-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! 1157. Exercise tests joint operations by Capt. Angela Johnson 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs AIR BASE AALBORG, Denmark (AFPN) -- Eight 23rd Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcons and 150 airmen from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, arrived here Aug. 17 to support the annual Tactical Fighter Weaponry-01 exercise. The Spangdahlem contingent joins F-15 Eagles and airmen from the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing, along with airmen from the 603rd Air Control Squadron at Aviano AB, Italy, the 723rd Aerospace Medical Squadron from Ramstein AB, Germany, and KC-135 Stratotankers and airmen from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. The exercise emphasizes conventional offensive and defensive operations in a joint, combined scenario. "We will be dropping 500-pound inert bombs, simulating a combat load," said Capt. Pete Tacy, 23rd FS pilot. "The squadron will also fly air-to-air and suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses missions throughout the exercise giving us a good opportunity to train with and against our Danish counterparts." The 23rd FS brought 78 bombs to drop on the Tranum and Oksboel ranges. Chaff and flares will also be used during air-to-air engagements. Chaff affects the radar picture, while flares protect against heat-seeking missiles by acting as decoys. "In Germany, we can't employ chaff and flare. Here we can train the way we would fly in combat," said Capt. Neil Oakden, 23rd FS pilot. "Chaff clutters up the radar, giving a presentation of what you would actually see if this was the real deal." "The scenario gives us good offensive and defensive training," said Capt. Brian Tash, 23rd FS pilot. "We are flying for both sides in the scenario, both the good guys and the bad guys." Each day an air tasking order comes down from the Combined Air Operations Center, giving the pilots the tasks for the following day. "We know what's in the exercise plan, but it's challenging because we don't know what's out there -- it's like combat, expect the unexpected," Oakden said. "It's good training because it teaches us to work in a total-force concept, like in the air expeditionary force deployments. Here we get to fight not only with the Air National Guard, but also with NATO assets. In Germany, we get used to doing the same thing, seeing the same ranges and flying in the same environment. Here we see something different." A naval exercise, DanEx, takes place at the same time as TFW-01, which involves members of the Danish, German and U.S. navies. There is potential for the 23rd FS pilots to get tasked to attack some of the naval ships during the first week of the TFW-01 exercise. The exercise scenario will be conducted all over Denmark, the North Sea, Baltic approaches and Southern Norway. (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service) 1160. Diseased heart causes trainee's death KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) - An investigation into the death of Airman Basic Darryll Matthew Logans found that he died of natural causes. Logans died during a Basic Military Training two-mile physical conditioning run June 14 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The investigation found the cause of death was an abnormal heart rhythm (dysrhythmia) associated with a pre-existing enlarged heart, most likely caused by the trainee's long-standing history of elevated blood pressure. Medical authorities classified Logans' death as natural, because of a diseased heart, and not an accident. "The tragic loss of (Airman Basic) Logans has had a deep and lasting effect on his family, friends and flight mates," said Maj. Gen. John F. Regni, 2nd Air Force commander here. "(Airman Basic) Logans was 20 years old, athletic, motivated and performing satisfactorily during basic military training. He would have been an excellent airman in our Air Force. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and all who knew Matthew." Regni directed an investigation into the circumstances leading up to Logans' death. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service) 1162. New structure protects airmen from chemical attack by 2nd Lt. Olivia Duer Nelson 305th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AFPN) -- Air Mobility Command has a new structure that allows deployed airmen to operate normally under threat of an airborne chemical attack. The structure, called a Transportable Collective Protection System, is an expandable tent with a special, protective lining combined with a powerful air pump. The pump pressurizes the inside of the tent so that airborne contaminants cannot penetrate the outside lining. The development of the new system is expected to have an important impact on training for civil engineers all over AMC, said Steve Robertson, 305th Civil Engineer Squadron Readiness Flight chief here. "This type of system was a pipe dream 10 years ago -- now it's a welcome reality." There will be 14 of the TCPS units postured at McGuire, ready to deploy anywhere in the world, Robertson said. "The vision surrounding this equipment is that our folks should be able to take it to chemical high-threat areas, set it up and maintain it so deployed airmen can work inside without additional protective gear, even if there's a chemical attack going on outside," Robertson said. Without the system, deployed operations practically cease during a chemical attack, he said. "If you were attacked in a tent city right now, you'd be moved to a contamination control area, decontaminated and taken to a clean site, which could take hours or even days," he said. But with so many parts, experienced people must assemble the system. Contractors from Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, where the system was originally developed as a medical facility, and civil engineers from AMC at Scott AFB, Ill., conducted a three-day setup and maintenance training class that included people from Air Force Special Operations Command and Air Combat Command. The training allowed the group to practice the setup of the different components. The TCPS is like a "Ziploc bag inside a tent, attached to an air conditioner on steroids," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Biggerstaff, 