A Tribute to Horsham’s Air National Guard

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Mike Shortall

When we were young my father occasionally drove the family over to the Naval Air Station (NAS) Willow Grove observation lot to watch takeoffs and landings near the southern end of the air station’s runway. It was treat for us, especially my brother and I, when we were visiting family in the area (Warminster, Lansdale) or out for a summer drive.

Long after I started a family of my own, we moved to Horsham and a house coincidentally less than a mile from that now closed airbase and the observation parking lot we loved to frequent. Personally, as a civilian employee of the U.S. Navy involved in the logistical support of everything the Navy flew (and eventually floated), I enjoyed the sight of military aircraft flying lazy circles over the area and loved the all too infrequent airshow demonstrations.

By far my favorite aircraft to watch – and hear – was the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolts II flown by the Pennsylvania Air National Guard 111th Fighter Wing. The unique sounds of an A-10 flying close by – and at times in multi-aircraft flights right over the house – were always a thrill. (Affectionately known as the “Warthog”, I will use this favored nickname from here on out!)

But as with all things, change occurred with the Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) recommendations from the U.S. Congress in 2005. And since then the 111th lost its Warthogs to a collection of other ANG units around the country, and became a non-flying unit assigned the MQ–9 Reaper Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV).

So as an homage to local Air National Guard, the A-10 Thunderbolt “Warthog”, and Horsham’s NAS-JRB Willow Grove history, I decided to dedicate my most recent aircraft model project to this stalwart, fear-inducing close air support warrior. I found the aircraft model featured prominently at Hobby Lobby with a 40% sales reduction!

*Took poetic aircraft license with the weapons load, as we never saw armed WARTHOGS plying local skies.*

History of the 111th Fighter Wing

Created as the 103rd Fighter Squadron in 1924, the squadron was assigned to the Pennsylvania ANG in 1946, stationed at Philadelphia International Airport; and federalized in 1950 during the Korean War.

As the 103rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) the unit lost 2 RB-29 reconnaissance aircraft and their crews in June 1952 when MiG-15s shot them down over Vladisvostok, Russia. The loses were originally attributed to “weather reconnaissance” over Japan in the heat of the Cold War, and it wasn’t until 1993 that the true nature of the mission was revealed to the families of the lost.

In 1963 the 111th Tactical Air Support Group was moved from PHL to brand new facilities at Willow Grove Naval Air Station, tasked as a C-97 transportation unit. In 1988 the group received the OA-10A observation version and assigned Forward Air Control (FAC) and observation duties. They received their first universal version A-10A aircraft in 1996 with an appropriate re-tasking to Close Air Support (CAS) and Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) duties.

The color scheme, as suggested by the assembly kit, does not jive with my memories of the local aircraft,
but I like it. The topside gray is much darker than I recall.

Redesignated as the 111th Fighter Group (1992), then the 111th Fighter Wing (1995) the unit took advantage of its new mission and aircraft during deployments to Kuwait for Operation Desert Storm (1992) and Operation Southern Watch (1995). After the 9/11 attacks the group volunteered for additional deployments including Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan. In 2003 the 111th took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, providing close air support for U.S. Army, Special Forces, and joint coalition operations.

*Special thanks to Warrington F-14A modeling enthusiast, **Dan Teker**, who provided 111th Fighter Wing decals, which included “**Philadelphia**” markings at the top of the vertical stabilizers.*

Bye, Bye to “Warthogs” in our skies

The end came quickly for the fighter pilot mission of the 111th when the Department of Defense (DoD) recommended deactivation of the 111th Fighter Wing for the 2005 Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) legislation (the same legislative measure that resulted in the closure of Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove).

The last A-10A Warthog flew out of NAS-JRB Willow Grove in 2010. In 2011 NAS-JRB Willow Grove ceased all flight operations. The respected, always welcomed A-10A Warthog flyovers of Horsham and neighboring communities are no more. The 111th’s “Warthogs” divvied up among several remaining Air National Guard units.

A portion of the NAS-JRB Willow Grove property was designated the Horsham Air Guard Station in 2011. In 2013 the 111th Fighter Wing was assigned General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The military drone is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, high altitude observation. The UAVs are flown remotely out of the Horsham Air Guard Station, but no drones actively fly out of the now-closed U.S. Navy property.

