truckin' on dec 2013
TRANSCRIPT
8/13/2019 Truckin' on Dec 2013
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Disclaimer: Truckin’ On is an unofficial newsletter published every month in the interest of serving Air Force active duty, civilian and retired vehicle operations
maintenance personnel. Articles submitted by its contributors are not to be considered official statements by the U.S. Air Force.
1 Dec 2013
S PECIAL P OINTS OF I NTEREST :
Chief Selects: PG 1
JBA Hosts WreckMasterTraining Course: PG 1
Inside this issue:
Grease, Grit & Grime PG 2
V2G Project PG 3
Website News & Video PG 3
Fuel Cell Vehicles PG 4
Pearl Harbor PG 4
Job Market PG 5
FMCSA Rule Changes PG 6
Road Dog Trucking PG 6
New Rescue Vehicle PG 7
Get Your Beauty Rest PG 7
Fire Trucks PG 8
Snuffy’s Corner PG 9- 10
Movie & Song Survey PG 11
TRUCKIN’ ON Dedicated to the Men and Women
of AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance — Past, Present, and Future
Joint Base Andrews (JBA) Hosts
WreckMaster Training Course
by TSgt Roger Maxwell (2T1)
The 11 LRS, Joint Base Andrews (JBA),
has one of the largest coach bus fleets
in the Air Force and was responsible for
supporting 2,000 over -the-road and local
requests last year. After several
breakdowns, Joint Base Andrews
operators and maintainers were
concerned with the towing techniques
used on coach buses and requested
additional guidance from an outside
source.
The good people at WreckMaster
answered our call and in October 2013,
eight operators and two maintainers
participated in a 3-day wrecker towing/
recovery training class. Each morning
was spent in the classroom discussing
theory, and each afternoon was spent in
the field dealing with real-life situations.
WreckMaster introduced us to new,
efficient techniques and equipment that
will make our lives easier. Most notably
we gained confidence by understanding
how to use our own equipment safely
and at the same time identifying our
short falls. I recommend any unit with a
demanding recovery mission to look into
hosting a WreckMaster’s training course.
Phone: 1-800-267-2266
www.wreckmaster.com
Dustin Silk 2T1X0 Dyess
Brian Saunders 2T1X0 JB Langley-Eustis
Scott Ransom 2T1X0 Ramstein
Richard Toppa 2T3X0 Hurlburt Field
Craig Olson 2T3X0
MacDill
Vernon Jordan 2T3X0 McConnell
Richard Albeck 2T3X0 Ramstein
Merry hristmas
Congratulations Chief Selects!
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Grease, Grit Grime
A Salute to Vehicle Operators and Maintainers
by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
It’s hard for me to express how I feel about vehicle operators
and maintainers. I’m not a vehicle operator by trade, but I’m
proud to have managed this inspired group of hard -working,
dedicated people—both military and civilians.
Vehicle maintenance is home for me; it’s where I grew up. This
article, however, is not about me. It’s about the men and
women of vehicle operations and maintenance who get the job
done every day—the “sled dogs” who make the mission
happen.
Maintainers are a special breed, a no nonsense, resolute bunch
who take their craft seriously. They routinely accept challenges
that would overwhelm many, yet prove time and again that
they’re up to the task, confident in what they do.
In sports these types of people are known as “gamers.” They’re
the ones who come off the field sweaty and with dirty uniforms
because they’ve been in the battle. It’s the same in our
profession.
In my mind’s eye, I see mechanics with greasy hands and
coveralls, tired and bleeding from skinned knuckles, but with a
look of satisfaction knowing that the job is done, and done right.
They’re the ones we managers go to when we need animportant task performed or overtime is required. They can be
counted on every time. They have an innate talent to diagnose
and repair complex malfunctions, and even fabricate parts if
necessary. Simply put, they’re the backbone of the shop.
The same can be said of vehicle operators who work 24/7
transporting cargo, aircraft parts, and aircrews. Images of
chains, binders, tie-down straps, and cargo nets come to mind.
These are the Road Warriors who “drive the mission” and
provide a continuous life line of logistics support to and from the
airfield.
The vehicle business is not a glamorous occupation; it’s rarewhen we make the headlines, although our Combat Truckers
have been in the news for their exploits, and deservedly so.
They put their lives on the line for mission and country.
“Motor pool,” once considered a derisive term among Air Force
vehicle operators, is now used informally by the rank and file
with a sense of pride. These men and women have earned an
esteemed reputation and stand tall among their peers.
