TAC Attack

JUNE 1988

An Interview
with
Lt Gen
James R. Brown
 Angle of Attack

W hat process do you use when you want to learn

how to do something? Like me, you probably go
to someone who has done it before and seek their
ron commander?" Getting things done safely and suc-
cessfully goes beyond just thinking like the command-
er. You've also got to take the initiative to ensure that
insights and advice. For example, if I wanted to learn things which are wrong get corrected. If you don't, the
how to hunt or fish better,.I wouldn't go to a per- results could be disastrous. We recently lost a valua-
son who has never done it before. No, I'd go to a "prd' ble combat aircraft and a highly valued crewmember
and get some hints from one who knows what he's talk- for just that reason. A situation had been allowed to
ingabout. exist in the squadron and accepted as normal until it
The same principle applies to the flying business. finally resulted in a mishap. If someone had asked the
Do you know anyone that has ever ejected from an air- question, ''Why are we doing this?" the end of the
plane? Have you ever talked to him about it and tried story would be different.
to learn from his experience? There are any number of Finally, TAC Safety wishes Lieutenant General
questions you might ask such as: What scenario led up Brown, our TAC Vice Commander, a fond farewell as he
to the ejection? What thoughts were going through retires this month. Thank you, sir, for all you've done
his mind before he finally "stepped over the side?" Was to encourage the current philosophy that if we do the
there anything he did that might have caused him to mission properly and professionally, it will also be safe.
delay his ejection until it was almost too late? I hope
you never need to use those insights, but at least you'll
have them available in your back pocket just in case.
One way we can ensure that our daily operations are

QarLG~
being performed correctly and the mission accom-
plished is if each person in the unit would mentally put
themselves in the squadron commander's shoes and
try to think like he or she does. That applies to
everyone -lieutenants or captains in our flying squad-
tAiK GAWELKO, Colonel, USAF
rons as well as to NCOs and the most junior crew
Chief of Safety
chiefs out on the flight line. Ask yourself, "Would I
want this job to be done this way if I were the squad-
 TAC ATTACK
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

27 Fleagle
28 Why?
4 An Interview with U Gen James R.
Brown.
Some parting thoughts from our TAC Vice
Commander.
10 The Weekend %rrior
Are you handy around the house? Get some new
tools for Christmas? Here are some insights on
how to make them workfbr you. 8,9,13,20,30 Safety Awards
18 Famous Last Words 14 Chock 'Palk
Beware! When you hear one of these phrases, it's
16 In The Center
usually the sign of trouble ahead.
22 Weapons Words
24 DM - The Hidden Costs
Would it be worth the cost to you? 26 Aircrew of Distinction

TACSP 127-1
TAC Attack is not directive in nature. Recommendations are intended to comply with existing directive& Opinions expressed are
those of the authors and not necessarily the positions of TAC or USAF. Mishap information does not idvutify the persons, places or
units involved and may not be construed as incriminating wider Article 31 of the UCMJ. Photos and artwork are representative and
not necessarily of the people or equipment involved.
Contributions are encouraged, as are comments and criticism. We reserve the right to edit all manuscripts for readability and
good taste. Write the Editor, TAC Attack, HQ TAC!SEP, Langley AFB, VA 23666-5563; or call AUTOVON 5744668.
Distribution F(X) is controlled by TAC1SEP through the PDO, based on a ratio of 1 copy per 10 persons assigned. DOD units
other than USAF have no fixed ratio; requests will be considered individually.
Subscriptions for readers outside DOD are available from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402. All correspondence on subscription service should be directed to the Superintendent, not to TAC:SEP.
Volume 28, number 6
 An Interview
ith
EDWARD C.
ALDRIDGE, JR.
SECRETARY OF
Lt Gen
THE AIR FORCE
GEN ROBERT D. RUSS
COMMANDER James R. Brown
TAC Attack: What do you feel is the You lose credibility and your pro-
COL JACK GAWELKO role our TAC leadership, from gram will go down the tube.
CHIEF OF SAFETY General Russ and yourself on down, For example, I worked for a wing
has in ensuring safety in TAC commander years ago when I was
MAJ DON RIGHTMYER operations? stationed in England who, when he
EDITOR got ready to go fly, would just jump
General Brown-. As far as safety in the airplane, say "'This is . .
JANET GAINES goes, the top man in any organiza- headed for Germany' and take off.
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT tion has also got to be your chief He -would drive the airdrome officer
safety officer, and that is not only crazy because nobody knew where
STAN HARDISON General Russ or rrky self, but it's he was going. When the young
ART EDITOR squadron commanders and troops see those kinds of things,
NCOs - everybody throughout the they'll say, "Well, if he can do it,
SSGT DENNIS WALLACE whole chain of command. If he's not, that's OK for me to do." You just
STAFF ARTIST then X think you begin to slip or lose can't live like that.
something in your program. Safety
ilk is jot part of your role as a leader; TAC Attack: We talk about not
it's something thatou do as you go 'reinventing the wheer' Can you
TAC. Anack (ISSN 0434-0380) is pub- along. In years past we've had peo- comment on some things you've
lished monthly by }IQ TAC/SEP, Lang-
ley AFB, VA. POSTMASTER: Send ple that said, "Do as I say, not as I seen tried during your Air Force
addren changes to TAC Attack, do.' You can't do that. Your words caree -those which worked wild.
TACISEP, Langley AFB, VA and your deeds have got to match those which didn't?
23665 -5563. Second-class postage paid
at Hampton, Virginia, and additional because if they don't, people are not
mailing otrievs. going to pay any attention to you. General Brown: What's important
4 JUNE 1988
about not reinventing the wheel is regulations, on manuals and that sions, safety goes right along with
that a lot of us older guys have sort of thing. We can't do that. We it. It's like going to church. Someone
learned things the hard way. We need to get to the bottom of a mis- may decide they're going to be a
need to pass those lessons on to the hap, tell it like it is and then, once great churchgoer or whatever; they
younger generation of people so you we find the problems, fix them. may go on Sunday but the rest of
don't have to relive those kinds of Unless you've really done some- the week they go out and do any-
problems. That way when I pass thing deliberately dumb, no body's thing they want. You can't do that.
information along to you on the going to hang you out to dry. We've It's the same way in safety. It's
problems and issues I've already got to come up with what the real something you've got to live every-
handled, you can work on other cause was so we can get that word day. If you don't, then you're proba-
problem areas that come up. As a out to everyone. I think that is very bly going to have a lot of accidents.
result, the core of our force will important.
improve. If we don't do that sort of TAC Attack: Some feel that safety
thing -leave a legacy for those TAC Attack: It's been said by some will be pushed aside during combat.
behind us- then we are never going in the past that "safety is para- You've served at least two combat
to get much better. We'll just plod mount?' Safety isn't paramount. Do tours. What is your perspective on
along at the same old pace. you have any thoughts on that? safety in the combat environment?
Another thing is that we've gotten
a lot better in our accident reports- General Brown: Safety is kind of a General Brown: I think safety, as
flying-wise; that's true for safety state of mind. If we train properly far as combat goes, is even more
across-the-board. But as far as and safety is built into our training important. It's at least as important
flight mishaps go, I've reviewed programs, then when we do things as it is in peacetime because of what
many boards in years past where the way we've trained and don't happens to your supervision in a
people tried to blame mishaps on make dumb mistakes or dumb deci- combat situation. In one experience

