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0069. Task force relieves plight of Afghan people by Capt. Elizabeth Ortiz 3rd Air Expeditionary Task Force Public Affairs RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, GERMANY (AFPN) -- When humanitarian airdrops over Afghanistan kicked off here in October, the 3rd Air Expeditionary Task Force -- Enduring Freedom sprang into action to oversee this rapidly evolving mission. The 3rd AETF-EF has racked up some impressive figures since it stood up on Oct. 19: more than 2.4 million humanitarian daily rations and 975 containers of wheat and blankets airdropped -- nearly 200 sorties in all. "Certainly, the AETF took the lead in the humanitarian airlift supporting the other side of the war against terrorism," said Brig. Gen. Mark A. Volcheff, the 86th Airlift Wing commander here. The humanitarian relief mission would have been successful, regardless, because of the professionals involved, but the 3rd AETF-EF made it "work much better," said Lt. Col. Dale Colaianni, the task force's director of logistics. The humanitarian relief mission for Operation Enduring Freedom combined the procurement, bundling and rigging of cargo (primarily an Army function) with its transport and airdrop (an Air Force task). Overall, the mission brought together elements from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and German military, officials said. "The 3rd AETF, with the combined cooperation of (U. S. Air Forces in Europe); (Air Mobility Command); the 21st (Theater Support Command); and the German military, has provided reassurance to the Afghan people that this is truly a war against terrorism and not a war against them," Volcheff said. Forty riggers from the Army's 5th Quartermaster Company, 191st Ordnance Battalion, Miesau, Germany, joined a dozen German riggers to rig the containers of rations and wheat and blankets so they could be airdropped. The 437th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, totaling about 165 people, was activated and assigned here to conduct airdrops over Afghanistan with C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., and McChord AFB, Wash. The 351st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, initially designated and activated at lncirlik Air Base, Turkey, and made up of nearly 300 active-duty and Air National Guard people assigned to Incirlik and Souda Bay, Crete, relocated to Burgas Air Field, Bulgaria. The squadron was augmented with people from bases throughout USAFE. The 42-person 3rd AETF-EF staff was carved mostly out of the 86th AW and was up and running in a day and a half, said Col. Dann McDonald, task force deputy commander. Originally, there was very little direction on how to conduct the mission or even who to coordinate with. "We really didn't know where we were headed -- what (U.S. Central Command) was going to have us do," McDonald said. In looking back, he said it is fairly easy to see the fruits of the task force's labor, thanks in part to the extensive media coverage of the operation. We could see our direct influence on humanitarian assistance, McDonald said. While the C-17s delivered the aid, "every piece leading up to it was essential for mission accomplishment," said Lt. Col Brian Nelson, the task force director of operations and plans. Refueling is a case in point. The sheer long distance of conducting airdrops from here has been extremely challenging, Nelson said. The 100th Air Refueling Wing from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, which has supported the 3rd AETF-EF mission, grew from about 400 refueling hours per month to 1,000. "This is a big story of everybody working together. It took the whole (Kaiserslautern Military Community) to feed a nation," said Lt. Col. Bryan Glynn, who is serving as a detachment commander under the task force. Capt. Steve Turner, the Army liaison officer assigned to the 3rd AETF-EF, agreed. "The Army and Air Force built a sound and proven system from the ground up, proving an ability to flex and adapt, integrating German and reservist riggers (from 421st Quartermaster, Fort Valley Reserve Station, Ga.) along with German aircraft (C-160s) into the fray," he said. To make matters more challenging, the 21st TSC was in the process of swapping out its units in Kosovo. As the mission grew, the German government stepped in with much-needed manpower. "I've done Desert Storm, and I've done Joint Endeavor," Glynn said. "This is a win-win 21st century way of doing joint and combined business." Regularly scheduled airdrops stopped Dec. 21 because of the greatly expanded flow of relief supplies by rail, road and river in Afghanistan. As this phase of humanitarian relief here winds down, so does the 3rd AETF-EF's mission. "Our measure of success is putting ourselves out of business," Volcheff said. The task force has a plan in place to do just that -- with the capability to ramp up again within hours if called upon to do so. "The humanitarian assistance we provided the Afghani people will help get them back on their feet and allow them to rebuild their country, hopefully, with some of the liberties many of us prosper from on a daily basis," Volcheff said. (Courtesy of USAFE News Service) 0078. Hester assumes command of AFSOC by Tech. Sgt. Ginger Schreitmueller Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) -- In a hangar usually reserved for MH-53 Pave Low helicopters, Lt. Gen. Paul Hester became the sixth commander to lead Air Force Special Operations Command. Hester assumed command of the AFSOC team from Lt. Gen. Maxwell "Clay" Bailey during a ceremony held in the Freedom Hangar here Jan. 16. Bailey is retiring after 33 years of service to the nation. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper presided over the ceremony. Jumper told those gathered in the hangar they would find their their new commander would fit right in with the "quiet professionals." "The AFSOC legacy of strong leadership continues with General Hester," Jumper said. "He shares many of the same traits as you. He understands the importance of teamwork, has a profound operational understanding and is solution-oriented." Hester comes to AFSOC from Yokota Air Base, Japan, where he served as the 5th Air Force and U.S. Forces Japan commander. He told the people at the ceremony he was honored to be taking the lead of the Air Commandos. Reflecting on a painting that hangs in the Pentagon, Hester said the Biblical quote that accompanies the image captures the essence of the Air Force core value of service before self. The quote, from Isaiah 6, reads: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, "Here am I. Send me." "I had the opportunity to visit with some of our forward-deployed troops and have watched the people here over the past month," Hester said. "The (words from Isaiah) radiate the deep meaning behind 'anytime, anywhere ... ' and describe the soul of the air commandos. I am honored to serve as your commander. "There's a war to win and work yet to be done," he said. General Hester is a command pilot with more than 2,600 flying hours to his credit, with an aviation career which includes flight tours in the A-7D, F-4, F-15 and F-16 aircraft. He earned his commission in the Air Force through the ROTC program at the University of Mississippi. 0073. Air Force satellite launch a success CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. (AFPN) -- The Air Force successfully launched a Titan IV-B rocket carrying a MILSTAR II communications satellite from Space Launch Complex 40 here Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. EST. Successful separation and orbital insertion of the satellite occurred early Jan. 16, about six-and-a-half hours after liftoff. "The satellite is on target and its solar arrays deployed as planned," said Capt. Patrick Youngson, chief of the MILSATCOM operations section at Air Force Space Command headquarters. "We have a fully functional satellite in the proper orbit." MILSTAR II is the Department of Defense's most technologically advanced telecommunications satellite. "The importance of this particular satellite is that it will complete worldwide coverage for our (MILSTAR) constellation," said Christine Anderson, director of the military satellite communications joint program office at the Space and Missile Systems Center. MILSTAR is a joint-service satellite communications system that will provide secure, jam-resistant worldwide communications to meet the essential wartime requirements for high-priority military users. The multisatellite constellation will link command authorities with a wide variety of resources, including ships, submarines, aircraft and ground stations. The Air Force had significant firepower in place for the launch to counter any possible terrorist threat. F-15 Eagles from the 125th Fighter Wing at Jacksonville, Fla., flew combat air patrol missions over the base here on days leading up to the launch, as well as on launch day. There were also several ground assets deployed in the area. "As we demonstrated for the shuttle launch in December and again for this launch, the Air Force will take all reasonable measures to protect America's national space assets and missions," said Maj. Mike Rein, 45th Space Wing. "And we plan on doing it for all future launches as well." The Titan IV-B rocket completed its portion of the mission about nine minutes after liftoff, then it separated from the MILSTAR II satellite and the Centaur upper stage that boosted the satellite into its orbit. The MILSTAR II satellite should become operational in approximately 120 days. "It was a beautiful flight," said Lt. Col. Dave Jones, Air Force Launch Director. "All the members of our Titan team can be justifiably proud that we launched a satellite that will extend America's global reach, global power and global vigilance. It will make a difference for us in the war on terrorism and future conflicts." 