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 Dec 2015 Dedicated to the Men and Women of AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance — Past, Present, and Future Truckin’ on Special Points of Interest: Moon Buggy - Lost & Found PG 1-2 Vietnam at 50 - 1965 PG 2 Inside this issue: Wolfpack Vehicle Maintainers PG 3 Aussies Purchase LAV PG 4 AF & Industry Develop Vibration Technology PG 5 Winter Driving Tips PG 5 Maintenance Talk PG 6-7 Your First Car PG 8 JBPHH - Driving Energy Independence in Hawaii PG 9-10 With a little help from my friends PG 11 The Way We Were PG 12 ‘ Moon Buggy ’ - Lost & Found Long-lost Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle prototype saved by scrap dealer Published October 29, 2015 FoxNews.com Where’s Harry Broderick when you need him? That obscure reference is to “Salvage 1,” a short-lived 1979 TV series starring Andy Griffith. It was about a junkman who built a spaceship to travel to the moon and recover the equipment the Apollo astronauts left behind, with the intention of selling it for a fortune. In the end, he gave the gear back to NASA free of charge, because it was Andy Griffith, after all. But now a real-life scrap dealer owns an obscure relic from the Apollo program and is planning to put it up for sale. The website Motherboard recently reported on its investigation into the fate of an early prototype of the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle. A famous NASA photo shows rocket scientist Werner von Braun cruising around in the vehicle, which looks nothing like the ones that went to the moon but was used to develop many of their systems. Related: Out of this world driver Eugene Cernan recounts his ride on the moon Government documents uncovered by Motherboard said the vehicle ended up in a backyard in Blountsville, Ala., about an hour south of NASA’s Huntsville research facility, and its existence was reported to NASA in 2014 by a U.S. Air Force historian who spotted it while passing by. Continued on PG 2
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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 Dec 2015
Dedicated to the Men and Women of
AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance — Past, Present, and Future
By Senior Airman Ashley L. Gardner, 8th Fighter Wing
Public Affairs / Published November 16, 2015
Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea --
Grease splatters across their coveralls while oil and grease
stain their hands. One turn of a wrench at a time, the 8th
Logistic Readiness Squadron vehicle maintainers are keeping
motorized vehicles across Kunsan Air Base running.
Vehicle maintainers must know how to work on all types of
vehicles. Everything from fire trucks to fork lifts; they are
keeping the mission flowing by making sure the vehicles are
repaired and ready.
"The customers’ needs are our number one priority,"
said Master Sgt. Michael Wright, 8th LRS vehicle maintenance
manager. “Our goal is always to provide quality repairs in a
timely matter. We do all we can with what we are given."
The LRS Airmen maintain conveyances in order to fulfill the
mission and to assist Airmen in completing their ideal task in the
long run. It isn’t until a vehicle breaks down that some may
realize how important transportation and equipment are for
day-to-day jobs.
Squadrons that use group transportation rely on LRS
maintainers. “If vehicle maintenance could not perform their job
in a timely manner, it will cause a domino effect and will greatly
hinder the Kunsan mission,” said Master Sgt. Arwin Sarinas, 8th
LRS vehicle management superintendent.
“With vehicle management having oversight and control over all
maintenance responsibilities on all Air Force vehicles, failure
would hamper the wing's mission.”
If those vehicles break down it may be tougher to re-coordinate
plans depending on when the problem arises. That, in the end,
may negatively impact the mission.
“We touch all the vehicles on base,” said Senior Airman
Anthony Benitez, 8th LRS vehicle maintainer. “If we don’t do our
job, nobody really moves.”
LRS vehicles are used for base security, for construction, and
for many other reasons. If they aren't maintained properly, the
mission could fail.
The Airmen work together and strive for excellence.
“The Airmen here without a doubt are the best group of Airmen I
have worked with,” said Wright. “They are hardworking,
enthusiastic and have great attitudes. This is a great shop.”
Though vehicle maintaining is the 8th LRS vehicle maintainer’s
primary duty; everyone can help them by taking care of the
vehicles that are essential to the mission.
“Take an ownership mentality of the vehicles assigned to their
unit,” said Sarinas. “Most importantly, drive safely to prevent
accidents which could cause unnecessary repairs, vehicle
downtime, and expenses, or worst, injury or loss of life.”