TACATTACK 5
 An Interview •with Lt Gen

I had, there were two guys in my

flight that could lead flights: myself
and my assistant flight commander,
Bob Dilger. There were two guys
that could be element leads so those
were the number three guys all the
time. There were only two guys that
could pull tower and mobile- that
was Dilger and myself. There were
two guys that could break out the
frag and do the special prebriefmg-
Dilger and myself, so we were really
spread thin. Because of the multi-
tude of tasks supervisors will be
concerned with, you've got to have a
good background leading into com-
bat or I think safety will go begging.
Another thing that happens to
you is that you initially go over as a
unit. Then, as the war progresses,
you begin to get younger, less
experienced guys in. That's one
problem you must be aware of.
Another one is that we expand the
window for fighter pilots through-
out the rest of the Air Force so the
same guys don't always fight the TAC Attack: Is flight discipline wasn't very good. In one instance,
war. You get older guys out of other different from flying safety or do we were doing LABS (low altitude
weapon systems who haven't been they go together? bomb system) runs and I had a 1st
in fighters for a long time so you've Lt flight commander who said to
really got to watch yourself there. A General Brown: No, I think they me, "OK, Jim, have you done a
few of the guys that got shot down are integral parts. One example LABS run before?"
in Vietnam took unnecessary happened to me when I first went to ''Well, no, but I read about it when
chances. You get up in Pak Six or England. I went overseas with five I went through a weapons school at
somewhere where it's really dan- guys. Within six months, three were Luke:'
gerous and, sure, there's a lot going qead and only two of us came home ''Well, you're going to go out to the
on, but there were guys that didn't under our own power. I think what range where they've got two big
do the right things and got shot happened was that we had replaced boats sitting in the mud flats:'
down. That kind of goes along with an outfit of old first lieutenants and So I launched off. First of all, I
the safety thing. When aircrews do captains with a whole bunch of thought he was going to go with me.
things that on an ordinary day they second lieutenants just out of flying As it turned out, he didn't go
probably wouldn't do, something school. As a result, we were really because we only got one airplane.
bad is likely to happen to them. supervising each other which So I found my checkpoint on the

6 JUNE 1988
James R. Brown

river to the mud flats and went got to be a team effort. If you'll leaning against a table with a sex-
across the target. I hadn't checked work as a team, you won't get into tant, much less in an airplane
the tops of the clouds because I had an "us" and "them'' situation. I can without an autopilot. I can remem-
gone down low-level. AB I pulled up remember that the folks in my unit ber years ago at Nellis, I always
into the clouds, it first got a little hated to see the safety guys coming flew the early "go:' I'd have an 0430
interesting, then disorienting. The and I can see why-theywerejust or 0500 brief in the summertime,
next thing I remember, I came out out digging around, dredging up because you always knew you were
of the tops ofthe clouds doing an problems but offering no real solu- going to get an airplane, plus the air
aileron roll. It took me about tions at the same time. was smoother for strafe. By the
twenty minutes to get up enough Of course, our airplanes have got- third "gd'in the afternoon, or even
nerve to go do another run and roll ten so much better and more relia- the second one, it was touch-and-go
out in the soup. We just didn't have ble that it boggles your mind. Like whether you would get an airplane
really good training discipline in in England, we'd go out with our or not.
those days. Probably the worst part F-84s. We had 24 per squadron. We As I close out my Air Force
of it was that we didn't have the might get three airplanes to go fly career, I'd like to thank the TAC
proper supervision at many levels. in the morning and two or three in safety staff for an opportunity for
the afternoon. Thday we have fancy this interview and wish every
TAC Attack: Do you have any other computers; in those early days we fighter pilot who reads this the best
insights about flying fighters and had fighter pilots attempt to fix of luck- you're a special breed!
your Air Force career? their position by shooting the stars.
I couldn't get within three miles Check Six! ___.:::.
General Brown: From my own
experiences, the hours I've flown
throughout the years and working
with my safety people as a wing
commander and air division com-
mander, safety has really come a
long way which is very important. I Biography
think the people in our safety pro-
gram now are a bunch of bricklayers Lieutenant General James R. Brown
instead of brick-throwers. The is a command pilot with more than
problem I had early on was that my 5,000 flying hours in the F-84, F-100,
safety guys would divine a problem F-105, F-4 and F-15. Commissioned
somewhere and then just dump it in 1953, his Air Force assignments
on my desk without any possible have included combat tours in
solutions. I would finally get them Southeast Asia, command of the
by the throat and say, "Now wait a ~ 3rd Thctical Fighter Wing, Clark
minute, guys, you are part of the AB, Philippines and the 313th Air
solution on this thing because Division, Kadena AB, Okinawa. He
you've got the experience and became the TAC Vice Commander
insights that we need to pass on to in October 1986.
somebody else to teach them why
we don't want to do it that way:' It's

