| From: | Starrngr@***.com Starrngr@***.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Starting equiptment [was: Value and so on] |
| Date: | Tue, 20 Jul 1999 22:07:22 EDT |
writes:
> I don't think there's a country out there that uses enlisted fighter pilots.
> To my knowledge they're all officers. Helicopters, tanks, and such however
> are
> enlisted. At least in the USA.
>
I don't know about now, but During WWII, there were 'Flight officers' who
were actually NCOs in the European armed forces. Only the USA insisted on a
totaly officer flying corps. This may no longer be true, but I think FO's
still exist in smaller nations like Israel and places in Africa. Chopper
pilots are usually Warrent officers, which are actually niether Enlisted nor
true officers. Only ground vehicles are operated by enlisted men.
> I can't recall if I was issued my initial uniforms or if thy were deducted
> from
> my pay. I think it was issue though. Further uniforms came out of pocket. I
> was enlisted by the way.
Yes, you did pay for your inital issue of uniforms. It was deducted from
your pay while you were in boot camp, which is why you don't really get your
first paycheck till near the end of boot, and often then you wonder why it
seems so small. In addition to this, while you do have to pay to replace
your uniforms yourself, they give you like $50 or so every 3 months or so for
the express purpose of uniform upkeep.
Interestingly enough, for officers the feeding system is still modeled after
the Brittish system, wherein an officer gets a bit extra, but he has to pay
for his meals. On ship, this is often done in a flat per month payment.
Enlisted get their chow and bunks as part of their basic entitlement.
