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 Jul 2014

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:

ENLISTED PILOTS PG 1

CRITICAL DAYS OF SUMMER PG 1

Inside this issue:

Angel Thunder 2014 PG 2

“Green” Fire Trucks PG 3 - 4

Miscellaneous File PG 4

Lakenheath Veh Ops —Ready to Roll

PG 5 - 6

VEMSO Releases New Program (VCSC)

PG 7

Gov. Fleet — Tour of Long Beach, CA Shop

PG 7

COPARS — Serving Your Hometown Fleet

PG 8 - 9

Army Joins Air Force PG 9 - 10

Page to Screen - Unbroken PG 11

SAC & Auto Racing PG 11

Editorial on Military Service PG 12

Dedicated to the Men and Women of

AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance — Past, Present, and Future

Truckin’ onTruckin’ on

Did You Know?

Enlisted Pilots Authorized—100 Years Ago

Lt. Frank P. Lahm trained the first enlisted pilot, Corporal Vernon Burge,

(a mechanic) at Fort William McKinley, Manila, Philippines in 1912. Lt. Lahm

was reprimanded for his actions.

Two years later, July 18, 1914, Congress authorized the training of enlisted

pilots. See the full story at: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/

factsheet.asp?id=1427

101 Critical Days of Summer

submitted by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

The Air Force officially kicked off its annual 101 Critical Days of

Summer campaign on 23 May 2014. Yes, we’re a little late

getting this out, but we still have a lot of summer ahead. Safety

is important to all of us, so we still want to address this subject.

I want to thank Col (Ret) Jeff Link for the reminder.

Rather than expound on it here, however, I’ll just share the Air

Force Safety Center’s website with you and you can explore at

your leisure: http://www.afsec.af.mil/criticaldaysofsummer/

index.asp. There are several links on this webpage that are

devoted the 101 Critical Days of Summer.

Air Mobility Command's Gen Darren W. McDew and Chief

Victoria V. Gamble address Airmen on Critical Days of Summer

in this YouTube video.

355 LRS Supports Angel Thunder 2014

LRS shines as DM hosts multinational exercise

by SMSgt Rodney VanLeuven, USAF 355 Logistics Readiness Squadron Superintendent, Deployment and Distribution Flight

Davis Monthan Air Force Base had the rare opportunity to host

two of the largest cargo aircraft in the world on May 5th and 6th.

In a total team effort, the Deployment and Distribution Flight

stood ready for the challenge.

The men and women of the Small Air Terminal, Vehicle

Operations and the Deployments, Plans & Integration offices

demonstrated the day-to-day mission and the ability to receive

and deploy forces across the globe supporting these two

massive aircraft.

The Ukrainian built Antonov An-124 was on station in support of

ANGEL THUNDER the world’s largest joint multinational

interagency Combat, Search and Rescue exercise. While

assisting with the French Detachment download of two

helicopters, support equipment and over 29 personnel, the

United States contracted Lockheed C-5 Galaxy was positioned

simultaneously on the tarmac for departure.

The Air Terminal, led by MSgt Richard Stone, prepared the

upload of 13 pallets, two pallet trains and the aerospace ground

equipment to support Exercise RED FLAG Alaska. The eight

ship A-10 package supported by 125 participants departed in

support of a multi-service, muti-platform coordinated combat

Close Air Support exercise at Eielson Air Force Base Alaska.

Both aircraft, remarkable in sight due to their sheer size, were

successfully maintained and supported by the 355th Logistics

Readiness Squadron, and are a testament to the capabilities

provided by the Desert Lighting Team and the United States Air

Force.

