Little inside: The tankers from Plattsburgh and Grissom were involved in the first low level air refueling in support of the Iranian Rescue Mission. We were very experienced crews drawn from both units. Crews were primarily stan eval or S(select) crews. We trained in the S.W. at night with Night Vission Goggles (NVG’s) we were assigned to a special operations unit in Washington DC. Training the C-130 guys out of Hurlbert and Mississippi (AC, MC and EC 130′s)was a challenge. 130′s were not air refueling capable until around 1980. They are not pressurized. Tankers then had J-57 engines (water injection). Tranied alot in Florida out over the Gulf. Had alot of fun driving around at night with our NVG’s. Some might remember “tobagon”, flaps 20 and a boom you had to hold up because our airspeed was around 180 knots for A/R in a desent. Not traditional join-up. fly over the top of 130 upper nav beacon was only light on, one shot contact, desend and get the gas off before getting to the bottom. no tanker lighting until over the top and radio silent! My first 130 was at night, no lights and radio silent! No qulifications required. All I could see was the receptacle light and contact. Couldn,t see the 130 at all (tried NVG’s depth persection problem)moon light could see props. Cool refueling!

Those Grissom and Plattsburgh crews ended up in Eygpt flying the Carter failed rescue mission.

Still intact and trained. New mission was flying out of Panama in support of the El Savador operations and the Panama upcoming Just Cause 1989. Night missions. Many times chased by media. Navy in the Gulf monitoring. The 130 and 135 maitenance crews where housed together and the flight crews were in base housing.

Lost one tanker. (305th ARW/70th crew)

Grissom was predominate tanker operations in Panama. DET 1

Bill King, MSgt. Retired Instructor Boom — 380th ARS Plattsburgh (77-82)/305 ARS Grissom (84-88)

Nobody kicks ass without tanker gas, nobody.- Attributed to the special operations KC-135 tanker crews of Plattsburgh and Grissom AFBs in the mid 1980′s.

What I am about to tell you comes from first hand knowledge from someone who was there and one of a few men who developed the tanker crew motto (I have the original logo and motto) you know today.

This comes from the history of the greatest tanker wing the world has ever known or will ever know. Grissom, AFB, IN during the years of 1981 – 1986.

I have to correct the history books and will soon officially correct it when I give the 8th Airforce museum down near Savannah, GA. my t-shirt with the historical launch phase and original logo.

The old unofficial history (as found on the internet) is close, but actually maintenance personnel from the 305th FMS (Electric Shop), OMS and AMS (Instrument Shop) Squadron, Detachment 1, Howard, AFB Panama founded the motto you know today. Special operations KC-135 is correct. Time frame was 1983 – 1984. The motto actually goes, “Without Tanker Gas Nobody Kicks Ass”. The logo shows an animated Grissom KC135 refueling an animated AC-130 Gunship. I guess people modified it after we departed. I still have my original T-shirt with this saying to prove we were the first (motto and logo). A bunch of us had t-shirts made up in Panama (1983-1984).

During my years at Grissom, we never missed a special operations mission because of Tanker Maintenance. Our group was the most efficient, devoted tanker group to ever come out of Grissom or the AF (lookup 305th air wing history). Our Tanker crews and maintenance personnel were sought out Air Force wide to support missions worldwide like no other base.

I never realized how popular this motto had become. It makes me proud that I had a small part in history. Maybe I will publish the original. lol

Just thought you would like to know,

Dominic V. Leuci Jr.
1982 – 1986
SGT Leuci, 305th Aircraft Electrical System Shop, DET 1

305th Air-Refueling Wing, Grissiom, AFB, IN
305th DET 1, Howard AFB, Panama

PS: The Boom was my System and I flew with Tanker Crews many times in the special operation missions after Grenada.

Jeff

-Evan

Jon