I just met a National Guardsman just back from Afghanistan that told me he was a

Winterblues

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:31 PM
Original message

I just met a National Guardsman just back from Afghanistan that told me he was a

helicopter pilot and his rank is Master Sargent. It has been more than forty years since I was in the Service but at that time only Commissioned or Warrant Officers were Pilots. Has that changed over the years?

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virgogal

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:32 PM
Response to Original message

1. Apparently it has.

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w4rma

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:34 PM
Response to Original message

2. Might explain why we are having so many helicopter crashes over there and in Iraq. (nt)

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Captain Hilts

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:36 PM
Response to Reply #2

4. No. nt

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gimama

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:38 PM
Response to Reply #2

5. worn-out equipment & personnel

more likely..
& qualified personnel shortages
Bring 'em ALL HOME, now.

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Captain Hilts

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Wed Mar-10-10 05:35 PM
Response to Original message

3. Yes. The Army does not require pilots to be commissioned. Marine Corps has warrant officers fly

them.

The Navy and AF use officers only.

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happyslug

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Wed Mar-10-10 06:07 PM
Response to Original message

6. During WWII both the Air Force and Navy Had NCO Pilots, some survived till Vietnam.

Edited on Wed Mar-10-10 06:08 PM by happyslug

That ended in 1947, but any NCO who was already a Pilot stayed a Pilot till he retired. The last NCO Pilot I heard of Retired in the early 1970s along with the last US Navy Sea Plane.

To my knowledge the Army requires its Helicopter Pilots to be Warrant Officers NOT Master Sergeants. Other countries still use NCOs as Pilots but most countries make their Pilots Commissioned or Warrant Officers.

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tinymontgomery

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Wed Mar-10-10 07:04 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. Not to be nick picky but

there was no Air Force in WWII, it was the Army Air Corps.

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happyslug

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Wed Mar-10-10 10:21 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. Army Air Corp ended in June 1941, it then became the Army Air Force.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Air_Forces

Thus we did have an "Air Force" during WWII not an Air Corp. The relationship between the Army Air Force and the US Army was similar to the US Marine Corp and the US Navy, an independent branch that reported to one of two services at the Cabinet level of Government (The Department of War for the Army Air Force and the US Army, the Navy Department for the US Marine Corps and the US Navy).

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tinymontgomery

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Thu Mar-11-10 10:49 PM
Response to Reply #8

9. You can parse words

but the "United States Air Force" was not around in 1941. the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force Ask Air Force personal when the Air Force Birthday is and I'm pretty sure they won't say 1941. But that's okay, just keep thinking the Army is Force is the same as the United States Air Force.

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havocmom

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Thu Mar-11-10 11:25 PM
Response to Reply #8

10. Hmmm, I will trust my dad over an anybody can edit website

He was is the Army Air Corp well beyond June of 41

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alfredo

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Thu Mar-11-10 11:44 PM
Response to Reply #6

11. High School to Flight School

http://www.army-aviation-pilot.com/WOFT/faqs/high-school-to-flight-school/

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