-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! 992142. Airman's death prompts changes in training RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Based on the findings of a report into the death of an Air Force trainee, service officials are recommending procedural changes during basic military training. The Air Force released a report of investigation into the death of Airman Micah J. Schindler, citing the cause of death as heatstroke complicated by overhydration. Schindler died Sept. 12, two days after he became seriously ill near the end of a 5.8-mile field march during basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. "I offer my sincere sympathy to Micah Schindler's family, friends and fellow trainees," said Gen. Lloyd W. "Fig" Newton, commander of Air Education and Training Command. "We lost a fine young man. "Part of our responsibility is to provide the safest training environment possible consistent with effective training," Newton said. "This investigation found that our process was not fully adequate and changes are being made to improve safety controls." As a result of this incident, Air Force medical experts sought out recent studies on the subject of water intoxication and excessive water consumption. Water intoxication and the resulting low blood sodium levels lead to an increased tendency for internal organs, such as the brain and lungs, to rapidly absorb the excess water and swell. This phenomenon played a critical role in the death of Schindler, according to the investigation. The investigation also examined other field training practices with the objective of preventing loss of life or serious illness in the future. This was the basis for the investigating officer's recommendation for procedural changes during basic military training. They include: -- increased instruction on heat related illness symptoms and the risks of over hydration, -- better procedures to help training instructors and medical personnel monitor the medical status of trainees and -- increased efforts to encourage trainees to identify personal or fellow trainee problems and automatic removal of trainees from field exercises for certain medical symptoms. The general added that the 5.8 mile march has been moved to earlier in the day, as part of scheduling changes made for Warrior Week training. This will lessen the risk of heat illness by avoiding the hottest part of the day. The investigation included interviews and statements from instructors, medics and many of the trainees who participated in the field march, as well as other medical and military training officials. This investigation was completed with the objective of discovering and documenting all of the facts surrounding Schindler's death. As with similar accident or incident inquiries conducted by the Air Force, AETC officials said a follow-on investigation will be conducted into the issue of personal responsibility concerning the death. 992145. Special duty save pay exception approved WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force has received approval for a Special Duty Assignment Pay save pay exception to the Career Enlisted Flyer Incentive Pay program. The save pay option, which begins Dec. 1 and lasts through February 2003, offsets any drop in overall special and incentive pay for airmen transitioning to CEFIP, until such time as CEFIP equals or exceeds the combined amount of special and incentive pay being received for flying duty. The SDAP exception is in addition to the Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay save pay provision which is already in effect for those members eligible to receive CEFIP payments. Under the SDAP exception to policy, all SDAP offset payments end after 36 months; CEFIP equals or exceeds the HDIP plus SDAP amount received; or reassignment of the member from the duty assignment; whichever occurs first. Beginning Jan. 31, no new members eligible for CEFIP will be authorized SDAP and existing SDAP will be paid at the appropriate offset rate. CEFIP is a long fought for benefit, which recognizes the professionalism, and unique skills of our career enlisted aviators, according to Lt. Col. Susan Cooley, chief, compensations and entitlements, headquarters Air Force. CFEIP provides an incentive to attract and retain individuals in aviation specialties. CEFIP was approved for nearly 8,000 career enlisted flyers, as designated by the secretary of the Air Force. They are now eligible to receive continuous flying incentive pay as long as they meet the prescribed operational flying gate requirements. CEFIP is payable to those enlisted aircrew members at a rate ranging from $150 to $400, based on their total years of aviation service. 992141. Denton Program Office relocates to Charleston by Lt. Col. Ed Memi 437th Airlift Wing Public Affairs CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) -- The transfer of the Denton Program Office here from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was officially recognized in a short ceremony Nov. 15. The four-person office here, under contract by U.S. Transportation Command, manages the Department of Defense's Denton Program, which handles the logistics for transporting State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development-approved, privately donated humanitarian cargo worldwide by land, sea and air on a space-available basis. The office gets its name from retired admiral and former U.S. Senator to Alabama Jeremiah Denton, who established an amendment, named in his honor, in 1985 to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The Denton Amendment gave DOD the authority to move humanitarian cargo worldwide at no charge to the donor on a space-available basis. "There is no more rewarding mission for an airlifter than a humanitarian mission, and there is no program that allows us to do that better than the Denton program," said Brig. Gen. Rod Bishop, 437th Airlift Wing commander, during the ceremony. The Denton program is managed by Joint Relief International, and Bishop added that from his years at U.S. Transportation Command, there is "no organization or people who care more about humanitarian missions than those at Joint Relief International." Bishop said Charleston was the only logical choice for the office to relocate to since the base flies about 70 percent of the missions, its close proximity to central American routes, the operational support provided by the 315th Airlift Wing and the access provided by Charleston's port for sealift. He added that sealift has the greatest capacity to move a lot of humanitarian cargo. "The enroute structures are in place here to transit all parts of the world. We started looking for a permanent home for the Denton program when it started and Charleston was the obvious choice since the base handles so much Denton cargo," said John Becker, a transportation specialist from U.S. Transportation Command headquarters at Scott AFB, Ill. JRI director Jim Ward was enthusiastic about the move to Charleston and thanked Charleston for making their move painless. He also described the Denton Program as a real plus for U.S. foreign policy. "Despite its relatively low cost to the Department of Defense, there is nothing more effective for our foreign policy than an aircraft with the U.S. flag on it offloading medical supplies," said Ward. "It goes a long way in promoting world peace while stabilizing regions of the world." The