VA 305 The Pendulum Swings in the Other Direction

Anyone want to guess what my favorite duty station was during the twenty year career? In the previous post, the reader surely noticed things didn't go too well in my last two years in VA 303. Getting transferred to VA 305 changes everything.

The orders read, "Report for duty by 0800 on 30 June 1974." The problem is, I'm running late and having trouble finding where NAS Point Mugu, and VA 305 exactly are located. After a couple of unsuccessful tries to find them, using a roadside payphone to call the VA 305 Duty Office for a verbal check-in works great. Plus they have accurate directions on what road to take to get to NAS and where VA 305's Duty Office is located on the base. Driving into VA 305's parking lot twenty minutes later sets the tone for what the next two plus years will be like. Standing in the parking lot is a welcoming twosome. It's the squadron Officer-In-Charge and the Maintenance Chief. They are happy to have me! This definitely isn't VA 303! The Chief says, "Your reputation  precedes you." I'm wondering if that's the good reputation or one from Chief Griggs. With that welcome, it must be the good rep!

After a few minutes of chit-chat, the Chief introduces me to the AE shop where I'll be working for AEC Deckard. Except Chief Deckard knows I'm senior to all the men assigned to the shop and have years of work center supervisor experience. Chief Deckard informs them I'll be taking his place as work center supervisor and he'll be working on implementing new safety policies recently required by Naval Aviation. In Sep of 1974, VA 305 deploys to NAS Fallon, NV for two weeks. We love going to Fallon! It's a small city with several small casinos where us broke sailors can place dime bets on the craps tables and dollar bets on blackjack. Plus we are all targets for many of the single gals who live in small town Fallon and are looking for a way out.

A few months later the new chief petty officer promotion list is published. Ten names. Again, AE1 Lambert isn't on it. Two months later, one name is added. AE1 Lambert to AEC. Delayed meritorious promotion for technical proficiency. Promotion delayed to 16 Feb 1975. Immediate frocking to CPO. Shock! What the hell is frocking?  Frocking means you can wear the uniform immediately but don't get the increased pay until 16 Feb 1975. Still a good deal because wearing the uniform immediately changes your status.

Feb-Aug 1975
Lieutenant junior grade Jimmie C. Nuss is VA 305's Maintenance Officer and he decides his new boot chief should have a desk in the Maintenance Office right next to him. That enables the new chief to fulfill his new job as the Assistant Administrative Maintenance Chief. That's called instant credibility. If it comes from me, everyone knows it's really coming from Mr. Nuss.

     First project: Establish an On-The-Job Training Program for the entire maintenance department and ensure accurate documentation. That takes a few months.
   
Second project: Manage the funding for maintenance training schools. Design the program so someone else can take it over after the program is established, funded, and it works. That also takes a few months.

While these projects are in work, I'm also keeping an eye on the aircraft electrician work center. There's some good men in the shop and it runs pretty smooth.

In the office one day, Lt Nuss looks over his shoulder and asks, "Do you know an AE1 Gross?" AE1 George Gross of the Griggs and Gross show has orders to VA 305. "Yes I do, we were both in VA 303's electric shop under Chief Gross." "So what do you think of him?" My revenge to Gross for the Griggs and Gross Show was to realize that he was in a tough spot, caught in the crossfire between Chief Griggs and me. I told Lt Nuss that AE1 Gross was an excellent electrician, a very capable supervisor, and would be an asset to VA 305. "With Gross here, there's no need for me to continue to monitor the electricians."

When George arrived at VA 305, Chief Lambert greeted him in the parking lot, shook his hand, welcomed him to the squadron, and introduced him to the aircraft electricians in the work center as their new supervisor. He was a little nervous in the first few months but soon settled in and performed in his usual competent manner.

 





 
    Third project: Assigned to the A7 Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) and Automatic Carrier Landing System (ACLS) Engineering  Investigation Team. The team consists of three commissioned officers with engineering degrees and AEC Lambert as the technical maintenance expert. They were looking for what might have caused some unsolved accidents with those systems. This went on for a few weeks for me. In a few months the results of the study was published. In typical officer fashion, they recommend changes to some maintenance practices and skill training for maintenance personnel. All their recommendations except one, come from my personal manual I developed and used for years to train people. The simplified diagrams, the step by step troubleshooting procedures, and was signed by the three officers.

