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MPN-14 ASR/PAR Mobile Radar Shop - Robins AFB, GA
1978 through 1982 marked my years spent in the U.S. Air Force as an Air Traffic Control Radar Technician, AFSC 303x1. After nine months in technical school at Keesler AFB, MS, I moved on to my permanent duty station at Robins AFB, GA. There, I was part of the 5th Combat Communication Group (5CCG), aka 5th MOB (MOB = mobile). Most of my early knowledge of electronics was learned as a result of the experience gained there. To be truthful, I was not overly thrilled with being part of a mobile communication group, because my goal was to work on an engineering degree, and the propensity for deployment was great enough to limit me to a total of about three semesters of college classes. After many years of part-time and full-time coursework after the Air Force duty, I finally completed my BSEE at the University of Vermont, of all places.
The AN/MPN-14 was a mobile radar system that consisted primarily of an Equipment Trailer (all of the radar electronics), a Maintenance Trailer (workbench, AC/Heat, UHF/VHF radios), and a big RAPCON Trailer (ASR and PAR displays and controls). A 60-mile Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) and a 10-mile Precision Approach Radar (PAR) provided the primary radar, and a 200-mile Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system provided the synthetic (secondary) radar. This IFF system contained a 1 kbyte magnetic core memory with the four read, write, sense and strobe lines threaded by Pygmies.
These pictures were dug out of a photo shoebox and posted for your viewing pleasure. A search on Google for the MPN-14 radar turned up no pictures at all, so maybe this is now the only one on the Internet.
Due to the huge amount of interest in the 5CCG (5th MOB) both my 5th members and by members from other Mobs, the scope of this page has been expanded to include all the MOBs, the first through the 5th. If you or someone you know was a member, please contact me with your service information and I will include it here. Photos are welcome; I can scan originals or negatives and return them to you if you do not have digital versions.
Thanks to my good buddy Don Hicks for sending this USAF cap and coffee mug from Hulburt Field!
This was the official 5th CCG "Communigators" coffee mug back in the early 1980s.
5CCG patch in camouflage scheme
AFCS patch in camouflage scheme
Combat Crew patch in camo
5CCG Alumni Association
Here is the official 5CCG Alumni Association website. Sign the guest book and have a look around.
MOB Locations (current)
MOB histories are quite extensive, and most have been moved around over the years. The links below take you to the most useful sites I could locate. If you know of better ones, please let me know.
Thanks to Don Hicks and other former Radar Techs for many of these names. The list originally reported only 5CCG Radar Shop members, but has been expanded to include any AFSC 303x1 Radar Techs who care to send in their information for a listing. Send me an e-mail to have your name removed, or to add others to the ever-growing list.
"Old radar troops never die, they just 'Phase Array'" - Ronald L. Fate
Williams AFB in AZ, in 1980s. Soto Cano AB, Honduras for a 4 month TDY to give the Mob some relief maintaining the MPN-14. TDY to Panama from Honduras. Retired from USAF in MAR 94 after over 21 years. Worked as a cable installer, then in a motorcycle shop for a few years. Now permanently retired in CA - lovin' every minute of it.
5CCG (then the MCG - Mobile Comm Group) NOV 1970 to NOV 1973. Three MPN 13's (sn#s 154, 162, 192) and one MPN 14 with Rapcon trailer sn#127. The Commander was Col. Madera, and the Radar shop NCOIC was MSGT Richard Jolley. Other RADAR Maint personnel I worked with were Larry Gulley, John Peysur, Norman Cole, and Wayne Sutton.
Present - ATC radar technician for Army at missile range on Kwajalein Atoll in Marshal Islands, DASR-11 aka AN/GPN30, 2 tracking radars that started out as AN/MPS-36
5CCG, APR 1983, NCOIC of Communications Maintenance
81st TCF Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. NCOIC of Communications Maintenance, 1986 to 1991
Electronic Security Group, Royal Air Force Base, Chicksands United Kingdom. Assistant NCOIC Radio Systems Maintenance, 1991 to 1992
Operation Desert Storm/ Desert Calm 6975th Electronic Security Squadron Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia in Support of two no-fly zones in Iraqi airspace. Dec 1992 to Jan 1993
838th Engineering Installation Squadron, Kelly AFB, 1994 to 1996
31st Munitions Support Squadron, Ghedi Air Base, Italy, 1996 to 1998
45th Mission Support Squadron Cape Canaveral AS FL/Patrick AFB Cocoa Beach, 1998 to 2000
1866th Facility Checking Squadron, TRACALS Radar Evaluation Technician, 30371, Scott AFB, IL, TSgt, Sep 1977 to Nov 1979
Separated from the USAF on 19 Nov 1980.
Civilian: ITT Gilfillan (Sr. Field Service Engineer), CFS Rep at HQ TCD, Langley AFB VA on AN/GPN-22 and AN/FPN-62, 1980 to 1985. Sr. Logistics Support Engineer, Van Nuys CA, Logistics Engineer directly supporting the Engineering Program/Project Manager on the AN/MPN-14K Pre-Production Development Team, 1986 to 1988
Williams AFB, MPN-13 (ended up catching fire in the equipment trailer, allowing me the experience of getting another MPN-13 off a C-124), AUG 1966 to FEB 1968
If you were ever a member of the 5CCG radar maintenance shop, please send me an e-mail and let me know the dates you were there. I would like to use this space as a group gathering for all the graying heroes of yore. Thanks!
Equipment Trailer nearest in photo, Maintenance trailer inline and connected to the rear, RAPCON separate and to the right. ASR & IFF antennas toward center of trailer, PAR Elevation antenna nearest. (circa 1979-82)
Backing up the tractor to hitch up the MPN-14 RAPCON for a deployment. (circa 1979-82)
Inside the Equipment Trailer. ASR display nearest door with IFF control box next to it. PAR display near the arm protruding by door. (circa 1979-82)
B&W photo of ASR display (PPI) (circa 1979-82) AN/GPA-131 Analog Video Mapper Display Shown
B&W photo of PAR display showing Elevation display at top and Azimuth display on bottom. Yes, it is in dire need of alignment. (circa 1979-82)
Members of our radar shop assembling the MPN-14 (one of two we maintained). In the picture are Chuck Powell, Ron Dames, Don Hicks, Linda(?), Ed Nugent, Allen Coker, Scott Breen(?) and Supreme Commander TSgt. "Red" Worthington. I welcome feedback from anyone that wants to correct my identifications. (circa 1979-82)
Yours truly and Sgt. Ed Nugent inside the RAPCON performing a display alignment - or at least pretending to (circa 1979-82)
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