Disclaimer: Truckin’ On is an unofficial newsletter published every month in the interest of serving Air Force active duty, civilian and retired vehicle operations

and maintenance personnel. Articles submitted by its contributors are not to be considered official statements by the U.S. Air Force.

1 Jan 2015

Dedicated to the Men and Women of

AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance — Past, Present, and Future

Truckin’ on

Special Points of Interest:

First All-electric Vehicle

Fleet—PG 1-3

Inside this issue:

Vehicles, Videos, and Websites

PG 3

White Refuelers! PG 4

Mission Ready PG 5

Crossroads….Pt 2 PG 6 - 8

The Fish Philosophy PG 8 - 9

Pardon this Commercial

Interruption

PG 9

Get ‘em While They’re Hot! PG 10

MacArthur’s Limousine PG 11

Snuffy’s Corner PG 12

AF tests first all-electric vehicle fleet in California / Published November 14, 2014

Miranda Ballentine greets vendors during the unveiling of the first federal facility to replace its entire general-purpose fleet with plug-in electric vehicles Nov. 14, 2014, at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, Calif. The base's electric vehicle fleet, consisting of 42 vehicles, including sedans, pick-up trucks and mini vans, of which 36 will be vehicle-to-grid capable, is the largest operational V2G demonstration in the world. Ballentine is the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sarah Corrice)

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force

officials unveiled the Department of

Defense’s first non-tactical vehicle fleet

composed entirely of plug-in electric

vehicles, Nov. 14, at Los Angeles Air

Force Base, California.

The rollout of the 42-vehicle fleet marks a

milestone in the DOD’s demonstration of

emerging technology and the vehicles

will serve as a resource to the electrical

grid when they’re not being driven.

“Everything we do to fly, fight and win

requires energy, whether it’s aviation fuel

for our aircraft or power to run the bases

that support them,” said Secretary of the

Air Force Deborah Lee James.

“Everything we do to fly, fight and win

requires energy, whether it’s aviation fuel

for our aircraft or power to run the bases

that support them,” said Secretary of the

Air Force Deborah Lee James. “This

vehicle-to-grid pilot is a great example of

how Airmen are driving the Air Force

forward and finding new and innovative

ways to make every dollar count.”

Continued on PG 2

http://science.dodlive.mil/2014/11/21/the-

air-forces-plug-in-vehicle-fleet/

This is an official DoD blog with some great links to other military/government media sources….check it out!

All-electric Vehicle Fleet

The PEV fleet includes both electric and hybrid vehicles ranging

from sedans to trucks and a 12-passenger van. The vehicles

have the capability to direct power both to and from the

electrical grid when they’re not being driven, known as

vehicle-to-grid technology. Unique charging stations have been

installed on Los Angeles AFB to support the vehicles’ V2G

capability.

The V2G technology enables the vehicles to provide more than

700 kilowatts of power to the grid, sufficient power for more than

140 American homes. The vehicles also enhance the power

grid’s reliability and security by balancing demand against

supply without having to use reserves or standby generators.

California energy providers and regulators worked closely with

the Air Force on safety and performance testing as well as

technical and regulatory aspects of launching the fleet.

“We absolutely couldn’t have done this without our federal, state

and private partners,” said Miranda Ballentine, the assistant

secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and

energy. “The shared investment and commitment by our

partners illustrates that innovations such as this have value not

only to the Air Force and Department of Defense, but to the

nation as a whole.”

The Air Force plans to expand the V2G demonstration to Joint

Base Andrews, Maryland, and Joint Base McGuire-

Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The service will also continue to look for additional capabilities,

such as utilizing used batteries as a form of on-base energy

storage.

“The forward thinking of the Air Force promises to be an

important signal to the market to move this technology into the

mainstream,” said William Kempton, the director of the

University of Delaware’s Center for Carbon-free Power

Integration. “By requesting V2G-capable trucks and cars from

several vehicle manufacturers, placed in bases in several

states, the Air Force has helped to stimulate demand from both

automotive suppliers and the electric industry in these states.

We can hope that the Air Force program announced today,

together with the recent successful early demonstrations — by

the University of Delaware with Honda, BMW, NRG Energy,

PJM and others — will move us from demonstration to early

commercial-scale products.”

