Over the July 4th, 2019, weekend California’s ‘seismic drought’ came to an end with two 6+ quakes. Interestingly, Vandenberg Air Force Base had just conducted an earthquake drill exactly one month prior.
The scenario was held on 05JUN2019, to test if the base could continue operations during a natural disaster.
Interestingly the observers were made up of personnel from the 30th Space Wing Inspector General judge advocate of military justice, in other word’s Air Force lawyers and legal assistants.
30th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters practiced drilling through concrete to rescue victims.
The 30th Medical Group was tasked to prove it could relocate and continue providing medical care if the base hospital was destroyed.
U.S. Air Force stated that disaster drills at all its bases are ongoing yearly events.
Tennessee Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Darby Arnold, 25JUN2019.
K9 Callie and her handler, Technical Sergeant Rudy Parsons, a para-rescueman (aka Para-Jumper, PJ) with the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, wait to jump into the icy water off Alaska, 25JUN2019.
Tennessee Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Darby Arnold, 25JUN2019.
Video (by SSgt Darby Arnold) of people jumping out of a perfectly good Alaskan National Guard HC-130J Combat King-2 (I think the dog was just along for the ride on this one):
Tennessee Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Darby Arnold, 25JUN2019.
K9 Callie, a Dutch Shepherd, trained for search and rescue, sits on the ramp of an HC-130J aircraft awaiting training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, 25JUN2019.
Sabre=Queen’s English spelling (and also the spelling accepted by North American and USAF)
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Matthew Seefeldt, 07JAN2019.
An F-100 Super Sabre on display at Kadena Air Base, Japan, January 2019.
New Jersey Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Andrew J. Merlock, 27JUL2017.
New Jersey Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Andrew J. Merlock, 27JUL2017.
New Jersey Air National Guard personnel cleanup the 177 Fighter Wing’s F-100F gate guard in Egg Harbor, July 2017. Note the bird spikes mounted on the top of the fin.
Ohio Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Ralph Branson, 17NOV2017.
In November 2017, retired Major John Bartine traveled from Texas to Ohio to visit an old friend, the F-100 he flew on 336 missions in Viet Nam.
June 2017 video report of Warner Robins Museum dedication, and interview with F-100 pilot responsible for the restoration project who discovered what a small world it was (during Vietnam) when his crew chief turned out to be from the same city he was from, Ogden, Utah:
Ohio Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Joe Harwood, 20DEC2016.
Frost bitten 179 Airlift Wing’s F-100 gate guard, December 2016.
Indiana Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Lonnie Wiram, 03DEC2016.
December 2016, Stanley Richardson, a former Crew Chief in the Indiana Air National Guard reminisces about keeping his aircraft airborne.
Maryland Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant John Hillier, 08AUG2016.
In August 2016, this F-100F took one last flight to the top of a giant display stand at the Air National Guard Readiness Center on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, in dedication to all the Guard pilots that flew it.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Diana Quinlan, 30OCT2014.
This F-100F landed in Hangar 79 of the Pacific Aviation Museum (PAM) Pearl Harbor on Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, October 2014.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Stacey Jeanpaul, 29JUN2004.
Washing a F-100 gate-guard on Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, England in United Kingdom, June 2004.
USAF photo by Airman Garizaldy Paterson, 22OCT1997.
Thor’s Hammer used to be an Italian Aeronautica Militare F-100, but it was given to the USAF. It was assigned gate-guard duty on Aviano Air Base, in October 1997.
January 1979, Hill AFB, Utah.
In January 1979, a retired F-100 took its last flight via a CH-54 Skycrane, to its new post as a gate-guard on Hill Air Force Base, in Utah.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 18JUN2019.
During the middle of June, 2019, 509th Maintenance Squadron ‘low-observable maintenance’ Airmen began work to restore Whiteman Air Force Base’s (in Missouri) T-38 gate guard named Spirit of Heartland.
USAF photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 18JUN2019.
USAF photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 18JUN2019.
USAF photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 06AUG2019.
The T-38 is one of several 509th Bomb Wing static displays on base which also includes the B-29 Superfortress, B-47 Stratojet, B-52 Stratofortress and the FB-111A Aardvark.
USAF photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 06AUG2019.
In May 2018, the B-29 The Great Artiste was restored. According to the official report “…the original aircraft was lost during a crash landing at Goose Bay Air Base, in Labrador, Canada, in 1949. So, another B-29 was painted as a replica for static display. The static display was eventually moved to Whiteman AFB from Pease AFB when the New Hampshire base closed in 1991.”
USAF photo by Airman Michaela Slanchik, 10AUG2017.
In August 2017, a reduced scale B-2 Spirit was donated by Northrop-Grumman. The B-2 replica weighs 600 pounds and is 22 feet in length compared to the actual B-2’s true length of 172 feet. It is one of 50 donated by Northrop Grumman.
USAF photo by Senior Airman Joel Pfiester, 13SEP2016.
In September 2016, the FB-111A gate guard underwent corrosion prevention painting, some calling it operation Dark Vark.
In 2015, the Missouri Air National Guard 131st Bomb Wing moved to Whiteman AFB, and brought their F-4, F-15 and F-100 gate guards with them. Missouri Air National Guard video by Technical Sergeant Elise Rich, June 2015:
A-7D on Gate Guard duty for the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I re-edited (for continuity) video, recorded on 17SEP2025, via Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing (formerly known as 185th TFG), the Iowa Army National Guard’s Bravo Company, 171st Aviation Regiment, uses their Chinook to move a former Iowa Air Guard A-7D to a new home on Siouxland Freedom Park in South Sioux City, Nebraska:
President George W. Bush Air Park on Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, George W. Bush Air Park video history tour of the A-7D, 21JUN2020:
Ling-Tempco-Vaught A-7D Corsair-2, April 1982, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Photo via Tinker Air Force Base History Office.
