Month: April 2025
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TDY to Australia
Reading Time: 5 minutesIn the Air Force, whenever you travel for a short period of time on AF business from where you are permanently stationed, you are said to be sent TDY (Temporary Duty). As an airman administrator, TDYs were few and far between. The only one I had on Guam was to Okinawa for… Read more
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The Best Things About Guam
Reading Time: 2 minutesOh man, this is supposed to be a short post so all I’m going to get to do is list the things I liked best about living on Guam for 3 years. First, of course, is the sun, sand, warmth and beaches. It’s a tropical island. How many people do you know… Read more
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Back to Guam
Reading Time: 4 minutesOther than the prank I wrote about in my last short post, technical school at Keesler AFB was completely forgettable. The most important day there was the one where I got orders to return to Guam for a 2-year assignment as an orderly room specialist for the Avionics Maintenance Squadron of the… Read more
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Administrative Specialist
Reading Time: 2 minutesAfter graduating Basic Training, I was shipped off to Technical School at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi to learn how to serve the Air Force as an administrative specialist. It’s a routine job that the Air Force needs just like a high powered executive needs a secretary. Without admin specialists, the guys… Read more
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Surviving Basic Training
Reading Time: 5 minutesIn 1980, Air Force Basic Training was 6 weeks long. In 2025 it’s 7.5 weeks long. I don’t know for sure, but I think the increase in length is because they have to wean recruits from electronics and do some cultural deprogramming. Teaching a young adult today to obey orders isn’t as… Read more
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The Lost Birthday
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you haven’t read last Tuesday’s post about my enlisting in the Air Force, please detour back to that now. Here’s the link. The 5th day of Basic Training also happened to be my 26th birthday. Of course, no one knew it was my birthday and I wasn’t about to tell anyone.… Read more
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Airman Basic Grathen – 1980
Reading Time: 5 minutesToday is the 45th anniversary of the day I enlisted in the United States Air Force. Over the next several weeks, I’m going finally write down some of the stories I remember most about that experience and the years I spent in the service of this great country. I hope you’ll enjoy… Read more