The White Falcon - 30.04.1976, Blaðsíða 1
(White Falcon)
Volume XXXII. Number 17
Keflavk, Iceland
April 30, 1076
ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL SNOW on the ground, Icelandic summer is more than a week
old. Now is the time to start thinking of summer activities here in Iceland like
camping, hiking, fishing or just getting out and having a look around.
(photo by JOCS James Johnston)
Sec. Def. speaks on mil. balance
BMAG seeks
local ideas
The Air Force is seeking ideas from
its personnel on improvements in organiz-
ational structures, procedures, functions
and policies, which will produce savings
in monetary, material and manpower ex-
penditures. To perform this funtion, a
Base Management Action Group (BMAG) has
been established by the USAF Chief of
Staff.
The BMAG will receive inputs from lo-
cal committees at all AF activities and
installations and explore them as avenues
for reducing base operating support
costs. The prime difference between BMAG
and the AF Suggestion Program, is that
BMAG is concerned with verbal, rather
than written, inputs from individual con-
tributors. Also, BMAG suggestions need
not be evaluated and adopted at the local
level prior to submission to Headquarters
USAF. Suggestions previously turned down
in the AF Suggestion Program may be re-
submitted through BMAG channels.
A commitee, composed of the Junior
Officer's Council and Enlisted Advisory
Council, has been formed to collect ideas
from AF personnel stationed in Iceland,
for forwarding to the BMAG.
Interested personnel may present their
ideas by appearing at the Naval. Station
Conference Room, Bldg. 752, on Thursday
or Friday 1 to 2 p.m.or by contacting one
of the following individuals during this
week: Capt. Schauz (7227), 1st Lt. Cres-
cenzo (4108), IstLt. Tota (4224), 2nd Lt.
Connell (Rockville Ext. 38), TSgt. Chil-
vers (4315), SSgt. Acevedo (4496), or A1C
Stewart (6231).
The program will run until May 15.
If you have any ideas for improvements
or resource savings, let the BMAG hear
them — all it takes is a phone call.
AF guarantees
follow-on base
Eligibility criteria for the Air
Force's home basing program have been
further defined in a recent letter to
all consolidated base personnel offices.
The home basing program offers airmen
with dependents the opportunity to apply
for a guaranteed follow-on assignment
back to their current CONUS station,
upon notification of selection for a
short overseas tour. Under the new
rules, airmen who are assigned to an ac-
companied tour of less than 18 months
are now eligible to apply for home
basing.
Airmen who did not have the oppor-
tunity to apply before going overseas
are eligible to apply until June 30,
1976. After that date, applications
must be submitted before departure from
a CONUS base.
Airmen who are serving in special
duty assignments are not eligible for
the program. Examples of this category
are departmental or joint assignments,
and duty with defense agencies.
Home basing was introduced to reduce
the number of designated dependent
moves by allowing airmen to return from
overseas to their current bases in re-
turn for not moving their dependents out
of the local area while away. Airmen
are still permitted to make their desig-
nated family move when they are selected
for an unaccompanied overseas location,
but by doing so, they give up eligibil-
ity for the home basinc Droeram..
Those selected for a home basing as-
signment and presently living in base
quarters may apply to keep their family
in those quarters while they are over-
seas. If continued quarters is not pos-
sible, the airman can still move his
family within the local area and remain
eligible for home basing.
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rums-
feld said at the 125th anniversary din-
ner of Reuters News Service in New York
recently:
"What happens to the worldwide mili-
tary balance in the years ahead will
have a profound effect on world stabili-
ty for the rest of this century.
' "The decisions we make now will con-
tribute to shaping the future for the
next two decades, just as the decisions
made over the past two decades have
molded the situation we now face.
"Let me emphasize one point: There
is far more at stake than merely the
relative military positions of two
superpowers.
"We are the world's leading democra-
cy, just as the Soviet Union is the most
powerful autocracy in the world. The
wisdom and durability of our free system
of government is, in a very real sense,
on trial. If we become vulnerable to
the threats and pressures of potential
adversaries, we will have shown to the
world that a nation governed by consent
is incapable of the steadiness of pur-
pose necessary to survive in a difficult
and challenging world.
"I believe that free people, when in-
The beginning of the Arctic summer
becomes evident in May with longer days,
warmer temperatures and lighter winds.
Snowfall becomes negligible however
there is still a slight chance of some
snow. The Jet Stream continues to mi-
grate northward during the month, but it
becomes weaker and more disorganized and
as a result stagnant weather systems
become common.
Temperatures climb 5.4F (0.3C) from
April, reaching a mean of 43.9F (6.6C).