In addition to the PEV fleet in L.A., the Air Force is also

investigating the benefits of other alternative fuel vehicles. More

than 9,000 ethanol flex fuel vehicles are in the service’s

inventory worldwide, along with 50 biodiesel fuel stations on its

installations. Miranda Ballentine greets vendors during the unveiling of the first federal facility to replace its entire general-purpose fleet with plug-in electric vehicles Nov. 14, 2014, at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, Calif. The base's electric vehicle fleet, consisting of 42 vehicles, including sedans, pick-up trucks and mini vans, of which 36 will be vehicle-to-grid capable, is the largest operational V2G demonstration in the world. Ballentine is the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sarah Corrice)

Staff Sgt Rey Sedantes (left), receives instruction on how to operate the Princeton bidirectional electric vehicle charging stations from vehicle operations contractor, Oscar Machado, right, during a training demo Oct. 31, 2014, in El Segundo, Calif. The charging stations will charge the electric vehicles directly from the local utility grid enabling Los Angeles Air Force Base personnel to utilize the electric vehicles as transportation within the base. When called-upon, and when connected to the electric vehicle, the bidirectional charging station will switch power flow directions in order to support vehicle-to-grid energy request by discharging the electric vehicle’s onboard battery. Sedantes is with the 61st Civil Engineering Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sarah Corrice)

Continued from PG 1

Continued on PG 3

2

1 Jan 2015

All-electric Vehicle Fleet

“Pursuing this program was an easy decision for us,” James

said. “Energy is key to accomplishing the mission, and as the

largest energy consumer in the federal government, we are

always looking for opportunities to improve our resiliency,

reduce our demand and assure our energy supply. From a

mission, environmental and fiscal perspective, this program

simply makes good sense.” (Information courtesy of Secretary

of the Air Force Public Affairs)

Airmen from Los Angeles Air Force Base learn how to use charging

equipment for the base's new electric vehicle fleet during a training demo

Oct. 31, 2014, in El Segundo, Calif. When not in use, the vehicle's

batteries can switch charging direction and feed their energy back to the

base's power grid. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sarah Corrice)

Continued from PG 2

Ferrari F1 Pit Stop Perfection

Submitted by Bobby Werner, MSgt (Ret/2T3)

Click on the image above to activate the video

American Car Brochures

Submitted by George McElwain, CMSgt (Ret/2T3)

This is really cool. Find your first car or, the one you drove to

high school or college; hopefully your car brochure is

available.

ENJOY A WALK BACK IN TIME!!!

This has to be one of the neatest websites whether you have

gasoline in your veins or not.

This is a website featuring the original factory brochures for

nearly every American car you have ever owned. Pick the

manufacturer, the year and the model. Enjoy!

www.lov2xlr8.no/broch1.html

3

1 Jan 2015

White Refuelers!

Luke changes refueling truck color, mitigates

F-35 shutdowns

by Staff Sgt. Luther Mitchell Jr.

56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/5/2014 - LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The 56th

Logistics Readiness Squadron recently added a new fuel truck

to its fleet designed to improve mission effectiveness and safety

on the flight line.

It's not really a new fuel truck, but an old fuel truck with its tank

painted white. Affectionately called "Big Green" by LRS Airmen,

the new white tank requires a little getting used to. The reason

for the white paint job? It will keep fuel in the tankers cooler.

"We painted the refuelers white to reduce the temperature of

fuel being delivered to the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter,"

said Senior Airman Jacob Hartman, 56th LRS fuels distribution

operator. "The F-35 has a fuel temperature threshold and may

not function properly if the fuel temperature is too high, so after

collaborating with other bases and receiving waiver approval

from AETC, we painted the tanks white."

The positive benefits the 56th LRS hopes for is no delay in

aircraft take-offs, maintaining mission sorties and ensuring

pilots meet training requirements.

"It ensures the F-35 is able to meet its sortie requirements," said

Chief Master Sgt. Ralph Resch, 56th LRS fuels manager. "We

are taking proactive measures to mitigate any possible aircraft

shutdowns due to high fuel temperatures in the future."

The squadron adopted the idea after it was first implemented at

Edwards Air Force Base, California.

In the summer months here at Luke, temperatures can reach

beyond 110 degrees. Painting the tanks white now will help

prevent fuel stored in the tanks from over-heating, but LRS

Airmen have a long-term goal for the future.

"This is the short-term goal to cool the fuel for the F-35,

however, the long-term fix is to have parking shades for the

refuelers," Resch said.

What makes the white paint so special? It is solar polyurethane

enamel that reflects the heat of the sun's rays. Interestingly,

after dropping off the first truck to be painted, the 56th LRS

learned it is not the color that reflects the heat, but the second

reflective coating.

With this new information, the 56th LRS is working to see if they

can paint the trucks green and still see a reduction in fuel

temperatures.

"The painting process is a two-part process, and the second

part is the reflective process," said Master Sgt. Joseph Maurin,

56th LRS fuels distribution NCO in charge.

