12. September 2008 by Bob.

Here is an article off the Houston Chronicle (one of the few non-Ike [hurricane] articles:

WASHINGTON — A Pentagon advisory group condemned the Air Force for a dramatic deterioration in managing the nation’s nuclear arsenal, and recommended today that it consolidate nuclear responsibilities under one command.

The decline has eroded international confidence in the United States’ ability to provide a nuclear umbrella of protection, the task force said in rolling out more than 30 recommended changes in the structure, funding, inspections and staffing of the Air Force’s nuclear responsibilities.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Pentagon reporters today that the advisory group made a strong argument for unifying its nuclear management.

“One of the concerns that I had,” based on previous revelations about shortcomings in the Air Force’s stewardship of its nuclear arsenal,” is the lack of unity of command and not having one person or organization accountable for the overall mission,” Gates said.

He added that while he isn’t sure what the right answer is, the Air Force is considering the idea.

The latest review is one of several studies and reports triggered by a series of Air Force blunders in its handling of nuclear-related materials — missteps that prompted Gates to sack the top civilian and military leaders of the service earlier this year.

After Gates spoke, James Schlesinger, a former defense secretary who chaired the advisory panel, told reporters that the Air Force’s division of command over nuclear matters had led to a deterioration in control, staffing and resources.

The panel’s report concluded that there has been “an unambiguous, dramatic and unacceptable decline in the Air Force’s commitment to perform the nuclear mission and, until very recently, little has been done to reverse it.”

Panel members, said Schlesinger, were surprised that the situation had declined more than they had anticipated.

Schlesinger said a central recommendation of his group was that the Air Force convert its existing Air Force Space Command — which now has responsibility for the service’s land-based nuclear missiles but not other nuclear weapons — into an organization called Air Force Strategic Command. The new entity would “be held accountable for the efficacy of the nuclear mission,” he said.

Under the existing Air Force structure, responsibility for the bombers and fighters that can deliver nuclear weapons is held by Air Combat Command, and Air Mobility Command has responsibility for the refueling aircraft used to operate with the nuclear bombers and fighters.

The new plan, said Schlesinger, would also shift control of the supply chain from the Defense Logistics Agency to the Air Force — addressing a key issue in one of the foul-ups that triggered the review and recommended overhaul.

In early June, Gates sacked then Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, blaming them for failing to fully address several nuclear-related mishaps, including the mistaken shipment to Taiwan of four electrical fuses for ballistic missile warheads.

The report endorsed plans for the Air Force to take over control of its inventory. Air Force officials have already begun that shift.

Also, in August 2007, an Air Force B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and flown from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La. At the time, the pilot and crew were unaware they had nuclear arms aboard.

Gates brought in new leaders who immediately vowed to restore confidence in the battered service.

So far they have made a number of adjustments, including an increase in high-level staff, a reorganization of its missile units, revised maintenance procedures and an ongoing review of the inspection process. Schlesinger also said the Air Force is budgeting about $1.5 billion in the fiscal year 2010 budget to address some of the problems.

Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, the new chief of staff, has said he plans to use the reinstatement of about 14,000 jobs in the service to bolster its nuclear staffing and beef up intelligence and surveillance.

Asked today if his confidence has been restored, Gates said he believes the new Air Force leaders are putting a high priority on the nuclear mission and have begun taking corrective actions.

He said he is confident the short-term problems that led to the Taiwan shipment and the Minot flight have been addressed and won’t be repeated. But, he said he wants to be sure that longer-term issues, such as staffing and funding boosts, have been addressed.

“I won’t be completely assured until all of the corrective measures have been taken,” Gates said.

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11. September 2008 by Bob.

Good Evening everyone,

My report from Houston is the sky is clear.  Earlier the bands of clouds came and now are gone, so the storm is not too far behind.

Most of my hurricanes have been spent in AL, or typhoons on Guam.  I have joked about opening a white water rafting resort, Grand Opening Saturday.  I actually had a few friends today ask me if I was still going to open the Resort with the storm coming.  I then had to tell them the  opening is the storm as I live 100 yeards or so from a huge bayou.