I suppose every specialty could claim to be a key link in the
chain, but if it were not for mechanics and operators, mission
critical vehicles wouldn’t get repaired, cargo wouldn’t move, andaircrews would become pedestrians. It’s that simple.
These airmen endure lonely nights in remote places, far away
from family and friends, with modest pay, bad coffee, and
usually without a complaint. It’s not new. Air Force vehicle
operators and maintainers have been doing this for decades.
Uniforms have changed, vehicles have changed, and society
has changed; however, the mission and these skilled
transporters have remained steadfast.
Whether it’s at home or in some far -flung corner of the world,
they’ll be there providing maintenance and transportation
services to “keep ‘em flying.”
These men and women are my heroes. However, they’re notlooking for medals, certificates, or special treatment. A simple
thank you and a hand shake will suffice, and if their hand
appears to be a little greasy, shake it anyway. It’ll wash off.
We at Truckin’ On thank you and salute you for what you do
every day.
1 Dec 2013
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Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Project
Electric vehicle test program comes to JB MDLby Airman 1st Class Ryan Throneberry
Joint Base McGuire- Dix - Lakehurst Public Affairs
11/1/2013 – JOINT BASE MCGUIRE - DIX - LAKEHURST, N.J.
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has been chosen as one of
six military bases to take part in the Department of Defense
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Project. The one-year trial will determine
whether the sedans, trucks and other non-tactical vehicles are
not only more cost effective, but mutually beneficial to the
electrical grid. The program came from the president's goal to
have 1 million plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) on the road in the
U.S. by 2015. Federal agencies like the DoD will be the
vanguard in testing the effectiveness of the vehicles.
The DoD plans to spend $20 million on a fleet of PEVs unique in
their ability to export their own power and offset their cost,
according to the American Forces Press Service. The cost
includes infrastructure, charging stations, software, maintenance
and support. "Electric cars cost more than traditional vehicles
so we have to see the savings and benefits in order to justify
their use," said Chief Master Sgt. David Schuman, 87th
Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle fleet manager. "I'm
looking forward to the testing here and seeing what the results
will tell us."
Planning for the PEV charging station infrastructure began Sept.
2012 and a maximum of 53 vehicles are expected to arrive at JBMDL throughout 2014. "Air Force leadership identified JB MDL
as one of its designated locations because the installation has
shown leadership in working on energy activities related to its
non-tactical vehicle fleet," said Camron Gorguinpour, special
assistant to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for
installations, environment and logistics.
"As a tri-service joint base, JB MDL also creates opportunities to
expose other services to PEV and V2G technologies." The
PEVs not only cut costs by eliminating fuel use, but the V2G
technology actually reduces the base's overall electric bill by a
process called frequency regulation.
"Frequency regulation is the process of stabilizing the grid
against random second-by-second variations in demand on the
electrical grid," said Gorguinpour. "If left unchecked, these minor
variations could destabilize segments of the grid."
Regional organizations called Independent System Operators,
are responsible for ensuring frequency regulations services are
provided. Any certified energy resource can bid to receive
compensation for providing frequency regulation services to the
grid. "Our objective is to use PEVs as an energy resource to
the ISO during times that the vehicles are not being driven," said
Gorguinpour. "The revenues received for providing the service
can be used to offset the additional cost of leasing a PEV
instead of a conventional vehicle.
If successful, this would allow us to lease more PEVs
throughout DoD because we would eliminate financial barriers."
The one-year trial will provide project leaders with the
information required to make an accurate assessment to
whether PEVs are the military's future means of ground
transport. "At the end of the trial period, we would like to see
sufficient revenue to make a sound financial case for expanded
adoption of PEVs," said Gorguinpour. "Of course, we will also
be monitoring the vehicles' performance to ensure mission
operations are not degraded in any way.
In fact, one of our goals is to evaluate how we could use the
V2G vehicles to enhance mission capabilities by supporting
energy surety and acting as mobile generators." JB MDLcommunity may not notice the new PEVs at first glance; only the
quiet hum of the electric motor will give them away.
Web News & Video
submitted by Ralph Celento, CMSgt (Ret/2T1)
http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/safety-compliance/article/story/2013/11/cdl-med-card-merger -the-deadline-is-near.aspx#!
submitted by Reade Holzbaur, WS - 12 (Ret/2T3)
Bobcat Skills
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9c6_1372853257
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1 Dec 2013
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Pearl Harbor: After the tours are gone
submitted by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in
infamy.”
