Garth Brooks - Friends In Low Places

I always liked this song! LTC Stephen F.

The part about friends in low places made me think about something my MTI (Military Training Instructor) told us in BMT.. Some of you fellas may have friends like that.. i don’t know. Maybe when you go home is find a better place to meet those friends.. ohh you alway drop them or not see them e’time You go home.. I just don’t want to falling back into a wrong crowd.. that stuff
Tends to get one trouble.. Another way if they are not deep in doing wrong stuff is help them get away and get in a better group of people.
Maybe even recruit them to join and get credit for it if they successfully complete training .. Well, where I was from we had some decent demographics... the low places I referred to was Nor’Wayne where I was in my very young years and Dad moved us to the Southside Where the Village is and got incorporated to be a city in 1960.
So most of my young life up to graduating (with exception of a few years in Littleton, Colo. [‘58-‘59] and summer ‘65 I went to the Military school in Mo. not far from St. Louis. And was in 5th level or 5th grade. Went through a basic training type sit-rep. To me it was more fun than work but I didn’t let them know that .. 1st grading term was six weeks from graduation from BMT at the school. I had earned my 1st 2 chevron (C/A1C) , and because my final BMT score was 100% my stripe was backdated. To graduation date on Labor Day ‘65.. 15 of 50 cadets had 100% low score was 70% . Lowest acceptable was 67%... only 3 got 70%. There were no ABs in our flight . We all had some type of adjustment sitrep .. I remember a Cadet like myself who scored high
had to get used to being away from home. I used to go camping with my Uncles to a woods that I didn’t know was a part of a future no go zone when landing patterns were going to be changed the next year.
They were going to lease it and clear the trees and brush.. no buildings they could plant crops only those that could be cleared
Using a tractor like beans or corn
or beets.. No tomatoes . Or other
Crops were a lot of humans had to clear in a short time.. So I was
Camping even in the winter.. of course I knew home wasn’t fsr..
I asked Cadet Kenny from where he called home .. “you will not laugh?”
No .. “Indiana, down by Kentucky”
“I’m from Michigan, 12 mi. From Detroit.... and actually Detroit scares me more than being here!”
I remembered we both had a laugh..
I don’t remember him having any more anxiety moments after that..
The next spring We took him and
Met up with his parents by bunker Hill AFB(it became Grissom in 1968).. We toured the base with Somebody from public affairs office. Got to see some neat stuff.. had lunch and finally met with his parents. Since we already had lunch and tour we headed to Mich
and they went down to where they
Lived.. next August he flew to St Louis.. My parents made a vacay of it.. (I secretly think mom didn’t want to let go of me for as long as possible.. All summer she wanted to take me s’where.. Always having me check in even at big family
Picnics.. Geez.. talk about pics !..
I had a whole album that got burned in a storage room fire in the barracks.. it was only suppose to be for a night .. that stuff happens..,a lot of AF pics of early days when in.. The Arch wasn’t Open until ‘67
On one side and ‘68 on the other
We didn’t go that way. Like I said previously I gave up thst scholarship for a free 3d year.. Parents did work out a trade off on that to get a semester worth of expense returned .. Dad said that be given to Grandpa and Grandma, they paid for a year.. so I had 1 year as a kid in JR. High.. I found out some good stuff in my freshman year the next school year, AFJROTC was starting .. I dug out my 201 file
With all my achievements, gigs(not too many..). and took it in..
they reviewed it and accrpted my AFJROTC creds.. I lost one lost Chevron for some reason.. At
Least I would start as a SSGT, So
I better get studying the PME book they gave me. Dad thought it great.. mom not so much.. She wanted to me to be a regular kid.. do regular kid stuff.. not so routined.. I ‘m not like them others..
i’d Just get in juvenile delinquent type trouble . Violating curfew on school night. That kind of s**t! That helped me win her over .. (I wouldn not of fallen into that anyway.. it just wasn’t me...
So I went and was involved in that for 3 years.. Along in my 10th level year I was really looking at different AF material information.. I’d seen info about the AF Reserve and studied it and set it aside to go back to and keep my interest peaked.. but I had to focus.. about what was going on then.. I didn’t have to go through the inaugural
Training.. I did go through a bivouac for NCO Staff Training. That was a 6 week course and was held up north Mich in the U.P. at MI tech.
