The White Falcon - 03.06.1961, Page 1

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Volume XI, Number 21 Headquarters, Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik Airport, Iceland—A MATS Unit Saturday, June 3, 1961
Navy Functions To Be Many, Varied
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Naval Station Executive
Served At Pearl Harbor
Setup Similar With Differences
C. 0. Of Naval Station
Was Hurricane Hunter
Cdr. Frank G. Vessell is sche-
duled to report here on June 7
to become executive officer of the
newly commissioned U.S. Naval
Station.
Presently commanding officer
of Airborne Early Warning
Squadron Eleven (VW-11) at
Argentia, Newfoundland, Com-
mander Vessell entered the naval
service in 1939 as an aviation
cadet.
He was on duty at Pearl Har-
bor on Dec. 7, 1941, with VP-24,
flying PBY’S. He also participat-
ed in the Battle of Midway and
the New Georgia Campaign in
the South Pacific.
A graduate of the University
of Minnesota, Commander Vessell
holds a civil engineering degree
and a master’s degree in engin-
eering electronics.
He holds the Navy Commenda-
tion ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Cam-
paign medal with three stars and
the Command at Sea Insigne, as
well as a number of other decora-
tions.
Complex Task
Required For
‘Countdown’
When Astronaut Alan B. Shep-
ard Jr. made man’s first venture
into space under a partially pilot-
controlled flight, a 12% hour
countdown was required.
Since the successful launching
of a missile — especially when it
carries a capsule bearing a man
into space — is extremely compli-
cated, safety is a primary concern
of NASA officials.
In laymen’s terms, the count-
down is simply a step-by-step
process of getting the rocket
ready to fire and making certain
all the control and recording
equipment is working properly.
This requires hundreds of tests
of delicate wiring, sensative mech-
anism along with the replace-
ment of any part casting the least
(See Countdown, Page 3.)
AF Academy Cadets
Get Jump Training
Air Force Academy cadets
again will undergo airborne ‘jump’
training at the Army Infantry
Center in Fort Benning, Ga.
About 80 have volunteered this
year for the three week course
in paratrooper training that be-
gins in mid-July.
This marks the fourth year
that Air Force cadets have und-
ergone such training, the first
group entering during 1958.
Cdr. Vessell
AFRS ‘New Look*
Appears Next Week
Armed Forces Radio’s “new
look” will appear next week, with
several new shows and different
broadcast times for many favor-
ites.
Among the new programs are:
Rhythm at Random, a half-hour
deejay show weekdays at 8 p.m.;
Saturday Morning Bandstand, 90
minutes of popular and western
music each Saturday at 6 a.m.;
and Music for the Middle Mind,
a transcribed jazz show at 10
o’clock Saturday nights.
In addition to new programs
and time changes, there will be
other new features which Kefla-
vik Airport listeners will enjoy.
It all begins tomorrow.
Copies of the new radio sche-
dule, plus the television program
lineup, are available at the In
formation Office, Building T-44.
The reorganization of Keflavik
Airport on July 1 as a Naval
Station will result in many chang-
es in functions and responsibili-
ties—some of them quite unfam-
iliar to Air Force people. Based
on the staff-line concept, the U.S.
Naval Station, Keflavik, will con
sist of nine major operating de-
partments plus the Commissary
Store and Navy Exchange.
Staff advisors will be Legal,
Services Information, Chaplain,
Air Safety and Comptroller.
Naval Forces Iceland — the
parent organizations of the Naval
Station — will include an Office
of Naval Intelligence unit (re-
placing the Office of Special In-
vestigations Detachment), the
Naval Security Group, a Marine
Detachment, the Naval Communi-
cations Station, and the Fleet
Weather Facility (replacing De-
tachment 13 of the 9th Weather
Group).
The Navy Exchange which is
tentatively scheduled to go into
operation on Sept. 25 will take
over present functions of the Ice-
land Exchange. In addition it will
be responsible for the NCO and
Airmen’s Clubs as well as laundry
and dry cleaning.
Staff Judge Advocate functions
will be taken over by the Legal
Office.
The Services Information Of-
fice, Chaplain and Air Safety Of-
ficer will have functions compar-
able to the similar Air Force
activities.
The Comptroller will assume
present Air Force Comptroller
functions, with the added respon-
sibility — in conjunction with the
Executive Officer — of manpower
See Varied, Page 3.)
limitation act and flight accrual
pay have been indorsed in pre-
liminary form by the Department
of Defense and sent to the Bureau
of the Budget and the White
House for coordination.