0076. AF campaign overhauls spare-parts process by Staff Sgt. A.J. Bosker Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- The Air Force logistics community is undertaking a campaign to modernize and fundamentally reshape its entire spare-parts process to better support expeditionary operations and to put more spares in the hands of maintainers. "Through the decade of the 90s, the Air Force has seen its mission-capable rates and spares support decline," said Brig. Gen. Robert E. Mansfield Jr., director of the office of supply chain integration and logistics transformation at the Pentagon. "We simply didn't have enough spares to support our new expeditionary structure." The reason is the Air Force's Cold War-based spares processes could not keep up with, let alone overcome, the force reductions, decreased budgets, aging aircraft and the increased operations tempo following Desert Storm, Mansfield said. "We are serious about changing our outdated processes," he said. " We ask and rely on our people to keep our systems operational and mission capable; therefore, it is our duty and responsibility to get them the parts they need." Before undertaking such a large effort, the Air Force gathered 71 military and civilian experts to determine the best course of action. "We realized that we don't need a "throw-more-money-at-it" solution," Mansfield said. "First of all, we don't have a lot more money to throw, and realistically, we can't count on more money. The purpose of the spares campaign study was to review how we do business and then be smart about the changes we decide to make. "We developed 20 initiatives that we thought would fundamentally transform and modernize our processes, allowing us to get more spares out the field," he said. These initiatives are not just for aircraft but also for missile systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets and all of our capabilities that require spares, Mansfield said. "Twenty initiatives were a lot," he said. "We looked at these and tried to narrow them down by determining which ones we can reasonably accomplish soon. We chose eight that, if we worked on fulltime, we could get an initial operational capability from within this fiscal year. The eight initiatives are: -- Restructure spares funding to set stable prices and allocate costs to the responsible commands; -- Improve spares budgeting by establishing a single credible spare-requirement process for spares and consumable items, thereby meeting all spares requirements; -- Improve financial management by tracking execution of weapon system support against approved requirements and budget. Simply put, determine whether the Air Force is getting a mission-capable rate equivalent to the amount it is spending; -- Improve item demand and repair workload forecasting to better match field spares demand and repair capability. This includes a demonstration of commercial technologies like advanced planning and scheduling systems; -- Establish a virtual single inventory control point for more consistent repair and purchase decision making; -- Align supply-chain management to focus more on weapon systems and mission-capable rate goals; -- Standardize and expand the role of regional supply squadrons to support expeditionary operations; and -- Adopt improved purchasing and supply management practices, thereby reducing purchasing costs and improving product quality and delivery. "Any one of these initiatives taken by themselves won't make a tremendous impact," Mansfield said. "But together, these initiatives will overhaul the entire spares process by getting spares into the hands of the maintainers and enabling the Air Force to improve weapon system support to meet current and future expeditionary requirements." 0071. USAFE: Vigilant, ready, proud for 60 years by Capt. Dani Johnson U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) - From World War II to the ongoing war on terrorism, U.S. Air Forces in Europe has an established reputation as an organization that is ready to respond when needed. The oldest active Air Force major command celebrates its 60th anniversary Jan. 19. Since its inception as Eighth Air Force in 1942, USAFE has been at the forefront of America's wartime and humanitarian operations. "While the look of USAFE has changed throughout the years, it has maintained a proud tradition of dedicated service to freedom and democracy in Europe and the world," said Dr. Ronald Hartzer, USAFE deputy command historian. During World War II, it directed the United States' strategic bombing campaign against the Axis powers and afterward operated the famous Berlin Airlift. "USAFE is about security, and security requires capabilities across the full spectrum of air and space operations," said Gen. Gregory S. Martin, USAFE commander. "As we were established early on, we were tested by the closing of the Iron Curtain in the Berlin blockade ... and we were able to save that city through airlift," "Because of the Cold War, we also focused on warfighting; sitting alert day in and day out," he said. The fall of the Berlin Wall and an end to the Cold War may have reduced U.S. military forces in Europe, "but the expected slow down in USAFE's operational pace never really materialized," Hartzer said. In 1991, 15 percent of the command's personnel, 55 percent of its aircraft and 33 percent of its munitions joined coalition forces supporting operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Today, USAFE personnel still deploy to the region for operations Northern and Southern Watch, the missions to enforce northern and southern no-fly zones in Iraq and monitor compliance with U.N. resolutions. During the 1990s, USAFE personnel became heavily involved with Deny Flight, a NATO operation in the Balkans region, which enforced a no-fly zone over Bosnia. Ultimately, Deny Flight and Deliberate Force helped bring the opposing forces to the peace table in 1995. Yugoslav aggression in Kosovo forced NATO's hand once more. In March 1999, USAFE assets joined other alliance forces for Operation Allied Force. NATO-led air strikes on targets in Kosovo drove Yugoslav forces out