In March of 1995, Bravo Battery, 2/7 ADA (Patriot) was picked to send some troops and equipment to Cape San Blas, Florida (two hours from Panama City) to test some new radar software. Originally I wasn't picked to go since they weren't going to have any communicaton links, but a few days later the Battery Commander decided he wanted an entire "crew" in the ECS and I was off to the TDY office. After getting some $1,500 in small bills (they had no $100's or $50's), a plane ticket, and my duffel bag I was off to the airport. We were staying in condominium's right on the beach so close you could throw rocks from the back porch to the ocean! But the weather sucked and we were the *only* people out there. I found out the first day I was there they didn't really have anything for a 31R to do except sit in the shelter and sleep, so I would just hang out in the condo until they called me. They never did. I managed to catch up on my HBO and nap until the day of firing came. Here are the pictures I took that day. I was lucky. Some spend years in an ADA unit and never see a live fire. I was in one for nine months and I got to watch two missiles. :-) Since we all had the use of two rental van's, we decided to head on down to Disney World near Orlando. It took us several hours to get there and we spent the day there before heading back late at night. The next day they sent me and the radar crewmember back home to save TDY money. I ended up paying back $900 of the money they gave me. Luckily I hadn't spent it all! A productive trip I must say!
As the TCA's say, "One away!" We were firing at an Air
Force target drone which was doing it's best not to be hit.
They got some help by the one second delay the Raytheon guys
put into the fuse to keep from destroying the drone. They're
expensive you know! :-)
There it goes. I was amazed how *fast* the missile goes right after
it is ignited. They told us it goes from 0 to 800mph in less than
a second. You can hear (and feel) the sonic boom as it takes off.
We were supposed to fire another missile right after the first after
the drone came back, but a wiring problem kept us waiting while the
missile guys checked it out. Meanwhile, we stood around and swatted
at the gnats. I was thinking, "I wonder what's on HBO tonight?"
Once the missile guys came back, they brought the BDU caps they'd
put behind the first launcher. No idea why they do that, but
they tell me it's an ADA thing. What a bunch of freaks. ;-)
Two away! The first shot was supposed to be like we
were firing at an aircraft. This one the drone came in
more like a ballistic missile. Both were kills for us.
And there goes the second shot.
After it was all done and they'd cleared the launchers, we
wandered up there to check it out. Notice the burnt grass.
Another view of one of the launchers after the firing.
View of the top of one of the launchers.
"The guys" just milling around checking things out.
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