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Show Pane It Mil. I. TOP T1MKS August 1.5. 1!7 eapons Control Systems Shop Shares Victory With Aircrews David Holding SSgi. L,eroy Simmons made history one day in Southeast Asia while working on an F-- 4 Phantom jet. The By Capt. three shifts, giving around the there is Wing's Avionics Maintenance Squadron. According to Sergeant Simmons. - the work is different here from overseas. "The paperwork takes a lot of time and is a real headache, but we've got to keep them flying". The routine begins when a part is broken and brought to their shop. is working part from immediately requested supply and bench checked on the radar mock-up- s as a last Once checked out, pr c:iution. the part is replaced in the airplane. Then the job of trouble shooting the part, repairing it, and returning it to the supply area Working conditions in building 219 sometimes makes the job a little harder. for the "The mock-up- s Located in building 219, the weapons control systems shop repairs and maintains the APQ-10radar system used in and guiding sidewinder firing air-to-a- ir F-4- C 388th for the Avionics Maintenance Squadron 'A.MSt of the 388th TFW. Regarding his job. Sergeant come from many backgrounds and cultures. They dedicate their lives to serving their country, do their jobs well and provide for their families. Contreras states "I like the and our organization. Everyone is getting along pretty good in the wing as a whole and AMS has to be one of the best squadrons in Tactical Air Command". job. SMSgt. Xavier Contreras is such a person. Sergeant Contreras is the mission systems branch chief and supervises 51 technicians Rl - ' ft "; . : has not always been go gofxj. RciulK Discrimination Born and raised in Bay Town. Tex.. Sergeant Contreras remembers some discrimination because of his Iatin American heritage. "When I was in grade school. had to go to a segregated school. We saw the other kids bussed right past 1 s. Aspiring Vocalist Simmons Sergeant . us. They said it was because we didn't speak enough English. But when we got to junior high, they put the Anglo and Latin kids in the same school anyway." Joins The Air Force Then he added. "By the way. that grade school no longer exists". After high school Sergeant Contreras joined the Air Force to see the He world. completed By Sgt. Itohrrt Scott July was a good month for MSgt. Donald H. Barker ami his family. Both he and his ,. ' & , ' daughter were promoted. Barker was Sergeant informed of his selection for '' : ,; , ; '' , h-- tut tan, Km tntni4c-v- l : ' " , '' X k second I to the ' ' ' Leroy Simmons repair an APQ - 109 Radar System of an F-- 4 Fisher) practices singing! He makes his debut as the vocalist for "Pheel Phree" at the NCO Club Aug. 27 airman Pitts? He says hobbies are "girls, dancing, and having a good time". Regardless of where thev And his work or how they spend their spare time, the weapons systems people feel pride in their work. As expressed by Sergeant Simmons, "when an aircrew makes a kill, it's our victory as much as theirs. If our systems don't work, it's mighty hard to win a fight". weapons system technician school and was sent to Japan. Sergeant Contreras' philosophy about ethnic backgrounds and the Air Force is simple. "I don't believe in any favors or discrimination because of a person's race or background. If someone is capable of doing then he should have it." a job. "I'm proud of my heritage. Overall, in the last 15 years I've be-oin the service. I haven't found prejudice agaiast me because of what am. F-10- 6 F-4- E aircraft. ' lieutenant She since January. l'.7 earned her commission after receiving a degree in nursing from the University of Nevada at Reno. if I at 388th Tactical Fighter Wing where be is thelactlfal Air Command representative to the Air Force I.ogist jes Commands ontrrras on a diit air Maintenance Squadron, wraponsststrm control con I The mission of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing is to "fly and fight". With personnel of hispanic heritage like Sergeant Contreras. the mission is being accomplished today. Other overseas assignments have been to Thailand and the Philippines. Most of his 22 years in the service were and spent working on the Whiteman AFB Mo. was promoted to first lieutenant. Sergeant Barker is assigned .: lC'Strjhrn Hudson nf the At tonic , promotion to senior master sergeant at the Wing Commanders Stand 'p meeting last month His daughter. Debra J. Barker. ,t , ' S?"' , Air Force Promotions Come In Pairs For Barker Father, Daughter Team A v r Aim., i Pitts enjoy repairing the radar scopes that show the 'Vi ' , ' Both Sergeant Simmons and 'M s:.. 'v- aiV-r-; However, Airman Pitts says-h- e AIC Richard J. Pitts and SSgt. likes his job. "I really enjoy fighter. LSAF Photo by Etsil working with the people here. I asked to work in the shop instead of the flight line. On the flight line, you learn more about the plane, but in here attack and search display, the you learn more about the power supply to the antenna, electronic equipment. and working with tubes, However, just after I arrived, resistors, diodes, and more. What do weapons control my first job was to scrub and wax the floors, and clean the systems technicians do in windows and pipes". their spare time? J ?' ks tf feet 1 . V life However, , i Richard J. Pitts, who works for Sergeant Simmons agrees: "We do need a controlled environment when are on. both of the mock-up- s now we all have are Right fans. It will be nice to get into our new building". A1C Personnel Come From Numerous Backgrounds, Cultures TFW By ('apt. Datid Hofeling Personnel in the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) s g . missiles. y comes non-workin- 9 1 Environment Needed Co n t roiled A Today, Sergeant Simmons is the day shift supervisor for the weapons control systems shop in the 388th Tactical Fighter and D models generate a lot of heat. On a hot summer day, the temperature in here can reach over 100 degrees," said Sergeant Simmons. Increased Paperwork The next day, Captain Steve Ritchie used that same plane to make his fifth and sixth MIG kills, and became the Air Force's only pilot ace of the Vietnam conflict. sparrow normal shift no rotation. weapons control systems technician. Sergeant Simmons repaired the plane's APQ-10- 9 radar system used to guide missiles to their targets. and -- clock service. However, - A From Vietnam to Hill technicians work in firs with SMt. C fostrr fur lh' l"SF '.. jrrvfinl B l".(sj Photo ,. . .. Consolidated Command PoM here ;it Hill Lieutenant Barker is a registered nurse at the Whiteman AFP, Hospital 'w heretic ,La. Jaw. V'VU lKn.v.,, ,.IU. l.Jr.IiarltT' |