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 Jan 2014

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:

CWA MID-AMERICA CHAPTER PG 1

CHIEF WICKHAM ADDRESSES CWA BANQUET PG 2-5

Inside this issue:

Built Ford Tough PG 5

First Guardian Angel

Delivered

PG 6

Vehicle News & Videos

on the Web

PG 7

AFRL Enhancing Safety PG 8

Chasing the Dragon

Lady

PG 9-11

Snuffy’s Corner PG 12

TRUCKIN’ ON Dedicated to the Men and Women

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

New CWA chapter established

at Scott AFB

by MSgt Matt Hicks (2T1)

Truckin’ On members it brings me great

pleasure to introduce the newest chapter

of the Convoy Warrior Association

(CWA). This chapter hails from the

Midwest and is based out of Scott Air

Force Base, Illinois. The first official

meeting was held on 10 October 2013 at

the Scott Enlisted Club lounge.

The first event supported by the CWA

Mid-America Chapter was the Veteran’s

Vigil run which took place over a 24 hour

period, sponsored by AFSA. During the

30 minute block (0030-0100 hours) on

2 November, the 15 Convoy Warriors

carried the US and POW/MIA flags

proudly, running and belting Jodie’s to

commemorate the sacrifices of those that

paid the ultimate price.

As it stands now, there are six chapters

across the world and we are looking for

continued growth. Why you may ask?

As with the previous wars before us,

signs of PTSD, drug and alcoholism

addiction, and suicides reared their ugly

heads as time went on.

These veterans had limited mental health

and treatment avenues available to them.

The emergence of support groups

provided a social network for them to

share common experiences.

It created a forum for veterans that

understood each other’s plight during

these wars. That is the importance of

creating a Convoy Warrior Association; it

establishes a support mechanism for the

men and women involved with these

convoy operations, regardless of service,

to bring their experiences, lessons

learned, and provide time to spend in

reflection with fellow professionals.

It also provides them an opportunity to

honor and keep the memory alive of

those fallen combat convoy warriors.

What is the best way to get started?

Contact one of the CWA chapters and

ask how they got the ball rolling. They

are happy to share anything they can to

help you get up and running. Another

step you can take is contacting your local

FSS and inquiring about requirements for

starting a professional organization.

If you would like more information about

CWA, please contact MSgt Matt Hicks at

matthew.hicks.1@us.af.mil.

Convoy Warrior Association—Mid-America Chapter

Truckin’ On Reunion

3-7 Nov 2014

Las Vegas, NV

Interested Members

Sign-up NLT 3/31/14

1 Jan 2014

Chief Wickham Addresses CWA Banquet

Editor’s Comments: CMSgt Matt Wickham addressed a

Convoy Warriors Association banquet held at Lackland AFB,

TX on 18 Aug 2012. Although over a year ago, we thought his

speech was a fitting complement to MSgt Hicks’s lead article

on page one. The following is printed with Chief Wickham’s

permission.

Good Evening.

Col Hardrath, Col Kelly, CMSgt Jordan,

CMSgt Davis, MSgt Wallace, fellow

Chiefs and Convoy Veterans, thank you

all for attending tonight's banquet. It's a

privilege to have so many Air Force

warriors under one roof. I'd like to

especially say "Hello" to the family members attending. You

are the corner stone of our lives and you keep us grounded,

"Thank You" for sharing this evening with us.

Fifteen Transportation Chiefs in the same place at the same

time…and it isn't even happy hour; my how times have

changed.

The past 18 months have been extremely challenging for our

Air Force vehicle communities. Beginning in March 2011 we

had A1C Zac Cuddeback taken from us at Frankfurt Airport by

a terrorist. A few days later a magnitude 9 quake and tsunami

crippled Japan.

At Misawa Air Base a group of operators and maintainers that

had returned from convoy duty the day prior jumped into action

and transported food, water and medical supplies thru snow

and debris filled roads.

On 17 December we facilitated the final departure of US

Forces from Iraq when the last Air Force led convoy safely

crossed the border. The next day Operation NEW DAWN

ended as the largest retrograde of US cargo, vehicles and

personnel the likes of which had not been experienced since

1945 with the end of World War II. And on 6 March of this

year the line haul mission was declared "Complete" and the

70th and 424 Medium Truck Detachments and 387 ELRS

were inactivated ending a 9 year experience.

Over the past 24 years I've been extremely fortunate to have

served the Air Force Transportation and Logistics communities

in many ways. I started out as a 17 year old truck driver but

over the years I progressed thru the ranks working all sections

of Vehicle Operations, a wing staff, two MAJCOM staffs and

even a year running a Vehicle Management Flight. During the

first half of my career if someone ever told me I could expect

to serve three tours with the US Army, I'd say they were crazy.

Who could have guessed that Air Force Transporters would

become involved in a protracted ground war working for a

sister service that had become infatuated and heavily

dependent on our men and women?

