OCR Text |
Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES December 24, 2008 AFB employee wins 'economic stimulus package' : Software Maintenance Group : worker gets surprise phone call [ tntermountain CFC news release C raig Jeske, an employee with the Software Maintenance Group at Hill Air Force Base, didn't know his charitable contribution ; would automatically enter him into a drawing to • win $1,000. Like1 thousands of other federal employees in the Intermountain Region this year, Jeske pledged support for some of his favorite charitable organizations through the Combined Federal Campaign, one of the nation's largest workplace drives for charity. Recently the executive board for the Intermountain CFC randomly selected Jeske's pledge form — from among thousands of similar forms — to award him the ; "2008 Intermountain CFC Economic Stimulus ". Package." Now Jeske has a $1,000 Visa gift card • to spend however he wants, thanks to a grant from Geico. Jeske was sick at home when he got the call from work that he had won the drawing. He said at first his wife thought it must be some kind of gimmick and it took some convincing that they really had won a thousand dollars with no strings attached. When asked how he plans to use the money, Jeske demurred, sayJAMES ARROWOOD/U.S. Air Force ing only that it will go toward Christmas at his house. The "Intermountain CFC Economic Stimulus Hill Air Force Base worker Craig Jeske (left), Software Maintenance Group, receives his Visa gift card worth Package" was designed as a promotional vehicle to $1,000 from Bruce Jacobs, Intermountain Combined Federal Campaign executive director Dec. 18. Behind generate excitement for the campaign and increase them is the banner Hill AFB used to announce the base's CFC goal had been met. the number of people who fill out a pledge form, according to Bruce Jacobs, executive director of the much of western Colorado, southeast Idaho and nearIntermountain Combined Federal Campaign. "The ly all of Wyoming. pledge form served as the drawing ticket," Jacobs Established in 1961, the Combined Federal Camexplained. "There was no obligation to donate, but we paign is the nation's largest workplace charity drive hoped people would choose to do so as long as they and the only philanthropic effort permitted by law in were Ming out their forms. The prize money doesn't the federal workplace. The campaign enables milicome from employee contributions but from a genertary and civilian federal workers and U.S. Postal Serous sponsorship grant Intermountain CFC received vice employees to support charitable causes of their from Geico to help us promote the CFC." choice via payroll deduction or cash donation. The campaign is broken into smaller geographic regions To date, the campaign is on track to match last to allow for local promotional activities. year's record of $2,503,000 raised for charity in the Intermountain Region, Jacobs said. charitable organizations depend upon their contribuSince 1996, the Intermountain CFC has raised "Even in a down economy, the federal workers in tions each year, and each year the federal employees more than $22 million for human health and welfare our area have demonstrated once again their enorcome through for them." organizations: Nationwide, the CFC has raised more mous caring," Jacobs said. "So many of our local than $5.7 billion since its inception. The Intermountain CFC encompasses all of Utah, $1,102,902 - Team Hill's contribution to Combined Federal Campaign 526th ICBM Systems Group gives back to community at holidays BY LMJREN EASTMAN L__ Team Mainstream GS Strategic Communications for the 526th C harity and community were two major themes for the 526th Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Systems Group in 2008, and the group's obvious focus on these areas paid off just in time for the holidays. The group, which is comprised of 341 individuals, led the fundraising efforts for Hill Air Force Base during the 2008 Intermountain Combined Federal Campaign, which is the fundraising vehicle for federal employees throughout Utah, western Colorado, southeastern Idaho and Wyoming. More than 152 individuals within the 526th ICBMSG donated to the week-long campaign, resulting in the most money raised per-capita of any group on base, and a total of more than $49,200 in generous donations. Hill AFB, along with Ogden Internal Revenue Service and the Ogden Forest Service, raised more than 60 percent of the total amount for the campaign — currently estimated at $1.9 million. Additionally, members of the 526th ICBMSG raised donations outside of the CFC program itself, hosting a craft auction and multiple bake sales throughout the holiday season in an effort to support local charities. The proceeds, in excess of $750 dollars, usually spent on door prizes at the group's holiday appreciation luncheon, were donated instead to the Homeless Veterans and Airman's