    Fourth project: Establish an Aircraft Carrier Flight Deck Fire Fighting School at NAS Point Mugu. Procure the equipment, obtain a salvaged aircraft to train on, write the curriculum, and teach the classes. I hate fire fighting. But, Lt Nuss wants it done and done it will be. It's amazingly easy. My orders state all fire fighting personnel on all west coast Navy bases will render assistance to get this training program developed. Funny thing, traveling from base to base, the orders never have to be mentioned or shown. Ask and the answer is, "Sure Chief, we have this and that, etc. Easy. Pretty soon I have everything needed. Fire protection clothing, hoses, nozzles, excerpts from manuals, everything. Soon the curriculum is written, an aircraft carrier flight deck is marked out on an unused concrete ramp, and it's time to teach the first class. Reprieve! A new chief, even newer than me, Aviation Fire Control Technician (AQC) McDaniels reports to VA 305, and Lt Nuss puts him in charge of the fire fighting program because he has ANOTHER project waiting. Guess who gets that project? How important is this school? Look at these photos and decide for yourself.

    Fifth project: Win a Bombing Derby against other Navy squadrons.

VA 305's Commanding Officer, the Officer in Charge, and LTjg Nuss have been discussing how can VA 305 win, not just participate in, a Bombing Derby Competition against the other Navy West Coast A7 squadrons?  A plan is formulated. Their consensus is to designate Chief Lambert as the 200 Division Chief, giving me authority over work center 220 the aircraft electricians, work center 210 the electronics technicians, and work center 230 the fire control technicians. Eventually a fourth work center, work center 240, the Integrated Weapons Team will be formed. All systems that integrate with the weapons release systems from work centers 210, 220, and 230 will be assigned to work center 240. Those systems will be maintained and tested by work center 240, the Integrated Weapons Team. Commonly called the IWT Team.

First step: Chief Lambert attends Conventional Weapons Release Systems School at NAS Lemoore, CA. That's necessary because those systems are the province of the Ordnance Division, not the aircraft electrician work center. It's a short five day school. Conventional weapons are missiles, rockets, bombs, aircraft 20mm cannons, any non-nuclear weapons. After completing the school, I start picking the electricians, electronics techs, fire control techs, and an ordnance technician for the IWT Team and start training them to work as a team capable of performing inter-related jobs. After a few months, I have to switch the team leader position. My first choice as team leader turned out to perform better as a technician than in the more authoritative team leader position. After completing the school, I become the 200 Division Chief and form the IWT team members. We start cross training on each others systems.

Second step: Carrier qualify the pilots. The Bombing Derby will take place aboard an aircraft carrier. Our pilots normally takeoff and land on runways. NOV 1975, VA 305 deploys to the U.S.S. Lexington off of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Master Chief Peters (E9) designates me as the Flight Deck Control Chief for VA 305 pilots and aircraft. We have two Master Chiefs (E9) and two Senior Chiefs (E8) and I'm to run our flight deck activities, takeoffs and landings, and aircraft hanger placements using Closed Circuit TV, and co-ordinate maintenance flight deck personnel? "Are you sure Master Chief?" Master Chief Peters said, "Since you've been briefing and debriefing the pilots for months now, they have faith in you. And so do I." The Flight Deck Control Chief works inside the island on the aircraft carrier flight deck. It's a small room with a large model of the carrier flight deck and the aircraft hangers below the flight deck. As Flight Deck Control, you MUST know where all twelve of your airplanes are at all times. You have closed circuit TV, but the real way you keep track, is with 12 small plastic airplanes numbered 1 through 12. If your aircraft is on the flight deck you put that model on the flight deck. Your aircraft that are in the hangers, those models are in the hanger. Aircraft number 5 is on the elevator, model number 5 is on the elevator. When an aircraft is airborne, you take that aircraft off the carrier model. Low tech solution to a high tech issue! Once in awhile you step outside the island to solve a problem or co-ordinate a maintenance activity. That structure sticking up in the air behind the A7 that's ready to launch, is the island.

