On the cover: U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rebecca Roberts, an aerial porter with the 177th Fighter Wing, stands after a simulated rinse of her M50 gas mask during a contamination control area exercise on Jan. 10, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Shane S. Karp)

JANUARY 2016, VOL. 50 NO. 1

THE CONTRAIL STAFF

177TH FW COMMANDER COL . JOHN R. DiDONNA CHIEF, PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAPT. AMANDA BATIZ EDITOR/SUPERINTENDENT, PUBLIC AFFAIRS MASTER SGT. ANDREW J. MOSELEY PHOTOJOURNALIST TECH. SGT. ANDREW J. MERLOCK

PHOTOJOURNALIST SENIOR AIRMAN SHANE S. KARP

AVIATION HISTORIAN DR. RICHARD PORCELLI

WWW.177FW.ANG.AF.MIL

This funded newspaper is an authorized monthly publication for members of the U.S. Military Services. Contents of The Contrail are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the 177th Fighter Wing, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Depart- On desktop computers, click For back issues of The Contrail, ment of the Air Force. The editorial content is edited, prepared, and provided by the Public Affairs Office of the 177th Fighter Wing. All Ctrl+L for full screen. On mobile, and other multimedia products photographs are Air Force photographs unless otherwise indicated. tablet, or touch screen device, from the 177th Fighter Wing, tap or swipe to flip the page. please visit us at DVIDS! A clean slate, unconditional trust, Airman to Airman by Col. John DiDonna, Wing Commander

vey responses, in 2016 I am going to focus I have high confidence in ALL of you – I comes great responsibility. It is up to YOU, on several areas of improvement within trust all of you have fully committed to ME, each one of us to defend that trust our Fighter Wing; you will hear more serving your country and this Fighter through our actions – actions which are about those areas in the coming months. Wing. rooted in integrity and fairness, do not dis- My commitment to addressing these areas criminate, and are 100% committed to giv- I challenge you to start off 2016 with an (and hopefully improving them) will be but ing our very best effort in serving our open mind, with a clean slate, and ask you one of my New Year’s resolutions. One country and each other, each and every to unconditionally trust each other as fel- specific area I need your help with is build- day. If we do this, and we all preserve/ low Airman to execute the mission. If we ing TRUST; trust in leadership and trust in maintain that trust, Airman to Airman, we start from a point of trust, we can inspire each other. Trust has many definitions, will surpass the excellence you have al- one another rather than be suspicious of one being “a person in which confidence is ready achieved. one another’s motivations and reliability. I placed”. All of us here at the 177th Fight- trust all of you are committed to military Again, thank you for providing me a ton of er Wing have been entrusted to proficient- service in order to defend the Freedoms material to positively communicate – a ly accomplish our federal and state mis- bestowed upon us. ALL of you belong to a perk I will never take for granted! Oh, and sions – a massive responsibility! Each one group comprised of less than 1% of our if you read last month’s article, Santa still of us plays a vital role in successful mission Happy 2016 177 Fighter Wing Airmen! I country’s population – those that serve in intends to grant my one gift of a Super- accomplishment. Many of you have differ- hope all of you had an enjoyable holiday the U.S. military. You should be extreme- bowl 50 win for the Patriots, despite their ent AFSCs, many of you work in specific season and were able to start the New ly proud and honored to be one of the few areas within your Squadrons/Flights, most struggles as of late  Happy New Year Year in celebration. My wife was thor- who serve. The least we owe each other, of you are in various Groups, but ALL of us Jersey Devils!! oughly impressed I made it to midnight Airman to Airman, is trust; and with trust make up the 177th Fighter Wing team! this New Year’s Eve; vice my usual, star- Without coordinated efforts from ALL of ing at the back of my eyelids by 2200! I you, our TEAM would cease to function. want to thank you for your service in One perk of being a Wing commander is 2015 and the results driven by your receiving feedback on and communicating efforts– I feel we had a great year with positive mission performance. Often respect to mission accomplishment! times a commander will receive credit for Many people make New Year’s resolu- his or her Wing/Group/Squadron/Flight’s tions this time of year, usually centered performance. But, I promise you, a com- on diet and fitness. If that is you, I wish mander (including me) will have nothing you the best of luck in reaching your positive to communicate without a lot of goals! Based on your recent DEOCS sur- Airmen working together, as ONE TEAM – Lt. Col. Diana Brown Takes Command of 177th MSG