of the predominantly ethnic Albanian region, culminating in an international settlement. Other operations like Joint Guardian and Joint Forge continue today in Bosnia, Macedonia and Kosovo. During the air war over Serbia, A USAFE-led humanitarian mission, called Operation Shining Hope, was established to feed and clothe refugees during the Yugoslav occupation. The operation provided immediate humanitarian relief to the more than 450,000 Kosovo Albanians who fled into Albania and Macedonia. "We've been about the hard and tough warfighting aspects of security as well as the important compassionate and partnership aspects such as the Berlin Airlift, the Mozambique Recovery (March 2000), the Turkish earthquake response (August 1999) and the USS Cole (October 2000) and now, of course, responding with Operation Enduring Freedom and the humanitarian airlift," Martin said. "All the while, the forces are ready. They've been deployed in support of either Enduring Freedom, Northern Watch or Southern Watch, and they've also been about flowing all of the warfighting materiel, personnel and cargo through the theater." Sept. 11 changed the world forever and USAFE was ready for what lay ahead. Hundreds of USAFE people deployed throughout Europe and into the U.S. Central Command theater as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, America's war on terrorism. Hundreds of other Air Force people deployed to Europe to facilitate the deployment of forces and support an air bridge through Europe and into Afghanistan. The base here became the hub for C-17 Globemaster III humanitarian relief missions into Afghanistan. By the time the airdrops ceased on Dec. 21, more than 2.5 million humanitarian daily relief packages had been delivered, as well as almost 21,000 55-pound sacks of wheat and 42,000 blankets. Airmen from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, deployed with KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft to Souda Bay, Crete; Rhein Main Air Base, Germany; and later to Burgas, Bulgaria, to conduct refueling operations in support of the humanitarian airdrops. Airmen from the 86th Contingency Response Group continue to support America's war on terrorism with established aerial port operations at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. "For 60 years, the men and women of USAFE have continually shown their dedication and talent in preserving and protecting the freedoms of our country and our allies," Martin said. "Our legacy is one of vigilance, readiness and pride, which continues on today." (Courtesy of USAFE News Service) 0074. Range provides combat readiness for today's threats by Teresa Nelson 56th Fighter Wing Range Management Office Public Affairs LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. (AFPN) -- The battlefield of today is far different from the battlefield pilots encountered in Korea and Vietnam, and prepared for during the Cold War era. With the new demand for improved threat replication and target arrays that provide training for military operations in urban terrain, the base here is continuing to upgrade and enhance training for today's battle arena. The mountainous desert terrain of the Barry M. Goldwater Range -- the nation's second largest military range with 2.7-million acres -- simulated Southwest Asia and the Afghan landscape well before the unforeseen war in Afghanistan started. By the time their training is completed, pilots are successfully prepared to fight in the central command or other theaters, but modifications are constantly being made to enhance training opportunities. "The improvements made on the range help prepare our student pilots for the combat air forces," said Brig. Gen. Steve Sargeant, 56th Fighter Wing commander. "For the pilots flying on the range, it's imperative the training scenarios are as realistic as possible." Targets have evolved from Cold War- and Vietnam-War era configurations. While a simulated airfield is still a viable target, its composition and surroundings have changed. Target sets are being reconfigured to replicate enemy surface-to-air missile sites, airfields and other targets pilots may encounter in today's air-to-ground combat operations. "We are being set up against diverse targets," said Lt. Col. Scott Lardner, chief of wing tactical programs at the 56th Fighter Wing range management office. "A pilot may be called upon to drop a bomb on a building or on a corner of a building in a built-up area, so we have incorporated more vertically developed target arrays." About 150 sea-land transport containers have been added on three tactical ranges to create new target arrays. The containers are used to make relatively full-scale mock-ups of built-up areas. The containers are inexpensive, durable structures that are stacked like blocks and used to create three dimensional industrial complexes. They are spot welded so one container will not slide off the other easily, even if hit directly. The durability of the containers allows pilots to strafe them, drop heavy weights, inert bombs and other practice ordnance. Other than live ordnance, pilots can drop any type of training munitions on them. "Sea-land containers are inexpensive, durable structures that allow us to create ... complexes like airfield hangars and airfield towers," Lardner said. "We stack them like blocks to create buildings and that's the only assembly required." Joint modular ground targets have also been added. They are full-scale mock-ups of enemy weapons systems such as SAMS, tanks, anti-aircraft artillery and Scuds that add realism to the whole scenario because they are replicas of specific threats. The modular targets snap together like giant building blocks. The modular targets are easy to place and remove, and weather better than plywood targets. The targets are environmentally friendly as well because the lighter metals are easily recycled and no fluid purging is required as when using retired vehicles as targets. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service) 0072. Air Force conducts talent search SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- The search for performers to compete in the 2002 Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest, being held March 17 to 25 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, has started. The contest seeks out the best active-duty entertainers who, besides vying for the first-place "Roger" award, will try for a spot on the Air Force entertainment team, Tops in Blue. Once selected, 30 performers will become part of a world-class showcase of talent that travels the globe during a nine-month tour. "We're looking for singers, dancers, musicians, comedians and anyone else who has a talent they'd like to share with people around the world," said Carol Sudy, Tops in Blue tour coordinator for the Air Force Services Agency here. Those interested in entering the contest and auditioning for Tops in Blue must submit a VHS tape of themselves performing, along with an entertainer application, to HQ AFSVA/SVPCE, 10100 Reunion Place, Ste 402, San Antonio, Texas, 78216-4138 by Feb. 22. Applications are available on the team's Web site at www.afsv.af.mil/TIB or from any services squadron. After reviewing submissions, the Air Force Services Agency entertainment branch will invite to Lackland those people who judges believe can possibly best support the team. Funding for the contest is provided by Air Force Services, including permissive TDY, travel and lodging. And while some bases hold their own talent shows to refer performers to the worldwide event, Sudy said "it's not necessary." However, she added, it is best that people interested in participating at Lackland "check with their services folks to see if a local contest is planned and to obtain assistance in applying." The group also needs bluesuiters as bus drivers; stage, light, and sound technicians; wardrobe/costume coordinators; choreographers and vocal assistants. People skilled in these areas and who wish to participate in the competition as well as tour with the team should submit a technical/staff application, which can also be obtained on the team's Web site or from any services squadron. For more information, call the Air Force Entertainment Office at (210) 652-6566 or DSN 487-6566. 0070. 'Silent disease' plagues millions by Richard Zowie 12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- It is a painless, chronic disease that currently plagues about 3 million Americans. Half of those with this disease, which has no known cure, do not even know they have it. This disease, glaucoma, is also known as the "silent disease" since it slowly deprives a person of sight without any noticeable signs. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States and the leading cause of preventable blindness, Glaucoma Research Foundation officials said. About 120,000 Americans are blind because of glaucoma. Blacks suffer glaucoma six to eight times more frequently than Caucasians. Glaucoma is also the leading cause of blindness among blacks, including baseball star, Kirby Puckett, officials said. Glaucoma is a group of diseases that limit or eliminate vision by causing damage to the optic nerve. This nerve carries images from the eye to the brain. The most common form of glaucoma is primary open angle glaucoma. With this disorder, the eye's drainage canals become clogged and cannot properly drain. As a result, the intraocular pressure within the eye rises. A person suffering from this form of glaucoma will eventually lose their eyesight if the problem is not diagnosed or detected. Glaucoma does not initially affect a person's color or fine vision, said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Greg Young, Randolph Clinic's optometry flight commander. People with 20/20 or even 20/15 vision could still have glaucoma, he said. "We highly recommend that at-risk people have glaucoma exams more often than others," Young said. "At-risk people include African-Americans, people over 40 and those with a family history of glaucoma. If we target those who are high-risk, we can detect and treat it earlier. These are the people we want to screen for glaucoma every year." If a medical screening detects glaucoma, patients are given eye drops or referred for more specialized treatment. Eye drops are used for patients with mild cases of glaucoma, Young said. The drops work to decrease a person's intraocular pressure low enough to prevent damage to the eye. "Usually, through an assortment or a combination of the drops, you can get the required effect," he said. Young encourages people in at-risk groups to have eye exams every year. 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