-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! 000088. Y2K: Looking ahead, looking back by Paul Stone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- After more than a year of intense preparation -- as well as media hype and occasional hysterics -- for a millennium bug that, in the end, barely took a nibble out of key information systems throughout the world, it might be hard to do little more than yawn as the next Y2K deadline draws near. But DOD -- just like it did during the Year 2000 rollover -- is leaving nothing to chance for the leap year transition period at the end of February. Bill Curtis, principal director for DOD's Y2K repair effort during the past two years, said the Pentagon's Y2K cell will be fully operational from the end of February through the first few days of March to monitor and fix any glitches that may occur during the period. The Y2K leap year problem results from the fact that software developers long ago failed to add the extra day into their programs. Normally, "century years" -- 1800, 1900 -- are not leap years. However, when a century is divisible by 400, as well as by 100 -- such as is the case with the year 2000 -- it is a leap year. Therefore, unless systems have been repaired, it's likely they will not recognize the leap year. Curtis said Y2K tests conducted during the past 18 months uncovered almost as many glitches caused by the leap year problem as they did from the rollover to 2000. But he remains confident that the end of February will just as much a non-event for DOD as Jan. 1. "I don't believe we're going to see a lot happen over the leap year," Curtis said. "We had things show up during our (Y2K) testing that focused people on the issue. I suspect the period will go very much like the first of January did. The key thing is, if there are problems, our first team will be right there watching. And if anything needs to be fixed, we'll fix it." Except for a satellite-based intelligence system that experienced a Y2K failure and was inoperable for a few hours, DOD experienced only a few minor Y2K failures on Jan. 1, and they did not affect military operations or readiness. Although the leap year problem is seen as the last major Y2K battle, Curtis said DOD will watching throughout 2000 to catch problems that may pop up down the road. "We have to stay vigilant about our databases," he said. "Very few routines in computer code are actually executed in any given time. Some occur every week, some every month, some quarterly, and some are yearly updates. So we will likely experience minor problems at various points throughout the year." While getting through 2000 without major Y2K problems is a key goal, the Pentagon will be dealing with Y2K leftovers for years to come. Curtis explained that many of the system repairs made during the past two years were only temporary fixes, involving a technique called "windowing." Windowing is a programming technique that enables software to recognize four-digit year fields instead of just two-digit fields, and thus allowing information technology users to temporarily avoid the Y2K problem. For example, a typical windowing fix would reconfigure software so that years entered as 00-29 are assumed to represent 2000 through 2029, and years entered as 30-99 represent 1930 through 1999. Essentially, this delays the need for a permanent Y2K fix until the year 2029. The technique has been widely used in both government and private industry. The technique -- at least in the short run, saved the Pentagon time, money and ensured continued reliability of systems into the millennium," Curtis said. Some systems were "windowed" for a five-year period, while others go out as many as 50 years. "Had we tried to do permanent fixes on everyone's systems during the past few years there would have been a huge information technology traffic jam," Curtis said. "Now we can go back and make the necessary modifications in a coordinated way without impacting interaction between one system and another." DOD spent approximately $3.6 billion during its four-year Y2K repair and testing effort -- an investment of time and money Curtis said will pay DOD big dividends for years to come. Looking back on his role as one of DOD's key Y2K managers, he said the military has learned valuable lessons that will help the department manage information technology in the future. During the course of the Y2K challenge, he said leaders at all levels came to appreciate the military's dependency on information technology. "We fixed a lot of infrastructure and an awful lot of computer code got cleaned up," Curtis said. "We've gone into the year 2000 with a much better set of systems than we had before and a far better system for maintaining them." Other benefits he cited included: * A clear understanding of what systems are systems are vulnerable to computer hackers and how to better protect them in the future. * Development of models to manage and track the use of information technology throughout DOD. * Better working relationships with both federal agencies and foreign nations -- all of which DOD worked closely with to ensure Y2K did not impact either U.S. or overseas installations. "It was a tremendous effort and we've all learned a great deal from the experience," he said. "I owe a great deal of