Download - Truckin' On Sep 2014
Disclaimer: Truckin’ On is an unofficial newsletter published every month in the interest of serving Air Force active duty, civilian and retired vehicle operations and
maintenance personnel. Articles submitted by its contributors are not to be considered official statements by the U.S. Air Force.
1 Sep 2014
Special Points of Interest:
Face of Defense PG 1-2
31 Days in PACAF PG 3
Inside this issue:
A Real Woody PG 2
AFGSC—Promoting Driver Safety
PG 4
Marines Prepare for Future War
PG 5-6
The CNN 10 PG 6
Reflecting on Change PG 7
WWI—100 Years Ago PG 8
Former Military Vehicles Find a Home
PG 9
A Superfortress Named Doc PG 10
Misc News From Around the Web
PG 11
Snuffy’s Corner PG 12
Dedicated to the Men and Women of
AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance — Past, Present, and Future
Truckin’ on
Truckin’ On Marks 2nd Anniversary!
September’s issue is our 24th consecutive monthly newsletter. We never expected it to survive this long, let alone gain well over 600 members. THANK YOU all for your support as we begin our 3rd year.
by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy
Bowcock
386th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 7, 2014 –
What little boy doesn't like ripping apart
his toys and making a mess of things?
But the older most men get, the more
expensive and fancier the toys become.
Air Force Senior Airman Christopher
Moore, a vehicle mechanic with the
386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness
Squadron, is no exception. When it
comes to tinkering and fixing things, he
has a passion and curiosity for it all.
Now, his toys are much bigger than they
were when he was a boy, and they
belong to the Air Force.
"Working on cars brings a sense of pride
when you see what you've fixed," Moore
said. "I recently replaced the engine in a
truck. It took three days to take apart the
entire vehicle, but it felt good to hear the
engine fire up and to watch it drive
away."
He said he likes to challenge himself and
feels confident in his skills to try new
projects and learn from them.
Moore grew up in Lebanon, Missouri,
with his father after his parents divorced.
He was 13, when he started working as
a floor sweeper at a salvage yard.
Throughout his teenage years, he spent
his time working at his father's vehicle
restoration shop, where he developed
his skill for working on cars. In college,
he worked as a mechanic at a major
automotive business and continued to
refine his maintenance skills.
"I went to college for two years, taking
classes such as marine biology, science
and other subjects, but I was really
drawn to auto mechanics," said Moore,
who is deployed from Ramstein Air
Base, Germany.
Moore said he decided to join the Air
Force to continue his education, to trav-
el, and to see the world while serving his
country. "My grandfather, Peewee,
served as a mail clerk in the Air Force
and spent time in Germany," he said. “I
felt it was a good way to give back.”
Moore said he lucked out when he was
guaranteed a position in the Air Force as
a vehicle mechanic.
"Growing up, I used to think the Air
Force was cool," he said. "As a kid, you
always aspire to be a pilot. But, when I
got older, I had a new desire -- I wanted
to work on cars. Since joining the Air
Force, I've learned so much more about
how vehicles run. Now, I get to work on
large trucks and construction equipment
that civil engineers operate."
Continued on PG 2
Face of Defense: Vehicle Mechanic Brings Passion to His Service
Senior Airman Christopher Moore has been a mechanic for the Air Force for three years and is deployed to Southwest Asia from the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bowcock
Being in vehicle maintenance takes a lot of patience and anger
management, Moore said. "Little things on the job that look or
seem simple can test a mechanic's patience," he added. "What
should be a quick fix can turn into an eight-hour project where
everything that could go wrong has gone wrong."
Moore said he thoroughly enjoys his personal and professional
life in Germany, and that he has found a great mentor in Air
Force Master Sgt. Paul Bohn.
"When I first got to Germany, he was my shop foreman and
made a lasting impression on my career," Moore said. "I only
worked with him for a few months when I was a new airman. I
made my share of mistakes, but he stood behind me through it
all and he had faith in me."
Moore was promoted to senior airman below the zone -- earlier
than his peers -- and he cited Bohn’s mentorship as a key factor
in that achievement.
(Continued)
Beautiful custom built 2009 wooden car
submitted by Reade Holzbaur, WS-12 (Ret/2T3)
The hours of patience it must have taken for all the intricate stuff
inside the doors, dash, etc. The owner is said to have just
turned down an eBay offer of $10,000. I don’t blame him. It’s got
to be one of a kind and, therefore, worth a lot more than
$10,000.
