WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! 000696. Rodeo 2000 competition opens with with energy, enthusiasm by Staff Sgt. Pamela Smith Rodeo Roundup staff POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) -- Rodeo competitors ignited the flight line here May 7 with energy and enthusiasm during the opening ceremony of Rodeo 2000, Air Mobility Command's international airlift and tanker competition. "This is the largest air mobility competition the world has ever seen," said Maj. Gen. Silas "Si" Johnson, Rodeo commander. "This next week's going to be an incredible show of air power." There are 79 aircraft and more than 3,000 members representing 34 active duty, 18 Reserve and 10 Air National Guard units, and eight foreign countries. Rodeo gives competitors the opportunity to highlight and focus on their skills and contributions to mobility, said Gen. Charles T. 'Tony' Robertson, Commander in chief, U.S. Transportation Command, and AMC commander. "Mobility continues to be a primary tool to building a better future for the Air Force and the world." As part of opening ceremony festivities, Staff Sgt. Ty Clark, 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and a member of the Air Force's new STARS (Special Tactics and Rescue Specialists) Parachute Demonstration Team, jumped from a C-130 Hercules with the American flag flying. An aerial formation followed with 175 82nd Airborne paratroopers jumping from aircraft. Eight more Air Force Special Operations Command members, carrying the country flags of the eight international participants, parachuted from a C-130. Capt. Mark August, a Pope C-130 aircraft commander, is looking forward to the opportunity to interact with the other teams. "We can learn a lot flying at the international level," he said. "Although we fly basically the same, the specific details are different, like time-on-target control." Rodeo competition comprises a variety of events. Maintainers will be judged on their ability to perform thorough preflight and post flight/home inspections; security forces troops will be evaluated on their tactical ability to maneuver and operate in a potentially hostile area; aeromedical evacuation members will be judged on how they handle medical emergencies; aerial porters will be judged on how well they can perform an engine-running onload and offload; and aircrews will be judged on their shortfield landings and air refueling capabilities. "Rodeo turns the focus to teamwork," Robertson said. "It takes everyone -- aircrews, aerial porters, maintainers and security forces to make up a team." Tech. Sgt. Wilbert Feltner, 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., said training for Rodeo has enhanced his team's camaraderie and he hopes the same will happen with the other teams. "This event will give us better respect for the other teams," he said. "We know what we have at home. Now we can find out what the other bases have." Robertson recognized the international participants for being part of Rodeo 2000. "As we talk about teamwork, I think it's only appropriate to mention the international participants." he said. "We realize it takes more than our own to make the world a better place." Robertson ordered the participants to do four things: learn something new, teach something, be safe and have a "good" time. (Courtesy of AMC News Service) 000696a.gif and 000696a.jpg Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., drop in on the Rodeo 2000 opening ceremonies. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Myles Cullen) 000697. International teams make Rodeo 2000 a truly world event by Tech. Sgt. Thomas Palmer Rodeo Roundup staff POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) -- Unlike major sports leagues who tout their championship games as a way to determine a "world" champion, Air Mobility Command's biennial Rodeo will crown a true world champion following six days of intense competition. What sets Rodeo apart from professional major sports is the inclusion of international teams, and this year is no exception. When the competition kicked off May 7, eight teams representing Egypt, South Korea, Belgium, France, Canada, Turkey, Brazil and the United Kingdom arrived here to take part in Rodeo 2000. Besides the eight competitors, 13 other nations and air forces sent representatives to observe the competition. Rodeo's goal is to enhance mobility operations while fostering esprit de corps and positive relations among team members representing active duty, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, U.S. Army and international units. It also provides both U.S. and international participants the opportunity to compare their tactics and procedures, and exchange ideas and learn from each other. While the international teams are outnumbered by their U.S. counterparts, they have fared well in recent years, taking home a number of titles. In 1996 the United Kingdom was the best airdrop wing and top C-130 wing. That same year the United Kingdom also had the top security forces team. In 1998, France had the top C-130 maintenance team and in 1994 Italy took the same honor. International competitors also compete for the title of best international team, won in 1998 by Saudi Arabia. The United Kingdom and Japan claimed the title in 1996 and 1994 respectively. To help bridge the cultural gap and to make the international teams feel more at home, an icebreaker was held. Also the teams spent the days leading up to the start of Rodeo receiving briefings and getting the opportunity to acclimate themselves to Pope and take part in a local flying orientation. The international teams look forward to competing at Rodeo since it is the only mobility exercise of its kind that gives them the chance to evaluate their capabilities against the rest of the world. Despite the cultural and language differences, the international teams have one common understanding with the U.S. teams: winning. They are ready to compete head-to-head with the best in the world. 