While doing some research on the internet, we ran across this photograph of someone who looked like Scott Hoadley. We emailed him for his comments provided below:
Yes indeed, that is a younger me. That pic was taken over in Barking Sands around 1985 or so. We used to deploy there to simulate a deployment to Guam which was in our OPLAN should we need to provide forward staging air defense in the region. We would launch from there and provide blue force assets against red force launching from Hickam.
The thing I most remember is the abbreviated runway, about 6k long. There was a Marine detachment that operated the arresting gear and we would take the cable every time. Basically a carrier landing.
Taking off was also sporty. We would launch with a reduced fuel load in order to get airborne before we ran out of runway. I recall lots of kiawe bush filling the side views as we were getting wheels in the well, hoping we had the little Phantom that could!
There was always a stellar luau after the exercise (mahalo Saigon). Those were the days.
Scott was a Weapons Systems Officer during the F-4 Phantom era. He continued his services as a weapons controller until his retirement.
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