Chief Lowery…I'm using big words so allow me to explain

what infatuated means. According to Webster's Dictionary…

You know the dictionary… that big red book you use to prop

open your office door??? It states that Infatuated means to

inspire with a foolish or extravagant love or admiration for

another.

What better way to describe the love/hate relationship we

eventually developed with the Army Transportation Corps?

This evening I will attempt to bookend the Air Force Operation

IRAQI FREEDOM convoy experience by sharing a few key

points that explain just how and why the Air Force was tasked

to perform the in-lieu-of convoy mission along with a few

roadblocks the first Gun Truck Airmen faced. Then I'll jump to

the final days of the line haul mission and describe just how

similar the beginning and ending became. Finally I will present

you with some challenges we face not just as a Transportation

community but specifically as a group of combat veterans

working hard to capture our shared history while we also

re-learn our Air Force occupations.

Many of you in this room joined after convoy duty was in full

swing and may be unaware of just how this mission originated.

Often our Airmen were simply told that the Army had a

Transportation shortfall or that our Air Force leaders had sold

us out to the Army. The truth is actually quite different.

Receipt of RFF Mission:

In early 2003 the Air Force approached the Army requesting

the use of around 2,000 soldiers to defend CONUS Air Force

installations. This was due to our Security Forces being

deployed to defend an ever increasing number of steady state

bases in Southwest Asia. An agreement was reached to

provide National Guard Artillerymen for a two year period or

until the Security Forces pipeline could grow an additional

3,000 Defenders.

By the summer of 2003 the roles reversed and the Army

needed experienced truck drivers and mechanics for their

Light-Medium Transportation Companies. The Army no longer

had spare manpower as they had just loaned many of their

National Guardsmen to our Security Forces. Shortly thereafter

the Army approached Air Force leadership and requested

Transportation manning assistance.

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1 Jan 2014

Chief Wickham Addresses CWA Banquet

Around October 2003 Headquarters Air Force/A4 was tasked

to determine if the LRS community could fulfill this

requirement. They in turn directed the Air Combat Command/

Transportation Division to compare the similarities and

shortfalls between an Army Transportation Company and an

Air Force Vehicle Operations Flight along with an associated

Vehicle Maintenance package.

It was quickly determined the Air Force could temporarily

provide manpower from three AFSCs (2T1 Veh Ops, 2T3

Veh Maint and 2S Supply). Unfortunately Air Force tactical

vehicles, crew served weapons and maintenance equipment

simply didn't exist for LRS units to deploy en mass.

First Wave & Army Reception:

In January 2004 all tasked active duty, guard and reserve E-2

thru E-7 2T1s and 2T3s were sent to Ft Leonard Wood,

Missouri to attend an abbreviated 88 Mike course. They were

to be taught how to operate and maintain the 900 Series 5 Ton

Truck and the HMMWV. This training was a complete disaster

as the 88 Mike instructors treated the Air Force personnel as

brand new recruits instead of qualified tractor-trailer drivers and

mechanics. At the same time a handful of SNCOs and CGOs

identified for leadership positions were at Ft Eustis, Virginia

attending an abbreviated Basic Transportation Officers Course.

Their training was productive and beneficial but yet again the

instructors were unsure how to instruct Airmen. Hopefully you

are starting to see the developing pattern here. Meanwhile

back at HQ ACC, Air Force logistics leadership…and I'll leave

the general unnamed at this time… made it a point to direct

our newly formed team leaders to keep all Airmen away from

crew served weapons and out of the gun trucks as only the

Army was capable of performing this dangerous job.

I'll be honest; I left his office torqued off feeling like the coach

had just told his prize team to go play the championship game

with one hand tied behind its back. Little did any of us know

just how accurate his words would become and how the

deployment would play out?

Once in Iraq the Army Transportation Corp quickly realized

they had a group of dedicated men and women that could do

the job despite the lack of training, inadequate vehicle

protection and an ever adapting enemy. This is when the

Army truly began their infatuation and dependence on our

Airmen.

This mission was tough, unrelenting and with absolutely no

down time. Our assigned tactical vehicles were totally

inadequate.

Most trucks had sandbags and if the crew was lucky it had a

little ARMOX plating welded to the doors. Maybe one out of

10 trucks was equipped with a radio while one out of 40 had

some rudimentary ECM system. None of them were air

conditioned making life very unpleasant at 120+ degrees.

It embarrasses me to say this, but many of our Airmen showed

up with M-16A1 rifles. Where is Chief Lund at? Brother, I

owe you a case of beer for procuring those 500 A2 rifle bolts

from Army stocks. If you hadn't fixed that mess, we would still

be sitting out at Udari Range waiting for AFCENT to get off its

rear to equip us.

Actually this lack of training, old weapons and ineffective

personal protective equipment become a selling point for the

many visiting generals. They listened and took our issues

back to the HAF so that future spirals would be better

prepared.

