Oh man you are going to swell my head saying things like that, it's not that stupendous. Sorry to take so long. I intended to write it then, but somehow something suddenly overcame me and I could not stay
awake.
So, the GTBR, (
http://www.gtbr.net), maybe you know is a balloon race. Despite the scientific advancements in the control of hot air over the last centuries, I'm stil not sure how you race balloons, but there are a bunch of people that give it a try each year in Longview TX and other places. The Longview event is unique for me because the 19 RGT Texas State Guard handles first line security and parking in exchange for a considerable donation to the unit fund. There are about 50 balloons in the race. But to the beginning:
Some may know that I use my M35 for certain state defense force missions. This is its primary use. These days it is used mostly for RGT level and subordinate training and non-disaster missions like the GTBR. I used to use it for diaster work but the way the TXSG operates has changed so that during statewide missions like hurricanes, our communicators and electronics experts now use TX National Guard hardware, and we team up with TXARNG to man remote transportable satcom systems and are likely to be sent anywhere in the state. For these reasons we leave personal high tech assets at home for those missions and -everything- is provided by the state so that all systems are uniform.
The GTBR is our largest RGT level mission. One of our jobs is to direct in-airport vehicle traffic so that vehicles are parked in rows in an orderly manner to facilitate their exit later. The parking is on several acres of large open grass areas. Another job is handed down from the TSA. This is to secure a perimiter around the festival area, and keep people from getting out onto the active runway. Drunks always try to breach this at night. When they get caught, they are so busted as in go directly to jail.
We'd planned to use two NCS (net control stations), one primary and one JTOC (jump TOC) in order to have complete coverage of the Gregg County Airport. In the past we have only had one NCS, which has been my
truck. We now have a 20FT trailer pulled by a pickup truck as well. The trailer is owned by two soldiers together. The airport built a hangar right in the middle of the AO, and so line of sight comms is dificult, it is difficult to site the antenna.
This was the first time to use two NCS. The event is used to supplying one 30KW genset for the CP (command post/TOC and NCS). This time we asked them for two. Here is where it gets interesting.
We have some 160 soldiers in the 19 RGT. (we are weekend warriors.- a mix of former military, police, medics, and folks like me who have perhaps some other skillsets and for whom the TXSG is our only military career). Now imagine what it would cost the event to hire 160 off duty cops and 10 EMS medics. per hour. to work in 100+ degree weather form 10AM till midnight for 2 days. It cost them a tiny fraction of this to 'hire' us and we use the event for public service and training. The payment is a goodly sized donation to our unit fund.
The event declined to provide a second genset citing cost reasons. They just would not do it. I was told I would have to take power from a lighing trailer. Ok. Those are 6KW at best, having four 1KW arc lamps. So that means #1 I am drawing right at 3.2KW continuously. Each time one of the air conditioners in the deuce shelter starts, there's a 40-50A surge. Pop goes the breaker. It just doesn't work, even if the lights of the trailer are left off. We burnt out one of those things before (not our fault, it must have had issues already). I knew this was going to be FUBAR so I asked for two lighing trailers, and was going to run one 1KW light total and use the rest of the capacity for the Deuce. Let me say now that there is enough battery capacity in the shelter for 3 days of radio-only use. But with 100 degree heat, no one can stay inside the shelter for long and you could fry eggs on the radios.
So, the day before the event, Thursday, I spent the better part of it in 100 degree heat in my driveway doing a total PMCS on the deuce's own diesel generator that is mounted in place of the spare tire, because I know better than to rely on suppliers who start complaining bout costs. but my opinion is, why should I burn my own equipment and fuel?
Thursday evening, we found out that the person with the trailer-towing truck was in Colorado unavoidably, and we couldn't find anyone on 2-days notice to pull the trailer. It takes a 3/4ton or better truck with a trailer brake control. I had offered to pull it with the deuce, but the owners said no because of safety reasons (no tail light hookup). So, that asset was unavailable. So then I'd have the 30KW generator.
Thursday afternoon I head out to Longview from Dallas. It is 100 degrees outside and 110 degrees or more in the cab. It took 3 hours to get there. But doing this was better than waiting till Friday morning and driving into the rising sun. Along I-20, there were several alligators in the road. Big ones. So as soon as you crest a hill at 50MPH, you'd swerve to miss one. Somehow I hit one and sent it flying into the air but it must have taken a ride around the tandems a time or two because of the racket. I'm not sure about the cars behind me, but they should not have been following that close behind. There was one that must have been the whole skin off an 18 wheeler. It was one piece, still round. I had to go onto the shoulder to avoid that. The idiot on my tail wasn't so lucky. Why people tailgate vehicles they can't see around is a mystery. I wish I could have seen the drivers expression as that huge doughnut of steel ply tread disappeared under his little car. I suppose it eventually came out the back but he swerved off the highway into the grass and maybe cleaned out his drawers. Attrition is the best way to get rid of tailgaters.
I got to the designated hotel and it turned out I had a room to my self since there was only one bed. This is in contrast to previous years. I have no objection to sharing rooms. We do it all the time at field exercises in the barracks. but it's one soldier per rack. Once before they crammed 4 men into each room with 2 beds. So not only did they not have enough towels but the thing just was not working right. I had to draw the line at having another guy in the same rack. I don't care how wide, it just ain't right and there was no emergency to disaster to excuse it. I took the floor that time. That might have been the result of the event not being able to pay for the correct number of rooms. That was a few years ago. After that I always booked a room on my own to share with one other troop and we split the cost. The fact that my superiors allowed this tells me it was not them limiting the # of rooms. Since last year the event started being more generous with rooms, but some soldiers still bring cots.. just in case. This time, there were only as many per room as beds in the room. I suppose people didn't get a decent nights rest or didn't want to share the sheets haha, so it's been squared away. I also think as the event has grown their budget has a little more leeway.
The rooms were large but unfortunately the hotel's air conditioning left much to be desired. The BTU rating on the a/c unit was 7500. What idiot thinks 7500BTU is going to cool a hotel room? An accountant probably. Hotel air conditioners are sneaky items. They can be programmed to only reach certain temperatures, like 74 or 76, even though the guest has set the control to 70 or 65. This is one way hotels economize on you when you rent a room. You set the a/c to 72 or whatever, but the compressor will cut off before geting anywhere close. The way it works on units with the controls on the a/c itself is is there is a thermal sensor that monitors the intake air temperature. The workaround is to find a way to raise the temperature of the sensor so it thinks it is above the pre-programmed temperature. I leave the details to your imagination but it is easy and you don't have to tamper with anything. I got the room to 68 degrees.
opcorn:
