-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! 992112. Guam holds ceremony for return of remains of American servicemen MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFPN) -- The remains of what are believed to be 11 American servicemen from two wars were returned to American soil Nov. 18 for the first time since they went off to war. A Reserve C-17 aircrew from the 446th Airlift Wing here flew the remains of the three American servicemen from the Korean War and eight from the Vietnam War to Andersen Air Base, Guam, today at about 3:45 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time). This mission is the first incidence of American servicemen from two wars being repatriated at the same time. For the Korean War soldiers, the event marks the first time in nearly 50 years, since they were declared missing in action, that they have been on American soil. The three soldiers, thought to have been killed at the Battle of the Chongchon River between late November and early December of 1950, represent only a few of hundreds killed in that region during a period of fierce fighting. More than 8,200 Americans remain missing from the Korean War. Since joint recovery operations began in North Korea in 1996, the remains of what are believed to be 42 American servicemen have been repatriated. Of those 42, three have been positively identified and returned to their families for burial. The eight sets of remains from Southeast Asia -- two from Laos and six from Vietnam -- were recovered by military and civilian members of Hawaii's Joint Task Force-Full Accounting and the Army Central Identification Laboratory during three separate search and recovery missions held from August to November. To date, there are currently 2,043 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Since the end of the Vietnam War, 540 Americans have been positively identified and returned to their families for burial. The Air Force Reservists from McChord picked up the three sets of remains from the Korean War and the two sets of remains found in Laos in Thailand and then flew to Hanoi to pick up the six sets of remains found in Vietnam. The McChord Air Force Reserve C-17 aircrew will leave Guam Nov. 19 and fly to the Army's Central Identification Laboratory where the process to try to identify the servicemen and return them to their families for burial will begin. 992111. Special ops school holds first CMSID for Middle East students by Tech. Sgt. Ginger Schreitmueller Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) -- Spending time in the Middle East is nothing new for many U.S. servicemembers. But for two weeks in November, the Middle East came to Hurlburt Field. Seventeen students from eight Middle Eastern and Central Asian nations were at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School here Nov. 1 through 12 attending the Civil-Military Strategy for Internal Development Course. "The school holds two or three iterations of this course throughout the year, each with a different regional focus," said Col. Brian Maher, the school's commandant. "Past courses we've held have been for Latin America, Africa and Eurasia. This is the 12th iteration of the CMSID since 1993, but the first time the course has been offered to students from the Middle East." Another unique aspect of this iteration was the fact several students represented the Iraqi National Congress, an umbrella organization for the Iraqi opposition. These students attended the course under the provisions of the Iraq Liberation Act, which authorizes the Defense Department to provide equipment, training and other services to seven opposition organizations designated by the president of the United States. CMSID represented the first DOD training carried out under this legislation. Despite this, the Middle East CMSID was not focused on immediate political issues in the region, said the course director. "The purpose of all iterations of CMSID is for the students, military officers and civilian officials from around the world, to better understand the importance of a strong civil-military relationship," said Maj. Thomas Hudd. "We use examples from the U.S. civil-military experience to show students how our nation has built on this cooperation." During the course, students participate in a variety of seminars and discussions to enhance their understanding of the positive civil-military relationship in the United States, said Hudd. "The course is a combination of seminars and visits to local sites, such as the county courthouse, to demonstrate how civil-military relations are structured in the United States," said the major. "Lecturers are government, private sector and academic experts in a variety of subjects. They address issues such as cultural inhibitors to democratic reform, military budget and resource planning, as well as the unique developmental objectives of the region." Students also participate in seminars on the Law of Armed Conflict and military legal issues, economic challenges to the region, the role of civil affairs in military operations, emergency response to natural disasters, and U.S. National Security Policy. The course is capped with an all-day, tabletop simulation exercise where students get to role play and put into practice much of what they've learned during the two-week course. The students agreed the course exposed them to ideas and opportunities they can take back with them to their governments. "The course was absolutely useful and the information is of great benefit to us," said Brig. Gen. Abdel-Aziz Farrayeh, commandant of Jordan's Royal Military Academy. "Of special interest were the crisis management and consequence management blocks. Many of these concepts I will try to transfer and apply when I return to my country." Though the geographic designation of Middle East is a broad-brush stroke for a region, it does not signify one common culture. Many of the students said the interaction between different regional neighbors was an added benefit to attending the course. "Today's technology makes