CHAPTER ONE - PRIME TIME
I call this chapter Prime Time because I loved the 1980's, at least for the most part. The early 1980's were crappy but I was in the best physical shape of my life and my economic picture was gradually improving. I was enjoying my service in the Air National Guard because those guys made me laugh more than I have ever laughed in my life and it was an honor to serve with a great bunch of guys. I loved the music of the 80's and my children were all young, beautiful, and still living at home. Plus, I had a beautiful wife that loved me. I was on top of the world. To top it off we had a great president in the White House and I never felt prouder of my country. It seemed like the economic stagnation of the 1970's and Vietnam syndrome was over. The cultural Communists in the Democrat party were continuing to make strides but I was hoping that the Reagan Revolution would override their gains in the long run. With the benefit of hindsight I was wrong and now we are in a fight for our country's very survival, which appears to be much in doubt.
During the 1970's the Air Force decided that if America ever went to war again it's security forces would need to be able to defend it's airbases as it did under Operation Safeside in Vietnam. In the Spring of 1984 my Guard unit was deployed to Little Rock A.F.B. Arkansas for two weeks of Air Base Ground Defense Training. I was in very good physical shape because I averaged running about seven miles a day. This two weeks in Arkansas, however; would be the most physically challenging two weeks of my life since basic training. I was older but more physically prepared for this than I had been for basic training.
The emphasis of the first week would be on land navigation, patrolling, fire team tactics, setting up ambushes, and smoke and hand grenade training. We would also have a daily regimen of calisthenics, and a mile and a half run. One day would be dedicated to running an obstacle course that had been designed by Army Rangers. In Vietnam Air Force bases were for the most part protected by the Army and Marines outside of the actual perimeter. The Security Police protected the internal security of the base. If anything penetrated the Army and Marines outer perimeter the Security Police would protect the actual perimeter of the base. Which would happen on occasion, such as the 1968 Tet Offensive when many Air Force bases were nearly overrun. Then there were the occasional sapper attacks. Otherwise the greatest threat to an airbase were rocket and mortar attacks.
The security of an airbase was of great concern to the Army and Marines because their very lives could depend on the air support that they provided. Army and Marine troops protected the outer perimeter by tactics that included daylight recon patrols, forward observation posts during the day, and listening posts at night. Operation of tactical motor patrols with gun jeeps, sweep and clear operations, relocation of areas of population, and the use of ambush patrols which was the primary tactic in active defense operations. In 1965 the USAF Inspector General in Vietnam presented to the Chief of Staff, USAF the recommendation that a test unit of highly trained Combat Security Police be formed to initiate a new concept, known as "Active Defense." The U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia was selected as the training course for the original cadre of the test unit. Personnel were interviewed and after being selected, sent to Fort Benning where they began Ranger School on May 4,1966. This program was designated "OPERATION SAFESIDE" and was organized at Schofield Barracks Hawaii. Prospective trainees began arriving at Schofield from throughout CONUS, (Continental U.S.) and PACAF ( Pacific Air Forces). The unit was considered light infantry and in 1967 it took over the security of Phu Cat in the Central Highlands whose runway was still under construction. After impressive service this unit was transferred to Ft. Campbell for further training. The 821st CSPS, (Combat Security Police Squadron) was deployed to Phan Rang A.F.B. on April 13,1968, relieving a Battalion of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Security Police took over it's Base Camp and would continue to provide security for Phan Rang until February 1971.
My cousin Roy Anderson was a Security Policeman and sent to Phan Rang in April of 1969. He was only there about a month when he fell one night while climbing down from a perimeter guard tower. Roy missed a rung in the ladder and fell landing stiff legged and flat footed with the added weight of his steel helmet, M-16, a combat load of ammunition, and flak vest. He said that he was taken to the dispensary where his foot was X-Rayed and medics, thinking his foot was only dislocated, were about to try to reset his foot. Just in time the doctor on duty stopped them after viewing the X-Ray. He realized in the nick of time that his foot was badly broken. After a few days in the hospital it was decided to send him stateside because by the time his foot healed Roy's tour of duty in Vietnam would be nearly over. Roy had surgeries on his foot and would spend much time in the hospital here in the U.S.
The security of an airbase was of great concern to the Army and Marines because their very lives could depend on the air support that they provided. Army and Marine troops protected the outer perimeter by tactics that included daylight recon patrols, forward observation posts during the day, and listening posts at night. Operation of tactical motor patrols with gun jeeps, sweep and clear operations, relocation of areas of population, and the use of ambush patrols which was the primary tactic in active defense operations. In 1965 the USAF Inspector General in Vietnam presented to the Chief of Staff, USAF the recommendation that a test unit of highly trained Combat Security Police be formed to initiate a new concept, known as "Active Defense." The U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia was selected as the training course for the original cadre of the test unit. Personnel were interviewed and after being selected, sent to Fort Benning where they began Ranger School on May 4,1966. This program was designated "OPERATION SAFESIDE" and was organized at Schofield Barracks Hawaii. Prospective trainees began arriving at Schofield from throughout CONUS, (Continental U.S.) and PACAF ( Pacific Air Forces). The unit was considered light infantry and in 1967 it took over the security of Phu Cat in the Central Highlands whose runway was still under construction. After impressive service this unit was transferred to Ft. Campbell for further training. The 821st CSPS, (Combat Security Police Squadron) was deployed to Phan Rang A.F.B. on April 13,1968, relieving a Battalion of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Security Police took over it's Base Camp and would continue to provide security for Phan Rang until February 1971.
