brymer-bio

July 63 - April 66: Assigned to Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, HQ Air Training Command (ATC). How can one do better than Randolph for a CONUS assignment?  Worked as a Staff Weenie for the whole time at the HQ true 8 to 5 job. Working with the Flying/Technical Training folks to ensure we had all the hardware in place at the right time in the right numbers. Good Boss, fine people, medium level TDY. Here we were blessed with a double goody; first, our son Scott in March 66, coupled with a follow on assignment back to Europe and HQ USAFE (United States Air Forces, Europe), Wiesbaden Germany! Randolph was great but our hearts were still in Europe.

May 66-July 69: HQ. USAFE/DCS/Material. I was Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Command Equipment Management Team among other duties. I had a team of NCO (Non Commissioned Officer) Super Stars from the: Aircraft Maintenance, Communications, Transportation, Special Purpose Vehicles, Support Services, and Munitions fields. The job was to validate unit equipment needs and wants. Since this team was drawn from NCO's who had been in the trenches, they leaned over backwards to give the units we visited what their unit leadership felt they needed. As a result the usual "We're here to help you -- We're glad to see you" in-briefing pronouncements were most often heartfelt by both sides. With a team of pros like I had, my job was a cakewalk. We were still on the road from Norway to Turkey and beyond about 18 days a month. Interesting job, new experiences, and places. It is great to be in a Tactical Command again and FABGORD have always had a love affair with Europe. During this tour we were blessed with having 'Frau Korte' who if you could design a 'Gross Mutti' it would be Korte. This permitted FABGORD to travel to those "non family" places in Europe -- We also did our share of family travel TDY schedule permitting. (THE KIDS THRIVED HERE IN WIESBADEN. BOTH FLORENCE’S  AND MY MOTHER HAD PASSED ON  AND FRAU KORTE WAS THE IDEAL GRANDMOTHER SUBSTITUTE FOR THE KIDS—THIS LADY RAN THE HOUSEHOLD. OUR KELLEY WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO AMERICAN CHILDREN WHO ATTENDED  ST.KIILIAN’S GERMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL. KELLEY WAS OUR GERMAN INTERPRETER AT AGE FIVE!) I was called in early 1969 for job interviews at the Air Force Academy (AFA) and the Air Staff. I was sure I didn't want them, and after the interviews I am pretty sure they didn't want me. In any event Air Staff and AFA assignments went by the boards when I went on the Gold Standard with my promotion and a class assignment to the Armed Forces Staff College (AFSC) in the late summer of 1969. Along with leaving Germany It was a heart breaker for FABGORD and the kids to say 'Auf Wiedersehen' to 'Oma' Korte -- Had her life not been dedicated to her adult Son she would have gone to the States with us and become a permanent member of the Brymer Clan...We were fortunate enough to be reunited with 'Oma' some years later..." July 1969 -- After a visit with our families in Canada, the Brymer Clan arrives Norfolk / AFSC -- Base Housing is provided right on campus a block from the School House so the move is a snap -- I am one lucky guy. What a great school. Sure it was the gentleman's party school, no tests etc., but in each seminar we had 5 Officers from each service with all line, combat, and supporting arms experience covered, plus an allied officer, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Weenie (no not Phillip BF) our very own Marine! Never, ever could one ever learn and prepare better for a joint and combined staff job in a Schoolhouse situation than AFSC. Our Field trips were to the United Nations in New York; The annual Brass Strike Firepower Demonstration at Fort Bragg; (put on for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, their guests and the Intermediate Senior Service School classes) Marine Brigade strength landing at Camp Lejeune; Out to the Forrestal underway off the East Coast to observe launch and recovery operations; show and tell on SSN "Ray" (Nuke Attack Boat) and on and on, the time literally flew by. Not much was left uncovered in the Joint Service Combined Arms /Unified Command operations area. Guess which one (in Mufti) in the Seminar picture is the Brit who was a Two Button at the time of the Falklands and very much engaged in that action effort. Funny story on Mike. When I got to Berlin in later years he called me from London and wanted me to send him a couple of watches for his kids -- No problem. To beat Her Majesty’s Customs Officers I pack up the watches address the package to Mike with his rank etc., and Whitehall Ministry of Defense address. Game plan was for my Pan American 727 Driver Buddy who flew out of Berlin to either drop the package off at the Ministry of Defense and meet Mike, or drop it in the post at Heathrow simple right? Well my buddy Henry Poppa (Naval Academy Grad and in the Active Air Force Reserve), overnights in London and the next morning goes down to breakfast at his hotel in Knightsbridge with the package which he intends to deliver to Mike at Whitehall. Henry is in the Cab at Whitehall when he realizes he left the package in the Hotel Dining Room. This is at a time of heavy IRA activity in London. Hank arrives back at the Hotel, which has been evacuated. Hank finally gets to the head Bobby who along with the Bomb Squad was elated to hear his story! You see in addition to the watches I included a slew of chocolate bars in the package and you can image what they saw on the portable x-ray device!!! Graduation and Viet Nam was rapidly approaching -- Talk about cooperate and graduate A Naval Aviator classmate got a cross country flight and flew me down to the Alamo City where I got a house outside the Gate at Randolph for the family to set up housekeeping for the separation period --  Our class at AFSC was literally still having our farewell parties when the moving trucks were puling out the front gate as we all lived on the AFSC School House grounds and we really made some fast and lasting friendships. I rate the AFSC experience as a high point of my career.   

