Bryan AFB

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phantom_4s
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I have been trying to find some history on the old Bryan AFB. I once heard it was considered for the Air Force Academy. Is that true?

I read that famed astronaut Gus Grissom was an instructor there.

Please post your stories and pictures if you have any.
CanyonAg77
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AG
Wiki says that 582 sites were considered for USAFA, so Bryan certainly could have been one of them. The final three sites were:

Alton, Illinois
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Colorado Springs, Colorado
CanyonAg77
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Also from Wiki:

Grissom enlisted in the Army Air Forces following his graduation from high school in 1944. He was sent to Sheppard Field in Wichita Falls, Texas for basic training after which he was assigned as a clerk at Brooks Field in San Antonio, Texas. Grissom took advantage of the G.I. Bill, enrolling at Purdue University upon his November 1945 discharge from the Air Corps at war's end.

In 1950 he earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

Grissom re-enlisted in the Air Force after his graduation from Purdue. He was accepted into the air cadet basic training program at Randolph Air Force Base in Universal City, Texas. Upon completion of the program, he was assigned to Williams Air Force Base in Mesa, Arizona.

In March 1951 Grissom received his pilot wings and commission as a Second Lieutenant. Nine months later, Grissom received orders for Korea. There he would serve as an F-86 Sabre replacement pilot with the 334th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing at Kimpo Air Base. Grissom flew 100 combat missions during the Korean conflict with the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.

After returning from Korea he served as an instructor pilot at Bryan AFB in Bryan, Texas. In August 1955 Grissom entered the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio to study aeronautical engineering. In October 1956 he entered the test pilot school at Edwards Air Force Base, California and returned to Wright-Patterson in May 1957 as a test pilot assigned to the fighter branch.
NormanAg
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Alton, IL would have been a TERRIBLE choice. Had two tours at Scott AFB, just down the rodad from Alton. Enjoyed Scott, the small towns around Scott, and going to St Louis for the big city stuff. But not an Alton fan.

Never been to Lake Geneva, WI, but hear it is beautiful there.

I have always thought Colorado Springs was an inspired choice.
airplane driver
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S
A side note - When the committee chosen to select the spot for the AFA showed up at a small airport in the Black Forest, close to Colo Springs, wanting to rent a small plane for an aerial view of the area, the man behind the counter got uppity. They story goes that he wanted to make sure that the man asking to rent the airplane was a pilot and asked to see a pilot's license. The name on the license was Charles Lindburg. The counterman reckoned he could rent the airplane.
Rudybryan
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See below Anne has a ton of info on Bryan AFB

ANNE BOYKIN
Heritage Programs Coordinator
Parks and Recreation Department
College Station Conference Center, Room 107
1300 George Bush Drive
College Station, Texas 77840
aboykin@cstx.gov
Office: 979.764.3491
Fax: 979.764.3513
ABATTBQ87
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in the late 1940's incoming fish were housed at the Bryan AFB to prevent severe hazing from the upperclassmen.

My dad is the class of 1958 and his fish year was the first year that fish were housed on campus. Dad has told me that hazing was rough in 1954-1955.
aalan94
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I'm assuming Bryan AFB is what is now the A&M Riverside Campus.
NormanAg
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quote:
in the late 1940's incoming fish were housed at the Bryan AFB to prevent severe hazing from the upperclassmen.


Gonna take a wild guess here - in the late 40's colleges and universities throughout the land were overwhelmed with returning war veterans enrolling with their GI Bill benefits.

And rightfully so, IMO. One of the most successful government programs of all time.

I suspect that fish who fell into that category would have beat the crap out of any upperclassman that attempted to "haze" them. Hence the separation was not to protect the fish - it was to protect the "upperclassmen".

Just my two cents.




GAC06
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Plus with the influx of GI Bill students there likely wasn't enough room anyway.
The Original AG 76
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The returning WWII vets were not required to join the Corps. They were the first significant numbers of non-regs at A&M.
terata
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Yessir, if one has any serious active duty time prior to enrolling at A&M, the Corps is just too childish. No need for all that regimentation after having spent a few years with the 101st ABN, or the 11th ACR.
CanyonAg77
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terata,

The funny thing is that the military does not consider the Academies as too childish. Prior service appointees still have to go through Academy Basic, and all other BS that a kid fresh from high school experiences.

