RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE,Texas – Fifty-four Academy seniorairmen were selected for promotion tostaff sergeant, the Air Force announcedWednesday.

They are among the 15,130 selected,from 36,608 eligibles, for pormotionto staff sergeant. The selection rate of41.33 percent is up 5.46 precent fromlast year.

The average staff sergeant selectscore for the 07E5 staff sergeant testcycle was 270.71 points, based on: — 131.72 Enlisted Performance Reports — 55.99 Promotion Fitness Exam — 54.33 Specialty Knowledge Test — 2.15 Time in Grade — 4.72 Time in Service — 0.85 Decorations

The newest Academy staff sergeantsare: Monique Bowens 10th AMDSErik Gallion 10th AMDSBenito Huron 10th AMDSJeremy Rhodus 10th AMDSDavid Tewksbury 10th AMDSAndrew Carrick 10th CESHorace Conney 10th CESNorman Henderson 10th CESJoseph Honsberger 10thCESKevin Baxter 10th CSJeremiah Bess 10th CSMichael Messer 10th CSBenjamin Sosa 10th CSChristopher Wise 10th CSDanielle Cabran 10th DentalNatasha Campbell 10th DentalAnn Colon-Oliveras 10th MDOS

Amos Davis 10th MDOSChalonda Davis 10th MDOSWilliam Ellis 10th MDOSSamuel Farris 10th MDOSMatthew Forzley 10th MDOSEmmrid Gilbert 10th MDOSEnjoli Hayes 10th MDOSLatasha Holmes 10th MDOSChritine Jestice 10th MDOSJulius Lendof 10th MDOSDwayne McDowell 10th MDOSKelley Simpkins 10th MDOSAshley Thompson 10th MDOSJonine Woods 10th MDOSNicholas Igl 10th MDSSBruno Lima 10th MDSSMichiyo Litynski 10th MDSSMegan Rodriguez 10th MDSSKarvin Vega 10th MDSS

Bradly Bricker 10th SFSNicholas Collazo 10th SFSTravis Dunbar 10th SFSFaris Flournoy 10th SFSAlexander Hickernell 10th SFSJarrod Jett 10th SFSFernando Maldonado 10th SFSGail Rasor 10th SFSGary Resta 10th SFSSamuel Perez 306th OSSTanya Bell 557th FTSAshley Wasinger 94th FTSAnndrea Sanders Cadet Group 2Amber Casey USAFA/FMDarick Alexander USAFA/HCMaxwell Guin USAFA/HCVincent Weathers USAFA/HCNatasha Sloan * USAFA/JA

* Inbound to the Academy

Enlisted aviatorcareer fields open

for retrainees

Academy NCO ranks swell by 54 staffs

NASA courtesy photo

Grad in spaceAstronaut Alvin Drew, STS-118 mission specialist and 1984 Academy graduate, poses Sunday in the comman-der’s station on the flight deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour while docked with the International Space Station.The Air Force colonel’s flight engineer duties involve launch and re-entry, space walking, remotely operating themechanical arm to deploy and retrieve payload bay stores, performing ship engineer maintenance and fabrica-tion duties in orbit, medical officer duties and load mastering.

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla.(AFPN) — Opportunities for Airmento retrain into one of eight careerenlisted aviator career fields havebeen released by Air Force officialshere.

The Air Force has openings forfirst-term Airmen to retrain into theflight engineer, flight attendant andaerial gunner specialties.

Plus, the retraining quotas havebeen released for staff sergeants andtechnical sergeants to retrain under theNCO Retraining Program into theboom operator, flight engineer, load-master, airborne mission systems,airborne battle management, aerialgunner and cryptologic linguist careerfields.

“This is the news many Airmenhave been waiting for,” said MasterSgt. Randy Scanlan, the Air ForceSpecial Operations Command careerenlisted adviser in-service recruiterat Hurlburt Field.

The official release of the fiscal2008 NCO Retraining Programretraining objectives are available onthe retraining advisory located in thevirtual Military Personnel Flight.

VOL. 47 NO. 33 AUGUST 17, 2007

NewsParents clubaids cadet

Page 4

FeatureSponsorsadopt cadets

Page 10

SportsSoftball champion-ship on hold

Page 16

INS IDE

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 20072 COMMENTARY

Send submissions to: HQ USAFA/PAI, 2304 CadetDrive, Suite 3100, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO 80840-5016 or deliver to Suite 3100 in Harmon Hall.

Deadline for free classified ads on a space-avail-able basis is 12 noon every Tuesday for that week’spublication date. Paid classified advertising is accept-ed by the publisher at 329-5236. The number to call fordisplay advertising is 634-5905.

Deadline for all stories is noon Friday, one weekprior to the desired publication date. Refer questionsto the Academy Spirit editor at 333-8823.

The Academy Spirit also accepts story submis-sions by fax at 333-4094 or by e-mail: pa.newspaper@ usafa.af.mil.

The Academy Spirit is published byColorado Springs Military Newspaper Group, aprivate firm in no way connected with the U.S.Air Force, under exclusive written contract withthe U.S. Air Force Academy. This civilian enter-prise Air Force newspaper is an authorized pub-lication for members of the U.S. military serv-ices. Contents of the Academy Spirit are notnecessarily the official views of, or endorsed by,the U.S. government, the Department ofDefense or the Department of the Air Force.

The appearance of advertising in this publi-cation, including inserts or supplements, doesnot constitute endorsement by the Departmentof Defense, the Department of the Air Force, orColorado Springs Military Newspaper Group,

of the products or services advertised.Everything advertised in this publication shallbe made available for purchase, use or patron-age without regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, marital status, physicalhandicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.The printer reserves the right to rejectany advertisements.

Editorial content is edited, prepared andprovided by the U.S. Air Force AcademyDirectorate of Public Affairs. The editorreserves the right to edit articles to conformto Air Force policy and Associated Pressstyle. All photos are U.S. Air Force photosunless otherwise indicated.

SubmissionsDirectorate of Public Affairs mission:To responsibly inform and educate the

Academy community and the public about the

Air Force AcademyLt. Gen. John Regni — Academy Superintendent

Maj. Brett Ashworth — Director of Public Affairs

Tech. Sgt. Roel Utley — NCOIC, Internal Information

Wayne Amann — Editor

wayne.amann@usafa.af.mil

Butch Wehry — Senior Staff Writer

whalen.wehry@usafa.af.mil

Ann Patton — Staff Writer

elizabeth.patton.ctr@usafa.af.mil

Denise Navoy — Graphic Designer

Adapt or die,the choice is yours

“Just seeing the mountainsis what I like best.All ofColorado is just beautiful.”

Second Lt. Jason Pollard10th Mission Support Squadron

“All of the Academy itselfis just beautiful, especiallynear the cadet area.”

Don SpenceAir Force retiree

What’s your favorite place or site on the Academy?

“The Cadet Chapel. It’sjust beautiful on ChristmasEve.The glass is gorgeous,too, with the light stream-ing in.”

Nancy ByramSpouse of retired Air Force chaplain

“The view near the over-looks on Academy Drive.It’s so pretty and greenand peaceful.”

Senior Airman Jacqueline Buller

10th Mission Support Squadron

By Lt. Col. Patrick Reese 354th Medical Support Squadron commander

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) —Three words stood emblazoned on a small plaque inthe colonel’s office: Adapt or die.

In the colonel’s typical freight-train style, heexplained his philosophy to me — the new lieutenant.We have those moments early in our careers when wehear something from a senior leader that sticks withus. I was having my moment.

Heard well before the flat world described byThomas Friedman or Spencer Johnson’s movement ofcheese, the adapt or die philosophy has been an invalu-able guideline for me since that first assignment.

Adapt or die is simple. Every new leader weencounter has a unique style, interlaced with likes,dislikes, pet peeves and idiosyncrasies. Your job is tofigure those out and chart a course through them tosuccess. Don’t expect the leader to change their styleto accommodate you.

Work hard to make your end-product suit yourleader. That is when smiles begin and once you get theboss smiling, that is a good day.

Adaptation is also important in dealing withcolleagues. Knowing the environment you’re enteringbefore wading in with a request can mean the differ-ence between hitting brick walls and hurdling them in-stride. See the issue from both sides, orient yourself tothe different points of view involved, and then adaptyour attack to achieve your ultimate goal. Smashingthrough a door with a big hammer will get you throughthe door once, but figuring out how to turn the handleand open the door will allow you to use it many times.

I once asked the colonel if he had ever said toanyone, “You’re not adapting!” He said he had used

that phrase with two officers in his career and neitherof them stayed in the Air Force for very long. He wenton to note that he hadn’t processed them out of the AirForce. Neither officer was able to adapt to their nextleader, at which juncture they were encouraged to seektheir fortunes at venues outside of the Air Force.

A corollary to the adapt or die principle becameevident when the colonel organized staff work. Hewould calmly announce to all of us young officers,“I’m not writing the response. That’s what captains andlieutenants are for.”

