3 ms·

Sort of, but not really. Being in SOCOM (special operations command) units, you'll often get extra training in the form of Additional Skill Modifiers. For insta

by SEJeff 8y ago

Sort of, but not really. Being in SOCOM (special operations command) units, you'll often get extra training in the form of Additional Skill Modifiers. For instance I was a UAV Pilot trained to fly the Hunter TUAV who got put in a Shadow 200 TUAV unit. I went back to training for a few months and came back with a W2 ASI denoting Shadow 200 qualification. That made my job designation change from 96U to 96UW2, which depending on the role, can mean extra pay. Generally socom operators get paid more due to hazard pay, which is a graded scale based on how likely you are to get maimed for life or killed. I can't speak for anyone but the US Army, but they only allow commissioned officers and warrant officers to fly helicopters. As a UAV pilot, I was in a group of the only enlisted pilots in the entire US Army. We were on the same flight status with the same awful yearly physicals of the helicopter / plane pilots.

somethingsimple 8y ago
> awful yearly physicals I’m too curious not to ask what those encompassed.
- SEJeff 8y ago
  The worst part of a Class 1 Flight Physical is a colon test, which involves a glove and some unpleasant moments. Funny story, we had a soldier who was a former gym rat and horribly homophobic. We were all up for this unpleasant experience and his best friend schemed with the flight surgeon who performs this physical. This could have likely gotten everyone in a lot of trouble but somehow everyone laughed it off. Anyways, his best friend hid inside the room behind the gurney you bend over. When the surgeon did the colon check, his buddy came from behind the gurney. As the surgeon put his left hand on the soldier's left shoulder, his buddy put his right hand on his right soldier. This was right before the surgeon put his finger in/out for the colon check. Knowing what was going to happen we heard this big muscle bound guy scream like a 12 year old child and erupt in anger. Somehow by the grace of god he didn't assault the full bird colonel flight surgeon. Once he saw his buddy he realized he'd been had and got really mad but calmed down quickly. The rest of the 2 years he was in our unit that poor guy never lived it down. We were outside the room pretty much all on the ground crying laughing so hard.

by SEJeff 8y ago

somethingsimple 8y ago

> awful yearly physicals I’m too curious not to ask what those encompassed.

SEJeff 8y ago
The worst part of a Class 1 Flight Physical is a colon test, which involves a glove and some unpleasant moments. Funny story, we had a soldier who was a former gym rat and horribly homophobic. We were all up for this unpleasant experience and his best friend schemed with the flight surgeon who performs this physical. This could have likely gotten everyone in a lot of trouble but somehow everyone laughed it off. Anyways, his best friend hid inside the room behind the gurney you bend over. When the surgeon did the colon check, his buddy came from behind the gurney. As the surgeon put his left hand on the soldier's left shoulder, his buddy put his right hand on his right soldier. This was right before the surgeon put his finger in/out for the colon check. Knowing what was going to happen we heard this big muscle bound guy scream like a 12 year old child and erupt in anger. Somehow by the grace of god he didn't assault the full bird colonel flight surgeon. Once he saw his buddy he realized he'd been had and got really mad but calmed down quickly. The rest of the 2 years he was in our unit that poor guy never lived it down. We were outside the room pretty much all on the ground crying laughing so hard.