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Post by ma1marv on Mar 10, 2011 1:56:16 GMT 9
This subject finally came into my mind after looking over most all of the other topics.
I have always wondered which unit/location had the most MA-1 troops assigned at one time???
I would contend that Lowry Tech Training had the most! An honest estimate would be in the 150 plus assigned at one time. I say this because when I was working in the Basic Electronics school, there was a little saying we had - that to be a good basic electronics instructor you had to have three things going for you. 1. You had to be patient and have the knowledge to begin with. 2. You had to be a SSGT! 3. You had to be an MA-1 troop!
We had more MA-1 troops there in the basic electronics school than any one squadron we could even think of! If we added in the tech school -about 25 or so - and many of the other's who were working on the base in other jobs - another 20 - then I would contend that Lowry had more MA-1 people assigned - but not necessarily working MA-1 avionics systems.
Any other places come to mind?? :scratch_head
When I think of all the jobs I had and all the jobs many other MA-1 troops were handling - I can really get an appreciation for our flexibility, our skills, and our adaptibility. I cannot think of many other career fields that can ever say that! :green-beer
MArv :us_flag :fire_missle_ani
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biendhoa
F-106 Expert
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Post by biendhoa on Mar 10, 2011 3:21:46 GMT 9
What about tyndal,they were like stink on crap all over the place.
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Post by lindel on Mar 11, 2011 21:08:48 GMT 9
I'd have to agree, Tyndall would probably have the most. They had the biggest Mock Up, and they had to support Willie Tell. That was where they made at least two major mods to the 6 that involved the MA-1 system that I'm aware of. The 6-gun and the INS mods were both done at Tyndall.
I had the opportunity (and task) to support the INS mod (I tested all the INS boxes) and I got to fix the Mock Up that was used to test the INS boxes...
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Post by bear (Deceased) on Mar 11, 2011 23:43:25 GMT 9
I would say Selfridge in the Mid 60 With 2 Squadrons 71st and 94th. There were 4 flights of 40 to 50 people plus all the mock-up plus all the people that were farmed out. That was real MA-1 troops not students. During the Cuban Crisis one sq to Patrick and one to Volk Field and prople at Selfridge to support Alert training mission . Whe I got out in 81 there 45 on the Flt line 7 Cal Barn 2 MC 1 QC about 40 in MU. We got 10 to 15 new in a year and lost about the same. When 456th moved to Oxnard all the castle people moved and Oxnard people all stayed, same thing happen at Selfridge to Wurtsmith move in69. Bear
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frdoerr
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Post by frdoerr on Sept 23, 2012 2:14:34 GMT 9
I was at Duluth - 1960 - 1964 and we had the largest (most people) work center on the base. Our guys were constantly being loaned out for aux weapons loading, air police, etc. because of the staffing level. This was due to the MA-1 system integration of several systems (Power, Radar, CN&L, FC&M, Computer, AAI) under one AFSC. The F-102 broke these out with several AFSC's and multiple work centers.
Frank Doerr
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Post by LBer1568 on Sept 23, 2012 7:50:47 GMT 9
Marv, What time frame were ou at Lowry? I don't remember that many MA-1 types. We had cookouts a few times while there and all base MA-1 were invited. I was at Tyndall as a MA-1 tech from 67-71. Yes we had a lot of troops. Our Mock up supported all the six's, all the Test Sq mods and all TDY squadrons as well as a Depot Maintenance workload of about 4-5 planes at once. That was during the Computer/Comm/Nav mods. Even though we had Depot level folks for wiring, all planels/racks etc were done by F/L shop. . Our flight line shop had about 20-25 per shift and we had work most weekends, so we had folks off during the week, whenever we could afford it. Our Phase shop had about 10 folks working at least two shift per day. We also had about 7 folks in debriefing/camera/wsem shop. We didn't have that many 3-levels. Seems like we had about 45 new 3-levels during 1964 at McGuire. I was in second straight class out of Lowry. We had about 3 more complete classes over a 6 month period. So McGuire/539th had about 65 people. We had a Chief in bothF/L and M/U. At Tyndall we had about 7 MSgt's on F/L and a Chief over both F/L and M/U. Tyndall also supported TDY's like OSAN for 6 months. We had a 25 man deployment from the base with 3 MA-1 troops (me). We also supported the detachment at Homestead and FTD. They had MA-1 full time, but sent spares to Tyndall for repairs. I think we flew more missions than double squadrons, because we didn't have 4-6 birds on alert, the deployment birds were permanent to Homestead as I remember. Our Mock up also supported Comm/nav for F102/F-106. So I don't know who was largest, but Tyndall had a group.
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Post by ma1marv on Sept 23, 2012 11:40:58 GMT 9
I arrived at Lowry in May 1976 and retired on 1 October, 1987! I think I did every job possible as an instructor - from Basic instructor, Systems instructor, Instructor Supervisor, Intermediate Supervisor, Course Supervisor and finally worked for the wing Commander the last two years as an all round troubleshooting and fixit guy for any and all training problems in the wing!
Also did one tour as a First Sgt for the 3452nd Student Training Squadron!
Marv :fire_missle_ani :patriotic-flagwaver :green-beer
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Post by lindel on Sept 23, 2012 12:12:22 GMT 9
You were there when I went thru basic electronics, and my set school instructor was Joe Titus. When I came back for the mock up class, my main instructor was Raliegh Karjalinen (sp?)
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Post by ma1marv on Sept 24, 2012 1:03:15 GMT 9
Rauli Karjalainen went on to Mountain Home AFB when the upper echelon of people decided that there were just too many F-106 and B-52 people "Homesteading" at Lowry!
That was brought on by an infamous Brigadier General we had by the name of "Joe Moore". He later p.o.'d enough people at Lowry and in the surrounding area that he was replaced after only the 8 months! The briefings he received when he first arrived at Lowry were all going well until he got to building 959 - the F-106/F-4 sets school building. There he was briefed by MSGT Truman Wilson - a B-52 guy who had been at Lowry for quite some time (You will see!). Truman had given him a very extensive briefing about the progression of the Bomb Nav system and tail gun systems that covered the time from about 1959 to the present day - which was then 1984. At that point in the briefing of the B-52 systems the General asked of Truman - "You seem to have an extensive wealth of knowledge about the B-52 systems and the modifications that have been done to the aircraft. Just how long have you been at Lowry Msgt Wilson?" To which truman replied - "Oh - Not long sir. About 19 years!" At that point the General called an end to the briefing and stormed out of the building without even getting the briefings from the F-4 and F-106 schools. When he got back to his office he called the Resource director (Dave Moore) and directed him to make a listing of ALL the people who were assigned to Lowry who had been there over 5 years! Dave asked the General if he really wanted that list - and was told - "Absolutely! I want to get everyone an assignment who has been here over 5 years!" I'm sure everyone can guess what size that listing turned out to be - when printed it looked like a New York telephone book! The listing was amended downward and eventually ended with all persons who had been there over 8 years! That got the list down to only about 200 or so! Needless to say - I was also in that list! We all got a personal meeting with General Moore to see if we were going to get another assignment or if one was available to send us to. The comment the General made when I was in my meeting was "Damn! - Another MA-1 troop! If its not MA-1 its B-52! Theres NO place to send them!" I had to laugh when I left that meeting! A month later General Moore was told he had to retire! AWWWWWW!!!! Too bad he could not have stayed a little longer!
Here's to Brigadier General Joe Moore :green-beer May he rest in peace!
MArv :fire_missle_ani :patriotic-flagwaver :green-beer
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