Checkpoints June 2003

spring 2003 ON

up front

BOARDROOM TALK

“BRING ME MEN” REMOVAL OFFERS MIXED FEELINGS “HELL WEEK” 1966

DEAN’S UPDATE

WALDO

LONG BLUE LINE SPORTS

MAKING A DIFFERENCE (DEVELOPMENT)

ALUMNI RELATIONS

CHAPTER NEWS

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

CLASS NEWS features

CSAF Gen. Jumper answers tough questions from the AOG.

Capt. Kim “KC” Campbell, ’97, brings her battle-damaged “Warthog” home safely from Baghdad.

HARRY PEARCE, ’64, ADDRESSES

THE SEXUAL ASSAULT ISSUE

He challenges the Academy to create a “deep and lasting culture of trust...”

FREEDOM ISN’T FREE

Family and friends remember Capt. Eric Das, ’95, whose F-15E went down over Tikrit, Iraq.

A DREAM UNBROKEN

1st Lt. Laura Piper, ’92, was living out her dream of being an Air Force officer when tragically her life ended while on a humanitarian mission in Northern Iraq.

NATIONAL CHAMPS

Boxing, men’s and women’s rugby, and fencing return home as National Champions.

3116

Receptionist (719) 472-0300

DSN 333-4513

Fax (719) 333-4194

E-mail aog@aog-usafa.org

Web site www.aog-usafa.org

EXECUTIVE OFFICES

President/CEO: Col. (Ret.) James A. Shaw, ’67

Executive Assistant: MaryCharney

Receptionist: Michele Cowan

Mail Distribution: Darrell Cornett

FINANCE

Vice President: Larry Smith, ’71

Accountant: Joyce Love, Cindi Kinder

DEVELOPMENT

Vice President: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Gary S. Howe, ’69

Administrative Assistant: Marsha Rosinski

Annual & Class Giving: Chery Flores, Director

Elizabeth Winn, Assistant Director

Sabre Society: Becky Hureau, Administrator

Regina Graves, Assistant Administrator

Corporate Giving: Gary S. Howe, ’69

Planned Giving: Gary S. Howe, ’69

Stewardship: VirginiaTonneson, ’80

Data Entry: Sandy Luckhurst, Supervisor

Dawn Wallick, Gift Administrator

John Rice, Biographical Updates

Barbara Meyer, Address Updates

Chris Barry, Matching Gifts

Pavers: Elizabeth Winn

Memorial Funds: Elizabeth Winn

CAMPAIGN

Vice President: Sean Pieri

Administrative Assistant: Marsha Rosinski

Campaign Coordinator: Col. (Ret.) Brian Binn, ’72

Major Giving: Russ Laney, ’76, Brian Binn, ’72, Jennifer Bateman

INFORMATION

SERVICES

Vice President: Col. (Ret.) Chuck Denham, ’67

Director of IS Operations: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jack Mueller, ’70

Director of IS Systems:: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Rich Trentman, ’81

Programmer/Analyst: Christy Peppers

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Vice President: Col. (Ret.) Dick Rauschkolb, ’70

Director of Marketing & Media: Bob McAllister

Media Designer: Sarah Wright

Multimedia Specialist: Ken Wright

Website: Ken Wright

Checkpoints and

Opinions

First, hearty congratulations to the Class of 2003 as you receive your diplomas and join the ever-growing Long Blue Line of graduates serving our country. And, with 66% of the class already on board as Life Members ofthe AOG, we look forward to your active participation in AOG activities.

These past few months have been a difficult period for our Academy. We have experienced a barrage of negative publicity, leadership changes, policy changes, multiple investigations, and considerable distress and concern on the part of many graduates. But, from my perspective, the recovery process is well underway. Secretary Roche and General Jumper have put forward a strong “Agenda for Change” (see AOG web site at AOG-USAFA.ORG), and the new Academy leadership has taken the ball and run with it.

It will take time to implement all the changes, and some will undoubtedly be revised as experience shows what works and what has unintended consequences. For our part, the AOG has been an active player, providing inputs to the Secretary and Chief, fielding queries from graduates and parents, posting pertinent information on our website, and supporting cadets and Academy leadership. Having said all that, some graduates expected more, wanted the AOG to be “out front” and more vocal. We opted not to do that (see article on page 17 for rationale). We did ask the Chiefifhe would provide some direct feedback to our members, and answer some of our questions (see his article on page 14). My personal thanks to Gen. Jumper for his responsive comments.

On 13 April, the AOG dedicated a new $100,000 projection system for Mitchell Hall, which allows cadets to view current news

and special events, and from an AOG perspective, to highlight the accomplishments of graduates and the heritage of our Long Blue Line. We believe this system will pay big dividends for the AOG and the cadets.

Well, the time has come for me to “shake the stick” and turn over the AOG board chair to Ted Legasey, ’67, who brings a keen intellect, new ideas, a wealth of experience and a love of the Academy that is bound to move the AOG forward to new heights. Please give Ted your full support. We will also be adding two new board members in July to replace two outgoing members. The outgoing members are Jody Merritt, ’89, and Dave Palenchar, ’70, who have both done superb work for the board; and the incoming members are Dr. Leon Smith-Harrison, ’75, and Col. Susan Helms, ’80, who both bring outstanding credentials and talent.

It has been a rewarding 6 years on the board for me, with the past 4 years as your chairman. Ginger and I extend our sincere thanks to the board, the AOG President/CEO Jim Shaw and his staff, and all our 19,689 members for your friendship, dedication and support.

All the best, Marcus Anderson, ’61, Lt. Gen. (Ret.)

The entire AOG thanks Lt. Gen. Andersonfor his tireless support and leadership to the AOG and the Academy. We wish Ginger andyou the best. -Ed.

Checkpoints

What an awesome product you are delivering to our alumni and other interested readers! I’m very proud and honored to have been a (very) small part of Checkpoints for so many years. What a joy to watch the evolution ofcreativity—coupled with technology—to produce such a world class publication. My hat is off to all ofyou!!

Don Myers, Class of1980 Class Scribe

A Word of Thanks

Please accept my deep gratitude for the generosity of the AOG and its private contributors who funded the 2003 Air Force Academy Squash Club. Without you, it is no exaggeration that squash would not exist at the Academy.

With the demise ofAFA intramural squash and its elimination from the PE curriculum, we’ve been reduced to just a handful of courts and, along with most other athletically-based clubs, we’ve had our budget cut in halfwhen we were summarily removed from “competitive status” last year.

Thanks to the AOG we were awarded $3200 to fly nine cadets, a coach, and me (the Officer-in-Charge) to the U.S. Naval Academy for Navy’s annual squash tournament. The trip helped develop my cadets’ officership—by taxing them physically, competitively, and intellectually. That’s what Cadet Clubs are all about: developing officership. I am thankful that the AOG believes in that mission.

Donald M. Zimmerman, PhD, Lt. Col., USAF Air Force Squash Club Officer-in-Charge

Thank you for your continued support of the speakers program! As a result of this continued support, we are able to bring in compelling speakers to discuss relevant issues and hold a dialogue with our students.

Thank you again for continuing to support academic excellence at USAFA.

Lt. Col. James Faber Assistant Professor/Political Science

Bring Me Men Ramp

With all the recent media coverage about reported sexual harassment at the Academy, I feel compelled to bring up the topic of the words, “Bring Me Men” that are posted at the entrance to the Cadet Area. It’s time to take them down. Each day, it becomes more and more obvious that the Academy is out of step with the rest of society, as long as we continue to allow those three words to be posted in such a conspicuous place.

“Bring Me Men...”

Yes, there are quotation marks around them, and there are three dots after them. Yes, there is a footnote explaining where they come from. But, let’s be real; the words are, “Bring Me Men.” That there should even be a discussion as to whether they stay is indicative of the Air Force leadership’s mentality. Senator Allard from Colorado may have hit the nail right on the head, when he said that some of the Academy officers just don’t get it. FFow much more brazen and insensitive can we be? “Bring Me Men.” FFow can we be so bold as to continue having that inscription on our portal?

I recall my first day at the Academy, when I saw those words. I felt so proud. I was still a boy, but, for the first time in my life, I was being referred to as a man. But, times have changed. The Academy is no longer an all male institution. Now, when I see those words, I cringe with embarrassment. They are out ofstep with the times, and they are an acute, if not blatant message to any woman who enters the Academy—a message that says women are not really welcome here. It reflects leadership’s attitude. The leaders have somehow justified those words’ continued existence with explanations that fail any litmus test that I know.

While Air Force leadership allows such an obvious testimony of sexism to remain, it should not then surprise us that there may well be sexual harassment among the cadets that is not so obvious. Our graduates then become Air Force leaders, where their ingrained sexism continues. I had first hand exposure to that when my daughter was stationed at Elmendorf AFB. As a crew chief on F-15s, she dealt with unacceptable sexist behaviors every day. This was under the leadership of an Academy graduate Wing Commander and an Academy graduate Air Force Commander. The prevailing attitude was probably the same as they learned as cadets: if no one complains, then there must not be a problem. If someone does complain, make sure she doesn’t complain again. That is accomplished by making all the peers feel threatened and intimidated, with the victim ultimately being ostracized by her peers. It’s no wonder then that these victims are reluctant to come forward. They don’t necessarily want people (friends and co-workers) disciplined. They want the system fixed.

I think we should be proud of our heritage. I think we should stand tall as we take down the “Bring Me Men” sign. I think we should continue to have photographs of those words in our archives. I think we should be proud that we recognize that they no longer are appropriate. They were at one time, but they are not any longer. We should be proud that the Air Force Academy, as it always has done, changes with the times.

If the leaders do not understand why it is appropriate to remove those words that are so obvious and blatant, why would we then expect them to understand the more subtle nuances and behaviors that create a sexist, hostile environment, much less be capable of doing the right things to eliminate them?

Michael Verzola, Class of1972

It seems like everyone has an opinion about the Air Force Academy these days...the Congressmen in Washington trying to please their voting constituents...the media trying to uncover some supposed scandal and then sensationalize it to the ignorant public...the average Joe who thinks cadets are rapists. However, I think that someone has been neglected in this public effort to destroy a once respected institution. That someone just happens to be those most familiar with the Academy-the cadets and graduates. No one seems to care that simply as a result of our affiliation with the Academy, our integrity and our very reputations have been sullied now that this scandal has surfaced. No one seems to care that our traditions and our way of life have been forever altered in this massive effort to appease those offended by our very existence. No, how about instead we institute a plethora of changes to

the institution that seemingly do not address the issue that brought us here in the first place? By eliminating the “Bring Me Men” ramp, we are not addressing the sexual assault scandal; we are removing a piece of our heritage, history, and tradition. This was clearly a knee-jerk reaction that does nothing to alleviate the current crisis. This poem if examined closely clearly does not promote or otherwise advocate sexism; neither does it support any gender gap. It never was even an issue for those most deeply affected by this situation, the victims. Removing this definite and decided part ofAcademy tradition will not improve the current situation in the slightest. In fact, this action alone will inspire and promote more bitterness and cynicism amongst nearly all cadets, people who are already suffering from damaged morale. Cadets, both male and female, daily embody the deeper meaning of this poem-the fact that we are called to be courageous warriors and exemplary leaders. Removing this symbol will have the opposite of its intended effect. As a graduate, I consider USAFA to be my Academy. Certainly, from a technical standpoint, it belongs to the taxpayers who by their generous tax dollars fund the institution. But truthfully though, the Academy belongs to the cadets and graduates who have sweat, toiled, and bled there and will continue to do so. I am outraged and saddened that no one has bothered to consult those nearest and dearest to this institution. We who have devoted our lives to the service of our country are just pawns in this era of political correctness and knee-jerk reactions.

H. Grey Shelfer, Class of2002

Removing “Bring Me Men” from above the ramp at the Air Force Academy is a tragedy. Those wonderful words from a great poem have not kept any female from applying to USAFA, nor has it stopped any female from achieving high rank in the cadet wing. Altering a landmark this institution is known for, because of the current scandal or to be politically correct, is absurd. Changing the words “Bring Me Men” on the ramp does not punish the guilty, it punishes the honorable cadets and proud graduates of the Air Force Academy who lose a part of their history. I don’t think the Brass gave this issue enough consideration before acting. They have upset thousands of graduates and many of the cadets in order to satisfy a few critics.

Diane Mackey, Lowell, MA

I completely disagree with the removal ofthe “Bring Me Men” sign at the United States Air Force Academy. I am a graduate and a father of four very accomplished young ladies. I am for severely punishing those guilty ofsuch offenses or tolerating such

offenses. The great majority of grads and cadets have nothing to do with this madness or criminal behavior. However, we are being punished by removing our tradition and the exhortation to “Be all you can be!” which is the message of the “Bring Me Men” words. I am angry that our civilian leadership has such small backbone that they have to give homage to those who are “demanding changes.” I will always look on that wall and see “Bring Me Men.” I would bet that every cadet, graduate, and supporter of the Academy will tell the story and remember the message of the rape of the Academy by the conduct of our civilian leadership. Luckily Grads have longer memories that most politicians. I bet you will find the sign back sometime when we have new leadership.

JWStealey, Class of1970

National Character & Leadership Symposium

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to attend the NCLS. The symposium was absolutely first class and it is no wonder why-outstanding cadets, faculty, and an alumni association that cares.

Lt. Col. Tim Zadalis, National Security Fellow

JFK School ofGovernment, Harvard Univ.

Thank you very much for including us in the NCLS Keynote Events. We had a great time and enjoyed both the dinner and the comradeship. Dr. Rigsby gave an outstanding presentation. It was both a privilege and a pleasure listening to him and to have been a small part in being able to fund such a worthy Keynote Speaker. For the first speaker the Class of’59 was able to fund, you would have been hard pressed to have found a better person.

Rose &Jim Brown, Class of1959

Please accept my whole hearted congratulations on the excellent 10th Annual National Character & Leadership Symposium. I not only immensely enjoyed my role as a presenter but was even more impressed by the caliber of the other speakers and all the cadets and other students that attended. This was a rare opportunity to step back and reflect on some of the most vital issues of our times: character, leadership, morality and courage. The high level of consideration that these and other equally important concepts received was remarkable, eye opening and very meaningful in these troubling times.

Your graduates, alumni, volunteers and other donors deserve kudos for their continued support for what is most assuredly the most ambitious and far reaching examination of these leadership issues in the country.

Mixed Feelings About Obituary

I received the Checkpoints latest issue, and inside was an excellent writeup in “Gone But Not Forgotten” about the career and untimely passing of 1984 graduate Dillon McFarland. The very next writeup in “Gone But Not Forgotten” was enough to make me sick... a 1988 graduate, Michael Shipley whose writeup included a very unambiguous description of his losing a “courageous battle” against an AIDs-induced cancer, topped offwith a description of his work in promoting a gay lifestyle. This was the first writeup in Checkpoints where political correctness replaced decency and common courtesy.

I am a squadron commander of an Air Force Reserve KC135 squadron that has been mobilized once again for Enduring Freedom. The sister of a pilot in my squadron was married to Major McFarland. When he was killed, we witnessed the impact of this loss in our squadron comrade. Major McFarland, NOT Michael Shipley, led a courageous life...combat veteran (as are we), consummate fighter pilot, devoted husband and father. Michael Shipley simply succumed to the result of living a perverse lifestyle...no courage, no honor.

Please, put an early and immediate end to the political correctness that is a slap in the face to those who have TRULY served and given their all. If people like Michael Shipley and his pals can’t suppress their needs to explicitly advertise their lifestyle, then let them do so in another forum...it’s not impressive or courageous to do so in Checkpoints.

Lt. Col. Brad Knapp, Class of1983 Commander, 74th Air RefuelingSquadron

I commend the decision to include the Michael W. Shipley, ’88, obituary. It may be a first among the service academies to have had the husband of a male graduate write ofthe death. We have come along way in terms of tolerance and openness. It is good to see that we remain brothers regardless ofthe hand that fate deals us!

Dana Arbaugh, Class of1970

Thank you for your comments. We discussed this issue and felt that we needed to print the obituary as submitted. Recall that we (the AOG staff)do not write the obituary, it is done by a classmate/friend of the deceased. Our decision had nothing to do with political correctness. We do not think we should be in the business of censorship, nor should we hide the fact that one of our graduates is gay.

Whether we believe in or reject this lifestyle, it is a fact of life and graduates deserve the whole truth.

James A. Shaw, ’67 President & CEO Myles Rademan

Dean’s Update

Brig. Gen. David A. Wagie, ’72 Dean of the Faculty

Ever since Secretary Rumsfeld delivered a heartening graduation address to the outstanding class of 2002, USAFA has been forging ahead and building on its successes. The strides we’ve made-despite faculty manning shortages, leadership changes, and occasionally challenging security measures—have been nothing short of phenomenal! Your Academy continues to earn national recognition for its academic programs, and the cadets continue to win highly-competitive scholarships and rack up academic awards. What is more, the incoming class of 2007 looks poised to uphold this tradition ofscholastic excellence. Lastly, our international programs, research programs and curriculum changes only solidify our position as one of the superior universities and officer training programs in the United States. We, the USAFA faculty, are proud to be an important part ofpreparing our cadets to be the best 2nd lieutenants in the best Air and Space Force the world has ever known!

But before I share our successes with you in more detail, I would once again like to thank the graduate community, parents, and friends of the Academy, including corporations and foundations, who donated money through the Association of Graduates and thus significantly improved our already-thriving academic programs. The Olmsted Foundation increased its support for cultural immersion

programs from $200,000 to $300,000 and increased its contribution to the Academy Assembly and Military FFistory Symposium from $8,000 to $25,000. As a result, more cadets were able to learn about foreign cultures than ever before. The Lockheed Martin Corporation gave $25,000 to purchase a second uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV), thus opening exciting opportunities for research by cadets which will benefit the Air Force and military operations in general.

Support from graduates has similarly increased. This money not only supports guest speaker programs, Student Services, the Academy Assembly, Summer Research and Cadet Education Special Projects, among others, but it also plays an important role in the outstanding ratings we receive from surveys like the Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report; those rankings are based, in part, on alumni enthusiasm as measured by donor participation. Again, thank you for making all of our programs, from social sciences to basic sciences and from humanities to engineering, some of the very best in the country!

After almost 5 years as Dean of the Faculty, I remain utterly convinced that I have the best job in the world. To work with enthusiastic

cadets and outstanding instructors is an unparalleled privilege, and to see your donations enhancing our world-class academic programs in important ways makes me grateful and proud. Again, thank you!

Now for an update on a fast-paced last year!

National Recognition USAFA’s academic programs continue to attract the national spotlight. In the Princeton Review’s annual guide to the nation’s top colleges, USAFA, out of 345 schools, ranked #3 for “Best Overall Academic Experience” behind Northwestern and Amherst and ranked as the 6th toughest school to earn acceptance to. In theU.S. News andWorld Reportrankings for Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (among non-PhD-granting institutions), we placed as the #4 engineering university in the country, and in the individual program rankings, our Departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics earned the #2 spot nationwide. Showing USAFA’s prowess in debate, the Academy Forensics Team tied for first-place in the nation with The University of California at Berkeley. Finally, USAFA was only one of sixteen schools to be named a Leadership Institution by the Association ofAmerican Colleges and Universities representing 3,500 institutions ofhigher learning!

Scholarships Along with the aforementioned accolades, we also measure the success of our academic programs by the number and types of scholarships our cadets earn. Towards this endeavor, our faculty mentors our highest-achieving cadets through the rigorous scholarship application process. As of this date, well over 2000 graduates from our 44 graduating classes have won the opportunity to complete advanced academic degrees as their first Air Force assignment, and the Class of 2003 is following suit.

The accomplishments ofthis class are truly phenomenal. The Hertz Fellowship is considered to be the “Rhodes” of the Basic Science and Engineering Scholarships. Only 16 were awarded to 597 nation-wide applicants this year, and, for the first time since 1995, one of our cadets won. Another of our senior cadets is headed to Exeter College, Oxford, England, for two years under the newly-endowed Alberta Bart Holaday Scholarship. Established by Bart Holaday, a ’65 grad and former Rhodes Scholar, this scholarship will now allow us, every year, to send our top Rhodes candidate to Oxford. In those years that we have a Rhodes winner, the runner-up in our pool of Rhodes candidates will still go to Oxford on this new scholarship. The opportunities to excel at USAFA are only growing and getting better!

Speaking of opportunities, four Class of 2003 graduates will be attending the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University to earn Master’s degrees in public policy. Nine cadets will enroll in the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology as Draper Fellows, while two will be Draper Fellows at Rice University. Another cadet will enter the Rand graduate school to pursue a PhD in the world’s leading policy analysis program. As if that weren’t enough, one cadet earned a National Science Foundation Scholarship, and two will attend PREST (Program Research and Education in SpaceTechnology) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The Class of2004 also has its superstars.

Two second classmen have won the prestigious Truman Scholarship; they are the 10th and 11th USAFA recipient in the last nine years, and each ofthem will receive $30,000 for graduate study.

In addition to our 28 winners of National Competitive Scholarships, approximately 10 cadets will obtain advanced degrees under the USAFA-sponsored Graduate School Program (GSP) either in-residence at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), at the Naval Postgraduate School, or at civilian institutions. Also, 14 cadets will begin their medical training: 7 to medical school, 6 to nursing school, and 1 to dental school. I think by now you can see why USAFA is one of the premier universities in the country!

International Programs

The International Programs office is another reason for USAFA’s success. We’ve had a semester exchange program with the French Academy since 1969, and have recently started programs with Spain, Chile, Germany, and Canada. In the future, we hope to begin semester exchanges that immerse our cadets in the Japanese, Russian, and Chinese languages. t>

The war with Iraq had security implications on our overseas travel, causing us to cancel our plans to send 52 cadets to 12 countries over Spring Break, but we’re adapting and moving forward in other areas. Instead of sending 50 cadets to 8 countries as part of the Cadet Summer Language Immersion Program (CSLIP), we plan on sending them to various locations in Canada, the United States, and Mexico to complete their training. Our Four-Year International Cadet Program is also flying high. In an effort to strengthen ties between our four-year international cadets and their own militaries, we are allowing these cadets (in larger numbers than ever before) to return to their countries over the summer in order to train with their militaries. In turn, we are allowing this training to validate certain USAFA training requirements that must be met before graduation. For example, one Moroccan cadet, a rising senior, will work basic cadet training in his home country to earn leadership credit back at USAFA. The flight training he undergoes will earn him credit at USAFA as well. Similarly, 3 Singaporean cadets will attend ground school and flight training in their home countries. One of these cadets has already taken part in jungle training in Borneo which will validate the Combat Survival Training (CST) requirement here at USAFA. As you can see, we are truly committed to our international cadets!

Research Since 1988, external funding of our research program has grown by almost 1000%! In fact, over just this last year we increased from five to eight million dollars, and expect to break 10 million by the end ofthis academic year! This explosion in funding, and the fact that it’s coming from a rapidlygrowing number ofoutside sources (especially the Department ofDefense) is an indicator not only ofthe fact that we are cost-effective in conducting research, but also ofthe quality and relevance ofour faculty and cadet-run research programs. OurAeronautics department helped the U.S. Navy solve the F-18E/F uncommanded roll problem, while our Physics Department enhanced the staying power ofthe Airborne Laser Lab for the Air Force and Missile Defense Agency. In support of NASA and the Air Force Space Command, our Department of Astronautics designed and built a satellite which will carry a science payload to measure plasma depletions in the ionosphere which interfere with Global Positioning System (GPS) and other space communications. Finally, faculty and cadets from several of our departments contributed to the wartime missions ofthe Air Force by studying and improving the performance of UAVs like the Predator, which was highly effective in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and recently in Iraq!

It’s commonly known that the hallmark of a superior institution of higher learning is the robustness of its connections to outside agencies, and we definitely have those. The word is out that USAFA makes contributions, enhances cadet education through relevant research, and gets the job done right! To learn more about our research programs, you can access http://www.usafa.af.mil/dfe/discovery.

Curriculum Changes

Our most major curriculum change has been restructuring core course requirements. Disciplinary majors used to require between 151 to 161 hours, whereas the broader

divisional majors required 145 hours. In both cases, cadets who wanted to take Introductory Flight Training (IFT) had to add it on top of these course loads-a challenging task to say the least. Now, disciplinary majors are reduced to 148 hours, 6 of which are open options that can absorb the IFT hours, and divisional majors now take 142 hours, or 148 hours if they choose to enroll in IFT. This allows for a more equitable load between majors.

To encourage cadets to become scientists and engineers, two areas where the Air Force is currently low-manned, we will be asking incoming cadets to give us a tentative idea of their desired major so that we can design the most suitable and effective course sequence possible: thus maximizing their chances ofsuccessfully completing our rigorous degree programs. As part of the effort to help incoming cadets choose their major, we have designed an interdisciplinary program called the First-Year Experience (FYE), a pilot ofwhich we conducted last semester with over 220 freshmen cadets. The course was organized around a central theme (in this case, Desert Storm) and every department at USAFA taught a part of it, showing how their specific discipline and core courses relate to the overall Air Force mission.

Looking to the Future With the Class of2003 about to become 2nd Lieutenants, the Air Force is in good hands. This is due in part because of their academic and training accomplishments, but also because they have done a superb job of meeting career field quotas set by the Air Force. While 548 out of 1002 first-classmen will attend pilot training, the Class of 2003 is nonetheless meeting targets in hard-to-fill career fields such as Weather, Space and Missiles, Navigator, and Air Battle Management. These targets have not been met in five years so the Air Force will be well-served.

Not only is the future of the Air Force looking bright, but so is the future of USAFA because of the incoming Class of 2007, a class that looks to be one ofthe most competitive in the Academy’s history! The current average GPA of’07 is a 3.95, and their average combined SAT scores are an amazing 1340! Also, over 51% are pilot qualified. And despite recent negative publicity, the acceptance rates ofapplicants are currently 7% higher than they were for the Class of 2006. Also, we’ve offered appointments to 243 women versus 181 last year, and their acceptance rate this year is 15% higher than that of the previous class.

By every sign, the Class of 2007 appears to be motivated and poised to carry on the tradition of excellence that the classes before them have shouldered. I look forward to being their Dean!

Summary The past year has been eventful and busy, but certainly not without its wealth of awards and accomplishments. It is a privilege to work with a world-class faculty, and an inspiration to see our cadets—with their integrity, intelligence, dedication, and drive—achieve great things for themselves, their Air Force, and their country. They have always excelled, and will no doubt continue to do so-we know that you are as proud of them as we are! 9

Grads Voice Opinio Over Removal of th

me Men

Ihe winds of change blew into the Academy with the sounds of a hammer and chisel when the “Bring Me Men” sign was removed.

The words on the sign, which was put up in 1964, came from the poem, “Bring me men to match my mountains, Bring me men to match my plains,” by Sam Walter Foss. It was removed as part of the new “Agenda for Change.” The Air Force mandated the “Agenda for Change” in response to 56 sexual assault allegations at the Academy over the past 10 years.

Reactions to the removal of the two-foot high aluminum letters have been mixed.

“I have spent the last three mornings sifting through countless emails from Academy female graduates,” said 1st Lt. Jennifer Ortiz, ’99. “Each of us has our own opinions and experiences while we were at the Academy, most of us are outraged by how the media has portrayed the Academy experience, and all of us seem to agree that bringing down the “Bring Me Men” ramp is a bad idea. It will only widen the gender gap and alienate the female cadets at the Academy. For the rest of the Academy’s history, it will be known that the [Bring Me Men sign] was removed because offemales being at the Academy. Females need to be a part ofthe Academy, not a burden to it and that is how some ofthe measures the leadership is implementing are making women feel.”

Others feel that it is past time the sign came down.

“‘Bring Me Men’-I love the poem; I loved singing the song,” said a female graduate of the Class of 1982. “It’s beautiful! It’s majestic! It’s heartfelt! If the whole poem was mounted up there (with the lyrics changed to “Bring me those who match my mountains...”), I’d be inspired. But, “Bring Me Men” is out of context as it’s mounted, and it bugged me the day I arrived, and it bugged me the four years I was there. I think I’m one of a small minority here, but it’s past its time.”

Many of those who disagree with the removal feel that the poem addresses the term ‘Men’ to mean human kind and does not distinguish between the genders. They cite the use of the poem on the California State Treasurer’s Building and its commendation medal. They also cite the importance ofhistory here.

“I think removing the words is robbing the Academy of its proud heritage and tradition,” said 1st Lt. Angela Arredondo-Smith, ’99. “This issue is analogous to the Confederate flag,” said Maj. JeffMeyer, ’88. “It is a symbol ofa piece ofour history. It represents southern pride

Workers from Midwest Barricade took down the letters “Bring Me Men," starting with the ‘E.’ The alteration is part of the “Agenda for Change mandated by the Air Force.

and the honor and dignity of those who fought for their state in the Civil War. However, it also represents hatred and oppression to many others. Neither view is wrong. However, when we have a choice to symbolize what we stand for today we should not choose a symbol that creates division, animosity, or exclusion. In this way, “Bring Me Men” should be replaced.”

The Academy is a public institution and many people feel that public opinion must play a role in what happens at the Academy.

“I can see how those who are not a part of the Academy wouldn’t understand [what the sign means to graduates] and ifwe must appease the public, why not just add the “...And Women?,” Ortiz said. “It would be more appropriate than taking it down altogether because we women understand that we were not always a part ofthe Academy, but we know that we are a growing part ofit now.”

“I think it sends a message of cultural renovation,” said Cadet 1st Class and Spring Cadet Wing commander Jeff Cameron. “I don’t think it’s going to fix every problem at the Academy but it shows our willingness to adjust and change to better serve the American public.”

The sign, which is at the root of such controversy, is gone now. Two hours, three men and the winds of change have left a blank, gray marble wall in its place, fl

TOUGH TALK™™

Gen. John Juniper Air Force Chiefof Staff

In a continuingeffort to keep our graduatecommunityinformed regarding recent events at the Academy the AOG asked Gen. John Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff to answer some tough questions about the “Agenda for Change” (See thefull report at www.aog-usafa.org). The following are his responses.

Q. Can you describe the investigative process?

A. In January Secretary Roche and I chartered a Working Group under the leadership of the Air Force General Counsel, Ms. Mary Walker, comprised of senior leaders in the Air Force. We asked them to undertake a comprehensive review of the Air Force Academy and to report their findings with respect to the responsiveness, effectiveness, and fairness of our current programs. As part of this effort, an investigative team with representatives from the Air Force General Counsel, Manpower and Readiness, Personnel, the Air Force Inspector General, Office of Special Investigations (OSI), the Judge Advocate, Legislative Liaison, and other Air Staff offices reviewed procedures and interviewed individuals at the Academy. Those interviewed included Academy leadership, cadet leadership, cadet victims, faculty and staff members, security forces, Office of Special Investigations representatives, athletic department personnel, military training liaisons, and representatives of all components of the response to the reports ofsexual assault-including counselors, victim support agencies, medical and mental health provider, legal offices, and law enforcement agencies (including civilian agencies).

Q. Can you summarize the results of the ongoing investigations thus far?

A. During the 10-year period from 1993 to 2003, available records indicate the Air Force Office of Special Investigations conducted a total of 56 investigations of sexual assault allegations in which either the victim or the alleged assailant, or both, were cadets at the time of the event. Twenty cases involved allegations of rape, but three women recanted their original accusations. We have asked the Inspector General (IG) to investigate the 17 remaining cases of alleged rape to ensure they were handled appropriately and to ensure due process was followed correctly. There are significant indications that a primary value among some cadets is loyalty to each other rather than loyalty to Air Force core values.

Q. The introductory paragraphs on “The Cadet Honor Code” seem to be saying that cadets are not living by the spirit of the code and are trying to evade punishment under the letter of the code. Could you clarify and/or provide examples of what you mean?

A. The policy directive serves to clarify the meaning of the lionor Code; we have not implied improper cadet behavior here, nor have we changed the meaning of the Honor Code. There currently exists a troubling condition in which some cadets focus on the interpretation or rationalization of honor code transgressions rather than following of the spirit and intent of the code, which is to foster the highest level of integrity and conduct. That will be changed. The spirit of the Honor Code is to conduct one’s life in an honorable manner. Any deviation, regardless of the circumstances, cannot be tolerated.

Q. There are three major areas addressed in your report that are directly related to the sexual assault issue (Leadership, Cadet Life, and Officer/NCO selections, training and roles). Please address specific changes, the rationale behind them, and the implementation plan.

A. Our goal is to remove all barriers to reporting sexual assault. We have found that many of these barriers are institutional, and we have addressed that problem through measures taken in each of these areas. We want to build a Cadet Wing that does the right thing for the right reasons; we want to remove any vestiges of a culture that would cover up sexual assault. The overarching goal is to align the culture of the AFA more closely with that of the larger Air Force.

Q. The report mentioned several other changes dealing with the broader Academy culture (faculty tenure, post graduate assignments, Athletic Department restructuring) that appear to go beyond the problem of sexual assaults. Please address these specific changes, the rationale behind them, and the implementation plan.

A. We realize that to remain relevant to the larger Air Force, the Academy cannot be managed in a vacuum; rather, it must reflect the values and norms ofthe whole Air Force while maintaining the high academic standards of a world-class university. Our goal is to align the Air Force Academy with the structure ofthe entire Air Force, and the changes directed serve to realize that goal. A component of our culture problem is related to perceived favoritism among some groups at

the Academy. We must restore a culture that values respect for all, and this is the spirit in which we derived our changes.

Q. Why did you choose to change the leadership at the Academy?

A. Our determination is that a new leadership team is a prerequisite for the type ofreforms required to return the Academy to the high standards expected of one ofAmerica’s finest institutions. Due to the scope of the changes that must occur and the clear need to address the current culture at the Academy, the “Agenda for Change” can best be implemented and executed by a new Academy leadership team.

Q. What is your roadmap for the future?

A. The USAFA exists to educate, train, and inspire the world’s premier airmen leaders. The Academy’s sole role is to commission officers of character, committed to our core values of integrity, service, and excellence; officers capable of ensuring America remains the world’s premier air and space power. To realize this vision, the Air Force Academy will implement the changes directed by the Air Force leadership. The Air Force leadership will provide the direction and aid the Academy in its implementation of the Agenda for Change. This change will serve as the first step in a journey to re-establish the reputation of this great institution. We want to act in time for the incoming class, to assure our new arrivals and their parents that we have addressed the sexual assult issue and have re-established the Academy’s emphasis on mutual respect and character.

Q. Is it your overall impression that the Academy had “drifted” and needed to be “brought back on course?” If so, why do you think that happened?

A. We have allowed a few criminals to tarnish the United States Air Force Academy’s reputation as a world-class institution dedicated to the development ofAmerica’s finest leaders. How this happened is part of our ongoing investigation; that it will not happen again is up to us.

A. What can the AOG and graduate community do to be of assistance? (information conduit, feedback mechanism, spokesman, etc.)

A. The AOG has offered to serve as a conduit for information to Academy graduates and continues to keep them informed about developments as we tackle this difficult problem. We support this effort. The AOG is an important and influential organization and the Secretary and I hope you will give us your full support us as we implement changes to restore the Academy’s reputation for excellence. Change is always associated with turbulence, but rest assured we have the stick and will see this mission through to a successful conclusion. HS

The spires of the Cadet Chapel and the sight of cadets slipping “the surly bonds” will always remain a part of the Air Force Academy. But some things do change. Your Association of Graduates is trying harder than ever to provide more, and improved services for you. Our web site, http://www.aog-usafa.org places a variety of valuable services at your fingertips, such as:

A Merchandise A Photo Galleries

A Specialized News Stories A Graduate Job Programs

A Reunion Registration A Bio Updates

Whether you’ve visited our site regularly in the past, or never before, we hope you take time to see how we’re changing. If you like what you see, or even if you don’t, please let us know. Our goal is to provide you with the excellent and personal service you’ve come to expect from us over the years.

AOG Position on the Sexual Assault Issue & The Agenda for Change

Brigadier GeneralJohnny Weida took over as Commandant of Cadets on 10 April. He is also serving as the acting Superintendent until Major General John Rosa is confirmed by the Senate. General Rosa has been nominated for his third star and is expected to arrive in June. As the Academy undergoes key leadership changes, we believe it is important to let our constituents know what the AOG has been doing for the last month regarding the recent events at the Air Force Academy. A very small minority has implied that we are doing nothing to address the problems facing the Academy. We can assure you that is not the case.

First, let us be clear about the AOG’s position on the substantive matters at hand-and there is no disagreement about this in the graduate community. Anyone guilty of criminal activity has no place at the Air Force Academy or in our Air Force. Moreover, a climate that “tolerates” individuals who commit crimes, or that makes individuals who are victims fearful of reporting such crimes is unacceptable at the Air Force Academy. The Association ofGraduates will do all that it can to support the changes needed to resolve these problems as quickly as possible. In short, the AOG will be part ofthe solution, not part of the problem. There is some disagreement in the graduate community about “how” to bring about the needed changes. Your AOG leadership respects these different points ofview and is working to ensure they are heard.

In our initial letter to you, we promised we would keep you informed of events as they unfolded. We have done that through letters, Emails, and almost daily updates to our website. We also told you that we would provide feedback to the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff. We have done that on a number of issues, including clustering of women in the dorms and removing the “Bring Me Men” sign. We have heard from graduates who feel strongly on both sides of these topics. Both Secretary Roche and General Jumper have responded promptly to our correspondence. We suggested that both men meet with our Capitol Chapter and they did—meeting with over a 100 graduates in the Pentagon while the war with Iraq was in its early stages. General Jumper also agreed to an interview for this issue of Checkpoints. We asked some tough questions and we expect some candid answers. We are also working other initiatives to bring Air Force leadership, the Cadet Wing and the graduate community together.

Your AOG Board had a teleconference on 6 April and affirmed its support for the Secretary’s and Chief s directive: “The Air Force Academy: Agenda for Change.” Congress mandated that Air Force leadership take immediate steps to fix the sexual assault problem. The “Agenda for Change” contains many positive directives which will improve the Academy environment. Some of the changes appear to be unrelated to the sexual assault issue. Members ofCongress, the Academy staff, and the AOG are seeking clarification and rationale for those directives.

We plan to maintain all of our communication channels, so we can be a rational and respected voice as changes at the Academy are considered. It is clear to us that the SECAF and CSAF view the situation at the Academy as an issue that needs to be resolved at the Air Force level. We are not in the Chain of Command—and trying to insert ourselves into the process, particularly as a roadblock, does nothing to enhance our ability to work with those tasked with fixing the problems at the Academy. Secretary Roche and General Jumper are well aware that some of the changes they are implementing may not be popular with all the cadets and graduates. We are confident that the “Agenda for Change” is only the start of a process that will be continually reviewed and refined. We must have a “seat at the table” as various initiatives are considered, tried, and evaluated, and we believe strongly that constructive participation is the best way to retain our position in the process. When General Jumper said, “Right now I see the Association of Graduates and leadership and the rest of the Air Force coming together for this solution,” it validated our approach.

How can the graduate community help? Recognize there are problems at the Academy and insist they be fixed promptly. Tell the story of our great cadets. Let the public know the many accomplishments ofThe Long Blue Line. Acknowledge that any organization striving for perfection sets itself up as a target. Some rejoice when we falter, but the Academy will grow, adapt, modernize and make course corrections while continuing to produce leaders of character for the Air Force and the nation.

Your AOG is acting responsibly and we are representing the graduate community with objectivity. Our position is clear and we will continue to be proactive in resolving these difficult issues. 9

mandant’s No

Brig. Gen. Johnny A. Weida

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I handed over the reins of the Squadron Officer College and took command of the 34th Training Wing just a few short weeks ago. I’m extremely humbled and honored to return to this hallowed institution, especially at such a pivotal point in its history. I’ve been very impressed with the professionalism and positive attitude of the cadets, faculty and staff. Thanks for the opportunity to echo the expectations I’ve expressed to them and to encourage you to fly wingman with us.

Immediately after I arrived, I clearly explained my expectations to the warriors of Team USAFA in the areas of climate, communication, and commitment. It’s our sacred duty to ensure a climate exists that is free of discrimination, harassment, intimidation and assault of any kind-one that allows each member of Team USAFA to reach their full potential mentally, spiritually and physically. My staff and I have made every effort to communicate with members of Team USAFA regularly, explaining where we are headed and why. We’ve challenged everyone to commit themselves to getting this difficult period behind us-our vehicle for getting through this period is the “Agenda for Change” (see the AOG web site-www.aog-usafa.org for the full report). A host of top-notch folks are putting out extra mach to ensure the directive is fully implemented and understood, and we’ve made great progress to date. The cadets are the key drivers in this cultural change, and they’ll make this work!

We’ve challenged every member of Team USAFA to be a part ofthe solution. Everyone in the Long Blue Line is a critical member of the team, and we issue the challenge to each of you as well. Thank you for the feedback you’ve sent our way— we’re in this together—restoring the reputation of our alma mater and raising morale will take a full court press by everyone. Many thanks to our greatest supporters and advocatesthe SECAF and CSAF-for leading the charge in this regard. They recently coordinated a “Long Blue Line of Excellence” event that is described in detail in a separate article in this issue of Checkpoints on page 41. Highly acclaimed members of every single USAFA graduating class had the opportunity to exchange ideas and concerns with the Secretary and Chief.

For the first time in history, many of the men and women of Contrails fame were introduced and assembled on stage in Arnold Hall, and Dr. Roche and Gen. Jumper inspired cadets to emulate their integrity, service, and excellence. More than a thousand cadets took the opportunity to meet and chat

with these graduates at a reception immediately afterwards, and were further inspired to hold true to what USAFA is best known for—building leaders ofcharacter for our Air Force and nation. Thanks again, Dr. Roche and Gen. Jumper!

Grads are constantlyasking how they can partner with us in our efforts-my sincere thanks for the great question, and for all of you who have already joined the formation. My answer is three-fold: tell your story, discuss character issues with cadets and prospective cadets, and pray. First, there are a variety of ways to tell our story-accompany your local Academy Liaison Officer on a high school visit, speak at a local Parents’ Club or civic group, write an article for your local newspaper, etc. Bottom line: talk about how the Academy experience impacted your life and about the great things that cadets are doing (the AOG web site and Checkpoints are great sources for the latter). Second, many of you are personally involved with current and prospective cadets. Encourage them! Share with them the occasions when you made a very hard ethical decision-and be honest with them-did you do the right thing? Help them realize that they’ll have their character challenged in the future, so the time to build the foundation to meet that challenge is now. Third, I’ve been asking folks to remember USAFA in prayer. May the Lord give us the wisdom to discover the right, the courage to choose it, and the strength to make it endure.

In closing, I’m convinced that the future ofUSAFA has never been brighter. Our mission ofproducing the next generation of leaders in the greatest air and space force will be taken to the next level ofexcellence! We’re at the IP, inbound to target.

p

Editors note: Over the lastfew weeks, BGen. Weida has sent out several messages regarding the “Agendafor Change”and other issues affecting theAcademy. We are reprinting some ofthese “Commander’s Guidance”messages here. Updates will continue to beposted on the AOG web site at www.aog-usafa.org.

Commander’s Guidance 04-1

Warriors of the AFA,

We have gotten off to a great start together. So far I have been extremely impressed with your professionalism and positive attitude. By now you should have read my Commander’s Intent (see www.aog-usafa.org), and heard or read my comments from the change of command. What follows is Commander’s Guidance for the next several months:

CULTURE

We must ensure each cadet that graduates in May has the character, honor, integrity, and sense of service and excellence required of a 2nd Lt in the world’s greatest Air and Space force.

We must ensure a climate exists that allows each AFA team member to reach their full potential mentally, spiritually and physically.

We must ensure a climate exists that is free of discrimination, harassment, intimidation and assault of any kind.

We must ensure everything we do at the AFA is focused and oriented on the Air Force.

COMMUNICATION

We must ensure every team member understands where we are headed and why.

We will publish weekly updates on where we stand on implementing the “Agenda for Change.”

The Commandant/Supt will brief all classes in the next two weeks.

We will start weekly “roundtable discussions with the boss.” These sessions will be with the Commandant, Dean and the Director of Athletics. There will be separate forums for staff/faculty and cadets. The sessions will be held in a lectinar at a regular time each week.

Commanders at all levels must be out with the troops during these critical days ahead. See you there.

COMMITMENT

Focus for the next several months

1. Mission accomplishment: produce the next generation of Ar Force leaders by implementing cultural changes addressed above.

a. Implementation of most pressing items in the “Agenda for Change”:

i. Sexual assault procedures

ii. Arrival of the Class of 2007

iii. Retention issues

iv. Graduation execution

2. Full court press to raise the morale of the entire USAFA team. We know the staff and all mission elements are very busy working these issues hard, in addition to the other normal business this time of year. In addition, we cannot afford to forget about the great cadets we have here. We must spend time with them, keep them updated on issues, ensure we get their perspective, and ensure they are the key drivers in the cultural change. Bottom line: the cadets will make this work!

FUTURE

The future of the AFA has never been brighter. We are making changes and getting resources that are long overdue. End result: our mission of producing the next generation of leaders in the greatest air and space force will be taken to the next level of excellence! It is a great time to be a cadet at the AFA!

r

1 Commander’s

In Commander’s Guidance 04-1, we stressed culture, communication, and commitment. We will work together to improve our climate, get the word out (while soliciting inputs from all involved), and press on through this challenging time.

CHECKPOINTS, SPRING 2003 19

ASSIGNMENTS

This change will only affect a few of you. Most of you will enter our expeditionary Air Force at the operational wing level to gain invaluable experience. Just like the Class of2003, you’ll be classified into an Air Force specialty based on several factors: Air Force requirements, entry-level qualifications for the specialty, cadet preferences, academic major, class standing, specialty manning, etc. Fact—we’re meeting the needs of the Air Force, and 92% of all firsties in the Class of 2003 received their first or second choice ofAir Force Specialty Code! There will still be opportunities for graduates to enter non-line specialties and participate in graduate school and medical school programs. It’s no secret that you’re the most well-rounded, intelligent, and talented members of your generation. You’ll lead the United States Air Force, so an incredible amount of time, energy, and money is being spent to help you prepare for the future. Focus on being the best officer you can be, and remember... the United States Air Force Academy mission and Air Force Core Values.

CROSS-COMMISSIONING

As stated in the directive, there are basically no changes to the way we go about the business ofcross-commissioning. As in years past, the number participating in cross - commissioning is limited to no more than 1% ofthe graduating class. The service academies normally work the exchange ofgraduates on a one-for-one basis. No academic major is restricted from participation in this program. Here’s how it works: USAFA/DPY (Cadet Personnel) will notify cadets that the program application process is open in September, and those interested will submit an application to service representatives assigned to the Academy. Each service rep will hold a board to determine their preference of applicants, and DPY will apply this preference in the selection process.

PIFOT SPOTS

The overall number of pilot training slots is actually increasing for all commissioning sources. The change is not driven by any current situation related to USAFA—the Air Force simply needs more pilots. The stats: 532 slots will be allocated out of approximately 1000 USAFA grads in fiscal year (FY) 2006, versus 533 in FY 2004 (a 1.9% increase); 552 slots will be allocated out ofapproximately 2500 ROTC grads in FY 2006, versus 510 in FY 2004 (a 1.7% increase); 129 slots will be allocated out of approximately 1000 OTS grads in FY 2006, versus 115 in FY 2004 (a 1.5% increase).

DATE OF RANK

This change should not affect your promotions to the next higher grade or your status as 2nd Ets, 1st Fts, Captains, or Majors. The lineal list is used primarily to determine “line numbers” which drive the effective date of promotion to major (and higher grades). Progression from 2nd Ft to 1st Ft is determined by you—how well you do your job and lead your troops for the first 2 years as a commissioned officer. Progression from 1st Ft to Captain is determined by you—how well you do your job and lead your troops for the next 2 years as a commissioned officer. Progression from Captain to Major is determined by you—how well you do your job and lead your troops for roughly the next 6 years as a commissioned officer. I think you get the picture: the way you lead your troops and do your job determines when or ifyou are promoted. Bottom line: your promotion is determined by you. A team from the Pentagon, including several analysts, is working to determine the criteria for lineal determinations (e.g., grade point average, military performance average, class standing, number ofcredit hours, types of courses, class size, etc.). At this point, we think the majority ofUSAFA graduates will likely rank higher in this list than AFROTC and OTS graduates.

FET’S PUSH IT UP!

Thanks for the extra mach you’ve been putting out over the past few days. I’m thrilled to be here serving as Commandant and acting Superintendent, and I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the cadets, faculty, and staff I’ve met. Keep it up!

Commander’s Guidance 04-3

By now you have read or heard my change of command speech and read my Commander’s Intent: “Getting Started” and Commander’s Guidance 04-1 and 04-2. Our “Agenda for Change” is driving many changes, one of which is the Athletic Department (AH) being placed under the Commandant of Cadets. Commander’s Guidance 04-3 is intended primarily for our athletes, but we want everyone to know we’re confident this action can result in a win-win situation for the AFA and the Air Force.

AH MOVING UNDER COMMANDANT OF CADETS

The anxiety of placing athletic programs under the Commandant of Cadets is understandable. Rest assured, however, that we’re your advocates, and understand the time and energy it

takes to compete at the Division I level. Incredible leadership, discipline and dedication are learned on the “fields of friendly strife,” and are essential in combat. The 34th TRW is absolutely committed to the Academy performing competitively at the Division I level. We ask for your patience and constructive feedback as we sort our way through this change.

BALANCE IS THE KEY

As you’re aware, the key to success at the AFA is balancing your efforts in all areas (military, academic, character development, athletic) so you graduate with the skills required for success in our greatAir Force. There are those who have not walked in your shoes and will be quick to criticize your absence at training events, and there may be some in AH who criticize low attendance ofcadets at athletic events. We will clearly communicate the demands placed on Division I athletes, but you must live up to your side of the bargain—be above reproach, carry the best attitude, have the best uniform, march sharper, and lead by example. Give no one cause to think you deserve special treatment—you are all USAFA cadet officer-candidates first, and athletes, aviators, academic students, etc. second. Were off to a great start in this area: intercollegiate athletes represent only 23% ofthe cadet wing, and yet hold 29% (22 of76) key cadet wing leadership positions.

PRIDE IN THE ACADEMY

Performing as Division I athletes is challenging and sacrifices must be made, but great satisfaction and pride are found in fully preparing yourself and competing to your potential. The lessons you learn on the athletic field will make you a better warrior in combat. Were behind you 100%—but always remember our primary emphasis is to ensure every graduate has the character, honor, integrity, sense ofservice and excellence required of a 2nd Lt in the world’s greatest Air and Space force. We’re confident you will be part ofthe solution to a better future for our AFA and Air Force. Walk tall, be proud! The future is bright! Go Air Force!!!!!

Commander’s Guidance 04-05 War

As you know, the Academy recently received unfavorable media coverage and scrutiny because of reports of sexual assaults committed by cadets over the past decade. Air Force and Academy leadership have already taken significant steps to immediately address problems in our human relations

climate. Following further intensive study of the Academy environment, more changes are quite likely. I believe all this will be for the better. I ask you to make a positive contribution to that journey. The ultimate goal remains an institution the American public and we can be proud of—I’m confident were on the right track.

However, as in any human endeavor, there will be disappointments. If you watch Denver’s Channel Seven news broadcast May 1st you will see a story that you are likely to find disturbing. It relates how a member of the cadet wing allegedly used government Internet resources to arrange inappropriate sexual activity off the installation. The television program 20/20 is expected to do a similar story Friday night. Be assured, we are investigating this matter and will take appropriate action once the investigation is complete. Don’t be further discouraged by this story. And don’t allow your personal goals to get sidetracked by public scrutiny of past activity by a few cadets who failed to internalize our institutional core values.

In terms of the larger concerns over our human relations climate, each of us—cadet, officer, enlisted member, civilian employee—should evaluate how our behavior reflects upon this institution and the values we seek to instill in our graduates. Is our behavior, seen in the glaring light of day, going to honor this noble institution? Ask yourself, are your off-duty activities something you can be proud of? If not, you’ve got some soul searching to do. The standard we set for ourselves should not be what is minimally acceptable or just barely legal. We should strive for the highest standards of integrity, service and excellence.. .and honor. We have many people and resources to help you along this path. That’s the Academy mission.

Many of us are justifiably proud of the Academy and our relationship with the institution. We should be. Its contribution to our national defense will endure for decades after we are gone. And this institution will come through the current difficulties better for the changes the scrutiny prompts. We will continue to address problems as they arise, and more importantly, seek to better develop an organizational climate that helps all of our cadets succeed at the Academy, in their professional careers, and in life. Together we will strengthen the Academy’s standing as a world-class institution. Thank you all for your support in this endeavor. D>

Commandant’s

/

Commander’s Guidance 05-1

GRADUATE EDUCATION, CHAIN OF COMMAND, AND “THE RAMP”

Fellow Warriors, Were still getting a lot of questions on graduate education opportunities and “The Ramp,” so we’d like to give you a quick update on where we currently stand on each of these Agenda for Change implementation items. We’ll also discuss the benefits of using your chain of command.

GRADUATE EDUCATION GUIDANCE

As noted in Commander’s Guidance 04-2, USAFA will continue to offer graduate education opportunities to cadets who have been approved by the SECAF. To coordinate this process, we’ll essentially follow our normal procedures for the National Competitive Scholarships Program (NCSP), Endowed Scholarships and Medical School Scholarships.

In August of each year, the Graduate Scholarship Committee (GSC) will endorse cadets to apply for graduate school slots based on their CUM GPA and their advisor and AOC evaluations. To be endorsed, cadets must also be in good military and athletic standing. The GSC will send their list of endorsed cadets to the Dean of the Faculty, the Commandant of Cadets and the Superintendent for review and coordination. The coordinated list will then be sent to the Secretary of the Air Force, with a request for “blanket approval” for those ultimately awarded graduate/medical scholarships.

Based on the latest guidance from the SECAF, we’ll implement the following changes to current USAFA graduate education policies.

(1) The Graduate School Program (GSP): GSP will be reserved primarily for scientists and engineers. Humanities and social science majors will be able to apply for the GSP by exception and will need to request a waiver from the SECAF.

(2) Health Practitioners Scholarships: Opportunities for cadets to apply for dental or nursing school upon graduation will be very limited and based on the needs ofthe Air Force. Cadets who wish to pursue these programs will, in most cases, apply for entry after their first operational tour.

(3) Graduate opportunities for cadets selected for UPT or ENJJPT: These cadets will be able to apply for an exception waiver if there is time for them to complete a master’s program prior to the start of their training.

THE RAMP

Many of you have been wondering what will replace the quote from the Samuel Walter Foss poem that was removed from the battlement wall over the base of the cadet area ramp. The USAF Academy Memorial Board is a cross-mission element committee including regular representation from cadets and the USAF Academy Association of Graduates. At its 5 March 2003 meeting, the Memorial Board determined that some time would be required to find a suitable, appropriate and enduring alternative. Inputs are welcome, and should be sent to USAFA/XP. When ready, the Memorial Board will make its recommendation to the Superintendent, the final decision authority.

THE CFFAIN OF COMMAND

As most ofyou know, a fourth class cadet recently sent an e-mail directly to both the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, expressing his dissatisfaction with recent directives. The cadet did not give his chain of command at the Academy an opportunity to address his concerns. While communicating up the chain is appropriate if lower levels fail to address the problem, it’s always best to give your immediate supervisor a first crack at it. US citizens also have the unquestionable right to contact government representatives and the media, but military good order and discipline is best served when we first allow our chain of command to work problems. The chain of command concept provides a clear structure for orders to flow from the highest levels of the military to the most junior ranking person; it also allows information, ideas, and complaints to flow upwards from the most junior person to the highest levels. Bottom line: when trying to resolve a problem or issue, work with your immediate supervisor first. If the problem is not solved at this level, discuss with your boss any intention you have of going higher in the chain of command. Ifyou are not able to resolve the problem within your chain of command, you can contact the USAFA Inspector General office at 3-3490. One of their main job duties is to help resolve such problems, but you should always initially go through your chain of command—it’s the right thing to do. Thanks for your support on this issue. We know you will do the right thing! S

Sadet

The Air Force Academy has clearly faced significant change over the last semester. Even though some controversy has arisen over the “Agenda for Change”, we sincerely think the future of the Air Force Academy has never been so bright. The change we incur here, although not embraced well at first, has extremely good intentions behind it and will not necessarily redefine USAFA but will rather add to its legacy in a different light. “Bring Me Men” coming down, changes in training procedures and living accommodations, along with other minor changes in cadet life reflect the continual change that is inherent in our Service.

We are not naive to think that removing “Bring Me Men” will, in itself, fix any issues at the Air Force Academy. Fiowever, we do think that it sends a symbolic message to the American public...the public that we are here to serve. Regardless ofwhat we have seen for 39 years, we are willing to sacrifice a piece of our heritage in order to better serve our Nation. This single act symbolizes the humility that we feel is paramount in serving a free nation.

Some of the minor changes in cadet life seem somewhat obscure at first glance. Again, in the long term the benefits will begin to surface. Females are not being “segregated.” The connotations behind this word put a negative spin on a positive change. At worst case, a female will be moving 4 to 5 alcoves down the hallway... hardly anything significant. Further, the Fourth Class females will have mentors right next door without having to worry about the dreaded walk down the right side of the hallway where an upperclassmen may be walking.

Another change that will be coming in the Academy’s future is the creation of formal lines of communication with other service academies. Creating the joint mindset now will prepare the next generation of air and space leaders to understand the battlefield in terms ofArmy, Navy, and Coast Guard. It will open up a commander’s resource never before seen by the Cadet Wing and allow us to create joint relationships that will serve us well in our future.

Regardless of the change that is upon us, it is important to remember that these tough times have reinforced our commitment to Integrity, Service, and Excellence. Untested loyalty is meaningless and these challenges have tested our loyalty to the Air Force Core Values. The Cadet Wing is notoriously resistant to change but always perseveres as we come to understand those changes and learn to live with them. As we professionally develop in the Wing, we quickly learn that living to serve our nation takes personal sacrifice. We understand that change, whether big or small, will be constant throughout our careers. Additionally, these changes not only help us serve our nation better, but they will aid in preparing us for the Air Force life we will see upon graduation. The changes occurring now are intended to make cadet life reflect the operational Air Force. The Cadet Wing has risen to the call of military service and we will continue to embrace our heritage while at the same time train to effectively lead the Air Force through the 21st Century! 9

By C1C Jeff Cameron, Spring Semester Wing Commander and C2C Katie Dildy, Fall Semester Wing Commander, select.

integrity, service, & excellence

Harry J. Pearce,

’64,

in a

letter to fellow graduates and the Cadet Wing, addresses the sexual assault issue and challenges the Academy to create a “deep and lasting culture of trust...” >

road allegations of sexual assault at the Air Force Academy have captured headlines and provided sensational content for one talk show after another. I suspect your reaction is mine. How could this occur at the Academy we know and are honored to have attended? The Department of Defense and Air Force are conducting a comprehensive investigation of each and every alleged

sexual assault at the Academy over the last ten years. When these investigations are completed, disciplinary actions and prosecutions will be pursued when the law and admissible evidence support such action. I am very confident of that, and you should be as well.

These cases, in fairness to all involved, should not be tried in the media and should not be debated before resolution

by our military or civil justice system. However, regardless of how these cases are finally resolved, the very fact of these broad allegations obviously requires immediate attention. I submit two questions must be asked.

1) Is there anything by its presence or absence in the entire cadet program from day of entry to day of graduation, that in even the most subtle way, encourages, or simply by acquiescence, allows uninvited and unwanted sexual advances?

2) If sexual harassment or a sexual assault occurs at the Academy, is there any aspect of the cadet culture or total Academy environment that in the slightest way impedes or discourages a victim from reporting the harassment or assault to her military superiors?

Harry J. Pearce, '64, is the co-recipient of the first USAFA Distinguished Graduate Award. He is also the former Chairman of the USAFA Board of Visitors.

I believe the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff have answered both these questions in the affirmative and in the “Agenda for Change” have taken comprehensive steps to address the issues these questions raise. No doubt some graduates

will question whether the Secretary and Chief’s directives are the correct ones. No plan of action will be perfect, but the Air Force has taken this issue very seriously and is addressing it broadly and decisively.

The new Academy leadership under the direction of Brigadier General Weida has already hit the ground running and strongly endorses the cultural principles that must be in place at the Academy. The principles I would focus on are the following:

Gender must be irrelevant to the respect cadets have for one and other as human beings. Sexual slurs and innuendoes, or worse, sexual assaults, demean and dishonor the Academy’s core value of integrity and respect for human dignity.

Cadets must never close their eyes to sexual harassment or assault among their fellow cadets. To do so is to walk away from their values. When a sexual assault occurs, human dignity has been grossly violated. To ignore it is to condone it. One sexual assault at the Academy is one too many.

The Academy must work to create a deep and lasting culture of trust in which any victim of a sexual assault knows that her reporting of the crime will be received with compassion, sensitivity and a strong commitment to see that justice is done.

The reporting of sexual harassment or a sexual assault must be understood by cadets to be the right and honorable thing to do—not a reason to be shunned, or in a perverse way, viewed as disloyal.

• The Cadet Wing must consciously choose to honor its gender diversity (a great strength) by choosing to protect its own and never countenancing the slightest violation of that trust. This must come from within the Cadet Wing. It cannot be mandated by higher authority. The Cadet Wing must hold itself accountable for this honorable commitment.

« Honoring, respecting, and protecting one and other, independent of gender, race, or ethnicity is integral to molding the future Air Force Officers who may one day be called upon to lay down their lives for one and other, and their country.

My message to the Cadet Wing is simple: Many have come before you; many have made the ultimate sacrifice for you and your country. You the Cadet Wing—each of you—is the guardian of the core values ofthe Academy and the Air Force in which you will serve. The reputation of the “Long Blue Line” is squarely in your hands. Protect it. Cherish it. It is a sacred trust. Men and women without integrity, without honor, who violate this trust have no place in your Nation’s Academy. The moral and ethical standards of the Academy are set very high, because upon graduation this Nation’s very survival is being placed in your hands.

Sincerely,

Distinguished Graduates of the Long Blue Line Return to USAFA

A HISTORIC EVENT-FORTY-FOUR distinguished graduates show SUPPORT FOR THE CADET WING

On 29 April, the Academy hosted a distinguished graduate from each of its 44 graduating classes. It marked the first time in the Academy’s history that so many distinguished graduates were gathered together for a formal ceremony. The idea to bring the graduates together was the brainchild ofAir Force Chief of Staff, General John Jumper. General Jumper saw the need to motivate the cadets after months of negative press surrounding the sexual assault issue. Secretary ofthe Air Force, John Roche, supported the idea and cleared his schedule to join the historic occasion. The Association ofGraduates facilitated the gathering by providing names ofaccomplished graduates to the Chief and hosting the attendees for dinner on 28 April and breakfast on the 29th Arnold Hall was the setting for the gathering before all first and second classmen. Cadets introduced each gradu

ate starting with the Class of 2002 and proceeding back to the Class of 1959. Each introduction was accompanied by a few sentences that captured the graduate’s accomplishments.

The achievements of the attendees were indeed remarkable. From young men and women who were still in pilot training to the Academy’s first astronaut, graduates represented all walks oflife. Many had flown in this nation’s most recent operations to include Enduring Freedom, Anaconda, Allied Force and several had just returned from flying combat operations in the war against Iraq—one was an embedded journalist with the Marines who fought their way to Baghdad. Both Academy graduates who were the Ar Force Chief ofStaff were present. The first commander ofNorthern Command, the commanders ofElectronic Systems Command and Ar War College and the Vice Commander ofAETC were there. Former commanders ofmajor com

BY DICK RAUSCHKOLB, 70

mands and men who had fought in Vietnam attended. There were Silver Star and DFC winners, a Member ofCongress, Rhodes Scholars, Jabara winners, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and a three-time winner ofthe Super Bowl. Several were shuttle pilots or crewmembers. Presidents and CEOs of major companies also crossed the stage. It was indeed an impressive gathering of the Long Blue Line.

After taking seats, the cadets erupted in a long and loud standing ovation—a moving tribute to those who had gone before them. Both Secretary Roche and General Jumper gave upbeat remarks about the Academy and the exciting challenges that future graduates would face in a rapidly changing Air Force. Both men emphasized that the need for quality leaders of integrity to lead our young service members was never more important.

At the conclusion of their remarks, a reception was held in the Arnold Hall Ball-

room. Over a thousand cadets took the opportunity to talk to the graduates and the Secretary and Chief. Cadets would stand two or three deep around these men and women— hanging on every word. One cadet was heard to say, “This is unbelievable—these are most of the men and women I have read about in Contrails.”

Why did these men and women travel so far and take time from their busy schedules to come back to their alma mater? They wanted to show their support for the great young men and women who are the cadets of today. While they acknowledged the Academy has problems, they all strongly believed that the overwhelming majority of the cadet wing was being unfairly tarnished by media reports. They wanted to show their confidence in the future of the Air Force by attending this important gathering. Their presence had a significant impact on the cadets and remotivated them to become leaders of character for our nation.

The AOG and the Cadet Wing sincerely thank all attendees for their participation in this historic event. Your presence served to show the cadets of tomorrow what is possible once they graduate and become members of the proud Long Blue Line ofAcademy Graduates. S

Cadets surround Secretary of the Air Force Roche and ask lots of questions.

Cadets from the classes of ’03 and ’04 gathered in the Ball Room at Arnold Hall with graduates from all 44 graduating classes.

This historic event brought back to the academy a graduate from each of its 44 graduating classes. The following is the introduction of those Distinguished Graduates.

MC; Welcome ladies and gendemen. Today we are visited by some of the most distinguished graduates of our institution. It is my distinct honor to introduce them to you.

From the Class of ’02, Second Lieutenant Matthew Booth

Currently in Phase III of Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, he is flying the T-38 in preparation for an assignment as a fighter or bomber pilot.

From the Class of ’01, Second Lieutenant Jeremy Meartz

Currently a pilot with the 62nd Airlift Squadron, he completed his undergraduate pilot training with the Navy and was the number 1 Air Force graduate from UPT. Fie will join the Air National Guard for three years as part of the Total Force Absorption Program.

From the Class of ’00, First Lieutenant Ken Chandler

A three year letterman and two-time all conference selection member of the Academy football team, he currently works on high impact flight crew projects with the potential to dramatically improve survival rates for combat pilots.

From the Class of ’99, First Lieutenant Kirsten Carlson

She graduated number 1 in her class at UPT, receiving the Air Education and Training Command Commander’s trophy. She is currently a C-17 pilot assigned to Charleston AFB.

From the Class of ’98, Captain Marilyn Garcia

At the Academy, she was a nationally-ranked member of the intercollegiate shooting team. An AC-130F1 gunship pilot, she

served two tours in combat during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

From the Class of ’97, Captain Kim Campbell She graduated as a distinguished graduate, ranked number 1 in order ofmilitary merit. With over 400 hours in the A-10, including 120 combat hours during Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM, she recently piloted her plane to safety after sustaining heavy fire over Baghdad and partial loss ofher aircraft’s tail.

From the Class of ’96, Capt George H. “Hall” Sebren He is a three time Sijan Award winner, twice at the Group level, and once at the Wing. As the current 372d Training Squadron Director of Operations, he is responsible for training more than 19,000 students annually in 281 separate courses across the world.

From the Class of ’95, Captain Scott “Soup” Campbell Decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross three times, this A-10 instructor pilot has over 1400 hours, including combat missions in Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, ANACONDA and IRAQI FREEDOM.

From the Class of ’94, Captain Kerry Kane

A former MVP of the Academy women’s basketball team, she has 720 flying hours in the F-15E, including tours in Operations NORTHERN WATCH and ALLIED FORCE. She also has 1,100 flying hours piloting the Predator, including 900 combat hours in Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and ALLIIED FORCE. Part of the initial cadre that employed Hellfire missiles from the Predator, she is currently an RQ-1B Predator pilot stationed out ofNellis AFB.