M-M-M-My Corona … Year 1: A year of modeling navally

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Mike Shortall

We used to track our “two-week” COVID-19 lockdown by the day. Now it looks like we will be tracking them not by days, weeks or even months …

Here’s what I have been doing with my wealth of free time during the lockdowns. It’s an old hobby I resurrected with the unwitting assistance of the snarkier people in my Family. Little did they know …

The first creation was intended as a joke by a misguided family member, based on my World of Tanks Blitz semi-obsession.

What this harmless family joke turned into was the re-lighting of a hobby interest decades-long in the dormant portion of my brain right next to fantasy sports leagues, bowling, and dressing-to-impress. It was the perfect time-absorber for someone searching for sanity preservation during COVID CrazyTime!

F/A-18E Superhornet … F-14D Tomcat … MV-22 VIP Osprey

Model assembly – at any age – can be fun and challenging. And if you are a bit OCD, having endless hours trapped in your home let’s you be crazy obsessive!

There are thousands of models in all shapes and sizes (scales), whether you are into planes, ships, tanks, cars … whatever. When it comes to aircraft models, there’s a huge difference in the thoroughness, clarity, and complexity of the kits and the instructions that accompany them.

I have found that Tamika makes the best model kits. (See the F-14D above.) They are complex, but thoroughly illustrated and assembly clues (slots, spots, part trees) are logical and easy to follow. Italieri makes very good model kits (See the V-22 above.), but some of the detailed assembly is intuitive.

Regardless of the overall quality of the kits, I found it frequently helpful to refer to on-line photos of real in-use aircraft to replicate details, including paint schemes, equipment placement, decals, etc. There is even a site – Draw Decal – that can provide high-quality markings for any military aircraft and the squadrons that fly them. (See MV-22 as an example.)

On the other hand, my last model foray was somewhat disappointing. Years ago, when I worked in support of the Navy’s SH-60 Seahawk program, I had built an SH-60 model. It was damaged beyond repair during an office move; and I wanted to replicate it.

Bought a 1/72 scale HH-60H Seahawk – the USN Search-And-Rescue (SAR) version – from Italieri, and it was a major disappointment. Pushed through and completed the model despite directions lacking detail, poor fittings, and impossibly small detail parts (one reason why I prefer the larger 1/48 scale models).

The lesson to learn is “You get what you pay for.” There’s a huge difference between picking up a “bargain” model, such as a $19.99 Italieri HH-60H disaster, and spending a hefty $100. for a well-developed Tamika F-14D. Live and learn.

My next project looks a bit more promising for kicking off COVID Year 2 … although I did get a great 40% off deal at Hobby Lobby ($29.99 retail), a great place for model supplies and paints).

Not sure what I’ll do once I have run my course through military models, but thinking maybe crocheting.

Just pray to God we do not see COVID Year 3!

The Shame in Where We’re Headed

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Mike Shortall

Shelby Foote

Today I finished the three volume Shelby Foote classic “The Civil War: A Narrative“, a years in the making goal developed from my mid-life interest in the American nation’s biggest challenge to defining its character and identity. If one period can be recognized as the foundation for all the United States accomplished in the decades to follow, through two World Wars; a global depression; its period of international leadership following WWII; and the social upheavals still occurring to this day, it would be the sense of Nation that resulted through the challenges of The Civil War.

The reasons why the Civil War was necessary are readily apparent. The men, who created the country from a collection of separate colonies and wrote our Constitution, were inherently human. Which is to say, they were imperfect and eminently fallible. Yes, they made mistakes … huge mistakes. They made a terrible compromise in the name of creating a constitutional republic.

They allowed the possession of other human beings as property to hold the Southern states of the post-Revolution, pre-Constitution confederation. And that was just their biggest mistake. Early American politics were complicated, tenuous, and riddled with figurative minefields. When examined through the lenses of history, humanity, and modern social consciousness, a lot of modern, current day Americans fail to grasp what the expression “grand experiment” means.

It’s important to appreciate the extent to which these early American leaders knew they were imperfect and eminently fallible. For that reason, they recognized that The People needed to be protected from the vagaries of Government, which in all practical matters is motivated and directed by imperfect and eminently fallible men. The U.S. Constitution protected the States from the power and the potential for abuse from the National Government.

The Grand Experiment – as described by non-slave holder Alexander Hamilton (pre-Broadway version) – was hardly intended to be THE perfect solution to the many problems and challenges those early American leaders faced in creating a new nation. The necessity of amending The Constitution almost immediately (i.e. two years after USC ratification) in 10 ways – The Bill of Rights – was proof that blind spots had existed when the US Constitution was written. The Rights of the Individual – only the white male ones at the time – had to be protected as well from infringements by all levels of Government.

