Hey USAF Old Timers..........

[Kalashnikov-47]

Wow... 29 years ago.......

Back in basic training these things were like my worst nightmare.

They always made us feel like it was the end of the world if

some an instructor pulled a 341 from you! Going through some old

stuff and found my basic training book. Stuck between some pages

I found some reminders of my days of bad behavior.

I remember SrA Adams. He had built a bunch of models and had

them hanging from a ceiling in our training building. Won't go

into details, but he wasn't a very good modeller. If he's still at it,

I'm sure his skills have improved!

[F106A]

Those are actually still around. I first discovered those when I joined the TN ANG back in 2000 and went to tech school. As an ex-Army guy, I've never liked paper work too much for small stuff. My philosphy has, and still, been to take their time away. That usually has more corrective effect in my experience. BTW, I don't think I've ever seen anyone use a 341 for an "Excellence" report.

It's funny, one of the guys in my shop found some 341s recently. When I got back from a recent TDY one of my smart-alecs decided I needed one for being a grouchy, old Master Sergeant, and I found it on my desk! I made them all paint rocks for the rest of the day!! (Nah, just kidding! But I should have!)

Mark

[Kalashnikov-47]

BTW, I don't think I've ever seen anyone use a 341 for an "Excellence" report.

Here ya go:

Arrived at Keesler AFB from Lackland (by bus) on a Thursday night. We were restricted to the squadron area. After dinner Friday evening, a CQ came into our area and announced they needed volunteers for a special detail in the female dormitory. Like the stupid, horny young airmen that we were, we all jumped at the opportunity. Well, instead of the female dorm, they took about 20 of us to the admin office and made us do a G.I. party. Kids started peeling away as they were able to, until there just two of us left, and we were asking if that was it or was there something else that needed doing? They gave us both excellence 341's and exempted us from all weekend details. While other airmen were toiling in the Mississippi heat, That weekend I made up for lost sleep at Lackland by sleeping 12 hours (or more...) Saturday and Sunday.

It's funny, one of the guys in my shop found some 341s recently. When I got back from a recent TDY one of my smart-alecs decided I needed one for being a grouchy, old Master Sergeant, and I found it on my desk! I made them all paint rocks for the rest of the day!! (Nah, just kidding! But I should have!)

Mark

[afspret]

I never heard of one being pulled for "Excellence" either. But I had one pulled for eating lunch at the Skylark Bowling Alley when I was in Basic in 1977. I was bypassing basic (thanks to taking JrROTC in HS) and went through the obstacle course with another flight, and since I was going to miss lunch with my flight, my TI told me, and another guy from my flight, we could grab a bite elsewhere when we finished.

We were on our way out of the bowling alley when we were stopped by a TI who was from another squadron (the '02 I think, I was in the '01). We explained to him why we were there and he didn't believe us, so he pulled a 341 from each of us. When we got back I told our TI and he said don't worry about it. Never did he anything about it after that.

Its a good thing I by-passed basic, 'cause right after I left, my flight went to hell in a hand basket. Our lead TI was busted for drugs, our assist TI had already been moved and given his own flight, and then the flight failed a dorm inspection real bad! It was so bad they lost their base & town privileges for the last two weeks of basic.

Edited May 29, 2010 by afspret

[madmanrick]

While other airmen were toiling in the Mississippi heat, That weekend I made up for lost sleep at Lackland by sleeping 12 hours (or more...) Saturday and Sunday.

My roommate and I at Keesler (this was 1978, just before they removed tech school auto privileges) went to a Pizza place out the back gate (can't remember the name now, but they ran a shuttle van) and got drunk one Friday night. He decided to continue to hang out with some other guys and I caught the van back to the barracks. I went to sleep and locked the door, apparently he came back in the middle of the night and had forgotten his keys. Well, long story short he kicked the door down because I wouldn't wake up (I could sleep like I was dead back then). When I awoke the next morning the louvered door was laying in a heap on the floor and he was passed out, needless to say we both got ripped for it. At first neither of us would admit to who did what, but eventually he relented and owned up to the destruction. At first they told him they were going to kick him out, but eventually he was only required to pay for replacing the door, loss of additional pay and was required to work those weekend details EVERY weekend for the next 4 weeks in the hot Mississippi sun. I was only forced to do some KP and 1 lost weekend. Fun times though...those back gate establishments lead to a lot of heartache, as did the local rednecks that hung out at the pool hall, like the time they hustled me for $100 by using a pretty girl who could shoot a mean game of pool!

