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  TSgt. Brian " AZ" Badovinac (Ret.)

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 Name TSgt. Brian Badovinac (Ret.)
Country
Unit 510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards"
Crewing F-16s from 1987 until 2006
Contact blkdog Send me a private message
Website
Started out crewing on RF-4C aircraft at Kadena AB, JA. Loved the F-4! Big and a great aircraft to work knowing that you had a hand in getting that beast airborne was an accomplishment in itself. Went on to Torrejon AB, SP and learned the F-16. When I got there they had A & B model Block 15's I think they were. Anyway, I thought it was a piece of cake compared to an F-4. After TJ I crossed trained into Airborne and did a stint with the E-4B "Doomday" aircraft. This wasn't my cup of tea and then got back into crewing at Ramstein AB, GE on the Block 30 C/D then we got some Block 40 C/D, after a couple years of 12 hour shifts as we were the RIVETIZED crew chief's We moved the whole operation to Aviano. I was there 6 and 1/2 years before I had to make a move to Osan and play there for a year then back to Aviano and Finished out my career. Now working for L/M on the Block 60 E/F models.

Current or Favourite assignment

I was a BUZZARD from the git go when I moved from Ramstein to Aviano I was the 1st Crew Chief in the 510th reincarnation. It was also the longest assignment I had and I enjoyed Italy.

Deployments

Deployments and such are probably why I am single again. Went and did everything. Red Flag, Maple Leaf, Eglin and Tyndall, on the european side I went everywhere from Northern Norway to Tunisia and Site 53, on the pacific side -the PI, Osan in the 80's was fun, Misawa, etc...

My Jets & Assignments

 		88541 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards" [Unit History]
Period 97 - 2000
Current: 88541   USAF 510 FS F-16C Block 40 [ act]
I was at TLP in Florennes, Belgium and I called back to the squadron in Italy and they were like "AZ your jet crashed!" I was like"What?, it was just here the other day" and the person on the phone said "yeah the wing king was flying and the nose gear wouldn't come down so he nosed it in". I couldn't believe this and sure enough it had and the wing king was ok and all, the jet suffered some damage of course but was ready in time to bomb the crap out of Serbia that spring and summer.
87355 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 510th Fighter Squadron "Buzzards" [Unit History]
Period 94 - 97
Current: 87355   USAF 510 FS F-16C Block 40 [ act]
Both this aircraft and the before mentioned played an instrumental role in the location of Capt. Scott O'Grady after his shootdown in hostile territory over Bosnia. Other than that it was a pretty good get at the time.
Unit 512th Fighter Squadron "Dragons" [History]
Period 92 - 94
I don't remember the tail numbers of the jets I crewed while at Ramstein. We bounced around a lot. Doesn't matter it was just a workfest there with no time for DCC stuff, except for a couple individuals that were into it.
86289 [Detailed history of this F-16]
Unit 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Fighting 612th" [Unit History]
Period 87 - 89
Current: 86289   USAF 121 FS F-16C Block 30 [ act]
My only venture into the "I've got the Squadron Jet" world. Yeah whatever, I was never into that kinda stuff but I tried to keep it somewhat clean. I was usually on swings burning myself out with not much time for maid duties.
Unit 36th Fighter Squadron "Flying Fiends" [History]
Period 2000 - 2001
A year at Osan, what more is there to say.
Other aircraft/assignments RF-4C 65-0940 418th AGS "SKULL BANDITS" Kadena AB, Ja
85 - 87 .Great aircraft, hardly ever let me down.
1850th Airborne Communications Squadron Offutt AFB, NE, 89 - 92, E-4B Nightwatch 747. Never been so cold in my life.
Visitor Comments
88-541
AfterburnerDecalsScott, Dec 30, 2006 - 11:50 AM

Good shot of your name on the rail of 541, March '99.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v477/medicmanscott/Vipers/March99.jpg[/IMG]

photo
blkdog, Jan 11, 2007 - 07:10 PM

Scott, That photo was probably taken around 96-97 as I was a SSgt then and my last name is mispelled. Thanks for the link I didn't know that photo existed. I was probably TDY at the time the names were put on so I hadn't be able to correct it.

Again thanks for the Photo Love the site.

Brian

Brian...
Elliot Olson, Dec 20, 2009 - 08:58 PM

AZ, there is some blk label waiting 4 you!







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