-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! 000438. Air Force 'top cop' retires after four decades by Chief Master Sgt. Gary Emery Air Force Print News LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- An Air Force Security Forces legend hung up his beret after a "heroic and remarkable career" March 16, when the Air Force retired its longest-serving active-duty member ever during ceremonies here. Brig. Gen. Richard Coleman, the former director of Security Forces and commander, Air Force Security Forces Center, exited Lackland's parade field -- and the Air Force -- after 43 years, four months and two days of enlisted and commissioned service. Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Combat Command commander, presided over the retirement and a change of command ceremony in which Coleman relinquished his command to Brig. Gen. (Sel.) James M. Shamess. More than 1,000 security forces members, including military working dog teams, participated in a parade honoring Coleman. Also on display were security forces members wearing uniforms representing the many types the Air Force's "top cop" wore throughout his long career. A mounted horse patrol -- a Coleman innovation used at Howard Air Force Base, Panama to efficiently protect Air Force people and facilities in dense jungle areas -- stood on display in stark contrast beside high-tech up-armored High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles. A security forces professional throughout his career, Coleman is credited with transforming the role of Air Force security forces from primarily law enforcement to combat-ready force protection. As director of Security Forces, Coleman presided over the consolidation of the career field, which formerly consisted of separate law enforcement, air base defense and combat arms specialties. In addition, Coleman is noted for having established a single "Defensor Fortis" (defender of the force) beret flash for all security forces members, which is worn on the blue beret. In 1956, Coleman enlisted in the still-young Air Force as an air policeman. For the next 15 years, he served around the world as an enlisted security specialist. In 1972, Coleman earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice through the Bootstrap Commissioning Program and was commissioned as a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School. He served two tours in Vietnam and was the officer in charge of security forces at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam in 1975 during the evacuation of Saigon at war's end. Addressing the security forces troops massed on the parade field, Coleman told them "I couldn't be prouder to have been associated with you. The air planners know that anywhere our Air Force goes today, it will have a world-class security force along with it." 000434. F-16 crashes at Texas air show SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) -- A pilot assigned to the 78th Fighter Squadron here was killed when his F-16 fighter aircraft crashed March 19, in an area north of Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas. Maj. Brison Phillips, a member of the F-16 East Coast Demonstration Team, also known as the Ninth Air Force Demonstration Team, crashed while performing during an Air Show 2000 at the naval station. Phillips was an instructor pilot and mission commander with more than 2,600 flying hours, including more than 2,300 in the F-16. A 13-year Air Force veteran, Phillips received his commission as a distinguished graduate of Texas A&M University Reserve Officers Training Corps Program. A board of Air Force officers has been appointed to investigate the accident. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) 000436. Aerial imagery helps relief mission in Mozambique by Staff Sgt. Bryan Purtell Joint Task Force Atlas Response Public Affairs AIR FORCE BASE HOEDSPRUIT, South Africa (AFPN) -- Seven Air Force C-130s are supporting Operation Atlas Response by ferrying relief supplies to Mozambique, but one of the aircraft brings an additional capability to the operation that is greatly speeding up flood relief efforts in the region. A C-130 aerial assessment aircraft carrying the Keen Sage imaging system is allowing the Air Force to provide desperately needed video and images of flood-damaged areas in Mozambique to international relief organizations. "We're doing aerial assessment to aid the government of Mozambique, NGOs (non-government organizations) and IOs (international organizations) operating there to determine where the relief is needed and how best to get it to those locations," said Tech. Sgt. Ty Tichonchuk, a member of the 32nd Air Operations Group, based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. "We're currently looking at the lines of communication, finding good roads for people to travel on, and identifying trouble spots so that the infrastructure in Mozambique can be rebuilt," he said. Most Keen Sage missions are flown at an altitude of 2,000 feet. The Keen Sage device is mounted on a pallet and strapped down in the cargo hold of a slightly modified C-130 Hercules. The metal-encased sphere, slightly larger than a basketball, houses three sophisticated video capture lenses -- a daylight television, a 955mm fixed focal length zoom and infrared in six fields. Two operators in the aircraft control the device. The lenses can scan full circle and along 90 degrees of elevation. Once on-line, airborne camera operators can beam live video and digital still images back to a ground station where they are recorded and sent to the relief organizations. "We've seen a lot of their roads where the roadbed is completely washed away, particularly near the rivers," Tichonchuk said. "On many of the paved and asphalt roads, the floods have basically washed out big sections so we're taking video of these spots for the relief teams on the ground. "With our system, we're able to put coordinates on these spots so we can actually send someone back to these spots to start working out the problems from the ground level," he added. Tichonchuk said U.S. Air Forces in