-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! America's Air Force... No One Comes Close 0329. Air traffic controllers hone skills with virtual reality by Jennifer Valentin 12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Senior Airman Shahid Gill "looks out" over the airfield from the east control tower here. He maintains surveillance of aircraft and ensures they maintain separation and assigned ground tracks. After making sure all aircraft land safely, he removes his head-mounted display and takes a seat to review his performance with his trainer. Gill and other air traffic controllers here are using the high-tech advantage of virtual reality to develop their job skills. The focus of the training is the safe handling of aircraft. Randolph is the first Air Force base to test the prototype Air Traffic Control Virtual Reality Simulator, said Master Sgt. Steven May, chief of air traffic control training for the 12th Operations Support Squadron here. Three other bases, Altus and Vance Air Force Bases in Oklahoma, and Luke AFB in Arizona, are scheduled to receive the virtual reality device for evaluation by the end of march. The simulator is designed to reduce the time it takes to effectively train tower air traffic controllers, May said. Under an evaluation that will last through 2001, controllers at the four test bases will put the virtual reality trainer through its paces to determine if the simulator saves time and money, while providing better training for controllers. So far, it's lived up to billing, May said. It will provide more realistic training for apprentice controllers before they actually step into the tower. Two controllers are involved in the process, a trainer and a trainee. The trainer operates a computer to generate maneuvers for the virtual reality aircraft. The maneuvers are then merged to form a flight profile. Several profiles are combined to form a training scenario. The trainee wears the head-mounted display, which provides a virtual presentation, as if the trainee were standing in one of Randolph's two towers. The trainer and trainee communicate with each other through headsets. "We feel very fortunate to be the first Air Force base to have this opportunity," said Staff Sgt. James Shad, chief of standardization and evaluation for the 12th OSS. "I believe our apprentice air traffic controllers will be able to use the simulator to enhance their training, and it should help to fully certify them in a shorter amount of time." The high-tech system has met with approval among 16 Randolph controllers who have used it so far. "I like the virtual reality trainer because it is just what new trainees would need to get over the initial stage of fright," said Airman 1st Class Paul Polanco, an air traffic controller with the 12th OSS. "I have a feeling now of what to expect." 0332. What's in a name? Plenty, when it's your doc's by Army Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem American Forces Press Service ARLINGTON, Va. (AFPN) -- Gone are the days when you go to a military treatment facility and see whoever is available. By June, most TRICARE Prime enrollees should know their doctor's name. TRICARE policy used to be to assign patients to a group of primary care providers. Now, patients are being assigned to an individual to manage their health care, said Army Dr. (Lt. Col.) Scott Goodrich, a project officer at the TRICARE Management Activity here. "Previously, people would be looking for physicians to call their own. They'd request the same physician each visit," he said. But the system was not set up to ensure that would happen. Goodrich, a family practitioner himself, said people have often asked him to be their doctor. He said he would always agree, but outdated computer systems and inadequate infrastructure sometimes kept patients from getting appointments with him. "I've never been able to guarantee that promise could be kept," he said. "This is something patients always wanted, but we're just now able to deliver." Managers in the various TRICARE regions are currently assigning patients to specific providers, Goodrich said, noting several regions are already finished. Many beneficiaries have already been notified by mail who their assigned provider is, he said. The initial migration from the group system to by-name assignments should be complete by June, he said. After that, TRICARE's ideal would be that 100 percent of newly assigned patients receive a provider-by-name notification100 percent of the time, Goodrich said. Goodrich asked for patience, though -- beneficiaries should expect localized glitches. Until the migration is done, those who want to know their assigned providers should contact their local clinic staff or appointment clerk, he said. "This is a huge burden on medical treatment facilities, but many have been very good about notifying patients all the same," he said. They think the program is as good for them as for beneficiaries. "They don't need to spend valuable patient/provider time collecting your history every time you come in for a visit," Goodrich said. "That time can be used to focus on other things, like prevention and wellness." Health care providers also appreciate "not being surprised by a new batch of patients every single day," he said. Although the mobile nature of military life prevents the cradle-to-grave care seen in some civilian communities, Goodrich said, TRICARE's shift goes a long way toward improving the health care benefit. "We can still provide a whole lot more continuity