CombatACE: Headed North (Updated) - CombatACE

Well, I'm currently in BWI awaiting our early morning ride to Thule AB. Hopefully I'll have fair connectivity at Thule to keep in check with the community here. On the plus side, I can't wait to get there; I've really been looking forward to it, and am finally on the cusp of arriving. On the negative, the next set of (true) Hoser Stories will have to wait a while...

-Update and a Hoser Story-

Well, I've been here for just over a month now, and I can't believe it has been this long. I also can't believe that, thanks to the storm season, it has taken this long to get spun up and qualified on our system! I have completed training and I can finally operate the mighty AN/FPS-132V3 radar.

Regarding the weather, it has been around the -50F region here, though I understand Minot has been about as cold as us recently. Aparently in February, we can get as cold as (or colder than) -70F, where we are told, exposed skin can begin to freeze in about 15 seconds! Looking forward to that...but at least the sun will finally show back up around that time. On the brighter side, 12SWS is comprised of some of the most awesome people I've met. We are a small squadron, roughly 30 in size, so we see the same people just about every day. As with most of space command, we work very closely with the Enlisted side.

And here's another Hoser story for you all (as Sixgun mentioned is his favorite):

Hoser is the only US Navy pilot cleared for flight with a big toe for a thumb. How'd that happen? During the early 1980's, Hoser got called out of retirement by SECNAV Lehman himself to be the gunnery phase leader for the F-14RAG. He held this position until around 1989, in time to fly the newly engined F-14B. Sometime around here, Hoser obtained a 20mm Vulcan Cannon barrel, which he crafted into a breach-loading cannon for home research. Well, during one firing, the breach failed, exploded, and took Hoser's thumb with it! Knowing that he couldn't fly without a thumb, he had one of his big toes transplanted. The first didn't take, but the second one did. Showing that he could operate the aircraft, and select weapons on the stick, Hoser was cleared for flight with the big toe. The name "Toeser" was coined, but it didn't stick. (EDIT; found the actual date) This accident happened in 1989, right around when Hoser was transitioning to the F/A-18 as his final mount.


Hoser's affection for firearms and weapons in general hasn't died down either. Recently, he created a bow/gun running on high-pressure air, to shoot an arrow at tremendous speeds. Having learned from his 20mm explosion, Hoser up-armored the device around areas the air feed could fail or explode, so that in the event of a failure, his thumb won't have to be replaced by another body part...

That's all for now.