These were, of course, the opening remarks of President
Franklin Roosevelt’s speech to Congress that launched the
United States into World War II.
December 7, 2013 marks the 72nd anniversary of the attack on
Pearl Harbor, Hickam Field, and other Oahu installations—the
most significant assault on American soil prior to 9/11/2001.
Jimbo Pehan, MSgt (Ret/602) sent this video link to me and I
wanted to share it with you as a way of remembering and
honoring those who perished, as well as the survivors.
It’s unlike any other video I’ve ever seen about Pearl Harbor. It
focuses on the survivors of the attack on the USS Arizona.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/MgE2KiPd3xg?
feature=player_detailpage
R EMEMBERING P EARL H ARBOR
Fuel Cell Vehicles Fuel Cell Vehicles Fuel Cell Vehicles — — — Future or Folly? Future or Folly? Future or Folly?
Elon Musk Calls Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars ‘Bullsh*t’
by Damon Lavrinc — AUTOPIA October 22, 2013
There’s an old joke about hydrogen power: It’s the fuel of thefuture, and always will be. Elon Musk doesn’t just agree; he
called out hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as “bullshit,” claiming
they’re more of a marketing ploy for automakers than a
long-term solution.
The comment from Musk came during a speech to employees
and enthusiasts at a new Tesla service center in Germany. The
electric automaker’s co-founder and CEO was onstage
espousing the virtues of the Model S when he went off on a
tangent about EV naysayers: “And then they’ll say certain
technologies like fuel cell … oh god … fuel cell is so bullshit.
Except in a rocket.”
Musk goes on to state that even given the very best hydrogentechnology, it doesn’t come close to the energy density of a
modern lithium-ion battery pack like that found in the Model S.
Granted, Musk is a bit biased and firmly entrenched in the
battery electric vehicle space, but despite years of promises
from automakers and government agencies, it’s tough not to
think that the zero emissions future promised by hydrogen is still
a long way off.
That hasn’t stopped a range of automakers — from Honda to
Mercedes-Benz — from continuing to develop hydrogen-electric
vehicles.
Honda has continued to champion the use of hydrogen with itsFCX Clarity, a functioning concept car that’s been out for a few
years and was even leased to a select group of prominent
Southern California residents in 2010.
In 2011, Mercedes ran around the world in modified B -Class
subcompacts to espouse the virtues of hydrogen and solidify its
commitment to the fuel. But in the interim, we haven’t heard
much from either automaker, and the infrastructure necessary
has never materialized, despite it being the most abundant
element on Earth.
Note: In the video below, Musk’s comments start at the
29-minute mark. Best to fast forward unless you speak
German.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/10/elon-musk-hydrogen/
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Job Market
1 Dec 2013
USAA and Hiring Our Heroes Announce BestPlaces for Job Seeking Vets
by SandraUSAA
on 10-30-2013 06:50 AM
List highlights best places for post - 9/11 veterans to lever-
age military skill sets
SAN ANTONIO — Houston is the No. 1 place in the nation for
veterans to find civilian employment, according to a new studycommissioned by USAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program.
The 2013 “Best Places for Veterans: Jobs” list identifies U.S.
metro areas that offer America’s new generation of veterans
more opportunities to find a military skill-related job. The
remainder of the top 10 list includes:
“Some of the keys to a successful military separation are
planning and preparing well in advance, including determining
where you want to live and work,” said Eric Engquist, executive
director of military transitions at USAA. “This study and
resources, like USAA’s military separation checklist and military
separation assessment tool, can help those who have left or are
considering leaving the service make their transition as smooth
as possible.”
"More than 1 million service members and their families are
expected to leave the armed forces over the next five years,”
said Eric Eversole, executive director of Hiring Our Heroes and
Navy Reserve Judge Advocate Commander. “We must remainvigilant to help these men and women find employment, and
this list highlights the top places where veterans can put their
skills to work.”
USAA, a leading financial services provider focused on serving
the military community and their families, and Hiring Our
Heroes, a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Foundation, commissioned Sperling’s BestPlaces to develop
the lists. Researchers reviewed variables for 379 major U.S.
metropolitan areas, including:
Employment opportunities in the top industriesemploying post-9/11 veterans, as reported by the U.S.Department of Labor (March 2013).
