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what was your best and worst TDY's?


venom 66
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I just thought I'd ask these questions to see what kind of trips you all had in the past. My best was from Pope in '93 on a St.Croix channel.The whole crew was extremely cool,got to spend a night in Jamaica,and even got to fly the acft (on autopilot of course) for about 5 minutes on the way back to Pope, and the worst was; on an out an' back mission in Desert Storm when a tac gen went out in Oman.The omanis wouldnt let us borrow a maint stand,so me an the other CC,Steve Moles, had to use the ladder fully extended,leaned up on the prop cowling trying to change that damn thing! We used all of the gen pads & ran the eng each time to no avail, and had to spend the night there and NOBODY brought a change of clothes,so we had to shower at the hotel,then put our dirty ass flightsuits back on an go eat dinner.We played musical pads again the next morning with no luck,so we bagged both cannon plugs and flew as-is.The worst part was,word somehow got back to King Fahd that we broke because we didnt have a tac gen sling!!!

Edited by venom 66
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One of my best TDY's was back in the summer of 1964 and I didn't even leave the base! I was a young A/2C at Langley and was sent on a 60-day TDY to the civil engineering squadron to drive a farm tractor pulling a huge lawn mower. The best part of that was being sent over to the Capehart base housing to mow the common areas. I was dating one of our flight chief's daughters and would hang out with her most of the day. Didn't get much work done on those days.

As for my worst TDY, I can't really think of any. Some were not very pleasant, but all memorable. I do remember celebrating the bi-centenial (1976) at the US Consulate in Dharan drinking Heinekin beer.

Don R.

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Worst was at Dyce for a doppler mod. We were met by armed AP,s

and had to have an escort to get out of the plane.

I dropped my line badge in the hanger next to me and sombody called a 7 Hi on me. The person that found it handed it back to me

and I had it when the Ap,s got to me. They still took me in for questioning.

I gave them the Acft. number and after about an hour they said no

one would answer at that number. They relesed me after some red faces.

When we were ready to leave our escort took us back out to the plane

and left us. we got 3 engines started and who showes up.

The LM. told the pilot, and the pilot told him to tell the Ap,s he

would have to go inside the plane and get it.

Number 2 engine was starting and we closed the door as soon as the Lm. got inside and started to taxi.

The Ap,s got out of the way and as we taxied out we saw our escort

show up and was walking towards the Ap,s.

Our security clearence from Sewart wasn't good enough for SAC.

so they gave us a Temp. Badge that was only good for the hanger

where our plane was.

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Fort Benning,Ga. 1967 Nov. Thanksgiving week we got socked in,and the flight crews wanted to go back to Sewart to be with there families. The crew chiefs wanted to stay with there planes. So they put us up in a condo we went shopping and had a thanksgiving dinner cooked by us it was very good turkey and all the trimings.And lot of libation. The weather changed and the flight crews came back and all was well.I remember this to this day it was a good time with the people at the time was your brothers.

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In 20 years can't think of any "bad" TDYs; best ones were Bravo Squadron at Mildenhall from Pope in 73 and 74, Red Flag at Nellis from Bergstrom in 79 (had to live down in Vegas for 30 days because there was no room on base....tough!); guess the least enjoyable was Ryadh from RAF Fairford for ELF 1 in 80 & 81 (though we had it better than the guys did in 92...they took over a hotel for us to live in and the King picked up the tab on everything....all your TDY pay was yours).

Edited by TSgtRet
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Skip,

I was at Rhein Main from 1977 to 1983 with the 37th. I was on one of the SOLL crews & we used to go to RAF Scullthorp with you guys for the Flintlock exercises. Perhaps you knew my AC -- Captain Steve Sullivan (Sully)?

Don R.

I know Sully very well, he retired out of Scott and now ownes Sully's bar in STL

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guess the least enjoyable was Ryadh from RAF Fairford for ELF 1 in 80 & 81
Oh god, got plenty of time doing the gaywacs elf one trips 81-84, they weren't too bad though, the hotel name was funny too, the Al Yamama hotel. I thought they were pulling my leg until I got there for the first time.

Gitmo for the first Haitian Vacation pretty much sucked, but most of the TDY's were pretty good.

Those three days I weathered out in Geneva were kind nice:D

elfoneID.jpg

Dan

Edited by Dan Wilson
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Hey Dan,

Tell everyone on the board about the time you almost murdered the "Wedge" when he was your roomie during a TDY. I still crack up laughing when I remember how you described the incident.

Kurt

Oh god, got plenty of time doing the gaywacs elf one trips 81-84, they weren't too bad though, the hotel name was funny too, the Al Yamama hotel. I thought they were pulling my leg until I got there for the first time.

Gitmo for the first Haitian Vacation pretty much sucked, but most of the TDY's were pretty good.

Those three days I weathered out in Geneva were kind nice:D

elfoneID.jpg

Dan

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The Best= Believe it or not........it was Keflavik, Iceland during a Christmas Holiday. Some of the best partying I have ever done! Made some lasting friendships on that one. Those folks showed us some real hospitality and Christmas cheer.

The Medium=Red Flag Excercises. I was going through a divorce during one of them, and it's a wonder how in the hell I didn't end up in jail. Whew! The best looking red heads in CONUS!

The Worst=Presidential Support for Jimmy Carter. I'll never forget that one. Remember the white water rafting trip he demanded that he take with the First Fam? What a cluster f--k!

The Bottom of the Sewer Pit=Somalia. Nuff' said! Again......the political numb nut's decisions were tragic and I'm still embarassed to this day.

Kurt

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Best - several actually Stateside Denver, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Atlanta, San Antonio, even Biloxi was fun at times. Offshore Mildenhall, Germany, Torrejon and Panama (both very hot). Even the Azores was great if you're needing some solitude.

Worst - Biloxi during and after a major Hurricane. Wooden WWII open bay barracks and latrines. Funny thing is even though the hurricane destroyed the gulf coast, these barracks barely lost a shingle.

Cam Ranh Bay housed in a closet. Had to shinny between the only furnishings, a standard old metal locker and a matressless bunk bed, Luckily I didn't get a roomy. We wouldn't have fit at the same time. Couldn't even bend over. Locker came with a rank smelling flack jacket and WWII helmet. Showers were open bay right where the house mamasan's washed laundry. I was too hot and tired to care.

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The Best= Believe it or not........it was Keflavik, Iceland during a Christmas Holiday. Some of the best partying I have ever done! Made some lasting friendships on that one. Those folks showed us some real hospitality and Christmas cheer.

Concur on that; I was there 77-78 on my unaccompaned short tour. Interesting place as long as you didn't get downwind of "Kef Katy" (fish processing plant) when they were operating. Kef was one of the best kept secrets around.

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  • 1 month later...

My best one was a trip to easter island we had to wear civies cause we could not be in uniform in South america, We had a weather hold in Santiago

that lasted 5 days, We got used to Pisco sourers the hotel we were in had all of these fantastic young ladies going in and out , so asked and were told they were practising to be mothers, we volinteered but then were told the proper word was models, oh well, Carried an ex Luftwaf pilot out with us a L/C in the Chilean AF. were broke when we got back to McGuire.

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