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Survival school


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I know most of us has attended a survival school. I went through basic, water, Arctic and the famous jungle one at Clark. I am sure most of us had one are two unusual experiences. I know I did and I thought I would tell it and maybe get some input from the rest of you. Eight of us were sitting a round the campfire at the jungle survival school and we were eating our C rations and a lieutenant did not want his peanut butter so he threw it in the fire a few minutes later it exploded and blew peanut butter all over me. That night we went to sleep on our sleeping mat I believe every rat in the jungle came after me. You remember the Nets we had over us well a rat got under the net and started jumping with the net over him. In my mind I thought it was the biggest stake in the jungle I beat it to death with my flashlight and then found out it was a rat. All the time I was beating it I was hollering very loud I woke up everyone in our group and most of us set by the campfire the rest of the night.

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I went through water survival school in '77 in Fla. We finished the classroom portion - dangerous sea creatures, etc. We hit Biscayne bay the next day and did the para-sails. I was sitting in the recovery boat after my drop and whwn they picked another guy, he had barely started up the ladder when he started screaming that a sea snake had wrapped around his leg. we dragged him into the boat and found his snake. His cord from the seat pack had wrapped around his leg as he started climbing the ladder. It was hilarious seeing his face. You just can't beat butter-bar navs to lighten up a situation! :D

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I went through the jungle survival school in the Philippines in May 1970 with a group of other loadmasters that came from Forbes AFB. We were on our way to CCK but made the stop at Clark for jungle survival school first. I remember making a shelter/hiding place that final night in the jungle and were told to evade the natives that were out to find us, I believe they were called nigretos (sp). They were given chits for bags of rice whenever they found any of us that was out there "hiding" that night. All I remember was chasing off rats with my flashlight all night and hearing the nigretos out looking for us. They were singing the old Buck Owens song "Together Again" as they were getting closer to us, off course they always found everyone but I thought is was funny hearing them singing that song because they were truly jungle natives that couldn't even speak English! The really cool part the next day was ride up the cable to a jolly green that we calling in to pick us up.

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  • 1 month later...

I cant share any survival school story - but I remember a special thing from being in Girl Scouts @ Clark.

Our little troop got to participate in a small "jungle survival" school. It was taught by the instructors from the JSS. We got to learn a different set of skills than any other girl scouts would be learning in the US.

Our instructors made a joke about how the Girl Scouts were the same as the airmen learning jungle survival. Both are dressed in green. Except one is shorter and does not carry a gun.

We only learned the "how to walk around the jungle and not die", not the E&E. We did get to see a Jolly Green.

To this day I still remember how to make cups out of bamboo.

Along with the Girl Scout motto of "Be Prepared" we tacked on "Learn and Return."

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I finally got tagged to go to Basic Survival School in '82 (after 7 years on the Herc). Couple funny things happened. Couple nights into the woods we were sleeping in our individul parachute lean-tos. I woke up to what sounded like a bear growling. After a bit I grabbed my survival knife and figured what the hell if there's bear out there.... I peaked over the top of my lean-to and couldn't see any bear but sure heard the growling. After a few minutes of listening I crept over the the next lean-to, about 5 yards behind me, and the noise was coming from inside. It wasn't big enough for a bear so I looked in and the guy in there was snoring so loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I pushed him and told him he was snoring way too loud and to roll over.... :mad: I went back to bed but slept with my knife and a long, stout pole after that.

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Well I am an old guy and I went to Stead AFB in 64--winter like january--we did the usual stuff and then they said we were going into the boonies for the Trek! We went up into the Sieras and did this and that then we formed a camp! Not much food so this Sgt came in and had a live Rabbit he said what are you guys going to do with it--I thought what the hell I know about these things I said give it to me--so i broke its neck! wow he said you get the best parts! Moral of the story step up and take resonsibility it will pay off in the long run!

Later in that same deal it snowed and snowed and in stead of going off on our own for the last 2 days the intstructers said guys this is a real survival situation! We formed a Camp and all survived man it was interesting and taught us more about ourselves than we ever knew.

Sometimes things happen! And that experience helped me in Nam!!