Third step: After many months of training the IWT team, NAS Lemoore's CWTPI team informs VA 305 that they are coming to perform a CWTPI. This is a tough Conventional Weapons Technical Proficiency Inspection. No reserve squadron has ever passed one. The reason we requested the inspection is because we want to WIN the upcoming Bombing Derby aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ranger! LT Nuss informs me that the IWT Supervisor has to pass a written test on the Ordnance Manual and that it's a tough test. If I don't pass the written test, VA 305 automatically fails the CWTPI. And I'm not an Ordnance Chief. "No problem Mr Nuss, I don't fail tests." He laughs, "I know Chief, that's why you're the team supervisor."

The CWTPI supervisor talks to me the day before I take the written test and tells me that that while no non-ordnance person has passed the test, LT Nuss and the Ordnance Chief have faith in me and he wishes me well. My test score was an 86 and and the CWTPI inspector is all smiles and congratulates that success. He then reviews how the performance test will be conducted. That afternoon the actual performance test is performed on one of our aircraft. Everything goes as it should. The only glitch is a two foot long coax wire is defective. This is a fairly common occurrence. My IWT leader is trained to have a spare lead in his shirt pocket. He looks at me, I nod my head yes, he replaces the lead, and the system works. The next day we are informed that we failed the test because the crew leader did not report the failure to me. The lead inspector said, "Reporting is verbal, it isn't a look and a nod." The chief inspector decides we can re-perform the entire CWTPI inspection and this time we pass with flying colors! VA 305 is the first reserve squadron to pass a CWTPI! Most of our pilots are reserves. We have a lot of pilots and they fly seven days a week. Most of enlisted personnel are on active duty.

Fourth step: Nov 7-22, 1976. The Bombing Derby Competition on board the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ranger. Our aircraft are flown to NAS North Island, CA where any maintenance needed is performed. The Ranger is docked at San Diego Naval Station. The maintenance people report on board the Ranger where we locate and set up our work spaces on the ship. We are scheduled to leave port that evening. The pilots will fly the aircraft out to the carrier at sea the following day. Whoops! One of the ships boilers breaks down and the Ranger can't leave port until tomorrow morning. We can leave the ship and go into town! One of our chiefs lives in El Cajon, east of San Diego. He invites four of us out to his house for dinner with his wife and kids. Great dinner and a great time! At 10pm we head back to the Ranger. The guy driving, and who owns the car, wants to stop at the Palomino Club in National City to have "one" beer and dance with a pretty girl. None of the rest of us want to but it's his car, sooo, stop we do. Two and one-half hours later, we still can't get him out of there. It's now 12:30am. There's one really cute gal who doesn't accept any dance offers. Always shakes her head no. I realize I'll never see this gal again if I don't talk to her, and probably won't anyway. I walk over to her table and comment, "You're not dancing with anyone but I thought I'd ask you anyway." She says, "I've been waiting for you to ask me for for two hours." Her name is Frances. Forty one years later we are still together.

We all have to get back to the Ranger and get a few hours sleep. It will be fun to watch the ship's Captain get the ship away from the pier and head out to sea. Except the ship still has a boiler issue. While they work on the boilers, our day is spent setting up our work spaces, laying out spare parts, acquainting ourselves with the ship, and shopping at the ship's small store. The next day we are out to sea and the Bombing Derby commences. The IWT team has very few issues. We run two eight hour shifts and I'm there most of both shifts. When VA 305 is flying, I'm briefing pilots in the officer's wardroom before and after each flight, and I'm working Flight Deck Control in the island. The IWT team is pretty much on their own but they handle it well.

One night while our pilots are practicing night carrier landings, I'm watching Commander Mike Plattis on the closed circuit TV coming in for a landing. His approach doesn't look good and it isn't. He's too far to the left of the flight deck and the aircraft slams aboard only partially on the deck, slides off the port side of the ship and into the sea. The rescue helicopter is up instantly and spot his parachute. They latch onto the chute but can't pull it out of the water. The weight starts pulling the helo down towards the water and they have to release the chute. We think Commander Plattis popped the aircraft canopy and the parachute but was still strapped in his cockpit seat. That night we held a shipboard memorial for him. It's a sad time and reminds us we all work in dangerous profession.

After the bombing competition results are tabulated and the results are published, VA 305 is the first reserve squadron to win a competition! The squadron is awarded a Unit Commendation Award and we all get to wear a shiny new medal on our dress uniforms!