From the Class of ’93, Captain Robert Bumpus

As Chief of Combat Plans in the Joint Special Operations Air Component supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, he ensured the success of 507 sorties and over 2,200 combat hours by thirty-five aircraft in five countries.

From the Class of ’92, Major Thaddeus Allen

A proud member of the 1991 Air Force Academy championship wrestling team, he is a Combat Control Officer who served as team lead for two Special Tactics Squadrons. He is currently the Assistant Director of Operations of the 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field.

From the Class of ’91, Major Michael Martindale

He is A Space Weapons Officer currently assigned to HQ USAF “Checkmate” as a space systems expert and strategic analyst. He was selected as the 20th AF Flight Commander ofthe Year. A USAF Weapons School graduate, he was selected to return to Nellis as an instructor in the Space Division ofthe Weapons School.

From the Class of ’90, Major Kevin Hyuck

Currently Chief of the F/A 22 Mission Test Planning Team at

Edwards AFB, California. He attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard AFB, TX and F-15C Eagle Training at Tyndall AFB, FL. He is an honors graduate and instructor of the US Air Force Weapons School.

From the Class of ’89, Major Julian Matthews Chesnutt

A distinguished graduate from the Academy, he won the Academy’s Jabara award for Airmanship in 2001. With over 2,000 flying hours, including 85 combat missions, he received the Silver Star for his strike missions in Operation ALLIED FORCE.

From the Class of ’88, Mr. Chad William Hennings

He was awarded the NCAA Outland Trophy in 1988 for the nation’s outstanding college interior lineman. After graduation, he flew A-10s, including combat missions in Operation DESERT STORM. Mr Hennings played nine seasons as a defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, earning three Superbowl rings and is now CEO of his own company in Dallas, Texas.

From the Class of ’87, Ms. Cholene Danielle Espinoza

A United Airlines pilot and CEO of CornerPost Software information management company, she recently returned from Iraq as a embedded journalist with the 1st Tank Battalion, USMC during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.

From the Class of ’86, Reserve Major Pamela Bergeson

During her active duty career, she directed the Initial Operational Test of the F-16 CJ and served as a test engineer on the F-15E and several precision guided munitions. She is currently an operations analyst assigned to the Checkmate Division ofthe Air Staff.

From the Class of ’85, retired Captain Frederick W.P. Buttrell

A former F-4E and F-15E fighter pilot, he served in Operations DESERT STORM and SOUTHERN WATCH. Now the President and Chief Executive Officer of Delta Connection, Inc., he is also a strong advocate and board member for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

From the Class of ’84, Reserve Major Christine R. Bosau

While on active duty, she served as a program manger and test engineer. After separating, she graduated from law school and is now a Felony Prosecutor for the State of Florida and a member of the Reserves JAG Corps.

From the Class of ’83, Reserve Captain Alonzo C. Babers He won two gold medals in 400 meter dash and the 4-by-400meter relay during the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles. One month later, Captain Barbers reported to Undergraduate Pilot Training and became an Air Force pilot.

From the Class of ’82, The Honorable Heather A. Wilson She was first elected to represent New Mexico’s 1st District in the United States Congress in 1998. A Rhodes Scholar, she graduated from Oxford University with an MA in 1984 and a PhD in 1985.

From the Class of ’81, Colonel Michele D. Johnson

She is a distinguished graduate of the Academy and a Rhodes Scholar. She is the current commander ofthe 22nd Air Refueling Wing and a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours.

From the Class of ’80, Colonel William F. Andrews

Currently an serving in the Joint Staff’s Force Application Assessment Division. As an F-16 pilot in Operation DESERT STORM, Colonel Andrews’ aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile. He ejected over Republican Guard forces, broke his leg in the ejection, and was captured. He escaped, but was recaptured and sent to Baghdad as a POW for one week. He was awarded the Air Force Cross.

From the Class of ’79, Brigadier General (s) Burton Field He is the Assistant Deputy Director for Political-Military Affairs, Europe, Eurasia and Russia for the Joint Staff, and a command and instructor pilot who was one of the first lieutenants to fly the F-16. A former Commandant of the USAF Weapons School, he has over 3000 hours in the F-16.

From the Class of ’78, Brigadier General Steven Goldfein A command pilot, he is the Deputy Director ofJoint Warfighting Capability Assessments in the Directorate of Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment on the Joint Staff.

From the Class of ’77, retired Colonel Charles J. Precourt

The current Deputy Program Manager of the International Space Station for NASA, he is a command pilot with over 7,000 flying hours in over 60 types ofaircraft. He has flown on four space shuttle missions, logging more than 930 hours in space.

From the Class of ’76, Major General Kevin Chilton

The current Director of Programs for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, he is a command astronaut pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. He also flew on three space shuttle missions.

From the Class of ’75, Major General Bentley B. Rayburn He is the Commandant ofAir War College and Vice Commander ofAir University, and a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours.

From the Class of ’74, Lieutenant General Duncan J. McNabb

Currently the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, he is a command pilot with more than 5,400 flying hours.

From the Class of ’73, Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Victor E. Thuotte

In his reserve assignments he has been a Academy Liaison officer, a member of the Academy’s Registrar’s Advisory Panel, and a Liaison Commander. Since 1998, he has been the Vice President of Information Security Officer for Fidelity Investments in Boston, Massachusetts.

From the Class of ’72, Lieutenant General William R. Looney

He is the Commander of Electronic Systems Center and also a command pilot with more than 3,900 flying hours, including 62 in combat.

From the Class of ’71, retired Colonel Robert A. Lowe

He logged nearly 4,000 flying hours and currently serves as the Director of US Government Air Mobility Business Development for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. His two sons and a daughter-in-law attended the Academy.

From the Class of ’70, retired Colonel Dick Rauschkolb

An intelligence officer, he served as deputy military assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as executive officer to the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command. He is currently the Vice President of External Communications for the Association of Graduates.

From the Class of ’69, Lieutenant General John D. Hopper

Currently the Vice Commander ofAir Education and Training Command, he has flown in combat missions in Vietnam and Operation DESERT STORM. He also served as the Academy’s Commandant of Cadets.

From the Class of ’68, General Ralph E. Eberhart

The current Combatant Commander of US Northern Command has logged more than 4,500 flying hours, including 300 combat missions as a forward air controller in Vietnam.

From the Class of ’67, retired Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert D. Mook

A fighter pilot, he served two combat tours in Vietnam and a tour as an Air Force Thunderbird. He is currently president of his own consulting firm, Mook Enterprises.

From the Class of ’66, retired Major General Edward R. Jayne

After 11 years on active duty, he joined the Air National Guard full time, accumulating over 3,000 flying hours, including combat tours in Southeast Asia. He holds a PhD in defense policy from MIT and has served in the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and on the National Security Council.

From the Class of ’65, retired General Michael E. Ryan

Our previous ChiefofStaffof the Air Force flew combat missions in Southeast Asia, including 100 missions over North Vietnam.

From the Class of ’64, retired General John G. Lorber

A Fast-moving Forward Air Controller in Vietnam, he also served as athletic counselor and recruiter for the Academy. He has logged over 5,000 flying hours.

From the Class of ’63, retired General Ronald R. Foci.f.man

A former Chief of Staff of the Air Force who has logged over 6,800 flying hours, including 315 combat hours in fighter aircraft. He is currently Chairman and CEO of Durango Aerospace Inc., an international aviation consulting firm. D>

From the Class of ’62, retired General Henry Viccellio

A former commander ofAir Force Material Command who has logged more than 3,300 flying hours and flown 233 combat mis-' sions in Southeast Asia. He is currently the President ofUSAA’s Property & Casualty Insurance Group.

From the Class of ’61, retired Lieutenant General Marcus A. Anderson

A former Inspector General ofthe Ar Force, he was also a Commandant ofCadets. He is a command pilot with more than 4,400 flying hours and flew 240 combat missions in Southeast Asia.

From the Class of ’60, retired Lieutenant General Anthony A. Burshnick

A Vietnam veteran with more than 5,000 flying hours also served as the Air Force Academy’s Commandant of Cadets.

From the Class of ’59, retired Colonel Karol Bobko

With over 386 hours in space and 6,000 flying hours, he’s the only astronaut to have flown on the maiden flight of two Space

THE SABRE SOCIETY

The Sabre Society is a committed group of people who love the Air Force Academy and what it stands for. The Society honors those who make an unrestricted annual donation of at least $1,000 to the Air Force Academy Fund.

Over 1000 Academy grads, parents and friends have shown their generous support at the Sabre Society level and that number is increasing every day.

Sabre Society level donors have the opportunity to network with other parents, grads, and friends of the Air Force Academy at our annual regional dinners (see schedule below). These dinners are both fun and informative as Academy and Association of Graduates staff members give up-to-date briefings on the exciting things happening at the Academy. Shuttle orbiters.

MC: Ladies and Gentlemen, you have before you 44 outstanding representatives of what this institution is all about-performance, character, sacrifice, and success. S

President intends to nominate Roche for Army post

5/7/2003 - WASHINGTON (AFPN)- President George W. Bush announced May 7 his intention to nominate Secretary ofthe Ar Force Dr. James G. Roche to become the next secretary ofthe Amy. Roche, who became secretary of the Air Force June 1, 2001, said he is deeply honored, adding that he will work hard to justify the nomination, should Congress approve it.

“I am deeply honored that President (George W.) Bush has announced his intention to nominate me as the next secretary of the Army,” he said.

“Should the nomination proceed to the Senate and should I be confirmed for this position, I will spare no effort to justify the confidence and trust the president and Secretary (of Defense Donald) Rumsfeld have placed in me.”

Roche served as corporate vice president and president of the Electric Sensors and Systems Sector of the Northrop Grumman Corporation before moving to the Air Force. He is a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Navy.

2003 - 2004

Calendar of Events

SEPTEMBER 5, 2003

SABRE SOCIETY DINNER

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

DoubleTree North Shore, Chicago

7:00 pm cocktails, 7:45 pm dinner

This event is in conjunction with the Air Force/ Northwestern football game

OCTOBER 3, 2003

SABRE SOCIETY DINNER

WASHINGTON D.C. AREA

Hilton McLean Tysons Corner

6:30 pm cocktails, 7:30 pm dinner

This event is in conjunction with the Air Force/ Navy football game

FEBRUARY 2004

BIENNIAL RECOGNITION WEEKEND COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

The United States Air Force Academy

Look for event details and reservation information this summer

For questions call Becky or Regina at (719) 472-0300

Family, friends remember Academy graduate killed in Iraq

Today, the Das family, like millions ofAmericans, will offer up prayer as they gather at the dinner table for a sumptuous Easter meal.

It is a holy day, but a plate will be missing. A beloved son, brother, husband and uncle won’t be there today. His chair will be empty, but their hearts will always be full ofprecious and enduring memories.

On April 7 in Iraq, Air Force Capt. Eric Bruce Das, 30, ofAmarillo was piloting an F-15E Strike Eagle on a bombing mission near Tikrit when his plane went down. Das and his weapons systems officer, assigned to the 333rd Fighter Squadron, were reported missing about 3:30 a.m. (6:50 p.m. April 6 CST).

Many times during the family’s vigil that followed, old buddies would call sobbing, hang up and have to call back.

“This was the kind of life that Eric had. It wasn’t all macho fighter-pilot guy,” his mother, Rosie Das, said.

A military liaison officer came to Amarillo on Thursday night and gently told the Das family that Eric had been killed in action. For

days, they had prayed for his safe return as Saddam Husseins regime crumbled and missing prisoners of war prepared to come home.

The Pentagon reported Friday the search for the plane’s weapons systems officer continues. His name has not been released publicly.

On Friday, parents Bruce and Rosie Das, their daughters, Elisa and Melody, and son-in-law Stephen Neumann joined Eric’s wife, Air Force 1st Lt. Nicole Das, at the brown, polished dinner table where they enjoyed many a meal together.

They laughed and cried, sharing fond recollections of a man and an only son who made them proud, and whom they’ll love forever.

A Beautiful Union

Nikki Das, who also shipped out to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom, worked as an Air Force intelligence officer in Qatar during the Iraqi war. She and Eric were married Oct. 20, 2001, at First Presbyterian Church in Amarillo.

“Eric and my brother flew in the same squadron up in Alaska,” Nikki said. “And I met Eric when my brother introduced us and Amarillo by Morning’ came up on the jukebox. Eric asked my brother if he could dance with me. That was in August of’99. We did not start dating until after the turn of the millennium. That was our first kiss, on the turn of the millennium. We were pretty much inseparable after that.”

Nikki Das left for pilot training in Del Rio but returned to Alaska for her brother’s wedding. That weekend, on a glacier in Seward, Eric asked for her hand, and their beautiful union began.

Later, she would begin a seven-month stint ofintelligence officer training, an arrangement Eric’s commander in Alaska worked out.

“We made wedding plans and bought dresses and fell in love

with family,” Nikki says. “And then after we got married, we went to Italy on our honeymoon and came up here (Amarillo) and shared that wonderful experience.”

The couple arrived in North Carolina for a new assignment at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in November 2001.

Duty often called during their marriage, keeping the couple apart. But their love remained constant across the miles.

“We couldn’t go a day without talking,” Nikki said, choking back the sobs. “Fie called me all the time, and Emailed and wrote. He wrote me like seven Valentine’s cards. Some were really funny, and some were the sweetest words you could possibly put on paper. A lot of them were verses.”

The Air Force, she said, was a wonderful family that nurtured and cared for them. Eric’s commanders and comrades-in-arms loved and respected him. His Air Force call sign was “Boot,” a friendly poke of sorts at his Texas upbringing, even though Eric was born in the Netherlands.

“The outpouring of love and support is so evident because ofwhat Eric has done for so many people. I had the vice wing commander at Seymour Johnson today call me, and in tears, tell me how much Eric meant to him, how much he looked up to him and how much he had taught him,” Nikki said Friday. “Everyone loved Eric.”

A Leader With Faith

Eric graduated from Amarillo High School in 1991, attended the Air Force Academy and graduated in 1995.

Eric’s mother, Rosie Das, described Eric as an instigator of sorts, the kind of guy who planned get-togethers, camp-outs in Palo Duro Canyon and friendly gatherings.

“I don’t know how many nights there would be a group of guys around this table, playing cards,” she said. “He would get the little details together. He was definitely a leader.”

She remembered a prayer meeting a week ago when a group of beefy guys sat around praying for Eric’s safe homecoming. The tears flowed, she said, as many remembered how Eric spiritually impacted their lives at some critical turning point.

“Big guys, all sitting around in the living room, 20 of them crying and praying for Eric,” Rosie said. “That’s just a small, little nugget of how Eric’s life has been.”

An Air Force Academy classmate also called crying one day as everyone waited for news, a man who once sat at the Das kitchen table with Eric and his dad, and who gave his life to Christ.

Bruce Das, Eric’s dad, said his son was born in the Netherlands while the family served there as missionaries. Eric and his dad were inseparable. They loved camping and hunting together.

When Eric had a break once, his dad flew to Alaska to visit. A favorite snapshot captures them at that moment in time, with a color-

fill backdrop ofgreen trees, blue skies and jutting mountaintops.

“I flew up there, and we spent almost two weeks driving and camping in Alaska that year,” Bruce said. “We had a great time.”

As Eric grew up, he and his dad spent a lot of time together, working on building projects. In the family’s back yard, a shop building stands as a silent testament to their prowess as handymen.

“Dad, that shed is full of tools, and Eric’s used every one of them with you,” said Melody Neumann, 34, Eric’s older sister, as the family gathered to share their thoughts.

Elisa Das, Eric’s younger sister, called him a silent leader. He taught her how to drive and how to shoot a rifle, and he gave her his prized newspaper route when he headed off to the Ar Force Academy. When Eric delivered papers around the neighborhood, he hauled them in a three-wheeled buggy the family dubbed “The Craft.”

Elisa, 25, remembered visiting him at the Air Force Academy when she was 15.

“I would walk around the hall with my big brother,” she said, her voice cracking. “Everyone would be like, ‘hey, Das.’ They hung on his every word.”

Faith, Eric’s family said, played a vital role in his life and his marriage, and it steeled him through rough times at the Air Force Academy, where he earned a civil engineering degree.

“He was raised in a Christian home,” his mother said. “I think his faith growing up was mirroring our faith.”

We’ll See Him Again

As news ofEric’s death spread, his friends and buddies recalled an unselfish man whose faith showed through in his love for others.

Murray Gossett, associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church, praised Eric.

“He followed the Lord, who was sacrificial, and he was sacrificial as well,” Gossett said.

At Amarillo High, Doug Jesko and Eric pole-vaulted together.

“Everything with him was a great adventure, from climbing the biggest mountain to jumping off the highest cliff,” Jesko said.

Eric’s spiritual side left an impression on those who knew him.

“He was the greatest Christian guy I knew,” Jesko said. “He was the type of person who made you believe that you could be a better man.”

Doug Hall, a childhood friend, said Eric taught him a valuable lesson when they were just kids, one that has stuck with him over the decades.

Hall, his eyes rimmed red with tears, remembered one day the two boys headed out to their favorite ball field and trampled a neighbor’s bushes.

“That guy came out there and said, ‘Did y’all stomp through my bushes?’ I went,’It wasn’t us, it wasn’t us.’ And Eric was,’Yeah, we did it, and what can we do to make it right?’ ...You have to

respect a person a lot for something like that. That’s something I’ve never told his parents about or anything,” Hall said, drawing a hearty laugh from the Das family.

Jim Langdon, a track coach at Amarillo High who coached Eric and Jesko, recalled the pilot’s drive.

“He was just a fun kid, a funny guy, but really focused and worked hard,” Langdon said.

While they all were saddened by the news ofEric’s death, friends found solace in his Christian faith and salvation.

“We know that he’s started a new life in heaven,” said Jared Galloway, a friend from high school who now lives in McKinney.

“Later, rather than sooner, we’ll get to see him again,” Jesko said.

Freedom Isn’t Free

On their last day together, Eric and Nikki went to a church service at an air base in the Iraqi theater. They shared a Sunday night dinner and pored over briefing materials before Eric reported for duty.

“He called me back a little bit later and said, ‘Guess what, Sweet Pea, I get to fly,”’ Nikki said. “He was doing what he loved that night and flying with people he really loved, too, and people who really looked out for him.”

Before his flight took off, Eric returned to Nikki’s station, but she had stepped away. Soon, she spotted him waiting for her.

“I asked him if he had all of his stuff that he needed, and he said yes and patted his chest to say that he had it in his pocket, and he went off to fly,” Nikki said.

That night, Nikki was writing a letter to a girl from back home and penned part of a verse from the book ofJoshua that Eric left on her locker.

“I just looked up at it and wrote it down in this letter to this little girl, and then I fell asleep praying that. It was the same time that he had crashed that I feel asleep,’ Nikki said, with tears pouring, her voice breaking.

“An hour and a half later, they woke me up. ...I went outside, got in the car, and they said Eric crashed.”

A colonel who knew the couple from Alaska was there to help ease the pain, she said, thanking the Air Force for helping Eric’s family cope with its grief.

Elisa Das, Eric’s younger sister, was at home when news of Eric’s disappearance came. Other family members were in Spain and quickly headed home.

“This has been a long siege of agony because we didn’t know whether Eric was alive or dead. So last night the vigil was over as far as the unknown,” Rosie Das said.

Eric’s mother said she and her family were encouraged by news reports of prisoners of war being freed by U.S. troops.

“Over and over, I would picture that that was going to happen

to us. ...I planned a homecoming celebration for him. We so wanted him to come,” she said, gently sobbing as her memories gave way to emotion.

“If he were sitting here ar this table—God I wish he was-he would be so embarrassed by all of this...Half of his accomplishments, he never told us.”

Rosie plans to focus on the many wonderful memories she and her family have of Eric.

“If we can concentrate on that and not what we’ve lost, we ll be rich,” she said.

Nikki gently clasped her mother-in-law’s hand in hers as she pondered the future.

“The Good Lord has his plan for me, and I know I’m just going to take it day by day,” Nikki said.

Melody Neumann, Eric’s older sister, punctuated her feelings with a pointed index finger, closed her watery eyes and collected her thoughts. Eric’s death, she said, carries an important message for all Americans.

“Freedom isn’t free. We live in rhis great country because of people like Eric and like Nikki who give up their lives, and rhey don’t get to be together,” she said through the sobs. “They live with dangerous jobs. ...We have hope for our children because of people like Eric.” 9

(This article was reprinted withpermission oftheAmarillo Globe-News. Globe-News StajfWriter GregRohloffcontributed to this article.)

YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Marcus A. Anderson, ’61, Board Chair

Mr. William W. Maywhort, ’68, Board Vice Chair

Mr. John T. Moore, ’78, Treasurer

Col. (Ret.) Martin T. Daack, ’66, Secretary

Col. (Ret.) James A. Shaw, ’67, President/CEO AOG

Col. (Ret.) Victor C. Andrews, ’66

Mr. Bill Boisturejr., ’67

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Larry D. Fortner, ’59

Mr. Charles P. Garcia, ’83

Mr. HarryJ. Pearce,’64 ^

Mr. Gilbert D. Mook, ’67

Mr. Edward E. Legasey, ’67

Mrs. Jody A. Merritt, ’89

Capt. Amber D. O’Grady, ’96

Lt. Col. (Ret.) David J. Palenchar,’70 y

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Alan V. Rogers, ’64

Brig. Gen. (Ret.) James P. Ulm, ’61

Gen. (Ret.) Ronald W. Yates, ’60

TAKING OUT ‘SADDAM’

Grad plays a major role in targeting Saddam

An Air Force B-1 Lancer crew rode an “adrenaline rush” as they prepared to strike a recently discovered target of opportunity believed to be the site of a high-level Iraqi leadership meeting April 7.

“There wasn’t a lot of time for reflection,” Lt. Col. Fred Swan told Pentagon reporters via telephone from his deployed location. Swan is a B-l Lancer weapons systems officer assigned to the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing.

According to Swan, the B-l was engaged in midair refueling when a call came from an airborne control aircraft telling them “this is the big one” and directing them to the new priority target.

“I knew it was important, so it really doesn’t matter who was attending the high-level meeting,” he said. “We’ve got to get the bombs on target, and we’ve got 10 minutes to do it.

“There are four crew members on the B-1 and we all have separate jobs to do, but we have to work in concert to make it happen,” Swan said.

That coordination included locating the target, planning an escape route, checking out enemy air defenses, staying in contact with airborne and ground controllers, selecting the appropriate

Story by MSgt, Scott Elliott, AFPN

weapons, and “dialing in” the target coordinates, Swan said.

“The key is not what the target is, but making sure we are 100-percent accurate with the proper weapon and our coordinates are right,” said Capt. Chris Wachter, ’97, the pilot of the strike aircraft. “And, oh-by-the-way, we’re going into an area where we’re going to get shot at, so we want to make sure we have a way to protect ourselves.”

While the desired effect of the mission was to destroy the building, Swan said the target’s suburban location made preventing collateral damage a primary concern. To reduce the danger to innocent people and nearby facilities, mission planners chose the “Version 3” of the GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition.

“It’s a hard-target penetrator that buries itself in before it explodes,” Swan said. “It will take out the particular structure, but it’s going to minimize the fragmentation...into outlying areas.”

As important as limiting fragmentation is to reducing collateral damage, accurate delivery is also key, said Col. James Kowalski, 405th AEW commander, who also participated in the interview

“We’ve dropped about 2,100 JDAMs,” Kowalski said. “Based on a sampling of...areas we’ve hit-airfields, bunkers and leadership targets-the weapon is performing well above 99 percent.”

The global positioning system-guided JDAMs typically strike within 40 feet of the target, Kowalski said.

“They hit where we want them to hit,” he said. I

■ Photo by SSgt.

Cherie A. Thurlby, USAF

A Critical Decision

The right choice and nerves ofsteel bring a grad and her battle-damaged Warthog home safely

STORY BY SSGT. JASON HAAG

332nd AIR EXPEDITIONARY WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

n A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot deployed with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing safely landed her “Warthog” at her forward operating base after it sustained significant damage from enemy fire during a close air support mission over Baghdad on April 7.

Capt. Kim Campbell, ’97, deployed from the 75th Fighter Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., and her flight leader had just finished supporting ground troops and were on their way out of the area when her aircraft was hit with enemy fire.

“We were very aware that it was a high-threat environmentwere over Baghdad,” Campbell said. “At the same time, those are the risks you take to help the guys on the ground, that’s our job, that’s what we do,” she said. “Our guys were taking fire and you want to do everything you can to help them out.”

“We did our job with the guys there on the ground and as we were on our way out I felt the jet get hit. It was pretty obvious-it was loud,” Campbell said.

After sustaining the hit, Campbell’s jet immediately became uncontrollable and she noticed several caution warnings while she was over a very hostile territory.

“I lost all hydraulics instantaneously, so I completely lost control of the jet. It rolled left and pointed toward the ground, which was an uncomfortable feeling over Baghdad,” she said. “The entire caution panel lit up and the jet wasn’t responding to any of my control inputs.”

Campbell tried several different procedures to get the jet under control, none ofwhich worked. At that point, she decided to put the jet into manual reversion, which meant she was flying the aircraft without hydraulics. After that, the aircraft immediately began responding.

“The jet started climbing away from the ground, which was a good feeling because there is no way I wanted to eject over Baghdad,” Campbell said.

Capt. Kim “KC” Campbell, ’97, under the tail of her battleDAMAGED A-10.

Photo by SSgt Jason Haag

Because the aircraft sustained hits to the rear of the aircraft, including the horizontal stabilizer, tail section and engine cowling, Campbell could not see the damage. Her flight leader, Lt. Col. Richard, positioned his aircraft where he could view the damage.

“...the jet was flying pretty good and...the damage had not affected the flight control surfaces or the (landing) gear,” Richard said. “If (Campbell) could keep it flying, we would get out of Baghdad and might be able to make it (back to base).

Once they assessed the situation, the two worked closely together to determine the best course of action. Campbell said Richard’s calm demeanor and attention to detail were instrumental in her being able get the airplane home.

“I could not have asked for a better flight lead. He was very directive when he needed to be, because all I could concentrate on was flying the jet” she said. “Then, once we were out of the Baghdad area, (he) just went through all the checklists, all the possibilities, all the things I needed to take into account,” Campbell said.

Campbell said she and Richard discussed all her options-which ultimately came down to two: fly the aircraft to a safe area and eject or attempt to land the disabled plane.

“I can either try to land a jet that is broken, or I can eject...which I really didn’t have any interest in doing, but I knew it was something that I had to consider,” Campbell said. “But the jet worked as advertised and that is a tribute to our maintainers and the guys who work on the jet,” she said.

Richard said that even though he could advise Campbell, only one person could make the decision about whether to eject or attempt to land the aircraft.

“She had a big decision to make,” he said. “Before anyone else could throw their two-cents worth into the mix, I made sure that she knew that the decision to land or eject was hers and hers alone.”

To Campbell, the decision was clear.

“The jet was performing exceptionally well,” Campbell said. “I had no doubt in my mind I was going to land that airplane.”

After getting the aircraft on the ground, the final task was keeping it on the runway and getting it to stop, Campbell said. “When you lose all the hydraulics, you don’t have speed brakes, you don’t have brakes and you don’t have steering,” she said.

“One ofthe really cool things is when I did touched down, I heard several comments on the radio-and I don’t know who it was-but I heard things like, Awesome job, great landing,’ things like that,” she said.

“I guess we all think we are invincible and it won’t happen to us,” Campbell said. “I hadn’t been shot at-at all-in all of my other missions. This was the first,” she said. “Thank God for the Warthog, because it took some damage but it got me home.” S

(Editor’s Note: For security reasons thefull name of“Lt. Col. Richard” was not available. Also, Capt. Campbell was a Cadet Wing Commander, as was herfather, Chuck Reed, ’70.)

Enemy fire over Baghdad crippled the hydraulics system of Capt. Campbell’s A-10, forcing her to fly the aircraft in manual reversion for an hour.

1 st. Lt. Eric Adcock, ’00 (right), a KC-135 Stratotanker co-pilot, watches as Airman 1 st Class Kenny Harwood, boom operator, refuels an E8C joint Stars aircraft.

Adcocks older brother, 1st Lt. Nick Adcock, was the pilot of the aircraft being refueled.

Operation Iraqi Freedom unites deployed brothers

By CAPT. SHANE BALKEN 401st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

None of them was supposed to be here. Two pairs of brothers thrown together as if a game ofjacks were being played with aircraft and aircrew; each one being snatched up and dropped randomly at a Royal Air Force base in the eastern Mediterranean.

But before anyone could swipe all the Air Force aviators back up, the pairs of brothers turned a chance deployment into a family reunion while fighting the global war on terrorism.

Tony Mauer, ’82, and John Mauer, and Nick Adcock and Eric Adcock, ’00, are deployed to the 401st Air ExpeditionaryWing supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“John and I have spent more time together on this deployment than we have in the last 10 years,” said Col. Tony Mauer ’82, 401st AEW vice commander. His home station is RAF Mildenhall, England, where he commands the 100th Operations Group. His brother, Maj. John Mauer, is a navigator assigned to the 970th Airborne Air Control Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

Oregon natives, Tony is a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot, and John navigates the E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft. Although only one year separates the two, their career paths couldn’t have been farther apart.

“I truly enjoy the Air Force. After 20 years, I still love what I’m doing,” said Tony, an

fly a KC-135 Stratotanker as they prepare to refuel their brothers aircraft.

Air Force Academy graduate who has commanded at the squadron and group level and is set to command the air refueling wing at Fairchild AFB, Wash.

“I’ve had many opportunities to leave throughout my career and fly with the airlines, but I love being an Air Force pilot. I have always been proud of being a tanker pilot,” he said.

While Tony was in the academy, John enlisted after high school and after a few years on active duty, decided he wanted to fly. Then-Sergeant Mauer finished his degree in the 'evenings, was accepted to Officer Training School and earned his commission.

“I spent my career in the active duty as a (weapon systems officer) in the F-4 (Phantom) and F-15E (Strike Eagle). Tony and I have always had a brotherly rivalry. I flew fighters and Tony never passed up an opportunity to let me know ‘no one kicks ass without tanker gas’,” said John. “I’ve never been stationed anywhere near Tony, so serving under him on this deployment has been a unique experience. For now I can’t tell him ‘you’re not the boss of me.’ Actually, I’m very proud of him.” John retired from active duty in 1999 and after three years as a defense contractor, he heard of a new program that let active-duty retirees join the Air Force Reserve. He was one ofthe first officers to be approved for the new program.

“I still had some fight left in me, and luckily the 970th gave me another chance to serve,” said John. In midJanuary 2003, he completed AWACS flight training and was deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, six days later.

“We spent 60 days flying Operation Northern Watch missions, and I fully expected to fight the war from

Turkey,” he said.

But, that did not happen. His entire unit moved with very little notice.

“I knew Tony had also been deployed, but I didn’t know where to, so it was awesome to have him meet me when I arrived,” he said.

Intersecting only for brief moments in the air to pass some fuel was an appropriate end to their time together here.

“The first time I refueled John he was flying an F-4 in 1986, and we thought this could be a fairly common event for us over the course of our careers,” said Tony. “However, it took 10 years for it to happen again and this time in an F-15E. With John retiring soon after that, we thought it was our last opportunity. Now that John has returned to flying AWACS and we’ve done our third refueling, I don’t want to say it won’t happen again. With me going to Fairchild and continuing to fly KC-135s, who knows, stranger things have happened.”

Although the Adcocks have not been away quite as long as the Mauers, Nick, a E-8C Joint Stars pilot, echoed the same sentiments that he and Eric, both first lieutenants, have spent more time together in two months than in the last five years combined.

Flying has been in the blood of the Adcock family long before Nick and Eric earned their Air Force pilot wings. Raised in Cabot, Ark., they literally had a lot of family to “look up to.”

“Our grandfather was a pilot, along with our father, uncle and cousin,” said Nick, the elder of the two brothers by one and a half years. After high school Nick and Eric went

“John and I have spent more time together on this deployment than, we have in the last 10 years.”

Col. Tony Mauer, '82, (top left) and 1st Lt. Eric Adcock, '00, (bottom right)

their separate ways. Nick went to the University ofArkansas and Eric went to the Air Force Academy a year later. After graduating from college, Nick earned his wings and has been flying E-8Cs, while Eric has been flying KC-135s.

“This is our first deployment together,” said Eric, a co-pilot deployed from the 351st Air Refueling Squadron at RAF Mildenhall. “I heard through a briefing shortly after we arrived that E-8s might be arriving but I had no idea Nick was coming.”

Shortly after Nick arrived, he and Eric passed each other on the road.

“I was driving a 17-passenger bus for

our squadron after we landed. I passed Eric as he was walking by and honked the horn at him. We called our mom that evening and I said, ‘You’re never going to guess who’s here with me,”’ said Nick, who is deployed from the 16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

When Eric refueled his older brother over the Mediterranean, they said they were both excited.

“It was a highlight just to see each other on the deployment,” said Eric.

Eric was able to watch the air refueling in the back of the aircraft while the boom operator delivered fuel to his brother’s

aircraft. Both Adcocks said the flight was definitely something they would remember throughout their careers.

As for the next time they see each other, Eric was quick to point out that it better be this summer.

“He’s my best man in my wedding,” he said.

As aircraft and people deploy back to their home stations and the air war over Iraq comes to an end, so must the short reunion of brothers. Call it chance, fate or even luck; the bonds that tie brothers are special—no matter where you end up in the world. (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service) 9

The Secret Life of Waldo F- Dumbsquat

“You can’t spit in the sink!” C/4C Waldo F. Dumbsquat admonished his roommate, “Regs” Buch. “I just dried it. We have an inspection tomorrow, you know!”

Waldo, with a wild flourish, scrubbed the porcelain bowl with his towel.

“Silly me—trying to use the sink for a sink,” replied Regs sarcastically.

“Well, we don’t need to get demerits unnecessarily.”

Waldo pulled open the huge closet doors. He selected a wooden hanger and examined the pants hanging on it. A frown crossed his face.

Regs looked up from the clean clothes he was stuffing in his laundry bin.

“Why has a frown crossed your face?”

“Looks like my winter trou has a fray above the pocket.”

“That happens to mine, too, Waldo. The books I’m carrying rub the material as I’m double-timing.”

“There’s a reason they call it magic marker,” chortled Waldo as he colored the exposed white threads with blue ink.

“What are we going to do about the worn heels on our low quarters?” Regs picked up a shoe and examined it critically.

Waldo stroked his chin, deep in serious thought. Finally, revelation came to him.

“Looks like its time for the low quarter overshoes to be slipped on.”

“Wow, Waldo, you’re an inspection genius.”

“Room inspections are my life.”

The doolies moved to their bunks and tested the tightness of the dust collars.

“Not tight enough,” pronounced Waldo with a shake ofhis head.

Regs slipped under his bed and hooked his sheet and blanket on the springs.

“You could bounce Pegasus off it now.”

“If the upperclassmen toss our bunks, your blanket may get ripped,” warned Waldo.

“That’s okay. Nobody ever keeps any of this cadet stuff after they graduate.”

“I don’t agree, my friend. I’ll never be stationed anywhere without the blue magnet, my cut down overcoat, and I plan to wear my A jacket to the twenty-fifth reunion even though I can’t zip it up anymore.”

“You’re kidding!”

“No I’m not! Just ask the AOC how it is. He still has his quasi official uniform.”

“Hope we get the buffer soon. I hate waxing the floor at three in the morning.”

“I’m afraid we’re in for a wait. I heard A Flight is holding a buffer rodeo.”

“In that case, Waldo, let’s hurry up. The element sergeant said we can listen to his stereo tonight, if we mop out his room.”

“I hear he only has Chicago albums...”

That doesn’t make me smile. I’d rather listen to KAFA on the radio.”

“Do you think Colonel Dumbsquat will inspect the squadron tomorrow? You remember last month he made the upperclassmen paint their rooms.”

“I think he might just show up,” snickered the doolie. “We need some Carpenters albums in this squadron.

THE LONG BLUE LINE

It seems like every day somewhere m the wond an Academy graduate is recognized for an outstanding achievement. Here are a few from “The Long Blue Line” who showed up on our radar screen this past quarter.

Long, ’87, Named Logistics Plans Award Winner

Air Force officials recently named Maj. Christopher D. Long, ’87, winner of the 2002 U.S. Air Force Logistics Plans “Command Senior Manager” award.

Long is assigned to Shaw AFB’s 609th Air Support Squadron.

Goyden, 75, Recognized as Coach of the Year

Retired Lt. Col Mike Goyden, Class of ’75, is being recognized as one of the 2003 National High School Athletic Coaches Association Soccer Coach of the Year finalists. As a finalist for the National Coach of the Year, Mike will be honored at the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Awards Banquet in Tulsa, OK on July 31, 2003.

Mike was also honored as a National Soccer Coaches Association ofAmerica/ Adidas Rocky Mountain States Regional Coach of the Year and a finalist for National Coach of the Year in 2002.

Geiser, ’95, Helps Save Man from Burning Home

Capt. Tom Geiser, ’95, an MC-130H Combat Talon II pilot at Kadena Air Base, Japan, helped save a 94-year-old man recently when fire roared through the man’s home.

The Okinawa police presented Geiser with a certificate of appreciation as a dozen neighbors and family members watched.

Chief Hiroshi Fuzato, the head of Okinawa police station, said, “Your courageous

act saved a life. We deeply appreciate you.” Geiser said his training paid off during the rescue.

Coley, ’90, Receives Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Award

Air Force officials recently announced that Maj. David M. Coley, ’90, is the 2002 Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Maintenance Award winner for his work in the area of aircraft maintenance as a Field Grade Manager.

Vanas, ’93, Publishes Book

D.J. Vanas,’93, is excited that his book The Tiny Warrior: A Path to Personal Discovery & Achievement will be released nationwide in early April 2003 by Andrews McMeel Publishing. The book will be available at all major bookstores or on D.J.’s website www.nativediscovery.com.

Johnson, ’59, Named Acting Secretary of Navy

The White House announced that Gen. (Ret) Hansford T. Johnson, ’59, has been designated Acting Secretary of the Navy.

“It is an honor and privilege to continue to serve our great Marines and sailors, said Johnson. The Secretary of the Navy

(SECNAV) is responsible for the recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, training, mobilizing, and demobilizing of the U.S. Department of the Navy.

The Secretary also oversees the construetion, outfitting, and repair of naval ships, equipment and facilities.

Thiessen, ’01, Earns Slot with Pro Baseball Team

2nd Lt. Michael Thiessen, ’01, recently became the first Academy graduate to be drafted by Major League Baseball when he was selected as the 42nd-round draft pick for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Thiessen is now playing baseball under the World-Class Athlete Program that allows active-duty airmen to train and compete in the Olympics. (Courtesy USAF)

Allardice, ’80, Commands Historic C-17 Airdrop Over Iraq

Col. Bob Allardice, ’80, recently served as mission commander for the largest combat airdrop since the invasion of Panama-and a first for the C-17.

“People kept saying ‘nobody’s in the north,”’ said Allardice. The next day there were 1000 combat troops on the ground. S

Always Remember the Price

Editor's Note: This article was originallypublished by the Air Force Times during the Clinton administration. But upon reading it recently we decided that in honor ofVal Bourque and all Americans who have paid the ultimate price in the name offreedom, it was important to give as many people as possible the opportunity to reflect upon Mr. Dorr's words. With hispermission we are reprinting the article and we sincerely thank himfor his generosity.

In mid-February, while plans shaped-up for airstrikes on Iraq, one Washington bigwig after another trotted before television cameras to warn us that there would be a price.

Before the situation was at least temporarily defused, the White House national-security adviser, Sandy Berger, stood in the bright lights and told Americans that military action against Iraq’s Saddam Hussein would mean casualties.

The men and women of the armed forces are prepared for this. No one wants to see a single American fall in battle-we have even grown averse to death and injury on the other side-but if it should happen, we will need to remember.

On Oct. 25, 1964, the Air Force lost a promising pilot, 1st Lt. Valmore Bourque, ’60, in a region few Americans knew about, in a war that was soon to grow bigger than anyone could guess.

Bourque belonged to the 309th Troop Carrier Squadron at Saigon, capital of a country where 14,000 Americans were caught up in one of several obscure brush-fire wars raging around the world. He was pilot of a C-123B Provider, a propeller-driven transport used to haul supplies to the South Vietnamese army.

I think of Bourque when the price of war is pondered. He was from South Hadley Falls, Mass., and was active in baseball, soccer and skiing. He was regarded as a superb pilot and officer but not a scholastic genius. He was the kind ofAmerican you’d want living next door and the kind you’d want standing with you in a fight.

In 1964, Vietnam was an adventure where oddball characters flew old planes in the Exotic Orient. As is often the case, ordinary-looking transports were doing the hard work.

Retired Maj. Robert Thorpe of Clinton, Wis., who flew with

by Robert F. Dorr

Bourque, remembered that “we would have a beer on the sixth floor of the Rex Hotel, look out across the Saigon River and see fighting in the distance.” Bourque spoke of his dream to fly executive transports at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., near Washington D.C.

The squadron was temporarily moved to Nha Trang. As Thorpe remembered, “We were working for Army special forces, resupplying satellite camps.” The C-123Bs were dropping supplies by parachute in a region where much of the ground was controlled by hostile Viet Cong guerrillas.

‘It was Bourque’s turn’

“It was our third mission of the day,” Thorpe recalled. “Bourque’s aircraft had been hit” by small-arms fire on the first two. The job ofleading the formation was rotated among pilots and it was Bourque’s turn. “We were dodging thunderstorms and making bundle drops near the Cambodian border when we spotted a place on the ground that appeared to be our drop zone.

“He made a dry pass,” flying over the drop zone to check wind conditions and to verify the location. Neither Bourque nor Thorpe realized that they were in the wrong place. Bourque signalled that he was prepared to make the airdrop. “He opened the ramp and that was when he was hit. He went into a right turn and crashed. There were eight Americans on his airplane, including two Army special-forces men.”

Thorpe remembered that we saw no flames, no flash.” Hoilywood loves fiery explosions, but in real life aircraft usually crash with a dry, rending clump.

Later, it was apparent that the C-123B formation had strayed into Cambodia-a country the United States would bomb later

Val Bourque, ’60

but with which it was not then involved. The United States acknowledged the error in a statement repeated in the Oct. 30, 1964, edition of the newspaper Stars & Stripes. Bourque went down 300 yards from the Cambodian border.

Sadly, there is not enough space on this page to pay tribute to the other Americans aboard the C-123B or to the 38,000 more who perished later in Vietnam. But when I ponder the price offreedom, Valmore Bourque stands in my mind as the embodiment ofeverything Americans have been willing to give when called upon.

Bourque was my age. In high school, his goal-like mine-was to be accepted into the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Unlike me, he made it.

He was the first person to take the oath as a cadet at the Academy July 11, 1955. Academic troubles prevented him from graduating with the Academy’s first class in 1959, but he did graduate with the class of I960. He flew with the 11th Aeromedical Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., before going to Vietnam. He was, as Thorpe remembered, “a fine man and fine officer.”

I wish I had a granite wall a thousand miles long on which we could chisel in mile-high letters the name of every American who paid the ultimate price, as Bourque did. Should we ever forget, even for a moment, we will deserve our fate.

Some in Air Force blue may remember Bourque for another reason. He was the first graduate ofthe Academy to die in combat. Sm

Academy Seeks Bios, Photos of Grads

The dean offaculty here is seeking biographies and high quality on-the-job and in-training photos of Academy graduates who are in the Air Force work force or attending flight training or other technical schools.

The items will be used in a display along the entire length of the second floor in Fairchild Hall, the academic facility here. The dean hopes to have at least four academy graduates from each major and unified command represented in the display.

The display will highlight the accomplishments, activities, opinions and commentaries of recent graduates so current cadets can visualize their own fixtures in the Air Force.

Graduates interested in donating to this project are asked to send items to: Maj. John Modinger, 34th Education Group/34th ES, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO 80840. For more information, e-mail Modinger at john.modinger@usafa.af.mil.

EACH YEAR, ' IT IS TWO DAYS OF HELL

Fourthclass cadets are pushed to their breaking point through rigorous physical and mental exertion, but after Recognition is over they speak of the experience with a rueful fondness.

PHOTOS

u I t’s one of the most rewarding things to go I through,” said Cadet 3rd Class Matthew I Cichowski during Recognition. “It hurts a lot now but tomorrow it’ll be over and they’ll be human again. It’ll probably be one of the best days of their lives.”

“I pushed myself harder than I ever had before and I came out of it feeling better than ever because I felt that I earned it,” said Cadet 4th Class Kimberly Bentley. “I now know just how far I can push myself if I ever need to go through a stressful situation again. I know that those three days will stick out in my mind as the hardest and most rewarding three days so far in my life.”

Every Academy graduate has gone through the rite of passage known as Recognition Weekend, or Hell Week as it was previously known. The grueling two day gauntlet began on a Thursday and ended Saturday when the four degrees received their prop and wings.

“The best part of recognition was the walk down the squadron aisle with all my upperclassmen lined up along the sides during a squadron recognition ceremony,” said Cadet 4th Class Shawn Ingkiriwang. “During this time, cadets with outstanding performance were saluted by their upperclassmen as a show ofrespect for the effort and dedication they have put in. This was the best, most memorable and exhilarating moment of Recognition as your effort was finally paid offby earning the respect ofyour upperclassmen.” D>

Previous page: At the heart of Recognition is a determined, but fair, cadre who is hell-bent on making the experience one to remember.

Above: In the opening hours, Doolies bearthe brunt of a physical and mental test.

Upper class cadets run Recognition in order to train cadets in the manner they feel befitting their squadron values.

“In the past we’ve done training because it was done to us and we’re trying to get away from that,” said Cadet 1st Class Gabe Arrington, the cadet in charge of Recognition. “We’re going toward training with a purpose.”

Part of that training with a purpose centered on three rooms that emphasized the concepts of respect, honor and integrity.

In each room, fourth class cadets received demonstrations illustrating the importance of these three concepts on military life.

In the respect room, a squadron showed a movie clip demonstrating how mutual respect is integral to accomplishing a mission.

“I can’t say that one particular person inspired me, but seeing all my classmates pushing hard and having upperclassmen tell you that you can make it is inspiring,” Bentley said. “I didn’t want to let anybody down, be it the upperclassmen or my classmates.”

The rooms allowed the four degrees to internalize why they’re at the Academy, Tarrington said.

“We’re trying to produce an officer ofcharacter capable of leading the Air Force,” he said.

Doing push-ups and other physical exercises can instill pride in the squadron and increase unity and morale, he said.

Recognition Weekend transcended cultural boundaries.

“Nine letters brought me through recognition,” said Jngkiriwang, an international cadet from Singapore. “When the times were tough and when I was thinking about giving up, I would look down on my Battle Dress Uniform.

“On my shirt, there were nine letters—Singapore. I must never give up. I must give my all, even if it means my life. That is my country and I will not let down my country. It is my motivation to attain excellence in all I do. It is not just doing well; it’s all about the pursuit ofexcellence, pride, integrity and national responsibility.”

“These are things that don’t just apply to military life,” Arrington said. “These are values that help them become good citizen leaders in the civilian world-upholding values they learned here at the Air Force Academy.” 9

The challenge of overcoming the physical and mental tests unleashed by the corps of cadre builds a camaraderie that will last a lifetime.

A WHOLE WEEK OF

“The Red Tag Bastards”

“Red Tag classes seem to be a littleprouder... ”

“’66Blood that Sticks”

“Mission complete”

HELL WEEK 1963

By Vic Andrews, ’66

/\ s you are probably aware, each class at the United / i \ States Air Force Academy is assigned a class color / \ upon entry to the Academy. The four colors are / fl \ gold, silver, blue and red. The first red class was the Class of 1962 and has since been known as “The Red Tag Bastards.” Some might consider this an insult, but most Red Tags consider it a compliment. In my opinion, Red Tag classes seem to be a little prouder oftheir class color and carry it with pride throughout their careers.

The Class of 1966 was the second Red Tag Class and this “stigma” was firmly imprinted on the class early by the upperclassmen. It was so firmly imprinted that some members of the class decided that, as a show of spirit, the class color should be prominently displayed for all to see at the beginning of Hell Week (Yes, back in those days, Recognition was a week long process and took place along with all the normal activities: academics, athletics, military training, meals, etc.).

This small group of Red Tags considered many alternatives, but in the end only two survived. As it turned out, one was a great idea and the other only good. Although some would doubt the latter of the two.

Idea number one was to fabricate a large “66” Flag out of sheets and fly it from the Cadet Area flagpole on the first morning of Hell Week (this was the great idea).

Idea number two was to paint the F-106 red. It was located where the F-105 now stands (this was the idea some doubt was even good).

As each plan was set in motion, white sheets were procured and the flag was painted with a red “66” in the garage of an unnamed Colonel who sponsored a number of the planners.

The F-106 paint job was a little more complex. The planners knew it would have to be done quickly, to minimize the chance of being caught. The greatest problem ahead was finding a non-permanent paint that could be applied quickly. The search was futile.

By this time, the plan had taken on a life of its own and the risk was deemed acceptable. An enamel paint was procured and spirited onto the Academy grounds by the girlfriend of one of the planners.

Everything was ready. The strike force was assembled and broken into two teams in the dead of night before the start of Hell Week.

Team one was to raise the 66 Flag. The plan was simple, but ingenious. The flagpole has two halyards for two flags, even though only one flag is normally flown. The 66 Flag was raised to near the top ofthe flagpole. Then a bosons chair was fashioned out ofthe other halyard and a team member was raised halfway up the flagpole where he tied offthe halyard holding the 66 flag, making more than just a little difficult to get it down.

Team two was to paint the F-106, and paint they did with great precision. Keeping neatness in mind, they sprayed the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and wings a striking shade of red. The “U.S. Air Force” on the fuselage, as well as the canopy and radome were left in original condition. Even in the dark it was beautiful.

Even though the planning was thorough and the execution precise, all did not go without incident. At least

once, but I think twice, during the evenings activities the Security Police made sweeps of the Terrazzo. One ofthe times, one of team members was halfway up the flagpole, attempting to make himselfvery small. Either the Security Police were not very observant that night or they were very understanding. To our delight, they never stopped and never asked any questions.

Mission complete!

Monday morning the sun came up, and the Class of 66 was assembled on the Terrazzo in front ofVandenberg Hall. Having caught a glimpse of the flag and F-106 on the way out, the RTBs waited for the arrival of the upperclassmen with great anticipation. The looks on the faces of the upperclassmen when they saw the 66 Flag and F-106 were something to behold and helped get us through the rest of Hell Week.

The flag stayed up most ofthe day until a cherry picker was eventually brought in to take it down. The red F-106 lasted a while longer. All ofthis, of course, did not go unnoticed by the Commandant. Calling all ofhis AOCs to his office, he demanded to know the names of the culprits. Having a hunch, the AOC of Third Squadron headed back to the squadron area and assembled

the Fourth Classmen. As he read them the riot act, he noticed red paint on the teeth of one ofthe Fourth Classmen. There was no denying it. They were caught.

The punishment was quick. The class was to clean the red paint with acetone and each contribute $ 1 to repaint the airplane.

The execution went like this. Third Squadron cleaned for 30 minutes, then First Squadron cleaned for 30 minutes, then Third Squadron cleaned for 30 minutes, then Second Squadron cleaned for 30 minutes, then Third Squadron cleaned for another 30 minutes. I think you get the idea. Needless to say, most of the members of the Class of’66 lost a lot of skin off their hands.

The last part of the story has to do with the aircraft itself. It had recently been donated to USAFA by Air Defense Command and had not yet been dedicated. With the aircraft’s new paint scheme, the Superintendent nervously pondered how to tell the Commander ofADC that the aircraft was not ready to be dedicated.

Luck is often better than skill.

As it turned out, the Commander ofADC, Gen. Dick Lee, had a son in the Class of’66. After a son to father phone call, Gen. Lee informed the Superintendent that it would be a while before the aircraft could be dedicated. Interestingly, many years later Gen. Lee still fondly remembers every detail of the event.

All’s well that ends well, right? Hell Week went on and the Class of ’66 was Recognized. The rest, as they say, is history. “’66 Blood that Sticks” S

Popovich,’70, NBA

Coach of THE Year

San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, ’70, has been named the winner of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the NBA Coach of the Year tor the 2002-03 season.

Popovich, who is the first Spurs coach in franchise history to earn the Auerbach Trophy, received 281 points, including 40 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

Coaches were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each thirdplace vote received. First-year head coach Eric Musselman of the Golden State Warriors finished second with 231 points (26 firstplace votes) and Utah's Jerry Sloan finished third with 143 points (18 first-place votes).

Named the Spurs head coach on Dec. 10, 1996, Popovich has collected a regular season-record of 339-185 (.646) in six seasons at the helm and is the Spurs’ all-time leader in coaching victories.

This season, the Spurs posted a 60-22 overall mark - wing for the best overall record in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks and won their fourth Midwest Division title under Popovichs tutelage. The Spurs also notched a league-best 18-2 record over their last 20 road games and secured the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The 2002-03 season marks the second time in franchise history that the Spurs finished with 60 or more wins (1994-95,62-20).

Popovich joined the Spurs in July 1988 as an assistant coach on Larry Brown’s staff. He spent the next four seasons in San Aitonio for a Spurs franchise that won a pair of Midwest Division titles. In the summer of 1992, Popovich was named an assistant coach on Don Nelson’s staff with the Golden State Warriors. He spent the next two seasons with the Warriors before re-joining the Spurs on May 31, 1994, as the club’s general manager. He assumed head coaching responsibilities in December 1996. Popovich led San Antonio to its first NBA title, a five-game triumph over the New York Knicks, in the 1999 NBA Finals.

The Coach of the Year Award is named after legendary coach and Hall of Famer Red Auerbach who guided the Celtics to nine NBA Championships. In 1996 Auerbach was honored as one of the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History as the NBA celebrated its 50th anniversary. (Story and photo courtesy of the NBA.)

he Air Force’s present and future met its forebears, as four Academy cadets and professors attended the Doolittle Raiders’ reunion in Vacaville, Calif, on April 15-19.

The Academy’s attendees were Cadets 1st Class Jason McClure and Anna Rietze, along with Col. Mark Wells and Maj. Dan Moy ofthe Academy’s Department ofFlistory, who brought a part ofthe Doolittle Raiders’ history and tradition to the reunion.

“Our duty was to escort the goblets to the reunion and to protect them during reunion activities. We were tasked with ensuring that they safely arrived at all events and were ready for use by the raiders, and that they safely made it back here to the Academy,” said McClure, ofCadet Squadron 35. The cadets also fielded questions about the display and the Doolittle Raid.

The display contains 80 silver cupseach engraved with the name of one of the 1942 raid’s participants. Normally, the cups are on public display in the Academy’s Arnold Hall.

When the Raiders gather for a reunion, they toast and then turn over the goblet ofthose who have passed away since their last reunion. Going into this year’s reunion, only 23 of the engraved silver goblets remained turned up.

The display also contains a bottle of cognac, which the final two raiders will eventually open and use for a final toast to their comrades.

This was the 61st reunion of the raiders. On April 18, 1942, 80 volunteer bomber aircrews led by then-Lt. Col. James Doolittle launched 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, to bomb Japan. The aircrews bombed targets in Yokohama, Nagoya and Tokyo, Japan, in the first American strike on the Japanese mainland, and gave America a much-needed morale boost during those early days of World War II.

The cadets were selected for the escort duty by virtue ofbeing the top-rated cadets in airpower studies at the Academy, said Moy, director ofoperations ofthe Academy’s Department ofHistory.

“I was elated and honored to be selected for this duty,” said McClure. “The

Doolittle Raiders are heroes of the highest caliber, they’re legends. I consider myself to be a student ofWorld War II, and the opportunity to associate with such heroes, and participate in their reunion, is truly an amazing one. I’m even more honored that I will be representing this institution to these men, who will see through me the future of the Air Force.”

McClure’s classmate shares his excitement on representing the Academy.

“I was absolutely thrilled to learn of my selection for this monumental event! I am very excited to represent the Air Force as well as the Academy,” said Rietze, who will attend undergraduate pilot training after graduation. “These heroes whom we are honoring at this reunion have truly served as an inspiration to me for their selfless sense ofduty and honor. I only hope to mirror these qualities in my personal service to our nation.”

The escort mission also benefited Rietze in the classroom, she added.

“I am currently taking a World War II class in which we discuss the heroic efforts of soldiers/airmen such as the Doolittle Raiders,” the senior from Cadet Squadron 21 explained. “Aside from this class, I have studied airpower history extensively in various courses that the Academy offers the student body. The study ofWorld War II is fundamental and compelling. From my studies I now understand the origin and foundation of today’s Air Force.” 9

Cadet 1st Class Jason McClure helps Maj. Dan Moy pack the Doolittle goblets for transport to the reunion in California.

Honoring our Distinguished Graduates

Forty-nine years ago President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the U.S. Air Force Academy into EXISTENCE WITH THE ENACTMENT of the Air Academy Act.

Founders Day recognizes this HISTORIC EVENT AND PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ACADEMY TO HONOR ITS DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES.

This year the annual Founders Day Dinner was held on April 4th to honor Academy Distinguished Graduates, Gen. (Ret.) Robert C. Oaks, ’59, and Dr. Paul Kaminski, ’64.

General Robert C. Oaks

eneral Robert C. Oaks’ lifetime ofservice to country, community and church represents the highest ideals ofthe Air Force Academy.

As a flier and warrior, he progressed from service as a young fighter pilot through commands at the flight, squadron, wing, and air command level, commanding two major air commands. Early in his career, he flew 188 combat missions in Vietnam.

He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for accurate night close air support of troops under heavy enemy fire. And while at the Academy in the late sixties, he directed the Honor and Ethics Program. He was an unmatched role model for the cadets during the turbulent days of the Vietnam Conflict.

Years later he would culminate his military career as Commander-in-Chiefof U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Commander, Allied Forces Central Europe. Through remarkable skill and wisdom, he successfully led the transformation ofhis command to meet the demands of Desert Storm and conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo.

In 1997, the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints called on the retired General to be president of its congregations in northwestern Pennsylvania, and later the church’s President for its Africa Southeast Area.

Over his long career, General Oaks always reflected the highest ideals of integrity, service and excellence. He faced both physical dangers and the daunting challenges ofpolitical-military realities on a world scale with a steadfast faith, unmatched personal integrity, and a genuine respect for his fellow men.

Dr. Paul Kaminski

hrough technical prowess and skilled leadership, Dr. Paul Kaminski made a profound and lasting impact on our Nation’s security and military capability. Throughout his 20-year Air Force career, he was repeatedly thrust into pivotal roles not only in developing, but also in insuring the successful fielding of revolutionary technology and new warfighting concepts. Former President Reagan captured this well in 1984, saying “Seldom has a person of your rank achieved so much for his nation through the sheer genius ofhis ideas.”

From 1977-1981, he worked with former Secretary of Defense 'William J. Perry to establish the foundation for the DoD Stealth and Counter-Stealth program, which Perry called “the most important military technical program in the nation.” Less

Lt. Gen. JD Dallager,’69, and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mark Anderson, ’61, present the Distinguished Graduate award to Gen. (Ret.) Robert Oaks and Dr. Paul Kaminski.

publicized was his pioneering role from 1971-1976 as a Program Director in the National Reconnaissance Office, in the development ofhighly classified “National Technical Means,” which now provide the nation with invaluable real time intelligence and targeting.

From 1981-1984, then Colonel Kaminski directed the Air Force Low Observable Program, where he became known for the remarkable development and operational introduction ofStealth Technology. As a technology visionary, he made other notable contributions in the field ofprecision-guided weapons, aircraft, missile systems, and the related technology base. After a brilliant Air Force career, Dr. Kaminski served from 1985-1994 in the private sector in multiple advisory and board positions, and as a CEO involved in technology, business strategy and investment banking.

He then served as Under Secretary ofDefense for Acquisition and Technology from 1994-1997, turning his keen management skills toward Acquisition Reform. His concentration on “People, Partnerships, and Perseverance” was not only a reflection ofhis own values but also a template for major cultural change, ushering in a new era of advancement and affordability through programs procurement such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), the Global Hawk & Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the C-17, and the Joint Strike Fighter programs. Dr. Kaminski s integrity, dedication, and unfailing concern for individuals during a lifetime ofservice to the nation exemplify the highest ideals ofthe Academy and the United States Air Force.

Jabara Award Winners

Major Leighton Anderson, ’92, (left) and Major Edward Lengel, ’92, (right) were recognized BEFORE THE CADET WING ON APRIL 3RD. BOTH RECEIVED THE 2003 COL. JAMES JABARA AWARD FOR Airmanship for their outstanding contributions to airpower during Operation Enduring Freedom. The awards were presented by Col. Bob Eskridge, ’77, Vice Commandant.

AUnbroken

Story and Photos by Ken

On a clear blue morning in the spring of 1994 The Long Blue Line lost one of its bright young stars. First Lieutenant Laura Piper, ’92, was living out her dream of being an Air Force officer and looking forward to a long career as a pilot when, in a catastrophic flash, it all ended.

Piper was one of 26 crewmembers and passengers killed while on a humanitarian mission to Kurdish villages when their U.S. Army Black < Hawk helicopters were

HBiiSHEjiivSCBflHNHil

^ mistakenly identified ^Lt. Laura A. Piper, 92 as foes by U.S. aircraft patrolling the no-fly-zone in Northern Iraq. Two F-15 Eagles fired their missiles and the fates of 26 souls were sealed. Piper became the first female graduate to die in a combat zone and her name was soon etched into the black granite of the Academy’s War Memorial.

In the days that followed, Piper’s bright smiling face and murky details ofher death were on the cover ofalmost every newspaper in the country. Like all “friendly-fire” incidents, everyone wanted to know why and how such a tragedy could happen.

Maybe it was her infectious smile or perhaps it was her youth. It may have even been because we just weren’t accustomed to reading about young women dying in the service of their country. But whatever the reason, the wound her death left on so many hearts didn’t heal quickly.

Piper’s life ended that day, but her dreams would not.

Since she was a little girl, Erin Shaw dreamed of being a cadet at the U.S Air Force Academy. It came somewhat natural for her, as her father, Jim Shaw, graduated in 1967, and her grandfather was an Army Air Corps pilot.

Wright

But it was the story of Piper’s life and death that catalyzed the fourth-grader’s dreams into a plan of action. Something touched her deep inside while reading the headlines and stories detailing who Piper was and how her life and career were cut short by a series of tragic errors.

Erin discovered that Piper also had dreams of becoming an Air Force pilot from a very young age, and that she made a lasting impact on those she served with at the Academy as well as during her assignments that followed graduation. In fact, it was because of her contributions to her unit while deployed to Turkey that she was chosen to take part in the ill-fated humanitarian mission.

With every word she read, Erin’s admiration for the young lieutenant grew. She knew she had found a role model and decided to emulate her as best she could.

Feeling so strongly about her new hero, she wrote a school report about how Piper had accomplished so much during her short lifetime, and ended the report with two wishes. First, that she would “have the same courage that Laura Piper had,” and second, “that she (Piper) will always be remembered for her sacrifices.” Only time

C4C Erin Shaw, 06 would tell.

Erin then decided to write Piper’s parents and enclose her essay with the letter. The Pipers were so touched by the young

girl’s words they decided they wanted her to have something to help inspire and motivate her as she followed in their daughter’s footsteps. They decided to send her a small shepherd’s lantern that Laura had purchased in Turkey, and asked Erin to let it always remind her to keep a flame burning inside as she followed her dreams.

Overwhelmed by the symbolic gesture, Erin placed the lantern in her bedroom atop her armoire where she could see it every day. Over the eight years that followed, the lantern served as a reminder to do her very best as she studied hard and did everything she could to receive an appointment to the Academy.

The years of hard work paid off last summer when Erin entered the Academy with the Class of 2006. And like all appointees, she found that arriving at the Academy was only the beginning ofwhat would be a very challenging road.

As she faced the relentless physical and mental challenges of Basic Cadet Training (BCT) she looked back upon the essay she had written long ago for inspiration to push herself harder than ever before. “Whenever I got down or discouraged 1 would read the words and remember why I came to the Academy and who I aspired to be like,” recalled Erin.

After completing BCT and being accepted into the Cadet Wing with her classmates, she soon found that following in her hero’s footsteps would be a journey filled with obstacles that would in many ways, force her to her limits, and sometimes beyond.

As she worked hard throughout her four-degree year, Erin made a point of looking at Laura’s name each time she passed by the War Memorial. “Seeing her name would really refresh my determination and make me feel as if I could handle anything the world threw my way,” she said.

She was inspired to try even harder when she received an unexpected package from Piper’s parents last winter. Inside the package was Laura’s coveted “Prop and Wings” she worked so hard to receive when she completed Recognition in 1989. They wanted Erin to wear them with the same pride Laura felt. “To receive such an honor is something I will never be able to describe,” said Erin. “It made all the hard work worth it.”

At the start of Recognition, Erin and her classmates prayed for strength. “After the prayer I said a little prayer for Laura to watch over me and give me strength to make it through everything,” remembered Erin. “At the start of every event, I said in my mind ‘this is for Laura’. I never thought

that I could push myself so hard when I was so tired. It was the most rewarding thing I have done in my life.”

Fourteen years after Cadet Fourth Class Laura Ashley Piper received her Prop and Wings, the very same icon ofaccomplishment and honor was pinned upon the lapel of Cadet Fourth Class Erin-Marin Shaw. “Being ‘recognized’ is a huge honor,” said Shaw, “and wearing my hero’s Prop and Wings makes it even more special. Every time I look at them I’m inspired by the memory of Laura Ashley Piper.” And thus the legacy ofThe Long Blue Line stretched a little bit longer. SI

(Editor’s Note: Laura’sfather, Danny, is a 1967Academygraduate, and her brother, Danny, graduated in 1994 a month after Laura’s death.)

beating the OP!

The Academy announces recipients of four graduate studies scholarships

From left to right: Col. (Ret.) Larry Smith, Vice President of Finance (AOG), Col. (Ret.)Jim Shaw, CEO/President (AOG), Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mark Anderson, Chairman ofthe Board (AOG), Cadet 1st class Adam Wolfe, Cadet 1st classJared Tomlin, Cadet 1st class Antonia Giraud, Col. Douglas Murray, Head, Political Science Dept., Dr. Kenneth Lavin, Director ofGraduate Education

/he 2003 General Richard L. Lawson Graduate Scholarship and the Earle and Marion Nutter Scholarship are awarded to Cadet 1st class Adam C. Wolfe. The Lawson scholarship was established to encourage and reward exellence in communications among cadets at the Air Force Academy. The AOG administers the fund which is awarded to the outstanding graduate cadet in communications. The Nutter Scholarship is awarded to a graduating cadet who entered the Academy after serving a minimum of nine months active duty as an enlisted member. The field of study for the Nutter Scholarship is varied and the duration of study is 12 to 18 months.

The Gen. John K. Gerhart Fellowship is AWARDED TO CADET 1ST CLASS ANTONIA R. GlRAUD. The Gerhart Fellowship is a two-year study program in the French language. All educational costs are paid from a trust fund established in the name of Gen. John K. Gerhart. The AOG administers the funds.

The Franklin C. Wolfe Fellowship is AWARDED TO CADET 1ST CLASS JARED A. TOMLIN. The Wolfe fellowship was established in 1966 to support a USAFA cadet in postgraduate education in the field of Humanities. The Scholarship is supported by interest derived from $25,000 willed to USAFA by the late Col. Franklin C. Wolfe.

dam Wolfe was an aircraft mechanic while serving in the USAF as an enlisted member. While attending the Air Force Academy, he majored in Humanities and minored in German. He served on 1 st BCT Group Staff twice, once as Athletic NCO and then as Director of Resources. Representing the Academy at history and philosophy conferences, he received an award for best paper at the regional Phi Alpha Theta history conference.

