European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 22, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday. September 22. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Over Here a numb Rof the transient Alert Section drives a follow me truck leading commercial aircraft to i i spot pcs Knuti d us thu i l s parking spot at Shirri Jun Alt these Crews Tell vips where to go writer t Orreon. Spain transient Alert Crews whose designer jumpsuits make them look More like astronauts than air plane mechanics Are the air Force s version of doormen parking valets and ush ers. They re the Guys who handle parking and maintenance or emergencies on visiting air planes. And since some of the visitors can be very important As in v a the Crews arc supposed to dress and act Sharp. Most commanders want you to stand out i you re the first impression everybody gets upon Arri Val said tech sgt. Terry l. Pentecost who Heads a17-Man transient Alert team at Torr Jon a. In the Eastern suburbs of Madrid. Aside from the fancy uniforms and a Job title that makes them sound like they re among the nation s homeless team members said they re still just Jet mechanics at heart. But out on the runway they keep their body Lan Guage looking pretty Crisp. Not to the extent of Parade Pentecost said. But snappier than lackadaisical by walking out on the runway they drive the truck with the sign on Back that tells visiting pilots to follow me find them parking places and help get the plane refitted for Takeoff and Bear in mind that air Force High ranker sometimes enjoy sexing their experience by flying their own planes so the Alert Crews can never quite be sure of who s at the controls. In air Force Lingo transient can mean anything from a cargo transport making a routine pit Stop to Mem Bers of the american delegation who sat in on this sum Mer s european economic conference in the Spanish Cap ital. Pentecost s unit Rolls out the red carpet Well enough to have won the Rex Riley award named after a legendary lieutenant colonel who Flics around the world in unmarked air planes dropping in for unannounced hospitality checks at unsuspecting airbases. The Man sounds too improbable to be real i nothing else he would have been promoted by now but transient Crews insist he s out. There some where. The less Glit a pan of their Job is to get the runway cleared and reopened after accidents As quickly As Possi ble since the closest base Able to accept diverted night Sis at Zarago a a 45-Mmutc flight away Pentecost said. Even though most of us have been Here a couple of years we still get excited when the phone the last time it did ring he said from the time they told us it crashed until we got the aircraft off the runway took 23 but mostly the Alert teams just change Flat said he s seen air plane wheels glowing red Der than automobile Brake lights after a hard land ing. Undercarriage it seems take a beating. Crew members said the Best part of their Job i working with nearly everything in the air Force Fleet. Most other Bligh line mechanics end up special izing on just one Model for the duration of their Lour. They Don t All Volunteer for the duty hut Pente Cost said the Alert Crews tend to be hand picked. Originally from Milton fla., across the Bay from Pensacola. He joined the air Force 12 years d just got Laid off and me and a Friend were living Oil our Hank he said. After about three months the Money ran out. So we joined kind of As a joke Sci each other. The Recruiter told us we could come in right away As aircraft maintenance specialists and we d get to work on jets and said. Sounds pretty Good to me we were in Basic three Days must still sound pretty Good to them. They both staved in. Is t. Emman Lewis . Bob Jerkins holds paddles used to signal i Irun directions to planes currying vips or Hinh ranking officers