This custom wooden car rides on a 1986 Toyota truck frame
and gets power from a Chrysler 318 engine. It is driven by an
automatic transmission and has merely 1,800 miles on its
speedometer. The whole body is made of cedar and its interior
is just as over-the-top as the exterior.
It is so beautiful that I would be reluctant to take it out on all but
the most sunny of days.
Everyone needs a hobby. I guess the owner won’t have to worry
about moths eating the upholstery.
Editor’s Note: For more pics of this amazing car logon to
http://yougottobekidding.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/
beautiful-custom-built-2009-wooden-car/
1 Sep 2014
2
Newsletter
Date
Volume
1,
Issue 1
31 Days in PACAF: Spotlight
on Eielson AFB
Editor’s Comments: ‘31 Days in PACAF’ is an official PACAF
Public Affairs campaign conducted by a team of broadcasters
and photojournalists who traveled throughout the region during
the month of August with the goal of informing the public on
everyday life in the Pacific Air Forces. See the official
promotional video and blog below:
Blog: http://pacaf.dodlive.mil/tag/31-days-in-pacaf/
Our intent here is to focus on a small part of the campaign that
features vehicle operators and maintainers in action through a
series of photos taken by the public affairs team. This article
spotlights Eielson AFB, AK.
1 Sep 2014
8/5/2014 - Senior Airman Anthony Tavares, 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintainer, checks paperwork before inspecting and maintaining a flightline snow broom at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Aug 4, 2014. The 354th LRS is responsible for managing and maintaining the government vehicle fleet which incorporates an immense and diverse snow fleet in addition to all the cargo, passenger and household goods movements for Eielson AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephany Richards/ Released)
8/5/2014 - Senior Airman Anthony Tavares, 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintainer, changes the oil on a flightline snow broom at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Aug 4, 2014. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephany Richards/ Released)
8/5/2014 - Senior Airman Anthony Tavares, 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintainer, repairs a leaky hydraulic hose and cylinder on a flightline snow broom at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Aug 4, 2014. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephany Richards/ Released)
3
AFGSC — Promoting Driver Safety
Skid trainers enhance driver safety
by Airman 1st Class Joseph Raatz
Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs
7/25/2014 - Barksdale Air Force Base, La. -- Three
highly-specialized vehicle safety training systems are now
operational at Air Force Global Strike Command.
Known as skid trainers, these systems are designed to teach
drivers how to handle a wide variety of vehicles. One of the most
recognizable vehicles operated by Airmen today is the High
Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or HMMWV, commonly
referred to as a Humvee.
"The trainers provide initial familiarization on the HMMWV and
then progress into advanced driving techniques with the new
armored platform," said Master Sgt. William Bequette, AFGSC
Security Forces equipment and resource manager. "It is a
multi-faceted, phased approach that is applicable to all security
forces in the missile wings."
Driving in the missile field presents unique challenges for
Airmen. Personnel in these locations are expected to travel long
distances over unimproved country roads and often contend
with inclement weather.
"The training will provide a realistic, advanced practical
experience," said Lt. Col. Derrick Ossmann, AFGSC chief of
operations and training for Security Forces. "It instills confidence
in the Airmen's ability to operate multiple vehicle types safely in
different environments."
The new skid trainers are an integral part of AFGSC's revamped
driver safety program, which aims to prevent vehicle accidents
and rollovers that pose a significant risk to Airmen.
"This is not just a one-time training event for our licensed
HMMWV drivers, but rather a recurring training program that
includes additional specialized training geared toward our
younger drivers," Bequette said.
More than 50 vehicle operators have received the training so
far, and more are lined up.
"So far the feedback from our personnel is that the training has
been well received," Bequette said. "It's meeting all the needs of
our personnel operating vehicles in the missile complex."
Security Forces Airmen pose with a skid trainer at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, June 27. Three skid trainers were recently delivered to Air Force Global Strike Command to complement AFGSC's new driver safety program, familiarizing Airmen with the handling characteristics of the HMMWV in a wide variety of driving conditions.
