I understand nothing lasts forever, but seeing my old dorms torn down was kind of sad. That was a part of my history as an Air Force vet. I didn't like basic training at the time, but I made some friends and created some good memories.
8 years later & was still assigned to alcatraz(60's dorms). It was hell being laundry crew in those dorms while Disneyland(new dorms) had laundry rooms for each dorms. Eventhough it sucked living there, I was happy to live in history before it was torn down. 324th training squadron(the knights)
Greetings fellow knight, some of my wingmen actually preferred Alcatraz. The wall art in Alcatraz was better to look at than the plane walls at Disneyland. The main complaint I had was only having 8 shower heads and no hot water.
I went through basic in the fall of 1982. The dorms looked fairly new, and had no problems with heating/ac. Looked forward to walking to laundry area to get a break out of the dorm. Food wasn't bad, just didn't have a lot of time to eat. The water we had to drink before we ate was warm and wasn't the greatest tasting but I am still around all these years later. BMTS days are some of the best memories I have. It did get colder than I expected, and I stayed at Lackland for Security Police training. During SP training we did have some snow a few times. During my time at Camp Bullis it snowed and our heater in our hut caught fire. Good memories! Part of the memories that will be gone with the new dorms and PT pad s being located together will be the road trips with "road guard out" . I remember when I was road guard it was pouring down raining and as I was running out to post I slipped and fell in the road. Tore up my knee and pants. Once again "good memories good times" .Anyone going through in the future , enjoy as much as you can. When you are older you will look back and wish you could go back again!
Good or bad,those are your memories... I hope the USAF experience aided You in having a happy and successful Life ...Brother AIRMAN... I have been happy with my life.
Went through Lackland in '75, the dorms were pretty decent, went to Chanute, WWII barracks (2nd story floors in some of the buildings so thin, personnel were not permitted in those areas for fear they would fall through), though the dining hall was pretty modern, then Castle, Vietnam era barracks (One of the latrine stalls had graffiti: "Bomb Hanoi" Beneath: "Bomb Lifers". Beneath "Bomb Hanoi with lifers.")
I went to Lackland in 1988 and the facilities for basic training were still serviceable. I also went to Chanute AFB but by the time I got there the dorms were newer and the school-house was up to date too.
When I enlisted in 1968, we lived in old wooden barracks. No AC. We had to march for chow, classrooms, etc. It was a bitch to get the barracks ready for inspection. You could dust it before the inspection, but they always found crap. I retired in 1989. Good luck to the future airmen.
What was the Old" Barracks in 1967, (WWII vintage); was a two-story building, now in its 3rd generation, looks pretty nice to this old Airman. Airmen of today should feel lucky.
I stayed in a brand-new barracks at Lackland. They hadn't figured the air conditioning out yet. It got so cold at night, there was a thin layer of ice on the windows by morning. I'm from a cold state and loved it. Slept very well.
Went through Lackland in '71, had one of the 1000 man dorms next to the perimeter fence. Was tortured for 6 weeks looking at that damn dairy queen setting just outside the gate. You could always tell who was in "new dorms" and who was in the WWII hot boxes. Hot box airman had to wear pith helmets.
Wow, nice! I went thru Basic in the mid 70s in the old wooden dorms.the dorms served their purpose. We did however spend a lot of time marching to chow, marching to where the classrooms were and to where PT was. The gun range seemed like an hour's march each way. As was mentioned, we'd have to cross streets. These new facilities make better use of the land.
3743, flt 410 with Tech Sargent Harmon. 1978. Right out of high school. You start learning a lot about yourself. The best decision I could’ve made as a 17 y/o. I thought the dorms were pretty nice.
The really old barracks when I was there at Lackland was some of those the Saudi's was living in when I went down there for recruiting school later on. The newer buildings was being built and was about ready to house trainees and feed them there, but we never got to see what they looked like inside. These new complexes are even better than the buildings which was put up in 1967, and 1968 and those going through these complexes are so fortunate and they have it much better than we did during the late 1960's.
I got to stay in the new dorms. They were very nice compared to the other squadrons. Its no wonder trainees from the other squadrons called ours "Disney Land". We had 3 water fill stations, over 20 showers, and our washers and dryers were all in the dorm.
But the chrome. Our flight moved to disneyland the last week. The CQ box was so confusing. Our MTIs didn't know which box to talk into. The DFAC was even more confusing. Half our showers didn't even work.
January 1966, 3706 Flt 138 & 2nd phase Flt 4091 due to Meningitis break out in our dorm. Jesus Rivera was taken to the hospital, and we never saw him again, wondering what happed to him. To my great surprise, when leaving Vietnam from Cam Rham Bay 1968, this dark complected, long black-haired Mexican guy kept hollowing at me, "Hendrie, Hendrie, Hendrie" from across the pavilion walkway. What a great surprise of a short relationship of someone I had only know for a few weeks at Basic. Just like Rivera, often wonder today of where so many of those guys are today?
I was 3706 FLT 282 in the RH&Ts Sep.1978. This was one of the newer buildings there at the time which still had a MOB Barracks attached to it for the Drum and Bugle flight. What I hated was the metal placards on the pillars with pictures of officers and NCOs on them. You had to salute the officers every time you passed them and not salute the NCOs for recognizing ranks training. I think someone submitted an AF Form 1000 to get rid of them because after Oct 1 they were removed. Good riddings. We also had Saudi and Iranian NCOs around the area. They had shoulder bars on them that looked like LT bars with crossed boxes on them. We were informed who and what they were and need not salute them being NCOs. I did once and just rolled my eyes after the fact for what I did. They saluted back at me. Just became a memory. First tents, barracks, more tents during the WWII and Korean wars, more MOB barracks, RH&Ts now ATCs. Like all USAF technology, raze the old and replace it with new and better. Wish I had a chance to look inside one more time before they came down.
322nd FLT460, graduated Oct 93. I guess would be the older style dorms. Laundry was outside the dorms (adjacent to the patio area). March/walked everywhere. Good times. Good memories. Went to Sheppard for tech school.
Aye. I was there in the summer of '04 and honestly, there was nothing wrong with the barracks they are tearing down now. In fact, those barracks were the one respite I got from the unforgiving San Antonio summer heat. Nobody, neither myself, complained about the barracks. We were way smarter than that! But at the same, they have increased the basic training time for Airmen so they're leapfrogging the overall difficulty. They'll be spending more time "out in the field" anyway.
