Military Officer - December 2008 - (Page 84) encore Lessons Learned This Air Force officer and Navy pilot teach a young airman a thing or two when they stop to refuel in Oklahoma City during a cross-country training flight. A s a U.S. Air Force officer in 1968, I was assigned to a two-year exchange tour with the U.S. Navy. The Air Force/Navy agreement called for a deployment to the Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam, following completion of A-6A Intruder aircraft qualification school at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in the Puget Sound near Seattle. As an Air Force captain during the first half of the qualification course, I often was asked by my Navy friends to call for transportation, reservations for bachelor officers’ quarters, etcetera when on Navy installations. Of course that didn’t work at Air Force bases, and once at a Marine Corps installation, I was asked if I was a Navy or Marine captain. When I responded I was Air Force, I heard a little chuckle! On a single ship cross-country navigation training flight, we landed at Tinker AFB near Oklahoma City to refuel. Realizing the Air Force transit alert crew might not be completely familiar with the Intruder’s ground refueling system, my pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Hugh Replogle, and I stayed with the aircraft and helped with the refueling. As always, I was dressed in all Navy flight gear. The only thing in outward appearance that differentiated me from my Navy counterpart was my Air Force blue flight cap, which I carried in the lower right pant pocket of my flight suit. In keeping with Navy policy, Hugh and I had not donned our headgear on the flight line. One of the crewmembers, a young airman who also served as ground trans84 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2008 portation van driver, kept expressing how much he enjoyed working with Navy flight crews with statements such as, “Navy people are more amiable than Air Force people, and Air Force officers are such nerds.” After thanking the ground crew, Hugh and I climbed into the van for the trip to base operations, whereupon the young airman made another comment favorable to Navy officers, but uncomplimentary to Air Force officers. Hugh had a big grin on his face — he was getting a kick out of it. Deciding enough was enough, I moved to a seat next to the driver and casually pulled my flight cap from my pocket and put it on. The look on the airman’s face was priceless. He suddenly became very attentive to his driving, and not another word was spoken until we dismounted at base operations. Before stepping out of the van, Hugh said with a smile to the airman, “Son, although I enjoyed your comments, I think you will find that officers of all branches of service are pretty much alike. I suggest you keep that in mind.” MO — Doyle E. Balentine is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. He currently resides in Buena Vista, Colo. For submission information, see page 18. ILLUSTRATION: ELWOOD SMITH
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