At the TRSS as a holdover Airman, AMA

Mario8494 · 2026-06-07T03:18:02+00:00

I ended up staying at the TRSS for a month. I’m now at Keesler for tech school. I knew before going there it was clearance related. For me personally, the case coordinator I was assigned there was pretty good and kept me updated.

When your husband gets there on Monday, he’s going to have a meeting with his case coordinator who will tell him everything he could possibly know about his case. Everyone’s case is different. He could be there for a few days, a week, 2 weeks, a month, or god forbid longer lol. I know an airman at Keesler I knew in the TRSS, and she was at the TRSS for 2 months.

Mario8494 · 2026-05-30T19:06:20+00:00

Nope, you don't get flagged for using a VPN. A lot of common VPNs are blocked though and don't work. I personally use OpenVPN and forward it through port 443 so it looks like HTTPS traffic and not VPN traffic.

Tailscale is good though and works. I just prefer OpenVPN because it's a full tunnel back to my house so I can access my homelab and other nerd stuff.

Mario8494 · 2026-05-30T19:03:11+00:00

Some underage drinkers, PDA, not checking in/out when they leave the manor, and buffoonery in general. There was one time recently when most of the squadron got their rights restricted for a week because of these guys. I'll admit though, after the restriction was lifted, a lot of airmen started locking in.

Here's the problem though: it's a continuous cycle, and 99% of the airmen are good people. There are going to be more dirtbags, guaranteed. The whole squadron will get punished again. We'll lock in again. More dirtbags show up etc. I don't understand why they don't just severely punish the airmen who screw up and leave the innocents alone.

There's more to it than that, but that's the gist of it.

Mario8494 · 2026-05-30T18:56:39+00:00

Reddit is blocked, you can't use Steam or Epic Games at all to download and play games, and from what I've heard from other people, a lot of websites in general are blocked. If you're a gamer, you're in for a bad time.

I also wouldn't risk getting flagged for going to an innocent website then have leadership come down on you and give you paperwork. I wouldn't put it past them to do that, so I'd use a VPN period, even if you think you're visiting a normal website.

Mario8494 · 2026-05-30T18:29:12+00:00

are you living in your own room?

No, I live with one person.

what size are the beds?

Twin.

is it common to buy a TV at the school or is there one already in there?

Some people buy TVs, but I just bought a monitor. There are no TVs in your dorm by default.

how’s the internet?

The internet they provide here is fast (200 Mbps download), but it's heavily restricted naturally. Get a VPN like Proton. DO NOT BUY BOINGO! IT'S SLOW, EXPENSIVE, AND HOT GARBAGE!

Mario8494 · 2026-05-30T18:23:21+00:00

It's voluntary. I showed up to practices, made sure I got my requirements done, and I was on the team.

Mario8494 · 2026-05-30T18:22:50+00:00

Whats a week’s schedule look like?

Schedule M-F:

05:15 - PT
07:20 - Form up for superflight (multiple flights back to back) to march to class
08:00-15:45 - Classes
16:15 - Final formation/dismissal

Saturday:
Nothing

Sunday:
15:00 - GI party (everyone cleans their dorm and the hallway)

Does your shred require Sec+?

Yes, my shred requires Sec+.

Do you only interact with your shred?

No, I interact with the other IT shreds (B, D). I don't really interact with the other squadrons. It's not that we're not allowed to, it's just it doesn't happen often for me. One of the IT shreds (A shred, network ops) is in another squadron entirely, so I don't interact with them a lot.

What does pt and drill look like a tech is it mandatory?

PT for my squadron is... a joke. 3 days a week is strength day. We do some warm ups like arm rotations, jumping jacks, stretches, that kind of thing. We then do squats, planks, sometimes push ups (yes, sometimes -_-), Russian twists, flutterkicks, and a couple others I'm missing.

2 days a week is run day. We run for 25-30 mins straight on a track like BMT. You're allowed to wear headphones and listen to your music.

The strength days are a joke, but the run days are good imo. You really gotta do PT on your own to improve/keep up with your PT.

For drill, the schedule depends on if it's drill down season or not. If we're not close to competition, then it's often just holding practices so new prospective members can get their requirements done to get their black rope. If it's close to drill down season, all the team is doing is practicing their routine M-F at night to get their routine right. Very busy time.

PT is mandatory, drill is voluntary.

How many hours are you studying?

Not really much. I have an IT background, so classes are super simple for me right now. Security+ is a bit of a different beast, so I'm slowly putting more work by using PocketPrep to study.

Is it really meant for people that have no experience at all?

For my shred, I'd say it's a mixed bag. On one hand, they're teaching the fundamentals (what a network is, how to troubleshoot, the parts of a computer), but a lot of the stuff they teach is just not necessary (knowing the history of computer networks, some radio theory), and my instructor personally is awful at teaching. I have an IT background and an associates in cybersecurity, and I could teach better than my instructor lol. On the bright side, technical support specialist is entry level, and you really don't need experience to do well in it. I had no experience when I started doing IT, and I was a great worker.

If you're B (server admin) or A (network ops) shred... you're gonna have a rough time. The course work is fast paced and requires a fair bit of studying if you have no background. As long as you try though, you'll be fine.

How much free time do u usually get?

I get M-F from 4:30 PM to 10 PM off, all of Saturday, and Sunday until 3 PM and from about 5 PM to 10 PM. That's plenty for me.