thanks to those who led the way, from our top leaders on down to those who were fixing the problems in systems throughout DOD. They're the real heroes of Y2K." 000087. No margin for error: APS riggers keep airdrop mission on target by Tech. Sgt. Mark Haviland 305th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AFPN) -- There's no doubt about it, airdrop is life. To soldiers on the battlefield, special operations teams on isolated missions, and civilians stricken by civil war or natural disasters, the bundles suspended from billowing olive-drab parachutes are often all that stands between life and death. It's a mission aircrews assigned to the 305th and 514th Air Mobility Wings take seriously; they train all year, day and night, to make sure they can deliver on time and on target. But none of that training would be possible without the people assigned to the 305th Aerial Port Squadron's aerial delivery flight. Housed in a small, nondescript building near the flightline, the nine-person team of Army-trained "riggers" has a bigger job than a casual visitor might expect. Ranging in grade from airman to technical sergeant, each person on the flight helps prepare, recover and repair every platform dropped from McGuire aircraft, according to Staff Sgt. John Glatt, assistant noncommissioned officer-in-charge. The riggers prepare for an average of 36 airdrops per month, Glatt said, and the platforms they rig range from 1,000-pound Container Delivery System pallets to heavy equipment pallets that can weigh as much as 32,000 pounds. "You have to be a jack-of-all-trades and a master of everything," said Glatt. "In the beginning, it's a real shock, but we work as a team -- we have to, or we'll go under." To help people selected for work in the aerial delivery shop prepare for the initial shock of the job, troops attend an intensive 21-day course at the Army's quartermaster training facility at Fort Lee, Va. During the school, the riggers work side-by-side with their Army brethren to learn the ins and outs of maintaining and rigging more than eight types of parachutes, preparing loads, and the dangerous art of recovering their work. They also get their first introduction to the rigger's motto -- "I will be sure always." "Not just any airman or noncommissioned officer can just walk into aerial delivery," said Master Sgt. Timothy Sims, 305th APS superintendent of special services. "There's a lot of stress associated with the job and in knowing that the lives of your entire team are always in your hands." To make sure the team is up for the job, each new rigger goes through three months of additional, specialized training when they return to McGuire from Fort Lee, said Glatt. Signs posted throughout the facility also serve as reminders that there is no margin for error. "Attention to detail is critical," Glatt said. "You can't just look at something and say, 'Oh, that might work,' it has to work -- every time." No place is that more evident than when the team does recovery operations on the drop zones, Glatt explained. As each load is dropped from the aircraft overhead, the riggers scramble to make sure the pallets are secured. "Out there, a simple gust of wind or a parachute failure can turn into disaster in a heartbeat, he said. "You have to know where everyone is, what they're doing and have complete confidence that they can perform. The minute you take your eyes off a load, is the minute it'll land on top of your truck." But, that hasn't happened here. Despite the fact that the work of the aerial delivery flight is repetitive and their schedule is dictated by the flying schedule of two mobility wings, members of the flight boast a spotless safety record, a 100-percent load reliability rate that stretches back to February 1998. "I'm very proud of them," said Lt. Col. Edward Beery, 305th APS commander. "It might be hard to believe that nine people can have such a significant impact on the wings' airdrop capability, but they do, and they deliver -- always." (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service) 000089. Commentary: Salute is special; render, receive it with pride, respect by Staff Sgt. Andrea Coleman 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) -- It was a foggy Seattle morning at the Boeing Flight Center. Colin English was preparing for a busy day ahead. He thought to himself, "This is going to be a great day of refueling and stocking planes. I wonder what kind of planes we will get in today?" English didn't know that this would be a day to remember. He has a passion for planes, and working at the flight center allows him to see many rare and unique planes up-close and in-person. Being a private pilot, he also knows the joy and the freedom one feels while flying. The morning started out in its usual manner, until the arrival of a MiG-21 UIB (two-seater). This was indeed a treat. English greeted the pilots and refueled the aircraft. English was in the Air Force 10 years ago. To this day, the lessons he learned while on active duty are still strong. The discipline and respect for customs and courtesies are still present. As he prepared the MiG to taxi, he snapped to attention and rendered the pilots a sharp, respectable salute. The two MiG aviators returned the gesture. The action was simple and the time taken