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This Remembrance Profile was originally created by CMSgt Don Skinner - Deceased
Best Friends Tsgt Hankins Jean Hankins Tsgt Rigby Tsgt J. Grahaom Beverly Graham
Best Moment When my retirement orders were approved, and I was scheduled for retirement.
Worst Moment Just being at Opheim. Because of the isolated conditions and the operations we conducted, morale was very low. With a few exceptions, no one wished to be there, and most were just awaiting reassignment. The manning was approximately 55% of necessity, and radar maintenance troops were forced to work in MCC, supply, as well as pull maintenance shifts. Most personnel lived in housing procured by the government. This housing was about 50 miles from the site. A bus brought crews to and from the site, except when the weather would not allow it. As a consequence, those few personnel who lived in the makeshift barracks had to pull their own duty plus. Not a good place for morale.
Chain of Command 779th Radar Sqdn reported to 24th AD, then to ADC
Other Memories I did not want to be at Opheim (especially after 5 years at Aiken) so I took the assignment only to complete 26 years of service. As soon as pratical, I put in for retirement. Meantime, I did the best I could as acting Chief of Maintenance with short crews, people with no motivation except another remote in Alaska, or the thought of discharge. We kept the radars performance to optimum, and passed all ORIs, and fought the weather together. Snow, ice, wind, fog, and temps in lower -40s did nothing to improve the other conditions we faced. But we were for the most part professionals who were determined to suceed, but I cannot help but think of my retirement orders as the gateway from Opheim.