** I made something like $150.00 (PFC). **

Dave, by late 1967, early 1968, they were so short of pilots and crews, there were some pretty good deals available to those inclined to take them. I don't know anybody, by the way, who did it because of the deal. My case, I started because I just wanted to fly. Later I wanted to get even. Other guys maybe wanted to get even from the start. Others wanted flight training or their A&P license to start a career, military or on the outside. Others just wanted to make sure they did anything except hump a ruck.

Anyway, for us, the top 10% or 20% of "Single-Rotor Turbine Helicopter Mechanic" (Read: Crew Chief") school classes (12 or 13 weeks) in 1969 made E-4 on graduation. Some, like Al Mixer, went to a 3-week Cobra transition school after that and the top guys from that school, Al included, made E-5 with about 6 months total in the Army! Sort of like the "shake-n-bake" Infantry Platoon Sgt program. Ron and I had to wait for E-5 until we had 15 months in, as I recall.

I was never an E-3, went right from E-2 to E-4. Al was E-4 for about a month. All of this is great, but you know what? I don't recall a line of guys outside the gate at Camp Holloway, guys waiting to take our jobs. Just like I don't recall anyone lined up to take yours.

Bob