Friday, June 22, 2001 Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Vol. 45 No. 25

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News

News Page 3-7FYI Page 12People Page 9Sports Page 15Classified ads Page 17

News

Local soldiers donArmy’s new black beret

- Page 4

GSU Corner

Detachment 3, 18thSPSS tracks deep spaceobjects from atop a dor-mant volcano on theisland of Maui, Hawaii

- Page 5

Airman LeadershipSchool students honorthe Stars and Stripes onFlag Day

- Page 3

U.S. and Saudi military personnel survey the damage to Khobar Towers caused by the explosion of a fuel truck outsidethe northern fence of the facility on King Abdul Aziz Air Base near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, June 25, 1996. Mondaymarks five years since the terrorist attack that killed 19 U.S. service members and wounded hundreds more. See pages10-11 for more on remembering Khobar Towers.

Department of Defense photo

Khobar Towers remembered

WASHINGTON, June 15, 2001 --The American public holds the military inhigh regard, but "the propensity to serve isvery low," a high-level Pentagon advisersaid June 13.

Retired Adm. David Jeremiah, a for-mer vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs ofStaff, told reporters that the military needsa personnel system designed for "changingdemographics" and better pay for mid-grade enlisted members.

Jeremiah led a far-reaching review ofquality-of-life and morale issues at therequest of Defense Secretary DonaldRumsfeld. He briefly went over the panel's60-plus recommendations in the Pentagonbriefing.

He said the military has a personnelsystem with "no real structure, no strategythat deals with human resources in the(Defense) Department across the board,not just military but civilians and contrac-tors as well."

"What you have is a system that is

basically 50 years old and has been 'band-aided' over the years to accommodate dif-ferent stresses and strains on it," he said.

The current up-or-out system "worksOK, … but doesn't necessarily recognizethe individual needs of the services,"Jeremiah said. He said more flexibleretirement systems, including allowingcertain career fields to get some retirementbenefits before 20 years and not forcingothers out at 30 years, might be smartways to do business.

"We need to know what kinds ofskills and experience we're going to needfor our transformed force. … We may notwant a 60-year-old infantryman … but I'dbe happy to have a 60- year-old informa-tion warrior," Jeremiah said. "He or shehas probably 15 or 20 years of experiencein the business, knows how to do it, (and)knows all the tricks of the trade.

"There are different needs out there,"he said. "The one-size-fits-all (system)doesn't work any more." The admiralcalled a flexible retirement system "themost fundamental" recommendation tocome out of his panel's review.

The QOL study is just one of whathave come to be called "the RumsfeldReviews." It was begun to "stimulate thesecretary's thinking" on the myriad issuesrelating to quality of life and morale.

Higher education levels in the enlist-ed force have made the pay gap for mid-level enlisted grades larger than the gap forother grades, Jeremiah said. He noted thatnearly 80 percent of enlisted membershave "some college" by the time they'vebeen in the service 10 years.

"We find now many enlisted peoplewith more than one bachelor's degree ormaster's degrees," the admiral said. "So it'sa different force than the high school grad-uates - - if we were lucky and ahead of thesheriff -- that we got 50 years ago."

He said the gap results from DoDpaying these ranks on the assumption theyare high-school graduates only, not indi-viduals with some college or with collegedegrees. He recommended PresidentBush's recent pledge of $1.4 billion morein military pay raises be targeted to mid-grade enlisted service members.

Advisory panel proposes sweeping personnel changesBy Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem American Forces Press Service

See PERSONNEL, Page 4

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 20012 From the top

Action line

The Action Line(556-7777 or byfax: 556-7848) isyour direct link tome. It providesan avenue foryou to voice con-cerns overunsolved prob-lems, share goodideas or providesome construc-tive criticism.

As a reminder,the Action Line is not a replacement forusing your chain of command. ActionLines can help make the PetersonComplex and the wing a better place tolive and work.

Brig. Gen. Bob Kehler

Message from the Message from the 21st SW commander21st SW commander

Submitting Action Lines

I was recently sworn in as your 20th sec-retary of the Air Force and became, on thatday, a proud member of a magnificent team ofactive duty airmen, guardsmen, reservists, andcivilian employees. You have earned the admi-ration of our nation, the respect of the world,and the promise of a bright future. I alreadycan tell you that you should be enormouslyproud of your achievements, from combatoperations over Iraq and the Balkans to yourrecent validation of the ExpeditionaryAerospace Force concept. In the realm ofaerospace power, you fly the best, train thebest, and maintain the best. As you put it:“No One Comes Close.”

We must now turn our focus to the jour-ney ahead, and be responsive to this new cen-tury’s emerging security environment. I lookforward to piloting that journey with you. Myfocus is on developing new strategies for mili-tary aerospace power in this new millennium;improving Air Force retention, professionaleducation and leadership and development;eliminating the inefficiencies in how we do ourbusiness; and developing our acquisition poli-cies and processes to ensure innovation andcompetitive vibrancy within our defense indus-trial base over the long haul. My vision is an

aerospace future just as remarkable as youradmired past: undeniable and global reconnais-sance and strike superiority. My pledge to youis that I will serve the way you do ever day,worldwide — with integrity, selflessness and inearnest pursuit of excellence.

In 1963, President Kennedy said of mili-tary service: “I can imagine no more reward-ing career. And any man who may be asked inthis century what he did to make his life worth-while, I think can respond with a good deal ofpride and satisfaction: ‘I served in the UnitedStates Navy.’” That sentiment rings very truefor me. As you know, I am deeply proud ofmy Navy career. But, today we are in a newcentury, with new opportunities, new chal-lenges, new capabilities, and vastly differentthreats to the security of our great nation. Inthis century, men and women can respond witha good deal of pride and satisfaction: “I servein the United States Air Force.” And now, Iam proud to be able to say that too.

James G. RocheSecretary of the Air Force

‘Turn our focus to the journey ahead’says Secretary of the Air Force To the men and women of the United States Air Force

Community thanks Air Force volunteersI would like to personally thank all the personnel

at Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases for respond-ing to the call for help in Ellicott. I want to furtherextend my appreciation to the commanding officerswho allowed their people to spend time and energy inthis clean-up effort, and for sending the heavy equip-ment that was used in Ellicott to remove the debris.Without the help from Air Force personnel, the clean-up would still continue. We are all very grateful forthe tremendous response from all of you. I walkedthrough the mess alone, but not alone long. Within 24hours, we had the Air Force beside us. I was proud towork with all of you. My sincere Thanks.

Sincerely,SharonVolunteer liason

The 21st Services Squadron lost one of itsmembers, Donald L. Poulin, June 6, after a longbattle with lung cancer.

Known as Uncle Don, he had been theBusiness Flight Chief for the past five years andworked hard to ensure that the Officers’ Club,Enlisted Club, Silver Spruce Golf Course andBowling Center were not only the best in SpaceCommand, but also in the Air Force.