1 Jul 2014

C-5 Galaxy and Antonov An-124

Angel Thunder 2014 — Fact Sheet

Angel Thunder 2014 is the largest and most realistic joint

service, multinational, interagency combat search and rescue

exercise designed to provide training for personnel recovery

assets using a variety of scenarios to simulate deployment

conditions and contingencies. Personnel recovery forces

trained through the full spectrum of personnel recovery

capabilities with ground recovery personnel, air assets,

special forces teams and federal agents. The exercise was

conducted May 4-17 and executed training scenarios from the

Pacific Ocean to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

Angel Thunder provides personnel recovery and combat

search and rescue training for combat aircrews, pararescue,

intelligence personnel, battle managers and joint search and

rescue center personnel.

YouTube Video of Angel Thunder 2014

2

1 Jul 2014

Air Force Introduces New Air Force Introduces New Air Force Introduces New "Green""Green""Green" Fire TrucksFire TrucksFire Trucks

"Green" fire trucks added to Air Force fleet

by John Burt

AFCEC Public Affairs

4/18/2014 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Some Air

Force fire trucks are going green thanks to new idle reduction

technology.

Built into many new fire trucks, IRT is a feature that

automatically transitions the truck from the engine to an

on-board auxiliary power unit, or generator, after the truck has

been idling for two minutes. This helps reduce fuel use, carbon

emissions, and wear and tear on the vehicle's main engine.

"There is a significant difference in fuel consumption with the

IRT system," said Fred Terryn, fire vehicle program manager at

the Air Force Civil Engineer Center. "A diesel engine typically

burns between one and one-quarter to one and one-half gallons

of fuel per hour. The IRT system will only use about one quart

per hour."

The APU provides enough power for essentials like

communication equipment, environmental controls and National

Fire Protection Association required emergency lights. Although

the main engine is needed to power a vehicle's water pump,

approximately 80 percent of Air Force fire department

responses, such as emergency medical service calls, aren't fire

related and don't require water.

"We respond to many supervisory fire alarms and vehicle

accidents," said James Cook, firefighter with the 23rd Civil

Engineer Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., one of the

first fire departments to receive an IRT-equipped vehicle.

"On calls where the pump is not used, the IRT will engage, shut

down the main engine and start saving fuel. If the pump is

needed, a flip of the switch transitions back to the main engine,

so there are no negative impacts on firefighting operations."

FCEC's fire emergency services division manages the

procurement of all Air Force fire vehicles and has spearheaded

the use of IRT on many new trucks.

"Over the next two years, the Air Force will receive more than

100 vehicles with IRT to include P-22 and P-24 structural

pumpers, P-26 water tankers and P-30 rescue trucks," said

Terryn. "It's a smart investment in sustainable technology that

will allow us to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels."

The addition of each IRT system would more than pay for itself

in the first year of operation, Terryn said, saving as much as

$4,000 per vehicle, per year in fuel costs.

"Between our older engines and the new IRT engine, we're

definitely seeing a difference in fuel usage," said Cook. "We

usually fuel the vehicles here twice a week; however, the truck

with IRT only requires fueling once a week."

Idle reduction technology will be available on more than 100 new Air Force water tankers, structural pumpers and rescue trucks delivered over the next two years. IRT is a feature that automatically transitions the truck from the engine to an on-board auxiliary power unit, or generator, after the truck has been idling for two minutes. This helps reduce fuel use, carbon emissions, and wear and tear on the vehicle’s main engine. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eddie Green)

An idle reduction technology control panel inside the cab of an Air Force fire truck gives the vehicle’s driver/operator information about IRT system performance. IRT is a feature that automatically transitions the truck from the main engine to an on-board auxiliary power unit, or generator, after the truck has been idling for two minutes. This helps reduce fuel use, carbon emissions, and wear and tear on the vehicle’s engine all while powering essential components like lights, communication and environmental controls. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eddie Green)

Continued on PG 4

3

1 Jul 2014

Air Force Introduces New Air Force Introduces New Air Force Introduces New "Green""Green""Green" Fire TrucksFire TrucksFire Trucks

(Continued)

"Green" fire trucks added to Air Force fleet

"This technology makes sense," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates,

fire crew chief with the 23rd CES. "It not only reduces the

amount of diesel fuel we have to purchase, but with fewer

operational hours on the truck's primary engine, it will also

reduce required maintenance."

