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0218. Teets brings Air Force, NRO together by Tech. Sgt. Scott Elliott Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- Finding a way to blend military and reconnaissance assets and needs is the task at hand for the Air Force's No. 2 civilian. "The National Security Space Commission made recommendations that essentially said it's time for our country to put together all of its national security space assets," said Under Secretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets. Besides being under secretary of the Air Force, Teets is also the director of the National Reconnaissance Office. "I think of it as a significant challenge to find the right way of blending military requirements, needs and assets with reconnaissance needs and assets," he said Jan. 15 at the Pentagon. "These are operations and organizations that have interfaced over the years, but certainly have not melded completely together." When the NSSC recommended that the Air Force under secretary also head the NRO, it provided Teets with the authority he needs to bring those agencies and assets together. "The commission felt it very important to have a way to combine Army, Navy and Air Force needs in space, and then work to incorporate NRO requirements as well," he said. "By giving the under secretary of the Air Force (the executive agency for space) 'milestone' decision authority, the commission felt it would be an important step in serving the needs of the military and be a positive step toward aligning them with NRO requirements and capabilities. "The Air Force has had a strong and ongoing space program for many, many years," he said. Among the goals Teets sees is the need to continue to develop and implement technology, then blend Air Force needs with those of other services and fit them into the overall national security space infrastructure by coupling in NRO assets and capabilities. As a former defense contractor, the under secretary brings a unique perspective to the task. "I'd like to take techniques and methods I learned from the industrial side and see if we can't put forth some of the positive aspects into government operations," he said. "I very much look forward to the challenge of it," he said. "The reason that I wanted to do this job is that I've been associated with our nation's space program for many years, but it's always been from the industrial side. I felt this was a terrific opportunity to be able to do some public service, to give something back, if you will. And, I realize just how important this activity is to the national security of the United States." 0219. C-141 flights resume carrying detainees to Cuba by Jim Miller Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- An Air Force Reserve Command C-141 Starlifter aircrew transported 28 Taliban and al-Qaeda detainees to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, on Feb. 7. The crew, from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., flew a C-141 aircraft assigned to the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. It was the first mission to "Gitmo" since late January when the Department of Defense suspended flights so more cells could be built for detainees at Camp X-Ray. "This is another demonstration of the flexibility of our reservists," said Col. Randy Howell, assistant director of operations for combat at AFRC headquarters. "We will continue to fly these missions for as long as directed to do so by the president and the [secretary of defense]." Six of the detainees were litter patients, and the 22 others were ambulatory. An active-duty aeromedical evacuation team cared for the detainees on the 15-hour flight to Cuba, where U.S. Navy medical personnel took over. The detainees join 158 other prisoners already at the detention camp, which can hold as many as 300 detainees. A C-141 crew from Wright-Patterson delivered the first Taliban and al-Qaeda detainees to Guantanamo Bay on Jan. 11. C-141 aircrews and aircraft maintainers from the 452nd AMW and the 445th AW, as well as the 459th AW at Andrews AFB, Md., are taking part in the operation. "All of these people are volunteers, not mobilized, taking time off from their regular jobs," said Senior Master Sgt. Al Lucas, strategic transportation operations specialist in the AFRC headquarters directorate of operations. "Each one is giving up two weeks of their employment to do this mission." Reservists from the 440th AW at Gen. Mitchell International Airport Air Reserve Station, Wis., are airlifting equipment and people to Cuba, where the unit set up an airlift control element to handle the detainee flights. Security forces people from around the Reserve are providing security on the C-141 flights. Camp X-Ray houses "hard-core" terrorists, those who have demonstrated a willingness to escape, take their own lives or kill others, said DOD sources. Locking up the terrorists supports the global war on terrorism. Guantanamo Bay was judged to be the "least worst option," providing a safe environment to secure the detainees, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said. (Courtesy of AFRC News Service) 0216. Airmen defend America far from home by Capt. Jason Medina 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- About 160 airmen and eight F-15 Eagles from the 60th Fighter Squadron and 33rd Maintenance Squadron returned home recently from a cold, month-long stint at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the 33rd Fighter