Don Poulin’s military and civil servicecareer spanned 37 years, beginning with hisenlistment in the Air Force after graduatingfrom high school.

While in the Air Force, Don achieved therank of Major prior to his retirement after morethan 27 years on active duty. During his years ofservice, he received many awards, includingfour Meritorious Service Medals.

While Don was a serious, hard-workingindividual, he also enjoyed a good laugh and apractical joke. The first time Don would meetone of the squadron’s new employees, he wouldseem quite serious. But all you had to do whenshaking hands with him is ask, “How are you?”

He would startto smile andreply, “Betterthan a sharpstick in theeye.” That washis signatureresponse when-ever you askedabout him.

The 21stServices Squa-dron will miss Don, his great sense of humorand playfulness, and his feisty, let’s-do-it atti-tude.

Don will be remembered for his integrity,honor, and commitment to his family. He is sur-vived by his wife, Joyce, and two sons, Scottand Steve, and five grandchildren.

He will be laid to rest with military honorsin Arlington National Cemetery Thursday.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributionsmay be made to the American Cancer Society.

(Courtesy of 21st Services Squadron)

A farewell to Don Poulin

I want to thank the 21stCommunications Squadron for theirhelp in Ellicott. Jason Carlson, VictorCabezas, Richard Johnson, AngelaHerron, John Dembiczak, ReginaPrice, Steven Weishaar, OwenFreeland, Daniel Lagace and JeremyLambert helped me pick up and stacktornado debris scattered over manyacres. Jason Carlson’s coordinationand leadership were invaluable. Thevolunteers made my day and I won’tforget their up-beat personalities.Thank you.

Sincerely,Loraine Lundquist Anderson

Monday is a solemn day for the US Air Force. It isthe anniversary of the Khobar Towers bombing, whichoccurred 5 years ago at the military complex in Dhahran,Saudi Arabia. Over the past 5 years, it has become a datewhen many in the military take a moment to commemo-rate the sacrifices of those who lost their lives on theevening of June 25, 1996, and to say thanks to the peoplearound us still serving our country after experiencing thehorrific terrorist attack.

Nineteen Air Force members lost their lives on thatday; hundreds others were injured; thousands more weredirectly affected because of the things they witnessed andexperienced. There are no words that can change theevents of that fateful day. All we can do is personallythank them for their sacrifice and professionally carry ontheir proud legacy.

So on Monday, I encourage each of you to stop forjust a moment to reflect on those 19 lives that were lostJune 25, 1996, and the lives of thousands that werechanged forever. Also, remember those currentlydeployed around the world. They continue to provide out-standing service to our country.

Next week I’ll be visiting our units in the Pacific. Ilook forward to sharing my experiences with you in afuture edition of the Space Observer. I thank each of youfor doing a superb job day in and day out.

Brig. Gen. Bob Kehler21st Space Wing commander

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 2001 3News

Published by the Gazette, 30 S. Prospect Street, Box 1779, ColoradoSprings, 80901, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, underexclusive written contract with the 21st Space Wing. This commercial enterpriseAir Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. militaryservices. Contents of the Space Observer are not necessarily the official views of,or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or theDepartment of the Air Force.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or sup-plements, does not constitute endorsement by DOD, the Department of the AirForce or the Gazette, of the products or services advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage withoutregard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physicalhandicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user orpatron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the 21st Space WingPublic Affairs Office, 775 Loring Ave., Suite 218, Peterson AFB, Colo., 80914-1294. All photographs are Air Force photographs unless otherwise indicated.

The Space Observer is published every Friday. For advertising inquiries , callthe Gazette, (719) 636-0325 for display ads, and 476-1663 for classified ads.

Articles for the Space Observer should be submitted to the 21st SW/PAI,Attn: Space Observer, 775 Loring Ave., Ste. 218, Peterson AFB, Colo., 80914-1294. Deadline for submission is 4:30 p.m. the Wednesday one week before pub-lication. All articles, copy and announcements submitted will be edited to conform to AFI Series 35 and theAssociated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual. For details, call the editor at (719)556-7846 or DSN 834-7846.

21st Space Wing CommanderBrig. Gen. Bob Kehler

Chief of Public AffairsCapt. Brenda Campbell

SuperintendentMaster Sgt. D.K. Grant

EditorSenior Airman Shane Sharp

Staff WriterSenior Airman Melanie Epperson

Space Observer

National Enrollment Databaseimplemented throughout DoD

The National Enrollment Database wasactivated throughout the Department of DefenseMonday, and will affect every military treatmentfacility. The database simplifies the process ben-eficiaries use to report eligibility changes.

The database links the Defense EnrollmentEligibility Reporting System and the CompositeHealth Care System (the patient database) mak-ing updates simpler. Changes made in NED willupdate both DEERS and CHCS simultaneously,which saves members from having to make sev-eral stops to change information. Many mem-bers are unaware that CHCS and DEERS aretwo separate entities and so they fail to reportstatus changes to both systems. When that hap-pens, members and their families may suffermedical care delays. With NED, the delaysshould no longer occur.

As with any new system, problems mayarise. The most common problem may be ben-eficiaries “dropping out” of CHCS. However,DEERS is the “gold standard” for eligibilityinformation, so if DEERS shows members as

eligible for care, they will get care. DEERSwill not change because of NED, but enrolleesmay drop out of CHCS due to discrepanciesbetween information in DEERS and CHCS.Address, name, or duty status changes maycause this to occur. Every person who makesan appointment for military medical care willbe checked against DEERS. Those with validID cards will still be seen. If your ID card isexpired or within 30 days of expiration, youshould renew it at the military personnel flightpass and ID section.

If you have had any duty status changes orchanges to your family, you need to relay thosechanges to the MPF. If you don’t, you may expe-rience a delay obtaining medical care. Now thatNED has been implemented, members will needto update changes at the MPF only. Hospitalpersonnel will no longer be able to updateaddresses, birth dates, Social Security numbersor names.

There are contingency plans in place toalleviate any problems that may arise. Pleasecontact the TRICARE Service Center at 264-5000 if you experience any problems regardingenrollment.

Senior Airman Barbra Mann10th Medical Support Squadron

Rocky Mountain Navy & Marine Corps Familypicnic

The 11th annual Rocky Mountain Navy & MarineCorps family picnic is scheduled for Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Turkey Creek Recreation Center on FortCarson. There will be music, family games, pony rides,dunking booths, food, drinks and more. The location is8.3 miles south from Fort Carson’s Gate B on State Road115 to the entrance of Turkey Creek. Tickets are $10 perfamily or $5 per adult and $2 per child. Make checkspayable to Rocky Mountain CPOA.D-Day invasion veterans eligible for medal

Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, is searchingfor veterans in the fifth district who participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Veterans eligible to receivethe Jubilee of Liberty medal are those that participated inthe invasion from June 5, 1944, to August 31, 1944.Presentation of the medals will take place July 28 at thePeterson Air Force Base officers’ club at 10 a.m. Thedeadline for applications is June 30. Applications areavailable at the Retired Enlisted Association office (596-0927), 834 Emory Circle, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. For moreinformation, call Jim Way at 591-9622 or Bill Stokes at599-8633.