I like the comment on the video about the AC having trouble working. In 1981 we were still in the old MOB dorms with no AC and if the showers were on downstairs the water pressure sucked upstairs. Looks like the AF is getting soft. In 1981 they didn't care what your parents thought about the way you were housed.
I was at Lackland 1973. We were in those buildings now being torn down. I enjoyed my time in basic training. Met some good people and had a great MTI staff. Then when I went to Chanute AFB in Illinois, the barracks were the old two story wooden ones.
Damn. When I was in BMTS in 1981, we were among the LAST flights to live in the WW2 era barracks. No A/C, just swamp coolers...Talk about BASIC training!
I went through 3711 BMTS in September and October of 1972. We were in modern dorms (the ones they are tearing down.), but not the newest on base at the time. Boy was it hot down there...went to Lowry AFB and was housed in WWII barracks for two months then moved to a new "Thousand Man Dorm" that had just been opened.
1976 stayed in last of the old wooden two story dooms, no a/c, wood floors and lots of wooly buggers, and footlockers, new dorms were for women and some menthe people in front of me received the 1505 tan uniforms and we didn't...still bummed
I stayed in those dorms in August 1983. The middle of summer in Texas. The A/C stopped working a couple of times for a bout 4 days. I was suspicious that maybe they did that on purpose. I went to Security Specialist Tech School on Lackland and they put us in WW2-era wooden barracks. No A/C. Just a big exhaust fan at the end of the hallway.
My flight #273 (3711th BMTS) was the second to be trained in the then "new dorms" they're now tearing down. It was February 1966. Also, at the time only two of the new dorms had been constructed. How time has flown. :-)
So long 3708 BMTS. Was part of Flight 399 in May-June 1983! Still remember SGTs Frost and Wright. A long time ago and a lot of water under the bridge since then!
Daniel Reed. I went thru USAF BMT - 3702 BMTS- Flt 1474 - in Nov 72 in the new dorms. They were about a year old. There was no or very little time to enjoy them. For the first two weeks we could do nothing right - NOTHING. The MTI's were pushing for us to graduate before Christmas. I went thru basic during Operation Linebacker II - when President Nixon ordered maximum bombing effort over Hanoi. I sometimes wondered if the MTI's added more stress due to that bombing campaign - maybe not - but it was always in back of my mind. TSgt Ferry, SSgt Johnson, and A1C Chulupka (sp) were the MTI's - all professionals. I had two yankees and one rebel. The TSgt was the yankee - the only time element he understood was nanoseconds. One of the best times of my life - but I have to admit I was glad when it was over. Did a 24 year career - no regrets !
0:22 If I recall correctly the 3724 BMTS was the yellow box at the very bottom of the screen. Right along the bottom of the screen, moving to the right took you down to all-night KP at Hell's Kitchen. I had the pleasure of pulling all-nighters there a few times b/c the TIs didn't particularly care for something I had done. Directly across the street from 3724 was Crypto School. And Drug Rehab for junkies who came back from Nam, addicted. I was told DO NOT talk to any of them if they tried to talk to you under threat they would set me back to Day 1 of training. These buildings were new in 1971. We were FLT 1573 and lived in Dorm A-9. I remember like it was yesterday how the TI's voice would come over the PA speaker right by the entrance door: "Dorm Guard" and you'd snap to attention; "SIR, Dorm Guard, A-9. May I help you, Sir?" I don't believe the four buildings in the top half of the screen were built yet because some Flights in other Squadrons were still being housed in old WWII barracks that looked hot as hell. We were very grateful not to have been stuck those.
There Nov and Dec 1965. I was in old WWII barracks. The first new state of the art (air conditioned) unit was under construction at that time. Brand new and now they are gone. Time moves on.
These new buildings better have as many trainee screw up traps as the old ones did when I went through. Chrome on the floor you had to keep polished and fountains you didn't dare use and get water spots on. So damn dusty you couldn't ever keep it clean. Boo hoo if you have to march your happy ass across base to do something. You learn to do shit right the first time if you didn't want to stand out in the sun for a couple hours getting yelled at because you can't march right. Plus I have no idea why they need a giant computer lab. I didn't need a computer in the AC to read my airman's manual. They made a nice building, I just don't need think we needed it. I work on 1960s C130s. So the excuse that the buildings were from the 60s and they couldn't maintain them is complete bullshit.
There was so much chrome when we moved in 7th week. The stalls were chrome. The showers were chrome. The was also chrome on the floor. There was at least 50% more chrome than the RH&Ts. It's not like there isn't a drill pad outside. The atriums were for inclement weather. The computers were mostly unused. The problem isn't that they couldn't be maintained, but rather that they weren't. The RH&Ts were condemned the day we moved out. We had a few problems with the structures that caused injury to both trainee and MTI. We didn't have heat in the middle of winter. My MTI fell down the stairs because they iced over. I know you guys who have been in a while are all pissy about BMT nowadays, but it's still the same song and dance. Wake up, get yelled at, drill, lights out.You still learn the same shit. The only real difference is the people driving around on base aren't having to constantly stop for trainees, and the MTIs can get their trainees where they need to be faster. Bmt is now a lot more focused on learning book-wise as well. You get tested on a lot more stuff. Drill, reporting procedures, the end of course exam. The point of BMT is to train the trainees, not maim them. Even in the few they kept (med hold) and renovated, they STILL have similar issues. I work on C130s as an engine troop. Being in the new BMT environment didn't make me too stupid to do my job, because none of it actually mattered in the long run. Polishing chrome won't make planes fly.
Thomas Carney they still have some of the old wall lockers and a few old dorms. I just got done going through the 322nd which is one of the last remaining “old” squadrons
3703 BMTS, Flight 303, 14 March 1977 thru 26 April 1977. SSgt William Copp and Sgt George Minasian. We were the AWOL squadron since we were next to the West Gate.