The most frequent wind direction contin-
ues to be from the northeast, but south-
erly winds become more common. Speeds
are less than 11 knots 47.5% of the
time, a marked improvement over April.
The highest gust ever recorded was from
the east-southeast at 59 knots for May.
Chill Index II occurs less than 50% of
formed, will demonstrate the prudence
and foresight needed to recognize and
counteract dangers that can undermine
their liberties.
"The balance of which I speak is nec-
essary for many reasons. At the most
basic level, it ensures our country's
physical safety against attack. But
there are other reasons:
— Our allies must know that they
can, with our help, withstand either
overt attack or the more subtle, in-
direct diplomatic and economic pressures
that in the absence of such confidence,
can erode the will and ultimately the
ability to resist.
— Our views and values must be given
the weight and importance they merit in
our dealings with those whose interests
differ from ours.
— We must encourage the support of
those whose resources and cooperation we
desire, but who might otherwise think it
necessary to establish a more accommo-
dating relationship with potential ad-
versaries.
— And we must ensure and make real-
istic our own will and confidence in
supporting our interests, our allies and
our ideals in a difficult, untidy, and
uncertain world."
thtf time, and Chill Index III is essen-
tially non-existent.
Rain or drizzle can be expected on
68.3% of the days, while the occurance
of snow drops to 9.2% of the days and a
total accumulation of only 0.2 ins.
(0.51cm) can be expected. Cloudiness
changes little from April with overcast
skies prevailing 45.1% of the month. Fog
can be expected on 28.2% of these days.
The increase in hours of daylight
becomes quite noticeable in May. On the
first the. sun rises at 5:03 a.m. and
sets at 9:53 p.m. and by the end of the
month, sunrise is at 3:31 a.m. with
sunset at 11:27 p.m. This amounts to a
gain of three hours and one minute of
daylight. It is also significant to note
that by May 31, the hours between sunset
and sunrise are still a period of usable
light: termed civil twilight.
New AF T-l-S
for E-2s, E-3s
The Air Force Military Personnel Cen-
ter has announced a couple of changes in
time in service requirements for the
lower grade Airmen.
Effective June 1, 1976, the minimum
time-in-service (TIS) requirement for
promotion to E-2 will be extended from
the present four months to six months.
This change came about as a result of a
recent change directed by the Office of
the Secretary of Defense.
Airmen who enter the Air Force on or
after June 1, 1976, will not be eligible
for promotion until they have completed
six months of service. The Air Force
says waivers of this policy will only
apply to Airmen who enter under current
waiver authority such as Civil Air
Patrol or ROTC graduates.
As a result of the extended TIS re-
quirements for promotion to E-2, the Air
Force at the same time will shorten the
time in grade requirement for promotion
to E-3, from eight months to six months
service. This change, also effective on
June 1, will apply to those enlistees
who enter the service oh or after that
date, except for Airmen falling under
current waiver authority. Enlistees be-
fore June 1 will still be required to
complete a minimum of eight months time
in grade.
Final booth sign-up
Friday is the last day to sign-up for
a booth at the May 15 Flea Market spon-
sored by Family Services.
Individuals or organizations can have
booths at the Flea Market. Participants
can sell what ever they like including
food, handi-crafts, white elephant arti-
cles and furniture. Family Services
takes 20 percent of the day's profits
•and the remainder belongs to the group
or individual. About 30 booths already
have been reserved.
If you are interested, just call
Family Services at 5209 or stop by
building T193.
The Base Nursery will be open from 8
a.m. to 6 p.m. on the day of the Flea
Market.
This year the Flea Market will in-
clude a drawing for many items and an
auction. People having a few large
items they would like to sell can have
them auctioned off. Just contact Family
Services for more information.
The Family Services Center uses the
money from the Flea Market to replace or
buy new articles for the "Loan Closet."
The Loan Closet has dishes, utensils,
linens and many other things which are
loaned to people.
Bicentennial
Plans begin
Plans for this year's Fourth of
July Bicentennial Celebration are be-
ing formulated.
A special planning meeting will be
held Wednesday, May 12 at 1 p.m. in
the Naval Station conference room,
building 752. All persons, groups and
organizations interested in estab-
lishing concessions, entering a float
in the parade, or simply providing
recommendations, ideas or assistance
for the celebration should attend
this meeting.
The coordinator for the Bicenten-
nial is Lieutenant Jim Bullock. You
can contact him at ext. 7903/7904 for
further information.
Lieutenant Bullock said it is es-
sential for those interested in par-
ticipating in the Bicentennial cele-
bration to attend the May 12 meeting.
May brings warmer days and lighter winds