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Show nn n cfo); o) u Hill AFB, Utah 84056-582- 4 Vol. 54 No. 30, August 5, 1999 INSIDE: Civilian appraisal changes Page 2 Photos by Under presiding officer Maj. Gen. Richard Roellig, Col. Larry Spencer turned over 75th Air Base Wing command, left, to Col. Ken Page. Pages wife Joni, below, greets guests at a reception following the ceremony. ' "Lightning bolts" reform process Page 3 Grass fire potential high Page En A Pi ww 5 by Mary Galbraith Y2K Hilltop Time poses GPS problems Page 6 CMSAF Finch sworn in Page 7 New handbook on web Page 12 388th Fighter Wing Fighter Country A-- C staff "The change of command is a military formation deeply rooted in history and tradition dating back to the time of Frederick the Great of Prussia. In that period, military organizations developed flags with unique specialized colors and designs. When the soldiers followed their leaders into battle, they kept sight of their flag. If the banner still waved after a conflict, it was a sign that their side had not tasted defeat on the field of battle. Having this position of great importance, the flag was incorporated into the ancient change of command ceremonies. The organizational banner was exchanged in public for all to see that he who holds the flag is unchallenged and sovereign leader of . the armies. The modern day ceremony is principally symbolic; yet, it Yard of the month winners selected Page 15 AFMC Golf Tournament Held Page 16 Hilltop Times online Mary Galbraith still announces to all the authority of the incoming commander in the finest of military traditions." Change of Command History During a ceremony attended by dozens of base and local dignitaries Aug. 2, Col. Larry Spencer turned over command of the 75th Air Base Wing to incoming commander Col. Ken Page under presiding officer Maj. Gen. Richard Roellig, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander. Spencer told the audience he's looking forward to his new position at Langley, AFB, Va., but has mixed feelings as he leaves "the best job"'he's ever had. "I owe a debt of gratitude to local community leaders and the folks that are always out here on base," said Spencer during Monday's ceremony. "It's almost www.hilltoptimes.com as though this community is in uniform because they're always out here, always supportive. And you all need to know how much we appreciate it. It really makes an assignment here at Hill a plea- sure." While community members have been an integral part of Spencer's tour, it's leaving the people he worked with on a daily basis that he says makes his departure most difficult. "Serving as air base wing commander has been a tremendous honor. The accomplishments of the wing and the many awards won during the past year and have been overwhelming. From the great success of the Operational Readiness Inspection, to the support of our war fighting tenants for Operation Desert ThunderFox to our war time support to Operation Allied Force, to the many, many base improvements, I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of the 75th ABW. However, what I am most proud of, and what I will miss more, are the people of team Hill, and the 75th ABW in particular. The ABW consists of some of the most dedicated and committed employees I've ever had the pleasure of working with." commander who holds service at Hill. Ora volunteered at the base Thrift Shop, local schools and in various other a pri- mary Hill AFB position. "I use the term mayor. I think that's appropriate for the type of responsibilities we give these base functions. She also became notorious for weed pulling which helped beautify ihe base. In addition, Spencer thanked his daughter, Shannon, for the hundreds of hours she volunteered at the individuals across the Air Force," said Roellig referring to ABW commanders. "They run the entire end of services, as you a-h- Roellig said choosing Spencer as ABW commander was, "one of the best decisions" he's made, saying he could spend 10 minutes listing all the awards the wing has won since Spencer arrived and noted he got a "two for one" with Spencer's wife Ora. 'This ceremony is typically to recognize one incoming and one outgoing colonel, but I want to pay special recognition to Ora," said Roellig. Shortly after she arrived at Hill, Ora was recognized as Air Force spouse of the year for her service at Tinker AFB, Okla. Spencer thanked his wife for her continued non-stop L vHnmh ,l,,n,ra,.l- - r nii'-- base Youth Activities Center. Roellig noted the talent of both colonels. "What you'll find in the bios of both of these individuals is the opportunity they've had to demonstrate their leadership in command positions." He said this is critical for the " " - ... , rr ..v- ' JO!":tMf would expect in any city, and we are a city. From the chapel to the fire department, security police, recreself-contain- ational facilities, personnel offices, civil engineering, comm anything you can think of nec-See Change, page 4 D Peters confirmed as II IS orce secretary I R WASHINGTON (AFPN) Whitten Peters was confirmed by Congress today as the secretary of the Air Force. During his confirmation hear- ings July 21, Peters testified before the Senate Armed Ser- vices Committee on a broad range of subjects including the F-2- 2, S - recruitment, retention and the expeditionary aerospace force. He now sheds the title of acting secretary that he's carried for the past 20 months. Peters is the 19th confirmed secretary of the Air Force. There have been six acting Air Force secretaries. |