I have to tell you something I did in Court.  Last week I had a hearing / trial to try to save a familes home.  It was foreclosed on, problem is the family was paying their mortgage.  I went for a TRO from a higher court this week and the other attorney helping me and I got a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order).  This is the 1st time in 3 weeks I have seen that family smile.

No other attorney would help these people, as they do not have very much money.  We have 2 -4 more hearings and trials to get their home back, but I am trying.

Legal work is All office work.  To spice up, this work, I am also getting some Vietnam Vets in to the office, who stated they can and will do bad things to VA people.  I unfortunately do not tell them they can barely move, and they (nor me) am 21 and in the jungle.  I told one Veteran I did not do criminal defense, and he had better knock it off or I would not be helping him.  He boasted once more and I had to tell him a story.  It got him to actually listen.  As he stated, I actually knew what it was like.

I assume by tomorrow night it will be bad here, so I better go, just wanted to tell everyone hello, and that I enjoy reading the article, I am just swamped trying to get my firm up and running and handle cases, so I apologize for being lax on the articles writing.  I actually have a free night thanks to Ike, and I will get my plants in tomorrow and hope the apartmant and van survive.

Wishing all of you a great week, and rest of September.

God Bless all of you on this day, Bob

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11. September 2008 by Andy.

Was not sure if I wanted to write on this day or not…for some, it’s a sad day of remembrance.  For others, hope for a day without living in fear.  And for others, just to come home from the fight in one piece.  Each one of us has a story to tell of where we were and what we were doing.  It’s good to remember and not forget the price paid for our freedoms or to take it too lightly.As for the last couple of months of not writing, I’ve either on the road traveling for work or vacation time.Took my daughter & son-in-law to Montana last month to visit mom…to see the big open skies & breathe that fresh mountain air again!  It was the first time for the kids or at least my daughter can remember!  We left for Glacier National Park the first day there and stayed in an old chalet style hotel on Many Glacier Lake that was built in the ‘30s.  Our bedroom window & back door opened to the deck with the lake and mountains as our background.  The next day we took off for the East Glacier side to take the “Going-to-the-Sun” road.  Mom said the best way to travel that road is from the east side going to the west side.  Manly because the road is literally built on a cliff!  And by traveling west, you are along the mountain side and not on the edge of the road looking down 7000 to 8000 feet!  And it’s STRAIGHT down!   Yea, I shouldn’t be afraid of heights because I flew jets…NOT! 

When we arrived at Logan’s Pass, we hiked back into the “Hiding Lake” area and came across some mountain goats…the park’s & Great Northern Railroad’s mascot.

We spent two days up in that area before returning back to mom’s place in Great Falls.  The next day we rested then traveled south to another National Park – Grant Kohers Ranch - one of the original big ranches in Montana.  These folks were considered the Rockefellers of the west.  Some of the stories the rangers told were ones about taking trips.  Since the wife loved the theater & Broadway, she would plan her trips back east 6 months in advance just to get there in time for the show!  Another one was when the husband set out one time to go see relatives back in Germany that it took him 18 months to make the journey…from the time he left until he returned home!  After spending a night in Helena, we went down to, what we thought was a ghost town.  But in 10 years since my mom visited the place with dad, it has people living there.  We guessed that they’re trying to get any silver or gold out of the ground still.  We visited their little cemetery on the backside of one mountain.  Very sad, most of the tombstones were kids anywhere from a few days old up to 16 years old and all died within a two year period, 1889-90.  My daughter did some research when we got home.  Apparently the town was hit with diphtheria, which manly attacks kids!We spent a week visiting mom, but it was too short!  So mom is thinking about next year.  We would both fly into Salt Lake UT and visit the National Parks in the southwest corner of the state!

I’ve finished making my MB-2 or NBS-1 Martin Bomber in 11^th BS marking that was used in the famous “battleship” experiment to prove Billy Mitchell’s theories.  Hey Reed, name that base in the photo! This will be the last model for awhile; I’ve ungraded my computer and want to try my hand at making some movies for YouTube – B-52 stuff.

Hey, I do have some images of the WIFF, both from the tanker & bomber.  I was able to get the original negatives and scan them.  I’ll try and get them posted later, have to help Heather with her acting stuff and need to go.Until next time,Take care - Andy 

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11. September 2008 by James.