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Jorge Hinojos

Flag Day honors the Stars and StripesMembers of thebase honor guardlower the flag asstudents from theAirman LeadershipSchool salute dur-ing a retreat cere-mony June 14 infront of the 21stSpace Wing head-quarters. The cere-mony was held inrecognition of FlagDay. The obser-vance began inAugust 1949 whenPresident Harry S.Truman pro-claimed June 14Flag Day. Sincethen the Presidentproclaims thecommemorationyearly, and encour-ages all Americansin the country todisplay the Starsand Stripes out-side their homesand businesses.

News Briefs

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 20014 News

By direction of the JointChiefs of Staff, June 30Peterson will no longer beallowed to transmit generalservice AUTODIN messages.All GENSER organizational

messages must be sent via thedefense messaging system.

The AUTODIN closuredoes not include emergencyaction messages, special cate-gory messages, caveated mes-

sages, and data pattern traffic.These types of messages willcontinue to be transmitted viaAUTODIN until the projecteddate in fiscal year 2002. Atthat time, DMS will be ready tomanage such messages.

The AUTODIN closurewill affect unclassified, secret,and top secret messages. The21st CommunicationsSquadron is working to ensurethat the change fromAUTODIN to DMS will haveno adverse affect on mission

accomplishment. To ensurethere is no mission impact,active involvement from everyorganization with a require-ment to send and/or receiveofficial organizational mes-sages is needed.

Each unit’s fortezzaresponsible officer is the pointof contact and action officer forgetting the unit DMS- capable.It is critical that a trained FROin each organization is avail-able to process account andfortezza card requests.

A separate account isrequired for each classificationlevel, so units with require-ments to send and/or receiveany classification of GENSERmessage traffic must takeaction immediately to ensurethat the mission will not beaffected June 30. Contact yourFRO for details, or 1st LtErnesto Chavez, 21stCommunications Squadron, at556-6552.

(Courtesy of the 21stCommunications Squadron)

AUTODIN message system closes June 30

Ten soldiers from the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s Space Battle Laboratory located inColorado Springs show off the Army’s new black beret, which was adopted for regular wear. Lt. Col. Brad Baehr(center), chief of the Concepts and Initiatives Division, Battle Lab - Space Directorate, leads the formation inwearing the new headgear during a brief ceremony held in front of the U.S. Army Space Command HeadquartersJune 14. The ten soldiers are the first local soldiers to don the new black beret. The ceremony marks the first ofmany which will see all U. S. Army soldiers wearing the beret.

Local soldiers first to wear Army’s new black beret

U.S. Army photo

Excess bases make upkeepnearly impossible. The solution:fewer bases and a commitment tomaintain the ones we keep, Jeremiahsaid. He said old workspaces in disre-pair hurt morale and make people inthe military wonder what the countrythinks of them.

The study also recognized theface of the military is changing.Jeremiah said some estimates see themilitary being much more heavilyHispanic in coming years and thatDoD should work to recruit theseindividuals now so there can be moreHispanic leaders in future years.

High operations tempo and theincreased use of Guard and Reserveforces were also noted as quality-of-life problem areas. "This is a worldin which we're not at war and we'renot at peace," Jeremiah said. "Thepeace that we're in is the absence ofmajor war, but it isn't peace as weknow it, and it demands an enormousamount of activity on the part of themilitary members in the force."

Housing is one area DoD canmake significant improvements in arelatively short amount of time -- andthe department should do just that,Jeremiah stressed. The militaryneeds "better housing sooner," hesaid.

–– PERSONNEL, From Page 1

21st Space Wing

GSUC o r n e r

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 2001 5

Maui. Just the mention of the namebrings to mind images of sunny beaches,tropical plants and luaus. There’s no doubtMaui can be a paradise. It’s also home toDetachment 3, 18th Space SurveillanceSquadron.

Located atop a dormant volcano,10,000 feet above the white sand and blueocean, the detachment is one of three thatoperate the ground-based electro-opticaldeep-space surveillance system.

The mission is to gather time, eleva-tion and azimuth data on satellites in orbitaround the earth. That information enablesmembers to accurately predict the satellites’orbits. GEODSS is used to ensure satellitesremain stable, don’t crash into other satel-lites and aren’t confused as hostile missiles.GEODSS operators also collect informa-tion about the brightness of sunlight reflect-ing off satellites. This radiometric data isused for space object identification.

The detachment responds to tasksfrom the 1st Command and ControlSquadron. Those tasks are routed throughthe 18th SPSS, optimized for most of theoptical sensors in the space surveillancenetwork, and then transmitted to thesquadron’s four detachments.

Although capable of tracking objectsin low orbit, the detachment’s one-meter,electro-optical telescopes are optimized totrack objects in mid- and deep -space orbits,out to a range of about 40,000 kilometers.The telescopes are sensitive enough to tracka soccer ball in a geo-synchronous orbit.

The observatory site on Maui has ablend of operations and research missionsthat make it one of the unique in the United

States Air Force. Scientists from the AirForce Research Laboratory work toimprove optical surveillance and reconnais-sance sensors, control laser beams passingthrough the atmosphere and push the state-of-the-art in adaptive optics. The scientistswork alongside the operators who respondto operational taskings.

Northrop Grumman contractors do alldetachment operations and maintenance.The two military members primarily doquality assurance evaluations.

Since there are fewer than 20 activeduty Air Force members on the island,detachment personnel, along withmembers of the co-located AirForce Research Laboratorydetachment, also represent theAir Force at various business andpolitical events around the island,and in cooperative programs withlocal schools.

Living without normal basesupport functions presents manychallenges. Detachment mem-bers, with a lot of support fromthe 21st Space Wing and 18thSPSS, administer all detachmentprograms, such as budgeting,leave authorization and briefingof distinguished visitors. Themission doesn’t leave much timefor enjoying the Maui paradise.But when the work is done, thebeach isn’t far away. (Courtesy ofDet. 3, 18thSPSS)

Hawaii

Detachment 3, 18th SpaceSurveillance Squadron,

Maui, Hawaii

Courtesy photo

Aerial view of Detachment 3, 18th Space Surveillance Squadron, locat-ed on the island of Maui, Hawaii.

Detachment 3, 18th SPSS:Space tracking from para-

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 20016 News

This week was designat-ed Lightning SafetyAwareness Week by theNational Weather Service andthe National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration.

In the United States, anaverage of 73 people are killedeach year by lightning. That'smore than the annual numberof people killed by tornadoesor hurricanes. Many more arestruck but survive.

