OCR Text |
Show -- ZTJLT PCI CI COMBAT STRENGTH THROUGH LOGISTICS Look for tho pay 11 VQ) cclcndar in next week's edition of t!;j Hi"?cp Times. Vol. 44 Nol COLLECTIONS P Hill AFB, Utah J Jan. 5, 1990 j3L7fic(3 9 5i : Baby, you're No. by Sgt. Jay Joersz Hilltop Times co-edit- ... Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega turned himself in to U.S. officials Wednesday evening after a y stay of refuge in the Vatican emin Panama bassy City, Panama. President George Bush told reporters Wednesday night that General Noriega turned himself over to American authorities voluntarily and "with the full knowledge" of the Panamanian government. General Noriega arrived at Homestead AFB, Fla., early Thursday morning and was due to be arraigned on drug trafficking charges in U.S. District Court in Florida that day. If convicted, he faces up to 145 years in prison and up to $1.1 million in fines. The general had taken refuge in the Vatican embassy since Christmas Eve, following the Dec. 20 U.S. invasion of Panama. He left the compound, wearing, his general's uniform, at 8:50 p.m. EST, escorted by papal nuncio Monsignor Sebastian Laboa of the embassy. Immediately after he was apprehended, the general was loaded onto a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter and taken to Howard AFB, Panama, where he was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents and then flown to Homestead. President Bush said the invasion had a four-folpurpose: to protect U.J3. citizens living in Panama, to restore democracy in Panama, to ensure the agreements in the Panama Canal Treaty are upheld, and to bring General Noriega to face criminal charges in the United States. The president said Wednesday evening the invav sion was a success on all counts. of "The return General Noriega marks a significant milestone in Operation Just Cause," the president said. The invasion marked the most massive use of. American military might since the Vietnam War as 26,000 troops were ordered into combat on Dec. 20. As of Dec. 30, 23 American servicemen had been killed in action, with 323 wounded. Additionally, three American civilians died in separate incidents. One important Air Force connection was stealth fighters were used for the first time in combat while supporting the U.S. invasion a mission 1 Shawn Albert David Neily, the first baby born at U.S. Air Force Hospital, Hill in 1990, jy-- V 10-da- nestles in his father Scott's arms. His mother, Loretta, was recovering from the re- section delivery when the photo was taken. i X The infant arrived at 8:08 a.m. on Jan. 2. He 7? weighed in at 812 pounds and was 19 inches long. The Neilys have two other boys and a girl. "It was exciting to have the first baby of the year," said Mr. Neily, who took medical retirement from the Air Force in ) if . V 1987. U.S. Air Force Photo by Doug James d F-1- See Noriega, 17 Page 3, please. Wing crews return to Hill from Panama g test anti-dru- aircraft and crews from the 388th Tac-tizFt hier Wing have returned from Howard AWBy Panama, after conducting an anti-dru- g surveillance end identification test. This test v?as conducted in support of President Bush's national drug control strategy The U.S. Congress has mandated that the Depart-..rcccf Defense will take the lead in the ntcnitcrisj azd detection of aerial and seaborne nr,rcctfC3 ztlz?zrt3 from Latin America to the F-1- zl 6 nt surveillance and identification to Operation Just Cause and month. izztcd about one Ths astt-drc- tc :t xx A Ice!; ;: tirj-tlta- d tzzH at 1CC0 2 Many changes ahead during fiscal 1990 by SSgt. Sarah L. Hood Air Force News Service WASHINGTON Fewer permanent change of station moves, expanded voluntary early release programs for officers and enlisted, lower accession levels, and high year of tenure changes affecting the chief master sergeant program, are all part to of the game plan developed meet projected fiscal 1990 budget reductions. The plan meets the needs of a reduction of more than $600 million in the fiscal 1990 Air Force military personnel appropriation account, primarily the result of congressional and Department of Defense budget decisions and a sequestration. "When all the dust settled, the Air Force leader33-ye- ar four-mont- h Gramm-Rudman-Hollin- gs ship faced a $600 million reduction in personnel dollars to manage our programs," said Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Hickey, deputy chief of staff for personnel. "We've also had similar kinds of reductions in dollars in other accounts, such as operations and maintenance, and our procurement account. "But the fact is, the Air Force leaders took action to move $228 million out of those other short accounts and put them into the personnel account to minimize the hurt to our people programs. Even with that help we've had to initiate several actions," General Hickey said. "When we look at the things we've had to do, we need to remember there's a whole batch of things we didn't have to do and have been able to avoid. A bit of Hollywood at Hill 9 "We will have no promotion freezes and no promotions delays. We have not had to have an officer RIF (reduction in force). We've not had to initiate a permanent change of station freeze for any extended period of time. And we've been able to maintain the pay raises we so sorely need and our people so richly deserve'General Hickey said. "We're doing everything in our power to reduce the impact to our military members. We're working to maintain the quality of life and the standard of living levels we've had in the past," he said. The plan calls for: Permanent change of station program restructure. Due to need to save fiscal 1990 PCS dollars, about 25 percent of projected fiscal 1990 moves will be either canceled or delayed until after Oct. 1. Most stateside to stateside and intratheater from June 1 and later, including completion of maximum tours, may be delayed or canceled. People enroute overseas with a reporting date of June 1 or later to long tour areas will have their assignments delayed or cancelled. Overseas extention program All Air Force peoor longer overseas tour ple serving on an with overseas return dates of June, July, August or September will be extended from two weeks to two months. People with a June return date will be extended to Aug. August July moves go to Aug. and people with a return returns go to Sept. will be extended to Sept. date between Sept. reas-signmen- ts 18-mon- th 16-3- 5, 1, 5, 1-- 16-3- 0. "I expect we'll cause some disruption in some people's plans, but we hope to give them the maximum amount of warning time and accommodate them," said General Hickey. People in or on assignment to See Budget, Page 3, please. Curtly Center offers family, personal support |