At first, this caused a lot of choice words utteredunder our breath, but I began to realize the power thecolonel was placing in our hands. A well-preparedmemo was often signed quickly. A well-thought planreceived his enthusiastic backing. In short, he gave usthe power to shape policy and make things happen inhis name. What once sounded like a flippant remarkturned into how I decided what the response will say, Iwrote the memo, and the colonel signed it. I helpedshape policy.

Too often we are more than willing to abdicate ourresponsibility to be an active voice for our leaders. Theattitude of “send it through and the boss will bleed allover it, then we’ll write it the way they want” can bringorganizations to a screeching halt. Soon, the entire unitadopts a passive posture, waiting for the leader to givedirection before they do anything.

Don’t fall into this trap. Adapt to the leader’s styleand forge ahead. In many units, there is the Airman,NCO or company grade officer who always seems toknow what’s going on. He is the person to whomeveryone else is willing to listen and value his judg-ment. The challenge is to be that person — the onewho makes things happen, not wonder what happened.

Adapt or die. Do one or the other.

Repetition is the key to learning.Repetition can also be detrimental. Whenwe hear the same things over again westop listening because we figure, “I know …I’ve heard it a thousand times.” We nolonger have to listen to it or think about it.

Character is repeated in lessons, sem-inars, conferences, symposia and so on.Why are some lessons repeated so often?We all know what is right and wrong; we allhave integrity and will do the right thing allthe time, right? No. We’ve all come up shortat some point. But we know the lessons,right?

The lessons are repeated because wedon’t want anyone to be complacent. Thevast majority of those who do the wrongthing aren’t bad people. They just getcaught up in circumstances resulting in apoor choice. The lessons heard a thousandtimes were either forgotten or ignored.

The goal of repeating the character andhonor mantra is to keep us thinking about it,so when choices are faced, the lessons will lead us to make the rightchoices. Repetition also demonstratesthe importance of character. If it wasn’t, character wouldn’t be in our vision and mis-sion statements. Character wouldn’t beemphasized for every Airman and DODcivilian through the AF Core Values.

Cadets, Airmen and civilians stationed here have the luxury of beingreminded about character. When awayfrom the Academy, remin-ders willnot be there and we must rely onthe lessons we heard a thousandtimes and the habits we formedwhile internalizing these les-sons.

Character Development

Character CornerCharacter Corner

Cadet Sight Picture

Character Counts airs Wednesdays at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on KAFA radio 97.7 FM.

By Center for Character Development

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007 3NEWS

By Butch WehryAcademy Spirit staff

After 20 years in the Air Force, Senior Master Sgt.Steven Foster is getting used to life aboard ship.

The Academy hospital laboratory superintendentis one of two 10th Medical Group people aboard theU.S. Navy’s U.S.S.Comfort, on joint service humani-tarian missions since June 15.

“Although we are on a Navy ship, we are a true jointteam working at completing the mission,” said thesenior NCO.

He and 10th MDG’s Senior Master Sgt. DennisFulmer are working beside people from the U.S. Navy,Army, Air Force and Coast Guard, U.S. Public HealthService and Canadian government forces. Civiliansfrom U.S. Military Sealift Command run the ship, andtwo nongovernmental organizations, Project Hope andOperation Smile, are partnered with the military aboardon a deployment known as “Partnership for theAmericas.”

Sergeant Foster conceded life aboard ship takes somegetting used to.

“Life on the ship takes a lot of adjusting,” said thesergeant. “Try to walk down the corridor and the shipis swaying. It is impossible to walk a straight line. Tryto sleep in a bunk bed three high for E-6 and below,and have ‘abandon ship’ drills.”

Maybe the biggest adjustment was remaining inuniform for the entire day, except when in the sleepingquarters, and working every day to a point that you losetrack of the actual day of the week.

“The food has been very good,” Sergeant Fosterreported. “It was an awesome experience to be aboardthe ship as it crossed the equator and able to partici-pate in the Navy tradition of becoming a ‘shellback’,one who has crossed the equator.”

In addition to the medical care the 800-personmission provides, they also have a team of Navy Seabees,construction experts, that repair structures, replaceplumbing and renovate buildings.

As a team, they provide training and education tohost nation medical staff and citizens, a lot of it preven-tative in nature.

Aboard ship, he is the ancillary services superin-tendent. Ashore, he is a site or assistant site leader.

“In my 20 years, I never imagined I would be onsomething like this,” said the father of three who leftRevere, Mass., long ago and who now lives with hiswife in Colorado Springs.

The missions been to Belize, Guatemala, Panama,Nicaragua, El Salvador and Peru. Ahead lays Colombia,Ecuador, Guyana, Haití, Suriname and Trinidad.

Although each port offers different challenges, thestaff from the Comfort offers the same basic medicalservices everywhere.

Generally, a team of 50-60 doctors, nurses andtechnicians travel by helicopter and boat to the shoreeach day and set up sites to provide adult and pediatricprimary care, dental care, optometry, immunizations andlaboratory work.

“Those who need surgery are taken back to theComfort, where surgeries are performed and patients

recover,” said the 10th Medical Support SquadronNCO. “On average we see approximately 500-700people a day. There are very large crowds.”

Not all places are like what he anticipated.“I expected us to pull into a port and have patients

brought to the ship,” Sergeant Foster said. “Instead, wehave gone out to schools and clinics and set up a siteto see patients. Some of the places have been rural andwithout electricity or running water. Most of the siteshave been the same, the diseases or medical condi-tions are associated with poor hygiene or poor sanita-tion conditions.”

Sergeant Foster loves kids and seeing kids smile maybe his biggest satisfaction.

“The places we have visited are among the poorestin Latin America, to provide basic healthcare such asa pair of reading glasses and seeing the patient’s reac-tion and also the patients who go to the ship for surgeryand you get to see them afterwards.”

Not being able to provide the service for everyperson in need of care, often the things taken for grantedin the states, can be disappointing.

By the end of Partnership for the Americas, theyexpect to have seen between 85,000-100,000 people.

He has learned what “joint” means.“Being that this is my first experience with this type

of mission, the staff of the Comfort has portrayed a oneteam approach” the sergeant said. “It is not about theNavy or the Air Force or Coast Guard, we have alladapted to working together to complete the mission.The Air Force dentist performs extractions the same wayas the Canadian dentist, one at a time. We are all oneteam!”

Each country has shown some variety of reactions. “For the most part, they have all been very appre-

ciative,” he said. “Some people have cheered and otherswere stoic. None have expressed anything in a nega-tive way.”

It will be over by mid-October and he alreadyknows the most memorable part of the deployment.

“It’s the people I have met on board and the patientswe have served in every country,” Sergeant Foster said.“This has been by far the greatest experience of my 20years in the service.”

Med group NCO on high seas mission

Courtesy Photo

Senior Master Sgt. Steven Foster, 10th MedicalGroup, is aboard the USS Comfort on joint servicehumanitarian missions. He said life on the shiptakes adjusting but “this has been by far the great-est experience of my 20 years in the service.”

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Academy SpiritAugust 17, 20074

By Ann PattonAcademy Spirit staff

Cadet 2nd Class Tyler Perry has had more than hisshare of sorrow this year.

In January, the Georgia native’s sister died frominjuriessustained in a traffic accident.

In May, his father passed away unexpectedly justas Academy final exams were beginning.

With his mother (who is divorced from his father)deeply grieved over her daughter’s death, it was up toCadet Perry to take charge.

His father left no will, so it was up to him to wadethrough the ensuing muddle of legal and financialpaperwork of the estate, which included medical andfuneral bills and income taxes.

His father also left behind a three-bedroom housebadly in need of repairs before it could be sold, two cars,Cadet Perry’s dog and a house full of furniture.

The responsibilities seemed endless, but help wason the horizon.

Members of the Georgia Parents’ Club heard ofCadet Perry’s situation and within 10 days a regular armyof Airmen, fellow cadets and friends descended on thehouse in Marietta, Ga., to lend a hand.

“He was eating an elephant one bite at a time,”parents’club president Bobbi Cork said of Cadet Perry.

More than 40 volunteers, some of whom lived 100miles away, took to the air and ground on ladders andfoot, and painted the entire house July 23.

They also pressure-washed the back steps anddriveway, painted inside, installed a dishwasher and gasrange, cleaned the kitchen, stained the deck, vacu-umed, washed windows, made repairs, cleaned bath-rooms and sorted an entire garage of items for a yard

sale the next day.“We got the house pretty much ready to go on the

market so he could get back to school,” Ms. Cork said.“The Air Force wanted him back.”

Hearing of the “paint party,” area merchants donatedbagels, soft drinks and pizza, and a home improvementstore provided a discount on repair items, all of whichadded greatly to the upbeat spirit of the party.

“They were a huge help,” Cadet Perry said of thevolunteers. “It blows me away that they would take timeout to help.”

He learned first-hand the scope of the Air Forcefamily and their need to stick together.

“It’s bigger than most people think,” Cadet Perrysaid of the Air Force. He added Air Force reservists werealso alerted, but their help was not needed.

“It was like an Air Force barn raising,” said Air Forceretired Colonel Alan Johnson. “The results were stun-ning.”

Col. Johnson, Academy Class of 1979, serves asan Academy Liaison Officer in Georgia. He was deeplyimpressed with Cadet Perry’s commitment to respon-sibility.