Adam plans to study medieval history in pursuit of a Master ofArts degree at Bowling Green State University. After graduate school, he looks forward to space/missile training and a career in the Air Force.

f ared Tomlin majored in Humanities and minored in French while attending the Air Force Academy. As a cadet, Jared served in various leadership positions ranging from a training clerk and Honor NCO to the Composite Group Superintendent and Squadron 25 Superintendent. Jared was heavily involved in the SPIRE program at the Navigators, meeting with other cadets several times a week to support and encourage one another in spiritual education and growth. Jared is a member of the Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society and he played intercollegiate football during his four degree year and went on to play rugby for one year. He also participated in the semester exchange program to the French Air Force Academy during the 2002 fall semester. Jared will be getting married in the Academy Chapel three days following graduation to his high school sweetheart Julie.

Jared plans to earn a master’s degree in International Relations from Colorado State University. Following his studies, Jared will go to Sheppard AFB, Texas for Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training.

n / f A i r 1

ntonia Giraud majored in Political Science and minored in French while attending the Air Force Academy. As a cadet she held various leadership positions to include Group Staff and Squadron Honor Officer. As part of a three-person team, Antonia represented the Academy in the Annual Jean Pictet International Humanitarian Law Competition. Heavily involved in athletics, Antonia competed in several marathons throughout her cadet career and co-captained the women’s lacrosse team in Spring 2003. She also spent the fall 2002 semester on exchange at the French Air Force Academy in Salon de Provence, France. Antonia plans to study in Paris for two years and obtain a Masters ofArts degree. Following her studies, she will return to Goodfellow AFB for Intelligence training. B

The Coors Chair’s Perspective

JAMES H, TOMER, Coors Chair for Character Development

THE NATIONAL CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM (NCLS) BEGAN IN 1993 when a small group ofscholars was brought to the Academy to speak to cadets on character and leadership issues. In 1997, the NCLS program invited students from civilian institutions to join the cadets in a larger symposium. In 2003, we celebrated our 10th annual NCLS. The Center hosted the symposium 26-28 February 2003. This year’s forum invited 48 speakers of national prominence, including Dr. James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force; Michael Josephson of the Josephson Institute of Ethics; Brig. Gen. Charles Baldwin, ’69, USAF Deputy Chiefof the Chaplain Service; Fisher DeBerry, USAFA Football Ffead Coach; Dr. Albert Pierce, Director of the Character Center at the US Naval Academy; Dr. Rick Rigsby, author and character coach for the Texas A&M football team; and other military heroes, noted authors, and scholars. The symposium offered over 60 speaker

sessions and three panel discussions addressing topics of integrity, moral courage, servant leadership, character, ethics, faith, virtue, values, professionalism, technology, and adventure. The topics revolved around the symposium’s central theme ofMoral Courage and Servant Leadership in Modern Times.

“Character is what you are in the dark,” we often hear. Or “Character is what you are when no one else is around,” we are told. In some of my talks I contend that character is what we are when everyone is looking. Whatever we think of these-and of other attempts-to describe character, they have one common theme: they concern what we are at our core, our heart, our soul. The central idea of character is that we become men and women of moral vision so that, in turn, we can do acts of moral valor. Aristotle told us, however, that we become good people by doing good acts. Isn’t this just “circular reasoning”? Do we do good to become good, or do we become good to do good?

“Character is what you are in the dark”

“Character is what you are when no one else is around”

The topic of defining and reinforcing the ethical environment in business relationships was dicsussed by Bill Boisture, ’67, former President of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation.

I think the 2003 National Character and Leadership Symposium answers that question for us. The NCLS believes in, and practices, the old saying: “Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” The Academy’s NCLS is about thinking and reading and conversing about what matters, and the NCLS is rooted in the idea that whether doing leads to being or being leads to doing, both depend upon wise thoughts. Consequently, the 138 visiting students (including cadets from Japan and Canada), 35 visiting faculty, scores ofvisitors and the entire Cadet Wing participated in some or all of this year’s NCLS events, which highlighted about 45 speakers from all over the country.

In fact, the topics addressed at and by the NCLS were so wide ranging that the interests ofall attendees could and would be piqued. What tied the diverse topics and speakers together was a common interest in, and even passion for, moral and character development. Attendees had the opportunity, not just to listen, but to question speakers, to discuss and to debate the points made and the issues raised, and to carry away with them the themes and

thoughts ofthis remarkable symposium, which identifies the U.S. Air Force Academy as a leader in the field ofcharacter development.

The NCLS celebrates ten years of championing clean, clear thought about integrity and moral worth. That such a Symposium is badly needed is testified to by such scholars as James Davison Hunter, who, in sorrow, tells us that “Character is dead” and that, in today’s world, “there is nothing to which the self is obligated to submit” (The Death of Character [New York: Basic, 2000], pp. xiii and 191). For three days, the NCLS attendees marinated in thoughts about what ought to be, about what endures, and about what virtue requires of us. The attendees, thinking and conversing about the doers and the deeds which inspire integrity, came away with the belief that knowing and doing what is good and true and right is within their power. They came away believing, not only that they must practice what they preach, but also that they must preach what they practice. Attendees invariably leave the NCLS with those convictions and with those motivations, making the NCLS a force multiplier for the good.

The Character Development Center and the Cadet Wing thank the AOG for its continued financial support for a large portion ofthe NCLS. S

Ted Legasey, ’67, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SRA International, talked about the ten key principles every business should adopt.

Female Fighter Pilots Take On Challenges Full Throttle

By SSgt. Elaine Aviles, 52nd FighterWing Public Affairs

Photo by SSgt. Karen Z. Silcott, USAF

Capt. Jessica Rhyne, ’94, and 1st Lt. Corinne Gilliam prepare for a training mission that included Spangdahlem Air Base’s only other female F-16 pilot, 1st Lt. Leigh Noel.

Female fighter pilots are a special breed. They are willing to crack into a male-dominated field, take a $30 million aircraft, fly at mind-numbing speeds and head straight into the face of danger, all the while knowing they may not be coming back.

Most will say they are happy to do just that, because they get to fly.

“And we get paid for it,” said Capt. Jessica Rhyne, ’94, with the 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. “I feel incredibly lucky.”

Rhyne is an F-16CJ Fighting Falcon pilot. Her job is suppression of enemy air defenses. She travels to the hot spots of the world, where she relies partly on her state-of-the-art equipment and partly on her wits to survive.

Just 10 years ago, her job was not open to women. Although women have been entering pilot training since 1976, government officials did not believe women had the “right stuff” for combat.

Rhyne always believed she did. Her dream to become a fighter pilot, then an astronaut, crystallized after a trip to the Kennedy Space Center at the age of 12. Although the “no women in combat” law made her dream seem unattainable, she still remained determined.

“I entered the Air Force Academy and tried to convince my congressman to give women a chance,” said Rhyne. “He told me that families were not ready to see their sisters and wives coming home in body bags.”

Rhyne was not buying it. Then, in 1993, the secretary of defense permitted women to enter fighter pilot training.

Rhyne was accepted and has never looked back. She has been a pilot for more than nine years, has accumulated more than 800 hours offlight time and two Operation Northern Watch combat missions.

But she is the exception rather than the rule. Out of more than 12,000 Air Force pilots, only about 460 are women. Female fighter pilots are even rarer, with 46 Air Force-wide, according to the Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Spangdahlem AB currently has three female fighter pilots, Rhyne; 1st Lt. Leigh Noel, 22nd Fighter Squadron; and Capt. Michelle Vestal, ’94, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot from the 81st Fighter Squadron.

“Thanks to women like Capt. Rhyne, I was able to become a fighter pilot without a second thought,” said Noel.

After joining the Air Force as an acquisition officer, Noel decided to tackle the challenge of pilot training.

She has been combat mission ready since the end ofMarch, having just wrapped up more than two years oftraining, which started with a year ofgeneralized pilot training, and culminated with training in an aircraft “specialty.” Other classes she took ran the gamut from water survival to posing as a prisoner in a POW camp.

Male or female, fighter pilot training is not for the faint ofheart.

“The training is tough,” said Noel. “If you’re ultra-sensitive, you’re in the wrong profession.”

“Women fighter pilots are tough,” she said. “You have to be. You have to be willing to kill people and be ready to die.”

With initial training complete, Noel gets as many flight hours as she can. She also spends a lot oftime studying. Fighter pilots have to know about every piece ofequipment on their aircraft, plus understand the nature ofintelligence threats and study mission plans.

Right now, however, fighter pilots are focusing on current military operations. Many pilots are already deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Aware they may be next, Rhyne and Noel train constantly. They recently flew a training mission together, along with 1st Lt. Corinne Gilliam, an intelligence officer.

The officers were playing out an Operation Iraqi Freedom scenario. Gilliam rode along in the two-seater trainer to get a firsthand look at the threats she briefs pilots about.

“I never flew with other women before,” Rhyne said. “It’s definitely an indicator of the changing face of the Air Force.”

“I think women should go for it,” she said. “Being a fighter pilot is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference.”

Although her girlhood dream of becoming an astronaut is limited by her eyesight, Rhyne appears satisfied with her life’s path.

“Don’t give up on your dreams or let others tell you what you can or can’t do,” she said. “The only limits you have are the ones you impose.” SI

Training Wing Change of Command

By John Van Winkle, Academy Public Affairs

“Honored and humbled”

are how the Academy’s new Commandant of Cadets describes his latest command responsibilities.

Brig. Gen. Johnny Weida assumed command of the 34th Training Wing and became the Academy’s 22nd Commandant ofCadets on April 10.

“I’m honored and I’m humbled to return to an institution that means so much to our Air Force,” he told the assembled dignitaries, media and 4,000-plus strong Cadet Wing. “Since 1959, the Air Force Academy has produced some of the most distinguished warriors that have performed with honor and distinction from the Cold War to the current crisis in Iraq.”

But the burdens of command are a little heavier this time, with the sexual assault issue that precipitated the changes of command and other changes at the Academy.

“Anytime you’re given a command, it’s a humbling experience, because now you have the ultimate responsibility for the health, morale, welfare and discipline ofthousands ofpeople,” said Weida. “So I’m responsible to the moms and dads ofevery cadet here. I want the moms and dads to feel great about their son or daughter being at the Air Force Academy. Therefore, I want them to be proud of everything that’s going on, so that when they come here to the graduation ceremony, it’s a great experience to launch these cadets up to a career-a great career-in the world’s greatest air and space force.”

He hit the base April 9, and assumed command less than 24 hours later. He now also fills the role of acting Academy Superintendent. But at the same time Weida accepted command, he was

putting both delegation and technology to work, by having his executive staff Email a six-page Commandant’s Intent declaration to every individual on the Academy, entitled “Getting Started” (see AOG website, www.AOG-USAFA.ORG).

“It is designed to start us off on the same foot on our journey ofexcellence,” declared Weida, in his Commander’s Intent. “Our mission is crucial to the Air Force and nation. Therefore, we must minimize the turmoil and uncertainty that comes with a leadership change in any organization.”

While the Commander’s Intent covered a wide range of areas, it was the sections on delegation ofauthority, holding leaders accountable, giving people top cover, and loyalty up and down the chain which gave Academy people an insight into how their new Commandant of Cadets and Acting Superintendent thinks and acts, and his intentions.

“In the next couple ofweeks I will endeavor to learn more about you and your responsibilities,” said Weida.

But until then, his directives are very clear: “Keep doing what you are doing until you get guidance otherwise-no stealth policy changes.”

Performance is also one of his measuring sticks.

“The only discrimination we have in the Air Force is discrimination based on the ability to get the job done,” said Weida, after the change of command ceremony. “Any other kind of discrimination is against the law, will be detrimental to mission accomplishment and will not be tolerated. Do not go there!”

With his new role as 34th TrainingWing commander and Commandant ofCadets, this will be the sixth time in Weida’s career that he has accepted the responsibilities and burdens ofcommand. Aside from his most recent command ofthe Squadron Officer College at Maxwell AFB, Weida has also held command positions of a cadet squadron, operations support squadron, operations group and fighter wing.

“The number one responsibility of a commander is get the mission done,” Weida said. “I’m going to do absolutely everything in my power to get everybody under my command to understand that when something happens to someone, we need to listen to them and we need to be sensitive to their concerns and we need to give them the privacy that they need. We need to give the accused due process, because we’re a nation of laws.” 8

Brig. Gen. Johnny Weida (right) hands off the guidon after accepting command of the 34th Training Wing from Lt. Gen. John Dallager.

I he second time around was successful for six boxers in the I 2003 Wing Open Boxing Championships held at Clune I Arena in April.

A year ago all six lost decisions in their respective weight divisions.

This year, Thomas Parker, Jake Hostetler, Clell Knight, Leif Nordhagen, Ethan Sabin, and Brian Trumble won decisions to earn a Wing Open title before an estimated crowd of4,700.

Darren Smith, who gained a title last year with a walkover, won a decision over freshman Roy Cho in a 119-pound bout.

Frankie Woods stopped

Marcos Gonzales with 13 seconds left in the second round in a 147-pound fight in the only bout of the night that didn’t end in a decision.

Woods dominated throughout the abbreviated bout to earn the Open’s Outstanding Boxer Award. This was Woods’ third Wing Open appearance. He finished twice before as the runner-up in his weight division.

“Woods kept up a relentless attack against Gonzales. Gonzales is one offour freshman that made the finals,” said head coach Eddie Weichers, Jr. “Woods cornered Gonzales in the second round and the referee issued a standing eight count. Shortly after Woods again trapped Gonzales. Frankie had his title and the award,” said Weichers

The winners represented the Academy in regional competition.

AOG Supports the Wing Open

By Chery Flores, Director of Annual and Class Giving

For nearly 30 years, the Wing Open Boxing Tournament has provided a venue for cadets to raise funds to benefit a military family confronted by the serious illness of a family member. The money raised this year will help establish an indoor playground for children with depressed immune systems due to chemotherapy treatment or other autoimmune diseases. This idea was developed by Cindy Coleman, mother ofCody Coleman who was a 2002 Wing Open gift recipient. Cindy is working with Childhood Hematology and Oncology Associates and the American Cancer Society to bring her idea to fruition. She invited the Wing Open planning team to consider supporting this exciting project and the cadets voted to lend their support.

The playground is scheduled to open in March 2004 and will provide a great place for Colorado Springs children and their families to have fun.

The AOG continues to support the cadets with this fundraising project by collecting and counting donations, sending receipts to donors and disbursing the gifts to recipients. The Wing Open Charity, a long-standing community service outreach organized by cadets, continues to benefit families in the Colorado Springs community. B

Above Left: Augustin Kamdem [left] and Leif Nordhagen exchange punches in a 175pound bout. Above Right: Participants and beneficiaries of the Wing Open gather for a group photo.

you have any doubt about the future of America, fear not.

“A Year in the Life of the U.S. Air Force Academy,” the newest photo gallery at www.aog-usafa.org, shows you tomorrow’s leaders today.

You won’t be disappointed.

Former Rhodes Scholar, Bart Holaday, 65, establishes a new graduate scholarship at Exeter College, Oxford University

A former Rhodes Scholar and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate has established and endowed with $800,000 a scholarship at the Academy that annually will send a top graduate to Exeter College at England’s Oxford University for two years ofgraduate work.

The new scholarship, established by A. Bart Holaday, ’65, and his wife, Lynn, was recently announced by Lt. Gen. John D. Dallager, superintendent. Beginning with the Class of 2003, the scholarship will enable a cadet, who competes for, but does not receive, a Rhodes Scholarship, to do his or her graduate work at Oxford.

Holaday has named the scholarship in honor ofhis mother, Alberta Bart Holaday, 85, a Colorado native and longtime resident ofJamestown, N.D. Holaday credits his mother, a former English teacher, with impressing upon him as a young man that “education and life are synonymous” and that “each new experience in life increases one’s knowledge of himself, his fellow man and his world.”

Following his graduation from the Air Force Academy, Holaday received a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Exeter College. He spent three years there and earned a master’s degree in philosophy, politics and economics. As a cadet, Holaday was an economics major who earned academic distinction as well as recognition as an outstanding football player, member of the forensics team and as chair of the Cadet Forum. He serves as president of his class and was selected Cadet Wing Commander in his senior year.

Following seven years of active duty with the Air Force, Holaday worked in

the federal government, the energy industry and banking and finance. He retired in 2001 after 15 years in Chicago in the venture capital industry. Today he lives in Chicago and Placitas, N.M., and serves on the boards of several major corporations and foundations. He is a member of the Falcon Foundation and the Sabre Society at the Air Force Academy, and is a private pilot,

In 1997, he and his wife founded the Dakota Foundation, a private foundation that funds social entrepreneurship enterprises in New Mexico and North Dakota. Funding for the Alberta Bart Holaday Scholarship at the Air Force Academy also is through the Dakota Foundation.

In establishing the scholarship, Holaday was inspired by the vision of the late Cecil Rhodes who sought to reward young men and women who demonstrate “literary and scholastic attainments, energy to use one’s talents to the full.” Rhodes believed these talented individuals are exemplified by “a fondness for and success in sports, a devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship, moral force of character and instincts to lead and take an interest in one’s fellow beings.”

Holaday views his own Oxford experience as having provided “an invaluable global perspective” thanks to the university’s location, its international student body and its stellar faculty. “I think that today particularly such a global understanding is a crucial requirement for future Air Force leaders,” he said.

Marilyn Butler, rector of Exeter College at Oxford, said “We have been looking for ways to encourage good American graduates to come to Exeter. The Alberta Bart Holaday Scholarship will serve that purpose in an excellent way.” S

2003 A. Bart Holaday Scholarship

C1C JUSTIN T. BRONDER IS THE 2003 RECIPIENT OF THE ALBERTA BART HOLADAY SCHOLARSHIP. HE IS A PHYSICS MAJOR WITH A 4.0 GPA AND RANKED #1 OF ALL 2003 GRADUATING CADETS BASED ON ACADEMIC, MILITARY, AND ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. HIS HOBBIES INCLUDE READING, RUNNING, WEIGHTLIFTING, SKYDIVING AND WORKING ON HIS 1968 MUSTANG GT. CONGRATULATIONS, JUSTIN.

/mm II T 1nnnrt

CoLPeterHeinz

11 mj mj VA A A, Director of International Programs

Helps Meet Chief of Staff’s Goals

Several articles appearing in Checkpoints over the past year highlighted unique cadet overseas travel opportunities to Senegal, Ecuador, Vietnam, and Italy. These travel programs are a result of a concerted effort by USAFA with the support of the Association of Graduates, to foster development of future officers with global language and cultural skills. As a growing concern within the USAF, the Chief of Staff, General John Jumper emphasized the importance of developing airmen with these skills when he wrote, "...Recent operations underscore our need to establish a cadre of professionals proficient in foreign languages and area studies-men and women who have the right skill sets to shape events and rapidly respond to world-wide contingencies. These international skills are true force multipliers and essential to our ability to operate globally.

Developing such a global cadre will require a much-needed "culture change." To that end, I strongly encourage the pursuit ofsuch skill sets and experiences through regional/international studies degree programs, foreign languages, and overseas assignments...To be truly successful at sustaining coalitions, pursuing regional stability, and contributing to multi-national operations, our expeditionary forces

must have sufficient capability and depth in foreign area expertise and language skills." (CSAF Sight Picture, 26 August 2002).

Recent operations in Afghanistan and the Iraqi conflict have further reinforced the need for officers with unique global skills. The development ofprofessional airmen with foreign language and cultural knowledge, however, cannot be achieved by one, two, or even a few years of intensive training. Indeed, true international expertise comes as a result of a sustained effort ofimmersion and education in foreign language, culture, and political-military affairs-the earlier this process begins the more effective these officers become in shaping international events. The USAFA, quick to recognize and respond to the need, already placed itself at the forefront offostering this "culture change."

For many years, the academy offered a robust slate of foreign language courses (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish) leading to a possible language Minor. In addition, USAFA offered area studies courses, conducted an extensive Spring Break/International Week cadet exchange program with several foreign academies, and was host to approximately 30 international cadets per year from numerous countries, who participate in the entire 4-year academic and military curriculum. Finally, every fall semester for over 30 years, USAFA exchanged 8 cadets with the French Air Force Academy, and hosted numerous

Top Right: Visiting semester exchange cadets from France, Germany, and Spain, Fall 2002

Below: Senegal, Africa, Summer 2Q02-USAFA visitors in front of the Presidential Palace.

international distinguished visitors every year.

Recognizing, however, that much more was needed to meet the changing mission and expeditionary demands, the Air Force Academy took a lead role as an undergraduate institution within the USAF in efforts to develop a robust global curriculum. First, the Foreign Area Studies major was established in 1997 and rapidly grew into one of the largest majors at the academy. More recently, the foreign language core requirement was strengthened and increased to four semesters for all non-technical majors.

In addition, in order to centralize and focus USAEAs international outreach programs, the Office ofInternationa] Programs (DFIP) was established in 1995 and was charged with developing programs to support the rapidly growing Language

Minor program and, subsequently, the Foreign Area Studies major through the implementation of an expanding slate ofinternational experiences for cadets.

While continuing the traditional spring break exchanges, a robust international visitors program, and the premier French exchange, DFIP added or expanded several programs designed to significantly increase and enhance overseas cadet opportunities. One ofthe first successes was the expansion ofthe semester exchange abroad program to include the Air Force academies ofGermany, Spain, Chile, and last year, the Royal Military College ofCanada. In total, 18 cadets now have the opportunity each year to spend an entire semester at one of these foreign academies while an equal number offoreign cadets spend

the semester at USAFA. While the primary goal ofthese highly suecessful exchange programs is for visiting cadets to experience all aspects ofthe host academy, cadets also have ample opportunity to greatly increase their language skills, explore the culture ofthe country, learn first-hand about the country’s military, and develop important friendships that hopefully will last throughout their professional careers.

With the support of the Air Force Foreign Area Officer branch, USAFA also sends up to 50 cadets annually to participate in 4week intensive, home-stay language immersion programs. In the immersion program, selected cadets travel to one of eight countries representing the languages taught at USAFA and live with a local family for their entire stay. The programs are organized through a private contractor who specializes in tailored language immersion experiences that provide cadets with daily language classes and numerous opportunities to immerse themselves in the local culture. In past summers, immersion programs were held in Nice, France; Salzburg, Austria; Madrid, Spain; Osaka, Japan; and even Beijing, China, to name a few of the exciting locations.

Additional summer travel abroad opportunities are made possible by the generosity of the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation. Working through the AOG, the foundation pro-

Top Left; Cadets visit the Japanese National Defense Academy as part of their language immersion program, June 2002.

Left: Mrs, Jane Dallager, 2Lt, Andy Walker, '02, and Officer Candidate Matthew Webb (Royal Military College) meet at a social at the Carlton House as part of the Fall 2002 semester exchange.

Below; Visitors from the Egyptian Air Force Academy with USAFA faculty and cadets during International Week 2002.

vides support for unique cadet travel focused on foreign language and/or cultural immersion. The individual trips are based on faculty-developed proposals and often include cadets from West Point, AFROTC, or midshipmen from Annapolis, in fact, triservice academy proposals are especially encouraged. Several years ago, the first "Olmsted" trip sent 4 cadets from USAFA along with their USMA and USNA counterparts and faculty members to a three-week study program in Vietnam. On this continuing program, cadets meet with high-level Vietnamese government officials, tour Hanoi and the surrounding regions, and study the economy and geography of the country. Most Olmsted programs are unique, one-time opportunities and for 2003 travel plans include a repeat visit to Senegal, travel along the Trans Siberian Railroad, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Morocco, Ecuador, and Greece. This year, over thirty USAFA cadets will significantly benefit from these intensive and exciting travel opportunities.

In total, DFIP programs are projected to provide intensive overseas opportunities for nearly 250 cadets in 2003, approximately 8% of the eligible cadet wing, a figure we are continually trying to increase. While DFIP does receive some funding from the Academy, USAF, and other government sources, a large part ofthe program is only possible due to the tremendous support provided by the Association of Graduates. A generous annual AOG grant directly supports several Foreign Area Studies capstone courses by making it possible for cadet contingents to participate in international "Model Nation" competitions held throughout the US, and allows DFIP to support international activities at USAFA for which government funds either are not available or cannot be used. More importantly, through the resources and administrative offices ofthe AOG, USAFA is able to accept a most generous grant from the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation. This continuing endowment currently provides $300,000 per year and supports many ofthe unique cadet travel opportunities such as the Vietnam, Trans-Siberian, and Senegal trips.

As the previous Checkpoints articles demonstrate, the cadet participants gain tremendous benefits and are most grateful for the opportunities provided through the support of the AOG and all the graduates who contribute to support these crucial activities. The close association with the AOG is vital if these very unique intensive international experiences are to continue and even expand to include more cadets. The international cadet travel and study opportunities are a truly shining example of the support the AOG and the USAFA graduates provide to current cadets, and ultimately, towards the development of leaders with global vision for the expeditionary Air Force of the future. S

Powerful tools make powerful people.

What

does MCSi have in common with the US Military?

For starters, we believe in the power of teamwork to achieve any mission. Which is why we share more than 450 strategic alliances with top manufacturers of presentation and professional video technologies. And what is our mission, exactly? Nothing less than arming government agencies with the most powerful tools available. As a GSA certified provider with decades of experience serving leaders like Boeing, NASA, Lockheed Martin and the Department of Defense, we offer a total solutions approach that includes consultation, design engineering, integration and 24 X 7 support for hardworking rooms with extremely commanding views.

For more information, call Mike Dodd, Capt. USMC Ret at 800-444-9350 ext 2047 or email mike.dodd @ mcsinet.com.

Web: www.mcsinet.com

Shop online: http://store.mcsinet.com

Join Forces With Us At Procter& Gamble

Changing careers? Then join one of the world’s foremost consumer products companies! At least one of our products is used in 98% of all US households. Procter & Gamble markets more than 300 brands in over 140 countries. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Procter & Gamble has on-theground operations in over 70 countries.

Opportunity. Many Service Academy graduates are experiencing challenging and rewarding careers at Procter & Gamble in Manufacturing, Information Technology, Marketing, Sales, Purchases, Finance, Engineering, Market Research and Research and Development.

Beliefs & Values. Procter & Gamble promotes strictly from within. Your progress is based on performance and your ability to take on increased responsibility. We are known for integrity, innovation, people development, long term growth and professionalism.

Responsibility. You will receive meaningful early responsibility commensurate with your skills. Thorough on-the-job training is provided by outstanding professionals who consider your development to be one of their major responsibilities.

Pay & Benefits. Salaries and benefits, including profit sharing, rank among the best in the US. We are seeking highly motivated leaders with a record of achievement in academics, extracurricular activities and military assignments.

To take the first step in joining forces with Procter & Gamble, please visit our website at www.pg.com/careers When completing the application form, please indicate Military Advertisement when responding to where you heard about P&G opportunities.

West Nile Viru

Threatens Academy's Rare Falcons

CARY LEIDER VOGRIN, THE GAZETTE

PHOTOS BY KEN WRIGHT

nr

he Air Force Academy can name 11 good reasons to fear the West Nile virus: Woody, Liberty, Echo, Cody, Havoc, Phoenix, Titanium, Vector, Magellan, Destiny and Aurora.

They are the birds in the academy’s Falcon Mascot Program—regal-looking raptors that promote the military school and are on display across the country about 450 times a year.

Ever been to an academy football game? Titanium, a peregrine falcon, usually leaves quite an impression with his spectacular and speedy swoops.

And Auroras good looks-she’s a rare white morph gyrfalcon—always make her the center ofattention when she’s out in public. She’s the school’s official mascot, and the story in academy falconry circles is a Saudi prince once offered a half-million dollars for her.

“If we had to go out and purchase these birds today and purchase them trained as they are now, you’re

looking at a multimillion-dollar program,” said Lt. Col. Steve Niehoff, the academy’s director of falconry.

In the coming months, though, West Nile—transmitted by mosquitoes-could pose both a challenge and a threat to the program.

During spring, the academy, like El Paso County health officials, will look for indications West Nile has arrived. The mosquito season is expected to go into full swing about mid-May and last for about 19 nerve-racking weeks.

Some bird species are especiallysusceptible to the virus, and dead birds-crows in particular-would be a strong clue West Nile is in the area. In the last mosquito season, 17 infected birds were found in El Paso County.

“The theory is this year is supposed to be much worse than last year,” Niehoff said. “We’re very worried about it, but we feel we’re doing everything possible to prevent these birds from becoming infected.”

WINGED AMBASSADORS

The falconry program at the Air Force Academy has 11 birds:

Five Peregrine Falcons: These falcons have been clocked in dives at more than 200 mph

Three Prairie Falcons: These falcons also are known for spectacular swoops.

Two Gyrfalcons: The largest falcons in the world.

One American Kestrel: The smallest falcon in North America.

Last summer and fall, the academy’s falcons were sprayed with insect repellent. In winter, the birds were given an equine vaccine. “The efficacy of the vaccine is a little bit iffy, but we feel any vaccine protection we get is better than none,” Niehoffsaid.

A West Nile vaccine specifically for birds is in the testing stages.

As ambassadors for the academy, the falcons get meticulous care and attention, much more so than some family dogs or cats.

Each bird is weighed daily and given a meal of frozen quail. Lotion is applied to their talons to prevent them from drying and cracking, and they are exercised and trained.

When the birds travel via plane to appearances, they sit in the cabin on the fist oftheir cadet handler, not in some stowed-away cage.

This spring, cadets in the falconry program-there are 12 spots on the team, and they are highly sought-will look for anything out of the ordinary that could indicate one of the falcons is sick.

Each bird has its own personality, so a change in behavior could be a sign something is wrong.

Vector, a peregrine, tends to be quiet. Echo, a prairie falcon, is a good traveler-a mellow bird in hotel rooms.

“Some of them are crankier than others, some of them are noisier,” said Krysta Peltzer, a sophomore on the team.

Joe Fixemer, a junior, said Aurora behaves well in public, although she doesn’t get to fly far because she’s always tethered to a creance, basically a long leash.

Previous page, C3C Anthony Cannone trains Aurora, the Academy's official Mascot. Right, C3C Chris Finkenstadt feeds Destiny, the Academy's largest falcon, a nutricious meal of quail. Below, C4C Robert Kurpiel weighs Woody, an American Kestrel, the smallest of the five type of falcons found in North America.

“We can’t risk her getting away because she is so valuable,” Fixemer said.

The falcons that perform get more of a free rein. They wear radio transmitters, Fixemer said.

Niehoff said in addition to personality changes, he and the cadets will watch for birds that fly strangely-not holding their head quite right-or have lost weight.

Gail Kratz, medical coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, has had experience with birds sick with West Nile.

The program attempted to nurse 10 birds back to health last year. Some died, and those that survived might never fully recover, she said. Some might have long-term molting problems or neurological impairments.

There is no cure for West Nile, but early medical care can save animals’ lives.

Birds can’t be protected from mosquitoes at all times. In the summer, the academy’s falcons live outdoors.

Cadet Peltzer never has experienced the death of a falcon.

She works with the birds 10-15 hours a week-Woody, a small American kestrel, is her favorite-and feels attached to them. She left recently with Echo for an air show at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.

“I would be heartbroken if one of them were to die-especially from West Nile,” she said. 53

Printed with thepermission ofthe Colorado Springs Gazette. ©

Americas Dichotomy of Dangerous Freedom

45TH ACADEMY ASSEMBLY MEETS WITH SMASHING SUCCESS

by C3C Felisa Hervey

Passionate opinions flew across conference tables like spirit cheese in a good old-fashIONED FOOD FIGHT-OR WERE THEY MORE LIKE ARROWS AND SPEARS IN A MEDIEVAL BATTLE? It WAS FiARD TO TELL WHETHER THE ARDENT BUT FRIENDLY DEBATE MIGHT SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST INTO FLAMING COMBAT.

A medley of college students from all corners of the United States, and even beyond the U.S., convened at the Air Force Academy on February 4th througth the 7th for the 45th Academy Assembly. They engaged in vital discussion over a dilemma that has plagued our country since its conception: "America’s Challenges in an Unstable World, Balancing Security with Liberty."

The Founding Fathers struggled to protect a nation that would mistrust even its own standing army-a people fearful that so much as a fragment of their hard-earned independence might be usurped. The external concerns today are different, but the central quandary remains. The issues that threaten freedom or security at present are likewise pressing, as our nation stands at a historically decisive moment, defined by our dealings with Iraq and consequently, our relationships with numerous other nations.

BEHIND THE SCENES

One cadet delegate, ClC ConorTeegarden, noted that "what made the 45th Assemblyunique was that the issue discussed was so close at hand. The ideas and concepts we discussed were the same that were being debated in every household and on the floor ofthe Senate."

While issues in the Middle East were not the sole topic of discussion, they received noteworthy emphasis in the keynote and final banquet addresses, as well as roundtables and seminars.

On opening night, keynote speaker General Ralph E. Eberhart, ’68, challenged delegates to a better understanding of US Northern Command, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation. "Isolationism is not an option," he asserted, in response to one delegate’s question.

The final banquet speaker, Mr. Denis A. Clift, who has served in numerous highly influential government positions, including thirteen years in the Executive Office ofthe President and the White House, concluded the conference with a brilliant synthesis of the week’s topic.

The seminars-Roundtable Leader Presentations-included such topics as "Who’s Your Baghdadi? Ramping up to Iraq," "Arabs (Past and Present) Look at America," and "Preventative War and Iraq." Others focused on homeland security, terrorism, and international viewpoints on American policy.

International viewpoints were a crucial aspect of this year’s Assembly, as it was the first time that foreign students had been officially invited. A Ukrainian student from Kazakhstan, Veniamin Goncharov, reflected, "I think there is a need for international students to participate in this kind of conference because.. .we never can see ourselves from outside. The East and West are very different and unless we try to communicate we will not succeed."

Captain Borders, the Director of the Assembly, noted, "Very

few of our delegates or roundtable leaders had much experience with the military and everyone seems to have gained a positive impression of the AFA and the cadet wing, regardless of their preexisting political viewpoints of the military in general."

Captain Borders continued, "For me personally the most valuable thing was getting to work with the cadets who prepared this conference. The leadership and organizational skills required to put on a conference of this magnitude make it one of the best learning experiences at the Air Force Academy."

The Assembly was a success from the perspective of the cadet staff as well. Cadet Director, ClC Katie Veseth commented, "The Assembly is unique because cadets have so much more input into how the program runs. It's like nothing I've seen in any other program... hands-down the best leadership opportunity I’ve seen at USAFA."

Captain Borders agreed with Katie. He described how cadets selected the topic and the dates, briefed the entire chain of command, organized their own staff, planned and executed the entire event. "I was always extremely impressed with the capacity the staff had to solve problems quickly and effectively," he affirmed.

To characterize the dedication of the cadet staff, Captain Borders recognized in particular first class cadets Katie Veseth, Ryan Argenta, Tim Young, George Eldridge, and Megan Himber, who "made this event happen—and I would only hope to have such an energized and loyal staff at an operational assignment."

Despite the evident disparities of opinion, however, delegates managed to disagree agreeably most of the time, and to be enriched rather than enraged by the variety ofperspectives. The eclectic combination of opinions and ideas helped to create the general consensus that the Assembly was professional, relevant, and refreshing in every respect. $2

Top: Tyler Moran salutes the cadet wing staff with Squadron 19 as he makes his way into Mitchell Hall.

Middle: Tyler learned that if he wanted to be a firefighter, he had to dress like a firefighter.

Bottom: Strapped to a harness and ready to jump, Tylergets a feel forfreefall.

for , a day

By 2nd Lt. Melissa Waheibi, Academy Spirit Photos by Meggen Burghardt

Iyler Moran is the Academy’s most recent addition to the cadet wing. The twelve year old airplane lover from Agate, CO received his flight suit thanks to the Make-A-Wish foundation and the Ronald McDonald House.

He spent two days at the Academy evolving into a fire-fighter, air traffic controller, pilot, skydiver, squadron commander, public speaker, falconer, chaplain historian, video game expert and champion bowler.

His father, Brian, works at Denver International Airport and picked up on the fact that Tyler loves airplanes. Tyler was born with cardiomyopathy which is a life threatening heart condition, so when his family heard about the opportunity to participate in the Academy program, they accepted the offer immediately.

“He looked quite at home in the cockpit,” said Capt. Jon Veazey, commander, Current Operations Flight.

Tyler’s mom, Sue Anne, related that the whole day was the highlight of his life. H

Explore the world with other service academy alumni.

Travel with those who know what it is to serve and share new experiences together. Join our new program and enjoy the benefits of group travel with us; complete pre-departure service and a program that combines a great and unique itinerary with great staff and service every step of the way.

Mandarin China (April 25- May 12, 2003) An amazing nineteen dayjourney into the heart ofChina, featuring a five dayYangtze River cruise through the incomparable Three Gorges, plus extensive visits to Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and more. See the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Temple ofHeaven, Terra Cotta Warriors and all the relics and treasures ofChinas rich History. The dam is completed and will open in June 2003- this is the last chance to see China before its face is changed forever. 19 days/$5195 including air from west coast/Gohagan & Company

Alumni College in Provence (2 weeks to choose from June 16- 24, 2003 AND June 23- July 1, 2003) Unpack once and explore the beauty ofFrance and its history, culture and food. A week in Aix-en-Provence, with day trips to many surrounding areas. See Cassis, Arles, and Avignon, with its Palace of the Popes, plus many of the surrounding villages with their chateaux, vineyards and Roman ruins. 9 days ($2495 including air from NY)/ Alumni Holidays

Alumni College in Sorrento (2 weeks to choose from October 21-29 AND October 29- November 5, 2003) See the best part of Italy after the heat and crowds of summer are gone. Stay in Sorrento at the Ambassiatore Hotel, with its stunning cliffviews, and then venture out to Naples, Amalfi, the Isle ofCapri and Pompeii to see the ruins. Travel the fabled Amalfi Coast with its charming seaside villages including Positano and more. 9 days/($2495 include, air (NY)/Alumni Holidays

Alaska’s Inside Passage (July 26-August 2, 2003) Fhe Yorktoum Clipper brings small ship elegance to an area you’ve always wanted to see up close. Visit Tracy Arm, Sawyer Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Sitka, Petersburg, Misty Fjords and Ketchikan. With two options; the cruise portion to explore by sea, or add the Denali pre-cruise extension to see Alaska by both sea and land. 8 days/from $2460 plus air/Clipper Cruises.

***Please note prices and dates are tentative, please see brochure for final information

FOR MORE INFORMATION

PLEASE VISIT www.jointacademytravel.org EMAIL bobbi.collins@jointacademytravel.org OR CALL 410-263-4448, EXT. 139.

C2C Miriam Krieger and James Valpiani have been named Truman Scholars. Krieger plans to attend the JFK School of Government at Harvard, while Valpiani plans to further his studies at either M.l.T. or Stanford.

Two Truman Scholars

ByJennifer Brugman

Call Academy Home Academy

Spirit *

Cadets 2nd Class James Valpiani and Miriam Krieger have been selected as Truman scholars for 2003.

‘‘This scholarship is a $30,000 scholarship for a student to go to a grad school of their choice, and is awarded to students who have shown, and have the potential for, a life ofpublic service to their communities and nation—what President Truman stood for,” said Brig. Gen. David Wagie, dean of faculty.

Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government, according to the Truman Scholarship website.

“It was a long process, including countless drafts and practice interviews,” said Krieger of how she applied for the scholarship. “But in the process I had the opportunity to explore my values and goals. I ended up with a concrete plan for my future instead of vague ideas. It was very rewarding.”

Valpiani had a similar experience. “I wrote and rewrote my essays for the application over 13 times, and spent countless hours making sure the words came out just right,” he said. “I never knew I could write the same thing in so many different ways! Also, I took up reading the Economist, Washington Post, and other publications each day to make sure I could

competently answer questions about current events. Near the end of the process, I practiced for the interview two or three times a week to make sure I was prepared for any questions I might be asked.”

Krieger is planning to use her scholarship to attend the JFK School of Government at Harvard and get her degree in International Strategic Studies. After that, she would like to fly helicopters for the Air Force.

“I have wanted to fly since I saw an F-16 take off at my first air show, and I want to be a career pilot,” she said. “If I can’t fly, I’d like to get into the Pol-Mil AFSC and possibly do some attache work in Russia. I know I want to be a career officer, no matter what I do.”

Valpiani hopes to go to graduate school at MIT or Stanford and continue his education in physics or engineering.

“I hope to be an Air Force pilot-in F-15s if possible, but I’ll take whatever they give me,” he said of his plans after graduate school. “Then, I hope to serve as an astronaut in NASA, and eventually influence space policy in the U.S.”

The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1973 as the federal memorial to our thirty-third President. U.S. Treasury. There have been 2,179 Truman Scholars elected since the first awards were made in 1977. H

Photo by Ken Wright

Academy Ranks High

THE U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY has one of the nation’s top undergraduate engineering programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The national news magazine recently released its America’s Best Colleges 2003 edition, which rated universities in a number ofgeneral areas. In

by John Van Winkle, USAFA Public Affairs

Photo

Ken Wright

terms ofspecific academic programs, U.S. News & World Report rated engineering and business programs as it has done in previous years.

In the overall engineering rankings among undergraduate institutions, the Air Force Academy tied for fourth place with West Point. It was edged out by New York’s Rose-Hulman Institute ofTechnology, California’s Harvey Mudd College and New York’s Cooper Union, respectively.

The academy has nine engineering majors that if offers: aeronautical, astronautical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, mechanical and general engineering, and engineering mechanics.

In U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of aerospace, astronautical and aeronautical undergraduate engineering programs, the academy ranks second behind Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, edging out the U.S. Naval Academy and Cal-Poly-San Luis Obispo. The Air Force Academy uses Embry Riddle as a subcontractor for its introductory flight training program.

In mechanical engineering and engineering mechanics, the Air Force Academy came in ninth in the nation.

In electrical, electronics and communications engineering, the academy electrical engineering program tied Cal-Poly for 3th place, edging out all other service academies.

In civil engineering, the academy came in eighth in the nation.

The only other engineering sub-specialties rated by U.S. News and World Report were chemical, industrial/manufacturing and computer engineering.

The rankings of undergraduate engineering programs are based solely on a peer assessment survey, according to U.S. News & World Report. Surveys were sent last year to the deans and senior faculty ofcolleges with engineering programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology. Survey participants nominated up to 10 of the best programs in each engineering specialty area.

by

Interest in Academy Class of 2007 Soars

By Lt. Col. Perry Nouis Director of Public Affairs

Despite a war in Iraq and recent nationwide media coverage of rhe Air Force Academy’s handling ofsexual assault allegations, there has been over a 20 percent increase in the number of applications from those seeking an appointment to the Class of 2007. Nearly 11,000 applications have been received for an expected class of 1,280, according to Academy Admissions officials. Typically the Academy averages 8,500 to 9,000 applicants each year.

Indications are the Class of 2007 will be one of the most competitive and select in the Academy’s history. According to Admissions officials, the current average Grade Point Average of’07 is over 3.95, and average combined SAT scores are 1340. More than 51 percent are classified as Potential Pilot Qualified. The class excels in academics, athletics, leadership, and character.

“We believe the large increase in the number of applicants is reflective of increased patriotism, along with demographic and economic factors,” said Col. Trapper Carpenter, Director ofAdmissions. “The outstanding performance of all our services in the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom has reinforced for many appointees their desire to be part of the United States Air Force team-the greatest air and space force on the planet.”

The Academy has thus far made 1,234 offers for the Class of 2007 compared to 1,026 at this time last year. Despite recent negative media attention, the acceptance rates ofapplicants are running about 7 percent ahead oflast year. “We’ve offered appointments to 243 women versus 181a year ago, and female acceptances are up 15 percent from last year,” said Carpenter.

Letters from the Secretary ofthe Air Force, the Air Force ChiefofStaff, the Superintendent, and Director ofAdmissions have been reassuring, as have the “Agenda for Change” steps announced by top Air Force officials.

The Academy hosted its first Appointee Orientation for the Class of 2007 on April 7th. “There’s huge interest in our orientations this year,” said Carpenter. “Over 500 appointees and family members signed up for the first session alone.” Orientations were also held Apr. 14-15 and Apr. 21-22.

“They want to be a part ofthe culture of one ofthe nation’s premier institutions, to strengthen its ability to develop outstanding scholars and warriors to serve as officers in the United States Air Force,” concluded Carpenter.

The Class of 2007 will in-process at the Academy June 26. Rl

Appointees Learn about Academy Life

pproximately 190 Academy appointees visited in April in order to decide if becoming a cadet is the right choice for them.

The appointees and their guests heard presentations from Lt. Gen. John Dallager, Academy Superintendent, and other officials about the trials and tribulations ofbeing a cadet.

“You will be challenged each and every day here. Three or four days a month, I’d ask myself, ‘Is it worth it?”’ Dallager said ofhis own experience as a cadet here.

Dallager and others spoke ofcadets’ community service, opportunities after graduation and the Academy environment. High on the discussion list was the “Agenda for Change.” Dallager, Col. Dana Born, Behavioral Sciences Department Head and 2nd Lt. Kristy Gorton, Sexual Assault Awareness Hotline Director spoke ofthe improvements being made and policies that deal with sexual assault.

“It’s a tremendous choice to come to the Academy,” Born said. “We’re making every possible change to ensure that we are protecting your sons and daughters. Most of the people who come here are very talented men and women.”

Born outlined changes such as the clustering ofwomen’s rooms around the female bathrooms and the policy of leaving the door open when cadets of different genders are in a room together. She also spoke of the zero tolerance policy for sexual offenders.

“Most ofwhat goes on here is something you can be proud of; what were all about is developing leaders of character,” she said. “We will deserve your trust and confidence.”

BY JENNIFER BRUGMAN ACADEMY SPIRIT

The day was designed to allay any questions the appointees or their parents had about coming to the Academy.

“I think this has given me a really good idea [and] addressed some of my concerns before cominghere,” said Lindsay Kirchoff who came from Columbia, Mo. “Not really concerns but questions, like, What will I be doing when I graduate?’ ‘What are the support services here?”’ Kirchoff is undecided as to whether or not she wants to come to the Academy.

“My main concern is that she makes a decision that would be good for her,” said Ardith Kirchoff, Lindsay’s mother. “Everyone has been so forthright. The choice is hers’ [the Academy leadership] are talking with much understanding ofchoice. They are not trying to scoot around that.”

For others, the decision about whether or not to come to the Academy was made well before Monday.

C.J. Baran from Fairfield, Calif., has wanted to come here since he was in middle school. “I researched it,” he said. “I wanted to be a pilot and this is the best place for the education and training.”

His mother was not so well informed about the Academy and military life before the orientation.

“It’s been extremely informative,” said Cat Baran. “We pretty much knew nothing. I would really love to hear it from the cadet’s point ofview, though.”

Two more appointee orientations were held later in April. The Class of2007 has seen a 20 percent increase in applications. More than 11,000 high school students applied to come to the Academy. 5

IN%tjR DEBT

THE AOG IS HONORED TO ESTABLISH THE TOBER FAMILY ENDOWMENT IN MEMORY OF ZOLTAN AND ADDILEE TOBER AND THEIR SON, ZOLTAN J. TOBER, JR., ’65

Zoltan and Addilee Tober loved the Academy ever since their son, Zoltan Tober Jr, became a cadet and graduated in 1965. Cadet Tober loved everything about the Academy and personified its ideals. He graduated as a distinguished graduate in the aeronautics track of the Engineering Science major. He dreamed of being a fighter pilot and eventually a test pilot and astronaut. Unfortunately, Captain Tober was killed in the crash of an F-4 off the coast of Korea in 1969, leaving his wife and parents to grieve.

Toby and Addilee were devastated but determined to have their son’s legacy live on at the school he loved so much. In 1970, they began sponsoring the Outstanding Cadet in Aeronautical Engineering. The Tobers continued to sponsor the award, and personally present it annually through 2002.

In 1991, to ensure that their son’s legacy would live on after they were gone, the Tobers planned their estate so that the Zoltan and Addilee Tober Foundation would be created upon their deaths. The Foundation, in turn, would create the Tober Family Endowment Fund to support the award and other needs of the Aeronautical Engineering Department in perpetuity.

Mrs. Tober passed away in April of 2000 and Mr. Tober died in May of 2002 in an automobile accident while returning from presenting the award to Charles M. Trickey of the Class of 2002. Following his instructions, the estate executors and Mr. Tober’s attorneys settled the estate and transferred the funds to the AOG to establish the endowment. SS

Northwestern Preparatory School

Located in Southern California

Post High School Service Academy Preparation Exclusively

■4* Appointments to the U.S. Air Force Academy and other Service Academies have been received by over 90 percent of our students.

SAT/ACT Enhancement

PAE Improvement

“Northwestern Prep provided me with an academicfoundation that raised my SAT scores by 200 points, as well as an ability to focus on the essential preparation to succeed at the Academy. As a result ofthe self-confidence I gained there, I became Outstanding Student in CST, Outstanding 2nd Class Cadet in 3rd Group, Team Captain of Women s Fencing, and Outstanding Squadron Commander ofthe #1 ranked squadron ofthe wing!

2002 USAFA Graduate

Suzanne Durbeck, Executive Director 1-800-367-8839 / www.northwesternprep.com / E-mail: prepnwp@aol.com

Have You Joined the SABRE SOCIETY?

The Sabre Societybegan in 1995 and was established to recognize the most significant donors to the Annual Fund. Membership is open to any graduate, parent or friend of the Academy who is willing to make an annual unrestricted gift of at least $1,000 to the Air Force Academy Fund.

The Society has grown to more than 1000 members. The Sabre Society has become the single most important source of unrestricted private funds for the Academy.

Many programs and activities that keep the Academy in the top tier of American institutions would not be possible without private support. During the 2001/2002 Academic Year, the AOG provided more than $800,000 from private donations to support numerous important activities, services and programs for todays cadets from the USAFA Gift Opportunities List which exceeds $2.8 million annually.

visit us on the web at aoe-usafa.org

Becky.Hureau@usafa.af.mil

Regina.Graves@usafa.af.mil

(719) 472-0300

THE ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES 3116 Academy Drive USAFA, CO 80840-4475

THE 12TH FLYING TRAINING WING from Randolph AFB, San Antonio, Texas, has been flying their Composite formation for about a year. Last years AF/Navy game was the first time they performed this formation outside ofthe San Antonio area. Each aircraft only has a handfull ofqualified pilots who can perform this challenging dissimilar formation, which displays all the trainer aircraft used in AETC.

PILOTS PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:

Capt. Ned Sandlin, ’92 T-6 “Texan” Pilot - Number 6

Maj. Todd Manning, ’90 T-6 “Texan” Pilot - Number 6

Maj. Pete D’Amico, ’87 T-38 “Talon” Pilot - Number 3

Lt. Col. Mark Rightnour, ’84.... Mission Commander

Lt. Col. Kevin Adams, ’84 T-38 “Talon” Pilot - Number 3

Maj. Dave Taylor, ’81 T-38 “Talon” Pilot - Number 4

Capt. James Sparrow, ’93 T-l Pilot - Number 2

Capt. John Radcliffe, ’92 T-l Pilot - Number 2

Mike Hale T-43 “Gator” Pilot - Number 1

Lt. Col. T. J. Bronder, ’78 T-37 “Tweet” Pilot - Number 5

Lawrence Humphrey T-43 “Gator” Pilot - Number 1

Maj. Kenneth Arcoleo, ’87 T-37 “Tweet” Pilot Number 5

Capt. Derek McLane T-43 “Gator” Navigator - Number 1

Lt. Col. Steve Perenchio T-38 “Talon” Pilot - Number 4

Ethics Bowl Team Grapples with Difficult Issues in Morality

BY JENNIFER BRUGMAN ACADEMY SPIRIT ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH WRIGHT

Cadets flexed their mental muscles and placed third out of forty teams at the Ethics Bowl February 27th

Sponsored by the Association of Practical and Professional Ethics in Charlotte, N.C., the bowl was designed to get participants thinking about complex ethical and moral issues.

“It’s very important for cadets to reason in an ethically sound manner,” said Maj. William Casebeer, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, who along with Dr. Carlos Bertha coached the team. “The point was to get together and have informed conversations about ethics.”

The Bowl consisted of a full day ofcompetition.

The teams had to intelligently deal with 15 difficult cases ranging from euthanasia to corporate oversight and were judged on their case answers as well as their responses to questions, according to Casebeer. The cadets received the cases more than a month in advance to properly prepare.

For the case on euthanasia cadets had to determine whether or not a hospital has to respect Islam’s definition of death versus the medical definition.

According to certain Muslim sects, death occurs when a person’s heart stops beating. However, the medical community defines death as being brain dead.

Cadets had to answer the question, “Does a hospital have the right to pull the plug on a person who, according to their families’ religious views, isn’t dead yet?”

The cadets answered that in an ideal world every definition of death would be respected. However, since medical resources are lim ited, they opted to follow the medical definition ofdeath.

They also argued that disconnecting a patient from a machine isn’t the same as killing him, but rather allowing him to die.

“It went very well,” Casebeer said. “The cadets performed exceptionally. Multiple judges approached our coaches during the competition and told them that the Academy team was the best they had seen at the tournament.”

Forty teams took part in the bowl and competed in three preliminary rounds. The best eight teams faced off in elimination rounds.

During each round, two teams would hear two cases.

The first team would give their position on a case with the second team either criticizing or agreeing the with first team’s position. The teams would then trade.

The team who criticized in the last debate would respond to a new case. Participants were judged on intelligibility, clarity, depth, focus, and judgment.

Academy team members were Cadet 1st Class Joe Cornibe, Cadet 1st Class Noah Merica-Jones, Cadet 1st Class Brian Smolensky, Cadet 2nd Class Nicholas Haussler, and Cadet 2nd Class Kristen Seery.

The judging panels were composed of professionals from varied walks of life such as ethicists, lawyers and doctors.

The Naval Academy took first place, with Indiana University placing second, and the Air Force Academy taking third.

Both the first and second place teams received cash prizes. H

THE DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE AWARD

DG

Nomination Instructions

DG

The Distinguished Graduate Award is intended to recognize those exceptional graduates who have set themselves apart by making extraordinarily significant contributions to our nation and/or their communities. It is a unique honor bestowed by the Academy and the AOG recognizing graduates whose accomplishments have inspired us all and elevated the reputation and the standing of the US Air Force Academy. Distinguished Graduates should provide an example to all graduates and cadets of the standards that we value and of the abilities that have made our country and society great.This is our opportunity to recognize graduates who can serve as an inspiration to future generations ofAmerica’s leaders.

Anyone may submit a nomination package. The package should not exceed three pages. The first page is a concise information sheet on the candidate and should contain a short narrative or bullets addressing the following headings, if applicable:

- Professional Accomplishments

- Education Fdistory

- Professional Organizations

- Professional Career Summary to include job titles and location

- Eionors, Awards, Public Recognition

- Community Service

- Additional 3 References (include address and phone number)

The remaining page/s should be a strong written justification.

Submit the Nomination Package by 30 April 04

Mail to: Ms. Mary Charney

Association of Graduates

3116 Academy Drive USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475 OR

Email as a word attachment to:

Mary.Charney@usafa.af.mil

Questions:

Contact Col. (Ret.) Dick Rauschkolb, ’70 AOG Vice President for External Communications.

Phone: 719-472-0300

Email: Dick.Rauschkolb@usafa.af.mil

Distinguished GraduateAward Calendar ofEvents

Sept 2003 - April 2004

Publicize award

Request nominations Deadline for nominations 30 April

May - July 2004

Selection Committee reviews nominations

August 2004

Selection Committee recommends award recipient to Chairman ofthe Board and USAFA Superintendent

Recipient notified and agrees to accept award at the USAF Academy

April 2005

DGA presentation ceremony at USAFA in conjunction with Founders’ Day

Additional Information may be found on the AOG web site at www.aog-usafa.org

The design of the Air Force Memorial features three "spires" reaching heights of 270, 230 and just above 200 feet.

by Senior Master Sgt. Rick Burnham Air Force Print News

Dpt for Air Force Memorial is Unveiled

or the better part of the past century, the men and women of the Air Force and its predecessors have soared high above the clouds in defense of the nation and freedom-loving people everywhere.

Those ideals will soon be reflected in a memorial designed to reach high into the skyline of the nation’s capital, honoring those who have slipped the surly bonds to overcome America’s enemies, both at home and abroad.

The design for the new Air Force Memorial was unveiled during a ceremony in Arlington, Virginia earlier this year. Among those in attendance were Air Force Chief of StaffGen. John P. Jumper, along with former chiefs ofstaff Gen. Michael E. Ryan and Gen. David C. Jones. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray and Ross Perot Jr., chairman ofthe Air Force Memorial Foundation Board of Trustees, were also present for the unveiling.

The memorial will provide a fitting tribute to the millions who have served, are serving today and those who will serve tomorrow, said retired Maj. Gen. Edward F. Grillo, president of the Air Force Memorial Foundation.

The Air Force does not have a national memorial, so this is certainly long overdue,” Grillo said. “We feel this memorial will honor the millions of patriotic men and women who have served in the Air Force and its predecessor organizations—the aviation pioneers of yesterday. It will serve as a source of pride and tribute to those serving today. And certainly to recognize the nation’s military industrial base that has made American airpower the most formidable air force on Earth. Most importantly, it will serve as a tribute to those who have paid the ultimate price.”

Construction on the memorial, designed by New York architect James Ingo Freed, will begin in 2004 and be completed in September 2006, coinciding with the 59th anniversary of the Air Force, Grillo said. The memorial will be located just southwest of the Pentagon on a “promontory” piece of land, Grillo added.

“The three spires will represent the Air Force in a manner that is projecting itselfinto the air and space-gracefully yet boldly,” he said. S3

AOG lights up Mitchell Hall

The AOGprovides substantial supportfor a state ofthe art multimediapresentation system for Mitchell Hall

James Shaw, ’67 President/CEO, Association of Graduates presents a check for $100,000 to Col. Steve Eddy, USAFA/CV for a new multi-media system for Mitchell Hall. The entire system includes 6 projectors, 3 large screens, multiple media playback sources, cameras, and a state of the art console with touch panel controls for the StaffTower.

This system will provide cadets the unique opportunity to view multiple visual and audio sources of information during meals and special occasions. The AOG will use the system to highlightAcademy graduates and their accomplishments in a continuing effort to reinforce the strength of our graduate community and promote and teach cadets the importance of our heritage and traditions.

Award Winners

AOG CHECKPOINTS STAFF

WINS MAJOR AWARD

On January 4, 2003 during a CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) district conference and awards presentation, the AOG external communications staff (Checkpoints) won an award in the “Most improved alumni magazine” category.

From left to right; Bob McAllister, Editor; Dick Rauschkolb, ’70, Vice President of External Communications; Sarah Wright, Media Designer; Tom Kroboth, Asst. Editor; and Ken Wright, Multi Media Specialist

Bridges en Cadets Outside World

By Jennifer Brugman, Academy

Acadet squadron is like a wheel and the hub ofthat wheel is the squadron’s Air Officer Commanding, AOC.

Maj. John Durnford, the AOC for Cadet Squadron 3, has been helping his squadron run smoothly for almost two years.

“Our major responsibility is to mentor the cadetsspecifically the cadet leadership,” Durnford said. “Part of that is inspiring them to reconcile why they came to the Academy and why they want to serve.”

An integral part ofDurnford s job is to lead by example and to help the cadets learn to lead themselves.

“I give them minimum guidance to see what they come up with on their own,” Durnford said. “They’ll surprise you every time and come up with outstanding ways to deal with problems. I try to teach them, first and foremost, to solve problems at the lowest level using the chain of command.”

Durnford takes an active role and attends the extracurricular activity games of those who are a member ofhis squadron. This helps him learn and understand more about the members of his squadron.

“If I’m not there I have a hard time judging that whole person,” he said.

As a hub for cadet activities, Durnford answers e-mails, returns phone calls and interacts with teachers, coaches, sponsors and families so he knows what’s going on in his cadets’ lives.

Durnford must establish a good rapport with the cadets in his squadron, and he must also be a disciplinarian when needed.

“We’re in charge of making tough calls and recommendations to the commandant,” he said. “The key to handling discipline issues is to clearly define the parameters the cadets operate within while still giving them enough leeway to learn and develop as leaders.”

There are some issues cadets don’t feel comfortable solving within the squadron, so they often go to their AOC for guidance.

“My challenge is to figure out a way to go from being the guy who makes things happen to mentoring and allowing the cadets to make things happen,” Durnford said.

Durnford came to the Academy originally slated to teach Military Strategic Studies and was a bit surprised when he found out he was going to be an AOC instead.

“It’s been the most challenging duty I’ve had in the Air Force, and the most rewarding as well,” he said. “The cadets have inspired me.”

All ofhis work with cadets is done with one goal in mind preparing them as leaders of character for the nation.

“It’s important to each of us how we carry ourselves,” he said. “We have to be a positive role model and to share with them not only the day to day things at the Academy, but about what life is like on active duty.” 9

Spirit

Photo by Meggen Burghardt

Falcon Boxing DynastyWins Fifth Straight National Title

By David Kellog, Athletic Media Relations

Air Force successfully defended its collegiate boxing national title on 5 April winning four of five bouts at the Cox Pavilion on the University of Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas.

The victory marks the fifth consecutive title for Air Force, but it didn’t come easy. The host Rebels mounted a strong threat at the start of the night, according to head coach Eddie Weichers Jr.

“The key for us was our first bout of the night with Thomas Parker going against UNLV’s Dave Bermudez, a boxer that Parker defeated earlier in the season,” Weichers said.

“Parker was able to derail UNLV’s momentum and set the pace for our team in a very hotly contested bout. I am extremely gratified by how our boxers competed throughout this tournament,” Weichers said.

Four victories gave Air Force 44 points followed by 32 points apiece for UNLV and Navy. Las Vegas was awarded second place based on winning more gold medals. Fourth place went to Nevada with 12 followed by Lock Haven with 10. Sixteen schools were represented in the national tournament.

Joining Parker as national champs were Frankie Woods (147-lbs.), Jake Hostetler (156-lbs.) and Clell Knight (165lbs.). Leif Nordhagen (175-lbs.) was the lone loss losing to Navy’s Amier Shareef by decision. H

Women’s Rugby Team Defends its National Title

By Lt. Col. Skip Shackleford Assistant Coach

In a season that started in August 02 and ended in May 03, the USAF Women’s Rugby team successfully defended its national title. Exemplifying the spirit of team, the Falcons overcame injuries, pain and adversity to win the national championship. In May, the

Photos

page:

team competed in the USA Rugby National Women’s Collegiate “Final Four” Championship. Through the Sweet 16’s portion of the tournament held two weekends prior, AF, Illinois, Penn State, and UC-San Diego advanced to the Final Four. Based on the season’s ranking and brackets, the Final Four matches were AF vs. Penn State and Illinois vs. UC-San Diego.

Saturday’s game against Penn State was played in a mix of sun and drizzle. AF beat Penn State last year for the national championship and knew they would be a very tough team. The first half saw much ofthe play in the PSU halfof the field, but their solid defense against a variety ofattacks kept us offof the scoreboard. As the

left

Male Rugby by Dave Gonzalez; Female Rugby courtesy ofC3C Cara Rotering; Boxing/fencing by Danny Mayer

SCORECARD

second half progressed PSU continued to play a hard and aggressive game. They began to make progress by putting the ball out to their backs. Eventually they broke through not one, but twice. PSU was unable to convert the kicks, the AF defense held, so the match ended AF 12, PSU 10.

On Saturday Illinois beat UC-San Diego 56-20 so Sunday’s championship final was AF vs. Illinois. The match began with overcast skies, a slight breeze, and pleasant temperatures. From the first kick, it was evident Illinois did not want a repeat of last year where AF beat Illinois 7-5 in the 2002 Final Four semi-finals. They had an aggressive set of forwards, a very disciplined and skilled set of backs, and a kicking game as good as Air Force’s. After 33 minutes of play Illinois had rolled up a 15-0 lead over AF. Shortly thereafter, the AF forwards started to make a bit more progress against the larger Illinois side. Air Force began to win scrummages and improved their position lineouts. With less than ten minutes of play left in the half, there was a slight shift in the play that might well signal a recovery. With about two minutes left in the 40 minute half, AF finally scored when C3C Fes Kastrop (and Final Four MPV) made an aggressive run to score a try. With no points from the kick, the half ended, Illinois 15, AF 5.

In the second half, AF finally had the slight wind and continued to pressure Illinois. Despite a strong push by Illinois, AF defense and strong counter attacks resulted in a Falcon comeback win AF 17, Illinois 15.

Team Photo with Brigadier General Brooks, USMA Commandant during the presentation of the Commandant’s Coin to C2C Breanna McNair.

Photo courtesy ofC3C Cara Rotering

2003 US National Women’s Collegiate Rugby Champions-Air Force, back-to-back champions!!!!!

Two other “wins” involved recognition of individual players. The first was the award of a Commandant’s coin by Brig. Gen. Feo Brooks, USMA Commandant. Throughout the weekend he was the spirit ofjointness in supporting the Army and Air Force teams. In watching the championship game he was impressed with the play of C3C Breanna McNair, especially the long conversion kick that put Air Force ahead. At the end of the match he charged onto the field looking for the Air Force kicker. FFe presented her the coin and offered a hearty congratulation to the team. The second “win” involved the selection of C3C Fes Kastrop as the Final Four Tournaments MVP. Given the great teams and players from Penn State, Illinois, and UC-San Diego, this honor was especially significant for Fes and the terrific performance she had in these two games. S

C2C Val Ferrara fights for a few more meters against a tough Illinois team.

Photo courtesy ofC3C Cara Rotering

photo

Kelsey Wins Fencing Title, Leads AF to Top Ten

By Madeline A. McGuire Athletic Media Relations

Air Force senior Seth Kelsey defeated Notre Dame’s Michal Sobieraj, 8-7, in overtime to win the epee national title and lead the Falcons to a ninth place finish at the NCAA Fencing Championships at the Cadet Field Fiouse.

Kelsey becomes just the fifth NCAA Division I individual national champion at Air Force and the first since 1974. The Falcons’ ninth place finish is the best in fencing since finishing ninth in 1992.

“I’ve been trying to win for four years and I’ve got closer and closer each year,” Kelsey said. “To finally have it all come together is great and it feels great to do it at home.”

“This feels great,” said Air Force head coach Abdel Salem. “When you come to Air Force it’s not the end ofyour career, but the beginning. We’ll continue to build our program on this win. I’m very proud of Kelsey. Fie’s changed a lot since coming here. Fie came here a young boy and is leaving a young man.”

Kelseyjoins Jim Murphy (track) in 1964, Don Fienderson (wrestling) in 1967, Mike Ryan (cross country) in 1968 and Rick McAlister (swimming) in 1974 as an individual national champion at Air Force. H

Men’s Rugby Take Third National Championship

By Rob Holder, USMA 1989 Head Coach

e did it! National Champs! What a weekend. It is still kind of a blur, but let me tell you a little about it.

WSaturday (3 May) we had brunch at Stanford and waited for the big game against Cal. Prior to this year’s championships, the California men had won 12 consecutive National Collegiate Championships and a total of 19 since 1980; the Bears had not lost a domestic match in six years!

It was amazing how loose our team was all day. At 4:00 PM we kicked off against Cal. I can’t do the play on the field justice with words, but here’s a shot. We kicked off to Cal, they returned a kick and we counterattacked around mid field. Freshman Mark Ward pinned the last man and put senior Mike Mckinney into space and Mike turned on the speed for the opening try. What a start! D>

by Matt Staver

photo by Dave Gonzalez

The whole team played great for the remainder of the first quarter, but Mark Ward was the hero of the game. He made two bone jarring hits and ran with vigor and pace. After his second big hit, Josh Dean picked up the loose ball and ran 40 meters for the try. Mark did not get up and was taken from the field. He played so well in the first 20 minutes, he was named “man of the match”.