3724 BMTS Flt 1573 This makes me feel really old. Those buildings were relatively new in autumn 1971. MOF there were Airmen still assigned to the OLD grey WWII type barracks and there were plenty of them still around.The planes from Kelly AFB next door would take off right over top of the drill pad. One day a massive C5 took off and was moving so slow it looked like it couldn't possibly stay in the air. All of us stopped and looked up in amazement wondering how something so large could defy gravity. Even the TI, SSGT Sinner was staring at it. Judging by the way we were all awe-struck I don't think any of us had ever seen the C5 before.I remember pulling KP for being a bad boy 2 or 3 extra times overnight down at Hells Kitchen. To get there from the "new" barracks you crossed the hiway and the first building on the left was Crypto. The second building was Rehab for those who came back from Viet Nam drug addicted. A warning was given from the TI that they would set me back in training to day 1 if I so much as spoke a single word to any of the addicts there. After being assigned P+P when the whole Flight pulled KP and thanking the Lord I'd never see THAT place again {yeah, right} I was savvy enough to tell them I had worked in a big restaurant up in NY and was familiar with how the dish washing machine worked. {both fibs} So I got assigned as head of dishwashing...ANYTHING is better than P+P. Another time I got sent there a minority from the deep south reacted with such fright when I told him I was from NY that he assigned the cushiest job they had; tending to the milk machines {remember those?} and helping out on the serving line. I was 6' tall and barely weighed 130lbs LOL What the hell was he afraid of? A good stiff wind coulda knocked me over.
Yeah, I remember getting KP at Lowry in Denver 1970. Sent us into the dressing room to change into our kitchen whites. I looked around and everyone was gone in a flash and soon found out why. You got to pick out your job and guess what was the last choice? Yep Pots and Pans and I was it. I crawled inside some of those pans to clean them. You are so right, any job in KP is better than P+P!
I was there in early summer 1982 and we were in the old dorms( probably post world war II) no a/c very , very basic but we did fine. I guess everything changes with time :-)
Talk about spoiled. Sheeesshhh. I can't number the hours I spent with a coat hanger pulling dust balls out from between wooden floor slats in our open bay barracks in 1961. Air conditioning????? You're joking. Heat? In a barracks? Heat??? My "room" in the barracks was shared with 54 other guys and there another 54 guys sharing the upstairs room. Times have sure changed.
My time was the hot summer of 1979. Sqdn. 3723 Flt. 449. No A/C. Brutal. Yet, I thought it was part of the test. We had two large room fans, that each night were dragged to the opposite end of each bay. Me in the middle; it did not matter. Same amount of breeze.
I started BMT Sept. 29th 1980 i think it was sq. 3723 but not sure. After 22 years 3 months and 2 days I retired. Now 13 years later I still expect my 11 yr. old to snap to action when I command. I've been mentally warped with discipline I impose on my poor young son.
LOL....1964, July 8th....First day at Lackland......No fancy pants barracks.but WWII era open bay, two story wood construction. The floor covering was half gone. But still had to get on our knees and apply johnson floor wax by hand. Used a buffer to polish.....OH.....SUMMER IN LACKLAND GETS HOT....NO AC IN OUR BARRACKS
In 69 we were in WWII vintage two story wood frame buildings. Open bays. Converted gas heat and gas dryers. Old , cold, dusty, and hard to keep in “ inspection order”. My buddy was in one of the “new buildings”and had a much better experience. We both went to Shepard for tech school still WWII vintage barracks, same ones my father was in. Bottom line , the Service really got its money’s worth out of that old infrastructure. Our barracks and hangers at Mountain Home were also vintage. Some of the hangers were B29 nose dock style. The flight line was wide open. It had to be specially hardened for F111s so they would not sink in the asphalt. No covers, no revetments, we hauled our toolboxes on little wagons we made. We still got it done. I’m very happy to see that the upgrades are being made, but everyone should be able to operate on semi-primitive airfields.
Got to Lackland Sep 69 and assigned to the 07 Squadron in the old WW2 open bay wood barracks. After a week we were all transferred over to the 27 Squadron in the new barracks (thankfully). Then back to the old WW2 open bay barracks at Keesler for tech school.
I graduated in September this year from the 322 [go Eagles!! xD]. They are still using the original 1960s-era dorm building next to the 326's building. I say let that be the prime example of what BMT is like! I say that as an Airman right now! Don't hand out everything all at once!
Y'all moved over to the mini-mall by the bowling alley by the time I got there in december. We had to do Dorm guard there. The ceiling caved in on us in Dorm room B7.
Boy is the airforce getting soft over hangs if it's bad weather and no marching to different classes, I remember the one cadence chant road guard's in road guard's out road guard's running all about I know I was one in July, August 82 3708 bits across the street from the
I graduated back in February, and we actually had freezing rain one day. They had to shut down the base and we didn't get any MTIs in until about 1000.
I remember hearing that squadron yelling that when I was in basic (it was only six weeks then), and thinking, "What, you guys can make your beds and march, 'Anytime! Anyplace!' after a month of BASIC training?" Lol!
Haha. You Mustangs were always louder than us Wolfpack. Every day at pt our squadron commander would yell at us for not being loud enough. I also liked you guys’ chant as opposed to ours.
!973-1977 Security Police. Basic in the old barracks. Sure didn't seem that bad.The first base I went to was Whiteman. The barracks there were wooden. And the fire dept said "the burn time was three minutes" I was just down to Texas and visited the K-9 memorial and got to see my old barracks. Now it looks like there using it for storage.Sure wish I would have stayed in any of you?
Nevin Stolte Yeah I had to go back to Lackland 2 years after basic on TDY for a job. It was strange walking around. Like a flashback. The TAQ was in the old WWII barracks but they had been updated to 2 man rooms. Air conditioning but the same old wood feeling of the building. The only funny thing is that this had been a WAF dorm and in the latrine, there 2 toilets and a female urinal. At 23, I saw my first and last female urinal.
1970-73 Photo interpreter. I have a lot of fond memories even in basic but I think it's only because of our nostalgia for lost youth. We were right to get out because of the Mickey Mouse military BS. There was BS in a private job also but the military wins the prize for BS.
Was at Lackland 72-73. Six weeks of basic then 9 months of Crypto school. Our Crypto school barracks were right next door to the K9 barracks. Got out in 76 then went to work as a defense contractor at Arlington Hall Station in Virginia for around 15 years. Traveled a lot around the world. I then went on to DCA/DISA still as contractor and later as government employee. Now retired. Yes I wish now I had stayed in for 20.
