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0252. Olympic mission hits close to heart, home by Capt. Angie Chang 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFPN) -- As the world's top athletes vie for the gold in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, competitors and spectators can rest assured that F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots are patrolling the skies to ensure the safest games possible. The 388th Fighter Wing here is the primary unit tasked by the North American Aerospace Defense Command to provide air defense during the Winter Olympics. During the first three days of the games, pilots here responded to three requests from the Federal Aviation Administration and Secret Service to intercept aircraft deemed to be potential threats. The interceptions were the result of small aircraft unknowingly attempting to enter Salt Lake City airspace without the proper clearances. The people of Utah are accustomed to seeing aircraft overhead, but fully armed F-16s orbiting over the Olympic venues is a departure from normal. "This is a wartime mission for us," said Col. Steve Hoog, 388th Fighter Wing commander, who is flying combat air patrols during the games. "We're performing a mission we never thought we would be doing before Sept. 11, but it's a mission we're taking very seriously." Hoog said he considers it unlikely that passengers will stand by while a commercial carrier is used as a weapon. "The passengers on United Flight 93 set the standard with their 'Let's Roll' attempt to regain control of their hijacked aircraft," he said. Regardless, Hoog said his pilots are prepared for such a situation. "We know that shooting down an airliner is something we may have to do as a measure of last resort," he said. "What you have to realize is that if people with hate in their hearts have taken over an aircraft like they did on Sept. 11, what we're trying to do now is save additional lives on the ground." Capt. Brian Turner, a pilot who intercepted an aircraft Feb. 10, said that while the Olympic air security mission is like any other, "this mission is a bit more personal in a sense that half my sorties are over my house and the local community." Capt. Scott Clyman echoed Turner's sentiments, and said, "Athletes can go for the gold with a peace of mind knowing that we're protecting the skies over Olympic venues. They can be assured that when they hear the 'sound of freedom,' it's the 388th Fighter Wing overhead helping to keep the skies safe." Since Sept. 11, NORAD aircraft have responded to more than 200 requests by the FAA to intercept potential air threats. The command continues to operate with more than 100 fighters at about 30 locations across the country. NORAD flies random combat air patrol sorties over major metropolitan areas and continuous patrols over New York City and Washington. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) 0250. Air base in Kyrgyzstan named after hero by Capt. Kristi Beckman 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs GANCI AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- He was a legend, a hero, and a role model, someone everyone looked up to. He gave his life Sept. 11 protecting his men during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He was Chief Peter J. Ganci Jr., chief of the New York City Fire Department, and his name will forever be etched in time as Air Force officials chose to name the air base here after him. When asked why the base was named after Ganci, Brig. Gen. Chris Kelly, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, said it was just the right thing to do. "A great young American by the name of Captain Erik Rundquist read an article about Chief Ganci and suggested we name the base after him," he said. "We started to do the research of trying to find the family, and without even mentioning the chief's name, we miraculously found his brother. So, it wasn't us who decided we should name it Ganci Air Base, it was God." The chief's brother, Army Reserve Col. Daniel Ganci, said his brother deserves an honor like this and he is very proud of the Air Force for thinking of him. "I know he wouldn't believe it," Daniel said. "He was just a regular guy and never thought of himself as someone important even though he was very important." Daniel said the Air Force picked the right man to name the base after. "Pete loved the fire department more than life itself," he said. "He saved lives and fought fires and he did it better than anyone, and he had the decorations to prove it. Fighting fire was as important to him as flying is to the Air Force." And Peter believed that if you are going to do it, you do it with the best, you train with the best and you strive to be the best, Daniel said. "When it comes right down to it, Peter J. Ganci is a legend to firemen and women around the country, not because he's the chief of the FDNY or because he gave his life on 9-11," said Nick Kelly, a D.C. firefighter and son of Brig. Gen. Chris Kelly. "Chief Ganci is a legend because he was really, really good at what he did, being a fireman. He was not a chief, boss, or administrator first. Chief Ganci was a smoke eating guy, just like the rest of us. Like Omar Bradley was a soldier's soldier, Chief Ganci was a fireman's fireman." Firefighters are a family, Nick said. "We eat, sleep, go on calls, and risk our lives, together," he said. "I don't necessarily agree that Chief Ganci gave his life for his men, as much as he gave it with his men. He was not going to leave his brothers and sisters alone in there. He thought of himself as a fireman first. We, as firefighters, don't leave anyone behind." For more than 33 years, Peter found himself at the top of his profession just because he wanted to be the best fireman he could be, Daniel said. "The part I was always proudest of, whenever anyone asked what he did, [was] he would tell you he was a New York City fireman," he said. Some people think he had his head screwed on backward because he ran into burning buildings for a living, Nick said. But