Story and photos by Tech. Sgt. Andrew J. Merlock, 177th FW Public Affairs

ATLANTIC CITY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.J. – Members of the 177th Fighter Wing gathered in the main hangar to take part in the Mission Support Group (MSG) change of command ceremony on December 5, 2015. Col. Patrick Kennedy, vice commander of the 177th FW, turned over command of the group to Lt. Col. Diana Brown from Col. Michael Love, who is retiring later in the month. “Diana couldn’t be more suited for command with her background,” Kennedy stated. “She has grown through the enlisted ranks, became a senior NCO then first sergeant. That type of experience is unbelievable for her to have as a group commander.” been told this change of command is about me, but I'm not Brown, the former deputy MSG commander, addressed the so sure. It’s really about you and the support I can give you to crowd for the first time as their commander. meet your mission and goals.” “I am truly humbled standing here before you chosen to Brown spoke of the mission of the MSG as well as her represent the 177 Mission Support Group,” said Brown. “I've expectations as commander. “We need to be ready and our number one mission is readiness in being prepared to answer whatever call mother Air Force has for us as our goal,” Brown explained. “Whether you are an airman or officer, we surround ourselves with the core values, integrity, service before self and excellence in all we do. And I will expect nothing less of all of you as well as myself.” The MSG consists of the Civil Engineering, Force Support, Logistics Readiness and Security Forces Squadrons, in addition to the Communications Flight. “We are a very diverse group of squadrons, from our training to our mission, but we all have a common goal to support the wing and ultimately ensure the planes can fly.” Story and photos by CONTAMINATION control Senior Airman Shane S. Karp U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ken Emmons reacts after being sprayed with a simulated decontamination spray, Jan. 9. 2016, on Atlantic City Air U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jesse Arnstein, right, helps, decontaminate Senior Airman Rebecca Roberts, left, in a simulated exercise, Jan. 9. National Guard Base, N.J. The simulated decontamination was part of the 177th Fighter Wing's participation in contamination control 2016, on Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, N.J. The simulated decontamination was part of the 177th Fighter Wing's participation in area training. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Shane Karp/Released) contamination control area training. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Shane Karp/Released)

More than 20 members from the 177th Fighter Wing Contamination Control “The training was designed to be a ‘walk’ session, but by the end of the day we Team donned their Mission Oriented Protective Posture, or MOPP, gear, Jan. 9 were near ‘run’ mode.” Arnstein said. as part of contamination control area training here. The contamination control area team is a diverse group of Airmen, including troops from civil engineering, communications, flight support, logistics, and Training consisted of several simulated decontamination areas, and ensured security forces, as well as Airmen from the 227th Air Support Operations Airman on base are able to successfully operate a decontamination line in the Squadron. event they are exposed to any type of dangerous chemical agent, said U.S. Air Arnstein further described the team’s efforts as “outstanding,” and with a Force Lt. Col. Jesse Arnstein, the officer in charge of the contamination control wing inspection planned in the upcoming months, it will be important for the area team. contamination control area team to continue with their progress.

- Be thorough in your explanation of their state militia duties. Members will be more likely to stay motivated if they know exactly what they will be doing and what to expect. Use this opportunity to teach mem- bers about community issues or issues they may have at home. Trust and confidentiality are critical. May I suggest the following for motivation enhancements for 2016: - The potential impact of their work is always something that they want to hear. Have a member from the community come in and share their story to thank them!

