On Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 2:08:26 PM UTC-5, Markem wrote:
On Wed, 25 Feb 2015 13:10:44 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:

Markem wrote:


I was a 462xx Weapons mechanic (fancy name for bomb loader). The KKK
sign just out of Smithfield on the way to Raleigh, the one outside the
base burned down before I got there. What I remember is the BBQ joint
out the back gate, saw a news piece about it when Clinton was POTUS.

Hey - a Muzzle ****er! I was 316X1-L. Sidewinders, Sparrows, Shrikes,
Mavericks, Falcons. They called us Missile Weanies at the time. It was
good to be in missiles... Air conditioned shops in the summer, heated in
the winter, never had to work out in the crummy elements. One of my
roomates in the barracks was a Muzzle ****er too. Nice guy but you just had
to teach them and the 461's (B-B Stackers) so much about life's finer
points - like how to use a fork in the chow hall, etc.

So - you were still there when the F-4's were there. Awesome, eh? The
meanist, most badass jet fighter ever. I used to love driving by the BUFF
alert area on the way to the shop and watching those SAC guys standing guard
around the BUFFs. Used to think to myself - what a ****ty job they have!
Was glad to be in TAC.

Ah yes proof that with enough power anything can fly, the F-4 Phantom.
When I was leaving they were suppose to be changing to F-16s and
A-10s. The load shop had a sandwhich and snack setup, we paid for our
beer bashes and then some, till the flight line snack shop got all
uppity.

The Coast Guard barracks on Governor's Island NY had vending machines in the lounges (picture a big TV room, with a pool table and some pretty nasty carpets and couches).

The vending machines had 6 offerings:

4 choices of soda and 2 choices of beer, typically PBR and maybe Milwaukee's Best.

At the USCG stations in AK, Olympia was the #1 best seller. It was flown in by the pallet on the C-130 supply flights. It was common knowledge that you never wanted to let an Oly get warm while you were drinking it. The bottom of an Oly can was some pretty nasty stuff.

At our weekend bonfires, we would keep the beer near the fire so it wouldn't freeze. Once you opened it, you had to drink it fairly quickly or it would freeze before you could finish it.

It was that damn wind chill, ya know.