MONDAY, 16 JUN 03
Registration/Sign in at the hotel
(Pick up nametags
and welcome package)
1700 Opening of the Hospitality
Room
TUESDAY, 17 JUN 03
OPENING
ACTIVITIES
0800 - 0815 Remarks
By CMS (Ret) Jim Rooney
Approximately 41 years ago, I was standing in one of those never ending lines during Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas when a TI grabbed me by the neck and placed me in an alternate position to even out the lines. This seemingly insignificant occurrence had a major impact on my military career because the line I ended up in was the “Personal Equipment” selection line.
We, the Life Support Retirees, and, our active duty counterparts, come here to Las Vegas this week from all corners of the country and the world. And, of course, our common bond is the Life Support Career Field. As we prepare to celebrate 50 years of dedicated, professional, life-sustaining service to our Air Force and our war fighters, what better way to start than with an expression of our unity of purpose, our common bond, and our camaraderie?
As this 8th Annual Reunion and 50th Anniversary Celebration commences we would like to offer each attendee a symbol of what we, the life support retirees, represent. Each of us enlisted retirees, share similar experiences and achievements. However, one symbol that we all definitely have in common is our rank, our chevrons. We all experienced that first moment of pride and professionalism when we wore our first stripe. A3C or Airman, whatever you called it, you were no longer a slick sleeve; you were part of the real Air Force. We hold the airman chevron, this symbol, in high esteem. It represents our commitment and honorable service to our Air Force and to the Life Support community. So, as we begin our Reunion celebration, we would offer each of you the “Airman” chevron, a symbol of our fellowship.
An august body of retirees, that we are, we would like to extend our symbol to our retired leadership, our officers in attendance and our civilian counterparts. Please join us in wearing the chevron this week. We bestow the honorary rank of A3C to all our officers and civilians in attendance for the period 16 – 20 Jun 03.
To our ladies and our significant others, who have stood with us throughout our careers and subsequent retirements, we do not have to offer you any honorary rank, for you have participated, earned and supported every accolade or promotion we have received. You special individuals, we know, will wear this rank symbol proudly.
And, finally, to our active duty members, officer, Chief, NCO and airman, we welcome you to also share in our celebration.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we pass the chevrons out and prepare for our Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation, please join me in attaching it to the left side of your outer garment.
0815
– 0830 Pledge of Allegiance and
Invocation
0830 - 0845 Welcome & Opening Remarks By Col Albert Burnett
0845 - 0900 Remarks By
CMS (Ret) Robert (Tommy) Tompkins
Life Support, as we know it started with the establishment of the basic course at Chanute in August 1953.
Mr. Vernon Martin, Mr. Don Bock and SSgt Oscar Norberg established the school. Oscar became a 92270 Survival Training and Personal Equipment troop and retired as a life support chief. We have with us today a life supporter from that early class he is Monroe Johnson who graduated in January 1954 with AFSC 92230, Survival Training and Personal Equipment.
Previous to this, mostly parachute riggers who had an MOS of 594, Personal Equipment, conducted personal equipment inspections. We understand and appreciate those who came before us and there are several here today. Remember this is a celebration of all life supporters and a special remembrance of when the first class attended technical school at Chanute.
As my friend Chief Charlie Kiehl was always telling me, he packed the first red sled for General Custer!
We came about as a career field as a result of General LeMay and the SAC long range B-36. Where it was assumed that there would be long periods of survival after nuclear conditions. It was known at the time as a sling shot air force, a one-way trip! It was also impacted by the stand down of Air Rescue Service, ATC take over of survival and life support training, and the political aspects at the time.
At this time also the regional, mostly cold weather survival schools were consolidated within the states at Stead Air Force Base, Nevada and the instructors there became the first survival instructors as 921’s. Col Cal Crochet had the pleasure of training at Stead during this period
1947-1953
I still need to fill in a lot for this era but there is no doubt that there were life supporters in Korea and providing superior equipment to the war fighters. One here with us now was the commander of a survival training school in country and during the conflict! That gentleman is Mr. Kenny Troup! I have been told that the first life supporters were parachute riggers. I do know from Don Bock, who is also with us today that the majority of the initial instructors at Chanute were riggers/parachute loft and most went to survival training courses at various survival schools and locations in preparation for the personal equipment and survival training career field.