- Good communication with our members is essential to helping them - Invite the Chaplain to come in and conduct a service for them or just stay enthusiastic and inspired and should take place as frequently as talk to them. possible - Thank them for volunteering by giving them some type of award if - The deeper the personal connection you can develop, the more engaged possible! the members will be during this home station deployment, and the greater the potential for future member participation. - I will come down and do some motivational talk, if you wish.

- Keeping members motivated throughout any challenge. It largely a function of keeping them informed of the progress that is being made. Contact your Wing Director of Psychological Health, Doc Andy Savicky for additional For example, put up a progress board. stress management guidance and resources: Call 609-761-6871

- Communication from senior leadership with data. May be a WAG, but it or email [email protected] for a confidential and free appointment motivates members. in Building 229 by the Gym.

- Bring them all together as often as possible to review job role and prac- tice techniques that will be useful, Such as THE AIRMAN’S MANU- AL. While waiting conduct some team building exercises. Story by Dr. Richard V. Porcelli

s explained in the last installment of this The 119th Fighter Squadron and the Thud article, the F-105 Thunderchief holds the dubious distinction of being the only US Air Force aircraft ever withdrawn from combat Part 3: Wild Weasels, Thunderbirds and Air National due to attrition. While the last single-seat F A -105D was withdrawn from combat in 1970 Guard Service the two-seat F-105F/G’s continued the fight including missions over Laos well after the Paris Peace Ac- cords ending the were signed on 27 January 1973. The last two-seat Thud was not with- drawn from Southeast Asia until 29 October 1975. The longevity of these F-105s in combat is attributa- ble to their superior performance in the demanding Suppression of Enemy Air Defense [SEAD] mission, more popularly known as “Wild Weasel.” Wild Weasel Thuds Soon after RF-101A Voodoo photoreconnaissance flights noted the typical pattern indicating possible surface-to-air missile [SAM] sites under construction in North Vietnam, the Air Force and Navy started to develop a response. Due to the ill-conceived rules of engagement prohibiting attack of sites under construction, efforts to destroy the SAM sites had to wait until they were operational and, unfortu- nately, had already downed attacking US aircraft. The initial response therefore was to fit individual aircraft with electronic countermeasure [ECM] or jamming pods. Due to limited success of the pods, which required the strike aircraft to maintain a precise formation to maximize the jamming effect, the next step was the development of dedicated aircraft and tactics for the destruction of opera- tional enemy radar and missile systems. Originally going by the name “Project Ferret” (denoting the predatory mammal that goes into its prey’s den to kill it) these Wild Weasel missions began in the fall of 1966 using pathfinder aircraft, initially two-seat F-100F Super Sabres equipped with radar detection gear and a rear-seat Electronic War- fare Officer, known as the EWO, who handled the elec- tronic countermeasures. These F-100Fs (known as the Wild Weasel I) would lead a flight of heavily armed F- 105Ds, usually loaded with rockets and cluster bombs that went after the identified sites ahead of the attack force. The Wild Weasels basically put themselves in