TACATTACK 7
 TAC OUTSTANDING----.
ACHIEVEMENT IN SAFETY AWARD

SSgt Randy Bentrott SSgt Corneil Williams Amn Jeffrey Peck

1AGS,1 TFW
Langley AFB, VA

S Sgt Randy Bentrott; a

dedicated F-15 crew chief, had
begun the start sequence for a
dures, Amn Peck informed him that
a fire had started. SSgt Bentrott
pushed the AMAD fire button, the
but was extinguished each time by
either SSgt Williams or Amn Peck.
The immediate actions taken by
ground engine run in order to right engine fire button and dis- these individuals, coupled with
troubleshoot a hydraulic leak. After charged the aircraft fire bottle their knowledge of emergency
advancing the throttle past 18 per- before safely egressing the aircraft. procedures, prevented any person-
cent RPM, he was notified by Amn SSgt Corneil Williams, who had nel injury or major damage to the
Jeffrey Peck, the ground crewman, been assisting during the ground aircraft. Their demonstration of
that a major hydraulic leak had run, moved a fire extinguisher into professionalism and dedication to
developed underneath the aircraft's position and began to fight the fire ground safety in the performance of
right side. with the halon agent. The fire their duties have earned them the
While SSgt Bentrott was erupted four more tim·es before the TAC Outstanding Achievement in
implementing shutdown proce- fire department arrived on scene, Safety Award.

8 JUNE 1988
 Mrs. Rebecca C. Buchan, one of the best traffic safety records
Ground Safety Manager for in the Air Force. Since 1983, the
the 366th Ilictical Fighter Wing, annual number of vehicle mishaps
Mountain Home Air Force Base, both on and off base decreased more
Idaho, has been awarded the than 50 percent with only two mili-
Government Employees Insurance tary fatalities in the last four years
Company (GEICO) Public Service and none in the past seventeen
Award for 'fraffic Safety and Acci- months. From 1985 to 1986, vehicle
dent Prevention for 1987. The mishaps at Mountain Home AFB
award was presented to her during declined by 42 percent and report-
ceremonies held in Washington, D.C. able mishaps involving Air Force
Mrs. Buchan has been actively vehicles were reduced to zero. In
involved in traffic safety for over a the first eight months of FY 87,
decade, providing innovative safety there were only two vehicle injuries
education to both the military and and no reportable mishaps involv-
civilian communities. She has ing Air Force vehicles. Mrs.
worked closely with community Buchan's long base-community Geico Public Service Award

youth programs in providing safety involvement and dedication to

education materials and obtained traffic safety and accident preven- Mrs. Rebecca C. Buchan
community support for an annual tion have made a significant contri-
alcohol-free party for graduating bution to the safety records of
high school seniors and their Mountain Home AFB and the
guests. She has also worked closely Tactical Air Command.
with community agencies and con-
ducted classes for local police and
emergency medical services as well
as court-identified problem drivers.
During the last five years, Mrs.
Buchan has had a joint base-
community proclamation designat-
ing "Drunk and Drugged Driver
Awareness Week" in December. She
also initiated anon-punitive maze
program at the main gate to give
identified drunk drivers an oppor-
tunity to get off the road.
As a result of Mrs. Buchan's
efforts, Mountain Home AFB has
left to right ore Mr. William B. Snyder Rebecca C. Buchan,
Mr. L Bruc:c Lamgen and Mr. Gory Vest
TAG ATTACK 9
Mr. Mike Mehalko
TAC Ground Safety

M any of us perform routine

maintenance, repair or
improvements to our "Home Sweet
it may seem more like a daily chore.
Some of us do thesejobsforpure
economic reasons- to save
hobby or relief from the 9-to-5 job.
No matter what your motivation,
ensure that the way you do the job
Home'' on a regular basis. For some, money- while others do them as a doesn't end up costing you more in

the weekend warrior

10 JUNE 1988
the end. Some jobs may only
require one tool, such as a screw-
driver to tighten a towel rack or a
door knob, while others will require
several tools. But regardless of how
small the job is, the potential for
harm still exists. For the simple
towel rack job, for example, if the
screwdriver is the wrong size or the
blade/tip is in poor condition, you
can be injured. I'm sure many of us
home repairmen have experienced a
bruised elbow, a cut finger or a
puncture wound from improper use
of tools. The causes may be ''bad"
tools, being in a hurry to get the job
done or pure frustration because we
just don't have the knowledge to do
the job first class. The proper use of
tools and adequate job preparation
are very important and should be our auto repair "experts" have valuable parts of your body in the
our frrst priorities when consider- touched moving fan blades and got longrun.
ing either a simple or complex home caught in the pulley or belt of the Many of the injuries we
repair. car engine. experience are from poor tool condi-
When you tackle a particular job, tion, improper tool use and failure
you need to plan what tools, equip- to use machine/tool guards. When
ment, hardware and, above all, you purchase hand tools, buy good
The proper use of tools what knowledge you'll need. Some- quality tools that will last. Thke the
and adequate job times you may be tempted to bite time to clean and maintain them.
preparation are very off more than you can chew. A sim- Don't misuse them. How many of us
important and should be ple, but dangerous, task such as have used the common screwdriver
our first priorities when cleaning leaves and debris from rain as a chisel or pry bar? This not only
gutters can be fatal if done wrong. damages a tool but can result in
considering either a simple 'Ib do it properly, use a ladder that's injury as well.
or complex home repair. tall enough to extend above the Electrical hand tools such as
highest surface and that can be drills, sanders, saws and grinders
properly secured. Make sure you are plentiful in American homes
Within TAG, w~ve certainly had position it properly for stability. If today. Each of them has the poten-
our share of severe injuries result- you're going to tackle these jobs, tial to cause a serious, or even fatal,
ing from doing odd jobs around the consider purchasing one of the injury. For example, when was the
house. One individual lost three excellent home repair books on the last time you checked the electrical
fingers when the piece of wood he market that provide excellent, safe cord for exposed wires? Did you
was cutting on a table saw kicked directions. Floundering through a just tape the damaged area, or
back and pulled his hand into the job can be dangerous and expensive replace the entire cord? Ifyou're
blade. Another individual suffo- when you're hurt or damage your like many folks, you probably taped
cated when he was overcome by the equipment or hardware because it. That's a dangerous band-aid fix.
carbon dioxide he had used to clear you don't want to admit you're You can become so engrossed in
a blocked well pipe; another person stumped. Many of the "do-it- what you're doing that you may for-
lost the tip of a finger while chop- yourself' stores employ people who get and contact the open wiring
ping wood; and several folks have are there just to provide guidance area if the tape becomes loose, or if
lost fingers while cleaning chains on on how to do it right; so don't be the exposed area comes in contact
their motorcycles with the engine bashful. Ask for help when you need with the material you're working
still driving the rear wheel. Some of it. It can save you money as well as on. With a hand drill, you need to

