Blast From The Past – Fall 1987 – An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft is refueled on the flight line during a training exercise on a Danish Air Base in Denmark during one of the annual Autumn Forge Joint Nation Military Exercises. This was one of the annual exercises that brought me back to Europe many times over my carrier where I was part of a military documentation team in Combat Camera. Our jobs were to document the military operations and provide imagery to the Joint Combat Camera Center located at the Pentagon. These images and video/motion picture footage were used to brief at the Pentagon, the White House and document the history of the military overall. Selected imagery was also release by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense to the general news media. – USAF Photo by SSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – Summer 1990 – Jeepneys are a common mode of travel in the Philippines. Here we see a couple heading down the streets of Manila, taken during the time I was stationed at Clark Air Base from 1989-1991. It was an interesting assignment where I lived off the base in a compound where we had armed guards, due to the threat from the Abu Sayyaf militants group, among other such groups during the time I was stationed there. During my tour there I didn’t get to travel as much as I wanted due to these threats to American Military. Otherwise, it was a great tour and I made many great new friends.

Also, the days leading up to my return to the states and a new assignment the Mount Pinatubo volcano was spewing gas and debris. After I was at my next duty station at Norton AFB, California it erupted on June 15th, 1991 covering most of the regions around and Clark with ash! The base was closed by the United States in the early 1990s due to the refusal by the Philippine government to renew the lease on the base.

Blast From The Past – Summer 1994 – A teenager waits patiently for his train to depart the Budapest-Nyugati train station in Budapest, Hungary.

According to Wikipedia: The Nyugati pályaudvar (English: Western railway station), generally referred to simply as Nyugati, is one of the three main railway terminals in Budapest, Hungary. The station is on the Pest side of Budapest, accessible by the 4 and 6 tramline and the M3 metro line.

The station was planned by August de Serres and was built by the Eiffel Company. It was opened on 28 October 1877. Previously another station stood in its place, the end station of Hungary’s first railway line, the Pest–Vác line (constructed in 1846). This building was pulled down in order to construct the Grand Boulevard (Nagykörút) which is now smaller than the outer ringroad (Hungária körút – Hungary Boulevard) and the recently opened motorway ringroad M0 (2008).

Blast From The Past – Fall-Winter 1992 – In this photograph I’m standing in the doorway of a Russian Antonov AN-124 aircraft (then considered the largest cargo aircraft in Russia’s fleet), covering a humanitarian relief operation called Provide Hope. I was the photo editor for part of this operation covering operations between Italy and Russia. While much of the time I was reviewing and editing the photography shot my colleagues I was able to get out and cover some of the operations myself.

On this mission we flew on the 124 into Moscow where I spent a couple days covering food distribution to orphanages, hospitals and other locations in outlying areas.

According to Wikipedia: “Provide Hope” was a humanitarian operation conducted by the U.S. Air Force to provide medical equipment and food to former Soviet republics during their transition to capitalism.

Sixty-five C-5 and C-141 missions flew 2,363 short tons (2,144 t) of food and medical supplies to 24 locations in the Commonwealth of Independent States during the initial launch. Much of these supplies was left over from the buildup to the Persian Gulf War.

For nearly two weeks, US Air Force C-5A’s and C-141’s delivered several hundred tons of emergency food, medicines, and medical supplies to all twelve new independent states of the former Soviet Union, not only to each capital city but also to several outlying cities, especially across Russia.

Small teams of US personnel from various government agencies (On-Site Inspection Agency, USAID, and USDA) had been placed in each destination shortly before the deliveries, to coordinate with local officials and to monitor to the best extent possible that the deliveries reached the intended recipients (i.e., orphanages, hospitals, soup kitchens, and needy families).

Blast From The Past – Winter 1978 – I have posted this in the past, but since I’m working on images for a book on my life as a photojournalist I’m adding it again.

This is what we referred to as a “High Mom” shot among those of us in Combat Camera. It’s where we did some of the first “Selfies” by putting a very wide-angle lens on the camera and then turning it towards ourselves after setting what we thought would be the correct focus. Well, I was off here a little, but it’s still a shot that I like because this was my first fast burner ride in the backseat of a jet!

This was over the fjords of Norway where I was shooting air to air photos of the first F-16 fighter jets that were at Boda, Norway for their first artic cold weather testing. Here’s I’m flying a Norwegian Fighter jet’s backseat. I’m not totally sure but I think it was a F-106 or F-104. It’s the only shot that I’ve come across in my vast collection of slides.

As this was my first fighter jet ride I will admit, yes, I got sick!! LOL However, once I did so I was fine and went ahead and got the pictures! Also, I loved it, despite the rough start!! I guess this was the closest I ever came to being a “Fighter Pilot!” not that I ever wanted to be one. I already had what I’ve always considered the best job in the world!! I have flown is and photographed a lot of different aircraft in my lifetime, but this will always be one of my most memorable!

