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Show August 5,1999 Local l 3 ,S s. tr' m rm t m from Page A u ;3r u By Staff Sgt. Sonja C.R. Whittington 388th FW Public Affairs Office y Friday, one 388th Fighter Wing squadron will earn the right to brag they are the best in the wing. A "Turkey Shoot" began Monday involving all three flying squadrons here. A Turkey Shoot is an intra-win- g flying and maintenance competition involving different maneuvers and tactics. The last Turkey Shoot at Hill was in March of 1 998. to Each squadron sends four four-shithe ranges where they are scored on their abilities to put bombs on target, said Capt. John LaMantia, Turkey Shoot project officer. "Each squadron will accomplish the same events," he explained. "Each will perform one LGB (Laser-Guide- d Bomb) attack and three BSA (Basic Surface Attack) events." ps For the LGB drop, the team will be graded on either hit or miss; all or nothing. The BSA events, on the other hand, will be graded by how close the bomb gets to the target. "All the bombs for the competition are practice bombs with only minor explosive capabilities - just enough to see where the bomb impacted," Captain LaMantia. Other scoring criteria involve timing. "The LGB attack is also based on a 'time on target' window," Captain LaMantia said. "It is not an easy window." Maintenance plays a key role in the overall scores for the Turkey Shoot. The ability to deliver aircraft on time is a factor in determining who takes the awards. "It takes good maintenance to win; not just good pilots. If we 'pickle' (press the bomb release button) and the bomb doesn't release, maintenance will lose points. Aircraft systems need to be kept in perfect order for everything to work properly," he added. Turkey Shoots are very carefully graded, Captain LaMantia explained. y 1 ach event has certain airspeed -H and altitude restrictions. A Ji proper "safe escape" recovery must be accomplished to ensure safe separation from the bomb's simulated explosion. This is evaluated by watching the videotape of each attack and the pilots maneuvers after the attack. "if you violate one of these restrictions, you don't get any points for that entire event," said Captain LaMantia. "The squadron that wins doesn't necessarily drop the best bombs. It is the who makes the mistakes,"added the captain. squadron ment After school, Colonel Bair moved on to hold several maintenance and operations positions throughout his continuing Air Force career. Some of the positions he held included: maintenance supervisor, 347th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Moody, AFB, Ga.; wing maintenance operations officer and then 5 1 st Aircraft Generation Squadron Maintenance supervisor, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea; chief of F-Branch, Headquarters Air Combat Command and deputy operations group commander for maintenance with the 52nd Op- "We are poised on the verge of a which J Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with a master's degree in maintenance manage- COMMANDER m least will be presented Friday overall Top Squadron by pilot and mainand tenance performance), best four-shi- p top pilot. The current holder of the "Top Gun Barrel" award, the overall top squadron from the last Turkey Shoot, is the 34th Awards Fighter Squadron. The Top Maintenance award is given to the squadron with the best squadron maintenance during the competition. Individual awards will be given to the pilot who has the best bomb scores for each BSA event. new culture, that of the Expeditionary Aerospace Force. The logistics group has been in the vanguard of this movement and, under the able leadership of Colonel Tim Bair, I know you'll continue to lead the way," said Colonel Hostage. Colonel Bair comes to the 388th Fighter Wing with a long list of experience he will use to help him in his new role. After receiving his commission in 16 May 1978, Colonel Bair entered active duty as a student at the Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course in Chanute Air Force Base, 111. Three years after the completion of his initial schooling, the colonel graduated from the Air Force erations Group, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany. Colonel Bair's decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster. Institute of Technology, Wright- - Airman special issue benefits military explores KELLY AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) Thinking about ending your Air Force career? Before you do, you may want to check out the August issue of Airman magazine. The August edition is a special "benefits" issue. But rather than offer preaching commentaries on retention or laundry lists of statistics like pay charts and civilian health care costs, the Airman staff traveled around the world to find out what matters most to Air Force people. "We feel it's important to tell real stories, from the mouths of airmen across the service," said Airman editor Jerry Stringer. "Benefits include much