The White Falcon - 23.04.1999, Blaðsíða 1
White Falcon
Vol. 58 No. 16
Now online at www.nctskef.navy.mil/IDF
April 23, 1999
NAS recognized for 23 years of
accident-free flight operations
Story and photo by
J02 Christopher E. Thcker
On April 19, Capt. Allen Efraimson,
Commanding Officer of NAS Keflavik, pre-
sented the Air Operations Department with a
letter of special recognition from
Commander, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Atlantic
Fleet, for Class “A” mishap-free operations
from 1975 to 1998.
“This is a significant contribution,”
Efraimson said. “The idea that 23 years of
accident-free flying, coupled with the fact
that NAS Keflavik recently won the Chief of
Naval Operations Safety Ashore Award ...
says a lot to how we do our job every single
day.”
Lt. j.g. Ed Twining, NAS Maintenance
Officer, said the recognition speaks volumes
about everyone who plays a part in flying the
base P-3, from the maintenance people to the
aircrew.
“This is the best group of Sailors I’ve
worked with. They are extremely profes-
sional,” Twining said.
Twining added that it’s amazing to think
all the support involved with the base P-3 -
the flight line personnel, the people who load
Sailors from NAS Air Operations
Department and Capt. Allen Efraimson,
Commanding Officer of NAS Keflavik,
proudly display their letter of recognition
in front of the station P-3.
the luggage, all the aircrews - over the past
23 years have maintained this high level of
safety.
Addressing the Sailors of the Air
Operations Department, Efraimson said the
recognition can be attributed to individual
awareness.
“You’ve all heard the terminology that
everyone’s a safety officer. It is no more
embodied than in the everyday, every-minute
way that we do business in Iceland.”
Running track
opens next week
By J02 Christopher E. Tucker
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled
at 11 a.m., April 29 for the new MWR run-
ning track at Building 282.
“Our major goal was to have this com-
plete for the Physical Readiness Tests
(PRT),” said Tracy Warnow, MWR’s
Fitness Coordinator.
Warnow added that all commands that
have reserved time at the base gym for
their PRTs will now be able to have them
at the running track.
The running track, which has been in the
works for almost two years, cost more than
$300,000, according to Warnow.
The track will consist of three lanes, and
19 laps will equal a mile-and-a-half; the
distance run for the Navy’s PRT.
The new running track has a men’s and
women’s locker room with several lockers
and shower facilities. The track also has
treadmills, cross trainers and a climbing
wall.
“A lot of people did a lot of hard work
to make this happen and we really appre-
ciate it,” Warnow said. “I think this is
something that will help during the win-
ter.”
Canada’s Chief of Defense visits NATO Base
Editor’s note: The following is an interview conducted by the White
Falcon with Canadian Forces Chief of the Defense Staff, Gen.
Maurice Baril during his visit to the base April 16.
Q: Could you describe the purpose of your visit, and where you’re
returning from?
A: I’m returning from a meeting in Brussels with Gen. Wesley
Clark (NATO Supreme Allied Commander). We discussed in detail
the operations going on over Kosovo and Yugoslavia by NATO air
operations. I’m also returning from Italy where we have 12 of our F-
18 Canadian fighter aircraft - about 330 Canadians totally integrated
into the air operations going on now in the former Yugoslavia.
Q: What is the future of the Canadian military, and how has that
vision changed since these operations began?
A: We already have about 1,400 Canadians currently deployed to
Bosnia. We also have forces that were deployed with the French and
British forces in the former Republic of Macedonia. In Italy, since
last June, we’ve had six of our CF-18 fighter aircraft deployed there.
Since the operations began, we have increased our aircraft to 12 and
deployed about 230 service members. Canada has decided, rightly
so, to participate in these operations of the NATO alliance. We’ve
been members for 50 years founding members.
Q: What are your impressions of the NATO Base?
A: This base is one of the major refueling stops when we pass
through. We’re always well received when we arrive. Any service
we need, we get here.
Q: Is there any message you wish to convey to the service mem-
bers serving in Iceland?
A: You live in a very interesting piece of our Earth. This is a very
interesting country, a country that is part of the NATO alliance. It’s
extremely important to serve here - very challenging and sometimes
demanding, but it must be done by professionals, and you all do it
well.
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