191St Maintenance control folks. Also know as the puzzle palace

 During my time with the 191St Fig I worked in maintenance control.  During the day shift we would have two controller, Maintenance control specialist in the Delta One van and a Plans and Scheduler.  Sometime additional personnel would be assigned because some injury.   WE would decide what planes would be on the flight schedule for that day.   Additionally put aircraft on rotation to our alert Det in Seymour Johnson for air defense.  Along with the Alert aircraft for our sector that include Detroit.    After every flight we would review the flight records for miniatous problems that would dictate the flying status of the aircraft.

   This where the name the puzzle palace into play.   A lot of time the flight line and the maintenance shops would not agree with our plans of action.  All decision and actions would have been blessed or okay by the Maintenance officer  Skip Kimberly.   

The crew

Controllers

Gary Williams

Gary Vikar

Mike Elwart ( later 80's)

Phil Gaffke

Delta One

Henry Clays

Plans and Scheduler

Linda Bullis (L.B.)

Maintenance Officers

John Doty

Skip Kimberly.

Assistant Maintenance Control officers

Ziggy Zuber

Larry Milburn

On the right is Gary Williams.   Gary and I where good friends.  He was he Tim Allen of M.C.  He always had a wood working project in the works.  Sadly he passed away on Father's day 1995

On the left is Smgt Kelo,  

 

Gary Williams relaxing.

More pictures to come at I find them.

Skip Kimberly

191st F4-D crew chiefs late 80's to the F-16A era

 In my continuing series on the 191st Fig.  I have a list of the the crew chief during the last years of the Phantoms the unit.  This would be the F4-D  87-90.   Let say they were a spirited group of guys. When the F-16A showed up in was the beginning of the rifts. A lot folks would be losing the positions.  Or forced to transfered to Battle creek.  Sadly by 1995 is would be worst as the C-130E the unit got for California.  Were not in the best of shape. Plus they fighters would be got and the unit didnt need all of those technicians.

The fabulous  F4-D Crew chief.

Name                                            AKA

Jeffery Badlow                             "Lumpy"

Richard Anderson                        Rev

Tommy Tucker                         T.N.T

Dwayne Salibury                        Sal

Richard Burl                              Dickie

Ed Gumbko                                 Ed

Jimmy O'neil                               The Iranian

Doug Firman                               Jed / Farmer

Eugene Head                               The Dream

Keith Anderson                           P.D.

Martin Wolicki                            Wookie

Robert James                             Fat Head

Ken Symanski                            Ski

Jake Williams                           The L.O.B.

Rick Ross                                 White boy Rick

 Cass Maciejewski                       Cosmo

Larry Bishop                             L.B

Mike Galea

Tim Pelign                                 Timmy /Beaker

Sheldon Wood jr                        Woody / Woodpecker

Marty Hiler                               I-Rock

Jack Lochran                             Flash

Thanks to everyone who helped with the correct nicknames.   8/31/2021

Tim Peliquin & Doug Firman/ Pilot Doug Barier

Jimmy Hanna

Mike Galea

Mike, Galea, Ed Gumbko, Cass & Ziggy

Doug Firman and Ed Gumbko

Ed Gunn and Jake William.  Part of the squadron honor guard

Six PAck F-106's photos from Ed Gumbko collection

I had not joined the 191St at the time they had F-106's.   This is was the name six pack came from. The beginning of the ADC fighter Squadron.

 

Video on the 191St FIG (F-4D) 1980 Cold War years

 Great video on the 191St Fig as a unit.  

MIANG T-33 over the years.

 Michigan Air Guard had quite a few T-bird over the  here are a few. 

Also 191St  T-33 Crew Chief.

Aaron Doty

Mike Elward

Cliff  Dunlap

Mike Galea

Msgt Torrey

Doug Fiman

Cass Maciejewski

191St F-106 beginning of the "Six Pack"

Finding photo of F-106's that the 191St Fig had has been a difficult process.   During that time digital cameras are new and expensive.  Because of this the photo are from film camera.  More than like there are great photo hidden away in personal photo albums.  I have found these pictures on the internet and people I worked with facebook pages.   Many of these photo are from Eddie Gumbko facebook page.  Eddie took a lot of picture during his time with the 191st.  I believe he started at the end of the RF-84 era through the RF-101, F-106, F-4 C/D, F-16 ADF and C-130's. 
 As for the name "Six Pack" not hundred percent how the unit got that call sign.  I heard it came about after the F-106 got the vulcan gun mode.  But they folks in the unit knew how to party.  Maybe it for the six of beer...  That is a mystery I still need to solve.

  My greatest thanks goes out to Eddie.

Now for the pictures.

       The initial Squadron tail marking,  Glad they came up with the checker board

Ed Gumbko with his F-106B

Assed 2/15/2022

191St F4-C crew chiefs and CAM squadron personal

I would like to thank Linda Bullis and Eddie Gumbko for their help remember all the crew chiefs names..  Now I need to match name, Phantoms and faces.   It has been almost 30 years ago that I retired out of the USAF.

The 191st Fighter Interceptor Group, then commanded by Col. Donald K. Reid, formally joined the Aerospace Defense Command in July 1972. Selfridge's largest flying organization, the 191st FIG, was now tasked with the heavy burden of area responsibility for the nation's defense. The 191st FIG is a fulltime partner with the Air Force Aerospace Defense Command units, assuming a 24 hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week runway alert posture. The unit must fulfill identical training requirements and the same operational readiness commitments as their regular Air Force counterparts. 191 Fighter Interceptor Group, Detachment 1, Seymour Johnson AFB inactivated 30 Sep 1992. Participated in Combat Archer training at Tyndall AFB, FL, 2 - 8 May 1993
Crew Chiefs                                                CAM Squadron
Chester Cox                                                        Comm Shop/WCS
Cliff Allen                                                              Gary Kowalski (Radar Teh)        Gene Doyle
Mike Galea                                                           Jim Koglin (WCS shop chief)       Gerry Byrd
Richard Anderson                                                 Gordie Granham                           Jerry Malseed
Gerry Hanna                                                         John Dyer                                     Mike Jacobson
Jim Hanna                                                            Frank  Morris                                    Paul Smith.
Jake Williams                                                       John Stroich                                                    
Bruce Frock
Jeff Badalow
Tom Tucker                                                            Maintenance Control

Rich Burl                                                              Delta 

Keith Anderson                                                      Henry Clay
Sheldon Woodard                                                  M/C
John Bullis                                                              Gary Williams
Paul Chamberlin                                                     Gary Vikar
Bill Bretzius                                                             Mike Elward
Tom Goodwin                                                          Plans and Scheduling
Doug Firman                                                             Linda Bullis
Bill Austin
Mark DuBois
Walter Pashchick
Gerry Hanna
 Bill Bretzius