-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! 000469. PA leader identifies importance of AF symbol by Cynthia Minnick 11th Wing Public Affairs BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. (AFPN) -- If a picture is worth a thousand words, a new symbol for the Air Force could be worth millions. The symbol, which many Air Force people have seen in Online News and elsewhere, is one part of an effort to more effectively tell the Air Force story and present a unified image, said Col. Ron Rand, Air Force Director of Public Affairs. He spoke recently to about 400 enlisted, officers, and civilians as part of a professional development series here. The effort is part of a larger plan to turn around recruiting and retention, he added. "Feedback from Air Force people will help us communicate more effectively," he said. Rand started by addressing the most fundamental question: Why does the Air Force need a symbol and theme? The impetus for the symbol and theme -- the most visible parts of the communication effort -- is not recent. Air Force senior leaders began discussing it about two years ago, according to Rand. "We recognized then the need to tell our story better, to help build widespread public appreciation and understanding of the importance of our mission, the quality of our people and the relevance of the work they do," he said. "The answer is to build on our strong identity, develop a unifying symbol and theme, and communicate a consistent story," said Rand. Air Force officials recognized the need to employ experts for guidance and hired a private firm specializing in corporate branding in order to develop a total package to help the Air Force tell its story, said Rand. After extensive research -- including surveys, focus groups and interviews with a total of 10,000 people, both in and out of uniform -- the firm arrived at some recommendations. The research also yielded four strong themes regarding the Air Force: individual achievement, smarts and technology, values, and a strong sense of mission. The mission theme was strongest of all. The firm then helped the Air Force articulate its identity and framed a strategy to communicate it to airmen, potential recruits, and the public, said Rand. Part of the strategy included creating a consistent visual image. A prime piece of research showed that Air Force people don't feel appreciated. "We work really hard, we make huge sacrifices, we leave our families behind, all those kinds of things. All our people want is to be recognized and appreciated for that," said Rand. "They don't have a sense that the public understands how hard it is to be in the Air Force, how good the work that we do is, and how well we do it." "They came up with a symbol and theme they felt captured the huge range of things we do, all the way from recruiting through retirement," explained Rand. The new symbol is a contemporary interpretation of the Hap Arnold logo, with a progressive, modern-looking design. One of two proposed themes is "World Ready," derived from the concept that the Air Force is "world class, mission ready." This concept addresses the strongest of the four concepts from the research: a sense of mission. A second theme under consideration was "Above and Beyond," which speaks to the theme of individual achievement. Air Force leaders haven't made a final decision on the theme or the symbol, he said. Instead, they'll test the symbol in a variety of communication efforts. A primary vehicle for communicating the Air Force's story is through the upcoming national television advertising campaign. The new symbol will be featured in the advertisements. "By institutionalizing a symbol that is universally recognized by all, we create name brand recognition for the Air Force," said Rand. "Until recently, the Air Force has never advertised on TV. So the American public rarely sees images of Air Force people at work, in humanitarian and combat operations, and during worldwide contingencies," said Rand. This year, the Air Force is purchasing television advertising time to the tune of approximately $28.5 million. "Besides helping in recruitment efforts, TV advertising will help the general public understand the important work we do and how well we do it," he added. Rand believes this is another important element to the advertising -- helping Air Force people gain an additional sense of appreciation for what they do. And he thinks a well-recognized logo can foster cohesion. Illustrating his point, Rand showed photos of base gates, none of which had one consistent symbol or design. "No two base gates in the Air Force look the same," said Rand. "Sometimes you have to struggle to find any obvious tie to an organization called the U.S. Air Force." Rand noted there is no single way we say very prominently that an item or place represents the U.S. Air Force. "However, we're not going to run out and start painting airplanes, buildings and gates with this symbol," said Rand. "In fact, we'll only be using it in ways that are perishable, on stationery, in newspapers, in TV advertisements, and home pages for now." If a decision is made to adopt the symbol, he said it may take three to five years before the symbol is phased in on permanent assets such as aircraft and buildings, and even then will only take place during normal maintenance schedules. Rand also flatly denied any notion of changing either the Air Force's name or the uniform. The latter comment drew applause from the crowd. But Bolling may be one of a few select bases that will actually get the new symbol added to its gate as a test to see if the symbol works well in a practical application, according to Rand. Fielding questions from the audience, Rand was asked why the research wasn't done with the entire Air Force population. According to Rand, trying to measure the opinion of that many people is a daunting task. However, he noted more than 7,500 Air Force people were surveyed during interviews and focus groups. And the feedback is continuing to come in. "Since we've published the symbol and theme in base newspapers and on line, we've had 1,500 additional responses," he said. This feedback is useful because "we are in full receive mode," Rand stressed. He gave the website, www.af.mil/newspaper/feedback.htm as a forum for people to express their likes, dislikes, and suggestions. "Clearly, we are not trying to break from our heritage and it's not a change just for change's sake," said Rand. "We will be making the transformation gradually and very relevantly, with a link to our past and a look toward the future." 