When I arrived at Lackland AFB near San Antonio TX, the military was not a good career to pursue.. Even though I hadn't even yet arrived in basic training... the war protesters who were activley supporting George McGovern in his campaign against President Nixon were at the airports looking for military people in uniform to demonstrate against..

After a month, we were permitted to select three career fields from a list of technical school slots scheduled to open near the end of Basic.. This was after the slots that were taken up by guaranteed elistment contracts were taken. My AQE scores enabled me to enter virtually any career field in the Air Force.. and the ones I selected were Information Management (Public Relations), as I had been in radio while I was in high school; Communicaitons Specialist, working with various pieces of comm gear; and Aerial Defensive Fire Control Operator, also known as a B-52 Tailgunner..

Naturally, the assignment I was given didn't even appear on the list: "Inventory Management Specialist"

Also .. due to a large number of people in my flight who were six-year enlistees (acutally most of them were prior service Army Vietnam Veterans who decided that an enlistment in the Air Force was one hell of a lot better than toting an M-16 in the bush of Southeast Asia).. that left no stripes availabe for the the four-year enlistees.. such as myself)

Flight 925, 3723rd Basic Military Training Squadron, Lackland AFB TX September 1972. SSGT Williams.. was our MTI.. He's got the hat and all the ribbons... I'm in the back row.. 2nd from the left.