000697a.gif and 000697a.jpg A Canadian C-130 arrives at Pope AFB, N.C., May 2 for Rodeo 2000. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Myles Cullen) 000691. Air Force seeks former 'sister service' members RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The Air Force is opening its doors to former sister service members who qualify to join. Up to now, former soldiers, sailors, Marines and members of the Coast Guard could only join the Air Force if they held specialties in a very narrow series of career fields. The new authorization permits all eligible people with compatible career fields to enter the Air Force. Training opportunities are also available for former servicemembers trained in specialties not currently used by the Air Force. "These training opportunities are primarily available in the mechanical and electrical career fields," said Master Sgt. Jeff Moore, chief of Air Force Recruiting Service's prior service program. Honorably discharged veterans who have been out of the military no longer than 6 years and have no more than 12 years of total active military service can find out more by contacting their local Air Force recruiter, or by calling 1-800-423-USAF. (Courtesy of Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs) 000692. AFRL research may transform 'telemedicine' ROME, N.Y. (AFPN) -- The patient may be in an Appalachia mining town. His medical records and a renowned specialist in the field may be hundreds of miles away -- in opposite directions. An accurate and instantaneous diagnosis may be in his future. The Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate and SAIC of San Diego, Calif., have entered into a three-year, nearly $7 million agreement for research that will develop technology for "virtual private networks" in future Internets. The research is being funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of Arlington, Va., under its "Next Generation Internet" program. SAIC will establish network interconnectivity between medical schools and hospitals, including the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. "The focus of this research will be to establish NGI connectivity and develop enabling Next Generation Virtual Private Network technology to support development of several applications," said Daniel J. Hague, program manager in the directorate's Information Grid Division. "Researchers will develop an intelligent archiving application focusing on radiology imagery and other multimedia biomedical data," said Hague. "This technology will provide authorized users seamless access to distributed data for patient care and disaster recovery. In addition, they will develop a collaborative telemicroscopy application, with the capability to electronically share three regional telemicroscopy centers among four regional medical institutions." "Success in the 21st century -- in nearly all fields -- will depend on the ability to collaborate electronically," said Hague. "While the Department of Defense is specifically interested in this technology to support ballistic missile defense, there are numerous potential civilian applications, primarily in education and the medical field. "We will be looking at using advanced networks and expanded bandwidth for intelligent archiving, which is the storing of medical information and the ability to access distributed medical records accurately," Hague said. "The other major field is teleradiology, where x-rays and MRIs can be archived and accessed by a medical expert somewhere else for an interpretation and diagnosis." "A primary goal for medical purposes will be to develop the ability to access patient records and high quality radiology information across a virtual network with complete security," Hague said. The government's NGI program, under which the Department of Defense will invest $50 million, is part of an inter-agency effort to advance networking technologies and new applications through deployment of national-scale testbeds that are vastly superior to today's Internet. First demonstrated by the military in the 1970s, Internet technology is the foundation of today's military and commercial network systems. (Courtesy of AFRL Public Affairs) 000695. Air Guard, Reserve wings train their sights on wildfires by Staff Sgt. Julio J. Bermejo 146th Airlift Wing Public Affairs CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Calif. (AFPN) -- It's been called the most dangerous peacetime mission there is. It involves flying a heavily laden C-130 Hercules a few knots above stall speed, through black smoke and fire-quickened winds, at times so low over mountains and