Remember those talks ? (Read 606 times)

Gary, I too, had a similar talking to. It seemed that the more I watched the old TSgt and MSgt of my time (they came from WW2 and Korean War- long before PC), the more I learned. It wasn't always what or how I should be doing something, sometimes it was how not to do it as well.... I had old time mentors- even beyond 20 years time in service...... I was being mentored, even while I was mentoring.....

I joined AF in Apr 1963. I finished Basic and was sent to Lowry for MA-1 School. Well after getting to Lowry, I spent 6 weeks on KP duty while they finished my Secret Clearance. Then was the Basic Electronics school and MA-1 SETS training. Then on to McGuire with 539th FIS. The first thing happened there was 6 months of 5 level FTD classes 4-5 hours a day, followed by a full shift of work. Sometimes if most Aircraft were in Commission we could get back to barracks by 1-2 in morning.
Then after all the schooling and dedicated OJT I was awarded a 5-level. I got Honor Grad at Lowry and for FTD at McGuire. I was very dedicated to fixing MA-1 systems. Well after getting an OJT Test by 7-level SSgt Benjamin (Classy MA-1 troop A+) I got to go out and fix MA-1 systems. Early on it was Berry go pull X box and take to mock up for check out. Then I got assigned to TSgt Jim Neece's crew. He would say Berry go to Debriefing and find out what is wrong on 2528/30/31. Our B-Models. All round eye's. After debriefing, he would call for power and A/C units and ask me what I thought was wrong. We would discuss it and he would call in ETIC. I really liked working for him and busted my butt to get MA-1 systems fixed. He trusted me and I learned a lot in short time. It wasn't long until I earned my wings and got to work Quick Fix. For you not familiar with F-106/MA-1 in early days, either MA-1 was so bad, or pilots afraid it would break that they came through Quick Fix to get minor tweaks made. Usually failure to lock on, or steering dot on RADAR screen was acting weird. back then our power systems were often different than Ground Power units so alignments made under Ground power needed tweaking after engine start. Then after flight done for day I would get to work on broke MA-1 system. Working swings most of time, we didn't get to go home until mids had all remaining birds covered. So lots of long shifts.
After about a year on swings and mids I got assigned to day shift. There too I would work Quick Fix and after birds airborn get to work on broke bird.
One day I came to work and relieved a mid shift crew of a TSgt and SSgt, both 7 levels and two really good techs. They briefed that computer was broke and Radar would transmit. And they were miffed and had no idea how to start to fix it. So out to Aircraft I went. Being new on days the expediter came by and asked my ETIC since bird was on afternoon schedule. I said I'll try for 10:30 (it was about 7:15). So they left me. About 5 minutes later they came and took my power unit to go refuel it. So while I was waiting Expediter came back by asking for updated ETIC... I said I am in work stoppage for AGE. They said what update? I said I don't know I haven't powered up system yet to look it over, and let them know what mids had left me with. Well as a 2-stripper they asked for MA-1 to dispatch supervisor to aircraft. So TSgt Jim Neece came out and asked what was issue. I told him mids was miffed and I didn't have any power so how could I give them update. He gave them the same 10:30 as I had earlier and asked me to check it out ASAP after power. Well after Power unit was back I power up and start troubleshooting. So many things were broke it was difficult to get a good fix. Then one of my roommates came by and told me mids had used it as parts supply to get several birds fixed. And knowing some of guys who did it, they didn't put new units back into bird, but just swapped my boxes for their's. I was pissed. First off 2 good techs failed to let me know they had used it as supply unit, and now everyone was on my butt to fix it. I called for Blue 1 (MA-1) and told them what I had just learned. So they parked our MA-1 spares truck at my bird and I started doing pre-flight and fixing things as I went. UHF first, then TACAN and about then our MA-1 Chief came out to ask why I wasn't co-operating??? I said Chief I am fixing it as fast as I can, not telling him mids had screwed it up. He said well this bird better be in-commission for 1300 TO. Not being the best at tactful responses I said Chief I am doing my best, but if you want to order MA-1 to fix itself maybe we can make TO. Otherwise I am best chance you got to make that TO Time. He gave me a few best wishes and talked about barracks clean-up. KP and other extra duties for me if I talked to him like that again. Then he stormed out to find TSgt Jim Neece. Well by then I was doing computer diagnostics and had replace 4 of the 7 boxes and was about fixed. Jim came up and asked what I had said to chief. I told him and he said keep working and he will do interference. Well long story short, I had to replace about 4 Radar boxes and do steering loop and few other alignments to scope. I then called for A/C run to check system on A/C power. Job Control was pissed, saying A/C, except MA-1 was Code 1 and fueled. I replied something like without MA-1 you have a powerful jet dryer. So crew Chief came out and started, I got Jim Neece to watch scope and I did alignment to scope and Radar steering on A/C power. I then did radio check with tower, then called Maintenance Control and gave them MA-1 Code 1 at 10:25. I made my ETIC.
Well A/C came back from after noon flight Code 1 and flew twice more that day with one Code 2 for radio static which turned out to be pilots mic.
I went home about 7PM after getting to office at 6:45 and was very happy with my day. Next morning I was getting coffee and Chief came up and said something to effect that a good ass chewing gets results...I bit my tongue and drank my coffee. Biggest problem we had back in early days of MA-1 was most senior NCO's in MA-1 had no formal schooling on MA-1 and had been old school on F-80/90 series and had no idea on how to fix system. So we had our issues. But after that I very seldom got grief from expediters, even though I was a lowly 2 stripper.
Our Chief was Siegfried Foster and was about 5'6 and hefty. He had been a jet mechanic, but was given MA-1 because they didn't have any senior NCO's. He always smoked a pipe and did paperwork in his office.
Throughout my career I always worked to know as much as my team so I could lead by example. I went to factory school on C-130 Simulator as E-8 selectee. And I was honor grad from class. So when I was back in office, no one could snow me with tech talk. A few months later I was selected to go to WPAFB as lead C-130 Simulator Test Director. That was fun, going out to do acceptance testing on all C-130 Simulators. And even during Maintainability testing I surprised the AF test team by running some diagnostics and pre-flights of sims. Then didn't know I had been to factory school on equipment.
As I look back over my career, I always tried to lead by example and run cover for those who made me look good.
I did have some great mentors, Chief Stanley Webb at RAF Upper Heyford was the best of the best. I went from SSgt to MSgt under his watch. Chief Billy Richards at WPAFB was in same category.

Lorin