more than 30 days of leave and services like the commissary. Many people are choosing to cut short their Air Force careers without fully realizing what they're giving up. In researching these stories, we found 'benefits' has a broader meaning than many people think." The benefits issue includes stories on people who gave up Air Force careers for "greener pastures" in civilian life, only to return to active duty for the better bluesuit life. It lets Air Force people talk about travel, training and education opportunities, the safety and security of life on an Air Force base, and what the Air Force can do for families, both when tragedy strikes and when bluesuiters are deployed. Look for the August issue ofAirman magazine and see what the Air Force does for you. Grass isn't always greener on other side By Staff Sgt. Arlo Taylor Minot Air Force Base With MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (ACCNS) the robust American economy showing no signs of weakening, many airmen are answering the siren's song of the "outside world." Be warned, sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side, something two members of Team Minot have experienced first-hanSenior Airman Shannon Bement Airman Bement, a 5th Transportation Squadron combat readiness instructor, has been back on active duty for eight weeks and is thrilled to be back. "I realized about two weeks after I got out what a mistake I made," Airman Bement said. "I didn't fully think through my options when I got out. I went into the Air Force Reserve and went on temporary duty assignments to d. lis keep up the lifestyle I was used to. The Air Force was and is my life." Airman Bement got out in March 1995 for a PALACE Chase assignment to Pope AFB, N.C., and left the Air Force entirely in October of 1 997. Airman Bement planned on using her Air Force experience as a TMO passenger clerk to get a job at a travel agency. "My job experience didn't hold as much leverage as I thought it would," she said. "I planned on getting an airline job at a travel agency. I ended up working as a cashier then moved into Army Air Force Exchange Service accounting." "I'm happy to be back," Airman Bement said. "It's just not the same on the outside." Senior Airman Billy Wright Airman Wright, 5th Medical Operations Squadron medical service journeymen, has been on active duty again for 3 weeks after being out a year. Airman Wright left via the PALACE Chase Program to attend college at John M. Logan published for people like College in Cartersville, 111. "I missed being on active duty," said Airman Wright. "There are a number of reasons I wanted to come back. I missed my job and the camaraderie. It's great to be back. "I worked in the Veterans Affairs office at my college as part of the federal work study program," he said. "I thought I would get a job at a hospital in phlebotomy or an ambulance crew. There are literally hundreds of people who had applied for the same jobs and many had experience like me." "There are a lot of benefits people take for granted. People don't look at all of the expenses they have that the Air Force pays for like medical care, housing and education benefits," he said. "They just don't realize how good they have it." Applicants for the prior service program must have no more than 12 years of total active federal military service the exception is s, who must have no more than six years and one month TAFMS. Adjustments will be made for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members. E-4- -t Into! bi SJ ji 5 ; First place, small 1997 and 1998 Air If 111 frWi ' - i - y 'i " 4 Name: Stephanie Rodriguez Rank: Technical Sergeant Job: NCOIC, commander's support staff Unit: 388th Maintenance Squadron Hometown: Lexington, Va. Time in Service: 16 years Most recent accomplishment: 388th MXS NCO of the quarter What would I change at Hill AFB: "I would try to foster unity between the two different commands here." e UK newspaper Combat Command Media Contest commercial-enterpris- Editorial Staff Col. Mike Hostage 1st Lt. Erin Shuler Staff Sgt. Sonja Whittington Airman 1st Class Cindy Huston Commander Chief, Public Affairs NCOIC, Public Affairs : Editor Fighter Country is a supplement to the Hilltop Times, published by MorMedia, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with the Ogden Air Logistics Center Public Affairs Office. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of Fighter Country 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. Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are U.S. Air Force photos. Fighter Country is edited, prepared and provided by the 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office, 5887 , D. Ave., Suite 113, Hill AFB UT, 84056-501Story submissions for Fighter Country can be brought by the office, to the editor or fax to Deadline for submissions to Fighter Country is no later than cindy.huston.hill.af.mil Monday, noon, two weeks prior to publication. For more information, call the public affairs office at |