Many firefighters across the Air Force can look forward to

seeing a "green" fire truck at their installations soon.

A firefighter from Moody AFB, Ga., responds to a simulated emergency medical service call, on March 15. Non-fire related calls like these make up almost 80 percent of Air Force fire department responses. Many new Air Force fire trucks will be equipped with fuel-saving idle reduction technology that switches the vehicles from main engine to auxiliary power when water pumping is not required. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eddie Green)

Related Link

YouTube Video:

www.youtube.com/embed/bHj5z5O0WFI

Miscellaneous File….Miscellaneous File….Miscellaneous File…. Best state to retire?

submitted by SMSgt Robert Haines

344TRS/Det 1 Superintendent

Where do you want to live when you retire? Check out the link

below for some interesting statistics. You might be surprised.

http://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-military-retirees/3915/

How smart rearview mirrors work by Cherise LaPine http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/smart-rear-view-mirrors.htm

Columbine — the first Air Force One

submitted by George McElwain, CMSgt (Ret/472)

This 5-minute video is well worth watching. According to

YouTube, it was recently published on June 2, 2014. Let’s

hope someone steps in and restores this aircraft.

Editor’s Note: Mrs. Eisenhower was from Colorado, hence

the name Columbine (state flower). Unfortunately, the word is

misspelled at the end of this video.

4

1 Jul 2014 Lakenheath Veh Ops Lakenheath Veh Ops —— Ready to RollReady to Roll

Airmen undergo semiannual combat training

by Airman 1st Class Nigel Sandridge

48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

6/3/2014 - ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --

Airmen of the 48th Logistic Readiness Squadron participated in

three days of Combat Operation Readiness Training at Stanford

Training Area, England, May 30 - June 1.

The joint forces exercise between 48th LRS vehicle operators

and the U.K.'s 6 Regiment 6th Army Air Corps of Bury St.

Edmunds helps military members train in convoy skills they will

need in deployed environments.

Trainees spent three days undergoing various training exercises

ranging from a convoy tactical formation to self-aid and buddy

care. Explosive device and ordnance detection and avoidance

drills are also on the agenda.

"It's ideal training," said Col. Marc Vandeveer, 48th Mission

Support Group commander. "This is the type of complex

preparation that we can't really do over on Royal Air Force

Lakenheath, so coming out to STANTA really helps put the

Airmen in real-life situations."

"We were the lifeline for the forward operating bases in Kuwait

and Iraq," said Master Sgt. Bradley Williams, 48th LRS

distribution section chief. "Our convoys can go a lot of places

that would be too risky for our aircraft."

Since ground convoys can be cost effective and less risky when

delivering cargo through insurgent areas, members of vehicle

operations can be called at a moment's notice to use these

skills learned during CORT.

Cargo vehicles set up a defensive formation during Combat Operation Readiness Training at Stanford Training Area, England, May 30, 2014. U.S. and U.K. armed forces spent three days undergoing various training exercises from convoy tactical formation and self-aid and buddy care, to explosive device and ordnance detection and avoidance drills. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Nigel Sandridge/Released

A mock insurgent blocks the road, forcing the convoy to divert at Combat Operation Readiness Training at Stanford Training Area, England, May 30, 2014. U.S. and U.K. armed forces members spent three days undergoing various training exercises from convoy tactical formation and self-aid and buddy care, to explosive device and ordnance detection and avoidance drills. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Nigel Sandridge/Released

Continued on PG 6

Col. Marc Vandeveer, 48th Mission Support Group commander, simulates a injures during an extraction at Combat Operation Readiness Training at Stanford Training Area, England, May 30, 2014. Extractions are conducted to rescue injured victims and help prevent further potential danger. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Nigel Sandridge/Released)

5

1 Jul 2014 Lakenheath Veh Ops Lakenheath Veh Ops —— Ready to RollReady to Roll

(Continued)

Airmen undergo semiannual combat training

"These Airmen have been getting great training these last

couple of days," said Maj. Jarod Blecher, 48th LRS commander.

