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 Apr 2015

Dedicated to the Men and Women of

AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance Past, Present, and Future

Truckin on

Special Points of Interest:

Inside this issue:

Oshkosh to supply Striker ARFF vehicles to USAF 23 January 2015

Oshkosh Airport Products has received a contract to supply Striker aircraft rescue

and fire fighting (ARFF) vehicles to the US Air Force (USAF).

Under the contract, the company will manufacture and deliver 16 new generation

Striker vehicles, including seven 4 x 4 and nine 6 x 6 variants.

All of the vehicles are expected to be equipped with an ultra high pressure (UHP)

firefighting systems, which feature a pump that delivers 300GPM of foam at

1,250PSI through a front bumper turret.

Oshkosh Airport Products vice-president and general manager Jeff Resch said:

"Our unwavering mission is to build the safest, most effective and powerful ARFF

vehicles on the planet, and the addition of an ultra high pressure firefighting system

adds another level of capability to our toolbox.

"Development and testing by the USAF shows significant advantages for UHP

firefighting systems, and we're excited to have this new technology integrated with

the Oshkosh Striker."

"Oshkosh Airport Products unwavering mission is to build the safest, most effective and powerful ARFF vehicles on the planet."

Continued on PG 2

An illustration of the 6x6 Oshkosh Striker aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle scheduled to be delivered to USAF. Photo: courtesy of Oshkosh Corporation.

Oshkosh to supply Striker ARFF vehicles to USAF

Continued from PG 1

UHP systems are designed to release smaller water droplets at

much higher pressure than legacy firefighting systems. This

leads to comparatively less water usage and faster knockdown

performance when used along with Class B foam.

Oshkosh Striker was launched in April 2010. It is a specialized

ARFF available in three models, namely 1500, 3000, 4500, all

fitted with a nozzle that can pierce an aircraft fuselage to

dispense fire retardant material within a cabin or cargo area.

The vehicle is powered by a 670 HP Deutz engine. Its TAK-4

all-wheel and fully independent suspension provides a smooth

ride and enhanced off-road capabilities, as does the purpose-

built instrumentation and controls.

In addition, the cab has 84ft of glass and a 238 horizontal

viewing radius to offer unobstructed panoramic views of the

scene with improved forward, upward and lateral visibility.

The first vehicles are scheduled to be deployed to key USAF air

bases worldwide, including those at home, South Korea, Japan,

and Turkey, from July of this year.

The Flying Car

.

Mark my word: A combination

airplane and motorcar is coming.

You may smile, but it will come.

Henry Ford, 1940

http://www.aeromobil.com/video

Dobbins ARB Conducts Tractor Trailer Training (3T) Course

PTDI Certifies First Military Truck Driver Training Course

February 04, 2015 reported on TIDA website

Contributor: Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3) The Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) recently granted

its first certification of a truck driver training course at a military

facility when it recognized the U.S. Air Force Tractor Trailer

Training (3T) program based at Dobbins Air Reserve Base near

Atlanta, Georgia.

PTDI certification of the course not only ensures that Air Force

personnel will receive industry standard training to operate

commercial vehicles during their service, but will also provide

them with a marketable, industry-recognized credential when

they seek to enter the civilian job market as veterans.

The Air Force has taken the defense departments motto of

Complete your service on Friday and begin your civilian life on

Monday to heart. By designing their program around the

standards set by PTDI, they have more than adequately

prepared their service members, said Dave Money, PTDI board

chairman.

A key source of inspiration behind the Air Force 3T program

came when Chief Master Sgt. Trevor Shattuck, Career Field

Manager at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, attended a

civilian driver-training program. Chief Shattuck saw a need for

more extensive driver training to ensure his personnel would be

at an equivalent skill level with their civilian counterparts.

Its important that when we put our Airmen outside the base on

the streets with civilians, they are safe operators, said Shattuck.

The people driving on the surface streets with our Airmen need

to feel confident that the guy driving that truck knows what hes

doing.

Not only are we training a mission skill set with 3T, but we are

also training a Military Life Cycle skill set that can be utilized

once the Airman transitions from the military, said Shattuck.

With PTDI certification for the 3T course, we meet the civilian

standards, so it makes that military member much more

employable once they enter the civilian sector.

