Kenneth A. Puck

Ken receiving an honor

Officers: Ken Puck 6th from left in back row

2013 information

Date	Location	Description
26 Oct 66	Seattle, WA.	Inducted to military, 120 delayed enlistment program
01 Dec 66		Selected for Air Force Officer Training
28 Feb 67	Lackland AFB San Antonio, TX	Began "boot" camp
27 May 67	Lackland AFB	Commissioned 2nd Lt
12 Jun 67	Keesler AFB Biloxi, MS	Began Communications Officer Course
02 May 68	McClellan AFB Sacramento, CA	Assigned to 2867 GEEIA Squadron
08 Jul 68	Eniwetok Marshall Islands	Assigned TDY (Temporary Duty)
13 Sep 68	Keno AFS, Oregon	Assigned TDY
26 Sep 68	Vandenburg AFB California	Assigned TDY
18 Nov 68	Nellis AFB, Nevada	Assigned TDY
20Nov68	Davis Monthan AFB Arizona	Assigned TDY
27 Nov68		Promoted to 1st Lt
27 Jan 69	Burroughs Corp. Dowingtown, PA	Assigned TDY
24 Apr 69	Wright-Pattersen AFB AFLC Dayton, OH	Re-assigned: Briefing Team
04 Sep 69 - May 70		Assigned TDY
29 Mar 70		Married
22 May 70		Promoted to Captain
28 Mar 71		Honorable Discharge

2013 military autobiography of Kenneth Puck

Induction
I looked the word up; it means to bring in or be installed. We, about 50 of us, showed up in street clothes for the ceremony. This is where we first learned "hurry up and wait." The morning was spent standing in line, naked, in a huge gymnasium (no spectators). One by one we were examined, given shots, interviewed and then allowed to return to our clothes. A brief ceremony followed, we were sworn-in and then dismissed. I failed to mention that several fellows, more than I would have expected, fainted when they received their battery of inoculations: "the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

First Assignment
After a year and three months of training, I finally received my first assignment. I joined the 2867th GEEIA squadron at McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California. GEEIA stands for ground electronic and engineering installation agency and has the mission of supporting all ground communication electronics and meteorological facilities. Over the course of a year, I was rotated through radio, radar and computer sections to receive in depth knowledge of all the ground communication that the squadron supported in the seven western states. My assignments varied from electronic maintenance to electronic installations. I visited most of the radar installations on the west coast, from Oregon to Southern California. I also visited two Minuteman installations in Nevada and Arizona.

My biggest highlight was an assignment to the atoll Eniwetok, Marshall Islands. I was assigned the duty of being in charge of a radio and satellite dish installation for that location. The island itself isn't much more than an airstrip and a small cluster of support buildings for the airstrip. The island is best known for being the location for several atomic bomb trial explosions and the first hydrogen bomb exploded in 1952. I had a very efficient crew and the installation went extremely well. The importance of this task was emphasized several times. We, Eniwetok, was the radio link for our armed forces as they passed over and by on their way to Viet Nam. The small airbase had several amenities to keep the assigned staff motivated and recreated: a swimming pool filled with salt water, an outdoor theatre with first run movies, a lagoon full of tropical fish if you liked to snorkel, and fishing excursions on the weekends. The biggest thrill was witnessing a test of a Minuteman missile. Eniwetok was the "receiving" end of a test shot from Vandenberg AFB, California. We could see and hear the missile as it flew over and the next morning we got to see the remains as they towed it into shore.

Second Assignment
In the spring of 1969, a request was sent out from Air Force Logistics Command headquarters looking for a junior officer to serve as a Briefing Officer to represent the Logistics Command to all AFROTC detachments across the United States. After a rigorous interview process, I was selected to serve in that position. I was re-assigned to Wright-Pattersen AFB, Dayton, Ohio, to help organize that effort. Another junior officer from the Air Force Academy and myself produced a multi-media presentation which we then used to "introduce" us at each ROTC detachment when we visited them. Our normal day required us to locate the detachment quarters, confirm our arrival and coordinate our program. The program was usually viewed by the entire corps, which consisted of freshman-senior corps members, support Air Force personnel and usually consisted of 50-60 people. We did have a couple of "surprises" in our 85 visits. At Memphis State and New Mexico State, we were the program for the entire university student body, over 10,000 students!