Rucker Information needed

[WaterRooster]

I just got a place this weekend right outside the gate. While I could have banked BAH I decided that with my fiancé that it would be nicer to have a home to come to at the end of the day. Coming from Chicago where rent is AMAZINGLY high, it was easy in my mind to find a place. I want to thank everyone in this topic for the help, as you have been an amazing resource to me and everyone else. I am going to try and give the same back as you gave to me. Thanks again!

[Lindsey]

I just got a place this weekend right outside the gate. While I could have banked BAH I decided that with my fiancé that it would be nicer to have a home to come to at the end of the day. Coming from Chicago where rent is AMAZINGLY high, it was easy in my mind to find a place. I want to thank everyone in this topic for the help, as you have been an amazing resource to me and everyone else. I am going to try and give the same back as you gave to me. Thanks again!

 

Remind me of your WOCS start date again? Congrats on finding a place.

[SBuzzkill]

Go to The Diner and get that giant breakfast burrito. Mmmmm

 

Then head behind Daleville Highschool to that Thai place and get yourself some panang curry or phad kee mow or phad thai. Delicious.

[heloidaho]

On base utilities are paid for. Electricity is covered for the average usage in your neighborhood. If you use less, you get a check back from the utility company. If you use more, you send one in.

[WaterRooster]

I'm a mid November start date

[Lindsey]

On base utilities are paid for. Electricity is covered for the average usage in your neighborhood. If you use less, you get a check back from the utility company. If you use more, you send one in.

 

So what I hear you saying is, you go over to your buddy's house down the street and use his TV, his XBOX, his toaster, etc, then get a check in the mail because you ran up the bill at his house but yours was below the average? Sweet!

[WaterRooster]

So I am suppose to check in on the 3rd which is a Sat. Are they even there on Sat? Once you are signed in do you need to report everyday, or is this something they will fill me in on?

[heloidaho]

There is a CDO there all the time. It might just be a clueless student from WOCS who knows hardly more than you. I remember working the CDO desk while I was in my 3rd or 4th week of school and having new guys come in. There is a checklist and they will issue you a room and linens and tell you when to be there next.

 

After you check in and get uniforms and such, you'll prolly be one of the WOCs sitting at that desk and signing people in. They may or may not have you do organized PT, but you can expect to report in Monday through Friday.

[lablover1028]

I also have a few questions regarding on post living as well as signing in before WOCS.

1. Motorcycles: I am signing in to housing with my family before I start WOCS. I plan on getting my bike before it starts because that is my main mode of transportation unless I am going somewhere with my family. Besides the obvious PPE requirements and MSF card, what issues can I expect as a student?
   
2. I don’t know if anybody has had any experience with this but it looks like I will be signing in a little earlier than I thought if I can get on post and not have to house hunt. Do I go on lock down the second I sign in? I am suppose to sign in on the 26^th of January to start in-processing but will probably have to sign in before that. Basically, at which point am I not going to head to the house at night? Start date of the course or right when I come off of leave?
   
3. I read WaterRooster’s question and heloidao’s reply and from what I am gathering I will only be there for the day until the course starts. Is this correct? I am just have to be sure so I can keep my family informed…if at all possible.
   

Thank you for any help and answers provided.

[heloidaho]

1) To ride a motorcycle on post you have to have a quarterly inspection. You might have to take additional motorcycle safety courses. Right now they only let people have the basic course for so long before they have to take the advanced rider's course. There is a level of recurrent training. As far as the quarterly inspection goes, when you sign in you can ask 1st WOC HHC about the specific policies. A cadre member should be able to perform the inspection and sign you off, or direct you to where you can be inspected. After that you'll be on the quarterly schedule. Be sure to bundle up, the temperature is dropping.

 

2) You won't be on "lock down" until you officially start the snowbird phase. Until then, and after sign in, you'll just get an additional duty. I'd be surprised if you had to work 40 hours a week. The trickier question is where they will want you to live. Depending on how early you are, they may let you return to your home every night or they might want you to stay in an assigned room. At some point you'll have to transition to the barracks life. It could be immediately or it could be prior to Snow Bird status. Even in that worst case scenario, you will be able to see your family and interact with them up until being a Snow Bird. That that point, you'll still have your cell phone until WOCS officially starts, but no visits unless it is at church.

 

3) Not sure what your question is. You'll be assigned to 1st WOC HHC until WOCS starts. They will tell you where to go, where to be, where you can live, and what detail you will perform. None of the details at Fort Rucker are miserable or really compare to a full time job, so you should still have plenty of free time to get squared away for WOCS and such.

 

If you need anything else let me know. What month are you planning on getting to Rucker?

[lablover1028]

I will be arriving on the 3rd of January. I wanted to wait until after WOCS to take care of all this but the guidance I recieved was to do it before since there would be no time. The other issue I have is that I am coming from overseas and I have lived here for most of my adult life. The longest I have lived in the states since I was 18 was about 3 months and that was for school. The easy thing to would be to extend my leave until the 26th of January but I have no leave to do so. I used up all of my leave when my younger sister was killed and even went in the hole, nuff said about that. All in all I am not worried about the time away from the family, I would just like to say "OK, this is the day that I will not be back at the house... and this is the day that I will not be able to call.." This may just be one of those deals where I have to "wing it" as I go, which is ok. My wife is great with those situations and has her own career to work on. So if that is in fact the case, I wont complain about it. I know why I am going there and it isnt to settle in and hoard all my junk in the on-post housing. IM JUST READY TO GET THIS PARTY STARTED! Thank you for all of the help, heloidaho. Look forward to working with you.

[WaterRooster]

I also have a few questions regarding on post living as well as signing in before WOCS.

