Rumsfeld flew......?

[Flash]

Some buddies and I were watching a documentary where it referred to Donald Rumsfeld several times as a former fighter pilot, and I thought that he had flown only S-2's. I could not find much on-line other than he flew F9F's, but it did not say if he flew them in training or in a front-line squadron, they were near the end of their service life when he did his time.

So, what did he fly and when? Just curious......

 

[Schnugg]

It's kept very close hold...

 

[A4sForever]

One interview went something like this, in part:

QUESTION: "What kind of plane did you fly in the Navy"?

RUMSFELD: "The last one I flew was a carrier-based sub-chaser called an S2F--a Grumman tracker. But all the planes I flew are in the museums, so don't go looking for one."

(LAUGHTER)

...Rumsfeld attended Princeton University on academic and NROTC scholarships (A.B., 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. In 1957, he transferred to the Ready Reserve and continued his Naval service in flying and administrative assignments (mostly) as a drilling reservist until 1975. He transferred to the Standby Reserve when he became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and to the Retired Reserve with the rank of Captain in 1989.

In addition to being a STOOF driver and flight instructor, I understand he was at one time the all Navy wrestling champion for his weight class. I cannot verify this ... but his personality "fits" ...

 

[MIDNJAC]

I thought I heard somewhere he flew A-4s for a while

 

[A4sForever]

I thought I heard somewhere he flew A-4s for a while

Don't think so, unless it was backseat while in the Reserves or Congress .... as his active flying years don't coincide very well with A-4 Fleet service ...

But: I would suspect he would have referenced the A-4 vice the STOOF if he had any A-4 time, don't you ... ???

 

[HercDriver]

Curious what he flew? No one really knows what he flew. You see "...there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."

 

[skim]

according wiki it was a F9F panther

 

[A4sForever]

Speakin' of Rummie ... today he apparently kicked Congressman Kucinich's ass (BTW ... Kucinich's spellcheck's "zuchini's") in testimony re: Tillman and alleged DOD orchestrated "cover-ups" ....

 

[Grant]

He transferred to the Standby Reserve when he became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and to the Retired Reserve with the rank of Captain in 1989.

Maybe a stupid question, but...

Is "Standby Reserve" the same as IRR? If so, how do you get promoted when you're not a drilling reservist? Seems counterintuitive.

 

[Flash]

according wiki it was a F9F panther

Yeah, I know that......

I could not find much on-line other than he flew F9F's, but it did not say if he flew them in training or in a front-line squadron, they were near the end of their service life when he did his time.

But by the time he was commisioned and in flight training they were not front line fighters anymore and were used for advanced training, like I noted before........

The only thing is that is seems a little shady to me that it just says that he flew them, kind of like saying every Navy jet stud was a light attack guy because he flew TA-4's in flight training. That ain't quite hstorically accurate. I knew he flew STOOF's, thanks for the cofirmation A4s, but I just wanted to know if he flew anything else since my searching didn't get me very far.

Just trying to satisfy a curiosity.......

 

[Flash]

Maybe a stupid question, but...

Is "Standby Reserve" the same as IRR? If so, how do you get promoted when you're not a drilling reservist? Seems counterintuitive.

The board notes on NAVPERS website specifically say that IRR personnel will be considered for promotion. It happens, especially when you might be a Congressman.........

 

[Catmando]

The board notes on NAVPERS website specifically say that IRR personnel will be considered for promotion. It happens, especially when you might be a Congressman.........

Ya mean I could have been promoted to O-6 during my years in the IRR doing nothing at all Navy-wise, except just occasionally sending in my current address postcards? So now you tell me! ('Course I wasn't a congressman either. )

Stoofs and Panthers are an odd combination. And only three years total active duty seems short. Not much info via Google as to his Reserve duty stations or aircraft. I'm now more curious. Anybody? Bueller?

 

[BlkPny]

Off the subject a little, but while I was at EUCOM in Germany I flew VIP flights with the AF for flight time. On one flight I flew Rumsfeld from Stuttgart to Brussels. It was an all-AF crew except for me, and I was wearing my whites. He came up front, saw me, and absolutely ignored all the AF guys. He was just gushing on me, joking, BS'ing, just friendly as could be. Never said a word to the other guys, except "See ya".

Seemed like a great guy (at the time).

 

[Flash]

Ya mean I could have been promoted to O-6 during my years in the IRR doing nothing at all Navy-wise, except just occasionally sending in my current address postcards? So now you tell me! ('Course I wasn't a congressman either. )

Stoofs and Panthers are an odd combination. And only three years total active duty seems short. Not much info via Google as to his Reserve duty stations or aircraft. I'm now more curious. Anybody? Bueller?

The palusible scenario was that he flew F9F's in advanced and went on the fly S-2's, but I can't find that for certain anywhere.........hence the curiosity on my part.

As for the three years of active duty, I think it was pretty standard at that time. A buddy of mine from flight school had a dad who flew P-2's out of Puerto Rico and was only in for 3 years, '61-'64.

An interesting side note to that, at the end of his three years they offered him and all of his flight school buddies a transiton to any jet they wanted, but they had to do a tour in Vietnam. He had an offer from Delta and turned it down, he said that almost every one of his buddies who took the offer ended up getting shot down over Vietnam. He had no regrets........

 

[WishICouldFly]

He had an offer from Delta and turned it down, he said that almost every one of his buddies who took the offer ended up getting shot down over Vietnam. He had no regrets........

No survivor's guilt, eh?