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Show Twice Monthly Thursday, February 12, 2004 tito Helpful By It is important to pay the the card. If you have any questions concerning this issue contact Chief Master Sgt. James L. Welker at 777-782- 7. Get recognized via Hometown news Have you recently been promoted or received an award? Have you returned from a deployment or been assigned to Hill Air Force Base? By filling out a hometown: news. ..release (DD Form 2266) you can let family and friends in your hometown know what achievements you've made through the local newspaper. Forms can be obtained from the 388th Fighter Wing public affairs office, Building 120, suite 113. Officials update enlistment test norms ellelbrates 6 F-- 1 B-B- ay 2nd Lt. Vernon Thompson 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs information on GTCs government travel card bill on time and in full; not doing so could affect an airman's credit and deployability, career. Bank of America will ' not reinstate the card if there is a delinquency, a bill nonpayment or misuse. Although there are excep- tions to Bank of America's policy, very rarely have we been able to anything to get a card reinstated. The bottom line is individuals need to ensure their GTC bills are paid, in full, within 30 days of receiving their bill. Failure to do so can result in permanent loss of 388th Fighter Wing supplement to the Hilltop Times Twenty-fiv- e years after the receiving the first 388th Fighter Wing celebrated the Air Force's 25th anniversary of 6 operational flight. On Jan. 30, base employees and their families joined members from the community and several distinguished visitors to commemorate the legacy. The celebration culminated with retired Maj. Gen. Lee Downer standing in front of two F--1 6s old and new speaking to almost 2,000 people in Hangar 37. General Downer first flew the 6 here in 1980, and was the first 421st 6 Tactical Fighter Squadron ii commander from 1981-198He later retired as director of operations at Air Combat Command in 1997. General Downer praised the leadership, dedication and training of the 388th for the success of the (Photo by Tom Zwica) "We're very proud of the Almost 3,000 base employees and their families, members of the local community and several distinguished visitors celebrated the 25th annivercapabilities and how here on Jan. 30. The wing was the first to fly the operational 6 and has flown the jet for 25 consecutive years in support of sary of the we integrated thjs airplane Operation Desert Storm, Operations Northern and Southern Watch, and Operations Iraqi Freedom and Noble Eagle. Retired Maj. Gen. Lee A. 421st Fighter Squadron commander, was the featured speaker. into the rest of the force." Downer, former director of operations for Air Combat Command, and the first "The 6 was originally Guests were treated to a life support "Iraqi designed to be a lightweight fighter in demonstration that featured Combat Freedom misclear daytime weather, but it has develsions flown last Edge gear, a flight simulator orientation oped into much more,", said Col. ride and visual displays by Lockheed summer focused Charlie Lyon, 388th FW commander. manufacturer. Several on providing Martin, the F-"It's now America's premier multi-rol- e e scores maintenance and lethal of pilots fighter, operating in adverse ' taranswered to questions throughout experts response weather, day or night, with precision the day. under the gets the train at 388th priweapons. Retired Gen. Robert Oaks, commancontrol of the air combat mismarily for in in U.S. der chief of Air Forces combatant comsions, such as interdiction, combat Air and commander Allied of mander," Europe search and rescue, close air support, Forces Central Europe from 1990-199explained and airborne forward air control, as attended the ceremony, as did Brig. Colonel Lyon. well as, ir employment. Gen. William Lake, who retired in "Noble Eagle 2000 as the 49th Fighter Wing commissions, flown mander at Holloman Air Force Base, since Sept. 2001, N.M. General Lake is now director of , provide home6 for Lockheed land defense Martin, operations and he spoke to the audience and combat air media about the legacy. patrols over the "The one thing the 388th has is that National Capitol Region and other you're number one," said General Lake. "You were the first to fly the locations desig6 and the first unit to fly it for 25 nated to protect national leaderconsecutive