Over time the mission, vehicles and training changed as the

Army and our Airmen settled in for a long war. The number

and duration of the convoys was eventually reduced, new

up-armored vehicles became common place, COMM systems

were improved in both quality and quantity and route

clearance teams drastically cut down on the road side

ambushes.

Jumping ahead 7 years to the spring and summer of 2011

things began to heat up again as the number of missions and

the number of enemy attacks increased. Many of our

veterans back on their 2nd, 3rd and 4th tours started to use

the word déjà vu at their mission pre-briefs.

Surge and Drawdown Operations:

With the President’s newly designated December 2011

departure deadline approaching, the maintenance crews had

their hands full keeping the tractor-trailers fully mission

capable.

I'd like to take a moment tonight and say how impressed I am

with our Air Force mechanics, specifically the SrA and SSgts

that operated the Maintenance Bobs. You repaired the trucks,

pulled security, engaged the enemy and even kept us fed

while offloading in the cargo yards. I will forever be grateful

for what you all accomplished over the years. You are the true

unsung heroes of the convoy mission.

By October 2011 the final convoy crews were on constant

rotation with little or no down time, driving from FoB to FoB

pulling out all the items that many of them had originally

trucked into Iraq at some time over the previous 15 spirals.

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1 Jan 2014

Chief Wickham Addresses CWA Banquet

Conditions on the Iraq FoBs quickly deteriorated with dining

facilities and transient living areas shutting down, the fuel

pumps turned into self-service and the Iraqi Army began to

move in and take possession of the camps. Many of the

crews were back to sleeping in or under their trucks and

eating MREs. KBR road side assistance and Quick Reaction

Force support fluctuated out on the Main Supply Routes as

the northern bases folded up and their personnel went to

Kuwait.

On numerous occasions our Airmen were the last US

personnel on the FoB. On one particular mission to FoB Delta

our Airmen watched as the gate guards, QRF and Movement

Control Team members walked from their various posts and

climbed onboard awaiting helicopters leaving the convoy team

to watch as they departed. As the only coalition presence left,

this in effect made the Air Force convoy commander the

Senior US leader on the ground and in charge of FoB Delta.

Now that has the making for one hell of an EPR leadership

bullet!

At this late stage the enemy was still active and evolving their

tactics trying to get their last few hits in. Thanks to upgraded

armor, ECM and new MRAPs the enemy made little impact on

our retrograde operations. When that final Air Force and Joint

Logistics Force 6 convoy arrived at K-Crossing a tremendous

burden lifted from our shoulders as we realized the next Spiral

gearing up for BC3 wouldn't have to deploy and would get to

spend the holidays with their families.

By 17 December 2011, Air Force personnel had conducted

Line Haul operations for 74 consecutive months. Here are

their Combat Statistics:

2,063 Logistics Patrols Accomplished

2,978,279 Tons of Cargo Transported

474 Enemy Attacks

187 IED Attacks

135 SAF Attacks

152 Mortar/RPG/RKG Attacks

105,227,476 Command Miles Driven

In late December the Truck Detachments entered a new reali-

ty. To most of us it felt like a second deployment with in a de-

ployment as the crews conducted local Kuwait missions and

prepared for inactivation. Meanwhile the S-Staff was busy

trying to identify, account for then dispose of 6 years

accumulation of Army and Air Force assets. We are talking

about 78 thousand line items costing over $38 million.

Computers, body armor, 500+ rifles and handguns, 80

thousand rounds of ammunition, Combat Life Saver kits,

MREs, a conex of Sugar Free Rip-its, 280 tactical and

commercial vehicles along with two complete maintenance

bays and a mobile armory. The detachments accomplished

this task 3 weeks ahead of schedule, validating what 300

Airmen from 56 bases and 10 different AFSCs could

accomplish in just a 60-day period.

Through a tremendous amount of team work, sweat, blood, a

few tears and a lot Army BS, the Truck Detachments and

S-Staff actually served as the Joint Logistics Task Force

guinea pigs by developing, executing and documenting how a

Truck Company shuts down.

One final time the Air Force Truck Detachments set the

standard for their Army sister companies to emulate. Now

that this monumental task is behind us and our Airmen are

redeployed, it's time to consider what lies ahead.

New Challenges:

Last Spring I was afforded the opportunity to visit the 2T1 Tech

School at Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri and watch the newest

Airmen graduate. Part way thru the ceremony it registered

with me that this is the first group of Airmen that won't

experience convoy duty in Iraq. This new generation will face

different challenges and most likely a different enemy some

time in their future. Because of this realization I'm going to

lay down a few challenges here tonight.

1) To our SrA: As the newest and final group of JET

veterans, please take the time to bridge this gap between the

wartime Air Force and the post-OIF Air Force. Work with our

newest Truckers and Mechanics so they are prepared for both

peace time operations and future ground conflicts. Pass on

our shared mistakes and hard learned experiences so that this

new generation won't have to start from scratch as we did.