"They're learning teamwork and camaraderie, along with getting

some great training out here with our U.K. counterparts." The

U.S. Airmen worked hand-in-hand with the 6 Regt. AAC, trading

ideas and experiences about the training.

"After spending quite a bit of time with our American

counterparts in Afghanistan, coming out here is a really good

sign of kick back," said U.K ACC Lance Cpl. Ash Cattermole.

"Since we work so closely together, it's great to know that we're

all on the same page, especially in life-or-death situations."

Though most 48th LRS vehicle operators have attended the

Basic Convoy Combat Course at Camp Bullis, Texas, CORT is

both a semi-annual refresher course for those who've been and

a gateway for those who haven't.

"We keep training because our mission is always changing,"

said Senior Airman Troy Rehmert, 48th LRS vehicle operator.

"We need to give our newer Airmen who've never been in

convoy situations the tools they need to be ready during

potential deployments."

The vehicle operators of the 48th LRS maintain a constant state of readiness and exemplify the 48th Fighter Wing mission to provide worldwide responsive combat airpower and support.

Maj. Jarod Blecher, 48th Logistic Readiness Squadron commander, receives medical attention during Combat Operation Readiness Training at Stanford Training Area, England, May 30, 2014. CORT allows Airmen to remain refined in procedures needed in a deployed environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Nigel Sandridge/Released

Airman 1st Class Ryan Nyars, 48th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operator, provides security to a convoy formation during Combat Operation Readiness Training at Stanford Training Area, England, May 30, 2014. Vehicles create a box formation to protect simulated injured casualties while medical attention is provided. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Nigel Sandridge/Released)

U.S. and U.K. armed forces are a briefed during Combat Operation Readiness Training at Stanford Training Area, England, May 30, 2014. The joint forces exercise between the 48th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operators and the 6 Regiment Army Corps of Bury St. Edmunds helps military members train in convoy skills needed in deployed environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Nigel Sandridge/Released)

6

Long-awaited vehicle program hits the street

by Randy Livermore, CMSgt (Ret/2T3)

We're excited to announce the release of the Vehicle

Customer Service Center (VCSC). The VCSC

provides a web-based, one stop shop for customers

to interact with your unit regarding vehicle status.

The site gives your VM&A section and customers a single point

view of unit vehicles regarding mobile maintenance, in shop

ETICs, and those on the ready line for pick up.

Customers can also pull consolidated report listings of all assets

in vehicle management's possession, without having to call or

email for status.

Some key features are:

1. Provides instant ETIC dissemination & notifications to

customers.

2. Customers can access, input, and get status of mobile

maintenance requests.

3. Work centers can access ETIC data in the duty section/

remotely & update as needed (see #7 below).

4. Provides a single source for digital tracking of current and

achieved mobile maintenance requests.

5. Reports are automated and available to all levels of

command for customers and unit leadership.

6. As customers and VM&A personnel move/PCS they will not

need to relearn local programs to gain access to update/

request vehicle status, mobile maintenance or vehicles

ready for pick up.

7. Since the OLVIMS Daily File is reliant on up-to-date ETIC

information, we added replay file capability for your VM&A

that allows VCSC manually updated ETICs to be imported

into OLVIMS.

Editor’s Comments: Just from reading the description of this

program, I know it will be a welcome change for VM&A

personnel who spend much of their 8-hour days on the phone

with customers. This should alleviate a lot of stress on both

ends of the phone, increase productivity, and provide customers

with real-time information. The digital age has allowed us to

make some incredible advances over the last several years.

We’ve come a long ways since the days of posting work orders

and historical records on manual control boards and marking

them with multi-colored ETIC tabs, but that’s all we had then.

