I retired back in 1999 after 21 years and still miss it. Best years of my life was the Air Force. Tips to help you when entering is to tell yourself it is a Game and you got this. (Guys let go of ego you are the same as the guy next to you, Ladies don't let your natural individualism get in the way of teamwork) * MTI's are your guides and Yelling is part of it and it only last 2-3 weeks as part of indoctrination phase. All you have to do is listen and breath it is all part of the game and no big deal. * It is basic not advanced so everything seems big in your mind but you are part of a team and why sweat it. * Follow rules, react to whats being said and remember it is a game which you are learning and performing. * Ask for help from others - they are your team mates and remember you are all together in it to pass. DON'T MAKE IT HARD! Remember to enjoy it - goes by fast and then you move on.
Dear Major Hugo , My son is graduating next week ! He's AFSC 6F0X1 _Financial Management & Comptroller Thank you very much for your support and advice ! We Salute you !
I posted earlier but don't know what happened to my comments, so I thought I would post again. I enjoyed listening to the interview. For the past several days I’ve been watching you tube videos of Air Force basic training, Wow! How things have changed over the years! I came in on August3,1966, 3703 BMTS, Flight 1783, SSgt Thomas Barnes was my MTI. My "service number" ( before they converted to using the social security number) was AF15955924. I retired after 25 years of service in 1991. In January 1970, I became a MTI. Actually I got my hat and badge in March 1971 and my first flight shortly after that date. MTI duty was considered a "special duty assignment", that you had to apply for, and each applicant was "hand picked". MTI School was something like four, maybe six weeks, before you got your hat and badge. In those years, we wore 1505 Kaki or fatigues uniforms. Our "Blues" were our dress uniforms. Our Campaign Hats were olive drab like the are in the Army or Marine Corps. If we wore our Blues (during retreats and parades) we wore our blue Service Hats (some call it the wheel hat). Later, when the Air Force eliminated the 1505 uniform and replaced it with the blue combination (similar to today’s uniform), We could not longer were our Campaign hats because of the color difference. The Blue Campaign Hat came out around 1973 toward the end of my tour. It was felt, not straw, and hot as hell! Also, toward the end of my tour, MTI's could "apply" to work in the WAF Squadron, 3743 BMTS, ( WAF- Women of the Air Force). They had their own squadron with their own female MTI's. About mid-way through my tour, the Air Force and BMTS in particular, was getting very concerns about "mal-treatment" of trainees, so BMTS completely changed policy concerning treatment of trainees. We could no longer put our hands on trainees, except to making simple corrections, like adjusting their hands for showing the proper placement of the hand on the bill of a hat during a salute or some other simple adjustment. We could no longer call them names or cuss at them ( my favorite terms were "slime-dog", "dip-shit., or "dirt bag"). Although some MTI's did more physical "hands on" than I did, most of us thought basic training was going down the tubes with these new controls placed on us. We could no longer punish trainees by having them do push ups when they screwed up, or make them run extra laps during PT. I got moved around quite a bit. I started in the 3727 BMTS squadron ( 3rd building on the right coming in from the Loop 410 gate). It was one of the newer 1000 man dorms, that had dorms, dining hall, classrooms, drill pad all under one roof. Later I got moved to the 3701 squadron, which were the old Korean Barracks (no longer there). The MOB barracks, as they were called, had two floors, one on top of the other, open bay, no A/C, open wall racks, foot lockers, and double bunks except for each squad leader and the dorm chief. There was one small shower (4 shower heads) /toilets room per floor. A small washers and dryer room downstairs. The MTI office was upstairs with a small storage room (for civilians baggage) that remained locked for the entire 6 weeks. There was no graduation ceremony except each flight had to march in one parade toward the end of training. The last day of training consisted of some trainees, shipping out to their bases ( no tech schools), getting the barracks ready for the next flight, sewing on strips, general base liberty to run errands before shipping out to their tech schools the next day. In my case, we got on a Greyhound bus, packed our duffels and civilian bags on to the bus, got on board and took off. None of us knew where we were going until someone waited until the bus drove off the base and walked and asked the driver where we were going.....Amarillo AFB, Texas 10 hours north! We kinda of knew we were all in aircraft maintenance but didn’t know where our tech school was located. Those were great days, just can't get over how many years it’s been.. 52 years ago, 45 years since I was a MTI.
