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Show SPECIAL o, Clh)Dff IT OH Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Gabriel will retire June 27 after more than 36 years of service. General Gabriel, a combat veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, has served as Chief of Staff since 1982. President Reagan has nominated Gen. Larry D. Welch, currently serving as Commander in Chief of the Strategic Air Command and director of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, Offutt AFB, Neb., to be the 12th Chief of Staff of the Air Force. General Gabriel was born in N.C., and attended Catawba College, Salisbury, N.C., for two years before entering the U.S. Military Academy. He graduated from West Point in 1950 with a bachelor of science-degreand a commission in the Air Force. The general earned his Lin-colnto- n, e master's 'degree in engineering management from George Washington University. General Gabriel's career spans nearly four decades and has included a tour of duty at the Air Force Acade- my, headquarters tours at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Tactical Air Command, United States Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Forces Korea, and four tours of duty in the Pentagon. He has served overseas in Korea, Thailand, Germany and Belgium. The general is a command pilot with more than 4,200 flying hours, including more than 250 combat missions. The retiring Chief of Staff said the most rewarding part of those 36 years has been working with "great people." He believes that "the most important resource we have is our people" and points out that today's Air Force is made up of "extraordinary people do58-year-o- ld ing an extraordinary joband they are proud to serve their country." The general added, "The significant progress we have made over the last four years has resulted in the best trained, best equipped and best led Air Force in the world." General Welch, SAC commander since August 1985, is also a veteran if fighter pilot. He flew combat missions in over North and South Vietnam and Laos. The general also served in tactical fighter units in Europe, the continental United States and Alaska. The is a command pilot with more than 5,500 flying hours. General Welch had been a wing commander, numbered Air Force commander, and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff before taking the reins of command at SAC. His assignments over the last 34 years have included tours at Air Training Command, TAC and in the Pentagon. He has served overseas in France and South Vietnam. ' Born in Guymon, Okla., General Welch spent two years as an enlisted man in the Kansas Air National Guard before joining the Air Force and then entering the Aviation Cadet Program. He received his pilot wings and commission in April 1955. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1C J StaW 0Dd F-4- 'v 51-year-- 'A Y V j J, I.Mr Gen. Larry D. Welch (U.S. Force Photo) master's degree in international relations from George Washington Air business administration from the University of Maryland and his University. (AFNS) Certification program enhances production quality It By Chris Baierschmidt Affairs Office Ogden ALC Public Technicians and mechanics in the Directorate of Maintenance are making sure that the quality goes in before the, name goes on under the iroauction Acceptance enmcauon program. Bob Loe, PAC committee member at Hill AFB, explained that PAC gives certified workers the authority to inspect and stamp off their own A -k 1 work. For example, the person stalls the landing cear in F-1- who in- aircraft 6 may also be the one who signs off on that part of the weapon system before it leaves the shop. "It makes production responsible. After all, he who. built it knows it best," Mr. Loe said. Air Force Logistics Command first tested the program in 1982 at San Antonio ALC, Kelly AFB, Texas. Command-wid- e implementation bewas completed in and gan a year later " 1985. Ogden ALC implemented phase one during 1983 with 14 mechanics certified to inspect and approve one air- - r in has since grown to include craft. and mechanic in technician every maintenance with enough combined certification to approve every piece of Quality assurance inspectors, now called specialists, spend their working hours devising new programs to enhance production. The next step at Hill is to spread PAC to all maintenance support areas. From there, the program will be carried to the other directorates. AFLC reports depot field team training. On major team jobs, a quality specialist may go along but often it's the team chief who checks off the requirements. inventory. e Each product division has a also who the assists instructor, full-tim- supervisor in certifying PAC workers. Certification follows training and proving that they can get the job done right. The number of tasks per person depends on workload, experience and certification. "In missiles, one worker could be certified for all stages, while another with less experience could be respon-oibl- e for only one," Mr. Loe said. or other critical For safety-of-fligis second a there tasks, inspection by a person proficient in that field. n added bonus is the time saved. Phil Wheeler, Ogden PAC commit- tee member, said PAC is the best thing to have happened to maintenance. "Most people like the responsibility and do a better job knowing it's their name on the sign-of- f sheet," he ht said. Peacekeeper c dm es aboard, years of effort culminated support the Triad. It has 10 warheads and its capability will do much to improve the deterrent capability of the United States. Second, the new detachment at F.E. Warren will have almost the entire responsibility for supporting the missile. Finally, the most awesome aspect of the new mission is the introduction of more than 100,000 new items into the Air Force inventory. By Lt. Col. William Kohler 1 J 1 Directorate of Materiel Management $ iY. "N, (U.S. Air Force Photo) Copt. George Horvath and civilian attorney John Solan study one of the thousands of legal reference books at the new Law Center library here. The library is just one of many attractions in the new center which is said to be one of the most modern in the Air Force today. See story and more photos on pages 8-- 9. ... After years of program changes, potential cancellations, and basing mode decisions, the Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missile will soon arrive. In September the first missile will go on alert culminating years of effort by Hill AFB. The base has built millions of dollars worth of new facilities, Officials said, "This massive underintroduced thousands of new items due to the into the Air Force supply system, and taking has gone smoothly of efforts the personnel in is activating a new AFLC operation- ' outstanding of Materiel Managethe Directorate al unit at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., the assisted ment, by superior support home of the Peacekeeper. the other directorates." from Although officials feel the people involved can be proud of the accomThey feel that as the base moves plishment, they also feel there are from the acquisition phase of the development process to the operational many challenges ahead. is center new of the phase, the base is ready to support the Responsibility enormous. First, the Peacekeeper is new mission; that is, keeping the . the most accurate and reliable ICBM Peacekeeper on alert, thus contribut- that the Air Force has introduced to ihg to the nation's defense. i , |