CCFH

I was the pilot on 62-1854 the day it took a hit by a 122MM rocket at Quan Loi, 17 November 1969. I helped carry Norm Thomas out of the burning aircraft; a day I shall never forget. Our squadron commander told me his survivors would want to know exactly what happened from someone who was there. Writing those letters to his parents and his wife were probably the most difficult letters I ever wrote. I was aware Norm had a daughter not yet a year old and in fact my daughter was born four days later. Norm was only 21 at the time. Living within an hour of the Vietnam War Memorial, I never miss an opportunity to vist the wall and look at Norm's name.[/QUOT

Wow, I can't even explain or put into words what admiration I have for you and all the vietnam vets out thier. That day had to be hell on earth as I am sure there were many days that would seem to linger forever. Thank you for everything you have done.

Amazing, I would have never guessed 55 had that much history. Yup I remember trying to rig the back for CP-1 or whatever always wondered who was the football and who was the monkey?

Navarre was such a fun time, sit on the back porch with a cooler and listen to the melodies of 20,40, and 105mm. I also liked working swings, easy to tell when they were on the way home, we would just listen for the 40 dump at the end.

The last time I saw the maintainers shirt for sale was about two years ago here at DM. I will look to see if they have more floating around in clothing sales or something. The t-shirt I saw/have is black with the maint badge on the front left and the saying on the back. Yes there was one for the pilots too, but we all know that one didn't sell at all:)

1. The 98th af virtual uniform board convened in 2008. Voting members included airmen from all majcoms and most functional communities. Representatives from aafes, dscp/dla, the af uniform office, af/a1d and af/a4l acted as non-voting advisors. Board recommendations were forwarded to the air force chief of staff for final decision.

2. Approved items ? Effective as indicated:

A. Dress (blue) uniform

1) eliminate wear of the metal rank by enlisted airmen on the

light weight blue jacket; rank must be worn using only the

chevron rank insignia sewn on the sleeves; eff: Nlt 1 jan 2010

b. Utility uniform (applies to abus, bdus, and dcus)

1) trousers must be tucked into boots and present a bloused

appearance at all times; eff: Immediately

2) tuck in boot laces; excess boot laces may be wrapped around

the boot and tucked in. No ?bowtie? Boot laces; eff:

Immediately

3) majcoms authorized to approve wear of black boots with the abu only in industrial areas iaw 132024z feb 09 hq usaf/a1 message; eff: As per referenced message, 13 feb 2009

4) eliminate authority to attach organizational cap to bdu trouser; eff: Immediately

5) upper sleeve pocket approved for fire resistant abus authorized for, and worn only in, the aor

c. Accoutrements

1) authorize airmen meeting the criteria for, and awarded

the us army parachute riggers badge permanent wear of that badge on all authorized uniform combinations. When wearing the subdued riggers badge on the abu/bdu, the badge will be blue (not black). When wearing the subdued badge on the dcu, the badge will be brown.

2) authorize permanent wear of black u.s. Army air assault badge on the bdu, regardless of duty assignment, upon graduation from air assault school

3) authorize wear of the air force office of special investigations duty badge on the service dress uniform and subdued cloth duty badge on the abu

d. Miscellaneous

1) authorize use of personal cellular phones while walking in uniform; cellular phone must be conservative in color; wear of hands free devices while walking in uniform is prohibited; cell phone may be worn on either the left or right side of uniform; military customs and courtesies apply and take precedence

3. Approved uniform/design changes. Wear guidance and effective dates will be provided in supplemental messages. No action required by members at this time:

A. Utility uniforms

1) wear of foliage green fleece as an outer garment with abu

2) a fleece liner with the ability to zip into the apecs

3) ncrease length of lower leg pocket on abu trouser 1/2 inch

4) change female abu trouser fly button?s to mirror males

5) add small abu name tape with last name to pocket flap on

all-purpose environmental clothing system (apecs) left sleeve

6) alter abu sleeve pen pocket 1/2 inchto prevent

breaking writing utensils or punctures while bending arm

b. Physical training gear

1) revise current pt gear wear guidance to reflect a more

professional image. Make standards more in line with the

intent of the uniform

c. Maternity uniform

1) authorize an addition of side buttons that unfold a small

portion of the maternity abu trouser.