Thank you Chuck for sharing the great details of what you saw. I really enjoyed reading it. I went to basic training in April 1996 and it's crazy how time marches on. You did some really cool stuff and I bet you have many, many stories. Thank you for your service!
Great video for this very old timer to watch. Although things were different in the 70's, only 6 weeks of basic, and most of the training was in class, the same standards were enforced. I still remember my MTI's name, TSgt Speegle. I went on to school and was part of the USAF Security Service. We were a component of NSA at that time. Most of our missions were done overseas, and one of my assignments was to San Vito Air Station in Italy. The day that I reported for work, I was taken over to meet my supervisor, and it was none other than TSgt Speegle (then MSgt). I couldn't believe my eyes, then I told him that I was one of his trainees in basic. We had a lot of laughs on that.
Be confident, strong mentally, have an end sight (graduation) and remind yourself why you signed up. Remember that EVERYONE had to go through it. You got it!
+YOUR Military Money Thank you very much! Yes I've been saying for months leading up to this, "I just wanna graduate & I'll be good! I just gotta get through it." Haha Graduation is definitely in my eyes. Thank you for the advice! You videos are fantastic, thank you for educating me & other people🙂
You will ask yourself what did I get myself into, My first night in BCT I asked myself that question back in 1974 Fort Knox KY.D-8-4 Anyone out there ???
I had to get out for family reason's. I had a chance to go back in two years later and didn't take it. I have a good life now, but wish I would have gone back in for a career. I actually enjoyed my time in.
Your right i went in 1979 two month after high school and went in on a friday and didn"t go to bathroom till tuesday. That"s how much it mess me up. And mti picking me day one as chow runner and getting yell at all the time didn"t heip.
It is incredibly difficult to fail BMT.... You could fail the PT test via BMT standards, but if you pass by air force standards, then you will leave with a comment on your record. You don't even have to hit the target at CATM to qualify. The only requirement is to shoot your rifle once, and that is it.
@@MC-mh2ju there were people who were in their 40s , and they were still passing basic training, and there were people passing basic training on crutches.
Try this at BMT- NEVER look an MRI in the face. Look forward, even when they're in your face. Slightly bite your tongue so you can focus on that. If you need to bite a little harder, do it. However, don't hurt yourself. You'll be fine.
whenever my parents yell at me or im having a serious conversation sometimes I will just start smiling and I CANNOT HELP IT! I try so hard so im so scared for that.
YOUR Military Money Thanks! Just didn't know if it was impossible with me being Guard (Although I'm assuming it's an AGR job) and if I would need to try and transfer bases and roll the dice for the job once in San Antonio
Even funnier, is yes teamwork is super important. And we're all in this together, but once you get out of boot camp you start to see more tribalism, and clicks than anything else, ESPECIALLY at your first duty station. Because if you do not fit in with anybody, then you will find out how bad the tribalism is with in the military.
I retired back in 1999 after 21 years and still miss it. Best years of my life was the Air Force.
Tips to help you when entering is to tell yourself it is a Game and you got this. (Guys let go of ego you are the same as the guy next to you, Ladies don't let your natural individualism get in the way of teamwork)
* MTI's are your guides and Yelling is part of it and it only last 2-3 weeks as part of indoctrination phase.
All you have to do is listen and breath it is all part of the game and no big deal.
* It is basic not advanced so everything seems big in your mind but you are part of a team and why sweat it.
* Follow rules, react to whats being said and remember it is a game which you are learning and performing.
* Ask for help from others - they are your team mates and remember you are all together in it to pass.
DON'T MAKE IT HARD! Remember to enjoy it - goes by fast and then you move on.
Well said Avi! Great input.
Dear Major Hugo ,
My son is graduating next week !
He's AFSC 6F0X1 _Financial Management & Comptroller
Thank you very much for your support and advice !
We Salute you !