F-105G Wild Weasel of the 6010 TFS, 388 TFW takes off from Korat AB with a load of AGM-78 Standard ARM and AGM-45 Shrike missiles. (USAF) “harms way” by tempting the North Vietnamese defenders ARM missile-armed two-seat F-105G Thunderchief accompa- Thunderbird F-105s ter struck the team. As the Thunderbird diamond formation to shoot at them so that the Weasels could locate their posi- nied by one (or more) bomb and rocket-pod toting - F 4E approached the runway, the team leader Maj. Paul Kauttu in tion and destroy the SAM site. The EF-100F pathfinders Phantom “shooters.” (If you recall, by this time in the war Going back to before the war in Southeast Asia, in May 1963 Thunderbird 1, pitched up to begin the team’s tactical break were equipped with Applied Technology Inc.’s radar warning the single-seat F-105D had been withdrawn from combat the Air Force made the decision to reequip the Thunderbirds for landing. After a planned few seconds gap, the leader’s and homing system and panoramic scan receivers; this com- due to attrition.) with the Thunderchief to replace the team’s F-100C Super left wingman, Capt. Gene Devlin flying Thunderbird 2, fol- bination could identify and locate North Vietnamese radars lowed the leader and began his tactical pitch up. Just frac- After the end of the war in Southeast Asia, the Wild Weasel Sabres, thereby becoming the one and only Mach 2 capable and SAM guidance systems. Basically, their mission was to tions of second into this maneuver, his F-105B (serial 57- Thuds remained in Air Force service until 1984; by then they flight demonstration team in the world. For that purpose, ‘fly into the teeth’ of the fiercest air defense system in exist- th 5801) suffered catastrophic failure of the spine of the fuse- were replaced by the F-4G Phantom which later provided nine F-105Bs were withdrawn from the 4 TFW who was ence, ‘light up the North Vietnamese radars’ and then attack lage above the bomb bay. The aircraft disintegrated and invaluable SEAD during the first Gulf War. Since the retire- then in the process of re-equipping with the F-105D. The the sites with missiles, rockets or cluster bombs, before the Capt. Devlin was killed. Although the actual cause was un- ment of the Phantom in 1996, the Wild Weasel role contin- nine jets were sent to the factory in Farm- North Vietnamese had the chance to launch their SAMs. As known, investigation showed that while still with the 4th TFW ues in the form of the Block 50/52 F-16CJ Viper, known as ingdale, Long Island for modification. Their serial numbers can be imagined, Wild Weasel losses were heavy. this aircraft had suffered damage to the fuselage spine dur- the Super Weasel. With a crew of one, this latest Weasel were 57-5782, ‘787, ’790, ’793, ‘797, ’798, ’801, ’802, and ing an air-to-air refueling in turbulent weather; the damage With the bombing halt initiated by President Johnson in relies on sophisticated electronics to replace the back seat ‘814. 1968, the need for the was subsequently repaired before the jet was transferred to EWO. Three At Republic, the F-105Bs were modified for the air demon- Wild Weasels was re- the Thunderbirds. It was never concluded that this was the squadrons of the stration role by removing the M61 Gatling gun and associat- duced. But the need cause of Capt. Devlin’s accident. The other eight aircraft 20th FW, based at ed ammunition drums and feed mechanism, as well as the reemerged in a big way were immediately grounded and the team quickly transi- Shaw AFB, along MA-8 Fire Control System. Two 50-gallon oil tanks for the when President Nixon tioned to the F-100D Super Sabre for the remainder of the with the South Car- smoke system and ballast were added to the nose where the ordered a full resump- 1964 show season. olina ANG’s 169th guns and ammunition had been located. A baggage com- tion of the bombing FW based just partment was installed in the bomb bay, as was a bin for All remaining F-105Bs in Air Force service, including the sur- campaign in 1972 in down the road at carrying a spare drag chute (to make turnarounds at remote viving Thunderbird aircraft, were immediately subjected to response to the North McEntire