Being outdoors is themost dangerous place to beduring a lightning storm. Itputs you and your loved onesat increased and unnecessaryrisk.

When lightning is seenor thunder is heard, or whendark clouds are observed,quickly move indoors or into ahard-topped vehicle andremain there until well afterthe lightning storm ends.

Listen to forecasts andwarnings from your localNational Weather ServiceOffice through NOAAWeather Radio and othersources. If lightning stormsare forecast, have in mind analternate plan for the day’sactivities or know where you

can take cover quickly.The lightning season in

the United States correspondsclosely with the traditionalsummer vacation. Holidayperiods during the summer,such as the Fourth of July, arehistorically among the mostdeadly.

Throughout the summer,a lot more people are exposedto the deadly effects of light-ning in locations such as abeach, golf course, mountains,or a ball field.

During the summer light-ning season, outdoor jobs suchas those in construction andagriculture, and outdoorchores such as lawn mowingor house painting put thoseworkers in danger.

Although anywhere out-doors involves risk during alightning storm, certain loca-tions are more vulnerable thanothers. These include areasnear water, trees, vehicles orplanes, on high places, and inthe open.

A particularly dangeroussituation is when people con-gregate, such as at a sportingevent or concert. The poten-tial for multiple casualties in a

closely gathered group isgreat.

A single lightning strikecan kill several people whoare either in physical contactwith one another or are inclose enough proximity thatthe strike can spread out overthe ground. This includesspectators sitting on the samebleacher seat or football play-ers in a huddle.

School children are par-ticularly vulnerable when atrecess, band, football andbaseball practice, and walkingin groups to and from school.

Becoming familiar withoutdoor lightning safety rulescan save your life or that of aloved one.

To learn more aboutlightning safety go towww.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

(Information courtesy ofthe National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration.)

Lightning Safety Rules:1. Go quickly inside a completely enclosed building or hard-topped, all-metal vehicle.2. Do not take shelter under a tree. 3. Avoid being the tallest object in the area. If only isolatedtrees are nearby, crouch on the balls of your feet in the open,keeping twice as far away from a tree as it is tall. 4. Get off bicycles and motorcycles.5. Get out of the water, off the beach and out of small boats. If caught in a boat, crouch down in the center of the boat awayfrom metal hardware. 6. Avoid standing in puddles, even if wearing rubber boots. 7. Avoid open spaces, wire fences, metal clothes lines, exposedsheds and electrically conductive elevated objects. 8. Do not use metal objects like golf clubs, fishing rods, tennisrackets and tools or lean against vehicles. 9. Do not work on fences, telephone or power lines, pipelines,or steel fabrications. 10. Avoid congregating in groups. Do not hold hands with oth-ers and space yourself several yards from one another.

Lightning safety important to considerduring 101 Critical Days of Summer

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 2001 7News

FORT BLISS, Texas — More than15,000 people from all branches of the U.S.armed forces, as well as Germany, UnitedKingdom, Netherlands and Canada are partici-pating in Roving Sands, the world’s largest jointtheater air and missile defense exercise.

The exercise is taking place in and aroundFort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands MissileRange, N.M., June 15-24.

Roving Sands is a joint service theater airand missile defense field training exercise

designed to train forces from all four servicesand multinational air defense and aircraft. Acommon computer-driven scenario helps tohone in skills on joint theater air and missiledefense and joint tactical air operations.

Roving Sands melds command, control,communications and computer elements, airdefense artillery, and the aircraft of the AirForce, Army, Navy, Marines and multinationalforces into a joint integrated air defense system.

(Courtesy of Air Force Print News)

Photo by Staff Sgt. Connie Etscheidt

Senior Airman Matthew Ford, an F-15C crew chief with the 71st Fighter Squadron at LangleyAir Force Base, Va., checks the oil June 14 on an F-15 after the pilot and the aircraft returnedfrom a training mission in preparation for Exercise Roving Sands. The exercise is takingplace in and around Fort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands Missile Range, N.M., from June 15to 24.

World’s largest air andmissile exercise kicks off PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - A new annual

award for communications excellence was recently handed out atAir Force Space Command Headquarters.

The Lt. Gen. Winston D. Powers Award for Best SmallCommunications Unit in AFSPC went to the 30thCommunications Squadron at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Theaward, previously just a plaque, has been given out for severalyears, but this is the first year that it has been given a name and isattached to a larger memento.

Powers was the first head of the Space CommunicationsDivision at its inception in 1983, becoming the predecessor to along line of AFSPC directors of communications and information.

The current director, Brig. Gen. Dale Meyerrose, thinks thenew trophy is due.

“The award has been around but with no name and no her-itage attached to it,” he said. “We wanted to link our heritage towhere we came from and where we’re going.”

Powers is credited with upgrading the Cheyenne MountainOperations Center communications and integrating the tacticalwarning and attack assessment assets after some anomalies in thelate 1970s and ‘80s that generated false missile attack indications.That system is still being used at the mountain.

Meyerrose added that since the majority of the units com-pete in this category instead of the large unit category, the honoris the most sought.

The 30th CS won the hefty award for its work on theWestern Range, where missiles and rockets are launched over thePacific Ocean. Its work in integration, sustainment, and supportof base and range communication and information issues, earnedit the right to the new trophy, Meyerrose said.

The unit will be AFSPC’s nominee for the Air Force-levelaward, the Lt. Gen. Harold Grant Award. (Courtesy AFSPCPublic Affairs)

AFSPC announces newcommunications award

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 20018 Feature

Can you imagine having a bondso tight with someone that you felt liketogether you made a whole? Then oneday you find out that the other half ofyou would be leaving you. These twowomen can.

The two women are identicaltwins, Airmen 1st Class Romonica andVeronica Owens. The twins have beentogether all 20 years of their lives.The twins decided to enlist inSeptember 1999, and they wentthrough basic training; technical train-ing and even got their first assignmenttogether.

According to the twins, it hasalways been a lingering thought in theback of their minds that someday theywould be split up. Now that thought isa reality and Romonica will leave hersister for a new assignment atRamstein Air Base, Germany.

The two have mixed emotionsabout the split up.

“The toughest part about leavingwill be leaving my best friend,” saidRomonica. “ She made me feel impor-tant, I knew I always had somebody todepend on.”

According to the twins they’llalso miss the help and the advice you

get from having your sister right therewith you. The girls even share thesame suite in the dormitory.

“It was nice having my sisterright next to me. I didn’t have to worryabout little things like asking her toturn her music down, because I knewshe would,” said Romonica.

On the other hand the two feelthe time apart will be good for themeven if they don’t like being separated.

“With Romonica gone I hope togain more independence” saidVeronica.

According to Romonica, she isexcited about going to Germany. “Oneof my main goals for entering the airforce was travel and education.”

While in Germany she plans toobtain her degree in music or comput-ers. Veronica plans to pursue a degreein engineering.

