OCR Text |
Show "innnn jnJDLIL ""f Mi " vim. M ' n Hill AFB, Utah A n , )S J h v www.hilitoptimes.com hilitop.pahiII.af.mil Vol. 57 No. 35, August 30. 2001 B 84056-582- 4 Gen. Richard B. Myers President nominates 'skilled, steady hand7 WASHINGTON (AFPN) said. "His long service to our country and extensive knowledge and broad range of experience of command in important geographic and regional assignments will ably serve the president and Secretary Rumsfeld as we proceed into a new era. Calling Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers a man of "steady resolve and determined lead- ership," President George W. Bush INSIDE: Vice commander visits work areas Page 2 tapped the Kansas native to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a news conference in Texas Aug. 24. If confirmed by the Senate, Myers would succeed Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton as the top uniformed officer in the U.S. military, and become the first Air Force officer to hold that post since Gen. David Jones Bush (1978-1982- ). also nominated Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, currently commander of U.S. Southern Command, to become vice chairman, replacing Myers, who has held that position since March 2000. Bush, speaking before reporters at his ranch near Crawford, Texas, called Myers "the right man to preserve the Tops In Blue pleases crowd Page 3 Ryan bids The entire Air Force (Ml Gen. Richard B. Myers come to know and expect of General Myers is candor, deliberation, judgment, keen insights, fiber and good humor. His career is the embodiment of the transformation with which he best traditions of our armed forces, while challenging them to innovate to meet the threats of the future. His is a skilled and steady hand." Those sentiments were echoed by will be charged as chairman of the Joint Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and Secretary of the Air Force James Roche. "I've had the great fortune to work closely with Dick Myers and with General Hugh Shelton over these past few months," Rumsfeld said. "What I have Chiefs of Staff. He is a leader." Roche spoke confidently of the general's qualifications for the job at hand. "I am extremely proud that President Bush has decided to nominate General Richard Myers to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Roche farewell secretary keynotes conference AF Page 4 much look forward to remaining part of this terrific defense team, captained by a dedicated and principled secretary of defense." Myers joined the Air Force in June 1965 and has seen a variety of assignments, ranging from squadron and wing commander to inspector general. Before taking the position of vice chair-ma- n of the JCS, he served as commander in chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and commander of U.S. Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. 1 study condition by Gary Boyle They serve in silence. Buried inside concrete silos, Peacekeeper mis- V most fearsome delivery systems. Armed - .. coverage extended to families Page 8 1 the missiles stood vigilant during the Cold War. Today, they serve as a reminder to poten- tial enemies of this 418th Fighter Wing Heads Up . .... CI with nuclear warheads, nation's ability to respond to aggression with devastating results. As the missiles age past their proposed decade service life, it becomes necessary to check on their condition. To accomplish this, a missile is pulled from the silo and brought to the Utah Test and Training Range where technicians dissect the motor and send engineers and researchers parts for examination. The UTTR dissection plant is the largest of its kind in the United States and one of the biggest in the world. This is a very expensive process to go through and dissect them, but replacement is the only other option and that is more expensive," said Gary Lawrence, supervisor of the Rocket Motor Dissection. Cutting up a 106,300 pound, 27- - foot Peacekeeper stage 1 rocket motor isn't an easy task. The specialized crew doesn't rush things, allowing safety to be their guide. A single missile is chosen to represent all the same type built in a specific time frame. The unit picked has also undergone some wear and tear, such as being prepared for launch or moved about in some way, Lawrence said. The rocket motor is delivered from the UTTR storage area to the dissection unit by truck traveling at a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour. The motor is then roll transferred into the dissection bay for installation of rotation rings and dollies. After the motor is safely roll transferred, a crane and forward lift fixture are used to lift the motor 25 inches off the floor. As the rocket motor is placed into rotation rings, it swings Photos by Gary Boyle The saw Is positioned to resume cutting into a Peacekeeper mis- ; . i extremely sharp mind. His operational command expertise circles the globe and spans into space. His experience reaches into the political realm as the assistant to the chairman working closely with the secretary of state. "With all these credentials, he is still building the kind of military envisioned one that will meet "current by Bush obligations and emerging threats." "If confirmed," Myers said, "I very Range technicians dissect motors to siles are America's Page5 A-- C integrity, combat proven, with an earned the trust, respect and confidence of the administration. Congress and each of the services. If confirmed, I am confident he will make a superb chairman." Myers is a 1965 graduate of Kansas State University and a veteran of the Vietnam War with more than 600 combat flying hours. He said he is ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work, Hilltop Times staff What's In a name? Pages one of our own nominated to this high position of trust and responsibility representing all our men and women in uniform," Roche said. "Should he be confirmed, I look forward to serving with him as we ensure our armed forces remain the best in the world." Gen. Michael E. Ryan, Air Force chief of staff, said that Myers possesses all the right qualities to help the U.S. armed forces remain the very best in the world. "I've known and worked with General Dick Myers for over two decades ... I'm both personally and professionally pleased to see his nomination as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Ryan said. "He is a man of great "He and Mary Jo are a couple who have given their lives to the service of our country. As the vice chairman he has . Page 4 SGU is proud to have as down to earth as the Harley he drives, the sheep dogs he owns, or the TR6 (car) he has rebuilt," Ryan said. - II Motorcyclo safety stressed Page 13 sile at the Large Missile Dissection Installation at the UTTR. Gary Lawrence, left, and Larry Llnford look at the missile guillotine that can apply 2,900 pounds per square Inch while slicing a missile section into a giant 'donut.' "J rw m m n , i ii u fill1 1 50-to- n ever so slightly making the lifting and ring placement ' process a tricky task. . . .... This is an extensive process. To lift the motor and place up to 10 rotation rings on it takes about two days. It can be pretty nerve racking too. This big thing sways just a few inches as we try to position it," said Lawrence. Moving the motor with the crane is one of the hands-o- n procedures the team accomplishes within the dissection building along with the placement of rotation dolly rings. ' Once the motor is in place within the rings, a diameter saw blade cuts horizontally through the motor casing. The. saw is operated by remote control from an adjacent building a safe distance away. The motor and rings are rotated to cut around the entire circumference of the motor. The motor is divided into ten pound sections. The dissection can be a lengthy process, Lawrence said. The Peacekeeper missile the team is currently dissecting has been on the chopping block since February with two sections left to cut. Hydraulic power is used for the rotation to reduce the risk of electrostatic discharge during the operation. If a rotation ring does break, only water comes out. Once the cuts around the circumference of the motor case are accomplished, the section 31-in- 10,000-11,00- OR COPY 0 , r , called a donut is then placed under the wide guillotine. The guillotine slices through the top half of the propellant section with 2,900 pounds per square inch, Lawrence explained. The break over assembly is installed to secure the section before cutting through the bottom half of the motor. After the section is free from the remaining motor it is then placed on the horizontal table and cut into segments called "pies." From these pies, the ATKThiokol and Hill propulsion laboratories can inspect and test the propellant's integrity. The pie slices weigh approximately 1,400 pounds each, Lawrence said, with pieces being cut down in some instances to blocks. 10-fo- ot I Stages two'and five are sent to researchers and engineers, and stage one is saved for inspectors of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. On the inside of the Stage one cone is an identification plaque that foreign inspectors take note of. The stage is then destroyed in accordance with START. The forward dome of the Peacekeeper is also saved for START inspectors. The Peacekeeper Stage 1 rocket motor forward dome also contains an identification plaque that foreign inspectors record for treaty compliance. Any other remaining motor pieces not held for further testing are destroyed at the UTTR's Thermal Treatment Unit by the Explosive Ordnance team. r |