I was in the old dorms until my 7th week. When we moved out that week, the building was deemed unsafe for continued use and the entire squadron was moved in one day. During the winter I was there, we didn't have heat on our side of the building. It was 30 degrees in our dorm, and many nights our MTIs were mandated to send us to buy thick socks and long johns. There was a day when we had to use another flight's showers because we didn't have running water in our dorm for some reason. Another day the stairs iced over and our MTI and 2 other trainees fell down the stairs. We went to set up another dorm for incoming trainees and the ceiling fell in. They didn't make us tougher. They just got us sent to the UCC and SAMC.
I remember when i was at the 320, our flight use to march across the damn base. Now these trainess have everything handed to them as soon as they step out lol.
I was in the 320 (alcatraz) too and I agree with you on 100% . When I came in they had the old uniforms and the 1960's dorms were still up. I'm more surprised with the canteen refill set up . Whatever happen to the old school water fountain? I'm just waiting til these kids start getting GI issue smart phones to call there parents .Lol....
No. Speaking from experience, it doesn't matter if the place you need to be is 20 feet away, the MTIs will STILL march your ass halfway across base. It was actually EASIER to get where you needed to be in the old dorms.
If I remember correctly, I went through in the 3706 BMTS back in the 70's. My dorm was one of those old 2 story wooden buildings from World War 2. The a.c. in those things was opening the windows. Great sleeping weather at night. You didn't want to be inside one during the day. Great memories.
We were training the Iranian Air Force in 1971. They had barracks opposite us. One guy was murdered there. I heard the students realized he was a spy and they killed him.
Graduated like 4 weeks ago, was put in the old dorms. They were crap, but builds character. We call the new ones disney land, you don't go through the "real" bmt in those dorms.
Timothy Bell Bullshit. Tell that to the battlefield airmen in the 320th who do more pt than the rest of us everyday, or the trainees in the 323rd who have to deal with 5 MTIs and tons of random inspections and drill because we're the MTI training squadron. We go through the same shit, we just live in different dorms
You have to be KIDDING me. Show up for BMT and have a room at their new "hotel". Damn I went in August 20 1956 and of course had the 'old" ( VERY OLD ) style barracks. I think it's fine to occasionally do some "upgrading" but i think this is RIDICUROUS ( yea ridicurous ) $900 MIL Are the latrine fixtures gold-plated? After doing pT, is it possible to call up for a masseuse?......or as Curly calls it: "A masoogie" woop woop woop hahahahahahaha Oh well, i guess that's progress.
Наука
I understand nothing lasts forever, but seeing my old dorms torn down was kind of sad. That was a part of my history as an Air Force vet. I didn't like basic training at the time, but I made some friends and created some good memories.
I was there summer 77, sad to see them torn down
The 319th tigers are gone too now, I helped to clear out the dorms for demolition
Agreed seeing them torn down sad .
I was there in 1978. At that time the dorms were still considered modern. Where did the last 40 years go??
LOL! Heard DAT! I remember the 'old' barracks being pointed and thinking what dumps they were
Same here although it may have been 1977. I’ll have to look at my 214.
There still were MOB dorms there.
8 years later & was still assigned to alcatraz(60's dorms). It was hell being laundry crew in those dorms while Disneyland(new dorms) had laundry rooms for each dorms. Eventhough it sucked living there, I was happy to live in history before it was torn down. 324th training squadron(the knights)
Greetings fellow knight, some of my wingmen actually preferred Alcatraz. The wall art in Alcatraz was better to look at than the plane walls at Disneyland. The main complaint I had was only having 8 shower heads and no hot water.
I went through basic in the fall of 1982. The dorms looked fairly new, and had no problems with heating/ac. Looked forward to walking to laundry area to get a break out of the dorm. Food wasn't bad, just didn't have a lot of time to eat. The water we had to drink before we ate was warm and wasn't the greatest tasting but I am still around all these years later. BMTS days are some of the best memories I have. It did get colder than I expected, and I stayed at Lackland for Security Police training. During SP training we did have some snow a few times. During my time at Camp Bullis it snowed and our heater in our hut caught fire. Good memories! Part of the memories that will be gone with the new dorms and PT pad s being located together will be the road trips with "road guard out" . I remember when I was road guard it was pouring down raining and as I was running out to post I slipped and fell in the road. Tore up my knee and pants. Once again "good memories good times" .Anyone going through in the future , enjoy as much as you can. When you are older you will look back and wish you could go back again!
Good or bad,those are your memories...
I hope the USAF experience aided
You in having a happy and successful
Life ...Brother AIRMAN... I have been happy with my life.
Went dec. 1981 would do it again. Hard to believe we're saying that.
Same time, Dorm Guard Dorm B-4 may i help you?
When I went in 2012 the AC went out and it was above 130 outside
Went through June 76 also SP.
WOW these new forms are fancy.
All that’s missing are private rooms. 😂😂🇺🇸
Went through Lackland in '75, the dorms were pretty decent, went to Chanute, WWII barracks (2nd story floors in some of the buildings so thin, personnel were not permitted in those areas for fear they would fall through), though the dining hall was pretty modern, then Castle, Vietnam era barracks (One of the latrine stalls had graffiti: "Bomb Hanoi" Beneath: "Bomb Lifers". Beneath "Bomb Hanoi with lifers.")
I went to Lackland in 1988 and the facilities for basic training were still serviceable. I also went to Chanute AFB but by the time I got there the dorms were newer and the school-house was up to date too.
When I enlisted in 1968, we lived in old wooden barracks. No AC. We had to march for chow, classrooms, etc. It was a bitch to get the barracks ready for inspection. You could dust it before the inspection, but they always found crap. I retired in 1989. Good luck to the future airmen.
What was the Old" Barracks in 1967, (WWII vintage); was a two-story building, now in its 3rd generation, looks pretty nice to this old Airman. Airmen of today should feel lucky.
I stayed in a brand-new barracks at Lackland. They hadn't figured the air conditioning out yet. It got so cold at night, there was a thin layer of ice on the windows by morning. I'm from a cold state and loved it. Slept very well.
Went through Lackland in '71, had one of the 1000 man dorms next to the perimeter fence. Was tortured for 6 weeks looking at that damn dairy queen setting just outside the gate. You could always tell who was in "new dorms" and who was in the WWII hot boxes. Hot box airman had to wear pith helmets.
Wow, nice! I went thru Basic in the mid 70s in the old wooden dorms.the dorms served their purpose. We did however spend a lot of time marching to chow, marching to where the classrooms were and to where PT was. The gun range seemed like an hour's march each way. As was mentioned, we'd have to cross streets. These new facilities make better use of the land.
