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Show TnvflifcrmEinTTtr June 27, 2002 AEF -- - It won't work if you're not ready By Maj. Gen. Timothy Peppe Special assistant to the chief of staff for air and these three, our Air Force will always win. First are the obvious preparations, the ones that train you to fight These include chemical warfare defense training, space expeditionary forces and buddy care, a law of weapons qualification, self-ai- d and review armed conflict training, to name You've heard it said many times: our WASHINGTON unit will tell you readiness local few. People in your just a Air Force is expeditionary. What does this mean? Quite simwhat training you need for your particular deployment. ply, that the Air Force is organized and prepared for military Readiness also means staying healthy. Are your immuoperations abroad, and that everyone of us is a warrior and nization records complete? Are you exercising several times should be ready to go anywhere on the planet to fight our a week? Are you eating a nation's battles. nutritious and balanced diet? While the great majority Are you limiting your tobac"Being of our people are ready, we co and alcohol use? The Air continue to see a large numForce mission is to defend ber of personnel reporting famithe United States and protect for duty in an area of its interests through aeroIf responsibility without all space power. Wre can't do win. " will Air prerequisites accomplished. that if you're not healthy. All of us officer, enlistFinally, there's the third ed and civilian; active duty, Maj. Gen. Timothy Peppe category of preparations, the Reserve and Guard must assistant the of staff to chief Special one that is sometimes less take ownership of our expefor air and space expeditionary forces obvious but no less impor ditionary culture. While die tant taking care of your air and space expeditionary family. This means a lot of things. It means talking to your force concept ensures the Air Force is capable of providing spouse and kids to make sure they are mentally prepared for rapidly responsive, aerospace power, prepared you to leave. It also means making sure your will is up to to conduct military operations across the full spectrum of date, that your family's identification cards are current, and ' combat, it simply won't work if we aren't ready. that the DoD sticker on the family car is valid. It's up to you Being ready to deploy means a lot of things. I like to to make sure, these, and all the other little details your family break them down into three areas being trained, staying is counting on, are taken care of before you step on that healthy and taking care of your family. If you take care of - anti-terroris- m ready to deploy means a lot of things... being trained staying healthy and taking care of your ly you take care of these three, our Force always - - need-specifi- c, - plane. While readiness is a personal responsibility, commanders, first sergeants and supervisors play a vital role. If you're one of these people, you should ask yourself some questions. Do your people know w hat AEF they are 1 2 assigned to? Have you made sure they are trained and ready? Is their equip ment ready? If you answered no to any of these questions, you neei to get to work, and get to work now. Lastly, the major command vice commanders are meeting on a bimonthly basis to review ongoing operational demands, efforts to increase the number of eligible airmen to deploy and rotation cycles. The Air Staff is aware and concerned about the increased operational tempo and is committed to keeping predictability and stability in the lives of our airmen and their families. Our Air Force has always done extraordinary things, and our expeditionary approach to warfighting has only enhanced our ability to succeed. The AEF will surely carry us through this century, but only if we take it upon ourselves to make it work by being prepared. f Courtesy of Air Force News) Crew chief Continued from page A said Airman Clark. "Our job is never mechanics." Crew Chiefs not only take care of the jet they're assigned to repair other jets as well. "Every morning when I first come in get a mass briefing, check the status and the schedule of the jet I'm working on, and check out tools," said Airman Clark. "Then, I go to my aircraft -- and go over my checklist, open all the panels, prepare for the aircrew (pilots), do the launch procedures, functional checks, brake checks, and control checks to make sure everything's working right," he added. "Then the pilots will take done." "Fixing broken jets is one of the best parts of our job, I think," said Sergeant Milliner. "We get to get our hands dirty, and see the jet all the s," way from being parts to a fully functional jet" As soon as the jet the crew chief's .assigned to lands and taxis in, four flight inspectors recover the jet, refuel it and inspect it to make sure it is ready for off." Once the jet takes off, the crew chiefs go over paperwork and then assist with maintenance on other jets, or help fix other broken jets. "We don't just sit back," another flight. The job is very fast paced and stressful, said Sergeant Milliner. "My advice to anyone who's l"" null '"""iij Photo by Airman MadBlyn Waychotf Staff Sgt Eddie Martin, 421st Fighter Squadron crew chief, works on an Turkey Shoot Continued from page missile. In order to