truckin' on feb 2015

8/9/2019 Truckin' On Feb 2015

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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 Feb 2015

Dedicated to the Men and Womenof

AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance Past, Present, and Future

Truckin on

S P I:

New Wheels for Missile WGs PG 1

627 LRS.Ingenuity & Teamwork

PG 2 -3

Inside this issue:

Where Are They Now? PG 4 -7

The Duck PG 8 -9

Decline of the Stick Shift PG 10

The Lure of the Highway PG 11

First Great American Road Trip PG 11

Fields, Airfields & Bases PG 12

Auto Technology PG 13

Nevada County Scooper PG 13

WD-40.more than a lubricant PG 14

20th AF rolls in new vehicles

by Airman 1st Class Brandon Valle

90th Missile Wing Public Affairs

12/12/2014- F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE

BASE, Wyo.-- The Airmen who travel to

the missile fields across F.E. Warren,

Minot and Malmstrom Air Force Bases

are in the midst of receiving new trucks to

their inventory.

Each of the missile bases received Ford

F-150s and Dodge Ram 3500's equipped

with the essentials for the missile field,

including four-wheel drive and radio

equipment.

"It'll be an enormous improvement for the

missile wing," said Art Nyberg, 5th

Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle

fleet maintenance control and analysis

manager at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.

Twentieth Air Force began delivering the

vehicles in October and has distributed

48 of the 95 vehicles to the three missile

wings.

"The missile combat crews will benefit

the most from the new trucks," said

Master Sgt. Adam Varga, 90th Logistics

Readiness Squadron vehicle operations

supervisor at F.E. Warren. "The

four-wheel drive is better equipped to

handle the field conditions."

One of the main concerns of the current

vehicles has been their high mileage.

"The current trucks [on Warren] are

averaging around 190,000 miles each,"

Varga said, "which is well past their life

expectancy."

Due to the daily use of the vehicles,

maintaining them has been a costly

concern, he added.

New Ford F-150s sit in the 90th Logistics Readiness Squadrons parking lot Dec. 10, 2014 on F.E.Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. The trucks are awaiting the nal clearance before being added to thedistribution lists for travel to the missile eld. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lan Kim)

Continued on PG 2

New Wheels for Missile Wings


2/14

New Wheels for Missile Wings

20 AF rolls in new vehicles Continued from PG 1

"When the older vehicles have to haul up to four people out at a

time, plus all of the winter and survival gear, it can overload the

vehicle," Nyberg said. "The new pickups are four-wheel drive

and half-ton; therefore, they won't be overloaded. They are a lot

safer for the Airmen and a much better fit for our mission."

The new trucks will give our missile crews a reliable, versatile

vehicle to get out to the missile field, Varga said. Being able to

receive the new vehicles will be a huge boost to morale and

improve the logistics of the mission considerably, Nyberg said.

These vehicles are just one of the many ways the Force

Improvement Program initiatives are helping to provide better

equipment and a more efficient way to accomplish the mission.

In recent months, Air Force Global Strike Command and 20th Air

Force have made huge strides in the quality of life and safety of

the Airmen across the command. Such improvements include

security forces defenders receiving upgraded equipment;

maintenance has increased efficiency by adding a new shop to

their repertoire; and manning has been increased across the

wings.

1 Feb 2015

New vehicles are delivered to Malmstrom Air Force Base s vehiclemaintenance bay Nov. 18. Malmstrom Air Force Base is receiving 43 new

vehicles for members deploying to the missile eld through the Force

Improvement Program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class CollinSchmidt) Maj. Eric Gillespie, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, hands

keys to new vehicles provided through the Force Improvement Program to

341st Operations Group members Nov. 21. Malmstrom Air Force Base isreceiving 43 new vehicles for members deploying to the missile eld

through FIP. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Turner)

A $2 solution to a $3,000 problem

by Staff Sgt. Russ Jackson, 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs/

Published December 16, 2014

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AFNS) -- A brand

new circuit board for a rescue fire truck can cost more than

$3,000 to replace, regardless of why it has malfunctioned, but

fire truck maintainers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord,

Washington, dug a little deeper into the issue and discovered a

$2 solution.

Recently, the shop was faced with replacing one of their own

dashboard panels as a truck began displaying a compartment

open light in error. Maintainers were able to trace the issue to

the power distribution panel in the cab of the truck and

discovered a transistor had failed. "We called the company who

manufactures the truck and they gave us a quote of $2,998, plus

shipping to replace the entire circuit card," said Nick DeLeon, the

627th Logistics Readiness Squadron heavy mobile equipment

mechanic leader.

Note: Additional photos are available at http://www.afgsc.af.mil/

news/story.asp?id=123434346

Continued on PG 3

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"We're not trained in circuit cards but can identify that the

problem originated from the card, at which point we would

typically just replace it."

DeLeon has worked with McChord's avionics shop in the past

and decided to run the circuit card by them in order to gain more

in-depth knowledge about the card. Together, they traced the

error down to a single failed transistor within the circuit card.

