News about Sludge's USMC squadron

[average_joe]

Sludge,

News about VMAQ-2 in Afganistan. They fly out of Bagram. About a month ago the insurgents penetrated the outer perimeter. Made their way to the flight line. Ended up in the vicinity of Q-2. Squadron had their own perimeter and security. Security team had a firefight. Two Marines wounded - a LCpl and a Gunny. Gunny was MedEvac'd. Number of insurgents dead. Perimeter not breached. No damage to a/c or structures.

Other news: Appears the Bunny has been found after all these years. Best rumor is that the VMAQ-1 JOs have it for ransom when Q-2 gets home. ICAP III a/c arriving at CPNC.

average_joe

[Sludge]

A_J...

Thanks for the head's up.  Just got back from Wichita, where funny enough, I was hanging out with my ole buddy from Q-4 ordnance, while going to the golf tournament.  He's an electrician with Bombardier now.  When I got up there Thursday night, we popped open the Captain and started into the old stories about WestPac '91 in Iwakuni, Battle Griffin '93, and all the stateside mini-det's.  Of course, all his friends wanted to know what the difference was between Marine Air maintenance and the OTHER SERVICES, and I wish I woulda had this story, 'cause in a nutshell this is the difference.  Don't care what he does (MOS), whether aircraft maintenance, motor-T, ground electronics, whatever... give a Marine a rifle and he knows what to do when the rounds are incoming.  As a matter of fact, I'm gonna fwd that story to my friend.

BTW, how did that EW reunion go?

Later
Sludge

[average_joe]

Didn't make it to the reunion. Had an eye operation. Can pass the flight exam now ... just forty years late!

Heard it was a great turnout. Guest of Honor was General Daily (ret) ... former Assistant Commandant, former VMCJ-1 C.O. (and my C.O.), former VMCJ-2 OpsO, now Director of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. Other names you may recognize - Dick Bates, Hal Baker, Al Johnson, Jeff Buchanan.

Looks like Chuck McKeon (Chuckles) is the chief organizer of VMAQ world. If you want to add your e-mail to the master bubba list send me yours to joseph.garbrous.ctr@usmc.mil and I'll forward it to him.

Number 4 Prowler (156482) is now at the museum in Pensacola. Was one of the test aircraft for the ICAP I program.

[Sludge]

A_J...

Too bad you didn't make it out there.  If I weren't soo occupied this summer, I would've tried to go.  I'll send you my info., as that would be cool to get back into the USMC EW side.  Can bring some minor AWACS EW (PDS) stuff to the table too.

No kidding.  I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in sunny P'Cola.  Yeah, we (Q-4), transitioned to the ICAP II before our deployment to Iwakuni in '91.  I remember the big talk was the ADVCAP when I got out, but I guess that turned into ICAP III.  We always used to laugh thinking about how the designers would make a Hornet into a jammer.  Two mini-footballs on the vert. stabs?  We know now that they just went with two missile (hemispherical scan?) footballs on the wingtips instead of missile rails.

Do you know any word about what the Corps is gonna do with the ole SkyPig?  Are they gonna buy Growlers or stay with ole Grumman beast?  I'm sure some beancounter is figuring out the cost of keeping them up vs. the cost of the SH/Growler and if it's anything close to what we used to work on, the SkyPig is probly on the way out.  She was a strong, old school jet, but she was a pain to work on.  We used to joke about the Grumman Black Basement of Maintenance, and how they would figure out the worst possible place to design a valve, so maintenance couldnt reach it without an engine drop.

Anyway, Ill send you an email with my info., and I'm also working on the .air file for the Sludge with your numbers you sent me.

Later
Sludge