SOME OF MY MEMORIES OF MILITARY SERVICE

Always think of my dear friends with whom I was blessed to serve in Alaska.

From January 1983- February 1986, I was one of the wing intelligence officers serving the 21 TFW of the Alaskan Air Command and the pilots and staff its two squadrons -- the 43 TFS with F-15s; and the 5031 TFS With T-33s. 

Before that, I was blessed to be assigned on Patrick AFB from November, 1981- January 1983, as an air intelligence officer at the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC). I helped monitor the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and other nuclear treaties. Our shop also provided intelligence support to the commander of the Eastern Space and Missile Center. I took part by briefing intelligence aspects when missile test operations took place, including the Naval Ordinance Test Unit on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station when the first US solid rocket fuel submarine-launched ballistic missiles developed for the Ohio Class subs were tested down range into the Atlantic Ocean.

I also briefed on intelligence concerns before manned and un space missions. Then, for the same missions beginning with STS-4, I flew as a non-rated aircrew member flying with the pilots and aircrew personnel of the CH-3 squadron that cleared the launch danger zone and performed other missions before, during and after those same manned and un-manned space launches at Kennedy Space Center. The requirement to fly had to do with my B.A. degree in Russian language/Russian and East European Area Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Because I had been a non-rated aircrew member who was able to fly under aeronautical orders on all versions of the CH-3 -- "Jolly Green Giant" helicopter; on all versions of the C-135; all versions of the C-130; and all versions of the IUS Navy P-3 Orion Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft. (The last three aircraft were used to help monitor the nuclear test ban treaty in the Broad Ocean Area of the Pacific.) Because of the aircrew status I had (among other training) ejection seat training, altitude chamber training and barometric pressure cabin training. 

Due to having completed the aircrew training, I was therefore qualified to fly in fighter aircraft as well. So I was blessed to fly with the pilots of the 21 TFW, and was the first woman to fly an F-15 above 10,000'. I flew during a 4v4 Air Combat Training (ACT) Mission over the air space north of The Alaskan Range where Denali (AKA Mt McKinley) is In preparation for our deployment to RedFlag, the USAF version of 'Top Gun," the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School popularized by the Movie of the same name starring Kelly McGilles and Tom Cruise, etc all. 

We flew faster than the speed of sound several times, and they let me fly for a bit. Afterwards I called my parents and Mom answered the phone. At one point she interrupted my enthusiastic description of the flight, saying, "I can tell you are excited, Kath, but I don't know what an F-15 is!"

After quickly explaining that it is a fighter jet airplane, I replied, "Please put Dad on the phone!"

But I have written of this in the past in even more detail, so will leave it there, now . . .

😊❤️😊❤️😊