The Air Force 3T course teaches pre-trip inspection steps,

shifting proficiency, and backing maneuvers, and provides

valuable over-the-road driving experience. One of the highlights

of the 3T course is a driving simulator located at Dobbins ARB,

which allows students to take a test drive before hitting the road.

Online course materials allow the trainee to perform operator

inspections, learn safe operation techniques and preventive

maintenance steps for current tractors and trailers. The course

encompasses more than 60 hours of one-on-one, behind-the-

wheel training, including real-world operation of commercially

available tractor-trailers in Atlantas legendary traffic. A

DMV-equivalent performance test is then given at the end of the

course.

Making the driving skills of transitioning service personnel more

readily marketable helps address two critical issues, veteran

unemployment and the trucking industrys continuing driver

shortage, said PTDI and Truckload Carriers Association

President Brad Bentley. We applaud the Air Forces efforts to

gain certification for the 3T course at Dobbins, and we look

forward to their program serving as the basis for similar

programs across all branches of the military.

Founded in 1986, the purpose of PTDI is to advance

tractor-trailer driver training, proficiency, safety, and

professionalism by promoting high quality truck driver training

courses and by verifying and publicly attesting to their quality.

PTDI does not certify an individuals driving skills, but schools

with PTDI-certified courses may issue documentation verifying

the student has successfully completed a certified course.

View photos from the Capstone event on Jan. 23, 2015 by

clicking here.

To learn more, CLICK HERE.

http://www.tida.org/news/214630/PTDI-Certifies-First-Military-Truck-Driver-Training-Course.htmhttp://ow.ly/Ifj4whttp://truckload.org/index.asp?bid=232&nid=463&archiveyear=2015

The Future is Here.

Lockheed Martin successfully tests self-driving

military trucks

by Randell Suba, Tech Times | February 3, 2015

In the time of drones and driverless cars, the United States

military will not be left behind. In an effort to lessen casualties

during its operations, the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive

Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), in

collaboration with defense contractor Lockheed Martin, has

successfully tested fully automated military vehicles.

The new technology explored through the Autonomous Mobility

Applique System (AMAS) program of the military has been

proven capable of operating in urban environments.

The capabilities of several large autonomous vehicles were

seen during a demonstration at Fort Hood, Texas in Jan. 14 to

mark the completion of the Capabilities Advancement

Demonstration (CAD).

With drone strikes as a regular part of the military arsenal, the

new technology will allow the United States to come closer to its

goal of autonomous warfare.

"We are very pleased with the results of the demonstration,

because it adds substantial weight to the Army's determination

to get robotic systems into the hands of the warfighter,"

said technical manager of TARDEC Bernard Theisen.

During the demonstration, the autonomous vehicles were

presented with real-world challenges that are normally faced by

military convoys. The success of the vehicles gets the military a

step closer to removing humans from convoys in the future.

"The AMAS hardware and software are designed to automate

the driving task on current tactical vehicles. The Unmanned

Mission Module part of AMAS, which includes a high

performance LIDAR sensor, a second GPS receiver and

additional algorithms, is installed as a kit and can be used on

virtually any military vehicle.

In the CAD demonstration, the kit was integrated onto the

Army's M915 trucks and the Palletized Loading System (PLS)

vehicle," Lockheed explained details of the program through a

statement.

The kit was developed by Lockheed Martin through a

multi-million contract secured in 2012.

Military convoys are often attacked by enemies using suicide

bombers, car bombs, or improvised explosive device. In Dec.

27, for example, a car bomb was used to attack a convoy along

a major thoroughfare in Kabul, killing three soldiers and hurting

six civilians. In Jan.4, a NATO-led security force convoy was

also attacked by the Afghan Taliban in the same city.

Lives will definitely be spared with the use of unmanned

vehicles. Now all the military needs to worry about are hackers

that might be able to take control over these vehicles.