000466. Global Hawk program surpasses 500-hour mark by Sue Baker Aeronautical Systems Center Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO (AFPN) -- Reaching a major flight test milestone, the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flew well past the 500-hour mark during the program's 43rd successful test sortie Mar. 17. The sortie was flown at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Global Hawk Air Vehicle No. 1 reached a maximum altitude of approximately 61,500 feet and flew for 5.8 hours, landing early due to forecasted high tailwinds, according to program manager Lt. Col. Pat Bolibrzuch, Reconnaissance Systems Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center here. "This was another engineering test mission to improve the flight performance of Global Hawk's single, 116-foot-long, composite wing," said Bolibrzuch. "We used a wing rake device, attached to the trailing edge, which measured the pressure of air flowing across the wing at 340 mph, as Global Hawk cruised at altitude. Our engineers will now compare that data to wind-tunnel figures, to improve Global Hawk's fuel efficiency and design of the production-model wing." The milestone flight also included a functional check of the integrated sensor suite's synthetic aperture radar, as well as its ground moving target indicator, which tracks targets as they move on the ground, according to the colonel. An advanced concept technology demonstration program, Global Hawk will provide the Air Force high-altitude, long endurance, battlefield reconnaissance imagery. When operational, it will be able to fly autonomously at altitudes greater than 60,000 feet and remain on station for more than 24 hours. Capable of surveying an area the size of Illinois (40,000 square miles), Global Hawk uses synthetic aperture radar, as well as electro-optical and infrared sensors to accomplish its pre-programmed, long-range missions. Global Hawk is one of two UAVs currently under development and acquisition by ASC. Predator, a medium-altitude UAV, has already entered the Air Force acquisition process. The Predator UAV was used in Bosnia and Operation Allied Force in the skies above Kosovo. 000466a.gif and 000466a.jpg Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle No. 1 banks over the Mojave Desert after completing a test sortie at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. During the mission, the Global Hawk carried a wing rank device on its left wing to measure airflow pressure. (Photo by Sam Ameen) 000468. New voice-activated program increases mail delivery accuracy by Chris Zdrakas 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- Most of us in fits of frustration will talk to an inanimate object, but few of us get answered. One exception is the postal team that sorts Robins Air Force Base mail. At the Robins Base Information Transfer Center, the place most of us call the "mailroom," mail handlers are talking to a machine and getting answers -- accurate ones 98 percent of the time. The machine is known as "Sort-It," the newest kid on the postal block and the first in the Air Force. On voice command, "Sort-It" will tell mail handlers the route and bin in which to place a piece of mail. It cuts out much of the research that formerly went into determining routes and bins for pieces of mail that had incomplete addresses or that were addressed to people new to the base. It also reduces from three months to 30 minutes the amount of time it takes to train a new mail handler. Before Sort-It's arrival, handlers were required to be trained in routes, symbols and the location of the 116 stops made daily. Ron Hoyt, chief of the Administrative Communications Branch, said the bottom line is that the handlers can spend more time delivering and less time sorting mail. Speeding up sorting will give the mailroom the ability to add more stops to established routes, which will make customers happy because they will have faster, easier access to their mail. Hoyt said the additional stops would be planned for large organizations housed in multiple buildings. Under the former sorting system, when improperly addressed mail or mail to newcomers came in, handlers would be required to do time-consuming research. They would begin by checking the global addresses on the base electronic mail system, and if that didn't provide an answer, they would call the base locator. Now mail handlers just call out a name -- a person or street. Sort-It repeats the name and a computer-generated voice directs the handler to the proper color-coded route and bin in which the mail belongs. Handlers are equipped with headsets, wireless microphones and battery packs when working at the sorting bins. Since there are no wires, handlers can walk freely back and forth in front of the bins. "This works with 98 percent accuracy, even if you have a cold," Hoyt said, "because the machine recognizes voice patterns." The system, which has been on the market for less than a year, underwent successful testing in several major industries. Hoyt said he saw opportunity open up for the Robins mail transfer system when he witnessed a successful demonstration of the equipment. Sort-It has already given the mailroom the ability to deliver to nine 116th Bomb Wing locations, instead of the former one. The mailroom handles a huge volume, about 50,000 pounds -- 25 tons -- per month of combined incoming and outgoing mail. The mailroom has taken one other step in new technology, this one a mail manifesting system purchased as part of the base Y2K plan. A system known as "Ascent" allows postal workers to shop for the most economical method of dispatch and is used on all mail with the exception of "first class letters." Because of on-line confirmation of delivery with the U.S. Postal Service, the average cost to track delivery of mail, vital in technical order distribution, has gone from a minimum of $3 to a minimum of $1.40 using Ascent. The system weighs packages and determines the shipment method that is most economical. For pieces, such as technical data and priority mail dispatched through the post office, the system can track mail delivery times. On-line confirmation of delivery is another Robins and possibly an Air Force first, Hoyt said. Robins is the only customer in the U.S. Postal Service South Georgia District currently using this technology. 