ridges the autopilot fills the crew headphones with shouts of "Terrain -- pull up!" That most dangerous peacetime mission is fighting wildfires from the air, and in the total force only four units are set to do that, all from the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. "This is probably one of the most challenging missions," said Maj. Brian Watkins, a 145th Airlift Wing pilot from Pinehurst, North Carolina. "Participation is on a voluntary basis, but there's no trouble getting crews." Recently, volunteers from the Guard's 145th AW, Charlotte, N.C.; 146th AW here; and 153th AW, Cheyenne, Wyo.; and from the Reserve's 302nd AW, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., joined representatives from the U.S. Forest Service and the state forestry departments of California, Colorado, and North Carolina for annual fire-fighting training to prepare aircrews and maintenance and operations personnel for the upcoming fire season. They gathered at here, 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, to train in the use of the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, a fire-retardant delivery system designed and built specifically for use aboard the C-130. The U.S. Forest Service owns eight MAFFS units, while two MAFFS units and support equipment are assigned to each of the four airlift wings and kept at the home stations. During four days of training operations, Air Force and forestry personnel generated more than 70 sorties daily from air tanker bases established here and at the Palmdale Regional Airport to designated drop zones in the Los Padres and Angeles National Forests. For each drop, a Forest Service lead plane guides the C-130 to the drop zone. There, the MAFFS-equipped Hercules, flying 5 percent above stall speed and 150 feet above the ground, discharges 3,000 gallons of water. Fire retardant is reserved for actual fire fighting. Using compressed air, the release is completed in about 5 to 11 seconds, laying down a "line" 1,500 feet long and 60 feet wide. Like the U.S. cavalry coming to save the day in an old western movie, Guard and Reserve personnel are called into action when civilian air tanker services contracted by the USFS are stretched to their limits and there is "imminent danger to life and property." At that point, the National Interagency Coordination Center in Boise, Idaho, requests MAFFS activation. The director of the USFS's National Interagency Fire Center gives approval for activation, and the request is then forwarded to the director of military support at the Pentagon. The week of MAFFS training also afforded Guard and Reserve maintenance crews the opportunity to demonstrate the skills they've developed through training during weekend drills. "Here you learn the most important, the most critical aspects of the job," said Tech. Sgt. Carlos Arevalo of the 146th Maintenance Squadron. "The focus is on problem solving and trouble shooting." At the air tanker bases here and at Palmdale, maintenance crews operated pits as busy and efficient as any on a racing circuit. As quickly as returning C-130s taxied into pit areas, personnel rushed aerospace ground equipment and compressor and water hoses to them, and refueled the "Hercs" as needed. MAFFS-equipped aircraft were reloaded and flight ready in less than 10 minutes. Lt. Col. Ron Boll, chief of standard evaluation for the 146th AW and commander of the MAFFS training mission, deemed the week's efforts a success. He also pointed out that training in southern California was especially appropriate considering the hot, dry conditions that prevail every summer. "Making training runs and drops over the mountains of the Los Padres and Angeles (national forests) allows us to practice over the locations and terrain we might be looking at a few months from now," Boll said. 000693. Air Force 'STARS' take to the skies by Tech. Sgt. Ginger Schreitmueller Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs NAVAL AIR STATION KEY WEST, Fla. (AFPN) -- Their silhouettes pop into the sky from behind the C-17 Globemaster. In less than the count of "one-thousand-one," eight red, white and blue canopies fill the skyline. The jumpers aim their chutes toward the target -- a small panel that marks the drop zone and proclaims the territorial touchdown for the Air Force's newest demonstration team. The U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and Rescue Specialists, or STARS, Parachute Demonstration Team began training camp here recently. The STARS mission is to bring a greater understanding and awareness of the Air Force and special tactics to the American public. "These men are all freefall parachutists and military jumpmasters with at least 200 jumps to their credit," said Wayne Norrad, the STARS director and a retired chief master sergeant. There are three full-time jumpers -- plus Norrad -- permanently assigned to the team, which is headquartered at the 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla. For demonstrations, the team will normally consist of four or five jumpers, a drop zone controller and the team coordinator/narrator. "Unlike the Army's Golden Knights or the Navy's Leap Frogs, the team isn't a permanent duty assignment," said Norrad, a retired combat controller. "The STARS team is not allocated separate manpower billets, so the team