"The painter said it did not have to be a white color, so we are

going to send one of the four vehicles to get painted green, if

possible. We will then compare temperatures between the

green and white trucks."

Luke's refuelers are also deployable. A white fuel truck would

stick out like a sore thumb down range, so the 56th LRS is

hopeful the tanks can be painted green and still keep fuel

temperatures down.

"These trucks are deployable and the F-35 is too, so having an

olive drab truck in a forward location is a lot better than having a

white truck," Resch said.

The 56th LRS has been approved to paint four trucks at a cost

of $3,900 per truck. It takes about a week to complete a truck.

Even though the trucks might stand out in the yard amongst the

Airmen, it hasn't affected the way the 56th LRS does business.

"We still do business the same here," Maurin said. "However,

because we are used to calling our refueler Big Green, the

white tank has been difficult to get used to."

Senior Airman Jacob Hartman, 56th Logistic Readiness Squadron fuels distribution operator, checks out the newly painted R-11 refueling truck at the LRS vehicle yard. After receiving waiver approval from the Air Education and Training Command, the 56th LRS had the truck painted white to keep the fuel inside from overheating. The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter has a fuel temperature threshold and cannot function properly if the fuel temperature is too high. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Luther Mitchell Jr.)

1 Jan 2015

4

JBER mechanics maintain mission posture

by Tech. Sgt. Raymond Mills

JBER Public Affairs

11/26/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON,

Alaska -- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson vehicle mechanics

work to ensure vehicle fleets are operationally ready for any

mission. "The mission of the JBER mechanics is to ensure the

world's greatest fighting force has the ability to train, deploy and

sustain the fight at any time and in any condition," said Jeremy

Henry, 404th Army Field Support Brigade Logistics Readiness

Center mechanic.

Without vehicles, many missions supported on JBER would

come to a halt. "The types of military vehicles we work on

include, but aren't limited to, Humvees, heavy expanded mobility

tactical trucks, mine-resistant ambush protected, family of

medium tactical vehicles, tractors and various forklifts," Henry

said. "Each of the above mentioned also include the various

configurations they come in, from wreckers to load handling

systems and electrical and hydraulic subsets. We also service

and repair generators, lawn mowers, various earth-moving

equipment and off-road vehicles, such as snow machines and

side-by-sides," Henry said. Tactical vehicles offer a unique set of

maintenance challenges.

"Here at the special purpose equipment repair section, we work

on almost every piece of tactical equipment that the arctic

warriors employ," Henry said. "There is no such thing as a

typical day in our line of work any more than there is a typical

day for the Soldiers we assist. Some days can be as simple as

winterizing a Humvee to the polar opposite of replacing the

power packs in the heavy expanded mobility tactical trucks. We

have also been known to recover vehicles in the field and to

support the offloading of vehicles coming off Army ships at the

port of Anchorage."

While Army mechanics focus more on tactical vehicles, Air

Force vehicle maintainers sustain base-support vehicles. Senior

Master Sergeant Ronald Cole, 673d Logistics Readiness

Squadron Vehicle Management flight chief, said his unit has

their hands on every non-tactical vehicle on JBER.

"We maintain the vehicle fleet and oversee the management of

the Government Support Agency fleet," Cole said. "I have 125

personnel; each and every one of them is a professional and

each and every one of them is good at their job." He said his

Vehicle Maintenance and Vehicle Management and Analysis

shops work together to track the preventive maintenance

program for 1,700 vehicles on base, of which 950 are

government owned and repaired by vehicle management. Cole

said the fleet is valued at $155 million.

According to Cole, base support vehicle maintainers are

particularly busy during the winter. During these times vehicle

maintainers are on the flight line and in the streets repairing

vehicles that move snow and ice.

"They give 100 percent all the time," Cole said. "If a deicer goes

down, my guys will come in at any time; even if it's non-duty

hours. We support 24-hour operations because my personnel

understand the importance of those assets and what they mean

to the base. They understand that no matter what you are doing

or what time it is, you respond and take care of the problem."

Unlike their Army counterparts, who employ a variety of

specialists in specific vehicle systems, the 673d LRS vehicle

maintainers have to absorb a broad spectrum of training.

"VM is bumper to bumper," Cole said. "We are responsible for

every system on the vehicle. It doesn't matter if it's hydraulics,

fuels systems, body works, brakes ... all of it. One mechanic is

given a work order and is told, here, go fix that.” Although the Air

Force and Army has different approaches, their end goal

remains the same.

