On February 1st, 2000, I retired from the USAF after 20 years’ service. My primary job whilst in the service was “Electronic Warfare Systems Technician”. That means that I worked on a wide variety of equipment that included radar jammers, radar detectors, flare and chaff dispensers, and a few items that were only peripherally related to such (example: 1970s-vintage minicomputers). At one point in my career I even worked in a bunker about 40 feet or so beneath the ground. Fun stuff, that, but only in retrospect. It’s fun to say you worked in an “armored fortress”, but the reality was: no windows. Even if there were windows, you’d still only see dirt, worms and ants. I worked on equipment that ranged in sophistication from “Flintstones tech” to “a bit beyond the bleeding edge”.
I was unemployed for a while once I got out, but now have a job working on the top of a Mesa about 50 miles west of here (Clovis, NM). I work for a company that took over the job of “electronic combat training” for the AF. What this means is that we shoot radar at the planes, monitor what their EW (Electronic Warfare) transmitters do, and see if they’re “jinking” (flying erratically so the missiles, bullets, and/or lawn furniture hurled at them will miss). Finally, I get to see what the systems I worked on in action.
Sometimes we even get to shoot “Smoky Sams” at the planes. A Smoky Sam is a styrofoam missile about 2 feet long that we shoot off a small launch platform. They travel a couple thousand feet into the air, and are designed to disintegrate harmlessly if the plane actually hits one or sucks it into its intake. It isn’t a guided missile, so we always get a sense of accomplishment (and a little thrill) when it looks like the plane actually dodged our missile. We can’t aim the thing, so our only control is when we launch it. Good, clean fun, that!
If you told me a few months ago that I’d be getting paid to shoot off fireworks, Id’ve thought you were lying/crazy/both. Ain’t life grand?
–Baloo