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0308. Globemasters last link of Afghan airlift by Master Sgt. Louis A. Arana-Barradas Air Force Print News INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- On what was a rare quiet day at this busy fighter base, not one C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane was scheduled to make a run into Afghanistan. There were no aircrews or cargo loaders scurrying about trying to ready the huge C-17s for flights "down range." That, too, was rare. But it would not be long before the planes would be back on the job. That is because the C-17s, on duty here and at Rhein-Main and Ramstein air bases in Germany since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom, are flying most of the sorties into Afghanistan. Each day, the huge transports ferry troops, supplies and equipment needed to sustain U.N. forces there. The Afghan airlift is a job tailor-made for the C-17, said Maj. Eugene De Paolo, a C-5 Galaxy pilot from Dover Air Force Base, Del., who is attached to Incirlik's 728th Air Mobility Squadron here as a C-17 airlift stage manager. He said the Afghan airlift again proves the C-17's dependability. "The C-17's the right aircraft for this mission, no doubt about it," De Paolo said. "It's a tremendous platform to get the job done. And they're flying with great reliability." That equates to more cargo and troops delivered on time to meet the operational needs of U.N. forces on the ground, he said. The C-17s are not doing the job alone, of course. They are sharing the airlift load with their big brothers, the C-5s. The bigger planes bring cargo and troops from the United States to one of the staging bases. From there, the C-17s fly the troops and cargo the last leg into Afghanistan. Getting to Afghanistan and back is not a routine flight by any means. Missions from Germany can last 26 hours. Plus, aircrews must fly into a part of the world with some of the most rugged mountains. It is an area full of threats to aircraft. And once there, aircraft must land at short and unfamiliar airfields. So it takes a focused crew, officials said. On the ground, things are tense as ground crews quickly unload their precious cargoes. Aircraft spend as little time on the ground as possible, said Capt. Jeff Nelson, a C-17 pilot, who is deployed from the 17th Airlift Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base in S.C. "When we land, we sit with our engines running and brakes on," Nelson said. "And we wait for the loadmaster to offload the cargo." It is a stressful time that can seem like forever, he said. But though they know they are in a threat area and want to get out now, Nelson said there is no rushing. "We don't want to cut any corners," he said. "So we let the loadmaster do his job." But once cleared to go, the cargo planes make a hasty, tactical departure for friendly skies. Planes that fly from here make the round trip without refueling. Those flying back to Germany usually stop in a neighboring country to refuel before heading home. As if the C-17 is not busy enough, it is also acting as a tanker of sorts, De Paolo said. Some of the later versions of the aircraft have larger fuel tanks. That allows C-17s flying from here to offload aviation fuel in Afghanistan. De Paolo said the missions into Afghanistan are not as frequent or robust as the C-17 missions flown during Kosovo, but the aircrews are just as enthusiastic to get the job done. And the airplane is holding up under the around-the-clock flying. "The C-17's doing an outstanding job here," De Paolo said. 0313. Coalition gathers to clean flightline by Master Sgt. Tim Helton 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN) -- People here at a deployed location in Kyrgyzstan, who are helping transform an airport into a military air base, will soon see the fruition of their work when coalition aircraft arrive. In preparation for French Mirage and other coalition fighter aircraft, 160 coalition force members gathered on the flightline here Feb. 23 to pick up any debris that could harm aircraft engines. "This is one of the last major events in preparation for flight operations," said Lt. Col. Brian Jurkovac, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing chief of safety. "It's important that the flightline be clear of all items that could cause damage to an aircraft or a person." After an initial safety briefing, people from the French, Australian and U.S. air forces stood side by side to clear foreign objects and debris from nearly two square miles of taxiways and ramp areas. "It was great to see all the forces out there," said Master Sgt. Sherry Slye, 376th AEW Operations Group airfield management chief. "We all have a stake in the outcome and it was great to see everybody taking a part to minimize the opportunity for an aircraft to be damaged." Foreign object and debris walks are an everyday occurrence on a military flightline, Slye said. But this is not a military flightline. To minimize the chance of an accident, her crew covers the flightline at least six times a day. Having extra people come out occasionally can be a big benefit to the overall mission. "The reason we're here is to launch airplanes and have them do what they are built to do," Slye said. "We're in this together; we're all one big team. We all have assets to protect, and it starts on the ground of the flightline." The importance of keeping the flightline clean becomes a bigger challenge here because of the type of aircraft that will be flying from this location. "The French Mirage 2000 arrives soon and they are very susceptible to FOD damage," Slye said. "It comes down to engine placement. Aircraft engines that are low to the ground can pick up objects and destroy an engine." A small piece of gravel could cause thousands of dollars worth of damage and ground an aircraft for an indefinite amount of time, Slye said. After the walk, Slye assessed the gathered FOD. "We filled the back of a pickup truck with garbage," Slye said. "Some of the more interesting items included an aircraft tire and set of brakes, fencing, boulders, paper cups and some plates. Most military bases don't have FOD to this degree, but this is a transition to our standards." One of the new tools to fight FOD is the recently added flightline sweeper. "The new sweeper is the most important factor in FOD prevention," Slye said. "It will make a huge difference in cleanliness of the flightline." 