305th CES readiness training noncommissioned officer in charge, "The completely assembled system can be used for any functions normally found in tent cities," Biggerstaff said. Some functions airmen could expect to use a TCPS for include living quarters, dining facilities, medical facilities and workspace. "If I were deployed and had to work in one of these facilities, I'd feel comfortable," said Airman 1st Class Monica McMullan, 305th CES. "There are so many safety measures to let you know it's working right." Future training is to include civil engineers from all over the command as they attend the Air Mobility Warfare Center's Phoenix Readiness course. The training will be jointly accomplished by warfare center instructors and with 305th CES assets and expertise. (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service) 1163. Amended quarterly assignment listing now available RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The amended enlisted quarterly assignment listing for those returning from overseas in the November to January cycle is now available on the Air Force Personnel Center Web site. But there is a hitch, AFPC officials said. For now, airmen will not be able to use the Web-based Assignment Management System to update their preferences. "Although the system is now giving us all the data we need to make the best matches of people to jobs, we're still not able to totally automate the process," said Fred Beard, chief of the center's airman management branch here. "People will have to work with their local military personnel flights and commander's support staffs to update their preferences." The listing, originally released Aug. 15, was pulled back because of problems caused by the switch to a new military personnel data system and the inability to access all the data needed to make assignments. Personnel officials recommend people update their assignment preferences by Sept. 6. Assignments will be released during the middle of September. EQUAL advertises upcoming assignment requirements by Air Force Specialty Code and rank. People are instructed to review, prioritize and list specifically their assignment preferences based on the EQUAL list. "The reason EQUAL is important is because these are the only requirements," Beard said. "It doesn't do an airman any good to list a preference which is not open to them at this time." The Aug. 7 EQUAL for overseas assignments in the April to June cycle has also been delayed. Information on the release date will be provided as soon as it is available. People can view the list on the AFPC home page at https://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil, or at their MPF or CSS. Those on temporary duty during the advertising period can contact the nearest personnel office for assistance. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 1164. Remains begin journey home from North Korea by Capt. Michael Braibish 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) -- Nature itself seemed to bow to the solemnity of the United Nations Command repatriation ceremony here Aug. 21. The drenching rains and gusts of Typhoon Pabuk calmed as the U.N. honor guard stepped from a C-130 Hercules, bearing human remains believed to belong to a U.S. serviceman missing in action from the Korean War. "Present ... arms!" ordered the honor guard commander, and the nearly two hundred people in attendance gave their respect to the fallen warrior. In quiet succession the honor guard carried the remains of eight more people into the reception hangar, completing the first leg of a decades long journey home. As the last note of Taps rolled across the flightline and the ceremony concluded, Typhoon Pabuk began to pour its rain and gusts over the base once more. A joint U.S.-North Korean team operating in Unsan and Kujang counties and along the Chong Chon River, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang, North Korea, recovered the remains during operations that began last month. Hundreds of U.S. soldiers fell in this area during battles between Communist forces and the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division and 2nd and 25th Infantry Divisions in November 1950. The Defense Department's Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office negotiated an agreement with the North Koreans last year which led to the scheduling of this year's operations. The remains will be flown to Hawaii where the Army's Central Identification Laboratory will begin the forensic identification process. Of the 88,000 U.S. servicemembers missing in action from all conflicts, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War. (Courtesy of Pacific Air Forces News Service) 1159. C-17 aircrew, medical teams help young heart patient by Debra Baldwin 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) -- Air Force people pulled together to give a 7-year-old Washington boy, in need of a heart transplant, a life-saving flight. A C-17 Globemaster III, flown by reservists from Air Force Reserve Command's 315th Airlift Wing here, transported the boy from Washington to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. The process of taking the boy from the Children's National Medical Center in Washington to Pittsburgh started late Aug. 18 when a doctor at Children's Hospital called the Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to ask for help. The doctor knew that the Air Force medical center had one of the two Extracorpareal Membrane Oxygenator machines in existence, and the only ECMO certified for flight. The boy had recently undergone heart surgery and needed a new heart. He had been put into a near-coma state and would die if he did not receive help soon, doctors said. The military responded to the need, making the mission a top priority. "This was unusual in that there are only two places in the United States that have the equipment necessary to make this type of move," said Mark Mahar, senior duty officer in the Joint Patient Movement Requirements Center at Scott AFB, Ill. "We usually do one to three of these (missions) a year. Our regulations allow us to get involved if there is no other outlet available. That was the case here. We knew that it was necessary to take action." The mission was coordinated through the JPMRC and the Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott. Mission planners determined that a C-17 training mission, scheduled here, could be reconfigured to meet the flight and medical requirements. The calls were made to make it happen. "We got the call for an urgent mission," said Col. Sharyn Rotterger, 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron commander. "The flight and medical crews quickly reconfigured the aircraft and prepared for the take-off to San Antonio, where they would pickup a critical care team and the needed equipment. All of our people involved knew what this mission meant for this young boy and they were committed to make it happen." When the C-17 arrived in San Antonio three and one-half hours later, the crew had to quickly figure out the logistics of getting all the needed equipment loaded and positioned for the mission. The biggest challenge was the ECMO stretcher, which is 6-feet long and weighs more than 1,000 pounds. It would hold the boy and all life-sustaining equipment. "This was the first time I had seen this machine," said Tech. Sgt. Kenneth L. Plants, 315th AES charge medical technician. "We had to pick it up and move it from the ambulance onto the aircraft." The crew was told that the machine would have to be moved from the aircraft to the hospital and back again. The Charleston aeromedical team and a nine-member critical care team from Wilford Hall, which included four doctors, respiratory therapists and critical care nurses, coordinated all their activities on the trip to Andrews AFB, Md., to pick up the patient. "In this case, the CCT was to be responsible for the patient," Rotterger said. "They knew what they are doing on the ground, but in the air things are different. We worked with the team to familiarize them with the aircraft and discussed other problems that they may have related to flight." After arriving at Andrews, the ECMO was unloaded as quickly as possible into an ambulance and taken to the Children's National Medical Center. The boy was then transferred from his bypass machine to the ECMO stretcher and taken to the aircraft. While the critical care team prepared the child for transportation, the 315th AES aircrew prepared the aircraft for the flight to Pittsburgh. "We stayed in contact, getting updates on the their progress using our personal cell phones," Plants said. "They also came in handy when we realized we needed to locate an extra air compressor. The 89th AES at Andrews helped us locate everything that was needed. "When we got the word they were headed back, we prepared ourselves to lift the ECMO stretcher onto the aircraft," he said. "We knew it would be hard this time with the patient strapped on it. We were lucky that the fire department at Andrews pitched in to help make the transfer." The child had seven IV's connected and numerous tubes that required constant monitoring. His chest also had not fully closed from the open-heart surgery, so the teams monitored the situation closely during the flight to Pittsburgh. "The flight went well from Andrews to Pittsburgh," said Maj. Florence Ray, 315th AES flight nurse. "The mother appeared nervous but calm and voiced her concern whether her son would get a heart in time. The CCT members were fabulous and very attentive. They are truly life-savers." The flight crew called ahead to the Reserve's 911th AW in Pittsburgh and arranged for parking and support. When the aircraft arrived, the critical care team was met by an ambulance and had a police escort to the Children's Hospital about 30 miles away. Members of the CCT escorted the boy to the hospital and returned two hours later. The 911th AW provided phones to the reservists who needed to call their employers to tell them they would not be to work the following day. The aircrew and medical team returned here about 23 hours after taking off for Texas. "Anytime you can help a child, it is wonderful," Ray said. The boy has been placed on a waiting list for a new heart, and his family's insurance company is being billed for the move. (Courtesy of AFRC News Service) 1158. Research lab names five new fellows by Jill Bohn Air Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) -- Air Force Research Laboratory officials here have bestowed fellow honors on five people. This year's honorees are: Dr. Gordon Hager of the directed energy directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; Dr. Stephan D. Price, space vehicles directorate, Hanscom AFB, Mass.; and Dr. Harold Weinstock, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Va. The honorees here are Dean F. Kocian from the human effectiveness directorate, and Dr. Ruth Pachter from materials and manufacturing directorate. "We are extremely proud of the tremendous work our researchers do every day within the lab to support our (Air Force) mission," said Maj. Gen. Paul Nielsen, AFRL commander. "This is our highest award in recognition of technical excellence and outstanding contributions to our research and development programs. These programs guarantee our (Air Force) will continue to be second to none." Hager is a leader in scientific innovation in the field of high-power laser devices and has garnered national and international recognition. His work has also been recognized with numerous patents for significant advances in laser technology. Kocian is credited with being the Air Force champion of helmet-mounted tracker/display technology from its early inception. These devices enable pilots to aim weapons using the natural abilities of their heads and eyes to track targets while displaying critical flight and targeting data directly on the visor. Pachter established an international reputation in computational chemistry and materials science. Her research and development has had a significant impact on laser eye protection, and space and sensor protection applications. She has defined, led and conducted an extensive basic research activity in the design of novel optical materials for laser protection. Price's research has influenced infrared astronomy and has made major contributions to the Air Force mission. He conducted the first infrared surveys of the sky; defined the infrared celestial backgrounds for military and civilian space-based infrared sensors; and created the Celestial Background Scene Descriptor, a suite of first principal physics-based