Wing here began domestic air patrols from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., where patrols focused primarily on the Southeastern United States. In late December, those forces moved north to Virginia to patrol strategic locations on the nation's East Coast while Dobbins' airfield underwent construction. The move to Langley brought some challenges, said Lt. Col. Brad Young, 60th FS commander. The crew from here performed a real-world mission without luxuries such as aircraft shelters. "The most challenging thing for us was to move operations from Dobbins to Langley and back without a day to recover," Young said. During the holidays, planners here and from Dobbins developed a way to begin the Langley mission, which required more resources than the Dobbins mission, without a break in operations at either location. Airmen worked in cooler temperatures than they were used too, at times in rain or snow. With the majority of the sorties being launched at night, the temperature and wind chill on Langley's flightline dropped below 30 degrees. "When the weather got too bad, (Langley's) 1st Fighter Wing could cancel its local flying," Young said. "With a real-world mission, we didn't have that option." Pilots flew about 1,600 hours in a 30-day period, more than three times the squadron's normal schedule. At least two aircraft were airborne at any given time, Young said. Since the 60th FS was among the first F-15 units to train and certify its pilots for night-vision goggles, 18 pilots shared the responsibility for the "tons of night flying" required for the East Coast patrols. On the morning of Jan. 17, a pilot escaped unharmed from his jet after the nose landing gear collapsed during takeoff. It was the wing's first serious mishap in six months of flying combat air patrols for Operation Noble Eagle. A board is investigating the incident. "Naturally, the first question everyone had was, 'Did anyone get hurt?'" Young said. "The next question had to be, 'Did we screw up?'" Because no one was injured, Young said he believes the incident served as a "good wake-up call. "Flying this type of mission can lead to complacency," Young said. "For pilots, it reinforced the attention to detail and focus required in all phases of flight, and maintainers were able to appreciate the important role they play in pilots' safety. "It definitely paid a big dividend for a relatively low cost," he said. Combat air patrols have taken a toll on squadron training and aircraft inspection schedules, Young said. The more hours an aircraft is used for real-world missions, the less time it can be used to maintain pilots' readiness levels and the sooner it needs to be inspected. Now at home, pilots will fly much-needed upgrade- and continuation-training flights and maintainers will make a taxed F-15 fleet healthy again. Young said there is something about defending the nation versus overseas operations that F-15 pilots should hold dear. "The pride of Noble Eagle is that it's the most important thing we're doing as an Air Force," he said. "Force projection is great, but effective homeland defense needs to exist first." (Courtesy of ACC News Service) 0220. Space commander charts course for future by Staff Sgt. Melanie Streeter 437th Airlift Wing Public Affairs CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) -- Though human involvement in space is not quite what some thought it would be by 2002, technology is rapidly heading in that direction. Technology was the topic of discussion at the National Defense Industrial Association's Science and Engineering Technology Conference held at the North Charleston Convention Center near here Feb. 5 to 7. Gen. Ralph Eberhart, commander in chief of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command, spoke to a group representing the space industry about the importance of space in today's battlefield and how that importance will grow in the future. "I think when we think of the future, whether of the armed forces or of our great nation, we can't help but think about space," Eberhart said. Using space assets for future force enhancement was the first topic Eberhart covered. He said the Department of Defense must reach a point where space systems and technology support air, land and maritime forces in all their roles, from humanitarian and peacekeeping missions to the current war on terrorism. Many of the space systems the DOD is using today were designed during, and for, the Cold War, Eberhart said. "We have to figure out how to use these programs in ways never thought of," he said. Global Positioning Satellite systems are also a very important current and future asset, Eberhart said. "I don't think this nation even realizes how very important GPS has been in this decade," Eberhart said. "It's importance in navigation and timing systems is really taken for granted." GPS technology is constantly updated, he said. "We're taking what's required and bettering it by half," Eberhart said. "That doesn't mean we're bettering bombs by half, but any errors that occur won't be due to GPS." Eberhart also talked about the need to defend the technology and resources the DOD has now, and to continue to improve those defenses in the future. "People are watching very closely, trying to figure out ways to deny us technology," he said. Network security is one of the technologies Eberhart said needs extra protection. Although the military is doing a good job of protecting its computer networks so far, he said that