[ARC5] Who Am I?

[Bob Macklin]

Just to let you know about some of my background.

I joined the USAF in 1952 at the age of 17. I was sent to Gunsight/Radar school at Lowery AFB in Denver Co.

When I completed school in 1953(promoted to corporal because I was the top of my class) I was sent K-2 AFB Taegu S. Korea. There I worked on F-84 gunsights and radar.

After my year in Korea I was sent to a SAC fighter wing in Albany Ga. Before I was 19 I was sent to the advanced gunsight school at Lowery ABF.

In 1954 I was requested to go to Edwards AFB as part of the Test and Acceptance group for the F-101 Voodoo. 

About this time SAC was planning downsizing it fighter wings. I was transferred to Austin Tx because that is where the F-101s were going. 

Shortly after getting to Austin I was promoted to S/SGT and made the wing Special Weapons NCO. That means Atomic Bombs.

Some of my friends were radio techs. One of my gunsight people another S/SGT talked me into getting a Novice ticket in 1957. I got both a Novice and Tech at the same time.

When I was in Korea the F-84s had ARC-3 command sets. Some of our support aircraft has ARC-5 VHF command sets.

In the SAC wings the F-84s had ARC-27 of ARC-33 command sets. The F-101s has ARC-33 command sets.

In both SAC wings we has a squadron of KB-29 tankers. The had ARC-8(ART-13/BC-348) liaison sets and ARC-27 command sets. They also all had a BC-453.

I did not work on any of the radio equipment in the USAF. But twice I ran the field maintenance test equipment shop. While in the job assignment I learned about the radio test equipment (BC-221, etc).

My Elmer was an USAF M/SGT that had been a B-17 radio operator in the 8th AF during WWII.

Bob Macklin
K5MYJ
Seattle, Wa.
"Real Radios Glow In The Dark"