Overall job climate based on unemployment rate andrecent job growth.
Presence of colleges/universities.
Access to Veterans Affairs hospitals and health re-sources.
Each variable was weighted and each metro area was then
ranked based on its total points for all variables. To be
considered for this year’s list, metro areas had to meet the
following criteria: an unemployment rate less than 1 percentage
point above the national average, a median cost of living less
than 10 percentage points above the national average and a
violent crime rate below the top 10 percent of all metros.
USAA and Hiring Our Heroes also commissioned lists of the top
metro areas for veterans to find employment in medium and
small markets. To see the lists and access the Best Places for
Veterans tool to create a customized list of best places,
visit www.usaa.com/bestplaces.
USAA is part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our
Heroes initiative established to help veterans find meaningfulemployment. Since 2005, USAA has hired more than 7,800
military veterans and spouses. Today, one out of every four new
hires at USAA is a veteran or military spouse, and USAA is now
working to meet a new internal goal that 30 percent of the
organization’s new hires be veterans or military spouses.
Editor’s Comments: This article was submitted by Amos
Williams, CMSgt (Ret/2T1).
The original website can be found at the following link:
https://communities.usaa.com/t5/Press-Releases/USAA-and-Hiring-Our -
Heroes- Announce-Best-Places-for -Job-Seeking/ba-p/9595?
EID=corp_cc_13_11_45Plus-04
2. Dallas
3. Minneapolis
4. Oklahoma City
5. Austin, Texas
6.
Norfolk, Va.
7. Tampa, Fla. 8. Salt Lake City
9. Orlando, Fla.
10. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
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1 Dec 2013
Rule Changes for FMCSA
FMCSA making rule changes to ease militarytransition to truck driving
Overdrive Staff | November 08, 2013
submitted by Billy Dover, CMSgt (Ret/2T1)
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in light of an
in-house study says it wants to implement some regulation
changes to help former military personnel U.S. veterans more
easily transition to civilian truck driving jobs. The agency says itplans to implement the changes “as soon as possible.”
The changes include:
*Allowing active duty and recently separated veterans to have
up to one year — as opposed to the current 90 days — to take
advantage of the Military Skills Test Waiver, which allows states
to waive CDL skills tests for service members with two years of
safe driving experience with similar vehicles. Right now, 46
states offer the waiver, and almost 2,000 veterans have been
able to use the waiver.
*Allowing active-duty military personnel with training and
employment in heavy vehicle operation to immediately qualify
for a CDL. The 60,000 service members that currently qualifyoperate vehicles that are nearly identical to civilian trucks,
FMCSA says.
*Allowing service members stationed in one state but licensed
in another to obtain a CDL before being discharged.
FMCSA’s study was required by the MAP-21 highway funding
law that went into effect last summer. The agency said it
analyzed training, testing and licensing similarities between
military and civilian CDL requirements.
“Our military men and women make tremendous sacrifices in
service to our nation, and helping veterans transition to the
civilian workforce when they come home is just one way to
show our gratitude,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary AnthonyFoxx. “Today’s report builds on the work FMCSA has already
accomplished on behalf of our veterans and outlines
opportunities to help even more qualify for jobs based on the
skills and training they receive in the armed forces.”
Sirius XM Satellite Radio
Sirius XM's Road Dog Trucking
submitted by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
For all you serious truckers (no pun intended) with XM radio
capability, and a subscription, there’s a station called Road Dog
Trucking.
They can be found on Channel 128 and their daily schedule is
listed on their website at:
http://www.siriusxm.com/roaddogtrucking/weeklyschedule
If you haven’t done so already, you might want to check it out
for yourself and see if it suits your taste.
They also have a Facebook page that features the latesttrucking news.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sirius-XMS-Road-Dog-
Trucking-News/327197117393074
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1 Dec 2013
AF Introduces New Rescue Vehicle
Combat rescue vehicle for medical evacuations
unveiled
Air Force Times
by Jeff Schogol — staff writer
The Air Force is testing an all-terrain vehicle intended to get
rescue teams across rugged terrain or into the midst of combat
to rescue or recover U.S. and coalition forces.
The Guardian Angel Air -deployable Rescue Vehicle, which looks
like the offspring of a Humvee and a dune buggy, was formally
unveiled on Aug. 28 in Geneva, Ohio, where lead contractor
HDT Global has a manufacturing facility.
