CREWCHIEF WINGS

[CHICKENPLATE]

I DON'T KNOW THE EXCAT NUMBER, BUT I DO KNOW THAT OVER 2000 CREWCHIEFS,DOOR GUNNERS AND FLIGHT MEDICS DIED DURING THE VIETNAM WAR,
THIS IS A DROP IN THE BUCKETT COMPARED TO THE WWII BOMBER CREWMAN WHO DIED AT A HIGHER RATIO THAN THE USMC IN THERE ISLAND HOPPING CAMPAIGNS.NOW THEIR SILVER WINGS ARE BEING GIVEN AWAY FASTER THAN THE RANGERS BLACK BERET AND NO SENIOR (FLYING) NCO,CHIEF WARRENT OFFICER OR COMISSIONED
OFFICER,HAS EVER SPOKEN UP.
WHEN I WALK BY THAT WALL, I AM INSPIRED BY THOSE NAMES.I REACH UP AND TOUCH NAMES I KNOW.ENLISTED MEN WHO SAVED MY ASS MORE THAN ONCE!I HEAR THEIR VOICES FROM THE BACK LETTING ME KNOW THAT THINGS WERE OK OR IT WAS TIME TO GET THE HELL OUT OF DODGE!THE SOUND OF THEIR GUNS BLAZING WAS COMFORTING AS I PULLED PITCH.I PERSONALLY WON'T FORGET THEM.YOU KNOW WHO WALKS THE WALK AND TALKS THE TALK!<br>I'LL SEE YOU ALL AT FIDDLERS GREEN,
CHICKENPLATE

[Jenn]

Are you referencing the fact that now anyone in an MOS related to aviation is recieving the non rated crew member wings? If so, I agree that what a CE does is something special.....and they need to be honored for it....and not have the one thing that distinguishes them from the ground aviation personel ....taken away.

[GIJoe]

I can understand your frustrations. I have been a crewchief for at least 18 years. It pisses me off that a flight ops person can now wear these wings. I have lost count of how many times I and my crew chiefs have helped put up the flight ops crap first on a deployment and our stuff later. I cannot remember getting any help with our marathon maintenance from them. I and othr senior NCO's have voiced our opinion on this issue and have been told to stop whinning because it is a group hug thing. Screw them. I am going to send my master wings to a certain aviation branch CSGM, maybe he can give them to a ops person as a feel good gesture.

[rbostic]

Amen Brother - Thanks for the vote of confidence chickenplate. That's why we are called a crew. You take care of us and we take care of you.

Rbostic - UH-1H & UH-60 CE
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1668/crewch.html

[rbostic]

We don't need the wings to distinguish us...just the confidence of our PI. That's enough. Nothing ever made me feel better than to have my MTP, CW3 Steve Culli tell me at the end of my tour in Egypt "It was good flying with you. You're a good CE"

[chucksnee]

It's this DAMN new Army, you cry and cry and you finally get what you want. I fully agree they should not get wings and to make matters worse, the flt ops guys 93C ATC get more money (FLT PAY) than i do or any other E-6 because they have alot of stress in that air conditioned room as they are talking to us drinking a coke. Any way I'll put my soap box away for now. Just glad to hear some people think the same way.
Chinooks Forever

[guardiantl]

I'm a Marine crew cheif and weapons and tactics instructor. I am applying for WOCS right now. As a crew chief, I have to give a resounding, "Hell yeah!" I decide who gets wings in my command and I'll be damned if I give my wings to anyone who doesn't rate.

[Flightle]

Every day that the Army exists is a "new Army". That mentality is what helps set future troops up for failure. Resistance to change, in the Army specifically, is not a good thing right now. I would also argue, it hasn't been a good thing in the past 30 or so years.

Troops these days are every bit as hard and motivated as troops of the past. They are more educated, trained and prepared for combat with leaders who are more and more picked for their ablities and not their political connections. The NCO's of today are perhaps the most professional and educated the Army has ever seen with a large percentage of NCO's meeting the requirements that you would need to become and officer but they elect to stay as NCO's as a preference. Newly commissioned officers and future officers are recieving some of the best training that has ever been offered and many schools across the Army are trimming the fat and putting more meat into their classes.

I would argue, the "old Army" might have been good for nostalgia. I personally cherish our Army's history and think of our backgroud as some of the most important and noble causes in our nations history. The "new Army" (changing every day) is on the right track.

Just my opinion,

Forest J. Lightle IV

[CChambliss]

If a cat has kittens inside the oven does that make them biscuits? If non flyers wear wings does that make them aviators? Same concept.
_________________
Cliff A. Chambliss

FOR MAXIMUM ATTENTION IT'S HARD TO BEAT A GOOD BIG MISTAKE.