Were you ever in the Armed Forces -- 2

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I dont know much about SAMs except for the Russian ones, only because I had to deal with them quite a bit. We have a Patriot unit directly right outside of our airfield.

[Clave]

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/alb...hp?pic_id=7252

OMG!

I have climbed that fence!

A group of us from West Raynham (another Bloodhound station not far away) acted as bad guys for an exercise. We parked just down the road at night and walked down the beach until we reached the perimeter, some of went under (easy enough in the sandy soil) and some went over using a ladder, then we caused some mayhem, heh, I even had a fake bomb which I planted on one of the launchers. We got captured in the end after a brief firefight, but it was good fun, a bit like cowboys and indians with real guns. Oh, and jumping from the top of a fence in the dark, while carrying a loaded SLR is NOT highly recommended....

[Nonskimmer]

Originally Posted by Clave

Oh, and jumping from the top of a fence in the dark, while carrying a loaded SLR is NOT highly recommended....

I did that back in basic training during a "game", with a C1 (practically the same as the L1A1). It's an adventure alright, if your not used to it.

[plan_D]

My dad used to complain about those exercises; he used to inform the officers that terrorists weren't stupid enough to try and climb into a RAF base and plant bombs, they were just going to park outside and mortar the place.

Did they listern? Nooo...RAF Finningley didn't even have a perimeter fence, you could drive straight through it.

[Clave]

Hmm, that sounds like a justifiable complaint.

My dad was in the RAF a long time, and had actual experience with terrorists blowing the landing gear off Lightnings by wrapping plastic explosive round them.... but of course the methods have changed now, and mortars are much more likely. There was a mortar attack on Downing Street in 1991:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Downing_Street

Of course their all time favourite terrorist weapon is the RPG....

[plan_D]

What did your dad do in the RAF? Did he work on Lightnings? My dad was in 11 Sqn....

[Clave]

Yep, he was on the 'line' in a few places - Cyprus, Gan, Egypt, but mostly he was in charge of Lightning Simulators at Coltishall and I don't know what he worked on at Wattisham... Javelins maybe, I was a very young kid back then. Oh, just remembered, he worked on Canberras in Germany too, my sister was born there (Laarbruch)

[plan_D]

Ah, my dad was aircraft electrician with 11 Sqn. Lightning for a while, went to Cyprus a three or four times with the squadron. Then went to 33 Sqn. Pumas..before getting on ASF with Chinooks (he was in teh first load of RAF electricians trained on 'em)...then he was with 22 Sqn. SAR wing in Leuchars before being posted to Coningsby with records (which he hated)..then to Finningley with SAR HQ and served sometime on their lone Nimrod. Served in Northern Ireland, various aircraft there, Gulf and Falklands with the Chinooks.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Damn he has worked on a bit of aircraft.

[plan_D]

He has. Off memory aircraft he's actually worked on (seeing in doesn't count, 'cos that'd be a silly long list);

Lightning, Puma, Wessex, Sea King, Nimrod, Chinook, Domonie, Whirlwind and Techano.

[Clave]

I must check what my dad did too, I'm sure there were quite a few that I missed...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Im qualified to work on many different aircraft in the Army inventory but I only work with Blackhawks.

[marconi]

I'm studying on a military faculity in my University(besides my original profession) .My military specialization will be hydro acoustics if that is what is discussed here

[lesofprimus]

Are u planning on going into the Ukraine Military after ur training is done, or are u already in???

[marconi]

No, after the university I'll be automatically transferred to reserve and I'll get the rank lieutenant.