Last one to post in this thread wins

[John81]

Well, I need to go down to my Dad's and give him a hand this morning. Have a good day!

[nodnarb]

See ya later John.

[JerryNumbers]

When I went in a 3 striper was called Airmen 1st Class, but by the time I got there a 3 striper was called a Sergeant, & I believe my income was a bit over $300.00 per month. Which equals to over $3,600.00 per year. So actually I did not feel like I was anywhere close to 1st Class or a Sergeant when the pay check came each month.

Oh, during the time I had no stripe, those that had one stripe sure looked as if they were very important & that I should fear them if in their presence.

[nodnarb]

I am an E3 or two stripper and I make 1800 a month plus bah and bas. I put on my third stripe at the beginning of march. 2 strips nowadays is Airman 1st Class and the 3 strip is Senior Airman. Then its staff sergeant and you have to test to make that one. I miss testing for it this year by a month. One of the first things I heard when I got to Whiteman was "there is no rank among airmen." so not true SrA were always giving me orders and as a higher A1C I found there was times I had to occasionally tell some of the younger guys what to do. When I was in my shop at one point it was the staff then me rank wise. He would get busy so I knew I had to keep everything else going. One day he pulled me off to the side and told me that he liked how I had stepped up and that he was going to let me take on some more responsibilities and would let me decide who to send where and what not. I wasn't to happy with that but it was a learning experience.

[John81]

Ranks and especially pays has really changed over the years!

[nodnarb]

Yes they have.

[JerryNumbers]

Yes, it seems, yet the cost of everything has risen very high.

Gas in my early air force days, 30 cent per gallon was high. Our 1st rent after marrying while in the Air Force was 40 dollars per month. It was one side of an old house.

And you did not have $20,000 Chevy's. You could buy a new one, loaded, for under $5,000.

Full coverage insurance on the auto was not + 600.00 for 6 months.

And you did not have $5.00 hamburgers.

Plus, we had the BX, some things there was quite a bit cheaper there than downtown.

[nodnarb]

Our bx is kinda small but nice.

[JerryNumbers]

Ours was not real large at Blytheville AFB, but it had lots of nice stuff in it.

They had a grocery store too, & it was cheaper than the grocery stores down town.

They had a gas station on base, but its gas was about the same as off base.

Had one sergeant, E-7 I believe, that divorced, them live in the barracks in a room by him self. When he got off work he headed to the NCO Club, stayed till closing time, them to the barracks. He did this every day. I never understood how he did that. several times he had to have help leaving the NCO Club, & getting to his room.

[nodnarb]

we have all the same. I don't shop anywhere beside the commissary. Well I go to walmart just for the flavored water I like. The gas station here is usually 1 penny cheaper then off base. I heard someone say that they aren't aloud to be any cheaper than that because it would take from the business off base. and since the town of the base is so small it makes sense to me.

[JerryNumbers]

Long time, memory cloudy.

Seems there was a base Annex, it was at the backside of the base close to the flight line, beer there was cheap, many airmen bought their beer there, bring it back to the barracks to drink.

How about health care, do y’all still get full health care at a base hospital?

[nodnarb]

Well we don't have a full hospital. we have a clinic and if its bad they send us to the local hospital. Or if they can't treat it the refer us off base. I had knee surgery and pretty much everything I did prior to that I was sent off base for. but you get paid for those trips.

[John81]

My uncle was a doctor at Lackland AFB.

[nodnarb]

That is one base that I hope to never have to go back to. lol Actually I here if you are there outside of basic its a really good base.

[John81]

That's where I was stationed! You are right, much better outside of basics. Is Lackland still the only AFB without and airport?