4. Deferred items and items that board recommended approval, but require further research and/or development. If any item is later approved by csaf, wear guidance and effective dates will be provided in supplemental messages; no action required by members at this time:

A. Utility uniform

1) wear of green crew neck sweater similar to marine corps under the abu

b. Maternity uniform

1) adjust maternity abu to mirror regular pocket placement

c. Accoutrements

1) officers assigned to command and control (c2) nodes to wear the c2 badge if approved for award by the functional authority

UTILITY UNIFORM (APPLIES TO ABUS, BDUS, AND DCUS)

1) TROUSERS MUST BE TUCKED INTO BOOTS AND PRESENT A BLOUSED

APPEARANCE AT ALL TIMES; EFF: IMMEDIATELY

1) AUTHORIZE USE OF PERSONAL CELLULAR PHONES WHILE WALKING IN UNIFORM; CELLULAR PHONE MUST BE CONSERVATIVE IN COLOR; WEAR OF HANDS FREE DEVICES WHILE WALKING IN UNIFORM IS PROHIBITED; CELL PHONE MAY BE WORN ON EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE OF UNIFORM; MILITARY CUSTOMS AND COURTESIES APPLY AND TAKE PRECEDENCE

So just want to know what Sheppard and AETC bases are going to be like with thousands of airmen walking around with phones stuck to thier faces?

Any comments from the "old heads"? I have got a few but I am trying to be the quiet professional!

Amen! This has it all fighter crew chiefs (wierd bunch they are) and the all important heavy crew chiefs! Outstanding!

Why is I get the same looks from my eng when I tell him that? Love the lapes idea going to try it out later see if it works.

I know we never flew with one but of course that was by design :cool:. What a rush that must have been to see the door fly off in front off you. I would really need some new nomex after that one.

6575chief wrote:

Was it 1855 or 7898 that we had to have cameras installed in the nose wheel well and the blue ribbon team ripped her apart and found nothing? I forget the tail number but I remember changing about 15 sets of nose wheels and barrings out for weeks on end with it... I honestly do not remember the solution...if the crews just ended up living with it or if it was finally fixed.

If the beer haze will fade for a minute...the plane was 7898. Only remember because it had some of the old time VCR equipment right there by the crew door. I also want to say that the fix was P.F.Magic. As soon as the camera went in the problem stopped. Maybe it was shy?

two hours and 44 minutes...with a spot of work inbetween.

I remember a few years ago stopping there, you can still see the bullet holes in the tower. Must have been one helluva firefight that night.

We had a young man out here forget to close the fuel shut off valve. Thats right you guessed it he disconnected the fuel line and well wouldn't you know There was just a bit more than a bucket full. Needless to say after pulling floor panels etc... the smell finally went away. The worst was he was training the FNG's we had at the time.

I am thinking this would be fun to do to one of the "plane on a stick" that are floating around the AF bases!

Thank you one and all for the explanation. i wonder how much fun it is to flip a plane? Thanks again.

Come out to DM or Moody we got tons of em and qualified people to take em in and out depending on our upper vision and aircrews HA HA! Seriously yes we use them for deployments. Great big pain in the woohoo but a necessary evil all the same.

I have come across some pictures of the AC-130H/U upside down. Appears to be a twisted engineers idea of a good time. Any ideas why this is?

Wow haven't heard that name in a minute. Wonder if he still lives at the Matador by Eglin.

Being a wee junior at the time, I don't remember much except the fact i avoided 1855 like the plauge. I do remember that when we sent 1855 to Kadena our email accounts blew up. Apparently in the flight deck there was bit of corrosion, ok actually alot of corrosion. To summarize the corrosion had corrosion of its own. Needless to say Kadena was not very happy. Lost track of it after that. I am sure all of us in the 16th remember that.

Quiet thats what AFSOC is. Keep the glory hounds in thier little fighters, and make bad movies about them ha ha. You will never have a better acft than the fabulous four engine fighter!

Kirt P Maxey, Keeb, Skumanick, and a slew of others...hell anyone that wanted to yell at me for all the dumb crap. Remember the story about the bobtail? Yup that was me and jackson.

Nothing related but 1855 as far as I knew never had that much "fun". Totally off-subject I know.

Kirt P Maxey. Along with whomever else wanted to chew my ass for being new and dumb. Then again all the stuff I pulled when I was young and dumb it's a wonder I am still around.

James

I remember hearing my supervisor talk about all the fun stuff as well as the suck fest. Memory serves rapelling with a garden hose and the water tower were a few of the stand out stories I recall.

I sure do miss Brindisi. That place was awesome! Of course I got there in 96 so i missed out on the good per diem. Thank you all for the posts.