Europe has eight Keen Sage modified C-130s in its inventory. For Atlas Response, two video-imaging systems were brought in theater. One is currently on-line aboard a C-130 that flies a mission a day from Hoedspruit. Because the C-130 is able to carry cargo while conducting an aerial assessment, there is no let-up in the shuttling of relief supplies. Keen Sage taskings come from the NGOs, IOs and Mozambique government officials who identify the areas that need assessing. The Keen Sage team then develops its missions based on those requests. Video feeds are examined live and on tape so no details are missed. "The operators in the aircraft do first-line analysis because they're looking at the video feed in real time as they drive the sensor around," said Tichonchuk. "They can send us a message and a picture and we feed the information down to the JTF command post in Maputo. We have a person on the ground there working directly with the JTF commander. Together, they have a lot of interface with the government of Mozambique, and the NGOs and IOs. "We're also dropping off recorded tapes of our missions to relief organization officials. They are (then) able to sit down and watch the mission after we've landed," he added. Tichonchuk said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also benefited from Keen Sage. "There was particular interest in a couple of the dams up at the headwaters of the Limpopo and Zambeze rivers. They've looked at our products and I believe they used some of it to at least do preliminary assessments," he said. "I believe we're providing a valuable service for the flood relief mission." (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service) 000436a.gif and 000436a.jpg Capt. Jeff Burrell marshalls in a C-130 Keen Sage aerial assessment aircraft at the International Airport at Maputo, Mozambique. The specially equipped C-130 allows the Air Force to provide needed digital still and color video imagery of the flood damaged roads and lines of communication to the government of Mozambique, non-government organizations and international relief organizations. Burrell, from U.S. Air Forces in Europe's Logistics Branch, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is the on-scene officer-in-charge of logistics, plans and cargo movement. The aircraft and team members are deployed here in support of Operation Atlas Response, a humanitarian aid operation to help the people of Mozambique, after severe flooding displaced more than a million people from their homes. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ken Bergmann) 000436b.gif and 000436b.jpg The Limpopo River recently crested its banks and sent floodwaters rushing through towns and farmland, forcing people from their homes and wreaking havoc throughout southern Mozambique. Specially equipped Air Force C-130 aircraft fly daily Keen Sage aerial surveillance missions over Mozambique to help find stranded flood victims and survey flood levels and damage caused by the flooding in southern Africa. The aircraft are deployed to Air Force Base Hoedspruit, South Africa, as part of Operation Atlas Response humanitarian relief efforts. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Cary Humphries) 000436c.gif and 000436c.jpg The Elephant Dam in southern Mozambique overflowed and sent millions of gallons of water into the Limpopo River, causing it to crest its banks and flood towns and farmlands throughout the area. Specially equipped Air Force C-130 aircraft fly daily Keen Sage aerial surveillance missions over Mozambique to help find stranded flood victims and survey flood levels and damage caused by the flooding in southern Africa. The aircraft are deployed to Air Force Base Hoedspruit, South Africa, as part of Operation Atlas Response humanitarian relief efforts. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Cary Humphries) 000437. Humanitarian aid continues in southern Africa - Stand-alone images 000437a.gif and 000437a.jpg MAPUTO, Mozambique (AFPN) -- Senior Airman Shane Redding makes entries in the log as a C-130 from the 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, taxis in to be loaded with humanitiarian relief supplies at the International Airport at Maputo, Mozambique. Redding is an air transportation specialist with the 86th Air Mobility Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The aircraft and its crew are deployed to Maputo in support of Operation Atlas Response, a humanitarian relief effort to help the people of Mozambique, after severe flooding displaced more than a million people from their homes. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ken Bergmann) 000437b.gif and 000437b.jpg MAPUTO, Mozambique (AFPN) -- Staff Sgt. Manfred Browder and Senior Airman Shane Redding, with help of local laborers, build pallets of humanitarian supplies. Both airmen are air transportation specialists for the 86th Air Mobility Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. They and their team are deployed to Maputo in support of Operation Atlas Response, a humanitarian relief effort to help the people of Mozambique, after severe flooding displaced more than a million people from their homes. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ken Bergmann) 000437c.gif and 000437c.jpg MAPUTO, Mozambique (AFPN) -- A C-130 is loaded with humanitarian relief supplies. The C-130 is from the 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany and is deployed to Air Force Base Hoedspruit, South Africa. The squadron and its crews are deployed to Maputo in support of Operation Atlas Response, a humanitarian relief effort to help the people of Mozambique, after severe flooding displaced more than a million people from their homes. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ken Bergmann) 000437d.gif and 000437d.jpg MAPUTO, Mozambique (AFPN) -- A C-130 laden with humanitarian relief supplies departs the International Airport at Maputo on another mission to deliver much needed supplies to Beira, Mozambique. The C-130 is from the 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and is deployed to Air Force Base Hoedspruit, South Africa. The aircraft and teams are deployed to Maputo in support of Operation Atlas Response, a humanitarian relief effort to help the people of Mozambique, after severe flooding displaced more than a million people from their homes. