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Show March 14,1996 Page3A Fighter Country Anry VVarriors open new detachment By SrA. J.C. Wood ring Editor, Fighter Country With the recent opening of the site located about 150 miles south of the equator, conditions are not ideal, but they're working on them. "We're working on getting the road built up," said LisL "So far, just as we get started, it rains and we're back to where we started from in a muddy mess." Overcoming the mud isn't the only improvement being made at the site. The unit has hired locals to clear some of the jungle site of vegetation. , "We had 'Macheteros' a Spanish term for men who carry machetes that came in and cleared most of the area with machetes," said Lisi. As with anyjungle she, the Macheteros weren't the only visitors. "We've already found one snake, two vampire bats and an ocelot a bobcat-lik- e animal on the site," said LisL Although the site is relatively primitive, the living conditions help with troop morale. "We're staying in a nice hotel and our hosts are very accommodating," said LisL Although the rain causes some problems, another area of concern is the sun. "When it's not raining, the sun shines bright, sometimes too bright," said LisL Tm sdU pealing from the bum I got" Lisi deployed with the troops and returned March 1. As the sun slowly dries the mud, the humidity rises. "It's really hot and sticky down there," said LisL The Angry Warriors will be complety rotations to the ing approximately detachment After closing one detachment in South America in December, 20 "Angry Warriors" of the 729th Air Control Squadron deployed to Peru to set up a new radar detachment to help track suspected drug traffickers as part of Operation Steady State. "We knew our operations tempo wouldn't stay slow for long," said Lt Col. Steve Lisi, 729th ACS commander. "Now, it's back up." While the former detachment closed in Ecuador in December, the new detachment opened in Peru, March 5. The site is with Peruvian fighter aircraft and Sophisticated Customs Citation jets outfitted with F-radars, according to Lisi. "After helping them get started, Ecuador took over tracking suspected drug flights in their country. Our goal is to someday help Peru do the same thing," said Lisi. The 729th ACS is responsible for only one part of the mission. According to Lisi, total success of the operation comes from ultimately stopping suspected illegal drug 16 flights. "We don't stop the flights ourselves. We just track them," said LisL "The Peruvians are the ones who stop them. Being with them should make this easier." Stopping the flights may include measures, within international law, up to Peru's shoot-dow- n policy. "When we find suspected illegal flights, the Peruvians launch their aircraft," said Lisi. They request the suspected aircraft to land. If it doesn't, they fire." 60-da- Senior NCO Academy opens doors to MSgts By MSgt Merrie Schilter Low News Service Air Force - Active-dut- y masWASHINGTON ter sergeants can soon attend the Senior NCO Academy in residence. Those unable to attend can enroll in the new correspondence course. About 360 master sergeants per year will attend the Senior NCO Academy, beginning with the October class, said Air Force personnel officials here. The correspondence course also will be avail- s able in October. Senior master sergeants still will s the tools and skills they need to be better supervisors and managers before they enter certain positions." Without the correspondence course, "a master sergeant could spend 24 years in the Air Force and never have the to attend the Senior NCO Acad- -i emy," even though the person may have i held any number of leadership and management positions, Campanale said. Now, those not selected for promotion to senior mastsr sergeant, which was a prerequisite for the resident course,can get the same training long before they are - ready to retire.'' That means a bigger make up the bulk of each academy class, ' but 20 percent of the class will be the top master sergeants from each career field mho were not selected for promotion, officials said, ' The list of primary and alternate candidates for the school were released the same time as the E-- 8 promoi tion list Wednesday. "The really good news is that we'll have a correspondence course again," said CMSAF David J. Campanale in a ; Feb. 27 telephone interview from Gunter Air Force Base, Ala. Campanale was : visiting Gunter, which is also home to the Senior NCO Academy. Air Force deleted the previous correspondence course two years ago because much of the material was outdated and not related to the resident course. AS a result, many people didn't sign up for ' the course and some of those who did, didn't complete it, Campanale said. i The new course will be in book form, much like the previous course, and on is the way to "The go," said Campanale. "Either way" he said, "the idea is to give master sergeants ' CD-RO- CD-RO- M payback for the service and scrvicemembcrs, said the top enlisted NCO. Campanale was one of the primary movers behind getting the correspondence course reinstated. "When I came on board, my thought was, 'Why get rid of the correspondence course? Let's just fix it." Air Force "Year of Training initiatives validated that suggestion. People who enroll in the new correspondence course will have one year Those who completed to complete the previous version, commonly called Course 0008, won't have to sign up for the new course, officials said, but can if they want to However, all se- nior NCOs still must attend the resident course to assume the rank of chief it master sergeant Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members will still be able to attend the academy in residence or by correspondence course to satisfy career and promotion requirements, officials said. For more information, contact the military training office at 777-332- 9. Photo by Lt Cot Steve List A 729th Air Control Squadron radar van gets stuck in the mud near the detachment's site in Peru. Overcoming mud is one challenge being faced since the site opened March 5. Come and get it! Singles group serves up spaghetti, friendship By SrA. Aimee Groben Community Relations The atmosphere was that of a cozy restaurant, nicknamed the E Street Cafe. On the menu was spaghetti with homecooked musauce, french-breapunch, sic and fellowship. It was all part of the base chapel single's group attempt to serve up some genuine hospitality to all single people living in the dorms. It's one of the many activities the Christian group from the base chapel opens up to all who wish to participate. And with the help of the first sergeants, the dinner went off without a hitch, serving more than 20 meals. The informal setting was used to make people feel like they were getting something different "We wanted to offer an alternative for people Irving in the dorms," said Chaplain (Capt) Evan Spencer, the base d, single's chaplain. m, "We figured a homecooked meal and relaxed environment could provide that" Although the meal was the highlight of the night, the group's main goal is just meeting with people, making friends and helping them fed welcome. "I think these dinners and other activities we do make people feel welcome," said A1C Scott TunnelL a member of the 38Sth Maintenance Squadron and member of the chapel single's group. "Joining us at something like one ofour spaghetti dinners or Sunday evening Bible studies makes people, and especially singles, feel like they actually belong somewhere," said Tunncll. The group's focus is on people, and reaching out a friendly hand. "As a chap lain, my job is to be out among the people," said Spencer. "This is just one great way of doing that" But that's not all they do. Some of their other activities include skiing, roller-bladin- g, volleyball, dinners, plays, Sunday evening Bible studies and a recent weekend snowmobile trip which caught the attention of many. The group began with about five or six people nearly three years ago and since has grown to include about 30 members. "Some of my buddies told me about the fixe spaghetti dinner. I was hesitant at first because I wasn't sure what to expect going to a church for dinner," said SrA. John Shaw, assistant dorm manager for Building 518. "But I was surprised to find something different than the picture I had in my mind. but I feel I'm not a real church-goe-r, comfortable around the people and they're pretty interesting," said Shaw, who has since started frequenting the Sunday evening study. "It's more about people meeting together, making friends and having discussions." "If the spaghetti dinner or other activities cause dorm dwellers to get out of their rooms and look at some of the alternatives available, the single's are doing their minreaching out making friends and istry enjoying the love of Christ" according to Spencer. The chaplain put it in simple terms, "More than anything else, Jesus spent time with people. "Just being a friend, without selling anything is one of the most important things we do." Anyone interested in joining or finding more information on the chapel single's group can call Spencer at 777-- 2 106. |