3743, flt 410 with Tech Sargent Harmon. 1978. Right out of high school. You start learning a lot about yourself. The best decision I could’ve made as a 17 y/o. I thought the dorms were pretty nice.
I had my training there in 1961 old barracks from WW11 and cockroaches when it was lights out.
instablaster
The really old barracks when I was there at Lackland was some of those the Saudi's was living in when I went down there for recruiting school later on. The newer buildings was being built and was about ready to house trainees and feed them there, but we never got to see what they looked like inside. These new complexes are even better than the buildings which was put up in 1967, and 1968 and those going through these complexes are so fortunate and they have it much better than we did during the late 1960's.
I got to stay in the new dorms. They were very nice compared to the other squadrons. Its no wonder trainees from the other squadrons called ours "Disney Land". We had 3 water fill stations, over 20 showers, and our washers and dryers were all in the dorm.
But the chrome. Our flight moved to disneyland the last week. The CQ box was so confusing. Our MTIs didn't know which box to talk into. The DFAC was even more confusing. Half our showers didn't even work.
January 1966, 3706 Flt 138 & 2nd phase Flt 4091 due to Meningitis break out in our dorm. Jesus Rivera was taken to the hospital, and we never saw him again, wondering what happed to him. To my great surprise, when leaving Vietnam from Cam Rham Bay 1968, this dark complected, long black-haired Mexican guy kept hollowing at me, "Hendrie, Hendrie, Hendrie" from across the pavilion walkway. What a great surprise of a short relationship of someone I had only know for a few weeks at Basic. Just like Rivera, often wonder today of where so many of those guys are today?
Spent my summer in 321st TRS.
Was in flight 300 started February 25 1971. Sorry to see them go.
Was in basic training in 2012. 331st Flt 295. Kinda sad to see them old dorms go. Definitely made some damn good memories in basic
I was housed in one of those dorms back in Aug. 1979. They look new to me at that time. Now there all gone.
I believe it was the 3723rd Sqdn when I went thru in Nov 1989...My MTI was Sgt Srubar!!!
I was 3706 FLT 282 in the RH&Ts Sep.1978. This was one of the newer buildings there at the time which still had a MOB Barracks attached to it for the Drum and Bugle flight. What I hated was the metal placards on the pillars with pictures of officers and NCOs on them. You had to salute the officers every time you passed them and not salute the NCOs for recognizing ranks training. I think someone submitted an AF Form 1000 to get rid of them because after Oct 1 they were removed. Good riddings.
We also had Saudi and Iranian NCOs around the area. They had shoulder bars on them that looked like LT bars with crossed boxes on them. We were informed who and what they were and need not salute them being NCOs. I did once and just rolled my eyes after the fact for what I did. They saluted back at me. Just became a memory.
First tents, barracks, more tents during the WWII and Korean wars, more MOB barracks, RH&Ts now ATCs. Like all USAF technology, raze the old and replace it with new and better. Wish I had a chance to look inside one more time before they came down.
322nd FLT460, graduated Oct 93. I guess would be the older style dorms. Laundry was outside the dorms (adjacent to the patio area). March/walked everywhere. Good times. Good memories. Went to Sheppard for tech school.
I got to basic July 27th 2016, by that time all 4 of the new buildings were constructed and in use
How was it bro? I went with the old ones in 2010. I was 331st wolf Pack
Aye. I was there in the summer of '04 and honestly, there was nothing wrong with the barracks they are tearing down now. In fact, those barracks were the one respite I got from the unforgiving San Antonio summer heat. Nobody, neither myself, complained about the barracks. We were way smarter than that!
But at the same, they have increased the basic training time for Airmen so they're leapfrogging the overall difficulty. They'll be spending more time "out in the field" anyway.
I like the comment on the video about the AC having trouble working. In 1981 we were still in the old MOB dorms with no AC and if the showers were on downstairs the water pressure sucked upstairs. Looks like the AF is getting soft. In 1981 they didn't care what your parents thought about the way you were housed.
Entered basic training 50 years ago. I’m surprised the dorms lasted this long.
Grateful for the AF experience and the friends I made.
Lowest bidder always get the contract.
Graduated 2022, was in 322d trs, aka Alcatraz 😂 honestly is not too bad besides the limited number of shower.
Graduated 2022, was in 322d trs, aka Alcatraz 😂 honestly is not too bad besides the limited number of shower.
Retired in 2019....enlisted in 1980.....would do it again in a heartbeat@@2A5X4A
I was at Lackland 1973. We were in those buildings now being torn down. I enjoyed my time in basic training. Met some good people and had a great MTI staff. Then when I went to Chanute AFB in Illinois, the barracks were the old two story wooden ones.
Damn. When I was in BMTS in 1981, we were among the LAST flights to live in the WW2 era barracks. No A/C, just swamp coolers...Talk about BASIC training!
hold on...did he say $900,000,000?!
Typical government
I went through 3711 BMTS in September and October of 1972. We were in modern dorms (the ones they are tearing down.), but not the newest on base at the time. Boy was it hot down there...went to Lowry AFB and was housed in WWII barracks for two months then moved to a new "Thousand Man Dorm" that had just been opened.
1976 stayed in last of the old wooden two story dooms, no a/c, wood floors and lots of wooly buggers, and footlockers, new dorms were for women and some menthe people in front of me received the 1505 tan uniforms and we didn't...still bummed
I stayed in those dorms in August 1983. The middle of summer in Texas. The A/C stopped working a couple of times for a bout 4 days. I was suspicious that maybe they did that on purpose. I went to Security Specialist Tech School on Lackland and they put us in WW2-era wooden barracks. No A/C. Just a big exhaust fan at the end of the hallway.
My flight #273 (3711th BMTS) was the second to be trained in the then "new dorms" they're now tearing down. It was February 1966. Also, at the time only two of the new dorms had been constructed. How time has flown. :-)
I got to Lackland for basic in May 1970, and we stayed in the old wooden barracks, such a long time ago.
T25S40 yes the older wooden barracks were in use in the 1970s. I went to BMT in January 1973, we were in one female squadron. world war 2 buildings
I joined the AF in 1977. The dorm I stayed in during that time period was between the old wooden barracks and this current new one.