Just prior to the Bombing Derby Competition, I Get a phone call from Bureau of Naval Personnel asking if I would accept an early transfer back to NAS Alameda, CA. Diane Doris, Cheryl, and Carl Lambert all live there. Much as I love VA 305, much as I hate to leave, much as I realize staying here will further launch my career and promotion to senior and master chief, my family is more important.

March 1, 1977 The Navy transfers me to Helicopter Squadron Eighty Five at NAS Alameda, CA.

Back on Active Duty

It's March 1969 and NAS Alameda has a P2V squadron. A second class petty officer with three years experience is the aircraft electric shop supervisor. That's the reason for the recall to active duty. Getting a first class petty officer with  many years of aircraft maintenance and supervisor experience is exactly what they need. The men in the shop are a great bunch of guys and visibly happy to have a new supervisor that will take the pressure off of them. We work together to update our maintenance, documentation, and training procedures. Particularly enjoyable is a two week deployment to Naval Air Station Barbers Point on Oahu, Hawaii. Of course we rent a car on our days off and encircle the island with it. The tropical weather is great, driving over the mountains to the north shore is great, the Pearl City Tavern with wahines swimming in the glass pool behind the bar is great. Hell, everything is great! The two weeks go by too fast! 1969 was one great year. In Feb 1970 we learn all the P2V's are being sent to other Navy P2V squadrons. Most of the electricians are either due for discharge or are assigned short term duties on base until their discharge dates. Surprise, surprise. AE1 Lambert is sent to NAS Lemoore, CA for technical training on the A4 Skyhawk attack aircraft. The Navy is forming two new A4 squadrons, VA303 and VA304, at NAS Alameda. The A in VA and A4 means attack. The schools are to ensure my qualifications to be the electric shop supervisor on the A4s. By May, all the P2Vs are gone and the A4s are arriving. By June all twelve A4s are here. There are billets for nine aircraft electricians. Three of the nine have men assigned to them. AE1 Lambert, AE3 Woods, and AE3 Lopez. Neither Woods or Lopez have ever worked on an aircraft. Lopez worked on yellow ground support equipment and Woods repaired black boxes.  VA 304 has all nine electricians. A little favoritism there. It's not a problem. Woods and Lopez are smart, they learn quick, and they remember what they learn. Soon they start figuring out how to solve electrical problems on their own. We work from 7am until the last evening flights take off. Then it's time to go home and don't answer the phone. At 7am the next morning we are back at it. The first time all 12 Skyhawks taxi out and take off one after the other is a thrilling sight! Then in August 1970 we deploy all 12 aircraft to the aircraft carrier USS Lexington off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.  It's my first time on a carrier because all my other squadrons flew large land based aircraft. It's another exciting interesting experience. A few months later AE1 Gross checks into VA303 and he has A4 experience! Now we are four. Both of us first class petty officers were promoted in Nov 1964. We are equals and make all decisions jointly. In Nov and Dec of 1970, several more electricians are ordered into VA303 because the squadron will transition from the A4 Skyhawk to the newer more modern and complicated A7 Corsair aircraft. All of us attend two months of A7 technical training at NAS Lemoore, CA. Lemoore is the home base for the A7s on the west coast. Having them at NAS Alameda is an expansion of the A7 fleet. The Corsairs start arriving and flying in May 1971. We fly planes out of both Alameda and Lemoore. By Oct 1971 we are all experienced A7 technicians. VA303 deploys to Naval Air Station, Fallon, NV for weapons delivery practice for the pilots in 1971, 1972, and 1973. It's an intense flight schedule of sixteen hour days and it's a lot of fun. Most of us love being in Fallon. The deployments vary between two weeks and a month. We spend quite a bit of time there. 1970 and 1971 were fun, educational, exciting, and harmonious years.

A4 Skyhawk

A7 Corsair

Then Chief Aviation Electrician (E7) Griggs is transferred to VA303. Chief Griggs is the Division Chief for all the Avionics Shops. Electronics, electricians, and fire control technicians. In 1972 all hell breaks loose. Because he's a Chief electrician, he wants to work on the aircraft electrical problems. It's his right as the boss to do that. Right? Except the A7 is a sophisticated airplane. Way different than anything else in its day.