I realize many of you don’t remember that; however, just be

thankful that you have a VEMSO staff who’s engaged and

focused on improving your work processes. Great job!

VEMSO Announces Release of WebVEMSO Announces Release of WebVEMSO Announces Release of Web---Based Customer ServiceBased Customer ServiceBased Customer Service

1 Jul 2014

Fleet Facility Tour: City of Long Beach, Calif.

June 6, 2014 - General

Government Fleet Magazine took a tour of several fleet maintenance facilities of the City of Long Beach, Calif. The municipality is now the sixth largest in the state with a population just under 470,000. Dan Berlenbach, fleet services manager, and his team manage eight maintenance facilities, as well as 1,910 vehicles and equipment. Photos by Paul Clinton.

Take a photo tour of Dan’s shop at the following website:

http://www.government-fleet.com/photogallery/detail/2014/06/fleet-

facility-tour-city-of-long-beach-calif.aspx?utm_campaign=enews-

wednesday-20140618&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

Dan Berlenbach talks with John Seevers, superintendent of maintenance.

7

1 Jul 2014

COPARS — Serving Your Hometown Fleet

Contractor-operated parts stores — great for local government fleets too!

by Gary McLean, SMSgt (Ret/2T3) Fleet Manager, City of Lakeland, Florida

Contractor-operated parts stores (COPARS) within VM’s

materiel control functions were one of the better examples of

targeted outsourcing of a governmental function. Most of us

who experienced COPARS remember varying levels of success,

mostly based on the quality of the employees within those

operations, but the idea was a sound one—partner with the

private sector to provide parts and materials for a base’s “blue

fleet” and even special purpose or military-spec vehicles

whenever feasible. A well-run COPARS illustrated just how bad

government is when it comes to agile vehicle parts support,

especially when overseas where all kinds of makeshift attempts

to overcome the supply system were attempted to cope with the

supply shortcomings.

Local government fleets aren’t much different from Air Force

base fleets. They feature a wide variety of off-the-shelf vehicles

from established OEM manufacturers as well as many

special-use vehicles for utility and public works departments.

The challenges are the same as well—organic parts stores with

government employees will not do the job nearly as well as a

solid private-sector parts provider. Government is simply set up

to lose the competition; we have no internal logistics reach to

work within private sector parts networks, insufficient staffing,

insufficient budgets to stock inventory, and no viable resource to

eliminate obsolete inventory without squandering investments.

Enter Genuine Parts Company (NAPA) Integrated Business

Solutions (IBS).

NAPA’s IBS program is essentially a COPARS for local

governments, and IBS operations have even been established

in private sector operations, an example being Mosaic Mining

operations right here in central Florida. A NAPA IBS is capable

of providing for all parts and material needs for a fleet

maintenance operation, and are established all over the country.

The magic number for an IBS to be financially attractive for local

governments is a fleet size of 500 or higher, especially fleets

with a varied composition. NAPA’s IBS even provides parts for

New York City’s massive fleet operation.

The big obstacle to overcome with local government fleets when

looking at an IBS is fear of change. Those fears include the

worry of more outsourcing, losing employees, loss of

procurement control, and political pressure. When I arrived in

Lakeland in 2009, the place was a mess. The biggest part of

the mess was the parts operation, with only two parts

procurement technicians, no inventory funding, $75K worth of

obsolete inventory we couldn’t get rid of, and technicians

spending significant time doing parts work.

NAPA IBS had already reached out to Lakeland, but the

proposal was sitting on a desk gathering dust. After being

tasked to do the research to establish an IBS or abandon the

proposal, it came down to a matter of trust—would the IBS do

what they claimed and would it fix the problem?

Well, after a year of presentations, benchmarking, and meetings

with the city’s governing body, we installed our IBS. The IBS

proposal includes a 10% net profit from sales monthly, plus we

cover overhead and staffing. The entire inventory is owned by

NAPA, eliminating our cost, audit, and obsolescence angst. The

staffing is provided by NAPA to include backfills when assigned

staff is on vacation at no extra charge. The IBS works with us

on weekends or during emergency operations at no premium

increase in cost.