February 70 - March 71: Assigned HQ Military Assistance Command, Viet Nam (MAC-V) (J42). About 70% of my AFSC class ended up on the MAC-V Joint Staff. With the exception of the Arc Light (B52 Strikes) HQ MAC-V pretty much dealt with ground force actions, leaving Air and Naval/Marine actions pretty much to the respective Headquarters at 7th Air Force, Commander, Naval Forces, Vietnam (COMNAVFORV), 3rd MAF (3rd Marine Amphibious Force) and their respective Advisory Units. As you all well know the Situation Room of the White House and the McNamara Whiz Kids were the source of all strategic/tactical wisdom!! Had the communications in the form of a Dick Tracey Wrist Radio had been available to that bunch they probably would have controlled squad level actions in the field direct! Shortly after the arrival of AFSC Class 46 hit Fort Fumbles The HQ MACV Joint Staff Warlords could not believe how smooth the staff actions were moving through the Fort all of a sudden--(Little did they realize the newly arrived crowd of Action Officer's had been partying together for six months!) I hasten to add here that the COMUSMAC-V, (Commander United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. General Creighton Abrams was a WAR TWO Warrior.  The General proved his metal as a Lt. Colonel in WAR TWO as Commanding Officer of Patton’s spearhead/ lead Armor Battalion (37th Armored) in Third Army’s dash across Europe and the relief of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne. I was privy to General Abrams conversion to Catholicism during my tour. The General had been an Agnostic all his life to that point — With the crowd in Washington running the war for him I guess any man in his position would turn to religion!

My bosses were a Naval Aviator, Captain John Schute, United States Navy (USN), and Major General Raymond Conroy, United States Army. Both real gems to serve under. They referred to each other as "Colonel and Admiral". My actions were Herbicides (not to be confused with Herbal Potions!) Agents Orange, Blue, White, Captured Crew Served Weapons, J42 MAC-V Log Liaison Officer to Korean Capital and Whitehorse Divisions, Blue Dragon / Dove Marine and Engineer Brigades, Aussie/Kiwi Field Force. Essentially I was tasked to sort out any knots that came up in the logistics support tail / pipeline to these allied forces -- and whatever other SLJ duties the "Skipper May Direct". Got lots of field time which as always reinforces ones respect for the grunts, God Bless Them. As a Rear Echelon Mother ------ (REMF), I did get to go along as an "Observer" on bomb runs with the RAAF's 2 Squadron Canberra’s . IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME FOR IT TO, HIT ME THAT ONLY PILOT & NAV/BOMB DROPPER  HAD EJECTION SEATS. EXCEPT ON THE BOMB RUN WHEN THE NAV/BOMB DROPPER LEFT HIS TANDEM SEAT TO PICKLE THE BOMB LOAD OFF ON HIS BELLY IN THE NOSE OF THE BIRD — OLE GORDO WAS QUICK TO JUMP IN AND KEEP HIS EJECTION SEAT WARM TILL THE RUNS WERE OVER. Compared to it’s population Australia made a sizeable contribution in Vietnam having 8,000 plus troops in country at all times. Their Field Force (Royal Australian Regiment) protected the eastern approaches to Saigon in Phuoc Tuy Province, consisting of Artillery, Armor, Infantry, Intra Country Tactical Airlift both fixed wing and helo along with Spruce Class Destroyers on the Gun Line. The Aussies faced up to the no win direction of the war and withdrew their forces before we did — I hasten to point out the  Aussies / Kiwis / Brits were responsible for the big win in Malaya over the communists — They knew how to fight the Vietnam War—take territory, make the civilian populace safe and free of corruption, by holding the ground and denying rice to the enemy—Some Aussies said to me "If Charles doth not eat, Charles doth not defecate and if Charles cannot  defecate — Charles dies!" As you know, if you didn’t laugh in Vietnam, you would surely cry if one dwelled on the criminal waste of the flowers of American youth who really won the battles, while Capitol City caused us to lose the War… What was the final count 58,000 plus… not much when those War Directors in Washington who were experts on Oceans they never crossed, firefights they never saw, missions they never flew, and bandages/body bags they never had to touch --- spoke the KIA, MIA, WIA, Other numbers so fast….