ANGB, bases faster); and new radios were added that allowed com- Project Backbone that replaced the splice plate on the fuse- Vietnamese Tet Offen- continue the proud munication among the team’s jets as well as the internation- lage spine with a newer, stronger design. Although the mod- sive. Earlier, since the tradition that is al civilian control towers. Another modification was the inte- ified F-105Bs could have been returned to the Thunderbirds EF-100Fs were limited reflected in the gration of the F-105D’s new FC-5 Flight Control System. Also, for the 1965 season, the decision was made to stay with the in how much ordinance Wild Weasel’s offi- the flaps were strengthened so that they could be extended F-100D until it was replaced by the McDonnell F-4E Phantom they could carry and cial motto “First In, at speeds up to 500 knots, well beyond the usual 280-knot in time for the 1969 season. were too slow to keep Last Out.” limit, for greater flexibility in performing the precision ma- up with the strike air- The unofficial Wild neuvers. A high-pressure gaseous oxygen system was add- craft (F-105Ds and later Weasel motto, ed, and the fuel system modified to allow prolonged inverted F-4E Phantoms), the “YGBSM” dates flight. The afterburner was also modified to eliminate the Super Sabres were re- back to the early normal 5-second lag in ignition. The rudder limiter was mod- placed with two-seat F- days of the pro- ified to allow greater authority in certain phases of flight and 105F Thunderchief, Hunter-Killer team of Wild Weasel F-105G (foreground) and F-105D “shooter” gram and it is the stronger landing gear of the D model installed. Four of which received the des- on his right wing. (USAF) attributed to a the nine jets also had the tail fin’s aluminum leading edge ignation EF-105F after former B-52 Elec- replaced with stainless steel so that these aircraft could fly in 76 were converted by tronic Counter Measures [ECM] operator who volunteered the slot position directly behind the leader’s exhaust without addition of the extensive suite of electronic countermeas- to be a Wild Weasel EWO who exclaimed “you gotta be sh--- fear of heat damage. ures. They were again redesignated as the F-105G, also ‘n me” when told he had to squeeze into the backseat of an known as the definitive Wild Weasel III. They provided inval- The modified F-105Bs were delivered to the Thunderbird F-100F and sit behind a crazy pilot who was ‘acting as bait’ uable support for the Linebacker I and Linebacker II cam- team at Nellis AFB on 16 April, just ten days (!) prior to the for SAMs over North Vietnam! As noted in last months arti- paigns that eventually drove the North Vietnamese to the start of the 1964 show season. Although this did not leave cle, two F-105 pilots, both flying the F-105F in the Wild Wea- negotiating table. Without the suppression of North Viet- much time for pre-season training the first five shows of the sel role, were Medal of Honor recipients, while their back- namese defenses by the Wild Weasels, the employment of season (Norfolk NAS, Pensacola NAS, Ft. Bragg, Shaw AFB An F-105B sits on the Republic Aviation ramp in Farmingdale, seaters were awarded the Air Force Cross. Wild Weasel the Boeing B-52G Stratofortress over Hanoi and Haiphong and McChord AFB) went without a hitch; the audiences en- crews also achieved air-to-air kills flying the two-seat F-105F, Long Island, while undergoing conversion to Thunderbird during Linebacker would have been impossible. The need joyed the spectacular shows put on by the 6 team members: with Major Roger Huntley/Capt. Ralph Stearman claiming a during February 1964. (USAF) for SEAD was so intense, the limited number of available F- four diamond formation aircraft and two soloists. MiG-17 and Capt. Phillip Drew/Maj. William Wheeler down- 105Gs resulted in the formation of “hunter-killer” pairs, with ing a MiG-21, both in December 1967. Unfortunately, at the end of the sixth show of the season, an ECM equipped, AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard this one at Hamilton AFB (north of San Francisco, CA), disas- Below: Classic photo of new Thunderbird F-105B over Lake Mead, April 1964.

