing dumb things at the BX, no more saluting at the gate...that's the life!