This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Air Force

Simply an amazing day

Before I begin I want to thank Jonn Lilyea, for allowing me to write here. It was this access that allowed all of the things below to happen.

Yesterday was simply an amazing day. I do not think that one could have planned it any better from start to finish. It started at the 12th Training Wing at Randolph Airforce Base after being escorted by the 12th Wing’s Staff Officers. The Wing was called to attention as Uncle Tommy entered the building. There was short tour going through the history of the unit from the photos on the walls. There was a presentation on what training is conducted at the 12th Training Wing and answered any questions that we had.

Then we took a short break by going outside to T-38 Talon trainer and talking more about the aircraft that were being used on the base. After that we back inside and started talking about the history of the two men, the event in February 1952 and the unusual series of events that allowed this reunion to happen. There was a lot of history there to say the least.

We left the 12th Training Wing to go to where the air show was being held. The crowds were not there because we were invited to the air show rehearsal the day before. What was there was a static display of a P-51C Mustang and a T-33 Shooting Star. We managed to take many photos of Uncle Tommy with both aircraft. At this time we met with a reporting team from KSAT12, a local news group. They were filming as we were taking photos with each aircraft. ( I credited this website and Jonn for his part, I have no idea if they will link or not.)

The Wing Commander 12th greeted us on the flight line.

A few minutes later we watched the USAF Thunderbirds perform from the best seat in the house. There was some concern that the Thunderbirds were not going to be able to fly due to the weather. But the weather cleared up enough for the rehearsal to start and it was quite a show.

After the conclusion of the Thunderbirds, we went inside to where Uncle Tommy and Mr. Jerry Swartz were interviewed by KSAT12. After that was over, we left the base to go to my parents’ house to celebrate Uncle Tommy’s 92nd Birthday. Mr. Jerry Swartz had managed to locate photos of the Squadron members that were with Uncle Tommy. As Mr Swartz went over each photo, Uncle Tommy would recall their call signs and stories about the crazy things that they did back then. I am going to coordinate with Mr Swartz about adding those photos to Wiki Commons with their names to help out of anyone else is looking for family members that served with the 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. Mr Swartz also found the original Flight Safety magazine that contained that storyboard write up.

Before everyone left, Uncle Tommy was able to facetime with my son and hear my son sing happy birthday. The only down side to all of this is “what to do for his 93rd birthday.”

Update November 2nd 2015: The 12th Training Wing added more photos of the event on their facebook page.

November 1, 2015
A Reunion and an Air Show

Earlier this month I was was contacted by Mr. Jerry Swartz, the son of the late retired COL Swartz. The pilot who my Great Uncle Tommy saved in February 1952. Since my last entry I made on October 2nd, there has been massive email traffic between Mr. Swartz and my family. The outcome of those talks resulted in Mr Swartz confirming that he will be flying to San Antonio to meet my Great Uncle Tommy in person this weekend. I was excited by this alone, but it began to take a life of its own.

It seems that Mr. Jerry Swartz has a few friends at Randolph Air Force Base. During this up coming weekend, Mr. Jerry Swartz was able to invite my Great Uncle Tommy as a special guest on Air Show on October 30th. Which happens to be my Great Uncle Tommy’s 92nd birthday. Also there will be a static aircraft display of a T-33 Shooting Star, the two seat version of the P-80 Shooting Star. The same P-80 Shooting Star that was being used by both COL Swartz and Uncle Tommy. So I am liking a idea of using that as a chance for a photo op. But it gets even more interesting. It seems that the mission statement made by COL Swartz was found by Mr. Jerry Swartz.

We are hoping that this might be enough to restart his recommendation for the Distinguish Flying Cross. This has been one interesting month. I cannot wait to write the follow up this weekend. Going to be good.

October 27, 2015
The A-10 goes to Turkey

Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh A. Welsh III visited Hill Air Force Base in Utah last week to visit that white elephant the F35. While he was there he said this according to the Standard Examiner;

According to a report from the base’s 75th Air Base Wing, Welsh told the Hill group the A-10, while long-beloved, needs to be retired.

“The A-10 will not be used in a high threat environment,” Welsh said. “Seventy percent of the A-10s we used during the first Gulf War suffered battle damage. It’s a rugged airplane, but it’s not hard to hit.”

So, we fast forward to this week where AFP reports that 12 A-10 Thunderbolts (Warthogs) have deployed to Incirlik, Turkey to take part in the war against ISIS;

The 12 planes, famed for their tank-destroying capabilities, arrived over the weekend and have already been scheduled to fly missions in support of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria, the official told AFP.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said the move had “added capability” to the coalition’s efforts against IS.