"A quick trip up to a local electronics store and $2 later we had a

fixed fire truck," DeLeon said.

"This is the second transistor that we've replaced like this andso far we've saved the Air Force more than $6,000. We have

never replaced a circuit card because of this issue."

DeLeon's next step is to upload the fix in to the Joint Deficiency

Reporting System.

The JDRS provides a common, seamless solution for deficiency

reporting and resolution management across the aeronautical

enterprise.

DeLeon spoke with a local company that deals with the exact

same trucks, except they belong to The Boeing Company and

Seattle Tacoma International Airport. They had seen the same

problems but, until DeLeon called them, had not discovered asolution that did not involve completely replacing the circuit

card.

To help replace the transistor, fire truck maintainers took the

circuit card and the new transistor to Staff Sgt. Jesse Thorn, a

62nd Maintenance Squadron intermediate section craftsman, at

the avionics shop.

Replacing the part took less than an hour, allowing the fire truck

to be back up and running before the end of the day. This is

compared to having to replace the card completely, which could

leave the truck out of commission for up to two months.

"We work on line replaceable units that come off the C -17

(Globemaster III) aircrafts, Thorn said. We can work on

electronics and circuit cards, kind of like this one.

Airman 1st Class Tyler Hill removes a circuit card from a rescue re truckDec. 9, 2014, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Replacing a single

transistor would take maintenance Airmen an hour versus ordering a newcircuit card from the manufacturer taking up to two months to return there truck to commission. Hill is a 627th Logistics Readiness Squadron retruck maintenance journeyman. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sta Sgt. Russ

Jackson)

Sta Sgt. Jesse Thorn removes a circuit card from its packaging for arescue re truck Dec. 9, 2014, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Thorn

and Airmen from both the re truck maintenance shop and the avionicsshop worked together to nd a solution of great ingenuity which will savethe Air Force $3,000 every time the problem arises. Thorn is a 62ndMaintenance Squadron intermediate section craftsman. (U.S. Air Force

photo/Sta Sgt. Russ Jackson)

Nick DeLeon, left, and Airman 1st Class Tyler Hill package a circuit cardfrom a rescue re truck Dec. 9, 2014, at Joint Base Lewis -McChord,Wash. When re truck maintainers were faced with replacing the $3,000circuit card, they dug a little deeper into the issue and discovered a $2

solution. DeLeon is the 627th Logistics Readiness Squadron heavymobile equipment mechanic leader and Hill is a 627th LRS re truckmaintenance journeyman. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sta Sgt. Russ

A $2 solution to a $3,000 problem Continued from PG 21 Feb 2015

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4/14

Once Air Force now local governmentfleet managers

by Dan Berlenbach, CMSgt (Ret/2T3)

This is a follow-up to the stories in the November and January

issues about retired and former Air Force vehicle managers

whove moved on to local government fleets. As mentioned in

the stories, its a relatively easy transition to make. Uncle Sam s

vehicle management techniques really are best business

practices for those of you on active duty still, just take my

word for it.

Anyway, I thought it might be interesting and a useful sequel to

those stories to see if we could track down former Air Forcevehicle managers who have successfully transitioned to local

government fleet management. Here is a synopsis of where

they are now, along with some good nuggets of advice and

interest.

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here they

are:

Nat Musuda: Nat retired as a 2T370 MSgt in July of 2005.

Hes the Equipment Services Department Administrator for

Maricopa County in Arizona. Nats responsible for operations of

fleet maintenance, fleet management finance/budget, contracts,

fleet database systems, procurement/parts, fuel management,

and customer service, for a fleet of 2,700 vehicles andequipment. Nats email is: [email protected].

Scott Estes: Scott also retired as a 2T370 MSgt, but in

September of 2005. Scotts the Fleet and Facilities Managerfor

the City of Mountain View, CA (home to Google and Linked In).

Hes responsible for the daily operation and maintenance of 28

facilities totaling 735,000 square feet and management of the

citys vehicle and equipment fleet of 585 assets. Scott s advice

about city-hiring is as follows: This city has a trend of hiring

people with the highest education level and certifications

possible.

If I had not paid my dues in class to get my Masters degree in

business before retiring, my resume probably would have beenpassed over.An Associates degree is like a high school diplo-

ma and a Bachelors degree is the standard level of acceptable

education for managers in this organization. Scotts email is

[email protected].

Scott Rood: Scott was another 2T370 MSgt, retiring in May of

2004. He now serves as Fleet Services Manager for Clark

County Public Works in Washington State. His primary

responsibilities include: long range planning and administration

of the countys fleet of equipment and vehicles.

Scott manages the ten (10) year fleet acquisition, maintenance,

and replacement program; develops and administers county

policies for acquisition and use of vehicles; designs equipment

to customer specification; supervises represented and

non-represented staff, including selecting, training, motivating,

and evaluating performance. He administers disciplinary action,

up to and including termination. Scotts responsibilities also

include purchases, contract and service agreement

management and overall management of the stores function,

including parts, roads, and fuel inventories.

