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Show HILL TOPTIMtS 0 Friday, August I, 1906 O up for (SsfesaifiJi By 1st Lt. Jerome Reed ' 388th Tactical Fighter Wing When Lt. Gen. William L. Kirk, commander, 9th Air Force, Shaw AFB, S.C., visited here July 25, he met with officials of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing to see first-hanthe progress of Exercise Gallant Eagle. Gallant Eagle is a U.S. d Central-Command-sponsor- ed exercise deto a simulated combat signed provide environment for training, planning and executing joint military operations which will end Sunday. Of the many units involved in the exercise, including more than 35,000 military personnel deployed to several locations throughout the Western U.S., General Kirk gave particular interest to his 19th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Gamecocks" deployed here. His interest included a helicopter ride to the training area for a close-u- p view, provided by the 40th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron here. Members of the 19th were flying "Blue Force" or "good guy" missions supporting the exercise. According to Lt. Col. Mike Shelton, 19th TFS commander, the Utah Test and Training Ranges are perfectly suited to their mission objectives. "This is just the kind of terrain we need," he said. "It accurately depicts our desired training environment and is much different from the flat, terrain we are accustomed to at Shaw." While here, the squadron has been flying interdiction missions and escort missions, as well as serving as mission commander for groups of 14 to 16 aircraft. Colonel Shelton said each completed mission takes about three hours. In addition to the 10 deployed tree-cover- air-to-a- 'QollM v. ed I ir 9th TAG Fiqhter Squadron The Fightin . GAMED i X rA ri tTT - VVt k JjO r 5 F-1- 6s with the squadron are approximately 20 pilots and more than 70 maintenance and support personnel taking part in the exercise. Flying a "Red Force" or "bad guy" role is the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron belonging to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing. They provided the 19th with squadron facilities and logistics support. "It's really a great exercise," Colonel Shelton said. "The entire 388th wing has given us great support. With the teamwork they've Cnra VIVO C II W.M. Air Dhntn MUIV hu lot 3I Lt. Gen. William L. Kirk, 9th Air Force commander, discusses Inmrn. 1.1. tICIWIIIC Gallant DnnlI Ea- gle with 388th Tactical Fighter Wing's vice commander, Col. H. Thomas West. General Kirk was on his way to visit the 1 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron from Shaw AFB, S.C., in their home away from home. provided, our job has been much easier." Other players in the exercise here include: the 142nd Fighter Interceptor Group, Oregon Air National Guard: 3rd Combat Information Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.; weather personnel from Travis AFB, Calif., McChord AFB, Wash, and Pope AFB, S.C. and the 56th Combat Support Group, Personnel Control Team, MacDill AFB, Fla. Higher priority given to account for POWs, Ml As President Reagan wants the American people to know that the government is pursuing every avenue to achieve the fullest possible accounting of military members still missing in Southeast Asia. Addressing the issue in his weekly radio broadcast July 18, President Reagan recalled that only a few years ago there was "little interest and less hope" about the POWMIA issue. The matter was given little priority by the intelligence community. The national media featured only occasional reports and there were no international negotiations," the president said. Today, according to the president, the situation has changed. "Our intelligence is far better than it was in the past. The media, the government and all of America are concerned," he said. "And today we're engaged in negotiations with both Vietnam and Laos negotiations that have helped return more of our men to their families than at any other time since the end of the war. "These men died in battle for their country; and it's only right and fitting that they finally rest now in the nation they loved so dearly and for which they so willingly sacrificed." President Reagan cautioned that there are differ- ences that must not be allowed to interfere with the efforts to resolve this issue. "We must continue to go forward; it's the only responsible path," he said. He also praised the fathers and mothers, the wives, the sons and daughters and other relatives Wing takes on new vice commander By TSgt. Terry Walker 388th Toctical Fighter Wing! Col. W. Thomas West has been assigned as new vice commander, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing. He replaced Col. William E. Ardern, who has been reassigned as commander, 602nd