Chanute Air Force Base 1980's 

I agree!

Lackland lasers:)

@@TommyG179 Were the flashlights issued during boot camp? I only used it at Chanute. I remember always worrying about having spare batteries on hand. It was not allowed to have your flashlight die out during parade.

@@kshimels ​ in 1982 when I went thru boot camp is when I was issued mine. You had to have them when it was dark. I did my tech school there and then grunt school at nearby Camp Bullis and by then we stopped using them.

@@TommyG179 Camp Bullis is Army ? Lackland / Chanute is AF ? Sorry, what is "Grunt School" ?

@@kshimels Camp Bullis is where the Air Force Security Police has their combat training school, to this day: www.jbsa.mil/campbullis/. It was called Air Base Ground Defense back in the 80's and 90's. Yes, it is an Army post. Air Force, Army and Marines all train there. It's near Lackland. I went through SP school at Lackland then 8 weeks at Bullis. I later returned with my ABGD flight for a joint services exercise there. Grunt school=combat training school.

That's awesome, you had way more fun than I did as permanent party. My post-BT fun times were during 3 different tech schools at Lackland. Nothing being a teenager and able to go to the Airman's Club for beers:)

Ty for your service. My father was there until he retired in 91 and moved away. He Taught jet engine mechanics

Im drawing a blank on last name but I was there same time as AGE instructor

​@@worlds-of-four1415 I went there for that in 1990. He was probably one of my instructors. Cool.

I was there from May to August of 1987. I saw a tornado, we had a flood, and there was an earthquake during that time.

Sorry but I might have been one of those trainees. I know I didn't tear the place apart but we did have fun. Was it the Holiday Inn with the indoor pools and trees, solar dome or some name like that

I was there for a reunion this last weekend. Pretty sad.

@@TommyG179 Yes, sad for sure. However, even though reality can be a bitter pill to swallow, it can't take away our wonderful memories. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!

ok so lived there my dad was a Sgt in the Air Force base. I am trying to find out all the information. Anyone know a Patrick Morse?

I was there at that time also, as an SP.

Hey Philip. Just curious if you had a instructor named Bill McGregor or Bob Johnson when you went through

Went through fire school there on 73

I was there '82 to '86. Last time there when it was open, I went back in '91 to go to the dentist (I was stationed in Springfield IL with the guard then). We had an 3345th SPS reunion in '04, and it was a huge shock seeing the condition of the place being only 13 years since being there.

You are welcome!

😆

I had base housing after getting married, and I was only an AIC at the time. Chanute did things differently.

No problem sir.

I was first put into wood barracks as well in the 800 area. 800 area had a great chow hall:)

Cool! I'm married to a Rantoul girl:)

@@TommyG179 awesome, I sure. Miss that area I now live south of Springfield about 45 minutes from St. LOUIS

@@aliceelkins6788 Me too, Alton. We've been to several reunions in Rantoul with my former squadron. Depressing how many buildings were left to rot. On the bright side, Ott's is still there and still serving the "Haystack."

@@TommyG179 wow what a small world, it's nice to actually find someone from your home town area . It's nice to meet you and yours, Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas full of love and filled with good times and memories.

@@TommyG179 Is thr old hospital still there ? I haven't been back in guide a while

Welcome. There was a Faktor Hall. I did a full tour there, my old squadron has yearly reunions in Rantoul.

Why not Minot! From bad to worse lol

That's when I got there as well, stationed there from 82 to 86.

Avionic Instruments in '71. Great school. learned a lot. Went on to 20 years in acft maint.

Sounds like he had a bad experience as a student, as he was there only for a short time? I was permanent party, stationed at Chanute for 4 years. Our former squadron reunion is in Rantoul once a year, and it gets bigger every year. My wife was raised in Rantoul. My experience was great, as was many from my squadron.

I was there from Jan 1985 to July 1985 for tech school. Yes the townspeople hated us. I only went off base twice during my time there due to that very fact.

I was there for "only" four months for school in '77 - '78, but I bought a used car as soon as I got there and spent as much of my time out of the barracks and off base as I possibly could. Sometimes I'd go as far as Champaign to see a movie (Star Wars) or just for a drive, but much of my time was spent in around Rantoul at stores, restaurants, etc. I never had a problem or even heard of one. In fact, this is the first I've heard about anyone supposedly "hating" AF people. On the contrary, it seemed like many/most people who lived in Rantoul had connections to the base.

Not true. I was a townie and lived the air force base there.

Awesome! I was in the drum & bugle corp in basic in '82. We were doing a parade a week, rehearsed every day so it was light duty.

