Bennet L. Broussard

BASIC TRAINING WAS IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS THEN I WAS ASSIGNED TO KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE IN BILOXI, MISS, TO TRAIN AS AN AIRPLANE MECHANIC. IN JULY 1949 I TRANSFERRED TO BIGGS AIR FORCE BASE IN EL PASO, TEXAS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (SAC) AS AN AIRPLANE MECHANIC ON THE B29 BOMBERS AND ALSO WORKED ON THE B50 BOMBERS.

IN 1950 AFTER THE END OF A (3) YEAR ENLISTMENT PERIOD I WAS EXTENDED ONE MORE YEAR BECAUSE OF THE KOREAN WAR. DURING THE KOREAN WAR I WAS ASSIGNED THREE TEMPORARY DUTY LOCATIONS IN ENGLAND, SCALTHORP, VALLEY WALES AND MILDENHALL WORKING AS ASSISTANT CREW CHIEF ON B29s THEN B50s.

IN 1952 I WAS DISCHARGED OUT OF BIGGS ON MY BIRTHDAY JUNE 27 AS A STAFF SERGEANT AND STAYED OUT (3) WEEKS BUT COULDN'T FIND WORK SO I ENLISTED FOR ANOTHER 6 YEARS AT LAKE CHARLES AIR FORCE BASE, LATER KNOWN AS CHANEULT AIR FORCE BASE. I WENT BACK TO WORK ON B29s THEN TRANSFERRED TO QUALITY CONTROL AS A WING INSPECTOR ON B47s. FROM THERE I WENT TO ENGINE BUILD UP ON R4360s (USED ON THE KC-97s) THEN BACK TO THE FLIGHT LINE AND BECAME A CREW CHIEF ON THE KC-97s. BY THEN I HAD BECOME A TECH SERGEANT. OUT OF LAKE CHARLES I DID (3) TEMPORARY DUTY ASSIGNMENTS IN GOOSE BAY LABORADOR.

IN AUGUST 1957 THE 68th AIR REFUELING SQUADRON WAS TRANSFERRED TO BUNKERHILL AIR FORCE BASE IN PERU, INDIANA. SHORTLEY AFTERWARDS WE WERE ASSIGNED TEMPORARY DUTY IN NEWFOUNDLAND. AT THAT TIME MY DISCHARGE WAS COMING UP. MY FLIGHT COMMANDER TOOK ME ON MY LAST FLIGHT AND WANTED ME TO REENLIST BECAUSE MY RECORD WAS 647 HOURS WITH NO GROUND OR AIR ABORTS WITH ALL REFUELING MISSION SCHEDULES COMPLETED. I HAD DONE 10 YEARS ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE AND DECIDED THAT HOME AND FAMILY WOULD COME FIRST HOWEVER, THE RESERVES WOULD KEEP ME IN TOUCH SO I JOINED THE AIR FORCE RESERVES IN 1958. I STAYED IN THE RESERVES FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS AND RETIRED AS MASTER SERGEANT.