“He is an amazing young man,” Col. Johnson said.Cadet Perry said Ms. Cork and Col. Johnson

continue to stop by the house to check on it and performsmall tasks.

“We were not looking for thanks or recognition,”Ms. Cork said. “We were paid well by seeing peopledoing a remarkable job. The joy was in helping someonewho needed it.”

Life is back on track for the family. Cadet Perry’smother is back at school as a counselor, his Labrador/chow mix has settled into her house, and he is back inclass once again pursuing a degree in management.

“I’m glad to be back,” he said.Last spring’s finals are long past but Cadet Perry

had no reason to worry. He was excused from all of them.“It was a relief. I had other things to take care of.”

Parents’ club goes to bat, hits home run

Courtesy Photos

Volunteer Airmen, cadets and friends enjoy a‘paint party’ to lend a hand to Cadet 2nd ClassTyler Perry.

The gang’s all here. More than 40 volunteersdecended on Cadet Perry’s home painting, scrub-bing and repairing.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007 5

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By Butch WehryAcademy Spirit staff

Drivers heading home out of the Academy’s northgate slowed Saturday as three aircraft hovered aboveand touched down in Jacks Valley.

They were U.S. Army UH-60 helicopters fromBuckley Air Force Base in Denver transporting soldiersto the training area.

The choppers were flown by Company A, 2-135thAviation Regiment to support 75 soldiers who arrivedfrom the 743rd Military Intelligence Battalion engagedin an annual field training exercise. Both units areColorado Army National Guard elements.

“The Colorado Army National Guard has workedwith the Academy in the past providing support for cadetfamiliarization rides and aircrew recovery training,” saidChief Warrant Officer Patrick Kearns, a UH-60 pilot.

Some motorists may have noted similar aircraft inthe movie Blackhawk Down.

Others have seen them on TV broadcasts. TheArmy aviation unit served in Iraq last year.

The UH-60 is a medium-lift utility or assault heli-copter derived from the twin-turboshaft engine, singlerotor Sikorsky S-70.

The aircraft can perform a wide array of missions,including the tactical transport of troops, electronicwarfare and aeromedical evacuation. Black Hawks areeven used to transport the president of the UnitedStates.

Other recent missions supported by A Co 2-135thAviation Regiment included blizzard support search andrescue, feeding cattle, helping the 10th Special ForcesGroup prepare for upcoming deployment, supportingthe National Medical Disaster System exercise, working

with civilian Flight for Life aircraft during an aerialmedical evacuation exercise. The Army unit alsosupported Marine and Air Force units at Camp Guernsey,Wyo., with para-drops, sling loads and moving 60Marine Reservists to their annual training.

A Company recently returned from Iraq where itworked for a year transporting passengers around thecountry.

“We actively solicit operational support missionsoutside our unit to include all DoD agencies,” said

Chief Kearns. “This training provided the militaryintelligence pople with experience working aroundaircraft and an exciting start to their Field TrainingExercise. It also allowed A Company the opportunityto continue working with live passengers.”

Joint operations in Iraq inspired the shuttles toJacks Valley, he said.

A newer model being engineered, the UH-60M, will extend the service life of the UH-60 well into the2020s.

Army helos occupy Academy air space

Photo by Mike Kaplan

U.S. Army UH-60 helicopters from Buckley Air Force Base in Denver transport soldiers to Jacks ValleyJuly 11 for a field training exercise. The choppers were flown by Company A, 2-135th AviationRegiment to support 75 soldiers who arrived from the 743rd Military Intelligence Battalion.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 20076

By Ann PattonAcademy Spirit staff

Fresh from acceptance into the CadetWing, the Class of 2011 took possessionof their new computers Aug. 7, two daysbefore classes started.

Features of the Fujitsu tablet computermodel T4220 include an Intel Core 2 DuoT7100, two gigabytes of memory, an 80gig hard drive, wireless connection andexternal mouse and keyboard.

The $2.5 million contract forpurchasing the computers went to CDWGovernment, Inc., a wholly-ownedsubsidiary of the CDW Corporation whichprovides sources of information tech-nology to government and educators.

The selection committee includedmembers from each academic division, thedirector of academic computing and chiefinformation officer.

The committee evaluated variouscomputers from technology providersbased on the best fit for cadets.

“This is a very competitive selectionprocess, which includes running a batteryof benchmarks, hands-on testing bycommittee members,” said Larry Bryant,academic computing director.

“The end result is a ‘best value’selec-tion of a tablet which is required to lastthe cadets for all four years at theAcademy.”

Mr. Bryant said the selectioncommittee decided the educational reasonsfor choosing a tablet computer out-weighedthe increased cost and weight for other

computers since it can be used for takinghand-written notes in class, as well asmath formulas, drawings, diagrams andother classroom formats.

Special educational software pack-ages are also available specifically for useon tablet computers, such as Math Journal.

The individual cost to 4th classmenfor a computer was $2,176. The price tagincludes such accessories as a bag, memorystick, lock, cable and power strip purchasedthrough the Army and Air Force ExchangeSystem for $106.

The tablet computers came pre-loadedwith Windows XP SP2, Office 2007 andAcademy licensed software for class likeAutodesk, Vbrick and Raptor.

Not included were a personal printer

and flat panel screen for use in dorms,which are often gifts from families. Cadetsalso have printers in each squadron.

The new computers are functioningwell.

“So far, the machines are reliable outof the box,” Mr. Bryant said, with only 20sent back for missing parts.

This is his 16th year for managingcadet computer issue.

On their arrival at the Academy,incoming basic cadets generally havevarious skill levels, but those levels havegone up annually.

“Cadets become more and morecomputer savvy every year,” he said.

For cadets lagging in computer sophis-tication, classmates often help, as well as

a faculty member assigned to eachsquadron for computer training.

A one-day training session on thenew tablets was held Aug. 8.

Cadets learn computer ethics inComputer Science 110, including certaincommon practices done in high schoolsuch as illegally copying music or moviesare no longer acceptable and are punish-able.

Mr. Bryant praised the 50 facultymembers who pitched in to help distributethe computers.

“We could not have done it withouttheir work,” he said.

On the day of distribution thecomputers were handed out between 10a.m. and 2:45 p.m., which included a 2-hour break.

“It was a very compressed schedule,”Mr. Bryant said.

The schedule was also made diffi-cult by a 6-hour arrival delay of onedelivery truck.

Cadets are encouraged, but notrequired to purchase insurance for theirpersonal goods, which includes computers.

The insurance is available from achoice of carriers and runs less than $50per year.

With spills from beverages being themost common damage to them, computersin the past have also fallen victim to vehicletires, dropping and theft.

Mr. Bryant said the cadets seemed tolook forward to using their new computers,especially for e-mails and messagingprohibited during cadet basic training.

Freshman cadets armed with tablet computers

Photo by Ann Patton

The Class of 2011 registers information on their long awaited tablet computers.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007 7

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Looking for a photo or video to jazz up a presenta-tion, certificate or term paper?

The newly launched Asset Management System isup and running with an online catalogue of more than6,000 images and small video and audio clips.

Available for download only to USAFA.edu users,the site at http://128.236.1.98.WPP7 has had a techni-cally sound beginning.

“It has been completely functional for its first twoweeks,” said Lee Anderson, Academy visual informa-tion specialist. “So far, so good. No one has found flawsin it yet.”

Academy faculty members are serving as site testers.“The site has anything you could possibly need for

any presentation,” Mr. Anderson said. Browseable categories include Academy buildings,

aerials, logos, cadet life, flags, flybys, wildlife, planes,medical, graduation, official command photos and AirForce operations.

The site also features items illustrating U.S. historyfrom the American Revolution to Operations Enduringand Iraqi freedom, Navy operations and humanitarianoperations following hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

With photo editing software, images may be manip-ulated since they are totally malleable, meaning they maybe cut and pasted, and combined with text and/or otherimages.

All photos are at least 300 dots per inch in resolu-tion.

“They’re all print-quality photographs,” Mr. Andersonsaid. “We intend to keep it that way.”

All images are free of copyright since they originate

from Academy photographers and other governmentsources such as the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

All items on the site may be searched by a keywordas well since all images are backed by metafiles of infor-mation, such as photo descriptions, individual items inthe image and, if available, the name of the photographeror artist.

The site’s development was formulated nearly single-handedly by Mr. Anderson.

Although now merely in its infancy, the site hasbuilt-in growth capabilities with four terabytes, or 4,096gigabytes of space reserved on its server.

“We’re constantly looking for images,” he said and

added anyone who would like to submit an image forconsideration to the site is welcome.

In the future he would like to add images from sitesoff base, such as parks and memorials, including the statueof Gen. William Palmer in downtown Colorado Springs.

For now, the system is not in use for academics.“But, we can do that. And, this is the place to do it.”

Mr. Anderson said. “We’re barely scratching the surface of what we’re

capable of.”To give feedback on the Asset Management System

or to submit a photo or other item, e-mail Mr. Andersonat yancey.anderson@usafa.edu.