1 Sep 2014
4
1 Sep 2014
Marines Prepare for Future War with Robot Horses and Swimming Trucks
Robots bring lunch to the battlefields of tomorrow
by Kelsey D. Atherton
Popular Science
Posted 07.16.2014
Legged Support System Robot in Hawaii U.S. Marine Corps photo by
Cpl. Matthew Callahan
Last week in Hawaii, a squad of U.S. Marines brought a robot
deep into the jungle. The Legged Support System (LS3) robot
walks on four legs, carries 400 pounds, and shambles its way
over rough terrain, like a mechanical mule in a future war.
It’s all part of the Advanced Warfighting Experiment, and if the
Marine Corps thinks the tests went well, future invasions may
come with robotic horses doing some heavy lifting.
The whole experiment is a subset of a larger
multinational military exercise. Dubbed RIMPAC (for Rim of the
Pacific, not to be confused with the Guillermo del Toro
robots-versus-monsters movie), the exercise is held by the U.S.
Navy and includes participants from 22 nations, with 55 ships,
200 aircraft, and 25,000 people. It also includes
three LS3 robots.
Marines typically carry between 100 and 135 pounds of gear,
which includes not just weapons and ammunition but also water
and food.
While it's important for troops to carry food with them when
operating far from base, they don't need to have their lunch
physically on their person at all times. That's where the Legged
Support System comes in.
Major Christopher Orlowski, program manager of the LS3
program for DARPA, told Popular Science that the program's
greatest success is "meeting the requirements, demonstrating
an unmanned legged system than can carry upwards of 350,
400 pounds of gear, and demonstrating it effectively. In this
case, DARPA set out a goal and it was able to meet that goal."
DARPA just creates the technology, and leaves it up for the rest
of the military to determine how best it's used.
Lieutenant Colonel Don Gordon of the U.S. Marine Corps spoke
to Popular Science about the how the Marines are using LS3 in
their Warfighting Experiment. The LS3 carries food, water, and
ammunition supplies for a squad of seven to nine marines,
according to Gordon,
What’s unique about the LS3 is normally you take additional
supplies and put it on a vehicle and distribute it around to
companies. The LS3 can maneuver with companies down to the
squad level over terrain that you couldn’t necessarily get a
wheeled or tracked vehicle through just due to the density of
trees and the kind of terrain. ... so it can go out around on patrol
and carry supplies to those marines as they maneuver about the
battle space.
That's the theory, at least. Having the Legged Support System
at these exercises is, according to Gordon, "really the first
opportunity for the Marine Corps to put it into an exercise and
provide it to a force that’s actually exercising the same way they
would in actual operations.” There was one immediate
challenge. While the Marines landed in an MV-22 Osprey, there
wasn't enough room for both the Marines and their robotic mule.
Instead, after arriving, the Marines met up with another group
that handed off the robot.
Here's what it looks like in action: Click on the link.
Continued on PG 6
5
1 Sep 2014
Marines Prepare for Future War with Robot Horses and Swimming Trucks
Robots bring lunch to the battlefields of tomorrow
To get gear like the LS3 from ships onto the beaches, marines
are testing other new technologies. When I spoke to Gordon, he
was watching a swimming cargo mover land on the Hawaiian
beach. Marines, as a rule, think about beaches differently than
most folk, and the cargo mover Gordon described was no idle
beach comber.
Named the Ultra Heavy-lift Amphibious Connector, or UHAC,
the vehicle looks like the treads of a giant future tank stuck on
the body of a small modern tractor. Gordon explained the
vehicle:
Here's what the UHAC looks like in water:
One of the Marine Corps concepts as we face a future
environment, embedded in a document called Expeditionary
Force 21, is looking at ways to move supplies from ship to
shore. UHAC is one of the technologies we're looking at to
embark in the well deck aboard a ship, load it up with
equipment, and carry that equipment from the ship to the beach.
What's really neat about the UHAC is I’m watching it crawl
across terrain right now that would normally be impossible for
some of our current ship-to-shore connectors to cross.
And here it is triumphantly on land:
UHAC Swims To Hawaii U.S. Marine Corps
Marine UHAC Storms A Beach Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector swam from the USS Rushmore to land on a Hawaiian beach as part of military exercises there. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Matthew J. Bragg
(Continued)
The CNN 10: Future of driving
Editor’s Comments: This article is too in-depth for the amount
of space available in this newsletter; however, I didn’t want to
leave it out altogether.
In this article CNN takes a look at 10 innovations in automotive
technology, probably the most notable of which is self-driving
cars. Google is actually leading the way with this initiative.