The Civil War was the inevitable solution for the most egregious shortcoming of those Founding Fathers. Though not all were slaveholders, and an argument could be made that many who did opposed it as an acceptable practice, they were an insufficient number inadequately strong – in influence and political power – to exclude it.

All out war in the end was the only remedy. And yet, slavery was not the ONLY reason the Civil War was fought. It was however the BIGGEST reason and the impenetrable barrier to a peaceful solution to several issues!

Foote’s “The Civil War: Epilogue” totaled the casualties of setting right the biggest mistake of The Founders: 640,000 Union, 450,000 Confederate casualties. 200,000 total killed in battle; 365,000 total dead for the Union; 256,000 dead Confederates when you include those who died from disease, unrelated crimes, drowning, suicide, etc. That’s 620,000 military dead from all causes. Add in another 470,000 wounded (total both sides) to almost reach 1.1 million total war-related casualties. And that does not include civilian losses.

I would normally write a good bit more about the book in a blog, but my reading of the third and last volume coincided with the egregious death of George Floyd and the latest rise of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) to such events. The Floyd death and calls for justice were traumatic enough and certainly understandable.

But then the movement morphed.

It morphed first into violence and vandalism. Then avowed anarchist usurped a theretofore justifiable outrage. It became more about hatred for and retaliation against law enforcement officers; disdain for modern social constructs and government; and a desire to gut American society in favor of certain not-so-grand experiments that have NEVER proved successful in past attempts (e.g. socialism, anarchy, elimination of law enforcement, the overthrow of systems of justice).

As one who admires our history with all its faults, mistakes, and injustices, it’s maddening to see the destruction of monuments to it. Yes, you can understand the desire of many who want to tear down statues to slave holders; their sympathizers; and their military protectors … as much as I might disagree. Such reactions are an insult to the our history, warts and all.

If humans cannot achieve perfection, what they create can never be perfect. Change will ultimately be necessary; and some of that change will be bloody, violent, destructive. How does one learn from history, and prevent the reoccurrence of destructive change, by removing all monuments and remembrances? How does that help to prevent history’s repetitive inclinations?

Foote’s epilogue contains a quote that appears surprisingly pertinent to recent events. Anaximander, an ancient Greek philosopher, once stated:

“It is necessary that things should pass away into that from which they are born. For things must pay one another the penalty and compensation for the injustice according to the ordinance of time.”

U.S. Grant helped end the Confederacy threat

No stretch of consciousness should dismiss such a concept. At some point all our acts will be subject to human judgment through the prism of time and the evolution of Man’s thinking as expressed through social mores and their behavioral expression. Certainly slavery would fit that suggestion. Judgment of it as one of the bleakest points in the American Experiment is undisputed. Those that fought to preserve it as tradition, economic essential, or evolutionary dictate paid the physical price 160 years ago. But we cannot ignore that the emotional scars and even some social behaviors (i.e. racism) remain to this day.

So I can see why removing Confederate statuary would be a comfort to some … or even a political/social imperative. But there should be a process resulting from consensus and protected by local government for their removal, relocation, or destruction, providing no lesson for history continues to exist.

“… Providing no lesson for history continues to exist” is the crucial thought. Can we honestly say American society is beyond its racist past? Are there not still lessons to be learned about what transpired 160 years ago? How would current and future generations learn from invisible legacy, if all reminders are swept from view?

There’s a difference in suggesting the statue of Bedford Forest, who was a prominent member of the Ku Klux Klan, should be removed for its obvious racist symbolism; but quite another to suggest the statues of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, or James Longstreet offer nothing of value in the way of historical or military lessons. What do we learn from the past, if we erase all physical evidence of its existence?

In this the anarchist, anti-American factions betrayed themselves. They went far beyond righting the wrongs of racial suppression. When you cannot tell the difference – or more accurately don’t care – between Robert E. Lee and U.S. Grant or Abraham Lincoln, you allow us to glimpse the true purpose of your “protest”.

Freedman’s Memorial: On Lincoln’s first visit to Richmond after its fall in the Civil War, he told former slaves, who bent knees to pay homage to him, to stand up; to kneel before no man; and to kneel only before God. It was paid for entirely by former slaves!