New computer image system ready for business

Courtesy Photo

Aerial shots of the Academy are among the 6,000 images in the new Asset Management System.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 20078

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Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007 9

By Butch WehryAcademy Spirit staff

It goes well beyond a cardboard box. It can alsobe a wooden crate, a metal container or a foam-insu-lated container.

A March letter said of 1,116 shipments, 1,060 ofthem were packaged by the Freight Section using oldcontainers from units. Fifty one shipments used newcontainers and four were fabricated for special pack-aging instructions.

“Some of the material shipped from the Academyhas been here for years, in use within the dean’s area,”said Hamilton Buell, quality assurance evaluator forthe Logistics Readiness Division, 10th Mission SupportGroup. “Locating the reusable container isn’t alwayspossible, and the Packing and Crating Office mustthen fabricate the container to comply with special pack-aging instructions.”

Units store containers and packaging materials atthe unit.

The units can store the containers in their organ-ization or can request the freight office store them ina courtesy storage area within Logistics. This assiststhe unit because there’s never enough space withinwork centers.

They package a wide assortment of goods.“Logistics probably stores more than 75 percent

of the units’ reusable containers,” said Mr. Buell. Wehave constructed containers for everything from price-less shipments of artwork being displayed at theAcademy to parts required in support of the launch ofthe FalconSat satellite. The special packaging instruc-tion dictates what is required to properly package theitem. That could be a regular cardboard box, a tri-wall

cardboard container, a wooden crate, a metal container,or drum and insulated Styrofoam container.”

The policy says units should save at least 10 percentof containers.

An example of this would be the unit that receives10 new projectors. Each projector is packaged by themanufacturer for safe shipment.

“We ask the unit to keep at least one of thesecontainers to assist us if we have to return a projectorto the manufacturer for warranty repair or replacement,”he said.

It’s the unit’s responsibility to know whichcontainers they have for their items. They must havethe item with the container when they bring it to ship.

Any of the items that we already have containersfor takes less time,” said the quality assurance evalu-ator. “Usually, the smaller the item, the easier andquicker it is to pack.”

Constructing a new container can take much moretime.

“Although we don’t have many in the inventory atthe Academy, some of the special packaging instruc-tions for certain items can be very detailed,” Mr. Buellsaid. “Munitions shipments are critical and must bepackaged as the instruction dictates. We also shipitems that do not have special packaging instructions.Some things we ship are unique to the Academy suchas art and historical documents. It is critical that theseitems are protected during shipment.”

A letter or email with justification is required fora shipment.

“We also have a local form available here at thewarehouse for those folks that arrive with somethingto ship unaware of our normal procedures,” said Mr. Buell.

Reusable container is low profile $ saver

Courtesy Photo

Christopher Boughn, freight supervisor, uses arecyclable container to for shipment.

The reusable container program may be low profile, but it

saved the Academy $10,931 by early this year.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 200710

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By Capt. Elizabeth KreftU.S. Air Force Air DemonstrationSquadron Public Affairs

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev.(AFPN) — On any given day, pilotsusually prefer to steer clear of trees. Onefighter pilot came face to face with anentire forest Aug. 4.

Maj. Nicole Malachowski, a 1996Air Force Academy graduate and thefirst female pilot for the U.S. Air ForceAir Demonstration Squadron, visitedthe International Forest of Friendship inAtchison, Kan., to receive an honoraryplaque and meet with IFOF organizers.

The International Forest of Friend-ship is a memorial of trees that stands asa living, growing commemoration ofaviation accomplishments worldwide.The forest includes trees from all 50states and 35 countries around the worldwhere its honorees reside.

It was Major Malachowski’s firstvisit to the forest since her inductioninto the organization in June.

“I’m absolutely humbled andthankful for this opportunity,” MajorMalachowski said. “To be recognizedalongside aviation greats such as AmeliaEarhart, the Wright Brothers and EileenCollins; it’s truly overwhelming and I justhope this will help show other young

men and women that their dreams offlight are possible.”

Forest honorees are chosen for theircontributions to all facets of aviationand aerospace. Major Malachowski was recognized alongside fellow pilotssuch as Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager and Jimmy Doolittle. More than1,200 honorees have been named since1976.

Dr. Linton Wells, the IFOF co-chairman, described Major Malachowski’sinduction as particularly meaningful asthe organization strives to highlight avia-tion for a younger generation.

“We hope young aviation enthusiastswill hear stories like Nicole’s and realizethey too can become involved and helpmake a world of friendship throughflight,” he said.

Major Malachowski’s aviationdreams began well before her Air Forcecareer took off. By the time she masteredriding her bike around the block, shealso set her mind on flying a jet aroundthe sky.

“I just knew I wanted to be a fighterpilot. It didn’t matter or even registerthat it wasn’t possible for women at thattime,” she said. “That desire led me towhere I am today. I’m a proud Air Forceofficer and pilot who had the chance todo something great and give back to my

fellow service members, as well as thecommunities who support us.”

“Her story of resolve is a uniqueone,” Dr. Wells said. “She was deter-mined to be a fighter pilot, and she sawher dream through to the end. That is whatwe want to show kids of today; aviationmakes many things possible.”

Major Malachowski is serving inher second year as Thunderbird No. 3,flying the right wing position in the

diamond formation. She has logged morethan 1,900 hours as a pilot, 1,700 ofthose in the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon.

“There are so many Airmen whodeserve this kind of recognition; my jobwith the Thunderbirds is to representthem,” Major Malachowski said. “I sharethis honor with all those people whoserve with me in defense of our greatnation.”

T-Bird, grad sees forest for the trees

Photo by Airman 1st Class Cory G. Todd

Maj. Nicole Malachowski speaks at a ceremony honoring her induction intothe International Forest of Friends Aug. 4 at Atchison, Kan.The ’96 Academygrad is the first female pilot with the Thunderbirds.

By Butch WehryAcademy Spirit staff

The Chemistry Department’s facultyreunion is Sept. 7, the first such meetingsince 1999.

About 25 former departmentmembers are expected to attend,including retired Brig. Gen. William T.Woodyard, an original member of theAcademy at its interim site at Lowry AirForce Base in Denver and Brig. Gen.Robert Lamb who succeeded him.

The numbers of chemistry majorshave varied over the years with lowsaround 12 to highs in excess of 35.

“It’s really a guess, but I would esti-mate that we have had more than 500chemistry, biochemistry and materialschemistry majors pass through, aremarkable number for a school thesize of the Academy,” said Dr. DonaldBird, professor and department deputyhead.

Dr. Bird said the most memorablepart of the early days of the departmentwas the closeness of the chemistryfaculty.

“All faculty lived on the Academyand in those days Colorado Springs waspretty far away — unlike now,” said theprofessor. “Faculty taught and studentsattended class in service dress and of

course there were no white boards —only good old chalk, which madekeeping a sharp uniform challenging.”

In 1996, Chemistry moved into theFairchild Annex, increasing researchspace and significantly improving envi-ronmental safety in labs when thedepartment went from five fume hoodsin the department to more than 45.

“Technology has also strongly

impacted the teaching of chemistry inboth the lecture and the lab,” saidProfessor Bird. “Internet access andvideo projectors are available in all ofour classrooms and some of our labs.We are currently one of the bestequipped — in terms of sophisticatedlaboratory instruments — undergraduatechemistry programs in the world.”

Just as the curricula in all disci-plines has evolved, chemistry has alsoevolved in what and how it is taught.

“In the beginning, there were nomajors at the Academy,” recalled theprofessor. When the chemistry majorwas first developed, the departmenteventually sought and received approvalof our major from the AmericanChemical Society. We have sincereceived approval for both our MaterialsChemistry and Biochemistry tracks.”

The Academy was the first schoolin the United States to receive approvalin biochemistry and materials chem-istry from the ACS.

Reunion day starts with a trip tothe chemistry department and a meet-and-greet session. Dr. Bird will briefthe returnees about academic coreclasses, chemistry majors and thecivilian faculty program.

After lunch at Mitchell Hall, Dr.John Wilkes, chemistry professor, will

talk about research products and thevisitors will attend the fifth period class.

General Woodyard was instrumentalin having the Academy’s curriculumrecognized among institutions of higherlearning. He was professor and headof the Academy’s Department ofChemistry when he entered theIndustrial College of the Armed Forcesin Washington, D.C., in August 1961.He returned to his position at theAcademy in June 1962 and remaineduntil he was named the chief scientist forthe European Office of AerospaceResearch at Brussels, Belgium, in July1965.

He was appointed the vice dean ofthe faculty at the Air Force Academy inAugust 1967 and a year later he wasnamed dean of the faculty.

The Chemistry Department has a listof more than 170 former faculty andgraduates to whom it sends an annualnewsletter at the end of each calendar year.

“We keep our extended familyinformed about our research efforts, ourcurriculum, personnel changes, changesin the core curriculum and other notes ofinterest from the Academy,” said ProfessorBird. “While most do not visit or writeduring the year, many have let us knowthey appreciate the newsletter and beingable to stay connected to DFC.”

