PMA-271 Building 3280 Ribbon Cutting

TACAMO Community
Oct 11
6 min read

On October 8, Captain Roger Davis, Program Manager, PMA-271 cut the ribbon to the NEW PMA-271 Building 3280 with (L) Vern Lochausen, TCVA President Emeritus & PMA-271 Team Member and (R) Travis Jones, E-130J Program Director, Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, a dedication ceremony was held for each Building 3280 conference room, honoring the namesake and their everlasting contribution to the TACAMO Mission.

The names are as follows:

Captain William "Bill" Crowell
Lieutenant Commander Bill "Buff" Crowell
Captain Ed Hampshire
Captain John "Irish" Keilty
Roger Kilgore
Vice Admiral Jerry O. Tuttle
E-6 Mercury
TACAMOPAC Crew four
TACAMO Hercules EC-130Q

Ribbon Cutting Speech

TACAMO History: A Brief Overview

By TCVA President Emeritus and Historian

CAPT Vern Lochausen USN Ret

Captain Davis asked the TACAMO Community Veterans Association to provide a speaker to deliver a brief history of TACAMO ‘in about 10 minutes.’ They designated me, their Historian to complete this not so easy assignment. At our reunions, it is considered a success if I can cover 50 years of that history in ONLY 90 minutes. No matter, here we go……

While the technology behind this mission has evolved over the decades, the heart of TACAMO has always been its people. With that in mind and taking a page from the book of Irish Keilty and the late Buff Crowell, I’d like to tell the story by focusing on OUR people, not the technology. Those folks I will call out were honored here today when conference rooms were named for them.

The TACAMO mission began with a simple, powerful directive given to a young Lieutenant Jerry Tuttle in 1963: “Take charge and move out!” This was no small order. The President and Chief of Naval Operations needed a secure and reliable way to communicate with the new Polaris nuclear submarines, and they needed it fast. In just 18 months, Tuttle led a team that designed, tested, and flew a prototype very low-frequency (VLF) radio system. The innovation was remarkable, an effort driven by the urgency of a critical national mission. The Innovation Conference room is named for VADM Tuttle.

In 1964, four TACAMO II versions of the ‘roll on- roll off’ prototype were delivered to the first TACAMO Detachments, where a group of Sailors brought the mission to life. Pioneers like pilot Ron Carlson and radioman Chief Dave Smith operated the systems from Guam, proving the concept was viable. A parallel group proved out the concept in the Atlantic, flying out of Patuxent River. The dedicated efforts of Sailors in those detachments led to the commissioning of Fleet Air Reconnaissance SquadronS, VQ-3 and VQ-4 in 1968.

The original systems were soon replaced. By 1969, the four prototype-based aircraft were joined by eight more new ones in the TACAMO III configuration. This was a major leap forward, as the VLF system was now permanently integrated into those Hercs, a testament to how the mission’s success quickly propelled its evolution.

As the mission matured, so did the way it was executed by the people who operated the technology delivered to them. Early TACAMO was considered an interim system, an alternate mobile communications station for our submarine fleet. Its aircraft program office, APC-4, had a logo featuring cats and dogs, a wry nod to the then perceived unimportance of the “birds” they managed.

With us today is one of our honored pioneers, Captain Bill Coyne, my first squadron skipper. He came to Pax River and worked day and night to develop and train the crews for the new TACAMO III system. Thanks to Bill and his crews, in the mid-1970s, 100% airborne coverage over the Atlantic was begun- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year- a remarkable feat that continued UNBROKEN for nearly 20 years during the COLD War.

This success proved the mission's value, prompting the Navy to develop a new, more powerful system. It became the TACAMO IV VLF system and brought us our next honoree, Roger Kilgore, who, as a young sailor, was already a radio systems subject matter expert. Roger helped evaluate the new system designs, which ultimately featured two trailing wire antennas and a massive 200 THOUSAND-watt output—nearly ten times more powerful than before.

To master this new technology, the Navy turned to a uniquely qualified individual: Lieutenant Ed Hampshire. He was the perfect choice: an electrical engineer and an experienced TACAMO pilot. Bill Coyne wisely selected Ed to work with Cornell University’s Aeronautical Lab to figure out how to best fly the tight circular "orbit" required to deliver a stable, long-range signal. Ed literally "wrote the book" on that orbit and then trained all the initial TACAMO IV pilots and crews.