Hi BOB,

Hope all of you and yours are well.  I’m concerned about Ike hitting the Texas coast and watching that closely.  My daughter spent 12 hours in Houston traffic trying to evacuate during Rita and I hope that sort of thing doesn’t happen again.  Mostly I hope everyone stays safe and dry.

Lynn and I just returned from Yellowstone.  I now understand why it is the most popular US national park.  We went on a 4.5 mile hike which went along the crest of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, through a field of geothermally active boiling mudpots, by a lake where a wolf was cooling off after a fresh kill and then though a grassy plain - just unbelievably beautiful.   Crowds were gone since it was after Labor Day, so it was as if we had the place to ourselves.  We were only there four days, but you could spend a lifetime there.

 I’m doing a little research for two upcoming family reunions (father and mother’s side) in WV and MD at the end of this month.  My work was made a lot easier when I found a distant cousin whose great grandfather was my great grandfather’s brother.  She had already written a book about my mother’s side of the family and much of the part of it that I was interested in was posted on the internet.  It was a real joy to correspond with her. 

Reed, that was a fantastic story about Desert Storm.  Thanks for sharing that.  Chuck, thanks for all the time and energy you put into this effort to connect crewdogs.  I think it is worth the effort. 

Best Regards

James

PS  Chuck, is there an easy way to upload pictures?  I went into the help menu and my eyes glassed over about halfway through the preliminary section:)  Using the upload box on the Manage view, the image took over the entire screen.  I know I’m missing something.

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11. September 2008 by The Chuck.

This is a tough day.  None of us living today will forget 11 September 2001 (a.k.a. 9/11) nor should we.  Here’s a link for those wanting a memory jolt.

Speaking of memory jolts.  A B-52 warrior passed me some of the last pictures of Balls-34 (60-034).  It was taken to final parking at the Bone Yard back on 14 Aug.

Wisdom is acquired through experience.   More often than not, wisdom is obtained through mistakes rather than through  well-executed, perfect plans.  We’ve all become the wiser when we’ve discovered the stove was hot, a bee stings, ice-covered steps are slick, the dog bites, not everyone is your friend, and good intentions only carry you so far.

Some of us have learned that min-fuel really means min-fuel, there’s a good reason we don’t do overheads in a Buff, and if you can finish your Air Force career without being passed-over or fired–you weren’t just lucky–you had very some powerful friends.

I’m glad that along the way I’ve had friends like you to fly, fight, and win with.  Today I fight more with getting my belt buckled, shoes tied, and finding time to write.

Writing a novel is different from writing doctrine, Combat Crew articles, or even telling a story.  I discovered that my skills were woefully under-developed–so I’m still working on them.

I’m taking an advanced writers course with a talented, local writer (Connie Cox) and it helps.  Here’s a quick story before I end this short post.

Two nights ago, Connie gave our small group some advanced tactics of word-smithing.  I applied it to the first page of my manuscript–keep in mind that this is my 25th rewrite and two rewrites ago I won third prize in the Amazon dot com Break Through Novel Award– when I was done I had 13 edits to the first 12 lines of my novel.

I’m just an old crew dawg learning new tricks everyday.

Eventually I’ll have something to interest an editor.

I hope to have my first novel published before I make my way to the Bone-Yard for old bomber pilots.  I’m thinking 2009 is going to be a very special year–lipstick or not.

What say ye?

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18. August 2008 by Ponch.

Chuck and all,

Yes the WIFF… as a said I flew the WIFF with Yuke Smaby.  Don’t remember the specifics of the maneuver other then the purpose of the demo was to show you that if the two aircraft and pilots were in sinc with each other and they both understood the aerodynamic interaction between the jets, that ”any” attitude could be achieved successfully in contact.  It was a confidence and teamwork maneuver. I remember that we did get just a bit past the 90 degree bank on one of the series of maneuvers.  The WIFF was a dynamic process, not just one big turn.  It was a series of lazy-chandelle type maneuvers (without the 180 degree turn reversal) that started out small and increased with each reversal until the target attitude was achieved –or sometimes exceeded—hence the name WIFF.  This concept was re-enforced on the subsequent CFIC MITO sortie where we had to do a 12 second MITO with the tanker and achieve a contact shortly after flaps up - below 2000 feet  - on the departure, then fly contact through the climbing turn on the CID.  Also I remember Yuke abusing me hard on the night sorties when we re-fueled and had to maintain contact thorough many turns, climbs and descents over and over again.  I remember never being so tired and wrung out post flight.  I also remember some harsh thoughts I had for my instructors every time the tanker turned and started climbing or descending.  At the time I didn’t understand the purpose of the pain…only that it was painful.  As on my last BoB this level of training and the detail involved was to prepare us for any mission and any situation in the future.

