I was told by a friend who was retiring from the US Air Force in the Spring of 1993, BILLY IN 20 YEARS, THE AIR FORCE IS HEADED NOW TOWARDS A PURPLE SUIT MILITARY. Well, 21 years later the purple suit military has long been here. Purple suit refers to the fact that all the military services would no longer have as distinct boundaries and borders, but would grow to one huge lethal fight force. Jointness was the byword. Officers were expected to have ample time from Lieutenant to Colonel in Joint Service Assignments so the services could plan, train, fight and win TOGETHER. Generals and Admirals would all come to their stars with many years of Joint Service behind them, so they could head joint and unified commands or serve on the staffs of joint or unified commands. I joined the US Air Force in June 1977 and attended technical school to become a Weather Observer (reporting current airfield weather conditions for aircrews); and I trained in the one of the Department of Defense first experiments with jointness in the training arena. I studied meteorology with Navy and Marine personnel. In fact, my roommate was a Seaman Recruit. This was back at Chanute Air Force Base, in Rantoul, Illinois. We didnt have any Army students in my class but there were Army personnel going through the school. The Army had decided they would allow the Air Force to provide all enlisted meteorology staff for their units, so they had discontinued sending new trainees to Chanute for Weather Training. That DOD training program proved very successful and in 1982 when I returned to Chanute to learn Weather Forecasting, we were again teamed with Navy and Marine Corps personnel as students and instructors. I noticed immediately returning to Chanute as a Staff Sergeant (E-5) the family atmosphere between the different services. We were all Weather Forecaster Trainees or Instructors/Staff. I loved picking the brains of the Marine Corps and Navy instructors who had to know a lot more about Oceanography than we did and had to account for a moving ship when forecasting the weather. We Air Force forecasters only had to think about the moving weather systems and the surrounding atmosphere. Petty Officer First Class Steve Spellman was our Class Leader and we Air Force students used to love to jerk his chain by calling a ship a boat!!! :) Steve just finally gave up and would laugh hysterically. While at Chanute we had a significant contingent of Iranian military trainees including military women. We were told dont talk to them unless they approach you. Respect their customs. This was while the Shah was still in power and we had very friendly relations with the Iranian government. (Bit of trivia) I was in the Air Force when Iranian militants took over the US Embassy in Teheran in 1979 and held American staff as hostages. I was also in uniform when the US had the failed Desert One attempt to rescue the hostages. Lack of a joint doctrine and the ability of the Air Force, Army, Marines, and Navy all working together was evident in those days; poor ability to forecast the weather in the region (a sandstorm helped doom the mission); and aging equipment doomed the mission and tragically cost some American lives. A few years later in Grenada, Panama and Iraq America would expect and take for granted the tremendous ability of the US Military to work across service boundaries as one cohesive unit. Fast forwarding nearly 20 years, before I retired, the US Army leaders told the Air Force leaders, we will no longer defend Air Bases in hostile territories out from 1 mile to beyond. We will defend from 5 miles out and Air Force troops will need to handle the responsibilities for ground defense around base out to 5 miles. I knew when I saw that agreement THINGS HAD CHANGED. I retired from active duty in September 1997, and so much has changed in the intervening years. But one thing that has not changed is THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IS THE WORLDS BEST AIR FORCE, HAS THE BEST SUPPORT TROOPS AND STRUCTURE, AND IS TRULY SECOND TO NONE!!! From the B2, B1, and B52 bombers to the heavy airlift of the C17, to the Fighters and Trainer aircraft--materials are important, but PEOPLE, well trained officers and airmen, make it all go!
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 04:46:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015