"The people who work here are dedicated employees who do

their job to the best of their ability," Henry said. "Most are driven

to success both in their profession and in support of the mission.

There's a wide variety of skills in this shop, and where one might

be weak in an area, they may excel in another. When it comes

to getting the vehicles out on time, I think that the team here

really comes together to help each other achieve the overall

goal of the mission."

Senior Airman Avery Spencer, 673d Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintainer, assembles a snow blower transmission in his work center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Monday. Vehicle Maintenance and Vehicle Management and Analysis shops work together to track the preventive-maintenance program for 1,700 vehicles on base, of which 950 are government-owned and repaired by vehicle management. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Vernon Cunningham)

Mission Ready

5

1 Jan 2015

Life on the Other Side — Local Government Employment

by Greg Morris, CMSgt (Ret/2T3) Sarasota County Fleet Manager, Sarasota, Florida

First of all, do not get nervous about leaving the Air Force and

getting a job. Start now and get yourself ready to enter the

public or private sector! There are plenty of jobs available to

those who wish to become team members in local government

– opportunities abound!

The technical, leadership and management training you receive

in the Air Force will greatly assist you if you decide to make

another career in the public sector of local government. You

have received valuable formal training as well as on the job

training and if you have ambition and a drive to work hard and

excel, you will do extremely well in local government.

I retired from Eglin AFB Florida as their Fleet Manager, a

2T300. Eglin was a great training location for both military and

civilian transition. The base helped me prepare for the civilian

sector even before I entered the transition phase to retirement.

Eglin operates both as a military and as a civilian business

where we charged for repairs to contractors, multiple

government agencies and other wings assigned or exercising

on the vast amount of land Eglin has under its control.

I have been the Sarasota County Government’s Fleet Manager

for 9 years and it has been great. I loved my military career and

I love being a County Fleet Manager.

This is a follow up to November’s articles on the same subject.

One of the first two articles was written by my friend and fellow

brother in arms Gary McLean, the Fleet Manager for the City of

Lakeland, Florida. Lakeland is about a 90-minute drive from

Sarasota. I have been to “Gary’s Place” and he runs a great

shop with good people and we communicate regularly,

discussing fleet opportunities and we also communicate with

other public fleet managers.

I will try and provide a little more insight on public sector

employment and hopefully my article will assist in giving a few

suggestions on how to better prepare you for a fleet

maintenance position. Gary McLean and Roger Storman,

publisher of Truckin’ On, came by for a visit not long ago and as

always it was a show and tell event.

We discussed challenges as well as opportunities, compared

policies and procedures and had a good lunch along with some

great war stories thrown in for good measure. We caught up on

the whereabouts of some AF maintainers and AF happenings. I

am a firm believer that you must break bread with someone in

order to get to know them and from then on they are family.

Gary was already family and Roger has been welcomed to the

family or “Morris clan” as well.

I love coming to work every day as everyday has new

challenges as well as opportunities to excel and I work with

fantastic professionals who are dedicated, work together as a

team and look forward to coming to work. We work hard and we

have fun too. Now, a few suggestions for those of you who are

planning to join us in local government employment. Get

prepared now to acquire and position yourself for success in a

municipal government fleet management/maintenance career.

GET CERTIFIED. ASE/EVT certifications are a big plus for

getting hired in the public sector and can pay dividends when

being hired on as a technician, supervisor, or shop manager.

Here in Sarasota County we offer an incentive pay which is 20

cents per hour for each certification up to the master

certification. The incentives are added to the starting pay and

can really add up if you are hired and already have them under

your belt. We limit individuals to 4 additional certifications a

year upon hire which can equate to an 80 cent per hour pay

raise incentive. Incentive pay can reach up to approximately

$19,000.00 a year.

Editor’s Comments: We ran part one of this article in

November’s issue of Truckin’ On and featured commentary

and pictures from Dan Berlenbach and Gary McLean in

Long Beach, California and Lakeland, Florida respectively.

Now CMSgt (R) Greg Morris gives us his perspective on

post Air Force career choices. Greg is Manager, Fleet

Services for Sarasota County, Florida. Greg, in a related

article, has also provided tips on how he has inspired and

renewed enthusiasm in his workplace with a program called

the FISH Philosophy….very interesting.

Continued on PG 7

6

Greg Morris

1 Jan 2015

Qualified Fleet Managers can be difficult to find and hire so

ensure that you take all the maintenance management and

leadership courses available. It would be important for those

who desire a Fleet Management position to acquire certification

as fleet manager through an accredited or nationally recognized

organization. AEMP has a Certified Equipment Manager

program. APWA and NAFA also have great fleet manager

certifications.