would he say it is his job and it was the job of those 343 firefighters who lost their lives on Sept. 11. "I have been asked many times since then, 'Would you have gone into the towers?' I never hesitate, my answer, 'Hell yes,'" he said. That can-do attitude is what makes Ganci a legend and hero, Kelly said. "He never hesitated," Kelly said. "I'm sure he was scared out of his mind. We all were that day. But, Chief Ganci and his men strapped on their gear, like a thousand times before, and went to do their job. Much like you and the rest of the people in the armed services do every day. You show up, and do the best you can." (Courtesy of U.S. Air Force in Europe News Service) 0255. SECAF: Air Force remains focused on transformation by Staff Sgt. A.J. Bosker Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- The Air Force is continuing to focus on transformation to meet the demands and threats of the 21st century, the service's top civilian told Congress during the proposed fiscal 2003 budget hearing Feb. 12. "We have been afforded numerous opportunities to implement and validate significant changes in the concepts of military operations and in the conduct of war," said Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche in his opening statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "For the first time in the history of warfare, the entire ground operation in land-locked Afghanistan -- infiltration, exfiltration, sustainment of supplies and support equipment -- has been accomplished solely by air. "Operation Enduring Freedom has demanded over 14,000 sorties, some of which have broken records in mission range, hours flown and combat reconnaissance," he said. Roche also said tanker support to joint operations, which number more than 6,000 sorties, mobility demands and humanitarian tonnage delivered have all been unprecedented. "We have encouraged and exploited the rapid advancement and employment of innovative technologies and have taken significant action to implement the findings of the Space Commission in our new role as the executive agent for space," he said. "We have set a goal as we look at the future to try to return to the era of General Henry "Hap" Arnold and the Army Air Corp supporting General George S. Patton during the breakout at Normandy," Roche said. "We are striving to provide near-instantaneous ground attack from the air by working closely with troops on the ground equipped with powerful sensors and communications links." "There were many cases when special operations forces on horseback, tied in with these space-age technologies to air assets, were able to immediately bring precision munitions to bear in support of Northern Alliance forces, swinging the outcome of the battle in favor of our allies," said Army Secretary Thomas E. White during the hearing. "It made all the difference in the world (during operations) in Afghanistan." However, despite these accomplishments, the Air Force will not stray from its transformation journey, Roche said. Included in the Fiscal 2003 Air Force Posture Statement provided to the committee are the service's plans to develop the capabilities it needs for the future to answer a broad range of challenges posed by potential adversaries. It also addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing the Air Force, reaffirming the service's focus on people, readiness and transformation. "Our future success hinges on our ability to recruit and retain highly qualified airmen, and to provide these dedicated warriors with the resources required to accomplish their mission," Roche said. "We must also take care of our families with adequate housing programs, medical facilities and base support services. "While the world's security environment changed dramatically, one thing that remains constant is America's need for global vigilance, reach and power," he said. "That is your Air Force vision and what we strive to deliver every day. Fully exploiting our advantages is not an option -- the risk of failing to do so is too great. "We must remain the dominant air force in the business of global reconnaissance and strike and through (continued funding of) recapitalization efforts, we hope to maintain the fundamental basis from which to (continue) our transformation journey," Roche said. Realizing this to be a costly and daunting task, Roche said that the integration of systems, mastering real-time targeting, and finding new ways to operate are more than objectives, they determine the Air Force's ability to project power on and above the battlefields of tomorrow. "The future holds sober challenges for America's military forces, but with America's continued support, the (Air Force) is poised for unprecedented success," Roche said in written testimony. "In whatever scenarios lie ahead, the (nation) will be able to look to the Air Force to ensure our dominance of air and space." 0254. New simulator helps train A-10 pilots by Pamela L. Kehres 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) -- The 23rd Operations Support Squadron has a new toy. Like a high-tech video game gone serious, the $2.3 million A-10 Thunderbolt II flight simulator helps prepare the pilots who fly the 23rd Fighter Group's combat aircraft. Produced by the Air Force Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Technology Services, the Full Mission Trainer emulates A-10 cockpit instruments and visual flight displays to provide a realistic cockpit environment for pilots. The simulator prepares pilots for combat by allowing them to practice complex emergency procedures, said 2nd Lt. David Jones, the project officer responsible for FMT integration. It simulates situations which peacetime training cannot replicate without unacceptable risk to irreplaceable pilots and aircraft. Capt. Mike Curley, a 75th Fighter Squadron pilot and instructor, described the simulator as a training enhancement. Pilots can go over certain aspects again and again to help create habits that can save lives and equipment in real-world situations in the air, he said. Curley said the unit is only