2) To our NCOs: Serving at the tactical level you take the

brunt of the responsibility at making the in-garrison mission a

success. You guide and educate the Airmen entrusted to you.

Your numerous deployments have turned you into battle

hardened leaders that have much to share. I ask that you take

every opportunity to expand your knowledge of Vehicle

Operations and Vehicle Management.

Be ready for the pending budgetary shortfall along with any

new military operations that always seem to pop up. I'll

caution you however that the next war might not be fought in a

desert environment. So don't train the Airmen to fight the last

war.

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1 Jan 2014

Chief Wickham Addresses CWA Banquet

3) To our SNCOs: Specifically in the 2T1 career field, we are

at a cross-road. Over-manned and actively re-learning our

primary Air Force duties, now is the time to share your

collective convoy experiences with corporate Air Force. This is

important as instead of waiting for the generals to tell us what

will become of our career field we must be ready to tell them

what we are going to do with our career field. Let's show our

leaders what we are capable of.

4) To our CGOs: As our LRS ranks continue to thin and the

budget restrictions go into effect, be ready to lead us into this

new era. Your logistics Airmen are the best ever produced by

any Air Force in the world. Combat hardened, technologically

savvy and highly educated…ready to take on the world.

Please give this new generation a chance to work for and

impress you. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

As we look to our challenging future, think about where our

civilian and military leaders are beginning to focus their

attention. We are transitioning from the sands of the Middle

East to the vast expanse of the Pacific and Arctic. For many of

us here tonight our generation studied and prepared to fight the

Soviet Union and North Korea. Later we pivoted to Southwest

Asia with Desert Storm, OEF and OIF. Well get ready to switch

gears again as our leaders begin to see China as a potential

world rival. Please pass on to your Airmen that it's time to

brush up on 2,300 years of Chinese history and their many

dialects.

In closing this evening, I hope for those of you that joined the

service after 2004 now understand just how and why the Air

Force was tasked to perform the in-lieu-of convoy mission.

To our civilians, retired comrades and family members,

hopefully you enjoyed hearing about the final days of the line

haul mission and got a glimpse of just how similar it was to the

early Wild West days in Iraq. I'm confident to report that your

Logistics Airmen, NCOs, SNCOs and CGOs are ready and

able to accept the new challenges that face the Air Force, the

United States and our allies.

After almost a decade of convoy operations across the Middle

East, it's hard to imagine Airmen are no longer rolling up and

down MSR Tampa, Sword, Irish or Milton. But, as we all know

"seeing is believing" and after seeing that final combat logistics

patrol roll into K-Crossing on 17 December and then watching

as the ELRS and Detachments colors were cased on 6 March,

I'm happy to say our convoy teams have successfully

accomplished their mission and are finally home from Iraq.

So before this evening ends I ask that we all take a moment to

charge our glasses and give a toast of thanks to our comrades

in arms.

To our brothers and sisters that paid the ultimate sacrifice and

to those currently in harm's way, we say "Thank you" and "Until

we meet again!"

It's a true pleasure to serve with such a dedicated group of

men and women and to meet many of your families this

evening. Thank you for your service and your many sacrifices.

Good night.

Built Ford Tough! Ford’s Willow Run Plant Produced B-24s at Record Pace

submitted by Bob Thomas, MSgt (Ret/2T3)

Here’s a bit of World War II history for aviation buffs, and it has

an automotive connection.

It’s a little known fact that Ford had its own pilots to test B-24

Liberators it was building for the ARMY at the rate of one every

55 MINUTES!! This was BEFORE Pearl Harbor at Ford's B-24

bomber plant in Willow Run, Michigan.

Henry Ford was determined that he could mass produce

bombers just as he had done with cars.

He built the Willow Run assembly plant and proved it. It was

the world's largest building under one roof. This film will

absolutely blow you away - one B-24 every 55 minutes.

ADOLF HITLER HAD NO IDEA THE U.S. WAS CAPABLE

OF THIS KIND OF THING.

See YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/iKlt6rNciTo?rel=0.

5

1 Jan 2014

First Guardian Angel Rescue Vehicles Delivered to Nellis

Test, evaluation squadron receives first

Guardian Angel Air-Droppable Rescue Vehicles

by Airman 1st Class Jason Couillard 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- The 88th Test and

Evaluations Squadron received the first set of Guardian Angel

Air-Deployable Rescue Vehicles in the Air Force's inventory Nov

12.

The GAARV is a multi-purpose utility vehicle intended to help

combat search and rescue teams retrieve individuals that have

been isolated and can expand the ability to quickly reach further

into the battle space to provide a more mobile rescue capability.

"The GAARV may provide capability enhancements for

maneuverability, force protection and technical rescue

capabilities within the ground domain," said Capt. Francis

Hallada, the 88th TES Guardian Angel Test Division

commander.

Operational testing of the GAARV will start in March 2014 to

evaluate its suitability and effectiveness for the Guardian Angel

weapon system.