Although they are saying good-bye, they are confident it won’t be per-manent.

The twins hope they may have achance to be together again as singerswith The U.S. Air Force Band of theRockies, if auditions go well.

According to Romonica andVeronica although the two will beapart, they’ve established a bond overthe 20 years that will never break,because it’s a bond of the heart.

Twins bid farewell after 20 years side by sideBy Brandi Denham21st SW Public Affairs

Photo by Brandi Denham

Romonica Owens (right) and sister Veronica pause for a photo during out-processing. The twins have been together through basic training, technicalschool and their first duty assignment here at Peterson, but must now bideach other farewell as Romonica travels to a new assignment at RamsteinAir Base, Germany.

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 2001 9News

NAME : Senior AirmanTheresa R. HardyUNIT : 20th SpaceSurveillance SquadronJOB TITLE : Space surveil-lance crew chiefTIME IN SERVICE : sixyearsHOMETOWN : Madrid,SpainABOUT HARDY :

Senior Airman TheresaHardy is a space surveillancecrew chief operating theAN/FPS-85 phased-arrayradar located at Eglin AirForce Base, Fla. She leadsjunior enlisted space operatorsto detect, track and identifyover 80 percent of all man-made objects in space. Inaddition to this crew function,

Hardy is a full-time staffmember of her squadron’soperations support flight,advising the flight commanderand operations officer onissues ranging from radar soft-ware development to opera-tions procedural changes.

Her technical skills andhard work paid off when shewas selected to represent herwing at Guardian Challenge2001, the Air Force’s onlyspace and missile competition.Hardy and the rest of the 21stSpace Wing team won theAldridge Trophy as the “bestspace operations wing” in theAir Force.

Hardy cross-trained intospace operations from theEGRESS career field, whereshe worked on the highlyexplosive ejection systems forfighter aircraft. She wastrained at Keesler AFB, Miss.,and Sheppard AFB, Texas,before being stationed atCannon AFB, N.M., and thenEglin AFB, Fla. She hasworked on the EF/F-111, F-15,and F-16 aircraft. She thenwent to Vandenberg AFB,Calif., and trained in activespace surveillance. Theresaexcelled once again at AirmanLeadership School where shewas awarded DistinguishedGraduate.

Theresa was born in

Madrid, Spain, while herfather worked for theDepartment of Defense.

Growing up, she movedall over Europe with her fami-ly, and completed high schoolin Stuttgart, Germany. Herhusband, Staff Sgt. RyanHardy, is an EGRESS jour-neyman and is stationed atOsan AB, Korea supportingthe 51st MaintenanceSquadron.

They have two children,Amber, 7, and Tiffani, 4.When she is not working,Theresa spends as much timewith her children as she can,especially since Ryan is away.

Active in the community,Hardy participates in theRelay for Life, a localfundraiser for the AmericanCancer Society. She’s also aGirl Scout assistant troopleader, a CPR instructor, and avolunteer at the Bob HopeVillage where she helps reno-vate facilities for the elderly.In addition, she volunteers tohelp build homes for Habitatfor Humanity and helps cleanbeaches in Florida eachspring.

Theresa’s immediateplans are to improve her spaceoperations skills and finish herCommunity College of the AirForce degree, then her bache-lor’s degree.

Star Performer

Senior Airman Adriaan A. Kendall, 10th Space WarningSquadron missile warning and space surveil-lance crew chief, completed AirmanLeadership School at Grand Forks AirForce Base, N. D., where he earned theJohn L. Levitow Award for excellence as aleader and a scholar. Kendall also earnedthe Academic Achievement Award for thehighest class average, and he was also oneof three nominees for the Leadership Award.

Tamara Martin, 21stContracting Squadron, wasawarded $200 for her elec-

tronic interactive contract fileidea and Brian Gibson, 302ndMaintenance Squadron, wasawarded $771 for his idea toprotect C-130 main landing

gear struts from rocks.

Wing recognizes Levitow winner

The Air Force IDEAProgram announcesthe Team 21 awardrecipients for May

Congratulations!The 21st Operations Group

Generator Replacement Teamwas selected as May's GoldKnight Award winner.

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 200110

Khobar TowerPeterson chaplain remembers the the terrorist that killed 19 and wounded hundreds five years

Honor guard members carry the casket of an Air Force member af

"It was a defining moment in my life andministry," said Lt. Col. Dennis Aleson, 21stSpace Wing chaplain.

Aleson was the wing chaplain at KhobarTowers on June 25, 1996, the day 19American servicemen lost their lives in theterrorist attack a U.S. military dormitory inSaudi Arabia.

On that day, "there was a deafeningboom, a blast-wave, the sound of shatteredglass flying everywhere, sudden darkness, andthen a short-lived deathly silence," he said.

"There are events in your life where yourbeliefs are called into question, but at no othertime do you rely on your spiritual resourcesas you do when tragedy strikes."

"We all read about terrorist incidents, butyou never think you will be facing it. It’s likea bad dream and you are in the middle," saidAleson. "It all has a very surreal feel to it."

Aleson had just completed a full day ofministry before the bomb exploded at about10 p.m. Immediately after, he was up for

another three days providing support andcomfort to all personnel.

"Our task seemed almost overwhelmingbecause the needs were everywhere. Therewere injuries by the hundreds, fear, panic,shock . . . the end of life for 19 of our friendsand co-workers," he said.

Medical triage was started at the co-located Air Force and Army clinic. The mostserious injuries were treated inside the clinics,while hundreds of litters lined the ground out-side with people administering self aide andbuddy care.

"We were there, doing spiritual, emo-tional triage, helping bear litters, passing outbottled water, and simply being part of thecaregiving team," Aleson said.

"What I discovered, and what othershave discovered in the past, is the adrenalineflows and people do what needs to be done.You get through the experience. You discoverthere is a power and a strength that pulls youthrough."

Just 26 hours after the bombing, Alesonstood with the commander on the flightline asthe 19 victims were loaded onto a C-5 cargo

plane for transport home to American soil atDover Air Force Base, Del.

"Several hundred people were gatheredin solemn formation. We were sending ourfriends and co-workers back home with allthe honor and dignity we could bestow uponthem in our planeside ceremonies."

Aleson was able to rotate out of SaudiArabia on schedule, 10 days after the bomb-ing, but the events which occurred the night

of the 25th, and the days with him.

"I felt the greatest emwas working with the movictims, because I knew twere in a better place."

"I grieved for the livtragedy - the spouses, chiother loved ones and frienones who had lost the mo

By Capt Brenda Campbell21st SW Public Affairs

Wreaths bearingthe names of theairmen killed in thebombing wereposted in honor ofthe victims duringa memorial serviceheld June 30, 1996,at Eglin, Air ForceBase, Fla.

Air Force photo

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 2001 11

rsattack

rs ago

U.S. and Saudi military personnel peer into the crater caused by the explosionof a fuel truck outside the northern fence of Khobar Towers near King AbdulAziz Air Base near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, June 25, 1996.

