The White Falcon - 06.08.1976, Blaðsíða 1

Volume XXXII Number 31_____________________________________Keflavik, Iceland_________________________
Det. 14
evacuates
premature
infant
The Air Forces' Det. 14 performed
another of its many medical rescue mis-
sions Friday night. The HH-3E Jolly
Green Giant Rescue Helicopter flew to
Akranes to take a premature baby to the
Reykjavik Hospital.
Less than 20 minutes after they had
received the call from the Icelandic
Lifesaving Association, the helicopter
was airborne with First Lieutenant
George Tota as the pilot, Captain Rick
Foley as the co-pilot, the Flight Mech-
naic was Technical Sergeant Ken Hones
and the Pararescueman was Technical Ser-
geant Rick Garley. Navy Lieutenant
(Dr.) Tom Thompson and Lieutenant Evelyn
Davis, Navy Nurse Corps, were also on
the flight with the Naval Station Dis-
pensary's portable incubator.
The three-month premature Gardarsson
baby was picked up in Akranes after the
Jolly Green Giant had picked up the Ice-
landic physician who had first alerted
the Lifesaving Association.
The helicopter was met at the Reykja-
vik Airport by an ambulance and the baby
was at the hospital at 9:56 p.m., less
than one hour after the Icelandic doctor
first called the Icelandic Lifesaving
Association.
Military medicine
students start
school this fall
The Uniformed Services University of
the Health Sciences will enroll its
first class of medical students this
fall.
The university has been officially
notified by the Liaison Committee on
Medical Education that provisional aca-
demic accreditation has been granted to
the medical school's education program.
Thirty-two students have been condi-
tionally accepted to the school. The
students are currently undergoing pre-
commissioning physical examinations.
More than 1,700 applications were re-
ceived from prospective entrants.
On Oct. 12, military orientation ses-
sions will begin. During the following
four weeks, students will be instructed
on specific aspects of military medi-
cine.
Medical school classes will begin
Nov. 15 at the Armed Forces Institute of
Pathology, located at the Walter Reed
Army Medical Center, Washington. The
university will move into its permanent
facilities on the campus of the National
Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., by
the time the second class is enrolled in
1977.
University officials say persons ap-
plying to the medical school must take
the Medical College Admission Test
(MCAT). Those applying for the class to
enter in September 1977, who have not
taken the MCAT within the past three
years must do so this fall. The 1976
MCAT application cutoff date is Aug. 30
for those testing abroad and Sept. 3 for
all others.
Military applicants, including Re-
serve Officers Training Corps and serv-
ice academy personnel, must obtain writ-
ten approval from their service to apply
to the medical school. Additional in-
formation on the school may be obtained
from the Director of Admissions, Uni-
versity of the Health Sciences, 6917 Ar-
lington Road, Bethesda, Md. 20014.
COMMSTA’s
CO awarded
Legion of Merit
WITH THE COMING OF AUGUST, the summer has almost ended and little time remains to
get off the NATO Base and explore some of the beautiful Icelandic countryside
in warm weather. This picture of a river in the valley of Thingvellir is only one
example of the beauty that can be enjoyed. (photo by PHC Paul Schlappich)
AF NCO specialties to retrain
During his recent trip to Washington,
D.C., Captain Ralph Spaulding, command-
ing officer of the Naval Communication
Station, received the Legion of Merit
from Admiral Shick, commander Naval
Telecommunications Command.
The award was for service performed
from August 1973 to November 1975, when
Capt. Spaulding was assigned to the
organization of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff as the chief of the National Mili-
tary Cpmmand Systems Branch. His re-
sponsibilities encompassed all improve-
ments to the National Military Command
Center (NMCC) and the Alternate National
Military Command Center in the areas of
facilities, displays, secure and non-
secure telephone/audio/television com-
munications and computer system inter-
faces.
Capt. Spaulding's citation read in
part: "...(His) accomplishments re-
sulted in significant improvements to
the system provided the President and
the Secretary of Defense for the command
and control of military forces of the
United States."
The most notable of the accomplish-
ments for which he was cited was the
design and implementation of the new
NMCC which was formally opened in the
Pentagon last February.
Special plow lays
60,000' CCTV cable
Work has begun on laying approximate-
ly 60,000 feet of cable on the NATO Base
for a closed circuit television (CCTV)
system expected to be operational this
fall.