At the end of the quarter, we prayed for Mark and then set our minds to come back out with the same intensity that we started the game. We did and after tries by Ryan Thornton and Ryan Dombrock and an amazing defensive play by Wade Dahlgren to prevent a Cal try, we went into half leading 27-7.

Academy volleyball members pose with players from the Puerto Rico professional teams. The Academy team traveled to Puerto Rico during spring break for both a high-level volleyball training experience, as well as a once-in-a-lifetime military and cultural taste of history.

In the second half, Cal came out with renewed vigor. They closed the gap to 27-21 before JD Waddell and impact substitute Anthony Kelly answered with tries of their own. Finally, Anthony put in his second to cement the victory 46-28. It was an amazing effort to unseat 12 time defending National Champs Cal and I was proud to be a part of it.

After the game we gave ourselves a big dinner to celebrate and then we all focused on the championship game against Harvard. With eight fresh starters we were optimistic about our chances, but we knew that our ultimate goal of the Championship wouldn’t come easy.

It didn’t! Harvard came out with a bang and the game went back and forth for 80 minutes. We had some good stretches where we took significant leads, but every time Harvard came back with a vengeance. Mike Mckinney started the scoring again with a well earned try followed by a penalty kick. Then Ryan Wilmes intercepted a Harvard pass and took it in for the score. Just before half, Mark Burley finished a movement for wonderful try to bring our half-time lead to 25-13.

In the second half, Harvard came right at us. We answered with another try from Mckinney, but Harvard would not let up. It was time to bring in some impact substitutes and they made a huge impact when they came on the field. Joe Riedesel scored a try just minutes after he entered the game. In addition, co-captains JD

Waddell and Rob Beckenhauer came on and changed the momentum of the game. Still, Harvard kept fighting and with about 15 minutes to go, tied the game at 37. We threw in more bodies including Sean Hansen, Dave Pina and Dan Steinhiser and the team went right down the field to score the winning try. Rob Beckenhauer capped off a great forward movement off a lineout for the winning try. Mike Mckinney put in one final penalty to make the score 45-37.

We had five players play all 160 minutes in the Championships and they deserve special recognition: Wade Dahlgren, Josh Dean, Eric Capped, Ryan Wilmes and Mike Mckinney. That they were able to play great rugby for 160 minutes is a testament to their dedication and commitment on and off the field. In addition, Mike Mckinney was named Most Valuable Player for the tournament.

“We’re trying to create leaders at the Air Force Academy, and that’s what you saw from our men and women on the pitch today...leadership,” said Capt. Dan Marine, assistant coach for the men’s team. “It all came down to commitment to each other, commitment to the team and leadership. Rob Holder fought in Desert Storm. He told these athletes that this rugby match was the closest thing to actual war they’ll experience.

“We’re also a strong family,” said Marine. “The support we’ve had from our alumni and the families of the athletes has been amazing. They’re the backbone of this success.” H

SCORECARD

Looking for Letterwinners!

The recent Wrestling Letterwinners’ Reunion (14-15 February) revealed a flaw in our communications system. Our database of former athletes is way out of date!

We need to hear from YOU and your former teammates so we can update and keep our database current. The information in this database is the primary vehicle for contacting you with information, reunion notices, etc.

We have held reunions for many sports including football, soccer, wrestling, baseball, water polo, hockey and lacrosse. The problem is that we have contact with only a fraction of the letterwinners in each sport. We would like to not only include all intercollegiate sports in such events, but also keep in touch with all of our former athletes.

You individually and collectively defined the Air Force Academy to a national audience and contributed immeasurably to the Air Force and nation. By recognizing and involving letterwinners from all sports and all classes, the AF Letterwinners Club will help maintain the foundations ofAir Force Athletics into the future. The AF Letterwinners Club can be a forum for letterwinners to provide alumni leadership and support to the Athletic Department and the Academy.

Membership in the AF Letterwinners Club is open to anyone who has performed on the “fields of friendly strife” and earned a letter at the Air Force Academy. In order to include as many athletes as possible into our group, a “letterwinner” is defined as any athlete who participated in intercollegiate sports and earned freshmen numerals (in the days when NCAA prohibited freshmen from competing on varsity squads), a Junior Varsity AF, or a Varsity AF letter. Current and former coaches are also members of the AF Letterwinners Club.

The AF Letterwinners Club is a group ofAir Force Academy letterwinners whose goal is to create a greater awareness of and interest in Air Force intercollegiate athletics and enhance support to the mission of the Air Force Academy. Participation is critical to attain the goals and objectives of the AF Letterwinners Club. This is why collecting your contact information is so important.

Please go online to “airforcesports.com” and click on the Letterwinners section to update your personal information and athletic accomplishments. Also, please tell a friend/teammate to update his or her information. Once you are “aboard” we need you to keep the information current, especially the Email address through which we can reach you. This is the most efficient and cost-effective way to contact each of you. Ifyou don’t have access to e-mail, please send a mailing address and phone number to the AF Letterwinners Club, Attention: Colonel Randall W. Spetman, 2169 Field House Drive, Suite 111, USAF Academy CO 80840-9500.

The Athletic Department, your coaches, teammates and I personally look forward to the day when our letterwinners’ database is current and complete, and we are in contact with each and every one ofyou.

Sincerely,

RANDALL W. SPETMAN, Colonel, USAF Director ofAthletics

Grad Races

1st Lt. Kevin Eastler, ’99, a missileer in the 400th Missle Squadron at F.E. Warren AFB, WY0., is an aspiring Olympic racewalker. He is in the World Class Athletic Program for Race Walking and hopes to make the Olympic team. One of Eastler’s recent ventures was to Turin, Italy, where he finished as the top placing U.S. athlete at the 2002 International Association of Athletics Federations’ World Cup of Racewalking.

CHECKPOINTS, SPRING 2003

Kevin Hoy

Becomes Two-time All American Wrestler

By Kendahl Johnson Athletic Media Relations

Kevin Hoy ended one of the most prolific wrestling careers in Air Force history with a second-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Championships to become a two-time All-American.

Hoy had an outstanding run, but lost in the finals to photo by Ken Wright Iowa’s Steve Mocca by an 8-3 decision.

“I set a goal at the beginning of the season to become a national champion,” Hoy said. “Obviously it didn’t turn out the way. I am pleased with the way the season turned out, but not completely satisfied.”

Hoy, who is ranked second in the nation in most polls, becomes just the third NCAA runner-up in Academy history and the first in over 30 years. He is only the second wrestler to earn All-American status in more than one season.

The All-American led the team with a 44-4 record, with two of his losses coming to Mocca. Hoy had won 27 consecutive matches before falling in the finals. He is the Falcons winningest wrestler with 160 career victories.

The Air Force wrestling team finished the 2002-03 season with a 6-2 overall dual record and a second-place finish at the West Regionals. The team had two NCAA qualifiers—Heath McKim (125 pounds) and Kevin Hoy (Hwt).

“Overall we had a great season,” head coach Wayne Baughman said. “We didn’t have as much experience as we have had the previous two years, but our wrestlers worked hard and competed at a higher level.” 9

Men’s Tennis Hits Twenty Win Mark-Buck Goes to NCAA’s

ByJerry Cross Athletic Media Relations

The standard for the Air Force Academy men’s tennis team during the 1980’s and ‘90’s was a 20-win season. Since the 21st century began, however, the Falcons have struggled to reach that plateau.

Head coach Rich Gugat’s 2002-03 squad achieved the 20-win mark for the first time in four years with a 21-7 overall record. The team’s fourth-place finish in the Mountain West Conference was its best in the four-year history ofthe league. A 4-3 victory over Utah in the first round ofthe MWC Championships marked AFA’s first conference tournament win since 1998.

“This was a very enjoyable season,” said Gugat, who completed his 29th season as head coach. “Our number one goal was to win 20 matches this year. The team worked awfully hard to achieve that goal and have a successful season.” D>

SCORECARD

Much ofthat success can be attributed to Shannon Buck, who became the first Falcon freshman ever to qualify for the NCAA Division I Singles Championships thanks to an outstanding 31-3 overall singles record and a 26-1 mark at No. 1 singles. Buck finished the regular season ranked No. 71 in the country and was named MWC Co-Player of the Year by league coaches. “Shannon produced the best individual season ever at the Academy,” said Gugat. “Making the NCAA Tournament as a freshman is quite an achievement. It is a testament to not only his natural talent, but his outstanding work ethic.”

Complimenting Buck this season was senior Eric Pittman, who moved to the No. 2 singles spot after playing No. 1 the past two seasons. Pittman posted a 20-12 overall singles record and an 18-8 mark in dual matches. It was the third time in four years he has won 20 or more overall matches.

“Eric Pittman is one of the toughest competitors I have coached at Air Force,” Gugat said. “No matter what the score was, he was out there fighting for every point as hard as he could. He is the epitome ofAir Force tennis.”

With several solid young players in his program, Gugat hopes that a 20-win season can once against become the norm for the Air Force men’s tennis team. S8

Grad Competes in the 45th World Military Ski Championships

The Academy’s Nordic ski coach is no stranger to national-level competitions. Capt Michael Brothers, '94 grad and former collegiate national ski champion, just returned from Rovaniemi, Finland where he represented the USAF and United States in the 45th World Military Ski Championships as a Nordic Skier and Biathlete. According to Capt. Brothers, “The US team did verywell, consistently finishing in the top ten out of 22 nations. This was an especially competitive CISM as numerous 2002 Olympic medalists from Europe attended.” Capt Brothers competed in the 15 km nordic freestyle event, the 10 km Biathlon Sprint Race, and led one of the two US teams in the 25 km Biathlon Patrol race.

As a former member of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program, Capt Brothers placed among the top 10 in the nation at the 2002 Olympic Biathlon Trials, but fell short of making the U.S. Olympic Team. Capt Brothers is currently assigned to the Air Force Academy as the Chief of Alumni Programs.

Nordic Ski Team Places Third In Nation

The Academy Nordic Ski Team recently returned from U.S. Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) Nationals, held 3-9 March at Lake Tahoe, California, with honors as one of the best collegiate ski teams in the US. The team, coached by Captains Michael and Cindi Brothers and led by the Cadet-in-Charge, C1C Craig Van Beusekom, placed 3rd in the men’s 1.5 km sprint race, 3rd in the men’s 15 km freestyle race, 3rd in the men’s 10 km classic race, and came from behind to again place 3rd in the men’s 3 by 7.5 km team relay race. The men’s team consisted of ClCs Matt Olson and Craig Van Beusekom, C2Cs Ben Allis and Caleb Gaw, and C3Cs Will Archer, Dan Coombs and Steve Sweet. C2C Caleb Gaw led the men’s team with a 4th place finish in the freestyle race and top ten finishes in the classic and sprint races.

The USAFA women’s team, all new ski racers this year and consisting of C2C Susan Sedgwick and C4Cs Eleanor Kunesh and Megan McClary, skied superbly at their first-ever national collegiate event, and led the women’s team to a fifth place finish overall. Additionally nine of the ten team-members were recognized at the National Competition in California as either making the “AllAmerican” or “Academic All-American” team.

The USAFA Nordic Ski Team is classified as a competitive club at the Academy, and competes representing the Academy using club donations from the Athletic Department and the Association of Graduates. H

SCORECARD

Seniors Finish on Top

By A1C Gil Boisson Athletic Media Relations

Air Force men’s gymnastics senior team captain Aaron Jackson finished his career as a Falcon by winning the vault title at the 2003 USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championship at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, April 18-19. Jackson won the event with a 9.223 and finished third on floor exercise, and fourth on rings and parallel bars during the individual competition. Jackson also secured a third-place finish in the all-around at the team and all-around competition to help the Falcons to a third-place team finish.

For his accomplishments at Air Force, Jackson was also named as one ofeight finalists for the Nissen-Emery Award, which is given every year to the outstanding NCAA senior gymnast.

Jackson was also one ofeight Falcons who were named Academic All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation scholar-athletes for the 2003 MPSF men’s and women’s gymnastics seasons. Jackson was nominated with a GPA of3.47.

Air Force women’s gymnastics senior team captain Allison Todd had an outstanding finish to her career at Air Force when she was crowned the balance beam champion at the 2003 USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championship at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, April 17-19. Todd also finished eighth on uneven bars and second on floor exercise during the individual competition.

Todd was also one ofeight Falcons who were named Academic All-MPSF scholar-athletes for the 2003 MPSF men’s and women’s gymnastics seasons. Todd was nominated with a 3.18 GPA. IS

Soccer goalkeeper Kristy man, ’01, is the Air Force’s 2002 Female Athlete of the Year. Kuhlman is a second lieutenant contract specialist with the Space and Missile Systems Center’s satellite and launch control system program office at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. (Courtesyphoto)

Swimming and Diving Teams

Post Winning Records

By Troy Garnhart Athletic Media Relations

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams had a successful 2002-03 season. The men’s team finished with a 12-2 record while the women’s team was 15-6.

The men’s team established itself as a power in the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons finished second in the conference championship meet to record the school’s fourth consecutive top three finish. Three Falcons earned first-team all-conference honors of the year. Senior Paul Brehm was a first-team selection in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Senior John Dayton earned firstteam honors in the 100 breaststroke while sophomore diver Brady Lindberg capped a great season with the same honor in platform diving. He also earned secondteam honors in one- and three-meter diving.

Four other Falcons earned second-team honors. They were: Nick Burton (200 breaststroke), Ryan Fitzgerald (1,650 freestyle), Charles Lebeau (100 backstroke), and Eric Pounds (200 butterfly).

The Falcons posted several impressive wins along the way. AFA defeated national powers Notre Dame and North Dakota as well as 25th-ranked Washington in dual meets. The team’s 12-2 record is the most wins at the school since 1986 and the most in head coach Rob Clayton’s five-year career.

The women’s team finished sixth in the MWC championships and had eight swimmers recognized as all-conference. Junior Sarah Crowell and sophomore Jessica Williams earned first team honors. Crowell earned her honor in the 100 butterfly while Williams was awarded for her efforts in platform diving.

Earning second-team honors were Carley Baxter (50 and 100 freestyle), Michelle Hager (1 and 3-meter diving), Cuffy Hulse (platform diving), Sarah Thilo (500 and 1,650 freestyle), Julienne White (1,650 freestyle), andjaymie Van Kooten (100 butterfly).

The 15 wins are the most at the Academy since 1986 when AFA won a school-record 21 and are the most in head coach Casey Converse’s career. H

Race director Scott Mills, 73, awards the Commander-in-Chief trophy to C1C Craig Van Beusekom (left) and C3C Will Archer.

Cadets and Grads at the 50-mile Bull Run Run Ultramarathon

By C1C Craig Van Beusekom

n 12 April, three USAFA cadets ran in the Bull Run Run 50-mile Ultra Trail Run near Manassas, VA.

OC1C Craig Van Beusekom, C2C Matt Finch, and C3C Vincent Archer took home the first ever Commander-in-Chief Ultrarunning Trophy. The Bull Run Run 50 Mile Trail Run was started in 1993 by Chris Scott, ’71.

This past year, Chris had the idea to create an inter-Service Academy competition and invited each to send cadets to compete for the cup. While no midshipmen or Army cadets came, the Air Force team did manage to beat USNA and USMA grads running in the race. Information (to include pictures) about the event is located at www.vhtrc.org/brr.

All three cadets are members of the USAFA Marathon club, which receives funding to help offset costs from the Association of Graduates. R

Grads Lead AF Rugby Team to Armed Forces Championship

Grads formed the core of a multidimentional Air Force Rugby team which dominated their sister / services during the Armed Force Rugby Championships held in October. Pictured front row, L to -II. / R: Wayne Altom, ’99, Chuck Jones, ’95, Jarvis Baker, ’93, Ben Trautwein, ’98, Lou Ruscetta, ’98, James Gherdovich, ’98, Matt Carmody, ’99, and Billy Nelson, ’98. Back row, L to R: Travis Meidinger, ’00, Jimmy Martello, ’00, Wayne Kinsel, ’01, Joe Kennedy, ’99, Jarrett FUavaty, ’98, Ryan Finnan, ’01, Ken Holliday, ’88, Dave Durbin, ’92, and John Eccles, ’02. H

§socmin^B3?<FGRAPMTCgi

FUNDRAISING CODE OF ETHICS

“Integrityfirst; service 6efore seff; egce[fence in affwe do.

These are the core vales of rhe United States Air Force Academy.. .and integrity is first. The AOG is committed to providing excellent service to all graduates, parents and friends of the Academy and we are committed to integrity first.

This AOG Donor BillofRights was adapted from the Donor Bill ofRights developed by the American Association ofFund-Raising Counsel, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, the Council for Advancement and Support ofEducation (CASE), and the Association ofFundraising Professionals (AFP).

AOG DONOR BILL OF RIGHTS

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality oflife. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of our constituencies, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the Association of Graduates (AOG) and the United States Air Force Academy, the AOG declares that all donors have these rights:

I. To be informed of the AOG mission, of the way the AOG and the Academy intend to use donated resources, and of their capacity to use donations effectively for the intended purposes.

II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the AOG governing board, and to expect the board and the Academy to exercise prudent judgment in their stewardship responsibilities.

III. To have access to the most recent AOG financial statements.

IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.

VI. To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing the AOG will be professional in nature.

VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the AOG or hired solicitors.

IX. To have the opportunity for their donations to be made anonymously and to have their names to be deleted from recognition or mailing lists.

X. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

If you have any questions concerning the fundraising activities of the Association of Graduates, please contact anyone in the Development Department but especially Gary Howe, Vice President for Development, at (719) 472-0300 or at gary.howe@usafa.af.mil.

The Air Force Academy Fund im.3

Every Gift Counts Towards Reaching Our June 30th Goal

The Air Force Academy Fund links graduates, parents and friends to cadets and the Academy, allowing you to impact the entire cadet wing by giving an unrestricted, taxdeductible donation.

We have set an ambitious goal to raise $2 million which will create more opportunities for today’s cadets-tomorrow’s leaders.

On April 1 5 th gifts received surpassed the $1.6 million mark. Contributions from graduates, parents and friends are vital to the success of this annual giving program and your generous gifts will enable us to reach our goal by June 30.

Your generous support perpetuates the tradition of excellence for today’s deserving and motivated men and women who, without your gifts, would not reap the unique benefits that accompany the complete Academy experience.

Gifts to the Air Force Academy Fund are fully tax-deductible and can be made by

Building Leaders of Character for the Nation

mm

personal check or by AMEX, MasterCard or Visa. Visit the “Giving Back” page on the AOG web site at www.aog-usafa.org or call the AOG 719-472-0300 to make your gift today. Don’t forget that you might be able to double or triple the impact of your gift through your company’s matching gift program. Contact your human resources or personnel office for details.

Every gift, no matter how large or small, is vital to our efforts to invest more in new opportunities for cadets. Your participation makes a difference and sends a clear message to our cadets that you support their journey to become leaders of character for the nation.

Join the growing community of donors who make a difference for cadets and the Academy by making your gift to the Air Force Academy Fund today!

Automate Your Pledge Payment

No reminders - No checks - No stamps!

Automating your pledge payments by using your MasterCard, Visa or AMEX saves you time and money and assures that your donation is received regardless of where you are. Automating your payments also saves the AOG the cost of paper and postage, making your gift even more valuable!

Ifyou wish to make all future pledge payments automatically by credit card, please call or write:

Sandy Luckhurst, Gift Administrator 3116 Academy Drive

USAF Academy, CO 80840 719-472-0300

DO NOT e-mail this information to the AOG since e-mail is not a secure means of transferring credit card information.

When writing, please include your AOG ID number, name, address, phone number, gift fund and pledge amount, credit card number and expiration date, and indicate

that you wish to automate your remaining pledge payments. Credit card payments are processed on the 20th of the month in which your gift is due.

Celebrate Recognize Memorialize Commemorate Remember Honor

Celebrate a cadet’s graduation, a wedding, birthday or special holidays. Recognize a promotion. Commemorate a retirement. Remember an anniversary. Honor someone who has impacted your life or served in our military. Memorialize a loved one.

Write it in stone on a Commemorative Paver. Each engraved paver tells a story about cadets, graduates, family members, friends, staff and faculty members-people who have achieved great things, touched lives, made a positive impact on our nation and who are linked with the tradition and future of the Academy. Placing a personalized granite paver in front of Doolittle Hall provides a unique and lasting way to express your pride in the person it celebrates.

Your tax-deductible gift of $250 directly supports the AOG in carrying out its threefold mission ofserving graduates, supporting cadets and the Academy and preserving institutional heritage. Pavers are placed in the spring prior to Graduation Week and in the fall prior to Parents’ Weekend. Visit

Chris Rache\

Memorial and Tribute Donations also offer a unique way to commemorate the life of someone who is special to you. Remember a loved one who has passed away, someone who fought in wartime, or waged a battle against a disease by making a Memorial Donation or celebrate a graduation, wedding anniversary, or the birth of a child by giving a Tribute Donation in support of the Air Force Academy Fund.

Your tax-deductible donation enables the Academy to produce leaders ofcharacter for our nation. The AOG not onlyacknowledges your gift to the Air Force Academy Fund, but also sends a letter to the next-of-kin or honoree notifying them that a Memorial or Tribute Donation has been made in their honor. Simply enclose a note with your gift which provides the name and address ofthe next-ofkin or honoree and the AOG will make sure they receive appropriate notification.

2003 Air Force Academy Fund Calendar

The Air Force Academy Fund Calendar was not published this year due to production issues. We are aware that many graduates, parents and friends have missed the calendar. We will publish a 2004 calendar. Watch your mailbox in July for more information.

CATCH THE MATCH!

Matching Gift Programs

Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming Sabre Society Events

Planning is underway for three Sabre Society events during the ’03/’04 academic year. Mark your calendar, plan to join us and watch your mailbox for more details.

The Sabre Society hosts two annual regional events in conjunction with the Army or Navy football game and one other game each year. Recognition events are held at the Air Force Academy approximately every 18 months.

SABRE SOCIETY EVENTS

F<

AF vs Northwestern-Chicago

September 5 Dinner

September 6 Football Game

AF vs Navy-Washington, D.C.

October 3 Dinner

October 4 Football Game

Recognition Weekend at USAFA

February ’04

Boost Gifts to the Air Force Academy Fund

During the past five years, matching gift contributions have increased dramatically and are playing a critical role in the ongoing success of the AOG’s fund raising efforts. Thanks to donor efforts, more than $130,000 was raised in support of the AOG and Academy during the 2002 fiscal year. Nine months into the 2003 fiscal year, matching gift dollars already total more than 85 percent of the dollars received in 2002.

Is your company on the AOG’s Top 10 Matching Gift Company list?

Delta Airlines Northrop Grumman Litton Alliant Energy Foundation Scitor Corp. Bank of America Corporation Entergy ExxonMobil Corp. Lockheed Martin Fluor Foundation »3M

Or among thefollowing companies?

BP Corporation UPS Foundation BAE Systems Sun Microsystem Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. ADP U.S. Bankcorp Raytheon Co. Intel Corporation USAA

Contact your company’s personnel office, secure a form, fill out your portion and send it to the AOG each time you make a gift. It’s that simple to double or triple your gift for free!

The North Star, the guiding light, a light that lives on long after the star is gone!

Your light can live on long after you are gone by making a gift to the AOG and the Air Force Academy through your estate. A bequest in your will, a life insurance policy that you no longer need, a charitable remainder trust or other types of trusts can make a substantial difference to the future of the Academy and the officers it produces. Estate gifts can substantially reduce taxes and will be used according to your wishes. People who establish estate gifts will be recognized Polaris Donors!

Polaris will recognize everyone who has included a gift to the AOG and the Academy in their estate plans. All you need to do to be recognized is to notify the AOG's Development Office that you have established the gift. No documentation is required and no specific gift amount need be specified. Donors who do provide documentation of an irrevocable estate gift will be recognized accordingly.

The needs of the Academy are increasing each year and the Academy’s future success will depend on private support. Help provide that support by leaving a legacy. Light the way for the future. Be a Polaris Donor!

For further information, contact Gary Howe at Gary.Howe@usafa.af.mil or call (719)472-0300

“YOU MAKE IT BETTER!”

WTHE AIR FORCE ACADEMY FUND

hat do the Visitors’ Center, Eisenhower Golf Course, Doolittle Hall, and Falcon Stadium all have in common? The answer is that without private funds, none of these facilities would exist! As the television commercial says, “We don’t make the product, we make it better!” That’s what the Air Force Academy Fund strives to do. While government funding is adequate for producing fine Air Force officers, there are over 150 programs, events, and activities which depend on private funding to provide the “extra margin ofexcellence.”

The Academy was recently ranked #3 for “Best Academic Experience Overall” by the Princeton Review. There is no doubt that the educational experience cadets receive here is outstanding. But what if we could provide an opportunity to take that experience one step further? For example, why simply read about a leader in a textbook when you can have the individual speak to the cadets in person?

Private Funding Takes the Experience One Step Further

The Distinguished Guest Speaker Program

This program exposes cadets and faculty to high level civilian and military experts, policy makers, and business professionals. Private funding makes this series possible and allows cadets to become involved in other academic-related activities such as summer research programs, international programs, and highly specialized engineering programs. For example, the Small Satellite Research Program gives cadets hands-on experience in designing, building, and testing small, low-cost satellites. oNE OF THE CADET PROJECTS, FALCONSAT is scheduled to be launched on a future shuttle mission.

Recruiting Quality Cadets

In today’s competitive environment, it’s increasingly important that we make qualified high school students aware ofthe opportunities the Academy has to offer. Private funding helps sponsor scholarships for students to attend the Academy’s Summer Seminar, create recruiting CD-ROMs and training CD-ROMs for Admission Liaison Officers. These activities and products help the Academy attract highly qualified young men and women.

Center for Character Development

Character development is an integral part of all Academy activities. The Center for Character Development provides one of the Academy’s most important, visible programs by organizing focused forums. Private donations enable the Academy to remain in the forefront of these national character programs. This money helps the Academy host such nationally recognized programs as the National Character and Leadership Symposium, a conference on selected

character development and core value issues in which renowned guest speakers and students from around the nation interact with our cadets.

Heritage Programs

Academy graduates have built an impressive legacy in less than 50 years. Two have become the Air Force ChiefofStaff, one is a member ofCongress, 33 have become astronauts and one recently received a Presidential appointment as Deputy Administrator for NASA. Preserving, recording, and broadcasting that legacy is the duty of our graduates. Bysupporting heritage programs with private funding we help to strengthen the Long Blue Line.

The Falcon Heritage Forum is one example of A highly successful program that relies on private funding. This forum brings veterans to interact with cadets, bringing alive the experiences ofsoldiers and airmen ofWWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Athletics

To remain competitive at the Division I level, the Academy needs new equipment and modernized facilities. Oftentimes, the only way to purchase these items is through private funding. Whether it’s a replacement scoreboard for the Field House or a dry land training room for the swim team, private funds make the difference between having an average athletic program and being able to recruit top quality student-athletes.

Club Activities

Cadet clubs provide an outlet from the everyday challenges of Academy life. Last year, the Air Force Academy Fund provided $100,000 toward that effort. By participating in intercollegiate and intramural athletics or club activities cadets learn valuable lessons in teamworkand dedication which help them develop into well-rounded leaders ofstrong character.

The Air Force Academy Fund

The Air Force Academy Fund is critical to supporting the above programs and many others. Gifts to the Fund are espedally important because they provide annual, unrestricted dollars that the Academy uses for those programs it believes are most important. Last year, the AOG provided over $ 1 million in direct support to 72 programs, events, and activities and provided indirect support to 15 others. The goal this year is to provide over $1.5 million in support. Your giftplays an important role in enriching the cadet experience for our future leaders. Please give that “extra margin ofexcellence” to the institution that has made such a positive impact on us all. Together we can “make it better!” 5

For more information on giving to the Air Force Academy Fund, visit our web site at www.aog-usafa.org

AOG Holiday Ornaments

The 2003 Holiday Ornament

iS HOW available. This multi-level ornament depicts a scene sure to evoke strong memories of the Air Force Academy. It shows the cadet area as one might see it when approaching from the northeast. The flag flying over the Academy shows “2003”—the year of issue.

Greatfor collecting or giving

Each ornament $24.00 plus S&H. Don’t miss this opportunity to add to your collection. Call 719-472-0300 to order.

SABRD

The information reflected in the directory is obtained from members of the Service Academy Alumni Associations who wish to have their civilian positions listed in the publication. Indexed by geographical area, industry, company name, graduate last name and class year, the directory contains entries of approximately 21,300 graduates in business across the country and worldwide. Born from the belief that the Associations of Graduates and Alumni Associations exist not only to serve their academies but their membership, this directory creates an excellent business leadership network. T he information also provides those in need of certain services an efficient way to find a fellow graduate.

Order now and receive your copy of SABRD for only $45.00 plus $8.95 shipping and handling. SABRD can be purchased on our website at www.aog-usafa.org or call (719)472-0300

Alumni Relations

Rich Downing, Col.,(Ret.), ’70 Vice President, Alumni Relations

Rich.Downing@usafa.af.mil (719) 472-0300 ext. 500

The Excitement of Graduation is Here. The Class of 2007 is knocking at the door...it never slows down. The Class of 2003 currently has the highest membership level at graduation seen in many years-more than 65% will be members when they become 2nd Lts. But even more exciting is that all three of the remaining classes are already near that same 65% member level. Cadets are the first to recognize what the AOG is doing to support cadets and the Academy-they see it every day. The more robust our membership the more we can do to support the Academy and you as members. Below I describe three new benefits that have been negotiated to serve you better. Our goal is to average adding one new benefit a month for the remainder of the year.

Damaged or Lost Diploma?

Easy to Replace: Diploma replacement is a two step process; first you must contact the Customer Service Technician in the Registrars Office, 2354 Fairchild Dr, Suite 2G13, USAFA, CO, 80840, or call 719-333-3970. Tell them your name, class year and mailing address. They will then send you a paper copy of your diploma. Next, send this paper copy to Mid-West Trophy, 3501 SE 29th, Del City, OK, 73115-2698 and they will produce a new metal version from the paper copy. Suggest you contact Mid-West at 800-324-5997 ext. 367 and talk to Stacy about costs before you mail it to them. Currently a totally new mounted diploma will run you just less than $100.

World Point Program

MBNA Credit Card Gets Better: The AOG was able to add a much requested benefit to our affinity credit card with MBNA-a travel point and reward program. This program will allow you to redeem points earned for card usage with airlines, hotels, car rental, merchandise or receive

cash rewards. New solicitations to sign up for a card will include this program. Ifyou currently have a MBNA credit card and would like to add this option, call MBNA at 866-438-6262 to sign up. Ifyou do not have a card and want to obtain one, call the same number and give them offer code FU4W for graduates/friends or FW7L for cadets. The AOG receives a financial contribution when you use or apply for the MBNA credit card.

Did a Classmate Die??

Want to be Notified? When the AOG becomes aware of the death of a grad in addition to posting it on our web site we will immediately send an email to the affected class. However, we can only send it to you ifyour correct email address is on file. To add or update your email address, go to the AOG web site, click on “services” then to “Bio Update/grad.” Fill in name, email and class and submit. It is that easy. Ifyou have moved recently, while you are there give us your new address and phone number, too. You can also update bio and Email information by calling 719-472-0300, ext. 224.

Another Find!!

Ring Returned to Owner: Here is another success story from a grad we helped reunite with his lost ring. Major Keith Cox, ’88, writes: “I originally lost my ring in June 1988 at Del Mar Junior College, Texas while teaching in casual status awaiting UPT. A student found my ring and using the name inscribed inside tried to find me. This was unsuccessful as I was only in town for 30 days, was not registered at Del Mar, and shared a phone with two other students that was not in my name. The student tossed the ring in a drawer and five years later when he got married his wife tried again to locate me using the internet-but again came up short. After another 10 year lapse, on coming across the ring after moving to Hawaii, she tried again-this time going to the AOG web site. Eureka!! You were then able to find me and put us in contact with each other. I now have my ring back. Thanks for your help!!”

To report a lost or found ring email us at classring@aog-usafa.org or for reorder information go to our web site.

Another Discount Program

Avis Now Part ofAOG Team: In addition to Budget rent a car-Avis is now available at a discount price using the AOG’s Avis Discount Number (AWD) T455600. Expect to get premium service at worldwide locations for either corporate or vacation travel.

Football Tailgates

Not Just at the Academy: Last year, chapters hosted tailgates at three away football games, including the Bowl game. Take a look at this year’s away schedule and plan accordingly. If enough interest is generated, the AOG will assist in getting the word out to help support the Falcons winning season. Northwestern, BYU, Navy, CSU, New Mexico and San Diego all promise to be exciting away games and possible gathering sites.

Reunions

2003 Reunion Planning Underway:

Reunion committees are formed and, with the assistance of the AOG, have started planning their upcoming reunions. Don’t

think you want to bother? You will be in the minority. Each year we average more than 50% return to the Aluminum Zoo to reconnect with friends and talk about how it used to be. Plan now to attend your big event!! If you want more information about your reunion or POCs visit the AOG web site at www.aog-usafa.org.

Moving Soon?

Need a Better Price? The AOG has joined with St Vrain moving service to provide you direct access to three major national van lines offered at corporate rates. This will save you money, provide compensation to the AOG and give you quality service. See their ad on page 87 for more information.

Class Rings

2004 Orders Rings: In January, Jostens again sent their full team to the Academy to complete the ordering process for the upcoming Firsties. Like last year, the most popular ring was the14k, blue star sapphire. Under the contract negotiated by the AOG,

of the Golf Course

The following procedures have been arranged by the AOG for graduates to play golf at the Academy’s Eisenhower Golf course. Graduates with a military ID: Call (719) 333-3456 no more than 72 hours in advance and follow the same reservation rules applicable to active-duty personnel not stationed at the Academy and retirees. Green fees are $22. Reciprocal privileges are in effect for active-duty graduates who have annual memberships at other Air Force courses. Golf cart fees are $22.

Nonretired, nonactive-duty graduate AOG members: The AOG is allocated eight tee times per month (tee times will be 10 a.m. or later). AOG members who do not have a military ID card may reserve these tee times by contacting Steve Knight at (719) 472-0300 or email steve.knight@usafa.af.mil. He will contact the golf course and notify you ofthe specific date and tee time reseived. Graduates may schedule only one tee time per month to ensure all eligible graduates have an opportunity to play golf. If by the 25th of each month the eight tee times have not been reserved, a graduate may schedule a second tee time. Green fees for nonretired, nonactive-duty graduates are $55 and golf cart fees are $22.

Reunions and Homecoming: A tournament will be scheduled by the Academy and the AOG to accommodate graduates at a set fee of $51 for all players. The fee is independent of military status or golf course membership.

prices remained unchanged for the fifth year while cadets realized a 20% reduction from the time the AOG signed a long-term contract. The average price stayed about the same ($1150) while the most expensive ring this year was “only” $5262.

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

1973 (DoubleTree) - 25 Year Reunion

8 Army vs USAFA

13-14 SACC - Dallas, TX (Hyatt Regency)

15 USAFA @ New Mexico

22 USAFA @ San Diego St

Chapter Mews

Outlook

Alamo Chapter (TX) San Antonio grads are looking forward to our annual Canyon Lake Picnic in June. This event, with BBQ and boating at the Randolph Recreation Area, is always a highlight of the year. Alamo Chapter members enjoyed our first Friday Night Fling of the year by participating in First Friday Art Night at the Blue Star Brewery in the King Williams District. The next Friday Night Fling will be at a San Antonio Missions baseball game. Updates ofall events can be found at www.alamoaog.org.

Arizona Chapter (AZ) Our Chapter will once again travel to the USAFA-San Diego State Football game on Sat., Nov 22, 2003 in San Diego. Wewilljoin other CaliforniaChapters'for a joint tailgate party before the game. Ifyou are interested, contact Tim Furst, ’78 at 480-893-0600 or Fim@FamiliesFurst.com, or Jim Sienicki, ’74 at 602-328-6137 or jsienicki@swlaw.com.

Middle Tennessee Chapter (TN) The chapter has decided to plan the 1 st Middle TN chapter Founders’ Day event for spring 2004 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the AFA (Apr. 1, 1954). We hope to enlist a recognized military/gov. person to speak at this function. We need a volunteer

soon to coordinate this event. If interested in helping, please let the chapter know.

The Parents Club is organizing a picnic in June for the new cadets about to leave for Basic Cadet Summer and any cadets that are home on leave. Last year one was held in the Goodlettsville area—seven soon-to-be cadets attended, as well as siblings and parents. The date/location for this event has not been decided. More on this later as plans are finalized.

This year’s All Academy Ball is on 12/ 27/03 at the Vanderbilt Stadium Club. Last year, fourteen cadets and dates attended.

Northern

California Chapter (CA)

The chapter has started the year by supporting the USAFA Womens Gymnastics competitions in San Jose and Sacramento. We have a great year planned so expect announcements on upcoming events in the calendar. We are planning a visit to the Hiller Aviation museum, the Moffett Airshow, a wine tour in Napa, hikes, a sports day, and thanks to the AJ Werner, ’93, a visit to BealeAFB to see the U-2s. Given cooperation ofthe deploymentcycles, we look forward to getting in touch with our Northern California active duty alumni. We also plan to support the Parents Club as guests to their annual “New

Chapters

Candidates” dinner in San Francisco in mid June. Ifyou live in Northern California and are interested in joining us, contact Susan Feland, ’93 at Feland@hoover.stanford.edu, or Chuck Reed, ’70 at chuckreed@aol.com.

Puget Sound Chapter (WA)

The chapter is looking forward to another great year of events. In June local wine expert Stan Clarke, ’72, will host a group of grads and guests to a personal “insiders” tour ofthe wine country of Washington’s Yakima Valley. Stan is regarded in the industry as a connoisseur of Washington wines as well as a wine maker, developer, and columnist. In Aug. the chapter will host the annual Sea Fair Party. This event is a great opportunity for grads and guests to exchange stories and revisit friendships. Don’t forget to check out our web site at home.attbi.com/ -ketone64/PSAOG_Website.htm.

Arizona Chapter (AZ) Ron, ’71 and Barb Marusiak have graciously agreed to again host a fireworks/desert/beverages July 4th party at their house on the Arizona Country Club golf course where the fireworks are set off. The party will start around 7:30 p.m. Please RSVP directly to Barb Marusiak at 480-949-5957.

from all over south Texas gathered to celebrate the

heritage. Brig. Gen. David A. Wagie, ’72, USAFA Dean of Faculty, generously attended as the guest speaker and presented the attendees with an update of topics in the Air Force and at the Academy.

MG James Sandstrom, 71.19th AF/CC, Brig. Gen. David Wagie, 72, Lt. Gen. John Hopper, Jr., ’69, HQ AETC/CV at the Alamo Chapter’s annual Founders Day Dinner.

Atlanta Chapter (GA) On 29 Mar 03, the Atlanta Chapter celebrated Founders Day at Fratelli Di Napoli in Buckhead. A crowd of47 representing Classes from ’59 to ’97 enjoyed an Italian feast and gathered to hear guest C/3C Chris Hearne, ’05 from CS18 (home on Spring Break) entertain us with the top ten things cadets wanted to know about grads.The floor was then open for stories about cadet days at the Academy from the endless “cable” (Frank Black, ’63) to “my 100 tours” (Gerry Gill, ’61). The best story, no doubt, was Al Wanskys, ’91 “Thursday Butt Club.”

New England Chapter (MA) New England AOG had their annual Academy Night dinner at Woodland Country Club on 29 April. We welcomed the appointees to the Class of 2007 and their families, as well as honored the parents of members of the Class of 2003 who will graduate on May 28, 2003. Col. “Trapper” Carpenter, ’73, the USAFA Dean of Admissions was the speaker. On

April 30th we hosted our annual GolfTournament at Shaker Hills Golf Club in Harvard, Mass.

North Texas Chapter (TX) New year, new faces, new activities at the North Texas Assoc, of AFA Grads! It started with an excellent dining-in and business meeting on Jan 31 with guest speaker, Col Jim Shaw, ’67, President of the AOG, setting the tone for this year’s agenda. Elected to the NTAAFAG executive board during the meeting were Buddy Lott, ’76, President, John Visser, ’77, Vice President, Kim Shultz ’84, Secretary, Treasurer, and board members, Bob Chambers, ’70, Ed Kirkham, ’78, Nancy Lund, ’82, and Mike Mills, ’95.

Space Chapter Grads who have made significant contributions to the Air Force’s and the nation’s space activities continue to join the Chapter. Their support for USAFA spacerelated activities celebrates and builds on their contribution to the “long blue line.”

GOAL 2

Keep abreast of Air Force and USAFA topics

Puget Sound Chapter (WA) In early March, Richard Belden, ’69, hosted the chapter’s annual “Dark Ages” party. About 50 grads

GOAL 3

Keep the local community abreast ofUSAFA topics

Space Chapter Since the Space Chapter doesn’t have a “local community,” our members share their perspectives about Academy topics wherever they are.

GOAL 4

Provide graduates networking opportunities

AFA Society of North Carolina (NC) On Jan 29, 17 members of the Society met at the offices of iEntertainment Network, Inc. (www.ient.com and OTC BB IENT) in Cary, North Carolina to review the business plan of a small company, and discuss the Company’s options for growth. We also tested the company’s products.. .online games including WarBirds (a World War II Flying Simulation) and Armored Assault, (a World War II Tank Simulation).

and guests attended an evening filled with good food, friends, and great stories. The party was an excellent opportunity for local grads to discuss current academy events as well as share old war stories.

Space Chapter The Chapter continues to share information about Air Force space activities by publication of key speeches and analyses on our web site.

iEntertainment Network’s CEO is “Wild Bill” Stealey, ’70 who has been in the computer game business since 1982 and has made many military simulation games including F-15 Strike Eagle, F-19 Stealth Fighter, Gunship, Silent Service, and over 100 other military games. iEntertainment (IENT) is a small public company, which Wild Bill and a group ofinvestors acquired in Dec 2001.

After the question and answer session, the Grads went off to learn to fly WW II Fighters online with over 100 other players from all over the world. They flew Mustangs, Spitfires, & B-17s on multiple raids. With much whooping and enjoyment, the Grads entered the world of online military simulations.

The Grads also got a chance to participate in the Company’s World War II Tank Simula-

tion, Armored Assault. They drove Shermans and Panzer and, with excellent coordination, took many objectives. The Grads learned it was easier to drive tanks than fly airplanes!

In other news, our monthly luncheon program continues to be a favorite opportunity to meet informally. Lunches are held on the third Friday ofeach month at Newton’s Southwest Grill in Cary. Details on our annual golf outing, the tailgate party for the AFA-UNC lacrosse game, and all other events are posted on our web site at www.usafa-nc.com.

Alamo Chapter (TX) BANG, the San Antonio Business And Networking Group, continues to attract grads from all three service academies for the monthly lunchtime meeting. Held the fourth Tues. of every month at Joe’s Crab Shack in the Quarry, the BANG Luncheon provides a relaxed setting for social and business networking. Mike Nishimuta, ’73, continues to do an outstanding job arranging dynamic speakers for each meeting and posting resumes, business leads and cards on the web site. Check www.alamoaog.org for the latest information.

Puget Sound Chapter (WA) The chapter continues to participate in the Joint Service Academy Alumni Breakfasts. It’s a great opportunity to network, hear an outstanding speaker, and find out what other grads are doing in the business world. If you’re interested in attending future functions, contact Larry Graham, ’87, 206-381-3304.

Space Chapter usafaspace.tripod.com continues to provide an excellent networking opportunity. In addition, local Chapter meetings in Colorado Springs and Los Angeles offer additional networking possibilities.

GOAL 5

Interact with other service academygraduates

Great Lakes Chapter (MI) The Great Lakes chapter, serving southeastern Michigan, was formed last fall. Since our initial meeting, we have had a USAFA-Notre Dame “tailgate” party, attended the annual Parents’ Club Christmas ball and cheered the USAFA hockey team as they faced Wayne State on 1 March. Unfortunately, we lost but a good time was had by all. We are in the process offorming the 108

following committees to support AOG goals: networking; USAFA interface(support of the Detroit Parents’ Club and liaison officers); Membership; and events. We are always on the lookout for new members. Ifyou are interested, contact Janet Armstrong Southworth, ’89 at Southworth3@earthlink.net.

Mid-Continent Chapter (KS) Our chapter hosted a bowl game party on 31 Dec to cheer AFA.

Space Chapter The Chapter has been in contact with USNA grad Eric “Scooter” Berry, who spearheaded Operation Launch Pad at the Academy, a great example of another academy’s interactions and contributions to space awarenesss and expertise at USAFA.

GOAL 6

Give back to the community

Alamo Chapter (TX) With the help of Kay Grosinske, ’82, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity has become a regular event for grads in the Alamo area. Members, friends and family can find current information on our next building event at www.alamoaog.org.

Space Chapter Our members continue to make numerous contributions to the nation’s space capabilities, giving back to the community from the basis of our Academy experience.

Existing chapters

• Possible areas to establish new chapters Chapters created since last Checkpoints

GOAL 7

Support the needs and objectives ofthe Academy

Space Chapter Space Chapter members continue to support numerous USAFA activities, such as the Falconsat project and interactions with the USAF Space Warfare Center.

GOAL 8

Assist Liaison Officers and recruit qualified candidates

Space Chapter Our web site contains a list of Advisors, chapter members who have volunteered to provide insights into USAF or civilian space careers, space activities, or other Academy-or space-related topics which could be a useful reference for recruitment.

GOAL 9

Assistparents’ clubs!cadets

New England Chapter (MA) On 31 Jan, the NEAOG hosted 3 West Point cadets who will be cross-commissioning into the AF in May. They received AF mission briefs, shadowed members oftheir respectiveAFSCs, and toured F-15 flight facilities at Otis ANG Base.

Space Chapter The Chapter continues to work with the National Space Society to support the efforts of the cadet leadership of the USAFA NSS chapter. We are exploring additional ways to strengthen this cadet club.

Non-geographically located chapters: Medical & Space Chapter

www.aog-usafa.org

Service Academy

SACC Schedule of Events

Thursday, August 14, 2003

Interview Prep Seminar at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Friday, August 15, 2003

Breakfast (provided)

Registration

SACC

Lunch (not provided)

SACC

What is SACC?

The SACC is the Service Academy Career Conference supported by the Associations of Graduates from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy, and Alumni Associations from the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Previous conferences have been attended by hundreds of companies and thousands of alumni.

Where wiii the SACC be held?

The next SACC will be held at the Sheraton Hotel and Marine, 1380 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego CA. You may obtain a room for the SACC rate, ifavailable. Call (619) 692-2200 for reservations and ask for the SACC rate. There are many other hotels available in the area or stay with classmates or family.

AUGUST 14-16, 2003 SAN DIEGO, CA

Registration Fee

The SACC Candidate registration fee is $35 and may be paid by check or credit card. Please mail the attached registration with form ofpayment and two copies ofyour resume-resumes must be one page/one sided and on plain copy paper. Please mail your registration, or email to: sacc@usna.com. Please do not fax-we need a nice, clean copy of your resume. Registration deadline August 1, 2003.

SACC Hotel Information

Saturday, August 16, 2003

Interviews only ifdirectly scheduled between company recruiters and candidates; Companies will contact you directly regarding any on-site interviews during the SACC.

Ifyou have any questions, contact Wayne Taylor at (719) 472-0300 or DSN 333-4513.

NAME (for name tag, no ranks):

ADDRESS:

Sheraton Hotel and Marine 1380 Harbor Island Drive San Diego,CA., 22202 (619) 692-2200

Next Scheduled SACC

Dallas, TX, November 13-14, 2003

SACC Candidate Registration Form (San Diego, CA.)

USAFA CLASS:

PHONE (Home): (Work): (E-mail):

Will you attend the free Interview Prep Seminar? OYes OINo

Please include: Registration Form dFee $35 OResumes (two hard copies)

Mail to: SACC 247 King George St. Annapolis, MD 21402-5068

Cadet Running Suits

Cadet issue item. Available in two styles.

S - XXL (Sizes run large) Available to members only.

Dark blue with reflective strips

Jackets $83.00

Pants $50.00

Light blue with reflective strips (Limited sizes. Please call for availability)

Jackets Not Available

Pants $26.00

:rew Sweatshirts

Crewneck sweatshirt. Features “Air Force” applique with "Academy” embroidered beneath.

Available in Blue or Gray.

S-XL $30.25

Hooded Zip Sweats

Hooded sweatshirt with pockets. Full length zipper. Features "Air Force” applique with “Academy” embroidered beneath.

Available in Blue or Gray.

S-XL $34.50

Cadet Sweat Suits r T-Shirts & Shorts

Cadet issue items. Oversized to accommodate shrinkage. Available to members only.

Tops (S-XXL) $38.50

Pants (S-XXL) $25.50

Set (S-XXL) $60.50

T-Shirt (S-XXL) $10.50

Shorts (S-XXL) $15.75

Jacket

Dark Navy with new AOG logo on the left. Cotton/nylon (70/30) shell with polyester/poplin lining. Stain and water resistant.

S-XXL $63.75 NEW ITEM

Shirts

Polo Shirts by Cutter & Buck. 100% cotton with new AOG logo.

Available in dark navy and white.

S-XXXL $39.50

Denim Shirts by Vantage. Long sleeve with new AOG logo.

S-XXXL $40.75

Ceramic IVIugT Coasters

12 oz. mug AOG crest on one side and USAFA crest on the other side $6.25

Pegasus coasters Terra Cotta and blue. Water absorbent.

Set of four $26.00

Leather coasters in tin case.

Three with AOG crest and three with USAFA crest.

Set of six $15.75

Saber

Official United States Air Force Academy Cadet Saber.

Available to Graduate members only.

Saber with scabbard $192.25

License Piate Frames

Three styles from which to choose.

FALCONS - White lettering on a blue background

ALUMNI - White lettering on a blue background

PARENT - White lettering on a blue background

Each frame $ 6.25

Any two frames... $ 10.50

Plaques

Marble plaque

Etched falcon on white marble $72.75

Wooden chapel plaque $ 17.75

Walnut plaque Laser engraved of the cadet area. Can be purchased with or without a plate suitable for engraving. $114.50

Books and Videos

Into the Mouth of the Cat The story of Lance Sijan, ’65

The Iskra Incident Autographed by Grad, author Jimmie Butler, ’63 Red Lightning, Black Thunder Autographed by Grad, author Jimmie Butler, ’63

Separated by War Autographed by Grad, author Ed Herlik, '80

Modernism at Mid Century History of the architecture of USAFA

The Secret Life of Waldo F. Dumbsquat* Autographed by Grad author Don Hall, ’76

A Certain Brotherhood* Autographed by Grad author Jimmie Butler, ’63

Honor Bound Autographed by one of the authors

Return With Honor (Video) Documentary of the experiences of POWs in Vietnam (DVD)

Spirit and Flight A photographic salute to the USAF Academy. Over 150 color photographs. Sponsored by the AOG. By Elizabeth Gill Lui (* Paperback)

Class Notebooks

Two-tone gray suede cover, junior legal size (6” x 9”), with class crest embossed on front and class color stripe; inside note pad and pen; available for the following classes only.

’66 Notebook

’91 Notebook ’92 Notebook

’93 Notebook

’94 Notebook ’95 Notebook.

...Item #0340..... $ 4.25

...Item #0342 $20.75

...Item #0344 $23.00

...Item #0345 $26.00

...Item #0347 $52.00

...Item #0350 $10.50

...Item #0352 $10.50

...Item #0354 $39.50

...Item #0510 $19.75

...Item #0515 $25.00

...Item #0351 $41.75

A

Pin-back

Item #5366 $12.50 ’97 Notebook

Item #5391 ’98 Notebook

Item #0592 ’99 Notebook

Item #5340 ’00 Notebook

Item #5394 ’01 Notebook

Item #5395 ’03

Item #5397

Item #5398

Item #5399

Item #5200

Item #5201

Blue and white, 80% 0rlon/20% wool crew neck. “Falcons”

NOTECARDS

Doolittle Hall Notecards (6” x 4.5”)

Set of 10 with envelopes Item #0503 $ 5.25

Falcon Notecards

Set of 10 with envelopes Item #0506 $15.75

Phoenix Notecards

Set of 10 with envelopes

JEWELRY

Sterling Silver AOG Charm

Blue

SQUADRON

Pins

specify

Class Crested Merchandise

#0506 $15.75

#0430 $25.00

Sterling Silver AOG Tie Tack Item #0431 $25.00

HATS

AFA hat w/class year. Navy blue w/embroidered AFA crest and class year. Please specify class year.

Adjustable leather strap for size Item #0310 $18.75

AOG hat. Navy blue with brown bill.

Adjustable strap for fit Item #0311 $16.75

The AOG has obtained excess merchandise from the Visitors Center that remained from recent graduating classes and reunions.

Items are in limited quantities, sizes and colors and availability varies from class to class and includes: sweatshirts, clipperjackets, T-shirts, buttons, etc.

This merchandise is only available for the following classes:

’68 ’69 ’73 ’74 ’78 ’79 ’86 ’87 ’88 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01

Partial listing of available class crested items can be found on AOG web page under “merchandise/special sale items.” You can also email Celeste at merchandise@aog-usafa.org or call (719) 472-0300, ext. 521.

David M. Goodrich, ’59

Our colleague, Mend, and fellow ’59er David M. Goodrich reached out and touched the hand of God on Sunday, March 2, 2003. Dave, true to his dedication to work and others, died of a massive heart attack while in his office at the Naval War College, grading papers and performing the many other duties of a professor and faculty member. Kitty and their children Alison, David and Michelle, three grandchildren, Dave’s sisters and members of the family were joined by a number of ’59ers at the interment in Arlington National Cemetery.

Dave was born in San Antonio in 1936, and graduated from St. Gerard’s High School in 1955. He joined us at the Air Force Academy in July 1955 and participated in that wonderful, liberating march across the stage on June 3, 1959. Dave’s intellectual curiosity and leadership potential as a cadet were reflected throughout a wonderful and dedicated career in the U.S. Air Force. A fighter pilot in every good sense of the expression, Dave constantly probed the limits and worked his way up through consecutively more challenging assignments. He served in the Far East, flew over 200 combat sorties during the Vietnam conflict, and commanded the 50th Tactical FighterWing at Hahn Air Base, West Germany.

In addition to Dave’s impressive operational career as fighter pilot and commander, he was constantly involved with the academic community, as student, as professor, and as leader. Dave did graduate work in the University of the Philippines in 1962, and received a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the University of California. From 1967-1970 he returned to the Academy, where he taught political science, and then became an Air Officer Commanding. Dave completed his active duty military career as Major General David M. Goodrich, Commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) at Ft. McNair in Washington D.C.

Dave epitomized the synergism of integrating airpower knowledge, expertise and experience withjoint and combined activities. As a classmate at the Academy, Dave was known as a passionate, outspoken advocate of airpower. During his career, he brought the best of his airpower skills and knowledge to his many staffassignments. He served as an action officer on the Air Staff and in J-5 of the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He served inVienna as a member of the U.S. team negotiating with Warsaw Pact representatives on mutual and balance force reductions. Later he was an assistant to the Chairman of the JCS and a member of the Chairman’s Staff Group. His final assignment with ICAF allowed him to successfully bring all his talents, experience and expertise together to serve his nation. Dave retired in 1991, with the knowledge that he had served well. His numerous awards and decorations include among the highest authorized for distinguished service in combat and peace time.

In 1998, Dave joined the Joint Military Operations faculty at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. Once again Dave found an opportunity to bring his leadership, knowledge and dedication together to serve the nation and its young men and women in uniform. His colleagues and students extol his clarity of vision, intellectual vigor, and dedication to mission.

Dave Goodrich: leader, fighterpilot, academic, friend. You done good! We will miss you, but before too long we will be on your wing. God Bless America. (DickGoetze, USAFA classmate and room mate)

Richard C. Milnes II, ’61

Richard C. Milnes II, 65, died April 9, 2003, at Bethesda Naval Hospital, Md. after a short illness. After graduation, Dick completed pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Okla. in August 1962. He then was assigned to Beale Air Force Base, Calif, in the 903rd Air Refueling Squadron and the Wing Standardization Division. He earned his master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Colorado in 1969.

From December 1969 to January 1971, he served in the Republic of Vietnam, first with the 317th Tactical Airlift Squadron as a C-7A Caribou instructor pilot at Phu Cat Air Base, and later with the 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing, Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, as a flight evaluator. During this tour of duty, Dick flew more than 100 combat missions and accumulated more than 750 combat hours. He next attended the Armed Forces Staff College, graduating in June 1971, and was then assigned as a staff development officer at Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

From August 1974 to August 1977, Dick served with the 2nd Bombardment Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. as operations officer for two air refueling squadrons and as commander of the 913th Squadron. He completed Air War College in July 1978 and was assigned to the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. as the representative to the Comprehensive Test Ban negotiations. He served on the U.S. delegation in Geneva during the trilateral United States-United Kingdom-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics test ban negotiations. In December 1980, Dick transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. in the Directorate of Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations.

Dick served as vice commander of the 62nd Military Airlift Wing, McChord Air Force Base, Wash, from July 1982 until June 1983, when he assumed command of the 443rd Military Airlift Wing, Altus Air Force Base, Okla. In January 1985, he became special assistant for mission effectiveness to the commander in chief of the Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. He was promoted to brigadier general in August 1985 and was assigned as vice commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. in November 1986. His final Air Force assignment was in April 1989 as commander of the Inter American Defense College in Washington, DC.

Dick was a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in T37s, T-33s, KC-135S, B-52s, U-3s, C-118s, C-7s, C-130s, C-141s and C5As. His major military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

Dick retired from the Air Force in 1991 and went to work for BAE Aeronautical Systems in St. Louis, Mo. holding the position of the Midwestern regional manager. He retired from that position in July 2002.

Dick’s careers (both military and civilian) were occasions of quiet but formidable accomplishments. From his cadet years, where he was known as a hard-working, well-liked great guy with a sense of humor, warm smile, and a twinkle in his eye, to his devotion to his loving family, he made his mark. When he was wing commander at Altus AFB,

one of our classmates served as Dick’s director of operations and vice commander. The classmate expressed, “...it was a privilege to work for him. He was a visionary who moved that wing giant steps ahead in its training capability, support facilities, and community relations. A visit to Altus 20 years after his tenure reflects what Dick started and planned for the future of that base. What he accomplished in the two years he commanded that wing exceeds what most are able to accomplish in a lifetime.” Another, who was stationed with Dick at the Pentagon, said he was the voice of calm and reason in times of turmoil.

Dick is survived by his wife, Patricia, ofFredericksburgVa.; his daughters Diane Peterson of York, Pa., and Kimberly Brown of Hot Springs, Va.; a son Michael Milnes ofTallahassee, Fla.; two brothers, Jack Milnes of Portland, Ore., and Timothy Milnes of Warrensburg, Mo.; and four grandchildren.

Dick’s ashes will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery in midJune 2003. Here’s a toast to the memory ofanother notable fallen member of the first USAFA GrayTag Class! (Lowell W. Jones, '61)

Neal T. Rountree, ’61

On Sept. 16, 2002, Neal Rountree died of a sudden heart attack. He and his wife, Judy, were on their coastal Maine property, having settled on a builder two days before, and were about to realize their long-time dream of retiring there and having Neal finally build his boat. He loved working with wood, and everything they had hoped for appeared to be coming to fruition.

After graduating from the Air Force Academy, Neal served as a Marine Corps officer, including two tours in Vietnam and earning his law degree from the University ofSan Diego Law School. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1981, and from the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in January 2002 after 20 years of a very suecessful environmental law practice.

Bob Brickey knew Neal from their years together on the football team, as well as being in the same cadet squadron their last year. (Neal also boxed in the Wing Boxing Championships, heavyweight division.) In April 1965 Bob deployed to Danang Air Base, SVN, where Neal commanded a group of Marines responsible for defending the southern sector of the base, a job he relished. When Neal saw Bob and two other fighter pilots attempting to erect several 10-man tents, he volunteered 20 of his Marines to help. The pilots thanked the Marines byproviding a refrigerator and beer for their off-duty moments. Neal and his entire company then showed their appreciation by singing “The Air Force Song,” which Neal and Bob had taught them! In the course of talking with those Marines, as well as interactions with a Marine colonel, Bob learned their heartfelt respect for Neal.

During a recent frigid Christmas season, Neal ill with a terrible cold left his office and while waiting for the crossinglight to change noticed a homeless man. The man had no gloves and was clearly suffering in the brisk wind. Neal gave his good leather gloves to the man. When he got home, Neal was very irritated. Judy, knowing that finding good leather gloves to fit his huge hands was such an ordeal, told Neal she was sure that they could find more. He just gave her that

For more current information about graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site.

www.aog-usafa.org

puzzled look he sometimes had. “That’s not what I am irritated about. I cannot believe I didn’t give him my warm overcoat.” Just so typical of Neal!

Following his death, Judy received dozens of letters from attorneys across the country, which helped her realize that she had never truly appreciated the quality of his work and the integrity he brought to his professional life. Neal also had a passion for music and sang with the Hudson United Methodist Church Choir and the Akron Symphony Chorus.

His family remembers Neal fondly for his wonderful sense of humor, his love of storytelling, and his kind and gentle nature. He and Judy enjoyed a terrific 33 years of marriage, and their two daughters loved him dearly. Mary Kathryn, is in Missoula, Mont., and Janey is in her first year of law school at Duke. Both girls will greatly miss Neal's patience and support, as well as his confidence in their worth. Additionally, Neal is survived by his sister Lois of Downey, Calif.; brothers Lee of San Diego, Calif, and Paul of Newberg, Ore.; and several nieces and nephews.

Hundreds of loving family members and friends attended Neal’s funeral at the United Methodist Church in Hudson, Ohio, on Sept. 22nd Memorial gifts may be given in Neal’s name to the Hudson United Methodist Church, 2600 Hudson Aurora Road, Hudson, Ohio 44236, or to the South Blue Hill Baptist Church, Blue Hill Falls, Maine 04615.

We were blessed by Neal’s life, his love of music, and his gentleness of spirit. As Bob Brickey said, Neal was a most remarkable man. He is missed, but his spirit and integrity live on. {Byhis wife, Judy, and Nelson O’Rear ’61)

Kenton E. Lammers, ’62

Kenton Earl Lammers was one of a handful of recruited athletes in our class. At 6’3” epitomizing the Really Tall and Bright (RTB) Class of 1962, he showed up at Lowry Air Force Base a few days earlier than the June 27,1958 entry date for our class in order to work out with the coaches of baseball and basketball. Kent proved he could hack it in all phases of cadet life from academics, where he placed 23rd to athletics where he lettered in both basketball and baseball. He is said to be the first one to hit a home run out of the ballpark at the Academy baseball field. A major in political science, he was chosen to attend Johns Hopkins School ofAdvanced International Studies immediately after graduation and commissioning. Receiving his Master’s Degree in International Relations, he became an intelligence analyst at the National Security Agency followed by his first “real Air Force” assignment with the 6985th Security Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. As operations officer, he oversaw aircrews that performed key reconnaissance collection aboard Strategic Air Command’s RC-135s. The difficulties of living at a fairly remote base, Kent’s constant flying and natural work-aholism contributed to marriage difficulties leading to divorce from his wife, Merrilyn, who soon left Alaska with their son Kevin.

Kent received the Air Medal and other accolades with his departure for Vietnam and operations officer assignment with the 6994th Security Squadron at Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam. He was again flying re-

Kent and Pat Lammers

connaissance, but this time in “Old Shaky” the World War II era Combat Cougar EC-47, logging 300 combat missions and earning him a second, third and fourth Air Medal. In 1970, he was selected as an instructor in the Department of Political Science at the Academy, returning to the institution that meant so much to him. After two successful years teaching, he was selected to study for a doctorate at the University of Colorado at Boulder. After completing his coursework and receiving an additional Master’s Degree in Political Science there, he returned to the Academy as an Associate Professor, while he continued work on his dissertation that, as is often the case with doctoral students, was not completed. During his return assignment to the Faculty, he met Patricia Calahan, whom he later married.

In the fall of 1979 Kent ran into my wife Nancy and me at the Navy Game at Annapolis. He had arrived for an assignment at the Defense IntelligenceAgency a day or two before. As an avid sports fan and strong Academy supporter, Kent had to see the Falcons while his new wife, Pat, was home in Alexandria with the movers trying to put a house together for him and sons Kevin and Keith. Kent became an intelligence collections staffliaison to the National SecurityAgency and later division chief at the Defense Intelligence School. I saw a glimpse of Kent’s forte as he gave the most thorough presentation on Soviet politico-military affairs I have ever heard to our Air War College seminar. He then became the 48th Wing Director of Intelligence at RAF Lakenheath in England where he helped prepare the wing for AFCEA tactical evaluations and eventually the El Dorado Canyon Libyan operation. Only a few months before he left for Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to become the Director of Spe

cial Security for USAFE. Despite demanding work schedules Kent and Pat had time for several trips to explore Europe from Scotland to Greece.

Upon his retirement as a lieutenant colonel in January 1987, Kent returned to Colorado becoming Director of Special Security for IBM in Boulder, though he found time to spend with their son Keith. He continued in that position through the sale of IBM Federal Systems to Loral and then from Loral to Lockheed Martin, serving 13 years. After his retirement, they moved to the Colorado Springs area where they spent significant time with their grandchildrenChristopher and Megan Lebon, attending numerous sports and dance activities and enjoying the wedding of their son Keith to their new daughter-in-law, Angie. Kent also renewed his relationship with his son Kevin and wife Jennifer and two new granddaughters, Kaysa and Brynley.

He became active in St. Peter Catholic Church in Monument, Colo., and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Kent was a Life Member of the Athletic Association and joined the Academy’s Saber Society. He and Pat sponsored several cadets, providing them a home away from home, served on the Original Red Tag Class of 1962’s 40th Reunion Committee and became a driving force behind the Association of Graduates class fund drive. They often traveled with friends and family, organizing trips to Europe, Asia and Mexico. It was during the last trip to Cabo San Lucas that Kent and Pat were both killed in a tragic automobile accident. We remember Kent as bright, active, and caring very interested in people and dedicated to the service of his country. (Bo Oilman, ’62, May2003)

A MentorBefore We KnewWhat the WordMeant

On February 23, 2003 Lt. Col. Sandy MacElhaney (USAF, Retired) passed away and the world is a lesser place now.

To gain an appreciation for Col Mac you have to understand how he came into our lives and the impact he had on us.

In August 1974 an awkward collection of approximately 30 three-degrees landed in 33rd Squadron after our post doolie shuffle. The initial connection with Col Mac and his wife (“Ma”) was through our friend and classmate PR Helm. PR’s parents were good friends with the Macs and naturally the Macs volunteered to look after PR. I'm sure theyhad no idea the amount of excitement that was about to enter their lives.

PR and his roommate Dave “Chode” Scott began making regular weekend excursions to the MacEIhaney’s house. Soon this group expanded to include Lee “LC” Bauer and Don “Coondog” McCune. This group became a fixture at the Macs. Theyaffectionatelyreferred to themselves as the “Four Horsemen” a name based more on mental image than reality.

As we became two degrees, the group “hanging out” at the Mac’s expanded to include MontyMontgomery and Scott Harrod. Their home became more like a Cadet hotel as Tim “Hoops” Hopper,Wayne “Bo” Erwin, Steve Haggerty, Dave “Franco” Harris and Jim “Biggy” Maskowitz among others began dropping in on the Macs from time to time. The occasional ’78er or ’79er would even come by never a ’76er though we drew the line there!

Typical weekends would include get-togethers at the Macs for pre-game tailgates, stories, drinks, dinner and then off to the Hungry Farmer for more stories and drinks while listening to good music. We became groupies of a band called Fall River Road. The Macs always attended and had as much fun as we did. After closing down the Hungry Farmer, it was back to the house. A couple of times members of the band even showed up at the MacElhaneys. The first to fade would claim one ofthe extra beds upstairs, next the couches would fill up and the last left standing would get available floor space. What a sight cadets everywhere!