The ROTC up there ran it .. There were AFJROTC 1st level trainees..
and I and other C/SSGTs would be
Their flight leaders and the College
AFROTC would advise us.. it was an interesting 6 weeks ! I t was good getting away and good going home too. The next year I put in for a different encampment and went to Texas at Medina.. the AF OTS .. they would be on a break for
6 weeks.. It was essentially like BMT.. we were all slick sleeves .. We had AFROTC instructing us there.. that went fast and I was
Glad to. Get back up to Michigan..
I still had a half day of Vo-tech and half day of the AFJROTC.. How I made it work makes my head spin
S’times.. I s’pose once a person gets in the rhythm they can do it..
i’d Been studying the material, talking to the right people .. there’s always naysayers.. Mom had a conference with a couple .. teachers.. the ones she spoke to
Were antiwar activists and I told her and dad that.. stay away from them.. That spring of ‘70 I made my move with my Commandant a AF retired LTC assisting me to get everything in order.. with the Reserves.. I knew I couldn’t be In
The Cadet program anymore . That
Was a given .. I took that battery test and aced that.. signed my papers on my B-day . Went to MEPS for pre-phys. That Wed and
Final phys and the oath on That Fri.
We flew to San Antone that night .
Our MYI being a former supply guy at Lackland knew the layout. He had buds get us set up and we didn’t hAve to wait until Monday..
we were good to go ! Partway through I did that skt bypass test
At the end we graduated, I had my
A1C and my new skill level.. I returned home and got readmitted (why they cut me loose .. certain protocols was all the school said.)
Anyway I was back and that was what counted.. I got back in to the Vo-tech sitrep.. The Vo-tech Head was the same one in Junior year gave me a go around.. I had been working for my Great Aunt,,A
Professional Degree’d Chef.. i’d Been studying under her for 2 years already.. Her and my parents had a unique set-up.. it took some finagling with lawyers involved..
Aunty’s and the Parents oh yeah
The court .. that previous year, I never consulted the court about my
Going and Joining AF Reserve.. I didn’t think it would undo all the work we done .. Anyway.. The Vo-tech lady wasn’t privy to that information . So maybe We could play innocent.. I normally worked that 3d weekend at Aunty’s Restaurant.. I went to the Drill.. I
Found later I could of missed it.. I had enough days built up because of BMT.., Nahh.. this would be fun!
I had gone that previous weekend when another unit was there st Selfridge Field.. I got taken through Supply and got 6 sets of Cook Whites . That’s what I got.. 6 sets of large Chevrons. 6 command logos, 6 Air Force tapes and a roll of blue blank tapes to embroider my name on.. The Sqdn training NCO, .. she took me over to other side of base and I got sized/for my
Whites to get hemmed they got my
A1C Chevron sewed on and my Command logos .. with enough people working I was done in very short time.. I thought I would have to return..to pick them up .. A lady there even pressed them for me.,
She had only presssed, she didn’t starch them.. so when I got them home I sprayed the creases ..
that next week I showed for that
Drill and the SSGT put me to doing some prep..(cutting up some product...). Another Amn came by and asked where I got my uniforms done.. I knew some folk ! “Ya know your supposed to just roll the bottoms up.” “No.. same as utility
Uniform. !” I replied. He went away.. That SSGT had given me about 50 big ol’ carrots and they had to be peeled and cut on the bias.. that’s why the machine couldn’t be utilized.. celery the same idea.. I got the peeler after I got the fat tops and pointy bottoms ..cut off. I set the fat top on the board and spin the carrot .. meanwhile going up and down with the peeler(peeler has two opposing blades). So each way one moves, the carrot gets peeled.. I was almost to the last carrot, 4 left maybe.. That Airman came by. And tried to tell me I was doing it all wrong.. So how you do it? and he proceeds to turn it in his hand doing single strokes away from him.. “Geez o’ Pete, I’d be Here all day ! “. I replied ! Some others
Laughed.. that Airman didn’t like that ridicule.. He went out an ‘ got a cup of coffee .. I finished my chore and sat at the table.., “So why’d you embarrass me like that?”
He asked.. “I wasn’t trying to.. you did it to yourself !n.. You stick with me and I’ll show ya how to cook good !” “How are you going to
Show me? I been here 2 years .!”
“How long you been here?” I inquired... “3-1/2 years” dang., kinda dragging there !” I said..