the world a small village. The course offered us good exposure to different countries in the region," said Brig. Gen. Abdel-Karim Aly Abdel-Wahab, Egypt's Minister of Defense officer for the crisis management center. "Cooperation between nations is important to communication. And, communication is important to resolving issues and negotiations before they are conflicts. If you have conflict, you do not have communication. The course is helping us enhance that communication," said the general. The director of military cooperation for Bahrain said the overall experience gave him a first-hand look at how the United States puts the concept of civil-military relations into practice. "This is a good, positive experience to bring countries together to learn," said Lt. Col. Mohamed Al-Ghatam. "America is truly a leader in these arenas, and it is important for us to gather this information and take it back to our countries. The world is changing quickly, and the more we know and recognize the potential benefits of these practices the stronger the support for peace will be." The school's next iteration of the CMSID is set for February, and will focus on Latin American countries. Another first for the school will be the Asia-Pacific iteration of CMSID, set for June. (Courtesy of Night Flyer News Service) 992114. Air Force announces selections to captain RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The calendar year 1999D Central Captain Line, Chaplain, Judge Advocate General, Medical Service, Biomedical Sciences and Nurse Corps boards selected 3,367 lieutenants for promotion to captain. The entire list has been posted on the Air Force Personnel Center World Wide Web Homepage at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil. The captain's board convened here Sept. 27, to consider 3,394 officers. The results of the 1999 boards are as follows: Selection statistics in-the-promotion zone: -- Line: 3,084 selected from 3,101 considered, for a 99.5 percent select rate -- NC: 136 selected from 138 considered, for a 98.6 percent select rate -- MSC: 33 selected from 33 considered, for a 100 percent select rate -- BSC: 52 selected from 53 considered, for a 98.1 percent select rate -- Chaplain: 21 selected from 21 considered, for a 100 percent select rate -- JAG: 34 selected from 34 considered, for a 100 percent select rate. Selection statistics above-the-promotion zone: -- Line: Six selected from 10 considered, for a 60 percent select rate -- NC: None selected from two considered -- MSC: One selected from one considered, for a 100 percent select rate -- BSC: None selected from one considered -- Chaplain and JAG: None considered (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 992110. Air Force releases line, medical, chaplain, JAG, civilian ISS/SSS selects RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPC) -- More than 700 Air Force military officers and civilians were recently chosen to attend advanced formal training beginning next year. The Air Force selected 229 line lieutenant colonels for Senior Service School and 456 line majors and major-selects to attend Intermediate Service School starting in the summer of 2000. The officers were selected by the calendar 1999 Line ISS/SSS Central Selection Boards that met at the Air Force Personnel Center from Oct. 12 through 22. The complete list of officers selected will be available on the AFPC home page at http://afas.afpc.randolph.af.mil/pme at noon CST Nov. 23. In addition to the Web site, local military personnel flights will have the list of all officers selected to attend ISS/SSS. Board results are: -- The Calendar 1999 Line SSS Selection Board considered 395 officers from the 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 year groups and selected 229, for a 58 percent selection rate. -- The Calendar 1999 Line ISS Selection Board considered 997 officers from the 1986, 1987, and 1988 year groups, and selected 456 for a 46 percent selection rate. -- The Calendar 1999 Medical SSS Selection Board considered 34 lieutenant colonels, and lieutenant colonel-selects and selected four, for an 11.8 percent selection rate. -- The Calendar 1999 Medical ISS Selection Board considered 47 majors and major-selects and selected eight for ISS, for a 17 percent selection rate. -- The Chaplain Educational Assignments Board met at AFPC Oct. 5 and 6, selecting two primaries and two alternates for SSS, and four primaries and two alternates for ISS. -- The Calendar 1999 Judge Advocate General ISS/SSS Selection Board was held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 14. The board considered 32 officers for SSS and selected four, for a 12.5 percent selection rate. The board considered 28 officers for ISS and selected seven, for a 25 percent selection rate. The AF Civilian Competitive Development Program Selection Board was held Oct. 19 through 21 here. Twelve SES members considered a total of 134 employees for 107 quotas to attend a variety of Intermediate and Senior Service Schools, academic and experiential programs, and executive development programs. A list of civilians selected for ISS/SSS will be available on the CCDP home page http://www.dp.hq.af.mil/dpde/competivedev.htm at noon EST Nov. 23. Announcements for all other schools or programs will take place in mid-December. The Colonel's Group will announce assignments for all colonels and colonel-selects, including Medical, Chaplains and JAGs. The projected release date for these assignments is Jan. 12. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 992115. MilMod to replace current personnel system RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- In a little more than a year, military personnel flights throughout the Air Force, Air National Guard and Reserve will begin using state-of-the-art technology to process "total force" personnel information. The Air Force Military Personnel Data System Modernization program, or MilMod, will replace the current 1970's technology with a relational database using the Oracle Human Resources software. It's been more than 20 years since the last major update. "We've been working hard for nearly four years building this modernized system to take Air Force personnel processing into the next century," said Lt. Col. Ed Oliver, MilMod program manager at the Air Force Personnel Center here. "Now we're in the final stretch and we are building the world's largest -- and we think the best -- human resource system." This new system will support all "life cycle" personnel management functions from recruiting through job assignment and ultimately separation or retirement. In December 2000, after a successful six-month formal testing period, the current legacy system will be turned off and the modernized system will become the system of record for all active duty, Guard, and Reserve personnel processing. "We're building the modernized system to support the core personnel mission, with no bells and whistles," said Oliver. However, the new system has several inherent improvements over today's system. The most apparent improvement is the graphical user interface, which will give personnel technicians online, real-time access to personnel information. "We've also standardized the support we're providing to the total force," he added. "This will improve system support to the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel processes." In short, the modernized system will provide real-time updating and reporting capabilities that are not available in today's Personnel Data System. According to Oliver, "current automation technology is being leveraged to improve support at all levels and is the foundation for building a robust integrated personnel system for the total force." For more information, visit the MilMod home page at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/modern or submit questions and comments to Capt. Geoffrey Perkins or Tech Sgt. Robyn White, customer preparation, at [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 992113. Name change eliminates confusion WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The standard abbreviation for base level Air Force transportation units has changed from TRNS to TRANS. The change, approved by the Air Force Nov. 2, is also reflected in the Air Force address directory. According to Air Force officials, the change is an attempt to eliminate confusion between the transportation squadron and the standard abbreviation for Air Force training squadrons which is TRS. "Additionally, our customers normally refer to our units as 'TRANS'," said Maj. Roger Brooks, chief, strategic planning, combat readiness division, Air Force directorate of transportation. People at each base-level transportation unit will be working with their local message center to ensure there is no disruption in message traffic distribution. However, according to Brooks, issues such as squadron hats will take longer to change. "Our position is current stocks showing TRNS may be used until depleted," he said. "However, all units must be in compliance by Dec. 1, 2000. Unit patches with abbreviations other than TRANS will also need to be updated." 992109. Edwards aerospace pioneer dies by Ray Johnson Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Aerospace medical pioneer Col. (Dr.) John Stapp died Nov. 13 at his home in Alamagordo, N.M, at age 89. Stapp, renowned for his research on high-velocity ejections, developed the concept of measuring deceleration forces. Time and again during the late 1940s and early 50s, he was strapped into rocket-powered sleds to use himself as a subject to study the human body's tolerance for gravity forces and to develop various safety devices. On June 1, 1951, Stapp sat in a sled at Edwards that was poised on a 2,000-foot deceleration track. Moments later, 40,000 pounds of rocket thrust blasted him down the track and into a braking system. For a brief instant, Stapp endured 48 times the force of gravity, or Gs, with a rate of onset at roughly 500 Gs per second. In other words, his body absorbed an impact of more than four tons. As his own volunteer subject, the colonel became known as the world's fastest man Dec. 10, 1954, when he took a bone-and-tissue-punishing 2,750-foot sled ride at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. In less than a tenth of a second, rockets on back of the sled sent the vehicle at 19 Gs with 40,000 pounds of thrust. Stapp's ride hit 632 mph -- nearly supersonic speeds -- before coming to a dead stop in 1.4 seconds, pushing him to 40 Gs. And, for an instant, his 168-pound body weighed 6,720 pounds. The colonel literally saw red for eight minutes as his eyeballs pushed against upper eyelids, tugging at their attachments. He also suffered double vision for 20 minutes. "It was like a dental extraction without anesthetic," he said in an article last year for "Airman" magazine. Through these stress tests, Stapp personally identified and diagnosed the effects of extremely high Gs on humans. His analyses supplied data for aircraft, space cabin and ground vehicle crash protection design. Though black eyes, retinal hemorrhages, cracked ribs and broken bones were frequently Stapp's reward for his labors, he came away from these ordeals with the knowledge that countless lives would be saved by his efforts. Those lives saved included more than just aircrews. His research for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration led to the standard use of seatbelts and airbags in cars and trucks. "Today, everyone who flies in an airplane or rides in an automobile is safer because of his tremendous contributions," said Dr. Jim Young, Air Force Flight Test Center chief historian. "Although he never piloted an airplane, Colonel Stapp was a true aerospace hero." Some of Stapp's honors include: National Aviation Hall of Fame; Jet Pioneers of America; International Space Hall of Fame; Safety Health Hall of Fame; Air Force Cheney Award for Valor; and the Lovelace Award from NASA for aerospace medical research. **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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