2009 Boom Signal -OS-3 INCORP
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1979 - 2009 30th Anniversary Edition THE 2009 BOOM SIGNAL IS DEDICATED TO: All KC-10 & KC-135 Boom Operators who have selflessly served from 1979 – 2009! Your dedication during the Cold War years, Gulf War 1, Northern/Southern Watch, Kosovo, Iraqi/Enduring Freedom, over the last 30 years has been exemplary. You’ve never let your standards drop in this fast-paced world. Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas...Nobody! Special Thanks to Mrs. April Brown who volunteered her time to design the new Boom Signal Logo! Thanks for your support! The Boom Signal Editor 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ** DENOTES NO UNIT SUBMISSION Base Organization Affiliation Acft Type Page Dedication 2 Table of Contents 3 Prep For Contact 6 Reader Disclaimer 7 Altus AFB 97 OG/CEM ACT KC-135R 8 97 OG & OGV ACT KC-135R 9 97 TRS ACT KC-135R 10 54 ARS ACT KC-135R 11 AMCAOS Det 2 ACT KC-135R 16 97 OSS ACT KC-135R 17 Flight Safety CIV N/A 18 Andersen AFB 36 CRG ACT N/A 21 Andrews AFB 756 ARS AFR KC-135R 22 Arlington, VA ANG Bureau ANG N/A 25 Bangor ANGB 132 ARS ANG KC-135R 26 Birmingham/PEMCO 106 ARS ANG KC-135R 28 DCMC PEMCO** ACT N/A 31 Edwards AFB 445 & 370 FLTS ACT KC-135R/E/T 32 AFOTEC DET 5 ACT KC-X 33 Eielson AFB 168 ARS ANG KC-135R 34 Fairchild AFB 92 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 36 93 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 39 116 ARS ANG KC-135R 42 509 WS** ACT N/A 44 Forbes ANGB 117 ARS ANG KC-135R 45 USAF MOB OPS Fort Dix, NJ ACT N/A 47 SCHOOL Gen Mitchell IAP, WS 126 ARS** ANG KC-135R 48 Grand Forks AFB 905 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 49 906 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 51 912 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 53 Grissom ARB 72 ARS AFR KC-135R 55 74 ARS AFR KC-135R 57 Hickam AFB 203 ARS ANG KC-135R 60 MOB OPS SCHOOL Hurlburt Field ACT N/A 63 DET 1 Kadena AB 909 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 64 Kelly Field 313 FLTF AFR KC-135/KC-10 67 Key Field (Meridian), MS 153 ARS** ANG KC-135R 68 3 Center of Excellence Lackland AFB ACT N/A 69 344 TRS Lincoln ANGB 173 ARS ANG KC-135R 70 MacDill AFB 91 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 73 63 ARS ANG KC-135R 76 March ARB 4 AF AFR KC-135R 79 336 ARS AFR KC-135R 80 McConnell AFB 344 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 83 349 ARS ACT KC-135R/T, RT 85 350 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 87 384 ARS ACT KC-135R/T, RT 89 18 ARS AFR KC-135R 92 McGhee-Tyson ANGB 151 ARS** ANG KC-135R 95 McGuire AFB 2 ARS ACT KC-10 96 32 ARS ACT KC-10 100 621 CRW ACT N/A 103 76 ARS AFR KC-10 105 78 ARS AFR KC-10 108 141 ARS ANG KC-135R 112 Flight Safety CIV N/A 115 RAF Mildenhall 351 ARS ACT KC-135R/T 117 Pease ANGB 133 ARS ANG KC-135R 121 Phoenix (Sky Harbor) 197 ARS** ANG KC-135R 124 ANGB Pittsburgh ANGB 146 ARS ANG KC-135R 125 147 ARS ANG KC-135R 127 Ramstein AB HQ USAFE/A3TV ACT N/A 129 603 AOC ACT N/A 130 Randolph AFB HQ AETC ACT KC-135R 131 19 AF ACT KC-135R 132 Rickenbacker ANGB 145 ARS** AFR KC-135R 133 166 ARS** AFR KC-135R 134 Robins AFB 413 FLT TEST GRP AFR KC-135R 135 Salt Lake IAP ANGB 191 ARS (SLARCO) ANG KC-135R 136 HQ AMC Boom Operator Scott AFB ACT N/A 138 CFM HQ AMC/IG ACT N/A 139 HQ AMC/A3TK ACT N/A 140 HQ AMC ACT N/A 141 618 TACC ACT N/A 143 HQ AMC/A3VK ACT N/A 147 108 ARS ANG KC-135E 148 Seymour-Johnson AFB 911 ARS ACT KC-135R 150 77 ARS AFR KC-135R 152 4 Sioux-City ANGB 174 ARS ANG KC-135R 154 Tinker AFB 10 FLT TEST OC/ALC ACT KC-135R 157 465 ARS AFR KC-135R 159 Travis AFB 6 ARS ACT KC-10 161 9 ARS** ACT KC-10 164 70 ARS ACT KC-10 165 79 ARS ACT KC-10 167 615 CRW ACT N/A 170 Tyndall AFB NORTHCOM 601 AOC ANG N/A 172 Washington D.C. Pentagon HAF/A3O** ACT N/A 173 Wichita, KS BOEING IDS N/A KC-767A 174 Wright-Patterson AFB AMC Test & Eval Sqdn ACT KC-X 175 ACT/ANG/ Al Udeid AB 340 EARS KC-135R/T 176 AFR ACT/ANG/ Al Dhafra AB 908 EARS** KC-10 177 AFR ACT/ANG/ Manas AB 376 EARS** KC-135R/T 178 AFR Boom Operator Memorial Appendix 1 179 Names Appendix 2 Boom Operator’s Prayer 185 Boom Operator Appendix 3 187 Coin/Card Rules