I know USAFA cadets that are prior service, and went through 3 basic training sets: enlisted, prep school, USAFA. Also know of one combat veteran Marine in the class of 2011.

And as I recall, even WWII veterans who took ROTC and pursued commissions were in the Corps. Non-commission folks did not have to join.

That being said, the Academy upperclassmen have enough sense to treat prior service guys as having a clue....as would A&M upperclassmen.
terata
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quote:
The funny thing is that the military does not consider the Academies as too childish. Prior service appointees still have to go through Academy Basic, and all other BS that a kid fresh from high school experiences.


It's a lot different.
aalan94
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Yeah, there's no point in going to West Point if you're not part of ROTC.
CanyonAg77
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They are different, but my point is that even a Marine combat vet has to hit a brace and do all the other stupid crap that any other 4 degree cadet straight out of HS has to do. Even to saying yes sir and no mamm to pimply faced sophomores who have never faced anything more dangerous than I-25 at rush hour.

EDIT: aalan94: Excuse the nitpicking, but Service Academy folk are not in ROTC. They are already in the military.

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 9/29/2009 8:26a).]
DogCo84
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Canyon:

I know what you were saying (academy status vs ROTC status)...but many ROTC cadets are also in the military.

I arrived at A&M in the fall of 1980. As an Army scholarship cadet, I had to raise my right hand and sign enlistment papers into the USAR. I was technically an E-1 in the USAR while enrolled as a cadet in ROTC.

Of course, there's a reason why they do that...

[This message has been edited by DogCo84 (edited 9/29/2009 2:33p).]
CanyonAg77
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I'm not sure what the Academy cadet status is....since it isn't Reserve Officer Training Corps, I'm pretty sure they aren't in the reserves. And they go in as a C4C (Cadet 4th Class) so I'm guessing it is a completely different track.

Have to ask my daughter.

Way back in the dark ages, I was on the rolls as a SGT (E-5 ?) in the USMCR, so I could get paid for PLC summer camp. Did not pursue a commission, but I used to get mail occasionally for Vietnam Vet organizations. So I wonder what listing my name is on these days.....
terata
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Alright, let me say that I would like nothing better than to see A&M pump more people into US Forces than any other conduit. Many arguments can be made for Ags and Corps traditions being a suitable training environment. That said, it ain't happening. Does anyone really care? IMO the answer is "Nope."
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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Terata, Are you serious? You weren't in the Corps were you.

After being in the Corps as a Frog, I went through Navy boot camp. It was a breeze compared to my time in the Corps.

One of our Frogs in 1945 was an exinfantry soldier who had his arm blown off in Italy!

There was a WHOLE dorm #10 of EXservicemen in the Corps working on getting a commission. A friend with Purple Heart earned in WW11 was in the Corps- in the Korean war he was killed bailing out of his plane in training.

I for one resent your childish rant against the Corps. You OBVIOUSLY know nothing about the Corps.

Oh, although I wasn't in combat, I went back in the Corps , got my commission, served a tour in Germany.

terata
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V1, Big Jim, V1. My CO is now a USMC Col, and he says "If you've been on active duty, the Corps will seem too childish to you..." take it FWIW.
ABATTBQ87
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quote:
V1


translation: He's a day duck
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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That explain it. No way this idiot ever had anything to do with the Corps. And that goes for his CO.
terata
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quote:
translation: He's a day duck

quote:
That explain it. No way this idiot ever had anything to do with the Corps. And that goes for his CO.



We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we, true to each other as Aggies can be....unless you weren't in my outfit, then you weren't in the REAL corps. No wonder dissonance and divisiveness exist at A&M. Of course, frats (whom have ruined A&M) wouldn't behave that way, now would they?

BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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You started it by insulting hundreds of Servicemen who returned to the Corps to earn commissions! Many went on fight and DIE in Korea, Viet Nam and Iraq!

