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Did England AFB close because it was already slated to close (because the A-10 was headed to the boneyard) pry to Desert Storm?

Would any of you (Goose) like to give me a brief descrpition of what it was like at England after DS as you came home only to start closing the base? This is for a book I'm working on and I would need you ok to use your account if I deside to.

My working title for my book is...

The A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Post Desert Storm world of the A-10 Warthog

Ugly but well hung!
http://www.warthogpen.com

I WAS SENT PCS TO TRAVIS AFB OUT OF THE GULF DICE.,I WAS ON LEAVE WHEN I FOUND OUT THEY WERE CLOSING IT DOWN.
ASK 80-248 OR RANDALL THRONBURG,THEY BOTH SAW IT CLOSED DOWN.


PRESS TO TEST

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

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Did England AFB close because it was already slated to close (because the A-10 was headed to the boneyard) pry to Desert Storm?
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As far as I'm aware, it was put on the list because Myrtle Beach was also on the list. Unfortunately, it was closed. I was never aware at the time that the A10A was headed to the Bone Yard prior to Desert Storm. I didn't find this out until years later.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Would any of you (Goose) like to give me a brief descrpition of what it was like at England after DS as you came home only to start
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We found out after we came back (not long after we came back) that England AFB was on the base closure list. I don't know about the others I worked with, but I didn't really think it would be closed, mainly because Fort Polk, just about an hour up the highway from us, depended on us and our base so much (departure point for their deployments and such).

It's an interesting experience (as the folks from Myrtle Beach can tell you) being at a base that is in the process of closing down. Folks PCS'ing left and right.

We at England AFB, and the folks at Myrtle Beach, as folks assigned to a base that was closing, got preference in assignments. So, I applied for cross-training to C-130s, and to go to Little Rock AFB, which is where I went.

The saddest part of the base closing process for me, was getting aircraft ready to go to their "new assignments". Some, of course, went to new bases. My last official aircraft, 80-0250 ("sister" aircraft to 80-0248) went to Willow Grove, to be a "Wing King" bird, I think.

What was really heart-wrenching for me, was sending Hogs on their "final flight" to the bone yard. I got tired of launching out aircraft to go to other locations, and really hated it when I had to send one to the bone yard. That's got to be one of the saddest tasks for us crew chiefs. It's almost as bad a feeling as when an aircraft "doesn't come back". I've had both happen to me. While having one not come back (either through accident, or in the case of mine, a combat loss) is definitely the worst feeling in the world, sending one to the bone yard ranks right up there.

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closing the base? This is for a book I'm working on and I would need you ok to use your account if I deside to.
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I don't know that anything I contributed would be usable for you, but feel free. If you need anything more, be sure and let me know. My e-mail is: carrollmcallister@earthlink.net



-=> coming to you "almost live" from Searcy, Arkansas <=-




Edited by - 80-0248 on Nov 01 2003 7:56 PM

_________________
-=> Carroll McAllister <=-

coming to you \"almost live\" from Searcy, Arkansas

Thanks 80-0248, I will be getting with you through email.

Ugly but well hung!
http://www.warthogpen.com

Dice, just a suggestion, but how's this for a title?

A-10 Thunderbolt II - AFTER THE STORM.

<i>The definitive history of the mighty A-10 Warthog from 1991-Present</i>



The title you used, while certainly descriptive, is not very catchy.
(Don't worry- i don't want any renumeration



<img src="http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/sigs/snipersig.jpg " border=0>



Edited by - m21 sniper on Nov 02 2003 08:21 AM

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Thanks 80-0248, I will be getting with you through email.
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Ok, I'll "be here". <G>


-=> coming to you "almost live" from Searcy, Arkansas <=-

_________________
-=> Carroll McAllister <=-

coming to you \"almost live\" from Searcy, Arkansas

[quote]
This is for a book I'm working on and I would need you ok to use your ----

In the Navy in 76 I decommed VT-29 and we flew the birds into DM. At the time the Navy had no guidance for a Squadron for it. I called the Puzzle Palace and they directed me to Saufley Field. They were closing the entire field. The dude there told me, hey the last man out will close the gate and toss the key over the fence. Now Naval ships had some serious regulations guiding them for decomm. I wasn't the last man out and not sure what happened to our hangar.

Lost track of aircraft I took to the boneyard. I usually tried to stretch them out some for their last flight. I tracked some of the birds and they are still there. Usually pat the bird a tad after the final shutdown. Turn in the logbooks and normally we got a short tour of the boneyard. Really funny in 1981, we had a couple of TomCat prototypes sitting at the boneyard. They sat for 6 months before they had somebody qualed to turn them. These puppies were custom made and the stock parts wouldn't work on them.

Even took some birds out of DM. O man those were hurting birds. S-2s that were going to be overhauled and sent South somewhere. Moi was the point man to fly them out of overhaul. Heh, heh, I was transferred out before they finished them.

Least 3 Squadrons I was in are gone now. Hate to think of the bases gone.

The last Squadron, VXE-6, the Force actually took over and bagged the mission. Had to be some serious politicing ongoing. We were based at Pt. Mugu and the ANG unit was flying Hercs then and now. It ended up in NY somewhere, with the other LC-130s.

First time I saw a Hog flying, was cruising up the East Coast. Probably had to be Myrtle Beach. Really clear day, I see the damn bird accelerating like hell after a touch and go. Going woo hoo and then it really slows down on downwind. After a half dozen or so of these finally realized, am seeing my first Hog. Dunno what the hell I was flying either.

Good luck with the book.

Jack