If the Air Force had their way, the A-10 would have disappeared before Desert Storm even started, but here it is, 24 years later, a week after the Chief of Staff said they were useless on the modern battlefield going back into battle. Reality always bites the Pentagon-types right in their collective ass.

October 21, 2015
Staff Sergeant Justin Druskis and stolen valor

MrBill sends us a link to the Military Times in regards to this Staff Sergeant Justin Druskis fellow who was busted on Facebook for telling a Marine that he had a Purple Heart. The problem is that Staff Sergeant Druskis was in Air Force Officer Training School and now his commissioning is on hold while the investigation continues. The original content is at Guardian of Valor’s Facebook page (I won’t steal it).

It all started with a Facebook discussion where Druskis was conversing with Marine John Irwin wherein Druskis told Irwin that he couldn’t wear his Purple Heart for his commissioning because of some nebulous VA problem and Irwin offered to talk to his command about that. Eventually, Drukis came clean, but too late.

I’m not sure that I would have taken it that far – I probably would have called him out and threatened to tell his command about it if he didn’t stop. I’ve done that more times than any of you will ever know.

But, that’s me.

October 7, 2015
Remembering the Past: Follow up.

About a year or two ago I wrote a article about my Great Uncle who helped out a fellow airman in trouble. I was contacted by the son of the airman that my Great Uncle saved. As I was contacting the family I was thinking about how often the aftermath of a good deed goes unknown. This make only worse when the person that performed the deed is modest. It just seems that all we see today is tragic events and the aftermath that follow. Rarely to we see the results of these good deeds. So when I got this news I was excited to share this news with family, figurative and literally.

October 2, 2015
C-130 goes down in Afghanistan

The Associated Press reports that a C-130 crashed in eastern Afghanistan overnight. It looks like all 11 onboard, including 6 Air Force crew members, have died in the crash;

The six U.S. service members who died comprised the plane’s crew. The passengers were civilian contractors working with NATO’s Resolute Support mission and were the only passengers on board, he said.

The airmen were assigned to the 774th Expeditionary Air Lift Squadron, part of the 455th, Wickman said.

The New York Times says that there were 14 aboard. NBC News says 13.

The Taliban claim that they shot the aircraft down, but that’s not very likely and “a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity” denies that that there were any reports of hostile gunfire.

October 2, 2015
68th birthday of the US Air Force

Today marks the 68th anniversary of the military’s most junior service. It was September 18th, 1947 that the US Army Air Corps became the United States Air Force – the service of my only son, who by the way was just promoted to E-6 and took the oath once again to complete his twenty years towards retirement.

[My mistake, this happened yesterday] This afternoon, at about 1400, there is also a ceremony in the Pentagon which will be broadcast live at this link to honor the three heroes of the Thalys train attack last month. Spencer Stone, the airman involved will be awarded an Airman Medal, a Purple Heart and he’s getting promoted two grades to Staff Sergeant (E-5).

September 18, 2015
Little Rock AFB Airmen earn Air Force Commendation Medals

You may remember back in June when Larry McElroy approached the gates of Little Rock Air Force Base at a high rate of speed and then crashed into a lamp pole. As Staff Sergeant Zachary Freese and Airman 1st Class Codee Smith approached the vehicle, McElroy leaped out brandishing a rifle. When he pointed the weapon at Freese amd Smith, they put him down. Well, yesterday they were awarded Air Force Commendation Medals for their actions that day according to the Arkansas News;

McElroy aimed the rifle at one of the guards, and the guards then shot McElroy, who died a day later.

According to the release, Col. Charles Brown Jr., 19th Airlift Wing and installation commander, told the airmen Monday, “When the wolf came knocking at the door … you ran to the sound of gunfire. It’s impressive that when civilians took cover, you ran toward danger. … Your actions quite literally saved lives.”

Freese said, “One thing that stays with me is how the events went from a vehicle accident to a man with a weapon. It happened so quickly, but we were ready.”

Freese attributed that readiness to extensive training.

“Muscle memory played a large part in how we responded that day,” he said.

McElroy was a little bit nutty – he thought someone at the Air Force Base was listening to his brainwaves or something. His wife and him both hallucinated that they were being held hostage by 25 armed men at some point and his father told authorities that his son had been using drugs fairly regularly. Well, that problem is solved.

September 17, 2015