Fitz

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I know most of us has attended a survival school. I went through basic, water, Arctic and the famous jungle one at Clark. I am sure most of us had one are two unusual experiences. I know I did and I thought I would tell it and maybe get some input from the rest of you. Eight of us were sitting a round the campfire at the jungle survival school and we were eating our C rations and a lieutenant did not want his peanut butter so he threw it in the fire a few minutes later it exploded and blew peanut butter all over me. That night we went to sleep on our sleeping mat I believe every rat in the jungle came after me. You remember the Nets we had over us well a rat got under the net and started jumping with the net over him. In my mind I thought it was the biggest stake in the jungle I beat it to death with my flashlight and then found out it was a rat. All the time I was beating it I was hollering very loud I woke up everyone in our group and most of us set by the campfire the rest of the night.

Hmmm, by the time I went through in '71, we were sleeping in hammocks slung between a couple of trees. I recall awakening when a very large banana tree nearby fell over in the middle of the night. It was early in rainy season, but pretty wet and muddy. I had a K2-B and the "combat boots" they issued me at OTS. Envied some who had jungle fatigues and jungle boots. Actually had to grab on to shrubs and branches to get up some of the slippery hills. No traction with the boots I had. Yes, the rats were out and about at night in our campsite. The instructor told us to be careful about discarding food, and they had to move the campsites pretty frequently on account of rats.

There was a cfisher in 17th whn I was there 70's...remember him because I got three responses for the price of one on the startup checklist: "Gen's ON; Battery; No Press"; as I recall...

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Fread i was in the 17th TAS. in Alaska from 1974 to 1977. Idon't recall your name. We may have ben there at different times. I was the only Charles Fisher that was there 74 to 77. Some of the names i rember was Jhon Wright,JC Littleton, Chuck Lavoie, John Bricker,Walter Moddy,Salazer,Toy Owens,Jim Burson. After thirty years that is all i can rember. If you were the same time i was there was one person you couldn't forget. That would be the maint. line cheif can't rember his name but we called him the Cookie Monster i think he hated flightenginers if he could have he would ate two for breakfast ever morning. I had spent four years in the school SQ at Sewart and Little Rock and the OPS officer had me theaching classes to polits and enginers two or three times a week. I was also in SQ.standeval. Idid not understand your comments on the start up ck list.Please explain.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Picture this, you just got your trusty Herc, stuck in the mud beside a lake in bonefuk Bolivia. Mother MAC wants you to hang around for question & answer time. Why not, billeting is a cot that the army has to spare. You and the crew stick them under the wing and start taking stock. Got a nice lake near by and on day three a swim seems in order, at least they waited until after to mention about the Prianhas. And every night the Bolivian SF ( their M-1s held together with black electrical tape) would sing in spanish Ghost Riders in the Sky. MREs and a hot meal flown in by DC-3 working for the DEA. Oh but life was good.

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  • 1 year later...

I found some footage of the PACAF survival school in the PI (the internet has just about everything)

There is no sound -

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675021583_AmericanAirForcepersonnel_JungleSurvivalSchool_bamboocontraptions

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675021584_American-Air-Force-personnel_PACAF-Jungle-Survival-School_airman-with-python/?ref=zemanta - I believe the snake in the beginning was named Charlie. I remember when we us little girl scouts were shown a sizeable snake at the school, we were told his name was Charlie. Even though that film was taken in 67, it is possible that with proper care, that was the same snake we were introduced to in 75?

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675021582_American-Air-Force-personnel_Jungle-Survival-School_Clark-Air-Force-Base/?ref=zemanta

@ 3:06 you can see the "elephant cage" antennae in the background.

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Best part of Survival School at Stead was the last day when they gave you a chit for a free meal at Harrah's and $10.00 to gamble with. My partner, Al Schneider and I had a great meal, went to the Craps table, and ran our $20 to well over a $1000. About half way through our time at the table, I sobered up and realized how much we were winning and started to rat-hole it. When Schneider finally had a run of bad luck and asked me for more chips, I turned him down and dragged him screaming from the casino. Back at the BOQ we counted out the money and couldn't believe our good fortune. I left for Stewart the next day and never saw Al again. He was on his way to S Vietnam on some sort of classified mission. At that time, I didn't know where Vietnam was located, just somewhere out in the Far East. I have tried to track down Schneider (or Snyder) ever since with no luck.

