....I left for my last operational deployment: Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. It would later be called the First Gulf War. It wasn't Viet Nam; it was much shorter in duration, much more acceptable to participate in and much more celebrated when finally over. However, it was War for those involved on the front line.
Leaving on New Years Eve, 1990, was an emotional event for my wife and daughter. The Christmas holidays had been a downer, knowing that I would be going for "the duration".
I was in the active Naval Reserve, but no longer flying. My units was a support unit of Aviation enlisted techs and maintenance and engineering officers specializing in Aviation Depot level repairs and Aircraft Battle Damage Repair (ABDR). There were several units like mine across the country. We were "Individually Voluntarily Recalled" to fill In-Theatre billets.
I left NAS Jacksonville on NewYears Eve and arrived Rome on New Year Day, meeting up with members from other units along the way. We were bused down to Naples where we spent around five or six days getting signed in, organized and equipped before orders sent us further on. I received orders for Bahrain , then on to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to oversee aircraft repair contracts with Gulf Air, in-theater aircraft repair depot. I knew nothing about contracts; I was a Aviator, engineer and maintainer. I was there for a couple of weeks, till after the shooting war started, then sent north to Saudi. I arrived in Al Jabal, where I would spent nearly six months, as OIC of five scattered ABDR/Maintenance units repairing Navy/Marine, Air Force and Allied Coalition aircraft. Aircraft were still being damaged after the shooting stopped and also still required maintenance. At the high point we had about 185 military and civilian aircraft repair personnel- mostly civilians from the six Naval Air Depots. All in all, I traveled to half a dozen different Mid-East countries, several CVs (aircraft carriers) and small boys, inter faced with Saudi military and civilians (military was not pleasant; civilian were nicer), and repaired a lot of airplanes. I think we did our job and served a purpose.
I got back home in mid-May, in time for Mother's Day.
A few photos (not digital) from my time there. In the "Depot In The Dirt" photo, I'm on the left.
Happy New Year to all and prayers for a better year to come.
Leaving on New Years Eve, 1990, was an emotional event for my wife and daughter. The Christmas holidays had been a downer, knowing that I would be going for "the duration".
I was in the active Naval Reserve, but no longer flying. My units was a support unit of Aviation enlisted techs and maintenance and engineering officers specializing in Aviation Depot level repairs and Aircraft Battle Damage Repair (ABDR). There were several units like mine across the country. We were "Individually Voluntarily Recalled" to fill In-Theatre billets.
I left NAS Jacksonville on NewYears Eve and arrived Rome on New Year Day, meeting up with members from other units along the way. We were bused down to Naples where we spent around five or six days getting signed in, organized and equipped before orders sent us further on. I received orders for Bahrain , then on to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to oversee aircraft repair contracts with Gulf Air, in-theater aircraft repair depot. I knew nothing about contracts; I was a Aviator, engineer and maintainer. I was there for a couple of weeks, till after the shooting war started, then sent north to Saudi. I arrived in Al Jabal, where I would spent nearly six months, as OIC of five scattered ABDR/Maintenance units repairing Navy/Marine, Air Force and Allied Coalition aircraft. Aircraft were still being damaged after the shooting stopped and also still required maintenance. At the high point we had about 185 military and civilian aircraft repair personnel- mostly civilians from the six Naval Air Depots. All in all, I traveled to half a dozen different Mid-East countries, several CVs (aircraft carriers) and small boys, inter faced with Saudi military and civilians (military was not pleasant; civilian were nicer), and repaired a lot of airplanes. I think we did our job and served a purpose.
I got back home in mid-May, in time for Mother's Day.
A few photos (not digital) from my time there. In the "Depot In The Dirt" photo, I'm on the left.
Happy New Year to all and prayers for a better year to come.
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