My cousin Roy Anderson was a Security Policeman and sent to Phan Rang in April of 1969. He was only there about a month when he fell one night while climbing down from a perimeter guard tower. Roy missed a rung in the ladder and fell landing stiff legged and flat footed with the added weight of his steel helmet, M-16, a combat load of ammunition, and flak vest. He said that he was taken to the dispensary where his foot was X-Rayed and medics, thinking his foot was only dislocated, were about to try to reset his foot. Just in time the doctor on duty stopped them after viewing the X-Ray. He realized in the nick of time that his foot was badly broken. After a few days in the hospital it was decided to send him stateside because by the time his foot healed Roy's tour of duty in Vietnam would be nearly over. Roy had surgeries on his foot and would spend much time in the hospital here in the U.S.
My Security Police unit boarded a C-130 and after landing in Little Rock we disembarked on a remote side of the base. We assembled in a covered area with stadium seats for our initial briefing. While sitting there something bit the fire out of my stomach. I thought I had been stung by a bee because it hurt so bad. I felt a small lump in my shirt and when I unbuttoned it a large spider crawled out. A large welt with blood oozing out of it had already formed on my stomach. This was one of the most painful insect bites I have ever had. After the meeting we dropped off our gear in a barracks that was a bare concrete floor. We would sleep on Army cots while we were in the base camp. Early each morning we would run a mile and a half and finish up with calisthenics. Each day would be spent in training. We learned fire team tactics, patrolling, setting up ambushes, land navigation, hand and smoke grenade training. Along with this we had to run an obstacle course that was designed by Army Rangers. Toward the end of our two weeks of training we were scheduled to hike out into the field and set up an imaginary perimeter of an air base. Then we would defend it from a mock attack for three long days.
One thing I noticed about this place, that I didn't like at all, were the snakes, which were everywhere. I don't think that I had seen this many snakes in Florida when I lived there. The land was very wooded and swampy. I am terrified of snakes and late one night we were doing patrol training in a swampy area. It was pitch black and the only thing that I could see was the reflective strips on the back of the Kevlar helmets of each man in front of me. All I could think of was stepping on a poisonous snake and we were forbidden to use our flashlights for any reason. Suddenly, our point man screamed in terror and almost knocked me down running for the rear. Violating the rules I turned on my flashlight and pointed it to where he had been standing. I saw two big red eyes looking back at me. The point man said that he had stepped on what he thought was a log and it had moved out from under him. We later found out that alligators were prevalent in that area.
The obstacle course was a challenge for me because of my fear of heights but I got through it. One of our guys gave us a scare when he fell head first off of the ropes over an artificial pond, barely missing the bank and sliding head first into the water. Needless to say he would have broken his neck if he had hit the ground instead of the water. Sadly this same man killed himself later that year which I will go into later. Finally, toward the end of the two weeks we went into the field for three full days. During those three days I probably had no more than four hours of sleep total and that was in spurts. I wore the same clothes all three days and was pretty funky by the time it was over.
One thing I noticed about this place, that I didn't like at all, were the snakes, which were everywhere. I don't think that I had seen this many snakes in Florida when I lived there. The land was very wooded and swampy. I am terrified of snakes and late one night we were doing patrol training in a swampy area. It was pitch black and the only thing that I could see was the reflective strips on the back of the Kevlar helmets of each man in front of me. All I could think of was stepping on a poisonous snake and we were forbidden to use our flashlights for any reason. Suddenly, our point man screamed in terror and almost knocked me down running for the rear. Violating the rules I turned on my flashlight and pointed it to where he had been standing. I saw two big red eyes looking back at me. The point man said that he had stepped on what he thought was a log and it had moved out from under him. We later found out that alligators were prevalent in that area.
The obstacle course was a challenge for me because of my fear of heights but I got through it. One of our guys gave us a scare when he fell head first off of the ropes over an artificial pond, barely missing the bank and sliding head first into the water. Needless to say he would have broken his neck if he had hit the ground instead of the water. Sadly this same man killed himself later that year which I will go into later. Finally, toward the end of the two weeks we went into the field for three full days. During those three days I probably had no more than four hours of sleep total and that was in spurts. I wore the same clothes all three days and was pretty funky by the time it was over.
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