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Plattsburgh AFB 1985

Started by 70superbee, January 24, 2010, 03:29:45 AM

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70superbee

Will never forget:

USAF welcome committee getting on the bus and making us wish we hadn't been born

Live fire demo of M-16 & M-60.  All the cadets hit the floor chasing the hot brass.  Full auto .223 is extremely obnoxious sounding.  I was heart broken because he didn't demo the M-16's grenade launcher- we were all waiting for that.

Demo of USAF Mean monster German-Shepards- Made toughest drill seargent look like the Easter bunny

KC-135 night refuelling mission off the coast of Nova Scotia- F-16's. Fighter pilots were giving us all the thumbs up and rocking their wings.   Slept most of the flight.  One cold & loud tanker.

Survival training in Lake Champlain- middle of summer and the water was 40F- chattering teeth.

Taking off in the Huey with the doors open- flying in formation- so windy, I remember my forhead getting chafed by my crew cut waving in the breeze-  flight was smooth as silk over the beautiful, lush Adirondacks

Riding the bus across base we were always ordered to turn full right at a certain area- I managed to duck down and go full left.  Out the window I saw 2 nuclear armed FB-111's in open ended structures ready to roll.  Real cool but a guard with a M-16 saw me- thought I wouldn't make it to 15.  Cold War was still alive and well.

Checking out Atlas ICBM missile silo

Getting a glimpse of the Strategic Air Command  War Room-  Very serious guys taking care of serious business

Bivouac by the arms depot turned into shelter building competition between the city slickers and country hicks- hicks one.  I considered myself a suburbanite.  We were warned not wonder off or sleep walk near the arms depot because of automated machine guns and the Shepard's the size of elk.  There was definitely something well lit out there.

60 second cold showers.

****Not many young kids got to do this over their summer break- My friends probably didn't even believe me.



Stonewall

Quote from: 70superbee on January 24, 2010, 03:29:45 AM
60 second cold showers.

Showers?  You had showers?  Tyndall AFB 1987, now that was tough.  It was so tough I had to repeat the age of 14...twice.   :o
Serving since 1987.

JoeTomasone

#2
I absolutely do because I did the same thing in '83 and had many of the same experiences...  Plus:


1. Marching off your 341's during free time (can't do that now, demeaning the little lambs in such a cruel manner is hazing - little did I know)

2. O'Grady Says competition (won it!)

3. The Book Of Knowledge

4. The hueys appearing and landing to the theme from "Apocalypse Now".

5. Wanting to kill the honor cadet as he departed to take his o-flight in an FB-111 -- because we were not him.

6. Having to explain to all the upstate Cadets that, yes, there is a Hicksville on Long Island and no, those who live there are not.

7. Survival training near the Weapons Storage Area and the lovely way in which they woke the Cadets who built their shelter a wee bit too close.

8. Publication of the orders mentioning OOD C/Captain Crunch and Commander General Mills.

9. Fraternization is *prohibited*?   You mean, I can't even *talk* to that cute cadet from...  Great, sir.  Thanks.   

10. Catching the c/Squadron Commander "fraternizing" after lights out while on CQ.   He was *real* nice to me the rest of Encampment.


Ahhh, those were the days.


Oh - and our KC-135 O-Flight had us refueling A-10's.    No sooner did they tell us that we were in the world's largest flying gas can (with enough fuel to last the average driver 50 years) when we had an aircraft armed with a 30mm cannon and armor-piercing rounds pointed square at the tank.   They let us lie down in the spaces next to the boom operator to watch - but they did it in alphabetical order, so I was sure to miss out on the hookup.   Nope - he came in right as I got called.  Only time being a "T" has ever paid off.

Gunner C

Quote from: Stonewall on January 24, 2010, 04:38:34 AM
Quote from: 70superbee on January 24, 2010, 03:29:45 AM
60 second cold showers.

Showers?  You had showers?  Tyndall AFB 1987, now that was tough.  It was so tough I had to repeat the age of 14...twice.   :o
Yep, encampments used to be a lot tougher and, I suspect, a lot more fun.  My first was at Eielson AFB, AK.  Since the sun never went down, we packed a hole bunch more stuff in.  We slept when we got home two weeks later.  ;D

BuckeyeDEJ

I'm with Gunner. My encampments include stops at Dover AFB, Del., K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich., and NAS Patuxent River, Md., with two less-exciting ones at Pittsburgh International Airport ARS, Pa. Yip, West Virginia Wing, 1985-1991 (I missed the Langley encampment in 1990). Transportation to-and-from every year was courtesy of the West Virginia Air Guard.

We had B-52s and KC-135s at Sawyer, C-5s at Dover, and the Naval test-flight center at Pax River, but at Pittsburgh, we had the USAir simulator center, the Pennsylvania ANG with KC-135s and A-7s, yada yada. And we had much the same experience as you guys at Plattsburgh each year.