Attic, along with coats and canned goods that were gathered from members of the 526th. Second Lt Michael Nyberg, who was instrumental in the charitable efforts reported, "The economic times this year made the CFC campaign especially challenging, but with the help of the volunteers and many generous donations we exceeded our goal and delivered hope to those who needed it most." About the 526th ICBMSG The 526th ICBMSG is responsible for inception-to-retirement integrated weapons system management of Minuteman and Peacekeeper weapon systems. The group develops, acquires and supports silo-based ICBMs and provides program direction and logistics support as the single face to the customer. The group is also responsible for acquisition, systems engineering and depot repair; manages TOWER ; From page 1 j Even after completing that •milestone, the controller does ;not stop training and learning. :Using the same simulator they ^used in tech school and initial •upgrade training, the Tower ;Simulation System, Hill tower I controllers can continue to fineItune their skills. • "Our (air traffic controllers) ;are getting 'sim' time three to Ifour times per week in addition I to their time up in the tower," jsays Training Standardization ;and Watch Supervisor Bob Cox. ;"If they are having a particular problem in the tower, we can recreate any situation from the tower in the sim to help the controllers work on certain issues." The "sim," or TSS, is a 225degree, three-dimensional wrap-around screen that mimics the windows of the con;trol tower and is connected ;to a computer that replicates ;the Hill AFB airfield to every :minute detail. The trainee can LEE ANNE HENSLEY/Hilltop Times John Jobst, 75th Operations Support Squadron watch supervisor and simulator administrator, demonstrates the Tower Simulation System used to train air traffic controllers for air and ground traffic controlling. get a 360-degree view of the airfield with the scroll of a desktop mouse. Approximately 75 different scenarios are programmed into the TSS with many different options to vary each scenario. The computer has a voice-activated system in which the digital aircraft and pilots respond to the trainee's commands. The TSS can place any aircraft from any country in the flight pattern and it also can be configured to represent the environment at deployment locations so the controllers can equipment spares; provides storage and transportation; and accomplishes modifications and equipment replacement to maintain silo-based ICBM systems. About the CFC Established in 1961, the Combined Federal Campaign is the nation's largest workplace charity drive. The campaign enables military and civilian federal workers, including U.S. Postal Service employees, to support charitable causes of their choice via payroll deduction or cash donation. Since 1996, the local CFC has raised more than $22.5 million for human health and welfare programs. Nationwide, the CFC has raised more than $5.5 billion since its inception. For more information, visit www.intermountaincfc.org train before deploying to war zones. "We can throw all variables at them in the sim and we train them to work any given scenario," Jobst says. "We can never replicate anything 100 percent but at least we can let them know what they can expect to happen in real life." "This is also a great tool to learn how to deal with emergencies," Cox adds. "The tower is not the place to handle your first emergency. In the sim, you can pause the scene and explain to the controller what will happen if he chooses to make a certain decision, and you can also show him what might happen if he makes the wrong decision." However, where technology is limited, old-fashioned paper or model airplanes are still used to fill that void. "The only drawback with the TSS is, if the sim administrator doesn't stop the scenario in time, you can't go back and rewind it, but you can with the (static board)," Jobst said. The (static board) is basically an aerial map of the airfield and folded paper or model airplanes are manually pushed *< around the map used to simulate air traffic scenarios. "Some of the best training methods come with the static board," he said. Other traditional training methods — reading, studying and testing — are routinely used as well. "Air traffic control regulations are consistently changing and we are continually studying to maintain our proficiency," said 1st Lt. Nathan Coyle, the Airfield Operations Flight Commander. "Each controller has to keep up with the standards to maintain their ratings," Jobst adds. "Each month, Bob distributes a test to ensure controllers remain proficient and to validate that the controllers understand any changes to the standards that may have occurred." So even when there are no planes in the Hill AFB airspace, it doesn't mean the air traffic controllers are taking the day off. "In this job, you never stop training," said Cox. |