Tactical Air Conn AFB, Ariz. trol Wing, Colonel West came here from the National War College, Fort Leslie J. McNair, D.C. He began his Air Force career in 1966 when he received his commission from Florida State University's Air Force ROTC Program. He entered pilot training at Craig AFB, Ala., and was later assigned as an pilot with the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Bien Hoa, Republic of Vietnam. until March 1971, He continued to fly the Davis-Montha- F-1- 00 F-1- 00 when, after an assignment with the 20th TFW, Royal Air Force Wethersfield and later. Royal Air Force Upper Heyford, United Kingdom, he was transferred to the 354th TFW, Myrtle Beach AFB, He was with that unit S.C, where he flew to Korat when it deployed Royal Thai AB, Thailand, as part of Constant Guard VI. The colonel attended the U.S. Air Force Fighter A-7D- s. Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev., in 1973. Afterward, he was assigned to the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing as flight commander in the A-- Fighter Weapons Instructor Course. In April 1975, he attended the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., and upon graduation, received a master of science degree from Troy State 7 University. From 1976 to 1979, he was assigned to the, 3rd TFW, Clark AB, Philippines. While there, he flew the F-- 4 Phantom II, which he continued to fly upon his return to Nellis AFB, where he became operations officer for the 414th Fighter Weapons Squadron until 1981. In April of that year he became commander, 430th Tactical Fighter Squadron, as it transitioned from the F-- 4 to the Fighting Falcon. In 1983, an assignment to Headquarters U.S. Air Force followed, where he served as chief, Tactics and Training Branch, Tactical Forces Division, Directorate of Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. Later, he served as executive officer to the Director of Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. His next assignment was to attend the National War College. Colonel West is a command pilot with more than 2,500 flying hours, including 343 combat hours in F-1- 6 and the His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation F-10- 0 Medal. He is married to the former Susan Swift of St. XA CoirvrKomas West A-- 7. - .Petewbvrgi ,Mu,5 ,Airforc-Rtwtoi- v,t ,Fla, .and, Jtey, ,ai .parents.of .three rv ViV'." , ' of the POWs and MIAs. "They never gave up. They never stopped loving," he said. The president acknowledged that the POW and MIA issue is both difficult and emotional. "But we have made progress and we will continue to make progress as long as we stick with the facts and keep faith with each other," he said. "Americans, after all, have a common goal in this endeavor: freedom for any prisoner who may still be held in Southeast Asia and justice for all of the families who have worked so long to resolve the fate of our POWs and MIAs in Vietnam. "They were our loved ones and our fellow Americans and they were, I'm certain time will tell, part of a noble cause and history's heroes," he conclud- ed. (AFNS) Bond progress report Bond U.S. As a result of the recent drive, Savings and civilian 43 percent of the military population at Hill AFB think bonds are a good investment and buy them. This is an increase of 12 percent over last year's 31 percent. The Directorate of Maintenance led all Ogden Air Logistics Center organizations with 300 increases and 1,075 new buyers followed by the Directorate of Materiel Management with 98 increases and 200 new buyers. On the tenant side of the house, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing had 21 increases and 230 new buyers. Overall, the drive netted 2,525 new buyers and 716 increases. Following is the latest progress report: PROGRESS !!EPORT NO. 4 JULY 3. 19S6 START PARTICIPATION ORGANIZATION PERCENT COMPTROLLER SMALL BUSINESS COMMAND SECTION COMPETITION ADVOCATE PERSONNEL DISTRIBUTION HISTORY INSPECTOR GENERAL JUDGE ADVOCATE MAINTENANCE MATERIEL MANAGEMENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTRACTING QUALITY ASSURANCE SAFETY HOSPITAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS SOCIAL ACTIONS PLANS 4 PROGRAMS 2849 ABG 2952 CLSS DET 3 ALC TOTAL AUDIT AGENCY COMMISSARY AFJADC AFOSI RESCUE DETACHMENT DETACHMENT DETACHMENT TELEVISION WEATHER FIELD TRAINING OL AH CRYPTOLOGIC SAC SYSTEMS 40 ARRS 388 TFW 419 TFW 1881 ISS 1954 RADES 6545 TO 7:9 !..,. TCS 44 67 64 35 37 33 25 83 66 30 41 54 54 47 NEW NUMBER NEW BUYERS INCREASES PERCENT 65 7 2 4 2 64 100 100 42 52 44 25 83 100 45 49 69 74 59 65 29 48 47 58 38 52 53 NUMBER 2 11 31 73 15 40 232 1 2 0 0 10 10 1075 200 300 98 2 1 116 49 PARTICIPATION 4 4 3 2 39 79 5 25 2 52 1 5 :9 155 65 5 33 6 39 3 33 2118 671 46 3 67 35 50 ?3 17 SI 40 39 25 iO 0 0 0 4J 16 30 18 43 33 25 1 53 3 M 16 25 44 4: 19 15 u 29 13 jwni.i...i .? i: |