I hate my job!

[Sgt PSN]

I was station next to a Navy squadron of CH-46's. Took a few rides in them. Would be a Cool beast to work on.

I flew in them a lot when I was a grunt.  They're ok.  Given a choice, I'd love to go to a CH-53 squadron. 

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

You're still a grunt to us.

[Sgt PSN]

Of course I am.  I show up to tailgates with MRE's, get wasted, make bombs and lick stuff off the ground.  That's basically the day-to-day life of a grunt. 

[Phanatic]

I was station next to a Navy squadron of CH-46's. Took a few rides in them. Would be a Cool beast to work on.

I flew in them a lot when I was a grunt.  They're ok.  Given a choice, I'd love to go to a CH-53 squadron. 

I saw one of those beasts on the ground in Bahrain once. What a monster.

I ended up spending 4 years in the back of one of these pigs. Fun to work on for sure though.

[SunMo]

I need a hug.

Or a Jager Bomb the size of an oil drum.

Here at , you buy your own damn drinks.  But I know SunMo wants to hug it out with you.

here here lil Romey

[Diomedes]

... and start over on my own.

You're not as dumb as you post after all.

[PhillyPhreak54]

I left my firm today.  I had it out with my fellow senior partner and decided that the best thing for me to do is leave the firm and start over on my own.

16 years at the firm and today was it for me.

I need a hug.

Or a Jager Bomb the size of an oil drum.

Whatever.

Did you get to keep the tape measure though?

Or at least get a good kidney punch on the guy who you had it out with?

[Philly Crew]

Looks like my days in KC are numbered.  Got orders yesterday to leave in Sep and head out to Edwards AFB in Cali.about 2 hrs east of Chuggie.  When I leave, I'll have only been on station here for 13 months.  Kind of sucks.  I am looking forward to the unit I'm going to though.  It's a CH-46 Squadron (CH-46 pictured below) and I haven't had an opportunity to work on the air side of things.  So that'll be a great new experience.  I'll most likely be deploying sometime in 2009 for Iraq (probably Al Asad) but if you're going to deploy, going with the Air Wing is the way to go since they tend to have the best facilities available and I'll probably go on a few flights with them while we're over there as well. 

The only thing I'm not really excited about is that I'm leaving KC after only a year (really just settled in) and this base is basically in the middle of the desert.  2 hours from LA, maybe 3 or 4 from Vegas. 

This may actually be better for me in the long run though because it will give me an opportunity to try and get back to KC in 3 or 4 years and finish my career out here and retire.  Had I stayed here for 3 years right now, I'd have to leave and go somewhere else for another 3 or 4 years before I could retire.....and then move back to KC.  So it might not be such a bad thing for the long term.  For the short term, it still sucks though. 

That sucks.  I haven't been able to make it back out to KC in awhile but really miss it.  Good luck at Edwards.  You know life is better on an Air Force base!

[MDS]

why on earth would you want to live in kansas city?

[SunMo]

he really likes barbecue

[Sgt PSN]

why on earth would you want to live in kansas city?

Why on earth would you want to go to Temple?  Or be jewish? 

[Sgt PSN]

That sucks.  I haven't been able to make it back out to KC in awhile but really miss it.  Good luck at Edwards.  You know life is better on an Air Force base!

The only reason I'm not entirely pissed about it is because I know there's a good chance I'll be able to come back out here in a few years, finish up my career and retire here.  If I stayed here for a few years right now, I'd have to do my last few years somewhere else, retire and then move back here and settle back in.  If it all works out the way I'm hoping and I get to come back here for my last couple years, I'll be able to basically use the last year or so as a giant transition period and find a house, start networking for a job, etc, etc. 

And I am looking forward to being on an Air Force base.  From what I understand, Edwards is some sort of test facility for the space program so the facilities on station should be top notch.  Not to mention that the AF has some fine ass women and it's the only branch of service that I haven't shagged a lady from......yet. 

[Seabiscuit36]

I was station next to a Navy squadron of CH-46's. Took a few rides in them. Would be a Cool beast to work on.

I flew in them a lot when I was a grunt.  They're ok.  Given a choice, I'd love to go to a CH-53 squadron. 

my cousin flys those for the navy.  He's based in Pensacola, and a flight instructor. 

[Sgt PSN]

Got to spend my day in CACO (Casulty Assistance Calls Officer) training today.  Basically a CACO is a person designated to go to mom and dad's house and tell them that their kid just got dead.  We've all seen it done in the movies and the manner it's done is very much the same. 

What I didn't know though is that when you are assigned as a CACO to a family it basically becomes your primary job for as long as the family needs you around (or until you die).  I always knew there was more to the job than just going to someone's house, telling them their loved one was killed and then leaving.  I figured it was something along the lines of staying with them and greiving with them, giving them an "info packet" or something that lets them know everything they should expect and what they need to do to handle all of the affairs that come with a person's death and that maybe the whole thing was wrapped up within a week or so. 

Not true. 

You are basically at the family's beck and call from the minute you show up at their doorstep until all issues with the deceased have been settled.  This includes filling out mountains of paperwork so that life insurance can be paid out, veteran's benefits get started, making funeral arrangements, recovering the body, transporting the body to it's final place of rest, etc, etc, etc. 

We had a few guys in my group who had done it before and they had all seen everything on the emotional spectrum from the families they delivered the news to.  Mostly they just dealt with the what you would expect....lots of crying, sadness, denial, etc, etc.  But some have been slapped by an angry mom or punched by a brother or husband.  One guy said a father set his gov't vehicle on fire. 

And now this is something that I get to go do should a Marine whose family resides in my geographical area kicks the bucket.  This is one job I honestly hope I never ever have to do. 

[Philly Crew]

Got to spend my day in CACO (Casulty Assistance Calls Officer) training today.  Basically a CACO is a person designated to go to mom and dad's house and tell them that their kid just got dead.  We've all seen it done in the movies and the manner it's done is very much the same. 

What I didn't know though is that when you are assigned as a CACO to a family it basically becomes your primary job for as long as the family needs you around (or until you die).  I always knew there was more to the job than just going to someone's house, telling them their loved one was killed and then leaving.  I figured it was something along the lines of staying with them and greiving with them, giving them an "info packet" or something that lets them know everything they should expect and what they need to do to handle all of the affairs that come with a person's death and that maybe the whole thing was wrapped up within a week or so. 

Not true. 

You are basically at the family's beckoned call from the minute you show up at their doorstep until all issues with the deceased have been settled.  This includes filling out mountains of paperwork so that life insurance can be paid out, veteran's benefits get started, making funeral arrangements, recovering the body, transporting the body to it's final place of rest, etc, etc, etc. 

We had a few guys in my group who had done it before and they had all seen everything on the emotional spectrum from the families they delivered the news to.  Mostly they just dealt with the what you would expect....lots of crying, sadness, denial, etc, etc.  But some have been slapped by an angry mom or punched by a brother or husband.  One guy said a father set his gov't vehicle on fire. 

And now this is something that I get to go do should a Marine whose family resides in my geographical area kicks the bucket.  This is one job I honestly hope I never ever have to do. 

Wow, that's tough.  Good luck and I hope you never have to make that visit.