They were childish in your book. That makes you a traitor in my book.
ABATTBQ87
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quote:
unless you weren't in my outfit, then you weren't in the REAL corps. No wonder dissonance and divisiveness exist at A&M


Are all current cadets as thin skinned as you?

we were taught that our class and our outfit were the best. Period. It developed pride in the outfit; we'd also "fart off" other outfits for good bull pranks.

If someone did something to the band or someone in the band during my days, they'd find themselves handcuffed to the goal post for Saturday morning drill. It was in good fun and no one got hurt.

Water fights in the spring traditionally were the band vs.everyone else, and it was good bull fun.
CanyonAg77
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ABATT: I don't think that is his attitude, I believe he's accusing BigJim of having the attitude. Though either way, one could argue terata is being thin skinned.



terata, I'm still waiting for an answer.

Sure, a military college has some silly aspects for a veteran, but why is A&M too childish and the Service Academies not?

Is there absolutely no gain for a prior service cadet (like you, apparently) in being part of the Corps?

Why bother with outfits like V-1 to be in the Corps.....without being in the Corps?

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 10/1/2009 1:29p).]
terata
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quote:
They were childish in your book. That makes you a traitor in my book.


You're a fool.


For Canyon:
quote:
Sure, a military college has some silly aspects for a veteran, but why is A&M too childish and the Service Academies not?


No, didn't say that. A&M was my only consideration for military college experiences. Many of the Corps antics seemed a bit "removed" from me after I'd spent some time in the 173rd ABN BDE. The service academies were way too elitist, and the cadets truly believed they were "special". I knew better. My apologies for offending you.



quote:
Is there absolutely no gain for a prior service cadet (like you, apparently) in being part of the Corps?


I think there is. V1 seemed a good choice for me, because I was married and had a child, and two part time jobs while attending A&M.


quote:
Why bother with outfits like V-1 to be in the Corps.....without being in the Corps?


Current and former V1 cadets will find it interesting to learn they're not considered a part of the Corps.


[This message has been edited by terata (edited 10/1/2009 3:09p).]
CanyonAg77
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I wasn't offended, just curious.

I realize V-1 cadets are "in the Corps"

I also realize that being in the Corps is more than wearing a uniform to class.

It's a dilemma for me, because obviously it is a benefit to the Corps to have prior enlisted cadets.

But if the only time the other cadets interact with you is walking to class, how are you benefiting them? And how are you benefiting from the Corps?

Elitist or not, the Service Academies think there is a benefit to the four-class system, and everyone participates fully, regardless of their previous experience.

The A&M four-class system is not as rigid or all-encompassing as an Academy 24/7/365 system, but one might assume there is benefit in participating as fully as possible.

Obviously your marriage and family take precedence. But there have been day ducks on campus long before V-1. And while day ducks have the blessings of a family, they can't participate in but a small fraction of the cadet experience.

One can argue the value of that experience, but it is still a limited participation.
terata
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Canyon, you're right.
airplane driver
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S
As an outsider looking in, I was thrilled when ADjr join the corps. Working with college-age people at a community college, I knew that the discipline and stewardship the corps offers is what an 18 or 19 year old who is away from home for the first time needs. The corps experience helped ADjr mature in a way that a non-reg experience would never do.
EVA3
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From what I've been told, Bryan was the second place finisher behind Colorado Springs. I've also been told one of the people trying to get it here was the recently departed Travis Bryan, Jr. (or perhaps it was his father).

EDIT: I meant the USAFA. The AFB was already here.

[This message has been edited by EVA3 (edited 2/7/2013 2:50p).]
fossil_ag
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AVA .... The correct namd is Travis Bryan Jr. He was the mover and shaker in these parts for the past 50-60 years. A fine person.
LWInk2
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FYI - GREAT PROGRAM COMING UP!

Exploring History Lunch Lectures
"BRYAN AIR BASE"
with Kerry Chandler
College Station Conference Center
1300 George Bush Dr.
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009
11:30am - 1pm
Lunch is $5 payable at the door
RSVP required. 979.764.3491
LWInk2
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THANKS for the vote of confidence RUDY!

Tell the folks to check out the website in the military folder:

http://HOLD.cstx.gov
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