European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday february 16, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3 capt. . Moore left goes Over pre flight forms with tech. Sgt. Ernest w. Ally More prior to Moore a flight to Ramstein a Germany. On this Day four f-16s left Torr Jon a  Rabe a resident of Newburgh ind. Rabe said he expects a lot of the younger f-16 pilots to leave the air Force. A the Only thing that makes you want to stay in the air Force is the slim Chance you might Fly a fighter again. And you Are willing to wait for that a Rabe said. First it. Pat Christopherson 26, is going to a flying Job at Buckley air National guard base near Denver and he is pleased that hell spend the next three years flying there. He can to wait to get to Colorado. A i want to leave now. It is so depressing Here with All the planes gone. When a base draws Down its like your family breaking up. I done to want to Ever do it go through a base draw Down again a said Christopherson a resident of Hayward wis. Where rows of f-16s once sat poised on Torrejon a flight line Only a few fighters remain. The scene depresses capt. Mark Fisher 35, whose flying Days Are soon coming to an end. A a it a pretty sad to see our ramp now. Its enough to make you cry a said Fisher who will go to a staff Job in air support capt. Mark Piersol 32, is marking time until the end of the month when he leaves for Mcconnell fab where he will be an f-16 instructor Pilot. A things Are Kinda slow Here a said the Mesa ariz., native. A a it a time to  Page 1 to in Ciurlik a Turkey to launch daytime attacks against Iraq As a second front across iraqis Northern Border. The 612th�?Ts objectives according to the wings official history a were to deny a Northern Sanctuary for iraqi air and ground forces to Force iraqi air Force aircraft to flee to Iran to prevent Northern iraqi ground forces from deploying into the kuwaiti theater of operations and to destroy iraqis War making potential for the Long term including its nuclear weapons  throughout the wars duration the 612th was responsible for planning leading and executing All Daylight combat operations of the 7440th composite Wing provisional based at in Ciurlik the wings history reports. The 614th today is a ghost of the Torr Jon fighter Squadron that went off to fight in the persian Gulf. Only 12 pilots remain. They Are what remains of the squadrons pilots plus other fliers drawn from operations at Shaw fab . The 612th and 613th squadrons which a have departed from the base. Fighter squadrons normally sizzle with High spirit. The 614th strikes a visitor As a unit that has lost its soul along with most of its pilots and planes. Those who remain Are counting the Days until they too leave. A i think everyone is ready to leave a said capt. . Moore 32, a f-16 Pilot from Colorado Springs Colo. Moore like most of the other Young pilots in the Squadron is going to another flying Job. He a headed for Mcconnell fab outside Wichita kan., to serve As an instructor Pilot with the air National guard. A we really lucked out. The air Force came up with a program to put two f-16 pilots in each air National guard Squadron. So All our younger Guys got flying assignments a said Brammeier adding a none of our Field Grade officers have gotten any flying  a i feel very fortunate with my assignment ill be flying for three More years a Moore said. Another f-16 Pilot capt. Dave Rabe did no to land another flying Job. He a going to Ramstein to a Job in intelligence. A tomorrow will probably be the last air Force plane i la Ever Fly a said a sad Rabe As he prepared for the flight. Quot from what in a Reading the future for Ever flying again looks pretty Bleak to me a said the 32-year-old Rabe like Moore a combat Veteran of the Gulf War. A normally you done to go to a staff position like the non flying assignment he a headed for until you Are a major a Rabe said. A if we wanted to Fly for airlines we would already be flying Tor airlines a said capt. . Moore peruse a checklist before flying the f-16 to Ramstein a. An f-16 from the 614th fighter so warms up its engine in preparation for its final Takeoff from Torrejon a. Photos by Dove Cosey