The GA is a non-aircraft, equipment-based weapon system and

is organized into nine specific capabilities -- prepare, mission

plan, insert, movement, actions on objective, medically treat,

extract, reintegrate, and adapt.

"The GAARV is the first multi-purpose tactical ground vehicle

intended to support combat search and rescue operations and

other Guardian Angel missions," said Master Sgt. Michael

Butler, the 88th Test and Evaluations Squadron Guardian Angel

Test Division section chief. "This delivery marks the first

vehicles delivered for operational testing of a new combat

search and rescue capability that ultimately may enhance the

Air Force's personnel recovery core function."

The new vehicle can enhance mission effectiveness as well as

have dual roles. The vehicle will be able to move through rubble

and debris fields during humanitarian assistance and disaster

relief efforts to transport survivors and rescue equipment. "The

(GAARV) may be employed in a variety of physical

environments across the range of military operations," Hallada

said. "During a major combat operation, the vehicle has the

potential to provide a capability for the rescue team to keep

terrain and distance separation from enemy forces in order to

provide enough time for the recovery package to reach the

objective area."

The mission of the 88th TES is to maximize HH-60 Pave Hawk,

HC-130 Hercules, and the GA weapon systems capability by

fielding combat-ready solutions to combat search and rescue

forces through innovation, test and evaluation, and tactics

development in order to perfect lethality, survivability, and

sustainability of the nation's forces. With the first GAARV on

hand, the combat search and rescue team members who use

this equipment will be able to remove isolated individuals

quicker, which in the end could save lives.

Brandon Johnson, BC Customs designer, explains the specifications of the

Guardian Angel Air Deployable Vehicle to Airmen that will be using it for training

and real-world situations Nov. 12, 2013, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The vehicle

will be able to move through rubble and debris fields during humanitarian

assistance and disaster relief efforts to transport survivors and rescue equipment.

(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jason Couillard)

Senior Master Sgt. Robert Bean, 88th Test and Evaluations Squadron

superintendent, examines the Guardian Angel Air Deployable Vehicle Nov. 12,

2013, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The purpose of the 88 TES is to maximize

HH-60 Pavehawk, HC-130 Hercules, and Guardian Angel Weapon System

capability by fielding combat-ready solutions to combat search and rescue forces

through innovation, test and evaluation, and tactics development in order to perfect

lethality, survivability and sustainability of the nation’s forces. (U.S. Air Force

photo/Airman 1st Class Jason Couillard)

6

Vehicle maintenance keeping the wheels rolling

by Staff Sgt. Michael Means

380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Editor’s Comments: Due to seven photos with captions, this

article is too long to print in its entirety; therefore, we’ve

provided a link to the official news story below.

http://www.afcent.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123371817

380th ELRS Veh Mx Team….Mission Accomplished!

1 Jan 2014

Vehicle News & Videos….on the WebVehicle News & Videos….on the WebVehicle News & Videos….on the Web

Best Garage Ever!

submitted by George McElwain, CMSgt (Ret/472)

Ed Brown's Shop

Location: Apollo, PA — about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Please take note of all the artifacts along the walls of the shop.

Tractor Pull

submitted by Reade Holzbaur, WS-12 (Ret/2T3)

Remember tractor pulls at the county fair? Well, here’s one

for you. An 850 H.P. John Deere diesel vs. a steam tractor

rated 18 H.P? It's all about torque and traction….enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=FLQhvruimfs

Spill Drill

submitted by Ralph Celento, CMSgt (Ret/2T1) This link is great for so many of us. I hope you take a

serious look. The Bus Ride Maintenance Magazine is where

I found it. Although it focuses on buses, many of the articles

and videos are applicable to other commercial vehicles and

general safety practices.

PIG Video: http://www.youtube.com/v/cTfWT93pC1A?autoplay=1&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&playerapiid=ytplayer Bus Ride Magazine: http://busridemaintenance.com/

Military Motor Pool

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

I found this video on Hulu. It was apparently a show on the

Military Network a few years ago. I’ve never seen it before

but found it interesting. It’s hosted by two restoration experts

and collectors of military vehicles, Tom Townsend and Alan

Bonney. Notice the old Air Force cracker box ambulance

in the opening scene.

If the link below doesn’t work for you, go to the Hulu

homepage and type Military Motor Pool in the search engine.

It’s a long video (24 minutes) and you’ll have to watch about

30 seconds of commercials in the beginning...still good stuff.

http://www.hulu.com/search?q=Military+Motor+Pool

Acceleration

submitted by Larry Kearns, Col (Ret) Ever wonder why a Top Fuel dragster gets a rebuilt engine

after each run?

Ford drivers know; they have to do it all the time!

Stay with this—even if you aren't a 'Ford nut' this is

stunning.

http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t55123210/

acceleration-explained-one-for-the-petrol-heads/

Editor’s Comments: If you find interesting vehicle related

news or videos on the Internet, please send them to me and

we’ll do our best to feature them in future newsletters.