Additional duties include budget preparation and control,

equipment rental rate setting, and participation in labor

negotiations. Scott adds, Its amazing how my training in the

Air Force prepared me for this job. When I retired I was looking

for a shop supervisor position. Dont sell yourselves

short; shoot for the fleet manager positions. You can reach

Scott at: [email protected].

Shawn Keller: Shawn retired as a CMSgt, 2T300, in

November 2013. Hes now the Fleet Maintenance Manager at

the Denver International Airport (DIA). His responsibilities

include maintenance of over 1,800 vehicle and equipment

assets in support of DIAs 24/7/365 operation. Their services

include all phases of maintenance from preventive to major

overhaul on a wide variety of vehicles as well as one of the

largest and most technically advanced airport snow removalfleets in North America.

They are also an environmental leader through acquisition and

maintenance of a wide variety of alternative fuel vehicles such

as electrical, hybrid and compressed natural gas. Their goal is

to provide customers with safe and reliable equipment that is

maintained in a timely and cost effective manner. When asked

to comment Shawn had this to say, The past year has been full

of learning new ways of managing vehicle maintenance and

leading employees to new heights.

The civilian sector will challenge you at first in the way of

managing parts, scheduled maintenance and leading

employees, but the training I received in the Air Force definitely

set me up for success. It has helped me transition into civilian

life and enabled me to step in and manage a large maintenance

facility without too many setbacks. I will always miss the good

ol days, but I am moving on to new horizons. Shawn can be

contacted at: [email protected].

John Dunn: After retiring, John became the Washington State

Collision Manager, then the Roadway Geometrics Manager. He

now serves as the City of Salem, Oregon s Fleet/Warehouse

Superintendent. Johns email is:[email protected].

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Once Air Force now local government fleet managers

Mark Johnson: Mark retired as a CMSgt (2T300) in February

of 2009, and he is the Transportation Assistant for the

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), scattered across four

western states.

Mark says, Currently my position is in the fleet equipment office

and is to perform data analysis, policy, reports and utilization.

Since being hired in October 2014, my primary duty is, over the

next year, will be to assist BPA in the transformation from an

asset management system to our newly acquired commercial,

off-the-shelf fleet management system, AssetWorks.

With over 2000 BPA-owned and leased vehicles scattered

across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Western Montana, I amoverseeing the inventory of the 1300+ BPA-owned vehicles.

Im also preparing to solicit for a COPARS type contract to

cover our 16 maintenance facilities spread across the four

states. Last, since BPAs vehicles traverse 15,000 miles of

high-voltage power lines, I am also securing a Telematics

agreement that will integrate critical vehicle data into

AssetWorks via cellular service, allowing BPA to better gather

and analyze our vehicles data and vehicle/operator location. It

has been an eye-opening experience, but not one I regret.

After 32+ years serving the DOD, it is a welcome change. I

often find myself reverting back to the processes used in the Air

Force to help guide me toward finding solutions in my new job.That makes me feel the Air Force has prepared me well to step

into this role. Im also very happy to report that my daily tasks

are now solely focused on fleet management. Mark can be

reached at: [email protected].

Connie White-Arnold: Connie retired as a SMSgt, 2T397, in

April 2007. Shes the Chief of Operations for Fleet

Management in the City of Tampa, FL. Her responsibilities

include directing, (through six subordinate supervisors) day to

day operations and activities for a municipal fleet management

and procurement division. It comprises six work centersto

include fire and refuse, 3,200 vehicles/pieces of equipment, and

54 total employees.She plans, organizes, coordinates and supervises operations

functions, develops analysis, implements organizational and

operational policies and proceduresetc.! When asked to

comment, Connie said, I love my job!! LOL!

Fleet managers, professional fleet certifications, professional

fleet organizations, training, conferences, networking,

travelingwow! The military thoroughly prepared me to be a

higher level fleet professional without the realization that such

a thing existed!

The transition was seamlesseverything Ive ever done as a

GP mechanic, MC&A supervisor, or VMS is applicable to my

daily functions as Chief of Operations for the Tampa fleet! You

can reach Connie at:[email protected].

Gary McLean: Gary retired as a SMSgt, 2T390, in May 2005.

Hes now the Fleet Manager for the City of Lakeland, FL. Gary

directs vehicle maintenance and service functions for a 1300+

vehicle and equipment fleet valued at $65M. He leads 30

employees in fleet maintenance, analysis, fuel services, life

cycle, management, and administration.

Gary manages a $10M annual vehicle life-cycle purchase to

disposal program with 200 vehicles purchased and sold

annually. Full budgetary management and accountingbilling,

annual budgetary planning, chargeback, internal service.

He directs fleet processes, fuel consumption, analysis, vehicle

utilization, rotation, HAZCOM and OSHA compliance. He also

advises and assists city departments regarding vehicle policy,

requirements, vehicle specifications, rotation, use, etc. Gary

can be reached via email at: [email protected].

Joe Oswald: Joe retired as a SMSgt 2T390, in July 2010. Hes

now a Methods & Standards Analyst for the City of Phoenix, AZ.