Department of Defense photo

Air Force photo

Air Force photo

A General salutes the casket of an airman after pinning the purple heartmedal on it. Nineteen service members were killed in the June 25, 1996terrorist attack.

Right: Wounded serv-ice members return tothe U.S. More than 200people were injured in

the Khobar Towersexplosion.

after its arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

Air Force photo

s that followed, went

emotions not when Iortuary affairs and thethey felt no pain and

ving victims of thehildren, parents andends. They were the

most in the tragedy."

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 200112 For your information

CommissaryCommissary

C O M M I S S A R YCLOSED JULY 4:The Peterson AirForce BaseCommissary will beclosed July 4th in obser-vance of IndependenceDay.

News News

Family Support Center Family Support Center 556-6141

Classes are held in the family support centerclassroom, 135 Dover Street, Building 350, Room1016, unless otherwise specified. Registration isrequired for all FSC classes. To register, call the FSCat 556-6141 or stop by the FSC classroom.

JOB ORIENTATION: For an overview of thelocal job market and a look at how family support canhelp with your job search, sign up for this orientationoffered June 28, 1-2:30 p.m.

RESUME REVIEW CLASS: There will be aresume writing class on Tuesday, 9-11 a.m. To takefull advantage of this class you must bring a draftcopy of your resume. The employment team willcoach you on ways to improve your product in orderto secure the job you have targeted.

MARKETING YOURSELF FOR A SEC-OND CAREER: This is a free, two-hour profes-sional lecture for officers and senior non-commis-sioned officers who plan to leave the service withinthe next five years. The event is scheduled forMonday, 9-11:30 a.m., at the enlisted club. Spousesare also invited. Learn about the challenge of findinga job, perceptions civilian employers have of militarypersonnel, a plan for your job search, writing resumecover letters, and broadcast letters, as well as howemployers read your resume, how to network andpenetrate the hidden job market, prepare for and con-duct a successful interview, salary negotiations andbenefit packages, and how to deal with rejection.

FINANCIAL BRIEFINGS: There will be abriefing covering various financial topics July 2, 1-4p.m. This briefing is for Peterson Air Force Base andCheyenne Mountain Air Force Station personnel andwill focus on the new military Thrift Savings Plan,Career Status Bonus, REDUX, and retirement plan-ning.

INVESTMENT SEMINARS: There will beinvestment seminars July 17 and 19, 1-4 p.m. Thetopics of discussion will be understanding mutualfunds and exchange traded funds, taxes, expenseratios, loads and no loads. The instructor will beProfessor James Agresta. The seminar will be held inBuilding 350, Suite 107. Call 556-6141 to register.

Community Activities CenterCommunity Activities Center556-7671

Education CenterEducation Center556-4064

MOUNT RUSHMORE TRIP: Take a trip tosee Mount Rushmore, S.D., and other national histor-ical sites Thursday thru Sunday. See Mt. Rushmore,Deadwood, Crazy Horse Monument, Custer StatePark and Sylvan Lake. The cost is $275 per person(prices subject to change) and travelers must registerby Monday. Call the CAC at 556-1733 to register andfor more information.

NIGHT HOOPS: Night basketball for 13-18-year-olds is Friday, 6-9 p.m., at the fitness center oncourt two. For more information, call the youth cen-ter.

YOUTH BASEBALL: There will be youthbaseball Saturday and June 30, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

MARTIAL ARTS: There will be martial artsTuesday and Thursday, 5- 7:30 p.m.

TRIP TO ELITCH GARDENS: There will bea teen trip to Elitch Gardens Saturday. It is limited to12 teens; permission slips are required. The cost is$20.

SKY SOX GAME: There will be a trip to SkySox baseball game on Thursday. The trip is limited to5-12 teens. The cost is $7. Call 556-7220 for details.

YYouth Center outh Center 556-7220

CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENE-FIT SERVICE DAY: Representatives from BlueCross/Blue Shield, AETNA U.S Healthcare,Government Employees Health Association,Pacificare of Colorado and Kaiser Permanente willbe available to meet with Peterson Complex civilianemployees to discuss questions or concerns regard-ing health insurance coverage. Appointments are notrequired. Representatives will be availableWednesday in the civilian personnel office trainingroom from 9-10:30 a.m. For more information, callBeverly Sagapolutele, 556-7073.

Civilian Personnel FlightCivilian Personnel Flight

FAMILY CHILD CARE OPPORTUNITY:Family Child Care is an Air Force program thatallows military spouses an opportunity to supplementtheir family’s income while caring for their own chil-dren in their licensed FCC home. Military spousescan provide child care for other families’ children fora total of more than 10 hours a week, on a regularbasis. They must be licensed to provide care in on-base quarters. If you are interested in learning moreabout this career option and its professional develop-ment opportunities, call the FCC office at 556-4322.

CLINIC WEEKEND HOURS: The USAFAfamily practice clinic and pharmacy will open onweekends. Current hours are Saturdays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.,and Sundays, 1-4:30 p.m. The hours will change July7 to Saturdays, 8 a.m-2 p.m., and Sundays, 8 a.m.-noon. For appointments, call 333-CARE (2273). Thisis the same number used for active duty sick callappointments.

CADET SPONSORSHIP: The Air ForceAcademy’s sponsorship program needs potentialsponsors. Sponsor families help newly appointedcadets adjust to the area and to school. Sponsors canbe active duty or retired military, or civilians. Activeduty and retired military sponsors must be at least anE-7 or O-3 and above. Federal civilian employeesmust be GS-7 or above. Members of the surroundingcommunities may also become sponsors by submittingthree letters: one letter with family background infor-mation and two letters of recommendation from eithera work, neighborhood or community source. All threeletters must be submitted to Cadet SponsorshipProgram, 2302 Cadet Drive, Suite 12, USAFA, CO80840. For more information, call Dennis Mitchell orMary Bice at 333-2727 or 333-3477.

WHITE HOUSE FELLOWSHIP: Did youknow that all U.S. citizens except federally employedcivilians are eligible to apply for the White HouseFellowship program? There are no restrictions forage, sex, race, or physicalrequirements. This programseeks to draw excep-t i o n a l l ypromis ingpeople fromthroughoutthe nation,providing first-hand experience in the process of gov-erning our nation. Annually, 11 to 19 U.S. citizens areselected to work full-time for one year as specialassistants to senior executives in cabinet-level agen-cies or in the executive office of the president.Military personnel are encouraged to apply as thisprogram does enhance executive development. CallMilitary Personnel Flight customer service at 556-7377 for more information.

YMCA CAMP: The Armed Services YMCAwill hold a of day camp Aug. 10-16 for military chil-dren ages 5-7. The day camp hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m.,Monday through Friday. Children will experiencefield trips, outdoor adventures, arts and crafts, gamesand more. The cost is $25. For more information, call393-9620, extension 130.