CLICK HERE

7

1 Jan 2014

AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB (AFRL) ENHANCING SECURITY

AFRL Challenge Develops Vehicle Halting

Systems

Source: Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology

Transfer (FLC)

Website: http://www.federallabs.org/news/top-stories/articles/?

pt=top-stories/articles/0108-01.jsp

Uncooperative or erratic drivers present a potentially lethal

dilemma for our security forces. The commander of the Air

Force Research Laboratory challenged the junior work force to

produce a solution to improving traffic control at vehicle

checkpoints. The Vehicle Stopper Program produced several

nonlethal systems to ultimately transition to forces at

checkpoints defending U.S. assets around the world.

One system, called the Barricade and Sign Kit (BASK), is an

innovative traffic management and communications tool to be

used at entry/flash checkpoints. BASK consists of collapsible

barricades to direct traffic flow, and two variations of signage,

written in the native country's dominant language. One sign

variation, positioned with the pivot close to the ground such that

a vehicle passing over it will not be harmed, also provides an

audible alert to the driver. The other version is highly collapsible

and when expanded will produce a large surface area to exhibit

information.

The second device, the Vehicle Disabling Sled, will actually stop

a vehicle without causing harm to its passengers. The Sled

utilizes a button-activated vehicle immobilization device. If a

vehicle attempts to overrun a checkpoint, the device can be

triggered to catch the vehicle and prevent its wheels from

contacting the ground. The device then slides on the ground

until it is stopped by friction.

Lightweight and easily deployed, BASK and the Sled are

intended to mitigate the escalation of force at checkpoints.

Current methods of stopping threatening vehicles at checkpoints

are limited to spikestrips, nets and caltrops. Less effective than

the Sled, these are more costly, bulky, and less discriminating to

the intended vehicle. The unpredictable nature of threat vehicles

at checkpoints makes the Sled an easier and more effective

method of evaluating a driver's intent.

BASK and the Sled are being evaluated by the Marine Corps,

Joint Non-lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD), and Air Force

Battlelabs.

The Marine Corps utilizes BASK in its field training sessions

while a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement

(CRADA) with Universal Safety Response, Inc., has been

finalized.

The CRADA will make BASK available for users to order

directly.

The Vehicle Disabling Sled currently has a patent pending

(number PRS-146), and is being further developed for transition

to the field in cooperation with the JNLWD.

The intent of the AFRL commander's challenge was to provide

creative solutions to address urgent needs in the global war on

terror while enabling invaluable early career experience to

scientists and engineers.

Nicholas Tarasenko of the Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland

Air Force Base, N.M., spearheaded development of the Vehicle

Disabling Sled.

Lieutenants Chris Prosser, Sensors Directorate; Scott

Vanhoogen, Air Vehicles Directorate; and Greg Moran,

Aeronautical Systems Center, all located at Wright-Patterson Air

Force Base, Ohio, worked to transition the BASK.

These individuals are dedicated to transitioning the technologies

in hopes of improving the safety and combat effectiveness of

our security forces.

More info: Mary Archuleta, 505-846-8056.

Email: mary.archuleta@kirtland.af.mil

A test run is made on the Air Force Research Laboratory's nonlethal

barricade vehicle halting system near Fort Huachuca military base in

Arizona during the Commander's Challenge Final Demonstration.

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Editor’s Comments: This article from Motor Trend

Magazine features the legendary U-2 chase car. I chose this

particular article because it’s current; however, there are

several other websites with stories, photos, and videos about

the chase car. For those who are interested, I will provide links

to this website and others at the end of this article.

Chevrolet Camaro SS, U-2 Chase Car

Cold War Hot Pursuit: Camaros, Spy Planes, and the Men Who Fly Both

By Scott Evans | Photos By Brian Vance | From the

January 2014 issue of Motor Trend |

It's not unusual in my line of work to be traveling at wide-open

throttle in a car with more than 400 horsepower. It is rare,

though, to find myself doing that all the way around a corner.

It's extremely rare to do it while chasing down a jet, and yet

here I am tearing down a runway at full tilt behind a landing spy

plane.

I'm in the passenger seat of a Chevrolet Camaro, and,

thankfully, the guy driving has done this a few times. "OK, and

that's 10, eight, eight, eight, six, four, two, two, two," Lt. Col.

Jon Huggins calls out over the radio. He's in the other "Mobile,"

an otherwise stock Chevrolet Camaro SS upfitted with a yellow

light bar and military radios. Mere yards ahead of him, a

Lockheed U-2 spy plane hovers just above the runway before

suddenly dropping to the earth. Along with the man at the stick,

Huggins is a U-2 pilot, and none of this is for show; it's an

everyday job.

"It's actually a lot of work," my driver, Lt. Col. Mikko LaValley,

tells me. "You're going 100 mph, I'm driving with one hand, I've

got the radio in the other hand, and I'm calling out distances

and giving him advice."