We managed to not lose any employees since one of our parts

folks retired and we reclassified the other technician, turned

over our inventory to NAPA, who wrote us a check for the parts

and got rid of our obsolete inventory through their network.

Once the IBS started work, we turned over more and more

material procurement to them in incremental chunks, starting

with fluids and chemicals, then with tools and equipment, tire

inventory, and finally add-on equipment for vehicle outfitting.

Continued on PG 9

8

1 Jul 2014

COPARS — Serving Your Hometown Fleet

(Continued)

Contractor-operated parts stores — great for local government fleets too! After four years of IBS integration at City of Lakeland, fleet

maintenance has been transformed. Our material costs are

basically flat-lined since 2010, even after paying the IBS

overhead and staffing. Our average budgetary increase of

1.5-2% annually is astounding compared to the former organic

setup. We have an up-to-date parts inventory worth over $500K

that we don’t pay a dime for until an item is issued out.

NAPA provides extensive reports for analysis on demand or

periodically and they also procure technical training for us, up to

80 hours annually, for no additional charge.

Our technicians have been removed from the parts process

except for the actual parts request and are fully engaged in

performing maintenance.

Vehicle turnaround times and availability are at an all-time high.

It’s safe to say that the NAPA IBS is the wellspring from which

our efficiency and excellence flows.

Privatization is often a good thing, especially when it’s properly

targeted. The Air Force proved it with COPARS and local

government has taken it to the next level with IBS-style

operations. For the vast majority of governmental fleet

operations, it’s the way to go; but hey, that’s just me talking with

no parts headaches, low costs, and happy customers!

Check it out at http://www.napa-ibs.com/ and happy parts

ordering!

Army joins air forceArmy joins air forceArmy joins air force

Transportation motor pool and vehicle operations merge

by Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - As Joint

Base Elmendorf-Richardson focuses its mission on consolidating and

spending less, merging similar units is inevitable. The

Army's Transportation Motor Pool and the Air Force's Vehicle

Operations were among the units merged.

It came as a pleasant surprise to Air Force Master Sgt. Michael

Steffen three years later when he discovered the benefits of

merging the operations.

The Transportation Motor Pool was run by Army civilians, who

were then absorbed into Vehicle Operations. Scot Halliburton,

vehicle operations officer at the shop, was in charge of the TMP.

"I was anti-joint basing," said Steffen, 773d Logistics Readiness

Squadron distribution flight chief and native of Littleton, Colo.

"But [after] working with Mr. Halliburton, I'm a better man for it."

It just made sense, Halliburton said.

"The civilians did nearly all of the Army support before," the

senior civilian said. "A driver is a driver.

Bringing everybody under one roof allowed us to operate more

efficiently and provide the support that gets done every day

anyway."

The military members were able to take advantage of the

civilians' experience.

Airman 1st Class Robert Eddy secures connectors on a 15-ton wrecker on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 14, 2014. Eddy is a 773rd Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operator and a native of Florence, Ala. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett)

Continued on PG 10

9

Army joins air forceArmy joins air forceArmy joins air force

(Continued)

Transportation motor pool and vehicle

operations merge

"It's good working with civilians because you get to incorporate

all their different ideas into it," said Tech. Sgt. Ronald Barnett,

773d Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operations

supervisor and native of Council, Idaho. "They've done [the job]

more than we have. We wouldn't be able to do our job without

our civilian counterparts. We don't know enough about the

Army's mission without them. They bridged the gap of the

language barrier between the Air Force and the Army."

The merger allowed the Airmen to get some experience with

Army terminology, needs and how to get transportation

requirements met; and the Airmen gave the Army civilians an

education on Air Force processes and language, Halliburton

said. The TMP civilians were working 80-hour work weeks,

Steffen said. "We were able to relieve that, which in turn relieves

budget, which in turn relieves a lot of other stuff," he said.

