July, 1980-July, 1984. As everyone does, I started off at Lackland AFB for Basic Training. Then I was off to Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS for 6 months of 32781 Avionics Navigation School. Then three months at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City for E-3A AWACS schooling before shipping out to Keflavik, Iceland for a year. Not much in the way of NAV systems to repair there so everyone was a crew chief, marshaling specialist, lavatory cleanout guy, etc. I went from Iceland to the Mojave Desert at Edwards AFB where there was plenty of NAV systems work on lots of different aircraft. Spent my last two years there working on T-38’s, F-4’s, T-37’s, KC/RC/EC-135’s, B-52’s, A-10’s, HH-1H helicopters, UH-1N Huey’s plus a bunch of transient aircraft. That place kept us hopping! It was really tough when it was really hot but I made some of the best friends and had some of the best times of my life at Edwards!!
