Purplesuiter,
I know what you mean.
I was lucky enough to have 2 assignments to McChord AFB.
Spent 3 years with the 318th FIS.
Spent 12 years with the 36 TAS & 62AW.
Also 4 years with the 601st TCW, Sembach AB, West Germany
About 2 years at Norton AFB, CA. with the 63rd MAW.
And 3 years with the 416th Bomb Wing, SAC, at Griffiss AFB, NY
Plus plenty of TDY's.
I'd have to say that all my assignments had something very special for me.
The 318th FIS had Scrambles & Alert duty, and working flightline engine dispatch I got my share of flights. Also spent some time at Test cell.
The 36th TAS was a C-130 unit which was pretty layed back.
When it was deactivated I went over to the 62AW and did different jobs including Maintenance Production Super, and just before retirement did 3 years as the Base Air Museum as Director/Admistrator.
Now the 63rd MAW at Norton was not a good experance for me. Smog alerts, hot, dry, and dam dusty. I did do some work on a few important aircraft. C-141's that supported the Bob Hope USO Tours, The freedom Bird that flew to Hanoi for the POW's.
The 416th Bomb Wing at Griffiss AFB was wet, cold, and lots of work. I lived in NE Pennsylvania so I was less than 2 hours drive from our farms in PA. SAC was a different experance all together. EWO Alert is something that stays with you. We maintained 5 each B-52's on EWO (Emergancy War Order) Alert and 4 each KC-135 Tankers. I worked flightline and was always in the middle of the action and excitment. During the Israel Arab 7 day war in the mid 1970's we went full alert and SR-71's operated out of Griffiss watching the Russians. Every B-52 and KC-135 was fully loaded and the aircrews slept either on the aircraft or in vans and buses next to the aircraft for two days. The whole SAC aircraft area was a no-lone zone. I was a 3 striper then and I asked my SMSgt
what happens if the jets take-off. His reply was brief, one line. "Bend over and kiss your ass good-bye."
Another thing that sticks with me was that we had to do pre-flight engine run-ups before a B-52 took off and fly a SRAM Airborne Alert Mission. SAC at that time had SRAM flying alerts. SRAM stands for Short Range Attack Missle and they had small nuke warheads. One snowy night I was tasked to do one of these engine run-ups. Number 5 engine during it's increase power operation caught fire and started shooting sparks and flames. My co-worker on the ground yelled your on fire #5 just as all the night time snow turned orange. Ass puckered up and mouth went dry as I started shutting down #5 and the rest of the 7 engines and calling the tower telling them we had an engine fire with a load of weapons onboard. As #5 engine spun down the orange glow went away and the night went black again with white snow flakes.
Each time a B-52 came out of phase dock we had to do a simulated EWO engine start. Only pilots could use the explosive start carts on #4 & #6 Engines on alert status so what we did was start #4 & #6 and run them up to power. Then we hit the other 6 engine start buttons and watch the engines start. The whole center panel was full of engine insterments and with all the gages moving it was quite the sight and you and the technician in the co-pilots seat had to pay close attention and keep up with all the starting engines.
I have some fine memories from Griffiss and being near my home was an extra benifit.
Sembach AB, West Germany was pretty far from home. I arrived at Sembach AB before our aircraft did. I was asked where I wanted to work as they need jet engine technicians everywhere.
I said I was a farm country boy and hated to be inside. So I was Put incharge of Phase dock which turned out to be a good deal as the german winters I was told could be dam rough.
One day the aircraft landed and started up the taxi-way so we went out side to see them. I took one look and said, "what the hell are they, they have props on them." OV-10A bronco is what they are, is what I was told and they have turbojets.
Every aircraft that compled its phase dock inspection required a Functional Check Flight (FCF)and they wanted a maintenance guy to fly the back seat on the FCF. Three people were chosen and I was one of them. So for 4 years I got lots of flight time. I later was advanced to flightline maintenance and did lots of aircraft repairs and recoveries around Europen. I was a fly-a-hollic.
All assignments have special things to offer you. I'm glad I experanced, fighters, bombers, tankers, transports, and Forward Air Control aircraft.
And the experance at the Air Museum at McChord.
If I could, I would not change a thing.
