-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War!
1669. Air Force delivering holiday meals to deployed airmen by Erin Zagursky Air Combat Command Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- Twenty pounds of turkey is more than enough for an average family on Thanksgiving. But the Air Force is a big family, and it requires much more of the bird for its deployed troops -- 54 tons, to be exact. This Thanksgiving, the Air Force Services Agency is providing the food for a traditional holiday meal to airmen supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as every other deployed airman worldwide. "We want to make sure everyone gets the opportunity to get that Thanksgiving feast," said Senior Master Sgt. Jim Kreuger, chief of food services operations for the agency. Also headed to the deployed troops are 14 tons of roast beef, 4 tons of ham, 2 tons of stuffing, 4 tons of mashed potatoes, 1.3 tons of cranberry sauce, 3.5 tons of yams, 1.6 tons of corn on the cob and 2.3 tons of peas with mushrooms. If they have any room left over, deployed Air Force people will get to follow their meals with apple, cherry and pumpkin pies. "If you were deployed and you only got a boxed lunch, then you realized it's Thanksgiving, how would you feel?" Kreuger said. "This is a huge morale booster, and we want to ensure every effort is made to get the feast to all the troops." Private contractors are being used to transport the food over land, sea and air. The Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia is coordinating the effort and members of U.S. Central Command air forces are the "logistical masterminds" behind getting the food to airmen in their theater, Kreuger said. "Services troops worldwide have pulled together to ensure this year's meals are a big success," he said. The plan for the Thanksgiving meal has been in the works for more than a month and a half. A similar meal is being planned for Christmas. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) 1664. Secretary, chief send Thanksgiving Day message by James G. Roche, secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- One of our nation's oldest and most treasured holidays is our tradition of gathering on the fourth Thursday of November to celebrate our "harvest," the fruits of our labor, teamwork, and sacrifices. It is a day of reflection designed as a wonderful opportunity to gather with family and friends to acknowledge our blessings and the good fortunes we enjoy. This year we have special reason to reflect on family and loved ones. Americans have much to be thankful for, including the men and women of our Air Force. The eyes of America are on us as we carry out our duty to keep our nation free and secure. To all the members and family members of the Air Force family - active, Guard, Reserve, civilian, and retired -- we thank you for your enduring commitment and outstanding service. For those Air Force members stationed overseas or deployed in defense of freedom, we are especially thankful for your selfless service. Your dedication and sacrifice have made America and all for which we stand possible, both now and for the future. May you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day and, as you say your prayers of thanksgiving, please also say a prayer for those who lost their lives on Sept. 11 and their families. 1671. JASSM test proves deadly accurate WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon successfully launched a joint-air-to-surface standoff missile Nov. 20. "This successful launch clears the way for a low-rate initial production decision," said Terry Little, JASSM program manager. During a flight test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., an F-16 from the 46th Test Wing launched the JASSM while cruising at about 500 mph at an altitude of 15,000 feet. The weapon separated cleanly from the aircraft, deployed its wings and tail section and ignited its engine at the proper altitude to begin a 50-mile dash toward the target array on the desert floor. The JASSM missile impacted within a lethal distance of the mobile radar target and the warhead exploded. All systems, including the engine, guidance, and fuze-arming, performed flawlessly, officials said. The JASSM is a 2,250-pound cruise missile which carries a 1,000-pound class, dual-purpose warhead. The warhead is capable of destroying soft and distributed surface targets or deeply buried, hardened structures. It can fly in adverse weather, day or night, from standoff ranges well beyond enemy air defenses. The range is classified, but officials said it is beyond 200 nautical miles. Its stealth characteristics and on-board anti-jam countermeasure components make it extremely difficult to defend against. The Air Force originally planned to buy 2,400 JASSMs, but there are ongoing efforts to greatly increase that number. Current plans call for the missile to be carried on the F-16, B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress. 1670. Committee holds nomination hearing for next AF undersecretary by Tech. Sgt. Tim Dougherty Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- The Senate Armed Services Committee held a recent nomination hearing to consider the president's selection of Peter Teets to become the next undersecretary of the Air Force. In this capacity, and under the secretary of the Air Force's direction, Teets would be authorized to act for and with the secretary on all matters for which the secretary is responsible. Teets would also become the director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Teets