Named for the pararescuemen and combat rescue officers
known as the “Guardian Angel Weapon System,” the vehicle’s
“main purpose is to get in fast and get out fast,” said Capt.
Jeremy Baker, project manager for the vehicle.
The first two production vehicles have started safety certification
testing and will undergo operational testing in February at Nellis
Air Force Base, Nev., Baker said. Air Combat Command is
expected to decide in July whether to send the vehicles
downrange.
Right now, Guardian Angels can reach casualties by parachute
or helicopter, but the vehicle, which has a range of up to 350
miles, would allow them to be dropped off well outside the range
of the enemy’s anti-aircraft weapons, Baker said.
“It gives them the capability to then drive in and recover the
person or persons,” Baker said. “Instead of having to carry all the
gear they have to take with them, it allows them to put it on the
vehicle.”
The vehicle can carry up to six crew members or four crew
members and four patients, Baker said.
The vehicle is supposed to be able to fit on C-17s and C-130
transport aircraft as well as CH-53 helicopters, he said. It is also
required to be transportable by CH-47 helicopters, but it is not
yet known whether that is possible. But such a combat rescuevehicle comes with risks, said a Guardian Angel who was not
authorized to speak on the record. For example, driving into a
hot spot would expose the rescue team to enemy fire longer than
being dropped off by a helicopter.
“It would also make us susceptible to a different style of, as we
used to call them, SAR [search and rescue] traps, where they
would try to purposely draw in rescue personnel, and if they
know we have vehicles, they may set up a different kind of trap
with IEDs [improvised explosive devices] or vehicle-borne IEDs
or things like that,” the Guardian Angel said. Still, being able to
drive to a rescue scene and then be picked up by a helicopter
could expand the Guardian Angels’ capabilities, he said.
“The more avenues we have to get to a victim and get out, the
better,” he said. “It only makes sense that we have a vehicle that
is more geared toward actual rescue work; however, I don’t see
it doing much in the way of replacing a helicopter.”
The Guardian Angel Air -deployable Rescue Vehicle is supposed to be able to fit
on C-17s and C
-130 transport aircraft as well as CH
-53 helicopters. With a range
of up to 350 miles, it would allow pararescuemen to be dropped off well outside
the range of the enemy's anti -aircraft weapons to rescue or recover casualties.
Catching up' on sleep may not help worker alertness:
Study - National Safety Council , 10/18/13
submitted by Ralph Celento, CMSgt (Ret/2T1)
Workers whose alertness has been reduced through lack of
sleep may not be able to fully recover merely by sleeping inon weekends. Researchers put 30 healthy adults on a
schedule of six hours of sleep for six consecutive nights
followed by 10 hours of sleep for three nights. Health and
performance assessments showed participants were less
sleepy and less stressed after they had a few days to catch up
on sleep. However, their alertness continued to suffer. After
mild sleep deprivation, people performed poorly on tests
measuring the ability to pay attention, and their scores did not
improve with the "weekend" of rest. These findings may be
especially relevant for workers in safety-critical professions,
said the Penn State researchers (no link).
Get Your Beauty Rest...
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1 Dec 2013A Few More Thoughts on Fire Trucks….
Memories of a classic fire truck
by Bob Wiley, MSgt/GM - 14 (Ret)
At Fairchild AFB, I was typically the first
guy to arrive at work in the morning, and
the first thing I did after plugging in the
coffee pot, was to go around the shop
unlocking and sometimes opening all the
doors in readiness for the workday. So one
morning after opening up the shop, as Imade my way back to my maintenance
control office, I was walking past this crash
fire truck when suddenly a starter motor
whirred and an engine in that beast started up.
No, my first reaction wasn’t that the truck was haunted; I was
just caught totally unaware. Heck, I didn’t know the AF even
owned self -starting fire trucks, but that’s what happened.
I realize a number of the Truckin’ On readers know I’m
describing my encounter with the old Cardox 0 -6 crash fire
truck.
And they understand that it was the refrigeration engine that
fired itself up because the temperature of its fire suppression
agent, halon, had dictated it needed to be cooled down.
After I looked into it a bit further, I learned that the usual way
the refrigeration unit kept up with the halon’s cooling needs was
by plugging it into an electrical outlet when one was available.