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007 11

Chemistry reunion catches up,stays connected

Air Force Photo

Retired Brig. Gen. William Woodyard,Dean of the Faculty from 1968 to1978, will attend the ChemistryDepartment’s faculty reunion Sept. 7

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 200712

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By Master Sgt. Kate RustAir Force Space Command Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE,Colo. (AFPN) — One man was a nuclearphysicist who led the Air Force to createa command dedicated to space, while thesecond is an aviation legend famous forflying airplanes into space, and togetherthey entered the Air Force Space andMissile Pioneers Hall of Fame Aug. 8here.

The 2007 Space and Missile Pioneerhonorees are retired Gen. Lew Allen Jr. andAir Force and Air National Guard retiredMaj. Gen. Joe H. Engle.

Inductees of the past and present,whose accomplishments formed the basisupon which Air Force Space Commandnow operates, were met with cheers andapplause from more than 200 guests andheadquarters members gathered at theHartinger Building.

“You can clearly see the impact theseindividuals have had in their professionalcareers on what we do at Air Force SpaceCommand,” said Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, theAFSPC commander and 1976 Air ForceAcademy graduate. “Their foundationalwork got us where we are today. Just asimportantly, it’s still enabling where we’regoing in the future.”

The Air Force and National SpaceClub unofficially initiated the Air ForceSpace and Missile Pioneers Award in May

1989. Ten honorees received the award atthat time. The award was formalized intoan official Air Force award in 1997, inconjunction with the 50th anniversary ofthe Air Force and the 15th anniversary ofthe Air Force Space Command. Since thena select few have been honored with theaward each year.

General Allen was the 10th Air Forcechief of staff, named to the position in1978. During his tenure, he kept the globalpositioning satellite program on track whenskeptics tried to kill it, according to theAFSPC History Office. As a member of

Joint Chiefs of Staff, he contributed todeliberations on the SALT II agreement andthe proper balance between long-rangemissiles and bombers. Before retiring fromactive duty June 30, 1982, he oversaw theapproval process for establishment of theAir Force Space Command.

“General Lew Allen was recognizedfor his contributions to the Air Force androse (it) to its highest levels,” GeneralChilton said. “(He was) a leader who madea difference from the time he was a juniorofficer. He made things happen in the AirForce, not just in space and not just in

missiles, but in the air-breathing world aswell, that are still significant today in theway we operate as an Air Force.”

General Engle is known for his skillat flying airplanes and spacecraft. Heentered the history books June 29, 1965,when he flew the X-15 experimental aircraftto an altitude of 280,600 feet, becomingthe youngest person, at age 32, ever toqualify officially as an astronaut, and oneof only eight men to qualify for astronautwings by flying an airplane into space.

“He’s one of the individuals in thehistory of the Air Force who has bridgedthese two domains (air and space),” GeneralChilton said. “He spent more time oper-ating in a domain between 100,000 feet and400,000 feet than probably anybody aliveon the planet today.”

By the time he retired from Air Forceactive duty, General Engle had accumu-lated 224 hours in space and held theunique distinction of being the only personto have flown two entirely different wingedspace vehicles — the X-15 and the spaceshuttle.

“I am honored and truly humbled toeven be considered to stand among theselegends and these giants of our space andmissile heritage,” General Engle said. “Itis truly one of the highest honors one canreceive to be recognized by one’s peers.”

He indicated when those peers werethe members of the Air Force, “it elevatesthe honor even higher.”

Legends inducted into space,missile HOF

Photo by Tech Sgt. Raheem Moore

Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, commander of Air Force Space Command, meets withretired Maj. Gen. Joe Engle before the Air Force Space and Missile PioneersHall of Fame induction ceremony Aug. 8 at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007 FEATURE 13

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By Ann PattonAcademy Spirit staff

Cadet 1st Class Jason Parcus fondly remembersthe first time he met his sponsors.

“It was during basic training and a very hot day.She had a cooler in the car full of Cokes and candybars,” he said. “It was amazing.”

Thus began the sponsor-cadet relationship withPam and Richard Gale.

“Sponsors are more like a second family, espe-cially for the basics,” said Arcy Jacildo, cadetsponsor program director. “Leaving home for thevery first time is hard, especially for those whomiss their family so much.”

The cadet sponsor program runs for both cadetson the Hill and cadet candidates at the PreparatorySchool.

“We mirror the Hill but on a smaller scale,”said Cleo Griffith, Prep School sponsor director.

While sponsors are pretty much in place forcadets, Ms. Griffith said sponsors are “badlyneeded” for many of the 234 cadet candidates. “Inever turn down a good sponsor,” she said.

Cadet Parcus, Cadet Squadron 23, said spon-sors provide a good way to get away from thestresses of the Academy.

“Basically, they’re a home away from home.None of us really considers the Academy ‘home,’ sofor many people, sponsors become a second family.They are also very good about helping us out,whether we’re stuck at the airport without a ride or,for the underclassmen, when they’re stuck on baseand don’t have a car.”

Sponsors Lydia and Rob Rood have 11 cadetsthis year.

“It’s awesome,” she said.The family has shared their home for cadet

gatherings, dinner parties, doing laundry, a quietplace to study and a place to crash without theinterruption of the dreaded alarm clock.

The Rood family has also shared outings toWinter Park for tubing, hiking, fishing and areaattractions such as Garden of the Gods.

She good-naturedly recalled several morningswhen “lots of bodies were stretched out on thebasement floor.” The neighbors call the Rood homethe “party house” because of all the cadet carsparked on the street.

Ms. Rood doesn’t mind. “When they bring theirfriends, we must be doing something right.”

The Roods have three children of their own.“I love it,” daughter Lauren said. “They come

and go all the time, and they’re like my brothersand sisters.”

Cadet 3rd Class Joseph Brundige, CadetSquadron 10, appreciates all the Roods do for him.

“The greatest part of having a sponsor family,especially during the first year, is that no matterhow bad things get up on the Hill, there is a littlebit of blessed sanctuary down in the Springs,” hesaid.

While cadets enjoy home cooking, retreats fromthe Hill and emotional support, sponsors also areenriched by the relationship.

“We get more from them than they get fromus,” Ms. Rood said.

For the Gales, both retired teachers, cadets are away to reconnect with young people.

“We miss having youth in our lives,” Ms. Galesaid. “We get to look at life through their eyes ofexpectation and the future. They’re just starting.”

Staying connected with cadets during and aftertheir years on the Academy as they mature is mostgratifying for the couple.

“The situation is always evolving,” Ms. Galesaid of the changes in cadets as they progress from18-year-old basics to their hat toss at graduation.

One cadet will be long remembered by theGales every time they step outside. A meadow neartheir home is named for a cadet who wanted tolearn to drive a riding mower.

Sponsors by no means ever want to replacetheir cadets’ own families. “We’re by no meanstheir parents,” Ms. Rood said.

But sponsors do appreciate and welcome oppor-

tunities to get to know the sponsored cadets’ families.“We like to keep in touch with them,” Ms. Gale

said. Open houses give parents an opportunity tosee where their cadet children go during off-dutytimes.

The Gales were invited to join the family partyduring one cadet’s pinning night before graduation.“It was so kind of them to include us,” Ms. Galesaid.

Ms. Griffith stressed Prep School cadet candi-dates benefit from sponsors just as much as cadets,and there are perks to sponsoring a cadet candidate.

“Our curriculum is different from the Academy,and it allows more privileges,” she said, which inturn allows students more time away.

“One of the huge benefits to sponsoring PrepSchool candidates is that they are able to take theirsponsor with them when they move to the Hill,”Ms. Griffith said. “That benefit forges opportuni-ties for life-long relationships.”

An average of more than 95 percent of PrepSchool grads receive appointments to the Academy.

A sponsor may not sponsor a cadet and cadetcandidate at the same time due to restrictions onfraternization.

“I wish more would sponsor. It’s a trueblessing. I’d have a hundred kids if I could,” Ms.Rood said. “They’re so appreciative. A thank-you isworth a million dollars.”

For more information on sponsoring a cadetcandidate this year, call Ms. Griffith at 333-2583.

Academy cadets are brought to you by…

Courtesy Photo

The Rood family hosts cadets for Doolie Day Out at a famous Colorado Springs landmark. KeepingBalanced Rock in place are (left to right) Cadets 4th Class Jasper Simmons, John Winston, RachelDonoho and sponsor family member Lauren Rood.

August 17, 2007 15FEATUREAcademy Spirit14

By Butch WehryAcademy Spirit staff

As usual, June was the busiest monthfor the 10th Mission Support Group’sTransportation Division, and now, the 300-vehicle fleet can get back to its 118,659average miles a month.

“We’ve finished off graduation androlled right into Basic Cadet Training,Summer Seminar, Global Engagement,Operation Air Force and space programsall with intense transportation require-ments,” said Bobby Speights, 10th MSG’svehicle operations manager.

If there’d be an “unsung heroes” award,they’d likely win it.They operate 46-passenger coaches, 36-passenger intercitybuses, 15-ton tractors, 13 forklifts, and 15passenger vans and sedans.

They normally support at least sixhome football games moving approximately1,800 -2,000 cadets and prep school cadetcandidates.