The question, of course, is why this elaborate, multi-spatial,

vehicular dance is taking place. The answer is twofold. The first

reason is that the U-2 is an incredibly difficult plane to fly, even

for the guys who've been doing it a long time.

"The main challenge is below 10 feet -- that's why they call it

the Dragon Lady," Capt. Brandon (his last name is withheld for

security reasons, as he's an active-duty pilot) says. "It's elbows,

hands, feet -- everything is working together just to keep the

plane going straight and landing on the runway. It's completely

unique. There is no other plane in the world -- in the history of

aviation -- that has the same flying characteristics as the U-2."

Landing a U-2 is no easy task. Unlike most other planes, the

U-2 only has two permanent landing gears, lined up as on a

bicycle, rather than three sets of landing gear, arranged like

tricycle wheels, as on other planes. The big wheels up front

support most of the plane's weight, while the smaller,

"skateboard" wheels at the back steer the plane. Continued

“The main challenge is below 10 feet -- that’s why they call it the Dragon Lady.”

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1 Jan 2014

The U-2 lands on its tail wheels first because the rudder, which

steers the plane while it's in the air, stops working at low air

speeds and on the ground. On top of that, the pilot has to

balance the plane on its two sets of wheels. While the wingtips

have titanium skidplates should they drop on the ground, it's

possible for a wingtip to dig in and whip the plane around. Once

the plane is stopped off the runway, a crew comes out in a truck

and installs the "pogos," basically metal sticks with little wheels

on the bottom that plug into the wings and hold them up while

taxiing. The pogos fall off when the plane takes off.

SUIT UP

Because of the extreme altitude, U-2 pilots wear gear that resembles a space suit. Pilots receive sustenance during 10-hour stints via disposable

tube.

The second reason for the Camaro chase cars is visibility.

Because the U-2 flies at 70,000 feet, the pilots have to wear

what is essentially a space suit. With the helmet, the fact that

they're strapped in tight, and the limited field of vision through

the plane's windows, it's difficult for pilots to look down and

judge how high they are off the runway. "Put yourself in a

sleeping bag, put oven mitts on your hands and a fishbowl on

your head, and go sit in a closet for 10 hours, and you'll get

close to the experience," says Lt. Col. Colby Kuhns. "That said,

the closet doesn't have nearly the view. The view makes it all

worth it."

In an ideal U-2 landing, the pilot holds the landing gear just 2

feet off the ground, then yanks back on the yoke to stall the

plane and drop it onto the runway. "On any given day, we could

do that without a Mobile," says Kuhns, "but it's that one day that

pilot may not be on it. If you stall that aircraft from 4 feet, you're

probably going to bend something.

You stall it from 6 or 10 feet, you're really going to break

something, so having that car there is really a safety check for

us to make sure we're getting down into that zone and not

dropping in in a plane that has $250 million worth of sensitive

sensors on there."

"A lot of times it's not just the top-end speed," Kuhns explains.

"We need the Camaros, or something with a sizeable engine,

because you want to be able to catch up if you do it wrong. In

all honesty, I can probably do it with a three-cylinder if I have

enough run-in time to match his speed, but if I get out there

onto the taxiway and let's say there's a bunch of fighter jets

lined up in my usual path and I have to shorten my path all the

way up, now I have to go from zero to probably about 100 mph

in a real short span, and if I do it wrong, then he's gonna be

way down the runway, and I'm not gonna be able to give him

very good calls. I can only lead the jet so much."

There's also the issue of learning how different cars handle.

Though the squadron currently has a fleet of Camaros, there

are still a few Pontiac G8 GTs left, as well as the odd Pontiac

GTO. Some pilots like the GTO best, though others say it's the

most prone to spin.

The G8s are well-liked because of their excellent outward

visibility, but they're slow compared with the Camaros, which

are hard to see from. When deployed to other bases, pilots can

be faced with more choices.

At regular stops, they'll have cars waiting, mostly Audis and

Mercedes-Benzes in Europe, for example. At other bases

where they don't normally deploy, they'll load two of the

Camaros into a cargo plane and ship them over.

Continued

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1 Jan 2014

Then there's the question of weather. Making that same run in

through big puddles and driving rain ups the challenge

considerably, and it's not unheard of for a chase car to spin out.

"You feel bad, because if you spin, you can't be down there to

help the guy land, so he's on his own," says Captain Brandon.

Unparalleled capability, ability to deploy anywhere in the world,

and the highest-flying conventional plane ever built: Flying the

U-2 is a privilege few pilots will ever enjoy. Which is better:

flying the plane or chasing it in the car?

"They're both equally as exciting," Captain Brandon answers.