Mine came just three months after returning from CFIC.  We ended up in IRAQ short on gas and carrying a load of new weapons on converted cruise missile pylons… yes a WESP.  The drag was more then expected, hence that’s why we where short on the gas… big time….enough so we needed an extra refueling to make it to the post strike base.  We asked the AWACS and we got a snap vector to a group of tankers holding south of the border.  Well snap vector was not part of the SAC lexicon and neither was the anchor refueling that we where headed for.  I don’t think any one in SAC could spell anchor let alone fly it with the jets in the configuration we had.  Oh bye the way… did I mention it was at night and the tankers were orbiting right in the only cloud deck in this part of the world.  Well Andy and Bob worked their magic and got us close enough behind the tanker to make visual contact.  I can’t remember how many times we had to chase the tanker around the orbit with radar before we got close enough to see them.  I do remember that every time we made an orbit, chasing the tanker, the fuel gages got lower and lower.  We were already well below what we needed to get to the post strike.  When we finally got contact the vis in the clouds was to the point we could not afford a disconnect and pre-contact position.  We would not have been able to get back.  I remember a feeling of relief when the gas started pouring in to the tanks…until the crazy turns started as we went around and around.  It took every bit of concentration I had to stay connected.  Then out of the soup, an F-4 showed up on our wing in full afterburner yelling on guard to “GET THE BUFF OFF THE BOOM NOW!”

I guess he snap vectored to the biggest return he had on his radar…which was the two of us… with only fumes left.  We had enough gas to afford a little break but not enough to get were we needed to go.. so I backed off the boom.  No way could I afford to loose sight of the tanker and go through the blind man’s bluff rendezvous again…so I opted to slide to the right on the tanker wing then back off to the F-4’s wing position to wait our turn, again.  A few more turns in this formation and the F-4 took a disconnect, rolled inverted off the end of the boom, and disappeared into the night soup with not even a thank you.  We slid back into contact and started suckling again.  By this time I was exhausted.  We had already been airborne long enough to see the sun rise and set and it was already near sunrise again.  We discussed our low fuel state with the whole formation of tankers (we were a three ship with Russ Bennet and Gary Konnert on our wing) they agreed to drag us towards the post strike base while we were refueling.  I remember being filled with gratitude for the gesture and told them we owed our first borne or what ever they wanted.   

The whole point of the story is that we were prepared for this by the blood and sweat at CFIC.  The confidence and skills that it took to do what none of us had ever done before, under the most adverse scenario you can think of, was forged by the tough curriculum at CFIC.  This curriculum - including the WIFF - was the creation of men who had their turn in the meat grinder and understood the need for blood sweat and tears during training to forge aircrew who had the confidence and skills to do anything.

Cheers

Ponch

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15. August 2008 by Yak.

Greetings from Pueblo, CO.

 Tammie, Morgan and I have completed the move to Pueblo and we’re getting settled in nicely.  We attacked the boxes pretty aggressively and have emptied the house of them.  We also got the posts set for the pasture last weekend and will string the wire this weekend.  It will be nice to get the horses on our own place. 

We did well selling the house in Louisiana (for sale by owner).  There was a real advantage in having bought that house seven years ago.  On the CO end, we did well, also.  We moved into a buyers market. 

I am flying USAF initial flight screening with Doss Aviation.  It is like the T-34 flying I did down in Pensacola in many ways and unlike in many.  Bottom line, I’m enjoying it quite a bit and it (combined with my retirement) leaves me netting about what I did last year. 

Well, folks I have a student at my desk…so back to it.  I’ll stay in touch.

Cheers,

Mark “Yak” Maryak (Lt Col, USAF, RETIRED).