This coaxial cable, being buried 12
to 18 inches deep, is a strong, light-
weight cable protected by a spiral steel
covering.
One of the most important pieces of
equipment being used to install the
cable is the Vibratory Cable Plow. It's
a large, white, machine with an over-
hanging nose. It is designed to install
as many as six cables or up to three
feet of plastic pipe a maximum of 48
kinches deep with one pass of the plow
'blade. A special blade has been pro-
vided with this leased equipment for
Iceland where many rocks are encounter-
ed.
There was concern at first whether
the labor-saving plow could contend with
the numerous rocks. This was overcome
by first "pre-ripping" the slot and
removing any surface boulders, then re-
plowing over the same route with the
cable inserted.
The Air Force has announced a new
program called "Palace Balance." The
program.will solicit noncommissioned of-
ficers (NCOs) in grades E-6 through 9 to
voluntarily retrain from specialties
overmanned in their grade.
Personnel will be contacted by per-
sonal letter from the "Palace Balance"
team at Air Force Military Personnel
Center (AFMPC). They will be offered
several possible shortage Air Force
specialty codes for which they are po-
tentially qualified for retraining. The
"Palace Balance" team will also assist
the NCOs in finding requirements and lo-
cations where they can be used in the
retraining skill.
"Palace Balance" is designed to keep
in contact with NCOs in overage skills
and smooth their retraining.
Team members will not only try to
place the NCO in a career field of his
choosing but will also offer assignment
to a base of choice that has a require-
ment of the retraining skill.
An additional incentive to retrain is
also available for volunteers in the
form of permanent change-of-station
(PCS) deferment of 24 months either at
their current base or at the new base if
a PCS is involved in the retraining.
NCOs in overage skills will also help
their careers by moving from crowded’,
surplus skills to the challenge of a
supervisory position in the new special-
ty.
Emphasis placed on a highly person-
alized approach distinguishes the "Pal-
ace Balance" program from traditional
voluntary retraining. A personal letter
to each identified NCO includes an in-
vitation to retrain. It will explain
the reasons retraining is necessary and
addressee is most qualified to enter.
NCOs receiving the letter may also j se-
lect other shortage AFSCs in the re-
training in which they qualify.
Direct mail or telephone will be en-
couraged. The team will field ques-
tions, guide, counsel and assist indi-
vidual NCOs on all points of the pro-
gram.
Grade imbalances, according to AFMPC
spokesmen, are. one of the most serious
problems facing Air Force personnel man-
agers today. They lead to lack of
supervision in some fields, under-use of
senior NCOs in others. It's serious
enough for the "Palace Balance" team Co
devote full attention to the problem and
offer incentives—an assignment prefer-
ence and stability —to make the AFSC
switch more attractive.
Registration for NCFA
Term I to begin
Registration for Term I classes
being offered by the University of
Maryland (,um; and Los Angeles Community
College (LACC) begins Monday at the Navy
Campus for Achievement Office (NCFA),
building 752.
The NCFA Office will be open for
registration from 8 a.m. to noon and 1
to 5 p.m. until August 20. Term I clas-
ses begin August 23 and end October 15.
They meet from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the
A.T. Mahan High School Monday through
Friday.
Tuition Aid and Veterans' Benefit
money is available to help pay the cost
of classes. It can be requested at the
NCFA Office during registration.
The UM is offering seven classes this
term. They are: Business Enterprise,
Management and Organization Theory,
Western Civilization, Diplomatic History
of the United States, Intro to Math—
combined with Refresher Math, Dynamics
of Social Interaction and Elementary
Icelandic.
LACC has 12 classes scheduled for
Term I. They are: Legal Aspects of Evi-
dence, Introductory Accounting I, Tune-
up and Carburetion Principles, Aero-
nautical Ground School, Principles of
Business Data Processing, Computer Logic
and Arithmetic, Mathematics of Electron-
ics I, Personal Finance and Invest-
ments, Collecting and Writing News,
Beginning Photography, Real Estate Prin-
ciples and Oral Communication.
LACC is also offering Principles of
Finance and Accounting I at Rockville.
Students from the NATO Base can attend
the Rockville classes but they must pro-
vide their own transportation.
For more information on classes or
registration, contact the NCFA Office at
extention 7795 or 6226.
list up to five shortage specialties the
THE VIBRATORY CABLE PLOW fias been brought to Iceland to install cable on the NATO
Base for the CCTV system expected to be operational this fall.