It’s easier to understand the visceral reaction of the black community to the death of Floyd. But in essence that movement was usurped by those with broader motivations as we have seen before. There is no interest there in making America a better example to the world at large. They simply want America to die with no regard for all the good the country has accomplished since 1776.

This happens not because they cannot grasp the inherent fallibility of 18th century man or credit the foresight they displayed by even attempting such a Grand Experiment! They simply hate the fact that the system created 230 years ago requires they appeal to The People to make a difference. Not just some people, but all The People. They hate that they have to work hard to convince us that their insight is superior, let alone whether such insight offers a better world.

They don’t want to work for it. They want to convince you to destroy it. They want to be able to convince you without offering even the remotest idea of what those changes would look like.

For those reasons alone, you know their ideas are bankrupt!

My Corona … Day 80: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Air Force

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Mike Shortall

Dear U.S. Air Force:t

At times like these that I have to question the readiness, judgment, and sobriety of our National defense forces! Though true at such dark times, many individuals will be looking for fresh starts, even seismic shifts in their life paradigm, it appears the USAF has lost all recruiting perspective.

Either that or you have really hit rock bottom in regards to recruit qualifications for chaplaincy services!

I am not sure what troubles me more. Is it that you actually send a recruiting offer to a 64-year-old civilian U.S. Navy (nonetheless) employee with 40 years of service? Or is it the obvious desperation your Chaplain program appears to be in?

Me? A chaplain?

Mark my words, from here on out I will be side-eyed leery of any U.S. Air Force chaplains I might run across after this!

Yours truly,

Cranky Man

Memorial Day Remembrances

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Mike Shortall

My Corona … Day 77: A Memorial Day tribute

I am guilty of complaining quite a bit lately about this interminable COVID-19 shutdown. But such will not be the case on Day 77, as we enjoy a COVID19-stunted holiday celebration. At times like these, it is important to understand what real suffering and sacrifice looks like in the wake of some of the darkest times in our history.

Remember the following and all the rest of these Heroes for the last full measure they have given and what their loved ones have gone through and endured for decades.

Charles H. Grubb

Charles H. Grubb from War Eagle, West Virginia looked like a Boy Scout, not so much the soldier he was in his U.S. Army uniform.

Attribution: Aaron Kidd, Stars and Stripes(.com)
“Grubb — who served with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division — was declared dead a few months later, and his body was never found.
“The Chosin battle of Nov. 27-Dec. 13, 1950, pitted some 30,000 U.S.-led troops against a Chinese force of about 120,000 trying to prevent the allies from pushing north in a bid to unify the Korean Peninsula. Thousands were killed on both sides as troops engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Others perished from the bitter weather.
“Smith — who served with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division — was reported missing Nov. 25, 1950, after his unit was attacked near Kujang-dong, North Korea. He died the following January at a temporary prisoner-of-war camp near Pukchin-Tarigol, according to several Americans who survived the war.
“In July 2018 — weeks after President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the first time in Singapore — the North handed over the 55 boxes purported to contain the remains of U.S. service members from the war. They were then flown to DPAA’s lab in Honolulu for identification.”

Grubb’s younger sister, Glenda Hatcher, waited 69 years for word of her brother’s fate. Grubb’s mother passed away in 2001, never knowing what happened to her son. Charles H. Grubb is now interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

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A somewhat uplifting storyline accompanied the return of COL Roy J. Knight, Jr., of Milsap, Texas. In November 2019, 52 years after being declared MIA, then KIA when he was shot down over Laos, his remains were brought home. His son, Bryan Knight had the honor of piloting the Southwest Airlines flight ( < Click on link for details.) that brought his father back to Texas. He had last seen his father in January 1967, just four months before his loss over hostile territory. Bryan was only five years old.

COL Roy A. Knight, Jr. in front of his A1-E Skyraider

In July 2019, the remains of 20 U.S. Marines, who lost their lives on the island of Tarawa during the island-hopping Pacific campaign of World War II, were returned to the United States after their makeshift graves were located.