The next morning the reveille at the Mac’s house was Col Mac with his booming voice announcing, “MACELFLANEY’S UP, EVERYBODY’S UP!” And so we got up and did it again.

“What a hoot!” is how Ma describes those days. We were having a blast and coming the closest to living a semblance of civilian college life we ever would.

But to think our weekend lifestyle was nothing more than partying and laughing would miss the essence ofwhat we took from Col Mac and Ma. Each of us brought our own worries, questions, and concerns as we tried to navigate our way through the trials and tribulations that go with cadet life. In countless discussions, listening to each of us, either in groups or in one-on-one sessions the Macs always gave sage advice and showed tremendous patience. Through it all the Macs gave us the ultimate gifts of comfort, grace, and love.

In the years since we graduated, we’ve gone our many ways and yet our bonds to the Macs stayed strong. Some kept in better touch than others and some visited more frequently than others but the unfailing spirit of love and respect for the Macs stayed with us all. When a collection to purchase a paver in memory of Col Mac and Ma was taken, 18 of us immediately made contributions. A small way to say thanks but we all wanted to participate.

On the morning ofFeb. 21,20031 went back to the Macs feeling a great deal of trepidation. I knew Col Mac was dying and having recently experienced a similar event with my own father I knew all too well the depth of emotion you experience during these times. As I walked in the door I saw Col Mac lying in a bed provided by Hospice in the middle of the family room. A withered shell of the once powerful man now eaten up by cancer, he still had a strong voice and was calling for his daughter Sharon. For whatever reason the old ritual popped into my mind and I called out, “MACELHANEY’S UP, EVERYBODY’S UP!”

Without missing a beat, Col Mac replied, “The war’s over MacEIhaney’s down and everybody else is up!” Everyone in the house including me cracked up. Inside I wept. Still teaching us--facing death with dignity and wit. What a challenge and what a gift.

And so, Col Mac, how do I close this? I struggle at the keyboard and realize we don’t ever close this. The gifts Col Mac and Ma gave us are too precious to lose and too valuable not to pass on. And so, each of us in our way, will carry on the spirit of Col Mac. Giving, listening, advising, laughing, teaching, hoping, and loving.

Thank you Col Mac, for being a mentor before we knew what a mentor was. (Scott Harrod and Monty Montgomery on behalf of the 33rd Squadron CellarRats, Class of 77)

Joe H. Jarvis, ’66

There is no easy way to begin a write-up for the “Gone But Not Forgotten” section of Checkpoints, but perhaps Joe’s great niece, five-yearold Hannah, summed it up best, simply and accurately: “A good man died.” Joe Howard Jarvis, born Nov. 24,1943, in Stillwater, Okla., passed away suddenly on Feb. 2, 2003, of a massive coronary.

As a neighbor, close friend, and a fellow Zoomie, 1 would be proud to claim that I was Joe Jarvis’s best friend, but that place of honor has been locked in by Gail(wife for 33 years), daughter Joleigh, and son, Garret, for as long as I have known Joe.

There were a lot of Joes Joe the investment banker, Joe the computer geek, Joe the kit-car builder of the year, and last but not least, Joe the truck-driver, putting the pedal to the metal and jockeying his 18-wheeler coast to coast.

But, there was another Joe Jarvis who led quite a life, and that guy was Lt. Col. Joe Jarvis, U.S. Air Force. And what a career he had! (Looking through his records was a learning experience for me.) In 1966 Joe graduated from the Air Force Academy in the top 10 percent ofhis class, and for 22 years, this Zoomie had an incredible career.

JoeJarvis

He flew around the world logging over 5,000 hours in the air. He won all kinds of awards and decorations, too numerous to list, but a few that stand out are the Distinguished Flying Cross, Vietnam Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit citation, and the Republic ofVietnam Gallantry Cross. And, in addition to his military awards and decorations, Joe was somewhat of a scholar. He was a Math professor back at the academy.

Joe was a Professor and Chairman of Aerospace Studies at Manhattan College in New York. He earned his master’s degree in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He did all the military schools: Squadron Office School, Air Command and Staff, and Air War College, and these were in addition to all of his flying-related training and teaching. In 1994 he earned an MBA from the University ofWest Florida. The list truly does go on and on. Hopefully you all get the feeling that Joe’s career impacted an enormous number of people, institutions, and even countries.

Even though Joe’s record documents an outstanding career, his biggest standout role was that of a great Dad to Joleigh and Garret. His total dedication to his family was evident to anyone who was lucky enough to experience the Jarvis family. Joe gave his children a love for learning and more he gave them an example of a life well-lived. From watchingJoleigh dance the Nutcracker, to feeding Garret’s birds, to moving his kids to college and back, Joe set a tremendous example for us all. This may be the greatest thing that Joe left on this earth. Joe’s example will live in our memories, and in our hearts, for a long, long time.

I propose a toast to a super Dad and husband, a terrific neighbor and friend, and a loyal Zoomie. We salute you and we miss you.

Joe’s family would like to extend their thanks to fellow grads for the flowers, for the book, “Spirit and Flight”, and for the kind words ofsym-

C3C Chaney C. King Dies in Automobile Accident

Chaney King was born March 25, 1982 and from that moment on she never stopped living life to its fullest - even up to her death on Jan. 18 2003. There is a favorite picture taken at age four that illustrates her strong spirit. She was riding a fast, pink, hot wheels bike, wearing a ballerina costume complete with tiara and her favorite doll tucked behind her. Of course, there was her smile.

Chaney knew she wanted to attend USAFA in middle school when she joined Civil Air Patrol. She worked hard throughout high school to make it in. When she was not accepted on her first try, it only made her more determined to succeed. Attending Northwestern Prep School was the answer and she inprocessed to the Academywith the class of 2005.

Attending the Academy was a dream come true for her. We found among her possessions the following: “I desire to be a determined and dedicated leader, putting God first. I want to be loyal to my family and my men and possess the courage and conviction to always do the right thing.” This says it best as to what she was and what she hoped to become at the academy.

By completing jump school this past summer, Chaney was able to accomplish another goal she had for herself at the Academy. Through it she learned much about herselfbyovercoming fears and about where she wanted to direct her life. She was also a member of the Girl’s Lacrosse Team where she made great friendships and thoroughly enjoyed the game. In squadron 13, Chaney served as the Honor Clerk where she developed an innovative way to aid classmates in their personal process of character growth. She accepted additional work for any job

she held even if it meant pushing her homework aside.

One of her most meaningful accomplishments was organizing the “Babes in Blue.” Chaney had a desire to know how to balance an Air Force career and family. Through discussions with her female instructor, Major Soat, and several friends, they started the group. It is designed so that female cadets can speak with female officers about issues that they will be facing. Hopefully, it will be a legacy from Chaney that continues for many years.

Chaney’s positive attitude carried her far with everyone she knew. It was not in her nature to hold anger or disappointment against another. Several times she faced difficult situations with others, but would always maintain an optimistic outlook. She saw positive elements in nearly everyone and everything. She was always there for people. From congratulating a fellow jump school “graduate” on receiving an award that no one else noticed to making a returning cadet welcome in his new squadron. She was a caring, loving and charismatic person who possessed unlimited potential as a leader.

One characteristic that was continually commented on was her love of life. Even at 20 years old she had already made many plans for the future. She did not take life for granted, but made the most out of every moment and thanked God daily for all the gifts she had been given.

It is impossible to really know Chaney simply by reading this. She was a woman so special, and so spirited that she had been referred to as “Sunshine in a bottle.” Chaney was someone whose mere presence in a room commanded attention. Her poise, grace, and confidence were always admired. The sparkle in her eye and her enchanting smile are all that is necessary to understand how truly amazing she was. Chaney will always be missed, she will always be loved and her spirit will travel with those she touched forever. She’ll be on her classmates’ wing tips as they pursue their Air Force careers and beyond. It’s all good!

(Dennis and Janet King, C1C Nathan Bertino, Kate Waggnor, and C3C AndrewSellers)

pathy at both the memorial service in Niceville, Fla., and the burial at the Academy. (Louie LeBeau, Class of '80, neighbor and friend)

Anthony C. Zambelli, ’66

Anthony C “Tony” Zambelli passed away in the early morning hours ofFeb. 28,2003, after a short but valiant fight for life with a rare form of cancer. Tony was buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas. He left this life the way he had lived, surrounded by family and friends who loved him.

Tony was born and raised in New Castle, Pa., the oldest son ofCarmen and Theresa Zambelli. Tony was inspired in childhood by an uncle who had flown B-24s in WWII and Tony wanted to grow up to be a pilot. This boy who wanted to be a pilot was so certain of his desires that he rejected a bid to the Coast Guard Academy, attended college for a year and then received his USAFA appointment and entered in June of 1962 with the class of 1966.

Tony was an enthusiastic cadet and to know him, or better yet to room with him, meant you were in for a good time. He had such a zest for life that it infected those around him to the point that you couldn’t wait for his next stunt to relieve the doldrums of those long winters at USAFA. Who could forget Tony dressing up as the long-eared Easter bunny or his training of “Lyman the Airborne Mouse”? In spite of these escapades, Tony also excelled in academics and was usually on the Dean’s List, if not the Superin tendent’s List every semester. Tony loved the Academy just as much as he loved life.

After graduation Tony earned his wings in July 1967 and flew his first Vietnam tour in the C-7 Caribou. Tony then served as a T-38 instructor at Willy for four years before his second Vietnam tour flying L-4 Phantoms from Korat, Thailand until 1974. Tony then flewF-4’s fromTorrejon, Spain and Luke ALB as an instructor until 1981. Tony also earned an MBA from Arizona State University during this time. Tony returned to Air Training Command at Reese ALB from 1981-1986 after which time he was assigned to the USAL ROTC detachment in San Antonio until his retirement in January 1991.

Tony did the logical thing and started flying with United Airlines in March 1991. Tony flew on the DC-10, Boeing 757, 767 and 777, and was flying as a Captain on the Airbus 319 and 320 until his recent illness.

Tony’s first love may have been flying, but his love of family was just as strong. He is survived by his lovely bride of 35 years, Linda;, his two daughters, Lisa Delgado and her husband, Angel, and Michele McCann and husband, Brian; his four grandchildren, Teran, Mercedes, Carley and Madison; his brothers Carmen and James; and a sister Mary Jo Roscetti. Tony was a loving husband and father, a great big brother and an even better friend. The boy who wanted to be a pilot may be gone, but a person loved by so many people will never be forgotten. We miss you, Tony. (Buck Lyle, ’66)

For more current information about graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site.

PeterJahns, ’85

Our friend, classmate and fellow graduate Pete Jahns was killed in a T-38 aircraft accident on March 19, 2003 at Randolph ALB, Texas. Major Pete Jahns was an instructor pilot assigned as a Reservist, to the 100 FTS (the unit serves to augment active duty PIT instruction for AETC at Randolph AFB). Pete was born on Sept. 8, 1963. He was a great friend, man, husband, father and son. The man we want all our sons to become.

Pete had a long list of friends and admirers, not because of his immensely long list of formal accomplishments but rather because of his love of family, friends and adventure. He was consumed in his quest for knowledge, travel, adventure, and vigorous fun. All of those he touched were impressed by his super attitude despite any challenge, his eagerness to assist others, and the attention paid to his family: wife, Rhonda, stepdaughter Jenea, and children Alex and Allison. His family had just recently returned from a Colorado ski vacation loaded with dailyoutings in the mountains. He’d just told his wife, Rhonda, he’d had the best week ofhis life! Skiing with his family, or for that matter; doing anything with his family, made this super man tick and always brought a smile to his face. He was very close to his parents, Hans and Suse Jahns, as well as his sisters and their families. I know they were all very proud of him.

While I am certain the pride Pete felt in his fulfilling family life would be considered by most of us as more than adequate accomplishment, I must highlight his many successes, awards and achievements. He was a “Renaissance Man”, fully versed in a variety of topics, in all ofwhich he excelled. He spoke fluent German, evidence ofhis proudheritage. He was a Distinguished Graduate from everyAirLorce school and program he attended. Startingwith his graduation from USAFA as a Distinguished Graduate in Aeronautical Engineering, he was awarded a post graduate fellowship. He instead chose to immediately attend UPT at Columbus APB in Mississippi. He was a DG in UPT, and received the #1 AcademicAward as well. He received his first choice of aircraft and went onto F-15s at LangleyAFB, Va., though only after having been named Top Gun and Top Graduate at RTU. In 1989, Pete was awarded Top Gun recognition at Red Flag Squadron. While at Langley AFB, he was made flight lead in record time. Subsequent to LangleyAFB, Pete went onto ATC as aT-37 IP atVance AFB, again earning top honors as the lop Graduate inT-37 InstructorTraining. In 1991, a yearlater, he was named “Top Instructor Pilot” for the 71 st HyingTrainingWing and ultimately named “Top Instructor Mot” for all ofATC. Pete was selected forAFTest Pilot School in 1993.

In his free time, he pursued two master’s degrees and graduated with a 4.0 GPA in both, International Relations and Aeronautical Engineering at Northwest Oklahoma State University and at Oklahoma State University, respectively. He received advanced study Distinguished Graduate Pellowships for both; including recognition from NASA for his thesis work. Pete separated from active duty in 1993, finishing some of his graduate studies and re-entered active duty in fall of 1995. He was assigned as a T-38 Instructor Pilot and later went into the Reserves flying T-38s for the 100 FTS at Randolph.

Pete separated from active duty and flew for United Airlines and intentionally selected the 737, despite being in a position to take perhaps a more prestigious aircraft or route. He’d wanted to spend more time with his family and not be taken away for many overnights. He had his priorities straight and lived his life accordingly.

He was witty, fun and often goofy eager to smile, chat and engage anyone in a variety of topics. Humble, accomplished and full of life, our

friend Pete was a “One In A Million” kind of guy that I feel honored to have been close to. We are all so sad to have lost one of the best so soon, but feel blessed to have been influenced by such a great man. We will all miss him every day, but the memories of his full, full life will benefit us all. As I know Pete would assert: live each day with love, vigor, and enthusiasm and always seek adventure. (MikeOtt, '85, roommate andfriend)

(From Pete’s wife, Rhonda:) Hebrews 13:5,6: God has said, “I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.”

Pete said that the key to a happy marriage was not in finding the right person, but in being the right person. For me Pete was not only the right person but the right husband, right father and right friend. He put fenea, Alex, Allison and me before himself. He made sure that we knew we were the most important things in his life.

I’ve said that God gives us little gifts along the way and at the time we may not realize it. What a gift God gave us the eight days in Colorado on a family vacation. What a blessing from God to have those memories of that time together to add to the ten million other memories.

Pete was the perfect partner for me. We shared so many adventures together. For example we went sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, rock climbing, hang gliding, sky diving, hiking, scuba diving, white water rafting...well, I guess you get the picture that life with Pete was not dull.

After the children were born he became a real “Mister Mom.” He had already proved to be a great step-dad to fenea. He said that being a Dad was the best job that he’d ever had and he knew that it is what he was meant to be. Every night that he was home he would tuck the kids in bed and after they were asleep, give them a kiss; he never missed one single time.

I am so lucky to have found and had a relationship with Pete for 11 years that some people never find. I believe it wasn’t luck that brought us together, but God. I know that just by knowing and loving Pete has made me a better person and Mom.

Just like the song “I’m Already There” he is the sunshine in our hair, the shadow on the ground, the whisper in the wind, the beating of our hearts and the moonlight shining down. (In memory ofmy husband, Major Pete Jahns: Rhonda Jahns)

Paul P. Monaghan, ’99

On Nov. 29, 2002, a mother and father lost their son, a sister lost her brother, a wife lost her husband, and I lost a dear friend.

It’s been nearly three months, and I still find myselfsaying it out loud, hoping that somehow the reality of Paul’s death will sink in and make sense of it all. But it hasn’t, and I still find myself trudging through the pain of trying to somehow say goodbye and accepting the fact that he’s gone. For those of us who knew and loved Paul, I hope my words find a place of comfort in your hearts. For those of you who were not fortunate enough to have been touched by Paul’s life, I hope you’ll take from this just a glimpse ofhow truly wonderful Paul Monaghan was and how deeply he will be missed.

Paul Monaghan graduated from the Academy in 1999, and was assigned as a mobility officer for the 19th AGS at Robins AFB, Ga. He was a dedicated officer and he did his job well. He wore the uniform with pride. During the summer of 2002, Paul and his wife moved to Minot

AFB, N.D. where he accepted a position as a missile maintenance officer. Paul was a great officer, and we went out of his way to help those who served with him, whether it be in a professional or personal capacity. As they say, he was “Good People.” Paul has always had my respect forwhat he stood for as a fellow officer. Even though he’s gone, I raise my hand and salute my friend.

Aside from being a remarkable officer, Paul was a lifelong friend. I remember the first time I met Paul. It was the first day of basic training, or “Beast” as it is rightfully called. An upperclassman was yelling at me for seemingly no good reason, and from about one foot to my left I heard a muffled laugh. It was Paul. Needless to say his purposeful little “slip” brought what seemed to be a brigade of upperclassmen crashing down toward his very existence. But they forgot about me for the moment; that’s what it was all about he took the bullet for someone he had never even met. I had the chance some time later to introduce myself and thank him for “saving” me. Although he admitted he was scared at the time, he replied, “Ah, what the heck, we might as well start looking out for each other now... four years [until graduation] is a long time.” So from day one, he put others first, and somehow I knew I had a friend for life. I miss my friend.

While we were cadets we did what we had to do to survive, helping each other along the way. Paul took what we all saw as the “laid back” approach, but he never failed to get the job done. At the end of the day it was time to hang out with the boys. “Work hard, play harder,” as we used to say. Whether we were playing darts at “Spike’s Place,” or ordering a round of “Three Wise Men” somewhere in Denver, we saw past the rigors oftheAcademy and knew that we were with some ofthe greatest friends we would ever know.

Although graduation took us all in distant directions, we remained friends. Anytime I have needed Paul, he was there for me. Whether it was giving me advice or just listening, he always had a way of making me take the good from the bad. To look back on all the ways he’s helped me, I don’t think I could have said “thank you” enough.

I think the words of our friend, Ryan Dahlin, help to express how much Paul meant to us: “To say Paul will be missed is an understatement. He was witty and humorous, a quick favorite among those of us who shared trials with him throughout our freshman year. To those who fly and fight, and to those who do not... here’s to Paul!” Geoff Bixby also provided his appreciation for having known Paul: “I always felt I owed Pauly part of my life for having been there for me, and for just having been a friend. I am afraid I will never be able to repay him the debt I owe him. My life is much better for having known him, and that much sadder for him not being there anymore. I love you kid!

In closing, I’m sure I speak for others as well when I say that I am truly a better person for having had the opportunity to call Paul Monaghan my friend. Although I say goodbye, I will never forget your friendship and what it has meant to my life. (Justin Adams ’99)

HollyLea Adams, VI

2nd Lt. Holly Lea Adams, 23, died Dec. 18, 2002 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Hillsboro, N.D. She lost control of the 2000 Chevy Blazer on Interstate 29. The vehicle crossed the median in winter road conditions and was struck broadside by a tractortrailer. She was the third traffic death on Interstate 29 that day. She was on her way to the airport to fly home for the holidays.

Holly was born in New Iberia, La. on July 12,1979 and made her home in Franklin, Tenn. She graduated from Page High School in Franklin in 1997 and then went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the Air Force Academy, in 2001 and the Aerospace and Basic Course in 2002. She was awarded the John K. Hester Memorial Award which is presented to the cadet who best exemplifies the highest ideals of loyalty, integrity and courage.

Holly was the President of the Class of 2001 and was in to the Dirty

Paul Monaghan

Dozen, Squadron 12 for her first two years; the Pink Panthers, Squadron 36 the last two years.

Holly was the Section Commander and Executive Officer of the 319th Mission Support Squadron, 319th Mission Support Group, 319th Air RefuelingWing, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N. D. She was responsible for managing the commander’s support staffdailyoperations for a host of personnel programs. She was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and National Defense Service Medal. The Air Force Commendation Medal was awarded posthumously.

She was a member ofthe Southern Hills Church of Christ and was preceded in death by her two fathers: Marc Adams in 1980 and Cal Carson in 1991. Survivors include her parents, Jerri and Ken LeClair; three sisters, Jennifer Adams, Mandie Carson and Laurie Carson, all of Franklin; a stepbrother, Chris Carson of Texas; her fiance, 2nd Lt. Wayne Kinsel of Grand Forks AFB; and her grandparents, Betty Adams and Billy RayAdams, both ofGreenville, Texas. Burial was in Williamson Memorial Gardens in Franklin, Tenn. To find Holly, walk to the highest point in the gently rolling hills of this cemetery and don’t forget to enjoy the view.

Her hometown newspaper described her as an exceptional person with a “caring spirit”. While that is all true, Holly’s short, but rich, life is too robust to capture in a succinct phrase. To know Holly was to experience a person who made one feel as though the “here and now” was the most important thing on earth. Holly’s leadership qualities were evident, but subtle. Her hallmark was leading by example. She offered support, built confidence and influenced others through her deeds. To those of you that truly knew Holly, you’ll understand this; she left the world in a better place than she found it.

Holly had a list of 100 things she wanted to do before she died and although her life was cut short, she crossed quite a few items on her list. Among her personal belongings was a thank you from an organization called Wigs for Kids. She sent two very long lengths of her hair, one cut directly after graduation from high school and the other cut right before flight training, and sent them to this organization that makes wigs for cancer and leukemia kids. She always stayed in touch with the people she loved. She wrote literally daily letters to her 90-year-old great grandma and always remembered how much people loved to get mail, especially the very old and the very young. She thrived in a man’s world and would be sad to hear ofthe bad press at the Academy. We know that isn’t the norm there and wish she was here to support her beloved school. She earned the Spirit ofSere award for excelling at Combat SurvivalTraining her second summer at the Academy. Her male peers were as proud ofher as her family was. When asked to describe herselfwith two words, she said, “Perseverance and Caring”. She was an eternal optimist. She knew how to have fun. She used everything she had at her disposal to do good. She had a radiant smile that will never be forgotten. Griefis not to obliteratejoy - norisjoy to blot out sorrow.

Wewish to thank so manypeoplewho sent cards, letters and stories. Many people have told us knowing Holly made a change in their lives, and espedaily since her death, many have said they will live their lives differently from this point forward. What a wonderful tribute to a life well-lived.

Holly is second born in a set of four beautiful girls. They are all important parts of a very close unit of sisters. I don’t know how they are all going to continue with such a large part of them gone, but if they are anything like their sister, they will not only find a way, but make it a positive way to celebrate and honor her life. We can’t quite see that

today, but we are determined to go in a forward direction every day, even if the going is so slow some days.

Those who knew her choose to remember her by helping a senior at her high school get to higher learning. One of Holly’s favorite quotes was from the Obelisk: Man’s Flight Through Life is Sustained by the Power of His Knowledge. The first scholarship was to be awarded to a senior at Page High School in Franklin, Tenn. at the Awards Ceremony on May 2, 2003. This scholarship will help a student with determination and desire for higher education as well as possessing a charitable and caring heart. Memorials may be made to the Holly Adams Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Education First Foundation, 231 Public Square, suite 300, Franklin, Tenn. 37064. (Ken and Jerri LeClair, parents ofHollyAdams)

At press time we had learned of the deaths of the following graduates and cadets:

Mr. William H. Mannion, Class of 1962, who died on Feb. 16, 2003 of lymphatic cancer in Green Valley, Ariz.

Col. (Ret) John D. Jacobcik, Class of 1963, who died on April 13, 2003 of a heart attack in Shalimar, Fla.

Col. (Ret) Robert G. Lawrence, Class of 1964, who died on Jan. 1, 2003 of cardiac arrest in Kapa’a, Hawaii.

Mr. LarryA. Willis, Class of 1964, who died on May3,2001 of a heart attack.

Lt. Col. (Ret) Roger M. Vrooman, Class of 1965, who died on May 2, 2000 in San Francisco, Calif.

Dr. Richard A. Dysart, Class of 1971, who died on Feb. 24, 2003 in Delta, Colo, collapsing while playing basketball.

Maj. (ANG) Peter P. Strunk, Class of 1975, who died on April 11, 2003 in an automobile accident in Pinetop, Ariz.

Capt. Eric B. Das, Class of 1995, who died on April 6, 2003 in an F15 crash in Tikrit, Iraq

Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of these graduates.

OBITUARY POLICY EXPLAINED

We have had a number of inquiries on our policy concerning obituaries for deceased graduates and cadets. Some graduates have noted that while we have listed a graduate’s death in the “At Press Time” section of “Gone But Not Forgotten,” the graduate’s obituary never appeared in the magazine.

Our policy is to write to the next-of-kin a reasonable amoum of time (usually two weeks or so) after the death, and request from that individual (wife, parent, etc.) an obituary written by a classmate, friend or family member. We also ask for copies of obituaries which might have appeared in local newspapers. If we do not have a current photograph, we ask the next-of-kin to lend one to us (the photo is returned when the magazine is published).

If we do not receive a response to our first letter from the next-of-kin in a month, we write a follow-up letter asking for the obituary again and informing the individual that this will be our last request for the article. If we do not receive a response to our second letter, an obituary is not published.

When obituaries are published, we give the next-of-kin a one-year complimentary associate membership in the association beginning with the magazine in which the obituary appears. When the one-year membership expires, we invite the next-of-kin to join as a regular assodate member if she/he desires.

Life membership dues are not transferable to the graduate’s spouse, unless the life membership was joint, in which case it does transfer to the spouse. However, if the life member has purchased the “survivorship” option for their spouse, then their spouse can exercise member benefits until their own death. Ifyou wish to add “survivorship” to your life membership, contact our membership department for details and prices.

NEWS

1250 Big Valley Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80919-1015

H: (719) 531-5874 FAX: (719) 531-6697

E-mail: petetodd@aol.com

(Begin whine.) Hardly a single item of Class interest has reached my ears since the Christmas holidays! Can it be that the entire Class of ’59 has gone into hibernation? I thought that perhaps the President had summoned the Class en masse back to active duty to lead the charge to Baghdad and I’d missed the call, but there’s been no sign of troops wearing powder-blue bunny suits in any TV coverage of the war. Let’s hope the spring thaw produces a flood of correspondence detailing the travels and travails of those who are still lucid. Yeah, right! (End whine.)

I thought I was going to be reduced to doing an editorial on our Hollywood glitterati for the way some of them banged their spoons on their highchair trays and pontificated on realpolitik. However, fortunately some of our classmates, at least, have been on the move, so there is copy.

RL and Eugenia Penn took an extensive trip to Egypt and he produced a pretty interesting (and lengthy) trip report. He’s currently looking for a publisher and has assured me he’ll send some pictures of their trip NLT the summer of 2004.

Leigh and Cealie Hunt launched off in their RV last fall visiting various and sundry classmates. They’re shown at the top of the next column having dinner (or at least LOTS of wine) at an undisclosed location with Ann and Lou Kingsland, Bill and Anne Telford and Tom Stack. (Karen, presumably, was the photographer.)

We also have another published author in our ranks. Art Elser has produced a book called What’s ItAllAbout, Alfie?: Memoirs ofa fearful warrior. He explains the book and the title thusly:

“I promised my son, Al, that I’d write these memoirs for him so he’d know what I did in ’Nam and what the effects of that have been on me since. I wanted him to know that I wasn’t always this goofy and weird. Well, I have to blame it on something, don’t I?” The book is available on

Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Check it out. He and Kathy live in Denver and they need the money for a new snow blower.

We continue to make solid progress toward our financial goal of funding the Challenge Bridge in time for our 2004 Reunion. I’ve also received some sterling ideas from many of you on what the challenge should say. You’ll have a chance to comment on proposed text(s) later in the year. Meanwhile, however, we seem to be stuck in the mode whereby a majority so far is willing to let less than halfofthe class bear the whole financial burden of the project. Everyone understands that not all our classmates can meet the full individual target we set. But do we really think that over half the class can’t afford to contribute something to a project that will bear the imprimatur of the First Class and can have such a profound influence on future classes? Ifyou need a pledge form, please call or e-mail me and I’ll get one to you.

All of us were saddened by the loss of Dave Goodrich. It hit me on two levels. First, we were squadron mates in the early years and I considered him an exemplary officer and admirable friend. I’ll miss him. Second, though, his death is part of a worrisome pattern.

In the last 10 years, we’ve lost Tex Culler, AndyThomas, Roger Peterson, Dick Hilbert, Gerry Elsbernd, and now Dave to sudden, massive heart attacks. I almost headed that list myselfbecause, 19 years ago, I was technically DOA (flat lined and stopped breathing) from the same cause when I pulled up to an emergency room in Germany in an ambulance. But I was one of the lucky ones; three shots with the jump starter cleared the vapor lock and I walked out of the hospital two weeks later.

(Begin sermon) Some years after that, a cardiologist gave me this chilling statistic: for 20 percent ofthe people with heart disease, the first symptom is sudden death! Too many of our classmates are succumbing, maybe needlessly, to that reality. Lots of our guys have had warning symptoms and many have had protective surgery. To the rest who figure they’re OK and immortal because they have no symptoms, I refer you to the statistic and the list above. Please get a thorough checkup once in a while. Ladies, hound your man off the couch and into a doctor’s office. I’m tired and depressed writing about deceased friends and classmates. (End sermon)

Thoughtfor the Quarter: Don’t anthropomorphize computers. Theyhate that.

AJ. (Rosie) Cler, Jr.

11181 West 17th Ave. (208) Lakewood, CO 80215-2759

H: (303) 238-4973 e-Fax: (509) 463-4700

E-mail: RCtherose@aol.com

Class Web Site: www.usafa.net/1960

“Lifeis Short' becomes more relevant as we approach these final years. Some could simply sit back and count their caches of cash or stare at sunsets while lazing on a tranquil beach sipping sarsaparillas. But our eclectic group of do-gooders continues to help others.

Giving Our Time To Others: Part Five.

AttorneyJonWilton McClure takes pro bono cases down inValdosta, GA. Mac’s contributions: “I have a longtime pro bono client; I’ll just call her ‘Ms. Sanchez.’ She’s mentallychallenged, and doesn’t understand whybankers demand to be paid when they loan her money. Ms. Sanchez has been my client for eight years, and still has her mobile home and personal belongings. Because I practice Criminal Defense Law, 1 get to help those less fortunate persons of the community murderers, bank robbers, armed bandits, drug dealers, child molesters, rapists, drunk drivers.”

Volunteers come in two flavors: Those who help individuals, and those who tried to serve the public. Like Florian Philip Meinhardt: “I ran for Congress in the 2nd District of Kansas in 1988 (Topeka, Atchison, Ft. Riley, KSU/ Manhattan, KU/Lawrence, Ft. Leavenworth). I won the Republican primary with 67% of the vote, but lost to the three-term Democratic incumbent, Jim Slattery. I got about 30% of the vote. Bob Dole and Nancy Kassebaum were big supporters. 1988 was the year the elder George Bush defeated Michael Dukakis. It was fun to have audiences with then Vice President Bush and

Pete Todd

President Reagan in the White House. My late wife, Elizabeth, also got to go to the V.E mansion for lunch with Barbara Bush.” He tried.

Citizen Meinhardt at Nickerson Farms mth his rooftop campaign ad.

Then there’s the political odyssey of John Albert Schira, Jr: “The first time I ran for office was in 1988 and I did not want to be the candidate, but there was no one else (R: kinda like when the Prez hisself taps ‘ya on the shoulder and sez: ‘Take the mound, Whitey.’ Hr, Jack). Mike DeWine was our representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, and 1 did not agree with his position on many issues. I agreed to take the Democratic nomination and ran as hard as I could, spending $40,000. Mike spent $700,000, and I still got 40% of the vote. The second time I ran was in 1990, when DeVine ran for Lt. Governor, and Dave Hobson ran for his vacated seat. Dave and I went to breakfast together and I asked him to compare where we stood on the issues. 'Jack, the issues don’t mean a damn thing. Til spend whatever it takes to win and I’ve got all the money I need.’ He was right; he spent about a half-million, and I spent $80K (much of it my own) and got about 40% of the vote.” Jack also ran for the Ohio House in ’92 and ’96, and got 39% of the vote in his recent 2002 race. He’s currently Chairman of the Board ofTrustees in Brunswick Hills Township (OH). “I love my Trustee job these last three years; our township has 6,000 people, and politics here are tougher than at higher levels. Housing developments are being added so fast we have to fight to keep open space and parks. I will probably run again for State Representative. What have I achieved by running in political races? I have managed to influence people and alter some of their extreme views. There is value to that, and in giving of my time 1 have found the secret of happiness... being there foryour children and for others in the community!There is no more gratifying achievement than to raise your children to be good citizens and successes in life.”

William Allen Gillis and wife, Kath, are fulltime caregivers, having legaily adopted their daughters’ two children, Sebastian (10) and Cecilia (7), and care for their eldest son's third-grade son. Bill’s Vice President of the Panama City (EL) PTO, volunteers two days a week at the Cherry Street Public Elementary School as Math and Reading Teacher, works with Cub Scout Troup # 302 at St. John’s Catholic Church, and is Scorekeeper/Coach of Little League.

Aaron Dean Thrush volunteered four months at Hurlburt AFB as ID checker of visitors at the Security Police Squadron, and taught a course on terrorism (gratis) at the U. ofWest Elorida for seniors January-March 2002. “I started volunteering at the local Food Bank last October, where I work five hours each week interviewing individuals needing food, medical, financial help; and, I recently taught two noncredit courses at UWE’s branch campus ‘Middle Eastern Wars Causes and Possible Aftermaths’ and ‘Professional Baseball Glory and Frustration.’ And, 1 have my sports column on the Class website.”

have Buffalo wings and BBQ meatballs or pizza rolls or chicken nuggets; later they’ll polish off dinner one night six of them ate 5 lbs of spaghetti, meatballs, Italian sausage, two loaves ofgarlic bread; after we went to bed they made sandwiches, consuming two more loaves of bread, 21 12 lbs of cheese and 3 lbs of turkey breast. The next morning the refrigerator AND cupboards were bare.” Diana estimates they’ve gone through 504 dozen eggs over the last five years! George also works on the annual Ben Martin Golf Tournament and participated in a Falcon Heritage Program at USAFA last Fall.

James Frederick Glaza has hosted over 50 cadets, and summarizes their consumption as something in excess of 600 meals, 200 six-packs of soft drinks (not countingbeer), 150 poundsoflaundrydetergent and uncounted forays to the Ranch to pick up and drop off. “When Jeannette prepared an exotic gourmet meal, one cadet walked into the kitchen, looked at all the colors and spices of an Indian dinner, and calmly asked ifhe could have a hamburger! ‘No,’ she replied. That cadet ate, over the years, anything and everything that wasn’t nailed down but then, don’t they all?”

A Save-The-Planet endeavor? Perhaps not. ButAndrewWilliam Biancur devotes a lot of his time assembling a group of volunteers in our Class each year—thisyear’s MiniSki XIII was held 28 Februarythrough 8 March, and 30 skiers traversed six ofthe eight resorts in the Utah area, with measurable success and much pleasure. Next year’s event sponsored by the A1 Johnson Ski and Lawnmower Repair School will be the first week of March 2004.

several weekends a month, and the following characterizes a typical weekend: “They

So, no one’s developed tabletop nuclear fusion or cured colon cancer or created a NO-cal cheesecake. Just doing small things that make a difference. These volunteers are like behavioral software or functional autonorny: They keep repeating it over and over again. Giving their time to others.

Earl N. “Nelson” O’Rear

50582 Stonington Drive Granger, IN 46530-8243

H: (574) 273-2597

E-mail: ENOandTJO@ameritech.net

Class Web Site: http://www.USAFA1961.org/

As you know from the last Checkpoints, we lost another classmate, Neal Rountree, last fall. Although we were unable to provide more information in that issue, see the Gone But Not Forgotten section of this one to learn more.

Mark and Ginger Anderson hoped to do the Mandarin China tour April 25th to May 12th assuming the world situation was conducive to overseas travel then. Shortly after returning, Mark was to chair his final meeting of the AOG Board (May 17th) and officially turn over the helm on July 1 st He said that it has been an exciting four years, and he’s felt honored to serve on the AOG Board as several of our classmates have in the past (Lee Butler, Dick Coppock, Randy Cubero, Tom Eller, Larry Freeman, Hector Negroni, Charlie Stebbins, Jim Ulm, Jim Wilhelm, and probably others who we are forgetting.) Jim Ulm continues to serve on the Board.

Stu and Marnie Boyd, in supporting roles, are now helping competitive ice skaters and hope to be involved with the Olympic competitions. Lowell Jones coordinated with them so they and the DC ’61ers could get together for lunch while the Boyds were in the D.C. area supporting one of these events at the end ofMarch. Stu earlier provided a wrap-up ofthe ’61 Utah ski weekend, which showed many smiling faces including some from much warmer climates, such as Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama. To see pictures, go to our Class Web Site. Ifyou wish to participate next year, their next scheduled event is the weekend after Presidents’ Day 2004.

In January Randy Cubero and Jim Hinkle visited Mark Anderson and

Boston Red Soxlegend Bernie Carbo (secondfrom left) andAaron (second from right) with others in his baseball class.

As sponsors of numerous Academy cadets, George Samuel Pupich and wife, Diana, normally have 6-10 cadets over to their house

Clockwise, from top left: Meinhardt, Vanlnwegen, O'Rourke, Hobgood, De La Cruz, Deke Johnson, Boyington, Holman, Yoakum, A1 Johnson, Biancur (missing:Nogar, Mosier).

Jim Ulm in San Antonio. Theygolfed each oftheir three days at Fair Oaks Ranch where both Mark and Jim live. Although it was unseasonably cold, they had a great time and vowed to do it again next year.

Dick Davis said that as he was trying an unusual right side mount of his horse, he was bucked off. Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet and body protector, but he injured his shoulder. He urges people to use helmets when working around horses since it could have been much worse (such as Christopher Reeves).

Paul Dean said that several of the ’61 group had a table at the Dallas Founders Day Ball on April 4th Dick Fairlamb, Allan Blaisdell, and Pete Lane also planned to attend. Paul’s wife said she might need a new dress, so he didn’t know if he could afford to go!

Richard/Dick Fairlamb said that he is planning to be at Kitty Hawk/ Kill Devil Hills on December 17th at the 100 year HOUR of the flight! He’s leading a group of four guys and two airplanes, so far ’61 USAFA (Dick); '60 USAFA (Ed Nogar); USAF/American Airlines Captain; and a Marine Gunnery Sergeant! A very eclectic group.

Henry and Peggy Howe had a great time at the North Texas Gray Tags dinner (see below), the first time they had been able to attend such a function. Henry has worked long hours at the L-3 Communications facility in Waco trying to finish the modifications on EUH-60Ls, the Army’s newest airborne command and control aircraft. They will be deployed directly from the L-3 facility to SWA with minimal testing and training, which may be done in theater and perhaps on operational missions.

Wayne Jones had a great experience during the Super Bowl in San Diego in January. Representative groups of veterans from all ofAmerica’s major wars marched onto the football field for the singing of“God BlessAmerica” and the “National Anthem” during the pre-game ceremonies. Wayne had the honor and privilege of leading the Vietnam contingent that day, and he said that the overwhelmingreception they received was very inspiring. Finally, all those years of close order drill at USAFA were put to good use!

While attending a February medical conference in Anaheim, Charlie Moores had a great visit with Fred and Sandi Wohrman. They still live in nearby Fountain Valley. Sandi is still teaching but approaching retirement and it is likely they will then be spending much more time at their place near Jackson Hole, WY.

Hector Negroni said that on February 8th John and Joan Kohout hosted a very elegant sit-down dinner for the members of the Class of 1961 in the Washington DC area. Those enjoying the delicious culinary repast were: Bill and Theda Foster, Steve Ho and Lynn Funkhouser, Lowell and Sandy Jones, Jack and Diane McDonough, Hector and Joan Negroni, Jim and Linda Rogers, Bill and Paulette Sanzenbacher, Bill and Rhoda Stackhouse, John and Ellen Sullivan, and Karl and Dianne Whitaker.

PB O’Connor reports that he is kept on a short leash helping the real entrepreneur of the house (Mer) prosecute what is fast becoming a going concern MERITART. Mer paints original watercolors in beach and other themes. Then she and PB use a computer to copy the art to transfer paper, which can then be applied to many products from clothing to checkbook covers. In March, she was finishing a commission for the National Cherry Blossom Festival a request by the North Carolina representative (princess) to the annual pageant. You can contact Mer at: meritart@earthlink.net.

Mike Rawlins still enjoys flying a Falcon 10, and Ginny is the Industry Compliance Officer for a commercial contractor. Last fall, theyvacationed for two weeks in Spain and France, and in February, a week in Cancun. In January when Mike visited his parents, Pete Lane and Tom Williams put together another great “GrayTag Grapevine Gathering” on the 10th in Grapevine. Attendees included Allan and Skeeter Blaisdell, Paul and Donna Dean, Dick and Sylvia Fairlamb, Carl Granberry (all the way from the Tyler area), Henry and Peggy Howe, Pete and Patti Lane, Tom and Bonnie Williams, Phil Woods and Glenda, and a distant cousin of Mike’s “Ace” Rawlins (’64) and his wife, Judy. A great time!

Hanson Scott is finding his days filled once again, this time helping get desired legislation through the New Mexico Legislature. This effort has required 12-hour days, seven days a week but his hours should become more reasonable at the end of March. His past experience working issues associated with the spaceport has helped a lot.

Bob and Pat Smith spent a week-long celebration of Chinese NewYear in Hong Kong in early March. Bob said that it sure has changed since he was there on R&R.

It sounds as if Sarah Stebbins is well on the road to full recovery from her mosquito-borne illnesses since she and Charlie are planning several nice trips this year. Glad to hear it, Sarah.

Terry and Carleen Storm hosted a Class of ’61 Christmas Party on December 20th Attending were Joyce Box, Susan and Tom Conley, Trell and Dick Coppock, Jan and Randy Cubero, Anne and Tom Eller, Jo and Dean Jones, Erna and Wayne Haring, Peggy and Jim Hinkle, Joan and Worth McCue, Linda and Charlie Neel, Lillie and Earl Saunders, Susan and Mike Quinlan, Kay and Dale Tabor, and Nancy and Jim Wilhelm. The pot luck was a gourmet meal! A highlight was Joan McCue playing the piano while they all sang Christmas carols. While they all get together at football game tailgates and the ladies have a monthly luncheon, group parties like this one are very special to all of them.

Byron Theurer retired from The Princeton Review on December 31 st after having helped high school and college students raise their standardized test scores since 1989. He’s now a counselor and an event producer for The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), counseling small businesses and people who would like to start, or are just starting, a small business. His biggest news is that on November 2nd he and Patricia Pilcher were married. Pat is a Denver transplant and has taken enthusiastically to the California beach. She’s become a docent for their local museum and state park network. Pat is also a military historian of considerable skill. When they aren’t doing their back-to-nature or SCORE things, they plan to travel principally to museum ships and Civil War battlefields.

Charlie Thomas participated in a Peter Jennings’ ABC national radio town meeting a panel of seven, including the governor ofNew Mexico, a local anti-war activist, an editor, teacher, etc to discuss the possibility of war. The local TV station broadcast it in New Mexico. Charlie appreciated the e-mails and phone calls from ’61ers who heard the show.

Ad Thompson in January was appointed as a Commissioner on the Santa Barbara Airport Commission, a governmental body overseeing the staffand operation ofthe airport. General responsibilities ofthe Commission involve strategic planning, lease review, adoption ofregulations, and so forth. While it doesn’t involve a lot of his time, it provides an opportunity to perform community service while maintaining some involvement with aviation.

Tom Wilson had a very nice dinner visit with Dick Fairlamb on January 28th in the Twin Cities (Minnesota). Dick and Pat Buckley are the only two classmates Tom can remember who have visited there in the winter months. Hardy souls! Tom said that he must admit that neither he nor Dick have changed much from their cadet days. (Does that mean they haven’t learned a thing since then?)

For those of you seeking a good time, consider the annual Redneck Riviera Reunion, October 10th -13th in Orange Beach, AL. Jimmy Poole said that this area is a piece ofheaven on earth, with white sand beaches, warm water, homes right on the beach with two pools, 15 golf courses in the area, great eating, deep-sea fishing, shopping at one of the largest discount malls in the U.S., historic sites to visit, plus fun together. Jimmy says 23 classmates are confirmed and about 10 more in the pending mode. It is a wonderful, relaxing time together and y’all come. To attend, contact Jimmy: 334-272-1863 (H), 334-271-1305 (W).

Jimmy also said that Susan has begun a new greeting card business to bring messages of encouragement, thanks, and hope worldwide. These Angel Cards went on sale in January, and the business has done well. Check out their web site at www.myangelfriends.com. Edition #1 has four angels, and Edition #2 n the production phase will have nine new angels. Jimmy says to contact him via e-mail to get a better price than the retail ones at the web site. (Does Susan know about this, Jimmy?)

If you want to learn class news in near real-time, become a member of our on-line GrayTag Networkbycontacting me at my e-mail address above.

John W. “Jack” Jamba

4 Judy Court

Satellite Beach, FL 32937

H: (321) 777-5520 0: (321) 861-6279

Cell: (321) 432-1370

E-Mail: jwjamba@aol.com

Hi Redtags, Well, there is a lot going on in our world. Personally, I was shocked to see the loss of the Space Shuttle, Columbia. Then the USAFA sex scandal captured national headlines and elicited some emotional responses from our class. Now we are fighting in Iraq. And we are continuing the fighting in Afghanistan. What an emotional time! But now we move on to Redtag Class news.

Got an email from John Fer. “Dear Jack, I am writing from work as I have to stay late for the science fair here at school. I just finished Checkpoints’ RTB report and was so moved by the sad side of the report that I had to make contact with you after too long a time. I wasn’t able to attend the 40th because being an elementary school principal occupies so much time. I have no Asst, principal so I have to double as the disciplinarian as well as administrator and I teach literature courses as well. I unplug toilets, clean the cafeteria, and change light bulbs as well—no need for three people for the latter!

“The pix look great except, as I noted, for the untimely deaths of Kent and his wife and Gail’s wife’s death. I got some drift that you have a touch ofAlzheimer’s, is that so? I hope you have it under control. [Jack’s Note: That was my attempt at self-deprecating humor. I had better tone it down a bit before someone carts me off to a rest home.] I often think of your generosity toward me when I was in Thailand. The kids in the school love the war stories about VN which I put in perspective for them. I have been the principal here at Beatitudes of Our Lord for three years and have decided to move to a position ofthe same capacity nearer San Pedro, CA, where I live and was raised. La Mirada, where my present school is located, is 45 minutes by freeway but leaving at dark and returning at dark doesn’t give me much of a home life. Nancy and I are at home alone now, John (’98) is in a silo at FE Warren, Paul is teaching in Maryland, and Theresa is about to graduate from college in Virginia. Both ofmy sons, especiallyPaul, reallyget into the “Dad what’s an RTB’’? Please give my RTB best to all you meet I will try to be more forthcoming with info in the future. Got to run across the lot to the Sci Fair. All the best, John Fer.” Thanks, John. Great to hear from you again. We missed you at the Reunion. Look forward to seeing you at the 45th And tell your son John that I know what it feels like to be in a silo at FE Warren. Did it for three years.

On a sad note, in earlyFebruary I learned from Tom Hutchison that Bill Mannion was in a hospital in Green Valley, AZ., with terminal cancer. A few days later, Tom informed me that Bill had passed away. Here is an excerpt from an email I received from Bill’s nephew to wit: “...Bill Mannion had retired from HughesAircraft approximately seven years ago and spent most of his time at home in Arivaca with his wife, Jani. They completed the construction oftheir new home and he took up the art ofwoodworking and carving. He had begun to build a new house of furniture from scratch, complete with intricate hand carvings fashioned after multi-century-old designs. The stuffthat I have seen is totallyamazing; he has mastered the art...” Our condolences to Jani and the Mannion Family.

Also got an email from Bob Scauzillo. He said he was planning to attend the reunion but had a last-minute conflict that cancelled his plans. He vows not to miss another one. And speaking about reunions, I have inserted a picture from the 40th You see Danny Donovan, Stan Patrie and Leo Johnson. By the way, it was Leo’s and Julianne’s first reunion. I think we’ll see them back again next time.

Paul and JoAnne Landers visited the Space Coast for a couple ofdays and Bunky and Connie Reeves and I had dinner with them one night. Paul and JoAnne are having a house built and are staying in their cabin in Alabama for about five months while the work progresses. See the accompanying picture taken just before we solved some of the most difficult math problems thatAcademia has ever seen. HA! Glad to see Paul and JoAnne again. I see Bunky and Connie every few months here in the local area.

Fred and Helen Hendryx were here for the month of February. We almost had a get together with Dave and Fran Lee who were flying in to Orlando for a few days but couldn’t link up with them. So the Hendryxes, Reeves and Jambas had dinner out.

I just found a few short notes from the reunion to pass along. Dave Bockelman is building a Mustang Racer Airplane kit. He’s been working on it for two and a halfyears. I guess he follows the Italian timetable for compledng epic projects, such as cathedrals and airplane kits. CliffFallon is still a professor teaching electrical engineering at Washington State while wife, Jane, teaches in the local school in their hometown in western Idaho. Tim Travis is back in Tampa after working for one and one halfyears in Sicily. I hope he left his Godfather in Sicily. Bob Taylor recalled a day when he was piloting a commercial airliner in Central Florida and saw a Space Shuttle launch off his left wing. Then he got a vector from Air Traffic Control away from that area. And Bob Gibson said that his older son chose to attendVMI. He is now in his second year there. The second son is a junior in high school.

I received an invitation from the Class of 2006 to speak at their Recognition Dining-In on April 11 th I’ll let you all know how it went in the next Checkpoints issue. That’s it for now. Go Redtags!

Norman I. Lee III 17532 N.E. 38th Court Redmond, WA 98052

W: (425)237-6004 H: (425)882-0968

E-mail:54wrs@msn.com

Work e-mail:norman.i.lee@boeing.com

Fax: (425) 237-5775

Once again I regret to have to report the passing of one of our classmates. Richard D Martin died of a heart attack on Friday, 24 Jan 2003, in St Gabriel, LA. Condolences may be sent to his family: Mrs. Constance M Martin, 2335 Hwy 75 Lot E, St Gabriel LA 70776. Our deep-felt sympathies go out to the family.

The 40th is coming! Did you get your packet from the reunion planning team Butch and Bob? Reunion “headquarters” will be the Wyndham Colorado Springs Hotel. You can find them at http:// www.wyndham.com/hotels/COSCO/main.wnt. The Hotel phone: 1-800WYNDHAM or 719-260-1800. We promptly made our reservations at the Wyndham. The rates are excellent (read very inexpensive for such a quality hotel) we got three rooms to accommodate family members that will be joining us. When you contact the Wyndham make sure you tell them you are with the USAFA Class of 1963 Reunion. You can monitor

The next picture shows Gary and Jeannie Baughman, Owen and Connie Hawkins and Tom and Renate Rausch. They are gathered by the Air Garden just north of the Cadet Dining Hall just before we had lunch with the Cadet Wing. The Academy allows spouses into the Dining Hall for these special Grad lunches now. It was a real treat. The wives got a big kick out of it.

In the next photo are Hal Keck, Chet Griffin and Erv Rokke enjoying a lighter moment at the Reunion banquet. A great time was had by all.

planning updates at the ClassWeb Site: http://www.usafa63.org/. Again, your planners and coordinators are Butch Verdier (pcverdier@juno.com) and Bob Hayes (bobhayes@pcisys.net).

The AOG doesn’t have addresses for some of our folks. I have reprinted the list names to help get the word out: Bryan, Cardoza, Dunn, Horner, Lloyd Kelley, Manuel, McKean, Murk, Odefey, Paprowicz, Schuman, Edward Smith, Sutton,Watt, Weber,Wetherington, Joe Wilson, and William Wilson.

Great Story! Just this week I got e-mail from a fellow in Alaska Steve Herschbach. Steve was in Hawaii recently, on the island of Kauai, and while underwater metal detecting his hobby he found a ring from the Air Force Academy. He said the ring was obviously from the Air Force Academy Class of 1963 but it was otherwise not in good condition due to the time underwater. The inscription on the inside of the ring was good enough to give him some clues. After checking out the AOG Web Site he contacted Bob Hayes and me separatelyasking for help locating the ring’s owner. Turns out, both Bob and I gave him the same answer the first and middle names of the inscription were “Howard” and “Michael.” The last name inscribed on the ring was difficult to decipher but “Howard Michael” could only lead to Mike Tomrae. As of this writing, Steve says he is in contact with Mike and arranging to return the ring. Maybe Mike will bring this extraordinary ring to the reunion for all of us to see. Try Steve's Web Site and get a look at the ring. Website is http:// www.akmining.com.

Dean Hess wrote and asked me to make a pitch in the next class scribe notes to encourage everyone to correct their AOG email address. Dean tried to verify some addresses Skinner Simpson and Gary Bender and they were not current. Taking the hint, I immediately went to the AOG site to check my addresses and they were accurate. After that, I checked the ’63 Website only to find my old AOL address five plus years ago. Dean is right! The future is now and e-mail is an important part of our life. Think ofwhat you are missing.

Gil Merkle sent along a note from a fourth class cadet at USAFA who is doing some research on a member of our class Killed In Action in North Vietnam. The fourth classman picked a name at random off of the War Memorial to research and learn about and then make a presentation to his squadron. The name he chose was Maj. Robert Michael Gilchrist. He is looking for some information about Bob’s personal life and his career here at the Academy. If you can help or know anyone that can, and wouldn’t mind sending it to C4C Mike Fech he would be grateful. His email is C06Michael.Fech@USAFA.edu.

JerryAdinolfi says that small-town parish ministry is literally the mother of all 7/24 jobs. He says the job makes his six years at the Pentagon look like the proverbial Sunday school picnic. “What challenges! And my goodness, no solutions!” Their parish, St. Paul’s Episcopal in Coffeyville, KS, is celebrating its 125th Anniversary this year and there are lots of planned events. Jerry’s main reason for writing was to say he and Marsha will not be able to attend the 40th They are committed to participate in their diocesan convention that same weekend. This one is a special event. Jerry asked if I would "... give all the guys our love and prayers and have one for us. Already I am planning for the 45th mentally.”

In March Hank Hoffman (hankthird@aol.com) sent a request to advertise the Willy 65B get-together in Scottsdale the latter half ofJune. We are a little late on this but who knows, some ofyou can still react quickly. He has the Scottsdale Renaissance Hotel booked for 19-22 June 2003. Rates are $69 for a basic room with two- and three-room suites available for another $20 per upgrade. I can personally vouch for the hotel; it is superb and those are great rates! There will be a hospitality house with your own private pool on the grounds. The hotel is located on Scottsdale road next to the Borgata shopping plaza (don’t let your wives go there alone). Go to http://www.marriott.com/DPP/propertyPage.asp? marshacode=PHXSR. While you are there, Hank asks (pleads) that you please make your reservation and mention that your group is Class 65B to get the right rate. This is very important to Hank personally because he has signed up for 30 rooms at the moment. A varied and full agenda of events are scheduled with a formal dinner on Saturday the 21st. For more info or a request, call Hank at is 480-657-9636.

Loran Schnaidt tells us he retired from the Missouri ANG in 2000 and started a company that does outdoor lighting at residences, small businesses and subdivision entrances etc. He also volunteers and is currently the President of the St. Louis Chapter of AFA and Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee at the Chamber of Commerce.

Mayor Weds AFA Grad! That’s what the headline said in The Press-Trihune ofRoseville, GA—more or less. One item I have been saving for the right time is a packet of info I received from Bill Heinlein last year. Have to admit that for a while the packet was lost in and amongst all the stuff on my well-organized desk. Bill and Claudia were married in Roseville on Feb. 2, 2002 or as Bill put it 2-2-2. Claudia is the Mayor of Roseville. There is more Bill’s daughter Julia is the assistant to the City Manager of Roseville. Sounds very political to me. Bill’s wife, Judy, of 37 years passed away in 2001 on February 25th Judy lost a very courageous twoyear battle with cancer. Claudia lost her husband, Tom, to cancer three years earlier. Isn’t it wonderful how things work out? I love it!

That’s it. Need to get this version ofthe Class News to the AOG. Are you ready for some football? Make your reunion reservations now!

Bob Hovde

206 Walker Ave. Huntsville, AL 35801

H: (256) 532-3923 0: (256) 895-2807

Fax: (256) 895-9222

H: bob.hovde@earthlink.net

0: bhovde@space.hsv.usra.edu

TheWar: Hopefully, by the time you read this, the war will be over. I imagine that some thought Saddam wasn’t worth a war, but now that it’s happening, I’m sure all of us are praying that the troops get home safely and quickly. The 101 st is 50 miles from Baghdad, and even the doves in Congress are talking like they always supported the idea of military action.

Motor Home Generation? Well, folks. The time has arrived. A recent email from Rich Flechsig is just the beginning. We’re getting to the age when everyone you know sells the house, buys a motor home and starts traveling around the country. Soon we’ll be having mini-reunions in a campground near some cave in West Virginia. Anyway, there may be something to just having an email address and phone number. No catalogs at Christmas! Rich writes: “We sold the house and are in the motor home now. Email address is FLEXIG@aol.com; phone # is 817-913-3755. [Rich’s son, Scott, ofLeague City, TX] will only be holding stufffor us and forwarding it periodically, so use our email address or our phone numher to catch us. More to follow. Rich and Joan Flechsig”

Sad News: On January 8th Bob Lawrence died as the result of cardiac arrest in Kapa’a, Hawaii. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on January 15th

Also, Matt Feiertag sent the following: “Last Monday, 3/3/3, I helped console our classmate, Mitch Cobeaga, at the funeral of his 33-year-old son, John Pierre Cobeaga. John died after a long illness and 30 days in intensive care. It was very sad. Mitch seems to be holding up as well as anyone can in the horrible situation of burying a child. Luckily he has the support of a large family to help him through this difficult time.”

Late Christmas Letter from Matt: Matt Feiertag finally sent out his Christmas Letter. A month or so late on a Christmas Letter isn’t all that bad among my friends. We’ll call this Matt’s 4th of July letter and it’ll be early! Matt says, “I am actually starting this in November, with the hope and intention of getting my holiday cards out early this year! 2002 has really been a busy time, full of changes for me.

“After teaching at ProNet, the program that assists professionals in returning to the work force, I found what I thought was my ultimate dream job. In February I went to work for Lockheed Martin, who is the contractor to the US Navy at Fallon NAS, as a mission coordinator. It was an exciting and very challenging job, coordinating Navy missions on the Fallon ranges for Top Gun as well as all the Navy and Marine squadrons from the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, as well as the training bases on the east and west coasts. There was a lot of technical equipment that we were responsible for operating, to record missions, film bomb drops, and all aspects ofelectronic warfare. When you are out on the floorworking a mission, the time just flies.

“Unfortunately, Lockheed Martin is doing the job with the same four mission coordinators they were using before 9/11/01, and the Navy is pushing twice as many missions through Fallon. That led to a very ugly work schedule-sometimes starting at 6 a.m. (after a 1+20-hour commute), and other times starting late and working until 1 or 3 a.m.! What made it even worse was that we would usually have at least two early and two late schedules each week, leaving your body clock in a constant state of“help me”. After eight months I decided that the wear and tear on my body and mind were not worth the enjoyment ofthejob and the fine people I worked with, so I left at the end of September. I am too old to work nights!

“On October 1,1 started substitute teaching at the Job Corps, which is a federal program to help troubled youths 16 to 24 to get a high school diploma, a GF.D, and training in a trade that will allow them to be employed upon leaving the program at a very nice starting wage. At the end of the month I also started substitute teaching in the Carson City School District, K-12. I have substituted there from kindergarten to the

7th grade (including profoundly disabled special-ed), and am also on the list of substitutes for Washoe County, although I have not yet taught in Washoe County. I really love teaching, as I knew I would. The younger kids are more fun, but the Job Corps pays a lot more. I am still looking for a full-time teaching or training position, but I am very happy to substitute full time until a really good full-time job comes along. If it doesn’t, I am perfectly content to just keep doing this for a long time.

“In March I traded in my Harley Davidson Sportster (with over 47,000 miles on it) for a 2002 H-D DynaWide Glide. I really love my new Harley. I haven’t had it on too many long trips, because of the Fallon job, but I did manage to put 5,000 miles on it. I do intend to take some long trips next year.

“In February I also bought a new bicycle, a Giant OCR 1, to take the place of my 20+ year-old Schwinn Varsity. What a difference! I have put about 500 miles on it, so I feel I am definitely getting good use out of it.

“Darcey is working her little hoofles to the quick, going to UNR full time, while working for Microsoft 30 hours a week. I am so proud of her!! She has one more semester left. She lives up in Reno, so I get to see her fairly regularly. David is currentlylooking for a job as an environmental/chemical engineer, after leaving Foster Wheeler Environmental Corp. He really wants to stay in the Denver area where he owns a home, so that has made his job search tougher.

“Remember; if you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right. God Bless you all.”

Until Next Time. Thanks, Matt. Other people take notice! You, too, can make it to the big time! Send letters! Get published!

Rick Zurbrugg

Box 22615

Hilton Head Island, SC 29925

(843) 689-5321

FAX: (843) 689-5403

E-mail: ezurb@mindspring.com

Hey ’65!

It’s Sunday, March 23rd and another day of compelling television coverage ofthe war. Maybe you have been amazed as well by the number of our classmates being interviewed. (Col, ret) John Warden (who was described by Gen. Schwarzkopfin his great book, ItDoesn’t TakeA Hero, as the architect of the air campaign of Desert Storm), on MSNBC and discussing the goal of“parallel paralysis” ofthe enemy from the air. Tonight, (Lt Gen, ret) Larry Farrell, was discussing the handling ofthe POW issues on Larry King Live on CNN. (Lt Gen, ret) Mike Short, commander of the air war over Bosnia and the man who stared down Milosevic, several days ago described the fighter pilot perspective of going on a moonless night.

Mike, in response to many requests recently gave us this update: .cannot believe that there is much interest in my activities but here goes. At our retirement Mike Ryan announced that he had selected me to work in a new program Senior Mentoring - which consists of five retired threestars who work/teach/mentor throughout the Air Force trying to share our experiences of Airpower with the next generation. I teach/mentor at Air University, during exercises, both AF and joint, and work the speaker circuit at service schools here and overseas. We participate in Red Flag, Blue Flag and equivalent efforts around the world. In the last year have ‘exercised’ in Germany, Poland, UK and Italy working with both AF and Army HQS also mentor at Joint Forces Command and Joint Forces Staff College - lots of fun and we think we make a contribution. I also taught an elective at Air War College. I imagine many classmates will have a good laugh at the thought of me teaching and somebody actually listening. I also consult with industryworking primarily for Northrop-Grumman and ‘play’ in various war games sponsored by different government agencies. Finally, I work as a military analyst for NBC/MSNBC. I am in the MSNBC studios this afternoon providing ‘expert’ analysis of the approaching military activity may also do a taped spot on NBC News Tonight.

“Jini and I settled in the Tidewater area ofVirginia after retirement and reallyenjoy the area. Jini will send you pictures of our two children, Chris,

a USAF Major Class of ’89 - currently a student at ACSC he flew 40 missions in Kosovo in the A-10 when I was the JFACC received a DFC transitioned to the F-15E and flew in Afghanistan receiving a Silver Star. He is married with three little girls. Our daughter Jennifer is an AF captain and an A-10 pilot, guess it runs in the family. She was stationed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan during the fall flying A-10 sorties in support of the Army. She is stationed at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson. We are proud and happy parents and grandparents. That is probably more than you ever wanted to know. Jini will send pictures since she is my technical support chief. She also runs my ‘office’ replacing my active duty staff. After 37 years together we think it will work out OK. One picture is Jini, Jennifer and me in front ofJennifer’s A-10 and the other is Chris, me and two other pilots heading out for an A-10 sortie in Germany a few years ago when I was lucky enough to fly the A-10 in the same squadron as our son. Hope that this finds you well and happy. Best to you and all the’65 gang - Mike. Suffolk, VA.” Thanks, Mike, your great success refleets well upon us all.

Anything else in this column at this time would seem to me irrelevant. Hopefully by the time you read it, our fine young men and women will have returned safely. Be well, do good work and stay in touch. As the ROC would say: Cheers! Rick

Ryan Denny

1635 Mary Todd Lane

O’Fallon, IL 62269

H: (618) 624-4255

W: (314) 232-5117

E-mail: ryanden@aol.com

Greetings, Redtags! As I start this article, I’m at 37,000 feet, just south of the Grand Canyon, heading back home from one of my regular trips to Long Beach. Flying, even riding in airplanes like this Boeing 757, is something that I never get tired of. This trip reminded me of my many flights in the C-130 OK, this was about twice our normal altitude, we were drinking wine instead of three-day-old coffee, we were eating chicken pasta instead of fried road-kill, and the loadmasters on this flight were better looking but, other than that, it was almost the same.

While in Long Beach I ran into A1 Nader. We were both staying in the same hotel and got into the same elevator while returning to our rooms for the night. After our initial surprise, A1 dragged me back down to the bar for a drink and some catching up. (That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.) A1 works for Boeing in Seattle and was in Long Beach for some of the usual meetings that occupy most of middle managers’ lives. He got addieted to the Great Northwest while stationed at McChord AFB and has been there ever since. After many years in the flying training business, A1 has traded his cockpit seat for a desk job, managing a group of technical writers.

Speaking of hanging up the flight suit, Dan Cecil writes that Tom Brandon has just retired from United Airlines. Dan says that he and Tom flew a couple of trips together for United good thing they keep the door to the cockpit locked, a sight like that would have scared away the rest of United’s passengers. Tom spent a full career in the Air Force, and then managed a pretty full career at United Airlines, flying all three seats in the 727, then the 747, and retiring this year as a Captain in the Airbus 320.

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY!

YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

Mike Short with daughterJennifer and wife, Jini.

Dan had a little fuller career in the Air Force, so his time with United has been a little shorter. In spite ofthat, he has flown the 737, 757, 767, and is now flying some Airbus piece of junk. (Yes, I still work for Boeing.) Because Dan is so much younger than anyone would have thought, he doesn’t have to retire until 2004.

Tom Brandon and Dan Cecil flying the friendly skies for United I’m not sure what theydid, but they sure lookguilty ofsomething.

Ron Bracy retired last year from his special assignment with the Joint Chiefs. He says it was a great place to end up his military career, in spite of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon and working 12-hour shifts in the NMCC. After leaving the Pentagon, Ron returned to his ANG unit in Montana (120th FW) to finish up his career and retire on 8 June 2002, 40 years from the month that we first put on the cadet uniform. Ron is now living in Florissant, MO where he is the pastor of a small Baptist church.

Randy Jayne and the “usual suspects" from 7th Squadron were having their annual spring fling in Washington DC this year, and they expanded it to include all the ’66ers in the D.C. area for golf one day and dinner another night. They promised to send me a copy of the police blotter so we can all find out what really happened. We will report on it in the next issue... please stand by.

Some sad news to report we lost two of our classmates this year. Joe Jarvis died of a heart attack in Niceville FL on 2 Feb 2003 and was buried at the Academy a few days later. I remember Joe as a “good of boy” from Oklahoma, who was one of the nicest guys in our class. He navigated C141s for MAC, taught at USAFA and with ROTC at Manhatten College, and ran the command posts at Yokota and Eglin. After retirement from the Air Force, he was a financial planner in the Ft Walton Beach area. A few weeks later, on 28 Feb, Tony Zambelli died of cancer in San Antonio TX. Another one of the good guys, Tony flew C-7s, T-38s, and F-4s. He also had a ROTC tour at the University of Texas and finished up his Air Force career at ATC headquarters. He had another full career with United Airlines and was a Captain when he died after a short fight with a rare form of cancer in San Antonio. We will miss them both.