has an extensive background in defense programs and space systems, beginning with the Titan III Space Launch Vehicle in 1963. He later served as the president of the Denver operations for Martin Marietta Astronautics from 1985 until 1993. In 1999, he retired as the president and chief operating officer for Lockheed Martin Corp. Teets said his varied background has prepared him for the duties of his new position. "In all of my previous roles I have had the opportunity to develop excellent working relationships with talented career military, civilian Air Force and Department of Defense personnel and a broad range of industrial counterparts," Teets told the committee. "As a result, I feel well qualified to take on the unique challenges associated with this position." The committee asked Teets questions ranging from enlisted and officer promotions to the Space Commission recommendations. He is committed to working with his staff and members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to fix any problems with the current promotion system, he said. He also intends to fully support recommendations of the Space Commission. "Our vision for the Air Force's future role in space is one that recognizes the unique contributions and advantages space provides to our national security," Teets said. "The organizational changes recommended by the Space Commission will lead to streamlined acquisition and better capabilities for the warfighter. The Air Force believes that space will be a critical 'center of gravity' in all future conflicts and that we must fully integrate space capabilities into current and future warfighting missions." The nomination of Teets will now go to the Senate, which will vote on his nomination. 1667. Elmendorf CES unveils gift of pride, patriotism by Staff Sgt. Jim Fisher 3rd Wing Public Affairs Office ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) -- People in the 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron's exterior electric shop here are charged with brightening the holiday season each winter on the base, making Pease Avenue sparkle by stringing the thoroughfare's trees with Christmas lights. This year, with many U.S. servicemembers spending the holidays in harm's way, the squadron wanted to do more. Touted as a surprise gift to the community, 3rd CES people recently unveiled the product of their inspiration -- 22,000 light bulbs in the glimmering form of the flag. The flag in red, white and blue lights was the brainchild of Staff Sgt. Thomas Pontes from the exterior electric shop. Maj. Sal Nodjomian, CE Operations Flight commander, asked the shop to come up with ideas to improve this season's display. "In addition to what we normally do on Pease, we wanted to do something more spectacular," Nodjomian said. "So I gave the project to exterior electric and three or four days later Staff Sgt. Pontes came into my office with the concept of the flag in lights." Pontes had been looking for an opportunity to illuminate his national pride, said his wife, Michelle. "He thought he was just going to do something little for the front of our house, and it just kind of developed into this big thing," she said, basking in the glow from the just-lit display. "I'm very proud and I'm very happy everyone on base will be able to enjoy it." The details were hammered out over several days, as CE people came up with a "really classy" display, Nodjomian said. "We wanted something that could be used again and again," Nodjomian said. "We picked Nov. 9 to unveil it because it went with Veterans Day. What started as a holiday display was now a patriotic display, so while we originally planned to have it up through the holidays, it will be up until spring." The display serves as an excellent reminder of the many American forces deployed, serving in harm's way, Pontes said. "We all just wanted to do something for those who are deployed and show some spirit back here at home base," Pontes said. "I think it's going to bring out a lot of pride in people." If instilling pride is the goal, then the display is a success, said Master Sgt. Bob Stooksbury, a health and wellness center instructor here. "If you had a chance to see even a retreat before Sept. 11, it was an honor. It's much more than that now," Stooksbury said. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. They did a fantastic job. I've never seen anything like it." The red, white and blue beacon is also a source of hope, said Staff Sgt. Bill Reeves of the 3rd Logistics Group Quality Assurance office "It's definitely a morale booster," he said. "In the gloom and darkness, this just gives us a little more hope that we'll make it through these tough times." No one in the excited and appreciative crowd was happier than the civil engineers themselves. "It is an absolutely marvelous piece of work," Nodjomian said. "When we first threw the switch [in a test run] I was in awe. I was just brimming from ear to ear." CE leadership was equally pleased with the way the 30-plus people who worked on the project went about getting the job done, Nodjomian said. "I want to emphasize that the majority of work was done after duty hours and on weekends," Nodjomian said. "There was a whole lot of volunteer time." CE people also got the chance to work in disciplines outside of their normal work areas, with carpenters brushing up on their welding skills, and interior electricians working on an exterior project, Nodjomian said. "I just want to pay as much credit as I can to Staff Sgt. Pontes and his