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Show Twice Monthly Thursday, March 25, 2004 388th Fighter Wing supplement to the Hilltop Times On target, on time: 1 388th senior v. Waiver master sergeant promotees The master program - following sergeants from the 388th Fighter Wing were selected for promotion to senior master sergeant. 388th Maintenance Group Michael Dyson Edward McDonald 388th Maintenance Operations Squadron David Colletti Brian Tyler 388th Aircraft 0 Maintenance Squadron Robin Monforton Scott Nass Duane Slater 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron Charles Smith 388th Component Maintenance Squadron Steven Crago Ronald Jensen February reenlistees The following airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing reenlisted in February. 388th Maintenance Group Master Sgt. Steven Spencer 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Beauchamp Staff Sgt. Cheryl Peck Staff Sgt. Jonathan Pruss Staff Sgt. Glen Romine 729th Air ; Control Squadron Tech. Sgt. Thomas Burns Staff Sgt. Christopher Newcomer 388th Component Maintenance Squadron Tech. Sgt. Mark Casados Tech. Sgt. Kevin Jaqua Staff Sgt. Erik Sather 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Master Sgt. Anthony King Master Sgt. Leonard Mian Staff Sgt Jonathan Hahm Staff Sgt. James I pock Staff Sgt Brian Wallace Senior Airman Brandon Ratay Senior Airman Joseph Sackett 388th Range Squadron Staff Sgt. Osama Zanayed Easter Egg Hunt The 388th Fighter Wing will hold an Easter Egg Hunt for all the children in the wing at Centennial Park or Hangar 37 April 10 at 11 a.m. (weather conditions will determine the location). Please join us for lots of food, fun, activities, and prizes! Egg hunts are separated into appropriate age groups. There will be a drawing for an Easter basket, and the Easter Bunny will definitely be there. For more information contact Staff Sgt Marchcll 3. Herrod at 586-516- helps airmen sew on stripes By Tech. Photo by Senior Airman Nakita Carttsle Col. Michael Cook, 388th Fighter Wing vice commander, waves goodbye to his friends after his final flight in the Cook Is retiring next month after 25 years of service in the Air Force. 6 here March 8. Colonel 388th vice commander retires after 25 years of AF service Col. Michael Cook, 388th Fighter Wing vice commander, is retiring from the Air Force next month after 25 years of service to his country. How does it feel to be retiring? I'm very excited to be retiring. It has been a wonderful role, but every good thing must endeventually. I have loved every minute of my time in the Air Force, but we made a family decision that was best for us. What was your most memorable assignment? You might not believe this, but it was a assignnon-flyi- ment. My tour at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) headquarters as the battle staff in director Cheyenne Mountain. The morning of 911 was the most memorable moment in my life, not just the Air Force. I have never had to mentally concentrate and make instant decisions so fast. I had already pulled a full shift, and didn't leave my duty station for another 32 hours. What was your most lenging assignment? chal- My tour up range in Nevada flying the stealth fighter when the program was still "black." There were many engineering challenges to overcome, and the total test team Lockheed, Systems Command test pilots, and TAC test and eval. pilots worked hard tasolve .those issues. , , , ' What is your fondest memory of your time in the AF? My two-yeexchange tour with the Royal Netherlands Air Force flying the .what a to live. My great place youngest daughter was born in The Hague. What is your least favorite ar F-1- memory? You know, I'm not sure I really have a least favorite memory. Of course, I'm like everyone else, I've had down days. In the flying business, a fatal accident is about as low as it can get. Unfortunately, if you fly as long as I have, some close friends have been lost along the way. You never get used to it. What is your favorite thing about the 388th? The mission! Fighter aviation is about as exciting as it can get. When you have 2,700 folks all working hard to fix it just doesn't get and fly jets any better. What do you think you will miss the most? Oh.this is a the people. It's people that make things happen. The friendships and the camaraderie are what I will always miss. My best friends for life were found in the Air Force. Do you have any final er observations about the Air Force and its role in the world? Well, it's certainly not the same Air Force I remember when I joined up. I came in during the late '70s. There was still a lot of Vietnam "hangover" in effect. As I leave the Air Force, it's now the most capable, powerful and respected Air Force in the world. Nobody does it better, and very few even try. What advice would you give to people who are early in their Air Force careers? Study hard, work hard and play hard, but don't forget to take some time with your family. We need to always remember: in the end your family will be standing at your final resting place. The vast majority of the Air Force will not be there, but your spouse and children will be. What will you do when you retire? I hope to get hired by one of the package carriers as a pilot. I love flying, and I always have. I know it won't be flying fighters, but it's still flying. Would you like to add anything? Not much. Just remember, only the Chief of Staff and the Chief Master Sgt of the Air Force make it all the way to the top. The rest of us retire along the way. I don't mean that negatively in any way, my decision to retire was about the most difficult decision I ever had to make. It was a bit agonizing. Even for my spouse. I'll just leave this with you: we all have to make this decision eventually. Sgt. Patrick Murphy Air Combat Command Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. - Five hundred eighty promotion selectees in Air Combat Command, most unable to attend required enlisted Professional Military Education due to deployments, have been able to sew on their ranks on time under the PME waiver program. The program allows newly E-- 6 selected E-and E-- 9 promotees who have not attended PME to apply for a waiver allowing them to sew on the new rank and then attend the required PME within 179 days. MAJCOM commanders are the approval authority for waiver requests beyond 179 days. Approval authority was delegated to the major commands from the Air Force headquarters level in December 2002. "With the delegation of the waiver authority, it is important to remember that the overarching policy of completing enlisted PME before assuming the next higher rank remains unchanged," said Chief Master Sgt. Carol Dockery of the Air Force Headquarters Personnel Directorate. "However, we also recognize that there may be times when operational deployments or humanitarian circumstances may warrant a temporary waiver. Since the MAJCOM is in the best position to make that call, we want to put the final decision making authority at that 5, level." Wing future set at conference Col. Charlie Lyon, 388th Fighter Wing commander, listens during a 388th FW off-siconference March 13. The purpose of the was for all commanders ; o - X U te off-si- te to proactively create the 388th FWs future. Mission and vision statements were developed, along with specific wing objectives that link Air Combat Command's sis focus areas: people, Aerospace Expeditionary Force, infrastructure, trans- formation, commend and control and information operations. Wing champions will develop an action plan for their assigned obtecUve(s) to complete them in the timeframes established, according to Chief Master Sgt Lou Wctzsi, 388th FW ttanpowtr a mnO UrQiVnUJnlOn fa, wnfl. Photo by Senior Airman Nakita Carttsle "Airmen defending our nation at hcma and aforcscL.libsriy or daath! Since Air Force headquarters implemented the Professional Military Education Waiver policy in November 2001, Air Combat Command's Personnel Directorate has coordinated more than 600 enlisted PME waivers. With 580 approved, that's a 99 percent approval rate. "In most of the waivers we approved, the applicant couldn't attend PME because of an extended TDY or deployment," said Chief Master Sgt. Scotty Ashley, ACC's chief of enlisted force development and professional military education. "They have already earned the promotion and their commanders have evaluated their ability to serve in the higher rank. We do everything we can to approve the waivers quickly to allow our troops to wear the new stripes on time." "With mission requirements at home base and abroad being at such an all time high, this program enables individuals to sew on even though they can't attend their required PME," he said. "This is good for troop See Stripes pageH) on-tim- e, |