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MarkHolloway · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 4:52 pm Post subject: GRAF Flashback

Dontos · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:21 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

Oh man !! Serious flashbacks to the Late-Eighties and 'home away from home'. Normandy & Aachen billits areas were the norm.

Talk about deluxe living conditions!! That must be the Air Force with their civilian style inflatable mattresses!! Rolling Eyes

(note the AF rank on the BDU's).

Clearing those barracks was always difficult. I had to mop the ceiling tiles with 'Mop & Glow' more than I care to remember. Shocked

Thanks for the memories
Don

Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:50 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

Man, that's tight. The WWII "temp" barracks were roomier than that.

That looks like a double-wide trailer home...or maybe single wide.

JeffStringer · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 637

If I hadn't of seen the patch I would have sworn it was Sergeant Hulka's ... our newest, bestest buddy, and big toe. Mr. Green

MarkHolloway · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:37 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

Dontos-These Air Force guys probably had German maids clear their billets Wink

Dontos · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

For those who may not understand. This photo is of the 'temp' billits used by rotational units at Grafenwohr.

Usually a rotational unit must provide cots for its personnel, however some of the billit areas have the above old bunk beds without mattresses.

After spending the rotation in such 'deluxe' living conditions, a unit is then required to clear the billits.

I have had to go as far as using buffers on the concrete floor as well as mopping, and actually mopping the ceiling with 'mop & glow' to meet with the inspectors sign-over criteria. Rolling Eyes

I assume this is the USAF's Tactical Air support personnel assigned to a rotational Army unit, that is going to conduct a CALFEX (or something like that). Someone to talk to the A10's a they 'do their thing'.

Regards
Don

C_Sherman · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 590

Looks pretty familiar! I spent a goodly number of exercises there in from 2000 to 2005. I spent the week before and after 9/11 in these barracks at Graf...if you thought Graf was boring before, you should experience it when the entire post is at Threatcon 4 and none of the civilians can get to work! Training was shut down, and so was pretty much every AAFES and MWR activity on post. THAT was boring.

Don, when I was there, they always had matresses (German Army foam things, not very comfortable but better than bare springs) AVAILABLE...if the rotational unit wanted to deal with the drawing and turning in. So if you had to sleep on the springs, it was because your supply guys didn't want to hassle with the mattresses for you all to sleep in comfort!

C

bsmart · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:56 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

Whenever I went on a TDY with 1st TFW the advance NCO met us as we got off the plane (Usually a C-141) and after he handed the few pilots with us (the others would be flying the planes in later in the day or ythe next day) the keys to their rental cars (They would grumble because they only got one car for every 3-4 pilots) along with the directions to the hotel/motel. They would be expected to be there when the planes showed up (unofficially they were supposed to stock the rooms with 'supplies' Rolling Eyes

)

we would be shown the hanger or other space where our equipment pallets were put and divided into two groups. Certain people would be handed the keys to the various vehicles that had been signed out of the motor pool. The First group would start setting up the shop areas while the second group and the vehicle drivers would go to the TLQ to sign into their rooms. After they checked in (usually two man rooms, somewhat rank oriented) They would go back to the flightline to finish up setting up while the second group went to the TLQ to sign in.

On the last day of the TDY everyone would turn in the keys and own up to any damage that hadn't already been reported, throw any baggage on the truck head to the flightline, launch out the departing planes, then get everything palletized up and sit around waiting to load the C-141s to come home. Only once did I have to stay in anything like a 'squad bay' and that was at Gallant Eagle '82 when they tried out a 'bare base' deployment and had rows and rows of tents set up. We actually had to bring our own sleeping bags and the cots were folded up at the entrance to the already set up tents Shocked

(of course the pilots still stayed at hotels or the TLQ)

You army folks are just so uncivilized Laughing

Dontos · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

BOB

You mean the AF actually has sleeping bags in the inventory !?!? Shocked

I'm sorry but thats just too unbelievable !!! Rolling Eyes

I'll bet the tents, cots, & sleeping bags were drawn from Army Supply Units... Wink

Happily Uncivilized !! Cool

Don

Joe_D · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 4:13 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

Bob,

My brother told of similar stories during his deployments. He was C130's out of Dyess AFB TX. Said when they were in England they'd come up with a reason to wash a plane, nearest facility to do this was Spain Shocked

.

Here are couple pictures I took during my last gunnery in West Germany. FEB 1986.

Was the only time we stayed in Algiers, was a real PIA clearing the barracks, just like Don said. We usually stayed at Kasserine Tent city. Much easier. Lift the flaps on the tent and sweep out all the trash and beer bottles. Chow hall became a canteen after evening meal.

Heading for the rail head, leaving Graf.

You can see the barracks upper right. Can't believe that was over 20 years ago. Wish I had more pictures, but was lucky to have these, even though they are Kodak 110.

tanker2010 · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 6:31 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

Nice to see how the upper crust lived. Like Joe, spent all my times at Graf in Kasserine.

Dontos · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

This was in the Algiers or Aachen billits area, in Feb 1988.

Its shows the typical building configuration. Its not 'the Ritz' but sure beat the GP Medium 'Tent City' of Kasserine Area.

(BTW Wasn't Kasserine beside Range 117 ??)

Regards
Don

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 7:16 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

- MarkHolloway

Dontos-These Air Force guys probably had German maids clear their billets

Let's just not even open up the can of worms that leads to the subject of "hootch maids".

bsmart · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:59 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

- Dontos

BOB

You mean the AF actually has sleeping bags in the inventory !?!? I'm sorry but thats just too unbelievable !!!

I'll bet the tents, cots, & sleeping bags were drawn from Army Supply Units...

Happily Uncivilized !!
Don

No we didn't borrow the tents and cots from the Army. They are Civil Engineering Units (Part of the 'Red Horse' rapid deployment CE teams) That would go in to a bare base, prep the runway and taxi ways, make sure we had a reliable water supply then set up the 'village'

And as part of the Rapid Deployment Force our wing had two mobility bags (A & B) with sleeping bag, pistol belt, gas mask, helmet Shocked

and other items (I don't remember them all) We had to physically inventory them each year and then seal them up and put them in a supply warehouse. For most exercises we would be handed the A bag (gas mask pistol belt and a couple other things) and would just touch the B bag to make sure it was there and the seal was intact. For GE 82 we actually got both bags and took them with us (Some of us made sure we got the B bag a day or so ahead of time so we could check it out and add to it. Back in the late 70s and Early 80s we didn't have any pretensions about being ready for insurgents, IEDs, etc. The threat was Europe or Koreain a full scale mechanized war complete with a heavy chemical threat. we were supposed to let the Security folks and Army folks worry about protecting the base from ground threats. Our job was to turn airplanes to maintain Air Superiority. Anything that got in the way of that was to be avoided.

Joe_D · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:50 pm Post subject: Re: GRAF Flashback

My Dad was Red Horse in Vietnam,

Told there were three units, Triple Nickel, Penny less, and Penny more. In other words, 555th, 554th, and 556th squadrons. Irony was when I was in McCoy right before I was rudely sent to Iraq (10 day notice) I was there running ranges getting Red Horse units prepped for Iraq and Afghanistan deployments.

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