Is Chief Griggs willing to attend the A7 tecnical schools? No
Does he read the manuals before working on a system? No
Does he read the wiring diagram for the system? No
Does he find the correct problem before he tells the E8 in Maintenance Control what has to be done to fix it? No
Do I have to explain to the E8 why Chief Griggs is wrong? Yes
Does that make me popular with Chief Griggs? No
Is this a serious problem? It sure becomes one.

Chief Griggs decides AE1 Gross and AE1 Lambert are no longer equals. AE1 Gross is the shop supervisor and AE1 Lambert is assigned to the night shift "where you can cause less trouble." Pretty soon it's the Griggs and Gross show and Lambert is O.U.T.

Two E8s, Senior Chief Mechanic DeAngelo and Senior Chief Electrician McWilliams start shielding me from Chief Griggs' comments to Maintenance Control during the day shift. Chief Griggs lowers my evaluations for promotion. DeAngelo and McWilliams do what they can but Griggs is my boss. The message is clear. Time to stop screwing around and make sure I make Chief myself.

Then the Griggs and Gross show fucks up big time. They wire an A7's emergency generator incorrectly. I try to warn them that the emergency generator on the A7 is not the same as other aircraft. "Lambert, do not go anywhere near that aircraft!"

That A7 requires a test flight. When the test pilot deploys the emergency generator at 22,000 feet, the aircraft snap rolls and spins out of control. The pilot recovers at 4000 feet altitude and makes an emergency landing. There's an accident investigation and report filed by Chief Griggs and approved by the Commanding Officer. It states, "The AE1 on the night shift failed to adequately and correctly test the emergency generator system." Senior Chief DeAngelo points out that he was working that night and that he did not assign me to work on that aircraft. He also points out that the repair order was performed by day shift personnel, inspected, signed, and supervised by the day shift. When I confront Chief Griggs, he just smiles.

This is partly my fault. I was eligible to take the exam for Chief Petty Officer in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1971. Didn't bother to take it for whatever stupid reasons. Now I'm motivated. The next five exams, two per year, my test scores are number 1, 2, or 3 top score. The lists are published for promotion. My name isn't on them. The evaluations continue to suffer and there's that accident report.

The stress of continuing to be under Chief Griggs thumb is so bad, Diane Doris files for divorce. The damage to our marriage was probably not repairable. In a year, the divorce is final.

June 1974. Orders arrive for transfer to VA305 at Point Mugu, Naval Air Station, CA.

Troubling Years Ahead

VW-1 Power Struggles

There's a difference between power and authority. The man on the left is wearing the working uniform of a first class petty officer . The man on the right is wearing the working uniform of a chief petty officer. A first class petty officer is an E6. A chief is an E7. A chief has way more authority than a first class. That change in authority is illustrated by the change in uniform. The Navy is the only service in which you change uniforms when you are promoted to E7. Authority and power aren't the same thing. Power also comes from what position you hold. As an E6, I have a lot of power because of the duties assigned to the position of Operations Department Supervisor, but not much authority. There in lie the troubles ahead.

The Chief Aircraft Electrician (E7) in charge of the aircraft electric shop comes into the Operations Office and asks me to give up this job and work in the electric shop. That Operations Supervisor is a career enhancing position that will likely help attain future promotions seems to escape him. And the explanation that this is likely the only chance for me to do something different than be an aircraft electrician, falls on deaf ears. The third time he asks and gets the same answer, he gets angry and tries to get the squadron Master Chief to make the transfer for him. The Master Chief tells him that he can't force the change to happen. When I walk to the electric shop days later and ask the chief to borrow a meter to check the electrical system on my car, he refuses to loan me one. "Chief, if you don't want to loan me one, fine. I'll just buy one at Radio Shack." He says, "Ok, you can borrow one. Be sure you bring it back."

The senior Flight Engineer is also a chief petty officer (E7) and a grizzled veteran who frequently comes into the Operations Office and comments about how flight pay is issued and controlled, or how tax-free bonuses are administered. He clearly resents some of my decisions. Explaining that the policies come straight from the pay manual doesn't matter. He wants it done the way it used to be. He only comes in when no one else is in the office.  So he's aware that he's out of line. The best defense seems to be to listen to his ongoing tirades and simply not answer.

