Scope and Contents

The collection consists of digital scans of issues of both Phan Fare - the Phan Rang AB weekly newsletter published by the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing - and the Phan Rang AB Newsletter published by the Phan Rang AB Alumni Group, as well as a roster of those who were stationed at Phan Rang AB (Phan Rang Roll Call). Also included are Thanksgiving Day menu cards, pamphlets on the Viet Cong and R&R in Hawaii, and original issues of Phan Fare.

Biographical / Historical

Master Sergeant Douglas I. Severt was born December 1943 in Athens, WI. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in November 1963 and completed both basic training at Lackland AFB, TX and technical training in the Air Freight Specialty field at Sheppard AFB, TX.

MSgt. Severt's first assignment was to Clark AFB, Philippines (1964-1966) assigned to the 1506th Support Squadron, Military Air Transport Command (MATS) for an 18 month tour of duty. He primarily worked in the Freight Terminal and as a Ramp Controller coordinating the activities of the aircraft load crews on the ramp. During his time at Clark AFB, he participated in loading C-130s with bombs as they prepared to respond to the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964. His next assignment was to Travis AFB, CA with the 60th Aerial Port Squadron (1966-1968), where he ensured the accuracy of all outbound freight traffic.

April 1968 to September 1969 found MSgt. Severt assigned to Phan Rang AB, Detachment 8, 14th Aerial Port Squadron in Vietnam. He was assigned as the NCOIC of the Traffic Control Section responsible for the loading and scheduling of all frieght for the aerial port. He extended his tour for 6 months and then had R&R in Singapore.

After Vietnam, MSgt. Severt was assigned to McChord AFB, WA with the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron from 1969 to December 1972, where he worked almost exclusively in Load Planning. During his stay at McChord, he received orders to go back to Vietnam (Qui Nhon), but while he was taking his leave at home prior to departure, those orders were cancelled.

In January 1973, MSgt. Severt reported to Rhein-Main AB, Germany to the 630th Military Airlift Squadron and then the 435th Aerial Port Squadron, where he remained until April 1976. While there he worked in various functional areas including the Passenger Terminal and Air Freight. After four years in Germany, he headed back to Lackland AFB, TX from May 1976 to September 1977 at the 3700 Resource Management Group. From Lackland, AFB he had a sub-assignment to the San Antonio Civilian Airport as the Base Air Passenger Supervisor and he was in charge of Airport Reception. His team was responsible for receiving all Air Force recruits that came in every day and putting them on busses to Lackland AFB, as well as taking care of charter flights that took trainees to various technical schools in other locations and working charter flights carrying foreign nationals coming in from overseas locations for training. After one year he was assigned to the Goose Bay Airport in Labrador, Canada with Detachment 1, 438th Military Airlift Wing from September 1977 to August 1978. He was a Technical Officer of the Contracting Officer (TRCO) and was responsible for the transportation function that was performed by a contractor.

After Goose Bay, MSgt. Severt was assigned to Tinker AFB, OK in August 1978. It turned out to be a seven year assignment where he was instrumental in the transformation of the Tinker LOGAIR Station into a major Aerial Port of Embarkation and the only one in the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC). He wrote a training course and taught a class that was designed to bring AFLC in line with Military Airlift Command procedures to enable the transition into a major aerial port.

For three consecutive years as a result of his efforts, MSgt. Severt was selected Air Force Logistics Transportation NCO of the year. For a year, he served as the 1st Sergeant for the 2854th Air Base Group. He retired from the Air Force as a Master Sergeant and Air Terminal Superintendent in December 1985 after 22 years of service.

In August 1986, MSgt. Severt was hired as a civilian at Tinker AFB and his first assignment was a GS-9 supervisor in Load Planning. After a short time, he was promoted to Air Freight Section Chief, a Wage Supervisor WS-11 position responsible for all cargo processing and ramp services with a combined workforce of 150 civilian and military employees. He was then promoted to a GS-12 position as the Assistant Air Terminal Manager. He held that position throughout the Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm era, where he was second in command at the only inland Aerial Port of Embarkation and supervising in excess of 300 military and civilian employees. In the mid-1990's, Air Force Logistic Command discontinued funding for LOGAIR and when that ceased, so did the need for an Aerial Port.

MSgt. Severt's next assignment was with Procurement Transportation as the Transportation Officer for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. He retired again in April 2008 as a DOD civilian after 23 years of service under the National Security Personnel System.

MSgt. Severt currently resides in Midwest City, OK. In retirement, he heads the Phan Rang AB Reunion group by planning annual reunions and researching and editing a Phan Rang historical newsletter with a distribution of 1000 members from all over the world.