When I was in Germany, 1967=69, AF TV ran re-runs of TV shows that were popular back in those days. Back then, one had to be either a high-ranking NCO (E-6 or higher) to even have your own room in our "Dormitories" (a/k/a Barraccks). since I was only an E-4, I remained in our "One Size Fits ALL" (Literally!). Moreover, my AFSC (MOS for you lucky grunts!!) was J42350. Translation: F/RF 4-C fighter/bomber/Reconaissne Aviation Electrical Systems Repairman) Since the 26 Tactical Recon Wing flew the RF-4C, we were responsible for maintaining every system up to the bus distributing elements + a few systems that no other AFSC wanted (Like about 75% of the entire aircraft!!). Ramstein AB was originally a Luftwaffe base in WW2. You could easily see where its runway(s) merged onto the autobann (Although the USAFE had blocked them off.) ANYWAY, I did enjoy watching some of the TV shows that the Armed Forces Network aired (NOTE: German TV sets were completely different from the US TV system. Its line system for the pictures were different + The German electrical systems were 50 volts, 200 cps. A TV set (or ANY electrical powered item would literally fry if you plugged in your US-made appliance without a step-down transformer!!
But, back to the TV shows, the AFN TV network never ran any "Hogan's Heroes" shows back then!! A decade or two later I was deployed 3 times to Germany as an Avionics Guidance & Control Systems Technician for the TN ANG. My 3d deployment was actually at the very same Ramstein AB flight line. This time, however, we were maintaining C-130H Cargo transport aircraft for Operation Provide Promise whose mission was to re-supply Bosnia with just about every imaginable cargo. (It was, shall we say, "Interesting" to inhale pallets of goat's milk that'd been waiting several hours for takeoff clearance. I didn't know this at that time, but RAB was the US air base that had command & control of Harrison Ford's "Air Force One" movie. OTOH our TN ANG C-130H actually was hit 3-4 times on its return from the Sarajavo Airport. It missed having its yaw lines tensioning system (Which controls the L-R flight pattern) severed by just a fraction of an inch. Since I wasn't assigned to any flight crew operations, I did find out about this until latter. Aircraft 1181 was given a Purple Heart for being injured while in flight. I didn't know that an aircraft could be awarded a Purple Heart, but 1181 (This is the tail number for the 118th Airlift wing's first-delivered aircraft from the Lockheed-Martin Co whose plant is adjacent to Atlanta's International airport.) Originally the 118th AW was given 10 C-130H aircraft, then we lost 4 of them to the Arkansas ANG wing when Billy the Kid ("I loathe the military!!") was C-in-C; then we lost 10 more to the Illinois ANG wings when Obama was POTUS, then we were left with just a couple of them when I retired in Jan 2005. Now my TN ANG unit has done at all. NOW it's merely the 118th Wing. NOW we train personnel to operate unmanned but heavily armed Drones. They can't tell us anything about these drone's payload, but if you happen to drive on Donelson or Murfreesboro Pikes in Nashville, I'd suggest that you don't exceed the speed limit. TN State Troopers might just have their way to let y'all know that they've caught you!! But, not to worry....They'll have a blast retriving your remains!!!
:Biggrin:Biggrin:Biggrin:eek::eek::eek::Whistling:Whistling:Whistling:Sneaky:Sneaky:Sneaky:Sleep:Sleep:Sleep:Sleep:Sleep
Click to expand...