Right: Inverted Thunderbird F-105B over Nellis Range, 1964. (USAF Photos) The Thud Joins The Air National Guard then from front line Air Force service, they equipped fighter over his flight leader and then plunge into the Atlantic Ocean squadrons of the Georgia (128th TFS), Kansas (127th TFS) and in Warning Area R-4006, off the Delmarva coast. His remains th With the replacement of the F-105B in squadron service by the Virginia (149 TFS) Air National Guard. were not recovered and the cause of the accident remains unknown. Another loss occurred on 5 February 1980 when Lt. definitive F-105D, the 90 or so surplus B models (including the The NJANG units successfully and rapidly converted to the Col. Lee Morgan successfully ejected (from 57-5830) while on former Thunderbird aircraft) ended up parked at Seymour- Thud without the benefit of a two-seat trainer for transition to final approach to McGuire AFB when the stabilizer augmenta- Johnson AFB, NC. Since the B model was so different from the this large, high performance aircraft. Due to its size compared tion control system failed. On 7 April 1980, while on ade- later single-seat D and two-seat F models of the Thud, the F- to the previous aircraft, special service stands had to be built. ployment to the Dugway, UT training area, Lt. John Mansfield 105B’s training value was limited. Only a few F-105Bs were In addition, specialized maintenance skills also were devel- successfully escape injury after ejecting just seconds prior to retained at McConnell AFB, KS, to support conversion training oped. New Jersey Air Guard pilots flew their Thuds hard, with his jet (57-5791) impacting a ridgeline. Apparently, he was but these were retired in late 1969. almost daily trips to Warren Grove Range and numerous de- following his flight leader in a low level, banking turn when he ployments to exercises with the “Big Air Force” at Nellis AFB, Meanwhile the New Jersey Air National Guard’s two tactical realized he would not clear the terrain. fighter squadrons, the 141st TFS at McGuire AFB (flying the F- Shaw AFB, Seymour-Johnson AFB and elsewhere. th But above all, the Thud was an impressive airplane both on 86H Sabre) and the 119 TFS at Atlantic City ANGB (flying the F But its use by the 141st and 119th TFSs was not without its chal- the ground and in the air. It was a large, stiletto shaped air- -100C Super Sabre) were looking to replace their aircraft with a lenges. There were continuing engine problems that present- plane that looked, even parked on the ramp, like the Mach 2 more modern, higher performance type. ed difficulty in diagnosis. The NJANG invested $7,500 in equip- aircraft it was. A retired F-105 pilot called it “an honest air- ment for engine oil spectral analysis to provide advanced Maj. Gen. Don Strait was a famed WWII ace. Born in New Jer- plane, once the bugs were taken out! It was the fastest air- warning of potential engine failures. The New Jersey Guards- sey, he piloted a P-51D Mustang named Jersey Jerk for 13.5 craft around and its gun was great.” credited kills in the European theatre of operations. Sadly, he men got so good at it that regular Air Force units began send- “flew west” at age 97 on March 15, 2015. But in 1964 he was ing engine oil samples to New Jersey for analysis. And it was noisy! This author recalls a number of McGuire AFB airshows in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the commander of the New Jersey ANG. He came across the F- And there were losses of both NJANG F-105Bs and pilots … highlight was the performance of four NJANG F-105s, starting 105Bs sitting idle on a remote ramp at Seymour-Johnson AFB many of them. On 16 January 1970 Maj. William Dimas, flying with a thunderous, smoky four-ship takeoff, diamond for- and decided that they would make ideal mounts for “his” 57-5788, was killed when he flew into the ground while ap- mation loops and other maneuvers and ending with scream- NJANG. When he questioned the Air Force about what was proaching a target on Warren Grove Range when a light plane ing pitch-ups prior to landing. More than once, at least in this wrong with those aircraft, he was told “they needed over 300 that strayed into the restricted bombing range airspace dis- author’s opinion, the New Jersey F-105s almost “stole the TCTOs (time compliance technical orders) to be accomplished tracted him. On 2 February 1971 Col. Arthur Martone success- thunder from the Thunderbirds” despite their fading two before they could fly and the Air Force had no money allocat- fully ejected from 57-5790 (a former Thunderbird aircraft) shade of green and tan over grey Southeast Asian camouflage ed for it.” Not dissuaded by the Air Force’s negative response, when both a fire warming light and engine overheat light illu- paint scheme. Gen. Strait