I have the coolest job in the Air National Guard.

[Josh Bassett]

I'm Josh. And I work at one of the least known, but coolest places in the Air National Guard: the Western Air Defense Sector. Located on McChord AFB, our building was built in the 50s - 60s and has concrete walls 2-4 feet thick; there are no windows. This was to make it capable of withstanding a nuclear blast. Our mission: To defend the United States from any airborne threat. This NORAD-owned mission is delegated down to the 'Sectors'. CONR (Continental U.S.), CANR (Canada), ANR (Alaska), and PADS (Hawaii). Here in CONR, there are two units, the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) and the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) located at McChord AFB in WA, and Rome, NY respectively. Our mission never sleeps. It continues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We defend America and our Canadian neighbors from threats like that seen on 9/11. If there's a threat out there, we'll send an F15 or F16 after it. So rest assured in the knowledge that night or day, there are Air Force professionals out there watching over you. You're in good hands America. God bless you, and may God watch over us all.

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[gryghin]

Welcome Aboard. Glad you found the forum.


This is the best place to hang out on the internet.


Check out the organized clean ups in Oregon and Washington. It's the best way to meet the community and learn where and how to use public lands responsibly.


If you really want to get involved in community action check out Trash No Land.

Home - Trash No Land

Information for Target Shooting on Public Lands. "Stewardship Keeps It Open"2024 Pick Up The Burn Wolf Creek Lanes Cleanup

www.trashnoland.org

 

[fredball]

Welcome Aboard

 

[kenboy]

Thank you for your service and welcome to the group.

 

[CountryGent]

Welcome to NWFA.

 

[64MercurysRule]

Welcome . Thank you for your commitment & service . Enjoy and share .

 

[Josh Bassett]

Welcome Aboard. Glad you found the forum.


This is the best place to hang out on the internet.


Check out the organized clean ups in Oregon and Washington. It's the best way to meet the community and learn where and how to use public lands responsibly.


If you really want to get involved in community action check out Trash No Land.

Home - Trash No Land

Information for Target Shooting on Public Lands. "Stewardship Keeps It Open"2024 Pick Up The Burn Wolf Creek Lanes Cleanup

www.trashnoland.org

Thank you for the welcome and the resources!

 

[Josh Bassett]

Welcome Aboard

Thanks! Glad to be here.

 

[ob1]

Hey Josh ... welcome and thanks for your service !
The description of your ANG position brings back memories. I grew up in Portland which has a small (by comparison) ANG operation at PDX.
As kids just starting to grow whiskers, my buddy, my cousin and I got involved in a recruiting program designed to get kids interested if AF careers. They put on a two month class giving an inside look at the base. Unlike what you are probably exposed to at McChord, PDX was sort of an auxiliary operation between McCord and Klamath Falls.
They weren't flying Sopwith Camels, but Voodoo's during the Phantom era.
We all got "stick time" in the simulators, and saw one of those half buried igloos (from a distance). Talk about giving an 18 year old a woody. It worked too. Of the three of us, my buddy joined up and retired back at that same base, decades later. My Cousin retired as a KC-135 pilot. I went a different route, but still got those green checks.
Keep 'em up there.

 

[Josh Bassett]

Welcome . Thank you for your commitment & service . Enjoy and share .

You're most welcome. Been doing it for 10 years and I've got another 10 to go!

 

[Josh Bassett]

Hey Josh ... welcome and thanks for your service !
The description of your ANG position brings back memories. I grew up in Portland which has a small (by comparison) ANG operation at PDX.
As kids just starting to grow whiskers, my buddy, my cousin and I got involved in a recruiting program designed to get kids interested if AF careers. They put on a two month class giving an inside look at the base. Unlike what you are probably exposed to at McChord, PDX was sort of an auxiliary operation between McCord and Klamath Falls.
They weren't flying Sopwith Camels, but Voodoo's during the Phantom era.
We all got "stick time" in the simulators, and saw one of those half buried igloos (from a distance). Talk about giving an 18 year old a woody. It worked too. Of the three of us, my buddy joined up and retired back at that same base, decades later. My Cousin retired as a KC-135 pilot. I went a different route, but still got those green checks.
Keep 'em up there.

That's awesome. I went to tech school with an old-timer from the Klamath unit. Before I started at WADS, I tested to be a PJ down at PDX. Unfortunately, I failed miserably lol. But that propelled me towards my current career so I'm happy.

 

[Josh Bassett]

Welcome . Thank you for your commitment & service . Enjoy and share .

Welcome to NWFA.

Thank you!

 

[ma96782]

Aloha, Mark

 

[64MercurysRule]

View attachment 1815756

Aloha, Mark

Can the F15 / F16 keep up with Jolly ole St. Nick .......

 

[Knobgoblin]

Thanks Josh. I appreciate you. May your vending machines be forever stocked with the finest lickys and chewys. And your coffee strong and relatively fresh.

 

[Diamondback]

Welcome aboard. My grandfather wrenched on F-106s for the 318tth FIS back when you guys still ran a SAGE system, retiring soon after coming home from the Pueblo Incident deployment.

 

[Josh Bassett]

Welcome aboard. My grandfather wrenched on F-106s for the 318tth FIS back when you guys still ran a SAGE system, retiring soon after coming home from the Pueblo Incident deployment.

Wow! SAGE hasn't been used in a long time. I think we had the Q-96 system after that and now we have the BCS-F.

 

[Josh Bassett]

Thanks Josh. I appreciate you. May your vending machines be forever stocked with the finest lickys and chewys. And your coffee strong and relatively fresh.

Indeed! Thank you! Our mission would be doomed without coffee.

 

[Josh Bassett]

Can the F15 / F16 keep up with Jolly ole St. Nick .......

Probably not! But that's why we rely on our NORAD Santa Tracker!

 

[HiFi Magnetics]

Welcome!