You Know You've Been Air Force Too Long When

You have a conversation like this:

Friend:  I heard a fighter flying over my house last night.  It was particularly low.

airforcewife:  Did you?

Friend:  Yes, and that's very unusual here.

airforcewife:  Well, I don't know why it would be.  You have [rattles off names of several Air Force Bases] around you.  Plus there's [names of Navy Bases].  And don't forget all the civilian bases in your area, too.

Friend:  Civilian bases?  You mean... airports?

airforcewife:  Um.  Yes.  Airports.  Sometimes I get stuck in a mindset, you know.

Friend:  Yes.  I've noticed.

Comments

[eodwife77]

You become what you hang around especial after a long period of time, lol:)

[Ann - AF spouse]

I lived on Bolling AFB for 6 years. I got used to the noise, but was always startled to see the landing gear just outside the window!

Once my husband and I stayed overnight at a hotel in Savanah. We got there late. As we were falling asleep, suddenly the windows rattled and bright light flooded the room. I gasped what was that. He calmly replied" sounds like a c-xyz(insert numbers I can't remember)on approach". We were right next to the air base.

[tankerswife]

You've been in too long when you can start recognizing the planes by their noise, when its not your job to know. DH's mouth about fell open when I did that one day. Of course, he can tell the difference between a 50 cal and an ak47. ;-)

[21B wife]

I used to live in the flight path of A10s. Great bird, great sound. Now I live in the flight path of F15s, so I can identify that, as well as C5s. Love that noise!

[Sarah]

My mother is here visiting, and yesterday she asked, "What was that loud noise last night, like a big boom or something?" My husband and I looked at her blankly. We don't even notice gunfire, aircraft, or big booms anymore. Neither does the dog; he gets really agitated when someone slams a car door, but big booms don't even faze him. Heh.

[Penny]

I've never thought about them as civilian bases before hehe..

I've actually lived near airports my entire life so when I lived on post for the first time, it was actually comforting to hear the planes flying by at all times of the night.. What I was not used to though was the big boom of the gunfire which made our windows & walls shake at times, although I did eventually get used to that too. It was fun to see my family's reaction to the booms when they would visit hehe ^_~

[Cyrina]

do you know of any air force bases with army units or personnel stationed there? oh and in califrornia.

[Marine Wife]

You know you have mil-brats when they correct their civilian relatives.

A couple of years ago, my sister was pointing out an aircraft to my nephew, saying, "Look, a helicopter!" My then 7 year old daughter looked, rolled her eyes, and said, "That's not a helicopter. That's an Osprey."