Editors Note: See this interesting demo video below:

The largest study to date on military personnel and a connection to childhood abuse and violence indicates the military life is likely viewed as a refuge for such victims. Researchers say much more data is needed to make a substantial link. (Photo: U.S. Army)

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2014/january/mfc-013014-us-army-lm-complete-advanced-autonomous.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/HseUNLP6q24

1 Apr 2015

Hewlett -Packard Company managing public sector vehicles & equipment

Is Technical Experience Necessary for Fleet Managers? January 2015, Government Fleet - Feature

by Thi Dao

Many fleet managers get their start in the garage, fixing cars

and working their way up to become the head of the

department. There are benefits to this arrangement, the main

one being that theyre familiar with vehicle diagnostics and

maintenance. But as the public fleet profession evolves to

become more about metrics, budgeting, and effective

communication, theres more of an emphasis on administration

and management. Thats where fleet managers without

technical backgrounds can bring their strengths to the role.

While not having shop experience can be an initial hurdle,

non-technical fleet managers bring to their positions various

other benefits. See full story at: Government Fleet

This article was reprinted, in part, with permission of the

author and Government Fleet Magazine.

Editors Comments: This is an interesting article that we

encourage vehicle fleet managers to read. Hopefully, it will

generate discussion, and we solicit your opinions. If we

receive sufficient feedback, well run a follow-up story in a

future issue. Photo via Flickr/Seattle Municipal Archives

Editors Comments: We first ran USAA s Best Places list in

our December 2013 newsletter. The most current list is for 2014

and differs from 2013s best places.

USAA explains on their website how they selected the top 10

cities and, unlike 2013, provides a different list as it relates to

the service members career status starting out, midcareer,

and retirement.

We couldnt reprint the article here due to space limitations, so

please visit the website below to view the three listings and

additional information. For those who missed it, USAA also

provides a link to their 2013 list for comparison.

The best way to view the lists is to visit: https://www.usaa.com/

inet/ent_logon/Logon?redirectjsp=true and type 2014 Best

Places for Veterans in the search engine at the upper right.

http://www.government-fleet.com/article/story/2015/01/is-technical-experience-necessary.aspxhttps://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon?redirectjsp=truehttps://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon?redirectjsp=true

Firms Bid on U.S. Militarys Humvee Replacement Program

by Brendan McGarry | Wednesday, February 11th, 2015 Companies hoping the build production models of the U.S.

militarys Humvee replacement have submitted their final bids,

officials said.

Humvee-maker AM General LLC, truck-maker Oshkosh Corp.

and defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin Corp. are

competing for the work, one of few major ground vehicle

programs included in the Pentagons fiscal 2016 budget. A

contract is expected to be awarded this summer.

The BRV-O is a combat system designed and built with a total

focus on Warfighter needs, AM General Chief Executive Officer

Charlie Hall said in statement, referring to the name of the

companys offering.

John Urias, president of Oshkoshs defense unit, said the firms

JLTVs have more power, better suspension and faster speeds

than todays versions.

Every aspect of the vehicleinside and outis optimized for

the Warfighter in anticipation of future environments and

threats, he said.

Overall, the Army aims to purchase about 49,000 Joint Light

Tactical Vehicles, while the Marine Corps plans to acquire about

5,500 of the armored trucks. Theyre designed to replace about

a third of the militarys Humvee fleet.

Each of the companies has delivered 22 prototypes to the Army

for testing under engineering and manufacturing development

contracts signed in 2012.

Soldiers and Marines evaluated the trucks at Fort Stewart,

Georgia, in several mission scenarios, including off-road

handling, towing and pushing cars from the road. The testing

wrapped up last fall.

Now, the companies are vying to build 17,000 of the vehicles

under a much bigger low-rate initial production contract slated to

be issued in July.

The Pentagon has estimated the effort to develop and build the

vehicles at almost $23 billion, or about $400,000 per truck,

according to a 2013 report from the Congressional Research

Service. Leaders have maintained each vehicle will cost about

$250,000.

The Defense Departments proposed budget for the fiscal year

beginning Oct. 1 calls for $457 million in funding for the

program, more than double what was appropriated for the

current year, to buy 559 of the vehicles and fabrication

equipment for live-fire testing, according to budget documents.

Editors Note: We published a front-page article on the

JLTV in our Feb 2014 newsletter. This is an update on the

program.

Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Update

future warfighter technology

New Military Vehicles Twice as Fast: DARPA is

developing the next generation of armored vehicles that will

be faster, more agile and highly automated.

