chapter 549

1/21/2020

Secret Communication Towers

come down from that tower or you're really really gonna get hurt

At Fort Drum Watertown 1973 while on a training for the Air National Guard 108th Attack Squadron sister unit to the Air National Guard 174th Attack Wing from Hancock Air Field in Syracuse.  Brother Bill volunteered to climb the 30 foot temporary antenna tower for his deployment's temporary communication center. While up at the top a guy wire broke and he rode the tower down to the ground breaking his arm.

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt Russell Youngs, the 174th FW Command Chief, and Tech. Sgt. Michael Griepsma climb to the top of an 85 ft. communications tower at Adirondack Range, Ft. Drum NY on 22 Nov 2011. The towers are used to hold cameras to view targets down range. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Ricky Best)

This is how you are supposed to do it,  the current 85 foot tower at their secret Adirondack Range.

The AG 174th Adirondack Joint Range R48 at Fort Drum trains with live M-16s, artillery, mortar, bombs, A-10 and F-16s. All very hush hush.

The pilotless remote control General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drone is shown here in Syracuse. Since the base lost it's F16 Fighter planes it now trains for maintenance workers of the Air Force's Predator B the worlds deadliest drone that recently took out Iran's chief terrorist General Soleimani at the Baghdah Airport.

Cousin Lee Smith from Buffalo was visiting at the time.

While healing he still was able to do some riding on his 1978 Harley Sportster. Dad's camping trailer/ boat rig in the background ready for a fishing trip to Canada.

Thirty years of civilian service with the secretive Department of Defense Northeast Telecommunications Switching Center at Hancock Field. With billions of messages transferred for defense communications we can't talk too much about this. This flag flew over the US Capitol and the Tobyhanna Army Depot another DOD communications link for it's CCDC combat systems.

The signator ,George White was actually the ninth architect of the US Capitol. Making the flag a good future item for eBay. [Rep McDade was indicted on bribery charges racketeering and conspiracy but aquitted.]

Here we have to blur some of the secret codes should they get into the wrong hands.

Always a fan of President Obama, Bill was proud to get his commendation from the Chief.

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