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Show r7 October 5. 2000 -- I . r- Museum display tells 419th story by Capt. James R. Wilson 419th FW Public Affairs Office A montage chronicling the history of the 419th of the latest exhibits on display at the Hill Aerospace Museum. The display culminated several months of hard work by a small group of volunteers seeking to highlight the achievements of wing members and varied missions conducted throughout the units history. This unit has been part of the area so long we really felt that it needed to be represented in the museum, said Chief Master Sgt. Marva Harper, 419th FW command chief and the primary coordinator behind the display. I think most everyone who helped out did so because they felt it was important for our story to be told. The display, which is enclosed in two glass trophy cases measuring five feet high by seven feet wide, consists of photos and artifacts taken from various eras dating back to the 1950s. The centerpiece of the display is an eagle made from alabaster and Other items collected electroplated with chrome. include coins from the 419th FW, 419th Combat Fighter Wing is one 45-ye- ar Logistics Support 67th Aerial Squadron, Port Squadron, 419th Logistics Support Squadron, 419th Medical Squadron and 419th Security Forces Squadron as well as a special 419th Olympic Edition pin. Aircraft dating back to the units inception in 1945 to present day are carefully placed to depict the diverse mission carried out by 419th airmen over the years. These scaled down models include the and now, the 6. Countless hours were spent replicating even the smallest details on these aircraft to include authentic weapons configurations and tail markings. Nowhere are these F-8- C-11- 9, C-12- 4, F-1- F-8- 0, 4, C-4- 6, F-1- 05 painstaking efforts more apparent than on the Fighting Falcon model-- a replica of the 419th FW flagship. This particular model dons the trademark yellow and black checkerboard Leadership Staff Sergeant Spencer Keeler, 419th Maintenance Squadron, places a model of an F-in the 419th Fighter Wing display case located at the base museum. Sergeant Keeler along with others worked hard on replicating the model aircraft in the display to look like the wings aircraft of the past and present. 16 pattern on the aircrafts vertical stabilizer courtesy of Staff Sgt. Spencer Keeler, 419th Maintenance Squadron. Im really pleased with how the aircraft and display turned out, said Sergeant Keeler. Its a veiy meticulous process. Essentially, I took the original stickers and reduced them to a fraction of the normal size-on- e sixty-fourto be exact. It doesnt always happen on the first try. In fact, it probably took me at least 30 or 40 tries to get the tail markings right Once the jtems were placed in their proper positions, presentation of the display. In this case, a blue sky chock full of clouds completes this tribute to the warriors of the 419th FW-pa-st and present. We needed something to provide a measure of contrast for the items inside, said Cleve Harper, son of the 419th FWs command chief. Initially, I was a little concerned about how it would turn out given all of the hard work that had gone into putting the display together. But I think it looks better now than any of us could have imagined. Im proud to have helped along the way. th a backdrop was created to enhance the overall (continued from page A) an F-instructor, pilot, flight examiner, flight commander, and assistant operations officer. Prior to assuming command of the 466th FS,r Colonel Batinich served as commander of the 419th Operations Support ' Flight. Even though becoming a commander of a fighter squadron was a great accomplishment, this wasnt the biggest news on that afternoon during the change of command ceremony. Colonel Batinichs father. Mitchell was presented the Bronze Batinich, Sergeant Star Medal some 55 years after his valiant heroics in World War II. Colonel Batinich learned a while ago, the Bronze Star Medal was to be awarded to World War U soldiers who had received the Combat Infantrymans Badge. 16 After countless hours of researching through records to confirm this news and his dad was eligible. Colonel Batinich received authorizationTrom the President of the United States to award theTnedal to his father. Sergeant Batinich wasnt aware he was going to receive this award until about two weeks prior to the change of command ceremony which he was planning to attend for his son. The award was intended to be a surprise, but his son. Colonel Batinich thought it would be better to let him in on the surprise before hand. This is one of the highlights of my life, I would have to say, said Sergeant Batinich. I cant explain how it feels. ' After pinning the award on his father, Colonel Batinich stated the day was a very special day to him. . . Changes 1 in command The following new commanders were also appointed during the September UTA; on Saturday, Sep. 9, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Carpenter became the 419th Operations Support Flight commander. Oh Sunday, Sep . 