3711 BMTS FLT 126
February 79
SSGT Henry and the barracks were just fine. Then off to Chanute AFB Illinois.
I went through a year ago and went through the old dorms. I didnt want to go through the new dorms.
Can there be a tour for the old dormitories for the vets? Would be nice to have one left for a new “historical” building.
So long 3708 BMTS. Was part of Flight 399 in May-June 1983! Still remember SGTs Frost and Wright. A long time ago and a lot of water under the bridge since then!
I enlisted
May 1980
Sq 3708
Flt484
Ssgt Brock
Great memories
I carried a life
Time...l also
Thank you
3708.
Proud to
Have been
An AIRMAN
I was there in August of 83
Daniel Reed
what bases and units
Were you assigned?
Good Experience?
Daniel Reed. I went thru USAF BMT - 3702 BMTS- Flt 1474 - in Nov 72 in the new dorms. They were about a year old. There was no or very little time to enjoy them. For the first two weeks we could do nothing right - NOTHING. The MTI's were pushing for us to graduate before Christmas. I went thru basic during Operation Linebacker II - when President Nixon ordered maximum bombing effort over Hanoi. I sometimes wondered if the MTI's added more stress due to that bombing campaign - maybe not - but it was always in back of my mind. TSgt Ferry, SSgt Johnson, and A1C Chulupka (sp) were the MTI's - all professionals. I had two yankees and one rebel. The TSgt was the yankee - the only time element he understood was nanoseconds. One of the best times of my life - but I have to admit I was glad when it was over. Did a 24 year career - no regrets !
I graduated from 3708, Flt 735, in February, 81. TI's were SSgt Smith and SrA Adams.
Went to Lackland in Aug 83’....3706 BMTS...we did our PT in the bowling Alley parking lot!
Arrived at boot camp 47 years ago tonight.
Wow you must have been recycled a lot to still be there.
48 for me. Beat you!!!!!!
when I went to BMTS 3703RD BMTS FLIGHT 054., The barracks were new but time flies. June 23rd 1971.
The ones they are tearing down were the new barracks when I was at Lackland.
0:22 If I recall correctly the 3724 BMTS was the yellow box at the very bottom of the screen.
Right along the bottom of the screen, moving to the right took you down to all-night KP at Hell's Kitchen. I had the pleasure of pulling all-nighters there a few times b/c the TIs didn't particularly care for something I had done. Directly across the street from 3724 was Crypto School. And Drug Rehab for junkies who came back from Nam, addicted. I was told DO NOT talk to any of them if they tried to talk to you under threat they would set me back to Day 1 of training.
These buildings were new in 1971. We were FLT 1573 and lived in Dorm A-9. I remember like it was yesterday how the TI's voice would come over the PA speaker right by the entrance door: "Dorm Guard" and you'd snap to attention; "SIR, Dorm Guard, A-9. May I help you, Sir?"
I don't believe the four buildings in the top half of the screen were built yet because some Flights in other Squadrons were still being housed in old WWII barracks that looked hot as hell. We were very grateful not to have been stuck those.
Tearing down my home!! Oct 1976...
Was there Dec'78. Hi Tech Sgt Romans!
When I went thru BMT at Lackland in 1971 I was in one of those new dorms. They were really nice.
So did I, Danny. 3704 BMTS Flight 1051. Arrived 30Jun71, grad 12Aug71.
There Nov and Dec 1965. I was in old WWII barracks. The first new state of the art (air conditioned) unit was under construction at that time. Brand new and now they are gone. Time moves on.
i stayed in those in 72. We got no combat training except firing a M-16 100 rounds. The food was great.
These new buildings better have as many trainee screw up traps as the old ones did when I went through. Chrome on the floor you had to keep polished and fountains you didn't dare use and get water spots on. So damn dusty you couldn't ever keep it clean. Boo hoo if you have to march your happy ass across base to do something. You learn to do shit right the first time if you didn't want to stand out in the sun for a couple hours getting yelled at because you can't march right. Plus I have no idea why they need a giant computer lab. I didn't need a computer in the AC to read my airman's manual. They made a nice building, I just don't need think we needed it. I work on 1960s C130s. So the excuse that the buildings were from the 60s and they couldn't maintain them is complete bullshit.
There was so much chrome when we moved in 7th week. The stalls were chrome. The showers were chrome. The was also chrome on the floor. There was at least 50% more chrome than the RH&Ts.
It's not like there isn't a drill pad outside. The atriums were for inclement weather. The computers were mostly unused.
The problem isn't that they couldn't be maintained, but rather that they weren't. The RH&Ts were condemned the day we moved out. We had a few problems with the structures that caused injury to both trainee and MTI. We didn't have heat in the middle of winter. My MTI fell down the stairs because they iced over.
I know you guys who have been in a while are all pissy about BMT nowadays, but it's still the same song and dance. Wake up, get yelled at, drill, lights out.You still learn the same shit. The only real difference is the people
driving around on base aren't having to constantly stop for trainees, and the MTIs can get their trainees where they need to be faster. Bmt is now a lot more focused on learning book-wise as well. You get tested on a lot more stuff. Drill, reporting procedures, the end of course exam. The point of BMT is to train the trainees, not maim them. Even in the few they kept (med hold) and renovated, they STILL have similar issues.
I work on C130s as an engine troop. Being in the new BMT environment didn't make me too stupid to do my job, because none of it actually mattered in the long run. Polishing chrome won't make planes fly.
I trained in one of old dorms in 1978. I wonder where those massive wall lockers went.....I tried to to find them on the mil surplus market.
Thomas Carney they still have some of the old wall lockers and a few old dorms. I just got done going through the 322nd which is one of the last remaining “old” squadrons
I just saw this sad to see the ones we had in 69 are long gone they were nice at the time
Amazing. Glad to see it. Air conditioning! WOW WOW!
3703 BMTS, Flight 303, 14 March 1977 thru 26 April 1977. SSgt William Copp and Sgt George Minasian. We were the AWOL squadron since we were next to the West Gate.
Went thru in 1985. I remember lots of cockroaches in the laundry room.
