RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Combat systems officers took a peek into what their careers might have been like 50 years ago at a 563rd Flying Training Squadron briefing Friday.
Retired Lt. Col. Ted Vautrinot, a former navigator and Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, spoke about being a navigator, in the past and present, and told war stories of his time in the Air Force to a small group of instructors and recent CSO graduates.
Colonel Vautrinot served in Vietnam as a flight examiner and retired as the acting Communications Satellite Program Control director, Space and Missile Systems Organization. He is the father of Brig. Gen. Suzanne Vautrinot, who is stationed here as the Air Force Recruiting Service commander.
The conversation at the briefing was comfortable yet technical, like a chat between old friends who share the love of leading aircraft in the right direction.
"It was interesting to hear about aviation experiences during the Vietnam era," said 2nd Lt. Adam Aquipel, 19th Air Force executive officer assistant. "Heritage is a big part of military aviation, and the briefing was another way to learn about our past."
Colonel Vautrinot noted the difference in being a navigator in today's Air Force compared to when he served.
"The electronics have come ten giant steps from what they were then," he said. "The instruments are much more sophisticated and these guys are getting the benefit of that sophistication. Thank God for the microchip!
"The one thing us old guys worry about is if something does happen to the instruments, can these guys go back to basics? Often our electronics wouldn't work and we would have to rely on what was out the window," the colonel said.
Colonel Vautrinot also commented on the way the view of the navigator's role has changed.
"Early on, the navigator was sometimes seen as an add-on that the pilot didn't feel he needed," he said. "As time went on, the navigator found a better slot, becoming more a part of the team and more a part of the aircraft system."
During his briefing, Colonel Vautrinot shared several stories from his time in the Air Force while the country was at war.
Once when his aircraft landed in Beirut, Lebanon, the crew needed an hour and a half to unload, so the servicemembers grabbed their bathing suits and headed down to the beach.
"There were men on the coast, selling ice cream bars, with no concept of a war," he said. "But they were shooting at us on our way in, and shooting at us on our way out."
The servicemembers he was stationed with in Vietnam were also involved in a number of humanitarian outreach efforts to establish rapport with the local people, he said.
"We didn't want any credit, and we didn't get any, but we did good things," the colonel said.
"That's important where we are now too," the colonel said, referring to the conflict in Iraq.
As the briefing was wrapping up, Colonel Vautrinot asked for a show of hands of who had deployed to the area of responsibility, and noted the sacrifices Airmen are making today.
"I respect all of you and appreciate what you're doing serving in the Air Force," the colonel said.
He left the group with an important message about representing the Air Force in all we do.
"We all present the Air Force face every time we go out and speak to anyone," he said. "We serve in many ways."