23rd EMS personnel restore piece of history for Avon Park

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brigitte Brantley
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
AVON PARK AIR FORCE RANGE, Fla. --  On May 18, a completely refurbished drone used for target practice during the Cold War departed Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and headed back home to Avon Park Air Force Range, Fla.

A Radioplane OQ-19D (KD-2R3) Target Drone was restored to its original condition by more than 45 Airmen from the 23rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron who contributed more than 725 hours to the project.

The drone was transported on a HC-130P/N Combat King and was accompanied by Col. Kenneth Todorov, 23rd Wing commander, and four members from the 23rd EMS to be presented at Avon Park, a geographically separated unit of the 23rd WG, to a group of World War II veterans and the Avon Park commander.

Two of those veterans, retired Col. Roy Whitton and retired Capt. Louis Brough, are part of the driving force behind the success of this project.

"This specific drone was used for target practice for the B-52s and the B-47s during the Cold War. This whole project began when we found the tail section of one of the drones near Avon Park," said Mr. Brough. "It had gone down after being shot through the tail. It was never recovered because its location was difficult to access by parachute.

"We located a salvage collector in Kentucky who had the body shell of a drone and he decided to donate it to us," he added. "We thought it would be wonderful to get one of these drones fully restored and put on display at Avon Park. With some planning and coordination, we were able to get the parts from Avon Park, the body from Kentucky and then everything was sent to Moody."

The restoration project began in September 2008 and was completed in May. This model is one of only four of its kind left in the world.

"We put this together without a manual," said Tech. Sgt. Paul Bartels, 23rd EMS aircraft structural maintainer, who was also one of the individuals who accompanied the drone back to Avon Park. "The entire body was heavily corroded and we essentially had to remanufacture it.

"We had to do a lot of metal, paint and stencil work, but now it looks almost brand-new. The biggest challenges were procuring the propeller and completing the Radio Flyer logo on the tail."

Airman 1st Class Timothy Miller, 23rd EMS aircraft structural maintainer, who was also one of the four who traveled with the drone to Florida, worked primarily on the body.

"The entire body was really damaged, there were a lot of dents and dings," he said. "It took a lot of work, but it was exciting to work on it because of how rare it is."

All of the hard work that was put into the project paid off during the presentation when the 23rd EMS Airmen were recognized by the 23rd Wing commander.

"After more than 50 years, this drone has come full circle and we've brought it home," said Colonel Todorov. "I'm overwhelmed at what our team has accomplished. They put in a lot of work and effort and it is indicative of their initiative.

"When we first took possession of this drone, it was in hundreds of pieces, not to mention the all the pieces that were missing. This job gave our Airmen a chance to work on history and they did an absolutely phenomenal job," he added before presenting each one with a 23rd Wing commander's coin.

The veterans also found the return of the drone very meaningful.

"On behalf of the local community and those who were here when this drone was in use, I'd like to thank Moody," said Mr. Whitton. "I'm so proud that this is now displayed here where gunners actually trained with it. It is a memorial to all of those who served at Avon Park."

The Moody Airmen also recognized the importance of restoring a part of history.

"It was great seeing how much the veterans cared about this," said Airman 1st Class Patrick Shea, 23rd EMS aircraft structural maintainer. "It was easy to tell what this piece of history meant to them and I am proud to now be a part of it."

The current commander of Avon Park, Lt. Col. Charles MacLaughlin, also agrees.

"It's great to see a part of our old heritage returned," he said. "Avon Park is now working to improve the bombing range here. We started out with full air range capabilities in the late 1950s and that tapered off in the 1990s to us being almost in a caretaker status. We're now trying to become more functional."

Colonel Todorov summarizes the importance of the geographically separated unit and the meaning of what the 23rd EMS Airmen accomplished.

"Avon Park is a critical part of the 23rd Wing and to return this drone to its original location is something every Flying Tiger Airman can be proud of."