TAG ATTACK 11
 WEEKEND WARRIOR

ensure that the bits are sharp so Saws, from the simplest hand- reciprocating tools can propel large
excessive force isn't needed. If the type to the most complex radial or or small particles with enough force
drill bit becomes dull, you have to table saw, are the biggest causers of to hurt. On a circular saw, the blade
use more muscle; causing the injury. Why? Usually because the should be sharp and the proper one
smaller bit to break. When that guard was removed. Regardless of forthejob. Using a dull blade
happens, you may lose your balance, the tool you're using, if guards are causes the saw to work harder and
injuring yourself or your expensive required, use them and always use can damage your wood. Above all, it
equipment. eye protection. causes you to use greater force

Regardless of the tool

you're using, if guards
are required, use them
and always use
eye protection.

which can cause your hands to slip

and contact the blade. The guard on
these saws should never, repeat
never, be removed or overridden.
It's there to protect you. Another
saw that can bite you is the jig-scroll
saw. Again, the blade needs to be
sharp for ease of cutting. Trying to
force the narrow blade can break it,
causing you to lose your balance and
possibly a finger. The blade on this
handsaw is not guarded so added
care is needed while using it.
I've only touched on a few of the
common tools used in and around
your home. There are many more
that you may own and use. Remem-
ber, they all have the potential to
hurt so treat them with the respect
they deserve. If you are fixing up
your house, car or lawn mower, take
time to do it right so you can enjoy
the fruits of your labor in good
health. __.::>

12 JUNE 1988
 TAC CREW CHIEF
SAFETY AWARD

S taff Sergeant David G.

Cauraugh, an F-lllA dedicated
crew chief with the 389th Air-
craft Maintenance Unit at Moun-
tain Home AFB, Idaho, was prepar-
ing to launch his aircraft on a
morning sortie when, shortly
before the crew was ready to taxi,
he detected a fme mist spraying
from the bottom of the number one
engine. He immediately informed
the aircrew of the problem and had
engine specialists inspect the leak.
Upon removal of the lower engine
panel, a large mist was discovered
spraying from the afterburner fuel SSgt David G. Cauraugh
control. When the engine 366 AGS, 366 TFW
specialists failed to stop the leak, Mountain Home AFB, ID
the aircraft launch was cancelled
and the crew went to a spare. Had flight, with catastrophic results. alism as a crew chief have earned
the leak gone unnoticed, venting SSgt Cauraugh's attention to him the TAC Crew Chief Safety
fuel could have ignited during detail and demonstrated profession- Award.

TACA'ITACK 13
 INCIDENTS AND
chock talk
INCIDENTALS
WITH A
MAINTENANCE
SLANT
600-gallon centerline
tank dropped
M aintenance control requested that the night
shift install some 370-gallon pylon fuel tanks on
an F-4 aircraft: The functional check of the jettison
tions personnel were sent to the aircraft to perform
the functional check the following morning, they
assumed that all external tanks were installed the
system would be performed by the members of the previous night. Having performed this same func-
day shift the next day. Sure enough, when the selec- tional check numerous times before, they overlooked
tive stores jettison button was depressed during the numerous steps in the checkout procedure.
functional check the following day, the centerline fuel One individual was in the cockpit setting switches,
tank was jettisoned onto the ramp. and another member of the crew was on the aircraft
How did that happen? Obviously, impulse carts had ladder discussing the sequence in which they would
been installed and the safety pin was not installed in perform the check. (The appropriate T.O. for the
the tank. The mishap resulted from a series of errors check states that use of ground interphone during
and oversights, any of which, if corrected, would have checks is mandatory. That was not done.) The person
prevented the mishap. on the ground removed the safety pin from the center-
When the crew chiefs installed the F-4 wing tanks, line tank and went around to the left side of the tank
they didn't properly follow the tech order steps for to check for voltage. He then noticed that the breech
aircraft preparation which required that the impulse access door was closed and realized that the center-
cartridges be removed from all stations. When muni- line tank was probably armed. He immediately went
to install the safety pin but, unfortunately, he was too
late. As he was walking out from under the aircraft,
the individual in the cockpit depressed the external
stores emergency release button (panic button) and it
worked as advertised.
What were some of the other factors that con-
tributed to this mishap besides the obvious ones? The
individuals involved were not using the proper check-
list to perform the functional check. They had not
determined the armed/unarmed status of the aircraft
before beginning to do the check, and they pulled
safety pins before determining if the aircraft was
armed. Following the tech order data would certainly
have highlighted those areas that were overlooked,
but common sense should have dictated that the arm
status and presence of carts be determined before any
sWitches were turned or buttons pushed. When all
else fails, use your head.

14 JUNE 1988
One fastener doesn't
get it
A n A-7 on a cross- country flight was being
launched by transient maintenance. Preflight
activities had been normal up to engine start. But
when the pilot tried to start the jet fuel starter (JFS),
he couldn't get it running. The battery also appeared
to be weak.
The pilot climbed out of the cockpit while main-
tenance work was done on the JFS. The maintenance
workers opened the left and right avionics bay panels
and the access panel forward of the JFS exhaust area
to work inside. Then the pilot climbed back into the
cockpit to see if the JFS would start. When he tried, it
started up. The transient maintenance workers on
the ground told him to stay in the cockpit; they'd take
care of buttoning up the panels.
The pilot started the engine and shut down the JFS.
He finished his cockpit checks and taxied. The same The panel wasn't found. On the airplane, the
transient maintenance crew met him at the end of the female portions of the panel fasteners were not
runway and gave him his last-chance quick check. damaged- except for one. That fastener was the cen-
After getting a thumbs-up from the ground crew, t he ter fastener on the aft edge of the panel. Do you sup-
pilot took off and flew to his destination. There he dis- pose the reason it was damaged was because it was
covered that the left avionics bay panel was missing. the only one fastened?