000468a.gif and 000468a.jpg Verna Wiggs, Robins Air Force Base Information Transfer Center, uses the voice-recognition program to sort mail quicker and with greater accuracy. (Photo by Sue Sapp) 000467. Paperless office concept revolutionizes ESC program office by 1st Lt. David L. Englin Electronic Systems Center Public Affairs HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFPN) -- The paperless office concept is transforming workspace into an Integrated Digital Environment and is revolutionizing the way one ESC program office does business. The Global Air Traffic Operations and Mobility Command and Control System Program Office here develops and acquires Air Force landing, navigation and air traffic control systems. "We are 'knowledge workers' - none of us bend tin," said Harry Pape, GATO MC2's Integrated Digital Environment mentor. "Our ability to work depends on access to information, and that's what this is all about." "There's a difference between the 'Work' of an organization and the 'work' we do every day," said Pape. "The 'Work' of GATO MC2 is to develop and acquire landing, navigation and air traffic control equipment, but not all of the 'work' we do necessarily contributes to that." Integrated Digital Environment combines innovative practices with information technology to reduce "busy work" and transform the way units produce, share and communicate information "As the Air Force's first Integrated Digital Environment Innovation Center, we have been leaders in this effort," said Col. Stephen A. Henry, GATO MC2 director. In February 1999, the Air Force named the GATO MC2 program office its first Integrated Digital Environment Innovation Center because of what the organization had already done on its own to transition to a digital work environment, according to Pape. As an innovation center, GATO MC2 leaders agreed to transform the way they did business within one year. They did that. "Part of our commitment is not only to transform ourselves, but to become IDE 'missionaries,' helping other organizations make that same transformation," said Pape. "An 'integrated digital environment' is not a 'thing,'" said Pape. "It's not something you can purchase or install -- it's a whole new way of 'being' for an organization." According to Pape, there are three principles of an Integrated Digital Environment. The first is that the creator or owner of information is also the keeper of that information. For example, if you are responsible for your unit's budget, then you keep and maintain that information, and questions about that information go to you. "This improves the quality and accuracy of information, since people tend to take pride in ownership," said Henry. "If I have a problem with your numbers, I just pick up the phone and call you." The second principle is to replace reporting with access. Instead of sending a printed report of your unit's budget to all the people who need the information, you maintain the budget in a single electronic location -- on a Web page, for instance -- that people can access when they need it. Instead of spending time printing and distributing reports that may be quickly be out of date, you can spend your time keeping the information itself up to date. "We can go to the Pentagon to give a briefing without any slides or notes," said Pape. "When we get there, we just call up the appropriate section of our secure Web site, and the briefing is right there, with information that may have been updated by its 'owner' as we were walking into the room. We don't even need a briefing book. We can just e-mail a link to the information on our Web site." The third principle of an Integrated Digital Environment is to preserve the essential evidence of a project for reuse by others. For example, if you are analyzing the performance of a new system, instead of just reporting the results and methods of your work, you can give others electronic access to your raw data. This allows them to validate your results or to analyze the data in ways that are more useful to them. GATO MC2 has used these principles to put all of its information on secure Web pages that can be viewed using standard Web browsers. "Of course we're concerned about the security of our information," said Henry. "We're behind the base firewall, and we're as secure as the base. 'Owners' of information can post directly to the Web from their desks, and we use password protection to grant different levels of access, depending on if you're a GATO MC2 employee, a contractor, a customer, one of the agencies we report to, etcetera." An Integrated Digital Environment has several benefits, according to Pape. It reduces "busy work," saves money and lets people focus on the quality of the information they provide. Ultimately, it makes sure "knowledge workers" have access to the best possible information when and where they need it. "Obviously this whole effort requires a new way of thinking," said Pape. "Eventually, the term 'Integrated Digital Environment' will go away and it will become a natural part of the way we work." 000465. Sexual harassment hotline remains available RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The Air Force's senior leaders want military and civilian employees to remain aware of the service's sexual harassment hotline. The Air Force Personnel Center here operates the hotline, which is set up to receive sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination inquiries. The numbers are toll free 1-800-558-1404, DSN 665-2949, or commercial (210) 565-2949. "First, we expect our people to use their chain of command," said Maj. Gen. Richard E. "Tex" Brown, AFPC's commander. "However, the hotline offers another channel of communication for those who have a question, concern or complaint about sexual harassment or discrimination. The Air Force has 'zero tolerance' for sexual harassment and discrimination and we take each call very seriously." An AFPC Call Center representative answers each call to the hotline. Callers with a sexual harassment or discrimination concern are forwarded to a qualified military equal opportunity counselor. Counselors ensure callers understand the avenues available to them and complaints are channeled to the proper authority. Counselors are available to take calls during normal duty hours from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., CST. After normal duty hours, voice mail is available for callers to leave messages. Counselors return after-hours phone calls the following duty day. Counselors are available 24 hours a day for emergencies or when an immediate response is desired. The call center voice mail will instruct callers how to reach an after-hours counselor. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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