Boo Om Op the Perato E BOO 2 Rs Ma OM SI 2012 Aking C IGNA Contac L Ct Worldwide
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The BOOM SIGNAL 2012 “Boom Operators Making Contact Worldwide” 33rd EDITION THE 2012 BOOM SIGNAL IS DEDICATED TO: all the Booms who have retired or will retire this year. Your service to this country and dedication to our career field is greatly appreciated, you will be sorely missed! 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (**Denotes no unit submission) Base Organization Affiliation Page Dedication 1 Table of Contents 2 Prep for contact 6 Reader Disclaimer 7 Altus AFB 97 OG AD 8 54 ARS AD 97 TRS AD 730 AMTS AFR AMCAOS Det 2 AD DRG Civ Northrup Grumman Civ Andrews AFB National Guard Bureau** AFR 23 756 ARS ANG Bangor ANGB 132 ARS ANG 27 Battle Creek ANGB 217 AMS ANG 31 Birmingham IAP 106 ARS ANG 32 99 ARS AD Boeing Seattle Civ 35 Wichita Civ Buckley AFB HQ ARPC AD 37 Creech 18 RS AD 38 Edwards FLT TEST CENTER AD 39 Eielson AFB 168 ARS ANG 41 Fairchild AFB 92 ARW/OG** AD 44 92 ARS AD 2 93 ARS AD 509 WPS ANG 116 ARS AD DRG Civ Forbes ANGB 117 ARS** ANG 56 Gen Mitchell IAP, WS 126 ARS ANG 57 Grissom ARB 72 ARS AFR 59 74 ARS AFR Guam 36 MRS AD 65 Hickam AFB 203 ARS ANG 66 96 ARS AD Hurlburt Field MOB OPS SCHOOL DET 1 AD/Civ 69 Kadena AB 909 ARS AD 70 Kelly Field 313 FLTF AFR 73 Lackland AFB 344 TRS AD 74 Lincoln ANGB 173 ARS ANG 76 MacDill AFB 91 ARS AD 81 63 ARS AFR Madrid CASS/ADSI Civ 88 March ARB 336 ARS AFR 90 912 ARS AD McConnell AFB 22 ARW AD 96 344 ARS AD 349 ARS AD 350 ARS AD 384 ARS AD 18 ARS AFR CAE Civ McGhee-Tyson ANGB 151 ARS ANG 117 McGuire AFB 2 ARS AD 120 32 ARS AD 3 76 ARS** AFR 78 ARS** AFR 141 ARS ANG 305 OSS/FTU AD 621 CRW AD Flight Safety Civ Osan AB 607 AOC** AD 138 Pease ANGB 133 ARS ANG 139 64 ARS AD Phoenix ANGB 197 ARS** ANG 143 Pittsburgh ANGB 171 ARW ANG 144 RAAF Amberley 33 SQN AD 147 RAF Mildenhall 351 ARS AD 148 Ramstein AB HQ USAFE/A3TV AD 152 Randolph AFB HQ AETC/A3VM AD 153 HQ AETC/A3ZM AD Rickenbacker ANGB 145 ARS ANG 155 166 ARS ANG Salt Lake ANGB 191 ARS ANG 160 Scott AFB HQ AMC Boom Operator CFM AD 162 HQ AMC/IG AD HQ AMC/A3TK AD HQ AMC/A3NR AD HQ AMC/A3VK AD HQ AMC/A5QX AD HQ AMC/A6IM Civ USTRANSCOM** AD 18 AF AD 618 AOC (TACC) AD 108 ARS ANG 906 ARS AD Selfridge ANGB 171 ARS** ANG 179 Seymour-Johnson AFB 77 ARS AFR 180 911 ARS AD 4 Sioux-City ANGB 174 ARS ANG 188 Tinker AFB 10 FLT TEST OC/ALC AD 191 185 ARS** AFR 465 ARS ANG Travis AFB 6 ARS AD 197 9 ARS AD 70 ARS AFR 79 ARS AFR 621 CRW AD Flight Safety Civ Tyndall AFB 601 AOC ANG 214 Wright-Patterson AFB AMC Test & Eval SQ AD 215 KC-46 Directorate AD/Civ Appendix 1 Boom Operator Memorial 217 Names Appendix 2 Boom Operators Prayer 220 Appendix 3 Boom Operator Coin/Card 221 Rules Appendix 4 Tanker Units 222 5 2012 Prep for Contact Welcome to the 33rd Annual 2012 Boom Signal. This is my second edition as editor and as expected I made a few rookie mistakes, like listing the 63rd ARS at MacDill as a Guard unit when they are in fact a Reserve unit, my apologies. I would like to welcome several new units who have submitted to the Boom Signal this year. We have a few units making their first submission, some units from other tanker programs, and a few we haven’t heard from in a while. Some of the new units include 33 SQN at RAAF Amberley Australia, CAASS/ADSI in Madrid, 730th AMTS at Altus, DRG at McConnell and Fairchild, and HQ ARPC at Buckley AFB, CO. I haven’t made any drastic changes from last year’s signal, however you may notice the class roster is no longer part of the boom signal, access to the roster has been restricted. In case you haven’t heard, we finally have a KC-135 Boom simulator! The first Boom Operator Weapons System Trainer (BOWST) became operational in Jan of this year at McConnell. The device is the first boom simulator of its kind able to log flying events. With flying hours soon drying up, this will be a major player for currencies. BOWST is not just for practicing EP’s, it will dramatically speed up MCT by preparing new Booms for fighter cert quicker, completely certify Booms in MPRS, and give better training for IB upgrade. A1C Josh Garrett at McConnell AFB was the first Boom Operator to