A TY To all that serve and help protect this home of ours....
I was unable to serve to to only one working ear... But my
pops was in the Navy for 26 years, serving on the Forestal,
then Retired, Only to work as a government employee at
Lakehurst Navel Engineering Center builing catapult systems
till he retired 4 years ago... My Son also served in the Navy
for 5 years, was deployed in Afgan originally, then to Iraq...
Navy! I spent my time on the flight deck of the USS America directing aircraft from 1993 to 1995
Haiti 1994 joint task force
Now thats what a flat top should look like (Davinci would be proud)! I had a bunch of buddies down there for that mission. I spent some time on carriers and was always amazed by the tug drivers and how they whipped our & other birds around the flight deck with speed and accuracy. Kind of funny a bunch of us got in trouble for spitting sunflower seed shells all over the deck and then when they moved our helo's it would look like an outline @ a murder investigation. We didn't realize that the Navy mainatiners were picking them all up every morning before we got up. We just figured they would blow off the deck! K
A TY To all that serve and help protect this home of ours....
I was unable to serve to to only one working ear... But my
pops was in the Navy for 26 years, serving on the Forestal,
then Retired, Only to work as a government employee at
Lakehurst Navel Engineering Center builing catapult systems
till he retired 4 years ago... My Son also served in the Navy
for 5 years, was deployed in Afgan originally, then to Iraq...
Bandi, I cannot pretend to know your pain but, have some understanding of it. I have looked at you thread (wonderful how the FJ community can aid in your pain & do show their appreciation to you and yours) and relate in some way to it. I wonder where I would be with one of my best friends now later in life!
I never had the chance to drag him out of the Air Force into business as he died in Afghanistan on March 23, 2003 Jason Hicks Memorial . This is one of the many reasons that I decided to post this topic on the site. I want everyone that visits here to realize that fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, cousins, or simply friends sacrifice so we have the freedom to do crazy little hobbies like this one.
I actually wear Jason on my wrist now and will everday til I see him again (I had several silver POW/MIA bracelets made a couple years ago during a business trip to Abu Dhabi for my boys, his mother & widow since they are not readily available like Vietnam ones are). This pic (Kevin, me, & Jay fourwheelin in a rental expedition near Nellis AFB in 98) sits under glass on my desk in my office so others will know our creedo "That Others May Live".
4 Years, never at a base with an active Flightline...kinda like being in the Navy and never stepping foot on a Boat or Ship...
What AF base were you at that had no strip? I did some time in Brindisi Air Station, Italy (elephant cage near the IAF base we flew out of) in the early 90's supporting the Balkans conflict but, did not know of too many non flying AF installations. Curious. K
2 years at RAF Chicksands, in the UK, we had the Elephant Cage there, cooked for the "Translators", then on to Whiteman AFB in Missouri for the Missile Silo's They activated the Flightline about 6 months after I left and stationed the Stealth Bomber there, I went back a year later (driving my 1980 Firebird across the country to go to Culinary School in New York) and the base was completely different...talk about SeCuRiTy!
2 years at RAF Chicksands, in the UK, we had the Elephant Cage there, cooked for the "Translators", then on to Whiteman AFB in Missouri for the Missile Silo's They activated the Flightline about 6 months after I left and stationed the Stealth Bomber there, I went back a year later (driving my 1980 Firebird across the country to go to Culinary School in New York) and the base was completely different...talk about SeCuRiTy!
I know it well! My younger son was born at Lakenheath (we were stationed @ Alconbury from 91-95), tons of buds still @ Mildenhall. I love the English countryside, can't wait to get back there rent a Lotus and tour all of Great Britain again (did it once already in my Volvo 340, not the same). Consider yourself lucky my time at cage bases were awesome (did one near Rota Spain as well), totally different from the real AF bases I spent time at towards the end of my career doing CSAR(AFSOC for 1st 6 years). Never would want to go to any SAC base or TAC (ACC now) again, they play by the rules too much for my demeanor! That stealth is cool looking though. Off We Go Into the ..... (AF FLASHBACK< AF FLASHBACK). Take Care! K
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