Their base taxi service is limited, butthey do run a cadet hospital taxi that’s on-call to ensure cadets make it to sick-calland scheduled appointments

“We move all heavy equipment andvehicles to the Defense Reutilization andMarketing Office for salvage and oftenbulky equipment and items used to supportbase activities,” said the operationsmanager from in North Carolina with 34years in Air Force transportation.

Mr. Speights leads a dedicated team ofprofessionals; 15 heavy equipment drivers,four taxi drivers, three schedulers, fivetransportation assistants and fourmechanics.The mainstay of the vehicle fleetis the eleven 46-passenger heavy coachesand six intercity buses.

Drivers often travel as far away as Casa

Grande,Ariz., 905miles, and Dallas,Texas, 740 miles.

He reliesheavily on dispatchoperations super-visor Mr. DwayneClewell, who over-sees the dailyoperation andtackles any taskingwith a can-do atti-tude.

“He is highly knowledgeable and is anaccomplished operator on all equipmentassigned to our operation,” said the vehi-cles operations manager.“Nothing wouldget done without Mrs. Josephine Gallegos,our transportation assistant and leadscheduler. She coordinates on a daily basissome 30 vehicle requests for ground trans-portation -- often having to make severalchanges of customer requests through ourtransportation e-mail request box.”

This operation is well known as one oftwo bases with a fleet of coach busesassigned.

Over the past several years,Transportation’s teams of professionalheavy equipment drivers have maintainedan impeccable safety record.

“Even I am amazed at the outstandingsafety record these individuals have main-tained,” he said.

They provide ground transportationsupport to an expanded Operational AirForce program that has grown to morethan 3,000 cadets.

Vehicle operations also supported BCTmoving approximately 500 cadets daily fora period of 30 days.

It planned, coordinated and supportedmultiple visits involving the Secretary of the

Air Force, theChief of Staff ofthe Air Force, theBoard of Visitorsand severalcongressionaldelegationsvisiting theAcademy.

Well awayfrom the eyes ofmost of the base’sgeneral public, the

Vehicle Dispatch section completed over17,329 bus trips, safely transporting morethan 302,594 passengers, while traveling934,622 accident-free miles.

Transportation is also provided forindividuals departing on temporary duty.

There were the 223 requested TDY’sthroughout the United States in support ofNCAA Athletics teams, cadet clubs andactivities, and other base and cadetprograms. People holding a valid ID canride Space A on vehicles going to that loca-tion.

Vehicle Dispatch transported 1,287new appointees during in processing theclass of 2011.The new appointees weretransported from their arrival pickuppoints to the academic area in record time.

The Space Awareness Program wasexpanded this year to include basic cadetsand Cheyenne Mountain Air Station wasadded to the locations that previouslyincluded Peterson Air Force Base, SchrieverAFB, F.E.Warren AFB,Wyo., and McConnellAFB, Kansas.

Basic cadet transportation support wasalso provided to airmanship. Basic cadetswere transported daily to the flight line fororientation briefing, tandem jumps andglider flights.

“This is the second year that we weretasked to transport basic cadets toAirmanship,” Mr. Speights said.“Weprovided more than 4,000 gallons of waterweekly with water buffalo support tocadets while training in Jacks Valley duringAirmanship and the prep school.”

The Vehicle Dispatch taxi sectionsupported 542 transportation requestsconsisting of 318 taxi, faculty and staff shut-tles, distinguished visitors and 224 U-Drive-It requests.The section supports theAcademy’s 67 heavy equipment, specialpurpose and firefighting vehicles. Customerservice processed 207 vehicle repair workorders and responded to 30 mobile main-tenance calls.The vehicle maintenancesection maintains equipment accountsvalued at $300,000.

Mr. Speights’ Fleet Control sectionmaintained and managed 387 vehicles andequipment valued at approximately $21million and trained 30 vehicle control offi-cers and non-commissioned officers for thevehicle control program.

They conducted staff assistance visitsand no-notice vehicle inspections, issued orupdated 300 vehicle licenses including 254for cadets, and processed governmentvehicle accident reports and abuse/misusecases. They are the liaison for theAcademy’s general purpose vehicle fleet,coordinating vehicle repairs made througha GSA vendor.

It might all sound overwhelming, butthe requirement to drive a transportationcar or truck is that the operator be at leasta sergeant or GS-7, he said.

“We continually meet all challengesthat we are confronted with withoutmission degradation; I’m extremely proudof our team. My favorite saying is ‘failure isnot an option.’”

ACADEMYTRANSPORTATIONROLLS WITH THE FLOW

Robert SpeightsOperations Manager

William CancigliaMaintenance Controller

Heavy mechanic Mr.Carl Vereen prepares atire for an Academyfire fighting vehicles.

Mr. Dwain Aubuchon,Vehicle Maintenance heavymechanic, repairs a valvefor a fire fighting vehicle .

Courtesy Photos

Academy transportationbus provides service tonewly arrived basiccadets.

Equipment and materialare moved as needed bytransportation officetrucks.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007SPORTS16

AVS break iceThe Cadet Ice Arena will

host the annual ColoradoAvalanche Burgundy/WhiteGame Sept. 16 at 11 a.m. It’s thefirst time the venue has everbeen used for a NationalHockey League team game.The previous seven Burgundy/White games have generatedmore than $400,000 for variousColorado charities. Proceedsfrom this game benefit mili-tary families and initiatives ofthe Avalanche Youth Hockeyprogram. Tickets, ranging from$12 to $20, go on sale Mondayat 9 a.m., at the Academy TicketOffice. For more information,call 800-666-USAF (8723),719-472-1895 or go online atwww.GoAirForceFalcons.com.

Latronica onboardAir Force men’s soccer

coach Doug Hill announcedTuesday the hiring of 32-year-old Anthony Latronica as anassistant coach. Latronica spentthe 2006 season as an assistantcoach at Harvard. The formerfour-year team captain and two-time All-American with theUniversity of Rhode Island,joins Lt. Col. Chris Foster andCapt. Billy Minor on the side-lines. The veteran of five MajorLeague Soccer teams spent fouryears with the Crimson beforea three-year stint as an assistantat Oregon State. He holds aUnited States Soccer Federation“A” license, is in his secondyear as a National StaffInstructor for US Soccer andhas spent four years on theRegion IV staff.

Gymnasts make gradeFalcon women’s gymnasts

Abigail Rogers and Jill Wardearned national academichonors, the National Assoc-iation of Collegiate GymnasticsCoaches/Women recentlyannounced. They were among441 named to the all-academicteam. Rogers, a MountainPacific Sports Federation all-academic honoree, posted a3.63 grade-point-average inbehavioral sciences, while Wardmaintained a 3.54 GPA inhuman systems engineering.

Ask the coachesThe first pre-season forum

with the Air Force footballcoaching staff is Saturday from1 to 2:30 p.m., in the FalconAthletic Center Auditorium.Talk with new head coach TroyCalhoun, assistant head coachBrian Knorr, co-offensive coor-dinators Clay Hendrix andBlane Morgan, and defensivecoordinator Tim DeRuyterabout the 2007 season.

Arena

By Wayne AmannAcademy Spirit Editor

More than a week ago the book on the2007 Academy Intramural Softball Leagueseason should have been closed.

But, Mother Nature’s own plot twist isturning the post-season championship tour-nament into a lengthy finale.

Short, but torrential, thunderstormshave twice this week postponed the AISLChampionship round between five-timedefending base kingpins, Med Group #1, andthe playoff ’s hottest team, the DirectReporting Unit.

At press time, the weather forecastcalled for more of the same for Thursday’sattempt at putting a lid on the post-season.

“It’s frustrating when you’re at themercy of the weather,” DRU player/coachUriah Orland said. “All we can do is be readyto answer the bell when the time comes.”

DRU, which finished 11-7 good forthird place in the regular season, has donethat when it’s mattered most in the firsttwo rounds of the double-elimination tour-nament.

After dropping a 13-2 decision to leaguerunners-up, the Cadet Wing (14-2), on Aug.

9, they rebounded with a 29-3 thumping overthe 10th Communications Squadron laterthat night to silence Comm for the season.

DRU continued to stave off eliminationby downing the 10th Security ForcesSquadron Monday at rain-soaked, butplayable, Field #1, 18-8, in a game short-ened to five innings by the 10-run mercyrule.

The wet track didn’t slow DRU’smomentum as they bounced CW from thetourney field in the next game, 15-12.

Trailing 11-9, DRU rallied to tie thegame in the fifth inning, take the lead withfour runs in the sixth and then tighten thedefensive screws in the seventh to survivethe losers’ bracket. By eliminating CW,DRU earned a shot at dethroning MDG #1.

The Med Group (17-1) won the regularseason by three games. They opened theplayoffs with a hard fought 27-21 victoryover SFS on Aug. 9 and earned a chance to,as they say “get one for the other thumb,”by beating CW, 17-13, Monday.

“Waiting is especially frustrating whenthe weather is nice all day long until 3o’clock, then it clouds up and rains,” MDG#1 player/coach Kevin Ciesla said. “Ourguys feel it’s just prolonging the inevitablefor DRU. We’re confident as a team and we’llbe ready to play whenever Mother Naturelets us.”

