THIS STORY COURTESY OF JOHN HATCH

Inter-Service Rivalry and Kibitzing, etc.

Operation Honeybadger, June 1980 and beyond,

Hurlburt Field and Other Places.

1.

We had taken possession of our NEW .50 Caliber Machine Guns and were in a revetment on Hurlburt Field getting familiarized with the nuances of this fantastic weapon. After the familiarization process we were doing live fire into the revetment that was normally used to bore sight various weapons and sights, (meaning that they used the revetment for adjusting the weapons and sights to work in unison with each other, so that they could hit their Targets when Fired)

We were in the test-firing phase of the familiarization of the weapon, when some of the Marines we worked with walked by, they were giggling and laughing at us Air Force guys for shooting into the revetment from a distance of about 50 yards. They told us that if we wanted to know the benefits and the accuracy of the .50 Cal. we should be shooting at something 2-3 miles away. They just thought this picture looked funny to them.

2.

We were doing hoist work with the Navy Seals out in the Gulf, simulating them being deployed onto a Boat, or just in the water, so that they could swim to their objective.

As they were being lowered into the water on the rescue hoist penetrator, they would “JUMP” as they approached the water from a static electricity charge being dissipated form the H-53 above them into the water, and THEY were the “Go Between/Buffer”

The H-53 builds a strong Static Electricity Charge while it is in flight, when the charge is dissipated, it takes something like 3 seconds to build up the charge again, it is especially strong and fast in its recovery when the air is cool and moist.

So, after quite a few dunkings, one of the Seals asked one of the FE’s if there was “ANYTHING” that he could do about that static electricity charge that was shocking the hell out of them?

The FE they asked said, you guys are Navy Seals, Right? You are guys are Tuff, Right? With those questions asked the Navy Seal said, yah Were Navy Seals, and yah were “Tuff”, but we are NOT, that DAMN “TUFF”, and asked if there was something he could do about the shock.

He took an Aircraft Tie Down Chain, wrapped around and secured it to the rescue penetrator, so that it would hit the water first and dissipate the Static Charge before they, hit the water. They loved the dunkings after that.

Dumb things to do

1.

We were operating and staging from a base in New Mexico for “MORE” Desert training.

Late one dark night, with no notice to anyone, some of the PJ’s after partying, decided that they wanted to do a Panty Raid on the female barracks with their NVG’s, this scared the Living Hell out of the girls.

I guess boys, will be boys.

In case you don’t know about PJ’s, they can be a mischievous bunch when they want to be, seems like they are always up to something, especially when TDY.

BAD IDEA

We as a group got into a lot of trouble with this one, especially the PJ’s and the higher ups on the mission.

"FREEDOM ISN'T FREE"

~SOMEONE PAYS FOR YOU AND ME~

"HELICOPTERS" - THE ONLY WAY TO FLY

~NEVER FORGOTTEN~