Appendix 4 Heritage Articles 189 Aerodynamic Effects on the Air Refueling 190 Platform Aerial Refueling 193 Class Rosters [1957 – Appendix 5 198 May 2009] 5 2009 Preparation for Contact Welcome to the 2009 Edition of the BOOM SIGNAL! This is the 30th Anniversary Edition. It’s hard to believe that this tradition has been going on that long. But, like every year now, time just flies by faster and faster every year. I want to thank all the units that participated in this year’s Edition. This is the biggest Edition we’ve had in a long time! Congratulations to all Boom Operators who’ve competed and earned promotion since last year. The KC-X contract was unfortunately put on indefinite hold by the Secretary of Defense, and who knows how long it will be delayed. The disappointing part is the fact that we’ll have to rely on our aging fleet for a little longer before a fresh new airframe is available. The Center of Excellence (CoE) is starting to ramp up to the next series of “Spirals”. The next big thing on the horizon for them is the Instructor, Evaluator and Group CEM training courses that are coming on line. The CoE is truly a one-stop-shopping for Career Enlisted Aviator (CEA) training. The Boom Operator Weapon System Training or BOWST unit #1is up-and-running at Altus AFB, still in final testing and unit #2 has been flown up from Randolph AFB and is ready to be installed in the simulator bay next to unit #1. Ultimately the BOWST will be a money/fuel saver by allowing us to scale back the number of training sorties required for Initial Qualification Training. What is on the drawing board for line units are AMC BOWSTs which are planned to be built and installed at our line units. (much like KC-10 simulators) There is also a BOSS trainer for ANG units, which will serve the same purpose. The 30th Anniversary Boom Operator Symposium was a great success! Thanks to all the hard working Booms at the FTU for hosting another great event. The guest speaker was the AETC Commander, General Stephen R. Lorenz and he provided a fantastic speech about heritage, legacy and how today’s FTU instructors are standing on the shoulders of giants, giving respect and thanks to those who paved the way throughout the history of the schoolhouse. Great, great event. For those who aren’t familiar with the BOOM SIGNAL tradition, it is a compilation of Unit inputs. It is the only one of its kind although several attempts have been made to copy it, without success. The intent of the BOOM SIGNAL is a communication link between each Boom Operator, past, present and future. It’s a historical document which started in 1979. Think of it as a history book for our community. We, as a community, need to ensure this tradition lives on. We owe it to ourselves. With that, I am profoundly grateful that I have the opportunity to continue this history. I firmly believe that the BOOM SIGNAL goes hand-in-hand with the many traditions we uphold. It is imperative that we teach our young Boom Operators about this tradition so that it will continue to live on after my generation moves on. That said, each unit really needs to make a concerted effort to submit something, anything each year. I’m puzzled as to why some units chronically do not participate. If every unit participates each year we can document the history of each unit as we go. No other career field can say that. As I’ve stated on more than one occasion; “Boom Operators are like one big family; no matter where you go; no matter whether you are Active, Retired, Guard or Reserve, you are always welcome and you always have something in common -- you are family. I’d like to extend my personal thanks to the senior booms at the MAJCOMS, ANGB and AFR for assisting me in spreading the word this year. Without that help, the SIGNAL would never get airborne. Flight Safety, Altus AFB, for supporting the Class Rosters section. Most importantly I’d again like to thank the Units that did participate for their submissions despite their continued pace of operations. One project I’m working on is to take hard copies of all existing SIGNAL’s, scan them into .pdf format and make them available for download on the website. It is a work in progress.