After graduating from the USAF Metrology School, individuals would be assigned to Base Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratories (PMELs) throughout the world. At one time there were as many as 2,000+ PMEL members working in laboratories from the remote Aleutian Islands and other equally as desolate locations to plush assignments in the USA, Asia, Europe, Middle East, as well as elsewhere around the globe. Given that the Internet had not yet arrived on the scene, a way evolved to keep in touch with each other at least annually through the PMEL “Christmas Card,” usually hand crafted and reproduced on 8.5" x 11" standard letter-sized paper and mailed to each lab around the world. In this way, we would know who was where, who was being reassigned, where they were headed, and who the new arrivals would be to fill their slots. Here's a sampling of those cards.

PMEL Location Albrook AFS, Panama Canal Zone Castle AFB, California Davis-Monthan Ellsworth AFB, SD Inçirlik AB, Turkey Iraklion AFB, Greece Keesler AFB, MS Keflavik, Iceland Kunsan AFB, Korea Loring AFB, ME Lowry AFB, CO (Metrology School) Lowry AFB, CO (Base PMEL) Perrin AFB, TX Tan Son Nhut, Viet Nam

Year 1976 ~1979 1977 1982, 1983, 1984 1981 1981 1971 ~1980-81 1974 1962-63 ~1970, ~1971, ~1972, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 1960-61, 1974 1969 1970

If you have a PMEL Christmas Card not listed, please send us a copy and we’ll add it to the list! Thank you!

Last Updated: 07/05/2023