Another great tool to help with arthritis in the knees, and back problems is to throw away the chair at your desk and buy a large exercise ball to sit on. Over inflate it so it rolls easily and supports you while sitting on it. Sitting on it and staying still requires one to keep their core and legs actively engaged. Yes, you make look funny, but it makes a huge difference. If it helped with my conditions, it will help anyone.

Jughead

Jughead,
I started doing this about 4 months ago. I'm the 3rd pilot at work to start doing it. No one really even bats an eye anymore. Not that I really care.
In any case, I like using it.

Remember all those tanker jokes you guys made at the end of UPT? Who's laughing now!?

Just kidding. I wish you all good health.

It's probably changed, but in the USAF in my day, the doc would hand you a huge bottle of motrin, sometimes flexeril or skelaxin, and you're down for a few days. In my case, the pressure to say "It's healed, I'm OK", so as to get back on the schedule, was immense. So I'd resume high-G flying not fully healed, and they (the docs) tended to ignore the underlying problem.

One said "You need stronger abdominal muscles." Ohhh K, my abs (at the time) were iron from all the L1 we'd do under G. That wasn't the problem.

Anyway, over the years, I found my medical record had these periodic episodes of severe spasms. That was when I realized it might become chronic. So my "documentation" consisted of copying every page from my medical records that had back pain issues before my records disappeared into the void. I wanted my own copies, which I still have if I need to go to the VA.

There's no way to document it without seeking medical attention, short of going to a private physician rather than your flight surgeon, which is probably against the rules in a big way. If I were you, I'd stop worrying about getting grounded occasionally; start thinking long term. For about 4 years after I ceased high-G flight, I was in constant mild to moderate pain, and the thought of having this the rest of my life sucked. But over time, mercifully the intervals between attacks increased. Obviously, they haven't gone away entirely.

Good luck! Seek medical help. If it's not on record, you might have issues later showing it is work-related.

I have to ask. If given the choice to do it over again, would you choose differently during assignment night knowing what you know now? Any advice to the young bucks reading this thread?

From what I've heard over the last 15 years, a lot of UPT studs have been selecting AMC over Fighters, because they want to be competitive for the airlines.

The two F-15 assignments in my class, Columbus 96-07, went to the 50th percentile.

Part of the problem is Primary (T-6s) is mostly manned with AMC guys as IPs; and a handful of FAIPS.

So, who do impressionable young students listen to when it comes to career expectations and dreams? The young-pup FAIP who came from the T-38, or the crusty C-17 Major?

In business and politics, it's all about exposure and advertising. There are more guys preaching AMC, and many are buying it. Sadly, I am told by some of my former students (now FAIPs) that part of the problem is the endemic laziness of America. They are told the T-38 track is much harder (it is), and since only 25% will get a fighter, why not go the easy way?

I'm over an inch shorter now than when I was a 2Lt. Fortunately, I don't have back or neck problems, despite 30+ years of yanking and banking, and over 6000 hours in afterburning airplanes. Granted, I was more of a 5.0-6.5 "g" guy than a 7.5-9.0.

I'd still do it again. But I'd probably favor lower-g airframes (Strike Eagle and A-10) on my dream-sheet to keep my back in good shape. That never entered my equation when I was waiting for my assignment.

I chose everything out of Primary because I had different reasons for wanting to fly each platform. I ended up in fighter/Attack. It is impossible for me to second guess, but the possibility of future neck/back pain wouldn't have stopped me - the same as any thought of possible injury wouldn't have stopped me from playing a variety of sports, joining the Marines, or driving my car to fast as a teenager. ;)

During my time in the military - tactical aircraft guys were never considered not to be competitive for US carriers (although I hear of a small timeframe that it might have applied to UPS) If you are using the US military to get ready for the airlines as a second (or concurrent job in the case of Reserves/ANG) then more power to your selection. If I wanted to be an airline pilot - there was enough time for that type of flying after the military in my opinion.

A good friend of mine was selected for command of a Primary Flight Training squadron (VT-6) and told me part of the reason wa exposure bc a larger percentage were selecting ME and Helos out of training than ever before partly due to the lack of exposure - a LARGE majority of Primary instructors being pilots from the aforementioned communities. After he tour as XO/CO - he would agree with much of what you say UAL about the desire not being there as much as he thought it was a decade or more earlier. He said he felt a lot of the 'easier road' mentality creeping in the ranks.

I concur with the post before mine regarding exposure. In my T-37 flight, there were no pilots w/ fighter experience. Tankers, Airlift, BUFF pilots, and FAIPs. I went to pilot training hoping for fighters. However, after hearing stories of flying around the world and having a great time on my first cross country, I changed my mind and decided I wanted to pursue airlift. I flew C-21s out of Stuttgart for my first assignment (3 year honeymoon) and have been flying the C-17 ever since.

If there had been an equal representation of fighter pilots, would I have changed my mind. I honestly do not know. Literally, in several classes, the T-44s, and UH-1s, and T-1s were all gone and the T-38s went to the last students. However, I did hear a rumor that when the top percentage of students were picking T-1s over T-38s, Mother Blue recognized there was a problem and were very active in yanking guys out of fighters and sending them back to AETC, specifically the T-37 to provide more exposure.

I can only speak for myself, but the thought never crossed my mind that I wanted to go airlift over fighters because it was easier. I realized I wanted to see the world and also wanted to be more marketable for an airline.

This has been a very interesting thread. I'm really sorry that many of you are experiencing the back and neck pain. I cannot echo strongly enough that the injuries need to be documented and then go to the VA. You have to look from a perspective of 20 years in the future. YOu may be able to deal with the pain now, but fast forward 20 years. You want those injuries to be service related.

Good luck.

Exactly. All the AMC guys I knew, who had a choice, did it for the reasons you provide. NOT because they are lazy, and looking for the easy way out.

Avoid all this mess, and get into a Guard or Reserve unit. You get to pick the airplane all by yourself then. In my class, the top 5/15 chose to go to AMC Guard/Reserve. They were the hardest working, most competitive men I've ever met.

I have a lot of respect for our military's fighter pilots. But the USAF could avoid such an enormous exodus if they would promote more AMC pilots to 4-Star, instead of it always being fighter guys. Even the Bomber pilots seem to get screwed in advancement.

Moreover, it's just not going to work anymore to subjugate Drone pilots as being unworthy of equal respect.

Seriously, you want to do some "fighting," and kill people, and break things? (God Bless USAF) Don't become a Fighter pilot then. Become a Drone pilot. It's the future of military warfare, and everyone knows it.