A SPARTAN DEATH: TYNDALL’S 2015 MASTER QF-4s sacrifi ce selves SERGEANT SELECTS: See Gulf for others | Page 2 who was promoted on Page 9 Defender Friday, July 24, 2015 TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE — HOME OF THE CHECKERTAILS Vol. 9, No. 30 325th Operations Group changes command See more photos from the ceremony on Page 4 AIRMAN 1ST CLASS SERGIO A. GAMBOA | Air Force The 325th Operations Group change of command ceremony was held July 17 at Hangar 2. During the ceremony, airmen, family members and spectators watched as Col. Robert Davis replaced Col. Max Marosko as the new 325th OG commander. The 325th OG is responsible for directing the flying and support operations for the 2nd Fighter Training Squadron, 43rd Fighter Squadron, 95th Fighter Squadron, the 325th Operations Support Squadron, and the 325th Training Support Squadron. The 325th OSS trains air traffic control personnel and intelligence officers for world-wide assignment, and supports daily operations of the group. TABLE OF CONTENTS ON FACEBOOK ON TWITTER ONLINE Raptor Games ............................. 9 Like 325FWTyndall Follow @Tyndall_325FW Find base info and Air Force news Nightlife ....................................10 for news, photos, for instant news and at www.tyndall.af.mil. See past Classifi eds ..................................12 reminders and more updates on the go editions at www.gulfdefender.com 2 | Gulf Defender Tyndall Air Force Base Friday, July 24, 2015 QF-4s sacrifice A SPARTAN DEATH selves for others By Tech. Sgt. David Salanitri military aircraft test their help pilots gain confidence the grey airframe, raw While the elements of the McCormick, a retired Airman’s Magazine staff writer abilities to engage with live and practice successfully American steel stripped of program are complex, the fighter pilot and aerial tar- munitions. firing weapons at aerial its paint, Davis feels history concept is rather simple. geting program member. TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE — The 82nd ATS’ main targets. flow through his hands and When a QF-4 is slated “The drone takes off — this No one wants to end his or customers are the pilots “Every shot you take into his veins. for a mission, civilian crew totally orange, beautiful F- her career on a low point. participating in Combat Ar- builds more confidence,” “The paint tells a story,” chiefs ready the aircraft sim- 104 — and it got shot down. Often, professional ath- cher, an exercise Tyndall Rivers said. “In knowing he says aloud, noticing doz- ilarly to any normal fighter And the guys just casually letes will retire years early hosts roughly 40 times a what a valid missile looks ens of stamps on it, signify- aircraft, starting the engines walk away. I said, ‘I mean, to avoid ending their career year, bringing in other flying like when it comes off your ing each scheduled round of and performing preflight you guys are just going to let as someone who barely con- squadrons from around the aircraft, you know what it maintenance performed on checks of the systems, with your airplane go away like tributed to the team. country, including Air Na- looks like when a missile is the aircraft while sitting in a few minor differences. this.’ They said, ‘It’s our mis- For many Spartan war- tional Guard, reserves and having trouble and can fol- the boneyard. “We have crew chiefs sion. It’s a target.’ You have riors in ancient Greece, other branches, said Maj. low up with another.” “A lot of these fighters cranking this aircraft up, to accept that. It’s the price they’d rather die in battle Jeffrey Rivers, the direc- As a result of consistently still have their markings,” and we have a certain stage of peace.” than live on to become an tor of operations of the 83rd not seeing the result pilots Davis said. “It tells a long that we turn the aircraft According to McCormick, old man, withering away un- Fighter Weapons Squad- wanted from their missiles, active-duty life. It all tells a over to the pilot at a remote it’s sometimes hard for pilots til they died. For some pilots, ron, the unit that conducts an order was passed, mak- story. Most of these aircraft location,” Davis said. to accept this fate for their seeing their old airframe Combat Archer. During this ing it mandatory for missiles were used in the Vietnam From that point, things aircraft, unlike the pilots he sitting and collecting dust exercise, squadron person- to be tested before being em- War, and there’s a lot of his- get interesting. met at Eglin decades ago. in the “boneyard” outside of nel verify weapon system ployed in battle. This study tory in that.” Once the aircraft is The relationship between