I would recommend any one of these to those of you who desire

a public or private fleet manager position. These certifications

are a requirement for many of the public and private sector fleet

management positions. Also, for those who want to stay in the

fleet business, I would suggest that you prepare yourself and

upon departing the AF ensure that you have one or more of

these certifications under your belt. Certifications equate to jobs

and pay.

The certifications prepare you for a management position and

strengthen skills in areas such as fuel and budgeting as most

fleets are internal funds and operate like a private business,

which means they must be competitive with comparative

operations. Oh, and by the way, the fleet manager certifications

are not a cake walk to pass so study and take the testing very

seriously. Some Fleet Manager positions, such as mine, only

allow you 6 months from the hire date to achieve a Fleet

Manager certification.

Sarasota’s Fleet. Our Fleet budget is currently a 24 million

dollar annual operation that includes new and replacement

asset purchases of approximately 7 to 10 million a year,

maintenance and fuel expenses, personnel costs, and

overhead. This is a small budget compared to many of the

larger fleets. As the Fleet Manager you maintain, operate,

manage and control fuel sites (gas stations). We currently

operate 4 fuel sites and dispense over 1.5 million gallons of fuel

annually and yes, we procure biodiesel. We have 3

maintenance shops staffed with highly trained technicians that

perform quality maintenance on over 1600 vehicles and

equipment.

These assets range from backhoes, Menzi Mucks, sewer vac,

trucks, long arm mowers, dumps, loaders, cars, vans, SUV’s,

SEV’s, PHEV’s, EV’s and also include some hybrid assets such

as solar carts, field groomers, etc. The Fleet Acquisitions team

procures the assets that we maintain which includes vehicles

and equipment. We work with our procurement department and

the numerous units within the county that have assets assigned

to them. We work together to develop new asset specifications

and write the majority of bids or contracts needed in order to

procure assets at the lowest cost and best value in order to

support daily and contingency county operations.

We also procure vehicles and equipment through Federal, State

and local contracts. Our goal is to get the very best product at

the lowest cost. We work for the taxpayers of Sarasota County

and we take that very seriously. Fleet procures the assets and

we operate like a leasing company, charging a monthly fee for

the lease along with a maintenance/insurance fee.

Maintenance fees are created by utilizing maintenance history,

reviewing age, mile/hours, and number of replacements planned

and an annual rate is developed and charged monthly.

We make repairs utilizing the maintenance fee as long as it is

determined to be from normal wear and tear. Fuel Management

is also part of our operations and is a new and exciting

challenge and opportunity.

I had a little advantage from working overseas in Refueling

Maintenance. Working with POL over several years I gained

experience in fuel metering and storage tank monitoring which

helps tremendously with understanding fuel and managing our

four fuel sites. By the way, we are responsible for the entire fuel

site – everything from daily cleaning, DEP inspections and

monthly inspections to ensuring a gallon of fuel is an actual

gallon fuel – but that would need to be a different article.

We order the fuel, charge for dispensed fuel, change dispenser

filters, and replace hoses with breakaway couplers, nozzles but

no single point. The PROVER tank experience in Japan was

great training and beneficial when explaining and completing the

Department of Revenue monthly tax forms. Gains and losses

from fuel expanding and contracting from temperature and

barometric pressure changes is sometimes difficult to

understand by those in accounting.

I am pointing this out as Gary had mentioned fuel management

in Part 1 and I wanted give a little more detail and again stress

the importance of studying and gaining a Fleet Manager

certification. A very important part of the certification process is

that you understand the principles of how things should work

and where to research the answers. You can always call a

friend to assist in those areas that are unique to government. Continued on PG 8

Continued from PG 6

7

1 Jan 2015

Working in local government employment is extremely

rewarding and you can make a difference. Like Gary and

Roger, I expect to see more of our Air Force brothers and

sisters working for and managing government fleets in the near

future. You are formidable, highly trained candidates for these

types of jobs and I have been very satisfied with the military that

we have hired in Sarasota County Fleet Services.

As Gary stated in Part 1 of Life on the Other Side, when he

asked who is responsible for the fleet acquisitions disposals,

maintenance and fuel, training, safety, and overall fleet

operations - the person who’s responsible for the entire

operation is the Fleet Manager.

If you’re interested in a government fleet perspective or

employment feel free to give me a call. Give it a shot, I

guarantee you will like the way you look - I mean work and play.

Remember you determine how you will feel - it’s your day and

your life - make the best of it! Everyday, bring some joy into

another person’s life. I look forward to hearing from you and

good luck. Life is good.