Denton Program was officially established in 1986, and in fiscal 1999, shipped more than 11 million pounds for Hurricane Mitch, most of it through Charleston's 437th Aerial Port Squadron and using Charleston-based airlift aircraft. A total of 14,428,698 million pounds were shipped to 27 countries with supplies donated by 130 organizations in fiscal 1999. Cargo shipped included medical and educational supplies, food and grain, linens and clothing, sporting goods, agricultural machinery, water purification equipment, building supplies/tools and computers and office equipment. Civilian donors must contribute at least 2,000 pounds, and the Denton Program is designed to move humanitarian cargo in support of ongoing relief and development projects. As a general guideline, the program is well suited for cargo that is not time sensitive. In fiscal 1999, the average closure time to deliver relief cargo was about 73 days from the original request. (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service) 992144. Air Force receives DOD equal opportunity reports WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Air Force officials anticipate recently released reports will help the service fine tune and ensure human relations programs are on track. Two Department of Defense reports, concerning the equal opportunity climate and career progression of minority and women officers serving on active duty, were released Nov. 23. Air Force senior officials plan to work with the secretary of defense and the other services to explore the data for a greater understanding of how equal opportunity relates to overall mission readiness. Officials also expect the reports to help the Air Force target equal opportunity and human relations programs to ensure the right concerns are being addressed. "Equal opportunity and treatment are essential functions of leadership and command," said Gen. Michael E. Ryan, Air Force chief of staff. "Our policy on this subject is straightforward and based on Air Force ideals of fairness, dignity and justice in the treatment of our most important resource -- our people." The Air Force provides ongoing instruction beginning in basic military training and all commissioning sources, as well as at all levels of professional military education. Further information regarding the results of the reports will be released by the Air Force as it becomes available. 992143. Thanksgiving remains traditional for deployed airmen by Staff Sgt. Cynthia Miller Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- Turkey, dressing, candied yams, cranberry sauce and football. With nearly 9,000 personnel deployed worldwide during the holiday season, Air Force members find ways to bring traditional American celebrations to their foreign surroundings. At Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, a traditional Thanksgiving feast will follow the annual Turkey Bowl flag football championships, in which the Air Force defends its title against the Army in head-to-head competition the day before Thanksgiving. Marine Corps Gen. Charles E. Wilhelm, commander in chief, U.S. Southern Command, will attend the game. At Operation Northern Watch in southern Turkey, sports events and social gatherings with coalition personnel from the United Kingdom and Turkish Air Force will be part of holiday activities. Thanksgiving Day at both Joint Task Force Bravo and Operation Northern Watch will begin with prayer services at the base chapels, and is followed by traditional feasts provided by their respective dining facilities. Finally, deployed personnel at both locations can be part of the Thanksgiving week festivities back at home through morale calls, free electronic mail and teleconferencing services provided by their family support centers. "I'm going to miss being away from my family, but being away from our families during the holidays is part of being in the Air Force," said Senior Airman Brett Marsden, a patrolman for the Joint Security Forces at Soto Cano. 992140. Top Air Force enlisted rank rich in history by Chief Master Sgt. James B. Morton 6th Medical Group MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Dec. 1 marks the 40th anniversary of the first person promoted to the grade of chief master sergeant. The mere mention of the title "chief" brings to mind visions of wisdom, strength, bravery, commitment and honor. But the grade of chief master sergeant actually has a humble history. Originally recommended by the Cordiner Committee (formally known as the Defense Advisory Committee on Professional and Technical Compensation) in 1957, the creation of the "supergrades," E-8 and E-9, was driven primarily by grim enlisted retention figures over the previous 10 years. In 1949, more than 80 percent of our first-term airmen left the service after their first tour. With the Soviet Union's launch of "Sputnik" sending waves of panic through our government, and military leaders reporting to Congress that U.S.-based strategic bombers could not get off the ground in response to a missile attack due to the lack of skilled maintenance personnel, Congress took heed. In early 1956, Congress commissioned then-General Electric president, Ralph J. Cordiner, to review the reasons for poor retention. The Cordiner Committee found that sophisticated weapon systems were causing more and more time to be spent in training, rather than in actual work within an airman's specialty. Additionally, the committee reported that most airmen could expect much higher pay in comparable civilian positions. They reported a significant pay inversion between supervisory and subordinate personnel, and finally, found severe promotion stagnation at the grade of E-7. In response to the committee's recommendations, President Eisenhower signed Public Law 85-422, establishing the two new highest enlisted grades for all services and a new compensation system aimed at reducing turnover. An extremely important underlying reason for the creation of chief master sergeant was to show young men and women serving their first term that there was significant prestige in becoming a senior noncommissioned officer in terms of both pay and position. Air Force leaders also saw this as an opportunity to slowly do away with the warrant officer ranks. The Air Force initially selected 2,000 personnel for promotion to senior master sergeant, with actual dates of rank being Sept. 1, 1958, and March 1, 1959. Of those initial 2,000 senior master sergeant selects, 1,700 were later selected for promotion to chief master sergeant, with 620 being promoted on Dec.1, 1959. The remaining promotions were withheld until June of 1960 due to budgetary limitations. Some will say that many of the same situations that prompted creation of chief master sergeant exist today: pay disparity between supervisory and subordinate personnel, alarming retention rates, perceptions of better pay in the civilian community. Regardless, over the past 40 years the Air Force has made tremendous strides in highlighting the prestige associated with becoming a senior NCO and ultimately, a "chief." The creation of the senior enlisted advisor (now command chief master sergeant) and the chief master sergeant of the Air Force positions demonstrated the leadership commitment to recognizing the contributions and value of our enlisted corps. **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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