Our cross-country missions were typically scheduled to depart on Fridays. This way the jets could be used for local flying for the first 3 flying periods. To expedite our departures, we would often flight plan sometime during the day, then just update it all before leaving.
One afternoon these two young FAIPs (First Assignment IPs) had flight planned their mission to Nellis (Las Vegas) and left it sitting on the desk while they flew their first student sorties. Bad idea. A prankster saw the flight plan sitting on one of their desks and added a code to “request honors” upon arriving at Nellis.
Going through El Paso en route was no big deal as it was a civilian operation and the code essentially meant nothing to them. However, upon arrival at Nellis it was another thing.
The first thing they noticed was an escort from Transit Alert – something not normally done. They bypassed the normal transit aircraft parking area. As they rounded the corner to parking in front of Base Operations they noticed several cars with their drivers, each one standing at the left front of their respective cars, at Attention! When the 2 Leuitenants shut down, these guys all rendered a salute! Quite a scene to see indeed! 4 or 5 Colonels saluting 2 Lieutenants!
The 2 Leuitenants returned the salutes and began to climb down from the jet. When the 4 or 5 Colonels standing in front of their cars saw the two, they all returned to their cars and took off – none of them any too happy at all! However, being aviators themselves, when they discovered what had happened, it brought them all back to how fun it once was in the Air Force and nothing came of it all.