@@TommyG179 I tried to join in basic, but my TI, TSgt Strubbe wouldn't let me. LOL

@@Mutch820 Oh man, you missed out, they had male/female flights. I auditioned on a 2-valve baritone, NEVER played one before and got the gig lol. (Previous exp with trombone, so I was familiar with the mouthpiece).

Man. I wish I had thought of that when I was there in '77 - '78. 😄 It would have been worth it to not have to march to school every morning at 0530 during that long, ridiculously cold winter, and live three to a room in the barracks.

True, these were filmed in the late 80's.

I know, it's awful. I was just there last month for a squadron reunion.

Wow! Did you retire in Rantoul? I was there from 82 to 86. My wife is from Rantoul.

Tom Gaskins Jey Tom. No, we came back to Indiana. I live not far from the Ohio River out in the boondocks.

Did you know Rick Frey, by chance?

@@cristinahernandez6627 I don't know the name. My wife was connected to the squadron in the late 80's, early 90's and she doesn't recall the name either. Was he a cop?

Tom Gaskins, thanks so much for the quick response. He was there when I was at UofI in Champaign. I met him at Tritos and we used to go out for 50 cent Margaritas. 😉 I honestly don't remember what he did there but it might have been computer related? When I wrote him I would have to write "A1C Rick Frey" on the envelope. He spent some time in Guam after that and then we lost track of each other. I've been trying to find him for years. Just would be nice to know how he is and how his life turned out.

Same spring summer 1980

Agreed. The succeeding commander, not so much. He was into chewing out gate guards late at night. I know this first hand...

Cool. There are a lot of people in a Chanute Facebook group from your era if you are interested, Chanute Air Force Base Veterans. There are 11K members.

I was from Central Ohio but never got stationed at Rickenbacker, although I did get married there at the base chapel while home on leave in '78. I had it on my dream sheet but I never got it, and in retrospect I'm glad I didn't get stationed so close to home. Being on my own and away from home forced me to grow up in a hurry and go see the world for eight years. After I separated from AD in the mid '80s I did a year in the OHANG with the 121st TFW.

@@662wc5 Thank you for your response. I worked at the BX Annex from 1978 to around 1982 when the bas was phased down. I'm hoping to contact employees during that time or anyone that might have photos of the base at that time. Once again thank you for the response.

Awesome, we were there at the same time. My squadron has a yearly reunion in Rantoul and it gets worse ever year, nothing being done. There was a guitarist in 1985 from the 505th that came and jammed with a band I had a few times. He had a mini Mesa Boogie. Great player. My music career started when I was at Chanute, my first working band was out of Champaign with guys from U of I. Played Mabels many times.

@@TommyG179 Yeah. As you know, it's pretty effin' depressing seeing that great old base become a shithole, but I digress... ;-) The guitarist could've been one of two that were in the band at that time. I can't remember either's name! One was a real skinny dude with wire-rimmed glasses. The other was a big, husky guy that got booted because he failed a piss test (pot). My, how times have changed. Oh holy shit.....I remember Mabel's.....I rhink! Wasn't that the joint just outside the main gate?

@@jrgreiner It's the #1 topic during the reunions. Hell the city won't even clean up the west gate missile. Beyond shithole now. So it was the big husky guy-guitar player! How about that. Kicked out, damn. Times sure have changed but I wonder what the regs are like now. One other guy I knew from the 505th was a short Italian kid, vocalist. He sat in on a show we did (NCO Club, I think) and sang Lights-Journey. And sounded like Steve Perry, really good. Mabel's was downtown Champaign on Green Street. A huge band bar, you walked up a flight a steps to get in. Played on a giant stage. The bar you are thinking of across form the main gate was called Hitchin' Post. I played a lot of gigs there, great food also.

@@TommyG179 Well, in my usual humble opinion (ha), Chanute WAS Rantoul. We didn't refer to it as Ran-gulch because it was anything special. I'm honestly surprised it didn't turn into a ghost town after the base closed. I'm sure the state (and feds) pumped a shit ton of money into the town after closure to at least keep it afloat but I'd also assume that well has long ago dried up. I personally never thought much of the city itself (if you want to call it that), so it doesn't surprise me at all they don't give two shits about what used to be Chanute. Yeah, I'm sure they talk a good game, but we know where talking goes.... Anyhoo......short, Italian kid? Hmm....that doesn't sound familiar to me. Between '83 and '87? I'm trying to remember the male singers that were there when I was and I don't remember any fitting that description. No biggie! There were some that came (and went just as fast) and there were other guys in the band who were there before I got there and spent years there after I got out! Hell yes.....now I remember Mabel's in Champaign! Also remember the Hitchin' Post. Holy crap......like revisiting a previous life!