0311. Team sleds helicopter out of Rockies by Ron Gibson 58th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- Twelve people from the 58th Special Operations Wing here made Air Force history recently with the recovery of a downed MH-53J Pave Low helicopter from the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. The unprecedented operation, which began Feb. 9, was launched almost a month after the helicopter's hard landing during a civilian rescue operation near the city of Durango. The cause of the mishap is under investigation. "This operation went as well or better than anyone could have expected," said Chief Master Sgt. Mark Self, the 58th Special Operations Group maintenance superintendent who managed the recovery operation. "Everyone, from our hand-picked team of dedicated crew chiefs to the contractors tasked to transport the damaged helicopter, deserve a pat on the back for their efforts. Not only did we retrieve a valuable and limited military asset during this operation, but we also did it in a way no one has ever attempted as far as we know." The recovery operation's unique nature lies in its namesake, Bobsled, which describes in one word the method used to transport the helicopter from its month-long resting place in an isolated ravine to a staging area at the foot of the mountains. Essentially, the helicopter was raised by a crane, placed onto a modified flatbed trailer that functioned as a sled and pulled 14 miles along a skid trail through the mountains. While that certainly makes the effort stand out from past aircraft recovery operations, it is the altitude and rugged terrain that presented the most obvious challenges. "We exhausted virtually every other option to remove the helicopter," said Senior Master Sgt. David Haugh, a recovery team member. "The crash site's altitude of 9,700 feet elevation precluded us from lifting out the Pave Low with another helicopter because of the downed helicopter's size and the potential strain on the lifting helicopter's engines. The rugged terrain made removing it in a piecemeal fashion unfeasible." Each member of the 12-man recovery team can vouch for the rugged terrain of which Haugh speaks. After rising at dawn and riding almost two hours in an all-terrain snow vehicle to get within a mile of the crash site, the team hiked back and forth along snowy, icy, occasionally muddy, and sometimes treacherous paths for more than week. Once there, they had a mere six hours of daylight each day to work and to prepare the helicopter for transport, which included finding and gathering crash debris in waist-deep snow, removing rotor blades and fuel tanks and, with the help of a crane, lifting an 8,000-pound gear box from the downed Pave Low. "The location, terrain and position of the helicopter presented its share of challenges, but overall I think the operation went quite well. It could've been much worse," said Master Sgt. Jackie Powell, lead maintainer for the recovery team. "The weather was very good for us except for one day of heavy snow, and, in the end, even that worked in our favor because it provided more traction for the bulldozers pulling the sled." Powell, whose 12 years as a dedicated crew chief for MH-53Js made him the most experienced member of the recovery team, said this has been the most difficult and challenging of five recovery operations he has participated in, but it was perhaps the most rewarding as well. "It's special to be a part of something that's never been done before, and I think the entire team knows and appreciates that," Powell said. "I picked these guys because of their ability, enthusiasm and work ethic. They didn't disappoint me. Each one of these guys worked unselfishly and with tremendous dedication to accomplish this recovery. I really believe that picking each of them was the best decision made during this entire operation." Team members appreciated the opportunity as well. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance," said recovery team member Airman 1st Class Rocco Pietrofesa. "I gained some valuable experience that's going to help me throughout my career. I'm proud to be part of this team and to make such a great contribution to the Air Force." The helicopter was transported to a staging area Feb. 22, so the recovery team members could continue their work on the damaged Pave Low helicopter before it begins its five-day trek across the country to the Naval Depot at Cherry Point, N.C., where it will be salvaged and subsequently returned here. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service) 0312. Aircraft resurrected for third life by Tech. Sgt. B. Coors-Davidson 355th Wing Public Affairs DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. (AFPN) -- More than 21 years after crashing in the Antarctic tundra, an LC-130 Hercules is being called back to active duty. The aircraft spent more than 17 years buried in snow and ice in Antarctica, then spent the last three years in the Arizona desert. Under the watchful eyes of the aircraft maintenance and regeneration center personnel here, it is being prepared to fly again in March. Ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft are the backbone of Operation Deep Freeze, a joint military operation of the U.S. Armed Forces and the New Zealand Defence Forces providing logistic support for the U.S. National Science Foundation's Antarctic program. Previously under naval control, the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing assumed authority for all LC-130s in March 1999. Built in 1959, this LC-130 was stationed at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. On Dec. 4, 1971, the aircraft was at a small strip 750 miles from home when the pilot attempted a jet-assisted takeoff, using rockets to give the aircraft the speed it needed. At about 50 feet off the ground, two of the rockets broke off and hit an engine. The propeller was torn off, another engine was damaged and debris ripped holes in the fuselage, said Senior Chief Petty Officer Frank Brooks, the Navy's quality assurance and maintenance chief at the AMARC. "The Hercules crashed in the barren, icy landscape and was seriously damaged, but miraculously, the 10-man crew escaped unharmed," Brooks said. Foul weather prevented a team from reaching the crew for more than three days. The crew was eventually rescued, but the NSF officials determined it would not be cost-effective to salvage the plane. The elements quickly claimed the damaged bird, covering it in snow and ice for nearly two decades. In 1989, the NSF needed another LC-130. A cost analysis and a few mechanics and pilots determined that the cost of resurrecting the lost LC-130 would be about $10 million, compared to more than $30 million for a new aircraft. Soon after, a crew was on-site to excavate the frozen plane and begin breathing life back into it. Two months later the plane flew out and re-entered service for the NSF. In 1999, the aircraft left its frozen home and was retired to a warmer climate at AMARC, a 2,600-acre open-air warehouse for 4,500 aircraft valued at $27 billion. Now the plane will be used to fly transport missions at Naval Air Station, Point Mugu, Calif., Brooks said. AMARC crews are inspecting and preparing the aircraft for a test flight in early March. AMARC workers keep many of their aircraft stored so they can be returned to flying status. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) 0316. Tax law changes may bring larger refunds next year by Staff Sgt. Amy Parr Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- Changes to the earned income tax credit law may put some extra money in the pockets of some military people and their families when they file their 2002 federal income tax returns next year. The EITC is a tax credit for people whose earned income is below a certain annual threshold. The credit reduces the amount of tax a person owes and may give the person a larger refund. These tax law changes are not effective until tax year 2002. Currently, certain nontaxable and deferred employee benefits (such as military employee basic housing and subsistence allowances, combat zone compensation, and employee contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan) are counted as earned income. For tax year 2002, the earned income of a wage earner will be figured solely on compensation that is taxable in 2002. This means that most military personnel who currently claim the EITC will be entitled to a larger credit next year. It also means that some persons who have not been able to claim the EITC because their earned income was too high will be able to claim it when they file their returns next year. To be eligible for the EITC this filing season (tax year 2001 returns), earned income and modified adjusted gross income must both be less than $28,281 for people with one qualifying child, less than $32,121 for people with more than one qualifying child, and less than $10,710 for people with no qualifying children. The taxpayer also cannot have investment income greater than $2,450. There are a number of other requirements. For example, people whose filing status is married filing separately are not eligible for the EITC. There is also a residency requirement. For purposes of the EITC, U.S. military personnel stationed overseas on extended active duty are considered for tax purposes to live in the United States during that duty period. Congress established the program in 1975 to offset the impact of Social Security taxes on low-income families, IRS officials said. It was also meant to encourage low-income individuals with families to seek employment rather than welfare. Besides the change in the calculation of earned income, the law makes several other changes to the EITC for tax years beginning in 2002. Of particular interest to military personnel are the changes pertaining to qualifying children, particularly the tie-breaker rule. The tie-breaker rule determines who can claim the EITC on the basis of a particular child, who is a qualifying child of more than one person. Other changes for tax year 2002 include permitting people who file joint returns to earn an additional $1,000 and still get the credit; substituting adjusted gross income for modified AGI when limiting the amount of EITC for certain persons with more complex tax returns; and, for certain higher-income persons, eliminating the reduction of the EITC by the alternative minimum tax. For more information on the EITC, contact local Internal Revenue Service officials or go to the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov. 0314. Some people staying in despite exemption from Stop-Loss RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- More