While these pioneers were pushing the mission forward, their crews were facing incredible operational demands. Despite many aircraft being out of service for the TACAMO IV installs, that operational tempo remained high. Tragically the shortage of aircraft contributed to the loss of TACAMO Pacific Crew Four off of Wake Island in 1977. We honor and remember those 16 members whose sacrifice is memorialized at multiple sites and, today, in one of these new conference rooms.

But Bill Coyne's contributions weren't over. As a key headquarters comptroller, he secured a lasting future for TACAMO, in two important ways. He successfully convinced the Navy to "fence" its funding, protecting it from being siphoned off for other programs. He also led the effort to institutionalize TACAMO as a "warfare specialty," a move that created a clear career path for "true believers"- like me- to command a squadron, a story now told in a book by the same name by Lew McIntyre.

By the early 1980s, new technologies like satellite communications and computers were being introduced. These systems, like the powerful new computer with a "whopping" 52 kilo bytes of memory, helped process messages faster. Yet, a new threat had emerged: the potential for a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) to fry the new, more sensitive, electronics.

Once again, the Navy brought in their best to help solve the problem. Lieutenant Irish Keilty, TACAMO's first test pilot school graduate, led the crew assigned to our test bird, an EC-130G. They operated it during simulated EMP "zaps" to ensure the new systems could survive a nuclear environment. He, along with Roger Kilgore and crew, tested all the new systems, proving that the TACAMO mission could continue to adapt and mature in any environment.

After brief consideration of alternative platform options, the Navy decided TACAMO was here to stay. The mission was revitalized by the new Ohio-class submarines, at the same time a young pilot, William "Buff" Crowell, came to VQ-3. Buff quickly showed exceptional promise. VQ-3 had gained seven new EC-130Qs and he became a key mentor and crew leader.

The new aircraft were a sensation, totally reliable and a source of great pride for the community. But once again, the pioneers stepped up to meet new challenges. Ed Hampshire reported to the TACAMO program office to lead the evaluation of a new replacement for the Hercules, the E-6 Mercury. He then took command of VQ-4 as the aircraft was being developed. Ed returned later and led the entire program office in production and Fleet introduction of the Mercury. Irish Keilty soon became a leader of the initial cadre, teaching other pilots how to fly that new, swept wing, heavy jet aircraft at VQ-3.

When VQ-4's turn came to transition to the jets, they faced daunting challenges: a homeport change, a new aircraft model, and a maintenance inspection—all at the same time, all during winter. Buff Crowell, now a seasoned instructor and mission commander, took charge, leading the Herc operations while his squadron leaders focused on the transition. He personally led the very last TACAMO Herc mission in 1992.

These leaders—Bill, Ed, Roger, Irish, and Buff—are prime examples of the people who repeatedly answered the call to ensure this mission's success. Roger, in particular, has been involved in every upgrade of the TACAMO system, continuing his work today on the E-130J. It's because of these individuals and countless men and women of TACAMO that we can stand here today.

The E-6 Mercury has now served longer than the Herc it replaced, conducting more flight hours, more alerts, and training more crews, with fewer aircraft. While the Mercs continue to show their age, dedicated teams are working tirelessly to keep them flying until the new E-130J can be brought online. This new era of the mission is being managed and developed right here in this new building, a testament to the enduring value and spirit of the TACAMO community.

We’ve talked today about the pioneers of the TACAMO mission, who took the C-130 and a bold idea and created a legacy of courage and innovation. For nearly 30 years, they flew the Hercules, proving the mission’s worth and laying the foundation for everything and everyone that followed.

And now, as we dedicate this new building, we are also celebrating a return to our roots. The new E-130J brings the mission full circle, back to the C-130 platform that made it all possible. This new generation of professionals, working here in this building, carries on in the spirit of Tuttle, Coyne, Kilgore, Hampshire, Crowell, Keilty, and…. TACAMO PAC Crew Four. The mission has always been about the people – and the people are exactly what will ensure TACAMO remains our nation’s ‘no fail’, airborne link to our strategic forces for decades to come. Thank you.

Many made time to enjoy time with each other.

Pax River Museum:

Prior to the ribbon cutting, a few gathered to view the TACAMO Gallery in the Pax River Museum.