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Show COMMENTARY 2 TIMES June 17, 2010 Wf Hilltop TIMES Weekly Since Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Lee Carter... Standard-Examiner publisher Mary Lou Gorny. Hilltop Times Editor Catherine McNally Hilltop Times Writer Lee Anne Hensley Hilltop Times Correspondent Deadlines: Editorial and news items arc due by noon on the Friday prior to the Thursday print date. To submit news items e-mail hilKoptlmesOstandard.net or call (801) 625-4273. For Classified Advertising, call (301) 625-4300. For Retail Advertising, call (801) 625-4386. The Hilltop Times is published by Ogden Publishing Corporation, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under, and in compliance with, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hill Air Force Base. The content of the Hilltop Times does not necessarily represent the views of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. Government the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Hill Air Force Base (collectively, the Government). The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Government of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other n on merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Standard-Examiner, 332 Standard Way, Ogden, Utah, 84404. Additional editorial content is provided by various military and civilian wire services and Hill Air Force Base public affairs departments. Upcoming OREs not 'business as usuaP COMMENTARY BY COL. PATRICK HIGBY 75th Air Base Wing commander A nyone who works at Hill Air Force Base is well aware of the sheer size of this installation, as well as the large scope of its many missions. Team Hill has six wings, 61 associate units, all of which fall under seven different major commands, and a total base population of more than 22,000. With so many different people, having different missions and separate chains of command at Hill, it should be clear that training and exercising together is very important to ensure we can work together during any situation as well as maintain our combat readiness. In preparation for our Operational Readiness Inspection this November, Hill will be conducting several Operational Readiness Exercises during the next few months to hone our skills and to make sure we are ready to survive any emergency, whether actual or exercise. We have come a long way and have proven through previous exercises and many real world responses, we work together and very efficiently. However, like most things in life, there is always room for improvement. One thing I do want to make clear to all personnel on Hill is we will not be approaching these OREs as "business as usual." Realize while we will be ramping up these exercises to prepare us for an ORI, they are also designed to prepare you for real world events. In order to prepare for real world events we have to train as we would handle real world incidents. Col. Patrick Higby, 75th Air Base Wing commander, is dressed and ready for action as he participates in an Operational Readiness Exercise. One way we will be approaching these exercises differently is by limiting the amount of simulations during the OREs. The limited exercise simulations means more hands-on training and thus more time will be required to complete exercise scenarios. Since every organization on base will be participating and affected in the OREs, it also means customers will be affected as well. I'm not saying each person on the base will be in body armor, I'm just reminding everyone there are procedures to be followed during responses, evacuations and protecting Team Hill and its assets. Everyone from the pharmacy to the flightline will be impacted ... no one is exempt. So what does this mean to you? Everyone should prepare to wait ger at service type organizations such as the medical clinic and the Hill Personnel Center. For our retirees and dependents", this would be a great week to avoid the~ base's customer service areas and Quite possibly some disappointment. Witl>tj}.e' base preparing for its wartime mission, there will be a shortage of manpower in many areas of the base. For those of you who work in a customer service type ,". position, be ready to calmly and professionally deal with upset customers. You need to be patient when the base • is "locked down" during training and' ' evaluation of antiterrorism, emergency or any responses. Remember this is a ' ' military installation first and foremost'' and all of us, in or out of uniform, need'1 to ensure we are ready for a worst-c'ase scenario. There are some dates coming up you' need to be aware of; they are the scheduled Operational Readiness Exercise'"' dates going through the end of the year We have already begun this ORE June 16-25; then Aug. 5-14 and Oct. 2-8 allureparing for the first week in November . when a joint Major Command inspection will begin. I am confident we will be more thai}' ready for our ORI when the time cqifres. Just realize one of our biggest eneitries will be complacency. We have to stay.oh our toes and be ready to respond to anything at a moment's notice. '' With the beginning of summer ap-'' proaching I want everyone to take Sorne time and spend it with their families'^nd friends. Try to relax and recharge yoiir batteries so we can be at peak perfofc-' mance come November. 