-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! 0857. DOD finds no systemic problems with absentee ballots by Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON (AFPN) - The Department of Defense's inspector general found no systemic problems in the department's handling of overseas absentee ballots during the 2000 election. "The inspector general, along with testimony given by the General Accounting Office to the House Armed Services Committee, reiterated that their reviews uncovered neither systemic problems nor significant discrepancies of the DOD Federal Voting Assistance Program," said Charles S. Abell, assistant secretary of defense for force management policy. While there were areas for improvement, the IG did not find "that the program failed," he said. Military members, their families and civilians assigned overseas have the same right to vote as American citizens living in the United States, Abell said during a Pentagon press conference June 22. "We in the Department of Defense must do all that we can to ensure this right is not diminished by virtue of their overseas, deployed or shipboard assignment." It is DOD's responsibility through the Federal Voting Assistance Program to educate the military community in the voting process and enable them to exercise their rights to vote. The DOD IG found that the voting assistance program was not consistent among the services. Abell said his office, working with the FVAP, would work to make the processes in the services consistent with DOD. The IG recommended that the Federal Voting Assistance Program office continue to work with state election officials to resolve absentee voting problems. These include trying to standardize the various states' requirements, differing voter residency requirements, simplifying the overseas ballot process and working with states to test and use new technological solutions for the absentee balloting process. The IG also recommended that DOD revise its guidance to require the services to name unit voting assistance officers and to specify the maximum number of people any one officer should support. The 2000 election actually saw a record-high overseas-participation rate of 72 percent. A total of 74 percent of all members of the uniformed services voted -- 72 percent overseas, 76 percent stateside. Overall, only 51 percent of all eligible Americans voted. The FVAP provided assistance to 258,000 active-duty military personnel, 118,000 family members and 87,000 DOD civilian employees stationed overseas, Abell said. Abell said the IG also found no systemic problems in the military postal system. All mail is supposed to have postmarks that have the date and originating address. News reports following the vote in November said some military absentee ballots were disqualified because they did not have postmarks. Abell said the DOD IG did not address this allegation. The GAO is taking a broader look at the problems of absentee voting in the 2000 election. Their report is due out in September. Abell said he welcomes recommendations for improvement made by the DOD IG. "We're going to follow through on all the recommendations and continue to seek ways to facilitate the process for members of the military community," he said. 0853. NATO holds seminar at Langley by Capt. Todd Fleming Aerospace Command and Control and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- About 100 ambassadors, generals, and other distinguished visitors from NATO visited here June 21 as part of a seminar held by the supreme allied commander of the Atlantic. The seminar brought together NATO leadership to discuss alliance issues and see some of America's defense capabilities. The theme of the seminar was "succeeding against the mobile target - synchronized combat operations." Discussions focused on the challenges of developing a common operational picture and attacking mobile targets on the battlefield. "This seminar provided a great exchange of information between us and our NATO allies," said Col. Dusty Rhoades, director of staff for Air Combat Command. "We are working a lot of the same issues, as we grapple with command and control and time-critical targeting challenges. This brought us one step closer to developing joint solutions." The Langley portion of the seminar was highlighted by a tour of the Combined Aerospace Operations Center-Experimental and a flightline visit to see a Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle and other ACC aircraft. CAOC-X was established by ACC and Air Force Materiel Command to help operators, acquisition professionals, testers, and industry experts quickly deliver the newest technologies and processes to aerospace operations centers. The centers are facilities used to command aerospace power in combat. While at CAOC-X, the delegation witnessed the use of a "datawall" in a mock scenario in which the AOC staff located, tracked and destroyed a mobile surface-to-air missile launcher. The datawall is a series of large screens receiving live feeds from various sources, such as the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle and E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System surveillance aircraft. It displays important information about the battlefield, enabling commanders to perform the difficult task of time-critical targeting and destruction of high-threat mobile targets. The goal is to convert the demonstration they viewed into a real capability later this summer, through a joint development process involving warfighters, developers and testers. "This visit provided us a great opportunity to show NATO the direction we are going in developing a datawall for our commanders and to demonstrate the importance it could