Watch this amazing concept video courtesy of DARPA, CNN

and YouTube. Project begins in 2015.

http://www.dodbuzz.com/author/brendan-mcgarry/http://www.military.com/equipment/high-mobility-multipurpose-wheeled-vehicle-hmmwvhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2014/11/21/army-marine-corps-finish-testing-jltv-prototypes/https://www.youtube.com/embed/f_1Or9auAEY

Luella Bates

Luella Bates (b. Luella Born, October 17, 1897 - d. Luella

Coates, November 25, 1985) was the first woman truck driver.

Luella Bates worked for the Four Wheel Drive Auto Co. from

1918-1922. During World War I, she was a test driver traveling

throughout the state of Wisconsin in a Model B truck. After the

war, when the majority of the women working at Four Wheel

Drive were let go, she remained as a demonstrator and driver.

In January 1920, Bates traveled to New York City, where she

attended the New York Auto Show. During her stay, she met

with Secretary of State of New York Francis Hugo and became

the first woman truck driver to receive a driver's license in New

York.

Bates was such a hit in New York that Four Wheel Drive

decided to utilize her skills even further. In 1920, they sent her

on three transcontinental tours throughout the United States.

The advertising scheme introduced the idea that the FWD truck

was easy to steer, as evidenced by a woman driver. During her

first tour, she represented Francis Hugo's Safety First

Campaign.

She toured approximately 25 towns, beginning in Kansas City,

Missouri, and finishing in Bellefontaine, Ohio. While in Erie,

Pennsylvania, she flew over the city in an "earoplane"] and

saturated Erie with information about the Four Wheel Drive and

its vehicles. In May 1920, Popular Science magazine referred to

her as "exhibit A for feminine efficiency."

She returned to Clintonville, Wisconsin, in late July 1920. She

began her next tour within the month, traveling to state fairs

throughout the eastern United States. In September, she drove

her truck loaded with coal through the streets of Utica, New

York. Both an expert driver and a mechanic, Bates was more

than capable of completing all maintenance on her truck.

During her final tour of 1920, Bates took the southern states by

storm. She was now known as "our girl driver." In Oklahoma,

she defied the police and took her truck across a flooded road,

hauling meat for a packaging plant. This courageous venture led

to the sale of ten trucks for Four Wheel Drive and much

admiration for Bates. For the next two years, Bates traveled as

a demonstrator, both locally and throughout the United States,

demonstrating the Model B truck and the newly developed fire

trucks.

In early December 1922, Bates moved to Milwaukee, later

marrying Howard Coates and having two sons. Her

descendants include one granddaughter and three

great-grandchildren, one of whom is actress Ashley Hinshaw.

Luella Bates has been included in several books about the Four

Wheel Drive company, the history of trucking and the history of

Clintonville, Wisconsin. During the infancy of the trucking

industry, she played an important role in the history of women in

trucking. Source: Wikipedia.

Also see this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=XYmKbE0-DTI

Editors Comments: I wanted to do this article in

recognition of our fellow female transporters, perhaps long

overdue.

Where I grew up in the 50s & 60s, it was rare to see

women driving a car. As I think back on it, of all the women

in my family, only one of my aunts drove. My mother

eventually learned to drive at the age of 47 because my

dad lost his eyesight due to diabetes.

Now, however, female drivers are as commonplace as

male drivers, whether its driving the kids to soccer games

or competing on the racetrack.

But who were the pioneers and when did women first get

behind the wheel? Here are the stories of two women who

were there from the beginning.

Promotional photo of Luella Bates driving a FWD model B truck, 1922

Note: Luella Bates expresses her views on women

automobile mechanics in a 1920 newspaper article:

http://www.newspapers.com/clip/1261324/

Continued on PG

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Luella_Bates&printable=yes#cite_note-Tribune-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luella_Bateshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYmKbE0-DTIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYmKbE0-DTIhttp://www.newspapers.com/clip/1261324/luella_bates_pioneer_truck_driver/

Alice Huyler Ramsey

Alice Huyler Ramsey (November 11, 1886 September 10,

1983) was the first woman to drive across the United States

from coast to coast.