contacted Republic Aviation who after some “arm- minated, the nose gear failed to retract and then the aircraft twisting” by the General subsequently volunteered their ser- uncontrollably pitched up 1500 feet from the departure end of The 141st TFS continued to fly the F-105B through 1981; at vices free of charge “just to get those airplanes flying again.” the runway. On 4 August 1971 Lt. John Anderson was killed that time they converted to the McDonnell F-4D Phantom. Although the B model had been replaced in regular Air Force when he flew his Thud (57-5796) into the ocean, 4 miles south The 119th TFS’s time with the Thud was much shorter. Their service, it was still a very capable, Mach 2 airplane – far superi- of Ocean City, NJ, after loosing his instruments and becoming transition to the fabulous Convair F-106A Delta Dart (the sub- or to what the Air National Guard units were flying at the time. disoriented in bad weather. On 26 June 1975 Lt. David Savino ject of next month’s Contrail article) and the air defense mis- The 141st TFS was the first to receive their F-105Bs, starting in survived the crash of his aircraft (57-5798) after an aborted sion began in 1972. The other Air National Guard units flying April 1964. The 119th TFS soldiered on with their F-100Cs until takeoff at Luke AFB, AZ. This former Thunderbird F-105B lost the F-105D did not retire their last Thud until the end of 1983. th this unit began conversion to the F-105B in June 1970. The thrust as the landing gear was being retracted; since Luke’s The 128 TFS of the Georgia ANG holds that honor, flying the arrival of the first Thud in New Jersey was celebrated with runway 03R was not equipped with arresting gear, the aircraft last F-105G to the “bone yard” on 14 February 1984, thus great fanfare, including the presence of NJ Governor Richard J. was destroyed when it went off the end of the runway. ending the Thud saga. Hughes and Air Force brass at the McGuire AFB ceremony. On 4 October 1975 Lt. Patrick Dunn successfully ejected from Arrival at Atlantic City almost six years later was marked with a his former Thunderbird aircraft (57-5802) after his gun more low key ceremony… and a new entrance sign on Tilton jammed on the first straffing pass over a Shaw AFB target Top: NJANG F-105B during a McGuire AFB airshow Road, complete with two model Thuds, proclaiming the range, filling the cockpit with choking smoke and prevented th (author) “Home of South Jersey’s 177 Tactical Fighter Group – Serving him from seeing well enough to land. On 26 September 1977 The State & the Nation.” All told, the NJANG ultimately re- Capt. Raymond Roche was rescued after “stepping out” of his Middle: NJANG F-105B in maintenance (NJDMVA) ceived more than 50 of the F-105Bs. The remaining aircraft NJANG Thud (57-5811) while deployed to Seymour-Johnson were flown briefly by the DC ANG’s 121 TFS and later, the Air Bottom: Tilton Road billboard with F-105 models, 1972 th AFB after his engine started to run rough and smoke seeped Force Reserve’s 466 TFS. Ultimately, as the F-105D and F- into the cockpit. On 3 March 1974 Lt. Robert Drosendahl was (National Archives) 105F/G was withdrawn from combat in Southeast Asia and lost when his F-105B (57-5836) was seen to uncontrollably roll 177th Firefighters help local community extinguish fire Story and photographs courtesy of the 177th Fighter Wing Fire Department

The 177th Fighter Wing Fire Department was dispatched to a fire in a storage facility in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Jan. 2nd, 2016, to assist two EHT volunteer fire departments. The initial response included two airmen and one fire truck, Tender 2421, to assist in the mutual aid for water supply, said Senior Master Sgt. Brian K. Alexander, chief, 177FW emergency services. It was later learned the fire was difficult to extinguish due to the 70-90 gallons of fuel on scene. After consult with the local on-scene commander, the 177FW fire department then quickly dispatched the Rapid Intervention Vehicle, one of the unit’s newest pieces of firefighting equipment, which carries class-B foam. The RIV arrived within ten minutes, and extinguished the fire in less than two minutes, said Alexander. The 177FW fire department worked closely with Cardiff Volunteer fire department and Farmington Volunteer fire department, both of EHT. Final Photo Combat controller simulator

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Joshua Derins, a tactical air control party specialist from the 227th Air Support Operations Squadron, trains in the unit's new $1.2 million Air National Guard Advanced JTAC Training System at the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, N.J., Dec. 18, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Andrew J. Moseley/Released)