On the cover: A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon command jet from the Iowa Air National Guard's 132nd Fighter Wing "Hawkeyes" decorated with a bow arrived at the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing "Jersey Devils" on Sept. 25 as part of a "bigmouth" conversion. The 177th Fighter Wing's "smallmouth" Block 30 F-16Cs are being swapped out for aircraft with the Modular Common Intake Duct, or "bigmouth" air intakes, which lead to greater airflow to the engine and increased performance. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht) OCTOBER 2013, VOL. 47 NO. 10 THE CONTRAIL STAFF 1 7 7 T H F W C O M M A N D E R P U B L I C A F F A I R S O F F I C E R P U B L I C A F F A I R S M A N A G E R P H O T O J O U R N A L I S T P H O T O J O U R N A L I S T P H O T O J O U R N A L I S T E D I T O R / B R O A D C A S T J O U R N A L I S T A V I A T I O N H I S T O R I A N C O L. K E R R Y M. G E N T R Y 1 S T L T. A M A N D A B A T I Z M A S T E R S G T. A N D R E W J. M O S E L E Y M A S T E R S G T. S H A W N M I L D R E N T E C H. S G T. A N D R E W J. M E R L O C K A I R M A N F I R S T C L A S S S H A N E K A R P T E C H. S G T. M A T T H E C H T D R. R I C H A R D P O R C E L L I WWW.177FW.ANG.AF.MIL This funded newspaper is an authorized monthly publication for members of the U.S. Military Services. Contents of The Contrail are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the 177th FW, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. The editorial content is edited, prepared, and provided by the Public Affairs Office of the 177th Fighter Wing. All photographs are Air Force photographs unless otherwise indicated For back issues of The Contrail, and other multimedia products from the 177th Fighter Wing, please visit us at DVIDS!
F l a s h b a c k P H O T O That which does not kill us makes us stronger. Friedrich Nietzsche It makes sense if you believe that there is a purpose in our life and we benefit from all events. Its real meaning is that an event that hurts us emotionally or physically will produce two circumstances: The first one being the negative effect of the event making the person lose themself. The second makes the person aware and lets them rebuild to prevent that thing from happening again. However, the problem with the second one is that it can affect the person s life in a negative way as well. For example, a person who broke up with a significant other might set up a wall to never let a person into their lives like that again. This can hurt them in building relationships with others or they may turn to alcohol or illegal drugs to camouflage their pain. Many of us have found that we will get tougher as part of an experience we have been through or through life experience. Say for example we undergo a horrific experience, be it a sad occasion or something troubling. When we are at our lowest point in time, and we cannot go on, we learn that it is our friends and family who will eventually pull us out of the traumatic event, when we feel all hope is lost. We could only learn who was there for us and who our wingmen are when the going gets tough in the events in our lives. I have found this saying to mean that it s the tough experiences that shape us and that we will grow stronger from what we go through. For example, the challenge of less employment through no fault of our own is frustrating. We begin to feel that we are victims and believe there is no hope for the future, however it becomes an opportunity for us to network and research the support we will have around us, such as close friends or the resources we can receive from the numerous organizations that focus on helping veterans and their families. We can depend on them to tell us not to give up, but be a fighter and not a quitter. It is these types of experiences that will make us a better person in the long run. We are still alive, and that means we have survived and can be proud of ourselves because we were tested and we passed that character self-examination. On a personal level, if we have been abused or hurt in the past, and have been disappointed by the actions of others, it is our ability to bounce back and be determined that helps us survive and be even stronger than before. We have resources that can help each of you. However, you must want the help and realize that it does not represent weakness but in fact, wisdom. We can only become stronger because of our life challenges and our resiliency to overcome those challenges. Call me for psychological health at 609-289-6713. Thanks! Maj. Donald J. Strait with his P-51D Jersey Jerk in Europe, 1945. Enlisting in the New Jersey National Guard before World War II, Strait went to flight school, becoming one of two fighter aces with National Guard backgrounds with 13.5 victories. Postwar, Strait commanded the New Jersey Air National Guard s 177th Fighter Wing, and retired in 1978 as a major general. (Air National Guard Historic Photo)