Ramsey was born Alice Taylor Huyler, the daughter of John

Edwin Huyler, a lumber dealer, and Ada Mumford Farr. She

attended from Vassar College from 1903-1905. On June 9,

1909, the 22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack,

New Jersey, began a 3,800-mile journey from Hell's Gate in

Manhattan, New York, to San Francisco, California, in a green

Maxwell 30. On her 59-day trek she was accompanied by two

older sisters-in-law and another female friend, none of whom

could drive a car. They arrived amid great fanfare on August 7.

The drive was originally meant as a publicity stunt for

Maxwell-Briscoe, the carmaker. At that time, women were not

encouraged to drive cars. The group of women used maps from

the American Automobile Association to make the journey. Only

152 of the 3,600 miles (244 of the 5,767 kilometers) the group

traveled were paved.

Over the course of the drive, Ramsey changed 11 tires, cleaned

the spark plugs, repaired a broken brake pedal and had to sleep

in the car when it was stuck in mud. The women mostly

navigated by using telephone poles, following the poles with

more wires in hopes that they would lead to a town.[4]

Along the way, they crossed the trail of a manhunt for a killer in

Nebraska, Ramsey received a case of bedbugs from a

Wyoming hotel, and in Nevada they were surrounded by a

Native American hunting party with bows and arrows drawn. In

San Francisco, crowds awaited them at the St. James Hotel.

Ramsey was named the "Woman Motorist of the Century" by

AAA in 1960. In later years, she lived in West Covina, California,

where in 1961 she wrote and published the story of her journey,

Veil, Duster, and Tire Iron. Between 1909 and 1975, Ramsey

drove across the country more than 30 times.

She was married to Congressman John R. Ramsey of

Hackensack, New Jersey, on 10 Jan 1906 in Hackensack, NJ

with whom she had two children, John Rathbone Ramsey, Jr.

(19072000) and Alice Valleau Ramsey (1910- ), who married

Robert Stewart Bruns (19061981).

She died on September 10, 1983, in Covina, California.

Legacy

On October 17, 2000, she became the first woman inducted into

the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Quotes

"Good driving has nothing to do with sex. Its all above the

collar."

Source: Wikipedia.

Alice Huyler Ramsay, standing beside her auto

Asphalt roads were a rarity and repairs frequent during the pioneer cross-country drive of Alice Huyler Ramsey in 1909. Shown here changing a tire on her green Maxwell

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alice_Huyler_Ramsey&printable=yes#cite_note-4http://www.automotivehalloffame.org/inductee/alice-huyler-ramsey/177/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Huyler_Ramsey

1 Apr 2015 Vintage Cars & Trucks

Man drives $75 pickup for 38 years

Published January 05, 2015 / FoxNews.com

Contributor: Mack Burton, CMSgt (Ret/2T1)

The average transaction price for a pickup truck today is about

$40,000, and Bob Sportel probably couldn't care less.

The Prinsburg, Minn., resident bought his 1957 Chevy pickup

for $75 bucks 38 years ago and has been driving it to work at

the local farm co-op every day since.

Sportel tells KARE 11 it wasnt running when he bought it, but

he fixed it up and hoped to get four years out of it. Its still going

about 300,000 miles later (hes not exactly sure, the odometer

has always been busted.)

The truck sports whats left of its original paint, plus plenty of

duct tape and Bondo. Other than that, Sportel says hes spent a

total of about $1,000 on repairs and gets the oil changed four

times a year. He never even had a radio installed, and when the

exhaust busted, well, lets just say the locals know when hes

coming.

Sportel recently retired, but hes not ready to put the truck out to

pasture.

"It just becomes a part of you," he tells KARE. "I don't know how

to explain it."

Do you drive a truck thats lasted this long? Tell us your story in

the comments section.

Detroit Steel All American cars, all the time

Contributor: George McElwain, CMSgt (Ret/472)

Today's cars may be faster, safer, more luxurious and get better

gas mileageBUT THEY DON'T EVEN COME CLOSE ON

LOOKS! When Detroit Was In It's Full Glory

See more at: http://www.pinterest.com/tomeldridge4/detroit-steel/

Click image to activate video

57 Thunderbird

57 Corvette

http://www.pinterest.com/tomeldridge4/detroit-steel/http://www.youtube.com/embed/xONd3Ir5QeA

http://www.tvraaca.org/oldmovies.htm#movie

The Villages Region Antique Automobile Club of America

Great old movies for car buffs and more!

