Opinion : Letter to the Editor: A history lesson from 1963

Editor:

There is a history that is germane today even though it occurred 59-54 years ago. That period was when I was on active duty USAF. I was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in May of 1963 and went on active duty the November of that year. I reported in at Webb AFB, Big Spring, Texas to begin Undergraduate Pilot Training. Sixty-five D was the junior class on base and we were called "Green Wienies". Before we could even see an airplane we had Physiological Training and accelerated Physical Training first. Supposedly the P.E. was to strengthen us so we could stand the G-loading of basic aerobatic training that would be in our future. The only thing I remember is that the lead weights on our back, wrists, and ankles caused my arches to further flatten- painfully. Anyway to continue: I completed the year-long course and received silver pilot wings to wear on my uniform. Our assignments were based on our grades and our requests. I was 8th in flying grades, but my academic failing dropped me down to 18th out of 36th. I requested KC-135 and was granted that assignment. At that time the Air Force had three flying outfits - 1. Tactical Air Command, 2, Strategic Air Command, and 3. MATS - Military Air Transport Service. I would end up in SAC - my first assignment Walker AFB, Roswell, New Mexico. But first Advanced Flight School Castle AFB, Merced, California to attempt to master the Boeing KC-135 Statotanker as a squadron copilot. Great School and a good time for a young tiger; my roommate was a B-52 copilot student - A really great guy and patriot - and an Air Force Academy Graduate. I was just a lowly AFROTC grad., but he let that slide.

To continue: SAC had the Nuclear Mission. This was a three-legged stool 1. The manned bomber, B-52, The KC-135 Tanker would extend the range of the bomber

2. The nuclear missiles in silos

3. The Boomer Submarines.

Our adversary was the USSR - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. So to combat this nuclear threat which our Pentagon figured was a first-strike threat - our counter was to have the Alfa forces on constant alert: Which meant at Walker AFB - two B-52 Squadrons and two KC-135 Squadrons were on 24-hour alert 24/7 ready for launch at any time in any weather. The alert crews were assigned a sorti number and an aircraft. Our barracks were our alert home usually a 4 to 5 day tour. We were restricted to this facility for the length of the tour. Our wives and children could associate with us in the parking lot of the facility - usually during the evening hours. As I have said many times, Sharon did not wear the uniform, but she served just as well. To prove our capability to the USSR and our SAC leaders in Omaha we would be given no notice exercises. The Klaxon would sound and we as crews would run to our vehicles and race to our assigned aircraft. Up the ladder as copilot I started to receive the before start checklist- we had previously pre-flighted up to start engines (that was known as "cocked") The Navigator would copy the Command Post message, it would either be a -start engine, - a start engine and taxi across the runway hold line or - what none of us wanted a launch message. These were a Blue Dot, A Green Dot or a RED Dot message. The Navs.job was to authenticate the message using our codebook and pass the message to me, the copilot to verify. The time required was recorded and forwarded to the command post. There was a BMEWS (Ballistic Missile Early Warning System) time that every SAC alert force had to meet. This was the time when a missile launch was detected by these Northern Radar Sites and when the missile would strike. The more North a SAC base was the shorter the TIME. That time was Classified, and to my knowledge is still Top Secret, but I can say the time to get four squadrons of aircraft airborne was less than thirty minutes. And we as the Alpha Force did it day after day never failing. If the launch message was received not all aircraft would survive the takeoff. So that message was never received while I was on duty. If the launch message was verified the Bombers would proceed to their "fail-safe" point - the tankers would proceed to their refueling point for the bombers. The bomber would go no further unless a "Go Code authenticated and ordered by POTUS" was received. They were then ordered to proceed to their targets and drop their ordinance. We never went that far - DETERRENCE worked! We should all be thankful for that fact - in my view, there are no winners in a nuclear exchange.

What I have described above is what was called MAD - mutually assured destruction. What's going on right now - Russia and Ukraine? And, could it grow? No way to know now but based on my past service yes it could go out of control. We don't have SAC anymore which was dissolved when the USSR was dismantled. We do still have a missile force. But the disadvantage there is once given the "go code" there would be no recall! The manned fleet would go to the failsafe point and could be recalled. We don't have that anymore. What is the mental state of Vladimir Putin? How reliable is he to stop the war crimes he is now committing? Why did he feel the time to invade Ukraine was now? Did he see weakness in our President and Pentagon? Did he miscalculate? Did he overestimate the capability of his Army and Air Forces? The other question - do our leaders have the resolve necessary to end this invasion? Think about this - we have not won a war since WWII. We win battles, but not the endpoint.

That is not the fault of our soldiers, sailors, or airmen, but that fault lies with the leadership!!! Do we now have the resolve to see this deal through? Or is it appeasement? Our Armed Forces are tough, but we need to continue to finance the force and develop new weapons and tactics. A major portion of the budget still needs to go to defense. Yes, there can be cost overruns and corruption, but that is what we have a Congress for - oversight.

A common strategy is don't show your hand until "CALLED" and keep making them think you have a royal flush. It seems to me our President has stated what he will not do. I believe this to be wrong - that puts us on defense. Not good in this chess game.

Regards, May God's blessing and protection be upon us.

John Stiegelmeyer