From: Patrick Jankowiak (eccm@swbell.net)
Date: Mon Jul 14 2003 - 21:15:00 PDT
July 11 to 13, the Gregg County Airport in Longview, Texas was
partially closed to air traffic for the annual hot air baloon race.
Every year this event swells the small population of Longview to many
times its usual numbers.
This year, the Texas State Guard provided security and vehicle control
for the thousands of attendees. Previously, the Texas National Guard
had performed this annual mission. There are not anywyere near enough
police in the area to do it.
Of note was one Personally Owned Vehicle, a certain M35A2 carrying a
shelter full of radio gear, which was the TOC (tactical ops center)
for the event. The radio networks run from the M35 enabled a very high
level of performance for the event staff. Two 30' masts bolted to the
side of the bed supported wideband military surplus antennas for VHF
and UHF. Old Glory was flown from one of the masts.
The TXSG soldiers were directly responsible for directing the
apprehension of a car burglar, identifying, pursuing, then directing
Sherrif's deputies towards the gate where the suspect was attempting
to escape. He made it out of the gate, but there was a police car
waiting.. funny how that works.
I can say it was hot. 98 degrees and 90% humidity. Cool in the shelter
though with the A/C running. It took 3 hours to drive the beast from
Dallas to Longview. I had two other TXSG Troops ride with me out
there, so it was good to have some company. Nothing like 3 people in
BDUs in the front of a deuce sweating their butts off.
Sunday morning, we went to pick the deuce up from where we had secured
it at the airport. just as we were pulling onto the runway, Some guy
in a 4x4 with huge 'monster' tires passed us and made a point of
gunning the motor. He headed to the end, and then turned to go across
the grass, up a hill, to the exit road. This path happens to include a
sudden 30 degree slope which is about 10' long. Anyone who ever has
seen one of these jacked-up pickups with big wheels probably knows
that they don't just go charging up to a rise like that, unless they
want to flip it. I could not resist charging that rise in low 4th, and
blowing right past the 4x4 as I hit the rise in low 5th.. The 4x4
folks, who had slowed down and were creeping up to the rise at 5 MPH,
just watched with their mouths hanging open as they saw what a real
off-road truck can do. That was very satisfying.
HOOAH!
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