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Show Hffliop TIMES February 25, 2010 TMES WrcklySimi: 19-18 Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Lee Carter... Standard-Examiner publisher Mary Lou Gorny Hilltop Time* Editor Catherine McNally Hilltop Times Writer Lee Anne Hensley Hilltop Times Correspondent Deadlines: Editorial and news items are due bj^noon on the Friday prior to the Thursday print date. To submit news items e-mail hiiltoptimes@standard.net or call (801) 625-4273. For Classified Advertising, call (801) 625-4300. For Retail Advertising, call (801)625-4388. The Hilltop Times is published by Ogden Publishing Corporation, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under, and in compliance with, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hii! Air Force Base. The content of the Hilltop Times does not necessarily represent the views of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Hill Air Force Base (collectively, the Government). The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Government 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 Standard-Examiner, 332 Standard Way, Ogden, Utah, 84404. Additional editorial content is provided by various military and civilian wire services and Hill Air Force Base public affairs departments. Call (801) 625-4273 with story ideas or comments, or contact the editor, Mary Lou Gorny, at mgorny@standard. net. Call (801) 625-4300 for Classified Advertising or (801) 625-4388 for Retail Advertising. COMMENTARY Physical fitness—is it a national security issue? COMMENTARY BY LT. COL. BILL LYONS 419th Fighter Wing Operations Group commander W e're all aware of the changes coming on line for the Air Force fitness program. Some of those changes are important and required. I've always agreed with the development of the fitness program as a way to entice (or coerce) Air Force personnel to live healthier lifestyles, acknowledging the benefits of fitness — longevity, reduced health care costs, a sharper image. Many specialties within the Air Force, such as security forces, have necessarily carried an increased fitness requirement. And now, with ever-increasing joint expeditionary taskings, the imperative for higher fitness standards reaches many more within the Air Force. But what about those who spend their entire career '"behind the fence?" Why are they required to meet the same standards as the Airmen who are out on patrol or convoy with the grunts? I was recently introduced to an article that clearly answers this question. It's dated Dec. 26, I960, written by then-President-elect John F. Kennedy entitled "The Soft American." Many people of "my generation" are familiar with President Kennedy's commitment to physical fitness for all Americans. His policies were instrumental to the establishment of the Presidential Physical Fitness Award in 1966, the annual evaluation we completed in grade school that tested our overall fitness and provided awards to students who had a comparatively high level of fitness. Presidentelect Kennedy's article gives clear insight into why he was so interested in fitness. It had nothing to do with image; it had everything to do with national survival. When compared to the state of fitness in America today, the post-Korean War era doesn't immediately stand out as a time of "slothful ease" (in the words of President Theodore Roosevelt). And yet President-elect Kennedy already saw where we were head- ing. He laments the impact of "the television set, the movies and the myriad conveniences and distractions of modern life" on the overall fitness of Americans. What would he think today, when you don't even have to get off the couch to change the Lt. Col. Lyons channel or leave your house to see a movie — not to mention the video games and computers that have us riveted to our chairs — conveniences that were barely conceivable in 1960? If he saw a problem then, I imagine he's been doing barrel rolls in his grave over the past five decades. ' After reading the article in its entirety, what struck me most was the depth of his concern. We hear and read stories in the media, about the obesity epidemic the U.S. faces today. The cynic in me says stories like these make the headlines mainly because of the image they present in a world that's driven by imagery. Isn't every story accompanied by clips of significantly overweight people waddling down the sidewalk barely contained by their garments? To President