nine people are waiting

TACA'ITACK 15
F-100 SUPERSABRE
 famous last words

Capt Michael J. Pierce line on your scope. If a conflict 4 ~ That's not my job." Unions
116 TCF (ANG) is going to occur, action needs to aren't allowed in t he Air Force so
Portland Int'l Arpt, betaken. get rid of the union mentality. Do
Oregon
2. 'Tm gonna tell him." This
' ' Vamous last words?' That's is a usual response to advice from
r what my old man used to tell the weapons assignment officer/
me after I tried to convince him I senior weapons controller or
knew what I was doing. Like, "I put instructor after several sweeps of
the lid on tight, Dad?' Famous last impending conflict. The pilot can't
words are like the trite phrases feel the cursor you're tracking him
weve learned over the years. with. Information has to be broad -
They're overused and tell a lot cast.
about the user's imagination and
mindset. We all have to think twice 3. "Back at my last base."
about them as I'm sure weve all How you did han doffs at your last
used them. So here are 10 thought- base doesn't do anything to expe -
joggers so you weapons controllers
can refresh your memory.
what needs to be done, apologize
1. "He isn't in my airspace." and correct the problem when you
Two aircraft that will soon collide have the time.
do not know there is a grease pencil
5. ''That isn't what he briefed."

dite the aircraft you're currently

working back to Center or some
other control agency. All this state-
ment shows is you aren't ~p on your
local procedures yet.

18
This is often heard when the flight 8. "I got time." This is the stan- doesn't mean that maintenance
lead wants to deviate from the didn't turn it off, something didn't
briefed scenario. Chances are the go wrong with it after the mission,
flight lead has a reason for changing a fuse didn't blow and so on. Check
his plans. Adapt accordingly and out your equipment. If there's a
find out during the debrief. problem, report it. Chances are you
don't have all the facts. On the other
6. If he doesn't like it, he hand, thank the technician if he
can RTB VFR."Thisisacommon checks out your gear, but have the
response to the Famous Last Words sense to also check it out yourself.
#5. This person usually has a You're the one using it.
childish attitude toward the rest of
life and doesn't like to change. After 10. ttl didn't see it in the Read
several months of knowing this
controller, the crew will usually & Initial Flle." This phrase is
stop relying on him or her for dard line from the guy who does commonly heard after someone
things- in addition to GCI. quick mission preps, leaves out his gets bit for not following a proce-
technician, and usually controls dure. After checking, we usually find
from a cold seat. His missions that he/she didn't check the read and
7. "Homminna, Homminna." initial file for the other three articles
Known as Ralph Kramden RT. usually head south in a handbasket.
Make sure your brain is en- in front of it either.
9. "It worked on the last So why bring these up? What's
mission. Another standard from the point? The point is- as a
the guy above after he fails to weapons controller, I have responsi-
check his equipment. Just because bilities to the crewmember in the
it worked for the morning mission cockpit. He relies on me for a lot of
things and I have to live up to my
end of the bargain. I don't send him
"RTB VFR" while I have a tantrum.
I'm the one with the big picture and
he relies on that. We keep hearing
that money will be tight and we
have to glean all we can from every
mission. Getting the most from
each mission means going beyond
the trite or just settling for meeting
gaged before your mouth is put into standards to using some imagina-
gear. This aircrew doesn't want to tion and doing it right. If we don't,
hear you fumble for words. After famous last words will be, ''We'll
awhile they'll just tune you out. work autonomous, thanks anyway:'

TACATTACK 19
 TAC FLIGHT SAFETY AWARD
OF THE QUARTER
C aptain John Rudolph's leader-
ship, attention to detail and
superb systems knowledge have
resulted in lasting improvements to
the 49 TFW flying safety program.
He has created a wing-level safety
awards program that recognizes the
efforts of maintenance crew chiefs
and systems specialists. He also
conducts a highly comprehensive
operations and maintenance educa-
tion program including lessons
learned, trends, modifications to
aircraft systems, TCTOs and their
impact on safe operations.
Capt Rudolph has made a signifi-
cant impact on local flying policies
and procedures. He engineered the
rerouting of departure and clear-
ance procedures for White Sands
Missile Range entry and recovery
to insure deconfliction with NASA
operations. He was also involved
with extensive procedural changes
to the recovery of F-15 aircraft tow-
ing the Aerial Gunnery 'Thrget Sys-
tem to better insure the safety of
ground personnel.
Finally, Capt Rudolph's creativity Captain John K. Rudolph
and aggressive follow-up have 9TFS, 49TFW
resulted in several improvements Holloman AFB, NM
which directly affect safety of flight
in all F-15 AlB operations world- turer resulted in increased fuel cell ments in the area are being
wide. He first investigated an replacement rates, a fuel cell design reviewed by AFLC and changes to
unusual F-15 fuel leak problem and change, a new fault test system and the system are expected in the near
discovered that the F-15 AlB 3B a change to the phase inspection future.
fuel cell system had a major flaw procedures plan. Secondly, Capt Capt John Rudolph's determina-
which could allow fuel to leak Rudolph's thorough investigation of tion, enthusiasm and leadership
directly onto the extremely hot a:p inadvertent dual-engine shut- reflected by an aggressive flying
fuel/heat exchanger, resulting in down proved that c~rtain throttle safety program and Air Force
catastrophic fire or explosion. A linkages could appear technically recognition of his recommendations
subsequent conference between the correct but still cause engine shut- have earned him recognition with
TAC staff, the Air Logistics Center down if the throttles were moved the TAC Flight Safety Award of the
(ALC) and the aircraft manufac- rapidly to the idle position. Improve- Quarter.

20 JUNE 1988
 TAC FLIGHT SAFETY AWARD
OF THE QUARTER

month. He has also tapped into an

existing maintenance computer
product that provides trend infor-
mation on aircraft malfunctions,
allowing crews to review their air-
craft's flight history just prior to
flight.
Capt Hawkins has also
implemented a supervisor's read
file which keeps the commander,
operations officer, and flight com-
manders up-to-date on the latest
safety information. This broadens
the squadron safety program by
enabling squadron supervisors to
brief crews on current safety issues.
The commander is kept further
informed on the status of his squad-
ron through an in-depth and com-
prehensive spot inspection program.
The commander reviews the spot
Captain Carl A. Hawkins inspection log each month and gives
523 TFS, 27 TFW direction to the next month's spot
Cannon AFB, NM inspection plan.
As a result of Capt Hawkins'

C aptain Carl A. Hawkins has

created and manages a
superior safety program in the 523d
understand and implement the unit
commander's safety policy prior to
their first flight. His monthly safety
superb efforts and his energetic
approach to flight safety, the 523
TFS Flight Safety Program
'Thctical Fighter Squadron. He meetings cover innovative and rele- received an Outstanding UEI rat-
developed a comprehensive new- vant topics, including a trend analy- ing and was noted as ''best TAC
comer orientation briefing which sis reviewing the last month's trends squadron safety program seen to
enables new squadron aircrews to and predictions for the upcoming date'' by the IG.

