View Full Version : Straight to Afghanistan???
A friend of mine has a son who is shipping off to Basic Training tomorrow (AF). Yesterday the boy said his recruiter told him since he chose Security Forces as his AFSC he would be heading to Afghanistan immediately after Basic. All training would be received OJT.
Naturally my friend and his wife are panicked, wondering what their precious little boy has gotten into. Anyway I told them it was all BS. Junior will receive proper training and won't be shipped off to Afghanistan.
Just wanted to know if this information is being told to new recruits.
Sounds perhaps like a bit of gung-ho embellishment on the kid's part ("mom, dad - I'm going to WAR!"). I can't imagine a recruiter saying that, even if it WERE true (which it is likely not).
k
I agree with krellum 100%. The military didn't even do that during Desert Shield/Storm. This military operation is peanuts in comparison. The military just doesn't operate that way.
DJOHNSON954
10-16-2001, 20:52
Sounds like junior wants to be a hero. Nothing wrong with that I guess. However, it is highly unlikey in my opinion that he will be shipped off to war. You might recommend that the parents call the recruiter just to put them at ease. I am sure it's the son embellishing as Ron said or the recruiter giving his new recruit a little raz.
Doc_Earp
10-16-2001, 22:21
Calling the recruiter on it wouldn't be a bad idea. If he did say it, and I don't think he would have, he'd be in some trouble with his chain of command. Nevermind that you can't do that anyway.
Possibly the recruiter mentioned that in light of what is going in the world, and the specialty he chose, there's a possibility of him going somewhere to a unit deployed upon graduation of basic and advanced training and the boy half heard what he was saying and told his parents he was off to war in 10 weeks.
That's complete BS. The recruiter was blowing the kid some smoke to get him more pumped up for basic training.
TOTAL BS!!! I am in security forces and have been in since 95. I can almost guarantee that this kid won't see that side of the world until he is at least a 2 striper. There isn't many SF's if at all in afganistan or even close. The closest SF guy is probably in Saudi or Kuwait. There is no need for a SF guy in or near the country until we set up a base with Air Force Aircraft. Then they would send us in.
Thanks for your replies. Thats pretty much what I told them. I can't put all of the blame on the recruiter though since the kid probably heard what he wanted to hear and then let his imagination run wild!
kennethm3
10-19-2001, 01:26
Think about it. They are sending in the army rangers and special forces. Where would a fresh out of basic airman fit into that equation? He doesn't. The world would end before he got sent to Afghanistan.
RoscoeRuhl
10-19-2001, 07:15
Once upon a time, service members were sent to conflicts directly from basic training without the benefit of further instruction. They learned their skills "On The Job"! It's not likely to happen with this individual or any others at the present time. As to the presence or absence of any USAF security forces in Afganistan, unless you're in the position to have direct information (and it's classified at this point), you have no idea and therefore it's pure speculation! It also should be noted that there isn't a rank requirement for combat either!
Have a great day!
OK ROSCOE. When were you in the Air Force? I do have direct knowledge of the situation because we have people deployed very close to the area but not in the area. And for the rank comment, The Air Force will never send a Basic Trainee or even an E-2 over into that kind of situation. Maybe they will be in direct support, meaning watching planes in Saudi, but they will never be put over in that area. There are no Air Force Security Forces over within afganistan or the bordering countries. It is pretty much Army from the 10th mountain division and other army regiments, Special Forces and probably some marines. It is a known fact that the planes who are doing the bombing are not close to afganistan. they are coming off of Aircraft Carriers and out of Saudi. That is where you will find Air Force Security Forces.
During Operation Southern watch after the gulf war, I was in Kuwait for 4 months and we were 30 miles from the Iraqi border. We weren't even allowed to leave the base (Security Forces) but they had Marines and Army guys leaving every day to go patrol the Border which was still very hostile. Security Forces is not trained in this kind of situation. Our main mission is Base Defense and we ARE the last line of defense of a base. Further down the road, we may put AFSF's in afganistan but to justify this, there needs to be a base and USAF Priority Resources on that base.