Cell 318-401-2122

Home 719-647-2122

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11. August 2008 by The Chuck.

This has been a tough month. This morning, our oldest pulled out of our driveway with a U-Haul heading for Kansas City to work for Cerner Corporation.

She sold the townhouse she’s been living in for the last 4-years. She only spent one night with us before she left. She hired some local muscle to pack the truck after packing everything into boxes. Mom helped a lot. I helped a little.

I’m filled with mixed emotions. We hate to see her live so far from us, but we are happy she has found a job with a large company, good opportunities there. You know how Dad’s can get. Darn Dads.

We went with her to pick up the truck. It’s a 26 footer, the largest one they offer. The U-Haul manager explained a few basic things about driving a big truck. Then I spent about 5 minutes, or was it 3, telling her everything I knew about driving oversized vehicles. From the moment we pulled out, she drove better than I used to drive a M-35 in Korea. Must be because it was an automatic. Yeah, that’s it.

All her shoes and everything else fit inside.

Cindy is driving her Scion with the cats. Oh yeah, let me tell you a cat story. First I have to tell you how she got the two cats.

The first one she rescued from the middle of the street near Shriners Hospital about 3 1/2 years ago. It was maybe 4-weeks old and felt like a collection of bones inside a fur pouch. She thought it might still be breathing, so she took it to the vet. They told her, “If we manage to save it, it is probably going to be blind. Do you really want to do this? Do you really want a blind cat?”

She said, “He doesn’t have anyone. So, yes.”

They said, “Well give us a bunch of money . . . “ and the rest is history. She named him Louie, because he always turned left when he was a kitten. He was blind in the right eye for quite a while. He still has a pretty big blind spot on the right side, but gets along fine now.

The second cat, was also a stray. It was maybe 5 weeks old and looked like a snowball with legs and a stubby tail. Covered with fleas and a couple of ticks fighting over what blood was left in it. So filled with worms, nobody thought it would live. But with the right vet and enough money, it is still with her. She named her Nim after a character in the second novel of my yet unpublished series.

Nim is a bit resistant to change. As the townhouse emptied, she felt the pressure. When everything was out of the house, except the big basket of goodies Jennifer had put out for the new owners to find …. we couldn’t find Nim.

Jen searched the house while I looked around the outside. Then Jen looked around the outside, while I looked in every cabinet, beside the fridge, stove, washer and dryer … every shelf in every closet, in the tub, in the toilet, under the sink, in the heater/blower closet … couldn’t find Nim. Darn cat.

We searched the storage-area on the patio. I walked the drainage ditch outside some more. It was dark. LA is hot. Too bad I don’t like to sweat in the LA heat at night–if I did–it would have been fun. Then I reopened the back of the U-Haul. Could she be in one of the boxes?

I listened, and listened again. Nothing. Shook a few boxes. Then Jen started telling me which ones looked like they might have a cat in it — I opened a few, we had to find the cat.

After a while I remembered something Sun Tzu said in the Art of War, “Become the tea-pot.” Or was that Bruce Lee? Either way, I asked my self, “Self, where would I hide if I were Nim and wanted no one, especially me, to find me.”

I went back inside and looked behind the dryer. Nothing. Then behind the washer. Nothing … no wait. It’s dark in there, but there was a whiter spot on the light-colored tile under the hoses … I hissed and goofy Nim looked up at me. One blue eye, and eye green. Darn cat. But Jen loves her. Its her cat.

So she has both her cats and all her stuff.

I’m going to load a couple of pictures with this letter. Not sure how many of you had met her before. She was busy with grad-school or work most of the time we’ve been living here.

Cindy is going to be with her for two-weeks to help her settle in. So that leaves me mostly alone at home. What to do?

I built a fort in the den with some old ammo-boxes and a parachute. Set up some reloading equipment, smoked a cigar while I watched 300, Patriot, and Dr. Strangelove. Checking out my green-laser sights on my AR-15 when I remembered it was almost the 11th of August.

Holy-cow, one of the Band of Brothers might beat me to the posting!

I rushed back to my office–spilling some popcorn along the way when I tripped over an ammo box, but that’s okay. I’ll get it in a week or so. Or Smokey will get it when we’re playing frisbee later.