Fire truck acquisition
While on the Air Staff, I attended several meetings with our
friends at the AFCESA (now AFCEC), Tyndall AFB, some
Robins’ folks, some MAJCOM managers and some DLA
agents, the topic of which was the future purchase of fire
trucks. The idea DLA had about purchasing the latest model of
a vendor’s fire truck made sense in one respect—the latest
off -the-shelf offering of the vendor’s product; and one that
would allow the vendor to make upgrades and changes
throughout the production run.
But from the standpoint of support, that would’ve been bad
news for both the maintainer and the supply system. Under
that DLA concept, no longer would standardized maintenance
training be standard, and parts look-up/storage would be so
much more difficult, because one vehicle built near the front of
the production run would have certain parts while another
toward the rear end of that vehicle’s production run could have
different parts. Some of those parts could be insignificant
nickel ‘n dime changes; while others could be a major
component upgrade or substitution, which probably wouldn't be
backward compatible.
Problems not totally insurmountable, but totally avoidable.
Idon’t know what the end result of our meetings on this subject
was, but I’m hoping it was ultimately satisfactory to the
maintainer community.
If you’ve ever been a fire truck mechanic, or are just interested
in some wheeled firefighting apparatus used by the military
from as far back as WW2, you may want to log onto: firetrucks-
atwar.com. I admit I spent quite a while scoping the site’s
content. Among the many things I noted was a photo of one of
the firehouses that existed on Sampson Naval Air Station
(NAS) in upstate New York way back in the day.
It’s interesting to me personally because I took my AF basic
training at Sampson AFB in upstate New York and I neverknew the installation used to be a NAS.
Editor’s Comments: We understand, as does Mr. Wiley, that
AFCEC is currently responsible for fire truck procurement;
however, his story is historically significant in that it provides
our younger audience an awareness of how the acquisition
process functioned in earlier times.
I would add that having vehicle management’s input to this
process is still as important as ever since responsibility for
maintaining the fire truck fleet has not changed.
1958 Type O-6 Cardox Crash Fire Truck
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Snuffy’s Corner Snuffy’s Corner Snuffy’s Corner St or ies
W ant ed
The tire cage
by John ‘Fig’ Newton, Col (Ret)
Back in the late 70s, I was VMO at
Langley. Our shop at that time was the
building used as the carriage house
during the Billy Mitchell days.
The offices were all in the center of the
back wall, which had a sort of “H” pattern
going back off toward the rear on each
side. The tire shop was over in one of the
back wings. We used to shut the shop
down for lunch every day, leaving just
Maintenance Control manned.
One day during the lunch hour, I walked
out of my office onto the shop floor and
started toward the back personnel door. I
heard the big compressor running, and
the sound of compressed air, but did not
see a soul.
I stopped and looked all around, and
couldn’t figure out where the air was
coming from or going to. There was a
large split rim wheel and tire leaning up
against the outside of the tire cage, but
absolutely no one was around.
I probably stood there about a minute
trying to think this through, and then all of
a sudden---two arms appeared from
INSIDE the tire cage reaching out to the
wheel/tire assembly.
I immediately walked over to the tire cage,
and there was Amn Snuffy (a newbie)
inside the cage. I asked him what he was
doing, and he said he had been told by
his civilian supervisor to inflate the tire,
and to “always use the tire cage because
split rims were dangerous.”
So, he got in the cage to protect himself,
connected the air hose, and was inflating
the tire and checking its pressure with the
inline gauge.
Cue Strother Martin from Cool Hand
Luke: “What we’re dealing with here is
failure to communicate.” I told him to go
to lunch, and afterwards, we had a little
OJT and safety combined session on the
floor.
Sleeper on a creeper
by George McElwain, CMSgt (Ret/472)
During my tour of duty at a cold weather
base in northern Montana in the late
sixties, I was supervisor of the general
purpose repair section’s night shift.
My "Snuffy" was always doing things to
get out of work and required a lot of extra
watching. Every job he did had to be
looked over very closely to ensure it was
done correctly.
I assigned him a left over job from the dayshift to install a drive shaft in one of the
4x4 Dodge W-200s. I went on about
looking into work in progress on the other
technicians as the evening went on.
In about an hour or so I heard a tool
banging on the drive shaft and assumed
work was still in progress.
We know about the word ASSUME and I
decided that the job was or should have
been done, so I grabbed a creeper and
began to crawl under the Dodge.
Well, I found my Snuffy with a wrenchtaped to his hand and his hand taped to
the drive shaft, and as the muscle relaxed
and contracted it caused the wrench to
tap on the drive shaft as he caught a nap.