TACATTACK 21
 When the 180-degree turn around the front of the
aircraft was about two-thirds completed, the spotter
noticed that the bomb was rocking so he moved to
ensure the bomb's stability. At the same time, the
driver yelled and slammed on the brakes. The bomb
weapons words
began to revolve on the jammer cradle, causing the
nose to point at a 30-degree angle to the jammer. As
the bomb rocked harder and grew more unstable, the
spotter was unable to overcome the bomb's inertia.
Finally, it slid off the jammer cradle nose first, strik-
ing the ground on the nose fuse.

Dropped

A munitions load crew was in the process of

uploading fully assembled, fused MK-82 bombs
on an F-16. The first two bombs went up successfully,
but problems came when they got to the third one.
The driver of the MJ-1 jammer, utilizing metal rollers
with two-inch extenders on the jammer cradle, lifted While the tech data did not require single MK-82
the bomb from the MHU -141 trailer. Crewmember bombs to be strapped to the jammer cradle, appar-
number one, the spotter, guided the lifting operation ently that would have been a good idea in this case.
to ensure the bomb's stability on the metal rollers as The jammer driver had been initially certified only a
the jammer was backed away from the trailer. month earlier and was unfamiliar with what would
After backing sufficiently, the jammer driver happen if he jumped on the brakes with a bomb on
headed around the nose of the aircraft to load the board. One thing is for sure. When something that big
bomb on the left inboard station. The spotter con- and heavy gets started in the wrong direction, it's
trolled the bomb by the tail fins and guided the move- very difficult to get it stopped. The whole key to doing
ment to the proper loading position. it right is thinking ahead.

22 JUNE 1988
Whee!

R emember how much fun it was to ride in a go-

cart when you were a kid? You weren't old
enough to drive, but you could hardly wait. You sat
low to the ground and it felt like you were flying as
you poured the coal to it. Unless you were a real klutz,
nobody ever got hurt as you tore up and down an
empty field or the local go-cart track, surrounded
with old tires to absorb your enthusiastic, misguided
steering.
There may seem to be some resemblance between
go-carts and our MJ-1/MJ-4jammers. They're also
built low to the ground, are very maneuverable and
have plenty of power. But, that's where the compari-
son stops.
When an MJ-1 driver was helping load AGM-65
Mavericks, he discovered that driving a jammer too
fast could be a problem. He approached the aircraft
with the Maverick, thinking he had enough room to
drive straight in. As he accelerated toward the air-
craft, it quickly became obvious to both the load crew
chief and the spotter that the driver was going too
fast. Misjudging his speed and clearance, the driver
caused the missile to hit one of the aircraft's MAU-12
ejector rack sway braces and the missile was severely
damaged.
Bomb lifts are serious pieces of Air Force ground
equipment, not go-carts. We may want to catch the old
thrill of the go-cart or be tempted to go beyond safe
limits during ICTs (integrated combat turnarounds)
or bomb load competitions. Resist the temptation and
know your own capabilities for driving and maneuver-
ing around aircraft, munitions trailers, AGE and
other members of your load team. An unnecessary
ding will lose a bomb comp for you and ruin the rest of
your day.

TACATTACK 23
 Sgt Michael A. Luckadoo
507 TAIRCW/SE
ShawAFB,SC

H ave you ever jumped head

first into a five-year loan con-
tract without thoroughly reading
the fine print or adding up the total
cost of what you are buying? Proba-
bly not. Yet every day someone,
somewhere,climbs behind the
wheel of an automobile, drunk,
without even considering the "hid-
den cost" of a driving under the
influence (DUI) conviction.
Let's take a look at the impact a
DUI will have on your military
career. The punishment is hard for
first-time offenders. As a minimum,
you can expect an Article 15, a one-
year loss ofbase driving privileges,
and a referral to social actions for
alcohol abuse.
If the military punishment
doesn't put a chill in you, take a
closer look at another place where it
dui
will really hurt- your wallet. 'Ib
begin with, you can expect to pay up
to $360.00 in court costs and fines;
however, this is just the beginning!
Do you have an extra $3000.00 to give
your insurance company over the
next three years? "Unbelievable;'
you say? I researched four local
insurance agencies (two represent-
ing national companies and two
independent agents) to obtain price
quotes. I based my questions for
rates on a typical high performance
car (1988 Pontiac Trans-AM with a
V-8 engine) and on a very low-

24 JUNE 1988
the hidden cost
priced, used car (1980 VW Rabbit Remember this applies only to the else you'll receive. You will carry six
with a 4-cylinder engine). Since the first DUI, when no mishap is points against your driver's license
rates varied significantly, I took an involved. It gets worse. and 15 insurance points on your
average from all four companies Now that you've seen the rates policy (each insurance point" will
combined. Listed below are that a single DUI will get you for cost you from $20.00 to $:30 .00).
representative rates: three long years, let's consider -what When comes the SR-22 (high risk
insurance registration). Some local
companies require you to put 40%
SINGLE MALE UNDER 25 '
down; however, most national insur.
1988 Pontiac Trans Am ante companies require 100% down
1980 VW Rabbit
V-8 Engine to file an SR-22. So, for insurance
4 Cyl Engine
without DUI/with 1 DUI without DUI/with 1 DUI coverage on that nice sports car
(single male under 25), you'll need
$1171.50 $1777.50 $1678.75 $2613.00 about $1045.00 down and $142.50 a
month with one of the local wmpa-
1+51.72% increase] k55 72% increase nies. Next year you get, to pay it all
over again.
SINGLE MALE OVER 25
1980 VW Rabbit 1988 Pontiac Trans Am
4 Cyl Engine V-8 Engine
without DUI/with 1 DUI without DUI/with I DUI Twenty-nine TAC personnel
$469.50 $1319.50 $902.00 $1714.00 were killed in private motor
_
1+181.04% increas N-90.07% increase vehicle mishaps in fiscal
year 1987. Fourteen of those
individuals were driVing
MARRIED MALE UNDER 25
1988 Trans Am
under the influence.
1980 VW Rabbit
4 cyl Engine V-8 Engine
without DUI/with 1 DUI without DUI/with 1 DIII
$711.30 $1418.00 $1073,30 $1986.70
I hope this brief look into the
L+-99.43% increase 85.12% incma2sel "real" casts of a DUI has shed some
light on the impact it can have for
your military career and the finan-
MARRIED MALE OVER 25 cial strains on your wallet and per-
1980 VW Rabbit 1988 Trans Am sonal budget. Most important of all,
4 cyl Engine V-8 Engine Dins jeopardize the lives of people
without DUI/with 1 DUI withoutDUI/with 1 DUI behind the wheel, yourself and
$1109.00 $768.00 $1476.00 others, as ThvII as innocent bystand-
$494.00
ers on the highways. Hopefully
you'll never have to sign the dotted
FA- 121% incase H92.18% increase line of an SR-22. You are the only
La.&w:NEMITIL one who can make that decision_l-

