The White Falcon - 16.07.1976, Blaðsíða 1

C White Falcon^)
Volume XXXII Number 28
Keflavik, Iceland
July 16, 1976
TO HONOR THEIR NEW COMMANDING OFFICER, the Marines pass in review at the change of
command held at the Marine Barracks Monday.
NATO Base Marine Barracks
Marine Guard Officer, presented the
colors to Maj. Centers. The Marines
then passed in review in honor of their
new commanding officer.
In a brief message, Maj. Centers
stated that he was honored to become the
Marine Barracks commanding officer. Re-
ferring to Marine traditions, Maj.
Centers declared his pride in being a
Marine and urged all Marines to be like-
wise proud of their Marine heritage.
Rear Admiral Harold G. Rich, Command-
er Iceland Defense Force, was the guest
of honor.
About 100 dignitaries and other
guests attended the change of command
ceremony.
A reception followed at the Officers'
Club.
"I want to establish a better rapport
and a better understanding between the
Marine Corps and the Navy and with the
other services here," Maj. Centers
stated in an interview.
Maj. Centers will also make improve-
ments on the quality of physical secu-
rity for the Naval Station and the dis-
cipline as well as the espirit de corps
of the Marine Barracks.
The" Marine Barracks commanding of-
ficer, a 22-year Marine veteran, joined
the Marines as a private, declining a
civil engineering scholarship upon
entering the Corps.
AF officers have DOR change
Officers selected for promotion to
temporary major last September will have
their projected dates of rank changed
from calendar year 1975 to calendar year
1976.
The change is being made for two rea-
sons. First, as in many actions being
taken in personnel today, the Air Force
is aligning the promotion system with
the provisions of the Defense Officer
Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) in an-
ticipation of DOPMA passage.
Second, the promotion point to major
has moved from 11 to 12 years service,
this has lengthened the time between the
projected date of rank of major and the
effective date of promotion. The change
will more closely align dates of rank
with the actual dates of promotion. Af-
fected officers are expected to be pro-
moted between July 1976 and June 1977.
Personnel officials say changing
these dates of rank will not affect
seniority or promotion eligibility. Of-
ficers are considered for promotion as a
year group (in this case, the 1965 year
group). Thus, officers with the new
1°7*t dates of rank will be considered
for promotion to lieutenant colonel at
the same time they would have been con-
sidered with 1975 dates of rank.
No similar action is required on of-
ficers awaiting promotion to lieutenant
colonel and colonel since actual promo-
tion dates of rank are closely aligned.
TO BUILD UPON THE ESPIRIT DE CORPS, is
the goal of Major Norman B. Centers, new
Marine Barracks commanding officer.
Major Norman B. Centers relieved
Major D.J. O'Connor as Marine Barracks
commanding officer in a change of com-
mand ceremony Monday at the Marine
Barracks parade ground.
The new commanding officer comes to
Keflavik from the Inspector and Instruc-
tor Staff, Corpus Christi, Tex.
Maj. O'Connor, outgoing commanding
officer, will report to the Marine Corps
Command and Staff College, Quantico, Va.
First Lieutenant Scott Borderud,
BOTH MARINE BARRACKS commanding officers
pause before Major D.J. O'Connor (left)
relinguishes his command to Major Norman
B. Centers (right).
has new CO
He served in the infantry as an en-
listed for the first 11 years and still
has an infantry officer designation.
In 1964 Maj. Centers was selected
for the infantry as one out of four can-
didates from 2,700 applicants.
While in the Marines, he has complet-
ed an associate's degree in off-duty ed-
ucation before his selection to the
Marine Corps Warrant Officer Program.
Formerly, he instructed at the Marine
Corps Education and Development Command,
Quantico, Va.
During his career, he has had two
tours in reconnaissance. At one command
he was regimental and brigade assistant
S-3. In addition, he has served aboard
the USS Essex.
Maj . Centers has commanded three in-
fantry organizations and one reconnais-
sance company.
From 1966 until 197C Maj. Centers
was stationed in Vietnam.
He is qualified in jump, ranger and
demolitions.
Maj. Centers and his wife, Lou, have
two children, Brian and Kristen.
In his spare time, he enjoys sailing,
scuba diving, sky diving and camping.
He calls Sarasota, Fla., his home.
While stationed here, he wants to
visit different parts of Europe and
travel in Iceland.
GUNNAR 0SKARSS0N, a watchstander at the LORAN (Long Range Air and Navigation)
Monitor Site, Keflavik, reads and tabulates data presented on a recorder unit.
Operation at the LORAN Monitor Site was transferred June 30 to Icelandic personnel
working for the Post and Telecommunication Administration.
(photos by J03 Lynn Grooms)
COAST GUARD LCDR David Clements, former commanding officer of the LORAN Station,
explains the meaning of the recorder graphs to Sigurdur Thorkelsson, director of
the Post and Telecommunication Administration. U. S. Coast Guard personnel, pre-
viously responsible for monitoring the transmission signals received at the LORAN
Monitor Site, have assisted with the training of eight Icelandic electronic tech-
nicians during the past year.