Hey Ira, Here's a Bud!

[Woody]

Spangdalem AB in Germany, Wow I was stationed there when they had F-4 Phantom II E models Ah yes the memories of bombs falling and exploding Kinda brings a tear to my eye

When were you there Woody? I was there 84-87, F-4E and F-4G. They are now flying F-16 and A-10.

I was there 81-83 at the Flying 52nd when they had D's 23rd TFS (which were being replaced by E's) and E's 480th TFS plus Wild Weasel G's 81st TFS. I was the flightline line expediator and crew chief for the 480th AGS assigned to the 480th TFS

[Woody]

I was not far from there at Zweibrucken AB from '81-'83. We had the RF-4C's, no bombs falling but we did have the occasional plane drop out of the sky! Lottsa fun over there. Good beer

They did live Mk 82 among others drops when TDY in Turkey. It was pretty darn cool to watch from a great safe distance. Watching the action at Zaragosa AB Spain bombing range paled in comparrison. We had several planes drop from the sky also I still miss the beer and brats and the good times I had over there.

[Laredo]

Madjack I can't believe they shut down England! Such a beautiful airbase -- but then, I only knew six to measure it by: Kelly, Brooks, Lackland, Reese, Fort Sam Houston and Fort Polk.


When I was in the service Engand was home to the last CONUS-based TACAF A-7D Corsair II squadron in the inventory. Gorgeous aircraft, supported by Hercules tactical support and a couple of C-130 gunships armed with Puff the Magic Dragon. Saw nightfire demonstrations for that aircraft once ... daaaaaaaayum.

When I was at Barksdale 2nd Bomb Wing / 8thAF ran the place under SAC. We hosted the RAF and RAAF for Bomb Comp my freshman year, and the Brits and Ozzies rode pedal-bikes to work in the morning in formation. The Brits flew Vulcans all the way to Nellis and shacked bombs on every practice range in between; the Ozzies flew Canberras (that's a wicked looking airplane, like a big steel dragonfly) and were no slouch of a group of pilots and bombardiers. 8th AF flew KC-135 Tankers and BUFF-D models off runways that were measurably sinking that summer -- but it was the Brits in their big melted-jellybean delta-wing airplanes who won the competition.

I still remember the ground shaking one September evening when they lifted every bird on the tarmac (except the alert force) -- there were 12 Stratotankers and 22 B-52Ds leaving at 2-minute intervals for that exercise, and the base felt like an earthquake.

Our ANG outfit was a RED HORSE heavy construction squadron, and the AFRES boys flew A-37 Dragonflies over the swamps low enough to suck cattails up thru the intakes on a regular basis. I know this 'cause one of our suitemates was OMG crew chief for the transient hanger and had to help clean up the cripples Monday mornings. You could hunt alligator, garfish and deer on the East Reservation.

I walked around airplanes for 2SPS/LE, and taught range safety and marksmanship for Capt. Stan Weir's 2nd CSG squadron. Used to be young, tough, and braver than I was bright...

Long damn time ago. Buffs were older than the pilots in 'em then.
I heard aircraft commanders briefing pilots (hey, you can't guard an airplane if you're not on the ramp) time and time again: "If you ever get in one of these aircraft and all the indicators work, the indicators are broken ..." parts were a constant source of friction -- or rather, the backlog on ordered parts was.

Oh, I nearly forgot -- we had tall-tail Buffs on the ramp with their bellies painted black and the tip tanks dragging the taxiways that summer; they blew a B-52G model half in two at the northwest corner of the airfield for the SALT II treaty observers a month before I shipped in PCS, and the parts were still there when I processed out.

[madjack]

Well Barksdale is still goin' strong with the BUFF's but England was on the hit list and when the A-10 went to Saudi for GW1 they never came back and the base was turned over to the city...it is now know as Alexandria International Airport and Industrial Park (that's right, international)....the brand new terminal building is due to open next month and they have done a pretty amazing job of transforming the base into civilian usage...it is now held up as a model of what can be done to areas that are faced with base closures...there is still a fair military presence there that supports Ft. Polk .....
madjack

[stbuch]

We were in Germany from 85-88 , the hubster worked out of Feucht Army Airfield and we lived in Rothenbach near Nurnberg. Our youngest was born there. And our middle child was born at Ft.Polk!

Sherrie

[Chip]

I spent four good years protecting our country from Mt Home AFB in beautiful Idaho,,,, It took a good year to get use to the pace in Idaho,, most of the locals were already on teardrop time in the late 60's,, I was attached to the 417th tac fighter wing,,, we had F4's and were training jocks for a trip over to Nam,, soon after; because of the remote location we got the F-111's when they first came into service,, since southern Idaho is not much but desert we couldnt mess up much when they dropped out of the sky,, saddley we lost several,,, also had a SAC detachment wayyyyy down at the end of the runway,,, it was sort of no mans land down thar,, it was cold war time and they were loaded hot,,, but when they did take-off that was a sight,,,

Oh well thats my story and I am sticking to it,,, sure would like to go back to Idaho and visit again,,,

chipper