1971-74: Good by Nam, Hello Hickam, Pacific Air Force (PACAF), HQ, DCS/Material. Spent about 2 years in the HQ were I couldn't hold a job, even got a little experience as a fill in executive officer and of course TDY time back in South East Asia (SEA). To keep peace in the family The Log Boss (To save my six from two O6's, Col.’s Frick & Frack who did not like to hear their subordinates tell it like they, the subordinates, believed it to be) sent me down to the real world at the Wing for a year while waiting for my War College Class which was part and parcel of my going on the silver standard with my promotion in Feb 71. Only time an Aires like me could have gotten a promotion like this was in a job where the rubber met the road and being PC was not viewed as a necessary prerequisite / plus in judging a persons net worth -- It was a big surprise since I was already four grades —  well, maybe three, higher than I ever thought I would be!  An interesting experience came during my last year at Hickam. PACAF took over the executive agent role for Wake Island  from the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) since commercial aircraft, and indeed Military Airlift Command (MAC) had gone pure jet in the main and were over flying Wonderful Wake. However, Wake Island was sure a welcome sight for MAC and Commercial drivers with a mechanical problem. The Daddy Rabbit for Wake, Johnston Island etc. is the Department of the Interior. My job on the extended TDY (while the flesh peddlers (Personnel Center came up with a replacement) was Island Administrator and Commander Island Administrator and Commander (under the Federal Wake Island Code). Aside from presiding over the transfer of Wake to PACAF, from the FAA we provided support services when the Air Force Systems Command put in an Athena Missile Launch Site on Wake to shoot into the Army Range at Kwajalien doing Ballistic Reentry work for the Army Missile Command at Huntsville, Ala. The FAA flew FAB and the kids down to Wake for a month while schools out in Hawaii. We have a great time exploring the Island and treasure hunting. During the construction we uncovered lots of WW II bad guy remains which got reported to the Government of Japan (GOJ) which naturally held up the project while the GOJ went through their elaborate War Dead remains recovery ceremony/process. Bad News event of this tour was that my bride fell victim to a stomach cancer. Good, No Great news was after loosing 75% of her stomach and a host of other procedures she came through like the stellar champ she is! Thanks to FAB’S true grit and determination to see her kids grow up, coupled with the hand of the Lord and the consummate skill of the Army's Tripler General Hospital’s Chief Resident Surgeon Ken Mylander, plus the great support team of nurses / medics at Tripler -- they were truly the "A" team to whom the Brymer family will be eternally grateful -- At the time the survival rate for the big Casino of the stomach was less than 5%. It's time to leave the land of 'Aloha' which is another tearful good bye to friends and Warlords  who did so much for FABGORD -- the end of another super adventure in the Brymers memory book -- a fond 'Aloha'.

August 74 - June 75: After seven days temporary lodging at the Kahala Hilton, and a great Aloha send off by our friends and War Lords comes a cross country via San Francisco, Carmel, Disneyland, The Sands in Vegas, Grand Canyon, Durango Colorado, Texas. Even exposed Scott to the Air Force Academy which didn’t have the desired impression on his future career decision. I reported to the Air War College and took my seat.  We had a number of ex POWs in the class, some with Air Force household names and the soon to be Chief of Staff of the Israeli Air Force. Needless to say the War stories were riveting! Our class produced its fair share of General and Flag Officers. People like Major General Norm Campbell (Deceased) and real Warrior who was an Air Force Academy Grad, O6 at the 12 year point but lousy tennis partner and player. The only General I know who went public very early on (WBM). That’s "Way Before Monica" during a Dining In at Soesterberg AB, in Holland. Norm left no doubt as to his views on the character/integrity of his Commander In Chief with which turned out to be right on the money! Needless to say Norm was encouraged to retire at a very early age and fined $7,000. Both of which Norm was prepared for. Our Commandant was Major General Jim Hartinger (ex enlisted Airman before West Point) (The Grrr!), exactly my size, from Golf Shoes to hat and alas, also an Aries and doubles tennis partner. The General was destined to wear four stars, and he made me an offer which in retrospect I should not have failed to take him up on. But I figured my chances of promotion by going alone were reasonable. Some guys like me are given the book and they eat the cover

