Where Have All the Phantoms Gone? | Military Aviation | Air & Space Magazine

"The F-4 Phantom II lives. But the life it leads today is an odd one. It still flies in other countries; in northern Iraq, for example, the Turks use it in combat with the Kurds. But in the United States, it leads a twilight existence. It’s a warplane, but it no longer fights. Its mission is weapons testing, but no pilot flies it. Mostly, you’ll find these F-4s either sitting in the desert or lying at the bottom of the sea."

Everything is at the link. 

Old AF Sarge  and MSGT Buck should like this one as they are old Air Force hands.

F-4s at Arizona’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the warplane retirement home.

Where Have All the Phantoms Gone? | Military Aviation | Air & Space Magazine

Cancer Survivor Continues to Lead

This was on my Facebook this morning. It is at Marines Blog.
Good read, my friends. I can relate even though my go around with cancer was very short.


So please hit the link and read about SSGT Nestor Cruz.
Cancer Survivor Continues to Lead

This weekend.

In the beautiful sea side town of Oceanside. Currently enjoying a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at my Brother-in-Law's house.
Going to this event. It runs the 12th, 13th and 14th. Forecast for tomorrow is 20-30 percent chance of rain..........
Saturday is a Birthday Event for My Most Favorite Niece. Sunday is to be beautiful, I am told.
Hmmmmmmmmm?
The Favorite Niece reminded me of the said event. So I absolutely have to be there. No brainer, actually!
2012 MCAS Miramar Air Show

Pictures will be taken. I hope to take a large number of them.

Outstanding post from America's Sergeant Major

As if he ever has bad ones......................
................I've heard dialogue is difficult to write. I imagine that's true considering remarks made in real life are just too good to be made up. Another installment of comments heard in the clear......................
 http://castrapraetoria1.blogspot.com/2012/08/heard-in-clear.html

"We're looking for a duck in dress blues."
That is a land mark if I ever heard one.

 

Expectant Dad, Ex-Pastor, Newly Engaged Among Marines Killed in Crash

KTLA 5 had this today. Condolences to the families.

Six of the Marines were from Camp Pendleton, and one was from Yuma.

YUMA, Ariz. -- A mid-air helicopter collision that killed seven Marines is among the Corps' deadliest aviation training accidents.

Six Camp Pendleton-based Marines and a seventh stationed in Yuma, Ariz., were killed when two helicopters collided during a nighttime training exercise out of the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-marines-killed-helicopter-collision,0,3872994,full.story

Happy Birthday, US Marine Corps!

On this day, 236 years ago. We got the Marines. Thank God.


Old Retired Petty Officer Sends!

Honoring our Sea Faring Services

This was at Right Wing News today.
It is a good read. Really it is.
As a Retired Member of a Sea Service, it is near and dear to my heart.
http://rightwingnews.com/military/honoring-our-sea-faring-services/

Let out some Choose Your Weapons: theBrigade

Some great pics here. The lead one is the BUFF with all of it's wonderful tools of destruction that are available.
http://thebrigade.thechive.com/2011/05/05/let-out-some-choose-your-weapon-24-hq-photos/

Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Documentation

OK, it sucks. It is disorganized from the git go. And for someone who hasn't touched a tactical aircraft since early 1991, it was like being in the maze at Fountainblue outside of Paris. Or more relevant to the generation I am part of, Lost in the Ozone. The Forms class I attended today was designed for those who have been using the system for quite awhile and experienced in the ways of fixing airplanes in this environment. I have nothing to match up with it. Dear NavAirSysCom, any jobs at China Lake or Point Mugu? Hell, even El Centro would work! Hell, I'd even go to Yuma or Twentynine Stumps!
I pray that my mom doesn't read this as my dad was in the Air Force when they got married and I was conceived. Fact, nothing more or less. But he was in the Black World and not airplane maintenance.
And I would have to also infer that I was in the oldest air arm in the service of the Republic. Next May, US Naval Aviation will be 99 years old. We have been doing it longer. And of historical note, Army Aviation was originally a function of the Signal Corps and was not a separate part of the Army until WW1.
And my deepest apologies to Buck. He retired from the Air Force long before most of the former Air Force, Retired Air Force and always AF civil servants were aware of the Air Force.

Thinking about what Buck said

I have been thinking about this all day. Buck mentioned all those guys he served with. Here's a few of them. ABH1 Jack Trafton, CWO4 P. Havreleski, LCDR Stuart Seaman, AMS1 Mike Yeckley, AMS2 Pat Yandell, AMHC Jim Russell, AMHC Bob Mann, CAPT David D. Williams, AMH1 Mike Williams, AMCS Larry Max Jones, AMS1 David Christopherson, CDR J.R. Hutchinson, ADCS David "Tiny" Heinitz, GYSGT Dave Dozier, GYSGT L.G. Slater, SSGT Randy Evans, SSGT Al Lester and AD1 Lynn Borger, Best Man on the 11th of June, 1983. These are guys that were integral in my career. My oldest son was a youngster when I served with those Marines and he loved those four guys. He still considers them all to be the ideal examples of an NCO, regardless of branch of service.