So, I highly recommend you visit this website and explore the
menu. In addition to the introduction, CNN covers: Cars That
Learn, Connected Cars, Driver Health, External Airbags,
Fuel-Cell Cars, Infotainment, Laser Headlights, Self-Driving
Cars, Self-Parking Cars, and Solar Magnifying.
There’s a subject matter to interest most auto enthusiasts and
“techies.” There’s also an excellent introductory video.
The website is http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/02/tech/
cnn10-future-of-driving/.
6
1 Sep 2014
Things ‘ain’t’ the way they used to be….
by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
The previous article (PG 6) about the future of driving caused
me to stop and think about where I’ve come, personally, over
the last 40 years with regard to my car and how technology has
changed my life.
I bought my first new car in 1974 while stationed at McConnell
AFB, Kansas. It was a Volkswagen Beetle with an automatic
stick shift (electric clutch). I’m a fan of the VW Beetle,
especially the older models, but the automatic stick shift was a
bad choice. Anyway, that’s another story.
I paid $3,400 for the car. The trim was standard; it had a radio,
heater, but no air conditioner. According to the Consumer Price
Index (CPI), $3,400 in 1974 is equivalent to $16,437 in 2014.
Just out of curiosity, I priced a VW Beetle on today’s market and
the MSRP for a basic model is $20,295. Even after factoring for
inflation, that’s a 23% mark-up from 1974. Why?
I suppose there’s no single answer, but I assume it’s because of
labor cost and technology. The basic 2014 model comes with
Bluetooth, a sound system with MP3/CD player, AM/FM radio,
alloy wheels, Media Device Interface (MDI) with iPod cable, etc.
That stuff is not free, and the price goes up with each additional
option.
In June this year (40 years later) I purchased a new Toyota
Highlander XLE with most of the bells and whistles—the
Highlander Limited has additional features. I’ve been spoiled by
Bluetooth, navigation system, electronic windows and mirrors,
leather seats, dual AC controls, and more. They’re nice.
So what did we do before all these things were available? Well,
we were not concerned with being “connected” all the time. You
don’t miss what doesn’t exist. Some people did have car
phones installed, but not the average person.
If we had to make a phone call while on the road, we stopped at
a phone booth and deposited a dime. Of course, you had to
check to see if the phonebook was in the booth because people
would take them, or they would tear out a page—usually the
page you needed.
If someone needed to contact us while we were on the road,
they were generally out of luck until we got home, which wasn’t
always a bad thing.
If we needed directions, we either read a map, stopped at the
gas station and asked, or flagged down a local resident. Other
than having cars, it wasn’t too far advanced over the pioneers
who traveled west.
Many of the more expensive cars in those days came equipped
with air conditioning, but not my VW. We just rolled down the
windows and breathed in the fresh air, along with the bugs and
exhaust fumes. Somehow we got by without it.
Adjusting side mirrors was always my pet peeve, especially the
right mirror. It seemed like once they were adjusted perfectly,
someone would come along and bump them.
Then the drill would start all over—sit behind the wheel and
adjust the left mirror (easy). Then you’d gage how much and
which direction you needed to move the right mirror, go to the
other side, manually adjust it, and hope you got it right.
Today it seems like we’ve got to be entertained 24/7 with Sirius/
XM radio, Pandora, iHeartRadio, etc. We can tune in the world!
Kids watch movies on a dropdown DVD player or carry their
own iPad. When I was a kid, our mobile entertainment
consisted of holding pinwheels out the car window.
So, where am I going with all this nostalgia? I like looking at old
cars and reminiscing about bygone days as much as anyone.
Classic cars are beautiful when restored. But, I have no desire
to own one. Well, maybe a Willys jeep.
Yes, today’s cars cost more, but they’re better built, a lot safer,
more environmentally friendly, and the creature comforts are
unsurpassed. It would be nice if we could somehow lower the
price of fuel so that we could enjoy them more.
No, in terms of cars, things “ain’t” the way they used to be; in
my opinion, they’re better, and I think they’ll continue to
improve.
The one thing that I’m not sure I could adapt to, however, is the
self-driving car. They’re supposedly safer, or at least that’s the
idea behind it, but for me it would take all the pleasure out of
driving, and perhaps even owning a car.
7
World War I -100 Years ago
1 Sep 2014
American Military Vehicles of World War I
submitted by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
Yes, it’s true that the United States didn’t enter World War I until
April 1917, but the start of hostilities in Europe was July 28,
1914, one month after a Yugoslav nationalist assassinated
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria.
