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Welcome to my site!

Who Am I?

Ok, now that you visited my site on all the Aircraft stuff, I wanted to let you know who I am and why did I build my website on the War birds.

My name is Paul H. Krumrei, Sr. I was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. I have had a passion for airplanes since I was about 4 years old, when a friend of mine and I decided to walk from the house ( about 2 miles )and watch the airplanes taking off from the Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport.

Let's just say that every cop in town was looking for me all day, as my mother lost her mind looking for me. She found me 6 hours later, still at the airport watching them darn planes taking off and landing all day long!

Well, my grandfather, H. Bruce Hoch of Anoka, purchased and restored a BT-13 Vultee in the late 60's and flew the plane up until his death in 1989.

I loved that airplane and flew in it often with him. I still see the aircraft once in awhile at air shows, as it is now owned by a wonder woman, Janet. You can visit her site at www.vulteeexpress.com.

The BT-13 has and war birds have always fascinated me and I always dreamed of owning one myself. (I don't but still have that dream)

I joined the United States Air Force in 1989, hoping to get into the new technology of aircraft and just be around airplanes for a living. I was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska at Offutt Air Force Base, the middle of cornhusker country! 55th SRW or
55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing which at one time was the Strategic Air Command (SAC) then in 1992 was turned into Air Combat Command (ACC)

Offutt Airforce base had the RC-135(below picture), EC-135 and E-4B aircraft. (www.Offutt.af.mil)
I was then deployed to Desert Storm in 1990-1992.

Coming back from the Desert Storm Tour of duty, I was returned to Offutt where I then supported the E-4B National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP) pronounced (Knee-Cap) or known as NightWatch This was a Boeing 747-200 aircraft with classified communications equipment. We had 4 of them stationed at Offutt. (http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=99) I supported these aircraft along with the 1 ACCS Squadron working along side the Boeing Aerospace Company.

The aircraft is the airborne command post for the President of the United States in the event of a nuclear or national emergency.

Most people think that Air Force One is the command post, only in peace time The E-4B, which follows the President of the United States in the event of a national emergency could command all U.S. military forces.

This was a special treat to work with a Joint Chiefs of Staff Aircraft and with the Boeing Company.

The picture to above is of a E-4B in flight. Notice the "hump" on the top. This is a SHF antenna (Super High Frequency) used to link up communications to the aircraft.

This aircraft has mid-air refueling capability giving it unlimited range, based on crew stamina. This is a -200 747 which is the smaller than those 747-400's you normally see at airports.

I was then sent in 1993 with the RC-135U "Combat Sent" aircraft 849 to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom (England). The official comments on this aircraft are that it provides strategic electronic reconnaissance information to the president, secretary of defense, Department of Defense leaders and theater commanders. (http://www2.acc.af.mil/library/factsheets/rc-135u.html)

We also worked close with the support teams from Suda Bay in Crete and folks still in Saudi Arabia when at Mildenhall.

Pictured is RC-135 Tail # 133 Support aircraft landing at Mildenhall that we had from the 55th SRW back home at Offutt. Mildenhall was our deployed base of operations for Combat Sent. The motto for the 55th is "The sun never sets on the fightin' fifty-fifth" denoting that we had aircraft deployedall over the globe.

It was always good to see that and Tail# 514 (supply aircraft with re-supply items )come to Mildenhall, as it had parts and other items on it from Offutt.

Can't really tell much about Mildenhall, other than we drank like typical Englishman and had a great time there!

The Bird in hand tavern was always a local treat!

The galaxy club, was a nightly pit stop for us after hours as well!

After getting back from England, I then decided that I had enough of the Air Force Active duty and turned down my re-enlistment after serving 8 years in active duty.

I did however join the Nebraska Air National Guard, because I just could not get it out of my blood! I signed up for a 2 year deal with the Air National Guard in Lincoln Nebraska. The 155th Air Refueling Wing. This wing consisted of KC-135R model aircraft, which if you never seen a mid-air refueling up close and personal, it is an experience that you will never forget seeing two planes that close
together live!

More to come soon!