We’re getting older, folks. So take some time and track down those classmates that you haven’t seen for a while, swap some old USAFA stories, and send me some pictures. Until next time... Happy Landings!

Larry Wilson

13100 Pinehurst Ave. NE

Albuquerque, NM 87111

H: (505) 291-8949

W: (505) 816-2092/DSN: 246-2404

E-mail: Lwilsn628@aol.com

Greetings one and all. It has been another dry winter in New Mexico. That does not bode well for the summer. And now it is springtime, with the war in Iraq and the multifaceted issues at USAFA. More on that to follow.

To beginmy sincere and profound apologies to Lex Page, who was offended that I had misspelled his first name in the previous input. That’s what happens when you have a complex and uncommon name. Len, I will double check and ensure that I get it right this time around.

A reunion input and photo at the top of the next column from Chuck Denham: The CS-17 group gathered for a squadron party at Skip and Diana Pumfrey’s home in Larkspur. Thanks Chuck!

I traveled to the Academy in February for a wrestling team reunion, and watched the zoomies demolish their opponents. Ralph Femrite and Bob and Dale Muldrow were also among the fans. Bob limped in on crutches, splinted, awaitinglikely knee surgery. It seems that he had been skiing his usual bunny slopes when he did something classy like crossing his ski tips. He did not recover well. Now he is looking at some surgical repair. A few years ago he probablywould have shaken it off. Not this time. This aging stuff is the pits.

CS-17at thePumfrey’s:Fromleft areAlLundberg,JonMiller, Loren Shriver, Jon Miller's son Thomas, Chuck Denham, Dan Roper, RayLeopold, Skip Pumfrey, Ramon Najera, WaltEdgerley, John Boose, andSteveMcCullough. Notpictured but attending the reunion were HankArnold andLarryThai.

George Frushour and the CS-07 crew are planning a mini-reunion for the last week in September of ’03, the weekend of the BYU-Air Force football game. Plans are comingtogether. Good for you guys - have a great time and cheer the Falcons on to a glorious on- the- road victory. At the time he sent his email, George described that “Kelly is somewhere in the Kuwait/Iraq border area (don’t know where). I know there are others in our families and extended families that are in harms way. Our prayers go with them...” By the time this is printed I hope Kelly and all the other troops will be home, safe and victorious, with self respect and integrity intact.

Feature article: I spent a few hours with Ray Leopold and his family. The “family” part is almost a story in itself: Ray and wife, Linda, have six kids, ranging in age from 14 to two. Ray said he may not have the youngest child in our class (apparently someone has a one-year-old) - but he figures his kids' average age is the youngest. They are all in the usual age appropriate activities of Scouts, athletics, etc. And - I might add - they were pleasant and well-behaved and considerate/tolerant as Ray and I caught up a bit during a thoroughly enjoyable extended breakfast.

The Leopolds: Ray, Linda, Clelia, 14; Anthony, 12; Jeremy, 10; Christopher, 8; Gabriel, 6; andNicholas, 2.

The Leopold family was in Albuquerque where Ray was one of four selected to receive the University of New Mexico’s Fifth Annual Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards. He received his PhD in EE at UNM in ’73, and since retiring from the USAF in ’87 he has had an impressive career with Motorola, for whom he is presentlyVP and Director ofTechnical Ventures for Motorola Labs in Chandler, AZ. In addition to that fulltime job, he is also a Senior Lecturer at MIT, and previously was an Adjunct Professor of EE at George Washington University. He was previously honored by being inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Air and Space Museum, and has a long list of technical and professional awards. He holds 27 U.S. patents and more than 75 from other countries. In his non-professional world he acquired a home near Kalispell, MT a

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY!

YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

Larry and daughter Kate few years back, where he may retire one day soon, either part time or full time (TBD), and where Dale Stovall in Missoula and Steve Elm in Whitefish would be his neighbors. The skiing is great, the weather is protected by some lake effect and milder than you’d expect, and Ray is contemplating populating his acreage with cattle or rabbits or some sort of low maintenance livestock.

(Disappointing and sad news: You all are as aware as I am of the terrible press reports ofterrible actions by some members of the cadet wing over the past years. I will not try to judge or expand on what has been widely publicized. By the time this is printed and disseminated, the obligatory housecleaning of senior leaders of the Academy should be complete, or nearly so. In addition to that which has been made very public, a number of other corrective (?) actions have taken or will take place. Among these, excerpted from the Academy’s Agenda for Change:

“Any cadet found to provide, purchase for, or sell alcohol to an underage cadet will be disenrolled immediately.”

“The ‘Bring Me Men...’ sign on the Terrazzo wall will be removed immediately, and will be replaced by a statement that more suitably represents the aspirations of the entire cadet wing and the core values of the Air Force.

“In the first half of the fall semester, only First Class cadets will discipline Fourth Class cadets. After Thanksgiving, selected Second Class cadets can be given training responsibility for Fourth Class cadets. Third Class cadets will only interact with Fourth Class cadets in academic mentoring/tutoring circumstances or on the spot training guidance.”

“Separate billeting arrangements will be established for female and male cadets upon entering the Academy for Basic Cadet Training.”

“Within a squadron, rooms occupied by female cadets will be clustered in the same vicinity near the women’s bathrooms...”

“A specially-selected experienced noncommissioned officer will be assigned to each cadet squadron as a MilitaryTraining Leader (MTL). This NCO will report to the Squadron Air Officer Commanding (AOC) and will be senior to any cadet at the Academy...”

“.. .Those engaged in intercollegiate athletics will be required to engage in military and leadership training equivalent to their classmates. Offseason athletes will be required to participate in squadron activities...”

“The senior officer in each (academic) department will be held accountable for all subordinate military officers and will ensure good order and discipline within his/her department...”

“Pilot training slots will be evenly divided betweenAcademy and ROTC scholarship accessions. In addition, OTS accessions may compete for pilot training slots.”

Granted that in our time there were honor scandals. Would this pattern of sexual offenses have happened in our era? I don’t think so. I suspect I am not alone in being terribly disturbed by what appears to be a serious erosion of integrity, morality, responsibilities and accountabilities at the Academy. I pray that the incoming cadets and staff will have the wisdom, courage, and fortitude to right these wrongs.

Tim Davidson

9712 Hidden Valley Road

Vienna, VA 22181-6094

(703) 255-5313

Fax: (703) 255-5377

E-mail: timd@erols.com

WELCOME CLASS OF 2003! To the newest members of the Long Blue Line, the Class of 1968 welcomes you into the ranks of the greatest Air Force in the world. Our best wishes for much success as you transition from Firsties to 2nd Lts. You will finally come to understand the meaning of the expression “Be careful what you wish for.”

HELLO ’68! Yes, news hounds, it is your “imbedded" scribe sending you greetings from the somewhat distant front in Vienna, VA. In all can-

dor, the only thing that approximates a wartime setting here are fights for food between the robins and squirrels in the back yard. On a more serious note, with all of the 24x7 coverage of the war, it is hard to turn off the TV. Our sincere thoughts and earnest prayers go out to those who are serving our country at home and abroad during these perilous times.

35th Reunion Committee Hard At Work. From left in the front row are Vince Rusinak, Tony Eden, Bill Sasz, Garry Dudley, Barney Mills, Rhip Worrell, and Pat McBride. Back Row: Bill Wood, Ed Leonard, Gene Rose, CarlJanssen, BobMarks, MarkTorreano (visitingfrom Maryland), andDick Covey. Notpictured: NealStarkey, Bob Denny, Sam Bole, Chuck Yoos, Gary Vasek, Rod Stubbs, Bill Eckert, RockyGaines, Bill Crimmel, and others.

35th REUNION DEPT: After months ofwaiting for the fall football schedule, our reunion committee was finally able to secure a place and date for our 35th gala. The reunion hotel will be the Wyndham and the class reunion dates will be from 9-12 October (Columbus Day weekend). The planned activities schedule is as follows: Wednesday evening: registration, pick-up '68 paraphernalia, social gathering. Thursday: morning is open, golf on the Blue Course in the afternoon, reception at night. Friday: activities on campus during the day and banquet at night. Saturday: AOG tailgate at Doolitde Hall, football game against UNLV and unstructured social activities at a variety of venues at night. Sunday: religious services at the Academy, squadron activities, brunch, picnic at Farrish, and more golf. Two memorial services will be held. One will be in the chapel and the other will be near the flagpole, which will honor our classmates killed in action. Following the reunion committee’s March meeting, volunteers were still needed to contact classmates from their graduation squadrons. As of March, the squadrons needing volunteer “contacters” were: 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29. If you would like to help, please contact Gene Rose via E-Mail at Genjanrose@aol.com. The Colorado wing of our class is again carrying the brunt of the responsibility for putting our class reunion together. Many thanks to Carl lanssen and the “Rocky Mountain Gang” for all of their efforts on our behalf. Please mark your calendars for the event and get your reservations in early for the Wyndham Hotel over the Columbus Day weekend.

REUNION THEME CONTINUED DEPT: A special scribe salute goes out to Charlie Coolidge, who sent me this star-studded photo from the 2002 Airlift Convention. When you realize that these distinguished gentlemen were once doolies at the same time as the rest of us, it is pretty awe inspiring to be able to say we knew them when.

18 Stars and an Eagle. From left are Maj Gen Bobby Floyd (Ret), Gen TonyRobertson (Ret), LtGen Charlie Coolidge, Gen BillBegert, Gen Charlie Holland, Col Carl McPherson (Ret), and Brig Gen Mike Moffitt (Ret).

HOLIDAY MAILBAG DEPT: From San Diego, CA, Joe Michel wrote that he retired from Civil Service last year, sort of. In fact, he continues to work on a Navy contract while he transitions to California realtor. Joe’s kids Bryan and Chrissy are honor role students in school with Bryan in his junior year at San Diego State and Chrissy in her freshman year at the University of California in San Diego. In addition to a full course load, Chrissy will play collegiate soccer. Joe’s wife, Blondie, continues to work as a budget analyst for their school district and is considering taking up riding lessons since both of the kids out of the nest. Joe said that Blondie and he are committed to attending the reunion.

The Macalusos Fly the FriendlySkies.

From Kingwood, TX, Bob Macaluso noted that he and Irene both retired as colonels and were checking in to tell me that “Life is Good!” Their newest family addition is a 1958 “Oldie But Goodie Retirement Rocket” that is used to shuttle them between Texas cities and to check up on their two college sons. Will we see that same aerospace vehicle in the environs of the C-Springs airport over the Columbus Day weekend? Inquiring minds want to know!

From Ketchum, ID, Clark Gerhardt told of a travel-filled 2002 with wife, Maria, and kids Miguel and Nico. Their picture travelogue included photos of vacations to Glacier National Park in Montana, Eagle Gap in Oregon, skiing in Idaho, and a visit to Maria’s family in Manila.

From Chesterfield, MO, Bob Lutter wrote offun and work (with Boeing) near his home outside ofSt. Louis. Highlights in life include being a grandparent to his daughter Christie’s “Princess Megan.” This is a role he and Martyreallyenjoy, particularlywhenyou throw in a vacation trip to Disney World.

Walt Lips, Antoinette and Mac McConnell, Dennis McLain, BJ and Bob Mirabello, Marjie and John Morris, Antoinette and Rick Patterson, Alex and David Prevost, Lew Reed and Layla Deeba, Don Schenk, Pat and Jim Seevers, Charlie Seifert and friend PollyBetor, Cinda and Roger Sorensen, Mimi and Mark Torreano, Sally and Mike Wagner, Beverly and George Wauer, and Susan and Karl Whittenberg. A good time was had by all!

THAT’S A WRAP: Mind the flak; keep ’em flying, and please keep those cards, letters, e-mails, and photos coming in. Ciao for now. Tim

Lindsey Parris

616 King’s Cloister Circle

Alexandria, VA 22302

Home: (703) 836-3604

E-mail: 102177.1033@compuserve.com

Somber greetings, my fellow Greytags. As I pen this, the nation is at war and the imputations of improprieties at USAFA are tarnishing the hard-earned reputation of our beloved institution. My apologies in advance if this missive is absent its usual irreverence.

Wally Moorehead and Bugs Forsythe are in the Middle East helping orchestrate and supervise what you read about in the papers and see on television, with surprisingly little delay between the official-channel reporting and the media interpretations, so they say. May God guard and guide them, along with those of you and your offspring who serve the country in and out of uniform.

Speaking of media interpretations, many of you may have seen none other than Darrel Whitcomb offering expert commentary on the events unfolding in Iraq; having caught him on-air a couple times, I can say that Fox News could not have found a better, calmer, more informed analyst.

Back home, Dr. PK Carlton is helping keep our nation secure from internal incursions. PK, who had been a special assistant to the president of the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, has been named Director of the University’s Integrative Center for Homeland Security. The Center, created last year, is charged with developing a homeland security program that combines terror-related research, education and emergency training efforts across the university, and will work to suggest ways state and national leaders can make the United States safer from attack by terrorist groups

In more pleasant times, Darrel, along with Paul Munninghoff and H Ownby enjoyed USAFA’s annual whipping of Army. At the Sabre Society Dinnerprecedingthe game atWest Point, are Stan Mars withwife, Rebecca; Pete and Kathy Melly, and finally Gary Howe with an unknown date. Keep this picture of Gary in mind, because, as any of you who have been to a Sabre Society function or have worked with the AOG will recognize, this is the first time anyone has ever seen him sitting down. The AOG hires well.

EAST COAST REUNION DEPT: On January 25th 37 classmates and 29 spouses or significant others gathered together for a wonderful Italian dinner and mini-reunion at “That’s Amore” Restaurant in Vienna, VA. In some cases, roommates were reunited after a 20 or more year hiatus and the conversation was non-stop for hours at the restaurant and an afterdinner soiree at Thuy and Bob Johnston’s home that lasted well into the early morning of the next day. Attending the festivities were Phil Abold and his daughter Katherine, Brooke Bailey, Beau Beauregard and friend Judy Sullivan, Scott Bohner, Cheryl and Mike Boots, Khaki and Ken Bowers, Dan Bucchioni, Sandi and Jim Clark, Lisa and Tim Davidson, Sherry and Jim DeFazio, Mary and George Degovanni, Kathy and A1 Dunkerley, Cathy and Bob Durham, Beth and Cort Durocher, Bruce Gerrity and friend Patty Barnett, Mary and John Gonda, Dana and Danny James, Bob Johnson, Thuy and Bob Johnston, Karla and Monty Lamont, Mary and

Visit the AOG Web Site - Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and More!

www.aog-usafa.org

Mike and SallyWagner Make Checkpoints debut following Italian feast at East Coast reunion.

H Ownby Paul Munninghoff, and Darrel Whitcomb help beatArmy.

Stan and Rebecca Mars whoop it up at West Point.

Pete and KathyMellyknowsomethingyou don’t!

GaryHowe sits down! Sabre Societydinner, pre-Armygame. NiceDate!

Alan Hunt, Santa Monica’s’69 rep, reports that his son rooms across the hall from John Young’s son at UC Santa Barbara. He learned this in the usual way: his son’s girlfriend knows John’s son’s roommate, who made the connection when Alan gave him some lessons on how to spit polish his boots for ROTC. Never can tell when our USAFA non-academics will come in handy in cultivating intergenerational networks.

Dave Yost continues as CEO ofAmerisourceBergen, and in this turbulent market helped deliver an earnings per share increase of over 42% in the first year after the merger. Along with the increased responsibility is a fullpage shot ofDave in the company’s annual report, and an even nicer mug shot on page 45 of the Special Annual Edition of Business Week which names Dave #6 ofthe best performers in its annual selection ofthe best 50 companies from among the S&P 500. Big congrats to Dave. So, if you’re having second thoughts about your investment strategy, then think “aging baby boomers,” “pharmaceuticals,” and, of course, our man Dave.

I received a nice note from long-lost buddy Randy Percy, announcing that he and Judy had relocated to Colorado Springs from Albuquerque. Randy plies orthopedics at the Fort Carson hospital and is enjoying being close to the military “family” again. He may well have been shipped to the Middle East, as roughly three-quarters of the hospital staff was expected to receive orders there. Like many of us who return to see the stark beauties we had at our fingertips for our USAFA years, he wonders why we didn’t appreciate it fully then, because the family is soaking it up now. One of Randy’s and Judy’s daughters teaches school in Longmont, CO and will be married by the time you read this. Daughter Jackie, a ’97 grad, is in a family practice residency at Travis AFB. They extend their welcome mat to visiting ’69ers.

It is difficult to refrain from offering my views, and the views of most of you with whom I have talked and corresponded (and that number is huge) regarding the ongoing events regarding our alma mater. I will just say that the allegations have been stunning, given our own unwillingness to tolerate among our number those who would have participated in the alleged acts ofimpropriety; the Air Force’s reaction has been equally as, if not more, stunning. Our brother John Dallagher has been, of course, in the middle of all, and many of us have written personal notes of support. To demonstrate the felt Class unity behind him, the class officers penned a letter ofsupport to John, on slate gray paper, signed by each ofus-Terry Brady, Les Dyer, Steve Edelman, Mike Goode, and yours truly and delivered by hand. The text of that letter will close this installment of ’69’s Checkpoint news.

In the meantime, until we meet again, check six, and keep ’em flying, and take care of each other. May the war be short and casualties few, and may our Academy rise from the current turmoil stronger and prouder than ever. Godspeed, all. Lindsey.

LETTER TO JOHN DALLAGER

March 24, 2003

Lieutenant General John R. Dallager Superintendent, USAF Academy

Dear John,

This note comes at a difficult time difficult for our nation, for our beloved alma mater, and for you, our Classmate. The allegations ofsexual impropriety at USAFA have put our institution in the public eye as never before. Many of us, and many in the Class, have written you individually to voice support, but it is important for us to let you know that we, your Class, stand collectively with you.

The Air Force’s core values are picked with purpose and stated well: Integrity First, Service before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. We each of us in the Class of 1969 knowyou as the epitome ofthose values and the Academy-unique ideals that support them so well. It comes as no surprise, therefore, for us to hear time and again from officers, civilians, and the cadets themselves that you are the most admired officer at USAFA. In the pressure cookers that are Mitch’s, Vandenberg Hall, and Arnold’s theater and ballroom, such trust speaks volumes, and only one who has attended the Academy can appreciate it fully.

Leaders of character, honor, and integrity rise to the top when the going gets tough. Leaders like yourself. We know of no one better to take the Academythrough this imbroglio, to institute whatever corrective measures are appropriate once the facts, stripped of their histrionic content, are known, and to ensure justice is served. As a consequence, USAFA will emerge even stronger, richer and better equipped to deliver the best to a public that expects and deserves only the best from our great institution.

Please know, in behalf of the entire Class of 1969, we are proud to know you, proud to call you friend, and proud you are one of us. We stand behind you always, in all ways, especially now. Keep 'em flying, Classmate.

Esse Non Videri,

Dick Rauschkolb

14640 River Oaks Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

H: (719) 487-0887

W: (719) 472-0300/DSN: 333-2067

E-mail: Dick.Rauschkolb@usafa.af.mil

By the time you read this, summer will be upon us and our golf games will be just rounding into shape or perhaps you are planning that long awaited vacation to Pueblo or Topeka. Regardless, hope you have a great summer!

Went to our Founders Day dinner last night (4 April). Marilyn and I shared a table with Larry Bush and Rich and Nancy Downing. We had a great time. Rich did a superb job as the MC for the evening he managed to slur only a few words at the end of the evening after opening his third bottle of Ripple. Pretty good for a Seventy guy! It is hard to believe that next 1 April, will mark the 50th Anniversary of Eisenhower signing the Academy Act that created our alma mater. General (Ret) Bob Oaks, ’59 and Dr Paul Kaminski, '64 received the Distinguished Graduate Award. I am sure most of you remember Major Oaks good man. And Dr Kaminski is one of the “Fathers of Stealth” technology. The guy has a higher IQ than all the Seventy guys at our table put together!

Here’s a pix of the festivities it’s obvious Rich and I married up!

As

I have heard from sev-

The life ofthe party! From left are Dick and Marilyn Rauschkolb, Rich and NancyDowning, and LarryBush.

I write this in earlyApril, the alma mater is under siege. This issue of Checkpoints will give you the full story and updates are posted almost daily on the AOG website at: www.aog-usafa.org.

eral classmates on the issues particularly the taking down of the Bring Me Men sign. Emotions seem to swing both ways on that subject some say it should stay up and others say it is about time it came down. It’s down directed by the Secretary and ChiefofStaffofthe Air Force. There are bigger issues and concerns in the SECAF report for graduates to focus on than the taking down of the sign. The Academy has some problems that need to be fixed and the Secretary and Chief are under orders from Congress to make changes in the climate here. See their full report elsewhere in this magazine.

The recent furor did allow me to hear from Carl Yakabowskas. It was good to make contact with him after these many years. I encouraged him to make our next Reunion in ’05. I also heard from Rudy Aragon, TommyThompson, Greg Martin, Mike Pomphrey, Charlie Smisson, Terry Petrzelka, Glen Leimbach, George Keys, Greg Woodhead, Ed Epping, lohn Gunyou, Henry Mitchell, Gary Dahlen, Tooey Emery, Bill Hamill, Rick Lesch, Dave Gaw, Ray Barleben, Cook Villareal, Marck Cobb, Duff Smiley, and Mark Ewig. Thanks for sharing your thoughts men nothing like a little controversy to mobilize the troops. Shows we are proud of our alma mater.

There are no easy answers to the problems facing the Academy. As you might expect, cadet morale is down in the basement. That is what concerns me hopefully we can get that turned around in the near future. If you are out and about, let people know about the outstanding young men and women that this institution is producing many of them were in Iraq leading and flying in the Air Campaign to liberate that country. Check out the article and pictures in this issue that capture the remarkable accomplishments of Capt. Kim Reed Campbell ‘97. Note the middle name she is the daughter of our very own Chuck Reed. Chuck and Paula have every reason to be very proud parents. Little known but interesting fact Kim was the Wing Commander here just like her Dad. Kudos to GreggPopovich for guiding his San Antonio Spurs to the best record in the NBA! Here’s hoping they are still playing as you read this.

Here’s a story about Mark Ewig. 1 asked a young man who goes to the high school where Mark teaches if he knew Mr. Ewig. He said he didn’t have him for class, but that “he was a good guy he is always there for you.” In my book that is the highest compliment a teacher can get. Congrats Mark! Other Seventy Men are doing some remarkable things. Wild Wood Woodhead and George Keys joined some other grads to continue their work on a Habitat for Humanity project in Maryland. John Gunyou was Minnesota’s Finance Commissioner and after that he ran the state’s largest Internet company. He is now the City Manager in Minnetonka, MN a large suburb west of the Twin Cities. John is in demand as a public speaker addressing issues like public service, doing the right thing, and everyday heroism.

While football season seems like an eternity ago, I did get this picture from my old roommate, George Rayl. Seems George, Jay Barry, Dana Demand, and Phil Moore enjoyed watching the Falcons drum Army at Michie Stadium last fall.

George said twin brother Tom Rayl is a flight officer on a United 747400 flying out of San Fran. Speaking of football heard from one of our stalwarts on the gridiron Ed Epping. He is a Plant Manager for Lehigh Cement Company has been with Lehigh for 25 years using his CE degree. He and Marilyn live in Mitchell, IN. He also spent some interesting times in Europe spending time in Croatia while the war with Serbia was going on. He had some good “war stories” but then he told me he lived on the Mediterranean with “all the advantages of EUROPEAN BEACHES”. Sounds like the type of combat tour we could all endure.

We have an author among us! Well not exactly but Bill Rathbun is sleeping with one. Seems wife, Jonna, has authored a novel The Desk by Jonna Turner (published by 1 st books, 2002, ISBN# 0-7596-8215-1). It has received great reviews. Check out her website jonnaturner.com. Jonna also did a book signing at Jim and Jeannie Brechwald’s home in

the Springs. I believe Larry and Marlene Bush were there. Kudos to Jack and Marjie Mueller for joining the Sabre Society.

Jay Barry sent a nice note. He is now wearing three hats MA to the Air Force XP, Chairman of the Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee, and a member of the Independent Advisory Board to the Air Line Pilots Association National Security Committee. Yikes do you ever see him Chris?!

Jay told a nice story about our former Commandant Robin Olds. Seems Jay and Pat Collins went to hear Robin talk to some second lieutenants at SUPT. General Olds told Jay to wait a minute before walking into the room. When Jay walked in Olds called the room to attention! How is that for neat who would have thought of that scenario some 36 years ago!

Our Comm! From left are Pat Collins, THE MAN, andJayBarry.

John Mitchel checked in from Ohio. He is a support contractor at WrightPat and Diane is teaching part time at a community college. They are like many of us still paying tuition for our youngsters. He plans on being here for the 35th Ron Kelly gave Rich Downing and me a BS story about his AOG membership check being eaten by the post office machines. We cut him some slack but we let him know his story was WEAK! I am sure you saw the nice write-up Tony Marietta did for Ken Hassen in the last issue. Very moving tribute to one of our good men. Tony can’t fly anymore after some shoulder surgery he has more titanium in him thanTigerWoods’ driver or a nuclear reactor. Jeff Krauser’s youngest son just graduated from Air Traffic Controller School wants to be a combat controller. Tommy Thompson’s son is a C-130A/C in the Middle EastAOR and Steve Schmidt’s son is in the same squadron and an a/c too.

In closing, keep Joe McClelland and Missyin your thoughts and prayers. Seems that damn cancer is giving Joe a hard time again.

If you get out this way this summer, give me a call and we can share a beer or perhaps tee it up. Best wishes for a great summer.

Paul D. Knott

5565 Lantana Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80915

H: (719) 570-9162

W: (719) 594-0100

E-mail: pknott@acninc.net

By the time you read this column, the images we see now ofAmericans fighting in Iraq will hopefully be just an unpleasant memory. As of this writing, approximately 50 women have claimed that they were assaulted at the Academy over the past decade, and some members of Congress are using these crimes to further their own agendas. We will soon see either a change in attitudes/careers among a very small minority of cadets or a wholesale witch hunt. From what I’ve heard, General Dallager is highly respected both by officers and cadets, and the Cadet Wing is extremely unhappy about the allegations either that they condone such assaults or expect to be sexually assaulted.

I have heard from some of you as well, and I understand your feelings. The vultures are circling now, and we need to filter what we are hearing through our own experiences and that of more recent grads some of whom are our own family members and friends. My advice to a friend’s child or one of my nieces or nephews contemplating trying for a USAFA appointment would be to go for it. As might happen at almost any institution where human beings are involved, watch out for predators and know who your friends are. The mantra at Jump School in the’60s applies just as well today: “Stay alert, stay alive.”

On a sad note, Dick Dysart died on Feb. 24 after collapsing while playing basketball in Delta, CO. Chip Reny planned to attend his memorial service.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT (J Cleese): Paul Dordal sent along his Christmas letter, which arrived just in time for deadline. Any of you in the North Carolina area should drop by the Fayetteville area in mid-May for the Festival ofFlight. With luck, Paul might

Rip 'em with a claw! From left are George Rayl, Jay Barry, Phil Moore, and Dana Demand.

buzz by in a replica of a Wright Flyer. Check out “festivalofflight.org." for details. This year is the centennial, of course, ofWilbur and Orville’s first successful powered flight.

That magnificent man in his flying machine! Paul Dordal in a Wright Flyer.

Bob Manning is my indispensable correspondent in the D.C. area. Classmates on the East Coast regularly get together for lunch and networking, and Bob fires off summaries. For instance, Chip Hamby writes: “I am a professor of Business and Management at Baltimore International College, near the inner harbor. We are a culinary arts school now embarking on hospitality management, even a Master of Hospitality Management.

“Before this, I was instructing in the flight simulator for Pan Am International Flight Academy near Dulles. Most of our clients were Atlantic Coast Airlines and small regionals including Aero Carribe out of the Yucatan. I was even teaching in Spanish! The business quickly dropped off so much that Pan Am let all the instructors go. They never reallywanted full-time employees anyway and had been trying to find a way to get us to go ‘private contractor’. I suppose I could have done that, but there just isn’t much work as all the regional carriers now provide their own instructors. So, I’m teaching at a culinary arts school and get much better lunches than I did at Pan Am!”

Martin Lebouitz: “Great to hear from so many of you! I have taken a ‘hard duty’ job relocation with JPMorgan Chase from NYC to Tampa, FL. We have been living down here for about seven months and love it.”

Tom Mahr: “I really appreciate the classmates who have gotten in touch to offer their support and best wishes. I am getting better each day. I’m walking relatively short distances with just the help of a standard cane (graduating from first a wheel chair and, then, a quad cane).”

Bill Blumberg: “It is great hearing from you. I’m afraid Denver is a little far to travel for lunch but I would like to be remembered. Hope all is going well with you. I have been one of the ‘unfortunate’ United Airline people who was furloughed last fune. I see Dick Bush, Bob Fretz and a couple of’71ers everyTuesday at an Academymeeting (for allAcademies). Bob works for an insurance company. Keep in touch and say hi to everyone (tell Gordy our room is still intact we were BCT roommates).

Gordy Kage is president of the Air Force Academy Society ofWashington. Harry Davis; “I work for a company called RS Information Services. Here in Colorado, we provide Technical Support for the Space Warfare Center.”

Dave Nagy: “I’m vice president of business strategy and development for a business area within the Integrated Systems sector of NG. I work primarily with airborne ground surveillance and battle management/C2 programs at our Melbourne, FL site, but still live in northern Virginia.”

Bob Manning: “I am remiss in sending you an update on the subject lunch which took place in Arlington, VA on 28 Ian 03. Attendees included Mike Downie, fim Hooper, Bob Manning, Ted McFarland, Charlie Morgan, lack Oehme, Bob Peterman, Tann Pinney, Rusty Schaefer, and Dail Turner. Unfortunately there are no photographs to spice up this report. I also had to leave early for a meeting across town and didn’t get to gather a lot of data on the attendees. Ted McFarland is still a two-star in SAF/ International Affairs and Charlie Morgan is a one-star in the D.C. National Guard. Dail Turner is still in the Financial Planning business and his expertise/advice was a primary subject of conversation. Bob Peterman and I are still working for the same employer, L-3 Com Analytics Corp, and supporting AF/XOR in the Pentagon.”

One last contact. Ellen Powell, Dave’s widow, moved to the Springs. She called just before the column went in. Her message mentioned that fennifer is a PhD candidate at CSU and teaching at Metro State in Denver. Matthew recently made her a grandmother. With luck, I’ll have more news from her. Ifyou wish to get in touch with her, let me know, and we’ll make arrangements.

This is either very late for 2002 or a little early for 2003. Paulette lives in Ft. Collins and is finishing her degree. Sean is stationed at Langley, working with computers.

Three ofmyfavoritepeople: Paulette, Sean andAndrea (plus one).

Bob Bell

13 Pacific Ave. Sinking Spring, PA 19608 (610) 678-3182/Fax: 678-4513

E-mail: rabell767@aol.com

Hello again “Class of ’72 Best in Blue”: Now that things have finally begun in the final war against the Iraqi terrorist regime, time has come to once again bring you up to date on what has been happening in your class lately. A few e-mails came basically with only a short message, but one very nice letter made it byway of“snail mail” just after I had sent in the last input to Checkpoints. (Luckyfor me that sometimes the wives like to make sure the right word gets out about specific family matters involving our classmates.) This one comes to you by way of Katie Simpson, somewhat later than it would have been since my perennial problems with email connections caused it to be missed after being sent in over a year ago. The event written about actually describes what took place in February 2002. Thank you Katie, and sorry about the long delay in reporting. This unique human-interest story involves Katie and Chuck Simpson and as you will see, it also includes our classmate Bill Brandon, and his wife, Melissa, as well as another two people who are very special in all their lives.

Writing in December 2002, Katie reports that Chuck has been the USAFE DO since March 2002 at Ramstein AB, Germany when he left Stuttgart as the EUCOM15, having been in that position since August 2000. The personal aspect ofthis story begins with a trip back to San Antonio, TX where they attended the wedding of Chuck’s Mom, who had been widowed five years earlier after 54 happy years together with Chuck’s Dad. When she took the chance to go on her first date in 62 years, it was with a charming retired AF officer. The first surprise was when they discovered they both had matching Class of ’72 sabers. It turned out that MGen Bill Brandon is “our” Bill Brandon’s Dad. He and Bill’s Mom had enjoyed 57 years together before she had passed away four years ago. So with one thing leading to another, the Simpsons and the Brandons joined forces in February 2002 making classmates Bill and Chuck officially stepbrothers now. The Brandon-Simpson photo shows the joint ’72 wedding party. From left are Melissa and Bill, Jr.; Bill, Sr. and Babette; and Chuck and Katie.

One other Dupre classmate in the area is noted by the Simpson letter with the report that Felix and Linn currently live in Paris where Felix is the Defense Attache. They are said to be apparently enjoying their tour of duty immensely.

A news clipping and photo appeared in the mail, (sent by Dave and Jennifer Bowman) which reflected the presentation of the Bronze Star to USAF Academy surgeon Col Franklin Boyer (Judith) for his actions during the war in Afghanistan after the September 11 th attacks. Frank had

left Colorado Springs in October 2001 as Commander of the 320th Expeditionary Medical Group. In one effort cited in his commendation, the theater hospital he established and commanded performed 23 operations within 36 hours on 17 Special Forces soldiers after combat. He personally operated during two of four life-saving surgeries. Following the assignment to Afghanistan, Frank returned to the USAF Academy where he participated in the ceremony celebrating his award. Congratulations on a big job well done, Frank!

Other reports this go-around were from classmates Charles West noting that he had a great time at the reunion, and one each from Rob Stone (Sally) and Jim Cerha (Ardy) reporting their regret at not being able to be there. Rob is in Sparks, NVright now whileJim currentlyresides on Andrews AFB until his wife, Ardy, retires from the AF in the summer of 2004. I personally spoke with the affable Mike Leddy (Molly) during one ofmy semiannual visits to the American Airlines Flight Academy for recurrent training (a little airline lingo there as Rush would say....). We tried to get together for a visit and post-reunion reminiscing, but scheduling conflicts interfered, so will have to try again hopefully before another 30 years!

We are getting close to the 50th celebration of the institution of the USAF Academy, and once again we are all asked to be reminded that anyone with information on the history ofpast cadet squadron patches should try to forward it to the AOG at their listed e-mail address as soon as possible.

That wraps things up for this time around, guys. So hope that you will “keep those cards and letters coming" so we can build you something to read about next time. F-P-A.

Dan 0’ Hollaren

jyjj 19803 Derby St

^ West Linn, OR 97068

H: (503) 657-0299

W: (503) 667-8554

E-mail: danoh73@attbi.com

On September 12th 2001,1 sat down to write my column for the Winter Checkpoints. I spoke of the shock and dismay surrounding the events of the previous day. I also intimated - metaphorically - that a cold winter was ahead of us. Now, fast-forward 18 months. We find ourselves embroiled inside Iraq, taking the fight to the enemy. We are “draining the terrorist swamp", following the principle that the best defense is a good offense. Operation Iraqi Freedom has begun.

Let’s begin with a plug for the upcoming 30th Reunion. A great team is assembled in Colorado Springs putting the finishing touches on the plan, and it looks superb. The dates are November 5-9, with an inter-service academy rival game, Air Force vs. Army, the highlight. Make plans to be there!

Also, the Academy, in preparing for their 50th anniversary (can you believe it??), is seeking the histories of squadron patches. The creation and significance of the patches is what they seek. If you have a line on this, please forward your information to Duane.Reed@usafa.af.mil.

News from the Class continues to flow. Charles Stewart (CS-28) is straightening teeth in FortWorth and anxious for the 30th Reunion. Gordy Bendick forwarded the story of the USAFA Grad (wannabe?) who tried (unsuccessfully) to take a stroll down Mitchell Hall’s memory lane by handing a note to an ATA pilot with the immortal words “fast, neat, average”. No sense of humor in the commercial cockpits today. The alleged note writer was last seen reliving his old SERE days withVirginia’s finest. Gordy is also looking forward to the 30th and mingling with his “mature” classmates. Jack Christensen passed on his son’s attempt at getting a close-up visual of an Oregon ANG F-15, alas, learning that a young, bold pilot can’t always open all the doors. (Shoulda’ called me, Jack!). Gerry Henningsen and spouse, Jill, are in Centennial Colorado but he’s doing consulting work in the environmental risk assessment arena in San An

tonio. Tom Kroessig is on a medical LOA from Delta still struggling with a serious blood disorder. Faith and family are sustaining him through this ordeal. He is hoping to make the reunion with his bride, Jane. His family news includes daughter Katie at Lynn University in Boca Raton, teenage daughter Amy a soccer and basketball star, and Tom the reigning basement Foosball champion.

Steve Burke was surprised to hear from the tenacious CS-25 squadron reunion rep Jack Hudson. Steve retired at the 20-year point after sneaking around in MC- 130s with SpecialOps. After owning his own business proved less than profitable, he and spouse, Linda, are now the innkeepers for a group of condos in Ft. Walton Beach. Their two daughters are in Tallahassee (two grandchildren) and Texas, the latter being HR Director for AAFES. They’re looking forward to sharing memories and pictures at the reunion.

Ed Preble, our ubiquitous Class Webmaster, continues to keep the website e-mail addresses as current as possible. Please refer to Ed’s website for the list of cadet squadron Reunion POC’s. Ed, always a glutton for punishment, will be racing in the Bataan memorial run in New Mexico again. Don’t forget to keep checking your date of birth, Ed. The part that says “year” is getting farther and farther away. Ernie Maravilla writes from League City, TX, where he and Kathy have taken up residence. They plan to be at the Reunion with rings and bells! Wayne and Eve O’Dell wrote extending their thoughts and prayers for all “our heroes (that) are fighting to keep our freedom going”. Thank you, Wayne and Eve!

Bruce Bennett is back in Bulgaria after a well-deserved holiday back in the states. He is busy putting policies and plans together for the military there. Sounds like he’s staying in shape bicycling around the countryside. His stay there may extend until late into this year, putting his and Nancy’s attendance at the reunion iffy. Nancy is staying occupied with a recalcitrant homebuilder, trying to get a few faux pas’ corrected. Bruce wrote that their daughter Brandi, now in Guam, ran into Jack Jaczinski. Jack’s still in Guam but planning to retire in April. Additional sightings include Gregg Reinecke in Humble, TX, Charlie Stallworth inWoodbridge VA, while Robert Marsh and Eric Vogel updated e-mail addresses. Also, Don Ramm has the CS-19 Playboys lined up for Reunion ’03 and they can be found at 19thPlayboys@YahooGroups.com.

Yours truly has been spending a little time in the nation’s capitol working in my capacity as a state director at the headquarters, Oregon Air National Guard. I accompanied our Adjutant General plus the commander of the ORANG on a series of congressional visits, briefing the various members of the delegation on the current status of the Oregon National Guard, both Air and Army, and presenting them with our funding priorities. Also had an unexpected surprise while there, receiving an invitation to have breakfast in the White House mess from my cousin, who is now working in the White House office of legislative affairs. The food wasn’t bad, and the accommodations certainly were more than adequate. I recommend it to any ofyou the next time you’re in town. I also had an opportunity to host Dr. Paul Kaminski, ’64, and one of two recipients of the 2002 USAFA Distinguished Graduate Award, in a visit to our Boeing facility. It was a truly enjoyable experience spending time with such a remarkable individual.

As many ofyou know, there has been much fervor and negative press of late over the handling of improprieties at the USAFA. The AOG has done an excellent job serving as a conduit of information - both pro and conon the subject. As I send this column to press, the AF COS and the SecAF are outlining specific actions to be taken. One certainly to be controversial with the community of graduates is the removal of the “Bring Me Men” inscription over the BOR. I, for one, am disturbed by this action. While there must be absolutely zero tolerance for the alleged behaviors that have emerged from this investigation, we should not hasten to take actions that have all the appearance of merely change for the sake of change, without anyreal substantive purpose or goal. Times and attitudes change and, over a much longer time, cultures change as well. But traditions that we hold close to our heritage and legacy must not be tampered with, so long as they not represent a flawed motive. Removal of this inscription does, I believe, violate an icon that has inspired cadets since the Class of ’59 - cadets ofboth genders - to meet the challenges they will face throughout life. Will changing the inscription on the Eagle & Fledgling statue be not far behind? Just my opinion, and I welcome any ofyour thoughts.

The world is changing before our eyes. War with Iraq rages as I write this. The one certainty of our future is that it is uncertain. There exist many forks in the road that lies ahead. My hope is that we choose wisely the road to take amidst a skeptical world. I am reminded of the opening

Class of 1973 - 30th Reunion

USAFA vs. Army 5-9 November 2003

line of a poem by Rudyard Kipling: Ifyou can keep your head, when all about you are losing theirs, and blaming it on you. Now is certainly that time. We must stay the course for the long term. So, let’s move forward...and look forward...to our 30th Reunion and beyond. Lots to discuss and share! Take care and Check Six!

Joe Brezovic

1209 Bayou Oaks Drive

Friendswood, TX 77546

H: (281) 482-6860

0: (281) 244-8325/Fax: (281) 244-8909

E-mail: jbrezovicl@bigplanet.com joseph.brezovicl@jsc.nasa.gov

Hello Classmates of 1974! May you all be realizing your dreams, experiencing success, enjoying your families and in good health! We’ve some news to share. Retirement parties are always a source of catch ups! And the Mark Hyatt (I can’t believe he actually did it!) retirement part is no exception. Without taking a look at the names, could you have recognized any of our classmates?

The bio sketches: John Rivers just finished a tour as Vice Com at USAFA and retired in Jan 03. Dave Collins is an Agricultural Consultant in western Nebraska. Mark Hyatt is now superintendent of a school district in Colorado Springs. TJ McManamy is a US Air Pilot out of Charlotte, NC. Mack Madison is a United Airlines pilot out of Washington. DC. Tom Baugh is a Defense Industry consultant in Denver. Frank Mclntire is a Management Consultant in Colorado Springs. Chuck Lucas is a Delta airline pilot out of Dallas, Texas. And Mike Cranford is a United Airline pilot out of Colorado Springs.

Some of you may remember lean and Dan Surber. The picture shows you what he looks like now!

people so Dan and family moved to Philly for the Comanche program. He left in 1997 to be the Systems Engineering Manager for the CASE Corp. in Chicago. But, they sold out to Fiat in 1999, and so he joined Raytheon at the beginning of 2001. On one task, they sent me to Jordan for a 45-day tour to work on M60A3 Pattons and trained their crews so they could demo the system to the king and his generals. Then on to work on the MV-22 Osprey, which I had helped design while at Boeing. It sure is a small world. Oh, while in Jordan, Dan learned that he earned his Ph.D. in Engineering: Management.

Rich and Peg Bowman sent in an update oftheir tour ofAmerica! From their home in Beavercreek, OH they traveled to Montgomery, AL, then on to the USS Alabama, then to SanAntonio whereVal and Bruce Johnston are living. The rest of their letter sounds like a tour of the major park systems in the U.S. while they parked or drove their 5th wheel. The new 5th wheel is now broken in, too. Big Bend National Park. Vancouver. Seattle. Olympic Peninsula. Mount St. Helens NationalVolcanic Monument. Salt Lake City. Canyonlands National Park. Arches National Park. Mesa Verde National Park. Cliff Palace. Thirty days in Colorado Springs. Yep, Mike Cranford still lives there. I hear Nick Puzak lives there, too! Rich’s Dad is living with Alzheimer, and they moved him from a home in Dallas to one in Colorado Springs. And their note trailed off on finishing rooms, painting walls, granite countertops... I better stop there before too many ideas start percolating onto “do lists”.

Dale and Ginny Burchby wrote in and a sent a picture too! Dale is still in San Diego with Northrop Grumman Information Technology. Harder work but less stress. The family ranges from high school freshman and junior to college freshman. The family apparently studies well because the grades he reports are great. Proud moment: Melanie’s TV commercial for J.C. Penny was seen nationally at Christmas. Dale is always looking for a crew to go sailing on San Diego Bay!

In the back row areAnnie (15), Dave (21) and Kate (20). In the front row are Dan (52), Sara (??) andAmy (15).

Dan made it for the Prep School Reunion with Sara, Anne, and Amy last fall. While there, Dan ran into Jim Maples and Mike O’Connell. Mike’s about to retire from the FAA, and Jim is flying the airlines for a few more years. Dan brings us up to date on his life. He left active duty in 1986 with a Reserve commission, and then retired from the U.S. Army Reserve in 1998. But he had a few tickets to punch along the way. There was a heavy equipment manufacturing firm; Boeing; and General Dynamics. And the Army National Guard where he drove tanks! He wrangled out of tank experience in Texas after a year to work Intel, and then to Raytheon in Jan 01. Of course like a lot ofAmerican companies, GD laid off 17,000

Joe and Joy Kelley are now in Alexandria, VA. I should write that they were at Christmas time when they wrote their letter. Joe accepted an offer in the AF Surgeon General’s office in Washington, D.C. Joe oversees expeditionary operations (medical deployments and war support) and medical science technology (new equipment and research). The move was similar to some ofy’alls! That is, the husband moves into the big city to find a place while the wife stays at the old place to get the kids out, the house packed, etc. etc. The move from Indiana brings them closer to inlaws and cousins. Their daughter Jes spent most ofher summer in Colorado Springs at the Focus on the Family Institute, and now uses all her leadership training at a high school in Indianapolis. Joe and Joy’s son Tim married in December ‘02! Joy and Joe are active in AWANA, teaching classes at church and ministry of all sorts.

Others who work with AWANA are John and Cheryl Ephland. John is the Varsity Director and Cheryl recently relinquished secretary for the school booster club. Last March, John was caught in the company’s 10% downsizing. After five months and praying, they write that the Lord provided a contact with a flight school position. There isn’t a more fun parttime job then flying and teaching! Unless, of course it was full time! When Cheryl sent this in, the other part-time to full-time is serving as a supervisor security screener at Kansas City International. There are 429 airports all over the U.S. KCI is one of five in a pilot program, that if John and his folks do well, they may set an example for other airports to follow. John writes “If you have questions about what you can and cannot take to the airport with you, just ask; I’ll be glad to share the answers!” Other joys include their daughter Becca’s marriage, and the birth of Lawson Kaye.

My next to last thought. Jack Long died in a private plane crash in Mobile, AL in January. My earliest memories include Jack, Sam Biondo, and myself. The upperclass wanted us to come up with a cheer or group name. Sam, I don’t know which of you it was, but we heartily agreed on the name “The Tridents” and our cheer was “Fork You”. Well, that went over OK after a few more push-ups! And so he continued through his life bringing humor into the life of those around him. Ever the optimist. I’m

From leftin the back row are John Rivers, Dave Collins, Mark Hyatt, T.J. McManamy, Jack Madison, and Tom Baugh. In front are Frank Mclntire, Chuck Lucas, and Mike Cranford.

Valerie, Dale, Ginny, Kevin and Melanie Burchby

glad to have known Jack and thank his parents for enabling his outlook on life to grow into being someone who helped others through their tough moments. Perhaps you may be able to brighten someone’s moment. May each of you live long and prosper.

Jeff Hackett

2610 E. Stottler Drive Gilbert, AZ 85296

H: (480) 558-8703

W: (480) 988-9773 X434

E-mail: jhackett75@cox.net

Hello Classmates! Jim Burling here, pinch hitting for Jeff Hackett on this quarterly input for Checkpoints. So, bear with me, as LuckyCorrigan and Brian Duffy know I was never a very good hitter. Actually, Jeff has been swamped with work and planning all the details with his wife (Chris) for their belated wedding reception. I’m sure he will have a picture ofthis get together for the next Checkpoints issue. Here’s the news:

In light of the Academy’s approaching 50th anniversary, we are seeking inputs on squadron patches and ask that if any classmates know of the creation, history and significance of their squadron patch, the information should be sent to Duane Reed (Duane.Reed@usafa.af.mil) at the Cadet Library.

D.C. notes: Dan McCorryorganized the 3rd annual COISA (Curt Osterheld Is Still Alive) party. Held Feb 21 at Chevy’s in Arlington VA. This annual D.C. event is growing in popularitywith another good turnout of ’75 classmates. A good time was had by all... especially Curt! Jim Carlson was in Tel Aviv on business for an extended period. Not the safest place to be, even as an “accidental tourist.” But he made it through and said it was an enjoyable experience, even though he was constrained to a six-by-two-block area of the city. He claims to have some interesting stories that can only be told over a beer (or ten)! MikeAnderson made an easytransitionfrom the USAF’s Legislative Liaison Office to Congressman Dan Young’s Chief of Staff in the D.C. area. Mike retired on January 27 and with four classmates in attendance. (See photo.) Mike also included a photo of his retirement gift (to himself) a brand new maroon Corvette! Ironic that another recent D.C. retiree, Steve Wojcicki, also purchased a maroon ’Vette to celebrate his retirement! Watch for these two cruising the Beltway. Space won’t let me inelude both photos, but they both look like they could jump in their cadet uniforms and head down 1-25 for pizza at “G’s”! Jim Hartney has also returned to the DC area with a job near Ft Meade.

Other mailbag items: Bob (Linda) Orwig wrote from the mountains of North Georgia where he teaches at North Georgia College and State University in the field of Operations Management. They love it all: location, job, school, etc. And say their doors are always open. Scott (Janet) Smith provided an “it’s a small world” story and photo with Chumley (a.k.a. Stan) Collins (CS-30), Bob Morris (CS-09), and myself at lovely Costa Mayo, Mexico. “Chum and I knew we were on the cruise ship together, but both of us were totally unaware that Bob was onboard until I spotted his ’75er hat at the ship’s shops.” Phil (Chris) Pearce provided photos of classmates attending the First Flight Ball held near Kitty Hawk in December. (See photo at top of next column.)

Bentley (Debbi) Rayburn sent a belated Christmas card and note with a beautiful family photo taken at their daughter’s wedding. Bentley is commander of Air War College at Maxwell AFB. Another Alabamian is batting 1-3 at this time. Jim Corrigan, avid racqetballer, hunter, golfer and sometimes Delta pilot, won the Alabama State Racquetball Over-40 title and was runner-up in the Open competition. His biggest loss occurred in January with The Great Barn Fire of ’03 when he lost his barn housing horses, tools, tractor and fishing gear. As with all crises, Jim was away on a trip, but quick thinking by Kim saved the horses! Stay tuned for a request to help rebuild the barn! Dr Pete (Cindy) Krogh has settled in south Denver where he is working for Kaiser-Permanente. We were able to attend some football games together last fall, but still haven’t made it up to the slopes for skiing, yet.

Colorado ’75ers held a Best Alive Tailgate prior to the Wing Open Box-

From left are MikePerry, KentTraylor, Dale Meyerrose, EricRosburg and Phil Pearce attending the First Flight Ball. ing Championships in March. The Wing Open tradition continues, still orchestrated by the cadets as a fundraiser for a deserving charity. In attendance were Dale and Linda Meyerrose, Dick and MicheleWebber, Jim Eken and son Zach, Larry Fariss, JD Barrowclough, Mike Goyden, and myself. Scott Hente also attended the tailgate to distribute campaign buttons. Scott is running for Colorado Springs City Council in District #1. We wish him well as he would be a great councilman. (Update as of April 2, HE WON! Congrats, Scott!) Mike Goyden also had some good news to pass on. He was honored by the National Federation ofState High School Associations as the 2002 Southwest Sectional Coach of the Year for Boys Soccer. As a sectional winner, Mike is automatically a finalist for the national coach of the year. Finally, Jim Eken also had good news in that he has been named President of Keller Homes in Colorado Springs.

As I write this article, there are a number of significant events affecting our nation, Air Force, and Academy. The sexual assault scandal at the Academy is still under investigation at this time. Key leaders have already been replaced and Secretary Roche and Chief of Staff General Jumper are personally engaged and have issued their “Agenda For Change.” This weekend, even CNN ran a brief story about the “Bring Me Men” sign being removed. This was a big issue a few years ago, but now seems trivial. This scandal has implications far beyond honor and drug scandals of the past. I am sure you have received letters and/or emails from the AOG regarding this situation. I ask you to stay informed on events. Don’t let the rumor mill get out of hand. For the latest information, contact the AOG website at www.aog-usafa.org This site posts the latest news regarding all Academy events. We all must help re-establish the credibility of our great institution.

We are also engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Today is Day 11.) I know many of you are directly supporting this operation in a variety of ways as military, government civilians, contractors, and possibly as airline pilots delivering troops to Southwest Asia. Our thoughts and prayers are with the troops who are bearing the brunt ofthis fighting and for our leadership that they may make good decisions. The press coverage is phenomenal and has prompted many different emotions at home and throughout the world.

I will close with a passage from Bentley’s Christmas letter that says it best. He provides a big-picture view, not the minute-by-minute, hourby-hour coverage you are receiving through the media. “While victory on the military battlefield will enable oppression to be defeated and evil rulers deposed, the more important mission after the bombs stop falling and the guns fall silent, will be for us to fill the void with a message of hope based on the ideas that have allowed our own country to be so great. That would be my prayer, that many, many years from now, when we look back through the corridors of time to these countries and areas of the world where we are engaged in military operations today, the results of our actions taken today will have been to open these areas up so that people can have the freedom to think and express themselves without fear, and that the message of true hope can be heard.”

12196 Stanley Canyon Road

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

H: (719) 488-1962 W: (719) 554-6160

E-Mail: whrlybrd76@aol.com or

Daniel.Beatty@Peterson.af.mil

Class Website:http://www.AFAcademy.com/76

Fellow 76’ers,

It is late March as I write this and springtime in the Rockies has arrived with a terrific snowstorm last week.

I start with sad news. Found out just after submitting my last article that Dave Naber died in a plane crash. Details were in the last Checkpoints. I also regret to report that Patrick C. Rebarchak, son of Carl and Mary Rebarchak, nephew of Jeff and Cookie Ford, died in an automobile acci-

From left are Steve Wojcicki, Jim Carlson, retiree Mike Anderson, Kent Traylor and Gil Braun at Mike’s ceremony.

dent in Feb. A memorial fund has been established. Send donations to the Patrick Rebarchak Memorial Fund, C/O Salpointe Catholic High School, 1545 East Copper Street, Tucson, AZ 85719. Brett Smith, son of Bruce and Darlene Smith, was very seriously injured in a car crash in Jan but is now recovering. Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers.

Several folks moving or in the news. Mark Welsh leaving Germany, for D.C. to be Mission Area Director, Global Power, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. Willie Shelton leaving Colorado for Nebraska to be STRATCOM Director for Plans and Policy, at Offutt AFB. And Tony Przybyslawski has taken command of the AEF Center at LangleyAFB. Ed and Julie Gallagher headed for the Czech Republic where Ed will be the DATT and that any’76ers are welcome to drop in, see the sights, and taste the best beer in the world. Jim Hunt pinned on his star recently. Saw an article with photo of Dave Clary.

Clary

Dave is the Air Force’s homeland security director, and was just fixin’ to launch for a ride in a Civil Air Patrol Blanik glider in Winchester, VA. And I saw Pat Rosenow’s name in the paper too. Pat presided over the hearing in the Canadian soldiers mistaken bombing case.

I received notes from several ofyou since my first article. Thanks! Terry Williams reports (with photo) from Maxwell where he is the HQ Air University/SC. Says that Mike Gegg is Commandant of the College of Enlisted PME and Stef Eisen (not in the picture) is an AWC instructor. Terry says the distinguished gentlemen in the photo were at Maxwell recently. Willie Shelton and Mark Welsh were attending the JFACC course and Jack Catton was a speaker.

bother-in-law) keeps him supplied with the latest news and jokes from everywhere. Dave saw Paul Auclair a few months back - he is an analyst for Lexis Nexis near Dayton Ohio.”

Jim Crowe rang in and told me he forwarded e-mails to Jim Marg in Korea, who then sent me a note. Jim Marg says he’s on the joint staff in USFK and that they “keep vigilant just in case.” He and Sandy are looking forward to a return to CONUS sometime this summer (they hope) and retirement might be the next stop. He also says he has two in college (some of us know about that and more, don’t we!). Jim M gave me an update on Pete Darnell. Pete’s retired in Texas where he is “marrying off his daughters” and enjoying his “ranch.” Laurie Weber, wife of Kim, sent me a note and photo of their munchkin. Says they’re in Gilroy, CA the Carlic capital of the world. Bob Norman pinged me to correct Laurie’s spelling to Garlic. Tlix Bob. Ralph Gibson hailed from Patuxent River NAS, where he asks all the Navy grads, “Who is going to take second place in the CIC trophy?” Bruce Rasmussen reports he is a Northwest 747 captain; Northwest soon to be flying CRAF. Jeff Larsen visited with Gary Montgomery in Vancouver, WA, and sent this photo

RayTyc retired in '98 and is teachingAP Calculus, AP Physics, and freshman science at Montgomery Catholic HS, Montgomery AL. I lunched with Tom Bowie recently. He’s at NORTHCOM J5 working various documents that will impact Homeland Defense and NORTHCOM for years to come. Tom Greene sent in a ‘public service’ announcement: “We’re all pushing 50, schedule that colonoscopy!” His timing was impeccable as I just had mine the day before. It was truly an ‘internally enZJGHTening experience. Don Pickett reports Mike Mantz will be retiring from the AF in May. Mike is in Los Angles now. Chuck McHenry tells me he is still serving in the Reserves and is an Admissions Liaison Officers in Naples FL. Says he’ll be sending seven to USAFA and one to the Prep School this year. He also says his B777 FO ‘real’ job with AA, and three young girls (8/ 5/2) keep him more than busy!

Dave Berg pinged me with a memory of SERE and an update on several’76ers. Dave is at Langley sitting “in my vault with one door and no windows - it’s kinda like that scene with Dan Ackroyd in ‘Spies Like Us’ - except I’m not in the basement” and says it resembles a ghost town with all the folks deployed. Dave says: “Larry New was through as our boss (the DR) a while ago Wade “SMACK” McRoberts lives down the hall in the Doctrine Shop; Brad Buchanan is a Reserve 0-6 and just got sucked back into active duty. Probably a good thing for us because his day job is an IRS computer guru. Mike Fricano (deputy XP at PACOM and Dave’s

Jeff Larsen and Gary Montgomery

Gary is a 737 FO for United. Jeff and Larry Weaver are part of a VCSAF contract team writing lessons learned on OEF. Jeff’s son Peter is USAFA Class of 2006. Jeffkeeps in touch with Kurt Klingenberger, Vice Wing CC at Lajes. Ben Bartlett is the MA to the USAFA Sup. Ben retired out of Hill AFB, flies Northwest 747s, says his daughter Heather is still in Utah with his grandson (yep, some of us have those now!), daughter Shannon is at CSU, and son James (11) is still at home. And finally, Don Hall retired Jan 1 st in San Antonio and Don reminds us all that Waldo F. Dumbsquat is 30 this year. Happy birthday Dear Waldooooo!

A few closing news notes: if you know of the creation/history/ significance of your cadet squadron patch please send info to Duane Reed (Duane.Reed@usafa.af.mil), Head of Special Collections at the Cadet Library. It’s for a USAFA 50th anniversary thing. Jeff Ford requests former Prep Schoolers e-mail him at Jeff.Ford@trw.com so he can send out info regarding Prep School future reunions and the new website when it’s set up. Please info me with the data. We promise the info will not be used for any “other” reasons.

I’ll wrap this up for now. My apologies on the clipped verbiage at times, but I have a 1,200 word limit. Send in your cards and letters, send me an e-mail, or call about yourself or anyone you know about. All my contact data should be in the header. If you are headed to the Springs, let me or any of the other locals know and we’ll see if we can’t join up for a few stories and updates. Keep flying your flags and let our deployed troops know you have them in your thoughts and prayers. The Spirit of’76 is alive and well! Until next time - Beatty.

John J “Lou” Michels, Jr. 4107 Harvey Western Springs, IL 60558

Voice: (312) 849-8150

Fax: (312) 849-3690

E-Mail: jmichels@mcquirewoods.com

BRING ME POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. As I write this the “Bring Me Men” heading over the BOR is being removed in what I consider to be one of the more foolish decisions ever made by Air Force leadership. I will not further editorialize on the scandal that has resulted in the removal of the senior academy leadership, including our classmate, Bob Eskeridge (Sheila) (who had been there all of 90 days). It’s safe to say whatever the problem is, I’m reasonably certain it is not the problem that’s been identified by the Secretary of the Air Force and his allies in the media. I encourage all of you with thoughts on this matter to contact the AOG and your Congressional representative. The only positive aspect of this story is that it has been pushed off the front pages by the start of the war. To those of you still on active duty and those of you recalled to active duty, our thoughts, hopes, and prayers are with you.

Dave

ready for takeoff.

'76’s Gang ofFive: Mike Gegg, Willie Shelton, Jack Catton, Terry Williams, and Mark Welsh.

REUNION REVERBERATIONS: Space constraints limited myinput from the reunion in the last column, so I’m going to pick up where I left off. Gary Hamor (Ellen) provided me with some details that I thought were simply too good to not pass on to everyone else. Gary is running his own business, Lean Practices, out of Mead, CO. Basically, he specializes in fixing processes manufacturing, design, business, you name it. He’s been around the world straightening out manufacturingoperations to minimize wasted time by the human operators. I hope my law firm doesn’t hire him. Did I mention Gary designed the principal software product used in the process? Apparently, somebody learned something from sitting in front of Billy Burroughs all those evenings watching it destroy cards.

And now for the interesting stuff. Gary plays jazz, blues and contemporary Christian music as a bass player in several bands around the Denver area. He also worked with major music acts over the years, sitting in with them when the regular bassist can’t make it, and plays as a studio session bassist for a number of different groups. He has about 15 CDs to his credit, as well as a number of separate tracks that have gone to the top at MP3.com. About the only negative to this story is that Gary and Ellen are probably still digging out from the 48 inches of snow that hit Denver just before I had to turn this story in. I hope everything is green there now. Thanks again for the updates, Gary.

Mark Lindsley (Patty) retired from the Air Force last fall and went to work for Northrop Grumman handling the unmanned overhead assets programs. I suspect he is very busy right now. Patty finished paralegal school and is working in northern Virginia. Both of their kids are in college, so they are true empty nesters now. Rob Gaston (Barbara) attended the reunion by proxy. Rob was pulled into Northern Watch in Turkey as the Cl (personnel) Director for 90 days just as the reunion was about to start. He was able to make telephone contact with Dave Zelenok (Kathleen) and several other CS-25 alums after the Navygame, and should be safely home now. Welcome back, Rob. Steve Simon (Paula) bumped into me all too briefly at the reunion, but followed up with an e-mail. Steve retired in’99 when Paula got orders to MacDill to run the hospital lab. Steve is doing some freelance writing and, by now, should have his second book published. He and Paula and their two kids may well be moving back to Colorado by the time this hits the streets; if so, best of luck on the move and the job hunt up there, folks.

Mark Castellani (Susan) fired off the following picture of himself, Jim Miller (Marianne) and Tom Spratt (Leslie) at the reunion golf match. These guys look way too happy given their scores, which Mark assures me were terrible. I think Jim may get the award for Person Who Has Changed the Least Since Graduation. That’s a positive, Jim.

Mark sent along some other photos of the group, Doug Marlowe (Barbara), Jim Miller, again, Gary, and Donna Hackett, Mark and Susan, Milt Johnson (Jackie), Mike Krebsbach (Judy), and Trish and Chip Lamb.

Thanks again for all the updates, Mark. Ron Ladnier followed up my sit-down with him at the reunion with information about the Class of ’77 at Maxwell. Ron Kennedy (Karen) is the Commandant of the International Officers School; Bobby Wilkes (Cathy) is the Commander of the Aerospace Doctrine School (CADRE); Rick Cosby is a Professor at War College; Steve Schwalbe (Ingrid) is also a Professor at AWC; Roy Sikes is a

Professor at AWC, as is George Earnhart (Susan); and Ron, ofcourse, is the Commandant of ACSC. Thanks for the heads-up, Ron, and I’ll look forward to hearing from you during my next swing through Maxwell. Mark Fritzsche (Nancy) ran into me at the football game. He’s with the 34th Ops Group at the Academy, going to football games and staying out of trouble. Thanks for the kind words, Mark. A1 Becker (Rita) fired off a message from San Antonio where he is heading up training for the T-l unit there.

TC Jones’ (Lisabeth) currentunit,andmyoldone, the55thWingatOffutt, received a President’s Quality Award for efficient business and management practices. Nice work, TC, and on behalf of overburdened taxpayers everywhere, I appreciate your saving us a few bucks. Bob Vendley (Nancy) wrote to let me know that being a pilot at U.S. Airways is a money-losing proposition these days after the union just coughed up another $100 million to keep things flying. Bob commented that maybe he would “go to law school some day.” Now that’s real desperation.

One of my regular correspondents, Duff Muir (Mary), told of the Rampart Chapter AOG Christmas Party which Duff attended with Ted and Stephanie Linhof and Jim and Ann Ilse. Ted flies the 737 for Delta out of Salt Lake and Stephanie is a financial advisor for First Command in the Springs. Jim is working in the Springs at WorldCom. Duff said he’s going back to the “line" from his job at the United Training Center in Denver in February on the A-320. It will probably be a relief to get back to regular flying, do it safe, Duff.

Pat and Cyndee McVay just got the word that their oldest, Daniel, will head off to pilot training in July after finishing at the Zoo. Pat works at Offutt. He sees TC and on occasion Scott Hutt (Susan) who is the 8AF Ops Det at Offutt, but is now deployed for an indefinite period to an indefinite location. Pat bumped into Mike Cimafonte (Donna), who works for SI International and was at Offutt for some training. Pat plans to don the uniform again to commission Daniel in May. I hope the place is recognizable when he gets there.

HARMONICS: Cindy Menzie wrote to tell me that she and Ken were unable to make the reunion because Ken was assigned as the PAS at what is arguably the University of North Carolina - Duke (the fact that I was able to extract a law degree from Duke has absolutely nothing to do with the opinions expressed in this article). Ken and Cindy have a daughter at North Carolina State and a son in pilot training. On top of their good fortune with the kids, they are now living in Durham, home of the aforementioned University of North Carolina - Duke. Thanks for the update, Cindy, and I’m sure you and Ken are enjoying Tobacco Road.

Kevin Garrison (Margie) swapped messages with me about the miserable situation at the Zoo. Kevin is back in northernVirginia after being in Germany for two years. Kevin works now for a defense contractor in the Air Force Ops Center, working with the Joint Personnel RecoveryAgency. Kevin bumps into a number of former Niners, to wit, Ray Johns (Diana) at XPP where Ray is the Deputy; Rob Veale (Chris) who handlesAirAttache recruiting; Ben Allen (Donna) who works for Scitor; Dee Dewillis who handles acquisition stuff in Rosslyn; Jim Brooks (Sammie) is a division chief in XOOT, and Kurt Bedke (Ina) is the IG at ACC. Kevin finally notes that Rocky Villafane (Janet) is commanding a Reserve rescue outfit in Kuwait, I’m afraid he’s been pretty busy.

SHUT DOWN: I’m hoping that by the time this comes out, we have some good news to think about. The war, the loss of the shuttle, and the events at our alma mater make for some pretty tough reading. Be seeing you.

pfe —,—,/ 1 a r/. Bob Kay 2386 Cherry Hills Loop * Alamogordo, NM 88311

Home:(505) 439-5463

Work: (505) 442-5482E

WEmail: Kbob@zianet.com or VP Robert.Kay@holloman.af.mil

Greetings 78ers...