3724 BMTS Flt 1573 This makes me feel really old. Those buildings were relatively new in autumn 1971. MOF there were Airmen still assigned to the OLD grey WWII type barracks and there were plenty of them still around.The planes from Kelly AFB next door would take off right over top of the drill pad. One day a massive C5 took off and was moving so slow it looked like it couldn't possibly stay in the air. All of us stopped and looked up in amazement wondering how something so large could defy gravity. Even the TI, SSGT Sinner was staring at it. Judging by the way we were all awe-struck I don't think any of us had ever seen the C5 before.I remember pulling KP for being a bad boy 2 or 3 extra times overnight down at Hells Kitchen. To get there from the "new" barracks you crossed the hiway and the first building on the left was Crypto. The second building was Rehab for those who came back from Viet Nam drug addicted. A warning was given from the TI that they would set me back in training to day 1 if I so much as spoke a single word to any of the addicts there. After being assigned P+P when the whole Flight pulled KP and thanking the Lord I'd never see THAT place again {yeah, right} I was savvy enough to tell them I had worked in a big restaurant up in NY and was familiar with how the dish washing machine worked. {both fibs} So I got assigned as head of dishwashing...ANYTHING is better than P+P. Another time I got sent there a minority from the deep south reacted with such fright when I told him I was from NY that he assigned the cushiest job they had; tending to the milk machines {remember those?} and helping out on the serving line. I was 6' tall and barely weighed 130lbs LOL What the hell was he afraid of? A good stiff wind coulda knocked me over.
Yeah, I remember getting KP at Lowry in Denver 1970. Sent us into the dressing room to change into our kitchen whites. I looked around and everyone was gone in a flash and soon found out why. You got to pick out your job and guess what was the last choice? Yep Pots and Pans and I was it. I crawled inside some of those pans to clean them. You are so right, any job in KP is better than P+P!
I was there in early summer 1982 and we were in the old dorms( probably post world war II) no a/c very , very basic but we did fine. I guess everything changes with time :-)
I was there in 1969 we stayed in old two story wooden barracks
Talk about spoiled. Sheeesshhh. I can't number the hours I spent with a coat hanger pulling dust balls out from between wooden floor slats in our open bay barracks in 1961. Air conditioning????? You're joking. Heat? In a barracks? Heat??? My "room" in the barracks was shared with 54 other guys and there another 54 guys sharing the upstairs room. Times have sure changed.
BMT is for training, not maiming. The things that present a danger to the trainees were also a danger to MTIs.
You sound upset. I'm sure people 60 years before you, must have thought the same about trainees in your day. Kindly, take a seat, Steve.
Wow. You must have been tough. I’ll bet if I put a piece of coal in your ass, by the end of basic you’d shit a diamond out.
That's cuz we get the best shit!! #AFforLife
My time was the hot summer of 1979. Sqdn. 3723 Flt. 449. No A/C. Brutal. Yet, I thought it was part of the test. We had two large room fans, that each night were dragged to the opposite end of each bay. Me in the middle; it did not matter. Same amount of breeze.
I started BMT Sept. 29th 1980 i think it was sq. 3723 but not sure. After 22 years 3 months and 2 days I retired. Now 13 years later I still expect my 11 yr. old to snap to action when I command. I've been mentally warped with discipline I impose on my poor young son.
Lackland Lasers. LOL!
LOL....1964, July 8th....First day at Lackland......No fancy pants barracks.but WWII era open bay, two story wood construction. The floor covering was half gone. But still had to get on our knees and apply johnson floor wax by hand. Used a buffer to polish.....OH.....SUMMER IN LACKLAND GETS HOT....NO AC IN OUR BARRACKS
God Bless u all.
In 69 we were in WWII vintage two story wood frame buildings. Open bays. Converted gas heat and gas dryers. Old , cold, dusty, and hard to keep in “ inspection order”. My buddy was in one of the “new buildings”and had a much better experience.
We both went to Shepard for tech school still WWII vintage barracks, same ones my father was in. Bottom line , the Service really got its money’s worth out of that old infrastructure.
Our barracks and hangers at Mountain Home were also vintage. Some of the hangers were B29 nose dock style. The flight line was wide open. It had to be specially hardened for F111s so they would not sink in the asphalt. No covers, no revetments, we hauled our toolboxes on little wagons we made. We still got it done.
I’m very happy to see that the upgrades are being made, but everyone should be able to operate on semi-primitive airfields.
SEA 1971 metal quanset huts. open bay, no ac, rusted bunks, no fans, bugs, lizards, occasional snake, lots of mosquitoes, dirt, flies, noise.
Got to Lackland Sep 69 and assigned to the 07 Squadron in the old WW2 open bay wood barracks. After a week we were all transferred over to the 27 Squadron in the new barracks (thankfully). Then back to the old WW2 open bay barracks at Keesler for tech school.
the barracks they are tearing down is the ones I was in 1971
Road Guard made me into a trim, fit fighting machine.
sure it did
I graduated in September this year from the 322 [go Eagles!! xD]. They are still using the original 1960s-era dorm building next to the 326's building. I say let that be the prime example of what BMT is like! I say that as an Airman right now! Don't hand out everything all at once!
Y'all moved over to the mini-mall by the bowling alley by the time I got there in december. We had to do Dorm guard there. The ceiling caved in on us in Dorm room B7.
Ah the 323 TRS, the memories
I went through in Aug 1989 and was at 3711, Flight 687.
3711, Flt 014 Oct 1986
Boy is the airforce getting soft over hangs if it's bad weather and no marching to different classes, I remember the one cadence chant road guard's in road guard's out road guard's running all about I know I was one in July, August 82 3708 bits across the street from the
Master Sergeant Fields..Scary man right there
They look like prisons. Naturally, the contractors who do this work for the government build prisons, schools and USAF basic training dorms.
WOW very nice
Went thru in '75 and if you didn't ship out on graduation day you were moved over to the 2 story WW2 woodies.
I was there in 1984 and it actually snowed.Anybody remember that?
I know it snowed lightly and then a freeze came over in December 1983 and they closed down the "Confidence Course" for three days.
I graduated back in February, and we actually had freezing rain one day. They had to shut down the base and we didn't get any MTIs in until about 1000.
HUUAH 323rd!! Anytime! Anyplace! MUSTANGS!!
+Midwest UTV shut the fuck up
James Long What the hell is your problem? I'm just appreciating my BMT squadron man damn!
I remember hearing that squadron yelling that when I was in basic (it was only six weeks then), and thinking, "What, you guys can make your beds and march, 'Anytime! Anyplace!' after a month of BASIC training?" Lol!
what flight?
