-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War!
1852. Unit helps deploy French forces to Afghanistan by Capt. David L. Englin 16th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy (AFPN) -- Aerial port specialists from a unit in the 16th Air Expeditionary Wing based in Istres, France, loaded French equipment and troops onto C-17 Globemaster III transport jets bound for Afghanistan between Dec. 17 and Dec. 22. Typically, the 16th AEW units based at Istres perform air-to-air refueling missions for NATO aircraft flying over the Balkans in support of operations Joint Forge and Joint Guardian. However, when Operation Enduring Freedom required American C-17s to transport French troops and equipment, the 16th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, with airmen who specialize in loading heavy aircraft, was there to lend a hand. Airmen from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., are deployed to Istres to augment the air transport operations specialists already there. Together they loaded more than 1,000 tons of French equipment over several days, making the equipment safe for flight, securing the equipment into the aircraft, and performing all of the necessary calculations to ensure safe delivery. "It feels good to be involved in Operation Enduring Freedom," said Tech. Sgt. Richard B. Rowcliffe, noncommissioned officer in charge of air transport operations for the 16th EABS. "If I had my choice, I'd be even farther forward." Rowcliffe, who was a Marine field artillery specialist during Operation Desert Storm, is now an Air Force reservist who spends more than 250 days a year on active duty. He is deployed to the 16th EABS from the 27th Aerial Port Squadron at Minneapolis. Tech. Sgt. Timothy Dickens, an air transport operations specialist with the 16th EABS, said that dealing with French equipment was slightly different, but nothing they could not handle. "We train to do this all the time," Dickens said. "We came here to do the job, and that's just what we're going to do." Dickens' home station is the 609th Aerial Port Squadron at Andrews AFB, Md. He is self-employed and has served more than 16 years in the Air Force Reserve. "This is another example of the total force of active-duty, Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard airmen in action," said Col. Terry L. New, commander of the 16th AEW. "Whether securing the skies over the Balkans or executing the war against terrorism, we're ready for whatever our country asks of us." 1854. Board selects 50 for intern program RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- An Air Force board here selected 50 captains Dec. 21 to take part in the 2002 Air Force Intern Program. More than 300 line and nonline officers were considered for the program during the board that convened at the Air Force Personnel Center in October. AFIP, in its eighth year, provides a unique opportunity for captains to sharpen their leadership skills, said Maj. Richard Young, chief of the AFIP and professional military education outplacement. "It's a fast-paced, 13-month program designed to develop tomorrow's leaders," he said. "AFIP combines hands-on experience as an intern on the joint staff, office of the secretary of defense, secretary of the Air Force, or air staff arena with graduate courses in leadership and management at George Washington University," Young said. After a month-long orientation, all interns will take graduate-level classes in leadership and management throughout the fall. The interns will then work two, six-month rotations in positions on the air staff, the Air Force Secretariat, the joint staff, or office of the secretary of defense. To expand the functional knowledge and experience of these young officers, one six-month rotation will be in an area related to the intern's primary career field, Young said. The other rotation will be served in an unrelated area to broaden their experience. Upon completion of the intern program, participants return to the field to capitalize on the experience they gained. They will not be retained on the air staff or secretariat and in most cases, will return to wing level. The board selected 46 line officers and one primary from the nurse, biomedical service, judge advocate department and chaplain service. Wing commanders or the equivalent could nominate up to 7 percent of their captains who have less than three years time in grade to meet the AFIP board. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 1853. Airman risks life to save others by Petty Officer 1st Class Linda Pepka Iceland Defense Force Public Affairs KEFLAVIK, Iceland (AFPN) -- Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Westermeyer, assigned to the Iceland Defense Force here, recently received the Air Force Airman's Medal, the service's most prestigious peacetime decoration. He went beyond the call of duty while on deployment in central Africa and risked his life to save nearly 300 American military and civilian hotel guests. Westermeyer, from the IDF provost marshal's office, was deployed to Dakar, Senegal, for Operation Shepherd Venture when he heard a knock at his first floor hotel door June 15, 1998. "It was about 3 a.m. when Master Sergeant Rickey Martinez came to my door saying that he thought the hotel was on fire," Westermeyer said. "We immediately followed the smell of smoke to the center of the horseshoe-shaped hotel and discovered that it was coming out of the first floor office wall cracks. We heard the crackling and popping sounds of fire." The two airmen pulled fire equipment from a nearby wall, but the dry-rotted hose ripped in half, Westermeyer said. The hotel did not have smoke detectors or a sprinkler system. "On top of that, there was a language barrier," Westermeyer said. "I had to literally grab the desk clerk and show him the fire before he realized that there was a crisis at the hotel. He ran back to the front desk and gave me a small, silver whistle, which I understood was the hotel's fire alarm." Westermeyer and Martinez systematically cleared the first floor and then proceeded to the second level. "It was not an easy task because of the different nationalities," Westermeyer said. "People weren't responding to the knocks at their doors, the blows of the whistle or to the word 'fire' that was being yelled." Eventually though, they contacted each room and believed that the hotel was empty. "We thought that everyone had been evacuated until we looked up at the second floor and saw lights illuminate in two rooms," Westermeyer said. "A couple of people opened the windows and yelled out saying they thought there was a fire in the hotel." Two airmen had ignored the knocks and whistle alarms thinking the noise came from people partying in the halls, Westermeyer said. Westermeyer, Martinez and another sergeant dashed back into the smoke-filled hotel. "We could barely breathe through the thick smoke, became disorientated, dropped to our knees and formed a human caterpillar chain by grabbing each other's ankles," Westermeyer explained. The rescue team crawled to the second floor knocking on every door that they had passed and eventually found the occupied room. Once inside the space, the team cleared their lungs with fresh air, extended the human caterpillar chain with the two airmen and then escorted them to safety, Westermeyer said. Lt. Col. Mike Kelly, the IDF Provost Marshal here said, heroes are made through perseverance and Westermeyer's achievements reflect just that. "His actions on that day are indicative of his daily work ethics," Kelly said. "He deeply cares about people and goes to great lengths to assist them. When faced with a problem, he goes after it wholeheartedly and sees it through to the end." After Natasha, age 12, learned that her father was going to receive the Airman's Medal she became excited for him. "I am proud of my father because he did a good thing," Natasha said. "He risked his life to save others and that's not an easy thing." 1850. Chief continues education theme at DOD institute by Army Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Crawford Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute Public Affairs PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- When Chief Master Sgt. Julia I. Crutchfield became superintendent of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute here in May, it was a continuation of a common theme in her career: education. For someone who initially joined the Air Force to take a break from school, her personal pursuit of education ironically has also been a common theme woven throughout her career. "I enlisted because I was so tired of school," said the Peoria, Ill., native, who later moved to Tampa, Fla. As an honor student at Tampa Catholic High School, Crutchfield graduated six months early and entered the Air Force. She received her high school diploma in the mail during basic training. Crutchfield says her initial goal was to earn just enough credits to qualify for a physician's assistant training program. The program ended before she could qualify, but a funny thing happened -- she found she actually enjoyed taking college courses and continued to do so. Crutchfield has gone on to earn nine academic degrees -- three associates, two bachelor's, two master's, an education specialist degree, and, finally, a doctorate in education. It is a major accomplishment both personally and professionally. Only 14 enlisted service members hold a doctorate degree, according to Air Force Personnel Center statistics. "I'm the first person in my family to reach that level of education," she said. "It also is a bit of a novelty to be one of a few enlisted folks in the entire Air Force to have a doctorate degree." Crutchfield is currently putting her education to good use here. The facility is a joint-service school responsible for all military equal opportunity and civilian equal employment opportunity training, education, and research within the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard. The institute also trains all officers newly appointed to the grade of 0-7 and senior executive service staffs