The White Falcon - 12.05.1956, Blaðsíða 1

Volume VI, Number 19 Headquarters, Iceland Defense Force, Keflavik Airport, Iceland Saturday, May 12, 1956 ]
Eight Ball Hunters
Contributors to the new 1400th Air Base Squadron dayroom zero in
on a hapless cue ball. They are: (1-r) M/Sgt Joseph P. Lockner, T/Sgt
Ernest C. Million, M/Sgt Hilaire J. Beaulieu, 1st sergeant; Maj Richard
W. Smith, commander; S/Sgt John H. Ray, J., and S/Sgt Morris C.
Payne. Work on new dayrooms and orderly room for the 1400th AB
Sq was begun last February 18th by these men and completed this week.
Airmen Rebuild Quonset
Using Scrap, Spare Time
Take one of the oldest quonset huts at Keflavik Airport,
add four ambitious NCO’s to volunteer off-duty time, mix
well with scrap lumber, paint and materials from Air In-
stallations and set for four months. That is the recipe which
provided the 1400th Air Base Squadron with their first day
room plus a new orderly room, mail room, TV room, read-
ing room and a new office for their commander, Major
Richard W. Smith.
General Smith
Lauds Keflavik
MOD Response
The tremendous response of
Keflavik Airport personnel to the
1956 appeal to the March of Dimes
has drawn the attention and per-
sonal thanks of the Commander of
the Military Air Transport Ser-
vice.
Lieutenant General Joseph
Smith expressed his appreciation
to all Army, Navy, Air Force and
civilian personnel stationed at
this IDF and NATO installa-
tion through a letter addressed
to Colonel S. E. Manzo, Base
Commander.
The general stated that it was
most gratifying to him to know
that Keflavik personnel had given
so willingly of their time and
money in furthering the cause of
combating the killing and crippl-
ing effects of polio.
General Smith wrote, “Kefla-
vik personnel can be justly proud
of their record contribution of
$21,348.” He termed it “outstand-
ing support.”
The campaign was conducted at
Keflavik from January 3 to 31
in conjunction with the national
drive carried on throughout the
United States.
A giant benefit drawing, which
featured more than $1,000 in
prizes, took place at the conclusion
of the campaign. More than 18,500
tickets were sold in this drive,
which helped push the base well
past the unofficial goal of $15,000.
Army Says Don’t Rush
To Buy New Greens
Washington (AFPS)—The Army
has cautioned soldiers against
hurried purchase of the new green
uniform.
Some civilian manufacturers
are selling uniforms represented
as officially approved army
greens. But they are not made,
in some cases, according to speci-
fications, a DA message said.
Army greens will not be au-
thorized for optional off-duty
wear until sometime after Oct.
1, and for wear on duty until
Oct. 1, 1957.
The message pointed out that
specifications for the new uni-
form have not been published. It
also said regulation army greens
will be on sale at quartermaster
clothing stores prior to the date
of authorized troop wear.
Army's July Draftees
Set for June Release
Washington (AFPS) — Pro-
posed June separations for
army draftees will involve only
those scheduled for release in
July, according to the Defense
Department.
An earlier statement said
that men completing two years
service in July and August
would be separated prior to
June 30, the end of the fiscal
year.
August separatees are not
being considered for early re-
lease, the DOD said.
Finishing touches are now being
put to the rejuvenated hut, lo-
cated in the building which for-
merly housed the clothing sales
store. Work first started on the
1400th AB Sq orderly and day
rooms four months ago, spear-
headed by M/Sgt Hilaire J. Beau-
lieu, first sergeant.
In order to prepare for refur-
bishings, plans and designs were
drafted out by T/Sgt Ernest C.
Million. These two NCO’s, to-
gether with S/Sgt John H. Ray,
Jr., and S/Sgt Morris C. Payne
spent many of their off-duty
hours during the past four
months laying tile, putting parti-
tions in place, scrounging scrap
lumber, painting and generally
overhauling the huts interior.
Working with one small skill
saw and hand tools, the four
created a roomy and comfortable
recreation hall for AB Sq troops,
finished up an efficiently designed
orderly room and built in a mo-
dern and private office for their
commander.
Planned along modern archi-
tectural stylings, walls of the
hut are painted in pastel shades
throughout. Bulletin boards are
inset along the walls, plexiglass
and plywood panels are strategi-
cally placed to provide the max-
imum of space for all activities.
Finishing touches will include
curtains in the TV and writing
rooms and a record player with
phonograph albums is expected to
be installed later. A pool table was
installed in the game room by
M/Sgt Joseph P. Lockner.
About the improvements Major
Smith noted, “This effort is in-
dicative of an earnest dedication
to ti’oop morale and efficiency.
These men have worked without
any personal benefit and toward
the betterment of the organization.