years. That's an accomplishment to be tremendously proud ship authorities and metropolitan of." r areas during periThe 388th has contributed mightily ods of increased over the years to various contingencies when called upon. It participated in threat status." An original the first Gulf War as the nation's preg later model mier and wing, (Photo by Tom Zwica) was towed from I enforced the "No-fl- y Zone" over Iraq I. .L . of chief 388th Don in Operations Northern and Southern the Hill exercises, explains Butler, Maj. Fighter Wing (Photo by Tom Zwica) the controls of an 6 to Braydon Burns, 8, from Logan, Utah, Watch. More recently, the 388th FW Col. Charlie Lyon, 388th Fighter Wing comAerospace while Capt. Christina Deibel, 34th Fighter Squadron pilot, watches. Museum to the combat forces to mander, presents retired Ma. Gen. Lee has provided F-Braydon, who earned honorary pilot wings during his participaDowner a gift after General Downer spoke Freedom and Noble for the tion in the hangar Operations Iraqi program Oct. 24, 2003, attended the 25th at the 25th anniversary celebration of the on Jan. 30. celebration of the and event anniversary placed Eagle. here on Jan. 30. F-1-6, F-1- . F-1- - !7 F-1- F-1- 3. F-1-6. F-1- F-- F-- F-1- real-tim- F-1-6s 4, JL F-1- F-1- F-1- -WASHINGTON Department of Defense cials announced Feb. 6 that new norms for the enlistment Armed Services test. Vocational Aptitude Battery, will be implemented this summer. The ASVAB is a multiple aptitude test battery originally designed to predict training and job performance in military occupations. Since its introduction in 1948, the enlistment test norms have been updated three times. The updated ASVAB will reflect more current norms based on the 1997 Profile of American Youth, a national probability sample of 18- - to in 1997. of these Implementation norms will allow DOD officials to compare the cognitive ability levels of today's and military applicants recruits with those of contemporary youth. Effective July 1, new ASVAB norms will be implemented with two goals: To represent accurately the aptitude of those enlisting in the military and to treat all applicants fairly. This includes all those who take the test before July 1 and have valid test scores; they will be grandfathered under an appropriate transition policy. (Courtesy cfAFPN) A night-fightin- aL - F-- F-- next to a current F--1 6C. The effort to move the original jet was unprecedented, and it required extensive planning and effort. The ll -- member six team towed the miles in a little more than two hours. "Since the jet didn't have or any operaany brakes tional systems for that matter ' we had to "chock walk" it the whole way," said Capt. Jason Scott, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge. This means we had to have some of our volunteers ready to throw a set of chocks in front of the main tires should we need to make an emergency stop." Master Sgt. Dean Barr, 42 1 st FS production superintendent, was an original crew chief here, and he talked about his early A n "rk "1 L (Photo by Servor Airman Madetyn Waychoff) Staff Sgt. Angela Sauro, Equipment Maintenance Squadron line delivery crew chief, and Senior Airman Sean Pitts, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit debriafer, share their experiences about the with guests during the 25th anniversary celebration of the Jet here on Jan. 30. Sergeant Sauro and arrived here. Airman Pitts ware bom in January 1979, the same month the first operational F-- F-- F-1- years and the development of the jet. "I worked initially on the A model Block 15 as a hydraulic technician, and there was enough work to keep a shop of nine technicians busy," said Sergeant Barr. "There is not one fighter-bombmission this jet cannot do exceptionally well. Future aircraft will always be compared to the 6 in terms of reliability and versatility." Colonel Lyon elaborated on the future of the "Although it looks the same on the outside, today's aircraft are entirely different on the inside with increased capability such as night-fightiand precision weapons. The 6 will continue to remain relevant for combat employment for many years to come. "We're proud to continue the legacy of the F-Fighting Falcon, the safest single engine fighter ever built, and to carry on the tradition of the men and women who have flown and maintained the aircraft for more than 25 years during peacetime and in comha" er F-1-6. ng F-1- |