"The plane, every time you're flying it, it's an adventure. Some

days, you fly the plane; sometimes the plane tries to fly you. As

far as the car, other than being a race-car driver, nowhere else

can you go to work, drive a car, get up to maybe 120 mph while

holding a radio in one hand and giving calls. The cornering

effect, even in a race car, you rarely hit a corner and turn 90

degrees basically at full speed. They're both equally as exciting.

It just depends on the day which one was more fun."

Editor’s Note: This article and others can be found at the

following websites along with additional photos and videos.

Motor Trend

http://www.motortrend.com/features/

performance/1310_chevrolet_camaro_ss_u_2_chase_car/

Just Plane History

http://justplanehistory.blogspot.com/2009/11/u-2-chase-

cars.html

Jalopnik

http://jalopnik.com/5537629/the-140+mph-chase-cars-of-the-us-air-force

Memories: The Chevy El Camino was the U2 chase car in

the ‘70s and ‘80s. I couldn’t find an actual photo, but it was

similar to the car pictured below.

U-2 "Dragon Lady"

Height 16.7 ft

Wingspan 103 ft

Maximum weight 40,000 lb

Cruise speed 475 mph

Payload 5000 lb

Cruising altitude 70,000 ft

Range 7000 mi

Lt Col Colby Kuhns

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1 Jan 2014

Snuffy’s CornerSnuffy’s CornerSnuffy’s Corner

Stories

Wanted

Never a Dumb Question

by Kevin Fecteau, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

George AFB was in the process of closing down in 1991, but

training for new mechanics continued until the last vehicle was

transferred.

Amn Snuffy was under me for upgrade training. He sometimes

showed streaks of brilliance and sometimes that of a burnt

taillight. This day he was changing a leaking airline on the front

of a GMC Top Kick 5 ton. After he clearly explained how he

was going to accomplish the task, I let him change out the line.

As it was toward the end of the day Snuffy was the last one

finishing up his work. We inspected it and it appeared to be

done correctly. I asked him what he needed to do next and that

quizzical look came upon his face. "SSgt Fecteau, I have a

dumb question," to which I responded, "There is no such thing

as a dumb question, ask away.” Now mind you there are about

10 mechanics and the shop super had just come out to see how

the day had gone. In the dead silence and with all ears

listening he asks, "Now that I've changed the airline, do I need

to bleed the air out of it?" Ten mechanics and one

superintendent went running for the door with cackles and

laughs. Needless to say, I no longer use that line.

To Jack or Not to Jack?

by Kevin Fecteau, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

Amn Snuffy arrived at Minot about the time I became a newly

minted Buck Sgt around 1985. He was assigned as my first

trainee of three that year. I can recall him but not the other

two. Amn Snuffy unfortunately had eyeglasses that were thick

enough to possibly start a fire with them.

I had been working with him on conducting annual safety

inspections. After many days of walking him through safely

jacking up a vehicle and using the jack stands, he begged me to

let him complete a brake inspection by himself. The shop

civilian supervisor warned me to keep an eye on him but to

keep working on my vehicle.

Amn Snuffy went clanging by with a 10 ton jack and two jack

stands. I briefly watched him set his jack stand in front of the

vehicle and prepare to jack it up.

He was working on a Dodge Ram Charger (Dodge’s attempt at

a SUV), which had exceptionally long locking hub

assemblies. Soon, I hear the air gun removing the lug nuts and

all seemed well.

Shortly thereafter I get a call to go check on his progress. Amn

Snuffy almost had the right front tire removed, but I notice that

his face is now red; he's sweating and cussing up a storm. He

stands up, looks at me, and asks if the tires are always this hard

to remove. The tire at this point is about two inches from

coming off the hub. At that point I ask Amn Snuffy when he

planned on jacking up the vehicle and actually using the jack

stands. Unfortunately, Amn Snuffy didn't quite cut it as a GP

mechanic.

Whoops!

by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

As I’ve said before, Amn Snuffy tends to strike whenever the IG

is around and he proved my theory correct while stationed at

Kunsan.

I learned that one of my former first sergeants was on the IG

team, so I wanted to make a good impression by providing him

with personal, first-class transportation service from the terminal

to the billeting office. I asked one of my guys (Amn Snuffy) to

have our Jeep detailed and ready for inspection. Well, it looked

great on the day of the team’s arrival, so I proudly drove it to the

terminal to pick up my former first sergeant.

This was in winter and the ground was already covered with

snow and ice. As he stepped into the Jeep, his left leg went in

one direction and his right leg took the opposite route; in other

words, he did a split. He tried to catch himself and as he did,

his briefcase went flying. This all happened in a split second

(no pun intended).

Yes, Amn Snuffy had put Armor All on the rubber floor mats!

Well, the first sergeant, and now IG team member, recovered,

gathered up his briefcase, and carefully got into the Jeep.

As I drove away, we chatted and caught up with each other’s

careers. In the back of my mind, however, all I could think

about was the incident and that we were dead meat. But the

inspection turned out fine. As for Amn Snuffy, well, let’s just say

that we also chatted.

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