TAC ATTACK 25
 AIRCREW OF DISTINCTION

Capt Jeffrey R. Cross Capt Mark S. Giannini Capt Leland G. England SSgt Jeffrey R. Brewer

966AWAC'fS
Tinker AFB, OK

W hile performing a pre-dawn

E-3 Sentry launch for a mis-
sion training sortie, Capt Jeffrey R.
strate a reduced power takeoff to
his student. At about 135 KIAS,
Capt Cross and SSgt Brewer
Cross allowed the aircraft to
accelerate in ground effect to
achieve tech order speeds, then
Cross, instructor pilot, Capt Mark noticed a small pickup truck moving continued with a normal climbout.
S. Giannini, upgrading pilot, Capt onto the runway. Instantly recog- Outstanding crew discipline, crew
Leland G. England, instructor nizing that an abort at that point coordination and vigilance prevented
navigator, and SSgt Jeffrey R. would probably result in a high the disastrous collision of a fuel-
Brewer, instructor flight engineer, speed collision with the truck, Capt laden aircraft carrying 30 crew-
took critical actions that prevented Cross immediately applied maxi- members with a ground vehicle. The
potential loss oflife and probable mum throttle and initiated rotation crew's quick recognition of the
destruction of a $130 million air- below computed speed, lifting off danger, decisive actions and out-
craft. At 80 KIAS during their just in front of the vehicle. As the standing airmanship have earned
takeoff, Capt Cross, sitting in the E-3 climbed, SSgt Brewer saw the them the TAC Aircrew of Distinc-
right seat as instructor pilot, took vehicle pass about fifteen feet away tion Award.
control of the aircraft to demon- underneath the right wing. Capt

26 JUNE 1988
 fleagle

Capt Robert F. Sorrels build our very own Fleagle. He was has generated a great deal of good
Chief, Flying Safety constructed of% inch plywood and publicity for our safety program~
Cannon AFB, NM built up in layers to get a 3-D look.
The beak was made of five layers of Editor's Note: As everyone knows,

L ooking for a way to increase

your safety office's visibility to
the rest of your wing/base? What's
plywood. We even made a complete
mirror image so people would see
Fleagle no matter which direction
Fleagle flies up from Pea Island
every month and graces TAG
Attack readers with his exploits on
the best known bird in TAC (or the they were coming from. We painted the back page of the magazine.
Air Force for that matter)? What do his scarf and belt buckle in wing Fleagle will celebrate his eighteenth
those two questions have in com- colors. He is anchored by a 2 x 4 year with TAC Safety this June. We
mon? I was hoping you'd ask. running the length of his body and are certainly pleased that his mis-
Last year, after a large personnel buried two feet underground, and adventures have come to have such
turnover, we were looking for a way two metal straps secure his hand to an important role in safety educa-
to put some enthusiasm and visibil- the sign. It took TSgt Ron Allen and tion and mishap prevention within
ity into our wing safety program. myself about three weeks to finish Tactical Air Command.
We thought of many ideas, but noth- Fleagle and the Wing Commander, Since Fleagle is the copyrighted
ing seemed to be what we were Colonel Henry R. Becker, presided property of his creator, Mr. Stan
looking for. One day a packet from over our unveiling ceremony. Hardison, if you have questions con-
HQ TAC/SE crossed my desk and I Since that time, Fleagle has cerning the use of Fleagle for offi-
knew we had what we wanted. The received lots of attention. He was cial TAC safety purposes, please
packet's cover showed Fleagle lean- close to being a safety hazard him- contact Mr. Hardison at AV
ing against a sign. We had the sign, selfthe first few days because peo- 574-3658. Any use of Fleagle for
but we needed Fleagle. ple driving by would slow down and commercial purposes or monetary
With approval, we commenced to stare at him! This simple project gain is unauthorized.

TACATTACK 27
 Ms. Patricia E. Musick
27TFW/SEG
Cannon AFB NM

I t was a typical spring day on

base and everyone was getting
anxious to be out in the fresh air.
The safety office had an air of appre-
hension hanging over it. The ground
why? safety manager (GSM) paced back

•
and forth like a caged tiger, wonder-
ing where the next mishap might
occur and how he could prevent it.
'Ib break the tension, he sent two of
his ground safety folks out to the
flight line to check things out and be
on the lookout for anything and
everything. The one person remain-
ing in the office was given the task
of researching the monthly safety
material; you know, get the facts
together, the lowdown on the cur-
rent problem areas and get the
word out. The civilian technician
was already involved in lining up
troops needing supervisor's train-
ing. OK, now that everyone was
working on their cases the GSM
could get to the nitty gritty prob-
lem of the contractors on base. They
were digging a suspicious hole.
Were they going to shore it up? He
had to know!
The day moved along steadily and
thenithappened.Thephonerang
and it was SSgt Blab, the safety
representative for one of the main-
tenance areas. An aircraft jack
wheel had broken and the jack seat
had punctured the right wing. The
GSM's mind was racing as he
grabbed his hat and rushed out the
door. Had they followed tech data?
Were they supervised? Was it a
faulty jack? There had to be a cause;
this was the second such incident in
two months. Why?
As he walked into the hangar,
there it was. The jack had definitely
punched a hole in the right wing and