Joes in the Fleet Management Division of the Public Works

Department where hes responsible to perform studies of

equipment maintenance and repair work, establish improved

methods and procedures for equipment maintenance, and

conduct audits and oversee standards compliance.

His work includes maintaining records and conducting

equipment pilot programs. He also provides oversight for the

division's safety, environmental, contracts, and vehicle

emissions programs.

When asked to comment, Joe said that, Although not a

supervisor or manager position, my duties allow me to be

involved in many aspects of the overall operations for the

division. I work closely with all levels of the division as well as

other department and outside agencies. Joe can be reached

at: [email protected].

Tim Brown: Tim retired as a CMSgt, 2T300, in October 2004.Hes the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)

Maintenance Operations Manager under ADOT Equipment

Services. Tim oversees equipment maintenance operations at

23 shops located across Arizona with a combined work force of

172 employees.

When asked to comment on his new career, he said, My Air

Force career trained me well for meeting the challenges of this

very demanding leadership position. You can reach him at:

[email protected]

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Jeff Booton: Boot retired as a CMSgt, 2T300, in November

of 2010. He is the Director of Fleet Management at the Denver

International Airport in Colorado where he leads a workforce of

70+ employees in managing/maintaining a fleet of over 1,800

vehicle and equipment assets in a 24/7/365 operational

environment.

When asked for comment, he had this to say, This position is

very similar what I did at this level while in the AF. The airport is

much like an AF base in that we have a wide variety of vehicles

(ARFF, snow removal, construction, etc.), and the same relative

mission.

What I do in addition to my AF days is vehicle specification/

procurement, vehicle disposition and financial planning/

budgeting. I would echo the thoughts of my retired AF peers in

that the AF prepares us well for the civilian world...in many

cases, better than those who grew up in this industry. Boots

email is:[email protected]

Greg Morris: Greg retired as a CMSgt, 2T300, in September

1999. He is the Fleet Manager for Sarasota County, FL. Hes

responsible for management of three repair facilities, 24

technicians, leading & management of 34 Fleet team members

total, repair of 1600+ vehicles & equipment plus management,

repair, dispensing and billing for 1.6 mil gallons of fuel from four

fuel sites.

Hes also responsible for procurementand disposition of 1600+

assets to include ROIs and procurement/utilization of a green

fleet, bio fuels, hybrids, solar, battery, alt fuels, new technology,

training, safety, KPIs, billable hours, competitiveness of feet

with outside repair agencies, budgeting, invoicing, billing for

repairsjust to name some of the daily tasks. Asked for

comment, Greg stated: I stay busy, challenged, have a

fantastic team of professionals I work with and I look forward to

arriving at work every day. Greg can be reached at:

[email protected]

John Nichols: John retired as a SMSgt, 2T390, in August

1994. He is currently the Deputy Director, Business

Operations, for the Arizona Department of Transportation. He

is responsible for facilities, fleet/equipment, procurement, IT,

finance, HR, Grand Canyon National Park Airport, audit and

analysis, Arizona Highways Magazine, logo sign program,

safety and risk management.

He manages a $60 million budget and 800+ employees. Asked

for comment, John said, The position is a political appointee by

the Agency Director and approved by the Governor. John can

be reached at: [email protected]

Steve Riggs: Steve retired in May of 2014 as a SMSgt, 2T390

and is the Assistant Director of Fleet Services for the City of

Spokane, Washington.

His main responsibilities are to direct maintenance on 1,400

pieces of city equipment from cop cars to refuse trucks and

oversee 42 employees throughout three facilities. Steve says

they have a brand new facility to be complete by the end of

summer 2015 that will combine the three facilities, for which he

has been made the project manager, of sorts, to seamlessly

move the entire operation.

Their new facility will also be a CNG fueling station, as they are

moving their refuse fleet to CNG (20 new CNG refuse trucks by

the middle of 2015, and 10 more/year after that).

He says that transitioning from AF Fleet Management to the

public sector of Government Fleet Management was

surprisingly easy.

I found it quite appealing that no matter where you go, there are

very similar issues and very similar personalitiesits all the

same, just a different uniform (and no deployments). Steve s

email is: [email protected]

Dean Ainardi: Dean retired as a SMSgt, 2T390 in December

of 2013. Currently hes the Interim Fleet Managerat Tacoma

Public Utilities.

He provides fleet management for four utility divisions: Power,Water, Click Cable Network and Rail. Fleet Services is

responsible for all fleet needs for all divisions and has a fleet of

1100 vehicles and equipment.

There are currently 28 employees working in Fleet

Services. This job is very similar to the Vehicle Maintenance

Flight Chief career field in the AF. The main difference is we

build specifications and purchase all vehicles and equipment

for all divisions, unlike the AF where they are centrally procured

at Robins AFB.

Dean says: I was hired as the Assistant Fleet Manager and my

main responsibilities were to create all bid specifications and

manage all vehicle purchases from cradle to grave and I havedirect oversight of the maintenance shop.