Edited May 29, 2010 by madmanrick

[madmanrick]

Its a good thing I by-passed basic, 'cause right after I left, my flight went to hell in a hand basket. Our lead TI was busted for drugs, our assist TI had already been moved and given his own flight, and then the flight failed a dorm inspection real bad! It was so bad they lost their base & town privileges for the last two weeks of basic.

I lost my town pass too, but mine was for "not shaving properly." When we had our morning inspection the morning of our town pass, our TI asked for volunteers to stay on base and mow lawns, well you can guess how many raised their hands. Well, the TI got ****** and gigged 6 of us during inspection for ****** stuff, like not shaving properly and other article 35 (that was the grooming and uniform standard wasn't it?). I mowed lawns for 4 hours in the morning and then got to knock off and got a base pass, while my buddies were whooping it up in downtown San Antonio. To this day, despite PCS'ing to TX for 4 years, I've never been to downtown San Antonio!

[ikar]

I have not seen a 441 since 1971 when I got out of basic and stayed on at Lackland to tech school.

[gmat]

During Basic Training, I spent my day pass visiting Jim Wogstad, when he was publishing Replica in Scale. Very nice of him. Visited the small workshop in his backyard. Never did visit San Antonio. No disrespect to that fine city, but have not regretted it to this day.

Best wishes,

Grant

Guess the guys joking with each other made me do it, but one day, when my TI came in, I stood at attention and said "Airman D*psh*t reports as ordered!" To show his pleasure at this, he made me do the same to our senior NCO, a scary guy who shaved his head, like the guy from Top Gun. I was sh*tting ball bearings. After I reported, my TI showed up and the Senior NCO chuckled and said that they had got him. Wouldn't do that again..

Edited May 29, 2010 by gmat

[pbcheez]

i still got a few of those. the excellence ones didnt mean crap. our t-shirt motto was "What's a patio break?"

i was in b-bay and dorm chief and 3 of the element leaders were in a-bay and generally we hated the other bay. one night after lights out we low crawled into their bay and messed up their beds, jacked up their shoes, and even took one of the unused mattresses and put it on horizontally. we were in a world of sh** the next day. "Trainees conducted a nightops mission after lights out and sabotaged the belongings of their fellow wingmen etc etc~" It sounded like a pretty badass reason to get recycled though. Alas none of us were washed back which I later learned that if I had graduated techschool a week or two later I would have been sent to japan.

[William G]

Wow I was just thinking about 341's the other day...

Was telling the wife about them.

She, as usual, thought they were stupid...

I had 2 pulled in BMTS

One for my watch (forgot to put it away before PT)

and one by a General, who while I was on duty at the golf course, tripped over a curb, and I happened to be there at the right time to grab his arm...

William G

[C-130CrewChief]

I had several pulled for yelling at a stupid power hungry green rope in Tech school. I even pulled one of his for being a jackass. That made for an interesting closed door meeting with the MTL the next day. He asked me to become a rope and I "respectfully told him NO "F"ing way. We got along just fine, I ran my class without a rope and the little 18 year old power hungry green rope jerk kept pulling my 341s. All of my class graduated in the high 80% and 90%. I still have the last 341 given to me. I can't find it now, but it is marked excellent and in the remarks section is says "for being a dumbass thanks!" The entire class signed it. 13 years later I'm still standing up for what's right and getting smacked down by jerks in higher positions. However, now that I'm in the ANG that attitude is getting me somewhere. Change is good!

Curt