Story and photos by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht The 177th Fighter Wing received the last batch of F-16C Fighting Falcons from the 132nd Fighter Wing on Sept. 25. While they are the same Block 30 aircraft, they do have some minor differences, mainly the Bigmouth modification that allows for greater airflow to the engine. The difference is in the thrust, it s like going from a Mustang to a Lamborghini, said Capt. Brian Bradke, a Fighting Falcon pilot from the 119th Fighter Squadron. They re both great machines, but this upgrade takes full advantage of what the GE engine is capable of. The 177th Maintenance airmen marveled at the quality of the jets as they arrived. These jets came totally painted and ready to go, said Master Sgt. John Cobleigh from the 177th Fabrication Shop. The 132nd saved us literally hundreds of man hours. Crew Chief Senior Airman George Ruczynski also weighed in, saying These jets are the cleanest and most well maintained jets I ve ever seen. You can tell they were loved. The 132nd Fighter Wing, which is based at Des Moines International Airport, Ia., traces it s history to before World War II. The 132nd will be transitioning to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. (Above) The 132nd Fighter Wing commander s F-16C Fighting Falcon parked at the 177th Fighter Wing after arriving on Sept. 25, 2013. (Right) U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathan Hollander inspects the intake of a jet from the Iowa Air National Guard's 132nd Fighter Wing on Sept. 25 as part of a "bigmouth" conversion. Click here for more information about the 132nd Fighter Wing
VIPERS AT SUNRISE Above: U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcons from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing at sunrise on Sept. 27, 2013 as seen by a panoramic photo. These aircraft are a new addition to the 177th, and were acquired from the Iowa Air National Guard's 132nd Fighter Wing. The 177th Fighter Wing is based out of Atlantic City International Airport, N.J. (U.S. Air National Guard photo illustration by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht) + Click here to see the 177th in action! VIDEO CONTENT The Making of a Photo Left: U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcons on the flight line at sunrise. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Shane Karp) Middle: Airman First Class Shane Karp photographs the F-16 s at first light. Right: Master Sgt. John Cobleigh looks over an F-16C Fighting Falcon. (U.S. Air National Guard photos by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht)
As described in last month s column, Atlantic City s Aero Meet of 1910 was a significant event in aviation history. The excitement generated by the exploits of Glenn Curtiss, Walter Brookins and other notable aviators only heightened the interest of Atlantic City in this new frontier and, at the same time, made the city a focal point of further aviation developments. The airport, later called Bader Field (named after Edward Bader, City Commission and then Mayor of Atlantic City who purchased the land for the airport), began operations in 1910 and passenger service was authorized in 1911. The Traymore Hotel was an important supporter of the service and Admiral Robert E. Peary, one of the first discoverers of the North Pole, was a member of the committee that sponsored the development of the airport. By 1919, Glenn Curtiss seaplane passenger service between Atlantic City and New York, as well as local sightseeing flights, were well established. Newspaper reporter Robert Woodhouse popularized this flying limousines service in an article where he resurrected the term air port in describing the operations and the importance of Atlantic City as a terminus. Local realtor and promoter B. George Ulizio was crucial in the development of the airport; he even arranged for Jack Dempsey to establish a training camp on the airfield prior to the Dempsey-Carpentier championship fight of 1921 to promote the airfield. The city purchased the airport from private interests in July, 1922, adding athletic fields on the site, and renaming the complex Bader Field at that time. Starting from 1919, the following years saw a rapid growth in civil aviation in the country, as well as service to Atlantic Gathering of Eagles at Bader Field hosted by hotelier Adrian Phillips; includes Charles Lindberg, Amelia Earhart, and WWI ace Capt. Eddy Rickenbacker, standing in front of Curtiss Condor II of Eastern Airways, the predecessor of now-defunct Eastern Airlines. City. It was also a time of record breaking flights, and due to Atlantic City s aviation prominence, it was involved. For example, in 1919 the Navy desired to exploit and publicize its development of anti-submarine flying boats during World War I by staging a record-breaking transatlantic flight. Four Curtiss NC flying boats, NC-1, -2, -3 and -4, were tasked to fly from Rockaway Naval Air Station, Brooklyn, to Plymouth, England. The flight was planned for numerous legs, with stops along the northeastern and Canadian coasts, along side eight prepositioned Navy ships, the Azores and Portugal, for refueling, meals, and crew rest. Ultimately, NC-2 was cannibalized to provide spares, and the remaining 3 aircraft departed Brooklyn on May 8, 1919. Only NC-4 completed the flight, reaching Europe (Lisbon, Portugal) 10 days later, with a total flying time of 26 hours and 46 minutes. It flew on to Plymouth on May 29. The crew, commanded by Albert Cushing Read, received worldwide acclaim. The NC-4 was dismantled, shipped to New York, reassembled and sent on a nationwide publicity tour with the first stop being Atlantic City! Arriving at the Atlantic City Yacht Club, located at Gardner s Basin, NC-4 and her crew were welcomed by Mayor Harry Bacharach and other notables and treated to a number of days of celebration. Right: Nazi dirigible Hindenburg over Atlantic City on its way to meet its fate at Lakehurst. Below: Spirit of St. Louis guarded by Atlantic City s finest, during Lindbergh s national tour, 1927.