codes that images the celestial background over any user-specified area, spectral band and detector size. Weinstock is a recognized international expert in the field of superconducting. He has authored or co-authored more than 20 scientific publications, edited or co-edited five books on applications of superconductivity and has been awarded two patents on applications of superconducting magnetometry to nondestructive evaluation. One of the research items he has sponsored is a unique method for detection of hidden active corrosion and cracks in aircraft bodies. The AFRL Fellows award selection committee considers both military and civilian scientists and engineers, comprising about 55 percent of the AFRL workforce of 5,400. To be eligible, participants must be assigned to AFRL for the past three consecutive years and have at least seven years of active federal service. The work recognized must have been performed at the laboratory or one of its predecessors and meet the following criteria: -- Discovered a factor, theory, etc., of important, fundamental, or of sufficient magnitude to warrant recognition in the scientific or engineering community as a pioneering breakthrough; -- Recognized as a national or international authority in one or more fields, including widespread recognition in the Air Force; -- Sustained high-level achievements in programs of extraordinary importance to AFRL, the Air Force or national defense; -- Continued significant personal contributions to the lab beyond normal expectations; and -- Obtained an exceptional record of scientific and technical achievements, creativity and leadership, patents, publishing in referenced publications, organizational skills, and development of lab programs. "We are pleased to welcome our newest fellows," Nielsen said. "They are scientifically accomplished leaders in the science and engineering arena as is evidenced by their imagination and foresight in their field of study." 1161. Mother, son travel 3,300 miles in cycling quest by Airman 1st Class Matt Donegan 305th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AFPN) -- Downpours, 100-plus-degree desert temperatures, humidity and the Rocky Mountains -- all things a chief master sergeant and her 13-year-old son here braved for 50 days and 3,300 miles this summer on a bicycle built for two. The two joined 37 other cyclists as their cross-country cycling quest began June 24 in Newport Beach, Calif., and ended Aug. 11 in Yorktown, Va. Chief Master Sgt. Suanne Davendonis from the 621st Air Mobility Squadron, and son, Josh, decided more than a year ago they were going to attempt to conquer America on a cross-country tandem bike ride. For Josh, it was something he thought he would enjoy more than a previous weeklong riding and camping tour in New York because the pair would get to stay in hotels. For Davendonis, it was something she wanted to do since she was her son's age. "It was an opportunity," said Davendonis, who saw the trip advertised in a magazine. "How often do you get to take 50 days of leave?" The journey nearly did not get to happen for the pair though. They were scheduled for a permanent change-of-station move to Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, more than a month ago. But Col. Kip Self, 621st Air Mobility Operations Group commander, helped arrange it so the mother-son combo could take their trip. The duo began preparing for the event in April. They averaged training three days a week, riding 25 miles on weekdays and about 50 miles on the weekends. But the farthest both of the riders had gone in a span of a week was 400 miles -- not as far as they would have to travel weekly on their cross-country venture. When the trip began in Newport Beach, they pedaled roughly 80 miles daily -- going more than 100 on a few days. "You learn that riding everyday is a lot different than riding every other day," said Davendonis. "It was into the second week before we were ready to ride every day and were really prepared." Right away, the 39 cyclists on the tour faced hardships. "We crossed a desert in California in over 100 degree temperatures," said Davendonis. "There was no shade, and the only water we had was what we were carrying. There were 30-mile stretches with absolutely nothing in between." The two saw animal skulls on the desolate route, just like the ones stereotyped in movies or cartoons. The conditions were so hot that one rider fell out on the third day into the trip because of dehydration. Understandably, Josh wanted to quit, but his mother made him push on. "I was expecting it to be easy, and it definitely wasn't," Josh said. "The desert was challenging." Soon enough though, Josh, one of the three youngest on the trip, found his rhythm. "For him, it was probably more of a mental thing -- getting the right attitude so that he could do it," Davendonis said. Seven flat tires and a 23-mile climb up the Colorado Rockies later, the two arrived in Kansas where they purchased heavy-duty tires. They did not have another flat for the rest of the trip. Next on their 11-state tour was Missouri, where mother and son snapped a chain on their bicycle while riding up a hill. "I was thinking, 'what are we going to do now,'" Davendonis said. Well, they did the only thing there really was to do -- walked. Luckily though, the next hotel stop was only two miles away. As they crossed the Mississippi River, the Davendonis' had to overcome 65-miles of torrential downpours. "(Semitrailers) were pulling off the road because they couldn't see," she said. "We waited under an overpass until the rain let up, but it really didn't. That day was not a particularly good time, but there's nothing you can do about it, so you just ride." In Kentucky, the riders met folks who were astonished by their goal of riding across America. "Meeting the locals from different areas of the country was great," Davendonis said. Despite adversities, the duo entered Virginia and the final stretch toward Yorktown. Other riders began blowing air horns as the Atlantic Ocean came into view. Their coast-to-coast trip was complete. "It felt great to finish the trip, and I think Josh probably found out he can do more than he thought he could," Davendonis said. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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