Attribution: David Vergun, US Department of Defense website
“The battle of Tarawa took place from Nov. 20 to 23, 1943, on the heavily fortified island of Betio, which was held by 4,500 Japanese troops. More than 18,000 Marines and sailors were sent to secure the island. When the battle finally ended, more than 1,000 U.S. troops had been killed.
“Marines killed in action were buried where they fell or were buried in a large trench built during and after the battle. These graves were typically marked with improvised markers, such as crosses made from sticks or an upturned rifle. Grave sites ranged in size from single isolated burials to large trench burials of more than 100 individuals, according to DPAA officials.
“More than 3,000 Japanese soldiers were killed on the island, as well as an estimated 1,000 Korean laborers. These men were buried where they fell, or in bomb craters and existing trenches. Their remains are sometimes commingled with U.S. casualties, DPAA officials said.
“Immediately after the final day of battle, landing troops were replaced by Navy construction battalions, known as “SeaBees,” who had little knowledge of the burial locations.
“The Seabees engaged in construction projects requiring the movement or rearrangement of known burials or grave markers. Later recovery efforts found that multiple grave markers were relocated without moving the burials they marked. No record of these movements has been found, officials said, and it’s likely none was kept.”

Repatriation ceremony for the Tarawa 20

My heart wants to believe their families knew they were killed-in-action; knew where it happened; knew where in general they were laid to rest. But waiting so long for the ability to say goodbye and assuage their grief sounds marginally better than not knowing anything for decades and yearning for their physical return.

Closure for those still living is a comforting thought. But you must empathize with those relatives … mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters … who passed away before their loved ones were returned home. Remember those loved ones – still waiting or now gone – when commemorating those brave American souls who were lost in far flung battles.

My Corona … Day 47**

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Mike Shortall

** I think … At this point I am having a hard time just keeping track of what day of the week it is.

Tuesday, April 28 was an exciting Day 47. The combined flights of U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds conducted coordinated America Strong demonstrations over New York City, northern New Jersey, and the Philadelphia region to salute COVID-19 healthcare workers.

As a dutiful patriot, this was an opportunity to share with those unable to witness the spectacle first-hand, using my drone’s live-broadcasting capability. We get very few opportunities to see and record our military’s precision and power on display, especially from the front yard.

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Photo Credit: James Beaver

But as Murphy’s Law goes, several aspects of the operation went awry. This due largely to the Navy and Air Force’s inability to be predictable, practical, and cooperative!

Sons of bitches …

Anywho … An intricately laid plan was dreamed up roughly an hour before the scheduled flight down the I-95 corridor towards Center City Philadelphia, then out north towards Doylestown. A Cranky Man aficionado, located to the northeast of Drone Central in the Langhorne area, was an obliging volunteer spotter. Far enough north – I believed – to give plenty of warning as the DoD’s Finest passed to the east from NYC. By either sight or sound, I should have sufficient notice to get Little Bird off the ground and into position.

images-1 But no … no, not at all …

Our Heroes of the Flight Line evaded my spotter through stealth and a general reluctance to cooperate. Our frustrated spotter claiming to have neither seen or heard our elusive subjects. (Frankly, I think she wasn’t really paying attention.). After waiting five minutes past the expected FOP (Forward Observation Post) alert, I launched Little Bird and took it to its maximum altitude (400 ft).

Expecting – at best – to catch a glimpse of the 12-plane formation zipping down the I-95 corridor somewhere in the vicinity of NE Philly, I trained the drone to the east. In assuming the flight would be traveling high enough, but likely be too far for Little Bird’s camera to pick them up, Plan B was to look for them heading north up Rt. 611. The drone’s dedicated WIFI allows me to link my personal devices with the drone camera. On my iPhone, I could see Center City as a slight rise of tall buildings well out to the southeast.

philly-flightpath After 5-10 minutes of fruitless searching a neighbor announced that they were already flying out over West Philly; and I had the sinking feeling that my op was lagging far behind the action. Plan B was executed, and I scanned the skies to my immediate south, hoping to catch the flight on what I was assumed to be a direct line from Philly towards Doylestown.

Of course this was where the Greatest Military on the Face of the Earth decided to prove – once again – their complete disregard for best laid plans.

Perhaps I missed an important tidbit of information, difficult as that may be as its a 1000-acre property no more than a 1/4 mile from my house. Somehow I never considered the potential for a flyover of the largely abandoned Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove. Also missed was the only military presence at JRB Willow Grove was an Air Force drone facility (oddly enough) and that the Thunderbirds were – ya know – in the Air Force!

Seconds after my neighbors started screeching, “There they go!”, came the realization … I was now at the mercy of events. Trying to multi-task, a dangerous development, especially when trying to do three things at a time (fly, watch the video, and eyeball a large uncooperative 12-plane formation). All the while a large formation of military jets speed where they aren’t expected and quite obviously flying a lot lower than predicted.