Blast From The Past – December 1982 – Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard in London, England. Of all the places I traveled to during my career, I’d have to say that London ranks at the top of my favorite locations. It’s such great city, with friendly people and many things to see and photograph. Of course my favoite way of getting around was the “Underground.” I’m sad that I didn’t hold onto any of my photos from the subway there, but alas I’ve not found any in my files. – USAF Photo by SSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – July 15, 1978 – President Jimmy Carter uses binoculars to look across the Berlin Wall during his visit to West Berlin, Germany. I can still recall the excitement of the day as I stood there next to the wall separating the East from the West.

Blast From The Past – November 14, 1981 – Ground crews inspect and check the exterior of the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-2) after it touched down on runway 23 at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Blast From The Past – April 1, 1986 – The reflecting pool on the Mall reflects the Washington Memorial at sunset in Washington D.C. – USAF Photo by TSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – 1986 -A night view of the Global Positioning System Satellite dish at 1879th Information Services Squadron, Falcon Air Station, Colorado. – USAF Photo by TSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – 1992 – Members of the original Tuskegee Airmen, a group of distinguished black-American aviators, take part in the dedication ceremony of the Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Center for Aerospace Science and Health Education at Tuskegee Airmen’s Plaza, Tuskegee University. Gen. James was the nation’s first black four-star Air Force general. – USAF Photo by TSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – 1976 – Here I’m hanging off a building after repelling down to take a picture at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. I was on assignment to cover the training of the very first Air Force SWAT team and as always, looking for that unique perspective that helps tell the story. Over the years I’ve hung from the bottom of a helicopter tethered to a rope at 500+ feet in the air shooting pictures, to the backseat of a Norwegian fighter jet covering the first Artic Testing of the F-16 fighter and a lot other interesting locations and assignments over the years.

Blast From The Past – April 1, 1984 – A ground crewman wearing foul weather gear uses flashlights to signal a pilot as he maneuvers a C-5 Galaxy aircraft into position on the flight line during Exercise GLOBAL SHIELD ’84 at Offutt Air Force Base, NE. – USAF Photo by SSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – January 1982 – A simulated casualty waits to be transferred from a medical bus to a C-141B Starlifter aircraft during Exercise Wounded Eagle ’82 at Norton AFB, California. – USAF Photo by SSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – I’ve covered a lot of military activities during my 24 year career as a photojournalist in the U.S. Air Force, as a member of Combat Camera. Photographing military exercises and operations was one of my main duties and required me to travel extensively, which I loved!! This shot was taken of me as I fired shoulder mounted LAWS rocket somewhere in the Sahara Desert during one of the Operation Bright Star exercises in Egypt.

Blast From The Past – October 15, 1983 – Anti-nuclear demonstrators camped outside the air base during the arrival of Ground Launch Cruise Missile equipment at RAF Greenham Common in the UK. USAF Photo by SSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – March 6, 1985 – Vice-President George Bush, who was in the Sudan on a fact finding tour, receives a briefing on the U.S. Ethiopian relief operation from Dr. Philip Johnston, executive director of CARE. Over 50,000 pounds of food and supplies were delivered to the airport aboard a 6th Military Airlift Squadron aircraft. – USAF Photo by James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – October 1, 1986 – A view of a portion of the Great Wall located northwest and north of Beijing, China showing the fortified tower positions and many tourists. The construction of the wall started in the 7th Century BC by the first Emperor Quin Shui Hunag Di. It is 25 feet high and nearly 25 feet thick in places, the original wall, 1500 miles in length, took ten years to complete. In 1368 AD the Ming Dynasty continued construction for 200 years and it now is over 3750 miles in length.

This photograph was made during an assignment where I covered the crew of a KC-10 Refueling Tanker that flew a group of Chinese Acrobats that had been performing in the U.S. back to their home in China. – USAF Photo by TSgt. James R. Pearson

Blast From The Past – February 1, 1985 – The Space Shuttle Enterprise in launch position on the Space Launch Complex (SLC) #6, commonly known as “SLICK 6”, during the ready-to-launch checks to verify launch procedures at Vandenburg AFB, California. – Photo by TSgt. James R. Pearson

According to the NASA Website: NASA ferried Enterprise to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to conduct fit checks at the Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6), which NASA had planned to use for polar orbiting shuttle missions. NASA used Enterprise to conduct tests at SLC-6 similar to the 1979 tests at KSC’s Launch Complex 39. The tests at Vandenberg complete, NASA ferried Enterprise back to Dryden on May 24, 1985.

From Wikipedia: Space Shuttle Enterprise (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-101) was the first orbiter of the Space Shuttle system. Rolled out on September 17, 1976, it was built for NASA as part of the Space Shuttle program to perform atmospheric test flights after being launched from a modified Boeing 747. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of spaceflight.

Originally, Enterprise had been intended to be refitted for orbital flight to become the second space-rated orbiter in service. However, during the construction of Space Shuttle Columbia, details of the final design changed, making it simpler and less costly to build Challenger around a body frame that had been built as a test article. Similarly, Enterprise was considered for refit to replace Challenger after the latter was destroyed, but Endeavour was built from structural spares instead]

Enterprise was restored and placed on display in 2003 at the Smithsonian’s new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Following the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet, Discovery replaced Enterprise at the Udvar-Hazy Center, and Enterprise was transferred to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, where it has been on display since July 2012