It's also much easier to manage, Halliburton said. "You don't

have unnecessary management and supervision requirements,"

he said. "We can see, hear and talk all the same things. We're

able to provide the daily requirements for JBER, in general, bet-

ter since we merged."

The overall mission of both units remains the same now that

they are combined. "If it needs to be moved, vehicle

operations moves it," Steffen said.

"We move everything from Soldiers going to Fort Wainwright to

air crews and their aircraft."

Vehicle Operations also provides all the cargo and passenger

terminal movement for exercises, he said. "We just had Alaska

Shield and Vigilant Guard," he said.

"In the last few weeks, we moved 740 passengers on a cargo

aircraft with 280 cargo tons from 21 aircraft, including supporting

aircrews, that all [came in] in four days." Exercise support came

on top of daily JBER missions with the flying squadrons,

including the Air Force Reserve, Alaska National Guard and the

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry

Division, he said.

Between everything related to Alaska Shield and the regular

mission, "We moved 2,773 passengers, 555 cargo tons, all in

four days," Steffen said. "I thought it was a great success; we

had a very taxing supporting role just by the nature of the

exercise," Halliburton said.

Halliburton said he is proud of how their team performs, not just

in exercises, but on the regular mission. Since August 2011,

they provided more than 3,390 bus service requests, 714 cargo

support requests, moved more than 1.5 million passengers and

more than 2.1 million pounds of cargo across Alaska in support

of Army movements. They also provided more than 550 forklift

movements and more than 550 tractor-trailer movements,

hauling more than 3.6 million pounds of cargo.

"The guys do it very well, but it takes quite a work load and quite

a physical challenge to do what we do every day," Halliburton

said. "We get put on twelves for two or three weeks -- that takes

a toll on people. The guys have great attitude and know how to

handle business.

"The base just knows work gets done every day; we see how

labor-intensive that work is and the impact on our troops. I don't

know of anybody who would be more proud of what [our] group

does," Halliburton said. "They're super. We're one of the few

shops on base that's normally required to operate 24 hours a

day, seven days a week. Based on mission requirements, we

don't work Monday to Friday and enjoy the weekend, we work

days, weekends, holidays; seldom do we get a break. Our guys

do it well."

Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Topete uses a forklift to load cargo onto a truck

on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 14, 2014. Topete is a

773rd Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operator. (U.S. Air Force

photo/Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett)

Members of the 773rd Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Operations move cargo on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 14, 2014. Vehicle Operations merged with the Army's Transportation Motor Pool to improve mission efficiency. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett)

10

UnbrokenUnbroken

Best seller soon to be released in theaters

submitted by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

We don’t usually plug books or movies, but this story impressed

me so much that I wanted to feature it in our newsletter.

Unbroken is an incredible, real-life account of Louis Zamperini,

an Olympic runner and Army Air Forces, B-24 bombardier in the

Pacific during WW II. Incidentally, Mr. Zamperini is still with us

today at the age of 97.

The book was published in 2010 and if you haven’t read it yet, I

encourage you to do so before the movie comes to theaters on

December 25, 2014. It’s a real page turner.

The trailer has been released to YouTube and may be viewed

by clicking on the video image below.

SAC & Auto RacingSAC & Auto Racing

Racing Heroes — General Curtis LeMay

submitted by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

We try as much as possible to

keep this newsletter focused

on vehicle related subjects.

Sometimes we feature a story

of historic value that’s not

associated with vehicles, like

the previous article.

It’s rare, however, when we

can tie Air Force history to

automobiles, and even more

uncommon when a legend

like General Curtis LeMay is

the link between the two. I

mean, who knew?

In an effort to supplement his budget and raise funds to improve

living conditions for airmen, Gen LeMay partnered with the

Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and rented SAC bases. On

October 26, 1952, the SCCA and SAC entered into a two-year

agreement that gave the SCCA access, on a pre-scheduled

basis, to bases in Washington, Nevada, California, Nebraska,

Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York,

Maryland, Georgia and Florida. Imagine, automobile races

actually took place on SAC flight lines!