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ken Bergmann) 000439. Security Forces break ground on new home by Chief Master Sgt. Gary Emery Air Force Print News LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- With the turn of a shovel here, Air Force security forces leaders and local commanders broke ground March 16 on a state-of-the-art center for force protection. The new 36,000-square-foot facility will serve as headquarters for the Air Force Security Forces Center. It will house the AFSFC vice commander and staff, as well as the Force Protection Battlelab. The $8.1 million center will also include weapons and ammunition vaults, a conference center and video teleconference facilities. It is scheduled for completion in June 2001. Brig. Gen. Richard Coleman, former director of security forces and former commander, Air Force Security Forces, called the event "a great day for our security forces and its future." The groundbreaking was one of Coleman's last official acts before retiring the same afternoon as the Air Force's longest-serving member, with more than 43 years on active duty. Coleman credited senior Air Force leaders, including former chief of staff Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, with supporting the new facility and its mission. "I was challenged (by Fogleman) to find the funding and convince Air Force leadership this was how they should spend their money," Coleman said. Given the importance of the force protection mission, the leaders told Coleman "We will make it happen," he said. He also gave a nod to leaders at Lackland and Air Education and Training Command for their support. "You don't make something like this happen unless you have a good host command, from the AETC civil engineer all the way to the support group commander, local engineers and the 37th Training Wing commander," Coleman explained. The Air Force Security Forces Center, formerly the Air Force Security Police Agency, relocated to Lackland from Kirtland AFB, N.M., in November 1997. The center, a Field Operating Agency, is the focal point for force protection within the Air Force and is responsible for the protection of Air Force installations from terrorism, sabotage and acts of war. The center manages security planning and programming for 30,000 active duty and Reserve component security forces worldwide. The center also hosts Defender Challenge, the annual combat readiness skills competition for Air Force and allied security forces professionals. More than 160 active duty, Reserve, civilian and allied nation force protection specialists are assigned to the center. 000435. Keeping DOD connected: Software makes circuit tracking easier by Staff Sgt. Beverly Isik Standard Systems Group Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE - GUNTER ANNEX, Ala. (AFPN) -- Technical controllers throughout the Department of Defense are getting improved automated tools thanks to a team at Standard Systems Group's Software Factory. At more than 250 DOD sites around the world, tech controllers use the Facility Circuit Information Tracking system to track communications systems such as telephone and digital switches, wide and local area networks, satellites, radio systems and base cables. The technical controller tracks a lot of information, according to FACIT Project Manager 1st Lt. Luke Bentley. This includes circuit and equipment inventory, quality control records, the status of circuit and equipment outages, who performed quality testing, and when and what outages must be reported up the chain. "FACIT provides the tools to do all of this," he said. On the battlefield, FACIT plays a vital role in command and control of communications, assisting system controllers in engineering the communications infrastructure prior to deployment and providing essential data necessary to effectively manage communication systems while deployed, according to Staff Sgt. Paula Flynn, a tech control functional analyst who has worked closely with programmers in SSG for nearly 3 years. "Right now the system is used by all branches of the military to include Navy ships, submarines, the White House and the Pentagon," she said. Tracking wasn't always so easy. "I remember when I came in the Air Force several years ago, we had thousands of pieces of paper with type-written information and lots of pen and ink changes," Flynn said. "People moved, phone numbers changed and communications systems changed with emerging technology. It was a mess." FACIT relates a large amount of information in a small amount of space, she explained. "And with the database, it's easy to go in and make changes." As part of a three-phase development plan, SSG released Version 3.0 in November 1999 and expects worldwide implementation of 3.1 in October. Version 3.0 got everyone using the same software, database and application, explained Tech. Sgt. Ken Smith, FACIT technical lead. The upcoming release focuses on the automated transfer of data between locations and will allow the establishment of a global, consolidated database at the Defense Information Systems Agency headquarters. Customers will also see some of their requests fulfilled on the new release. "In addition to replication, 3.1 will incorporate several customer-requested enhancements," Smith said. "For example, a tool bar modification to allow frequently used processes to be quickly accessed, increased sizes for some data fields, and the implementation of a user-definable ad hoc report generation process." With worldwide implementation of phase three completed by the end of fiscal 2001, FACIT will connect about 90 percent of all DOD tech control facilities in the world, according to Smith. **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 ] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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