1. Motorcycles: I am signing in to housing with my family before I start WOCS. I plan on getting my bike before it starts because that is my main mode of transportation unless I am going somewhere with my family. Besides the obvious PPE requirements and MSF card, what issues can I expect as a student?
    
   
2. I don’t know if anybody has had any experience with this but it looks like I will be signing in a little earlier than I thought if I can get on post and not have to house hunt. Do I go on lock down the second I sign in? I am suppose to sign in on the 26^th of January to start in-processing but will probably have to sign in before that. Basically, at which point am I not going to head to the house at night? Start date of the course or right when I come off of leave?
    
   
3. I read WaterRooster’s question and heloidao’s reply and from what I am gathering I will only be there for the day until the course starts. Is this correct? I am just have to be sure so I can keep my family informed…if at all possible.
   

Thank you for any help and answers provided.

 

I am here now and check in on Sat. Ill let you know more after that.

[CharyouTree]

Go to The Diner and get that giant breakfast burrito. Mmmmm

 

Then head behind Daleville Highschool to that Thai place and get yourself some panang curry or phad kee mow or phad thai. Delicious.

 

Thai Siam. My friend lives within sight distance, and I was thinking about buying a rental property in the same neighborhood. DELICIOUS panang curry, not that I have anything to compare it to.

[WaterRooster]

Ok, so your orders should have a check in date, a report date, and a class start date. The check in is just that, stop and let them know you are there. You will get your white snow bird patch and will be expected to wear it when in uniform. You will start doing formations and possibly PT, but the time between check in and report is used to make sure your paperwork is good to go. You still go home every night and can leave between formations. It's not until report do you start to lose phone and car. Hopefully that helps a little.

[t.o.n.y]

Had that Thai place, is good and going back for sure!

[SBuzzkill]

I was a regular there, and I think my picture is on their board somewhere. We don't have any really good Thai places up here at Fort Drum unfortunately and that's my favorite food. I have to make my own.

 

Anyways, if you are like me and enjoy the less popular bars you should check out Sportsman's Lounge in Level Plains. The people who work there are great and it's a good place to have a beer without bumping in to hundreds of flight school students. Watch out for the cops though, Level Plains PD has some sneaky dudes.

[lablover1028]

Ok, so your orders should have a check in date, a report date, and a class start date. The check in is just that, stop and let them know you are there. You will get your white snow bird patch and will be expected to wear it when in uniform. You will start doing formations and possibly PT, but the time between check in and report is used to make sure your paperwork is good to go. You still go home every night and can leave between formations. It's not until report do you start to lose phone and car. Hopefully that helps a little.

Ok, so my orders say that my report date is 26 Jan 2012. 5 Feb is the start date of the course. We are on lock down during the 10 days up to the start date? That is kind of crazy but I can go with it. My orders don't reflect anything about a "check-in" date. All it said in my RFO was that my orders should have a report date of 10 days prior so I can in process, and that is what they say. I think the question I should really be asking is "Can I report early?".... I might have to dig in to this a little more and figure something out, like moving my flight date or going back in the hole (leave), because my orders don't say "Early reporting is authorized" like they normally do. Hmmm... Either way, I am better off now than I was last week. Thank you for the information and I appreciate you logging back in and giving me an update. I think I know what I need to do from here.

[WaterRooster]

The time before your class starts is your in processing. You "should" be able to go home at night. I'm not going to say for certain, but chances are you are still free till your class starts.

[zion]

Going back through old posts... This is good information and extra incentive to the that score higher!

When on hold, you do have to go to PT. There is a commander's PT exemption program, so if you work your butt off to get in shape in WOCS, don't let it slide before you do your entry PT test at B Co 1/145th. If you can score over 90 in each event, you don't have to go to PT every morning. Over 270 is like 3 days a week, over 280 is 2 days a week, over 290 is only Fridays, and if you get a 300 or more you don't have to go at all.

It is really doable. I came into WOCS with a 245 PT test and left with like a 287. Then worked hard the 2 weeks after WOCS and ended up with a 290 something. I've hardly had PT since I've been here. And believe me, less time at organized PT is a good, good thing.

[Velocity173]

Yeah, I had a 300 in WOCS and WOBC so I was exempt. It was really nice getting a little extra rest in the AM. It also allowed me a little more prep time for class. Of course it does the OML a lot of good as well.

[electron_si]

Well looks like after less than 6 months I'm getting sucked back into Mother Rucker. I got a phone call today that our c-12 unit is trying to put me in a May 28th slot for fixed wing transition. I called and talked to the program manager and it's a 12 week course. They fly out of DHN as most of you know.

 

Should hear in the next week or two whether or not its confirmed. I'm keeping fingers crossed.

[DMoss]

Well looks like after less than 6 months I'm getting sucked back into Mother Rucker. I got a phone call today that our c-12 unit is trying to put me in a May 28th slot for fixed wing transition. I called and talked to the program manager and it's a 12 week course. They fly out of DHN as most of you know.

 

Should hear in the next week or two whether or not its confirmed. I'm keeping fingers crossed.

 

Congrats!

[electron_si]

Thanks. I'm actually looking forward to being back at Rucker for the summer. It's hot but the c-12 has a/c.

 

Puttering around in a little cessna 182 probably wont be much fun but I'm looking forward to the course. Guess it's time to order some flash cards

[Hellfire]

Congratulations, 182's can be a lot of fun, they can take a beating.. Say hi again to your lunch when you are doing agressive zero G pushovers ha!

[akscott60]

My buddy did the FWQ right after the 64 course. He had a good time. Fixed wing flying can be fun, but it is more boring and hands off.