Kennedy, though, the issue was much more pressing. He clearly connects the physical fitness of a nation's people to their ability and desire to stand up and defend the country when necessary. And he champions our nation's record in this regard, writing, "Throughout history we have been challenged to armed conflicts by nations which have sought to destroy our independence or threatened our freedom. The young men of America have risen to those occasions, giving themselves freely to the rigors and hardships of warfare." He states that "the physical well-being of the citizen is an important foundation for 777-7000 action.line.pa@hill.af.mil Report suspicious activity via the AFOSI EAGLE EYES program Dial-. 777-3O56 / 5057/ 3O58. Watch - Report - Protect Force Protection is Our Business - Everyone is a Sensor Phone numbers— The base agencies listed can be contacted directly If you have a complaint or a problem with their services: Security Forces :....:..;..........777-3056 24-hr. Crisisjnformation 777-3056 Force Support Squadron 777-4134 Base Restaurants...... 777-2043 Relirement/Compensation 777-6142 (dvilian) . Equal Opportunity Office 777-5455 Employer Relations 777-7129 Military Pay 777-1851 the vigor and vitality of all the activities of the nation.... For the physical vigor of our citizens is one of America's most precious ; resources." However, at a time when the U.S. had emerged as one of two superpowers that would drive the present and future world order, he feared that we were becoming a nation that was not up to the task. "The harsh fact of the matter is that there:': is ... an increasingly large number of young ft1-' Americans who are neglecting their bodies ... who are getting soft. And such softness """? on the part of individual citizens can help to strip and destroy the vitality of a nation ... *Our growing softness, our increasing lack dfc • physical fitness, is a menace to our security^Again, if he saw this in 1960, what would he Athink today? •tf , His concerns were not limited to war '/:fighting: "Physical fitness is as vital to the w activities of peace as to those of war... (it) u is the basis of all activities of our society." V' Beyond the imperative of physical fitness of- : our national defense fprces, he was equally-:" . concerned with the average Joe, whose grow^ • ing lethargy stood to sap the real power of the' nation — the "can do" attitude that America* >*iv could survive anything because it's American* So, in a very real sense, physical fitness f; is indeed a matter of national security, both'n-* within the military and in the nation as a whole. What can you do about it? We should^ all be encouraging each other — family, friends, neighbors — to get off the couch. This' effects of a healthy lifestyle on one's personal life are well documented. Physical fitness hasthe added benefit of reinforcing the vitality of the nation that President Kennedy saw as socrucial to our survival as a nation. 'i\>If we view fitness as President Kennedy • did, it may make each push-up you push, eachcrunch you crunch, and each mile you log • ^ more gratifying. Make it your way of com-' h. mitring yourself to the security of the nation^ you've sworn to defend. E> When you call or send an e-mail, your comments will be recorded and staffed through the agency responsible for action. Please give your supervisor and chain of command the opportunity to work with you in answering questions and solving problems before calling the Action Line. This will help me better serve your interests. Items of basewide interest will be published in the Hilltop Times. Civilian Pay ........;....777-6246 Air Force Suggestion 777-6901 Program Hill Straight Talk : 777-9696 IG Complaints ..777-5305 (for appointment) IC Complaints , 777-5361 (afterhours) '*'•''•{]"•' Fraud, Waste or Abuse^:.^;.7 (recording) r-•.; . . . . • Loud Noise ll..:i-877-885-9595 (complaints) 75th Medical Group..... 777-4918 Civil Engineering .; .777-1856 Hill Pride Hotline 777-7433 Public Affairs : ..777-5333 Military Housing.;:.,,.^!.,,y...825-9392 Maintenance . • ,, •. : ft Safety Office. :...." 