J.P. Morgan, 41st TAS, 1963-1968

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I went to Surv Sch in 1987 up at Fairchild. Got to do the water portion in an indoor swimming pool. The thing that I remember the most about being in the woods was how dark it was and how well I slept. Never slept that good ever before. Late night animal noises comprised mostly of cattle roaming the training areas. One new Lt decided to make his bed out of fern fronds and was covered in little green bugs the next morning. We all thought he was about to cry. Fun training though.

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I had the wonderful luck to go through Basic survival in Jan-Feb 85, Didn't know show would be that deep:rolleyes: but the Payoff was when I went to water survival at Homestead that June:D I would have done that school three or four times a year if given the choice, para sailing was pretty fun.

When I did basic survival I must have been in a different area than you alphacharlie130, don't think cows would have been very comfortable in the deep woods up a mountain (hell I know I wasn't comfortable).

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I went through survival school before I started cross training(1982). All at Fairchild AFB. Lucky me I had a cousin who lived in the area and who was a former instructor at the school so had some inside knowledge. I went through in June but turned out to be the coldest June on record at the time. Still not that miserable except for all the rain while we were in the woods.

When it came time to kill the white Rabbit, no one wanted to do it. The most outspoken person was our flight CC, an AWACS Pilot. Guess who had to kill the rabbit? lol The good thing though is no one wanted to eat the rabbit after it was killed. So I got the whole thing. Jeesh I grew up hunting and such so it was nothing for me.

In RT camp I had a female 141 pilot next to me(if you know where I'm talking about!) Anyway before she was viewed she had to state "The Bitch is covered sir" every time they knocked on her door. When RT ended one of the guards asked her out. She replied "you've got to be kidding me!"

I wanted to do the "cool school" with the Schenectady guys but never got a chance.

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When I did Arctic survival school, we had a female instructor-in-training. Must have been miserable for her to be in the woods all week with us and not going to the bathroom once. :D Well she probably did but wonder if her butt got frost-bit! :rolleyes: Some of the guys had problems, "willie" sure didn't want to come out of his hiding place.... Who could blame "him." It was -30F the whole week.

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What really sucked for me was our primary instructor for the academics and camping trip was a buddy of mine and (unfortunately) he publicly acknowledged our friendship.

Now this can only go one or two ways, he could make it really easy for me OR he could single me out and make my life hell just so he could prove he didn't do favoritism

Guess which option John chose?:mad:

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What really sucked for me was our primary instructor for the academics and camping trip was a buddy of mine and (unfortunately) he publicly acknowledged our friendship.

Now this can only go one or two ways, he could make it really easy for me OR he could single me out and make my life hell just so he could prove he didn't do favoritism

Guess which option John chose?:mad:

Well, you can bet it wasn't favoritism! :)

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  • 2 months later...

Went to Fairchild in October. We were considered the last summer class and were issued regular gear for the E&E. It snowed several times and was really cold at night. An elderly Major in our class had a heart attack and died. I still have my E&E map for navigating around the mountains. I also remember crawling through the obstacle course and getting captured at the end of it. Oddly I got sent to jungle survival in Panama after coming back from Mactan. Hell I thought I'd already been through it.

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John, I went through the school in Panama in 1970 while I was stationed at Howard AB... I had already been to SEA (1968) without any survival schools at all.. then I got orders to England in 1971 and I had to go through Fairchild first!! Go figure! (Fairchild in February isn't very warm either!)

Jim Houston

776TAS '68-'69

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I went to Fairchild, december 1970. What an experience. I was convinced then, and still am today, that they were not so much teachin' what to do if ya got caught, as they were building incentive not to.Woods part was cold wet, and snowy, of course. My group was made up of six other guys, every one a great person. No slackers in our camp at all. In another camp, some city boy nav caught a snow shoe in a snare, picked it up by the ears, it was still alive, and it tore the hell out of his forearm with it's hind feet. Our OIC was a major, probably 50 years old, and a terrific troop. On our march out, he decided we would be the last to the pickup point. WE waited til everybody else was there and then we came marchin' out whistlin' the theme from the "Bridge over the River Kwai." Still got my chute panels with all their names. It still smells like wood smoke. Can't believe that has been 40 years almost............

load clear

P.

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