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Anthony Benitez, 8th LRS vehicle maintainer prepares an engine after it is removed from a vehicle at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 13, 2015. Vehicle maintainers must know how to work on all types of vehicles.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Anthony Benitez, 8th LRS vehicle maintainer prepares an engine after it is removed from a vehicle at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 13, 2015. Though vehicle maintaining is the 8th LRS vehicle maintainer’s primary duty; everyone can help them by taking care of the vehicles that are used daily and essential to the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ashley L. Gardner/Released)
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Hawkei armored patrol vehicle hits the mark for Australian military
| FoxNews.com
It wasn’t named after a superhero, but it was designed to carry
real heroes.
The Hawkei PMV (Protected Military Vehicle) is the Australian
Defence Force’s newest recruit. The department just ordered
1,100 of the new light armored patrol vehicles for about
$800,000 each.
About the same size as the U.S Military’s new Oshkosh L-ATV,
the 15,000-pound Hawkei is similarly protected from both
ballistic and roadside explosives thanks to a V-shaped hull
design and armor constructed from ceramic composites and
steel, but is still light enough to be transported into action by a
CH47 Chinook helicopter.
The Hawkei was developed by a partnership between Thales,
Boeing and armor specialist Plusan. Its name is taken from a
species of death adder snake, and relates to the larger
Bushmaster PMV currently in use.
The 4x4 truck can carry four-six passengers and rides on a fully
commander, said that Airmen should take care of government
vehicles like they would their own.
509th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) vehicle maintainers perform maintenance on government vehicles in the maintenance garage at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Oct. 26, 2015. The mission of the 509th LRS vehicle maintainers is to perform daily maintenance, body work and upholstery repairs to vehicles to ensure they are fully operational. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Miguel Lara III/Released)
Continued on PG 7
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Maintenance Talk Continued from PG 6
The low-down of vehicle break-downs
"A lot of these vehicles are mission essential, but when they are
abused, we no longer have them operational for the mission,"
said Courtland.
A common misconception among vehicle users is that
government vehicles can easily be replaced, said Poese.
"Unless a vehicle is destroyed or requires repairs beyond a
reasonable expected return on investment, vehicles will
generally not be replaced until they are 20 years old," said
Poese.
To avoid fraud, waste and abuse and to promote longevity of
government vehicles, they are to be used solely to perform
mission-related tasks.
To discover the purpose of an assigned vehicle, ask the unit
vehicle control officer (VCO) to see the Air Force Form 601,
Equipment Action Request, which justifies the vehicle's use.
LRS plans to implement new programs to keep vehicle
operators aware and informed in order to prevent accidents and
abuse.
"In December, we are going to provide new, face-to-face VCO
briefings to remind operators how to better maintain these
vehicles, ensure proper care is being accomplished and answer
any questions," said Courtland.
"The next part of the solution is to have a Maintenance Day at
each squadron. In January, Whiteman's mechanics will go out
to each squadron and teach Airmen how to spot early signs of
vehicle concerns."
Another program that is being employed is the VCO of the
Quarter Award.
See additional photos at: Low-down of vehicle break-downs.
Senior Airman Jeremy Lee, 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron general purpose mechanic, checks the transmission fluid level in a government vehicle at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Oct. 26, 2015. Fluid levels are checked regularly to ensure the functionality of engine components. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michaela R. Slanchik/Released)
Find your first car or the one you drove while in high school or
college; hopefully that particular car brochure is available.
This has to be one of the coolest websites whether you have
gasoline in your veins or not.
This particular website features the original factory brochures
for nearly every American car you have ever owned or made.
Just pick the manufacturer, the year and the model.
Click Here: Brochures
Editor’s Note: In September 2013 we did a survey of first
car stories. It was a fun exercise and received a great
response. Now, Chief (Ret) George McElwain has shared
this fantastic website that will give you an opportunity to find
your first car online and relive the memories once again.
From the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu, you can
see palm trees, a wide open sky and a clear blue inlet of water.
It’s warm, it’s pleasant — it’s friggin’ Hawaii.
But set against the beachy vibe are an airfield, pockmarked
buildings still bearing the scars of 1941 and … a
small hydrogen fuel cell that makes, dehumidifies, compresses,
stores and dispenses hydrogen to a few converted buses, Ford
vans and Mack trucks, all used by the military.
The guy showing off the setup is retired Air Force Brig. Gen.
Stan Osserman, the recently appointed hydrogen czar — and
director of the Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation
Technologies (HCATT) — on the island.
He’s an evangelist for the unloved and still-slightly-obscure
renewable source, lobbying for H2 to play a serious role in
edging out traditional energy, from gas in transit to the grid. “We
really do have grid stability problems,” he says, declaring it’s
time for a real “paradigm shift.” That seems to be the sense in
the salty-smelling air here in the islands, where hydrogen is
increasingly discussed as a viable source of alternative energy
… maybe even, if Osserman types have their way, as a route to
going off-grid entirely.
