Sit in your seat for 14 hours and hook up to a few tankers in a few thunderstorms as you head to the 'stan. "Still squinting from the sun on top, still stiff from the dog fighting, still grimed from the cockpit, still marked with the headings - I'll tell you about airpower.Īirpower is the models you built as a kid, and the dreams you nurtured as a boy, the freedom you craved to go out and beyond." By 24 years, or so, they cut off the extra pay altogether. By the time you were in 18 years, the pay decreased, even if you were a squadron commander of an F-16 unit. Then in the 70's, ACIP came along, and we warriors got extra pay according to years of service and whether or not we were in a 'combat' slot. Hell, I'd kill anything for $65 a month, wouldn't you? The rocket and mortar attacks didn't discriminate between support troops and pilots. However, the same $65 was paid to the butchers, bakers and candlestick makers who worked in personnel, supply, etc. If we pilots went out and got our skinny butts shot at, we got the dough. To wit: During the old days we had this thing called 'Combat Pay". It is job satisfaction and/or a sense of duty. Let's face it, the pay is not the real deal. He can't sit in a small chair for 13-14 hours cruising over to the 'stan or Iraq. He can't pull 9 gees while trying to keep padlocked on the bandit. Oooooops, not a fair comparison, because that SouthWest Airline 737 right-seater can't zoom into the night at 10,000 ft per minute with burner cookin'.
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