A Curtiss Condor I airliner of Chamberlain Airlines, Bader Field. In May, 1927, Charles Lindbergh completed his epoch non-stop, 3500 mile solo flight from Roosevelt Field, in Long Island, to Le Bourget airfield, Paris in 33.5 hours. After his return to New York New York millionaire Harry Guggenheim sponsored Lindbergh s three-month publicity tour that touched down in 92 cities in all 48 states. Three stops from his return to New York, the Ryan Spirit of St. Louis, landed at Bader Field and Lindbergh received the acclaim of Atlantic City s population. While most school children learn of the name Charles Lindbergh and his famous flight, how many of us know the name Clarence Chamberlain? Just a week after Lindbergh s flight, Chamberlain along with his passenger, sponsor Charles Levine, flew a Bellanca monoplane named Columbia from Roosevelt Field to just short of their goal Berlin. Even though he broke Lindbergh s week -old non-stop transatlantic distance record, and actually was very instrumental in the development of civil aviation, he remains overshadowed by Lindbergh. In fact, he established a number of airlines, including the eponymous Chamberlain Airlines, which used Bader Field as a hub connecting New York City (Newark Airport), Philadelphia and Washington. Chamberlain Airlines and then Eastern Airways flew Curtiss Condor I biplane airliners from Atlantic City. Considered "huge" in its day, it could carry 18 passengers in relative comfort. The Condor airliner was actually the commercial version of an Army Air Corps bomber. Starting in 1933 it was replaced by the larger Curtiss Condor II, equipped with variable pitch propellers and other enhancements, and flown from Bader Field by Eastern Airways and American Airways. Starting in the late 1920s and continuing through the 1930s, Bader Field also saw operations of the Ford 5-AT-C Trimotor airliner of New York Airways. Regular service linked Atlantic City to Washington and New York (actually Newark Airport). Recognizing the importance of air transport for the future development of Atlantic City as a leading resort and convention city, famed hotelier Adrian Phillips was a strong advocate and promoter. He organized a 1931 Gathering of Eagles bringing together the notable aviation personalities of the day for a meeting at Bader Field. Attendees included Charles Lindberg, Amelia Earhart, Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker along with city officials and other notables. Although not a factor in Atlantic City s influence on aviation development, there was coincidental aviation related event in 1937. On May 6, the Nazi dirigible LZ-129, Hindenburg, was nearing completion of its scheduled passenger service from Frankfurt to Naval Air Station Lakehurst, when thunderstorms forced Captain Pruss to take his airship on an excursion down the New Jersey shore to wait out the weather. One of the last photos of the ill-fated airship was taken over Atlantic City s Breakers and St. Charles Hotels on its journey to meet its destiny at Lakehurst. Captain Read and the crew of NC-4 are received by Mayor Bacharach and city officials upon arrival at Atlantic City Yacht Club, June 1919. A Ford 5-AT-C Trimotor of New York Airways at Bader Field. Bader Field was originally a grass field, and during the early 1920s three short gravel runways were laid out and a number of hangers constructed along US route 40. By 1932 they were supplemented with three gravel runways, each about 2500 feet long. Since it was hemmed in on three sides by the inland waterways and on the fourth side, a highway, there was no chance for expansion of the airport. The Atlantic City government and business leaders recognized the need for a new, larger municipal airport. Atlantic City s Mayor Altman approached nine of the major airlines of the day, soliciting their introduction of service into the new airport but only Eastern Airlines agreed. The city acquired about 5,000 acres west of the city in Egg Harbor Township near Pomona for the new airport, a drinking water reservoir (visible today from the GSP) and future city needs. Towards this end, the city and the Civil Aeronautics Administration using Works Projects Administration [WPA] funds amounting to $1.5 million started construction of the new Atlantic City municipal airport on Monday November 10, 1941. About 1200 workers were hired to clear 2000 acres of land and lay out four, milelong paved runways. But, less than a month later, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States was at war. The fate of the new municipal airport was changed drastically, becoming Naval Air Station Atlantic City the subject of next month s article.