NAS Agana's Medical Department reports to the Senior Chief Petty Officer (E8) in charge of VW-1's Administrative Office that AE1 (E6) Lambert refuses to comply with a requirement from medical. He asks me to report to him. At his office he explains medical's complaint. "Senior Chief, the regulations do not state that the Medical Department's complaint is valid." "They say it is required." "Senior Chief, the regulation does not state that the Medical Dept's request is required. It says it is desired." "I always read the regulations myself instead of believing what people tell me."

VW-1's Training Department also has a Senior Chief Petty Officer (E8) as the Department Head. After a year in the Operations office, an administrative inspection team is inspecting his records and discovers that AE1 Lambert's training record is blank. He gets dinged for that and can't explain why I've had no training. Specifically me not taking the first class swimming test. He tells the inspection team that "I refused to take the test." The inspection team reports to LTjg Howorth, a junior officer in the Operations Dept, that I have refused to take the test. Howorth comes into the office, fire engine red in the face because he got his ass chewed, and grills me about "not taking the test." The mistake is, he does it in front of the ten guys who work for me. Praise in public, censure in private. Apparently Howorth is unaware of that basic principal of leadership.
"Mr Howorth, no one has ever mentioned that test to me."
"The Senior Chief says that you refused to take it."
"The Senior Chief has not asked, nor does Navy regulations require you to pass the first class swimming test." "You are required to pass the third class test, but not the first class." "Flight crews have to pass the first class test." I am not on a flight crew . "I know all this because as soon as I heard about this so-called refusal, I looked up the regulations and read them." Mr Howorth threatens me with discipline at 7am the next morning. All the guys are at work BEFORE 7am to see what Howorth does. 7am comes, 7am goes. Same for 8 and 9am. Ho hum. It's over. This seemingly unrelenting work stress is spread over two years.

VW-1 Stress at Home
Once Diane Doris arrived on Guam, we had some problems. The way I solved the problems didn't please Diane. The solutions made sense to me but not to her. There were two incidents involving the safety of Carl and Cheryl, our two small children. At 25 years old, justice is swift. With the accuracy of hindsight, the situations could have been handled less harshly with equal effectiveness. However, at the time, anger, not compassion, was running the show. We had a cat that would attack the kids bare legs and scratch them. It was a daily occurrence. One day it bit AND scratched Carl. Bye bye cat. The other incident was we had sponsored a student from tiny Palau so he could attend the College of Guam. He proved to be unreliable and was sent back to the Sponsor Agency. No explanation, just not keeping him. He may very well work out with a different family.

All through junior high school and high school Jimmy Tebo was my very best friend. While on Guam, my dad sent a newspaper clipping. Jimmy Tebo was killed in a car wreck running from the police. That would be Jimmy all right. Probably looking over his shoulder and laughing like a maniac. Always crazy like that. A visual of him running from them ran through my head. It was lingering depression for a long time. We had named our pet cat Tebo. The one that scratched the kids legs. It was a tough time.

With all the troubles at home and at work, taking the test for promotion to chief petty officer is forgotten in 1966 and 1967. The time just slips by. Diane Doris doesn't want to spend a third year on Guam. She wants off the rock. Diane's parents are complaining about not seeing their daughter and grandchildren for years at a time. In 1967, re-enlistment is not an option. Orders for discharge at Naval Station Treasure Island, CA are written. In April of 1967, after eight years and seven months, I'm a civilian.

Why did the Navy career end after eight years and seven months?
1. The challenges at work at VW-1.
2. The issues at home on Guam.
3. Diane Doris's parents comment that they don't see their daughter and grandkids because we are always stationed far from Massachusetts.
4. Diane wants off the rock (Guam), to be close to her parents, and to get a job where she can utilize her college business degree.
5. Plus I'm pretty beat down in general. Getting a civilian job seems like a viable option.

Troubles in the Civilian Years
It's easy to get a job at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in Hartford, CT. The Air Force F-111B is a new aircraft they are flying. It turns out that it's under powered and needs a more powerful engine to meet the required performance parameters. Pratt and Whitney manufacturers the powerful TF-30 turbofan engine. The plan is to see if Pratt and Whitney can shoehorn the TF-30 engine into the F-111B and will it solve the low power issues without over stressing the aircraft's airframe. If the conversion is successful, it means a lot of money for Pratt and Whitney. A continuing problem with the TF-30 conversion is a cockpit indicator reading that vibrates instead of displaying a steady reading on engine run up and in flight. The electric shop has been working on this problem for months with no success. The F-111 is the first swept wing aircraft. The F-111A goes to the Air Force. The Navy gets a strengthened version for aircraft carrier operations.