Due to the fleet manager moving to another company within 6

months of me being hired, I was moved into the interim fleet

manager position. The hiring of a permanent fleet manager is

scheduled to be posted in January.

I am looking forward to that position being filled so I can focus

on the upcoming purchasing season. You can reach Dean at:

[email protected]

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Jose Gallardo: Jose retired in December, 2006 as a SMSgt,

2T390. He is the newly appointed Fleet Manager for the City of

Napa, CA. His responsibilities include managing the vehicle

and mobile equipment needs of all City departments and

divisions. Jose holds an Associate's and Bachelor's Degrees

as well as a Master's Degree in Computer Resources and

Information Systems in 2002 and a second Master's in Public

Administration.

He has over 15 years of Fleet Management experience, most

recently as the Fleet General Manager for AAA Arizona

(5years), Pepsi Southwest Fleet Manager (3 years) and

formerly the Transportation Superintendent at Luke Air ForceBase.

Joses advice for future fleet leaders transitioning from the

military: Get involved/engaged with professional organizations

such as NAFA, Government Fleet, RMFMA, PFSA, etc.. These

are excellent opportunities to network with other fleet managers

and benchmark success stories and practices. I recommend

acquiring fleet professional certifications like CAFM, CAFS,

CPFPthese will open up doors and are often key

differentiators during employment opportunities between fleet

managers.

Also, it is important to take some advanced Excel, Access, and

project management courses.

Finally, work on a strongresume, translating military skills into English (some military

TAP offices do a good job) and interviewing skills

(interviewsuccessformula.com), this is where you nail the job.

And his most important advice:Do not wait until you separate to

start work on the items above, time is money! You can reach

Jose at:[email protected]

Dan Berlenbach: I retired as a CMSgt, 2T300, in March of

2004. Currently I am the Fleet Services Managerfor the City of

Long Beach, CA. Since retirement, Ive also served at the City

of Oxnard, CA; and the City of Phoenix, AZ.

Here in Long Beach, my responsibilities include acquisition,maintenance, and disposal of 2,100 vehicles and equipment for

the city, including towing, watercraft, and two helicopters.

We have about 100 staff, a $45M budget that includes capital

replacement and management of 17 fuel sites for the city. My

comments echo many of those quoted here, in that I believe the

Air Force prepared me exceptionally well for this position. The

skills of vehicle management and leadership that I learned over

a 29-year AF career are key to any success Ive had. Like Greg

Morris, I look forward to my job every single dayI am having a

blast.

I am truly blessed with my career and sincerely recommend

local government service to all. You can reach me at:[email protected]

There were a few folks I could not reach, who I believe are

working in local fleet management. They include Col (Ret)

Robert Stine, Bill Griffiths, Dave Kilbourne, Kevin Crane, and

Ron Schulhofer.

Thanks to everyone who contributed, and to those of you still on

active duty; please feel free to ask any one of us about these

excellent second career opportunities!

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8/14

DUKW

Contributor: David Stubblebine

The DUKW (popularly pronounced "duck") is a six -wheel-drive

amphibious truck that was designed by General Motors

Corporation during World War II for transporting goods and

troops over land and water and for use approaching and

crossing beaches in amphibious attacks.

The DUKW was initially rejected by the armed services. When a

United States Coast Guard patrol craft ran aground on a

sandbar near Provincetown, Massachusetts, an experimental

DUKW happened to be in the area for a demonstration. Winds

up to 60 knots, rain, and heavy surf prevented conventional craft

from rescuing the seven stranded Coast Guardsmen, but the

DUKW had no trouble, and the military opposition melted. The

DUKW would later prove its seaworthiness by crossing the

English Channel.

GMC already had a successful all-wheel drive 2-ton truck they

called the CCKW. This model went on to fame of its own as the

rugged "deuce-and-a-half." The DUKW prototype was built

around the cab over engine version of the GMC CCKW, with the

addition of a watertight hull and a propeller. The final production

design was based on the CCKW front engine variant powered

by a GMC 270cubic inch straight-6 engine.

The DUKW weighed 7.5 tons and operated at 6.4mph on water

and 50-55miles per hour on land. It was 31 feet long, 8.25 feet

wide, and 8.8 feet high with the folding-canvas top up. 21,137

were manufactured in all. It was not an armored vehicle, being

plated with sheet steel between 1/16" and 1/8" thick to minimize

weight. A high capacity bilge pump system kept the DUKW

afloat if the thin hull was breached by holes up to 2" in diameter.

The DUKW name comes from the naming terminology used by

GMC: D for a 1942 design; U meant "utility (amphibious)"; K for

all-wheel drive; and W indicated two powered rear axles.

Another popular nickname was "magoo," probably due to the

odd shape of the vehicle.

The DUKW was the first vehicle to allow the driver to vary the

tire pressure from inside the cab. The tires could be fully inflated

for hard surfaces such as roads and less inflated for softer

surfacesespecially beach sand. This added to the DUKW's

great versatility as an amphibious vehicle. This feature became

standard on many post-war military vehicles.