As I sat down to write this, I have just read the latest update on Operation Iraqi Freedom and the fall of Baghdad. It truly made me proud to be an American as well as proud to be in history’s greatest Air Force. It’s absolutely incredible how well our troops are doing over there. Not sure how many of you are involved in the fray but to those who are, our hats are off to you and prayers will remain with you and your families. Thanks for fighting the good fight.

Speaking of fighting the good fight, I would like to publicly acknowledge and sincerely thank Taco Gilbert for his service as the Comm. I cannot imagine the intense day-to-day pressure Taco had to deal with during the media firestorm that has been going on. Through it all, he kept his head high and performed with honor and integrity. Thanks Taco, and I hope you can look back on your service and accomplishments at USAFA with the good outweighing the bad.

Also want to offer congratulations to John Weida who took over for Taco on 10 April andwill also be the actingSupt until his new boss arrives (should

be there by the time you read this). Those of us who know John have no doubt that he’s up to the challenge that has been put before him. I got to know him well when we were AOCs back in '91 and saw how he did business with excellence and devotion. Best to you Pyro... you will do well.

Speaking of Pyro and some of our other distinguished classmates, I received a nice note from Dick Newton accompanied with this photo. They had a mini-reunion at Capstone (finishing school for new one-stars) at the National Defense University in D.C. this past February. From left are: John Weida (we already knowwhere he’s going), MarkZamzow (97th AirliftWing commander at Altus), Ed Rice (AF Recruiting Service commander), A1 Myers, USN (Dep Director for Requirements on the Navystaff), Del Eulberg (AJV1C Civil Engineer), and Dick (currently AF/DPX deputy).

As was the case last quarter, a couple of classmates have found themselves highlighted in the media the past few months. The AF Times in Feb had a picture of Greg Marston dedicating two latrine trailers at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. He was the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group commander at the time... would imagine that he’s back home by now. I had heard he’s in the Guard part time and flies for American full time. Sounds like he got activated for awhile... thanks for your service over there Greg. Was amazing how he didn’t look too much older in the picture than the last time I saw him many moons ago.

The March 10 edition ofthe Times ran a huge article on Taco along with the latest developments of the scandal up to that point. Although I’m not a real fan of the publication, I personally thought they kept it fairly objective and portrayed Taco in an objective light. Just part of the pressure I mentioned earlier.

Also saw an article in the 3 March issue of Aviation Week where Tony Zompetti was extensively quoted concerning keeping the F-15 around longer than anticipated as the F/A-22 buy dwindles. Tony is currently the F-15 development system manager at Wright-Pat. Not sure what he’s done in the past.

Pete Zimowski sent a cool link to a Maine newspaper reporting on how his daughter Jenniva wrote a major play for her high school. It was produced and entered into a regional drama competition. According to the article, it was an exceptional production and should have done well at the regionals... not sure what the result was.

Finally, the Denver Post wrote a great personal article on John Weida the day of his Comm Change of Command. They quoted Steve Goldfein on how John’s fighter-pilot career will give him “operational credibility” with cadets. Think we all remember how important that was when we were there after Vietnam.

My thanks to those ofyou who also sent e-mail updates. Dave McLeran from Tiger 10 retired out of Randolph in 1998 where he was flying C-21s. He currently flies for Southwest and moved back home to Florida last summer (last planned move). His son Charlie is a third classman at the Academy. Also heard from Larry Krauser who is a Reserve IMA on extended active duty at Goodfellow air patch in Texas. He filled me in on some of the interesting things he’s done in the past few years: time in Jerusalem working with the Israeli Civil Guard at night and looking for PLO types during the day, AF and Navy cop, married to an Iranian native for several years who was smuggled out in 1985 through Pakistan... amazing stories. He promised to share some of them at the reunion! He also mentioned that he worked with Bart Wohl when Bart was the assistant air attache in the Middle East. Bart is now doing Physics work in Albuquerque.

Also heard from Jim Arnold who took the Colorado bar exam a few months back and was waiting for the results as I wrote this. He teaches for the Univ ofPhoenix in their Criminal Justice Program and also teaches courses in Substantive Criminal Law for Colorado Christian University

Class

in his free time (in addition to keeping up with his two boys ages 14 and 11). Jim keeps in regular contact with Mike Skolaut who owns a couple of restaurants in Kansas. Thanks for the note Jim.

Starla (wife of Scott) Lawrence took the time to write and update on their goings on. They live in Tyler, TX, are getting ready to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and have four kids ages 21 to 5. Scott took early retirement in 1995 and graduated from med school in 1999 and is now a board-certified family medicine physician. Now that was a change of pace... thanks Starla for the great note.

Ron Magnus lives in Denver and is now Managing Director for Organizational and Leader Development for FMI Corporation. Ron was very active with the Navigators Ministries for several years and felt the calling to change career paths. Ray Hatchell married Ron’s sister just after we graduated and they keep in regular contact. Steve Hendrix wrote that he’s keeping very busy with three kids of his own and two foster children (14 and 7 months) that nominate him for sainthood! Further, he is running his own business but didn’t elaborate on what it is. Good on you Steve for helping those kids.

The final hero was Gene Bowman who is suffering terribly at Hickam since June of 2000 running the Program and Force Development Division as an 0-6. He is staying 'till June of next year so his daughter can finish high school (good on you Gene for working that!). His eldest son is attending Wayland Baptist Univ. in Hawaii and his other two sons (14 and 9 years old) are still at home. He and Roberta have also been married almost 25 years and she is a part-time nurse in the Neo-natal intensive care unit at a hospital in Honolulu. Great news Gene... thanks.

Finally, three of our wing commanders are giving up their wings and moving on. Glenn Spears will go from running the 89th Airlift Wing and join Gene at Hickam where he’ll be the PACAF/XP. Larry James will leave the 50th SpaceWing at Schreiver and move across town to be Deputy DO for Space Command at Pete Field. Rob Worleyrelinquishes the 30th Space Wing at Vannnndennnnberg (I just had to do that) and moves to Pete Field as well to be Director ofMission Space Command. I passed through Vandenberg a few weeks ago during our Disneyland/California coast trek and tried to no-notice Rob but he was TDY... sure had a nice base! Guess Rob and Larry won’t have much trouble making the reunion in October.

What a transition for the reunion! All ofyou should have received our initial notification letter and lost souls listing (for ’73 and ’78...disregard the ’73 one ifyou haven’t done so already) by now. This should be a blast so if you haven’t heard anything, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll make sure you get one. Also, ifyou know anylost souls (Steve Hendrix gets the award for finding about a dozen guys) please let me know that as well.

The editor is hounding me for being late so I’ll sign off for now. Keep doing great things our there and we’ll see you for sure in October. May God bless you, your families and the USA! ’78 is great!

John “J.R.” Dallas 1612 Rannoch Trace

Fort Smith, AR 72908 (479) 648-0433

E -mail: John.Dallas@arftsm.ang.af.mil

Greetings,’79ers. It’s my time to catch y’all up on our classmates and their whereabouts. Thanks to all that have contributed. To refresh all, here’s where to send your info/news: Trash79@adelphia.net; then john.dallas@arftsm.ang.af.mil; then bkoechel@aol.com; then bud.Vasquez@hanscom.af.mil.

I’m one year into my two-year leave of absence from AAL, but this FW/CC job is definitely worth it. I miss the international travels for sure. If ever near Ft Smith, AR please stop by or call. Last December, a few’79ers were seen at the ANG Senior Leadership Conference in Denver. John Nichols is the FW/CC at Kelly; Jon Fago (DAL) flies KC-135s with the NE ANG; Dutch Dunkelberger is an air technician and the SPTG/CC at Pease. He just pinned on 0-6. Congrats. Gretchen (wife) is the MDS/CC there. Also in Denver Guy Walsh. He just became a Guard-guy that very week. Is the FW/CC in Maryland flying A-10s.

Dutch and I attended a school at Maxwell and he relays that Pat Phillip is at C4 on the Joint Staff; Andy Busch is at Tinker working depot engine issues; Paul Swanson (AAL767) is an Academy Liaison Officer in Spokane. Dave Hartley (AAL737CA) is doing great in Chicago but on reserve. JoAnn and his girls are doing fantastic. Steve Deaux (FedEx727) retired last year out of the Barnes ANG (A-10s) as the AD advisor and now lives in Memphis. His wife, Becky, teaches art at a school in town and son Tim is a senior at UnivFlorida. He relays that at FedEx he keeps up with Scott Jensen (A300CA), Jim Mumby (727CA), Mitch Davitte (A300), Leo Lundy (A300), Jerry Masonis (DC-10), and Ron Horton (727?). All are doing well but are sleepy.

Trevor Albro (SWA) moved from New York to Virginia last year. (See

photo.) Daughter Heather plays lacrosse at Hofstra Univ and they travel a lot to see her compete. Son Trevor and daughter Renee are keeping mom and dad on their toes with their lives as high schoolers - both are great kids! Ken Impellizzeri (DAL MD-88CA) is doing great in Cincinnati. Oldest son Daniel now towers over him but dad still rules (he believes). Bill Gregory is with Honeywell Space Division in Phoenix and was a “Top Performer” last year. He competed in the World Duathlon Championship as a Team USA member. Pretty impressive for a 46 year old. Steve Lepper and family are in Yokota, Japan where they climbed Mt Fuji in August getting to the summit. Now that is impressive! His letter says that he is the US’s chief lawyer in Japan. Knowing Steve’s humility, I would say that he has got to be one mighty important person over there. He actually wears two hats - SJA for US forces and 5AF. Daughter Jenny is at USAFA. She’s a CS-32 Roadrunner like dad was!

Ray and Marlene Sands are in Florida and they’ve adopted a Brazilian baby. Congrats! Tom Talbot and all are doing great in Washington State. Tom bagged his first elk on a hunt last year. He and LeAnn traveled to Bora Bora for his 45th Again, cool! John Susalla (NWA DC9CA) is sitting reserve in DET but is making time to travel with Kathy. Jan Jouas is the 354FW/CC at Eielson. He had a short notice call-up but was glad to leave the Pentagon behind. Go figure. Walt Wright and family are in Germany. Walt made the OG/CC list and is waiting for that phone call to get him back into the cockpit. Best of luck! Mike Watson writes that all is well with Bonnie and the boys in Phoenix. Mike’s with First Command Finance. He and Bonnie celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary last September. The photo shows that they are smiling and happy! Son Lance is at the USAFA Prep School and looking to re-write all those Watson-clan stories. Pat Gerdemann spent some time with them as he was in town for some helo upgrade training.

plebe at USNA), and he and Debbie have seven more at home (high school to pre-school; two adopted Hawaiian infants). Wow! Bruce Bingle is the PACAF/IN right down the hall from Rojo.

Fred Wicklin just left Nellis and he and Ginny are moving to Langley with a DoD contractingjob. Good luck! Dave last heard Mike Roller was the J3 at JTF-SWA. Rick Hagar is a lawyer in Minot, ND. Steve Schmidt left the bomber world behind and is the 14FTW/CC at Columbus. Steve Lowery is 9AF Chief ofSafety at Shaw. Thanks, Dave for all the info. Sorry it took so long to get printed.

Mark Stearns is the FW/CC at Yokota and Ken Wavering is hisVice. Mark and Darcy celebrated #23 last year and have one daughter. Ken and Kelly have 19 under their belt with three kids; twins that are six and an eightyear-old. Mark and Ken were doolies in the same squadron. Small world! Keep up the fantastic work, you two. Jon Matz writes that he is at Elmendorf as the Dep OG and recently completed a short tour as the CC U.S. Support group in East Timor. He works for Ed Jurewicz who is the OG/CC. Another 79 team at work. Mark Turberville works there on the 11AF staff. Thanks, Jon.

Joe Dent reports that he’s still doing the JAG thing after some 20 years. He, Janet, and Jackie are still “stuck” in Hickam. Oldest is at Univ Florida. Previous job was with SAF/IGS - investigated senior officers accused of misconduct. What stories he should be able to tell! Tells all’79ers to not keep the IGS guys too busy as we run up the ladder. Was due an assignment in March ’03. Tom Fleming is at the Pentagon as the Electronic Warfare Division Chief on the Air Staff (HQ USAF/XOIE). Hope you enjoyed. Please keep in touch with any and all of us!! Don’t be shy. J.R. Dallas

Don Myers

401 Chambray Hill

Peachtree City, GA 30269-4247 (770) 631-1429

E-mail: DMyers80@hotmail.com

Class Home Page: http://usafa80.tripod.com

Blessings, Changes, and Uncertainty. As emotional as it was to see the Shuttle in pieces, some of my first thoughts were that Susan was safe in the Springs and Pat’s wife, Eileen, was scheduled for the next mission. And now, as I write this, what comes after war in The Sandboxis anybody’s guess. For the many ofyou/us who are closely tied to the air transportation business, a battle exists on that front as well. In all of this, it’s comforting to know someone is in control....

And changes: As I write this, there is no more Bring Me Men Ramp it’s now just a ramp (and Sue Slavec, who had only been back at the Zoo a short while, was caught in the recent purge).

From your emails, Christmas letter leftovers, etc. Larry (Cindi+1) DePatis left his command in San Antonio for LangleyAFB, where he works “in acronym hell, the AFC2ISR Center.” They stay busy remodeling their house. Holly (Emrick) (Dave) Svetz is “still with the Morrison & Foerster LLP (affectionately known as MoFo) law firm,” but she is now in an office closer to their new home in Virginia. “My work in Government Business and Technology is receiving renewed respect from other lawyers, given the emphasis on national security these days. I’ve published several artides and been asked to speak at conferences all over, which is a nice change of pace.” Derek (Barb) Hess is “a liaison with congress for the AF. My division is responsible for interface with the Congress on major weapon system acquisition programs: ¥Ik-22, C-17, B-2, SBIRs High, and JSTARs to name a few. We basically defend the AF position and split our time between the Pentagon and Capitol Hill. It keeps me off the streets.” Marty Meyer works “for a joint organization now, hosted by the Army. [My] title is ‘Chief, UAV Programs’ for the Joint Precision Strike Demonstration Project Office. All going well; finally trying skiing again (first time since my knee operation).”

Mike, Bonnie, Jason, and Lance Watson

Joe Barron graduated from AWC in ’02 after being the Dep OG at Vance. Joe was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes just before graduation and was waiting on the medical review board at my last word. Joe, we all hope the news was good! He and Beth have three in college and five cars to insure! Steve Spence is the commander of AMC’s enroute support ops at Mildenhall. I can imagine that is one busy place with all the goings-on. He relays that Don Lustig is the 100ARW/CC there; that Erv Lessel is the 86AW/CC at Ramstein; and that Jeff Franklin is the Dep OG at McQuire. Dave Gibbs relays that he has been the Predator Dep OG at Nellis since May'01. Steve Rakel retired in’99 and now lives in San Antonio. DaveDJ Jowers is at Hickam as the PACAF Chief of Safety. DJ reports that he travels the Pacific quite a bit. DJ has put about 3,000 miles on his bike last year alone. He made a trip around the island of Oahu last year. Says that Rojo Herrera just retired last September from Hickam. Rojo is now a government contractor at HQ PACAF. He has two kids in college (son a

After I shared that my mother has leukemia, Sue Kohut, who has MS, offered kind words and a poem she wrote during some of her toughest times. It was published in the National Library ofPoetry: The Diagnosis / /1 was so strong, like one stronger than most. / Yearning to climb to the top of the sky. / Savored wind. / Rushing air. / / Words were my death sentence. / Maybe a cure. / Yearning to stand in the face of this death. / Hope don’t die. / Hope don’t die.

Trevor Jr, Heather, Trevor, Renee, Tracey Albro

Say, I got an email out of the blue from the F-16 Viper Pilots Association. They would like a hero-type photo of our gone-but-not-forgotten Alex Rupp. If you can provide or give leads, please get in touch with AgueraMartin@aol.com thanks. Let’s see, if it’s been a year, it must be time for Ricki (Smith) and Paul Selva to PCS again at least it seems that way. After “the excitement of moving two old vehicles, two kayaks, two dogs, and a cranky cat,” they now call “the cornfields ofIllinois” (Scott AFB) their home, as Paul is the Vice Commander of the TACC (Tanker Airlift Control Center). This is also the first time they’ve been close to their families and they’re having a blast. Diana (Green) (Frank ’79+2) Francois is still “a Senior Analyst with Seicorp, Inc., and has also started a business with one of her good friends. Between working and traveling around the country to watch the kids compete, she volunteers at high school track meets, and supports the Athletic andAcademic Booster Clubs and PTA activities.” Oh, their oldest son is a sophomore at U Tenn. and is an international competitor in the 800m run. June (VanHorn) (Bob+4) Lindner now competes in triathlons with her daughter! They’ll move from San Antonio to the U of Illinois, where Bob will be the ROTC CC. They signed the Christmas letter with their six names, plus: “Bud the horse, Nellie the hound, Sprite the cat, Fluffy the rabbit, & Striker the snake.” George (Nadine+2) Madson retired (again) from the AF and he “became a permanent member of the Check-a-Month club.” It wasn’t a difficult transition, as George nowjust goes to work at Offutt in civvy attire. Nadine still works in the high school media center and is not looking forward to being an empty-nester this autumn.

Jay (Sue+3) McFadyen, a devoted baseball fan, finally got to attend a World Series game near their home (and the home of the Anaheim Angels). Some of you relate: “With just us and Meredith left at home, the ratio of humans to pets has changed in a disquieting way; we have our ears to the ground for any street (alley?) talk about a furry coup.” Janet (Libby) (Craig/“Wolf”+l) Wolfenbarger is now the C-17 System Program Director at WPAFB, havingpassed the reins ofthe B-2 program. “It’s truly a privilege to get the opportunity to run a second aircraft program for the Air Force.” This one’s for $4 billion annually! Wolf was able to leave Nellis and is now the AFMC Chief of Safety at WPAFB, so they’re together again. Callie keeps them busy and Wolf’s older children are having grandkids. Maybe that’s why he bought the Harley....

Safety Officer and Program Director cuddling their child on a Harley. Keith Yockey was promoted to Director of Quality Assurance, TYBRIN Corporation, Ft. Walton Beach, FL. His new duties include transitioning the corporation to the Software Engineering Institute’s CMMI model. Karen (Cole) (Mike ’77+3) Selva has been in the Springs for six years and the colonel’s assignment group just placed her there at U.S. Northern Command. Mike has slid over to the Vice Wing CC at Schriever (near Peterson). They just bought a five-acre patch and are planning to stay. George Ryan: “We’re still in D.C., and I’m still in the Secret Service, on VP Cheney’s detail. I do a lot of traveling, as you might imagine, in this job,

and occasionally run into classmates. I was surprised though to run into John Pray in the White House, just outside the Situation Room. He’s a bigwig on the National Security Council, and I was posted outside the door because the VP was in a meeting. My thoughts and prayers go out to all our brothers and sisters in arms, especially classmates who are involved in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. While I am still in the Reserves, my civilian job limits me to being a Liaison Officer for USAFA. Attached is a photo of me in Wyoming on duty with the VP as he is fly fishing. The Secret Service sent me through a demanding Mounted Police school, so we can provide the right mix of security for the fishing trips. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.”

I leave you with yet another rendition of a famous quote, brought to you by Kelly, one of Dean (Carla+4) Eisberg’s sons: “Never bite the hand that... bit you.” Sounds good to me. Don

Rich Trentman

11102 Asbee St.

Falcon, CO 80831-8170

H: (719) 494-9438

W: (719) 472-0300/DSN 333-2067

E-mail: Trentman@usafa81.com

Class Website: www.usafa81.com

Our school is going through some tough times with both the scandal and the many changes that have come as a result ofthe horrible actions of a few cadets. It is very sobering to hear the stories that have come out from the investigations. We must focus our energies on continuing to support our school through this difficult time. The Bring Me Men ramp is no more and key staff is changing out. The AOG website keeps current links to articles and letters on the investigations.

On a happier note, the recent 0-6 list contained 56 ’81ers. Congratuladons to George Sciss, Bernie Schwartze, Robert Arbach, John Casserino, John Brunderman, JeffThompson, Mike Bloomfield, Marty France, William Napolitano, James Long, Andy Britschgi, Nancy Insprucker, David Watt, Philip Swanson, Bruce Johnson, Andrew Knapp, Chris Cook, Lenny Smales, Mike Winslow, John Jackson, Charles Schneider, Derek Dickey, Mike Beale, Scott Land, Kevin Lopez, Charles Robinson, Steven Baker, Wilfred Cassidy, Marc Luiken, Robert Mahoney, Mike Mcpherson, Leonard Coleman, Steve Ruehl, Harvey Hammond, Mike Kadlubowski, Steve Muhs, Edward Phillips, Joseph Clem, Stephen Jones, Stephen Czerwinski, Paul Montgomery, AlanAnderson, Scott Schafer, Ken Byrd, Bret Klausen, Dana Hourihan, John Brunhaver, Grace Blevinson, Eric Garvin, Tim Minish, Earl McCallum, Ken Hasegawa, Steve Moes, Mike Cox, William Morgan, and Bill Bridges

’81 Updates: Mark Roling emailed that he retired in 2001, started with SouthwestAirlines Jan 2002, and moved backto Maryland. Several ’81ers helped him with recommendations - teamwork. He passes along his support for those of our class deployed. Gerry Cavallo is still out east and switched jobs from big defense contractors and telecom companies to a small manufacturing company. He works miracles (actually prays for miracles) as a supply chain planner. Joe Wotton and his wife, Debbie, are enjoying life in Melbourne, FL since retiring in 2001. He ran into GaryRichter while walking his dog one night. Todd Tasseffswitched jobs to a small company working high-level software development projects.

Joe and Debbie Wotton

Rich Ronnestad’s wife, Shelby, emailed that they recently adopted a daughter, Elie, who is six and in first grade. Rich is a financial consultant in Coeur d’Alene, ID and an Admissions LO for USAFA. I got a great email from John Robinson who’s retiring from the Navy and looking to stay in the San Diego area. He regrets losing touch with all of us and plans to make the 25th in 2006. He said the annual football wins over USNA kept him very popular with the IGNAGs (Ignorant Naval Academy Grads). Paul (Disco) Rigney retired after 20 and works as a program manager for Raytheon in Tucson. Sean Bishop and Dave Scholl

are flying CRAF supply flights with Delta bringing crucial materials to our troops in the Mideast. Maura Burke (Wingard) is pregnant with her 5th! (four girls so far) She home-schools and does LO work for USAFA and ROTC. Here’s a photo of Freddie Stewart and his wife, Colleen.

Also, LarryChing is pictured in front ofhis Cathay Pacific office. Freddie and Larry sent me the photos for the last article, but I couldn’t exceed the three-photo limit. Keep them coming or I’ll have to resort to BCT/Polaris pictures!

This was the first Class News that I had to resort to Dennis Ward’s tried and true method for crunching out a last minute article. I camped all weekend for Boy Scouts adult leader training here at USAFA (it snowed, of course) and whipped this out before crashing hard.

Times are tough, but our school will come through stronger and better than ever. The cadets are doing many fantastic things and I’m already prepping the database for Class of 2007. Keep those in our class overseas fighting and supporting the war in your thoughts and prayers!

Jim Ratti

6329 Pheasant Valley Road

Dayton, OH 45424-7100

H: (937) 236-9306

DSN: 785-8695 ext. 3444 (work)

rattijm@mindspring.com

http://usafa82.org

Greetings Redtags!

I write this column with severely divided attention one eye on the tube, and the other on the computer. We’re in the opening days of the war with Iraq, and I’m hoping and praying that you’re all safe and sound. I’m certainly no fan of war, but I have no doubt that it’s time for Saddam and his minions to be gone. I’m incrediblyproud ofthe magnificentwork of our Air Force and sister services in particular, and ofthe coalition partners in general. May God be with them/you all.

On to the mailbag, full to overflowing as usual. First up is Fred Cianciolo, whose Christmas letter (see the website) and decidedly non-Christmas photo I overlooked in last quarter’s column. Fred’s eldest son, Joe, is a freshman on the football team at USAFA, and dressed for all the home games this past season. With Joe out of the house, second son Paul (an athletic star in his own right) has the honor ofprotecting little sister Kelley. Kelley is adjusting to her first year in high school better than her dad is! Fred coped with his Delta layoffby signing on as a Captain for the owner of Carnival Corporation (flying the Bombardier Global Express, not driving a boat). The photo shows the whole clan, including Fred’s wife, Emily, as they enjoy a day on the lake.

The Cianciolo Swim Club

I heard from Mike Ryan, once at Christmas and again around St Patty’s Day when he sent his Annual Wee Epistle. Ifyou recall, Mike, Gloria and the family are in Paris where Mike is attending Senior Service School. They’re having a great time, sampling fine wine and cuisine, and Mike says they’ve been to Disneyland Paris “more times than Jacques Chirac can say ‘No!’” One of these days I’ll get around to posting his uproariously funny missive on the website. In the mean time, you can read it (and see all the pictures!) at http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/Ryans_in_France/.

Mike also let out the fact that he’s been promoted to colonel, along with a whole passel of our other classmates. I scanned the list and came up with the following additional names: Kim Corcoran, Dan Ciechanowski, Ardie Dahl, Ben Huff, Doc Kimminau, Gary Plumb, Dave Silvia, Ed Stanhouse, Kurt Stonerock, Paul Strickland, and MartyWojtysiak. IfI’ve missed any new Sirs/Ma’ams, please holler. Hats off to the bunch ofyou!

I got a Christmas letter and picture from Jim Pillar, who’s now busy as the Chief ofWing Safety at (I believe) Holloman. The family’s doing great, but Jim learned a thing or two about USAA’s claims process after having a 20ton USAF fire truck play monster truck with his Jeep Cherokee, and having a black bear attempt a pro-wrestler move and leave a “bear butt” impression on the side of his van. Read the letter on the website for details! I couldn’t include their familypicture here ’cause the resolution was not high enough, but it’ll be on the website for your viewing pleasure.

Julie Hughes wrote awhile back to say that she had participated in a Sally Ride Science Festival. These events are geared toward 5th to 9th grade girls, and help foment an interest in the sciences and encourage scientific careers. Julie taught cryptography (see the website or e-mail me for a copy of her “secret decoder" handout) and said that the kids were really jazzed about being able to send secret messages. She said Sally Ride gave the keynote address, and had a great impact on the girls. Visit http:// www.sallyridefestivals.com for more info.

Rick Burgess sent a family picture taken at West Point where his oldest son Justin is a Plebe. I couldn’t use the picture here because the resolution is too low (must be at least 280 dpi). However, I’ll post it on the website. Rick also sent along some great reunion photos which I’ll also post.

Charlie Glassie sent along an e-mail address update, and told me that he’s been with Alaska Airlines for about 13 years now, and has been a 737 captain for the last five. He’s still with the Reserves at McChord, but stopped flying for them last year.

Dunn Idle sent regrets for missing the reunion, but he had a higher priority in that his brother (BTZ Lt Col ’86 Grad) who had just welcomed a new babyboy. Dunn also sent his Christmas letter (covering 2001 and2002) which I’ll post. In a nutshell, they’re all doing well. Dunn’s Rocket Science consulting business took some hits after 9/11, but he’s back to working full time again. His wife is a school principal, and the kids are doing well too.

Tom Sylvester sent along a news clip which you may have heard about. Seems a neighbor of an Academy cadet decided to claim he was a cadet, and passed a napkin to the pilot of an ATA jet with the words “fast, neat, average” written on it. The non-grad pilot didn’t know what to make of it and thought it might be some sort of terrorist threat, so he decided to return to the gate. The (soundly embarrassed) gent was released after several hours of questioning. I’m not sure who should get the “U” in judgment the guy (for claiming to be something he wasn’t), or the pilot (for a severe overreaction)!

Bryan Branby sent his annual “Zelienople Times” Christmas letter. No, I don’t know how to pronounce it either, but it’s the name of the western Pennsylvania city in which he lives. If it were me, I’d probablyjust refer to it byZip Code! As with the others, I’ll post his letter on the website. In short though, they’re all well. Bryan is still teaching international procedures for US Airways and flying C-130s for the Reserves. I’d fully expect he’s deployed as I write this, although I’m not sure about that.

Frank Madeka sent along some news-filled e-mails. He’s at Scott (Transcom HQ) and is keeping way too busy trying to keep track of the myriad pieces of stuff being shipped to Southwest Asia. From his attached messages I’ve learned that Scott “Swany” Swanson is theAir Force’s

Larry Ching at work!

Delta II Program Manager in Los Angeles, and that Andy Parrish is retired and working for Boeing.

Kevin Powell is still with Delta (been there since 1989) and is a First Officer flying international routes on the MD-11. He said he took some troops from Ft Drum to Rome, where they hopped another Delta flight to Kuwait. Kevin will be upgrading to a 737 Captain by the time you read this.

And with that, I’m about out of space, so I’ll wrap up by apologiziug for being so delinquent with website updates. I do have all your info in the queue, and I will eventually get it all posted. I’ve been on the road constantly in this job (I’m writing this at flight level 350), and it’s too easy to find other things to do when I'm back home! Be Safe, Ratman

llpiSlpf

'VKjm/

Jon Duresky

207 Knob Hill Drive \. )

Warner Robins, GA 31088

Home: (478) 953-3141

E-mail: DureskyJB@aol.com

This article is brought to you by the number 20. The significance of “20” undoubtedly leaps out at you. Twenty years (more for you prior service preppies) of active duty service, 1 Jun 83 to 1 Jun 03, for those still on the USAF payroll. Twenty-year marriage anniversary coming up soon for lots of us. (If I have to remind you of that, also add to the “20” list, “the number of days you will sleep in cold comfort on the couch.”) But an even more apropos significance of “20” is “the number of pounds you are away from pouring your middle age body into your USAFA parade dress uniform.” Ha, you say. Not me, you say. Keep dreaming. Look in the mirror. Then add in another couple of “20s” “the number of donuts not to eat at staff meetings, and the number hours of hard cross-trainer workouts, so that at the 20-Year Reunion in September, I, too, can have the ever-youthful appearance of Nino Baldacci.”

In case you haven’t noticed (cliches follow), time marches on; you can’t defeat the effects of gravity, 20 years pass in the blink of an eye, I’m on a diet, and the Reunion already has me excited, even though it is months away. Preamble complete, so I’ll launch (sounds like “lunch” which will be tuna, apples, and carrots) my annual 15 minutes of fame

As I write, the “Presidents’ Day Snowstorm” ravages the Northeast, so I’ll start in D.C., where Bill Spacy and Chris Moulton are attending the Industrial College ofthe Armed Forces. Bill is there with his family; Chris is a geo-bachelor. His family stayed in Little Rock, where Chris was a C130 CC. Both are diligent students, learning the lessons required of future generals. Chris occasionally calls to chat, feeling lonely in his 20’ x 20’ bachpad. I give great leadership advice ditch the donuts, hit the gym and the books in that order! Look for these warriors to be in Parade Dress shape for the Reunion.

Speaking of students, let’s take a virtual trip to Maxwell AFB, home this year’s AWC class. Now as every AWC stud (res or non-res) knows, in the heat of battle, commanders make decisions based on incomplete information. I am the Commander of this Article. I am doing Battle with a Deadline. My info about who in ’83 is attending AWC is incomplete. Nonetheless, I have decided to publish the names of the AWC Class of 2003 who are ’83ers. Gutsy move, I know, but so was daytime precision bombing in WWII. So. '83 @ AWC Dan Baltrusaitis, Mike Bartley, Mike Bryant, Bill Changose, Lou Caporicci, Devin Cate, Larry Hollett, Jim Ogdan, TracyPhillips (Morgan) Jim Post, and Mike Shanahan. IfI missed anyone, sorry. No word yet on their post-AWC assignments. Fodder for conversation at Reunion parties.

More students! Class of 02, from the National Defense University (better late than never): Gary Hopper, Jeff Kendall, Jay Moody, Darryl Roberson, and Joe Schwarz. All are well into their post-SSS assignments by now.

From the WonderfulWorld of the Airlines, I present a small list of classmates who have Not Been Laid Off, and therefore Able to Buy Us Drinks (protein bars, and bottled water) at the Reunion: Robert “the deerhunter” Gregor, Bob “have you seen my car keys?” Ulich, Jerry“party at myhouse in September” Varner, Vince “glad Mavis (Thorp) stayed active duty” Compagno, Tom “the turtle-chaser” Solomon, Jeff “huge party at my house in September, Ijustmade 0-6in the Reserves” Fiebig, and Ray “the Tool-Man” Blust. Congrats on being able to pay the mortgage. Also, if

anyone hands you a note on a napkin while you are sitting in the cockpit that says, “Fast, Neat, Average,” don’t take the plane back to the gate. Give the silly cadet going home on leave a first-class upgrade.

Robert, Ralinda, Rachel, and Richard Gregor: Can we have something for dinner tonight other than venison?

I heard that Chip Kozak, tired of Kansas snowstorms, grabbed his glove, bat, and spikes, and headed to baseball spring training in Florida, trying to walk on as a 42-year-old rookie.

I heard that Eli Powell, while on an all-expense paid trip to sunny SWA, had delusions of adequacy as a big game hunter, caught a Spiny-Tail lizard, and sent the picture of him holding it to the Animal Planet channel, hoping to make a few bucks. He needs the money, because Dr. soon-tobe 0-6 Powell owes us a promotion party. His little shack up in Monument, CO could hold a couple hundred revelers. We’ll have to sandwich his party in between the Varner’s and the Fiebig’s.

I heard that John Zazworsky, attending the Naval War College in Newport, RI looked in the mirror and exclaimed, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" and boldly became the newest spokesmodel for Rogaine. After reading this, I just hope he doesn’t tell me to recite Schofield’s quote with my chin in while performing 16-count rifle manual. Hey, John owes us a party, too. He’s been wearing eagles for over a year.

Mitch Delarosa checked in with a family photo. He has four kids, a prettywife, an assignment in sunny Florida, and all ofhis hair. Life treats him well.

Time for Hometown News, from my new hometown, Robins AFB, GA. I’ve been here since July 02, flying the E-8C JSTARS. As I stumbled around the base, I ran into a few ’mates. Rich Burke is a Reservist and the CC of the test squadron, with five different planes, up to 20 models per plane, all under his watchful eye. All that responsibility, and he’s not far from fitting into his parade dress! Good man! Darren Durkee is an OSS/CC, looking to PCS this summer. Darren passes this news: Hans Petry is flying C-5s at Travis, and Scott Smith is a commuter airlines captain.

Now for the I’m the Luckiest Man in theWorld Award, proudlyaccepted by the man who is also going to throw a monstrous party in September, Billy “Scales” Walker. His PE PhD is bearing fruit. He is the first ever Permanent Professor ofAthletics at USAFA, and a full colonel, too. Not only does he influence the future of the AF on a daily basis, but even finds time to return my emails! Congrats on the great new job, Billy my friend.

As my time, energy, and rationed space near an end, some Reunion info, passed to me byBillythe multi-tasker; he’s also on the Reunion Committee. The dates are 11 - 14 Sept 03, but you can come early and stay late. Visit www.aog-usafa.org and link to the Reunions and ’83 webpage, maintained by Bruce Lepley, for details. Also, if you want to win the “I

Flashing 0-6 smiles are the Fiebigs:Jeff, Ellen (Nelson, ’84), Derek, and Danielle.

Throw the Best Party” Contest, contact Tod Harmon at debntodharmon @att.net. He’s on the Reunion Committee and they are looking for POCs to coordinate squadron activities and generally get the word out. (Throwing a party during the Reunion is optional.) Also, expect info via email or snail mail.

Try this for laughs! Dig through your attic; find your 1983 USAFA yearbook. Look up some of your friends. It’s a hoot to compare the wellcoiffured craniums ofthen to the follicly-challenged domes oftoday. You might need assistance matching names to faces after 20 years, so bring along those yearbooks (gold bathrobes, “Cadet X party” tee shirts, USAFA sweats, and other conversation starters), and we'll see you in September. And for lively debate, who from ’83 will be/deserves to be our first 0-7? My vote is... For the answer, look me up at one of the many parties. I’ll be wearing issue running gear, a Cadet X shirt, my gold bathrobe, carrying my yearbook, and eating only carrots and celery.

Time’s up. Gear down, check six, confirm bombs on the right target, make backup files, protect your password.

Mike Jensen

12035 Milam Road Colorado Springs, CO 80908 (800) G0-AFA-G0

E-mail: jensen@usafa.com

Home page: www.usafa.net/1984

I love a challenge! If you are reading this and you did not send me an update, you’re wrong! I will track you down and get all of that good stuff about you, your families, and your interests! For those sending me info

THANKS! With everything going on in the world, and the impact on each and every one of us, my thoughts and prayers go to each of you. Always know your “extended family” is there for you at the AOG. If we can help in any way, do not hesitate to ask. Contrary to what you may be hearing, the challenges facing AFA are being met, and handled as the new class is entering. Also, by the time you get this there will be less than 450 days until the big 20th bash!

Dave Mullins is the DO ofthe 486 FTS, Eglin AFB. The unit flies a Boeing 757 (C-32). He will be taking over as the commander in August this year. He was in contact with the following: Mark Miller, who just checked out in the 747 at Andrews and seems to be growing roots there. Don Gresham is currently at Dover and is a DO there in a C-5 unit. Got word just recently that David Sam Goodwill is at McChord flying the C-17 and doing well. Last he heard, Scott VanGorder, his roommate from pilot training, was up at DLA headquarters at BollingAFB, also doing well. He also found Chuck Rath, working at the embassy in Hungary.

Steve Wacker gave me an update on Matt Johnson. He is working in private equity with Deutsche Bank in Frankfort. Steve was in transit from Austria. His family and he are in Charlotte, NC where he is running the U.S. subsidiary of an Austrian company. He worked with Randy Puhrmann’s brother-in-law up until last year. Randy is a Delta pilot living in Peachtree City, GA.

Brian Simpson and his family are winding up their year at ICAF in snowy D.C. and will be heading off to the warmer climate of Edwards AFB, CA to take command of the 412th Operations Group. Change of command sometime in mid-July; he will be pinning on 0-6! They are looking forward to the reunion; will probablybring both their sons (15 and 11) since the oldest wants to attend USAFA and fly F-16s like his old man. (Who’s old?) Wilber Wright is over at National War College. So is Bob “Woody” Nolan who will be going down to Eglin AFB, FL as the 46th Test Wing Commander. “Hooter” also saw DJ Johnson during a “job fair” for the joint staff. (Send me some love DJ!)

Linda R. Urrutia-Varhall is deployed to the desert; she’s one ofthe head honchos for the CENTCOM Advon, so she deploys first and has been at As Sayliyah, Qatar, almost continuously since the second week in October first for INTERNAL LOOK (and back for two weeks at Christmas) and she’s back looking for a snake in the desert. Marvelous Marvin Jones should be at Ft. Meade by now. He also expressed concern regarding the status of Herman “the Big Gun" Baker, (that’s Colonel to you Mister!). Marv also keeps in touch with Tiina Mundy (Landschulz). Kelley Cordell, saw my last impoverished article and felt compelled to write (THANKS!). Her husband is Rich Cordell (Lt Col.). Rich is on a remote at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. He is the commander of the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron. He has been there since June 26th, 2002 and will be back in June of 2003.

We drink to those... Left Hand Brewing Company run by Eric Wallace is doing well and we hope to have some tastings at our 20th! “Wild Bill” Randall just got a new assignment. They are going to Eglin AFB, FL where he will be in an 0-6 position as a deputy SPO director. He shares a picture of his family crossing the finish line at Ironman Florida: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run (marathon). Makes for a nice little

one-day workout. (OUCH!) He was proud to point out his son wearing the USAFA sweatshirt. He knows what the “in” fashions are!

We missed the pin-on for Herman Baker’s 0-6, and the celebration! He promises to make up for it at the reunion! Ed Dona is doing very well in Virginia. He and his wife, have two children, Alexander, 11, and Reanna, 8, who keep them very busy. He started his own government-consulting firm in March 2002. It has been almost one year and they have grown 100%. (Nice job Ed!) I also just heard on the Rush Limbaugh show that Troy “Tiny” Dixon with about five other aircrews sent Rush a flag flown in combat in the war, and Rush was very moved. So ifyou know Troy, tell him that I heard his name on the show and to check in with the details!

Thanks for the updates. I also saw a few people. Ray Simpson flew me home on AA. He and his wife, Heidi (Croeber), have six children and live down in Texas. Dan Blaettler is back at USAFA as a group AOC. Pete Edgar is at USAFA working up at Harmon Hall, and Daryl “Sky” Smith is up in Behavioral Science. Until next time keep your spirits up and your chins in! Jens

I’m sorry but I have to pass along some bad news before I get to the good news. Our classmate Major (USAFR) Peter Jahns died on Marchl9, 2003 as the result of a T-38 crash at Randolph AFB TX. Memorial service and funeral arrangements are pending at the time I’m writing this column. Please join me in sending condolences to Pete’s wife Rhonda at the following address: Mrs Rhonda Jahns, 5808 St Andrews Cibolo TX 78108.

The good news is that we have three classmates who were selected for promotion below-the-zone to 0-6 or “full colonel” on the board that met last December. Congratulations to Tom Bergeson, Dan Jordan, and Tim Ray. Way to go guys!

In January I saw Ken (Kenneth) Vanravenswaay at the Schriever II Wargame Player Training at Booz-Allen-Hamilton in Tyson’s Corner, VA. Ken got back from his exchange officer assignment with RAF Strike Command at HighWycombe, UK in July 2002. Since then Ken’s been assigned to the Air Force Doctrine Center detachment at Fort Leavenworth, KS.

Michael Black had a party to celebrate his 40th birthday in February. I was invited, but at the last minute something came up so I could not attend. Congrats again, Mike!

I saw Jack Stuart when I was TDY to Colorado Springs, CO for the

Schriever II Wargame in February. I ate lunch with Jack and one of his friends at the Joint National Integration Center cafeteria. Jack regaled us with an interesting review of some economic theories and U.S. economic policy history. Jack was kind enough to loan me a picture (below) of his family to share with you all in Checkpoints. Pictured with Jack are his wife, Patti (Michalcik, USAFA 1987), and his two daughters: Ashley (10) and Holly (7). Thanks Jack!

In March, I saw Jim Lovell on the METRO rail. Jim was excited to tell me that he and Holly had just adopted a son! Jim said they got their son when he was only two days old and they named him Clayton James or “CJ” Lovell. Basically, Jim said that CJ’s two big sisters are killing him with kindness lots of hugs and kisses! Jim also told me that he got an “Ops Deferment” for one year before he can go to the ICAF for his inresidence senior service school.

I ran into a few other classmates in March, as well. I saw Todd Stearns at a meeting on possible alternatives for the space segment of the Global Positioning System and the associated impacts these alternatives could have on warfighter desired effects and required capabilities in the future. Todd is a civilian working at the Air Force Studies and Analysis Agency. Todd said that he’s been in the D.C. area since 1998. I also saw Marilyn (Garcia) Kott at work at the Pentagon during a briefing on the state of our USAF Air Expeditionary Forces.

Thanks again to Ray Harris for doing a great job with our class web site “on his own dime.” Additionally, Ray and I share information on request for access to our class web site. I use the info as filler to help fill up our class inputs for Checkpoints to the 1,200 word limit with three photos max in non-reunion times. I also use the info to try to keep my address book as up to date as I can so that I can help classmates find each other. For example, John “Jabba” Colombo, asked for access to our class web site. Jabba’s an active duty lieutenant colonel and commander ofthe 35th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan AB, Korea. Additionally, Any Bochman asked me to help him find Chris Street. Unfortunately, I have not seen or heard from Chris in years. So I’d appreciate it if someone would help us out and send me Chris’ info. Chris, are you reading this! And ladies and gentlemen, please bear in mind that it doesn’t cost you single cent to post your current address and e-mail info on the AOG web site or our class web site. “Just do it!” Well the great thing about trying to help Andy is he came up with a few items to pass along to you. Andy said he’s married to a great wife (artist) and they have four kids, ages two through 11. Andy is a civilian running an IT security company that normally focuses on Wall Street clients but is starting to branch out into government business. Andy said he ran into Lieutenant Colonel Joe Venenziano at Hansom AFB while he was on a business trip in the Boston, MA area.

JoeyMcBrearty sent an e-mail with his change-of-address information and a short update. Joey said he, Regina, and Nick just moved into their beautiful new home. Joeyhopes to still be employed at AA in a few months to make the house payment. If not, he pledged to be in Columbus a lot more with sign around my neck stating “Will fly for food.” Anyway, Joey said he’s hoping to only have one more move left...”a move to God’s Country of Colorado.” Joey said he has less than three years before he’s eligible for retirement from the AF Reserves, and he’s not ready to give up the T37. With the real possibility ofbeingfurloughed, Joey wants to stayphysically close to his AF Base. Therefore, he says he’ll probably be there for a few more years. Joey said they have PLENTY of room, so all are welcome. The McBrearty’s new address is Regina and Joe McBrearty, 4442 Mount Gillespie, Lakeland, TN 38002.

Lieutenant Colonel Garland S. Henderson, USAF.... aka 85’s other Scott Henderson” wrote an e-mail. Garland said after many years of doing acquisition support in test & evaluation, cost analysis, and program management positions, he was blessed to migrate to the Information Warfare mission area 5 1/2 years ago, in both acquisition and operational positions. Garland received three master’s degrees... thanks to U.S. taxpayers (all job related). In February, Garland said he was further “blessed” with a second Pentagon tour in OSD/C3I supporting the Info Ops mission area, wholeheartedly in line with Sec Rumsfeld’s Transformation initiatives. Amazingly, he received the OSD PCS orders two weeks after breaking ground on a 1,000 sq ft addition to his San Antonio home. Garland said on a personal note, “My bride, Mary, and I have been blessed with two boys (eight and three yrs) in our 10 years of marriage.”

Garland passed info on other ‘85ers: Griff Vinton has moved to Rochester, NY where he “markets drugs.” Seeing (George) Weathersby in the Pentagon hallway was a shock... he looked more like Arnold Schwarzenegger than the skinny guy I knew in RebEleven.” Finally, Garland said the biggest Pentagon shock besides machine-gunners at doors

and Stinger missile batteries around town: fitting back into the “polywool blend” after 5 V2 years in BDUs.

The AOG staff asked class scribes, in light of the Academy’s approaching 50th anniversary, to include a blurb in Checkpoints to ask classmates if they know of the creation, history and significance of their squadron patch to contact the AOG. Please send information to the AOG point of contact: Duane Reed (Duane.Reed@usafa.af.mil), Head of Special Collections at the Cadet Library.

Thanks for your inputs everyone. Sincerely, Quintel

www.aog-usafa.org

Greeting fellow classmates from your semi-annual class scribe Gary Burg. This column is a bit unusual for me as I am writing this as our forces are engaged in combat against Iraq. Unfortunately this isn’t a war correspondence as I am sitting on the sidelines this go (at least at the time of this writing - 24 March 2003). Twelve years ago, I, along with many of our classmates, was actively involved in removing Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Who would have thought then we would be back 12 years later to finish the job. For all those actively involved, thank you! You are why we are the most powerful and democratic nation in the world. Enough of the non-paid political announcement; on with the updates I have this time around.

Bob Colella dropped me a short line as he passed along some emails he received. He wrote, “We are just getting settled here at Barksdale - the move went well and we have the house 85% in order the last 15% should take about two years, and then it will be time to move again. Cheers, I hope you are home.” Well Bob, I am at home but actually wish I was contributing more to the cause. I guess that is the warrior spirit in me talking but I’m allowed.

Good old dependable Ed Yong has the first update to pass along. Ed is still surviving the computer industry while working for Gateway Computers. It’s a tough place to be at the moment but Ed is excelling and has made his notch in the industry by being named Gateway’s Inventor of the Year for 2002. You may find one of Ed Yong’s patents in the market as Kensington’s Pocket Mouse Pro (the optical mouse with the retractable cord) for mobile computing. Ifyou are looking for the patent number it is 6,088,021. So, if you are into mobile computing, you may be using something that came from USAFA ‘86 grad. The camaraderie among service academy grads at Gateway outshines the dark clouds of layoffs and world conflicts. Seems like others wonder why Annapolis, West Point and USAFA grads have an intense rivalry during football season yet bond together in strength when confronted with adverse situations. One of the company’s Annapolis gents got pulled back to a six-month tour of duty. We wish him the best of luck and God’s speed in whatever roll he plays in the war against Terrorism.

The next quick note and photo come from Judy Peer. She writes, “I’m teaching Calculus 2 and 3 the last time I saw a calc problem was when I was a cadet. As long as I stay a day ahead of them, I’m feeling good. I got out of the AF in 2000, seven-day opt. Got in the Reserves full time, and now am on elective return to active duty (EAD), got promoted and will retire here. One PCS in 20-year career pretty good huh? Some other news from those in the photo: Mike Brown missionary over in Turkmenistan or somewhere like that; Sharon Owen A colonel’s and

On the couch are Judy (Hupp) Peer ‘86, Sharon (Smith) Owen ‘86, Karen (Burton) Reeder ‘84 and son. In the back are Mike Brown ’86, and Alan Arata '83.

commander’s wife up at Minot, two kids and happy. Others at the Academy are I’m sure there are many; I only know of a couple Ann (Ley) Gorney teaches in econ, John York in EE. I don’t get out too much trying to stay ahead ofthe cadets! Unfortunately that is all I have for now.

Dondi Costin wrote Bob Colella a short note with photo. Hope things are going well. By the way, thanks for being our scribe. I know it’s prob ably not the most fun job you’ve ever had. (And I’m sure your better half wishes you weren’t the scribe and reminds you of that fact on a regular basis, huh?) Enjoy your TOY. That kind of deal is what we call “suffering for lesus” in my business. (Hey, don’t forget to look up Fred “Bits” Bacon while at Hickam. I think he’s a PACAF/IG kinda guy these days.) God bless ya real good.

Dondi Costin and his newbuds while "chaplaining”recently at Bagram AB, Afghanistan.

Well that is all the outside inputs I have. Here is what I have from my side of the world. Ran into Brian Denholm at a staff meeting the other day. I had seen him around and actually recognized him as a classmate but never got over to talk to him. He arrived at RAF Lakenheath in February and is just getting settled into his new job. He is flying with the 493 FS (F-15C) after completing an assignment down at Eglin working test issues. All the other grads that were in the 492 FS have moved on to better pastures. Chris Knehans received an assignment and is flying the F-l 17 out of Holloman (hopefully with a ticket to the big show). Rumor has it that Steve Kwast, probably a full pinned on colonel by now and is slated to become the 4 OG/CC at Seymour Johnson AFB. Chris Ackerson PCSed from the Heath and is now working out of Andrews AFB as a C-21 Check Pilot. I'm sure he is glad to be back behind the controls after being out of active flying for a while. Jay Humelbaugh and I are still ADOs with the 492 FS although I’m expecting a job change this summer by moving up to the Wing Inspections office and working for another USAFA grad Pete Whelan, ‘84. Bob will be writing the next column so please send your emails directly to him. I’ll catch you again next fall.

Sharon (Hullinger) Giletti

500 Lunalilo Home Road, #45F Honolulu, HI 96825

Phone and Fax: (808) 394-6397

E-mail: Sharongiletti@aol.com

Hello again ’87. I hope this issue of Checkpoints finds you safe in the midst of world events. It’s always such a blessing to get a few notes just when I think I’m going to have an empty column.

I can always count on Brad Burchett, Ph.D., P.E., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute ofTechnology, to drop a note every now and then and his latest was full of info. He writes, “Sarah Zabel was here on campus last week and I had a friend snap the attached photo. Was kind of neat to see a classmate from the other end of the alphabet!

Sarah was here to speak to the CS student club, at the request of Larry Merkle, a former colleague from USAFA who is now in the CS dept. here. Her visit was a complete surprise to me! Sarah is now the commander of the 43rd Comm squadron at Pope (and an 0-5 to boot!). Her talk was mostly about how the 43rd CS fulfills all the comm needs of Pope, ineluding everything from snail mail and air traffic control to computer networking. We didn’t have much time to catch up on other classmates.

I’m now in my second year on the faculty of RHIT. Still plugging away at climbing the tenure ladder. I have kept in touch recently with Jeff Sladko, who is sitting up at Eielson after being released from active duty (he was activated for a year shortly after 9/11.), and expects to be activated again for the next war.

Brad and Sarah

David Bachler is Chief, 55th Wing Planning Operations/ RC-135U/V/ W/R Instructor Pilot, and apparently spends most of his time overseas these days. Dave just recently relayed announcement of his selection to Lt Col. Congrats Dave!

Dan Kosin is finishing up a tour at Hickam (I heard he was Snow-Go 1 or something like that). He’s also expected to pin on silver oak leaf clusters soon, but didn’t have word on his next assignment yet.”

Billy Bob Brown also dropped a line from Annapolis, MD. He wrote, “We just received the Checkpoints and enjoyed the new look and feel. The Brown family is still living here in Annapolis while my Navy wife (Nancy) finished up her tour here at Naval Academy. We are in the process ofbuying a house in Arlington, VA and this coming summer mylovely bride will join me at the Pentagon and for once we will be able to carpool to work. Imagine that! Great news from the’87 cross commissioning crew: Eric Mellinger is a LtCol and a Battalion Commander at the School of Infantry in California and Rob Couser was just selected to LtCol a few weeks ago! Very exciting to see their progress and to live vicariously through them. As for me, I missed promotion this time still a little sensitive about it, but as you can see from my real estate website (www.BillyBobBrownRealtor.com), I have no intention of being caught up short. I will make it next go-around, but proper prior planning prevents poor “family planning” performance!”

JoEllen and Mike Stewart sent a Christmas card and photo from Illinois. Mike graduated from ACSC in June 2002 and is now assigned to the Air Mobility Command Headquarters at Scott AFB, IL. He’s working in the Plans and Programming Directorate. He and his family have purchased their first home and have been happily getting settled and decorating. Their children are now 11,9, and 2 and keep him and JoEllen very busy, except for golf. They are only 20 minutes from St. Louis and are enjoying exploring this part of the country for now (like the world’s largest catsup bottle!). Mike is chomping at the bit though to get back into the cockpit though.

I have a great photo of a composite crew that flew over the Navy game that I’d like to put in my next article; unfortunately a gnome must have deleted the email from the sender (sorry). Please write back to me with the details and the names of the officers and '87 grads so I can make up for my terrible mistake.

Take care all and until next time-S

Visit the AOG Web Site

www.aog-usafa.org

JoEllen, Mike, with Matthew, Erica, and Daniel Stewart

Mark Peters

2437 Bedford Circle

Bedford, TX 76021-1823

Home: (817) 684-7764

Cell: (817) 937-9696

F-mail: pylt@attbi.com

Hi ‘88! Hopefully this issue of Checkpoints will find our military men and women completing the final clean up operations in Iraq and Afghanistan by the time it arrives in your mailbox. Having a chance to finally do something with regards to Saddam has me wishing I was still in I have so many recollections of the politically expedient half-efforts we repeated for so many years throughout the Nineties. However, I’ll get off my soap box lest I get in trouble.

Thankfully I’ve received a few notes from some ’88ers, thus making this job far easier. First out of the chute is a photo taken by Christine l ee from “the good side” of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This will help follow up Houston Waring’s note from Kansas in the last issue as well.

Jim and Christie Lee were attending AF 55th Anniversary Ball/Dinning Out (yes, it’s been hiding in my file cabinet for a bit!) alongwith other’88ers attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. I’ll let Lee take if from here. “I decided to help you out and provide you a picture of an endangered species 11 active-duty members of Great ’88 in their mess dress. Since our 10-year reunion, this may be the largest assembly of’88ers in the same place at the same time, and also members of interservice prisoner exchange program! From left are Sony LeMasters, Greg Zehner, Rich Moorehead, Dave Briar, Dave Naisbitt, Doug Thayer, Mel Deaile, me, Tom Hesterman, Curt Riedel, and Houston Waring. In addition, Ancel Yarbrough is attending SAMS this year after graduating from CGSC in 2002. Also, Bill Dickey is stationed here as an officer in the U.S. Army.” Jim’s number is 913.682.6744; my apologies to all for the delay in getting it published.

This must be my "other service” issue since I also received a letter and photo from Chris Kubick too. Here’s his text: “A few of our classmates, Carol [Yannarella] Giachetti, Jon Petruzzi, Jim Sisler and I are finishing up Marine Corps Command and Staff College at Quantico. Interesting school definitely a different perspective on the world. There are 13 of us AF types at the school, though the total class size is small (about 184), with other services and international officers thrown in. While school has been interesting, I want to get hack to the “real AF” as soon as possible. I’U be headed to Langley AFB, VA to the HQ ACC/IN staff. Before school, I worked on the Joint Staff, J2T (Targeting).

“I’ve attached a picture of me at the Great Pyramids of Giza, One ofthe

elective courses I took was on the Middle East, and the final was a trip to Egypt and the Sinai to study the Arab-Israeli Wars, Sorry for the bad lighting, but there was a bit of a sandstorm.

"Sharon’s doing great, as are our two girls, Nicole (9) and Christina (6). We’ve already found them a school down Hampton way, now it’s just a matter of finding a house. They’re anxious to move down closer to ‘the beach,’ which always makes the moving process easier,”

Lastly, I was in Phoenix in early March for Frank Schmuck’s fantastic “Voices Take Flight” charity event for victims of ATS, many of whom are former military members. ATS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is twice as common among GulfWar veterans as it is among veterans ofother wars. Frank’s tireless efforts in fundraising and publicity are helping fight this disease. I’ll have more on this event, and the next one, in a future issue.

Be not a stranger to your class scribe write!

Paul W. Tibbets, IV

433 Wolcott Ave.

Middletown, R! 02842

H: (401) 848-2609 / DSN: 948-3373

E-mail: patibb@earthlink.net (until 28 June) patibb@charter.net (effective 1 July)

Hello friends! Well, the summer is upon us and, like many of you, the Tibbets family will be on the road very soon. We are departing Newport, RI28 June for our old stomping grounds in central Missouri -Whiteman AFB. Obviously, our address and phone number will change and I will get that out in the next magazine (Sept ’03). Until then, you can contact me via e-mail, which will also change. Effective 1 July, our new e-mail address will be patibb@charter.net. Additionally, many ofyou have asked about the class web site. Unfortunately, the person who voluntarily ran the site is no longer able to do so. If anyone is interested in taking on this responsibility on behalf of the class, please let me know. The AOG has made space available through their web site, so you don’t need your own domain. All we need is your energy and creativity!

Our first letter comes from Corey Walrod, who is currentlyfinishing up two master’s degrees in business administration and public policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Corey and I spent one of the best years of our lives in sunny Arizona goingthrough UPT together. Since then Corey served some time as a T-38 instructor at Willy and Columbus and flew MH-53 Pave Lows with the Special Ops folks, logging some time in the Balkans and Persian Gulf. When his commitment lapsed around the turn ofthe century Corey got out ofthe Air Force and joined the civilian ranks. He has worked as a defense analyst with Stratfor.com and the GAO, and is looking at potential summer employment with HP in Europe, the House National Security Subcommittee, or RAND. For fun, Corey kayaked from Bay St. Louis, MS eastward around the Gulf of Mexico to Cape Canaveral, and even spent the holidays helping his brother re-roof one of his barns. Great to hear from you!

Jeff Rich says hello from southern Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville, where he and his wife Laura call home. He recently finished up MD-11 training with UPS, where several other ’89ers also make their living: lulie Bartlett, Mike Lockwood, Gary Neal, Kurt Schoen, and Tim Welch. Jeff saw Paul DiDomenico during a layover in San Jose, where Paul is in med school at Stanford. Trent Baines is back on active duty as a T-37 instructor at Columbus. Greg Bashkoff is flying for Delta, and stepped down from flying the KG-135s for the New Jersey Guard and is now an Academy Liaison Officer. Greg Clark is also an Academy Liaison Officer and still flying for American Airlines living in Salt Lake City. Jeff Drake is living in Seattle and flying the C-17 for the Reserves out of McChord and Eric Novak is living in California flying the KC-10 for the Reserves out of Travis. Thanks Jeff!

One of my Campus Rads buds, Dave Doe, dropped me a line from his deployed location with Operation Enduring Freedom, When not working with the Army supporting the War on Terror, Dave is the Comptroller squadron commander at Ellsworth AFB, SD. While at Maxwell last year forACSC, he was with Ron Buckley, who is now at SAF/AQ. Prior to ACSC, Dave taught in the Management Department at the Academy and was the Executive Officer to the Dean ofthe Faculty, Brigadier General Wagie. Over the past 14 years, God has blessed Dave and his wife Sheila with four precious girls, Elizabeth (10), Sarah (8), Rachel (6), and Rebecca (3). Thanks Dave!

Gretchen (Wiltse) Kurlander wrote to say she is in Italy and enjoying it very much. Her boys, Austen (9) and Parker (7), are in their second year of Italian school and are both fluent. They expect to be at Aviano until summer of 2004. Thanks Gretchen.

Bill and Traci Faris are in Cape Coral, FL where they bought some land inland on the river and built a house. Bill is enjoying flying for American Airlines in the 737 out of Miami and Traci is teaching first graders at their

son William’s school, St. Andrew’s Catholic School. William is seven and “a fun kid to be around; always making us laugh.” Traci says he plans to be a designer with LEGOs! Bill and Traci recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversarywith a trip to Europe. They noted it is a blessing Bill works for the airlines or otherwise they would be poor! Good to hear from you!

Our last letter drops in from Jeff Louie, who is at Yokota AB as the J2 Chief of Exercises and Plans Division for Headquarters U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ). He is having a blast and growing accustomed to driving on the left side of the street. In 2000, Jeff separated from the Air Force after his DIA HUMINT assignment and rolled into the AF Reserves. As a civilian he became a professional sales rep for Aventis Pharmaceuticals in the Los Angeles area. Jeff also did some acting and body doubling for Jet Li while he was near Hollywood. After about a year as a civilian he was activated for 12 months due to 9/11 and was assigned to Edwards AFB to work homeland defense issues. After a year back on active duty Jeff decided he wanted to stay in, so he applied and was accepted back on permanent active status.

At Yokota, Jeff has bumped into a few grads. Dave Mork (’88) is the USFJ J2 Operations Officer and Chief of Analysis Division. Garry Floyd (’98) is the USFJ J2 Senior Watch Officer. Roger Redwood is part of the PACAF IG team. Troy Yamaguchi flies the C-130 out of Osan AB, Korea. Kathleen (Gagne) Amponin is currently attending the Australian ISS. James Shigekane (’92) flies the C-9 out of Yokota AB. While Jeff was in L.A. as a pharmaceutical sales rep he bumped into Michael Ramirez (’94), a fellow Aventis sales rep. Thanks Jeff! Welcome back.

Best wishes to you and your families. Take care and God bless.

James Sanchez

8301 Emerald Circle

North Richland Hills, TX 76180

H: (817) 946-1802

E-Mail: james.sanchez@usafa-aog.org

WEB: WWW.USAFA-A0G.ORG/1990

Mightiest of Mighty Nineties:

You sent me 10 pictures all are on our web site, I’ll try to squeeze as much as I can into the AOG three-picture limit.

Bob Waltz: Just a quickie just started my third year with Southwest, and my wife, Teri, my girls (Elizabeth [7] and Isabella [5]) are doing well in the Baltimore area. I am an Admissions Liaison Officer now (left the ANG [C-130 Stan/Eval Pilot] in Delaware after two years), and I ran into Brian Smith at one of our meetings (he’s busy at American). I also see Jay Updegraff occasionally he is working at Dover and he’s an ALO, as well. We recently visited with Tom and Trish Crimmins (and their girls Megan and Lauren) and they are doing well at Little Rock AFB. Mark Lyons was married about a year ago and he’s in my old guard unit at New Castle, DE. I’ll be out at USAFA this spring for “re-blueing” as an ALO hope to see some other grads out there.

Mark Milligan, Scott Ormsby, Bill Gideon, and Adam Mortensen

Jay Updegraff: My family and I are celebrating Christmas #2 in Dover, DE. I upgraded to C-5 instructor this past spring and have been busy as usual running OEF cargo all over the word. Daniel and Catherine both had birthdays in November (six and four respectively). Becky has kept busyworking with the OSC (yes that’s Officers Spouses' Club gotta love the PC AF) and will be in charge of their big fundraiser event for next year. We all made the trek to West Point this fall to see the Falcon whup up on Army. I considered it a momentous occasion since it was my son’s first USAFA football game (although I think my daughter actually enjoyed the flyovers more than he did.) The highlight for him was “High Fiving” the players as they came out of the tunnel. I run into many’90 grads when I pull my additional duty of working in the Dover AFB Command

Post. Recently I’ve seen Rich Harston, Eric Kesler and Kevin Higgonbothan. Not much else to report from “the First State.” Call ifyou need a Space-A Update. We send about four jets a day to Germany now!

Louis Seliquini: I’m stationed at Robins AFB, GA as the 78th Logistics Readiness Squadron Commander. Been trying to dot all the Ts” and cross all the “T’s” to have a decent career and then, BAM!! I’m gone at 20. My hand’s on the D-Ring. I finished my stint as an action officer in Transportation standing up the AEF Center at HQs ACC. Went through the first three cycles ofAEFs and then had to work many 24-hour days for a while after 9-11. Pinned on MajorJuly 12001 and finished up ACSC (correspondence) in Oct 2001. Glad that haze is over.

George Halley, Marlena and Boyd Parker, and Dave Morrissey

Kyle Voigt: Jean and I have been here in the 91st ARS at MacDill for about a year and a half now. She’s still on deployment eligibility, but I took the wing exec role to give our four-year-old a sense of normality pretty funny, huh? More soon if I can catch my breath...

Brent Merritt: I work for Delta Air Lines as a 737 F/O, but am in the crosshairs for furlough. In anticipation of needing work I also fly for the Charleston Reserves flying C-17s, and work at the C-17 SPO at Wright Patterson.

Tom Conklin: I’m in the 89th AW at Andrews AFB flying Gulfstreams. Married/3kids. Enjoying life. Planning on staying in‘til 20.

Shane Smith Capaldi: I changed my name from Smith to Capaldi. My maternal grandmother never had any male children and when she died the name that came over from Italy vanished as well. So, since my dad had five boys, we decided there were more than enough Smith’s in the world and we’d take Capaldi to keep that name alive at least one more generation. For a quick update, I’m furloughed from Delta since last May but have been picked up as the A-10 FCF pilot at Hill AFB in an AGR position. Dawna and I have decided to stay here for quite a while and finally bought our house up in the mountains away from everything and we’re loving it!

Dana White Nelson: I got hired by Delta and at the moment I'm furloughed like a lot of other folks. I’m enjoying life and doing some things that I’ve always wanted to do. Last year I went sailing for two weeks around the Caribbean, then off to Europe, and all over the U.S. I also did volunteer work for kids and delivered toys to Antigua for Christmas.

Charlan Thorpe Poirson: Currently stationed at USAFA switching to the Reserves on 1 June (Stop-Loss dependant, of course). My husband, Todd, and I plan on being in the Springs for quite awhile, so just let me know if anyone needs a place to stay or an assist from someone living near the Academy (we are in Monument). Our doors are always open, unless there are 24" of fresh powder at Vail. (Yep happened yesterday!)

Scott Fairhurst, Ted Wilson, and Jeff Richardson

Shawn and Katie Fairhurst are doing well at Langley, expecting their first child in late Aug (look out world). Also, during the 0-5 selection party last month, it was a mini-’90 reunion. Theo Wilson, Jeff Zemke, Stacy Hariguchi and I all spent some time catching up over the free beer. “T” works in Intel Directorate of the Air Force C2&ISR Center. I’m still in the Center as well, where I’m still the commander’s exec. Jeff is working for ACC/IG. He’s got it tough. Due to space limitations on base, the IG is housed in downtown Hampton in a high-rise. Jeff complained that the view over the harbor while working out was just not “good-enough.” Meanwhile, Stacy is working with ACC/DO, but I’m sure he would rather be dropping steel from the F-15E.