log a contact while in his MCT training. Immediately following, all Boom Operators at McConnell were able to update their MPRS currency among other things in BOWST. BOWST #2 was completed at Fairchild in Apr and is now ready for training as well. Take a look at the McConnell BOWST on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWeuNU4AjFQ AMC will install BOWST #3 and #4 at Altus and they will be ready for training by the end of this year. Baby booms in training at Altus will be able to refuel all receiver types, accurately accomplish BDA and MPRS, and experience emergency procedures well before they actually fly in the aircraft. I would like to thank all the participating units for their 2012 Boom Signal inputs. We continue to be under manned and over tasked, yet you still managed to take time and contribute to 2012 Boom Signal- THANK YOU! Burnsie MSgt Ernest Burns Boom Signal Editor HQ AMC, Scott AFB, IL [email protected] 6 READER DISCLAIMER: Be advised the individual compiling the BOOM SIGNAL is not responsible for the content of any entry submitted for publication. The Unit’s submissions were edited for format, spelling, and compiled in logical order. However the original content was left wholly intact. The spirit of the BOOM SIGNAL is for the Units to express themselves in a manner befitting the family of Boom Operators (aka, anyway we see fit). To that end, please remember; “nothing is too cruel if it’s funny enough”. The Boom Signal Editor 7 ALTUS AFB, OK 97 Operations Group CMSgt Bruce Zahn: Chief Zahn is the one man that is literally dieing to get out of Altus. He seems to be over his minor heart “issue” now. Anyone that doesn’t believe it can come over to the gym and watch hiim pound out the miles on the treadmill. Chief has finally been offically pardoned from pergatory (upstairs OG office) and will join Capt Zahn and the girls this fall in Germany as he assumes OG Superintendent duty at Spandalem. CMSgt Brian Buss AFRC Liason: Chief Buss has been in the seat for around six months but has already set the rcord for most parts lost from a KC-135R bfore being fully spun up as an FTU insstructor. Brian’s job mainly focuses on the important duties of consoling students (wipping their eyes with soft tissue) after they taco their check rides. The FTU is glad to have Chief Buss in the seat. He’s been invaluable in “helping” the active duty instructors embrace TFI. MSgt J.D. Harston (OGV) aka Santa Clause: Not sure what this guy does (other than drink allot of coffee and try to out hand guesture the Chief) as he is always seen occuping “His” seat in Rueckeert’s office. If someone is sitting in it, nothing is said but the seat is soon vacant so he can assume his position. He will be retiring in July and will be headed to Nebraska. We will miss you and good luck. 8 ALTUS AFB, OK 54 ARS “Jesters” 2011 AMC RODEO’s “Best KC-135 Winng” and “Best Tanker Wing” Trophies Winners…Again! 54th ARS Boom Leadership: CMSgt Mike Morris: Chief loves Altus so much he refuses to leave. He volunteered for a remote to Korea and even that got denied. Maybe he will pick up an assignment this next go round…yep, good news. He will be moving to a higher elevation, unfortunately for him it is only 20 feet higher as he will be taking over for Chief Zahn upstairs as the OG Superintendentn this summer. He is soooo excited….. (S)MSgt Chris Rueckert: On pace to become CMSAF someday...maybe as soon as tomorrow. For now, he will settle with running the Squadron when Chief Morris moves to the Group. Hasn’t even pinned on Senior yet, but is already studying to make Chief and outrank Docken. He will be PCSing to Fairchild and already has created an Excel flow chart for all the booms there. The rest of us here feel so sorry for them. MSgt Fred Ramey aka Loc Ness Monster: When he’s not seen flying he’s…not seen at all. Sometimes we have to send a runner to his “trailer by the reservoir” to ensure he’s still alive. Fred is still the 1st Sgt and manages to keep the buffoonery somewhat under control. It seems the booms in the squadron given him such a workout that he will be taking an early leave of absence by retiring this fall. Good luck annd we’ll see you down the road.