superstallion6113 Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Well my security clearance has finally been renewed and I am Afghanistan bound next week to work as a private contractor as a UH-60M mechanic, and hopefully a quality assurance inspector if a position opens up for one. Will be gone for one year. I dropped all my classes at Guidance Helicopters and Yavapai College back in September to do this, so I'm glad I'm FINALY going. I'll be back in time to finish my training by picking up with the start of my instrument semester in Jan 2014. Just had our first kid two weeks ago, and this job will save me enough money to get me through the rest of school, and my low pay CFI time, and give me time to lose enough weight to do my commercial semesters in the R22, so I can have the hours do get the SFAR endorsement to instruct in both the R22 and R44. I'm not sure what the infrastructure is like over there, last I was deployed with the Corps was 2006, but hopefully I'll be able to be on here while I'm gone. Fly safe everyone! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred0311 Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Goodluck and stay safe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d10 Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Not sure where exactly you're going but I've been to most of the bases where they keep the 60Ms within the last few months and the infrastructure is pretty good. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superstallion6113 Posted November 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Not sure where exactly you're going but I've been to most of the bases where they keep the 60Ms within the last few months and the infrastructure is pretty good. Have fun. That's good to hear. Hopefully FOB Shank isn't one of them. I hear its rough there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d10 Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Shank is pretty built up. There's wireless internet everywhere and you have a choice of two different companies. The PX is a couple miles away and not very big though. And the IDF definitely qualifies as "rough." You don't want to ignore the alarms. I was flying with the Medevac unit who's there now. Just left in September. You'll probably be working on their helicopters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avbug Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 I just finished up nearly six years over there, earlier this year. Â Wear something warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superstallion6113 Posted November 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 (edited) I just finished up nearly six years over there, earlier this year.  Wear something warm. That's the nice part of going now. No hot days just yet. I'd rather deal with the cold. Shank is pretty built up. There's wireless internet everywhere and you have a choice of two different companies. The PX is a couple miles away and not very big though. And the IDF definitely qualifies as "rough." You don't want to ignore the alarms. I was flying with the Medevac unit who's there now. Just left in September. You'll probably be working on their helicopters. That's basically what I was told by people there. Good base, but the constant IDF makes it hell. My company recently lost a few guys there recently from what in told. Edited November 30, 2012 by superstallion6113 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RagMan Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Ha! Fob Shank! My unit started the first aviation asset their on Shank back in early 09'. I'm guessing they finally got the runway put in. That place was a crap shoot off the bat. Though, it was pretty nice being away from the Flag Pole. Once that place got established, it actually wasn't too bad. Everything you needed was within a couple minutes walking distance, aside from the phones and internet which were about a 10 minute walk (until we got internet in our hooches). Chow was good, the flight line was right across the street, no damn "security badges" to get on the tarmac, board walk connected all of our ToC's, etc. Good times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridethisbike Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Good luck man. Stay safe! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotortramp Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Have a good time and don't forget about us. Most of all, stay safe! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superstallion6113 Posted December 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 Finally made it out here to FOB Salerno in BFE Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. Can't wait for my year to be up so I can get back to flying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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