Contributors: Don Sanders, CMSgt (Ret/2T2) and Robert Olson

If you like cars and great movies of places from all over the

world, theres hours of entertainment. No matter the brand of

car you enjoy, it's referenced in this historical line up.

I have watched many of them and I am keeping the site to

watch more when I have time Robert Olson.

Editors Comments: This is one of the best collections

of old car films Ive ever seen. Theres also a historic, color

film on VJ Day celebrations in Hawaii, but the focus is

definitely on cars. Im using the word film because in my

mind theyre a little different from the sleek YouTube

videos were used to seeing today. So, lets go to the

movies! Just click the link on the screen below.

World War I steam convoy

Contributor: Richard McElderry, CMSgt (Ret/472)

Mechanic constructs drivable "upside-down

truck"

http://www.tvraaca.org/oldmovies.htm#moviehttp://www.tvraaca.org/oldmovies.htm#moviehttps://www.youtube.com/embed/huQhqXiB8O0https://www.youtube.com/embed/7rKPsFpJGqo

Snuffys Corner

Flight line driving woes

by Ronnie Ward

I was a 19 year old two striper (A1C Snuffy) and arrived at

Ramstein AB, Germany in 1969 and was assigned to the

special purpose shop. After I became acclimated to the base I

was assigned as the mobile maintenance mechanic which was

a great job because I was on my own for the most part. I had

my flight line driver license certification and I thought I was

untouchable. Well, one day I got a call from radio dispatch and

was told to immediately go to the flight line because of a

disabled fire truck, we all know the priority of a down fire truck.

I arrived at the flight line and could see the fire truck, but it was

across the active runway so instead of going around the

perimeter road to get to it, I decided to take a shortcut across

the active runway big mistake. However, I did get out of my

mobile truck to make sure no F4 aircraft were not approaching.

I did not realize that I needed clearance from the tower to cross,

even though there was a sticker on the dashboard of my truck

with warnings telling me so. I got to the fire truck and was trying

to get it started and all of a sudden I hear sirens and see red

lights blinking in a distance. I thought to myself, what is going

on? Well, little did I know they were headed straight for my

location.

However, I did get the fire truck started before they arrived

(mission accomplished in my book) but I was not able to drive

my mobile truck back to the shop as I was escorted by the Air

Police, as they were called in those days, to detention and was

not released until my TSgt supervisor and commander came to

sign for me. Needless to say, I did not drive mobile maintenance

again until I attended the base drivers school and flight line

course for the second time.

Guess I didnt pay close attention during my first course. I did

get my mobile maintenance job back after completing the

course so all was good; however, it was a valuable lesson

learned for a young Airman.

Get the H out of there!

by Roger Storman

Ronnies story reminded me of when I was a young buck

sergeant (Sgt Snuffy) stationed at Clark, 70-72. Our shop

pickup truck had a canopy on it. The tarp was attached to metal

rods that were mounted in the stake holes of the truck bed. It

was a pretty flimsy setup and wasnt secured down very well.

One of our routes from the main shop to refueling maintenance

was along the flight line apron, not the active runway. However,

the apron had a helicopter pad with a big "H" in the middle of it,

like the one in the pic below.

One day on a return trip, I stopped at the edge of the pad and

looked around before proceeding through it, like we had been

trained to do. I didn't see or hear anything.

As I started through the zone, however, I suddenly heard the

distinctive whoop, whoop, whoop of rotor blades. This huge

HH-3E (Jolly Green Giant) was coming down directly above me.

It got so close that it blew the canopy off my truck. I hauled my

butt out of there and chased down the canopy as it went rolling

across the apron.

Nothing became of the incident, although I felt like an idiot and it

scared the H out of me. I was also a lot more cautious about

traveling through that area on future trips to and from the main

shop.

Why the color of your Air Force vehicle matters

by Roger Storman, SMSgt, (Ret/2T3)

When I joined the Air Force in the 1960s vehicles were painted

four basic colors. General purpose vehicles were strata blue;

special purpose, base maintenance, materials handling, and

flight line servicing vehicles were yellow. Fire trucks were red,

and tactical vehicles were olive drab, or sometimes camouflage.