10, Colonel Gerald Yearsley became the 419th Logistics Group commander ; Lieutenant Colonel David Avner became the 419th LG deputy commander and Lieutenant Colonel James Robinson became the 419th Support Group commander. .. Pilots use new LITENING pods to bomb Iraqi targets by Jim Miller d, HQ AFRC Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. - When Air Force Reserve Command F-fighter pilots patrolled northern Iraq this summer, their planes once again carried laser-guidbombs, but this time the hardware was 16 ed different When the pilots dropped bombs in missiles and response to Iraqi surface-to-a- ir antiaircraft artilleiy, LITENING II taigeting pods guided the bombs to their taigets. Last year, the reservists deployed with LANTIRN units. pods borrowed from active-dut- y The LITENING II is the next generation d of pods, said Lt. Col. Lance 302nd Undhjem, Fighter Squadron commander from the Reserves 944th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz. His unit returned home in late August, the last Reserve-F-1unit this year to deploy to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, for Operation Northern Watch. In August 1998 the Reserve and the Air National Guard jointly contracted with Northrop Grumman, a U.S. engineering firm, and with Rafael, an Israeli company, to purchase the pods, already used by the air forces of five other nations. The Reserves 301st FW at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, took deliveiy of the laser-guide- first of 32 pods in February. The requirements we had were two-folsaid Lt. Col. Frank Anderson, Reserve project officer in the Pentagon for LITENING II, who flies with the 301st FW. We needed to get the precision-bombin- g capability that weve never had and we needed to do it without any budget allowing for When all the options were laid development. out on the table, LITENING u expensive and far more mission capable. Undhjem compared the older LANTIRN and the newer LITENING II pods. The LANTIRN projects an infrared image, he said. When you look at the screen and then look outside, what you see may look different in because of differences temperature. The image is different on the LITENING II, which uses a camera with a zoom. When you look at the screen and look outside, they look the same. There is no distortion due to temperature variations. What you see a long way out is what you would see close up with the naked eye. In addition to the 944th FW, the 301st FW and two other Reserve F-units enforced the y zone over northern Iraq this summer. The 419th FW from Hill AFB, Utah, was the first unit to go overseas in May, followed by the 301st FW and then the 482nd FW from fvTeast er 16 no-fl- Homestead Air Reserve Station, Fla. During the deployment in of support Aerospace Expeditionary Force 8, Reserve units flew more than 300 sorties. At any given time, the Reserve deployed a dozen pilots, some 140 support people and eight F-- 1 6s, four from each unit. This type of deployment is recurring, and we constantly stay up to date in our training, said Master Sgt. Eugene J. Ritaldo, NCO in charge of weapons standardization for Homesteads 93rd Maintenance Squadron. While deployed, people in Ritaldos unit prepared the aircraft and configured them with laser-guidtaigeting pods, electronic counter-measurpods, fuel tanks, laser-guidmunitions and missiles. II The LITENING pods were dependable and easy to maintain, according to Senior Master Sgt. James Carter, NCO in chaige of the 301st FWs specialist flight We had very few problems with the pod and, if we did, they were easy to fix, said the Fort Worth reservist. Most of the bombs were dropped during the first month of the Reserves deployment obligation. We vary our movements throughout the day in the AOR (area of responsibility), said Lt. Col. AI Hawley, deputy commander of Hills 419th Operations Group. If the Iraqis four-mon- th ed es ed heat-seeki- ng four-mon- th are shooting antiaircraft artilleiy or SAMs (surface-to-a- ir missiles), we are allowed to retaliate in a manner proportional to the act We dont do anything unless the Iraqis provoke something and then we are careftil to only take out valid military taigets without collateral damage. Hill pilots believe use of the LITENING II pods to bomb Iraqi weapons dropped off after their unit left because the Iraqis realized what would happen if they broke the rules. Operation Northern Watch news releases tend ' to back up the pilots claim. Of the AAA fire activity reported in the news releases from more than 80 early May to occurred watch. Hills during percent Saddam Hussein and his forces still have reason to abide by the rules. When the reservists left Turkey in late August, they turned the taigeting pods over to Guard F-units that will wrap up this years AEF deployments to Turkey. Operation Northern Watch is a prime example of the total force in action, according to Brig. Gen. Bob DuLaney, Combined Task Force ONW Americas reserve forces are vital to Northern Watch, the general said. We flat could not do the mission without their support. They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the operation. mid-Augu- st, 16 |