has to continue if the armed forces are to avoid some of the attacks seriously affecting corporate America. Expanding communications bandwidth is another future goal, he said. "Look at the global war on terrorism," Eberhart said. "General Tommy Franks and his forces are using 10 times (the bandwidth) we used in Desert Storm and four times what we used in Allied Force. I see that continuing to climb over time. We can always find ways to use bandwidth smarter, use all our resources smarter." There are four pillars of space to focus on: space surveillance, protection, prevention and negation, Eberhart said. "You've go to know what's up there," Eberhart said of surveillance. "We need to get (commanders in chief) more excited about space and its effects on the battlefield. We need to give it the right priority." Space assets must be protected, he said, because the nation's enemies know how valuable those assets are and will try to find a way to deny their use. Besides protecting those assets, Eberhart said technology must be developed to keep enemies from using U.S. assets for their own purposes. The final pillar he discussed was negation. "When most people hear negation, they think of space weapons," Eberhart said. But, there are other options with negation that don't call for physical destruction. One example he gave was attacking the enemies' communication and control networks. For now, Eberhart said he believes space policy is on the right track for amazing things in years to come. 0213. 'Candy Bomber' marching with German Olympic team by Staff Sgt. Jeffory S. Mulcahy Joint Task Force -- Olympics Public Affairs SALT LAKE CITY (AFPN) -- Retired Air Force Col. Gail Halvorsen, also known as the Berlin Candy Bomber, will carry the German Olympic team placard into Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium during the XIX Winter Olympic opening ceremonies here Feb. 8. "I couldn't believe they called and asked me to carry the German Olympic placard," Halvorsen said. "I thought that they had the wrong guy, but then again, I did do two tours of duty in Germany, one of those as commander at Templehof Air Base, Berlin, as well as the seven months that I participated in the Berlin Airlift. "Who would have thought that two pieces of gum would lead to this," Halvorsen said. "Those sticks of gum changed my whole life. This life-changing event occurred in 1948 when Halvorsen, a C-54 Skymaster pilot with the 51st Troop Carrier Wing at Rhein-Main AB, Germany, saw 30 children through a barbed-wire fence. "They hadn't had candy in a long time," Halvorsen said. "They didn't even have enough food to eat. But what surprised me most is that they didn't ask for anything, which is highly unusual, because we got a shakedown from the kids wherever we went. "I wanted to give them something, but I only had two sticks of gum," Halvorsen said. "I broke the two in half and passed them to four of the kids. Many of the children didn't get a piece, but they didn't seem to mind, they just wanted to smell the wrapper." Halvorsen returned the next day to see the children again. He told them that he would drop some candy from the plane and let them know it was him, because he would wiggle his wings. The pilot made parachutes from handkerchiefs and attached them to the candy. "My biggest concern was that I'd get caught," said Halvorson, who made the drops with the candy from his rations. Soon his crew was donating rations to the cause. "On my third drop, I almost hit a newspaper guy, who got a photo of our plane and wrote a story about the incident," he said. "Both appeared on the front page of a German newspaper. "The general saw the story and thought I had a good idea," Halvorsen said. "He gave me permission to continue with the 'project.'" By then, word had spread and the whole base was contributing rations. Word of the Berlin Candy Bomber reached the United States, and candy and gum companies began shipping their products to be included in the "operation." Halvorsen said he even had a "headquarters" established at a grade school stateside. Children at the school would create the parachute candy bombs, an average of 850 pounds of candy every other day. They would then take the parachutes to Westover Air Force Base, Mass., for transport to Rhein-Main AB. "When I went back to Templehof as the commander, I received many dinner invitations from those who'd received a parachute during the airlift," said the 81-years-old. All told, Halvorsen said that they delivered between 15 to 20 tons of candy and gum. Halvorsen is now consulting on a book and has been approached by HBO Films in Los Angeles. But he said he is concerned about the world as it is now. "Our cities and countries are in parts," Halvorsen said. "There have been tremendous changes in the world, and we're coming together as a nation, because that's what the Olympics is all about." 