I posted earlier but don't know what happened to my comments, so I thought I would post again. I enjoyed listening to the interview. For the past several days I’ve been watching you tube videos of Air Force basic training, Wow! How things have changed over the years! I came in on August3,1966, 3703 BMTS, Flight 1783, SSgt Thomas Barnes was my MTI. My "service number" ( before they converted to using the social security number) was AF15955924. I retired after 25 years of service in 1991.
In January 1970, I became a MTI. Actually I got my hat and badge in March 1971 and my first flight shortly after that date. MTI duty was considered a "special duty assignment", that you had to apply for, and each applicant was "hand picked". MTI School was something like four, maybe six weeks, before you got your hat and badge. In those years, we wore 1505 Kaki or fatigues uniforms. Our "Blues" were our dress uniforms. Our Campaign Hats were olive drab like the are in the Army or Marine Corps. If we wore our Blues (during retreats and parades) we wore our blue Service Hats (some call it the wheel hat). Later, when the Air Force eliminated the 1505 uniform and replaced it with the blue combination (similar to today’s uniform), We could not longer were our Campaign hats because of the color difference. The Blue Campaign Hat came out around 1973 toward the end of my tour. It was felt, not straw, and hot as hell! Also, toward the end of my tour, MTI's could "apply" to work in the WAF Squadron, 3743 BMTS, ( WAF- Women of the Air Force). They had their own squadron with their own female MTI's. About mid-way through my tour, the Air Force and BMTS in particular, was getting very concerns about "mal-treatment" of trainees, so BMTS completely changed policy concerning treatment of trainees. We could no longer put our hands on trainees, except to making simple corrections, like adjusting their hands for showing the proper placement of the hand on the bill of a hat during a salute or some other simple adjustment. We could no longer call them names or cuss at them ( my favorite terms were "slime-dog", "dip-shit., or "dirt bag"). Although some MTI's did more physical "hands on" than I did, most of us thought basic training was going down the tubes with these new controls placed on us. We could no longer punish trainees by having them do push ups when they screwed up, or make them run extra laps during PT.
I got moved around quite a bit. I started in the 3727 BMTS squadron ( 3rd building on the right coming in from the Loop 410 gate). It was one of the newer 1000 man dorms, that had dorms, dining hall, classrooms, drill pad all under one roof. Later I got moved to the 3701 squadron, which were the old Korean Barracks (no longer there). The MOB barracks, as they were called, had two floors, one on top of the other, open bay, no A/C, open wall racks, foot lockers, and double bunks except for each squad leader and the dorm chief. There was one small shower (4 shower heads) /toilets room per floor. A small washers and dryer room downstairs. The MTI office was upstairs with a small storage room (for civilians baggage) that remained locked for the entire 6 weeks.
There was no graduation ceremony except each flight had to march in one parade toward the end of training. The last day of training consisted of some trainees, shipping out to their bases ( no tech schools), getting the barracks ready for the next flight, sewing on strips, general base liberty to run errands before shipping out to their tech schools the next day. In my case, we got on a Greyhound bus, packed our duffels and civilian bags on to the bus, got on board and took off. None of us knew where we were going until someone waited until the bus drove off the base and walked and asked the driver where we were going.....Amarillo AFB, Texas 10 hours north! We kinda of knew we were all in aircraft maintenance but didn’t know where our tech school was located. Those were great days, just can't get over how many years it’s been.. 52 years ago, 45 years since I was a MTI.
Thank you Chuck for sharing the great details of what you saw. I really enjoyed reading it. I went to basic training in April 1996 and it's crazy how time marches on. You did some really cool stuff and I bet you have many, many stories. Thank you for your service!
Great video for this very old timer to watch. Although things were different in the 70's, only 6 weeks of basic, and most of the training was in class, the same standards were enforced. I still remember my MTI's name, TSgt Speegle. I went on to school and was part of the USAF Security Service. We were a component of NSA at that time. Most of our missions were done overseas, and one of my assignments was to San Vito Air Station in Italy. The day that I reported for work, I was taken over to meet my supervisor, and it was none other than TSgt Speegle (then MSgt). I couldn't believe my eyes, then I told him that I was one of his trainees in basic. We had a lot of laughs on that.
That is a great story of meeting your MTI years later. Small world, smaller Air Force!