Med Group’s confidence is born fromtwo regular season wins over DRU, 29-10back on June 25, and 18-15 on July 25.

DRU did get some measure of revengeduring the one-pitch, base picnic tournament,beating a hybrid MDG#1 team on a muchdryer Field #1, 8-7.

Veteran Academy Intramural SportsDirector Dave Castilla is familiar with theunpredictability of Front Range weather, andis prepared to go the distance scheduling-wise, to make sure a base title is awarded.

“There’s too much on the line not to ridethe storms out,” Castilla said. “We’ll dowhatever it takes to crown a champion.”

The daily downpours have come at themost inopportune time, a couple hoursbefore the opening pitch. Although the rainlasts until just past game time, from a safetystandpoint, the field is left unplayable.

The champs and challengers hope thestring of postponements will be well worththe wait.

The latest press time weather forecastcalled for them to cool their spikes until nextweek.

Softball tourney in holding patternWeather

delays titleround until…

Photo by 1st Lt. John Ross

MDG #1’s Kevin Zelasko and company are trying to deliver a sixth straight basetitle, if Mother Nature cooperates.

Photo by Joel Strayer

DRU’s Steve Erwin hopes the recentweather will let up long enough to takehis cuts in the base championshipround.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007 17

Rose picked as bestFalcon assistant baseball

assistant Chandler Rose wasnamed the NorthwoodsLeague coach of the year. Rosewas an assistant coach for theAlexandria (Minn.) Beetlesthis summer in the NWL. Roseworked with the hitters andcoached third base, helpingthem to a fourth-place finishin the North Division. Hishitters led the NorthwoodsLeague in batting average, hitsand stolen bases, plus theyfinishing second in runs, homeruns and walks. The NWL isone of the premier summercollegiate baseball leagueswith 14 teams in Iowa,Michigan, Minnesota,Wisconsin and Canada.

Bowling nearsThe Academy Intramural

Bowling League coachesmeeting is Monday at 5 p.m.,at the Academy Lanes. Lettersof intent are due Monday toMike Barker. Season rolls Aug.27.

Soccer forming The Intramural Soccer

League coaches meeting isTuesday at 3:30 p.m., in thef itness and sports center.Letters of intent are due today.Season starts Sept. 24.

INTRAMURALSoftballTeam W LMDG #1* 17 1CW* 14 4DRU* 11 7SFS* 10 8CS* 10 8AD** 10 8306 FTG 7 11MDG #2 6 12CES 5 13MDG #3 0 17(End of regular season)* In playoffs ** Forfeited out

Base ChampionshipTournament(Double Elimination) * Eliminated from tournament

Aug. 9SFS 24 CS 14CW 13 DRU 2MDG #1 27 SFS 21DRU 29 CS 3*

Aug. 13MDG #1 17 CW 13DRU 18 SFS 8*DRU 15 CW 12*

Aug. 14Games postponed, weatherAug. 15 Games postponed, weatherAug. 16 Games scheduled after press time

Arena

ScoreboardBy Ron Bickerstaff316th Wing Public Affairs

ANDREWS AIR FORCEBASE, Md. (AFPN) — Onelucky Airman here was rewardedwith a chance to return to hisyouth recently and live out achance of a lifetime.

Tech. Sgt Andy Amor, 316thCivil Engineer Squadron, waschosen to play with the greatestgolfer on the planet: Tiger Woods.

Sergeant Amor representedthe base at the inaugural EarlWoods Memorial Pro-AmTournament, part of the AT&TNational PGA Tour event atCongressional Country Club inBethesda, Md.

Sergeant Amor startedplaying golf in 1985, but it tookuntil 1989 when he said he gotreal serious, so serious that heworked his handicap to an impres-sive two.

He won this year’s Andrewsactive duty tournament. It coin-cided with the AT&T NationalPGA staff searching for servicemembers to play in the Pro-Amtournament.

The Earl Woods MemorialPro-Am, named after Tiger

Woods’father, a lieutenant colonelGreen Beret with Special Forcesin Vietnam, would pair servicemembers with the best golfers inthe world.

“It’s very important to methat this tournament honor themen and women who serve inour Armed Forces,” Woods said.“They put their lives on the lineso that we are able to enjoy ourfreedom, and we’d love for themto come out and enjoy a few daysof relaxation.”

Whether it was a full moonor the luck of the draw, SergeantAmor got the call he would be

teeing off with Woods. The first hole was an expe-

rience Sergeant Amor will neverforget.

Woods stepped up to the parfour, 402-yard first hole and droveit far, and down the middle.Sergeant Amor would tee offfrom the blue tee about 50 yardscloser. His name was announcedand he waved to the crowd as heplaced his ball on the tee.

“It’s amazing how quiet itgot. I’m used to playing atAndrews where planes are flyingand there are other noises,” saidSergeant Amor. “I could feel my

knees shaking.” The nerves didn’t unhinge

the Airman as he hit it far downthe fairway.

“Couldn’t believe it, I out-hitTiger!”

From that point, everythingelse was just a dream for SergeantAmor. With his son Drewcarrying his bag, he walked alongwith Woods and talked aboutwhat golfers talk about.

“Tiger shared with me somestories about his father. I went tohigh school in Kansas City andhe told me how his father playedfor the Kansas City Monarchs inthe old Negro Leagues.Awesome,”” said Sergeant Amor.

When asked what he willremember about thisIndependence Day, SergeantAmor didn’t mention meetingTiger Woods and former PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush. He didn’tmention the post-game press blitz.This humble Airman was justproud to represent the Air Force.

“I am so blessed and proudto be an Airman. Being hererepresenting all the Airmen hereand in harm’s way is over-whelming, and my family and Iare grateful.” he said.

NCO tees it up with the best

By Melissa McKeownAthletic Communications

The Air Force golf program is ratedamong the nation’s best, tabbed 44th in theoverall rankings according to the Septemberissue of Golf Digest magazine. As part ofits third annual College Golf Guide, GolfDigest rates the country’s top colleges withNCAA men’s and women’s golf teams.

The College Golf Guide is designedto help high school students find the rightschool for their needs. There are three sepa-rate rankings that comprise the Guide:Balanced ranking, for students who placeequal emphasis on school and sports; GolfFirst ranking, for students with dreams ofplaying golf professionally; and AcademicsFirst ranking, for students who are focusedon education but still desire to play compet-itive golf.

The “Balanced” ranking is the bestindicator for the majority of young menand women heading off to college.

Air Force, one of just three MountainWest Conference schools rated in the top50 in the Balanced ranking, leads the MWCin the Academics First ranking at 39. TheFalcons are in the top 100 in the Golf Firstranking, at 94.

Five criteria form the basis of the rank-ings: a college golf team’s adjusted scoringaverage, player growth while on the team,academics, climate and facilities/coaches.

The Falcons are among the top 10percent in the nation in facilities/coaches,the top 20 percent in academics and the top

30 percent in adjusted scoring average. In establishing the rankings, Golf Digest

rated nearly 800 NCAA men’s colleges andmore than 500 women’s colleges in the fivecategories, grading each on a 100-pointscale to determine overall scores.

Team Adjusted Scoring Average: Spanslast four seasons and applies the formulaused by NCAA committees to select post-season teams. (Source: golfstat.com).

Player Growth: Determines thepercentage of players on the roster duringthe last four seasons who improved theiradjusted scoring averages over the previousseason, plus the combined improvement ordecline of players who met a minimumnumber of rounds. (Source: golfstat.com).

Academics: Utilizes statistics fromU.S. News & World Report’s 2007 guide-book America’s Best Colleges. In order toequally evaluate schools in the NCAA’sthree divisions, the metric does not includepeer assessment, alumni giving rank orother calculations made by U.S. News &World Report within its ten college group-ings.

Climate: A 30-year average of numberof playable days between Sept. 1 and May31. Allows for play in poor weather, but notin extreme, dangerous or snow-coveredconditions. (Source: Longitudes Group).

Facilities/Coaches: Measures quality,difficulty and proximity of campus-affili-ated courses used for non-tournament prac-tice rounds; quality of up to seven additionalcourses used by a team; practice facilitiesat home courses and stand-alone facilities

on or near campus; other resources; coaches’experience and past performance. (Sources:Golf Digest’s Coaches’ Survey;collegegolf.com; individual colleges;America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, asranked by Golf Digest).

The extensive College Golf Guidepackage is online at www.golfdigest.com/rankings/2007/collegeguide.

Golf Digest: AF program among bestFalcons ranked 44th overall

Photo courtesy Athletic Communications

Falcon junior Shaun O’Bryant tees offduring the 2006-07 season. TheColorado Springs native returns to the44th best collegiate links program inthe nation according to Golf DigestMagazine.

Photo by Senior Airman Dan DeCook

Tech. Sgt. Andy Amor walks down a fairway with his sonDrew and professional golfer Tiger Woods July 4 during aPro-Am tournament at the Congressional Country Club inBethesda, Md. Sergeant Amor was selected to represent theAir Force at the event.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 200718

By Chris McGee Aeronautical Systems Center Public Affairs and Rachel Castle88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio(AFPN) — Runners who are interested in partici-pating in the 2007 U.S. Air Force Marathon on Sept.15 here, but aren’t interested in running the full 26.2-mile course, have another option: the four-person relay.