to accomplish it was minuscule. But the meaning of the salute, and the respect it conveyed between the three people, was special. The next day, English was again at work, ready to service aircraft as they came to the flight center. But this day would be memorable for a different reason. He received word the two MiG pilots he sent off with respect the day before were dead. Their mission had been to run radar intercept exercises with the Canadian Navy off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia. During the flight, the plane plunged into the Pacific Ocean, killing both pilots. Their bodies had not been recovered. English's mind reeled. Two men he'd met just the day before had become casualties doing the job they loved. It was sad and frustrating. He began to reflect and realized he was most likely the last person they'd seen on Earth. It made him proud that he'd sent them off honorably. He didn't have to salute them when they departed. He isn't in the military any longer. So why did he do it? Even after 10 years, his understanding of the military meaning for the salute is still strong. He knows a salute is more than just a gesture regulations say one must make when greeting an officer. He knows it's a sign of camaraderie and respect. It communicates a positive message to another human being, without a word being said. The world can be a dangerous place. Lives can end in an instant, especially in the world of aviation. For that reason, English renders a salute to every pilot that leaves Boeing Field, military and civilian. Salute with pride and receive a salute just as proudly. It might be the last gesture a comrade in arms receives. (Editor's note: Colin English is the brother of Staff Sgt. Andrea Coleman. Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service) 000091. Ice carvin' in Harbin, China by Master Sgt. Val Gempis Air Force Print News HARBIN, China -- With the temperature close to -30 degrees, Master Sgt. Scott Reekie and Master Sgt. Bob Englehardt were busy chiseling and hacking away at a huge block of snow, when they heard a child's voice in broken English call out, "Can I have a photo?" Both airmen, who were on top of a 13-foot high, 10-foot wide, 10-foot thick block of snow, looked down and saw a smiling Chinese child gleefully staring at them. Putting away their chisels and saws, both happily obliged as several more giggling children and adults quickly gathered around the Americans to pose for photographs. Like veteran Hollywood entertainers, they joked, laughed and shook hands with the crowd. They brought on more smiles from the kids when they handed out souvenir pins during Harbin's 14th annual Ice Lantern Festival. The pair, from Yokota Air Base, Japan, represented the U.S. during the ice sculpture competitions here. Harbin is located in northeast China with a population of more than 9 million people and an area of 56,579 square kilometers. It's the cradle of Chinese snow and ice art, and the Harbin Ice Lantern Festival is well known internationally. "It's so fantastic to be here," said Reekie, first sergeant for the 374th Transportation Squadron. "There's nothing but smiling and friendly people. We enjoy interacting with the people the most. Even though we're tired from carving we still try to accommodate everyone who wants to talk to us. We might be the only Americans they'll ever see in their life and we'd like to leave a positive impression. Plus they smother you with so much excellent food. I've never eaten better anywhere in my life." The ice carving competition began with an opening ceremony attended by the contestants and Harbin City officials. Words like "friendship," "harmony," and "cooperation," were used by the vice-mayor of Harbin to describe the spirit of the competition. After the ceremony the sculptors immediately started working at Zhaolin Park, where huge blocks of ice were already on display that had been expertly carved into famous landmarks, pagodas, palaces, dragons, space ships, animals and cartoon characters by local artists. The sculptures, lit each night from inside with brightly-colored lamps, turn into a glittering array of brilliant art. Tourists from all over the world flock here to enjoy the sight of these intoxicating wonders. During the ice-carving contest, the airmen used chain saws, hand chisels, planers and draw knives, to expertly and meticulously shape and define the lines of ice that is as hard as concrete. "It's very physically demanding work in an extreme environment," said Englehardt, a structural craftsman from 5th Air Force. "We spend ten- to twelve-hours-a-day working in -30 degree weather. By the end of the day you can barely lift anything. Your hands and fingers hurt and your body is sore. You're using muscles that you normally don't use. You've got to have a lot of desire and commitment to do this." After the first day of carving, Englehardt's hands were so stiff from constantly slamming and pounding chisels that he couldn't pick up his chopsticks during dinner that evening. For three days they carved from nine in the morning till eight-thirty at night, only taking occasional breaks and always looking forward to the warm tea brought around by members of the organizing committee. During the tea break the carvers would rush to drink their hot beverages, because if they didn't, the extreme temperature would turn their cups of tea into frozen liquid within minutes. Their sculpture, titled "Ever-Expanding Circle of Humanity," a piece that symbolizes humanity moving out into space and beyond, received praise from the judges. 