It was pretty boring when I got transferred to vehicle maintenance. The crew chief was a big black guy that must have weighed 300 pounds. He would drive me and another airman around for hours doing nothing. Then he would park in a remote area and we would read the paper. His big thrill was to every now and then slam his fist into the cab ceiling and yell while driving to wake us up. This certainly startled us out of our boredom. I still remember him for ordering runny eggs at chow...not a very pretty sight. The other airman was also a winner. All he did was do cross word puzzles and complain about wanting to go home. He had never been off base and said he had no interest in anything about Thailand. What a waste of an opportunity to explore a different culture.
After their tours were up, a new sergeant was assigned as crew chief. He was a go getter from Texas and pro active with the squadron's vehicle maintenance. He didn't wait for things to break down. I learned from him basic trouble shooting techniques to keep vehicles running. Check the fuel first (gas tank, carburetor), then check for spark (battery, alternator, spark plugs), then check for cooling (radiator, hoses) and finally, check for lubrication (oil, power steering, brakes). It was now fun and interesting being productive...I didn't even mind having to change and man handle inside tires on 10 ton tractors! I wrote him a couple of times after I left Thailand and was in Vietnam. I had introduced him to Tae Kwan Do karate and learned that he made his black belt