Service history

The DUKW was supplied to the US Army, US Marine Corps and

Allied forces. 2,000 were supplied to Britain under the

Lend-Lease program and 535 were acquired by Australian

forces. 586 were supplied to the Soviet Union, becoming the

basis for the Zavod Imeni Likhacheva BAV 485 of the 1950's.

The DUKW was used in landings in the Mediterranean, Pacific,

on the D-Day beaches of Normandy, Operation Husky, and

during Operation Plunder.

After World War II, reduced numbers of DUKW's were kept in

service by the United States, Britain, France and Australia withmany more stored pending disposal. Australia transferred many

to Citizens Military Force units.

In the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's the Army's

Amphibious Warfare Program worked on "bigger and better"

amphibious vehicles such as the "Super Duck," the "Drake" and

the mammoth BARC (Barge, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo).

The US Army reactivated and deployed several hundred

DUKWs at the outbreak of the Korean War with the 1st

Transportation Replacement Training Group providing crew

training.

Editors Comments: If youre a military vehicleenthusiast, youll enjoy this article. The DUKW(duck) is one

of the most unique, interesting, and enduring vehicles ofWorld War II. This particular article comes from a websitecalled, World War II Database at the following address:http://ww2db.com/vehicle_spec.php?q=280.

Another excellent website on this vehicle is http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/GMC_DUKW.php . It can bebest appreciated by visiting the site, not reproducing it here;the graphics are outstanding.

We plan to feature other notable U.S. military vehicles infuture issues.

Country United States

Manufacturer General Motors Corporation

Primary Role Transport

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1 Feb 2015

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9/14


10/14

1 Feb 2015ecline of the Stick Shift

The lost art of driving

by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

I grew up in the country and my first driving experience was on

a Farmall Cub tractor, long before I was old enough to have a

driver license. Later on, during and after my high school years, I

worked in agriculture and drove standard shift farm vehicles off

road, so I learned the basics of operating a clutch early on.

My first car, however, was an automatic. It was followed by a

used 66 Plymouth with a 383 V-8, 4-barrel carburetor, and a

4-

speed Hurst shifter on the floor. Gas was only $.32 a gallonthen, but I still couldn t afford to drive that car on an A1Cs pay

in 1969. I traded it for a 64 Ford Fairlane, 200 C.I., straight six

with a 3-speed on the column again a standard shift.

Since Ive been married, most of my cars have been

automatics go figure. A few years ago I test drove a Nissan

370Z (mid-life crisis) with a stick shift and it was obvious to me

and the sales person that it had been a while since I had used a

clutch. I settled for an automatic.

My purpose in sharing this with you is simply to point out that

stick shift vehicles and the skill to drive them are becoming

more scarce every year. In fact, there were two recent cases of

attempted car theft (Florida 2013 and Massachusetts 2014) thatwere stopped because the thieves didn t know how to drive a

stick shift.

Manufacturers still offer them, especially in their sports car

models, but theyre not as prevalent as they once were. Here

are two recent Internet articles that substantiate this claim:

http://www.rearwheeldrive.org/rwd/

manualtransmissionlist.html

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/09/11/manual-

transmissions-getting-rarer-in-us/

So, what about the military? Has it followed suit with the

commercial market? The answer is yes. General purpose fleets,for the most part, are leased from GSA and they re

typical of what the big three American automakers offer the

general public. Of course, options are available, but theyre

mainly off-the-shelf buys with automatics.

Even tactical vehicles have gone the way of automatic

transmissions. The days of the M-35 deuce-and-a-half are

long gone.

Modern-day tactical vehicles such as the HMMWV, MRAP, and

the next generation JLTV are all equipped with automatic

transmissions.

The vehicle operations schoolhouse at Ft Leonard Wood,

Missouri no longer provides practical instruction for manual shift

vehicles. I was told they cover the basics in the classroom, but

the vehicles simply arent available for hands-on training.

This was evident to me a few years ago when I managed

vehicle operations at Hickam. We still had one standard shift

truck-tractor in our fleet, but like the guy in the cartoon below

very few of our young operators knew how to drive it. We

eventually replaced it with an automatic.

So, what happens when vehicle operators separate and seekemployment with trucking firms? Will they need to know how to

operate trucks with manual shift transmissions? Will it be

necessary to learn how to drive all over again to obtain a Class

A CDL? Ill admit that Im not the most qualified person to

answer these questions.

I do know, however, that many of the 18-wheelers you see on

the highways today are equipped with automatic transmissions,

and from what Ive read and heard theyre much improved over

the early versions. The industry is trending that way.

Three-pedal culture: Some industry experts say the manual

transmission is dying; however, theres a segment of drivers

who still prefer jammin gears. Some even consider it a

manly skill, whether its a sports car or semi. So, does not

knowing how to drive a manual shift transmission affect your

chances in the job market? Perhaps. If you re an owner/

operator, you can drive whatever you like. If you depend on a

company to supply you with the tools of your trade, however,

you could be at the mercy of your employer.just a thought.