However, this article is not a history lesson about World War I.
It’s simply a brief article to commemorate the 100th anniversary
of the “war to end all wars.”
I wanted to somehow tie this article to our newsletter’s main
theme—vehicles, although I thought it might prove difficult since
automobiles were relatively new in WWI. Horses were still
widely used in the Army then and would be for many years to
come.
Surprisingly, I found an entire e-book on the Internet called,
‘American Military Vehicles of World War I.’ It has over 300
pages and is far too long to print here in its entirety, so I thought
I would share the website with you along with a sample of its
amazing collection of photos. You can save it to your hard-drive
and look through it at your leisure. It’s like getting a free book,
and it’s all about early military vehicles!
Website:
http://www.offroadvehicle.ru/AZBUCAR/FWD/[Albert_Mroz]
_American_Military_Vehicles_of_World_(Bookos.org).pdf
After Henry Ford teamed up with Josiah Dallas Dort, the two parted ways and Dort started his own company. Here, soldiers assemble a Dort vehicle circa 1917 as part of their training to become Army mechanics. (PG 142)
As men went off to war, factories needed women to take over as assemblers and mechanics, changing the social fabric in many countries. (PG 143)
8
DOD resumes transferring military vehicles to first responders by Jeff Schogol — Jul 18, 2014 |
Air Force Times—staff writer
The Defense Department has resumed transferring excess
military vehicles to civilian emergency personnel after reaching
an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, said
Jeffrey Curtis, executive director, logistics operations support for
the Defense Logistics Agency.
The 2.5- and 5-ton trucks, Humvees and Mine Resistant
Ambush Protected Vehicles run on diesel engines that do not
meet EPA requirements, but the Defense Department has a
national security exemption allowing it to use the vehicles,
Curtis said.
The DLA temporarily halted transfer of the vehicles to first
responders on June 19 after becoming aware that the
exemption did not carry over once the vehicles were given to
first responders.
This prompted a group of 25 lawmakers led by Sen. John
McCain, R-Ariz., to write a July 10 letter to Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel saying that the equipment was badly needed by
firefighters and other emergency personnel.
“While we understand that DoD and EPA may be close to
resolving this issue, we respectfully request that you provide us
with your specific course of action for rescinding the restrictions
placed on both the FEPP and FPP programs and clarify any
vehicle title concerns raised by state foresters and law
enforcement agencies,” the letter says.
Curtis said the EPA has allowed the flow of vehicles to
emergency personnel to resume because the Defense Logistics
Agency agreed to keep the titles indefinitely.
Thus, the vehicles retain their exemption from EPA standards
after they are given away.
The agreement should not delay when the vehicles can be
provided to emergency personnel, nor should it limit what types
of vehicles can be transferred, Curtis said.
The sheriff's office in Johnson County, Ind., used a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle to replace its 22-year-old armored 'Peacekeeper' vehicle (left). (Kelly Wilkinson/Indianapolis Star)
Tesla, Panasonic to build ‘Gigafactory’
submitted by Greg Morris, CMSgt (Ret/2T3)
Panasonic and Tesla Motors have signed an agreement to build
a large-scale manufacturing plant in the U.S., which will be
known as the “Gigafactory,” to produce Tesla's next-generation
battery. Tesla will prepare, provide and manage the land,
buildings and utilities, while Panasonic will manufacture and
supply cylindrical lithium-ion cells and invest in the associated
equipment, machinery and other manufacturing tools based on
their mutual approval, Tesla has announced.
The location of the new $5 billion Gigafactory is still being
determined. Tesla is asking states for bids on the site that
claims to hire an estimated 6,5000 workers by 2020. However,
Tesla did acknowledge it has broken ground on a potential site
for the new factory near Reno, Nevada. Other top contenders
for the battery factory are California, Texas, New Mexico and
Arizona.
A network of supplier partners is planned to produce the
required precursor materials. Tesla will take the cells and other
components to assemble battery modules and packs. Tesla will
still purchase the battery cells in Panasonic’s factories in Japan.
The Gigafactory will be producing batteries for Tesla’s Model 3,
the company’s lower-priced electric vehicle. Tesla plans to
unveil the Model 3 in 2016 and put it on sale by 2017. The
vehicle is expected to retail for $35,000, Auto Express has
reported. The Model 3 had initially been named the Model E.