The dynamics of working at Pratt and Whitney is sure different than being in the Navy. The old timers are sure reluctant to allow the baby faced kid to assign jobs to the new guy. The baby face probably doesn't help. It's pretty boring to not have much to do. Months later the supervisor agrees to allow me to work on the indication problem. Likely so they can laugh when the cause isn't found. It took about an hour to find what was wrong. The mounting bracket for a thermocouple that sends a signal to the cockpit indicator is too flimsy, causing the indicator to vibrate at various engine power settings and flight attitudes. There aren't any warm fuzzies from the old timers for finding the fix for the problem. Engineering has a stronger bracket built and installed. No more vibration indications. Welcome to being assigned shit jobs.

Kaman Aircraft Corporation, Bloomfield, CT

In Nov 1967 Kaman Aircraft Corporation runs an ad in the Hartford newspaper for an aircraft Quality Control Electrical Inspector. Take a test and ace it. Personnel has a inspector come to the office, escort me to production facility for a walk through and an interview. The next day I'm working. Kaman Aircraft builds, overhauls, and updates UH-2C helicopters for the Navy and Air Force. Their other helicopter is the twin rotor HH-43B helo flown by the Air Force.

HH-43B

UH-2C

Shortly after being hired and after feeling comfortable on the job, the opportunity presents itself to join the Naval Air Reserve. One weekend a month and two weeks a year working on P2V aircraft again at Naval Air Station South Weymouth, Massachusetts. Wearing first class stripes again is fun! Maybe because it's only two days a month?

Fifteen months and three promotions after starting work at Kaman Aircraft, there's a production problem with the UH-2C tail rotor blades. Stopping the production line and referring the problem to engineering doesn't make the production foreman happy. Two weeks later, engineering has a fix. The fix is fine from an engineering stand point but it conflicts with the flight line maintenance procedure manuals used by Navy mechanics. For that reason I won't sign off on the fix. Weeks go by. The production foreman calls in a U.S. Navy Quality Assurance Inspector. He backs me up for the same reason I won't sign off on it. Production procedures are changed and the new rotor blades are now within specifications and being shipped to the fleet. Except for the ones I won't sign off. An engineer gets hold of an old K99 inspection stamp. That's my number and he uses it to sign off the bad rotor blades. I file a written protest against engineering, refuting the sign off. My foreman, Leon Moquin, goes ballistic over the protest, calls me into his office, and is hostile because Kaman will lose money on those tail rotor blades they can't sell. As Moquin is ranting and raving, the office phone starts ringing, his secretary answers the phone, interrupts Moquin, looks at me and says, "Curt it's someone in the Navy and he wants to talk to you." Moquin is pissed because he has to shut up. The call is from the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, DC. "Are you the Curtis Lambert who was a first class petty officer a couple of years ago?" Yes I am. "What do you do at Kaman Aircraft?" I'm quality control in production and on the flightline. "That tells me that you have both your technical and leadership skills intact." "Naval aviation has a shortage of senior petty officers." "We"d like you to volunteer to be recalled to active duty. We are desperate in some locations." That's a two stripe bust for me. I've been out over two years. "Not for you it isn't." "You pick up where you left off. You retain your original date of rank and therefore your time in service and seniority." When do I have have to decide? He says, "I'm calling people until I find a few."  "But you're our first choice as the most qualified guy on the list. That's why you get the time in rank and service deal." Two weeks later on March 24, 1969 I'm back on active duty at Naval Air Station, Alameda, CA.

A primary reason for returning to active duty was because Diane Doris's father accepted a promotion and a TRANSFER to Wisconsin. Apparently it's OK for him to not see his daughter and grandchildren if he's doing what he wants to further his career. That's after complaining for years about me taking her away to various duty stations.
I was pissed to say the least. Diane Doris is pissed at me because I didn't discuss my decision with her before agreeing to return to active duty. This would be an issue between us for many years. She loved our civilian life. I hated the Connecticut winters. She loved her job. I tolerated mine and could not imagine having to do it for thirty or forty more years. If the time was taken to discuss it with her, it's almost certain someone else would be on active duty instead of me. Taking that gamble wasn't acceptable. And it's too late now.