We had hot showers every year in real quarters with real beds, no CPPT to put a chill factor on things and put an extra layer of namby-pamby 'we can't do that' on everything, and a real good look at Mother Blue. Much the same stuff 70SuperBee enumerated, we did — obstacle courses, firing ranges, K9 demonstrations, tower tours, aircraft tours, simulators, drill comps, daily inspections and meal formations....

Joe, how did you have "O'Grady Says" in the 1980s? No one knew who Scott O'Grady was until the 1990s.... :)


CAP since 1984: Lt Col; former C/Lt Col; MO, MRO, MS, IO; former sq CC/CD/PA; group, wing, region PA, natl cmte mbr, nat'l staff member.
REAL LIFE: Working journalist in SPG, DTW (News), SRQ, PIT (Trib), 2D1, WVI, W22; editor, desk chief, designer, photog, columnist, reporter, graphics guy, visual editor, but not all at once. Now a communications manager for an international multisport venue.

FARRIER

A run through Hells Half Acre obstacle course at the Air Force Academy. Then, being mudcaked, eating at the dining facility right afterwords. :)
Photographer/Photojournalist
IT Professional
Licensed Aircraft Dispatcher

http://www.commercialtechimagery.com/stem-and-aerospace

Slim

#6
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on January 25, 2010, 12:36:34 AM
I'm with Gunner. My encampments include stops at Dover AFB, Del., K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich., and NAS Patuxent River, Md., with two less-exciting ones at Pittsburgh International Airport ARS, Pa. Yip, West Virginia Wing, 1985-1991 (I missed the Langley encampment in 1990). Transportation to-and-from every year was courtesy of the West Virginia Air Guard.

We had B-52s and KC-135s at Sawyer, C-5s at Dover, and the Naval test-flight center at Pax River, but at Pittsburgh, we had the USAir simulator center, the Pennsylvania ANG with KC-135s and A-7s, yada yada. And we had much the same experience as you guys at Plattsburgh each year.

We had hot showers every year in real quarters with real beds, no CPPT to put a chill factor on things and put an extra layer of namby-pamby 'we can't do that' on everything, and a real good look at Mother Blue. Much the same stuff 70SuperBee enumerated, we did — obstacle courses, firing ranges, K9 demonstrations, tower tours, aircraft tours, simulators, drill comps, daily inspections and meal formations....

Joe, how did you have "O'Grady Says" in the 1980s? No one knew who Scott O'Grady was until the 1990s.... :)

Curiosity overwhelms me.  When/what wing held an encampment at KI Sawyer?

I know for a fact it wasn't Michigan wing.  We've held our encampments at the CRTC in Alpena since the mid 70's, with the exception of three years in the early 90's.  I know the other SAC base in MI at the time didn't have the space to support an encampment until the year before they closed (1992, and they were an ACC base by then); I can't imagine Sawyer being any different.  We did go to Wurtsmith for our tours, but even that was a PITA under SAC rules. 

Not throwing the BS flag or questioning integrity, just curious.

To to OP, I've never been to P'Burg, but I've always felt a kinship to that base and the 380th BMW.  They were our host unit in Alpena in 1988, and I spent two weeks running a job-shadow program with the 380th SPS, to the point where I was made an honorary member of the squadron.  A good friend of mine was the Ops superintendent with the tanker squadron at that time (and probably during your time as well).  He ended up joining the local squadron when he got back to P'Burg, and is still a member today.


Slim

JoeTomasone

Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on January 25, 2010, 12:36:34 AM
Joe, how did you have "O'Grady Says" in the 1980s? No one knew who Scott O'Grady was until the 1990s.... :)

Maybe he was a cadet?  :)


BuckeyeDEJ

Quote from: Slim on January 25, 2010, 07:01:02 AM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on January 25, 2010, 12:36:34 AM
I'm with Gunner. My encampments include stops at Dover AFB, Del., K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich., and NAS Patuxent River, Md., with two less-exciting ones at Pittsburgh International Airport ARS, Pa. Yip, West Virginia Wing, 1985-1991 (I missed the Langley encampment in 1990). Transportation to-and-from every year was courtesy of the West Virginia Air Guard.
Curiosity overwhelms me.  When/what wing held an encampment at KI Sawyer?
The one I mentioned not 20 words later, and just boldfaced. :) The year: 1991.


CAP since 1984: Lt Col; former C/Lt Col; MO, MRO, MS, IO; former sq CC/CD/PA; group, wing, region PA, natl cmte mbr, nat'l staff member.
REAL LIFE: Working journalist in SPG, DTW (News), SRQ, PIT (Trib), 2D1, WVI, W22; editor, desk chief, designer, photog, columnist, reporter, graphics guy, visual editor, but not all at once. Now a communications manager for an international multisport venue.

Slim

Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on January 25, 2010, 05:27:56 PM
Quote from: Slim on January 25, 2010, 07:01:02 AM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on January 25, 2010, 12:36:34 AM
I'm with Gunner. My encampments include stops at Dover AFB, Del., K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich., and NAS Patuxent River, Md., with two less-exciting ones at Pittsburgh International Airport ARS, Pa. Yip, West Virginia Wing, 1985-1991 (I missed the Langley encampment in 1990). Transportation to-and-from every year was courtesy of the West Virginia Air Guard.
Curiosity overwhelms me.  When/what wing held an encampment at KI Sawyer?
The one I mentioned not 20 words later, and just boldfaced. :) The year: 1991.