Photo via Tesla.
9
1 Sep 2014
A Superfortress Named ‘Doc’
Historic World War II-era plane set to fly again by Faith Mangan, Alicia Acuna Published July 17, 2014
FoxNews.com
WICHITA, Kan. – Decades after pieces of World War II-era
history were left to deteriorate in the desert, one aircraft artifact
is close to flying again.
It has been a 14-year project in the Air Capital of the World to
restore a B-29 Superfortress named "Doc." It is a full-circle
journey, since the historic warplane was originally manufactured
in Wichita in 1944. Doc's squadron was named for Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs.
After service in the Korean War, this B-29 and others were used
for target practice in the Mojave Desert.
"They towed about a hundred of them out there with Doc and
they blew all of them up -- but Doc.," TJ Norman, project
manager for the restoration, said. "The story is they dropped
missiles or bombs six different times and missed it all six times,"
It took years of negotiations with the U.S. Navy to get it
released. The non-profit organization Doc's Friends now owns
it. The organization's volunteers have logged roughly 250,000
hours of painstaking work to give it new life with wires, cables,
hydraulics, tubing and skins. They run on donations.
"There are no more to be restored."
- TJ Norman
When Doc takes to the skies this October or November, it will be
one of only two flight-ready B-29s in the world.
"There are no more to be restored," Norman said. "We've looked
all over the world. There's just no more. The desert is empty,
boneyards are empty, there's no more to be had."
This also means a lack of sources for tools and parts. The team
has had to fashion new ones, while staying true to the original
design.
Boeing, which manufactured the B-29s, did not even have the
plans anymore. They had to work from drawings preserved by
the Smithsonian.
"Reading the blueprints is like a second language," tooling
technician Dan Wimberly said. "You have to be able to know
what symbols mean and be able to do precision measuring,
because everything has to fit."
Many of the people working on it are in their 70s or older. With
an older group, there are safety limitations.
"I finally had to set a rule last year that if you're older than the
airplane, you couldn't be up on top of the wings," Norman said.
Some have an aviation background, like Herbert Berger, who put
in more than 40 years with Boeing. His work partner for the day,
Bob Gerrell, says he's with the post office, but has an interest in
the past.
"I restore old cars and tractors," Gerrell said. "This is my first
airplane, quite an airplane to be restoring."
Many share a personal connection to the original warplane
assembly effort.
"Most everybody in this hangar had relatives that worked during
the war on B-29s... that's just the way it was. Everybody worked
on airplanes," Norman said.
He says it matters because it is a national treasure and "you
know, this airplane helped us win the war."
Once Doc takes off again, they will turn their attention to building
a permanent home for the war hero. For the time being, it's
housed in donated hangar space.
Click on the image above to activate video or go to: http://
video.foxnews.com/v/3680239915001/historic-b-29-bomber-
to-hit-the-skies-again/#sp=show-clips
Additional info on this restoration project can be found at the following website: http://www.b-29doc.com/ ...and Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/DocsFriends
10
MISC NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB
The oral history of an amazing 1930 Ford Model A off-road mail truck
by Andrew Collins — Jalopnik
submitted by Al Baird, CMSgt (Ret/472)
See website for full story: http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/the-oral-history-of-an-amazing-1930-ford-model-a-off-ro-1588212852
Amazing product demo — Ultra-Ever Dry
submitted by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
Watch as Mark Shaw demos Ultra-Ever Dry, a liquid-repellent coating that acts as an astonishingly powerful shield against water and water-based materials.
Associated Websites
http://www.ultraeverdrystore.com/
https://www.ted.com/talks/
mark_shaw_one_very_dry_demo
Click on Fox & Friends video in the next column
Acuity flagpole project
submitted by George McElwain, CMSgt (Ret/472)
Standing 400 feet tall, the new Acuity Insurance Flagpole is the
tallest flagpole in North America. Located on the Acuity
Insurance headquarters campus in Sheboygan, Wisconsin,
along Interstate 43 between Milwaukee and Green Bay, the
pole supports a 60-foot-wide by 120-foot-long American
flag. Located at the base of the flagpole is a brick paver patio
featuring the names of Sheboygan County residents killed in
active duty.