play in future alliance operations," said Lt. Col. Charles Welch, CAOC-X deputy director. "We were able to show the alliance that we are serious about creating an AOC weapon system that delivers the latest technologies and processes to our standardized AOCs," added Col. Craig Lightfoot, CAOC-X director. Besides the glimpse into the operational level of war, the NATO visitors also got a chance to see the Global Hawk on its maiden voyage here. Global Hawk is a high-altitude, high-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle being developed as a reconnaissance platform. The Global Hawk flew in from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on a 10-hour flight. Maj. Chris Jella, a Global Hawk pilot working in the Aerospace Command and Control and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Center, took control of the flight on the last leg of its trip and landed the aircraft here. The visitors also got an up-close look at other ACC aircraft, including the B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress bombers; the F-15 Eagle and F-117 Nighthawk fighters; the E-3 Air Warning and Control Systems command-and-control aircraft; and the E-8 Joint STARS and RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft. (Courtesy of ACC News Service) 0859. Teamwork 'pins' helicopter problem down for a quick fix by Lanorris Askew Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- To prevent the grounding of HH-60 helicopters, the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center's technology and industrial support directorate here took on the task of repairing the HH-60's failing expanding pins. These pins are used to hold the propellers onto the planes. The request for this service came from the Special Operations Forces System Program Office after a total of 52 of the 105 Air Force HH-60s were affected by the failing pins. "Eleven of those were in depot status where flying operations were not impacted," said Col. David Lee, deputy director of Special Operation Forces. Lee said aircraft were affected at every HH-60 base; however, no operational or real-world missions have been lost because of the problem. "If the entire fleet had been grounded, missions such as space shuttle support and combat and peacetime search and rescue could have been impacted," he said. "Air Combat Command directed movement of serviceable pins between locations to help reduce the number affected." Maj. Doug Fingles, deputy branch chief of the TISD industrial products division, said the directorate was contacted to see if they could help with the problem and to provide a price quote. They then made four sample pieces and were given permission to do the job. "One manufacturer's pins are cracking on the handle, forcing a grounding inspection of the entire fleet," said Fingles. "We made the replacement pieces to fix the expanding pin assemblies and restore the fleet to operating capability. "We'll be doing about 144 for the Air Force, and it looks like the Army (which has 1,500 of these helicopters), may be coming to us for several hundred more," Fingles said. Less than a week after they were given the go-ahead, they were producing parts, Fingles said. "That's our success story." "WR-ALC stood up to this challenge in a responsive and timely fashion," Lee said. "While negotiations are still under way with industry to get replacement production pins, (TISD) is building parts, and we are shipping to the units now." 0856. Upgraded AWACS declared ready for duty by Master Sgt. Daryl Mayer Electronic Systems Center Public Affairs HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFPN) -- Commanders in the field will be able to see more and look farther into the sky than ever before now that Air Warning and Control Systems aircraft have been modified. The modification falls under the Radar System Improvement Program, and the aircraft have been declared ready for duty. Gen. John Jumper, Air Combat Command commander, approved the designation, officially termed "Initial Operational Capability," on 14 June. IOC means enough aircraft have been modified, crews have been trained and adequate logistics are in place to deploy to any worldwide contingency. Achieving this status is a major milestone, said officials. It took more than 10 years and the efforts of hundreds of people to develop, test, produce and field the RSIP capability, according to Maj. Nedim Kirimca, ESC's AWACS System Program Office RSIP manager. RSIP is an Electronic Systems Center-managed program that outfits existing AWACS aircraft with the latest in modern radar technology, said Major Kirimca. The new system increases the surveillance range of the AWACS radar and greatly enhances its ability to detect smaller aircraft at a much greater distance. The improvement can be compared to looking at a distant object with the naked eye and then with a pair of binoculars. In fact, the program has long been referred to as "sharpening the eyes of the eagle." "RSIP has proven to be a vast improvement of our current mission radar, its improved detection of today's lower radar cross section fighters is truly a force multiplier," said Brig. Gen. Ben. T. Robinson, 552nd Air Control Wing commander, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. Besides the performance benefits, RSIP-modified AWACS aircraft have a greater ability to detect when an enemy is using electronic countermeasures to "fool" it with false signals, said Kirimca. The new equipment is also more reliable, which will lead to less down time for repairs. The ongoing program continues to be a collaborative effort between the Air Force and industry. Upgrade kits produced by the prime contractor, Boeing in Seattle, and their main