Two RAF Hawk T.Mk1's from the Squadron at RAF Valley, as they lifted off the primary Bentwaters runway and were followed closely by seven of their team mates, in preparation for an aerial demonstration.
The Hardware: The Police Unit (White with Blue Markings) is a a Plymouth K Car, similar to a Panda Unit for local patrolling. The two ATV's are Yamaha Auto 450 Quads, one for Law Enforcement and the other for Security. The central vehicle is a GM General Armored Car, weighing 2.8 tons, with a 6.9 liter V8. Usage was for Close Security of Priority Resources. The HMMV (Hummer) is the basic non-armored High Speed Response Vehicle, with a 6.2 liter V8 QuadTrack, capable of speeds up to 65mph over rough terrain. The HMMV had turret mounted 7.62 (M-60) mm Machine Gun or a 40mm Auto Grenade MG and carried a fully armed 4 man response fire team. Normal duty though was a two man security response team.
The People: The center figure is the Commander of the 81st Security Police Squadron, Lt.Col. Oliver D. Towns, the best commander I ever worked with. Unfortunately, the others are a blur in the past for me, but the front two are a male and female Elite Gate Guards who manned the Main Gates for Bentwaters and Woodbridge. The crouched man near the front of the Armored Car is a Military Working Dog Handler with his assigned dog. Sorry, but the others were from various divisions within the 450 man 81st SPS and I would just be guessing at names.
Can you add the names?
Anyway, the photo was taken looking southeast across the Bentwaters Flightline and the Harden Aircraft Structures (HAS) can be seen in the background. Each HAS contained three A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the four squadrons based on BW or three F-16C's of the Aggressor Sqdn., which was assigned to BW from 88 to 90.
An RAF Westland Wessex Rescue (SAR) chopper from RAF Coltishall, Norfolk, that was running a ground demo rescue during the Wing Open House in 1988. On the right can be seen an F-16C Falcon of the Aggressor Sqdn. in front of it's HAS.
USAF HH-53M Pave Penny Long Range SAR of the 67th ARRS, RAF Woodbridge UK.
Admin and Dispatch offices for the vehicle fleet. The office on
the front left was mine for the last year and a half that I was there
and housed the 81st Security Police Criminal Investigations
Div., of which I was the NCOIC (NCO In Charge) and Chief Investigator.
Ray Young