0217. Officer extends to go down range by Keith Pannell 39th Wing Public Affairs INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (AFPN) -- Sept. 11 changed a lot of lives, many of them for the worse. But, many Americans took that opportunity to not only change their lives, but help make a change as well. Capt. David Melville, from the 39th Contracting Squadron here, was within two weeks of separating from the Air Force. His household goods and motorcycle were already on a boat, his beyanname (Turkish customs requirement) was in order, and he was looking forward to a life after the military. "If Sept. 11 didn't change something in my mind, I wouldn't be human," Melville said. "I believe in loyalty. Even though I'm separating, I'm still, and will always be, a part of the Air Force team. To sit on the couch at home while people who worked for and with me were at battle was unthinkable." That is when Melville decided to change the direction his life was headed. He contacted the military personnel flight and started the process to pull his separation papers. Col. Rudy Wright, former wing commander, signed the papers to keep Melville in the Air Force. His only request was to be where the action was. "Just like a good third baseman always wants the ball hit to him," Melville said, "we always want to be in the middle of the action. That's one of the reasons to be in the military." His replacement was already on the way and if he had not deployed down range, he feels he would have just been in the way. The captain had to do some convincing to get redeployed, since Incirlik is already considered a forward deployed location. But, it worked out for the Louisiana native. He left here for Oman, where he provided his expertise as the contingency contracting officer at a bare-base location. He was in charge of getting anything a camp might need, including latrines, showers, a chow hall, computers and numerous other items -- the things that make the deployed military work. However, when his deployment to Oman was nearing its end, Melville decided to extend a second time. "I found deployment to be extremely rewarding -- the camaraderie, the impact of the mission, the tiredness at the end of a long day for a good cause -- and I wanted to continue that," he said. "And the job wasn't done yet. The war was still hot and I didn't feel right about going home." Senior Master Sgt. Mark Miller, 39th CONS first sergeant, put it more succinctly. "After 70 days and his outstanding efforts, he was selected by the head of contracting for the area of operation to forward deploy to Pakistan to head up contracting support," Miller said. Today, Melville works closely with all four military branches, the Pakistani military and Pakistani civilian contractors in what he calls a "real growth experience." Considering everyone he deals with, he hears about 10 different languages. "I'm working on helping the international peacekeeping force get their logistics organization set up," Melville said. The Air Force limits deployments to 179 days and Melville's time is quickly running out. He said it is time to start thinking about actually finishing up the military career he planned to end Oct. 8 of last year. "Captain Melville is an outstanding young officer," said Lt. Col. Chris Toastee, deputy commander for contracting for the Southwest Asia area of operation. "His exemplary performance in providing contracting support to personnel in Oman made him our No. 1 choice to forward deploy to Pakistan to head up our operations there." Every time someone takes a shower, enjoys a hot meal, sits in a dayroom on real furniture or uses a computer at an outlying American base in Pakistan, they will have Melville to thank for helping to provide such luxuries. Melville will return to Louisiana with plans to use the real growth experiences he picked up on deployment to start a small contract consulting firm. "I don't have a single regret," Melville said. "I will always be proud of my deployed time, and years from now, I'll be telling exaggerated war stories to my grandkids." (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service) 0215. Combat controller brings air power to fight by Tech. Sgt. Ginger Schreitmueller Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) -- When the first airplane struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, Staff Sgt. Matt watched the events unfurl from a training site in Kansas. The 26-year-old Air Force combat controller was attending a close air support proficiency training course when America came under attack. Though he had completed the academic portion of the exercise, he would not get to conduct the practical portion -- at least not in Kansas. The sergeant, who does not wish to release his last name for security reasons, returned to his unit here within days of the bombing. A few weeks later, Matt would be among the many Air Force Special Operations Command professionals deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Fresh from this stateside training and with two rucksacks on his back, Matt started conducting close air support proficiency under real-world circumstances in the heart of Afghanistan. "I was charged with supporting Northern Alliance forces in their fight against the Taliban," Matt said. "I infiltrated Afghanistan in early October, working as part of an Army Special Forces team." For this mission, the combat controller's duty was to arrange close air support against Taliban targets. Throughout his nearly three-month deployment, Matt estimates he made hundreds of calls to U.S. aircraft to hinder advancing enemy forces. An example of the ground-to-air support Matt provided happened in early November during a decisive battle dubbed the Battle for the Balk Valley. "After about a week of traveling on horseback with the Northern Alliance, we had made our way to the valley area about the 5th of November," he said. "From our observation point, we could see a stronghold of Taliban troops." Matt and his Army counterparts set up an observation position on a mountainside, and, looking down at the enemy troops, they began