through a senior executive training program. Crutchfield has worked in the education and training field for 16 of her 20 years in the Air Force in various capacities. As superintendent of DEOMI, she is not directly involved as a trainer, but she advises the commandant and other senior staff on the various needs, concerns, and issues affecting the institute's students and staff. Crutchfield also acts as a liaison with other 45th Space Wing enlisted leaders here. It is a role that keeps her in the thick of things. "I really enjoy this job," Crutchfield said. She takes a hands-on approach -- meeting student leaders weekly, holding quarterly enlisted calls for staff members, and personally handling quality-of-life issues, such as student billeting. Besides attending to the needs of students trained at DEOMI, Crutchfield assists the 41 enlisted staff members, who represent all branches of the armed forces. "Part of the challenge of taking care of the folks assigned here is learning all of the different service traditions," she said. "What I've done is build rapport with several of the other senior (noncommissioned officers) in the organization, where I can go and ask 'How does your service do this?' and try to accommodate everyone. "The benefit is that hopefully everybody is happy doing their jobs, because they don't have to give up a lot of their service traditions and only make slight accommodations to the way others do things in a joint assignment," she said. 1851. C-130 paint shop 'leans' into cutting flow days by Lanorris Askew Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- Changes in the C-130 Hercules system program office paint shop here have reduced flow days, increased production and worker safety and saved $373,832 annually in the process. The "integrated lean repair" process helps organizations find better and more efficient ways of doing business, said Kenny Boutwell, a paint and de-paint shop supervisor. The system helped his shop reduce by one the number of flow days and reduce the amount of emitted environmental volatile organic compounds which means a safer place for workers to do their job. "We've just scratched the surface," Boutwell said. "We've got a long way to go, but there are a lot of things we can do, a lot we have done and a lot we can do in the future." Boutwell said he and his crew also reduced excess tools, materials and equipment by 39 percent; reduced the number of chemicals used from nine to three; and reduced storage space by 228 square feet. The shop began the ILR initiative in October on what is called a seven-day schedule of ball system "de-painting," he said. This means it took seven days for the aircraft to complete the de-painting process. With the help of new chemicals and better equipment, that schedule has now been reduced. Boutwell said the "Six S" principal, which stands for safety, straighten, sort, scrub, standardize and sustain, is the basis of the system here. "This basically means taking a really good look at yourself," he said. "This was a real focused effort to take care of the items and initiatives that are crucial and important to the guys down here in this building," said Mike Watson, chief lean agent. "They're faced with a lot of chemical hazards, so the information about decreasing (volatile organic compounds) is very important for employees and the environmental concerns we're faced with everyday." One of the ways the system has worked so well is by getting workers on the floor involved in the process, Boutwell said. "Suggestion forms were passed out to the workers and everyone (here) was briefed about (the system) and given the opportunity to ask questions or give suggestions," he said. "The participation from the floor has been great." Twenty four instructional classes were conducted on the lean system and, from those, 44 new initiatives or action items came from mechanics, Watson said. "This gives the mechanics a chance to get their ideas and initiatives out in the open and we can get a team out to work them," he said. "Lean has a very high visibility right now; nothing lays around. If it's brought up, we have teams that work those initiatives and get the answers." As a way to keep all employees informed, bulletin boards that plot the current status of the items being worked, and those that have been completed, are posted around the buildings. Employee suggestion forms, as well as monthly newsletters which feature those workers whose suggestions have been implemented, are also available. "There's a lot of feedback to the work force about what's going on (here) as far as the lean projects," Watson said. "Just these initial projects have really enhanced the mechanics to offer suggestions as well as management and branch chiefs. And that is a plus." "Everybody in this shop put something forth in this effort, and that's really nice to see," said Boutwell. *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! Write to same address to be off 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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