Greg E. Morris, CEM Manager, Fleet Services Sarasota County (941) 861-9621

An ASE Blue Seal of Excellence Recognized Business ~ We're Proud of our Blue Seal Team ~

Continued from PG 7

FishThe Big Fish that Changed a Work Environment

by Greg Morris, CMSgt (Ret/2T3)

Over the years I have used many different approaches to

establishing a work hard/ play hard mindset with a goal of 90 to

95 % of the workforce looking forward to coming to work. I have

used loud, almost screaming Tarzan yells before the start of the

work day to generate smiles and change the work environment.

I like to demonstrate enthusiasm everyday as it is contagious.

My favorite saying is “Life is good.” I love a team that

demonstrates in words and deeds that the Fleet team believes

that life and work should be an enjoyable experience.

Another favorite saying of mine is “Today is a great day and

tomorrow will be even better.” The guys and gals that work in

Fleet are with us for 9, hopefully awake, hours a day, 5 days a

week and everyone needs to feel comfortable, challenged and

know they are appreciated. When I took over as the Fleet

Manager in Sarasota County the guys and gals needed a little

morale boost. Don’t think that Sarasota County was a bad place

to work, but over the years the fun had disappeared and that

can lead to other problems.

I decided we needed a way to bring back the fun. First, let me

say, I am not promoting nor receiving any remuneration by

mentioning the following. We scheduled “FISH” training to boost

morale and I have to say, it took a while for it to sink in for some.

I was excited after the fish training as were several of my now fun

loving team (we had the video training, provided “Fish” training

books and pamphlets). Then one of my team members bought

me a 5 foot stuffed fish, I treasure that fish by the way, and I

started taking it around and throwing it at some of the guys and

gals. I had pictures taken with it on some of the guys Harleys,

riding in county vehicles, talking with individuals, riding on the

back of individuals and it was tossed to unsuspecting visitors.

No complaints so far. It has been a successful tool in changing

the work environment where individuals enjoy coming to work, a

conversation piece and a means of opening eyes to the idea that

work can be rewarding and fun. There is more that must happen

to change the work environment and the “FISH" training along

with the stuffed fish became the catalyst to begin an honest open

work environment, fair and equal treatment, and a safe non

threatening environment.

Continued on PG 9

8

1 Jan 2015

Continued from PG 8

Fish

To add to that, knowledge of what is expected of everyone with

clear goals, directions and performance standards continues to

change the mindset and improve the enjoyment of everyone’s

job at SCG Fleet. Training is always a priority, suggestions,

improvements and change is expected and must be viewed as

a good thing. Everyone must know if you make honest

mistakes, it is part of life, never hide a mistake, take

responsibility for your actions and we will adjust and try again

but not make the same mistake twice. The fish is a wonderful

tool to break the ice and enjoy life. Let’s go Fishing!

Editor’s Comments: For more information on the Fish

Philosophy watch the video and visit the website below

the image.

Website

http://www.catchthefishphilosophy.com/fish_video.htm?atc=GOG&ctc=FSFV&gclid=CJflt-

Pardon this Commercial Interruption

Official Fiat 500X teaser - blue pill

Submitted by George McElwain, CMSgt (Ret/472)

The Fiat 500X is bigger, more powerful and ready for

action.

In this official Fiat 500X commercial everyone who

comes into contact with the 500x gets a little excited

and you will too — click on the image in the right

column.

9

1 Jan 2015

Want to buy a real military Humvee? They're now at Hill AFB

By Mitch Shaw

Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah (TNS)

Published: December 21, 2014

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — If you’re that rare individual who’s

in the market for a military Humvee, you might be able to find

one for sale at Hill Air Force Base.

On Dec. 17, a company called GovPlanet — an Internet-based

marketplace for buying and selling used government assets —

held an online auction that allowed customers to view and bid

on High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, more

commonly known as Humvees.

According to a report from the Army Times, the auction included

25 Humvees built between 1987 and the mid-1990s that are

currently being stored at Hill. Approximately 4,000 of the troop

transporting vehicles will be sold to the public as part of a

Defense Logistics Agency plan to turn retired military vehicles

into assets, rather than just scrap them, as has been the past

procedure. Bids for the Humvees start at $10,000.

Humvees are produced by a company called AM General, an

American heavy vehicle manufacturer based in South Bend,

Indiana.

The vehicles differ from the civilian “Hummer” that the company

also manufactures and until now, have never been sold to the

public.

GovPlanet says the Humvees featured on its website are not

street-legal and only include cargo and troop carriers with model

numbers M998, M998A1, M1038 and M1038A1. All are “soft

sided,” or unarmored vehicles for off-road use only.