a small part of a big picture in training pilots. It will help with "checklist procedures, basic knowledge of systems and 'switchology,'" he said, "but it will not create a superior attack pilot. Actual flying and the application of solid tactics in the air is what creates a superior attack pilot." The simulator makes it possible for pilots to hone their weapons-delivery skills around the clock using all delivery modes of the A-10 without the need to reserve bombing ranges and airspace or use munitions. Another benefit of the simulator includes the capability for newly assigned pilots to gain familiarity with the local flying area or an overseas theater by using imagery programmed into its database. Individual pilots can operate it solo or an instructor can generate a scenario and change the situation as it evolves, said Staff Sgt. Jerry Edwards, the noncommissioned officer in charge of simulator operations. Besides the cockpit itself, key components include an instructor operator station, an image generator, a 215-degree visual display and computer systems to provide appropriate responses to operator inputs. The simulator is scheduled to receive upgrades to include threat-response training and interactive play via other linked trainers. Eventually, commanders may use the simulator to evaluate pilot and unit capabilities to perform their wartime mission, officials said. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) 0249. Survival radio improves search, rescue by Cheryl Crouch Space and Missile Systems Center LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Standing in damp, dense terrain, a downed aviator reaches into his survival vest and grasps what looks like a large cell phone. He unfastens and extends a flat antenna, presses an activation button and sends an alert message to a search-and-rescue center located hundreds of miles away using the military's newest survival radio. Within a few seconds, a message is displayed on his screen confirming his transmission was received. Next, the radio obtains his position using an embedded Global Positioning System receiver that prompts him to answer three questions concerning his status and physical condition. Another press of a button and the information is immediately transmitted again via satellite to a rescue center and, within minutes, the first phase of a search-and-rescue mission is under way. Although this scenario may sound like a scene from a movie, it is actually from training recently given to people from the 720th Special Tactics Group at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The device being used is the combat survivor evader locator handheld radio. It is designed to become the Department of Defense's next generation survival radio. "CSEL is not just a radio," said CSEL program manager, Lt. Col. Dave Madden. "It's a survival radio system that requires seamless integration and operation across all segments to meet the needs of rescue forces. Our focus right now is on achieving successful multiservice operational test and evaluation in October of this year." Results of this test will support a decision to enter CSEL into full-rate production. The CSEL system is made up of three segments: over-the-horizon, ground and user. The over-the-horizon segment enables CSEL messages to be transmitted over military UHF satellite communications and search-and-rescue satellite-assisted tracking systems. The UHF satellite communications mode supports secure two-way geo-position messaging between a survivor and a joint search-and-rescue center. The search-and-rescue satellite-assisted tracking mode is a backup communications mode intended for high latitudes where UHF satellite communications coverage is lacking. Both over-the-horizon modes funnel data messages through a dedicated CSEL UHF base station, which automatically routes messages to a predetermined joint search-and-rescue center over a secure network. The ground segment is made up of joint search-and-rescue center workstations that carry CSEL command, control and communications software for display of survivor messages. The workstation is also used to communicate with the survivor using UHF satellite communications. The user segment has a hand-held radio, a laptop-style planning computer and a radio-set adapter. The hand-held radio provides data communications for all over-the-horizon modes, precise GPS positioning and land navigation, and line-of-sight voice and beacon modes. The hand-held radio enables a downed pilot to send either canned messages, such as "injured, cannot move," or written messages to assist the pilot in describing his or her situation. The planning computer, connected to the radio-set adapter, is used to load hand-held radios with communication frequencies, GPS data and waypoints, passwords and other mission-related data. "The radio-set adapter is also used to load GPS keys into the radio," said Maj. David Micheletti, CSEL deputy program manager. "The whole setup looks like a large two-bay cell phone charger connected to a laptop computer." Another feature of the CSEL radio is its use of the next generation of security architecture for GPS user equipment -- selective-availability anti-spoofing module. "While SAASM implements improvements in functional, physical, and procedural security, the real benefit is to the CSEL users because it gives them a greater confidence in their exact location despite any enemy attempts to spoof them with a false signal," said Capt. Shawn Brennan, SAASM program manager. The CSEL radio was designed to take advantage of SAASM and will likely be the first fielded receiver system to employ it. "CSEL is one Space and Missile Systems Center program that is literally delivering capability into the hands of the warfighter," Madden said. "It doesn't get any closer than this." (Courtesy of Air Force Space Command News Service) *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! Write to same address to be off lists! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. 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