I first joined the Unite States Air Force (USAF) in 2006, one month after graduating from high school. Acronyms will occur frequently in any military influenced genre, for your convenience I've dedicated an entire page for their definitions, please look to the left side for USAFUG. The USAF is a very unique community that makes up one of the three military departments under the Department of Defense (DoD) dedicated to preserving the freedom of the citizens of the United States (U.S.). All members have a shared goal to serve and protect the U.S. from all enemies foreign and domestic, with a few of their current interests in nuclear deterrence, air superiority, and cyber security. I was promised a job that was super exciting as an Airborne Linguist, I would fly above hostile territories and listen in on classified, life-saving intelligence. Unfortunately my brain couldn't keep up with the education requirements. I then became what is called an RF Transmissions Systems Craftsman, in this job I maintain radio and satellite communications equipment. I spent six years doing that followed by two years as a Airman Dorm Leader. In my final career field I maintained the on-base living quarters for over 600 airmen. I had the time of my life. I didn't fly airplanes, but without my boring job the AF would fail.
Tooth-to-Tail ratio
The "Tooth-to-Tail Ratio" idea was first presented to me at a Commander's Call (CC Call), four years after I joined the AF. The reason leadership called the base together was to talk about sequestration and future cut-backs of non-essential job positions. During the presentation, a guest speaker wanted to keep the troops motivated about our jobs whether they be aircraft mechanics or burger flippers. He began by asking us to imagine a dragon and think about the essential properties of the dragon. We all agreed that the teeth were the most important and the tail, while being important overall, wasn't as necessary. It was then that I realized I was in the "Tail" category. I did not feel inferior to the "Teeth", I knew my place. I get paid the same amount as the Teeth, so apart from pride, I had nothing to worry about. This knowledge and appreciation for my boring job carried me through a lot of complications for the next four years. It is easy to want to insult other career fields to make them feel inferior to you, when I met someone with that intention, it never bothered me.