28 JUNE 1988
 maintenance personnel were in the got to the office. Sitting down at his craft centerline extremely difficult.
process of removing the jack. The desk with a cup of coffee in hand, he 3. Four people were missing from
fire department had finished the began to analyze the available facts. thejackingoperation. Require-
wash down and a crew was about He continued to feel that something ments are two on each wing, two on
ready to tow the wounded bird to was being overlooked. At about the tail, and one at the nose for air-
the line, away from everything else. 0800 he left the office, thinking a craft alignment.
The time seemed to drag on. Maybe walk down the line might help clear So, who did it? Who was responsi-
it was the anxiety of what the Boss his head. ble for this mishap? You decide.
would say this time, or the fact that As he reached hangar 101, his The supervisor? Why did he
this was the second time for this attention was drawn immediately to leave? Why didn't he ensure there
' type mishap. Did we overlook some the operation in progress, the jack- were enough people to do the job
key element in the earlier mishap? ing of an aircraft. Suddenly, he correctly?
Finally the aircraft was out of the heard a loud thump, thump, thump. The personnel who knocked the
hangar and only the ground safety He couldn't believe his eyes. The wing jacks in place with chocks?
manager, the jack and the jacking right wing man had a chock in hand, The AGE maintenance people-
crew were left at the scene. He striking the leg of the jack. That for changing out the wheels on the
decided to start by interviewing the was it! That was the missing link. jacks?
supervisor, MSgt Puddle. He After contacting the supervisor and The manufacturer-for not
seemed very competent, but he had terminating the unsafe act he had designing jacks with locking wheels?
left the building for a few minutes just observed, he hurried back to Well, it was Friday and we were
at the start of the jacking proce- the office to finish the report. all back in the office. The jacks were
dure. Before leaving he had put The final report fmdings were: in for repair, and everyone knew
three experienced men on the job. 1. Failure to comply with tech what would happen if they slapped
Hmmm! Where were the other four data during jacking operations. another jack around with a chock.
people needed to properly perform (Using chocks to align and seat We could finally breathe a sigh of
the task when the mishap occurred? jacks by hitting jack legs.) relief and catch up on some in-house
The right jack man, Sgt Catt, said 2. Metal non-locking wheels were training.
they read the T.O. before starting changed to rubber locking wheels Then, the weather started to turn
thejacking. Everything was which, under weight stress during bad. The secretary slipped the GSM
progressing normally when the air- jacking operations, would make a note, ''winds gusting to 50 knots.''
craft began to rock. The wheel alignment of jack legs with the air- OK, everyone back to the line. ~
broke off the jack and, WHAM, it
was all over.
The left jack man, A1 C Lake, and
the nose man, MSgt Mills, told the
same story. There had to be some-
thing that was overlooked.
Now, for an inspection of the jack.
The metal wheels which had been
installed by the manufacturer had
been replaced by rubber locking
wheels with brakes to prevent them
from rolling. Each of the legs had
suspicious marks like something
had been striking against them.
The GSM looked at everything,
talked to everyone, and decided to
head back to the office. It was get-
ting dark and the office was closed.
Well, it would keep until tomorrow.
It was 0630 the next morning
when the ground safety manager

TACATTACK
 TAC GROUND SAFETY AWARD
OF THE QUARTER

tinues to drop. safety hazards for the Air Defense

'Ib promote his unit's safety pro- Weapons Center's 1987 Safety Day.
gram, MSgt Hodge publishes a These efforts have successfully got-
safety flash bulletin featuring "Hap ten the safety word out.
Hazard;' a fictional character MSgt Hodge constantly roves the
designed to help illustrate potential flight line area looking for problem
personnel injuries and equipment areas. His efforts have consistently
damage. This initiative has proved paid off with an annual unit inspec-
MSgt James W. Hodge very successful. 'Ib promote the 'We tion in which all areas were rated
325 AGS, 325 TTW Care About You" safety program, Excellent. MSgt Hodge's efforts in
Tyndall AFB, FL he has written several articles for managing his professional ground
the squadron's biweekly newsletter safety program have earned him

M SgtJamesW. Hodge's dedica-

tion and ingenuity in develop-
ing a sound ground safety program
and put together a safety aware-
ness display depicting flight line
the TAC Ground Safety Award of
the Quarter.

for the 325th Aircraft Generation

Squadron have resulted in an
increased level of safety conscious-
ness within his unit. Prior to his
assignment as safety NCO, the
squadron had experienced an
adverse trend of over eight report-
able mishaps per month. Within
four months, he had identified the
most likely high-risk groups within
the unit and focused his safety edu-
cation efforts on them. As a result,
the mishap rate average has fallen
to less than four per month and con-

30 JUNE 1988
 TRE TIILLY
Total TAC ANG AFR
THRU APR THRU APR THRU APR THRU APR
APR APR APR APR
FY 88 FY 88 FY 88 FY 88

CLASS A MISHAPS 2 18 1 12 1 4 0 2

AIRCREW FATALITIES 0 10 0 7 0 2 0 1

IN THE ENVELOPE EJECTIONS 4/0 12/0 2/0 8/0 2/0 4/0 0/0 0/0
OUT OF ENVELOPE EJECTIONS 0/0 0/3 0/0 0/2 0/0 0/1 0;'0 0;'0
SUCCESSFUL UNSUCCESSFUL

TAC'S TOP 5 thru APR 1988

1st AF

318 FIS
325 TTW
57 FIS
48 FIS

ANG AFR DRUs

110 TASG 482 TFW 28 AD

138 TFG 924 TFG USAFTAWC

177 FIG 906 TFG USAFTFWC

114 TFG 507 TFG

180 TFG 917 TFW

CLASS A MISHAP COMPARISON RATE

CUMMULATIVE RATE BASED ON ACCIDENTS PER 1f)0,000 HOURS FLYING TIME

. FY 88 6.4 3.4 3.0 2.7 2.6 3.3 31

TA
P1L Al. A 2.8 2.9
ANG FY 88 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 2.4 2.6

'. I 2.7 2.5 _

A Fy 88 0.0 10.6 7.7 6.0 9.6 8.0 6.9

8.5 lki j 7.8
FY 88 4.3 29 24 22 25 32 3.1
Total 87 Igli 6.3 NM 4.8 _ 41 4.1 34 3.4_ IMIJIMIIIMI
MONTH OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP

UNITED STATES PRINTING OFFICE: 1987 1988 625-031/6