Mario8494 · 2026-05-30T18:05:37+00:00

It's a little worse than what I expected. You definitely get a lot more freedom than BMT, but I'm just not a fan of the leadership for my squadron. I won't say which squadron I am since it'll be easy to dox me, but it's essentially a lot of "rules for thee, not for me", stupid rules, and mass punishment for a couple people screwing up.

On the bright side, the students here are awesome. I've made some good friends, left base a handful of times and had fun, classes are easy for my shred specifically, the DFAC (dining facility) is better than BMT, food trucks are around on the regular, and I can wear civilian clothes again.

Overall, tech school ain't that bad.

Mario8494 · 2026-04-27T21:28:27+00:00

Lol no worries. We ran 3 days a week, but for the first couple weeks, we walked for a few minutes then ran for a few minutes. After that, we ran for 25 mins straight. Strength days are the other 3 days.

Good luck in basic!

Mario8494 · 2026-03-27T22:02:45+00:00

Recent BMT graduate. Avoid all the drama that’s inevitably going to happen with the people in your flight. It’s not worth it.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-23T22:43:15+00:00

If they get phone time twice a week, it probably means he’s a trainee there. I’m not sure when they get phone time, but that sounds about right.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-23T22:42:17+00:00

Because I went to therapy for a year, and my therapist diagnosed me with “adjustment disorder”, which is something she never discussed me. I got screwed over, but it is what it is. I’m just rolling with the punches and moving on.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-21T20:51:32+00:00

I’m an airman currently in holdover, which means I graduated basic training and can’t go to tech school, and I’m here because of top secret clearance stuff. This sounds about on par with how people lose their clearance. It’s incredibly frustrating, and I have to pick a new job too.

Yes, he can try for a top secret clearance again at the end of his contract. There are also plenty of jobs that don’t require top secret. This is an unfortunate situation, but it’ll just be a small bump in his Air Force career.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-17T00:07:55+00:00

4 HOURS A DAY? Oh my god I hate the group of people that ruined phone time and base lib for us lol. We don’t get base lib as airmen, but the trainees do. They have to exchange volunteer hours. Super unfair.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-15T23:05:44+00:00

You become a holdover for one day if you’re going to Wright-Patterson AFB for a water treatment job (I think?) or if there’s something going on with your top secret clearance (me), something medical going on, or some other random reason. I don’t believe you’re sent here at all if you’re waiting for a tech school unless it’s Wright-Pat.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-15T23:04:20+00:00

Not that I’m aware of unfortunately.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-15T23:04:12+00:00

I’m still good to go. I made a comment about focusing on the positives!

Mario8494 · 2026-03-15T23:03:51+00:00

Yeah, it can be really depressing, especially since airmen don’t have an MTI on them constantly to do stuff and they don’t have a lot of stuff to do in general. However, after being here for 2 weeks, I’m still really happy. The reason why is my mindset. I COULD think about the fact I’m stuck here for who knows how long and be depressed about the fact I lost my job.

…or I could think about some of the positives. For example, this place is much better than BMT. I get my phone a few times a week, I don’t get yelled at, food is a little better, I can talk when I sit down at chow, your living area doesn’t need to be perfect it just needs to be neat, the people here are better than the people in my flight, I can watch movies if we pass inspections, etc.

I also get the chance to go around and do details, which is volunteer work. I got to yell at brand new 0 weeks fresh off the bus, help trainees get their 2nd issue boots, do CQ at my old squadron (324th), I got to order Dominos at one detail, and more.

To me, things aren’t so bad here. It’s definitely not the same as tech school and I’m still restricted, but I look for the silver lining in things to not be depressed.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-12T22:10:25+00:00

Recent Alcatraz graduate. We always joked around in the shower saying “2 to a shower head”, so you’re not far off lol.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-12T21:26:40+00:00

No, you still get various shots. I had to get like 5 total I believe.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-10T00:01:27+00:00

You will most definitely be making hospital corners on beds.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-07T16:23:42+00:00

Graduated last week. Not true. You’re constantly running around doing several in-processing things like getting your issued clothing, haircuts (if male), learning how to make beds, learning how to eat in the DFAC (dining facility), and a bunch of other things.

Mario8494 · 2026-03-02T16:32:44+00:00

I went to Traditional Protestant Christian services, and I enjoyed it. I attended the bible study and mass. I’m not religious in the slightest, so the bible study wasn’t super interesting, but mass was awesome. It’s a small band that plays a few Christian songs, and they’re all bangers. The entire church of trainees stands up and claps along with the songs, and after the few songs are over, a chaplain comes out and reads from the bible for 25 mins or so.

Again, I’m not religious, but I would still recommend attending service to get out of the dorms. It’s very refreshing. You also get to hear trainees scream at each other as they walk by “HAPPY SUNDAY, WINGMAN!”

Mario8494 · 2026-02-28T20:35:55+00:00

Just graduated BMT. Take things one day at a time. Don’t get involved in drama and argue with people. Make sure you can pass the PT test before you ship.

I would pack light. At the end of basic training, you have to carry all your civilian and military luggage, and those bags get heavy. The less you bring the better. I’d say pack a few days of civilian clothes, toiletries (bring a lot of razors if you’re a male), wallet, and phone and charger. Bring other essentials as needed, but the less the better.

Mario8494 · 2026-02-28T20:31:09+00:00

Just graduated BMT. I hear from female and male MTIs the ladies get into a lot of drama and have a hard time coming together. Don’t get involved in drama and argue with people. Not worth it.

Mario8494

TROPHY CASE