I woke him from his nap and began the
LOC that he deserved.
Shortly after that incident he reported for
duty with a cast on his leg and no duty
excuse. Being a bit suspicious, I did some
following up.
I asked our first sergeant and he checked
with the hospital. Lo and behold, the cast
was a two piece and could be removed
when work was done. His good buddy in
the hospital fixed Snuffy up with the
removable cast and after all was said and
done, I would guess that was the last one
of those ever made. After several other
incidents it was decided that he wasn't
ready to be a mechanic/airman.
The ‘drill’ sergeant
by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
Sometimes Amn Snuffy comes in the form
of a young NCO, which was the case at
Shemya in the mid-1970s. I don’t recall
what SSgt Storman/Snuffy was repairing
at the time, but the situation called for a
bushing to be bored out—slightly.
Usually, SSgt Storman would have taken
precision work like this to a machine
shop, but his inner Snuffy came alive and
said, why go to a machinist when you can
do it yourself with a drill—BIG MISTAKE. It was a sizeable bushing, inside diameter
just under an inch. Snuffy remembers this
because he selected a one inch drill bit for
the job. Now, it takes a fairly large and
heavy drill to accommodate a one inch bit.
Operating it required both hands.
Snuffy secured the bushing in a vise and
began drilling it when suddenly the bit
caught on the bushing. The powerful
drill motor turned over in a flash and
wrapped the cord around his fingers;
he couldn’t release the trigger! All he
could do was turn his body with the drill
and soon his arm was behind him. He
was waiting for his wrist to snap and
started yelling, “help, help!” Someone
came and pulled the plug. It was the last
time this Snuffy tried to drill a bushing.
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Snuffy’s Corner Snuffy’s Corner Snuffy’s Corner St or ies
W ant ed
Fifth wheel!!???
by Dan Berlenbach, CMSgt (Ret/2T3)
Airman Snuffy was hard at work at his first
duty station, Travis AFB, California, back
in 1975. Right out of tech school as a
Base Maintenance Equipment Mechanic,
he wanted nothing more than to get hishands on the D-6 (base had one) or Little
Giant crane, or at least a loader.
But no, the GP shop needed help and
assisting them would "broaden Snuffy's
horizons" (beyond cleaning the chief's
office that is).
So Snuffy dutifully went to the GP shop,
leaving his beloved heavy junk
behind. His assignment was to "lube the
fifth wheel on that tractor!" And get it
done, because "that's all that's left on that
work order."
Now Snuffy was still pretty green on his
own equipment that he went to tech
school on, and hadn't been in the field all
that long. But he was a logical guy, and
counted from the left front tire to number
five and couldn't find a grease fitting.
Not wanting to appear as if he didn't know
what he was doing, he then tried counting
from the right front back, and the "fifth"
wheel still had no grease fitting. What the
#$%^?
Finally Snuffy decides to ask, "Where theheck is the grease fitting and which one of
the wheels is the fifth?” The GP guys
have a great time with it, and try to send
Snuffy to find a yard or two of flight line,
but Snuffy at least doesn't fall for that
one.
Amn Snuffy/Berlenbach goes back to
base maintenance where he belonged,
with a firm grasp of what a fifth wheel
was that he still recalls well today.
Blowin’ in the wind
by Bob Wiley, MSgt/GM - 14 (Ret)
Airman Snuffy liked to get stick-time in
many different vehicles and equipment
items. Often, that opportunity presented
itself to him when he had to bring a
vehicle into or out of the shop. It didn’t somuch matter to him whether he’d been
checked out on the vehicle he wanted to
drive or not.
So Snuffy finds himself at Fairchild AFB
WA in the middle of winter; working into
the evening hours on a weekend eve, and
a lull in workload makes him feel just a
little bored. So the bright idea bulb goes
on above Snuffy’s head, and he walks
outside to the ready line where a
humongous snow blower was awaiting
CE pickup.
So let’s see...First, there’s a lot of snow
piled around the parking area between
vehicle ops and mx. Second, there’s a
snow blower waiting to be operated; the
temptation was overpowering.
So Snuffy climbs up into this large cab, in
the operator’s position, fires that puppy
up, reads some labels on various levers ‘n
knobs ‘n such, and heads for a direct
onslaught of the snow berm he thought
needed to be “blown” somewhere
else. And so he maneuvers this behe-
moth to the berm, grabs levers, moves
knobs, adjusts the snow chute, engages
the impeller, and begins forward motion.