According to a press release posted on the website of

GovPlanet’s parent company, IronPlanet, the company was

awarded a DLA contract to manage and sell Department of

Defense surplus assets in July. The contract has a base term of

two years, with four one-year renewal options.

The company estimates it will get its hands on $50 million to

$70 million worth of military surplus each year. The contract

requires they give 75.29 percent of sales revenue to the DLA.

In another release posted to the company’s website, Randy

Berry, senior vice president of operations and services for

IronPlanet, said additional auctions, where customers can bid

on Humvees and a host of other military vehicles and

equipment, will be held throughout 2015.

“We will be offering military Humvees of various model years

and configurations,” Berry said. “Our (online) marketplace ... is

making it easier than ever for people to buy used government

assets online confidently and conveniently.”

GovPlanet’s next auction is set for Jan. 7 and several military

vehicles located at Hill are currently for sale. Winning bidders

are responsible for picking up the vehicles. In addition to

Humvees, military surplus items sold by GovPlanet include

trucks, trailers, generators, wheel loaders, cranes, crawler trac-

tors, and other equipment.

Items already listed for sale at Hill include several cargo trailers,

cargo trucks, tractor trucks and wreckers. Currently, the most

expensive item for bid other than the Humvees is an AM

General Wrecker, which starts at $7,000.

To participate in the Jan. 7 auction, go to www.ironplanet.com.

Get ‘em While They’re Hot!

An online marketplace for buying and selling used government assets is holding auctions for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), or Humvees. IronPlanet.com photo

1 Jan 2015

MacArthur's Limousine

1950 Chrysler Crown Imperial Limousine

As Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers and the architect

of the rebuilding of Japan after World War II not just any

automobile would suffice to be the personal staff car for General

of the Army Douglas MacArthur. Thus when the Cadillac

assigned for his use began to show its age, the U.S. Army

replaced it with a 1950 Chrysler Crown Imperial limousine.

The 1950 Chrysler Crown Imperial provided the “ultimate luxury

in automotive transportation,” according to a press release from

Chrysler announcing the introduction of the model. It was

available in two body styles – a limousine or eight-passenger

sedan. “The limousine is designed for those who prefer a

chauffeur-driven car” and featured a power-operated glass

partition between the front and rear compartments, power

windows and two fold-down seats in the rear compartment.

The 1950 Crown Imperial was also the first Chrysler model to

feature disc brakes, then considered a break-through in

automobile safety technology.

The Crown Imperial also was the largest car in the Chrysler line

at that time, with a 145 1/2” wheelbase and was 229 3/8” long

overall. Under the hood is a 135-hp Spitfire engine with a

Prestomatic Fluid Drive transmission.

Personal Use

The largest artifact in the MacArthur Memorial’s collection, this

automobile served as Gen. MacArthur’s personal staff car from

just before the Korean War until shortly before the General’s

death in 1964. It was ordered by Gen. MacArthur in early

November 1950 and was sent to Japan via ship, the USAT

General Nelson M. Walker, arriving later that month.

The limousine carried MacArthur to and from his office at the Dai

Ichi insurance building in Tokyo during the latter part of the

Occupation of Japan. When MacArthur returned to the United

States in 1951, the Crown Imperial was shipped to him in New

York City where he continued to use it until 1963, when it was

returned to the U.S. Army motor pool and subsequently given to

the MacArthur Memorial.

When first received by the MacArthur Memorial, the Chrysler

was displayed in an addition to the main Memorial building,

which has since been removed to restore the 1850 Courthouse

more to its original appearance. Since the late 1970s, Gen.

MacArthur’s Crown Imperial has been on display in the

Memorial’s gift shop.

Fond Memories from MacArthur's Drivers

One of MacArthur’s chauffeurs, Bill Hansen, recalled for a

recent newspaper article a fender-bender while driving

MacArthur along a New York highway. “We were on the Grand

Central Parkway headed north and got bumped on the right rear

bumper. MacArthur said ‘Don’t worry, the Government will take

care of it.’” However, while viewing the limousine on display at

the Memorial years later, Hansen was able to point out the dent

which was never repaired.

Charles Steever, who drove Gen. MacArthur for twelve years

during the 1950s and 1960s, also related an amusing incident of

his time chauffeuring the General. A New York state trooper

pulled Steever over on the Merritt Parkway as Gen. MacArthur

was on a business trip to Connecticut. However, when the

trooper saw MacArthur seated in the back, “We wound up with a

police escort all the way to Connecticut,” Steever recalled.