must operate with augmentees who have full-time jobs as pararescuemen or combat controllers. When we have a jump planned, we'll pull the team from their home units to participate. They may be doing a freefall demonstration today, and heading out to execute a real-world mission tomorrow." The STARS team isn't the only parachute demonstration team in the Air Force. The U.S. Air Force Academy also has a team, "Wings of Blue." The STARS concept and team name has existed in Air Force Special Operations Command since 1996. "I made my first jump with the STARS about 4 years ago," said Master Sgt. Stacey Poland, a combat controller assigned to the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Wash. "Many of us have taken part in parachute demonstrations throughout our career, but there was no official Air Force parachute team. We've recognized a need for an official team for quite a while, but the concept has been slow rolling toward reality." Though STARS traces its roots to AFSOC, today's team is a mix of combat control and pararescue professionals from across the Air Force. The jumpers are assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Combat Command, Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard. Special tactics forces are combined teams of combat controllers and pararescuemen, who are combat ready members of the most highly trained and elite special operations and combat search and rescue forces in the world. Though the controllers and PJs on the team have each parachuted more than 200 times, the team itself is in the early stages of development. "STARS has been around in different forms for many years, but basically the program was run with volunteers and limited funding," said Staff Sgt. Ty Clark, noncommissioned officer in charge of STARS. "Now, we'll have a full-fledged team and eventually our infrastructure will be more self-sustaining so we'll be able to function more like other parachute demonstration teams. You've got to walk before you can run," said Clark, a combat controller and one of the team's primary jumpers. As the team grows and matures, Poland said the focus won't change. "Getting out there in front of the American people is what STARS is all about," he said. "It's one of the best ways to show potential recruits who we are and what we do. We will do demonstrations at air shows and sporting events, but our focus is on the younger audience. "We want to get out to high schools around the country and do jumps before school assemblies or homecoming games," Poland said. "These are the people we need to reach out and touch with our messages about the Air Force and special tactics." The team's first official demonstration was a "Salute to Youth" program at Palmdale, Calif., April 28. They also are scheduled to drop into a stadium full of fans at Comiskey Park before a Chicago White Sox game in May, and perform a jump into Hurlburt Field's Air Park for the AFSOC's 10th Anniversary Celebration in June. "Being part of this team is the kind of stuff that motivates people," said Master Sgt. Doug Carwile, a pararescueman assigned to ACC's 347th Operational Support Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga. "To be part of the solution, to get out and meet people and help recruiting are great opportunities. I've seen the Golden Knights and the Leap Frogs, and know there are a lot of true professionals in our career field who can do the same caliber work, if not better." Helping bring attention to the special tactics community and ultimately helping recruiting efforts is one of the motivating factors behind Senior Master Sgt. Jack Brehm's involvement in STARS. "With 23 years as a PJ, I've become a self-motivated recruiter," said the PJ assigned to the New York Air National Guard's 102nd Rescue Squadron. "Our career field is about 80 percent manned and I've made it a personal goal to do all I can my last few years in service to bring up those numbers." The STARS taking on the mission to enhance public understanding and awareness of the Air Force and Special Tactics are: Full-time team members -- Master Sgt. Stacey Poland, 22nd STS, McChord (AFSOC) -- Staff Sgt. Ty Clark, 720th STG, Hurlburt Field (AFSOC) -- Senior Airman Brad Braddock, 720th STG, Hurlburt Field (AFSOC) Primary augmentee team members -- Senior Master Sgt. Jack Brehm, 102nd RQS, F.S. Gabreski Airport, N.Y. (ANG) -- Master Sgt. Doug Carwile, 347th OSS, Moody (ACC) -- Staff Sgt. Joe Barnard, Detachment 1, 342nd Training Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M. (AETC) -- Staff Sgt. Ron Thompson, 66th Rescue Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev. (ACC) -- Senior Airman Ian Vredenburgh, 21st STS, Pope AFB, N.C. (AFSOC) Alternate augmentee team members -- Master Sgt. Jon Swails, 303rd Rescue Squadron, Portland International Airport, Ore. (AFRC) -- Tech. Sgt. Tim Donovan, Det. 1, 342nd TRS, Kirtland (AETC) -- Staff Sgt. Calvin Markham, 23rd STS, Hurlburt Field (AFSOC) -- Staff Sgt. Jules Roy, 102nd RQS, N.Y. (ANG) More information on STARS is available by contacting Norrad at [EMAIL PROTECTED]; or by calling DSN 579-4246, commercial (850) 884-4246. (Courtesy of AFSOC 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 ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! 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