Karen Watts Bosko: Assigned to 349 Communications Squadron out of

Travis (Reserve unit). Pinned on major Oct 2001. TDY to UTASC (Ramstein) for 100+ days in 2002. Living in San Francisco but spending as much of the winter as possible at Tahoe skiing!

Carson Tavenner

4414C Bighorn Drive USAF Academy, CO 80840 (719) 472-5942

E-mail: carson.tavenner@usafa.af.mil

Hey, folks! Sorry to sound staccato with this one, but we’ve got a great piece from Mike Czarnecki at the end here, who we’ve discovered was a volunteer firefighter in New York City on September 11. To help it fit, I’ve edited a great deal of other news.

Colleen (McCrary) Lester had her second child, Joshua, Dec 9th She and husband, Mark, were overjoyed with their “early Christmas present!” Colleen also planned on going back to work with Booz Allen Hamilton.

Charles “Buck” MacLaughlin recently flew over the zoo in a two-ship F-117 formation during lunch formation a few days short of Recognition for 2006 (weaker than ours, of course!). I got to watch Buck from the luxury of the new windows on the sixth floor of Fairchild.

Two weeks later, while TDY to Honolulu (yeah, I know), I met with Angie Cadwell, “Scot” Peeke, Nick Kootsikas and Corey Wormack. We visited over dinner, told stories about the zoo, and talked surprisingly little about the war with Iraq, which was going on at the time. They are all doing very well in theirjobs at Hickam, thoughAngie has moved on her in-residence ACSC slot by now.

to get cheap beer around here. It is a ‘real’ college town mind you. Of course, being married, I have to watch how late I stay out. The good part about that is that my wife is also getting her MBA so she is usually out with me. I get to tell everyone I am dating a college student - not bad for an old guy like me!”

Kristi Swain, husband, Steve (an officer in the RAF), and dogBailey hiked last fall to the top of Ben Nevis (the highest peak in the UK about 4,000ft). At the time the picture was taken, Bailey was the highest dog in the UK and not a small accomplishment for a fluffy, white bichon fries, notwithstanding the fact that the little guy’s already scaled peaksthroughout Alaska and the UK. She further shares that she has, “managed to hike the three highest peaks in the UK, Ben Nevis, Snowdonia and Scafel Pike, and am hoping this summer to do the 14-peakchallenge (14 highestpeaks in Wales). It would be nice to do that one with a group. (I think Bailey would have to sit that one out). Still waiting to hear the word on assignments... I am hoping NORTHCOM may work out. We’ll see.” #' %

At the beginning of the year we received a neat email and photo from Jurgen Plitt and Dan Muir. “Believe it or not, we ran into each other at the University ofMichigan Business School. Neither of us knew the other was attending school here so it ended up a great surprise. Jurgen actually figured it first, out as Dan didn’t recognize him with the new look. Jurgen left the AF in ’99 and worked at Siemens for two years as a project manager. He hopes to start his own hotel chain after graduating, providing low-cost rooms in downtown locations. Dan left the service in ’01 and went straight back to school. He is headed to Alcoa to work in operations as a business specialist. We both graduate on April 25 with an MBA, and Dan will also earn an MSE.” Dan added later, “...once you look past all the hair, the old Jurgen pops right out. I figure he has the perfect hotelier look! The onlything I know about insider politics is where

Here’s the piece from Mike Czarnecki I mentioned at the beginning: “I was a full-time firefighter/paramedic right after I separated out in Salt Lake City. I published a book called the “Field Guide to Critical Care Transports”... which came out about the same time that 9/11 occurred, so I was very much connected to the whole thing when it all happened.

“As for Sept 11 th yeah I was [in New York City] when it happened... and volunteered at the Triage Center at the Chelsea Piers but unfortunately they sent us home the next night... since as we all know now there weren’t any survivors pulled out... and the city emergency officials decided to close down our site in order to relocate resources to the remaining two triage center closer to the WTC site. The following text is an email I sent out to friends soon after that so you can get the full emotion of the situation. It’s hard to describe now. Although it’s been quite some time now... let’s make sure we never forget. I’ve been over to see the new building designs and they are quite impressive. So we are now moving on which is good...and although I will miss NYC...I’m ready to move on too.”

[September, 2001] “Today my heart is still heavy and my sadness for those lost, my fellow firefighters included, still grows. It is a tremendous tragedy. Fingers and toes are literally scattered about. When you find one, you point it out to the investigator, who actually fingerprints it and bags it... they suspect it might be the only identification possible on most of the people. Being actually at the disaster site, there is no description... the only word that I use that keeps coming to mind is Helpless: total and complete helplessness. The carnage is worse than war... because at least then we have some objective and target a known enemy without involving innocent civilians.

“The worst part has been when the Trauma Triage center I was at on Chelsea Piers was shut down and we were told to go home... the expectation and HOPE had been that victims would be found alive and as the systems go overwhelmed, each triage center would receive patients and hopefully still save lives. But as the last minutes of my participation approached, the ChiefTrauma Surgeon for the City of NewYork thanked us and commented on having the best resources available. Unfortunately... he said, we don’t have any patients to use these resources. And with that, I walked down West Side Highway toward the epicenter watching as the blacktop faded gray and then deepened in layers of ash... but the most uplifting moment came as the crowd thickened at the end with NewYorkers, who are still there, holding banners saying ‘We love you’, and ‘America’, and holding American flags... .and as each fresh rescuer, construction worker, and sanitation member heading down into ground zero... the crowd cheered and pumped their fists to those going into hell... but on the other side of the six-lane highway, which is only one way that brings rescuers and workers out ofthe what used to be theWorld Trade Center... you can see the griefrising through their faces covered with ash and small streaks left by sweat and tears... but the crowd also cheered, and whistled them on too... and briefly the most remarkable thing to see is that these

Fromleft are “Scot"Peeke,Angie Cadwell, NickKootsikas, CoreyWormack, andmyself.

Guess who identified the otherfirst!

Bailey with his two humans after ascending Ben Nevis.

tired workers raise their heads... some smile but most simply nod and give the V sign with their hand. I think that pretty much sums it up... the V forVictory... I am proud to be an American and will support whatever it takes to be Victorious... 1 hope you will too.”

Amen.

James S. Mehta

PSC 94, Box 1472

APO AE 09824

DSN: 314-676-6488

Home: jamesmehta@incirlik.net

Work: james.mehta@ogn.af.mil

True Blue Warriors! This is a very critical time in history and I know that 1992ers are helping write it. I’m here in Turkeyonly several hundred miles from Baghdad, but unfortunatelyTeam Incirlikis stillwaiting to be allowed to support our comrades in arms. Of course, we had a hectic last three months getting ready only to be told to stay on the sidelines. I’m sure many of you would have been through here if things had gone according to plan. Hopefully, by the time you read this, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM will be successfully completed. And, if you ever get a moment from your demanding schedules, drop me a note. For those ofyou still withAir Force e-mail, you can even find me in the Air Force global address book.

I think because of how busy everyone is and my new e-mail addresses, I had very little e-mail to include today. I do have a few pictures to make up for it though. Keep the information coming and I want to hear from those of you out of uniform, too.

I updated you on Nicole (Foster) Greenwood and her family last time, but ran out of space to put in her picture. So, here’s the Greenwood family.

Tina Visco and her 1947 Cessna 12 at EdwardsAFB followingher crosscountry trip from Ohio. March 2003.

just has to figure out how to get her car to California. So, if you’re at Edwards or just passing through the Mojave Desert, she welcomes you to look her up and visit for a while.

Well, believe it or not, that exhausts the e-mail for this time. I did hear from some of my old Tarantula buddies like Dave Kumashiro and Don Unwin. Kumo finished UAV training and is spending at least 90 days operating somewhere in SouthwestAsia. (Like you couldn’t have guessed that.) Of course, we don’t know exactlywhere, but those ofyou out there will know. Kumo ran into Paul Mullis and Lee Anderson flying helos through that same unknown location. In case you didn’t read the last Checkpoints issue, Lee Anderson and Edward Engle both were selected as the 2003 Jabara Award recipients for significant contributions to airpower. Congratulations to both of you!

Don Unwin is still flying in the Reserves at Scott AFB while waiting on a start date for a FedEx flyingjob. He has been flying much more than he did on active duty, putting in about 100 flying hours this month. Mostly, he said he has been shuttling crews around the country to get them in place for their missions. He has seen many classmates along the way and has delivered them safely for their next mission.

Finally, I ran into Paul Pidgeon who is here unaccompanied and working as the commander of the air terminal. For Paul, coming unaccompanied is significant since he left five kids home with his wife. Additionally, he is hoping to take leave next week to go home for the birth of#6 in Minnesota. Paul got out of the Air Force a few years ago, but came back on active duty after September 11. He thinks he stay in the AF for a while now since he’s enjoying it once again. Paul is the only True Blue classmate 1 have run into over here, but I’m sure there are many others ofyou that 1 have missed. Since 1 can’t go into tent city, 1 probably miss seeing many of you here TDY.

Nicole, Jeff, and Garrett (15months) at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C., Dec. 2002.

During the NFL playoffs, I heard from my old Edwards AFB roommate Lyle Shidla who was working for a DoD contractor in Boston. He is still enjoying Boston but is now an independent DoD contractor. For now he’ll stay in Boston but could move elsewhere to follow work. Since he missed his days in the blue suit, he is still in the Reserves. In February he took a TDY to Rome for some NATO meetings. Of course he was able to squeeze a few extra days of leave. Unfortunately, as much as 1 wanted to meet him there and visit Rome to see if the Italians know anything about beer, I could not break away from Turkey. At that time everyone here thought we were going to be the most critical base to the war from the North. How things change... In March he again was TDY to NATO Headquarters his ninth TDY in 18 months. He’s working on Combat ID at NATO, something critical to the operations in Iraq. Finally, he mentioned that Blane Rasch and his wife are expecting their first child in May.

Yesterday, I got e-mail from Tina Visco who is starting a new assignment at one of my old stomping grounds, Edwards AFB. After being in the desert for a few years, one is just never quite the same. Anyway, 1 don’t want to scare Tina. Tina will be at NASA Dryden Flight Test Center working as an Operations Engineer for NASA on a project to install a propulsion flight-test fixture on an F-15B. The most interesting thing about her PCS was that she flew out to California from Ohio in her 1947 Cessna 120. It took her 28 flight hours and seven days to make the trip. Now she

Visit the AOG Web Site - Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and More!

www.aog-usafa.org

Well, that’s about it for this time. It’s a little shorter than usual, but with everything going on, I’m grateful that I had some time to get it out at all. Even though Incirlik is not yet in the game, in OSI we are always busyfinding the threats to the base so I stay busy regardless. I hope if any of you come through here, you look me up. And, don’t forget my new e-mail addresses in this column’s header. Good luck, stay safe, and look out for one another so we all return home soon! God bless. Janies.

Michael D. Sundsted

4530 East Castle Drive McGuire AFB, NJ 08641 (609) 724-0866 / DSN: 650-8221

E-mail: Bravecwboy@aol.com

Class Website: www.highflight.com

Greetings “Proud to Be!” Hope this letter finds you very well and ready to attend the reunion on the 10-14 Sep 03. I have had several questions on our upcoming reunion next year. I want to thank all of those who are currently gainfully employed preparing a great reunion. Wispy Speros, Mike Rice, D.J. Vanas, Nicole (Peterson) Haines, and Steve Masiello, ]ason Couisine, and Eric Buhr and I are working hard to make everything “just right” for everyone in September. All of the events and dinners are very well planned and ready for your attendance. I can see the first time that we were smacks and had the class of 1983 sitting at our tables putting us “at rest." It’s time for us to reciprocate! See the AOG website for the most up-to-date information: http://www.aog-usafa.org/index.htm (2003 Reunions). There is also a link to the AOG on our class website. See you at the reunion!

As I right this letter, I am out on the road in South Africa sitting on the veranda of my hotel typing away! I haven’t had much of an opportunity

to fly until know due to my new job at Wing Plans here at McGuire AFB, but I still have had many update letters and appreciate everyone’s inputs that make this column what it is - the Best in Checkpoints'.

On to the updates... Chris “SNAKE” Sandys and his wife have a wonderful baby boy - Christopher Addison. Chris is enjoying selling software for a company called “i2inc.” He loves the sales part of his job and he and his family will be moving to Greenwich, CT.

Donna (Vines) Turner and her husband, Eric, will be at Ramstein working on the HQ USAEE staff until the summer of 2004. Their two girls, Megan and Lindsey, are now six years and 16 months respectively. She reports on Steve Grace, his wife, Zoe, and their two girls are also on the CL staff. Kristin Uchimira is also working at Ramstein on the USAFE contrading staff. Say hello to our many classmates for us!

Nicole (Peterson) Haines gave us a quick update. She is currently working as an IMA with NORAD. She has already been promoted to Major back in 2001 - one of only two of us (to the best of my knowledge) that were promoted early - due in large part to their excellent contributions! Thanks for the update and thanks for working for the class on the reunion!

I FINALLY got an update from Brian Burns (a.k.a. Rug/Beans/Burnsie) out at Luke AFB! Just wondering why you haven’t stopped by when you’ve been through Jersey!? Brian has been at Luke for about three years and should be moving by the end of this one. His big news is that he has recently gotten married (29 Mar 03) to a '95 graduate - Kathy Dullack. We are looking forward to pictures soon and CONGRATS!

Brian updates us on the following: Dag Grantham is out of the AL and flying F- 16s with the Luke Reserves, Craig Hollis should be on his way to T38s at Vance ALB, Lance Pilch is waiting to go to Tyndall as the initial cadre for the F-22 (he’s just a wee-bit smart), Rico Pietrykowski and wife, Susan, just got to Luke ALB from Hill ALB, Joe Thomas is transferring his L-16 piloting skills to the Tucson Reserves, Rob Tofil is also getting out to fly F16s with the Reserves, Chad Harding is the chief of Standardization and Evaluation for the 61 st FS at Luke, Ben Bradley is at the 63rd FS as the weapons officer, and Dave Leazer and Steve Horton are with the 309th FS. Thanks for the great update Brian and best wishes on your upcoming ORI!

Steve Masiello checked in and is doing a great job at reunion planning! He is an attorney for McKenna, Long and Aldridge in Denver. His wife, Jenna (Barasch, CO ’95), is achieving her Master’s Degree in information Technology creating numerous databases and web designs. Steve and Jenna are helping us with the merchandise portion of our reunion - thanks for the great work - it’s much appreciated!

Adam Olshefsky greeted me with a “Happy St. Patty’s Day.” He is out of the AF and currently in Boulder, CO. He admits it’s a strange place for a former grad, but he is concentrating on his Master’s Degree in Telecommunications. He is looking forward to a possible internship this summer and the reunion this fall. Look forward to seeing you!

Our beloved Class President, Wispy Speros, is busy flying his mammoth C-5 around the globe combating terrorism (and enjoying the sights - i.e. Great Falls, MT).

Mark Antonnaci and his wife, Shelley, check in from Niceville, FL and say that barring any unforeseen deployments they will be at the reunion!

Phil and Amy Tucker are (rumor not confirmed) heading out to Alexandria, VA where Phil will fly Air Force 2 along with Bruce Ybarra and Rob Dam! Congrats Phil and make room down there for me -1 might need it!

Aaron Taliaferro checks in from North Jersey. He separated from the AF this year and is currently enjoying gainful employment with Johnson & Johnson in Sommerville, NJ. He is a product director for Lthicon - the medical device part of J & J. He is enjoying the impact his company has on improving people’s quality of life. Aaron is attached to the comptroller squadron at McGuire as a Reservist

Paul Jacquet removed himself from the “lost classmate” list and states the following. He is stationed at Charleston AFB since Jun 02. He is the Maintenance Ops Officer for the 437th AMW. His wife, Jill, and children, Lindsey, Matt and Elijah love Charleston.

Charlie Bodine is an F-15 instructor at Tyndall and may be bringing a two or four-ship to our reunion! That’ll be great!

I want to take one last opportunity to encourage everyone to attend the class reunion in a few months. Our goals were stated in the letter 1 sent to you from the AOC: First, have a wonderful and memorable time; second, maximize the turnout; and third, connect with the largest possible number of classmates. We have had quite an impact on this world since our graduation in 1993 and there are only great things to come for us all! The reunion is a great time to make connections with each other. We helped

each other constantly for four yearsyou never know how we can help each other in the future! For those who cannot attend due to business or military conflicts in the world we are going to miss you!

My wife, Lori, and 1 are having a great time in New Jersey with our son Collin. I am still working at Wing Plans and Lori still teaches (part time now). We look forward to seeing you ALL at the reunion! CO AIR FORCE, BEAT NORTH TEXAS!

C. C. Masotti

7608 Southern Oak Drive 4 Springfield, VA 22153

H: (703) 644-4332

W: (703) 697-1383 or DSN 227-1383

Fax: (703) 695-8884 or DSN 225-8884

E-mail: bowhead94@hotmail.com

Hi all! 1 mentioned in the last column that those on active duty would meet our major’s board in May, but missed the following. As of25 March, the following ’94 grads were promoted to major in the USAL Reserve: Janeen (Gentry) Bowen, Courtney (Miner) Castaneda, Tom Connelly, Dave Dick, Jim Fabio, Chris Gerfen, Rebecca (Currie) Cray, Brady Johnson, Tim McGavern, Kevin Pfeil, Lauren Sheahan, Sam Shifflett, and Steve Woods. Congrats!

I’m sure there’s a full spread on the latest USAFA “scandal” in this issue of Checkpoints, so 1 won’t repeat the details, but 1 will share that, although 1 don’t necessarily agree with all the decisions being made, our leaders are truly not making them in a vacuum. They have a great advisory team and look to a wide spectrum of grads for input. We were fortunate here in D.C. to have two large Capitol Chapter AOC meetings to discuss the issues one of which SecAF and CSAF attended to update us. The best advice we got: write your elected leadership very few of them know what life is really like at the Academy, but they have the power to change everything about our institution. Don’t miss the chance to tell your side of the story...

At one of the local grad meetings, I saw Navy pilot (and proud daddy), LT Mark Torreano there he’ll be in D.C. for another two years and is getting married Labor Day weekend near Pittsburgh. Of course, he keeps close contact with his sister Marcy, Jack, and Nicholas Antedomenico, who are moving from Randoph to Vance where Jack will be a T-38 IP. PJ Pelkington (Space Systems, Cheyenne Mountain) wrote about the removal of the “Bring Me Men” sign and said he’s looking to potentially move to D.C. this summer. And Dr. Rachel (Call) Hight (Keesler, but PCSing to Kadena) and Kelly Healy (lawyer, San Diego) both responded to an e-mail I sent about Academy changes. Kelly is in touch with several grads, including Kurt Gordon (deployed with 11 th Marines); Andy Ouimet (MBA student, U of Michigan getting married this fall); Dr. Adelle Belisle (orthopedic surgery resident, U Conn, Hartford); Titi SU (L.A. AFB); Stu Eberhardt (L.A. ALB married to Dei last fall); Danny and Lllie Piper (real estate, L.A.); and Jack & Christa East. I’ll get to see Kelly at Natalie Holzherr’s (’96) May wedding.

If the latest on the Academy is news to you, please do me a favor after you read this log on and update your address and e-mail information with the AOC. The Register of Graduates is disseminated each fall, but goes to print in the summer. It will not only update your info in the book, but will ensure you get Academy-related e-mails.

While you’re at it, check out our class homepage, like Ken and Kim Nguyen (Fit CC, Tinker), married last August in two different ceremonies celebrating in both American and Vietnamese styles; Jim Sikra (Space Ops, Onizuka); and John Jungblut (General Mills, Cedar Rapids, LA). Luke Gianelloni (Wg Facilities Mgr, Lglin); Deb Reuther (Intel, Langley); Preston “P” Schlachter (Services, Peterson); Ernest Kim (Project Engineer, Hanscorn); Jill (Rylaarsdam) Santoro (Mom, San Antonio); Chuck Perkins (T-37 IP, Columbus); Case Cunningham (L-15, Nellis); and Todd Stratton (Instructor, USAFA) also checked in, Korea seems as popular as ever, as Rich Lubey (F-16, Kunsan) just got there as Steve Anderson (Aerospace Physiologist, Davis-Monthan) and Mark Shideler (Lit Surgeon, Llmendorf) just wrapped up their first and second Korea tours, respectively. James Winner (Hillsboro OH) invited everyone to visit the Subway store he manages, while Mike and Christine Reed (Program Mgr, USSTRATCOM) invited any Nebraska visitors to stay with them, Brittany (6), and Jordan (4). Though deployed to A1 Jaber, Kuwait, Hendrik Van De Pol (LOD, Hurlburt) got to see Steve Crotjohn, Han Shim, and Freeman Holifield around base before leaving Hurlburt. Also writing: Jason Hover (C-17, Altus); Danny Menashi (pilot, Fairchild); Bryan Eberhardt (Acquisitions); and Matt Burba (Quality Assurance Manager, Flushing Ml). Luis Villalobos (Environmental Engineer, Dresden, Germany) asked for updates on CS-35 classmates, while James Zirkel (Security Forces, Kirtland) and his wife are recovering from 21 months in Izmir, Turkey and enjoying life with Grace (5), Zack (4), and Jonathan (1).

If you don’t have time to update your info online, just e-mail me like

Steacy and Lisa Housholder (B-2, Whiteman) who are enjoying the break from five years of B-52 deployments. The war has slowed down Steacy’s training, giving him time with Kelsie (2Vfe) and newborn Brynna Grace (born in Oct), as well as with next-door neighbors Mark and Sloan Pye. It hasn’t been so kind to Joe Michalek, who had been deployed four months when his bride, Angela, wrote in early March. Though missing him terribly, Angela stays busy chauffeuring Brock, Brant and Spencer to myriad baseball events. Also on the road is Deb Reuther, who deployed to Al Jaber just before the start of the war. She’s ready to start working on our reunion when she returns, so here’s a picture of her and Kevin Pfeil just to get them in the nostalgic spirit!

Ourpresident and vice: Deb Reuther and Kevin Pfeil.

I also heard from Debra (Nawrocki) Luker, who loves lawyer life at Eglin with hubby, Joel. She was recently Legal Advisor for an Aircraft Accident Investigation Board at Tyndall and, as a bonus, enjoyed learning how we convert mothballed F-4s into manned and unmanned drones.

I’ve also heard from some fellow “Freaks” from CS-23, like Jason and Nicole Forrest (F-15, Kadena) who are enjoying life with Jordan (5) and Cade (2), and the opportunity to see squadron-mates Wes and Phoebe Smith and tanker pilot Andy Popiel. They’re also in contact with Brock Oaks, who recently earned his Master’s from Columbia. Ed Kaplan (History Instructor, USAFA) will PCS to Osan in July, then follow his remote with a PhD program back in the States. Rounding out the squadron gang, I occasionally see presidential appointee Bob Goodwin here in the D.C. area. A few weeks ago, his girlfriend Carrie treated Jeff Barlow and me to a WestWing tour, after which we all caught up at D.C.’s famous Old Ebbitt Grill. Bob was a key player in last year’s mid-term elections and stays busyworking on a State Department task force for Sudan, while Jeff is an MBA candidate at the University of Maryland.

SO, with that in mind, please remember you’re all more than welcome to come visit! Rick Bailey (’92), recently stopped through on a house-hunting trip for his PhD program at Georgetown. We had a great time catching up and enjoyed D.C.’s famous Cherry Blossom Festival in great spring weather and I’d be glad to show any ofyou around this great city as well! In the interim, have a wonderful, safe, and blessed summer! Take caie & God Bless! C.C.

Don Kang 5806 B Poplar Circle

Shaw AFB, SC 29152 BudaF16@yahoo.com

Greetings from Base X in the desert. I’m writing on Day 4 ofthe war. As you might expect, the class is well represented here.

Roll Call: Prep for OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM ramped up as soon as we got out here. Flying F-16CJs here with me at Base X and sucking down omelets like there’s no tomorrow are Frank “Bruiser” Bryant, Missy “Shock” May, Sam “Vandal” Mann, Jason “Nails” Plourde, and Garret “Swing” Lowe. I saw AWACS extraordinaire John Rhone here, as well. At a different location from here are Dylan “Stump” Baumgartner and Chris Kibble flying F-16CJs. Brett Blake, Eric “Boot” Das [Editor’s note: We regret to inform the class that Eric Das was killed when his F-15 crashed in Iraq in earlyApril. See the related article in the frontportion ofthis magazine.] and Drew “Rags” Morrison are also there flying Strike Eagles. At yet another location, Bill “Wilbur” Betts is the patch for a squadron of F16CG strikers. My SA is low on what’s going on in the north, so if you’re there, fill me in. Endless waiting finally paid off on A-Day (night), when the killing began in earnest.

1 also had the treat of spending Presidents’ Day weekend with Jane (Decker) Gibson (Space Ops, Cheyenne Mountain) and her mother near Philadelphia, albeit for the saddest circumstances. After years of struggling with his health, her father succumbed and went to the Lord. We’re certain he was laughing as we struggled to get out of town in the midst of the East Coast snowstorm that weekend! Jane and Jeff (’95) are expecting baby #4 in early July, giving a little brother to Regan (10), Sarah (4), and Jason (3). Before the new baby frenzy takes over the house, they all escaped in March for a quick trip to Disneyland.

Doesn’t escaping to Disneyland sound great? Unfortunately, I have no current travel plans except for a week-long trip with Prince Faisal (Jordanian Air Chief) in June. Good thing I love the area because it looks like I may be here until next summer and possibly as late as summer '05...

Firstnight ofthe war: Livid 75 Right - from left are Skid Williams (1999), Frank “Bruiser” Bryant (1995), Don “Buda” Kang (1995), Buster Charrier (ROTCpunk).

WAR: After a lengthy regimen of “softening up” (sts) the AOR prior to kick-off, we finally got the show started on March 21 st Quite a sight to see, especially at night. Just like you’d expect, your classmates performed brilliantly - dropping JDAM and LGBs, launching CALCMs and HARMs. Too early right now for specifics, but once the show is over and word filters back to me, we’ll name names and get a good look back on what everyone did.

Back Home: Nate Tart wrote from Corpus to update us on the boys flying the Four Fans of Freedom. Nate finished UPT in February and is getting ready for Here School. Final destination, Yokota AB, Japan. King Air IPs at Corpus include Sonny Kim, Brian Waypa, and Hal Halverson.

Ed Hopkins was recently featured in the February issue ofEbonyMagazine as one oftheir “Young Leaders ofthe Future.” Ed owns his own company, Criterion Management Consulting, in Tucson, AZ.

Nick “Cat” Guttman wrote from Lakenheath AB, UK. Steve “Grit” Owen is flying Eagles there with him. Nick was at Nellis for the last WIC graduation. Mike Curly (A-10) and Rob Teschner (F-15C) took DC awards. Andy Stone got a Top Stick award in the A-10. Cat also ran into John Wilcox, who’s enjoying the slopes in Utah when not flying F-16CGs at Hill AFB. Damon Anthony is going to be a Strike Eagle IP at theWIC. Drew Rydland became a dad recently; baby girl named Lexi. Final word from Lakenheath... Cat’s going to be a dad - his wife, Bridget, will deliver in May. Shortly after, the Guttman clan will PCS to Nellis where Cat will work in the 422nd.

George Rivera jumped ship and is flying P-3s for the Navy out of Brunswick, ME. Just back from a six-month OEF tour, he is now on his

Bob Goodwin, C.C. Masotti, and JeffBarlow unwind after a West Wing tour.

way to Kadena AB, Okinawa. George writes that Erich Moulder is also doing the P-3 thing at Misawa, Japan. Jim Olsen is flying KC-lOs with the Dutch Air Force. Steve “Ivan” Alexander and Jim Alexander are both stationed at Hurlbert Field in Florida. Scottie McNeil is a civilian, selling pharmaceuticals in Montana. Tony Dicarlo is a Luftwaffe Rhino instructor at Holloman and on his way to Kadena and back to light grays. Brian Dickson is out and working marketing in Utah.

Jamie Moss, Nick Guttman, and Nick’s wife, Bridget, atRAb Mildenhall, United Kingdom.

The Stork wrote me from the great white north. Chris “Stork” Hummel, Mike “Thud” Ihode, and Dan Gable aie flight commanders (F-16CG) at Eielson AFB, Alaska. Thode married his wife, Claudia, in Italy (she’s Halian). Dan’s wife had a baby boy this time last year and will have number two here in about six months. The Stork’s also going to be a daddy nere pretty soon. He and Thud have been competing in International Snowmobile Association races and decorate their desks at work with the trophies. Sound like fun? Thud also writes that they cancelled flying for the day because the temp was below their negative 40-degree cutoff.

part of the long weekend, Matt Linnell and his wife, Monica, planned a great trip to Seoul for several of us with a highlight being a trip to the Seoul Symphony. Matt recently PCSd to Vance AFB where he will be a T-38 IE The Thanksgiving crew got back together for T-MAC’S going away and a traditional Juvat farewell. Kerre’s husband, Damon (’91), also joined us while he was visiting the ROK for several weeks. T-MAC and Esther are heading to Columbus AFB where they will be IP’s with Reid and Lori Rasmussen (Edinger). Also flying Juvat vipers are Johnny Vargas, going to Aviano, Paul Willingham (recently crossed over from C- 130s) and Alan Wigdahl, selected for Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB.

Wrap-up: That will have to do it for now. When able, send me some word on what you were doing during the war, what you dropped, and who you took out. Next update should be a good one. HARRUMPH!

Meiissa S. Cunningham

220 Bowens Mill Drive Bonaire, GA 31005 (478) 975-9707

E-mail: fmcunningham@aoi.com or melissa.cunningham@robins.af.mil

Hello from the Wolfpack.. .This is Andrea Vinyard. I'm guest writing this edition of Checkpoints for Mel, as she is either TDY or waiting for the plane to take off, as many of you are. As usual, life on the ROK is hoppin’ and srrow abounds, usually in the form of blizzards. I’ve been on the peninsula just over eight months and am having a great time. I’ve had a chance to hike many local trails and the Great Wall, sit on the beach in Phukett, visit Laos, and have honed my negotiation skills (yes, what we learned in management is true... anything is negotiable if you are willing to walk away). Korea has been great, I’ve made some great friends and continue to see familiar faces all over the world.

I spent Thanksgiving Day at Osan with Kerre* Scarborough (Ellis), Esther McElhinney (Obert) both flying F-16s with the Fiends; and Tom “T-MAC” McElhinney, flying F-16s with the Juvats at Kunsan. We managed to prepare a meal that would make any gour met chef proud. As

OK... on to news everyone has sent to me over the last couple ofweeks. Chris Sims recently returned from his second OEF deployment and continues to enjoy his assignment at Hurlburt Field. Amidst the deployments, Chris has managed to keep his personal life exciting he was actually in Bali last year when the dance club was bombed. JR Lawless recently sent out a Black Panther update.,. Chris Sheppard is an IP and Andy Meehan is working OSI at Luke AFB, Johan Deutscher is flying F15Cs at Mountarn Home, Adam Flood is flying C-21s at Randolph, Mark Gehringer recently returned from Afghanistan flying the AC-130, Kevin Silknitter is headed to Elmendorf to fly F* 15Cs, Jason Ar nold is a doctor at EglinAFB, Hayley Parker rs out ofthe AF working in Atlanta, and Kevin Willits is loving life at Pope AFB and in the A-10. JR is now: a civilian finishing up his MBA and excited to start work as a financial advisor in Kansas City, MO. JR was married in May 2002 and several folks from the squadron made an appearance... Scott Loienz flying MC-130s at Kaderra, Matt Dean out of the AF; Erin Finningsmier (Berry) rumored to be a civilian and living in Omaha while her husband Chris Finningsmier is working weather at Offutt AFB, Andy Meehan, and Chris Sims. Another Blank Panther just joined the Kunsan crew... Chuck Podolak (’95) is the new Juvat weapons officer.

Matt Menneli has recentlyseparated from the Air Force and is living in Los Angeles with his wife, Jennifer. Matt is now the assistant soccer coach at Loyola Marymount University. Ryan Hurt moved from one hot spot to another, Hickam to Kirtland AFB, NM with his family. Mark Degironimo married his longtime girlfriend and is flying KC-lOs out of McGuire AFB, NJ. Shaka Walker is currently an orthopedics resident at Travis AFB, CA; Kip Kiefer is getting an MBA from Arizona, and Roh Figueroa is out of the AF working in L.A.

I ran into AJ Mimms while shopping at Osan, he’s working as a lugplanner in 7AF, Osan AB. He spent New Year’s Eve at the annual Dragon Hill party with Erin Pyle and other friends, (see photo).

LTCJamesAlexander (Steve andJim’s dad), Scottie McNeil, TonyDicarlo, George Rivera, and Brian Dickson (with son) at the Air Force versus San Diegogame.

Brett Rawald, Thad Woods, Todd Robbins, and Dax Cornelius are also stationed at Osan AB flyrng F-16s. Rita Perez, also stationed at Osan, is working Intel and is on her way to RAF Lakenheath. Tony Principi and I were stationed in together in England, but didn’t see each other verymuch because we were both traveling. He’s usually in Africa planning exercises or working multi-national logistics issues...Torry is the logistics

advisor to the 3AF/DO. Also in Europe, Sean Rassas e-mailed from Spangdahlem where he’s flying F-16s with Chris Krosschell. Tad Clark, currently at Kunsan flying with the Pantons, will be joining the group at Spangdahlem later this year. Sean and his family are enjoying their time in Europe and spent Christmas in Zermatt, Switzerland with Aaron Steffens (’92) and Mark Bjorgen (’93) currently stationed at Aviano. Karamo Hayward is also at Kunsan; he works in the OSS and is attached to the Pantons.

Sonny Sarkar e-mailed me between his world travels... he’s a civilian jet-setting around the world managing different construction venues. In the past month he’s been around the world; L.A., Boston, Hong Kong and Lima. The Caballero’s, Tom and Jenn (Spindle), are finishing up their master’s degrees in Boston and are planning a move this summer. Tom will be making the jump into the civilian world this summer and should have his hands full. Jennifer Hammerstedt, also on the East Coast, is working as an exec at ACC. Jeff Skinner is a flight surgeon at Langley he was the Juvat flight surgeon at Kunsan when I arrived in July.

While TDY to Colorado Springs, I got together with Carrie Wood (Barker) at the Ritz; some things never change! It was great catching up... she’s currently teaching English at the Prep School and coaching basketball. Carrie’s also been luckyenough to live in Colorado four ofthe past sixyears.

Melissa Baumann sent a couple of pictures from her wedding in June 2002. She married Ben Phillips, who she met in SOS. The groomsmen were gracious enough to give the newlyweds, title and all, a 1970s-era station wagon getaway car, Chevy Chase style in National Lampoon’s Vacation. They followed the wedding up with a honeymoon in Maui and now both instruct in the T-37 at Sheppard AFB.

I also received an in-depth update from the Rusty Yerkes and the rest of the Grim Reapers which I’ll do my best to summarize. Shea Brannan is going through an orthopedic residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, Niko Bronson is teaching English at USAFA and was married in July, Dewayne Creamer is at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey with a follow-on to teach at the zoo, John Frazey recently had a son, Justis Scott, and will be going to CSU in the fall. BJ Fry recently graduated from the Intel division ofWeapons School and is currently stationed at Holloman AFB, NM, Matt Giese is flying F-15Cs with the 19th FS at Elmendorf, Dago Guerrero is hanging out in Columbia, and Brian Gwinnup recently PCSd from Grand Forks to Kadena. Kris Hughes and Noel Lipana and, John Lodmell are all civilians. Tom McIntyre recently PCSd to the D.C. area and Joel Safranek is now at MacDill. Eric Sands recently separated and became an Active Reservist similar to active duty without having to move around; he continues to work with the GPS system and now has three children. Tom Ste Marie is at PatrickAFB working with the 1 st Space Launch Squadron at Cape Canaveral.

For all of you deployed and those soon to be... be safe and take care. Next issue, Mel should be back. I had a great time writing this thanks for all of the e-mails. If any of you make it to D.C. over the next couple of years... look me up...Andi

Melvin E. Maxwell, Jr.

1479 Eagle Highlands Fairborn, OH 45324

Home: (937) 320-1587

Cell: (937) 367-7196

W: melvin.maxwell@afit.edu

H: mel_maxwell97@hotmail.com

Hi everyone. It’s been a pretty rough few months for the alma mater. From the 20/20 expose to the announced removal of “Bring Me Men”...here’s another blow. I haven’t received any news these past few

months to pass on. No doubt many of our classmates are at home or deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and writing me is likely the last thing on their minds. So, unfortunately, I've only got a few tidbits of information to pass on this time.

In February, I headed out to Los Angeles for a brief escape from my first Ohio winter. Once again, I stayed with roommate from CS-13, Brad Holtmeier. While visiting, I got ran into Mark Kilgore and Chris Schweighardt. Mark has separated from the Air Force and is working for the consulting firm, Bearing Point, in San Diego. When I saw him, he was about a month away from getting married to his long-time girlfriend Jess. On the other hand, Chris is still a single man and was an able accomplice to Brad and me terrorizing the Hermosa Beach singles scene. Chris has slimmed down considerably from his football playing days at the Academy. In fact, many stories continually led back to Chris’ legendary "junk in the trunk” ofyesteryear. Chris, Brad, and Roberto Figueroa (’96) have just moved into a house on the beach together. Chris has plans to separate from the Air Force this summer. Although I don’t have any statistics to verify, I have to believe the Air Force is running an 85% attrition rate for officers once they get assigned to Los Angeles AFB.

Carl, Brad, Mel and Chris

Brad also passed on that Matt Horin and his wife, Jess, recendy came to town. Matt is finishing up MH-53 training and is on his way to Hurlburt Field in June.

Last issue, 1 told you Julio Negron was on his way to Wright Patterson. Julio went TDY about four times to include SOS before we were able to catch up. In fact, Julio will deploy to Uzbekistan for six months in April. Julio is actually set to depart on the same day his wife, Erica, is due to deliver their second child. Plans were to induce labor in hopes Julio can see his new little one before heading off. I’ve included a picture to show offJulio’s little boy, Ty. Included in the photo are Julio, son Ty, Julio’s brother who goes to Marshall University, and Julio’s dog Forrest. Chris Kay’s dog actually gave birth to Forrest, so Ty is not the only Academy legacy story in the photo.

Julio, Ty, Jam and Forrest

Hot off the presses! NewsteJl “Chuck" Laney is now a father. Chuck’s wife gave birth to their son, David Michael Laney on March 18 at 3:44 in the morning. Chuck and family are in San Antonio, TX where Chuck assists in support officer flesh-peddling at Randolph AFB.

Alright folks, hate to disappoint you but that is all I have this time. Please take a minute to drop me a line and let me know how you’re doing. I’m sure everyone would like to hear from you. As an administrative aside, in light ofthe academy’s approaching 50th anniversary, the Academyis seeking inputs on squadron patches and asks if anyone knows of the ere-

ation, history and significance of their squadron patch, send information to Duane Reed (Duane.Reed@usafa.af.mil), Head of Special Collections at the Cadet Library. Take care and best of luck and safe return to all serving in the Gulf.. .Mel

Karin (Klein) McWhorter

9811 E. Cisco Court

Tucson, AZ 85748

H: (520) 885-8697/W: (520) 228-i

W: karin.mcwhorter@dm,at.mil

Can you believe it has been five years since leaving the Academy? And now, many classmates are leaving the Air Force, including me. 1 will start my terminal leave on Aug 1 st and will start teaching High School Math on 16 Aug. I will stay in the Reserves as a public affairs IMA to the 355lh Wing at Davis-Monthan. We should be stationed here for a few more years. Brian Weiland, Sam Berenguer, Becky Muggli, Drew Dougherty and John Stanley are all flying A-10s here. John and my husband, Andrew, are currently serving as Battalion Air Liaison Officers (BALO) with the 4th Infantry Division in Kuwait. Adam Burch is deployed with the local C-130 squadron and Diane (Carloni) Burch is getting out this summer. Steve Bereit and Colin Clingan are already out and I am sure there are many more, but these are the only ones 1 know about.

This month 1 received a lot of updates so I will get light to them: Moe Lee wrote to say that as ofFeb 24,2001 he is married to the former Christy Alexander of Factoryville, PA. She’s stationed with him at Edwards AFB, CA. She’s a Flight Test Engineer and he is working with the B-l, B-2, and B-52 at Edwards as a Maintenance Officer. They have a small black Labrador retriever named Charlie. His old roommate Nathan Lang is statinned out at Vandenberg AFB, just two hours away.

Danny Smith wrote to say that he and his wife, Marcy, had a beautiful baby girl on Jan 3rd. He PCSd to Fairchild in March after instructor pilot school at Altus. He had the following updates: Knute Adcock got married to a girl from Puerto Rico named Nini and he recently upgraded to Aircraft Commander. Jeremy Fischman is about to PCS to Kadena. Nick and Lisa (Kaplan) Stengle are stationed in England and have an awesome house there. Ozzie is somewhere in Afghanistan and who knows when he will be back. Clint Saffo just got back from A/C upgrade and is waiting for an assignment.

Greg Martin and his wife, Sheila, welcomed home Grace Elizabeth Marianna Martin who they adopted on March 3. They both feel very blessed and are very happy with their growing family. Greg is finishing his second year at Notre Dame where his is getting his MBA. Once that is complete he will head back to the Academy to teach Management. His wife recently recorded a CD. He recently talked to Todd Strawser who will also be teaching at the Academy next fall. He and wife, Jessica, are expecting their second child

She went to SOS in Nov and saw tons of grads, including Chad Marschessault who was in her flight. She is now an AMU OIC for F-15Cs. She also wrote that Julia East married Mick Phillips in Sep 01 and just had a baby named Brooke this past Feb. She is stationed at AFPC in San Antonio and is an analyst.

Sarah Emory is presently deployed in support ofthe war effort as a maintenance officer in support of the KC-lOs. They are working a lot and stayirrg very busy. Joy Boston is still in Korea with a follow-on assignment to Germany. She recently ran into Tony Acosta and Ben Buller (’99) at base ops. They flew in fromYokota on their C-21. Roy Recker wrote in with a lot of updates on grads. Lance Rosa-Miranda is a T-l IP at Columbus but he will transition to the AC-130U at Hurlburt Field. Mel Korsmo is a KC-135 pilot at Mildenhall and loves it over there! Matt Matocha is currently on his way out the door ofGunter, but Roy couldn’t remember where he is headed. Brian Quinn lives with Matt and is a G-21 pilot at Maxwell. Drew Rolph is mar ried and doingwell, living in Boston, working at Hanscom. Chet Bryant is also married and working at Hill AFB. Both he and his wife are on their way to AF1T. Matt Dunker is getting out and going to Cornell on a full-ride scholarship for his master’s. He and his wife, Kerrie (Gribuski), have a little girl Avery. Jennie Steldt and Doug Arioli are both flying C-17s at Charleston, Clirrt Henderson is flying F-16s for the 510th at Aviano. John Borowski married Miss Alaska last summer and is flying C-5s at Travis. Scott Chandler is married with two kids, and is separating from theAF. Gerry Gonzalez is at Edwards and works with AFOTEC on the X-45 UCAV Brandy Kappel is flying Hueys at Minot and is on her way to school for HH-60 transition. Jen Fugiel is flying AWACS at Tinker. Kevin Divers is working on the F/A-22 at Edwards. He’s the Life Support lead. Roy is doing maintenance on the F/A22 right now, but finally got his eyes fixed. He is going to SUPT on 23 April 03 at Laughlin. His wife, Felicia (Thompson) Recker, is the program manager for the X-45 UCAV and will be leaving the AF in May. Jeremy Stringer is working JSF at Edwards. Jennifer Petykowski is an acquisition officer at L.A. AFB. Jennifer Pollard is in transportation at Scott AFB and is getting out and moving to L.A.

Mike Willis and his bride, Yulia, and

with wife, Frannie. Mike Willis married the lovely Yulia Rosin on May 25th of last year in Miami Beach, FL. They had an awesome ceremony at Villa Vizcaya, an old mansion that’s now a park, with a reception at the Mayfair House Hotel in Coconut Grove. Grads attending included the best man, Tony Jiovani, Patrick Williams, Mark Allan Navo, David Eisenbrey, Jonathan Richards (Kegler), Teri Williams (Allen 96) and Bill Walpert (’94). Tony is in Albuquerque, NM working as Chief of Engineering and Mission Operations for a Satellite program. He and his wife recently had their first child, Allison. Allan is doing launch operations for EELV at Vandenberg AFB, and is getting married sometime in December. Pat Williams, now a father of two, is playing weatherman at Vandenberg, but is due to PCS with Teri and family to Ft Hood, TX. Kegs is in San Antonio for grad school, and Dave Eisenbrey is at Grand Forks flying KC- 135s. Bill Walpert is at Offutt AFB, NE with RC- 135s. Yulia and Mike PCSed from Offutt AFB to Ft Meade, MD last summer, right after the honeymoon in Hawaii.

Shane Vesely and Frannie Goode of Sheridan, AR got married on Jan 11 on the beach next to their home in Destin, FL. They had planned an April wedding but Shane received deployment orders for the end ofJanuary so they got married earlier. Frannie is a graduate of the University ofArkansas and majored in psychology. Shane finished AC school and is flying the MC-130E Talon in Special Operations out of Duke Field.

Well, that is all the updates for this month. I am sure that many of our classmates are busy with Operation Iraqi Freedom and our prayers are with them.

Visit the AOG Web Site: www.aog-usafa.org

Danny and Marcy Smith and Greg and Sheila Martin with their new daughters.

Charity (Kauffman) Banks got married in Nov. 00 to Keith Banks and they moved to Lakenheath Jurr 01 and had a babyboy, Shawn in July 02.

Charity (Kauffman) Banks with son Shawn andJulia (East) Phillips with daughterBrooke.

Shane Vesely

James W. Busch

16015

(623) 451-3700

E-mail: jbusch99@msn.com

’99 Greetings and salutations. I’m writing from DJ Wittich’s house in Cape Canaveral, FL. After finishing RTU at Luke AFB in February, I’ve been TDY to Fairchild AFB for some all-too-realistic resistance training and then to Pensacola NAS for water survival. My wife and I are now enjoying a short vacation in south Florida, which conveniently coincides with spring break for most of the Florida schools. Our journeys will terminate at the end of March at Hill AFB, UT where I will be flying the world’s finest multi-role fighter with the Fighting Fuujins ofthe 4th Fighter Squadron. Please note that my address listed above is not current, but the phone number and e-mail are. Try the latter if you need to get in touch with me. On another admin note, USAFA is seeking inputs on squadron patches for its 50th anniversary celebration. If any ofyou know of the creation, history and significance ofyour squadron’s patch, please e-mail Duane.Reed@usafa.af.mil, Head of Special Collections at the Cadet Library. They’vepromised lunch on the stafftower with Mitch’s Mountains for those providing information.

Now for the news: before leaving Luke I bumped into Chad Ryan, who is in Phoenix as a personnel officer. Chad has taken an unusually circuitous career route, but is happy to be leading the personnel troops. John Fenwick showed up on my front doorstep just in time to help us shampoo our carpets as part of our pre-departure house cleaning. He had taken a bus from Tucson where he presented some of his recent research on IR imaging at a Raytheon conference. John is still at Hanscom AFB living in the same house as when he first attended MIT four years ago, and he was engaged a few months back to his longtime girlfriend Nikki. They will be married sometime next summer in Washington DC. Thanks again for the help John and congratulations.

On my way to Fairchild I stopped in on my new squadron and saw some familiar faces. Nick Evans flies with the 4th and works in scheduling. He was married a few months back to girl he met in RTU at Luke. Terry Blakemore is back to flying after a lengthy medical hiatus. He and his wife, Delinda, have a house on base, and their daughter Abagail is now almost a year old. Matt Crowell is also in my squadron, but I haven’t had a chance to interrogate him yet.

After a lovely week at Water Survival I stopped in to see Seth Deam who works as an Operations Analyst for AFOTEC. Although the crux of his job is to brief generals on various test and evaluation programs, he has managed to bum rides on several airframes, including an AC-130 on a live-fire exercise. He keeps a bouquet of flowers in one of the empty shell casings. Seth is also an intramural bowler and leader of his church youth group, and his wife, Erica, teaches at a local high school and coaches whatever sport happens to be in season. They have a wonderful home just outside of Hurlburt which I forgot to take a picture of for Checkpoints.

That brings me to where I am now, writing this article between Caucasians and “The Big Lebowski” at DJ Wittich’s pad. DJ is OIC of engineering for the 3 rd Space Launch Squadron. With the help of his Cape Canaveral line badge and brand new Infinity G-35, DJ has made numerous contacts amongst the local female populace.

“As close as I’ll everget to the driver’s seatofDJ’s new car.

I did get a few words via e-mail. Most notably, Jim Taggert and his wife, Jane, made Taggert family history when Jane gave birth to Jace Wesley Taggart on the morning of February 15, 2003. Way to go Jim and Jane!

I also received a last-minute e-mail from Pat McDonough, who is finishing up dental school at UNC Chapel Hill in May. He’ll be heading to Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland for a three-year residency pro-

"Taggertfamilydogshows its enthusiasm for the new arrival. gram in periodontics. His wife, Lee, is also graduating from UNC with two master’s degrees and she’ll be joining Pat as an intern atWilford Hall. Pat also mentioned that Dax Presuto was engaged to his awesome girlfriend (now fiance) Melanie Bates (’01).

Folks, I haven’t been in touch with many of you for some time now. As I settle into my first real assignment and actually get on global e-mail I hope to do a better job keeping up with everyone. Thanks for your help in making these articles interesting for everyone to read. Until next time

James

Jason “JW” Simmons

110 Mara Court Prattville, AL 36066

Email: Simmons@HotPOP.com

Jason.Simmons@Maxwell.af.mil

Samantha Drew is back at the Academy already, working as a nurse practitioner at the USAFA Hospital. She says, “C-springs is ever changing and I have yet to see the ‘real’ AF, but the mountains are still beautiful and the flashbacks are lessening in intensity.”

Rob Ellis has received news that he and wife, Amy, will be heading to JICPAC in July. That stands for the Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific, at Pearl Harbor. He’ll be working as a current intelligence analyst for the Pacific Theater and intelligence targeteer for a three-year assignment there. They are very excited about going to Hawaii and relayed that you should stop by if you’re ever in the neighborhood. He recently talked to Heather D’Annunzio who is doing very well in New York. Dave Francis headed to Kunsan to fly block 40 F-16’s in April.

Well, Drew Steadman is the Battalion Adjutant for 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute InfantryRegiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC and he’ll be deployed to Afghanistan from June to December 2002.

Rob Brooks writes that he is in the same class with Brian Bragg, Steve Graham, Matt Busch, and Scott Johnson and that theydoing well flying F- 16s at Luke AFB. They received their assignments back in February. Rob and Matt are going to fly Block 50s at Cannon. Brian is going to the Block 50 at Shaw. Steve will be heading off to Misawa, and Scott will be going to Hill. In April, their class was in the middle of the Air-to-Ground phase, with a scheduled graduation date of late May.

Buster Ascol and Howie Schmidt are at Dover flying C-5s. They have been busy flying back and forth to the lovely Middle East. Both need a vacation

Chris England was married 1 June 02 to Leah Edwards and is in contracting at Charleston. He recently spoke with Ciri Villarreal who’s in upgrade to be an F-15E WSO and Josh Westby flying the KC-135 at Grand Forks. Jacob Rodriguez is newly married to Stephanie Rader (’01) while Matt Hummell is in maintenance supporting the 1st FW at Langley.

Casey Moores said that his mom mailed him the last issue of Checkpoints out to OEF land. And want to add to the part about Rob Taylor making two grand history haloing in Uzbekistan. He was the copilot on the plane, so it was a big 2000 party up there. While Rob was there the PJ building was the party place. Casey is flying HC-130s out in sand land, but is based out of Moody. And word has it Jim Marion (a Bull Sixer too) might be joining the squadron soon

Scott Charlton remarked that several classmates have been piped through pilot training down at Sheppard and a number of them are off now to all the different RTUs. Brian Budde and Greg Ebert are both at Tyndall flying F-15Cs. Brian Stahl and Scott Ahrens are just starting F-16 RTU at Luke while Kevin Lord is doing the same, only he is with a Guard Training Unit in Springfield, OH. Eric Schmidt and Brandon Williams just started F- 15E RTU at Seymour Johnson and Scott Charlton is leaving

Sheppard in May with his wife and son for F-15E RTU in June. Allison Hartmann ships off from Sheppard in April for Davis-Monthan where she will start A-10 RTU.

Kris Malloy will be deployed to the Balkans in late March and will be working at the U.S. National Intelligence Center in Sarajevo. He's expecting 179 days. He has moved from four other locations within a two-month time span, from Kandahar, Afghanistan, to Sarajevo, to A1 Udied, to Shaw AFB, SC, and back to Sarajevo.

Tracy (Wilkerson) and James Foster are at Kadena and are expectingtheir first-born, due in Sept. There are some new arrivals there too, including Beau Jones, and Joe Leeper,flyingwith the KC-135 squadron, Nick Rutgers, Tony Massett, Paul Townsend, August Pfluger, Paul Townsend, Mike Yanovitch, and Dave Wright, flying F- 15Cs and Kent Harris flying with the AWACS squadron. The rest of the gang at Kadena includes Mary Albin flying on theAWACS, Bessie Fontenot as an Aerospace Physiologist, and Ryan Braman an Intel Officer for the special ops units in the region.

Evelyn Andersen and Ross Schumer were engaged last summer and are having their wedding in Negril, Jamaica on 23 December 2003. Evelyn is heading to AFIT this fall with a follow-on assignment that will bring her back to USAFA as a physics instructor. Ross is finishing up his time at Jefferson Medical Collage and is planning to do his orthopedic surgery residency in Denver after graduation.

Mike Dorrell and his wife, Connie, gave birth to a new baby boy named Timothy James Dorrell on 28 Jan 03. Luckily enough Mike was home to enjoy the birth of his new son. Since then, things have been busy in the C-17 community. Mike has been gone more than he has been home this year so far and things show no sign of easing up. Here is a picture of them all-together.

additional duty possible: from snacko to tax guru. Having recently finished his MBA (no wonder he’s a snacko), he plans to finally have some off-duty fun for once in his Florida assignment before moving to Lackland AFB in June to take a green door job.

Alex Miller and Jay Geaney recently arrived at ElmendorfAFB, AK to fly the C-130 with the 517th AS. Soon to be joining them are KayLynn (Trammell) and Chris Meeker. They will be moving to Elmendorf in May. And following behind that move they’ll bejoined byMarty Smith andAdam Ressler. Ryan Bowers received an assignment to Lakenheath, England and will be moving in July. Vanessa Bartley is currently deployed to PSAB for God onlyknows howlong. TracyTinianowis in her thirdyear ofmed school at the University of Michigan. She is enjoying it and has plans of going into family practice. Tracy and Tom Bozung are getting married on 4 Oct 03. And, hopefully, Tracy will get to do her residency out with Tom at Andrews AFB where he is flying UH-1N helicopters.

Dana (Hansen) and Bryan Granger (’01) are expecting their first child in November. Jason Hoffman will be headed to the 388 AMXS down at Hill AFB to be a Sortie Generation Assistant OIC. Patrick Parsons is halfway through his third year of dental school at Ohio State University and doing pretty well. He’s president of his class and of the student body. Stephen Nava is in England doing some engineering. Eric Patton and Chris Weaton among others are all at Davis Monthan AFB in AZ and doing pretty well tooling around in their EC 130s. Tom Gifford is in med school in Chicago at University of Loyola and doing well last I heard. He’s halfway through his third year also. Dare Rapanotti is out at Edwards as the XO for the test pilot school; she’s having a blast and is playingvolleyball for the base team.

Matt Scott graduated from AFIT last year and is over in Europe. Luke Schneider has been transferred to England to fly F-15Es. Matt Kucia and Benny Schill are flyingVipers. Dan Courtwright and Rob Reed are flying C-130s in Texas. Dan Hoadley is flying the BUFF and is now accordingly a master of destruction. Ben Shrewsbury is in the acquisitions field out in Boston. Sierra Burgess and Hobart McIntosh are tooling around the world of AFSOC and doing some training. Art Patek and Shelly Hooten are out at L.A. AFB and having a blast learning how to surf and a bunch of other crazy things! Erin Nagel and Chris Boileau are over in Japan doing maintenance and intelligence, respectfully. “Big Mike D.” Parker is flying C-17s as well as Greg Bailey.

Victor Hernandez is having fun testing bombs at Eglin AFB. It’s different from his old flight test job. Since somebody blew up the sled track (he insists he didn’t do it), he’s staying busy by volunteering for every

Victor Hernandez (kneeling, right) and Antoine McNeal ’02 (standing behind) with an elite OPFOR unit in support of security forces training. Can you believe they gave him a loaded weapon?

Dean Berck, Dave Och, Chris Ogrosky and Rich Bush (WSO) are all flying the F-15E at Seymour Johnson.

Alex (Hector) Lopez got married on 27 Dec 02 to Marie Aloy class of 2001. The wedding was held in Jefferson TX. Hector is currently stationed at Edwards AFB in California as a comm officer; he is trying to get join spouse to Lackland AFB where his wife is an Intel officer.

Chris Israel has been in the 89th Comm Sq at Andrews AFB, MD for the last two years and is soon changing jobs to be an Executive Officer for the 890G/CC. He and his wife are expecting their second child October 5th when their daughter celebrates her second birthday. Nice timing!

Donna (Silva) and Ethan Waitte got married in October 2002 and are headed off on a join spouse assignment to MisawaAB, Japan where Ethan will fly the F-16 and Donna will be the squadron adjutant for the other F16 squadron. Frank Lusher and Ray Daniel are both MrWingman in the 22FS at Spangdahlem AB, Germany flying the Blk-50 Vipers. Frank left for the desert in April. And Ray was thinking he was headed down there soon too. Eddie Francis just showed up from Luke. John Hale will be flying F-16CJs out ofMisawa this summer. Martin Mentch is alreadythere with his wife flying Vipers. Joe Bemis is there too. Peter Kasarskis is at Cannon flying Vipers. Kevin Peterson is at Shaw flying Vipers. Paul Wurster and his wife are at Minot where he flies Buffs. Greg MacDonald is at Tinker flying the sterilizer (AWACS). Will Hartman is a T-6 IP and Jon Hougnon is a T-37 IP at Laughlin. Until next time, ensure you update your email address at our website. See ya.

Faith Hitchcock

1968 Crosslake Cove, Apt F Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 faith.hitchcock@eglin.af.mil or fire_it_up_40@hotmail.com

[Editor’s note: HollyAdams’ obituary appears in the Gone But Not Forgotten section ofthis magazine.]

Hello’Ols,

Well, this update will be short again. Under the circumstances, I know many people did not know who to get in touch until the last issue came out. I will be taking the article over permanently, so please feel free to email me with any exciting news concerning you or anyone you keep in touch with. After the last Checkpoints came out, a few people have given me grad updates and here they are:

First, some kind of old news, but something I wanted to share nonetheless. Kristi Delcour married Mike Contardo (’00) a few months ago in California. (See photo on next page.) ’Olers in attendance where Jenn Glomb, and Amy Glisson (Hultin). Joe Monaco wrote from Columbus to tell me the first assignments for the’Ols from his Class 03-05: Eric Music F-16 Luke, Hollie DiesselhorstT-37 Columbus, Joe Monaco C-17 Charleston, Joey Gaona F-16 Luke, Mike Pontius B-52 Barksdale, Paul Makula F16 Luke, Pete Donnelly KC-10 McGuire, Shane Rogers KC-135 Mildenhall, and Stephanie BoffT-1 Columbus.

Mike Gosma is in Del Rio in Class 03-08. He, Brian Healy, Jeremiah Guild and Nate Owens are in T-38s while Kevin Rothe, James Ordand RayAguliar are in T-ls. Dave Pouska chose helos and is flying at Ft. Rucker in Alabama. Mike is also excited about his upcoming marriage - he snagged a

Kristi and Mike’s Wedding Party

2dLt ROTC grad named Meaghan that is a nurse at ol’ USAFA. After an August wedding in Maine, they hope to get a joint spouse assignment to Moody where he will be a T-6 FAIP - good luck you two and best wishes!

Cory Barack is at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA doing the Basic Meteorology Program where he will qualify as a Weather Officer. He is enjoying sunny California with no classes on Friday and uniforms only once a week! He will be there until December and then is off to the “real Air Force”! Keep us posted Cory.

Brent Bak and Teague Bodley are in T-38s at Sheppard. Brent Greer just finished up at Columbus and got C-l 7s at McChord. Mark Lennon is flying T-6s at Moodyfinally after a year over the pond in Germany. He picks soon and hopes to go helos at Ft Rucker. Brian Nealon is doing Combat Comm at Wamer-Robbins and is getting married in July. I also heard from Melaine Bates and she hasjust gotten engaged to Dax Presuto (’99) and they are planning a May wedding at the Academy Chapel. She also gave me a few updates: Erica Harris married Patrick Schuldt on Dec 7th and is now doing CE at Ramstein going to Paris on the weekends and the like. Jeff Rivers and Erica Hamblin were also married on Dec 28th Andy Ignash and his wife, Caroline,just moved overto Germanyand aretryingto find theirway around the local hotspots. Raul and Angela (Feldman) Ochoa just got an assignment to Elmendorf and are really excited. Before they PCSed, they got a chance to take three weeks ofleave for a fun-filled road trip. Theystopped in LasVegas to see Josh Slade and his wife Jamie - he is working on AirWarrior at Nellis. They also got a chance to stop atVance and have dinnerwith Barry Weaver and Jordan Collins who are awaitinggraduation from T- 1 s. On their way home, they also stopped in to see Dustin Ireland and Brandon Tellez at Sheppard AFB. Stephen and Amy (Heskett) Manley are expecting a little babyboy soon. Shejustjoined Stephen atVance and is the OIC ofResources, Training and Mobility for the SP unit out there. He is enjoying IJPT and hopes to FAIP for now in order to stay with Amy and the new baby for a while longer and eventually fly the U-2 or C-17.

Julia (Luttrell) Buell e-mailed me from Ramstein with some great grad news: she is working in the 86th CS at Ramstein as the Telecommunications Systems Flight Commander and is loving it. Also exciting in her life is her recent marriage to Cam Buell in March he’s at Tinker for AWACS training along with Kevin Davis and Kristin Thompson. Also graduating with Cam were Chris Callahan who is at Altus for KC-135 training and Brent Greer also at Altus for C-l7s to McChord. Ryan McClain got F15Cs and Grant McCall got A-lOs. Julia also ran into Heather Huot and Camille Chigi, who are both doing great in UPT. Heather is about to graduate in May. Kima Megorden is doing Intel at Spangdalem. Todd and Stacy (Boggs) Allison are also at Spangdalem, where Todd is in comm and Stacy works our valuable manning assets with Manpower. Stacy is

also almost done with her Master’s Degree - awesome! Mark Landez PCSed to Ramstein in November after a year remote in Korea, and is working comm plans and programs on the USAFF, staff. Kurt Martinson just returned to Lakenheath after a six-month deployment in Pakistan. He was just selected to attend AF1T this summer. Bert Giovanetti also won an AFIT scholarship - congrats to those two!

As for me, I just finished up my first job as an Executive Officer for the Comm Group Commander here at Eglin. I started a new job in ATCALS (Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems). I work on all the equipment on the runways, in the towers and RAPCON. It is a cool job and I work with good people. Other than that, Mike Dunn and 1 got engaged a few months ago and will be getting married in November here in beautiful Destin, FL and then I PCS a few weeks later. We are both hoping for a joint spouse assignment to Maxwell/Gunter AFB in Montgomery, AL, Mike is stationed there right now as an Acquisitions Officer in the SSG. He just finished tech school in San Antonio with Lisa Nicholson (Case), Bob Dospoy and Ernie Csoma. Lisa and Ryron “Big Nic” Nicholson had just gotten marriedcongrats! Also down here in Florida is Givey Kochanowski and my roommate JeffFeuring. Givey is a Log Planner extraordinaire for the 33rd Fighter Wing, but will be PCSing in June to Korea. Jeff is a Financial Manager at Hurlburt Field and stays busy managing AFSOC funds. His brother Jason Feuring is at Moody finishing up IFF and then is off to Davis-Monthan where he will be flying A- 10s. Jim Schiess recently stopped by our place enroute to water survival at Pensacola. After IFF at Moody, he will be going to F-15C RTI J in Oregon - a Guard unit out ofthere is being used to put our guys through the program - let us know how it goes Jim!

Well, that is all I have for this issue. Considering the recent world events, my thoughts and prayers go out to all ofyou. I know we have some classmates over there right now fighting the good fight and I hope that all return safely to their friends and family. Take care ofyourselves and be sure to write. Faith

What’s up’02! It’s good to be able to write you again. There are a lot of things going on in the class. First, ifyou would like to let folks in the class know what you are up to, send an e-mail to Tony Carson (tonyc02@yahoo.com) or myself. People would love to hear what you all are up too; don’t be strangers.

Classmates in Grad School: Russell McCray, Ryan Van Maarth are at Eglin working on their master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas. Jon Mensing is at Harvard JFK School of Government living it up and enjoying Boston. Vic Deal is also working on his master’s at Pepperdine University in California. John Boyd is at AFIT in Ohio working hard on a master’s in Physics.

UPT: Congrats to Matt Booth and Zack Sauerman who are flying the T38 out at Laughlin; they are almost done with UPT! Congrats also to Sean Demeter and Jerome Wonnum who have recently selected T-38s! Eddie Knox is finishing up T-37 and moving on to T-38s at Sheppard. Congrats to Matt Price for completing the T-37!

Mini-Reunions: In BostonVic Deal and I visited Jon Minsing and Kevin Sousa who are roommates (Kevin bought a place in the Cambridge region). We also crashed DougMedley’s place. Doug is doing well. A bunch of '02ers got together for dinner in down town Boston; it was a blast.

More DVDs: Class, we still have more DVDs. To place your order, go to the class website (www.usafa02.org) and download an order form. Ifyou don’t have one make sure you place your order today.

UPDATES from the Class. From Sean Demeter: “It’s been a while, hope all is well. I just got through reading the last class update in Checkpoints and thought it was about time a let everyone knowwhat’s going on. Basically it’s been busy since graduation; I haven’t stopped flying since and am now a little more than halfway through UPT. I have been in T-38s at Laughlin for about a month now and it’s great, nothing beats flying... especially the kind offlying we do! Hope all is well with you and the rest ofthe class. Take care.”

From Mike Kump: “I just finished my casual tour at Hurlburt Field and started pilot training at NAS Pensacola where I will be flying during the week and hanging out at the beach on the weekends. Later.”

Academy: Yes the Academy is currently going through a lot; I am sure we have all heard. Do your part to spread whatever knowledge you can to civilians, etc. who inquire about the subject to let them know that our alma mater is still the greatest. Also whenyou get a chance, go to the classwebsite and register on the grad locater. Dave Henze did a greatjob ofputting that together and we can use it to get our friends e-mail addresses etc.

Stay in touch, have fun, and see you out in the AF, Antoine.

From left are Chris Calahan, Grant McCall, Ryan McClain, Brent Greer and Cam Buell on theirgraduation night.

never serve, but she can be a USAA member?’

You're eligible and so is your family. No other company understands the needs of military personnel and their families like USAA. If you're on active duty or in the National Guard or Reserves, you're eligible for the same great auto insurance and other financial services now enjoyed by more than four million USAA members. And when you join USAA, your family can too.

USAA even has special programs for your children. We can help you with the purchase of car seats. USAA has a special youth-oriented sav

ings and investment program that will help you teach your children about money management. And we have a variety of insurance and investment programs to help protect your family's financial future. It's important to look ahead, so if you don't have a sound financial plan, you can log on to usaa.com and complete our free Financial Profile. It's a great way to get started.

Remember, because you serve, USAA can serve her, too.