I had my CDCs just got I for the
5 skill level.. The SSGT informed
Me thst my OJT time as a 3 level hadn’t been done.. usually OJT
Time is a lot of grungy nasty work
for a 3 level.. he said. That Sqdn Train’g NCO and I had a discussion
Looking over what made it possible
for you to take that by pass test.. your folder with your apprenticeship is impressive.. Why’d you want to be in the Reserves.. ? “Serve my Country ,
Providing sustenance to my fellow Airmen so they can do their job maintain’g the AFs equipment !”
“We’re going to sign off on that
OJT for 3 level “. He said.. I had to make sure and seen it for myself..
Over the next 6 months I busted
My keester getting my books done
quick ..and the 1SGT and the Sqdn Train’g NCO happened to be married and.... be living only a few blocks from whee I resided with my
Parents. She had invited me over a few times .. our age difference was 8 years I wasn’t thinking any inappropriate ideas just go and do them volume tests and keep that under my hat. Our Food Svc Super, a SMSGT asked us in a meeting after laying the ground rules .. about being so far along in
CDCs and tests, OJT time .. SAT
Work perf. and other items.. one of them being Minimum of A1C.. He put out the sign-up .. a few others met the qualifications but only another SSGT. (Not my Shift leader ) and myself signed up . He had our orders ready that next day..
It would be the next month and the 1st weekend of that month.. So They were going to fly us to W-P AFB..on Friday at 1000 hrs.. that wouldn’t take long .. 10 other Airmen Of various ranks and AFSCs
Would be going.. no POVs.. auth.
So we weee there and checked in
to Sqdn and our Rms .. Sarge and I checked out the dining hall .. nice
Size, decent kitchen.. We’d brought a folder with our Food handler card copies.. and some other docs.. They told us bring them back that next day.. we were told 0600 and we were there..
They put me right on the grill.. it beat being a “dish B”. Or scouring
Sheet trays or ration pans.. i’d Been on the grill about 45 minutes
(Gee.. time god bump fast when one is having fun.. A TSGT came and brought another Airman and took me with him.. He took me back to a table with about 6 big boxes of what could be roasts...
I opened them snd it was.. We had a bunch of roasting pans.. So I
Got all them ready and got some oil
In the pans .. I got them in the ovens and got the oil bubbling , pulled back out and add the roasts and back In again.. added a little more to it and bubbly. Pull and turn them.. we get all the sides seared ..
a little later I add a little beef base stock not much. The roasts will emit more blood we put roast pans on top of those so the roasts will steam some.. check, add onions some potatoes, some carrots and celery A few hours later the aroma
Geez! Overcoming ! The veggies look great.. these are just garnishes
We had other pans of Veggies roast’g. We checked them 135•F and got them out and getting them cut while hot... this DH Super had it together .. he had them using 2-1/2” service pans wirh Aus Jus over the near. As fast as it got cut it was out to the Lind and served up.. with sides of the Veggies .. it was
Awesome ! I ‘d like to stay there and work.. maybe change units!
We were jamming.. we did 11 hours that day.. next day we did 5
0500-1000.....Got done.. got our papers endorsed and got dismissed. We got out of there
And went and got cleaned up .
Went to the exchange . Which wasn’t much.. got back and met up to go home.. they gave us Plane
Tickets and flew us back commercial.. some of the guys who had their wife come down with
The car got their orders amended
By the Cmdr. There.., So they drove back.. they lived not far from
Selfridge . For me.. Detroit Metro
At Romulus was but 5 miles..
as I made sure on the odometer.
I. Kept my voucher open and kept the additional mileage on a sheet of paper .. I could finalize at Selfridge .
Didn’t have to .. our Sqdn Tng NCO did it for me (showing me as we did it.). She took care of getting it turned in. We did good on that . Even with getting flown down there.
I think travel was only $.10 mile in ‘70.. So from W-P to the Airport
Is 17 mi. =$ 1.70. + .50. = $2.20
Those few days my meals were
Provided and I signed a sheet for that. I didn’t see anything deducted from me so I didn’t fret ..
I enjoyed doing them extra drills
Made that check a little fatter .. Another thing I noticed was no Mi tax coming out of my drill checks..
I asked at Finance and a MSGT told me not to fret it. So I didn’t ..
I got to pull some extra drills / deploys.. over that year .. increased my experience and made them checks a little fatter..

So do I Charlie! Lt Col Charlie Brown