It has been gratifying to me, as a
commander, to watch the improve-
ments made here in such a short
time by men who gave freely of
their off-duty time for the benefit
of this squadron”.
5,467 Navy POIs
To Make CPO
Washington (AFPS) — The
Navy has announced that 5,467
enlisted personnel will be ad-
vanced to chief petty officer
within the next 6 months as the
result of fleet-wide exams ad-
ministered last February.
The names of those to be
advanced will be published in
early May, the Navy said.
Promotions will be made in
four 1956 increments on May 16;
July 16; Sept. 16; Nov. 16 and
Jan. 16, 1957.
Some 1,147 CPO promotions
will be made in May while 1,080
will be advanced in each of the
other months.
The Navy said this is the
largest number of personnel to
be promoted to chief petty of-
ficer status in several years.
Skeet Range Facilities
Now Available On Base
Skeet shooting begins at Keflavik Airport! Recently the
three component commanders of the NATO forces in Ice-
land blasted their way around the new skeet range to of-
ficially open the latest addition to the Airport’s Special
Services. ^
The installation of this train-
ing and recreational facility was
accorded the professional touch by
an old hand at skeet shooting, Maj
William B. Marriott, Staff Tran-
sportation Officer for the Iceland
Air Defense Force.
The range will be managed by
S/Sgt Paul S. Hiler, who will
dash across the base daily from
the pistol range, which he oper-
ates in the mornings, to the
skeet range 10 miles away, which
he operates in the afternoons.
Ammunition and guns will be
available at the Athletic Office.
A cheerful note lies in the fact
that a 25 round load of ammuni-
tion will cost only the .60 re-
quired by the Air Force training
directive as contrasted with the
$3.50 generally charged for com-
parative civilian courses, accord-
ing to Maj Marriott.
The advent of the Iceland sum-
mer brought with it fair weather
and the timely completion of the
skeet range project. The three
commanders led the way around
the skeet circuit, popping the birds
regularly despite the long winter’s
layoff.
Voluntarily acting as technical
adviser on this project, Maj
Marriott has an impressive record
in skeet range competition. His
achievements in “blasting the birds’
are recorded in the annals of skeet
shooting by winning the British
Empire Skeet Shoot and placing
second in the World Champion
Shoot in Madrid, Spain in 1950.
The most recent addition to his
laurels, among others in the Un-
ited States, was earned by winn-
ing the Alabama Open in 1955.
The new outdoor range is located
approximately two miles north of
the Turner Gate on the “Rock-
ville” road.
Sleeve Marks
OK'd for Sailors
Assigned Ships
Washington (AFPS) r— Distinc-
tive ship-name sleeve marks have
been approved for seagoing sail-
ors, the Navy has announced.
Recommended by the Navy Uni-
form Board, and approved by
Adm. Arleigh Burke, chief of
Naval operations, the markings
will be worn by all ship-board
enlisted personnel except CPOs..
The sleeve mark, proven high-
ly popular during several trial
periods, will carry only the
name of the ship, such as USS
Forrestal, embroidered in quar-
ter-inch white letters on a blue
background one-half inch wide.
It will be worn below the right
shoulder seam of the sleeve on
both dress blue and white jumpers.
At the same time, the Navy
said, sailors also have been au-
thorized to wear the Navy “E”
if their ship or station has been
singled out for this proficiency
award.
The markings will be issued to
personnel as they report aboard
ship. Enlisted women serving
aboard MSTS vessels also will be
required to wear their ship name
on dress and work uniforms.
Fleet staff personnel and those
assigned to aviation units afloat
will wear the marking of the ship
to which they are regularly as-
signed.
Your future is in your hands.
Make it as bright as you can. En-
roll now as a payroll saver and
keep United States Saving Bonds
for the b'g things in your life.
AH New Construction
Suspended Indefinitely
The Icelandic Prime Contractor has been informed by
the Contracting Officer, Eastern Ocean District, Corps of
Engineers. U. S. Army, that negotiations concerning all
new or additional construction not presently under con-
tract have been indefinitely suspended.
This act of suspension was di-®
rected by the Department of De-
fense in Washington and stems
from uncertainty as to the inten-
tions of Iceland with regard to
the Defense Force. It has been
undertaken as a necessary safe-
guard of the public interest of the
United States of America.
Under the circumstances, pru-
dence demands the minimization of
the expenditure of public funds.
In accord with this policy, the
activity of the American contrac-
ter, J. A. Jones Company, has al-
so been indefinitely suspended.
Navy Considers Officers
Applying for Regulars
Washington (AFPS) — Selection
boards have convened here to con-
sider line and staff corps officers,
who have requested retention, for
permanent appointment in the re-
gular Navy.
Line, supply corps and civil
engineer corps boards are consid-
ering officers commissioned in the
regular Navy from the Naval Re-
serve Officer Training Corps dur-
ing 1953.