I would hope that anyone related/connected in any way to any units participating in this conflict who actually DOES have "direct knowledge of the situation," would keep it to themselves, especially in an OPEN FORUM.
k
KRELLUM, Why do you suppose that? What is wrong with me making a statement defending my first reply on this post. Some of you moderators (especially on this post) are being a little too ridiculous. You guys think that just because you have moderator under your name, you can say anything and that is supposed to be the end of it. You guys need to face the fact that other people on this board do know more than you on certain topics and you need not reply to something you have no knowledge of.
PLEASE tell me what is wrong mentioning that I know guys who are deployed over there. especially when I have a moderator second guessing everything I ever post on this board.
I do not come onto this board and throw stuff out of my ass. I reasearch, but most of it is first hand knowledge.
Again, my question is: What was the purpose of your statement KRELLUM? Me posting the last post in no way endangers anyones life nor did I give any further information as to what, where or who they are.
This thread has gotten way off topic. Roscoe merely pointed out - and agreed with everyone else - that this recruiter in question was likely full of it. He also added that people are generally not sent directly to a combat theater from boot camp, whether in the Air Force or otherwise.
He also stated - and I agree with him on this - that any specific information, which is probably classified, SHOULD BE KEPT TO YOURSELF. I don't see the harm in that or the challenge to you, because I think that discussing where troops are or are not deployed, etc. should not be public information - I don't care how indignant you may be that someone seems to be challenging your level of air force security knowledge (and I didn't see it as a challenge anyway - I saw it as an agreement that a recruiter would say XYZ to a recruit, etc).
Also, regardless of whether YOU think your posting of this information doesn't "endanger anyone's life" or not - unless you're someone a lot farther up the operational/intel food chain than a stateside police officer, that's probably not your decision to make, so I would think that the less said the better. Again, I could care less about how much or what information you have - if you have it, good for you, but it's not fit for a public forum. That was my point, and given the events of 9/11, it seems to be a no-brainer to me.
Oh yes, and here's a common thread on this board - someone makes a post and a moderator disagrees with it: "why are all you moderators picking on me??, Just because you're a moderator, etc..." People who are not moderators disgaree with other members on this board every day - that has nothing to do with it.
I don't disagree with people because I'm a moderator (?) - I'm not even sure what that means. Is my disagreement any STRONGER because of that?? Hardly. I disagree with people because I think they're either posting erroneous information (and I don't know or care whether yours is or not, so I'm not saying I "know more" than you, OK?) OR they're posting information of a professional nature which should be kept to a restricted forum - that's why we HAVE restricted forums. And again, unless you serve in an upper-echelon command position and have an unchallengable level of experience and expertise (in which case I wouldn't expect you to post much here, anyway), it's not up to you to gauge the potential damage of any professional information you post, no matter how insignificant it may seem on the surface. I would think that when in doubt, don't post, period.
k
KRELLUM, I am going to PM you because I don't think I should say what I have to say on this board.
SP20,
I have to say you are wrong about what the Air Force would or would not do. I was deployed to the gulf for Desert Shield and Storm. I was an Air Force ground radio maintenance guy assigned to the First Armored Division's Air Liason Office. We had 6 radio maint guys, two of which where 3 levels 1 stripers (right out of tech school). We where not only in theater, we rolled with the division when it attacked. I will say, as a maintenance guy I never expected to be that close, but I learned allot by being there.
The Air Force like the Army at times need bodies whether trained or not.
John
I wan't talking about radio guys. I was talking about Security Police.
KRELLUM, I couldn't pm you because your box was full and I do not feel like retyping the paragraph again.
It should be empty now, but I've had problems with PM's - you may also send e-mail to krellum@aol.com. I am certainly "e-mailable" to answer any board members questions or discuss any topics, especially given the fact that my PM box seems to hate me :) !
Incidentally, if you're sending something regarding information that is not for open view because of it's tactical/security/intel nature; that was my point (and I think Roscoe's), and I'm glad you've decided to take that kind of stuff to PM - or at least to restricted forums - where it belongs. Thanks.
I will ask that if you were only PM'ing to somehow "retaliate" and you were going to use PM just because of the insultive nature of your intended message - please don't bother to respond. I don't think you were, but others have done so in the past, so I always ask people not to: it's juvenile and it gets boring. I will, in any case, discuss legitimate matters via PM (if it works) or e-mail.
Thanks for your contributions to this forum.
k
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