777-7000 action.line.pa@hill.af.mil Call (801) 625-4273 with story ideas or comments, or contact the editor, Mary Lou Gorny, at mgomy@standard.net Call (801) 625-4300 for Classified Advertising or (801) 625-4388 for Retail Advertising. Learn how to stay hydrated and exercise safely in hot environments with a Health and Wellness Center class June 24 from 11 a.m. to noon. Call the HAWC to reserve your seat at (801) 777-1215. When you call or send an tunity to work with you in ane-mail, your comments will be swering questions and • solving recorded and staffed through problems before calling the Acthe agency, responsible for ac- tion Line. This will help me bettion. ter serve your interests. Items of basewide interest will be pubPlease give your supervisor and chain of command the oppor- lished in the Hilltop Times. Phone numbers — The base agencies listed can be contacted directly if you have a complaint or a problem with their services: . ;,. ,... ,, Col. Herbert Carter giving a speech during a "Salute to Tuskegee Airmen" dinner at Minot Air Force Base. THINK SAFETY Hill's Total 2010 DUIs: 25 U.S. Air Force once prestigious town at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, or Ogden Air Logistics Center History Office TAAF. They came from all over the country to fly as the USKEGEE, ALABAMA first American black military — If you drive through Airmen. Times were different Tuskegee today, you will then. A lot of whites believed find a town in need of tender the African-Americans lacked loving care. Most of the houses the skill, motivation, cour- . are in need of repair and age and intelligence to fly and many locations where shops fight. Nonetheless, they were once operated are long detrained as pilots on single-enserted. Among the dilapidated gine planes and later trained structures, you will find a few in twin-engine aircraft. Of the once-elaborate mansions indi996 pilots who graduated from cating money once resided in TAAF from 1941 to .1946,450 the area. Due to racial issues of them served in combat with years ago, white business own- the 332nd Fighter Group. ers were forced to close their They distinguished themdoors and moved out of town. selves under fire and returned Tuskegee was not always home to help fight for civil a deserted town in Alabama. rights. While in combat durMany African-American Airing World War II, 72 Tuskegee men received training in this Airmen shot down 112 enemy BY AMY KEMP BUTLER Hill's Last DUI: (fan 2 Unit Involved: Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers are unavailable. Call 777-1111 to request a ride anytime. Hours of operation: Fridays-Saturdays 10 p.m.-6 a.m. Sundays r 9 p.m.-midnight Security Forces 777-3056 Gvilian Pay 777-6246 24-hr. Crisis Information 777-3056 Air Force Suggestion 777-6901 Force Support Squadron..! 777-4134 Program Base Restaurants 777-2043 Hill Straight Talk 777-9696 Retirement/Compensation..<. 777-6142 IC Complaints 777-5305 (civilian) (for appointment) Equal Opportunity Office 777-5455 G Cli ICCom lalnts 777 5361 El Rlti7777129 777-7129 Empkyerfebtim P :; " Military Pay...;. 777-1851 (afterhoun),, T Report suspicious activity via the AFOS1 EAGLE EYES p rocj ram Dial: 777-3056/3057/ 3058. Watch - Report Protect Force Protection is Our Business - Everyone is a Sensor Fraud, Waste or Abuse 777-5361 (recording) ;.^«. .-^ Loud Noise ;,:.:.::.:i-877-885-9595 (complaints) 75th Medical Croup 777-4918 Civil Engineering 777-1856 Hill Pride Hotline 777-7433 Public Affairs 777-5333 Military Housing 825-9392 Maintenance ••-*•&.£•••>./' '• ':• Safety Office .;..-..;J:;:777-3333 Safety Office Hotline 586-9300 Union... ; 777-3257 AFOSI Narcotia Hotline 777-1852 Family Assistance Center 777-3090 (when activated) . ^ The Tuskegee Airmen ofWorldWarll Efforts begun there helped change practices of discimination in the long run aircraft, some of which were flown by the Germans1 best pilots. A lot of their missions consisted of escorting heavy bombers on raids while ensuring that none of them were lost to enemy fire while under their cover. Heroes among men, they risked their lives to defend our country with their own. Racism back home prompted some of them to participate in the Tuskegee merchant boycott of June 17,1957, wherein they refused to buy merchandise from white business owners who did not wholly support them as citizens. This meant they would have to travel 80 miles from town to purchase food, clothing and other items. This action lasted four years and had economic consequences. It forced some white business owners out of business, while others closed their doors in favor of losing their business rather than giving black men the right to vote. Racial integration has come a long way since World War II. Today all races of Americans are to share the same rights". The Army Air Forces led the way in this regard and increasingly many different races were integrated in all United States military branches. Col. Herbert Carter, one of the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, believed one had to reach and aspire beyond present circumstances to fulfill one's dreams and desires for a better way of life. He was ; not alone in that aspiration or; achievement. '• |