Relay team members each run a specific leg of themarathon with the team’s total elapsed time deter-mining the winners.

Leg distances include 5.1 miles for leg one, 8miles for leg two, 6.5 miles for leg three and 6.6 milesfor leg four.

According to Molly Louden, marathon director, therelay team race builds team spirit and makes themarathon more accessible to those not looking to runa full marathon.

“The relay team race fosters teamwork within agroup, organization, company or family,” Ms. Loudensaid. “Training for the relay is not as demanding as themarathon and half marathon.”

Team captains decide which leg each team memberruns. If a relay team has fewer than four members onrace day, one or more runners must run consecutivelegs.

Runners can run in either a relay or in the marathon,but they cannot participate in both. Categories of team

competition include coed (at least one team memberfrom each sex), men’s open, women’s open, masters(all members must be at least 40 years old on race day),Reserve Officers’Training Corps and active-duty mili-tary.

Registration for the relay race is running approx-imately 50 percent ahead of last year’s pace with 107teams registered as of July 21, compared to 72 teamson the same date in 2006.

The number of relay teams is limited to 300.Priority is given on a first-come, first-served basis.

Teams come from many different places to partic-

ipate in the marathon, according to Ms. Louden.”Teams are from every group of people and from

all over the United States,” she said. “There are mili-tary teams who compete and sometimes will create acompetition among their teams.”

Meanwhile, in response to runners’ requests, AirForce Marathon race officials here have adjustedawards categories for this year’s half-marathon race sothey are in five-year age increments, rather than 10.

The change is part of a growing list of new elementsfor this year’s Air Force 60th Anniversary event.

“There can be a big difference between a 40- anda 49-year-old running a race,” said Molly Louden, themarathon director. “We decided this year to space theawards five years apart, rather than 10. We can recog-nize more runners this way and it will add to thecompetitive elements of this year’s half-marathonevent.”

All participants completing the race will receivea commemorative 60th Anniversary finisher’s medal.Winners in each age category also will receive uniquelydesigned awards recognizing their achievements.

Other new race elements include continuous aircraftflight demonstrations throughout the race, the reroutingof the course to include the city of Fairborn, and thechange of date and venue for the Air Force Marathon’sfive-kilometer race, which runs Sept. 14 on the campusof neighboring Wright State University.

For more information or to register, visit www.usafmarathon.com.

AF Marathon features competitive variety

Colorado Publishing Company

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 2007 COMMUNITY 19

Chapel community picnic setThe members of the community

center chapel will have their annual picnicAug. 26 at 11 a.m. at the chapel. Catholicservices will be held at 10 a.m. and acombined Protestant service will be at 10a.m. in the base theater. The picnic willfollow featuring a cotton candy machineand bouncy castle for the kids and food,fun and fellowship for everyone. Eachfamily is asked to bring a dish to share.To sign up or for more information, callthe chapel at 333-3300.

Deployment open houseThe Airman & Family Readiness

Flight is hosting an informal Deployment

Open House Sept. 5 from 6-8 p.m. forthose deploying during Air ExpeditionaryForce rotations 9/10 and their families.The goal is to have an inviting, warm,relaxing atmosphere while still offeringaccess to the base support agencies. Inaddition, families can get acquaintedwith the A&FRF location and availableprograms. The dress for attendees willbe civilian casual. Food and refreshmentswill be provided.

Outdoor rec looking to fillpositions

The outdoor recreation center needsqualified personnel to apply for wintercaretakers and a kayak instructor.

The winter caretakers are neededfrom Oct. 15 to Jan. 14 and from Jan. 15to April 14. Their duties would includeminor maintenance, custodial work,general oversight and occupancyreporting. Compensation is approxi-mately $750 per month, but the positiondoes not warrant a free site. Applicantsmust apply for both quarters separately,if interested.

The kayak instructor would need toconduct small-group lessons, to includedifferent stroke techniques, wet exits androlls. Classes will consist of four to sixbeginners and be conducted in the basepool or one of the Academy lakes. Thecontractor will also guide river trips.Compensation is normally a 75/25 splitof customer fees. The selected individualmust be a certified kayak instructor orwilling to acquire necessary training atown cost prior to first session.

Interested applicants need to submita resume by Aug. 17. For questions, callChuck Alfultis, outdoor rec director, at333-4961.

Portable employment offeredThe Military Spouse Career

Committee offers Career Tracks Tuesdayand Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m..The program is a free 2-day comprehen-sive course to provide mobile militaryspouses with a “Career Toolkit.” Topicsinclude skills assessment, career plan-ning and networking strategies. For moreinformation, call Jeannie Lopez at 333-3168. Class size is limited.

Stars & bars dining-in setThe Rocky Mountain Company

Grade Officer’s Council will host a jointstars and bars dining-in Sept. 8 at 6 p.m.at the Antler Hilton in downtown ColoradoSprings. Cost is $40 for CGOs and $50for general officers.

Anyone wanting to help plan theevent can call 1st Lt. Ashley Pyles at554-2303 or 2nd Lt. Jane McDonald atjane.mcdonald@schriever.af.mil.

Prep School needs sponsorsThe Academy Preparatory School

needs sponsors for cadet candidates forthe 2007-2008 academic year. Sponsorsmust be E-7 and above, O-3 and above,a Department of Defense employee orcontractor. To apply or for more informa-tion, call Mrs. Cleo Griffith at 333-2583or e-mail cleo.griffith@ usafa.af.mil.

Attic volunteers soughtVolunteers are needed to keep the

Academy Airman’s Attic open. It helps

junior ranking Airmen with free clothing,furniture, appliances and more. Paidchildcare is available for volunteers.

The attic is open Tuesdays andThursdays from noon to 4 p.m. To volun-teer, call Cassie Nordin at 472-7923 andleave a message.

Jacks Valley off limitsThe Academy’s firing range is located

in Jacks Valley and is off limits unlessattending training with 10th SecurityForces Squadron combat arms, or onofficial business. Due to safety concerns,the area is posted “For Official BusinessOnly”, and security forces personnel willdetain anyone found in the area withoutpermission. Observe all warning signs.Those needing access to this area or addi-tional information can call 333-4449 or333-2000.

Rockies offer militaryappreciation

The Colorado Rockies offer theQwest Military Appreciation Day at CoorsField Sept. 30. Game time for the finalhome game of the regular season at CoorsField is 1:05 p.m. The Rockies will play

the Arizona Diamondbacks and pre-gameactivities include a parade, fly over,national anthem, color guard and ceremo-nial first pitch performed by uniformedmilitary members and veterans.Commemorative dog tags will be handedout to the first 5,000 fans. Uniformed mili-tary members and veterans will be offeredcomplimentary tickets and have the oppor-tunity to participate in a pre-game parade.Additional tickets are available for familyand friends for only $8 each.

To order tickets, call Tim Kelsch at(303) 312-2426. Orders can be faxed to(303) 312-2219 or e-mailed tokelscht@coloradorockies.com.

Cripple Creek honors militaryThe city of Cripple Creek is hosting

a two-day event Saturday and Sundaystarting with a 8 a.m. pancake breakfast,tethered balloon rides, parade and freeconcerts. Various children’s activities, flyovers, vendors and military displays willbe available. For more information, visitwww.cripplecreekevents.com.

Back-to-School brunchSunridge, a retirement residence for

active seniors, is hosting a Back-to-Schoolbrunch Sunday from 9-11 a.m. that isopen to the public to raise school suppliesfor underprivileged children. Residentsof the community ask for a donation ofschool supplies in exchange for a chef-prepared meal of breakfast and lunchfavorites. For more information, call590-1247.

CADET CHAPELCatholic Masses:SundayReconciliation 9:15-9:45 a.m.(or by appointment)Mass - 10 a.m.WeekdayMon., Tues., Thurs. - 6:45 a.m.WednesdayCatholic Adoration - 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.Mass - 6 p.m.

Protestant Services:SundayTraditional - 9:00 a.m.Hill Fellowship - 11:00 a.m.

Jewish ServicesFridays - 7 p.m.

Buddhist Worship Wed. - 6:30 p.m. - All Faiths Room

Muslim PrayerFridays - Noon - Muslim Prayer Room,Chapel Basement

COMMUNITY CENTER CHAPELCatholic Masses:SaturdayReconciliation - 4 p.m.Mass - 5 p.m.SundayMass - 9:30 a.m.Religious Formation - 10:45 a.m.(Sept. - May)Tuesday-FridayMass - 11:30 a.m.

Protestant Services:SaturdayContemporary - 7 p.m.SundayTraditional - 8 a.m.Gospel - 11:15 a.m.Religious formation - 9:30 a.m.(Sept. - May)WednesdayLiturgical - 5:30 p.m.

Military Academy Pagan SocietyThird Thursday - 5 p.m.(For more info, call TSgt. Longcrier at 333-6178.)

For more information, call 333-3300.

Academy SpiritAugust 17, 200728

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