Final comments: Im not lamenting the passing of an era. At

my age, I prefer driving an automatic. But it is interesting to me

to see what was once commonplace in both cars and trucks

become the exception.

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11/14

Editors Comments: CMSgt (Ret) Billy Dover sent this

amazing photo in the right column. The truck is one of 130

owned by Leavitts Freight Service in Springfield, Oregon.

Ill readily admit that Im not a trucker, but for those of you

who are, or even if you re a wannabe, this article is for you.

Theres a certain lure of the highway, a freedom of the road,

that attracts many to this profession.

It also has a culture or lifestyle of its own that has been

expressed in trucking songs over the years, mostly by

country music artists. Todays Trucking compiled an all-time

top 50 playlist of these songs as well as a top 40 playlist from

its readers. YouTube put it all together, along with other

videos, on one webpage (click link below photo). Its a

fantastic site for anyone who enjoys trucking songs or just

country music in general.

https://www.youtube.com/user/TodaysTrucking1/playlists

1 Feb 2015

Horatios Drive

Contributor: Reade Holzbaur, WS-12 (Ret/2T3)

The First Great merican Road Trip

Editors Comments: Reade Holzbaur sent this art icle to

me and I thought it was fascinating. I immediately wanted

to use it in Truckin On. I actually saw this car at the

Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. a few

years ago, but didnt realize its significance. In fact, it didnt

register until I saw the photo at the Wikipedia website.

One thing I found interesting about this road trip, other than

Bud the dog, is that it was accomplished by a driver,

Horatio Jackson, and a young mechanic, Sewall Crocker,

who also shared driving duties. It seems as though vehicle

operators and mechanics have shared a long history

together the story is a natural for our newsletter.

In 2003 PBS televised a Ken Burns film that celebrated the

100th anniversary of this trip. The entire story can be read

at the websites listed in the right column. Enjoy!

Horatios Drive

Websites

PBS: http://www.pbs.org/horatio/

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Nelson_Jackson

(Click image to view video)

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12/14

Places I remember.

by Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3)

Ive often thought if air force bases could talk what tales they

might tell. Theyve witnessed incredible history, triumphs and

tragedies, and known the millions of airmen who have passed

through their gates.

Many bases are gone now, only faded memories of simpler

times. Its really amazing how many have closed, even since

some of us first took our oaths of enlistment.

Installations such as Loring, Pease, Wurtsmith, K.I. Sawyer,

Kincheloe, Plattsburg, Hamilton, Howard, Clark, Mather,McClellan, Amarillo, Chanute, and Kelly, just to list a few, are

no longer active. These names are foreign to a whole

generation of airmen.

I visited Clark last year, nearly 23 years after we closed its

gates in November 1991. It was eerie riding around those

cherished grounds and seeing abandoned buildings that were

once so full of life and activity. I could almost see the faces of

those who served there with me many years ago, as if they

were still roaming the compound where we once worked.

On the other hand, historic installations such as Randolph,

Hickam, Langley, Eglin, F.E. Warren, Wright-Patterson,

Edwards, Maxwelland others still endure as a testament to theevolution of airpower and a lasting tribute to the men and

womenmilitary and civilianwho have served them so well

over the many decades of their existence.

The designation for air force base has changed several times

over the years from field to airfield to base and now, in a few

locations, to joint-base.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, for instance, reverted to its

historic designation, Hickam Field, for the USAF portion of the

base, even restoring the name to its main gate.

No matter the name on the gate, however, these bases were

simply called home to those of us who spent 20-30 years

bouncing from one to another in all corners of the world. Each

one evokes memories of a specific time or event in our lives.

With this in mind, I researched air force bases and discovered

a wealth of information on the Internet. Two of the better sites I

found are Joe McCuskers list of Air Force Bases and Scotts

USAF Installations Page.

McCuskers website has been around for a while and was last

amended in 2004; its outdated but still serves as an excellent

source of historical reference. Scotts website has been

updated recently and basically builds off of Joe McCuskers

list.

In addition to a roster of current and former (closed) bases,

these websites provide the history surrounding the terms field,

airfield, air force base, etc. They also provide a thorough list of

overseas bases, past and present. The links are below.

Main Gates: I also found a website dedicated to the

3973rd Combat Defense Squadron (inactive). It features seven

volumes of slides that contain photos of main gates, mostly

USAF. Some images are blurry, but the majority are worth

viewing. Click on the blue slides to activate. I hope you enjoy.

Fields, Airfields Bases

Websites

http://www.airforcebase.net/usaf/joeslist.html#1.%20Former%20Air%20Force%20bases%20in%20the%20US,%20Guam%20and%20Puerto%20Rico

http://www.airforcebase.net/

1 Feb 2015

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13/14

Auto Tech

Verizon Vehicle puts a mechanic in your car

Published January 16, 2015 / FoxNews.com

In the early days of motor racing, the cars didn t just carry a

driver, but also a riding mechanic to take care of any problems

that might crop up along the way.

