I was stationed at Perrin AFB in Sherman Texas. I was the Base Comm Officer and as such was on the Support Battle Staff. Once a month, on a Sat morning, we would conduct a Broken Arrow exercise. The scenario was always the same. A C-124, carrying nucs, develops engine problems and lands at our base. Our security and fire teams were the major responders.
I arrived one Sat and as I entered the command post I heard a great deal of chatter and confusion over the Air Police and Fire Network! The Command Post controllers were at a loss for words and my boss, the Base Commander, was befuddled!
I knew what had happened, so I went over to my boss and said, "Col do you remember my Command Interest Report, (a report to keep upper management apprised of unique occurrences of interest!)He thought for a second and said, "The GCA replacement?" Don't tell me! A C-124 delivered it and is sitting on my flighline right now?" He began to laugh. He ordered the exercise suspended and we all jumped into staff cars and went to the flight line. A fight was about to break out. The crew chief was trying to load the GCA van. The sky cops had drawn pistols and were threatening to arrest him for disobeying orders to withdraw to the safety perimeter. The aircrew was being hauled off to a safe distance by the sky cops. The fire department was preparing to foam the whole aircraft!
What a SNAFU!
That aircraft used to be everywhere.