LTV A-7D Corsair II, isochronical maintenance at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, April 1982.
Apparently the USAF version of the A-7 Corsair-2 is one of the most loved ground attack aircraft, especially by the folks in Oklahoma; from November 1966, when Tinker AFB’s Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area was assigned all logistics management responsibility for the A-7D, to its final days with the Oklahoma Air National Guard in 1993 (to be replaced by the F-16).
125th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 138th Tactical Fighter Group, Oklahoma Air National Guard in 1992. Photo via Greg L. Davis.
Oklahoma ANG A-7D ‘Tulsa’, during training in 1992.
Oklahoma Air National Guard A-7D on display in the Charles B. Hall Memorial Air Park, 2017. U.S. Air Force photo by Greg L. Davis.
Oklahoma isn’t the only National Guard unit to fly the A-7 during its official last days, and even some National Guard units are still using their A-7s for other training.
198th Fighter Squadron, 156th Fighter Group, Puerto Rico Air National Guard, 1992. Photo via Greg L. Davis.
Four A-7D Corsair IIs of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, over the Caribbean in 1992. Puerto Rico’s Air National Guard used A-7Ds up-till 1993.
Iowa Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.
Three happy Iowa National Guard pilots pose in front of an A-7D ‘gate guard’, 17MAR2017. Mike Maier, Jim Walker and Larry Christensen were the last of Iowa’s A-7 pilots that, as of 2017, were still serving with Iowa Air National Guard.
Iowa Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot, 17MAR2017.
Freshly painted gate guard, A-7D ‘Sioux City’ of the Iowa Air National Guard.
Iowa Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.
In 2013 the Iowa Air and Army National Guard decided to sling-load a two seat A-7 gate guard with a CH-47F Chinook.
Iowa Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.
At the beginning of the video is a boring press conference, then the sling load, and then somehow some old film of an A-7 (BAT 12) strafing a tank on a USAF bombing range:
Wisconsin Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Meghan Skrepenski, 13JUN2017.
The Wisconsin Air National Guard used this ‘gate guard’ to practice ‘downed aircraft recovery’ in June 2017. Note that the recovery vehicle is an old John Deere 4020 that (according to the press info) is three years older than the 1969 issue A-7. Apparently the scenario involved a military aircraft that crashed in Wausau: “Planning this movement took approximately two years from initial concept to movement completion. This movement provided a chance to deal with something that we wouldn’t normally be able to do…”-Master Sergeant Michael J. Schmidt, 115th Fighter Wing
Wisconsin Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Meghan Skrepenski, 13JUN2017.
Note the U.S. Navy refuel probe on the nose of the A-7 painted in USAF/National Guard colors. Apparently the only USAF A-7 that had the USN refueling probe was the prototype YA-7D, which served at Edwards Air Force Base until retired to AMARC in 1992. So is this a USN A-7 acquired for Air National Guard gate guard duty, or is it one of two YA-7D prototypes?
New Jersey Army National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Nicholas Young.
In March 2017, New Jersey Air National Guard TACPs (Tactical Air Control Party )used a shot-up A-7 during a training event with Maryland Air Guard’s A-10 Thunderbolt-2s, at Warren Grove Gunnery Range.
Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano.
In May 2017, Wyoming Air National Guard conducted aircraft recovery training with this shot-up A-7D that was literally ‘down in the mud’.
Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano, 11MAY2017.
They had to use airbags to raise the SLUF and use PSP/Martson Mat style steel plank to get it rolling out of the mud: “This was the first time for me doing recovery training. My job was to help set up air bags and operate the manifold. My normal job always has some sort of data and you are going to follow the book. When a plane crashes or runs off the runway into mud, you don’t always respond in the same way.”-Senior Airman Dakota Difrancesco, 153rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano, 11MAY2017.
Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano, 11MAY2017.
Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado, 23AUG2015.
I believe the U.S. taxpayers got their money’s worth out of the A-7.
CHINA: The U.S. military is spending precious tax dollars conducting natural disaster ‘cooperation’ training with Communist China. It was called 2018 Disaster Management Exchange and was held 13 thru 18 November in Nanjing.
COLUMBIA: U.S. Southern Command’s operation Enduring Promise is currently conducting an 11 week disaster response event with health and government partners in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Honduras. In this video a MH-60S Sea Hawk delivers patients to U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort, off the coast of Columbia 27NOV2018:
PERU: The U.S. Marines are spending precious tax dollars conducting natural disaster ‘cooperation’ training with Peru. It’s part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative-Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response.
Video of massive disaster relief ‘invasion’ by USMC in Peru, 24NOV2018:
California;UH-60M Black Hawks from the California Army National Guard’s Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, assisted with fighting the deadly Camp Fire in Butte County.
VANUATU: The U.S. Navy inspected the hospital in Koa Moana to learn about the island nation’s ability to handle humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, 15NOV2018.
For some reason the USAF is now using Lambos to attract potential recruits during Eglin AFB, Florida, ‘resiliency’ events.
Lamborghini Gallardo speeds along the flight line during the Arctic Thunder Open House at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July, 2018.
Lamborghini accelerates past a BT-13, June 2018. “Sunday driver!” yelled the BT-13 pilot.
U.S. Southern Command’s operation Enduring Promise is currently conducting an 11 week disaster response event with health and government partners in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Honduras. In this video a MH-60S Sea Hawk delivers patients to U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort, off the coast of Columbia 27NOV2018:
UH-60M Black Hawks from the California Army National Guard’s Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, assisted with fighting the deadly Camp Fire in Butte County.
The U.S. Navy inspected the hospital in Koa Moana to learn about the island nation’s ability to handle humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, 15NOV2018.