There were a few exceptions like gray refuse trucks and white

staircase trucks, but most vehicles, including ambulances and

law enforcement, fit into the four basic color schemes.

Circumstances changed over the years, which dictated new

guidance with regard to vehicle color. For example, we

transitioned from a jungle environment in Southeast Asia to the

desert in the Middle East. Since its not practical to go to war in

the desert with OD or jungle camouflage vehicles, tactical

vehicles were, and are now, painted desert sand, although the

shift was gradual tactical vehicles were first deployed with

OD paint. Color matters.

In the 1980s RED HORSE vehicles were painted olive drab, but

with a slight deviation. We stenciled red horse heads on all of

our vehicles and our wrecker had RED HORSE emblazoned

across the boom, naturally in red letters. We were cited for

noncompliance, but the logos remained because it instilled

esprit de corps; its who we were. Color mattered.

In response to a push from TAC/ACC general officers, the

1990s brought more changes when refuelers and other flight

line equipment were painted high-gloss OD. It was a significant

upgrade. To them, color, as well as appearance, mattered.

Lets look back at more of these changes starting with our

favorite chameleons fire trucks. They were red, lime yellow,

olive drab, and now red with white trim.

Fire trucks have pretty much followed the color scheme of their

civilian counterparts with one exception. Project Tone Down in

the 1980s allowed overseas commands to deviate from

the prescribed color and paint fire trucks olive drab.

CONUS-based fire trucks had already transitioned from red to

lime yellow by then.

One interesting tidbit about olive drab fire trucks occurred in

1989 when United Flight 811 experienced a cargo door failure

shortly after take off from Honolulu International Airport (HIA).

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_811.

Hickam AFB and HIA share a flight line and provide mutual fire

fighting support. I was PACAF liaison at WR-ALC at the time of

the UA 811 incident and the message traffic we received said

the pilot reported he could not see our fire trucks upon returning

to HIA. Hickam subsequently painted its fire trucks lime yellow.

Color matters.

In the late 70s or early 80s, if memory serves, the Air Force

experimented with light blue for some of its passenger carrying

vehicles. We called it powder blue. I dont recall how many

procurement cycles we went through before someone pulled the

plug, but it wasnt long. This color, in my opinion, was an

embarrassment.

Theres a reason why general purpose vehicles are painted

strata blue, or color number 15045 as its designated in the tech

order. It represents the Air Force flight and the stratosphere.

Powder blue didnt present the right image. Again, color matters.

Now, however, cost and limited budgets have driven us away

from tradition and standardization. In the late 1980s and early

1990s the Air Force began leasing its general purpose fleet from

GSA and accepting off-the-shelf, factory colors. We were, I

believe, the last holdout among the services to do so.

It resulted in a hodgepodge of colors. We could no longer look

down those neat rows of vehicles and see a uniformed fleet.

The motor pool looked more like a shopping mall parking lot

than a government fleet.

Several years ago I was giving our new wing commander a tour

of vehicle operations and maintenance facilities when he

interrupted me and said, I want all blue vehicles for my staff.

He meant for himself, his vice, and the group commanders.

I started to explain that our vehicles were leased and we had to

accept whatever GSA provided, which wasnt always blue. He

interrupted me again, but this time with his finger on my chest,

and said, I want all blue vehicles; make it happen. There was

only one acceptable response to that yes sir.

My fleet manager and I worked closely with GSA, hand

massaged the lease process, and were successful in getting

what he wanted. We were fortunate that dark blue happened to

be available in the models that GSA was purchasing.

This might sound petty to some, but the wing commander took

pride in the appearance of a uniformed fleet. To him, color

mattered.

Theres an operational, safety, and security need for vehicles in

each category to have different color paint. I get that. I also

appreciate smart business decisions, budgets, and priorities.

However, Im a traditionalist and dislike a multi-colored general

purpose fleet. I agree with our wing commander; color matters.

Editors Note: This article is an editorial, strictly one mans viewpoint. Its not offered as anything more than that. I was thinking of the various colors for Air Force vehicles over the years and wanted to share my thoughts with you.

1 Apr 2015

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_811