subcontractor, Northrop Grumman in Baltimore, are delivered to the aircraft directorate production division of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker. When an aircraft is ready to be modified, the wing at Tinker pulls the aircraft off the flying schedule and sends it over to the depot side of the base, said Brent Rollings, on-site RSIP program manager at Tinker. Once in the shop, the directorate's crew of avionics, electrical and sheet metal mechanics begin the approximately 4,500 man-hour modification process. When complete, the aircraft is handed back to the wing for some final testing and then back into the operational schedule. To date, seven AWACS have been modified through this process. Work on the remaining 25 aircraft is expected to be complete by February 2005. When complete, the entire $1.2 billion project will have upgraded 32 U.S., 17 NATO and seven United Kingdom E-3 aircraft. 0858. Air National Guard assuming responsibility for northern air defense by Master Sgt. Bob Haskell National Guard Bureau Public Affairs WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air National Guard is gearing up to monitor the vast Alaskan and northwestern Canadian airspace for unidentified aircraft in the same way that Air Guard units have been watching air traffic over the "lower 48" continental states. A new unit being formed in the Alaska Air National Guard will assume this homeland defense responsibility for more than 1.3 million square miles of North American airspace during the next four years. The new Air Guard unit will take over the radar and computer-enhanced mission from the Air Force's 611th Air Control Squadron based at Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage. The 148-member outfit will become the electronic eyes for the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command region and will be able to direct Air Force Pacific Command jet fighters to check out suspect aircraft entering that area. Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles has signed the memorandum of understanding required to transfer that mission from the Air Force to the Air National Guard. "This homeland defense mission is a natural role for the National Guard," stated Knowles in a June 11 press release. "Members will maintain a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week mission responsible for detecting, identifying and monitoring any object in the Alaskan NORAD region airspace. This mission of constant vigilance is vital to ensuring the safety of North America, and it's a mission that I know our Air Guard can do well." The air-sovereignty mission will be similar to, though not part of, the Air National Guard's 1st Air Force operation based at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida that tracks air traffic over the 48 states, explained Maj. Don Arias, a 1st Air Force spokesman. The 1st Air Force, led by Maj. Gen. Larry Arnold, became an Air Guard-staffed operation in 1997. The continental United States is split into northeast, southeast and western air-defense sectors that Air Guard members in Rome, N.Y., at Tyndall AFB, and at McChord AFB, Wash., monitor around the clock. Ten Air Guard fighter wings provide the airborne muscle. The new Air Guard unit to the north will take over the Air Force operation that uses 18 primary radar sites and three combat alert centers to help keep Alaskan and Canadian airspace free of intruders. An Air Guard transition team is currently working at the Regional Air Operations Center at Elmendorf, and a small contingent from the Canadian Forces now working with the 611th Air Control Squadron will continue to work with the Air Guard unit. "This will be the last NORAD regional unit to transfer to Air Guard control, and we welcome the new responsibility," said Maj. Gen. Phil Oates, adjutant general for the Alaska National Guard and commissioner of the state's Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. "In three other states, regional air operations centers are operated by Air Guard units," Oates pointed out, "and they have proven it lowers training costs, increases retention and helps establish a more stable, experienced work force." 0854. Major wins millions during Vegas visit by Tech. Sgt. Richard Covington Air Warfare Center Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFPN) -- Maj. William Tracy came to Las Vegas to see a friend graduate from the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at nearby Nellis AFB. Shortly after arriving in town, the major won $3 million. Tracy is an F-15C Eagle pilot with the 67th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He said he had played about $40 into a dollar slot machine when it began to make the typical bell-like noises associated with any win. "The only difference was that the window on my slot machine was stuck at $3,055,055.32," Tracy said. "I hope my life will change as little as possible," the pilot said. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and has 11 years in service. He also graduated from the weapons school, an advance graduate-level course for warfighters, in June 2000. He has no plans to leave the Air Force. "Absolutely, I will stay in the Air Force. I've dedicated my adult life to get here in the Air Force, and I'm not about to give it up," Tracy said. Also he said that a few million dollars is not enough to sustain retirement. "It's a lot of money, but not enough to live off for the rest of our lives." Tracy said he has no plans for big expenditures. "I guess I'll pay off a few bills for now," 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! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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