Verizon is now offering the 21st century version of this conceptwith its Verizon Vehicle service, which taps into a vehicle s

computer system to detect mechanical issues before they lead

to breakdowns.

If you were wondering why it sponsored IndyCar, there you go.

It uses a module that plugs into the on board diagnostic II port

(OBD II) and links via Bluetooth to a cellular-equipped speaker

that you can mount to a sunscreen.

Instead of just presenting you with a Check Engine light, it

diagnoses the problem and sends specific information via text

alert, and can connect you on the phone with a live mechanic

that can provide more specific information and even a cost

estimate for any necessary repairs.

In the event that something goes wrong, anyway, it also

provides roadside assistance and automated emergency

response. If your car is stolen, it can track that too.

The service is similar to that provided as factory equipment by

several automakers, most notably General Motors OnStar, but

will work on any car built since 1996, when OBD ports became

standard equipment.

The introductory price is $14.95 per month with one free month

and free hardware, but a two-year contract is required.

NEVADA COUNTY SCOOPER

Mysterious Air Force Space Vehicle Actually a Taco Truck

NOVEMBER 30, 2014BYFINK

Grass Valley, CAThe appearance of an apparent long-silvery

space vehicle in the downtown Grass Valley, CA Safeway

parking lot has been verified as an out-of-town Taco Truck

andnot a USAir Forcesurveillancedevice. The unusual truck

was mistaken by many locals to be some kind of Air

Forcespecial operations urban assault vehicle or SOUAV, for

short.

Calls came into local radio stations as well as to local policeauthorities requesting additional information on the United

States militarys interest in downtown GrassValley.

I knew it. I knew it, said one caller to community radio

stationKVMR, theyre getting ready to invade us and put us

into FEMA prison camps. TheAir Force is sending in their

ahead contraptions to monitor the situation.

According to local authorities theTacoTruck in question, the

Auburn-based Marias Mexican Tacos, was not actually in

operation but merely visiting town for a tune-up at local auto

shop Eagle Automotive. Because the Truck wasnt serving

food, it had not violated any local permitting restrictions.

Authorities were quick to respond to the impeding invasion

concerns with an oft-repeated What the @#$% is wrong with

you people?

Marias Mexican Tacos could not be reached for comment,

although theScooperassumes that theTacoTruck company

has no plans of corralling locals into FEMA

camps.Accordingto many non-insane locals, they would love

to see Marias Mexican Tacos operating in the Western

Nevada County Area, for tacos, that is. Editors Note:Grass

Valley, CA is near Beale AFB.

Source: Auburn Journal. The apparent USAF FEMA vehicle was no

more than aTaco Truck

1 Feb 2015

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14/14

WD-40 Household Uses

by Bailey Hemphill

Omaha Magazine.com

You may have seen an article floating around on the internet

claiming 40+ unique uses for the water-displacing spray WD-40.

Well, Snopes.coma website dedicated to debunking urban

legends, myths, rumors, and misinformationdecided to follow

up on this article and see if the presented tips were true.

The WD-40 brand of spray lubricant is one of those ubiquitous

products that is both found in a large percentage of households

and put to a wide variety of uses (not all of them recommended

by the manufacturer), Snopes website says.

Snopes was able to contact the manufacturer of WD-40 to learn

if these 40+ uses were legitimate. Interestingly enough, the

response Snopes received back from the manufacturer included

a shorter, corrected list. Still, a surprising number of tips wereleft on this new list.

Here are the manufacturer-confirmed uses for WD-40 beyond

degreasing and water displacing:

Protects silver from tarnishing

Removes road tar and grime from cars

Loosens stubborn zippers

Untangles jewelry chains

Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing

Keeps scissors working smoothly

Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and in homes

Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease ofhandling on riding mowers

Rids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises

Lubricates tracks in home windows and makes themeasier to open

Makes umbrellas easier to open and close after sprayingthe stem

Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles

Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans

Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, andbicycles for easy handling

Keeps rust from forming on saws, saw blades, and othertools

Lubricates prosthetic limbs

Keeps pigeons off of balconies (they apparently hate thesmell)

Removes all traces of duct tape

Cleans and removes bugs from grills and bumpers

Displaces the moisture and allows a car to start afterspraying the distributor cap

Removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor withoutharming the floors finish

Removes bug guts from the finish on cars

Editors Comments: I recently read an article from an

Internet blog spot that listed over 40 household uses for

WD-40 (water displacement # 40) and claimed that its basic,

main ingredient is FISH OIL. I was suspicious and curious,

so I researched it a little further. According to Snopes, its

only partially true. As this article explains, Snopes went to

the manufacturer who confirmed only part of the original list,

and its main component is NOT fish oil.

Nevertheless, mechanics have been using WD-40 since its

inception in 1953, long before most of us were pulling

wrenches. There might be better products on the market

today, but WD-40 is familiar to all of us; therefore, I thought it

would be fun to print this article and look at other uses for

this age-old product.

1 Feb 2015
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truckin' on feb 2015

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