AIR WAR COLLEGE: Recruiting for the AirWar College nonresident studies seminar program ismow underway. This is an ideal way to completesenior Professional Military Education, combiningself-study with a formal, semi-structured meetingenvironment highly conducive to learning. Seminarsare scheduled to start in early August and will rununtil June 2002. The program is open to active duty,guard, and reserve colonels, lieutenant colonels, andlieutenant colonel selectees (or their equivalent) ofany component of the U.S. armed forces and civilianemployees (GS/GM-13 or above). Applications forenrollment into the seminar program are now beingaccepted. To enroll, an individual must use the applica-tion form available at www.au.af.mil/au/awc/enrolp-pr.htm. Sign up now or you will have to wait untilAugust 2002 for the next seminar academic year tobegin. Contact Mike Madsen at 556-7738.

AIR COMMAND and STAFF COLLEGE:The Air Command and Staff College seminar willstart in August. Majors or major selects from allservices are eligible to enroll as well GS-11s andabove. Application forms may picked up at the edu-cation center. After Tuesday, the education officewill start putting the enrollments into the base levelpersonnel management system which flows to AirUniversity. Course material will be mailed directlyto the student once the enrollment has beenprocessed. The material will consist of a multimediaCD-ROM and course books. Seminars meet forapproximately 10.5 months, 3 hours per week. Itshould be noted that the number of missed sessionsfor each student is no longer a factor and attendancewill not be tracked or recorded. Call Lisa Simon at556-7392.

Case lot saleJune 29-30 andJuly 1.

OPEN FORUM DISCUSSIONS:The CivilianPersonnel Flight will host open forum discussions forall Peterson Complex civilian employees and super-visors of civilians at the officers’ club ballroom June28, 8-10 a.m., and 2-4 p.m. All Peterson Complexcivilian employees and supervisors are encouraged toattend. Seating will be first come, first served, with amaximum of 200 seats available. Discussion topicswill be "Family Friendly Programs" including provi-sions of the family medical leave act, leave withoutpay entitlements, family care/bereavement provi-sions, absence for child birth or infant care, voluntaryleave transfer program provisions and "on-line"sources for civilian personnel program information.The purpose of the open forum discussion is to pro-vide updates on the various leave program entitle-ments and provisions, as well as provide a handoutcontaining information source references. For moreinformation, call Bill Bartlow at 556-6557 or TheresaDickson at 556-9231.

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 2001 13

So you both decided youwant to get married. You foundthat special person you want tospend the rest of your life with.But, do you know if you areemotionally and financially pre-pared for it? Do you know ifthe love you have for eachother will last through life’s upsand downs?

Let me give you someadvice that might help you andyour future spouse handle thebumps along life’s road. Tohead you into the right direc-tion, how about attending pre-marital counseling?

Pre-marital counselingcan help you assess what ittakes to build a strong, happy,healthy marriage. To sign up,contact the base chaplain’soffice, a local church or a coun-seling center such as the lifeskills center or family supportcenter.

What areas are coveredduring pre-marital counseling?Let’s talk about the areas Ifound were the most beneficialto me: eligibility, communica-tion and conflict resolution.

First, your counselor willask some hard but honest ques-tions to help you determinewhether or not you shouldmarry in the first place, or ifyou should marry each other.The counselor will assess com-patability in the relationshipand will also let you know if hethinks you are marrying tooquickly.

Once those issues areaddressed, your counselor willhelp you identify possiblewarning signs. Here are somewarning signs that indicate youshould think twice before pur-suing marriage:

Your partner drank heavi-ly three times in the past threeweeks.

Your partner says, “I can’tlive without you,” or “My lifehas no meaning without you.”

This is a sign of dependency. You have both developed

a pattern of quarreling, serious-ly irritating or physically abus-ing each other.

Your financial situation isuncertain.

If you passed “the test”with flying colors, does thatmean you are ready to take theplunge? If so, how will younavigate through life together?

I cannot emphasizeenough the importance of com-munication. It is the lifebloodof marriage. It includes howwe express our appreciationand concern for each other, andit is the link to building andsharing a relationship. It canpull you toward mutual under-standing, or drive you apart intodistrust and disillusionment.

A counselor can help youidentify the emotional impactyour words have and the hiddenmeaning behind them.Ultimately, you may learn thatwhat you say is often not asimportant as how you say it.

With guidance, you canlearn to reach deeper levels ofcommunication and go beyondthe fact-finding level to thefeeling/needing level wheremutual trust and security areestablished. To get there, youmust hone your listening skillsand verbal tools to productivelyresolve conflicts.

Every couple, some day,will need to work out personalconflicts. Your counselor canhelp you identify healthy-vs-unhealthy ways to deal withthem. One popular communi-

cation practice you may learn isthe speaker-to-listenerapproach. Using this approach,you will learn to exchangethoughts and feelings withoutinhibition, which will enableyou to identify issues and worktogether to resolve them.

Counseling will also helpyou avoid destructive,unhealthy ways of dealing withconflict, such as criticism, con-tempt, defensiveness, stone-walling and withdrawal.

There are many land-mines on the road to maritalharmony, and it takes work toachieve it. Each partner mustgive 100 percent effort to stayand grow together. But, therewards of building a healthy,happy marriage by far outweighthe struggles.

By Tech. Sgt. Christopher Feister721st Support Group

Pre-marital counseling can help pave the road to marital

By Colonel Steven Arrington17th Training Wing vice commander

Differences betweenmilitary and civilianspouses highlighted

GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Over theyears, I’ve talked a lot about military spouses...how special theyare and the price they pay for freedom too. The funny thingabout it is most military spouses don’t consider themselves dif-ferent from other spouses. They do what they have to do, boundtogether not by blood or merely friendship, but with a sharedspirit whose origin is in the very essence of what love truly is.Is there really a difference? I think there is. You have to decidefor yourself.

-Other spouses get married and look forward to buildingequity in a home and putting down family roots.

-Military spouses get married and know they’ll live inbase housing or rent a house, and their roots must be short sothey can be transplanted frequently.

-Other spouses decorate a home with flair and personalitythat will last a lifetime.

-Military spouses decorate a home with flare temperedwith the knowledge that no two base houses have the same sizewindows or same size rooms. Curtains have to be flexible, andmultiple sets are a plus. Furniture must fit like puzzle pieces.

-Other spouses have living rooms that are immaculate andseldom used.

-Military spouses have immaculate living room/diningroom combos. The coffee table got a scratch or two movingfrom Germany, but it still looks pretty good.

-Other spouses say good-bye to their spouse for a businesstrip and know they won’t see them for a week. They are lonely,but can survive.

-Military spouses say good-bye to their deploying spouseand know they won’t see them for months, or in the case of aremote, a year. They are lonely, but will survive.

-Other spouses, when a washer hose blows off, callMaytag and then write a check to get the hose reconnected.