than 1,300 people are deciding to forego their exemption and remain in the Air Force despite being in a career field released from Stop-Loss. After the Jan. 28 partial Stop-Loss release, more than 5,000 Air Force people were personally contacted by their military personnel flights to discuss their options -- one of which was to stay on active duty. The exemption allows people to retire or separate as early as March 15. Officials recently decided to allow some people who had taken permissive temporary duty, and already began transitioning out of the service before Stop-Loss took effect, to have that TDY restored so they can have the full time to transition once Stop-Loss is lifted for them. "We would prefer that these people stay with us and are happy that more than 1,300 are," said Lt. Col. Rich Binger, Air Force Personnel Center chief of separations here. "The MPF's job wasn't to push anyone to stay in, but to make the process of deciding as easy as possible." People are being given up to 150 days from March 15 to transition from the Air Force, Binger said. After processing a good number of decisions himself, Binger said he has seen quite a few people wanting to get out now. But he has also seen a good number wanting to wait until August. "That's great! These people already have the training and experience to do their jobs," he said. "If they want to stay longer, we'll accommodate them." The next Stop-Loss review is expected to be announced in late March. Waiver applications continue to be accepted. Currently, about 80 percent of waiver packages are being approved by the major commands. "There are also options for folks not exempted from Stop-Loss. People need to talk to their MPF, to their supervisors and to their commanders to make the best decision for themselves," Binger said. Stop-Loss was implemented Oct. 2 to allow the Air Force to meet mission requirements associated with the response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 0310. New light shines on air and space course by Lt. Col. John McCain Air and Space Basic Course vice commandant MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFPN) -- The Aerospace Basic Course has a new "call sign" and a goal of 100 percent planned attendance for new lieutenants. The name change to Air And Space Basic Course is aimed at better defining the Air Force missions between air and space. The change is effective March 1. "The name change represents a recognition that air and space are separate mediums that we operate in, but the name change will not affect the content or quality of the curriculum," said Col. Dale Shoupe, ASBC commandant. "We will continue our mission of teaching new lieutenants about air and space power and the Air Force's way of warfare." The Air and Space Basic Course can be traced back to a 1996 conference held at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. During the conference, then Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald Fogleman identified and resolved to fix several deficiencies in the Air Force officer corps. Since an initial test course in the summer of 1998 and the formal approval to start the program, ASBC has become the Air Force's largest resident officer professional military education school. The first class was held here in 1999. ASBC is chartered to help new Air Force officers understand their role as airmen. The course is designed to inspire commitment to the Air Force core values and to train new officers to articulate and demonstrate the Air Force's core competencies, officials said. The curriculum provides the foundation for development of well-rounded, air and space-educated Air Force officers with a warrior spirit. A typical ASBC student day averages eight curriculum hours and includes seminars, presentations by distinguished speakers, participation in computer-based war games, team-building exercises and physical fitness. In May 2001, then Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Ryan directed ASBC to accelerate the number of line officers attending the school and called for 100 percent line officer attendance beginning in fiscal 2002. As a result, planned attendance in fiscal 2002 jumped to 4,800 officers, an increase of more than 3,000 officers compared to fiscal 2001. Air and Space Basic Course currently has eight four-week classes per fiscal year, with about 600 students per class. Attendees represent all line officer commissioning sources, with about 50 percent of the officers being graduates of the Reserve Officer Training Corps, 25 percent from the Air Force Academy and 25 percent from Officer Training School. A small number of nonline officers, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and civilians also attend ASBC. "ASBC students are given the mission to become a corps of professional airmen who can articulate air and space doctrine and develop a common bond with fellow warfighters," Shoupe said. "It's also the first PME course where officers are reminded that while their (Air Force Specialty Code) defines what they do, their title as U.S. Air Force officer defines who they are." The ASBC faculty comprises active duty, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard officers with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The school continues to look for ways to improve PME. As the Air Force continues to place priority on the air operations center as a weapon system, ASBC will reinforce this concept. Air operations centers manage, control and organize air assets. Studies are underway to take war simulations to the next level, with real-time visual feedback and interactivity on decisions made in the air operations center as students execute their air-attack plans, officials said. High-resolution graphics, driven by improvements and upgrades in computer software capabilities, are also being considered for integration. The school is also designing an obstacle course for future incorporation into the program to improve physical and mental toughness, and to promote teamwork. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service) 0309. Iceland unit celebrates 50 years of sameness by Staff Sgt. Jason Tudor Air Force Print News NAVAL AIR STATION KEFLAVIK, Iceland -- In an era of military change marked by base closures, frequent realignments and shifts on defense posture, one Iceland unit is proud to be celebrating six decades of virtual sameness. The 932nd Air Control Squadron, the unit responsible for the air defense over and around more than 250,000 square miles of Icelandic air space, celebrates its 50th anniversary in May. While many Air Force units have existed for longer than 50 years, few have gone through that time period without inactivation, realignment, change in mission or simply shutting down altogether. Iceland would probably say it cannot afford the loss. It is a country without its own military force. Both U.S. and NATO components keep the island safe from intruders, including the intricate air defense system operated by the squadron, Icelandic civilians and NATO. While the number of hard targets the unit tracks has declined since the Berlin Wall fell, work in other areas has not, said Maj. Dale Sinnott, squadron operations officer. "We're still doing quite a bit of work and practice with our own F-15 (Eagles) daily," he said. "The greatest challenge is to keep everyone on their toes." It is the same challenge the unit has faced since May 1952, when the Air Force collected elements of a Massachusetts-based radar squadron and sent them to what is now Naval Air Station Keflavik. Most of the work comes for the same reason good real estate sells -- location, location, location. The Iceland monitoring region sits between the massive North American Aerospace Defense Command and NATO-run European radar tracking zones. Four cutting-edge radar stations -- formerly remote assignments for airmen in years past set in some of Iceland's most remote territory -- feed huge volumes of data through miles of fiber optic cable around the island and back to Keflavik. Work by squadron personnel also helps keep the crucial oil lanes of the North Sea open. Bad guys who might otherwise attempt something nasty from the air must think twice as the eyes of the Air Force watch and stand ready with four F-15s and a KC-135 Stratotanker ready to scramble on a moment's notice. Throughout six decades, the squadron's "scope dopes" (a title many bear proudly) have tracked, tagged and watched hundreds of the former Soviet Union's TU-95 Bear bombers. The most recent sighting came in late 1999. New Orleans-based F-15s from the 159th Fighter Wing followed one of the bulky turboprop bombers through the sky. The squadron here functions much like its NORAD sector counterparts based in Rome, N.Y., Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and McChord AFB, Wash., though it does not cover nearly as much airspace. For surveillance experts like Staff Sgt. Tara Marta, being part of the unit's 50 years of sameness that has allowed it to keep the same unit designation, location and mission, has a wealth of meaning. She has worked through her share of unknown aircraft tracking events, volcano eruptions -- Iceland has more than 1,100 active volcanoes -- and more. "I have a lot of friends who have come through. We agree. The more things change, the more they stay the same here," said Marta, who is a Boise, Idaho, native, and has spent three years in Iceland. "A lot of interesting things have happened." 0315. Air Force clubs offer scholarships SAN ANTONIO -- Air Force Services Agency officials are sponsoring the sixth annual Air Force Club Membership Scholarship Program. Three scholarships will be awarded to Air Force club members or to eligible family members, said Fred Fried, chief of the club operations branch. First place is $5,000, second is $3,000 and third is $2,000. The scholarships will be presented by Oct. 1. Applicants need to be accepted by or enrolled in an accredited college or university for the fall of 2002 in either undergraduate or graduate studies. Club membership, by June 30, is also needed for eligibility. To enter, nominees must provide an essay of 500 words or less, titled, "Air Force Clubs -- How To Continue The Tradition." All entrees should be submitted on standard white bond paper, with one-inch margins, and typed in 12-point Arial, Times New Roman or similar font. Entrees must be submitted to an Air Force club by July 15, and must include the sponsor's name, last four digits of the sponsor's Air Force club membership card account number, base and club name, and the entrant's full name and mailing address. If nominees are family members, they should explain how they are related to the club cardholder. A one-page summary of the nominee's long-term career/life goals and previous accomplishments must also be included. The summary should include civic, athletic, and academic awards and accomplishments. In five previous years, Air Force Clubs has awarded $50,000 in scholarships. "This is just another example of some of the great benefits and values club membership offers," said Fried, adding that anyone interested in participating or needing additional information on the program should contact their club manager or go online to AFSVA's Web site at http://www.afsv.af.mil/Clubs/scholarship.htm. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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