1 Jan 2015 The General’s limousine was featured in an article in the July 21, 2006, edition of the Virginian-Pilot.

10

Snuffy’s Corner

Yipes Stripes!

by Bob Wiley, MSgt/GM-14 (Ret)

Setting the Stage: Pease AFB Portsmouth, New Hampshire;

Strategic Air Command (SAC) installation; SAC alert in progress

(what again); vehicle maintenance shop; night shift.

The Story: Snuffy had had enough of this war gaming

stuff. Every time he turns around, he thinks he’s being recalled

to work for another SAC alert. And too often, he thinks, it

happens shortly after a full day at work on his normal work shift,

which is the dayshift.

So he’s been recalled and is back to work, and is now about

halfway through his “alert“ night shift. He says, “This just ain’t

fair. I’m tired. I wonder if I’d be missed if I slipped away

somewhere and found a spot to rest a bit where I won’t get

caught by any of the supervisors.”

Hmmmmm. After giving it a bit more thought, he must have

figured it out because he seemingly disappeared, and couldn’t

be found by the boss, who said he’s looked high and low and

can’t find Snuffy anywhere. And the boss ain’t too pleased with

this turn of events either. Meanwhile, I’m working the SAC alert

night shift as well, and I’m in allied trades doing what I’m

supposed to be doing.

All of a sudden I see that Snuffy’s standing beside me, and I

glance at him and ask him where the heck he disappeared to.

He replied he was in the tire shop, which is adjacent to allied

trades. I told him the boss has been looking for him all around

the shop and I was pretty sure he checked in the tire shop.

Snuffy says, “Yeah, but he didn’t look into the tires on the tire

racks.” That’s when I got a good look at him, and he looked like

a tiger, what with “stripes” on his fatigues from his ankles to the

back of his neck.

He said, “When looking for a good hidey-hole he figured if he

crawled into the tires on the tire rack, he could lie down and

relax for a while.”

What he didn’t count on was getting all that black rubber residue

all over his uniform, and a lot of his exposed skin as well.

Suddenly the boss stomps into allied trades and spies Snuffy,

black rubberized stripes and all, and starts to blow his top.

Then all of a sudden he shakes his head and guffaws loudly,

and says, “See, you ain’t as clever as you think you are — you

hid sure enough, but you couldn’t hide the fact that you hid. Go

get cleaned up — I’ve got a couple of really lousy details for you

to handle.”

Crunch!

by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

I was stationed at McConnell AFB, Kansas in the early 1970s

and as a young, impressionable buck sergeant, I had the

pleasure of working for a hard-nosed, old-school supervisor.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I crossed paths with a few of

those types in my career and found that I got along just fine.

They usually made it clear about what they expected and I

always knew where I stood with them.

For the purpose of this story, I’ll call this particular supervisor

TSgt Snuffy. I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense because he

taught me a lot in my fledgling career that would prove valuable

later on. I still consider him as one of my top three supervisors.

I got to McConnell just a few weeks ahead of TSgt Snuffy and

upon his arrival he was given the task of supervising the

refueling maintenance shop, which was in dire straits at the

time. It didn’t take us long to find out that his goal was to turn the

shop around no matter what or how long it took.

He put us on a 7-day work schedule that lasted for six months.

Sometimes we came in on Sunday just to paint lines on the

floor, paint trashcans, etc. We also pulled our own standby duty,

so we were exhausted. TSgt Snuffy, however, kept a logbook

(before computers) of how many overtime hours we worked and

once the shop met his standards, he compensated us for it. The

hard work paid off; our shop eventually won best in SAC.

I guess the one thing that bugged us most about him, and the

reason for this story, is that he was the ultimate perfectionist. He

had the entire refueling fleet (R-5s) painted through contract

maintenance. Our job, once the vehicles returned to the shop,

was to put new decals on the trucks. He would never delegate

such an important task to the body shop! Many times we would

have the decals already affixed to the truck and if they appeared

even slightly crooked, he would measure them. A quarter inch

off the mark, up or down, and he would make us redo it.

One day, however, TSgt Snuffy made a mistake. Yes, this

extreme perfectionist actually screwed up! He was driving one of

his newly painted R-5s into the shop when all of a sudden we

heard….CRUNCH!

He struck the side of the entrance, destroyed the left west-coast

mirror, dented the truck, and damaged the building as well.

I suppose it’s almost cruel to take pleasure in an accident, but

we did. We were silently cheering, and I think he knew it. He

was clearly embarrassed and I believe somewhat humbled by

the experience.

12

1 Jan 2015