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Photo Credit: James Beaver

Remember the drone? I had it at 400 ft, as I expected a fairly far-off sighting at altitudes approximating that of the tall buildings of NYC and beloved Philadelphia.

Suddenly the roar of jet engines grows, reminiscent of days-gone -by when JRB Willow Grove hosted airshows with bi-annual appearances of the Blue Angels. Yep … They used to fly right over the house at treetop level!

Right over the house they screamed, and at that instant I realized Little Bird was in big danger! Not to mention the potential for damaging a $18-30 million copy of an American fighter … The thought, “How much damage a drone could cause if sucked into an engine intake”, came from my professional though vague familiarity with the intricacies of military jet engines.

I frantically looked to spot the drone, which at that height is visible to the naked eye, but barely. When I found it, I realized the Thunderbirds had just passed it to the south. But the Blue Angels were actually flying directly BENEATH IT!

It would have been the Video of all Videos … if only its camera were pointed down, not out.

I do not take lightly the ultimate stupidity of allowing Little Bird to get anywhere near any aircraft, let alone high-performance jets. It was a brief, terrifying in moment.

I take all the blame, but never ever expected to see the fly-bys so low and that close. I should have known better though.

In the end, the balance sheet has no videos, no photos, no property damage, no federal prison time. Could have been worse …

The shot would have been epic, if I had gotten it. On the other hand, the pilot would likely be giving Little Bird a one-finger salute!

My Corona! Day 36

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Mike Shortall

18Techfix-illo-mobileMasterAt3x Teleworking is either the bane of our civilized existence or the greatest invention since the beer keg … depending on your personal perspective. Being an old school diehard, I have avoided teleworking, despite the encouragement of the US Navy, largely because I did not trust myself around so many home-bound distractions.

Before big, bad Corona reared its ugly dangerous head, I was forced by Necessity to experiment a bit with the whole work-from-home phenomena when – somehow – The Most Powerful Navy in the World tripped over their Internet cord. We have many alternate definitions for the acronym NMCI (Navy Marine Corp Intranet), and none of them are flattering.

On such occasions I suggested to Carol that this might be our retirement dry run, as I am painfully close to pulling the plug on my illustrious civilian Navy career. Those practice sessions improved neither my views on teleworking or the prospects for a stress-free retirement. Let’s just say, when you aren’t around as much, people get used to you not being around.

My first mistake teleworking was setting up the Command Center within sight and sound of the Activity Monitor. It was impossible for the monitor to avoid observing – and commenting – on how many “breaks” I took for silly things like eating, drinking, and personal hygiene.

Retirement-wise, I began to wonder what working into my 80s would look like.

z-funny-75-1 When Corona confronted me with the prospect of living for WEEKS in constant, uninterrupted work-from-home contact, I knew we had to make this work. If not, one of us – likely me – would end up buried beneath my thick, weedless, pillow-like Best Lawn in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

The first couple of days were tough. You know … The usual “Are you eating again?!?” and “Do you do this at the office?!?”

It was time to get realistic.

So I moved lock, stock, and barrel to the basement apartment. Comes with it’s own half-kitchen, Keurig, fridge, TV and semi-comfy furniture! It also has a bed (wink wink). The benefits in peace, quiet, and unlimited, unjustified man-breaks are a boon to navy supply support!

It’s been an enlightening experience. And I found a solution to the inevitable post-retirement “What the … You’re still here?!?” adjustment period!

I will only have to disappear for 10 hours a day … five days a week!

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U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest

Posted on August 25, 2019 by Mike Shortall

One of the more fascinating aspects of my employment within the largest military organization on Earth is the occasional opportunity to peak behind the scenes at the infrastructure that maintains the US Navy and Marine Corp capabilities. Due to a recent assignment to attend a training event held at the Navy’s Coronado, California, I had the chance to learn about a limited facet of Fleet support … The aircraft repair and refurbishment facilities at Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) Southwest (commonly referred to as FRC San Diego or North Island).

Note: Nothing discussed here would be considered clearance-required information. The only access granted was perhaps a step above common base access permitted for normal, non-clearance business operations. No photographs were allowed or taken.

Our visit was arranged by my supervisors (NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support) through comparable supervision at the FRC for six visitors, including myself. Our focus was the maintenance of aircraft repairable assemblies, although our organization also deals heavily with shipboard systems.