@@jrgreiner I'm 6'4 so let's call him average height lol. I'm half Italian and he and I once talked about our pasta sauces at a party in Chapman Courts. Really good vocals, Steve Perry range. Maybe he went through fast? I don't know. There was a also female 505th singer that I met, short/skinny, pretty brunette, never heard her sing. Rantoul still has a breakfast spot that my wife and I go to when we are there for reunions called Ott's. Same menu as back in the 80's, grill behind the counter. My wife is from Rantoul, class of 88 or 89.

Very cool!

I saw your post on the Chanute page:)

No but I would love to see that now lol

@RenoSlim I went to the Aircraft Electrical Systems school in the Fall of 1979. Do you remember that challenging schematic, Figure 19, in Block 5? The first two weeks, we were in the old wooden barracks before transferring to brand new dorms. The commander at TIPS (Training Information Periods) told us that without an active war going on approximately 90% of all personnel injuries in the Air Force occurred during off-duty hours. An hour later I saw a guy break his collarbone playing touch football within the first few moments he was in a pickup game.

Awesome! I lived on Circle Drive in the mid-80's. My wife is from Rantoul, she graduated from RHS in '88. Your band sounds good, I've been a working musician for 30 years.

@@TommyG179 cool. they seem to have renamed the streets on the southern part of base. thanks for checking out my band.

I attended life support training from Nov ‘89 - Jan ‘90. What was your dad’s name?

Hey! My wife Micki's late husband Lonnie (Sivia) was from that time frame so I know a lot of those guys now (Gary Lutz, Les Snyder, Goose and more). Plus yes, guys I served with were there in '89 like JT Grogan, Billy Harjo, Oscar Porter, Greg Worell, TJ Boulden, Dale Zeisset, Doug Hurt and more. What flight were you on? We have been having reunions in Rantoul the last few years. I do a website for the squadron (since 2004): 3345th.homestead.com/index.html

@@TommyG179 Yes, I know all those guys, Les and Doug Brever especially. I was on a few different flights. Beck was my last flight chief and Swofford was the CC. Good times.

@@faulltw Brever lives in Rantoul. Who are you, are you on Facebook? We have a page with 231 members: facebook.com/search/top/?q=3345th%20sps%2C%20chanute%20afb&epa=SEARCH_BOX

@@TommyG179 I'm on it. Was on Beck's flight when I left in Aug of 89. Went to Little Rock and continued serving with many former Chanuters including Bob Swofford.

@@faulltw Bob was a good guy.

I am sorry to hear that, I was first stationed there in 1982.

I was stationed at Chanute November 1978 thru March 1979. You might still be able to use Worldwide Base Locator's Personnel services today via the internet to find your dad's assigned duty stations. Good luck young lady.

@@TommyG179 I always had a love for aviation. It's in my blood. I did serve in the Army and am working with Veterans Outreach to help get stabilized and then start getting some answers on my past.

How long did you live there?

Hello Mike, I was there from '82 to '86, I do not recall a Melinda. Regarding your AFSC, they have changed through the years as mine is now extinct as well.

@@TommyG179 thanks Tom for getting back to me. She may have transferred by the time u got there. I know that she lives in Rantoul amd works at Lincoln's Challenge on the base. I did find some older AFSC from that time period but nothing. I gotta check out DD-214 again to make sure it is the right number. I did at one time come up with the number but the zero 0 was typed in as a O (oh). Of course that was quite a few years and 2 PC's ago . Again, Thanks for getting back. Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas to you and your Family. Mike

@@n2jve1989 no problem and Merry Christmas. Btw, I married a former Rantoul girl 2 years ago:)

@@TommyG179 Congratulations. Tom! Merry Christmas

Anyone Happened too Know Private Daryl Joseph Jones Sr?

I still have paperwork from my orientation that we had to know and Tradewinds was one of the things that got notated in pencil, in the pages of the Welcome to Chanute AFB Technical Training course- AFSC 43131 😊

Tradewinds- Tues at 7:30 is what we were told to write down on our orientation back page notes 😊

The music I added violated copyrights. So, no sound.

All of the aircraft, yes. Only thing left is the missle at West Gate, deemed too expensive to remove last year (it's filled with cement).

Until the mid 90's, yes.

Yes and still in use, last I saw.

@@TommyG179 The old one in the video or a newer one? If it is on base, do people just easily access it for use? Thank you.

The new one for sure. The old one I took a pic of in 2004, and it was still in use. Today however is unknown, I'll ask the admin of the Chnaute site.

@@TommyG179 I am impressed if both are still standing and even more so if they are holding worship services. Thank you for your input.

Did my structural repair course in the year 1987 while with the kenyan airfoce.still remembering class mate -knap,james.......usaf guys miss you people and chanute and the wonderful stay there