assessing the situation. "Our charter was to assist the Northern Alliance in their advance toward Mazir-e-Sharif," he said. "My specific role was to bring in the air assets to reduce the enemy threat and minimize the ground resistance." Dug in along the mountain ridge of the Darye-Suf Valley, the controller was responsible for guiding air power to the fight. "The Taliban had established bunkers and basically settled in, prepared to fight and maintain control of the territory," he said. "There were vehicles, armored tanks and personnel carriers stretched across the valley. They were holding their ground and weren't about to relinquish to the Northern Alliance." Using "spotting scopes" -- similar to a high-power, high-tech binocular -- the controller identified the targets and began plotting positions using global positioning systems and maps. "I had to prioritize the targets to ensure we put the bombs on the right targets first," Matt said. "Once I positively identified the targets, I passed the coordinates back to our headquarters element to request air support." Close air support calls are a key mission for combat controllers. Using various technological equipment, a controller can pinpoint the exact location that an aircraft commander needs to put bombs on target. The type of target and various contributing factors, such as surrounding structures, will help the controller determine what type of bomb and aircraft are best suited for the mission. When passing the close air support request to the headquarters element, the controller will caveat the request with what airframe can best make the mission happen. "Different types of munitions are better situated for different targets," Matt said. "In this case, what was needed was an [Navy] F-18 [Hornet] with precision-guided bombs." These bombs can work in conjunction with the Special Operations Forces laser marker. The marker provides a controller with the capability to locate and designate targets. With the Hornet overhead, Matt marked the target -- a bunker -- and cleared the pilot to fire. "He put the bomb through the front door," Matt said. Making a few more passes, the F-18 pilot took coordinates from Matt and continued the bombing campaign against the Taliban troops. "It was then the Taliban began a counterattack," he said. "They started firing rocket-propelled grenades at our position and the fire became pretty intense. I called in for additional air support and within minutes had a B-52 (Stratofortress) en route. The (rockets) began hitting our position, exploding over our heads and impacting the berm in front of us." Admittedly afraid, Matt said he called on his training to stay focused. "I knew what our objective was and the consequences of retreating from our mission. I knew the only choice was to hold out as long as we could," he said. "Our training -- whether Air Force special tactics operators, Army special forces or Navy SEALS -- may have slight differences, but ultimately is designed to (develop) an individual able to think and react under stress. "You have to stay focused, and our specialized training helps us to think out the problems while maintaining flexibility to get to the right solution," he added. Less than 5 miles out, the B-52 pilot made contact and the controller passed the coordinates. Within seconds, the bomber made an initial pass over the attacking force dropping eight bombs. The bombing gave the team enough of a break in firing so they could pull down the mountain toward a ravine. Matt knew he needed more air power, and called in for fighter support. As a Navy F-14 Tomcat arrived on the scene, the pilot radioed the controller that Taliban troops were moving in toward his new position. "After we verified our location, I cleared the pilot to come in hot -- to begin firing on the troops moving in our direction," Matt said. "He made several passes and gave us enough support to move toward a rocky outcrop a few meters down the mountain for cover." Looking back up the mountain, the controller could see where Taliban forces had now overrun the entrenchment he and his Army counterparts had just left. Pulling out his GPS, Matt recalled his last coordinates and passed them to the B-52 pilot still circling the area. "In seconds, the bomber dropped two large bombs on the spot we just left," he said. "The combined effort of the B-52, F-18 and F-14 pilots cleared out the resistance and allowed the Northern Alliance to gain the ground. The next day, as (we were) making our way down the mountain, the resistance was very light. "There is no doubt in my mind that the air power allowed the Northern Alliance to move through that valley virtually unimpeded," Matt said. "(Close air support) actions helped cut down the amount of time it would have taken for the alliance to advance. Additionally, it helped reduce the loss of life that would surely have resulted in direct action." Glad to be back in the United States and off horseback, the combat controller is taking time to regroup and regenerate. "Initially, I was a bit nervous about what we were facing as we headed to the area," he said. "Since I've never been involved in combat, I didn't know how I would react. But, looking back it helped build my confidence in my abilities and how I'd fare under similar situations." "Though I'm glad to be back, I'm ready to go wherever needed to continue the fight," he said. *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! 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