than we've been providing in the past," he said. Patients should not be too surprised if their primary care manager is not a doctor. Many facilities use advanced-practice nurses -- nurse midwives and licensed nurse practitioners -- and physician assistants in this capacity for beneficiaries with straightforward medical needs. Beneficiaries need not be concerned about getting "stuck" with a provider they are uncomfortable with, though. They can choose who their primary care manager will be or request a change at any point, Goodrich said. "The only possible reasons we wouldn't honor your choice are if you request a physician who's already full up," he said, "or if you request one who really can't fulfill your medical needs. By that, I mean you are requesting someone who can take care of general types of problems but you have a complicated disease. We'd have to talk to you about that because it's not in your best interest." Unit commanders might have some say in the process for active-duty patients, he said. For instance, some commanders may require everyone on flight status in their units be treated by a flight surgeon. 0330. Deployment tracking system ongoing WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force's Tempo Management and Tracking System is well under way in helping the service track its people's deployments. The Air Force began tracking individual servicemembers' deployed days Oct. 1, to fall in line with new legislation aimed at reducing the stress of frequent and prolonged family separations or adverse impacts of extensive temporary duty assignments. The information is expected to be displayed monthly on future leave and earnings statements. "This was not a totally new concept for the Air Force, since we've been monitoring deployments of all members for several years," said Wayne Nelson, from the Air Force's operational readiness division. Under the new policy, servicemembers are eligible to receive high-deployment pay of $100 a day for each day they have been deployed in excess of 400 days within the previous 730 days. Payment for high-deployment days will occur once the deployment is completed. Once the deployment days are verified, commanders will issue a military pay order to the eligible person to submit through his or her base finance office. "The high-deployment pay is an attempt to ensure the services make every effort to reduce the number of people who are subject to burdensome tempo," Nelson said. "However, this is not a pay raise. High-deployment pay must come from within existing budgets." The management system requires personal involvement by general officers in the decision to deploy servicemembers for more than 181 days within a 365-day period. In most cases, the major command commander must approve a servicemember's deployment for more than 220 days within a 365-day period, Nelson said. The 365-day period is a rolling calendar, independent of fiscal or calendar year considerations. "What's changed is that we now are required to gain general officer approval for folks to exceed 181 or 220 days deployed out of the preceding 365 days," Nelson said. Another change is that all temporary duty travel will not count toward the 181- 220- and 400-day thresholds. "It remains the Air Force's desire for individuals to not exceed 120 days TDY per year," he said. "However, for those members who will exceed 120 days, commanders will strive to manage the tempo of their people below the established thresholds. "The Tempo Management and Tracking System is a tool to help distribute, over a larger number of Air Force members, the burden of meeting our commitments," Nelson said. Additional information can be found on the tempo Web site at www.xo.hq.af.mil/xoo/xooa/tempo/index.html. 0327. Bases accepting summer-hire applications RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The Air Force Personnel Center here and base civilian personnel flights Air Force-wide are now accepting applications or resumes for about 2,200 positions in the 2001 summer employment season. "This year, recruitment and hiring for summer employment is being accomplished much earlier than previous years due to other anticipated workload requirements," said Linda Prickett, technical director for the directorate of civilian personnel operations at AFPC. "Consequently, all interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to ensure they're considered." An employment Web site has been developed to provide the latest information on what summer jobs are available, the locations and how to apply for a summer position. Some bases elected to manage their own summer program. This Web site also provides a point of contact for each location. Applicants for summer employment will be considered for temporary appointments only. Summer employment positions typically 60 to 90 days and begin May to June. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 0331. AFRL engineers earn international recognition ROME, N.Y. (AFPN) -- Three Air Force Research Laboratory information directorate engineers have been honored for their work on a three-year study to evaluate the potential for military use of commercial satellite-based personal communications The Technical Cooperation Program, an international organization that collaborates in defense scientific and technical information exchange, presented Brian T. Spink, E. Paul Ratazzi and Helen Demers with achievement awards. The international organization cited the three winners for their contributions to a study, and demonstration by the organization's command, control, communications and intelligence group technical panel on space and unmanned aerial vehicle communications. The three-year study focused on the potential military applications of commercial satellite-based personal communications such as cellular phones and pagers -- and identified both capabilities and vulnerabilities of the systems. Military benefits of using the proliferating commercial systems were determined to be significant, as long as decision-makers weigh practical limitations and potential vulnerabilities that were identified. The study indicated that civilian satellite communication systems offer both new capabilities and additional capacity in various military roles involving reporting, observers, command and control, humanitarian efforts, search and rescue missions, and logistics tracking. All three winners are assigned to the information directorate's information grid division. Spink is with the defensive information warfare branch and Ratazzi is with the information connectivity branch, here. Demers is with the division's platform connectivity branch at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. TTCP research activities involve the defense forces of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. (Courtesy of Air Force Material Command News Service) 0328. Lost wallet finds its lost owner by Mary Galbraith Ogden Air Logistics Center Public Affairs HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFPN) -- Fifteen years ago, a forgotten lock landed a swimmer in hot water with his parents. In 1986, 17-year-old high school senior Ron Daskevich was a regular at the Hess Fitness Center here. That year Daskevich, a member of his school's swim team, threw his belongings (including a wallet) into a gym locker for a few hours while he swam laps in the pool with teammates. Usually his gear was locked up, but he forgot his lock that day. When he returned, the wallet was gone. It remained missing until Daskevich, now an Air Force captain stationed here with the 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron, got a call from a security forces squadron airman March 1. "I was very surprised when (she) called me up because (she) said, 'Sir, somebody's turned your wallet in.' Instinctively I checked my pocket and it was in there. So I asked, 'Are you sure it's mine?' And they said, 'Yeah. It's got your dependent ID card that expired in 1989.'" When the Hess Fitness Center replaced old lockers in late February, resting among the unclaimed sweat socks, old tennis shoes and lost keys was Daskevich's wallet -- preserved behind the lockers all this time. Airman 1st Class Stacia Kennedy, who works at the Hess Fitness Center, was excited about finding a 15-year-old missing wallet, and tried looking Daskevich up on the Internet and locating a contact number inside the wallet. She did not have much success and the wallet was soon turned in to security forces. Kennedy was shocked when she discovered Daskevich was right on base. No one at the gym expected the son of a major stationed here in 1986 would again be at Hill, this time as a military member. Using his ID card, security forces member Staff Sgt. Kimberly Johnson followed procedure and looked Daskevich up in Hill's personnel roster then gave him a call. Johnson said the wallet is probably the oldest item security forces ever returned intact. The surprised captain said memories began flooding back as soon as he heard about the wallet. When Daskevich lost the wallet, his father, a pilot stationed here at the time, was on temporary duty overseas, so having a new ID issued was complicated because his father was out of the country. Both of his parents were pretty upset with him at the time, so he called them last week to let them know what became of the wallet that caused them so many problems in the mid-1980s. Daskevich, a lifeguard at the time, also needed additional copies of his Red Cross certifications, which were in the wallet. Luckily, Daskevich said he did not have a driver's license at the time. The captain said he left a few bucks in the wallet. He suspects someone removed the cash, then tossed the wallet over the lockers where it was preserved for 15 years. When the wallet was returned, he found a student ID; cards for the Gerrity Memorial Library, National Honor Society and Hoagies Hero's; a $36.53 receipt for his senior prom tuxedo rental and several photos and other miscellaneous items "a 17-year-old carries in their wallet." He said the tux receipt was one of the more unusual items, and rummaging through the wallet has been a lot of fun. "The pictures definitely brought some memories back," he said. "There was a picture of my best friend in high school. And a couple others like one of a school dance. I was amazed that that receipt was in there for the senior prom." A stunned Daskevich finds the whole situation ironic, especially considering that of all the possible times the staff could have replaced the lockers, they happened to do it while he was stationed here. "I've been here for two years and am leaving at the end of the month. And just the irony that they decided to move the lockers and just happened to find the wallet back there -- and somebody would actually take the time to try to find the owner of a wallet that's 15 years old," he said. "It just boggled my mind. I've definitely taken a walk down memory lane." *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? 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