Oh this was so great! Made me feel that much better about leaving! :) Sept. 6th, it begins!
Be confident, strong mentally, have an end sight (graduation) and remind yourself why you signed up. Remember that EVERYONE had to go through it. You got it!
+YOUR Military Money Thank you very much! Yes I've been saying for months leading up to this, "I just wanna graduate & I'll be good! I just gotta get through it." Haha Graduation is definitely in my eyes. Thank you for the advice! You videos are fantastic, thank you for educating me & other people🙂
You will ask yourself what did I get myself into, My first night in BCT I asked myself that question back in 1974 Fort Knox KY.D-8-4 Anyone out there ???
Great video. Thank you!
Awesome, thank you for watching.
I had to get out for family reason's. I had a chance to go back in two years later and didn't take it. I have a good life now, but wish I would have gone back in for a career. I actually enjoyed my time in.
I'm glad you enjoyed your time while you served!
you should make more videos with Joe. really great video seriously!
He's here for a few more days. What topic are you interested in and I'll see if he's interested?
How to pick a military job; relationships between officers and enlisted men.
We'll make a follow up video on Tuesday before his departure.
Thank you Airmen !
Great video !
Very good questions and answers !!!
Thank you very much, Sirs !!!
I enjoyed very much this video !
Could you please think about to do 1 with a former Tech School instructor ?
Thank you !
Do you learn how to be comedians is MTI school? Some of the funniest things I've ever heard came from TI's when I went through in 2003
Very informational
Good to hear. I hope it helped you out.
Your right i went in 1979 two month after high school and went in on a friday and didn"t go to bathroom till tuesday. That"s how much it mess me up. And mti picking me day one as chow runner and getting yell at all the time didn"t heip.
It is incredibly difficult to fail BMT.... You could fail the PT test via BMT standards, but if you pass by air force standards, then you will leave with a comment on your record.
You don't even have to hit the target at CATM to qualify. The only requirement is to shoot your rifle once, and that is it.
Great. Even an old man like me can make it.
@@MC-mh2ju there were people who were in their 40s , and they were still passing basic training, and there were people passing basic training on crutches.
The thing I'm most nervous for is the MTIs not letting me use the restroom if I have to go
You'll be fine. See if it's an option for you.
When I get nervous I smile / laugh , I've been in njrotc and I could kind of control it . I leave for basic in September I hope I can control it
Try this at BMT- NEVER look an MRI in the face. Look forward, even when they're in your face. Slightly bite your tongue so you can focus on that. If you need to bite a little harder, do it. However, don't hurt yourself. You'll be fine.
whenever my parents yell at me or im having a serious conversation sometimes I will just start smiling and I CANNOT HELP IT! I try so hard so im so scared for that.
Do what I do, slightly bite your tongue. If that doesn't work, bite your tongue harder but don't cut it off. :)
I leave for BMT Nov 27th, Security Forces!
Awesome Kiara. Do great things!
I'm currently in the Arkansas Air Guard awaiting BMT this summer. My question is, what steps would I need to take later in my career to become an MTI?
Contact your Military Personnel Section and inquire about how to apply. It's definitely an option so look into it and see if it's a good fit for you.
YOUR Military Money Thanks! Just didn't know if it was impossible with me being Guard (Although I'm assuming it's an AGR job) and if I would need to try and transfer bases and roll the dice for the job once in San Antonio
What are the most common challenges for the airmen ?
Adjusting to someone constantly directing them to do things to perfection.
What are the most common reason of failure for these young airmen ?
The most common failures are due to injuries, fraudulent enlistment (lying about drug use) and medical reasons.
when did you go through bmt
I began BMT in April 1996.
+YOUR Military Money cool. I was wondering because in a bmt video from 2014 a trainee kinda resembled you
That's funny. 18 years apart.
+YOUR Military Money ya
What are the percentage of graduated on the men flight ?
98% for both males and females.
Even funnier, is yes teamwork is super important. And we're all in this together, but once you get out of boot camp you start to see more tribalism, and clicks than anything else, ESPECIALLY at your first duty station. Because if you do not fit in with anybody, then you will find out how bad the tribalism is with in the military.
I leave tomorrow
Do great things!
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