Haha. You Mustangs were always louder than us Wolfpack. Every day at pt our squadron commander would yell at us for not being loud enough. I also liked you guys’ chant as opposed to ours.
!973-1977 Security Police. Basic in the old barracks. Sure didn't seem that bad.The first base I went to was Whiteman. The barracks there were wooden. And the fire dept said "the burn time was three minutes" I was just down to Texas and visited the K-9 memorial and got to see my old barracks. Now it looks like there using it for storage.Sure wish I would have stayed in any of you?
Nevin Stolte Yeah I had to go back to Lackland 2 years after basic on TDY for a job. It was strange walking around. Like a flashback. The TAQ was in the old WWII barracks but they had been updated to 2 man rooms. Air conditioning but the same old wood feeling of the building. The only funny thing is that this had been a WAF dorm and in the latrine, there 2 toilets and a female urinal. At 23, I saw my first and last female urinal.
1970-73 Photo interpreter. I have a lot of fond memories even in basic but I think it's only because of our nostalgia for lost youth. We were right to get out because of the Mickey Mouse military BS. There was BS in a private job also but the military wins the prize for BS.
Was at Lackland 72-73. Six weeks of basic then 9 months of Crypto school. Our Crypto school barracks were right next door to the K9 barracks. Got out in 76 then went to work as a defense contractor at Arlington Hall Station in Virginia for around 15 years. Traveled a lot around the world. I then went on to DCA/DISA still as contractor and later as government employee. Now retired.
Yes I wish now I had stayed in for 20.
I was at Whiteman 1976-1979. It's now a show base . I counted 5 buildings that were there when it was a SAC missile wing .
Is the 3723 dormitory still standing
The squadrons have been renamed. Yours was changed to the 330th, and that squadron no longer has a building.
Looks like a prison. Probably designed, engineered and build by the same companies that build prison facilities.
This is wierd. I went in dec2017 and was in the old dorms. Alcatraz.
322nd. Where if you weren't careful about flushing you would definitely flood the latrine
Did yall have the eternally flushing toilets? In the old dorms we had the middle stall on continuous flush for a week.
Ha 32st here bro! Good times
does each trainee also get their own butler?
maids also?
We get private cooks as well, steak and lobster for dinner
Older dorms made you tougher
I was in the old dorms until my 7th week. When we moved out that week, the building was deemed unsafe for continued use and the entire squadron was moved in one day. During the winter I was there, we didn't have heat on our side of the building. It was 30 degrees in our dorm, and many nights our MTIs were mandated to send us to buy thick socks and long johns. There was a day when we had to use another flight's showers because we didn't have running water in our dorm for some reason. Another day the stairs iced over and our MTI and 2 other trainees fell down the stairs. We went to set up another dorm for incoming trainees and the ceiling fell in.
They didn't make us tougher. They just got us sent to the UCC and SAMC.
Damn bruh, that sucks.
I remember when i was at the 320, our flight use to march across the damn base. Now these trainess have everything handed to them as soon as they step out lol.
I was in the 320 (alcatraz) too and I agree with you on 100% . When I came in they had the old uniforms and the 1960's dorms were still up. I'm more surprised with the canteen refill set up . Whatever happen to the old school water fountain? I'm just waiting til these kids start getting GI issue smart phones to call there parents .Lol....
+jason “petquack” c Hey, they're using those 'smart phones' in Afghanistan along with mapping and drone apps!
Those water fountains don't work anymore.
No. Speaking from experience, it doesn't matter if the place you need to be is 20 feet away, the MTIs will STILL march your ass halfway across base. It was actually EASIER to get where you needed to be in the old dorms.
They still putting 'duckweed' in the water hazard at the 'Confidence Course'? Told US it was swamp water filled with snakes! LOL
If I remember correctly, I went through in the 3706 BMTS back in the 70's. My dorm was one of those old 2 story wooden buildings from World War 2. The a.c. in those things was opening the windows. Great sleeping weather at night. You didn't want to be inside one during the day. Great memories.
3706, March/ Apr 1979
We were training the Iranian Air Force in 1971. They had barracks opposite us. One guy was murdered there. I heard the students realized he was a spy and they killed him.
LEAD THE WAY...WOLFPACK!
the 324th should have gotten the new set-up first. The new dorms have an elevator, something that would be needed for some of the med hold trainees.
324 isn’t med hold!
@@patrickmac9403 they changed it? Which squadron is it now? Because back in 2013, the 324th housed the med hold trainees and holdover airmen.
@@killer13324 The 324 TRS is a standard training squadron again and the current medhold/separation one is the 37 TRSS.
@@nicolestafford9418 a lot changes in 9 years
i.e. the congressman from that district got his “bringing home the bacon” for his brother-in-laws construction company.
Graduated like 4 weeks ago, was put in the old dorms. They were crap, but builds character. We call the new ones disney land, you don't go through the "real" bmt in those dorms.
Timothy Bell Bullshit. Tell that to the battlefield airmen in the 320th who do more pt than the rest of us everyday, or the trainees in the 323rd who have to deal with 5 MTIs and tons of random inspections and drill because we're the MTI training squadron. We go through the same shit, we just live in different dorms
Time sure has changed since I went through in 1964. Seems now the the Air Force is just what the young people who want a easy career.
3704th BMTS 1967. Too bad at least one of the old Korean War vintage barracks was not saved. There was no doubt what you were there for..
i'm not really a fan of it but hey, things can't stay the same way forever.
what's air conditioning.
The old ones were fine when I was there in 1975. Government loves to spend money we don't have. Give me a 341!
3711 BMTS Flt 850. 18 Aug 1987.
I see my old dorm
This kind of hurts.
You have to be KIDDING me. Show up for BMT and have a room at their new "hotel". Damn I went in August 20 1956 and of course had the 'old" ( VERY OLD ) style barracks. I think it's fine to occasionally do some "upgrading" but i think this is RIDICUROUS ( yea ridicurous ) $900 MIL Are the latrine fixtures gold-plated? After doing pT, is it possible to call up for a masseuse?......or as Curly calls it: "A masoogie" woop woop woop hahahahahahaha Oh well, i guess that's progress.
RoAd guards in and road guards out...
3743rd BMTS 1984 Flight 352.
3743 BMTS FLT 433 - 1988
3743rd, dont remember the flt, 1983