Another little known fact is that Gen LeMay was the first to

construct on-base “hobby shops,” staffed with tools and

equipment, where men could spend off-hours constructively

working on projects.

Gen LeMay himself was a sports car enthusiast and owned an

Allard J2, similar to the one pictured here.

Visit the website below to read more about this story and view

some amazing photos.

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/12/10/racing-

heroes-general-curtis-lemay/

Gen Curtis LeMay

1950 Allard J2

11

1 Jul 2014

Newsletter Title Editorial on Military Service

‘The best years of our lives’

by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

What is it about serving in our armed forces that creates a

lasting bond like no other profession? This question has always

intrigued me. One reason veterans join organizations such as

the VFW, American Legion, and others is because of a desire to

maintain ties with their military past, but why?

This sense of brotherhood is also common among members of

much smaller and less formal organizations than those

mentioned above. For example, if veterans served with a

specific unit, especially at a certain time and place, the

relationship is even more tight-knit, particularly if it was in

combat. Men and women who served together 60 or 70 years

ago still maintain a kinship that’s hard to explain.

We frequently see veterans of WWII and Korea on the American

Heroes Channel reminiscing about their wartime experiences,

and reunions are held annually throughout the country,

sometimes until only a few members are alive. I attended the

71st anniversary of the Doolittle Raiders just last year when

three of the four survivors were present. A single event tied

them together for a lifetime.

There’s something about having served our country in uniform,

whether it was a 20-year career or a 4-year hitch, that’s different

from a routine 9-to-5 job. Do you see the same fellowship

among insurance salesmen, accountants, lawyers, or bankers?

Even those who separated after four years still relate to their

time in the service, “Yeah, I was with the 101st Airborne in Nam”

or “I served with RED HORSE in Korea.” People who served in

the military like to associate themselves with their old outfit. It’s

hard to imagine anyone sitting at a bar and saying, “I remember

that insurance policy I sold to a client back in ’72.” I don’t think

so. Once you don the uniform, you’re never the same again;

you enter into a fraternity that sets you apart from all other

occupations.

And it’s not just war that bonds us veterans; it’s the whole

encounter. Do you remember the opening scenes from Full

Metal Jacket? Marines were going through boot camp getting

their haircuts, undergoing footlocker inspections and the DI was

constantly yelling at them. How many of you watched and said

to yourselves, “Wow, I remember those days!”

Many of us can’t relate to the combat scenes in this movie, but

we can all connect with basic training, no matter the branch of

service. It was a shared experience that we’ll never forget, one

that we’ll retell to our children and grandchildren and, of course,

embellish over a few adult beverages with old friends as well.

Our desire to maintain ties with the military has spawned a

thriving cottage industry. Caps, T-shirts, pins, patches, and

decals are sold by the thousands because people want to

identify with their branch of service, unit, or the period in which

they served - WWII, Korea, Vietnam, etc. The men and women

serving today will be no different in years to come.

Perhaps Shakespeare touched on this phenomenon in 1599

when he wrote St Crispen’s Day Speech (Henry V). It’s a scene

of battle and reads in part, “From this day to the ending of

the world, but we in it shall be remembered – we few, we

happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds

his blood with me shall be my brother.”

We are indeed a band of brothers (including female veterans)

and a happy few who serve the calling of our nation. According

to recent statistics, less than 0.5 percent of our population today

serves in the armed forces.

For those of us who made it a career, we didn’t stay because of

the pay, and perhaps only a few because of the benefits. We

stayed because we loved the adventure, sense of duty, and the

camaraderie.

However, for me, the answer to my question of why we have

this strong, life-long connection with our military service, and

those with whom we served, comes from the title of another

movie — they were simply the best years of our lives.

12