-Military spouses will fix it themselves.

See SPOUSE, Page14

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 200114 People

-Other spouses get use to saying hello tofriends they see all the time.

-Military spouses get use to saying good-bye to friends made in the last two years.

-Other spouses worry about whether theirchild will be class president next year.

-Military spouses worry about whethertheir child will be accepted in another newschool next year, and whether that school willbe the worst in the city ... again.

-Other spouses can count on spouse par-ticipation on special events- birthdays, anniver-saries, holidays, concerts, football games, grad-uation, and even the birth of a child.

-Military spouses only count on eachother because they realize that the flag has tocome first if freedom is to survive. It has to bethat way.

-Other spouses put up yellow ribbonswhen the troops are imperiled across the globeand take them down when the troops comehome.

-Military spouses wear yellow ribbonsaround their hearts, and they never go away.

-Other spouses worry about being late for

Mom’s Thanksgiving dinner. -Military spouses worry about getting

back from Japan in time for Dad’s funeral. -And other spouses are touched by the

television program showing an elderly ladyputting a card down in front of a long, blackwall that has names on it. The card simplysays, “Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. Youwould have been 60 today.”

-A military spouse is the lady with thecard, and the wall is the Vietnam Memorial.

I would never say military spouses arebetter or worse than other spouses are, but Iwill say there is a difference and our countryasks more of military spouses than is asked ofother spouses.

And I will say, without hesitation, thatmilitary spouses pay just as high a price forfreedom as do their uniformed husbands orwives. Perhaps the price they pay is evenhigher.

Dying in service to our country isn’t nearas hard as loving someone who has died inservice to our country, and having to live with-out them.

God bless our military spouses for allthey freely give, and God bless America.

OSAN AIR BASE, Korea – I'm going to tell you why I'llnever willingly leave this great Air Force.

A few weeks ago, my first child was born, more than8,000 miles away in Virginia. He was born on the living roomfloor of our house, a month early, to the great surprise of hismother and me. Both mom and baby are doing very well, andnow I get to bask in the pride and excitement of being a newfather.

After the excitement was over, I had time to analyze thesequence of events. I realized I was part of something very spe-cial, something I probably wouldn't find outside the warm wallsof this military family.

At 2:30 a.m., my wife, eight months pregnant and alone athome, awoke to feelings of pain. Her first instinct was to call aclose friend, also a military spouse. Within minutes, Jean, anArmy major's wife from nearby Fort Monroe, Va., arrived.

Jean realized my wife was in advanced labor and called anambulance. She also called Monica, a friend and Air Forcemajor stationed with my wife at Langley Air Force Base, Va.With the help of these two friends and some local emergencymedical technicians, my wife delivered a healthy boy in our liv-ing room. Jean and Monica are two reasons I'll never leave theAir Force.

Monica knew I was in Korea and immediately contactedthe command post at Langley. They connected her to the OsanAir Base command post and explained the situation. On ahunch, Monica told them where I might be and, without hesita-tion, the Osan command post tracked me down at the baselibrary. I may be wrong, but hunting down a captain to informhim of the birth of his son is probably not in the command postcontroller's job description. But they did it without even blink-ing. They're two more reasons I'll never leave the Air Force.

After being connected to my wife and being assuredeveryone was all right, I called my flight commander to tell himthe news. Before I even asked, he contacted our squadron com-mander and they approved my leave and offered to help get mehome. They, too, are reasons I'll never leave the Air Force.

I needed to get home on the next flight to the states, andthat meant getting on the Kimpo International Airport shuttlebus at 6 a.m. But I needed leave paperwork to get off thepeninsula. My first sergeant, no stranger to late phone calls,jumped into action. He made one phone call and the orderlyroom NCO in charge was in her car heading to work to person-ally type up the necessary papers. With a smile on her face andhearty congratulations, she handed me my leave papers and dis-appeared into the freezing winter night. These are two morereasons I'll never leave the Air Force.

The whole time during my long series of flights home, mywife had a close network of military friends who stayed withher. Even though her husband and family were far away, fromthe moment she made that first and only phone call, she wasnever alone. These were all people who understood the uniquesituation of our shared military lifestyle. They immediatelyjumped in to help, as Air Force families often do.

Less than 36 hours after I received the first phone call, Iwas home with my new family. Waiting for me were flowersfrom my flight and reassuring e-mails that my duties andresponsibilities were being handled in my absence. The peoplein my flight are 22 more reasons I'll never leave the Air Force.

If I were working for some big faceless corporation, Iwonder if I'd even have my boss's home phone number, letalone an entire organization that would jump up in the middleof the night to help a fellow airman.

Could I make more money working for a major corpora-tion? Absolutely. Would the above events have happened if Iworked for one? I doubt it. I promise you, the last thing on mymind that night, as I boarded the plane to meet my new son,was the size of my paycheck.

Would I trade my part in this military family for a fewextra bucks? Never.

I've shared 30 reasons why I'd never voluntarily leave ourAir Force, and yet these reasons come from only one singleexperience. I could fill this story with hundreds of other rea-sons, and they'd all be Air Force people like these, whom mywife and I are proud to call family.

By Capt. Matteo Martemucci51st Operations Support Squadron

30 reasons to stay–––SPOUSE, From Page 13

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 2001 15Sports

Shuffleboardtournament

There will be ashuffle board tour-nament June 27-29. There is no

entry fee.Participants must

sign up by Monday.Call Senior Airman

Bonnie Miller at556-1515 to sign

up.

Photo by Brandi Denham

FastfeetVictor Cabezas(right), 21stCommunicationsSquadron, racesfor the ball againsta member of the21st Civil EngineerSquadron duringintramural actionWednesday. The21st CS won thegame 4-2, keepinga perfect record asthe only undefeat-ed team in theleague.

SPACE OBSERVERFriday, June 22, 200116 Sports

Thursday co-ed leagueWins Losses

1. 21 WS 3 02. HQ AFSPC 2 03. 21 CES 1 24. 10 MDG 0 24. Team Co 0 2

Tuesday recreation leagueWins Losses

1. AFSPC 4 01. HQ AF/SC 4 03. 21 CES 2 13. 721 SFS 2 15. 721 COM 2 25. 721 CES 2 25. Det 4 2 25. 84 ALF 2 29. 21 OSS 1 29. 21 MSS 1 211. HQ AF/BA 0 212. 21 SFS 0 412. J5 0 4

Intramural softball standings

Wednesday recreation leagueWins Losses

1. 10 MDG 6 02. AFMC 5 03. 11 SWS 5 14. J2 4 15. 21SFS 4 25. 21SW 4 25. 1CACS 4 28. NORAD 2 48. HQ AF/SC 2 48. 21 CS 2 411. 21SVS 1 411. 302 1 411. ARMY 1 414. HQAFSPC 1 515. 76 SPCS 0 5

As of June 19