They sent me to basic at San Antonio Texas. Breezed through that. Then tech school. Found out there that I was going to be a radar operator! "WAY cool!" (I offered to mow the lawns y'see?)
Got to Keesler AFB Mississippi and PARTIED! It ain't like that any more at Keesler but back in 81 they got you off the bus from basic and just let you go. They had an Airman's Club there and the drinking age in Mississippi was 19.  I was livin' the dream! Money in my pocket and a Heineken in my hand. Taking taxis everywhere I went. Eatin' steak at the Ale House. Getting a hotel over the weekend to get out of the barracks.
Got my first assignment... Beale AFB California.
Got Bob to come pick me up at the airport. "How long you stayin'?"
"I don't know. I'm stationed here now."
I would go to parties and people from High School would be there and say, "What did you cut all your hair off for?"
And I'd say, "I joined the Air Force. I'm stationed out here at the base now."
I saw Terry Miller when I came back. I guess he figured if I could do it, he could too. They made him a cop! (I heard that he got busted later for pot and they kicked him out.)I lived in an apartment with Bob Edwish for a year. "Party Central". EVERYBODY came by.
It was like a freakin' clubhouse. That can get old real fast.
I took a hard look around me and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that I had to get outta there or it wouldn't be long till I was busted and kicked out too.
And I wasn't about to screw up this good deal. No way. Whatever it took, I was not going back to that.
So I volunteered to go world wide anywhere. Just get me out of here!
t long after that I got orders to a little remote radar station in Alaska. Murphy Dome AFS smack in the middle of the bush of Alaska. Ahhhh. Peace. Quiet. Got my own little room. Worked shift work. Night shifts sometimes. 115 below zero some nights. Bought me a guitar and a John Denver "easy chord" song book and learned to play chords. It was a GREAT change of pace.

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