Balfour Beatty Communities to hold RECP meetings Oct. 25, 26 ...
Balfour Beatty Communities onboard NAS Pensacola will hold two Resident Utility Meetings, Oct. 25 and Oct. 26, from 5-7 p.m. (both days) at the base chapel. Learn more about the Navy’s Resident Energy Conservation Program (RECP) and the impact of this program on Navy housing residents. “Energy Conservation is Everyone’s Responsibility,” reads the invitation to the events; base residents are urged to “do your part and learn more.”
Vol. 76, No. 42
VISIT GOSPORT ONLINE: www.gosportpensacola.com
October 19, 2012
TOPGUN detachment training fleet students at NASP Story, photo by Mike O’Connor Gosport Associate Editor
Instructors and aircraft from NAS Fallon’s Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWCN7) “TOPGUN” are onboard NAS Pensacola for two weeks’ training exercise. “We’re doing training for the TOPGUN Class 01-13,” Lt. Peter Cornett, spokesperson for the group, said. “We do this four times a year, for each TOPGUN class. We vary the location, between here and (NAS) Key West, At NAS Pensacola’s Forrest Sherman Field, “adversary jets” from visiting NSAWC-N7 “TOPGUN” include two (MCAS) Miramar, (NAS) Navy-marked F-16 “Fighting Falcon” aircraft (left) and an F/A-18 (blue, with red star). The detachment from NAS Lemoore and (NAS) Oceana, for BFM (basic Fallon is onboard NASP for a two-week training evolution.
fighter maneuvers) training.” NAS Pensacola offers a sea-level training environment for the instructors and students. At NAS Fallon, where the group is based, the field’s elevation is about 4,000 feet. “We don’t have to train over water, but we like to, so we can fight down to a lower altitude,” Cornett explained. “Back in Fallon we have a higher hard deck, so it’s definitely nice to be able to fight to the water.” For every class of student aviators training in BFM, the fleet sends out aircraft to support the
See TOPGUN on page
Air Commandos make field trip to naval air museum
Members of the 1st Air Commando Group at the National Naval Aviation Museum. From left are: Richard “Dick” Cole, Patt Meara, Harry McClean, Bill Cartwright, Bill Ravey, James Eckert and Gene Piester. Story, photo by Janet Thomas Gosport Staff Writer
A special group of World War II veterans paid a visit to NAS Pensacola Oct. 12. Wearing matching blue baseball caps, seven members of the 1st Air Commando group had some stories of their own to tell during a VIP tour of
the National Naval Aviation Museum. Volunteer coordinator, Phil Duryea, led the tour, which included family members and friends. Vice Adm. Hoewing, president of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, greeted the group and thanked them for their service. “We are so excited that you all have come over to
Navy photo award at Pensacola Interstate Fair … A photo of a ship, styled to resemble a painting, is the winner of the 2012 United States Navy Photographic Arts Award at the Pensacola Interstate Fair. The shot was taken by photographer Marty Campbell. “Something about that picture is captivating; I wanted to climb onboard,” said NASP CO Capt. Chris Plummer, who gave the award. Photo by Gretchen DeVuyst
take a look at our place,” he said. “We are really proud of you all and to have you come here and see your National Naval Aviation Museum is really great.” The unit earned its motto of “Any Place, Any Time, Any Where” by supporting the British special forces infiltration of Japanese rear supply areas in the China-Burma-India
theater from 1943 to 1945. The unit was a key player in Project 9, an “aerial invasion of Burma” using fighters, bombers, transports, gliders and helicopters, which was dubbed Operation Thursday. “We are kind of proud that we were the 1st Air Commandos,” said James Eckert. “We were lucky that the venture we were on was successful.” Other special operations units followed in their footsteps, he said. “Now every branch of the service has one – the Army has the Rangers, the Navy has their SEALs and Marines have their recon teams,” he said. Discussion about a P51 Mustang reminded Bill Ravey of his experience during initial gunnery training. He had to crash land after “white-hot” bullets rebounded off of a target that was on solid rock and hit his plane. “I guess I shot myself down,” he said. He said he suffered facial cuts that required surgery, but was back flying three weeks later. The field trip to the museum was a part of the group’s final reunion Oct. 11 to 14 in Fort Walton Beach. With their numbers
dwindling, members voted to make this their last meeting, said Bill Cartwright, who has enjoyed attending many reunions throughout the years. “This is absolutely the finest group of men that I have ever associated with in my 91 years,” he said. “They were hand-picked
in the beginning and they were picked for good reasons.” The visiting commandos also included retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Cole, one of the five remaining members of the Doolittle Raiders. Cole, who was Lt. Col.
See Vets on page 2
Two-bell ceremony at Navy birthday ... BM1(SW/AW) Tarnisha R. Jenkins rings the NAS Pensacola command ceremonial bell during a two-bell ringing in observance of the U.S. Navy’s 237th birthday last week at command headquarters, Bldg. 1500. Command leadership spoke at the ceremony which drew about 100 attendees. Photo by Scott Hallford
Published by Ballinger Publishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Navy. Opinions contained herein are not official expressions of the Department of the Navy nor do the advertisements constitute Department of the Navy, NAS Pensacola or Ballinger Publishing’s endorsement of products or services advertised.