It was at the War College that it was proven to me beyond a reasonable doubt that the promotion system was indeed a joke. If you recall, sometime during 1974, all 05’s received the new OER open/closed report—that was except for the 159 or so Lt. Col.’s currently in the Air War College etc. Bear in mind that the party line was that to get to Senior Service School you had to be among the top 5% of the "Hot Body" 05s in the Air Force which seemed to be born out by the number of BTZ (Below The Zone) in the class. December 74, just before Christmas the promotion list is released. In my seminar of 13 people we figure our four classmates who are in the primary promotion zone will take care of the seminar Christmas party! Wrong, all four are passed over! Plus, another nine or so classmates in other seminars meet the same fate! The class is stunned, to say nothing of the shock to our Army, Navy, Marine Corps classmate — such a thing just could never happen in their service unless one of their kind stole the class milk and happy hour money…and talk about timing for release of the list, just before Christmas.  The next couple of months see all the heavyweights in the Air Force, from the Secretary on down come down to assure us such a thing will never happen again!!! They go so far as to tell us: Should an 05 who will be in the primary zone while in School, receives a CRO (change of reporting official ) effectiveness report that is considered "non competitive", after the officer has departed his last duty station that officer will literally be turned around at the Schoolhouse gate and put in a limbo assignment — if he is selected for promotion he would be entered in the succeeding class! Problem solved…Two pals of mine are selected for the next class entering the Fall 0f 75’. Both were BTZ 05’s Fighter (F-4) Squadron Commanders—Pal one gets a "3" CRO which means he goes to a limbo assignment pending promotion board results. Pal two gets a "1" CRO and enters school feeling he should go right down to the BX and buy his eagles. Promotion list comes out, Pal one makes the list, Pal two gets passed over with ten or twelve other classmates at Maxwell!! Right then and there no one will ever convince me the promotion bit is anything more that a crap shoot! If you doubt the facts of this story, I invite you to check it out…

July 75 - August 76: I talk like a Dutch Uncle to keep from going to the Air Staff/JCS for "Broadening" after AWC. I finally wear my career guy down — a year at Tinker with ought :Broadening" then Europe — But he told me I would regret not opting for a D.C. assignment —
he was right. Schools out and it’s off to the Directorate of Distribution, Oklahoma Air Logistics Center for a year where I will be working for an old friend Colonel Joe Andrus, smartest loggy I ever knew. A highlight of that tour was riding the "Thud" (F-105) courtesy of the 507th Fighter Group Commander, Rog Scheer and working the Fort Sill Ranges--Plunging from 15K feet with a 500 foot pull out and gun/bomb run gets ones juices flowing. I would have given anything to have gone to pilot training at the outset of my service, but then again, I would have missed 58B! But as a non-rated weenie I managed to wangle my way into flying in a number of military flying machines, both foreign and domestic during my career. It was always my firm belief that supporters and maintainers should go the extra steps to ensure they know as much as possible about the aircraft and aviators needs and/or other missions they were supporting. I always agreed with the old sign outside the Chiefs Office reading "The Mission Of The Air Force Is To Fly And Fight -- And Don't ever Forget It!" I for one was proud to be a linebacker and would go nose to nose with any rated puke who felt it was his within his province to talk down to non rated types, me! (GOOD NATURED NEEDLING BETWEEN OPERATORS / MAINTAINERS / SUPPORTERS I COULD TAKE AS WELL AS I COULD GIVE—HOWEVER I RECALL ONE EPISODE IN THE CHELVESTON "O" CLUB WHEN A RATED MAJOR HAD A BAD, MEAN SPIRITED CASE OF DIARRHEA OF THE MOUTH ABOUT HOW OUR WRENCH TURNERS / MAINTAINERS WERE DOGGING IT. I WAS O1 AT THE TIME AND WHEN HE LOOKED AT ME FOR A RESPONSE I SAID WORDS TO THIS EFFECT — "MAJOR, WE BOTH KNOW THAT NO ONE PUTS THE BALL OVER THE LINE WITHOUT THE WHOLE TEAM BEHIND HIM — WHAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT IS HOW, WHEN THE AIR FORCE PUTS A HARD HAT ON SOME PEOPLES HEAD, A G-SUIT ON THEIR HIPS, A BIG WATCH ON THEIR WRIST, THEIR BRAINS RUN OUT THEIR ANUS? ) Over the years I got into every aircraft possible: Gooney bird (who didn't), T-6, C-45, C-54, C-74 (how bout that one), T-33, C-118, CF-100, C-5, C-124, R6D, U3A, C-130, L-20, RAF Meteor MarkIX, B-57, UH1, Sea King/Jolly Green Hellos, LOCH, 01, O2, OV-10, P3, C-9, T-29, C-131, F-105F, RAF VC-10, B-29, RAAF Wallaby C-7 (Caribou), U-21, T-39, C-141 and some others which I don't remember the designators. Boy, does banging out these numbers bring back the memories. But again, I digress. On the occasion of my birthday the gals of one of my units present me with a "Ram Plaque" which was like looking in the mirror FAB was at the presentation and confirmed the accuracy of the written word. FABGORD loved the Oklahoma folks who we found to be great & warm friends once they looked you over pretty well. The kids kept up with their English saddle here with some truly great instruction. Except for the people and my Warlord and old Air Force friends in the area, Oklahoma was not that hard to leave.

 

 

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