Ok, not a problem.  I'm just a little surprised to learn another wing, in a different region, held an encampment in MI, especially when we were told in 1991 that Sawyer (and Wurtsmith) couldn't host our own encampment due to space limitations and SAC.  We ended up at Wright-Patt that year (CRTC wasn't available due to all of the guard units using all their $$$ for Gulf war I).  Or, did you fly in there for a tour, and I'm missing that context?


Slim

BuckeyeDEJ

Quote from: Slim on January 26, 2010, 05:51:29 AM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on January 25, 2010, 05:27:56 PM
Quote from: Slim on January 25, 2010, 07:01:02 AM
Quote from: BuckeyeDEJ on January 25, 2010, 12:36:34 AM
I'm with Gunner. My encampments include stops at Dover AFB, Del., K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich., and NAS Patuxent River, Md., with two less-exciting ones at Pittsburgh International Airport ARS, Pa. Yip, West Virginia Wing, 1985-1991 (I missed the Langley encampment in 1990). Transportation to-and-from every year was courtesy of the West Virginia Air Guard.
Curiosity overwhelms me.  When/what wing held an encampment at KI Sawyer?
The one I mentioned not 20 words later, and just boldfaced. :) The year: 1991.
Ok, not a problem.  I'm just a little surprised to learn another wing, in a different region, held an encampment in MI, especially when we were told in 1991 that Sawyer (and Wurtsmith) couldn't host our own encampment due to space limitations and SAC.  We ended up at Wright-Patt that year (CRTC wasn't available due to all of the guard units using all their $$$ for Gulf war I).  Or, did you fly in there for a tour, and I'm missing that context?
Nope, it was a Type A encampment. Since there's no active duty base in West Virginia, the wing flew its cadets out of state for encampments. Or, at least they used to.


CAP since 1984: Lt Col; former C/Lt Col; MO, MRO, MS, IO; former sq CC/CD/PA; group, wing, region PA, natl cmte mbr, nat'l staff member.
REAL LIFE: Working journalist in SPG, DTW (News), SRQ, PIT (Trib), 2D1, WVI, W22; editor, desk chief, designer, photog, columnist, reporter, graphics guy, visual editor, but not all at once. Now a communications manager for an international multisport venue.

husker

Quote from: Stonewall on January 24, 2010, 04:38:34 AM
Quote from: 70superbee on January 24, 2010, 03:29:45 AM
60 second cold showers.

Showers?  You had showers?  Tyndall AFB 1987, now that was tough.  It was so tough I had to repeat the age of 14...twice.   :o

Stonewall, I was at Tyndall in 1987.  I was 13, and had joined about two months prior.  I remember wanting to go home roughly 30 minutes after getting there.....
Michael Long, Lt Col CAP
Deputy Director, National Emergency Services Academy
nesa.cap.gov
mlong (at) nesa.cap.gov

Stonewall

Quote from: husker on January 26, 2010, 01:32:32 PMStonewall, I was at Tyndall in 1987.  I was 13, and had joined about two months prior.  I remember wanting to go home roughly 30 minutes after getting there.....

Yep, I got a 341 before even signing in for encampment.  I didn't even know what a 341 was before that.

I joined in Feb 87, was at Tyndall that August.
Serving since 1987.

JoeTomasone

Quote from: Stonewall on January 26, 2010, 01:51:19 PM
Yep, I got a 341 before even signing in for encampment.  I didn't even know what a 341 was before that.

WIWAC, you had to carry (3) 341's in your fatigue shirt pocket, with name & unit all filled out.  If you got caught doing something wrong, any superior officer could request one and turn it in, which would cause whatever grief your transgression merited.   Similarly, if you were doing an awesome job, one could get pulled and good things might come your way.    This was the norm at the Squadron, but was really taken to heart at Plattsburgh.  For each 341 pulled (for each time you got "gigged"), you marched off 15 minutes of your 30 minute free time each day. 


Stonewall

Quote from: JoeTomasone on January 26, 2010, 02:49:40 PM
WIWAC, you had to carry (3) 341's in your fatigue shirt pocket, with name & unit all filled out.  If you got caught doing something wrong, any superior officer could request one and turn it in, which would cause whatever grief your transgression merited.   Similarly, if you were doing an awesome job, one could get pulled and good things might come your way.    This was the norm at the Squadron, but was really taken to heart at Plattsburgh.  For each 341 pulled (for each time you got "gigged"), you marched off 15 minutes of your 30 minute free time each day.

Ditto at Tyndall in '87.  But I hadn't even signed in yet to be issued my 341s.  That was the irony of the "toughness" of the encampment.  Technically I wasn't even there, I was standing in line to sign in when some 7 ft tall Cadet Captain gave me a piece of paper I later learned was a 341.
Serving since 1987.