Mr. Don Bock provided quite a lot of background and history from his Pearl Harbor files from Chanute. I am working on getting it together.
1953-1956
After completion of training at Chanute the student class went to Stead AFB Nevada for an additional month of training. Chief John Weir is one here today who went through Stead from Chanute. This continued until early 1954. Then after completion of the basic course, for a short time survival training was accomplished in two weeks at Chanute. After that survival training was taught at a location in Illinois at an old Army facility called Camp Ellis. This continued until the survival training was removed from the AFSC title in 1956.
1956
Our career field remained 922 Protective Equipment and the survival training was removed.
1958
When the Senior and Chief positions were created both the 921 and 922 career fields met
at the 9 level as 92290. Some of the first Seniors and Chiefs could have come up either
the Personal Equipment or Survival Instructor career ladder. One who came up that route
is here today and he is Chief Harold Donley, and there may be others.
1967 /68
The STS and related documents were changed to reflect two separate career fields to the
9 level.
Life Support as we know it today came into it’s own early in the Vietnam era. This is where we really started to interface with the aircrews on a daily basis and got into continuation training. This is also where the life support officers at squadron level entered the picture. Col George Braue was one who brought us through this era.
LSO training was ongoing at Chanute, then at Fairchild and now at Randolph/Brooks. So that pretty well tells you where we are and where we came from but what is important it seems to me is the life support family as my friend Chief Johnny Nevada (Shields) would say. "I feel that we are a very close organization, more so in my opinion than most any other career area". It did not just happen it was very carefully set up by senior NCOs at the Wings, Numbered Air Forces, Major Air Commands, and by senior NCOs and civilians with extensive life support backgrounds at MAJCOM Requirements and Plans positions.
The same can be said for the Life Support System Program Office and the people at Air Staff. These same folks over the years have influenced all of the equipment and training that we now have.
Also during this era a Personal Equipment Advisory Group was established that was composed of representatives of the SPO and MAJCOMs. Its tasking was identification and rapid resolution of problem areas identified during Vietnam. Their success story led to the rapid introduction of the pen gun flares, pld’s, and signal markers. Perhaps something like this would work today.
This has continued even after military or civil service retirement. The knowledge and background has not been lost. By looking around the room you will see several that are retired but still very active life supporters.
Two deserve special mention Bob McElwain and K.B. Kinchen who have continued after retirement as civilian life supporters and along with fast Eddie Chewning have also been instrumental in developing and publishing a life support retirees newsletter, developing and maintaining a individual life supporter data base, organizing and conducting an annual life support reunion and maintaining web pages to keep everyone up to date on activities. They deserve a hand!
My special thanks to Greg Dean who gave me the opportunity to get the newsletter rolling and to Chief Billy Goss who provided the initial information.
I was fortunate last week to be able to visit with Justin Heath who is the son of Gladden Pappy” Heath. Chief Heath was my first senior NCO supervisor and provided some well-needed direction to this young airman second class! I plan to present one of the 50th anniversary coins to Justin Heath
I am also fortunate to be close to a young Staff Sergeant (at the time) who met me at the train station at Chanute and gave me and the others fresh from basic the opportunity to double time to the base. He was a great friend and mentor throughout my career and he lies at rest in Norris City Illinois only a few miles from our home. On Memorial Days I am able to place a flag in remembrance of Chief Oscar E. Norberg.
0915 - 0930 Review of
the Agenda
0930 - 1000 Please
click here to read our Salute to the
Past & Current Women in Life Support
1000 - 1045 Introductions
1045 - 1100 Randolph
AFB Transition to Civilian Life Support
By:
Mark McDevitt
1100 - 1115 Group Photos
1800 *Opening
of the Hospitality Room
WEDNESDAY, 18
JUN 03
0700 Golf
Tournament/ Nellis, AFB
1000 *Bus Trip to USAF Thunderbird Squadron
1200 *Picnic/Nellis,
AFB Park
1700 *Las Vegas
Bus Trip
THURSDAY, 19
JUN 03
1800 Cocktails
1830 *Aircrew
Life Support 50th Anniversary Banquet