At the end of the run he’s satisfied with
his work, so he disengages all the blower
paraphernalia and heads back to the
ready line to park this beast. Walking into
the shop, one of the supervisors asked
him if he was just operating a snow
blower out in the yard, and he answered
yes.
The supervisor then waved his arm, finger
extended to point to all the many, many
glass window panes that were blasted
and “blown” out by the snow the blower
sent, and there was a fair amount of snow
on the shop floor too. SSgt Wiley never
fired up another snow blower either.
You lose 20% of your IQ when
you get promoted
by Gary McLean, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
Engine cooling fans don’t forgive, and
when you combine that with a promotion
to the legendary rank of buck sergeant,
disaster ensues. Airman Snuffy, finally
promoted to sergeant, was prepping a
new Emerson 25K loader for service
when he noticed a coolant leak at the
front of the engine.
Using his newly lowered IQ, he spotted
the problem, a leaking hose clamp at the
water pump outlet. Right thing to do?
Climb into the cab and shut off the engine
before tightening the clamp. Snuffy thing
to do? Tighten that sucker with a box-end
wrench WHILE it’s running.
As Murphy’s Law dictates, the hose clamp
snapped during adjustment and Snuffy
threw his hand into the spinning engine
fan (and lost his wrench). Thankfully,
Detroit Diesel 8.2L engine water pumpoutlets are on the 9:00 side of the engine,
or else Sergeant Snuffy would have the
new name of Lefty. As it was, the
stumbling-to-the-bathroom trail of blood,
the partial blackout from the cold water
hitting the gaping holes in his hand, and
the wild story told to the first sergeant,
which caused him to bring a chaplain to
the clinic to administer last rites, ensured
that this Snuffy never tried another stunt
like that again!
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Favorite Movie Song w/Cars, Trucks, or Motorcyclesavorite Movie Song w/Cars, Trucks, or Motorcyclesavorite Movie Song w/Cars, Trucks, or Motorcycles
Turn on the radio and let’s go to the drive- in!
by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)
Remember those days? It
was summertime, Friday or
Saturday night, and you
were off to the drive-in with
your significant other. Your
car radio was blasting your
favorite tunes and you didn’t
really care what movie was
playing; it was usually a
B-
flick or cult movie at the drive-
in, as were many of the car,truck, and motorcycle features. But they were fun and we all
had our favorites—movies and songs.
That’s the purpose of this survey. In keeping with our vehicle
theme for this newsletter, we wanted to know your all-time
favorite movie and song featuring a car, truck, or motorcycle.
So take your speaker off the window, hurry on over to the
concession stand, and then let’s see what you selected as your
favorites.
Some people listed more than one movie and song and others
selected a movie or song, but not both. So, the numbers won’t
add up. There’s no winner or loser, just a summary of your
votes. We had a total of 35 people who replied. The results are
as follows:
1 Dec 2013
Movie Song
Smokey and the Bandit 8 Little Deuce Coupe 6
American Graffiti 6 East Bound and Down 5
Vanishing Point 4 Born to Be Wild 4
The Gumball Rally 2 Radar Love 3
Wild Hogs 2 Little Red Corvette 1
Back to the Future 1 500 Miles 1
Black Dog 1 Back Seat Rhythm 1
Bullitt 1 Black Limousine 1
Christine 1 Black Sunshine 1
Death Proof 1 Blue Monday 1
Grease 1 Drive 1
Mad Max/Road Warrior 1 Giddy-up Go 1
Thunder Road 1 I Can’t Drive 55 1
Movie Song
Harley Davidson andthe Marlboro Man 1
18 Wheels & A DozenRoses 1
Two Lane Blacktop 1 Little GTO 1
Easy Rider 1 Motorcycle Song 1
Gone In 60 Seconds 1 Pink Cadillac 1
Maximum Overdrive 1 Roll On 1
Ronin 1 Six Days on the Road 1
The French Connection 1 Slick Black Cadillac 1
The Great Race 1 Swing Little Cobra 1
Transformers (2007)
1
Thank God for the Radio
1
World’s Fastest Indian 1 Thunder Road 1
Days of Thunder 1 Drive 1
Herbie/The Love Bug 1 Copperhead Road 1
The Cannonball Run 1 Danza Kuduro 1
Fast Five 1 Blues Theme 1
Wild Angels 1 409 1
Man w/the Golden Gun 1 Low Rider 1
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