Just kidding. Smokey doesn’t fetch. Darn dog. But I love him anyway. He’s my dog.

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27. July 2008 by The Chuck.

Maybe the great Sisyphean task is trying to keep airmen trained and equipped for war.

We have a long history of some folks pushing the airpower rock almost to the top, then having it roll into the valley of disrepair and dangerous.  The folks who tried to stop the cycle down hill were always run over.  If you were one of those, you were in the good company of folks like Billy Mitchell.  As if anyone could be like him. Maybe we all were … just a little.

The only solution to the airman at bat is to suck it up and push the airpower rock back to the top, not worrying about when its going to roll back.  Because it always does.  This could be the story that never ends.

Still, it is nice to hear from Reed.  It hit 102 on the news, but my gage read 104.  Either way–it was a hot time on top of the Haynesville Shale motherload.

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27. July 2008 by Ponch.

  July has been typically hot, Gas prices are ridicules so We sit at home, watch way to much TV and sweat.  I have been busy in the garage on my Sisyphean quest to own a large dobsonian telescope.  The attached pics show the progress so far.

It’s been allot of fun, and stress relief, except for the dollar usage that keeps the wife agitated.  Oh well that’s hobbies.

I am sickened by the loss of the B-52 in Guam.  I knew Chris Cooper.  Met him at the 11th after he returned from an ALO tour.  I talked to him about his experiences as ALO and shared mine with him.  He had served in Iraq and Afghanistan on the ground and had some great stories and had contributed greatly to the effort there. He was a decent folk.  I had heard much before he came back about him from Bartels.  Seems that B2 had nothing but bad to say about him as a student.  I had heard that the 20th BS had problems with him and sent him to ALO as a co-pilot.  I don’t remember flying with him at the 11th and I don’t remember any bad reports on his performance or who his instructors where. But I suspect that if he was having trouble again , that the mess that the 11th turned into probably masked it.  Also I  suspect  that B2 wasn’t the right instructor for him.  He was B2’s only student as a Buff IP, and Brian spent most of his flying career in T-38’s .

Alas we all used to joke about how it was wise to sell your property under the flight path because of the upheaval in the training at Barksdale and the lack of attention to what was right and earned through years of trail, error and blood.  I don’t think we truly meant it though.  I enjoyed living under the traffic pattern and loved to watch the Buffs fly.

I believe that this accident, the nuke buffoonery the fratricide in Africa, the accidental bombing of the dam ect. ect. are all related to the same problem.  Some how, some where the focus of leadership turned from getting the job done to getting promoted.  Oh I guess there were always people who thought that there personnel glory was more important than service to your country and to the pride of being the best aviators on the planet. However the ones who did serve always outnumbered the goons and were able to overcome the stupidity.

How many of us experienced ORI’s were the stupidity would get so bad everyone was sure that a bust was imminent.  Then the ‘crew dogs” would get an chance to do what they did best…fly. Then all was good and the celebration was on. The physics of flying is pure…you get it right or you get dead.  You can’t bulls**t your way past the laws of nature.  That is part of why we as a group (aviators) were so harsh an had the sharpest criticism for those who tried to be part of us and didn’t have the skills.  In times of stupidity the crew dog was always the one who straightened it out and made it work.

Who was it that tried to explain this in one of the stupid meetings at the 11th?  Can’t remember his name only his face.  He stood up in the meeting and declared “ You can’t feed me a s**t sandwich and then accuse me of having bad breath!”   He also relayed a story about how they got a screwed up mission to Diego,  to attack Iraq.  He relayed that everything about the plan and the leadership was bad.  But because of the training and the fortitude of the Buff crew concept that the crew dogs made it work spectacularly. Of course what he was speaking out against was the willful destruction of the crew concept by those who felt they knew better then the thousands that came before.

There were others who spoke out too…Jim Blackwood, John-boy most notably.    Alas this we have all vented about before to no avail… now the damage is done.  Well more to come on this subject as the accident report comes out.

Cheers

Ponch

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11. July 2008 by The Chuck.

A couple of weeks ago my youngest told me that she was almost 20.  I said, “Yep, you’ll be 19 in a couple of weeks, you’re almost 30.”

