From Tim Fox ETCM, retired -
I rejoined the Navy in April 1977 with the rating of ETN2 after a 2-1/2 year break, having previously served nine years. I reported to NAVCAMS EASTPAC and was sent to RTF Lualualei where I was detailed to the ATCU which was slated to take part in Exercise Fortress Lightning, an annual joint exercise with the Philippine Navy, after which the unit was to be turned over to NAVCOMMSTA Philippines. All of the equipment was being overhauled by about eight people. (I got to rebuild 2 R-390s after I admitted that yes, I had experience working with them.)I did not know anything about the history of the unit, but it had apparently been upgraded at some time in the past with FRT-83 and FRT-84 transmitters in the high- and medium-power vans, and R-1051's as well as the R-390s in the receiver van.
We deployed on September 21, 1977 with a crew of 12 people including a CWO3 OIC, a Seabee electrician, ,a Seabee mechanic, a storekeeper, and the rest ETs and RMs. The vans and generators were loaded onto regular flatbed trailers - we tried to get lowboys but none were available - and then onto the upper deck of USS Barbour County LST-1195. Our first stop was Guam where we loaded a Marine Comm Battalion. Then on to Okinawa where the ship was loaded with tanks, trucks and other vehicles. My memory isn't too good, but I think it must have been around the third week of October when the ship beached on Mindoro Island and we went ashore along with the marines and all of their gear. The ATCU was set up and ready to communicate in 24 hours, but the marines did not use our services as they had a comm link to one of the amphibious ships offshore. We were there for a week or so, and did not pass any traffic until that ship went over the horizon to UNREP. Once the marines realized our system worked very well, we got a lot of business.
We did not get the marine radio operators as we were supposed to, so our crew had to run the station without them. Also, we did not have any messing or berthing facilities - the ATCU's field kitchen, tents, and sleeping bags had all been turned in some time in the past. For a week, we ate C-rations (which the marines were very good at providing) and slept when we could, where we could. We finally backloaded and were treated to Hollywood showers aboard USS Denver.
We turned the ATCU over to the COMMSTA at San Antonio and showed their folks how to operate it, and flew back to Hawaii in time for Thanksgiving.