Last night the 8th FTS (Dallas' training squadron) had a Spouses Meeting for all of the spouses of student pilots in our class. It was exciting, made me very nervous, and kind-of made reality hit me pretty hard.
They went over Track Select, how they are selected for Phase 3 of training (Fighters or Heavies), where we could potentially be going based on what plane he gets assigned at the end of training, and how life is going to be after training and once he gets his wings.
Lets start with Track Select. During these first 2 phases of training, the students are graded on Academics, Flight Commander Rating, their Check Rides, and their Daily Performance. Based on these categories, the students are rated by their flight commandor and put in class rankings.
- 10% Academics
- 30% Flight Commandor Rating
- 30% Check Rides
- 30% Daily Performance.
They fill out a dream sheet (Which he is doing today) of their 3 choices in ranking order of the next trainers they want to go to (T-38 is the Fighter/Bomber Track, T-1 is the Cargo/Tanker Track, T-44 for the C-130 Track or Helicopters).
Before Track Select Day, the Flight Commander's receive the "drop" for this class (Typically, each class "Drops" 1 or 2 T-44's, 1 Helicopter, and more T-1's than T-38's. The Dream Sheets are placed in merit order of the ranking and the assignments are determined based on each student's choice and availability.
TALK ABOUT BEING NERVOUS! This is the first time we will have any sort of direction on Dallas' career, at all....sort of. So this will be exciting!
After Phase 3 of training, and Dallas receives his wings, we will then be going to another base, for more training. There are so many choices of bases, many more than I thought and really, there is no narrowing down of where we may be going.
Out of T-38's- depending on what plane he would get- we could go to Tyndall AFB, FL, Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC, Luke AFB, AZ, David-Monthan AFB, AZ, Dyess AFB, TX, Ellsworth AFB, SD, Barksdale AFB, LA, Hurlburt AFB, FL, Creech AFB, NM, Canon AFB, NM, Nellis AFB, NM, Elmendorf AFB, AK, Lakenheath AFB, UK, Aviano AB, Italy, Spangdahlem AFB, GE, Osan AB, Korea, Osan AB, Korea, Misawa AB, Japan.....and many many more.
Out of T-1's - again, depending on the plane, we could go to Dyess AFB, TX, Elmendorf AFB, AK, Little Rock AFB, AR, Charleston AFB, SC, Hickam AFB, HI, McChord AFB, WA, Ramstein AB, GE, Yokota AB, Japan, Mildenhall AB, UK, Etc. Etc.
You get the idea.We could literally be anywhere. In. The.
World. Which makes it a little difficult to "plan" anything. (Kids, Nursing Degree, Life, Etc. Etc.) Which is really ok with me.
We also got to talk about how life is going to be as a Pilot's Spouse- with none other than the ladies that are already doing it. It sounds hard, lots of short deployments, year long remote- unaccompanied tours, and fun places to get to live. The women were positive, and they all LOVED their lives. They of course have had rough times with the deployments, which all military spouses do, but most of the time its pretty great and knowing that their husbands are making a difference fighting for our country makes up for the time when they are away.
On October 21, Dallas will Track Select. His dad is coming to town (Yay!), the Instructor Pilots (Their wives, really) throw a breakfast for the class and their family, we get to do a simulator, see how their days are as student pilots, take pictures by airplanes, and of course, we will find out what he will be flying next. I'll be sure to post pictures, and the outcome of the day.
I know one thing, though. I support Dallas in whatever he wants to fly, whatever plane he gets in the future, and wherever the Air Force decides to send the Wright Family.
On another note...... its Friday! Yay! This weekend we don't have too much of a plan. Dallas has a much needed 3 day weekend, and we might get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather while it lasts.