Tucson, Ariz., feels like part performance, determine re- would give the Air Force the He thinks one last fare- deemed airworthy by the a pilot and an airframe goes of them is doing the same. liability, evaluate capability data needed to have full faith well as one of the QF-4s gets pilot, who’s sitting in a dimly beyond a master and a tool. But waiting to die in the and limitations, identify de- in the missile system, while the call and taxis to the end lit room on the other side of It’s a true relationship, with 309th Aerospace Mainte- ficiencies, recommend cor- also giving pilots the experi- of the runway for its final base, looking at instrument accompanying feelings. nance and Regeneration rective action and maintain ence of knowing how it feels flight before it’s shot down panels, “we will get out of “It’s like your dog getting Group’s sprawling desert combat Air Force-wide data to fire a missile at an aerial over the Gulf — “You always the cockpit, close the canopy shot I guess. You love the storage facility isn’t the only by firing missiles at either target. want to die in glory.” and walk away from it,” Da- airplane,” McCormick said. option for a retired aircraft. the QF-4 or the smaller reus- “They enacted under Though these aircraft vis said. “You have a personal attach- For example, the F-4 able subscale targets. Title 10 of the United States won’t be meeting their de- When the crew chief ment to it.” Phantom II can end its life During the Vietnam War, Code governing the armed mise over the battlefield, walks away from the QF-4, Understanding this rela- helping others. pilots had little to no expe- forces to establish an inter- their final contributions the pilot takes control of the tionship, McCormick keeps Since 1995, members rience firing missiles, and rogation of all missile sys- will increase the chances aircraft, and within minutes, a master log of each QF-4, so of the 82nd Aerial Target very little testing was done tems,” Davis said. “So when that American pilots won’t takes off for its date with a he can give some closure to Squadron at Tyndall Air on how the aircraft and mis- we strap a missile on any of either. missile and the bottom of Airmen who had a connec- Force Base have been tak- sile perform when brought our fighters, we’d know with the Gulf. tion with a particular F-4. ing F-4s from the boneyard together for action, said confidence that those mis- WELL that’S DIFFERENT Though it has been “I have a master list of and converting them into Steve Davis, the contract siles would hit targets. And Since the official aerial roughly four decades since tail numbers. When they call remotely piloted aircraft program director at Tyn- that’s where we started.” targeting mission began Gene McCormick first saw a and give me a tail number, I designated for one purpose: dall’s aerial target squadron Sitting on a remote run- during the Vietnam War, the fighter jet take off without a can look it up, and the date, getting blown up. and a retired senior master way, nicknamed “drone- program has seen many air- pilot, it’s an image etched in and say, ‘This QF-4 died on Well, that’s putting it in sergeant with more than way,” several QF-4s catch craft changes, including the his memory. this date with this missile.’ layman’s terms. 27 years of experience as a some afternoon sun as they conversion of the F-106 Del- “The first time I went out It makes people feel better Actually, they’re playing crew chief. await their final call — Tyn- ta Dart, F-100 Super Sabre, at Eglin (Air Force Base, when you know how and the role of enemy fighters, As a result of the con- dall’s last QF-4 Aerial Target F-102 Delta Dagger and now Fla.) and saw an unmanned why. People still tear up.” flying training sorties over cerns in Vietnam, Combat mission. the F-4 into remotely piloted mission is something I still the Florida Gulf Coast as Archer was organized to Running his hand along fighter aircraft. remember clearly,” said See SPartaN 5 The Gulf Defender is published by the publication does not constitute endorsement P.O. Box 1940 Panama City News Herald, a private firm in by the U.S. government, the Department of Panama City, FL 32402 no way connected with the U.S. military. Defense, the Department of the Air Force, the Gulf This publication’s content is not necessarily Department of the Navy, Tyndall Air Force Base 501 W. 11th St. the official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. or the Naval Support Activity-Panama City or Panama City, FL 32401 government, the Department of Defense, the the Panama City News Herald for the products Phone: 850-522-5118 Department of the Air Force, the Department or services advertised.