DOD has approved a plan to
provide additional lieutenant col-
onels spaces to allow continuation
of the temporary promotion pro-
gram at field grade level which
is threatened if no OGLA relief
is forthcoming. Bureau of the
Budget has the proposal.
DOD has approved a plan to
provide some measure of flight
pay for rated personnel with 10
or more years of rated service,
to those who might be removed
from flying status through no
fault of their own, and for the
convenience of the government.
Copter Stars In Joint ‘Rescue’
By SSgt. John W. Horky
Air-ground rescue capabilities
in Iceland were increased by a
joint Icelandic and Defense Force
practice mission conducted on
May 21.
The mission included the rescue
of a 160-pound dummy named
“George” from an elevation of
8,600 feet on Botnsulur, a moun-
tain north of Thingvellir.
A Keflavik Airport SH-19 heli-
copter piloted by Capt. Robert R.
Weber had dropped the dummy
by a parachute from 1,200 feet
above the summit of the moun-
tain.
After “George” was located by
a 16-man mountain team the heli-
copter returned to the mountain
recovery point and made a rescue
basket pickup of the dummy.
At the conclusion of the exer-
cise various techniques and rescue
procedures were discussed with a
view to standardization and closer
coordination of future actual or
practice rescue missions.
While the Icelandic mountain
team was climbing to the dummy
the helicopter returned to the
main encampment area for a
fight demonstration and practice
rescue hoist pickup.
1st Lt. David A. Jarratt as-
sumed the duties of cabin master
and hoist operator. A2C Jack E.
Davis, the crew chief, was picked
up in the “horse collar” attached
to the hoist cable.
The flight demonstration in-
cluded hovering turns, sideward
and backward flight and vertical
takeoffs and landings. Several
hundred people witnessed the de-
monstration.
About 55 Icelandic ground res-
cue people were shown the equip-
ment carried aboard the helicopter
and briefed on the aircraft’s capa-
bilities. Mr. Sig. M. Thorsteins-
son, director of the Icelandic
ground rescue organization, was
in charge of the party.
The exercise was requested by
Mr. B. Jonsson, director of the
Icelandic CAA. He explained that
he had heard numerous compli-
ments on a flight-rescue demon-
stration held early in May in con-
junction with the Icelandic life-
saving organization.
Capt. Herbert R. Zehnder, chief
of the rescue branch at Keflavik
Airport, piloted the chopper on
this mission in Reykjavik. Lieu-
tenant Jarratt was co-pilot and
TSgt. Donald B. Sanders the crew
chief.
Capt. William R. Meyer, com-
mander of U. S. Naval Forces,
Iceland, began wearing a “second
hat” on June 1 when he assumed
command of the U. S. Naval Sta-
tion, Keflavik, which was com-
missioned on that date.
A 1940 graduate of the U. S.
Naval Academy, Annapolis, Cap-
tain Meyer received his wings in
1943.
He participated in the develop-
ment of typhoon reconnaissance
in the Pacific in 1945. Later Cap-
tain Meyer commanded Patrol
Squadron Twenty-three (VP-23)
—the famed Navy hurricane hun-
ters—at Miami, Fla. During this
period he flew in more than 40
typhoons and hurricanes.
Among other decorations Cap-
tain Meyer holds the Asiatic-Pa-
cific Campaign medal with four
stars, the Presidential Unit Cita-
tion with star and the Air Medal,
as well as the Command at Sea
Insigne.
Units Donate
Windows To
Base Chapel
The first stained glass window
for the Keflavik Airport Chapel
was unveiled Sunday, April 9, as
a memorial to two pilots of the
57th Fighter Interceptor Squad-
ron. The presentation of this
window by members of the 57th
sparked a program designed to
provide stained glass windows for
the entire Sanctuary.
Chaplain, Lt. Col. Mark W.
Gress, Staff Chaplain, Head-
quarters Air Forces Iceland and
Headquarters Iceland Defense
Force - NATO, announced Wed-
nesday that a total of 15 windows
including the one already instal-
led by the 57th Fighter Squadron,
have been sponsored by the fol-
lowing organizations and indivi-
duals: Naval Air Facility, VP-10,
civilian personnel of the Civil En-
gineering squadron, military per-
sonnel of the Civil Engineering
(See Windows, Page 3.)
$ 50 Duty-free Gifts
Out After June 30
The privilege of duty-free entry
of gifts up to $50 in value will
expire on June 30.
On and after July 1 authorized
users of APO’s may send bona
fide gifts not exceeding $10 in
value free of duty.
A customs declaration, POD
form 2966, must be attached to
the package. The procedure is
outlined in par. 71, AFR 182-14.
* * * U.S. AIR FORCE — AEROSPACE POWER FOR PEACE ★ ★ ★