000091a,b. Ice carvin' in Harbin, China - image cutlines 000091a.jpg and 000091a.gif Master Sgt. Scott Reekie (left), first sergeant of the 374th Transportation Squadron, and Master Sgt. Bob Englehardt, a 5th Air Force structural craftsman, both from Yokota, Air Base, Japan, apply finishing touches on their ice carving sculpture during the annual Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China. Their work, titled, "The Ever Expanding Circle of Humanity," drew praise from the judges. (Photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis) 000091b.jpg and 000091b.gif One of numerous snow sculptures at the annual Ice and Snow Festival at Harbin, China. A team from Yokota Air Base, Japan, represented the U.S. in ice carving competition there. (Photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis) 000090. Tinker Tiger TV: Students tune into school news channel by Staff Sgt. M. Davis 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Tinker Elementary School students here start their day off with a heaping helping of information, news and school spirit on its daily morning show -- WGCT Tinker television. Tinker's media center has been running WGCT (W Gen. Clarence Tinker) as a part of morning announcements for eight years. The show, run and produced by 4th- and 5th-grade students, is broadcast live to television sets in each classroom. Each month, a teacher chooses six students to participate in the program. Children learn how to direct, anchor and operate the editing board and camera. Besides giving children media training, the program helps inform students about multi-cultural events, recognition days and months, holidays, upcoming events, lunch schedules, weather and birthdays. The program also teaches students the discipline of staying informed, learning about their school environment and community awareness. Karen Carver, Tinker media specialist, said children's smiles are the best part of the program. "This is a great self-esteem booster," Carver said. "The program helps children feel special about themselves -- that's one reason I love this job." Two student crew leaders throughout the school year assist Carver. "The crew leaders really pitch in and help train the new crew every month," she said. "At the end of the year when we take a picture of the kids who participated in WGCT, it's amazing how many children they helped train." As a crew leader, 10-year-old Christina Alvira enjoys working on WGCT, because she helps kids use the equipment, she said. She also likes getting in front of the camera. "I want to do this kind of work when I grow up," Alvira said. "I'd like to be a news anchor person or a media specialist so I can work here. It's so much fun." Fifth grader Tarik Church agrees with his classmate. "It's fun because all of the kids in school can see you on TV," the 10-year-old said. "I enjoy learning about the different equipment." Though he's shy in front of the camera, Church liked working with the editing equipment because, "I like learning how to put the program together," he said. This is a great way for young people to come out of their shell, said Tinker Principal Cheryl Tyo. "Students can learn about public speaking, while those watching keep informed," she added. Getting school messages across and making it fun is what Carver tries to do. "We work on making the program interesting for children to watch," the media specialist said. "There are important things students need to know. So, this is a way to get students informed to start their day off right." (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service) 000090a,b. Tinker Tiger TV: Students tune into school news channel -- image cutlines 000090a.jpg and 000090a.gif Chrissie Alvira, left, and Jasmine Earls of Tinker Elementary at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., direct the sounds and editing behind the scenes during their morning broadcast on WGCT -- Tinker Tiger television. (Photo by Senior Airman Kenneth Bellard) 000090b.jpg and 000090b.gif Fifth graders, Keith Roggenstein and Chinelle Pierre of Tinker Elementary at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., read the cafeteria menu during their morning broadcast on WGCT -- Tinker Tiger television. (Photo by Senior Airman Kenneth Bellard) 000086a. New F-22s to join test program - stand-alone image cutline MARIETTA, Ga. (AFPN) -- F-22 Raptors 4000 & 4004 undergo final assembly at Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems here. Both aircraft will join the F-22 test program next year. Raptor 4000 will support ground test activities here, while Raptor 4004 will join the flight test fleet at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to test and validate the Raptor's integrated avionics software suite. The F-22 Raptor is being put through the most extensive and sophisticated testing of any combat aircraft ever developed. (Courtesy photo by John Rossino) **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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