777-3333" Safety Office Hotline 586-9300'* Union 777-3257 AFOSI Narcotics Hotline 777-1852 % Family Assistance Center 777-3090 • (whenactivated) t -• ,^. :,'. An Airman's act of courage to remember set. Ten seconds after the flare was released, an explosive charge blew out 388th FW historian % a parachute. After another 10 seconds, n Feb. 24,1969, an eight man the magnesium ignited and burned for crew lifted off in AC-47 "Puff the one minute at 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit Magic Dragon," call sign "Spooky providing two million candlepower il71," at Bien Hoa Air Base on a routine lumination for the landscape below. If combat night patrol mission over the handled improperly, the Mark-24 could Saigon region. Little did this crew know have been lethal to the crew members that a lowly Airman loadmaster on or destroyed the aircraft all together. board would save their lives and beAfter 4 1/2 hours into the patrol, Maj. come a significant part of the enlisted Ken Carpenter, Spooky 71 pilot, noticed and U.S. Air Force heritage forever. mortar flashes below near Long Binh Airman 1st Class John L. Levitow was Army Base. Realizing the base's need airborne on his 180th combat mission. for help, Carpenter and his crew providFor Airman Levitow this was a roued two attacks, throwing 3,000 rounds of tine combat sortie to aid besieged troops ammunition into the enemy's position. at Long Binh Army Base on the second Carpenter then diverted to provide ilday of the Tet counteroffensive. As a lumination in an area two miles south of loadmaster, Levitow was responsible the base where more mortar tube flashfor setting the ignition controls on the es could be seen. As he moved the gunMark-24 magnesium flares which were ship in the new direction, a tremendous routinely carried by gunships during explosion rocked Spooky 71. An 82 mm Vietnam. After setting the controls, the enemy mortar shell landed on the right loadmaster would pass the flare on to wing and exploded in the wing's frame. the gunner for release out the aircraft The blast momentarily blinded the pilot door. The three purposes of the Mark-24 and sent the aircraft into a steep right were to provide illumination to troops turn. The navigator, Maj. William Platt, on the ground, to signal fighter jets as to recalled, "Even in the navigation comwhere munitions needed to be dropped, partment, the flash lit up the inside of and lastly, to provide direction to the the aircraft like daylight." This explopilot as to where to aim his 7.62 mm sion made things even worse for the Miniguns during an attack.. crew in the fuselage as it threw all five members to the floor, showering them These flares were no small potatoes, with a hailstorm of shrapnel. Everybody nor to be taken lightly in any sense. At 27 pounds, the Mark-24 was a three foot in the back of the aircraft was in shock and some were severely injured, includlong metal tube with two stages when BY AARON CLARK Fit at 50 and Beyond continues March 2,4,9,11, 16 and 18. Call to register for either the Tuesday or Thursday Lunch and Learn at the Health and Wellness Center as the six-week brogram continues for those age 50 and older, the program focuses on nutrition, strength exercises and improving flexibility. Those who did not attend in February are still encouraged to join in. Call (801) 777-1215 to reserve a spot! THINK SAFETY Hill's Total 2010 DUJs: 9 Hill's Last DUI: Unit Involved: 367t& Sccftftont Sq Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers t' are unavailable. i Call 777-1111 any time to request a ride. O ing Levitow, who now had 40 shrapnel wounds in his legs, side and back. Confused on what had just occurred, Airman Levitow Levitow thought one of the AC-47's guns 2i had exploded. Referring to the blast •-# and onslaught of shrapnel, Levitow "> stated, "But when I was actually hit, the shrapnel felt like a two-by-four, or *s~ a large piece of wood which had been *?' struck against my side. It stung me. I v* really didn't know what it was." As he -fi" quickly gained his composure after -Tithe blast, Levitow noticed that a fellow • crewmember was lying near the edge TV of the open cargo door. Levitow quickly ''V' ran to his aid and while dragging him rrv out of harm's way, noticed a loose flare *l£ smoking and rolling among thousands of rounds of ammunition in the fuselage. T*K The explosion had knocked this flare outer of the gunner's hands and into the fuse- -fto lage while arming it at the same time, nt' John knew if the flare were to remain " in the aircraft it would quickly bring it : down in a ball of flames. Not knowing how long the Mark-24 *yo had been activated, John worked his -$rt way towards the deadly flare through the smoky and chaotic fuselage in hopestf'of saving the aircraft and his crew. He '& had tried multiple times to grab the See LEVITOW I page 6 "10 |