Flagpole facts:
400-foot flagpole weighs approximately 420,000 pounds
There are two versions of the 60 by 120-foot flag:
- 220 pound flag is flown during normal conditions
- 350 pound flag is flown during harsher weather
Each star is 3 feet high and each stripe is 4 1/2 feet wide
1 Sep 2014
Click Arrow to Watch Video
11
Yipes stripes!
by Bob Wiley, MSgt/GM-14 (Ret)
Setting the Stage: Pease AFB Portsmouth, New Hampshire;
Strategic Air Command (SAC) installation; SAC alert in progress
(what again); vehicle maintenance shop; night shift.
The Story: Snuffy had had enough of this war gaming
stuff. Every time he turns around, he thinks he’s being recalled
to work for another SAC alert. And too often, he thinks, it hap-
pens shortly after a full day at work on his normal work shift
which is the dayshift. So he’s been recalled and is back to work,
and is now about halfway through his “alert “night shift.
He says he thought “This just ain’t fair”. I’m tired. I wonder if I’d
be missed if I slipped away somewhere and found a spot to rest
a bit where I won’ get caught by any of the supervi-
sors. Hmmmmm. After giving it a bit more thought, he must
have figured it out because he seemingly disappeared, and
couldn’t be found by the boss, who said he’s looked high and
low and can’t find Snuffy anywhere. And the boss ain’t too
pleased with this turn of events either.
Meanwhile, I’m working the SAC alert night shift as well, and I’m
in allied trades doing what I’m supposed to be doing. All of a
sudden I see that Snuffy’s standing beside me, and I glance at
him and ask him where the heck he disappeared to. He replied
he was in the tire shop, which is adjacent to allied trades. I told
him the boss has been looking for him all around the shop and I
was pretty sure he checked in the tire shop.
Snuffy says, “yeah, but he didn’t look into the tires on the tire
racks.” That’s when I got a good look at him, and he looked like
a tiger, what with “stripes” on his fatigues from his ankles to the
back of his neck. He said, “When looking for a good hidey-hole
he figured if he crawled into the tires on the tire rack, he could lie
down and relax for a while. What he didn’t count on was getting
all that black rubber residue all over his uniform, and a lot of his
exposed skin as well.
All of a sudden the boss stomps into allied trades and spies
Snuffy, black rubberized stripes and all, and starts to blow his
top.
Then all of a sudden he shakes his head and guffaws loudly,
and says “see, you ain’t as clever as you think you are — you
hid sure enough, but you couldn’t hide the fact that you hid. Go
get cleaned up—I’ve got a couple of really lousy details for you
to handle.”
Airman Snuffy’s day off….
by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
I suppose there are a number of ways to screw up and as a
young two-striper stationed at Patrick AFB in 1970, I found at
least one way to do it.
I turned 21 in 1970 and on my birthday I got up as usual and
went to work at the special purpose shop It was summer and a
beautiful day.
If you’ve never been to Patrick, it is located on the beach.
Florida State Road A1A separates the base from the ocean.
The transportation squadron barracks in those days was just a
short walk from the water. Cocoa Beach held a lot in store for a
young airman who had just turned twenty one.
As the morning dragged on, I began to think more and more
about getting away for the day and having fun at the beach, or
even having my first legal drink somewhere.
So, I finally worked up the courage to approach my civilian boss
and ask him for the rest of the day off. I told him it was my
birthday. He didn’t believe me and made me produce my ID
card. Once he confirmed it, he asked what I would do if he gave
me the day off. I said I wanted to go to the beach and have a
little fun. He told me to go ahead. Wow, that was easy!
I started to clean up and put my tools away when I began
thinking about the situation—perhaps a little too much. I went
back to my boss and said, “You know, I’m already here and I’m
dirty. I might as well stay. He said, “Suit yourself.”
I returned to work, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking
about that day off, and my boss already said I could go. So, I
went to him again and told him that I had changed my mind and
I was going to leave for the day.
He said, “You know, you’re already here and you’re dirty. You
might as well stay.”
That was a lesson learned that I never forgot. You can apply
whatever idiom you want to it; the fact of the matter is this
Airman Snuffy talked himself out of a day off. Who knows, I
might be the only guy on record to have ever done so.
Editor’s Comments: Got any Airman Snuffy Stories? If so,
send them my way; we would like to share them with the group.
Rule: Make sure Airman Snuffy remains anonymous unless,
of course, he/she happens to be you—then it’s your call.
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1 Sep 2014