Former 390th Airman returns, shares experience with new generation

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Lynette Rolen | Curtis Towne, Department of Defense civilian employee, stands next to an RC-135W Rivet Joint April 29, 2016, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The RC-135W is assigned to the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron, but is used for missions with the 390th Intelligence Squadron. Towne was assigned to the 390th Intelligence Squadron in 2001 when he was detained for 12 days by the People’s Republic of China following a mid-air collision with a Chinese jet. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Lynette M. Rolen)  

KADENA, OKINAWA, JAPAN

05.09.2016

Story by Airman 1st Class Lynette Rolen 

18th Wing

When the Chinese fighter jet had flown to intercept the U.S. Navy EP-3 Aries II, the unthinkable happened - they struck one another in the clear skies near China, sending the Aries II into an inverted spiral toward the ground.

Luckily for then Senior Airman Curtis Towne, 390th Intelligence Squadron linguist, and the 23 other crew members aboard the EP-3, the pilots were able to maneuver the aircraft to a landing strip in the People's Republic of China.

However, landing in the area wasn't ideal for the crew, either.

"We then fell in an inverted loop-di-loop for about 8,500 feet before we recovered," Towne said. "We were able to land at the air base that the fighters had come from, which was on Hainan Island, where we were detained for 12 days, 11 nights."

Being in a different country for nearly two weeks with virtually no contact to the outside world can be quite the fear-inducing situation. However, the training Towne received throughout his then year-and-a-half career had prepared him for such situations.

That's why Towne, now a Department of Defense civilian employee, returned to Kadena Air Base April 28 and 29 to speak to members of the 390th IS and 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron about the incident and stress the importance of training and keeping a level head in the face of a difficult situation.

"When something bad happens and everything is falling to pieces, it's really important to keep it together as a crew for your own sake and for the sake of the crew," said Towne. "This is so that everyone can still try and operate and move through whatever crazy or abnormal is happening, and still take all the necessary steps to do whatever it is you need to do right at the moment to survive."

Up to that moment, there weren't many instances of U.S. service members being detained by a foreign nation. However, what little experience he had told Towne that it could be a long time before he could return home if it wasn't for international diplomacy.

"From some of the training we got in survival school, the frame of reference for that was an incident like the Iran Hostage Crisis (in 1979), that it might be hundreds upon hundreds of days before they could resolve it," said Towne. "So the fact that diplomatically, the U.S. and China were able to resolve it in 12 days was pretty amazing."

Master Sgt. Joshua Ferber, 390th Intelligence Squadron assistant operations superintendent, commented on Towne's positivity in spite of the circumstances he endured.

"I picked up on how he stayed positive the whole time and how he was genuinely happy and thankful to share his experiences so openly," said Ferber. "That amazed me, I don't know if I would be able to do the same."


Towne spoke to his audiences about the importance of the training that is received throughout their careers and how it is vital to every mission that they are assigned. He also spoke to them about his reactions to his circumstances - something that Ferber said was exceptionally applicable to the audience.

"I think they learned that Curtis is a regular guy and his experiences, while rare, can happen to any of us," said Ferber. "He described his reactions to what was going on around him and his thought process. Since a lot of the audience does the same job that he did, I imagine they feel like they would react similarly."

A decade and a half can seem like a lifetime ago. In that time, the U.S. began multiple campaigns in the Middle East and held three presidential elections.

However, according to Towne, the passage of time doesn't diminish the value of a good lesson learned, and it certainly hasn't stopped him from passing it on to those around him.

"Despite the fact that this occurred 15 years ago, it's still worth learning about today because these types of incidences can occur again," said Towne. "So, to kind of know what we went through back at that time, to have that as a frame of reference, this is why this type of training is important. When these missions occur, you have a sense of awareness so that you can be prepared for the worst possible thing."

• Date Taken: 05.09.2016
• Date Posted: 05.17.2016 19:04
• Story ID: 198278
• Location: KADENA, OKINAWA, JP