Tom Drake

You know, with all the sharks floating around. And they would actually lift you up into a helicopter. Now, for safety, they wouldn't bring you all the way up. But you'd have to learn, depending on your ground or air, what it was like to get onto the hoist or what was at the bottom. So there's different ways they could extract you.

You know, with all the sharks floating around. And they would actually lift you up into a helicopter. Now, for safety, they wouldn't bring you all the way up. But you'd have to learn, depending on your ground or air, what it was like to get onto the hoist or what was at the bottom. So there's different ways they could extract you.

But you also were exposed to the prop wash, the rotor wash, which is pretty huge.

But you also were exposed to the prop wash, the rotor wash, which is pretty huge.

But you also were exposed to the prop wash, the rotor wash, which is pretty huge.

out in the and we're talking a couple of miles plus out in the bay right so yeah you can on the horizon you can see the city but so at what point did you finally uh deploy somewhere to gather surveillance or intelligence or what specifically were you doing so i show up at mildenhall in june of 1981 and then my training begins and i wasn't fully qualified

out in the and we're talking a couple of miles plus out in the bay right so yeah you can on the horizon you can see the city but so at what point did you finally uh deploy somewhere to gather surveillance or intelligence or what specifically were you doing so i show up at mildenhall in june of 1981 and then my training begins and i wasn't fully qualified

out in the and we're talking a couple of miles plus out in the bay right so yeah you can on the horizon you can see the city but so at what point did you finally uh deploy somewhere to gather surveillance or intelligence or what specifically were you doing so i show up at mildenhall in june of 1981 and then my training begins and i wasn't fully qualified

To listen in, this is intelligence collection, peacetime aerial reconnaissance program. That's actually the name of it. There was a number of different missions I flew on, but it was on the RC-135 airframe. But it has different missions depending on how it's modified. They call it rivet joint. That was like the primary mission. name of the platform, but then each mission had its own name as well.

To listen in, this is intelligence collection, peacetime aerial reconnaissance program. That's actually the name of it. There was a number of different missions I flew on, but it was on the RC-135 airframe. But it has different missions depending on how it's modified. They call it rivet joint. That was like the primary mission. name of the platform, but then each mission had its own name as well.

To listen in, this is intelligence collection, peacetime aerial reconnaissance program. That's actually the name of it. There was a number of different missions I flew on, but it was on the RC-135 airframe. But it has different missions depending on how it's modified. They call it rivet joint. That was like the primary mission. name of the platform, but then each mission had its own name as well.

Everything has, you know, a program name. Right. So we did intelligence collection and we're, we used to say, you know, we were the vacuum cleaner of the sky and this is primarily analog. The digital world was just beginning and, But it had already started with computers. And then we had a computer-assisted technology that rapidly came into the fleet.

Everything has, you know, a program name. Right. So we did intelligence collection and we're, we used to say, you know, we were the vacuum cleaner of the sky and this is primarily analog. The digital world was just beginning and, But it had already started with computers. And then we had a computer-assisted technology that rapidly came into the fleet.

Everything has, you know, a program name. Right. So we did intelligence collection and we're, we used to say, you know, we were the vacuum cleaner of the sky and this is primarily analog. The digital world was just beginning and, But it had already started with computers. And then we had a computer-assisted technology that rapidly came into the fleet.

But it was, you're learning some radio spectrum. We had to learn all kinds of different signals, not just voice, but all kinds of different signal types. You have to understand and recognize multiple languages. I specialized in the languages spoken in what was then East Germany, the DDR. So you're listening in, right? You're listening in, picking up signals, you're reporting out.

But it was, you're learning some radio spectrum. We had to learn all kinds of different signals, not just voice, but all kinds of different signal types. You have to understand and recognize multiple languages. I specialized in the languages spoken in what was then East Germany, the DDR. So you're listening in, right? You're listening in, picking up signals, you're reporting out.

But it was, you're learning some radio spectrum. We had to learn all kinds of different signals, not just voice, but all kinds of different signal types. You have to understand and recognize multiple languages. I specialized in the languages spoken in what was then East Germany, the DDR. So you're listening in, right? You're listening in, picking up signals, you're reporting out.

Sometimes there were world events where you'd actually have to send out certain messages that reach a certain threshold. So very long missions, by the way. I mean, these, you know, these were long minimum was in the nine to 11. Some went sometimes 20 plus hours.

Sometimes there were world events where you'd actually have to send out certain messages that reach a certain threshold. So very long missions, by the way. I mean, these, you know, these were long minimum was in the nine to 11. Some went sometimes 20 plus hours.

Sometimes there were world events where you'd actually have to send out certain messages that reach a certain threshold. So very long missions, by the way. I mean, these, you know, these were long minimum was in the nine to 11. Some went sometimes 20 plus hours.