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  MSgt. Brandon " Bodizzle" Bodine

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 Name MSgt. Brandon Bodine
Country
Unit 421st Fighter Squadron "Black Widows"
Crewing F-16s from 2002 until 2009
Contact Bodizzle Send me a private message
Website
I Enlisted in the Air Force in August of 2001, participating in the Delayed Enlistment Program until I started BMT on February 19, 2001. After six weeks in the 321st TRS I went to Sheppard AFB for Tech School where my track instructor was TSgt Bean. Graduating from Sheppard in September of 2001 I started "Hot Training" at Luke under instructor TSgt Miller, the female one.

Graduating in October, I went home for two weeks of leave before driving to my first assignment with the 388th FW at Hill AFB, UT. After a bit of juggling around from being assigned to Phase Dock and the 34th FS, I ended up at the 421st FS, where I crewed three different jets; 88-0447, 89-2115, & 88-0501 between October 2002 and February 2008. I did three years as the ADCC on 88-0447, then I was the DCC of 89-2115 until #4 bearing failed in-flight, resulting in the loss of the aircraft, and I ended my time in Utah as the DCC of 88-0501. I went TDY to Nellis on 3 occasions, including the 6-week runway closure, and deployed to Balad in '06.

I got to Kunsan in February of '08, becoming the DCC on 89-2071. I didn't get to go on the one TDY during my time there. I took advantage of my time in Korea by going on different trips including hiking, Seoul, and the like. I also completed my CCAF.

After Korea came RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The F-15 still boggles my mind compared to the simplicity of the F-16. I ended up only working planes for about a month before I was put on the LSET inspection prep team. I was then sent to work CSS, and I finished my time there working support section. England was okay, but I don't have much desire to return.

Finally I got back stateside, still stuck west of the Mississippi though. Working the MQ-9 Reaper at Holloman, a toy airplane with RC "pilots." This thing is all kinds of strange, though I have to say the deployed work pace is much more intense than it was with the F-16, partially from the very frequent inspection periods.

In February 2008 I PCS'd to Kunsan AB, Korea assigned to the 35th and the DCC of 89-2071. During my time there 2071 was nominated for "Pride of the Fleet" twice, with one hard loss in the competition and the second time I was robbed. I suffered through three UCIs and at least as many ORIs.

I'm now assigned to the Phase dock at RAF Lakenheath, servicing F-15s. I look forward to the opportunity to return to the Viper world.

Current or Favourite assignment

I thought being stuck in Utah for five years was bad. Then I did a year in Kunsan followed by a transfer to the F-15 at RAF Lakenheath. Don't get me wrong, I made some good friends and saw some awesome things in Korea and I plan to do the same here in England. However the amount of BS I had to put up with in Korea was horrible, not to mention the lack of freedoms. As for RAF Lakenheath, well the ancient technology in the F-15 boggles my mind sometimes and going from the proficiency of a full-up 7-level to essentially a 3-level is far from optimal. Don't get me started on UAVs... I enjoyed the open ramp at Hill, the TDYs, even deploying to Balad, and I even experienced awesome leadership off and on. Not to mention that there's always something nice about the familiar.

Deployments

Operation Iraqi Freedom: May-September 2006.

My Jets & Assignments

 		88447 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 421st Fighter Squadron "Black Widows" [Unit History]
Period 2002 - 2005
Current: 88447   USAF 16 WS F-16C Block 40 [ act]
89115 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 421st Fighter Squadron "Black Widows" [Unit History]
Period 2005 - 2006
Current: 89115   USAF 421 FS F-16C Block 40 [ w/o]
Assigned as DCC from September 2005 until it crashed in late March of 2006. Interestingly enough it held an average 97% FMC rate from January to March 06 with a 100% FMC in January; best in the entire 388th FW.
88501 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 421st Fighter Squadron "Black Widows" [Unit History]
Period 2006 - 2008
Current: 88501   USAF 163 FS F-16C Block 40 [ act]
89071 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 35th Fighter Squadron "Pantons" [Unit History]
Period 2008 - 2009
Current: 89071   USAF 195 FS F-16C Block 40 [ act]
F-15 Eagle
Unit 48 EMS
Period 2009 - 2011
Predator
Unit 29 AMU, Holloman AFB, NM
Period 2011 -
Crewing the MQ-9 Reaper, DCC 10-4901
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