crew," he said. 1668. Edwards home to new air traffic control test capability by Leigh Anne Bierstine Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- The Air Force Flight Test Center welcomed a new test capability designed to ensure military aircraft are linked to the world's air traffic control system. The Air Traffic Control Communications Test Facility and Avionics System Test, known as the ACTFAST, evaluates military aircraft use of global air traffic management data links. Such links are managed by the International Civil Aviation Organization and allow military and civilian aircraft to take the most direct routes to their respective destinations. The system was demonstrated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility Nov. 20. Everyone flying wants to take the most direct route in order to conserve fuel and minimize pilot and aircraft workload, said Jim Tedeschi, ACTFAST program manager. For the military, taking the most efficient route means less time to deploy and quicker turnaround times. This creates a need for the Department of Defense to ensure its aircrafts' avionics suites are processing the same air traffic control data as the Federal Aviation Administration and civilian aircraft. If both the military and civilian aircraft have the same data, FAA officials can ensure that both entities get the most efficient route, Tedeschi said. "ACTFAST is one of the few truly global test capabilities at Edwards," Tedeschi said. "We can test and track any aircraft in the world that has the GATM avionics suite." The new system is housed within the Ridley Mission Control Center here and is staffed by flight-test engineers and range controllers. 1666. New officers get introduction to flightline by Capt. David Small 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- Four of the 1st Fighter Wing's new logistics officers here have graduated from a test course designed to improve their ability to lead maintenance flights. The two-week course shows the second lieutenants how the wing's logistics group and operations group interact with each other to produce combat-ready F-15 Eagles. They learn details like the life of a crew chief, end-of-runway inspections, phase-dock operations and money management. The idea for the course came from Capt. Tony Munoz, the 1st Logistics Support Squadron's training officer here. He helped develop a similar program while assigned to Air Education and Training Command, but moved here before it went into operation. Munoz was given the job of resurrecting a dormant program known as the Logistics Officer Orientation Program, which had not been much more than a two-day driving tour of some of the logistics and operations buildings here. LOOP "helped new officers so they wouldn't get lost," Munoz said. "Everybody understood the need to do something more." Instead of putting LOOP back into action, Munoz proposed the untested concept he had brought with him. The wing leadership liked the idea. "We decided to give our young logistics officers another venue to learn," said Col. George Borowsky, 1st Logistics Group commander. "The first thing we did was teach them all the danger areas (around the aircraft)," said Staff Sgt. Mark Isaacs, the students' F-15 instructor. The students in the course did not sit idle; they got their hands dirty. The second day of the course was titled "Crew Chief for a Day." Students experienced a 12-hour shift on the flightline. They performed preflight actions and launched and recovered aircraft. "You don't get around any aircraft at tech school," Munoz said. "You get educated on the aircraft systems, but we want them to go out there and feel it, touch it and launch it." Their time on the flightline also taught them how the decisions they make as a flight commander will affect the maintenance troops on the line. Students had to understand the synergy that occurs out there, such as the domino effect of maintainers heading for lunch, said Munoz. "This will help them understand the impact of the decisions they make," he said. Students were introduced to the power of the F-15 with a visit to the "hush house," where aircraft engines are tested. "We ran the aircraft at full afterburner and let them feel the rumble of the ground," said Munoz. The course syllabus also makes use of the C-21 and F-16 Fighting Falcon units here to help broaden the officers' exposure to different aircraft. "It shouldn't matter what airframe you're working on," said Borowsky. "The training we are offering is both Langley specific and Air Force generic." The course will improve communication between enlisted people and officers, said Isaacs. "If a lieutenant I was going to work with had more of this kind of information, it would speed up the connection with him as being the officer in charge of my work center," Isaacs said. "We are going to have the common core of experience and communication now." Munoz was a senior master sergeant before earning his commission. "I don't think he could have put together such an awesome course if he hadn't come up through the enlisted ranks," said 2nd Lt. Drew Wilson, who is one of the students and now in charge of the 1st Equipment Maintenance Squadron's munitions flight. Munoz knows how much an officer has to learn with little guidance, Wilson said. Munoz said he saw a transformation in the students as the course progressed. "On day one, they had apprehension about the airplane," he said. "On day ten, they were more bold and decisive leaders." The 1st Logistics Group aims to put all the wing's new logistics officers through the course, expanding it to include lieutenants from supply, transportation and logistics plans. "We want them to undergo the same type of hands-on experience in their shops the maintenance officers went through," Borowsky said. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) 1665. Former POW lives for airmen by Senior Airman Jodi Swartzbeck 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- "The turning point in my life happened in Vietnam," said retired Lt. Col. William Russell. "I was out checking my aircraft at 2 o'clock in the morning -- just pitch black outside," he said. Russell was a C-130 Hercules pilot during the Vietnam War. "It was really dark and I had a powerful flashlight checking my aircraft. I heard a Coke can (fall) over and a single shot. I doused the flashlight and dropped to the ground and rolled." Right beside him lay a Viet Cong who had infiltrated the base. Security policemen had been following him and lost him in the darkness. When the Viet Cong stumbled over the Coke can, a security policeman whirled around and saw him silhouetted where Russell's flashlight was against the aircraft. "He dropped him in one shot," Russell said. "I asked him, 'How did you know the difference between me and the Viet Cong?' and the airman said, 'That was easy, you were the one with the flashlight.'" The airman refused to give Russell his name. He simply said, "I just did my job. Your job is to fly your missions and my job is to protect you on the ground." Russell told the airman that just saying thank you was not enough for saving his life. The airman finally broke down and asked this of Russell: "Whenever you can, help an Air Force airman." When Russell returned to the United States and the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing here, he knew that a lot of airmen were not able to go home for Christmas, and he remembered the airmen's request. Russell recruited people on the base to bake cookies and cakes during the holidays. The Christmas of 1971 was the first year cookies, cakes and other baked goods were distributed to the dormitories and workstations here. The project proved to be bigger than expected, Russell said. "It was so much that I went to the officer's wives club and asked them to take it over," he said. "And they still do it to this day." But, Russell was not finished. "When I retired, I went to work at the bank on base," he said. "I managed that for 10 years. I wanted to learn everything about banking that I could so I could use that knowledge to help the airmen." Russell also studied and passed the test to become an insurance salesman. "I never did sell one policy," he said. "But I wanted to know everything about insurance in case someone had a question." Russell then began to do research in the legal arena. He used the legal office on base and the law library at the College of William and Mary, Va., to obtain enough knowledge to begin lecturing. "I lectured at the first term airman's center and at airman leadership school to give my knowledge to them, hoping to save them before they got into trouble," he said. Russell shares not only his book knowledge but also his 36 years of experiences in the Air Force that he said made him the person he is today. He was shot down during World War II and ended up as a prisoner of war in Germany. He tried to escape and was caught. "They caught me and brought me back and broke the insteps of both my feet to deter me from trying to escape again," he said. Except they relaxed security after crippling him. So, Russell tied his boots on tight and crawled to safety. Belgians found him and they got him back to American lines. Now, he finds humor in the experiences that could have cost him his life, Russell said. While stationed in Germany after the war, Russell took a trip into East Berlin. The Russian guards had a habit of snapping the radio antenna when they leaned over to see who was in the vehicle, he said. "When we went through the checkpoint, as the guard leaned in, he let out a bloodcurdling scream," he said. "They yanked us out, threw us on the ground, spread eagled us and had guns to our heads. And this young lieutenant was laughing his head off." The lieutenant had hot-wired the antenna to the battery, so when the guard grabbed the antenna, he got an electrical shock. "I didn't see the humor in it then," he said. "We were on the pavement for six hours. But when we got back and got released, then I saw the humor in it. But that lieutenant never stopped laughing." Russell said he believes that knowledge is wasted unless it is shared. He set out on a mission to learn all he could to help airmen if they got into a situation. He began to help airmen purchase cars. "There was a Korean lady, the wife of a master sergeant, who asked me to go (car shopping) with her," he said. "Her husband told me she refused to go without me." Russell worked his magic and had her car ordered from the warehouse at the wholesale price, saving the couple a lot of money and hassle. "She has brought me homemade kimchi about once a month," he said. "These things make it all worthwhile. I walk a little taller and a little swifter." Russell also gives scholarships to Community College of the Air Force students. "It's been a rewarding life," he said. "You can retire from the Air Force, but you never separate from the Air Force family. I'll continue as long as airmen give me a call or knock on my front door." *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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