grade the pilots' performances they were all Not only did they have to attack targets but they also had to perform defense maneuvers. The last target they had to attack was defended by a simulated medium range surface to air given 8mm tapes to record their every move out on the range, from the first attack to the last The competition was broken into three categories; Top Right Lead, won by Captain Southard; Tcp Wingman, won by Capt. Stephane Woifgeher, 421st Fighter Squadron, and Capt Bryan McCarty, 421st FS; . and Top Flight where Lt Col. Scott Zobrist, 421st FS commander, Captain Woifgeher and Captain McCarty worked together to take the win. Air Force family member wins 'Miss Hospitality' year-ol- d Stephanie Mota, daughter of Tech. Sgt Tammy Mota, was crowned Ms. Hospitality by the America's National Teen-AgScholarship Foundation during a pageant held at the Utah Valley State 'v. "O" College, May 31 and June 1. The program was started In 1971 for the purpose of recognizing young women of intellect and leadership. The pageant was based on talent, academics, volunteer work and community Involvement Ms. Mota won the Citizenship Award last year, giving her a $10,000 scholarship to a college -- In Florida. F-- jet. to keep them flying. Pilots and crew chiefs work closely with one another in the care of the jets. "I think it's important to build a relationship with crew chiefs," said Capt. Michael Meyer, 34th Fighter Squadron pilot. "It helps when you understand what each other does, and that's very important." "Crew chiefs are definitely what keeps us flying and supporting the Air Force mission," said Captain Meyer. "I fly with them, and I think they do a great job," he added. "Doing maintenance day in and day out like they do makes you have a lot of respect for them. I've never had a bad experience working with crew chiefs." Savings bonds campaign ends tomorrow A rorist locations; and burms simulating Seventeen thinking about becoming a crew chief is to be prepared for hard work," said Airman Clark. "There are great personal rewards, though, for being a crew chief." "We tend to get incentive flights more often, because we spend so much time said working on the "We Milliner. Sergeant also get some of the best (temporary duty assignments)." "Being a crew chief means that you deploy a lot," said Airman Clark. "Our squadron alone has deployed to Travis (Air Force Base, Calif.), Nellis (Air Force Base, Nev.), (Incirlik Air Base,) Turkey, and Eglin (Air Force Base, Fla.)." Crew chiefs are one of the most deployed Air Force personnel. Wherever Air Force pilots and jets are needed, crew chiefs follow ri. r By Airman Madelyn Waychoff 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs The last chance to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds during the 2002 U.S. Savings Bonds Campaign in the Air Force is tomorrow. The campaign was designed to help Air Force members create a personal savings program and to help our nation finance its own debt, according to the campaign canvasser handbook. The campaign's mission is to make 100 percent contact with members of trie Air Force, civilian and military, and tell them about savings bonds. The 388th Fighter Wing has designated squadron representatives to make the 100 percent contact "Savings bonds are a good way for people who aren't sure about (individual retirement arrangements, or IRAs) or mutual funds to start a savings plan," said 2nd Lieutenant Jack O'Connor. "They're a secure, no risk investment." The savings bonds offered are the traditional Series EE Bonds, and the inflation-base- d Series I Bonds. The Series EE Bonds pay a fixed 3.96 percent interest rate as of May 1, will increase in value every month, and earn interest for up to 30 years, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. The Series I Bonds pay 2.75 percent interest as of May 1, as a combination of a fixed 2 percent interest rate, which lasts for the life of the bond, plus a variable percent annualized rate of inflation, 0.57 percent for the next six months, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. The I Bonds are sold at face value for $50 to $10,000, and earn interest for up to 30 years. "Savings bonds are safer than stocks, because with stocks you never know what they're going to do," said Lieutenant O'Connor. "But, bonds are backed by the federal government." Savings bonds are especially good for younger people, he added. And, if a bond owner changes their mind, the stocks can be cashed out with no penalties after only six months, versus the Thrift Savings Plan, where an investor has to wait until retirement to cash it out unless he wants to pay penalties. "I bought savings bonds because I needed a way to save money," said Technical Sgt. Karen Hancock, 388th OSS information officer in management for a me to save charge. "They were way money, and I could get to it if I really needed it, but getting to it was more work than just walking into a bank and drawing it out." "They're also a great thing to buy as gifts," said Lieutenant O'Connor. "I've bought a bunch of them for my nephews and nieces so they can use them for college, or whatever they might need them for. It's just a great way to invest in your future." For more information on the program go online at www.savingsbonds.gov. nr www.pub-licdebt.treas.go- www.afpc.rdndolph.af.milvotefund. v, m I |