SFS ON PATROL STORY BY TECH. SGT. MATT HECHT/PHOTOS BY AIRMAN FIRST CLASS SHANE KARP Airmen from the 177th Security Forces Squadron honed their combat skills here on Sept. 29. Led by an experienced cadre of fellow Security Forces members, a 12-person team was led through some of the basics of patrolling and room clearance procedures. Room clearing is a perishable skill if it s not practiced often, said Master Sgt. John Sacchetti, the 177th Security Forces Squadron operations superintendent. For Security Forces it s important to keep practicing these skills that may one day save your life in an active shooter event or clearing a building in an outside-the-wire operation in the AOR. Master Sgt. Erica Nelson (right) and Staff Sgt. Mary Milligan (left), both assigned to the 177th Security Forces Squadron, listen to an instructor during training here on Sept. 29. For Security Forces it s important to keep practicing these skills that may one day save your life. - Master Sgt. John Sacchetti, 177th SFS + Click here to see more! VIDEO CONTENT
Security Forces Fact Sheet Security Forces personnel are the Air Force's first line of defense and it is their job to maintain the rule of law on all Air Force bases and installations. All police activities associated with an Air Force base, from securing the perimeter of the base to being a dog handler, fall under this career field. Security Forces personnel are responsible for ensuring the safety of all base weapons, property and personnel from hostile forces. Security Forces personnel also train dog teams in all aspects of canine law enforcement and are occasionally assigned to an armory to control and safeguard arms, ammunition and equipment. This career field directly leads into a civilian job of law enforcement officer, security personnel and related government security agencies. Above: Tech. Sgt. James Eckert scans his surroundings during patrol training on Sept. 29. Eckert is a traditional guardsman, and a local police officer. Below: Staff Sgt. Mary Milligan (left) and Master Sgt. Erica Nelson (right) take cover during patrol training at the 177th Fighter Wing on Sept. 29. Staff Sgt. Mark Naughton participates in room clearing drills at the 177th Fighter Wing on Sept. 29. Naughton is assigned to the 177th Security Forces Squadron.
177th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Kerry M. Gentry presents Chief Master Sgt. Carl Scrivani with a flag flown over the 177th in honor of his retirement on Sept. 29. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Shane Karp) (From left to right) Master Sgt. John Sacchetti, Master Sgt. Erica Nelson, and Master Sgt. Stan Carroll, all from the 177th Security Forces Squadron, competed in the Tri-State Tough Mudder in Englishtown, N.J. on Oct. 12 as Team Kolfage, in honor of Senior Airman Brian Kolfage, a Security Forces airman injured in Iraq. (Courtesy photo) Airmen from the 177th Logistics Readiness Squadron pose for a photo at an undisclosed deployed location. The airmen, fuel systems specialists, are ensuring that mission critical aviation assets as well as other equipment are being refueled. From left to right: Staff Sgt. Dominic Francesco, Tech. Sgt. Andrew Devito, Staff Sgt. Paolo Imberti, Senior Airman Jessie Silva, and Tech. Sgt. Joseph Cooper. (Courtesy photo) For more awards photos, check out the 177th Fighter Wing Facebook page!
Lt. Col Kevin Kelly, an F-16C Fighting Falcon pilot with the 119th Fighter Squadron lands at the 177th Fighter Wing on Sept. 27. Kelly flew his Fini Flight, and finished his flying career in the Air National Guard with 3,286 flight hours. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht) Members of the 108th Wing and 177th Fighter Wing participated in the annual Quick Response Force (QRF) training September 29, 2013, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. QRF training teaches Guard members how to deal with disturbances when called to duty for civil support. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Adrian R. Rowan) Airmen, their families and friends from the 177th Fighter Wing participated in the Hero Walk on Oct. 6 in Ocean City, N.J. Team Jersey Devils raised $635, and ranked 19 out of 105 teams for fundraising. The message of the event was to encourage the use of designated drivers and to help prevent drunken driving accidents. (Courtesy photo)
EOD [Making Things Go BOOM] Safely and securely, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal [EOD] airmen from the 177th Civil Engineering Squadron detonated munitions on Sept. 28 at the Fort Dix, N.J. EOD range. The 177th s EOD team regularly conducts demolition training, which aids them in their combat role of disabling enemy Improvised Explosive Devices. Left: Staff Sgt. Philip Douglass goes through a crate of demolition materials prior to setup of controlled detonations. Right: Staff Sgt. Joseph Coates goes through a safety briefing in an armored bunker at the Fort Dix EOD range. (U.S. Air National Guard photos by Airman First Class Shane Karp) + Click here to see more! VIDEO CONTENT The first in a series of detonations preformed by the EOD techs from the 177th Fighter Wing at the Fort Dix EOD range on Sept. 28. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht)
l a n i F o t o Ph e s r Je r e d n u h yt A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon piloted by Maj. Gregory Poston from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Fighter Squadron, 177th Fighter Wing "Jersey Devils," takes off in afterburner for a training flight on Oct. 18 at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, N.J. (U.S. Air National Guard photo illustration by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht)