1956 BS Industrial Management, GA Tech; AFROTC commission. EAD 15 Oct 1956.
1958 Navigator Training, Ellington AFB, TX; Electronic Warfare School, Keesler AFB.
MS (first in class); selected RB-66 assignment to 363rd TRW,
Shaw AFB, SC, vice EB-47s at Lockbourne AFB, OH.
1958-1961 EWO, RB-66C, and Squadron Admin Officer, 9thTRS; flew Swamp Fox I at
RAF Chelveston with Stamm (P), Barbolla (N), Floyd (G), Sterling (EWO),
Duplessis (EWO), and Smiley. Traded my RC-97 assignment to Wiesbaden, Germany
with Jim Ballsmith for his RB-57A assignment to Elmendorf AFB, AK.
1961-1963 EWO, RB-57A, 5070th Def Sys Eval Sq., Elmendorf AFB, AK. Our 4 RB-57As
were ill equipped for EW training against DEW line radar sites and F-102 interceptors,
having only an APR-9, 1 manually tuned X-band jamming transmitter, 2 ALE-1 chaff
dispensers and evasion. AC also outfitted with Delmar Tow Target, Search and Rescue
(SAR) gear and an air sampling capability. The F-102 kill ratio was around 85%.
Effected the first B-57 SAR location of an F-102 pilot who ejected into the Alaska
wilds; subsequently rescued by helicopter. Khrushchev broke the treaty banning
nuclear testing in the atmosphere in late 1961, detonating nuclear warheads almost
non-stop for 2 months ending 4 November after multiple detonations in 6 days.
Staging mostly from Eielson AFB, flew numerous air sampling missions all over
northern Alaska and up to 300 miles north of Point Barrow intercepting these
invisible nuclear “clouds.” Navigator skills of our 4 EWOs were seriously tested
during upper Arctic Ocean flights as dead reckoning was the ONLY means available
50 miles above Barrow. Compass headings and wind data were frequently unreliable.
Intercepted Khrushchev’s infamous 100 megaton detonation “cloud” some 200+ miles
north of Barrow; loitered 1hr 35 min. Sampling gear funneled radioactive ram air
through a tube into (and out of) the cockpit beside the navigator seat where
detection and collection devices measured build-up. Collection procedures required
handling nuclear material with surgeon gloved HANDS which exposed clothing, equipment,
charts and everything within reach. The process continued until bingo fuel. Upon
landing, docimeters were surrendered to hospital personnel to measure exposure.
Still alive and cancer free at age 73 in 2008. A-models were removed in early 1962;
replaced with 3 highly capable EB-57E aircraft from Stewart AFB, NY complete with
APR-9, 10 jamming transmitters, a comm jammer and chaff dispensers; X-band transmitter
had auto-track capability. From that point forward, the Alaska skies belonged to the
EB-57E pilots (evasion) and EWOs as the DEW line radars, F-102 pilots and NIKE
sites could see little, hear little and find little except when the B-57 pilot/EWO
allowed it for training or safety reasons. F-102 kill rate fell to 37% against EB-57E
but their pilots would become awesome killers of any penetrating Soviet aircraft.
1964-1967 EWO, EB-47E Tel Two, Forbes AFB, KS. Collected Soviet telemetry signals from
their ICBM and Man-in-Space launches and Cosmos satellite de-orbit activity. Crews on
24 hour alert staging out of Incirlik AB, Turkey. Transitioned to RB-47H ac as EWO
Supervisor flying peripheral ELINT collection missions along periphery of Soviet Union,
staging from RAF Upper Heyford and Yokota AB, Japan; numerous MIG-21 encounters.
1967-1969 AFIT MBA degree with highest honors, Syracuse University. Beta Gamma Sigma
Nat’l Honor Society.
1969-1970 EWO, EB-66C, 41/42 TEWS, Takhli RTAFB, Thailand. Upgraded to EWO Supervisor
after 5 flights and subsequently to EWO StanEval; flew 87 combat missions; taught
college-level management courses at base University of Maryland facilities. Received
Civic Action Award. Tour cut short 45 days due to father’s death.
1970-1973 Manpower Requirements Staff Officer, USAF Security Service, Kelly AFB, TX.
1973-1974 Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL; 35 Vietnam POWs in attendance.
1974-1978 Manpower Requirements Staff Officer, HQ TAC, Langley AFB, VA. Promoted to
Colonel in 1976.
1978-1982 DCS/Electronic Warfare and Reconnaissance, USAFTAWC, Eglin AFB, FL to include
staff responsibility for EF-111 (1 ac) and F-4G (2 ac) Detachments at Mountain Home AFB,
ID and George AFB. CA respectively. Charged with restoring the lagging operational
readiness (20%) of tactical aircraft EW systems. Created a get-well plan; acquired 125
additional manpower spaces (total 250); transferred troubled GLCM and drone functions to
other internal agencies; recruited multi-skilled EW/engineering computer science personnel
worldwide with help of AFMPC; stabilized highly qualified enlisted rotations with HQ TAC
and MPC; worked with Keesler officials to revise inadequate EW Tech Training courses;
established a classified NSA/USAFTAWC intelligence support link.; pressed for EW range
simulator updates; dispatched teams to wing EW shops to evaluate technical talent and
capability. Raised tactical aircraft EW OR rates to 91% in 36 months. Established Green
Flag staff and worked with Nellis range officials to incorporate exercise parameters;
developed Compass Call jamming suite techniques and priorities. Presented Honorary CMSGT
award at June 1982 retirement.
1982-1986 EWO Systems Engineer (ASPJ) and Security Officer, ITT Avionics Division Office,
Niceville, FL.
1986-1999 Systems Engineer, Sverdrup Technology, Eglin AFB, FL. Responsible for beginning-to-end coordination of all engineering task order activity in the Air-to-Ground Weapons
System Program Office. Tasks encompassed 250 man-years of work with an annual value
exceeding $30M. Programs supported were JDAM, JASSM, JSOW, WCMD, AGM-130, GBU-15, Small
Diameter Bomb, GBU-15, GBU-24 and related programs. Played a key role in securing
successive five-year contract extensions; presented the company’s President’s Award
in 1997 in an
organization with over 400 highly skilled engineers.
Retired 30 June 1999.
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