As we drove to our pre-tour meet ‘n greet, we caught glimpses of the work going on. The most interesting was a hanger area full of older version F/A-18s going through tear downs we learned would lead to de-militarization of the aircraft and disposal through approved de-mil processes. One aircraft – which I think I saw – was a fanciful aircraft in unique painting purportedly used in the remake of Top Gun (i.e. Top Gun 2), serving as Maverick’s (Tom Cruise) ride!

Pretty sure I saw a glimpse of this aircraft in a teardown hanger.

Since the DoD frowns on old components finding their way onto Amazon and e-Bay. Most components are scrapped following the harvest of any special metals used in their original manufacture.

What strikes even the most experienced civilian desk jockey is the lengths in maintenance management, repair and refurbishment, quality artisanship, and exacting process the military services expend in maximizing the service longevity of its aircraft fleet! No small order when one gets the opportunity to see it first hand and dwells on the infinite amount of detail required to make those exacting processes flow.

Of course with operations so involved, so broad in scope, conducted both CONUS (contiguous U.S.) and OCONUS (outside CONUS), across large complex military facilities, not everything is perfect. Flaws develop in handling and processes; material get waylaid, mismanaged, lost; and facilities become disorganized and unimaginably cluttered.

But again, the Services (in my experience The Navy) have adapted to become more reactive and corrective in ensuring the most efficient and effective industrial facilities are available to support the War Fighter. FRC Southwest, for example, recently endured a reorganization and reinvention of its industrial facilities after an audit by a private consultant found much lacking in the efficacy of its operations.

I had been to several commercial defense facilities in my Navy aircraft support experience (e.g. McDonnell-Douglas, Sikorsky). But I had never seen a facility as clean, well-defined, exacting, and organized as the repair and refurbishment operations at FRC Southwest! Even the floors were clean enough to eat off.

Not that I would recommend that …

My own duties at NAVSUP WSS involve Contracting Officer Representative (COR) duties for a program elegantly titled Technical Assistance for Repairable Processing (TARP). This program manages the flow of retrograde material (i.e. used repairables which can be refurbished to like-new condition) from ships and aircraft units scattered all over the globe. These items can be as small as circuit cards to helicopter rotor heads and aircraft engines shipped to and fro in immense protective cans (many designed in part or in whole by coworkers, who labor only feet from my desk).

The point in all of this is to stress the Herculean effort the Services – at least The Navy – undertake to manage – as best as is possible – the service life and availability of crucial components needed by the War Fighter to conduct operations in an increasingly complex, technological world.

Meanwhile, back at FRC Southwest, we viewed F/A-18 wing panels awaiting either refurbishment and reassembly or demilitarization scattered about a huge warehouse/hanger bay in varying states of disrepair and dressing. In an enormous industrial space, you could see a spotless areas dedicated to various intake, evaluation, repair, and testing of components from Navy fighters, helicopters, aircraft and even ship engines all benefitting from a collection of artisans, trained and developed in exacting capabilities.

On a drive and park tour, we also viewed covered, open-sided building were four H-53 type helicopters were shown in the varying stages of refurbishment. From right to left, you could see one aircraft in the evaluation stage, then one in electronic and component removal, a third in complete strip-down/rebuild, and the fourth in completed/testing awaiting its first test flight before being released back into the fleet. From right to left, you saw old and fatigued evolving to almost new, ready-to-go condition. It was quite the impressive migration as each aircraft would be moved down the line to eventual service life extension.

All this benefits not just the War Fighter, but also the Taxpayer, who – in the end – receives more bang for the tax dollar in terms of the original investment in major military equipment!

The Fleet Readiness Centers in concert with a well-integrated supply and distribution network perform what many a civilian taxpayer would consider practical miracles in the capabilities demonstrated in maximizing the service life, performance, and availability of American military equipment. The sad truth is not many of my fellow civilian Navy employees get the opportunity to witness and thereby appreciate the fruit of their individual labors where the proverbial rubber meets the road!

As an NAVSUP employee with over 39 years of experience, even I am immensely impressed by the quality of the Navy’s industrial capability. And I have not seen more than a tiny sliver of total Navy effort. It is – quite frankly – an experience that every single NAVSUP employee who directly or indirectly affects the Navy’s repairable management, procurement, and support operations should be required to enjoy!