The White Falcon - 29.05.1998, Qupperneq 4

Pilots’ last routine run
becomes a real rescue
By JOSN Mike C. Jones
For two pilots with 56 Rescue Squadron
(56 RQS), one last flight turned into a real
rescue operation. Two 56 RQS HH-60G
Pave Hawk helicopters, commanded by
Capt. Scott Swanson and Lt. Col. Steve
Black, retrieved one person suffering from a
heart attack on board a Russian fishing
trawler approximately 200 miles southwest
of Keflavfk Thursday.
56 RQS received the call at 10:44 a.m.
from the Joint Rescue Coordination Center
(JRCC), and the Pave Hawks were airborne,
with the assistance of crew chiefs Senior
Airman Jason Breitmaier and Senior Airman
Kurt Miller, by 11:30 a.m. The helicopters
were on scene at 1:05 p.m. to assist the
trawler’s captain who had suffered the heart
attack. With heavy fog, the ceiling was less
than 100 feet and visibility was 200 meters.
Swanson, of Minnetonka, Minn., and
crew members Capt. Edward Lengel, Staff
Sgt. Michael Preston, Staff Sgt. William
Orse and Senior Airman Brandon Plaster,
stabilized the victim’s condition before
transporting him to Reykjavik Airport at 4
p.m.
An ambulance then rushed the patient to
Reykjavik City Hospital for further treat-
ment. Black, and crew members 1st Lt.
Jeremey Turner, flight surgeon Capt.
Shannon Beardsley and Senior Airmen Sean
Duncan, Mark Forcinel and Justin Campbell
provided backup for the lead flight.
Campbell also assisted in the stabilization of
the victim on board the trawler.
A HC-130 tanker served as fuel support
and a communications platform between the
Pave Hawks and the JRCC, manned by 1st
Lt. Shawn Kirkpatrick, Tech Sgt. Collis
Philyaw, Senior Airman Sergio Goodridge,
Airman 1st Class Michael Ellard, Staff Sgt.
Thomas Walker and Staff Sgt. Daniel
Burleson.
Lt. j. g. Maria T. Kelchner, staff nurse at
Naval Hospital Keflavfk, was on board the
C-130 providing communications as a trans-
lator for the crew of the Russian vessel.
The C-130 crew included Maj. Kevin F.
Reilly, Capt. Mike Duffy, Lt. Col. Dennis
M. Diggett, Master Sgt. Michael Wern,
Senior Master Sgt. Dale J. Stitz and Tech
Sgt. Antonio Ramoi.
The rescue teams returned to the base at
8:30 p.m.
The squadron had different plans for the
pilots’ farewell, Swanson explained.
“Normally, a last flight would have been
something fun. We were going to fly some-
where interesting, such as the interior of
Iceland places we normally wouldn’t have
flown.”
Although unexpected, the last flight
proved just as interesting, he said. “It’s a
rather fitting way of saying goodbye to the
squadron and going on my way.”
Swanson attributed the outstanding suc-
cess of the mission to the teamwork dis-
played by the people involved.
“Crew coordination in our job is key.
The support we received from our opera-
tions guys, maintenance personnel, air refu-
eling team and the NATO Base all tied
together to make the mission work.”
This rescue, the second of the year, brings
to 299 the number of lives saved by the 56
RQS since 1971.
Armed Forces News Briefs
SECDEF approves Anthrax program
Washington, D.C. (NWS) — On May 22, Secretary of Defense
William S. Cohen directed the military to proceed with the previous-
ly publicized plan to vaccinate all active duty personnel and Selected
Reserves with the FDA-licensed Anthrax vaccine.
Total Force vaccinations for about 2.4 million service members are
expected to begin this summer.
“On Dec. 15, 1997,1 made implementation of the program contin-
gent on the successful completion of four conditions: supplemental
testing of the vaccine; assured tracking of immunizations; approved
operational and communications plans; and review of the health and
medical aspects of the program by an independent expert,” Cohen
said. “All conditions for implementing the Anthrax Vaccination
Program for the total force have now been met. Vaccinations of the
active components and Selected Reserve shall proceed consistent
with all specifications of the Food and Drug Administration approved
product labeling.”
After a three-year review, Cohen concluded that the vaccination is
the safest way to protect highly mobile U.S. military forces against a
potential threat that is 99-percent lethal to unprotected individuals.
Cohen and Gen. Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, have both started taking the anthrax vaccinations.
The estimated cost to vaccinate the total force over a six to seven-
year period is approximately $130 million. More information about
the DoD’s Anthrax vaccination program is available on the World
Wide Web at www.defenselink.mil/other_info
‘Joint Vision 2010’ calls on USAC0M
Washington, D.C. (NWS) - On May 21, Secretary of Defense
William S. Cohen designated the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic
Command, Adm. Harold W. Gehman, as the executive agent for con-
ducting joint warfighting experimentation within the DoD, effective
Oct. 1.
In that capacity, U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) will explore,
demonstrate and evaluate joint warfighting concepts and capabilities
required to implement Joint Vision 2010.
“U.S. Atlantic Command’s new role will focus our efforts to imple-
3#
ment our future warfare vision,” Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Henry H. Shelton, said. “The services
have individually made great strides in modeling and simulation, and
other new techniques. Our challenge now is to integrate those efforts
to achieve the greatest possible capabilities in the 21st century.”
By July 15, the admiral will submit to the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff an implementation plan that specifies the resources
required to assume these new responsibilities.
The chairman will coordinate with the Services and the DoD to
establish the procedures and funding support for USACOM joint
warfighting experimentation. These functions will be permanently
assigned to USACOM in the next revision to the Unified Command
Plan.
Privatization vital to Air Force future
Langley AFB, Va. (AFNS) — The Air Force is looking to free up
money by finding better ways to provide services and identify excess
resources for future modernization investments. Enter Competitive
Sourcing and Privatization (CS&P).
In some instances, the Air Force will rely on private contractors to
provide functions and services previously done by its own people.
However, CS&P - formerly known as Outsourcing and Privatization
- is not about cutting services.
“This is not ‘doing more with less,”’ said Gen. Richard Hawley,
Air Combat Command commander. “We are not talking about a loss
of capability - this is about changing the source of a service. We
have to become more efficient and CS&P is a way to save money,
maintain our combat capability and improve performance.”
CS&P has also generated internal reviews of how the Air Force
uses its manpower to better meet mission requirements, said Lt. Col.
Jacqueline Do vale, ACC Competitive Sourcing and Privatization
Branch chief.
Competitive Sourcing is conducted through what is termed the A-
76 process. This is where the Air Force finds the most efficient and
effective way to provide support services by competing the services
between in-house staff and private contractors. The Air Force then
determines if it’s best to keep a support service “in-house”, or con-
vert it to a private contractor.
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The White Falcon May 29,1998