This is an urgent time for all things energy in Hawaii: In 2012,
according to the U.S. Energy Information office, Hawaii was
importing 93 percent of its energy; in 2013, it suffered from the
highest electric prices in the country.
Just last month, gas ran about $3.30 a gallon, well over the
national average, according to state data.
But it’s also an ambitious time: This summer, Governor David
Ige signed a bill setting an expectation for the state to hit 100
percent renewable usage by 2045 — a first in the U.S.; now
Vermont has followed.
And don’t forget Hawaii’s own Elon Musk: Henk Rodgers, the
guy who owns the popular video game Tetris and who just
made a mega statement by taking his ritzy home and ranch
completely off the grid.
When you’re busy trying to figure out how to make your vehicle
not explode, you create some pretty thick-skinned stuff.
So people here are talking about the Earth and its environs in a
way beyond just its ambrosial appeal. Which includes that
uniquely Hawaiian convergence of energy and the military.
The Hickam fuel cell sits right atop the spot where the original
Pearl Harbor bombs were dropped (and across from a row of
photovoltaic solar panels, kitty-corner to the scaffolding of a few
wind turbines).
Continued on PG 9
Stan Osserman, HCATT director, points out the engine on a hydrogen transportation van on a military base in Honolulu. SOURCE: MARCO GARCIA FOR OZY
8
JBPHH—Driving Energy Independence in Hawaii
Continued from PG 8
Hawaii’s Quest to Go Off Grid
And while that might seem a strange contrast to some,
Osserman, a trained pilot, can rattle off a long list of exactly why
the military should be driving hydrogen research and
generation: It’s a quiet fuel, ideal for covert ops; it doesn’t leave
much of a heat imprint and won’t explode; you can even hide
your vehicle for a long while in a closed, compact space without
fearing carbon monoxide poisoning.
Much innovation on this island comes from the military, of
course: When you’re busy trying to figure out how to make your
vehicle not explode, you create some pretty thick-skinned stuff.
Already, a little over $8 million in funding has come from the
Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), a research unit at the
University of Hawaii at Manoa, while the Department of
Defense is developing stuff like the Pearl Harbor site and
another project on the Big Island.
Proponents say what’s needed is more money for research,
more cars that prove hydrogen works and, particularly,
infrastructure. That means more fuel cells around civilian parts
of town like the one here on Hickam — after all, where are you
going to fill up? In general, the one-off research and
development on stuff like functioning vehicles and batteries will
have to spread out to a macro-plan for connecting hydrogen to
the whole mass-transit system, and therefore to the grid.
Energy from hydrogen, the most common element on the
planet, is made by breaking down water — H2O into H2
(hydrogen) and oxygen — by electrolysis. Simple enough,
right? In theory, sure, but there are wrinkles: There’s a “chicken
-and-egg problem” when it comes to basic infrastructure, says
Mitch Ewan, hydrogen program manager at the HNEI.
All the hydrogen cars on Earth won’t do anything without a good
fueling station, and without that attention to the larger electrical
grid.
Much of the innovation in hydrogen has begun in transit — cars,
buses — which is also Hawaii’s biggest fossil-fuel gobble,
explains Chris Yunker, energy systems and transport manager
at the Hawaii State Energy Office; that’s coming from everyone
from Toyota to the Department of Defense. Yunker figures the
two are interrelated, transit and the grid, and that energy free-
dom for the latter will ripple from the former.
Then there’s the obvious: cost. En route to the base from
HCATT’s workshop — which houses a few of those hydro-run
vehicles with their engines popped dramatically out —
Osserman worries about his cuts.
Osserman’s HCATT got $24 million in federal money between
2006 and 2013, but has reaped nothing more federally since
and is relying on the Air Force for backing. And even “on a
grassroots level,” he says, some people remain afraid of
hydrogen’s “bad reputation” — Hindenburg, H-bomb.
But the other fear in the air all over this isolated state,
summarizes Yunker, is just how long it can remain so far from
the rest of the world, importing everything from its mangoes to
its fuels to its energy corporations. Everything, some worry, that
could be Hawaii-homegrown. >>>>>>
Hydrogen storage tanks on the property of the HCATT on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Source: Marco Garcia For Ozy
Pacific Air Forces News
HCATT hosts U.S. Senator
By Senior Master Sgt. Kristen Stanley, 154th Wing Public Affairs / Published August 28, 2015
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, left, is greeted by Stanley Osserman, Director of the Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technology during a visit to the center at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Aug. 26, 2015. The tour showcased Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s smart energy production, storage and use. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Kristen Stanley/released)