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Show FsrBte it's There's something about having dad around that makes life special j by Bill Orndorff H7top TJmes editor . Dad. Father. Papa. The Old Man. Whatever title you apply to Sunday is his official not he that doesn't deserve more. day A single Father's Day is never enough to honor the man who, at least in part, got you here. Oh sure, Mom can teach you how to throw a ball or hammer a nail too, but there's something about having Dad you-know-wh- o, around that makes it special. Fathers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and abilities. Some can repair any type of car with a couple twists of a wrench while others use technical knowledge to build a rocket motor with a few computer keystrokes. Some say a Sunday afternoon tractor pull is the best entertainment, bar none, while other fathers prefer a concert by a string quartet. The common link? They all have kids. Dad alternately can be tight fisted with the money and say no when you want a "South Park" then come home with that shiny new bicy--cl- e you've dreamed about for months. He might be gone when it's time to mow the grass, but shows up for the recital to hear you play "Timmy the Tugon the accordion. boat" y v Babies aren't sure who this big joker is that keeps making faces and strange sounds, but they love and trust him. Younger kids might think Dad's just there to take them to McDonald's or the mall or the barbershop on Saturday, but they know he's dependable. Teenagers often think Dad is behind the times when he forbids them4 to get a tattoo, but when reason prevails they know he did it out of love. But it's not until you're older that you really appreciate that father of yours. For years, when a board was loose on the house, a broken window needed fixing or someone needed to stay up with a sick baby, dad did it. Dad was the one who paid the bills, worked overtime to pay for your education, made it possible for Santa to visit, and willingly wore a leader's neckerchief and knee pants so you could become an Eagle Scout. Then one day, whether through death or long dis- by a Joint Resolution of Congress President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father's Day in 1966, and President Richard T-shi- rt, 10-spe- ed Nixon made the date a permanent national obser vance off-ke- : tance, you wake up and realize you're "Dad." Suddenly there are small creatures who look somewhat d like you, sitting on your pants, begNow YOU ging for attention and calling you da-djelly-staine- a. have to decide whether to fix the washing machine or repair the roof since both are leaking and the budget has a hole in it too. It wasn't until Sonora Smart Dodd was grown and away from the nest that she realized how much her daddy did. Her father, Henry Jackson Smart, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth. The sacrifices he made as a single parent raising six children and running a farm in Washington state caused her to propose a "father's day" in 1909 to honor him. The first Father's Day was observed a year later on June 19, Smart's birthday in Spokane, Wash. President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day in 1924, and in 1956 Father's Day was recognized ;' iin 1972 V- -:r So what makes a good father? Start with love, since that's wha should be the basis ol family. Add compassion for your kids' prob- i. v lems, patience for ;:-;v- : t those uncom- fortable times, courage to :' .rtV?v": . . make things right and wisdom to rise above the confusion. Throw in two-wa- y com munication, a sense of humor, respect, virtue, kindness, char-itflexibility and a liberal amount of hugs and kisses. There's no definitive book that tells how to be a good father. It's something you must play by ear, day in and day out. And you'll never know until years " ' Today, our Air Force people here at home and abroad are working incredibly hard supporting our national 'f interests. Operations Northern and Southern Watch in Iraq and Operation Allied Force in the Balkans are tough challenges and our airmen are engaged in very dangerous and complex missions. Our thoughts and prayers are constantly with them. We could not possibly mount operations of these magnitudes without the superb planning and preparation by our great officers, airmen and civilians in the active, Guard and Reserve components. There is no doubt that the Air Force, and indeed the nation, appreciate your vital efforts whether you're supporting operations from home base or abroad. Operations Allied Force and Shining Hope are just causes and we will prevail. These operations have again reinforced the importance of our expeditionary capabilities. As a service, the Air Force has always been expe- - ditionary during World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and other conflicts, the Air Force has deployed to remote places on short notice to answer our nation's call. Our transition to an Expeditionary Aerospace Force is nearly complete and we've been on track to imple- ment the Aerospace Expeditionary Forces schedule later this year. Our planned AEF schedule uses 20 percent of our force to handle steady state contingency operations. Major theater operations require not only a Total Force effort, but commercial capabilities as well. Operations Allied Force and Shining Hope, in addition to our steady state Northern and Southern Watch commitments, require a force level commitment well above 20 percent. This surge in our operations tempo is higher than during either the Gulf or Vietnam wars. For that reason, we have instituted the stop loss program for the specialties that are crucial to ongoing operations. We have provided commanders with the "Air Force people building the world's most respected Air and Space Force irirm. ZIJLjUljlPI -- A Quality Systems for America's Air Force Hilltop Times Published by MorMedia, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Hill APB. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of the Hilltop i later whether or not you got it right. Fatherhood isn't for everyone, but those who vive say it's well worth the trip. sur- n measly by Lt. Gen. Thomas Keck Combat Command r y, llLi Vice Commander, Air . . . Times are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U:S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. The appearance of advertisements in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or MorMedia, Inc., of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Ogden Air Logistics Center Public Affairs Office staff in Bldg. 1289, second floor. Call Ext. with story ideas or comments. Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are U.S. Air Force photos. TO PLACE Ay ADVERTISEMENT, CALL flexibility to waive stop loss in cases of compelling cause and undue hardship. We will cease stop loss at the earliest practical opportunity. Let me assure you, our EAF concept is more important today than ever. Since many of the units scheduled to be in the first two AEFs on Oct. 1, 1999, are currently deployed in support of Operation Allied Force, clearly this will have an impact on our AEF implementation timeline. Once our requirements for Allied Force and Shining Hope have subsided, we'll reconstitute the force just as we would following any major conflict by providing time for rest and recuperation of our people and time for the regeneration of our combat and support units' capabilities. We will have as the target, implementation of the AEF schedule on a sustained basis. I know this is a very challenging and busy time for our people and units. I am extremely proud of but not surprised with the way our Air Force people have risen to this challenge and are performing so magnificently. The work you are doing with aerospace power is critically important for our nation and freedom's cause. Keep up the great work and Godspeed. Global Power and Reach for America. Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Maj. Gen. Rich Roellig Maj. J. Robert Ballew .Commander, Director, Public Affairs Office Bill Orndorff .Editor Staff writers Mary Galbraith, Steven R. Ford Deadlines: OO-AL- C Editorial and "Around the Hill" items, 3 seven p.m. Thursday, days before publication; sports artia.m. 9 cles, Monday, week of publication; classified ads, 2 p.m. Tuesday, week of publication. For more information, call the editor, Ext. 625-430- 0 |