I’m staying plenty busy with the job at the AOC.  It does keep the budget in the black, but I seem to have almost no time to write.  Still, I’m taking a class on writing novels at BPCC.  I’m learning plenty and have decided to completely rewrite my novel using the techniques that have been passed on to me.  I should be done in a couple of years.

Maybe less.

I could tell you stories that would surprise you.  I used to say, “nothing will surprise me,” but I’ve learned not to say that ever again.  It’s a bit like tempting God … you really don’t want Him trying to surprise you.  I’ll save those tails for a different time.

My webpage have been getting a lot of hits lately.  When I write about international stuff, especially things that discuss the upcoming war with Iran, I get more hits.  I guess that is feedback to keep me focused.  Hopefully, you guys are enjoying my political commentary a little.

Bob Goss has his website up, he said he would like a little feedback … http://justia-attorneyforveterans-com.justia.net/

I hear he’s working a deceptive trade practice suit against the CIA … or something like that.  Rumor has it that it involves a flying saucer. Or maybe I’m just making that up.

Did any of the rest of you get 450 emails from Freebird about the B2 crash?  Man.

James, no sucide notes from the VA to me.  Maybe it’s only for tall guys?

Jim, they discovered gas in Dogwood, they’re giving all the property owners $8950 an acre and a split of 20% of the profits … timing is everything.  You didn’t sell your mineral rights did you? 

Have a great month you guys.

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25. June 2008 by Ponch.

All,

Sorry for the late BoB entry.  It’s been pretty busy here with the log jam of aircraft that needed to be fixed and pushed out the gate after the crash standown.   Now that the news is out, Yes it was an pitot tube problem, except the B-2 doesn’t have pitot tubes like a normal jet.  It has a weird collection of flat air data panels with small holes that work something like a pitot tube.  Because the jet is all electric and -robot like- the data from the air data tells the computers which way is up down, left right and (where the mother ship is!-).  Neglecting to remove the water from the holes before a baseline reset is preformed is probably a bad thing, all things considered and 1.3 billion dollars later. But what are ya gonna do…I guess fire the Chief and the Secretary is a start.  Mmmm let me splain…no too long…let me sum up.  Three B-1’s one B-2 and half a B-52 raydome some lost nukes and misdirected nuke parts….ect ect;  yup time for some new leadership. 

On another less happy note…time for the weird and strange in “your’s truly” battle with the fickle finger of fate. God really hates me I guess.  Today I got an e-mail from…not my boss…but my Boss’s Boss, the head of the whole unit out here.  Seems he was laid up in New York city at the airport when he should meet and enjoin in casual conversation with another traveler.  Of course he mentioned he is the director for the B-2 bomber Mx facility at Palmdale CA.  The would be traveler then related that “he” used to fly B-52’s.  Where upon the “Director” stated that he knows a B-52 pilot (former) who works for him.  Names passed back and forth and who do you think was the former B-52 traveler…none other the former Captain Mark Casady!!!!! Yes the same Mark Casady that was blinded and lost his flying career due to a paint-ball shot by…you guessed it!  ME!!!! During Project Warrior 1987 (remember Mike Leffler POC for PW87!!). (For those who were not there, the whole paint ball thing started with Capt Linwood Mason Shooting me in the leg at the same time I tried to shoot back while ducking and covering from Mark, who was on the other side of a bush on the - hill behind the base shopette - about six feet from me—my unlucky shot hit Mark right smack in the eyeball as he had lost his protective eye guard a few minutes before.)  I e-mailed the Boss that I did know Mark and had painful memories of the time ( not as painful as Mark’s but pretty bad!!) Leffler and I got arrested by the skycops for assault on an fellow officer.  We then had to stand before the wing commander as he read a message from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that paintball was banned from all DoD facilities because of the loss of a B-52 pilot.  The last rumor heard about Mark - years ago - was that he had taken the loss of his eyesight and career pretty bad… which resulted in a divorce and drinking allot.  Mark was a lawyer before he earned a pilot training slot—The last e-mail I got from the Boss stated simply:  Mark is looking for me.  I can’t imagine what Mark was telling the Boss about my earlier days in Oscoda MI.  Yes God truly hates me.

Later..maybe;-)

Ponch

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