Boise AB, Idaho - Jul 13 to Jul 26, 1986

My first TDY was to the Air Guard located in Boise, ID. This was my first time in the TDY environment, and boy was it different. People went wild, if you know what I mean. If you don't know what I mean, it is when someone takes off the mask of regular life and replaces it with a new mask. Sometimes the mask is one that has no morals, no shame, and no self respect. It was so interesting to see the immediate transformations.

Intriguing as it may seem I was wild in my youth and failed to refrain from such inappropriate activity. In 1985 I was not yet 21 so I couldn't go to the bars. There were several of us Airman in such a predicament. The sergeants immediately remedied that by buying us several flavors of intoxicating beverages and yes we indulged. But soon we got bored and went to the local bars anyway. None of us were cast out because no one's identification was ever checked.
This kind of activity did bring about some most unbecoming behaviors. During this TDY was the first time someone attacked and tried to attack me, and not the last as you will find. I went to meet a friend for dinner and was to meet him at his room. When I arrived he was in the shower so I was asked to wait in his room with Phil, a mutual friend. I was lying on the bed watching TV when Phil attacked me. I tried to scream but he had such a tight hold of me, a very harrowing predicament. By the grace of God, Dean happened to come out of the shower at the right time and wound up saving me from an awkward situation.

I also had my first casual encounter with an older married man, Dean. You would think he would have seduced me and taken full advantage of the situation, but I'm happy to say I walked away unscathed, a bit more educated, and without regret.

Yes, I do recall working on aircraft for the Air Guard during this time. I worked on the airframe of F-4 Phantoms. They were filthy beasts. Yes, I did wonder what I had gotten myself into but allowed the whirlwind called the Air Force to carry me away. I remember working on finger seals (a very filthy job), doing a repair on the tail , and making several replacement parts for common repairs.

Now the tale doesn't end here, let's finish it off with a frightening situation. The Air Guard was considered close, so we all were required to commute in private autos to the TDY location. I didn't have a car so I had a designated carpool. Wouldn't you know I was carpooling with Dean and Phil. Now Dean felt sorry for Phil and on the way home from Boise, decided to stop in Wells, NV at a brothel so they could get it out of their systems. When we arrived at the brothel, which was a dank looking place, I was very upset and couldn't believe my situation. I was sitting in the back seat of a Ford Thunderbird, with a cooler full of beer and two horny males who wanted to get it out of their system. As I recall, I asked what I was supposed to do while they were taking care of business? The reply, you can join us, have a drink at the bar, or stay here and have a beer from the cooler. At this point, I was infuriated but could see I had no way out in such a remote location without a car. I watched them enter the brothel with fire in my eyes. I then commenced to drink a few beers and when I had enough, I took the rest and emptied them and threw them away. I don't know how long I waited but I did with great anxiety and despair. To top it all off, the two tried to borrow money from me for food on the remaining drive home because they had spent their last dime in the brothel. Do you think I caved in, NO WAY!
The irony of this tale, Phil joined the active duty Air Force a few months after this TDY. The weekend before he was to depart to his new duty station he had been to a party where marijuana was present. When he left the party he was immediately pulled over by the police I'm told. He didn't stop and ran instead. I'm sure he knew if he was caught, his Air Force career was over. During the police chase, that was at excessive speeds, his motorcycle went out of control and he was killed. He was only 19.

I don't have any pictures of this time because I was too young and stupid, and I didn't own a camera, but the memories are imprinted forever.