The White Falcon - 30.12.1977, Blaðsíða 1
Volume 33 Number 52
Keflavik, Iceland
December 30, 1977
Keflavik notes
SSgt. Honored
New courses released
College registration starts Tuesday
Staff Sergeant Thomas E. Strohl was
awarded a gold star instead of a second
Navy Commendation Medal in ceremonies
held at the Marine Barracks last week.
SSgt. Strohl's citation reads in part
",,.his exceptional leadership, profes-
sional competence and managerial exper-
tise contributed significantly to the
development of the Marine Barracks
Personnel/Administrative section into a
unit recognized for noteworthy achieve-
ment and efficiency..." Major J. M.
Strickland, Commanding Officer, Marine
Barracks, made the presentation and
praised the professionalism and
competency that SSgt. Strohl had
displayed. His wife Linda, Mrs. Janet
Aranda, and Mrs. Bonnie Burchett at-
tended the presentation.
The Navy Campus, together with the
University of Maryland and Los Angeles
Community College Overseas, will hold
Term III registration Tuesday through
Jan. 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the
Navy Campus in Bldg. 638, second floor.
Classes will be held at the A. T.
Mahan High School Jan. 16 through March
10 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. twice a week.
The University of Maryland is intro-
ducing a University College Special
Projects course: Scandinavian litera-
ture. The students will be reading a
few of the Andersen Fairy Tales, Njal's
Saga, Grettir's Saga and other short
works from Sweden and Norway. There
will be time to take a look at the
imagination, customs and beliefs of
Sweden.
Another course being offered this
term is the judicial process. This
course deals with an indepth explora-
tion of the Supreme Court with particu-
lar emphasis on judicial review. Taking
a look at the realignment of the court
during the Nixon administration should
be of particular interest to political
science students, a Navy Campus spokes-
man states.
Other courses being offered are as
follows: Business law, introduction to
writing, introduction to psychology,
survey of industrial psychology and
population biology and general ecology.
Los Angeles Community College Over-
seas is offering introductory account-
ing. The course involves all aspects
of bookkeeping, record keeping, finan-
cial statements and budgeting of a
proprietorship.
Also being offered is an airframes
mechanic class, focusing on aircraft
cleaning and corrosion control. Stu-
dents may prepare for the Federal Avia-
tion Agency examination by taking the
class.
Other classes include: Narcotics and
vice control, oil painting, auto mechan-
ics, broadcasting, furidamentals of
writing, computer technology, electronics
—alternating current, emergency medical
technician, photography, real estate and
supervision—labor relations.
For information concerning these
courses, call the Navy Campus office at
6226 or 7795.
January weather forecast
Throughout January the winter season
continues. Temperatures will continue
to get colder, but days are now getting
longer.
The average temperature for January
is 32.3 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees
Celsius, which is .8 degrees colder than
December.
Prevailing winds will be from the
eastern quadrant with a mean speed of
15.1 knots.
The peak gust for January was re-
corded in 1958 from the west at a speed
of 73 knots. Chill Index II will be an
almost daily occurrence with frequent
occurrences of Chill Index III and the
slight possibility of Chill Index IV.
Snow may be expected to occur on 52.4
per cent of the days with the total ac-
cumulation averaging 12.2 inches. Rain
and drizzle will also occur on 52.4 per
cent of the days.
On the average, 74 per cent of the
sky will be covered by clouds with over-
cast conditions prevailing 46.4 per cent
of the time.
The major storms will once again ori-
ginate off Newfoundland and proceed to
the southern tip of Greenland, where the
storm track splits.
One track proceeds northward along
Greenland's west coast while the second
track moves northeastward through the
Denmark Straits toward the west coast of
Iceland.
The occurrence of fog will increase
to 21 per cent of the days.
The sun will rise Sunday at 11:21
a.m. and set at 3:46 p.m. for a total of
four hours and 25 minutes of daylight.
Jan. 31, the sun will rise at 10:15 a.m.
and set at 5:12 p.m. for a total of six
hours and 57 minutes of daylight. This
is a total gain of two hours and 32
minutes of daylight during January.
STAFF SERGEANT LARRY T. SMITH receives the Air Force Commendation Medal
from Rear Admiral Karl J. Bernstein, Commander Iceland Defense Force, in
a recent ceremony at the IDF Headquarters, (photo by PHAN Kirk M.
Fasking)
SSgt. receives Air Force
commendation medal
Staff Sergeant Larry T. Smith, the
Iceland Defense Force Chief of Staff's
driver, was presented the Air Force
Commendation Medal by Rear Admiral Karl
J, Bernstein, Commander Iceland Defense
Force, recently.
While attached to the 314th Transpor-
tation Squadron, 314th Tactical Airlift
Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, SSgt.
Smith was the Noncommissioned Officer in
Charge of Vehicle Records in the
Vehicles Operations branch from Dec. 30,
1973 to Oct. 15, 1977.
During this period, he distinguished
himself by his outstanding professional
skill, knowledge, exemplary ability,
diligence and initiative in accomplishing
his job.
According to the citation, "These
qualities enabled SSgt. Smith to contri-
bute to the high efficiency of his
squadron in the accomplishment of Its
mission in support of the Military Air-
lift Command. His achievement reflects
highly on himself and the United States
Air Force."
O’Brien transfers
30 Yea rs on
The plaque presented to Arthur V.
O'Brien, Deputy Comptroller of the Naval
Station, at his bless luncheon Dec. 2
contained the inscription, "From the
beginning to 31 December 1977." For
after more than 30 years of dedication
to the United States military forces in
Iceland, O'Brien will be reporting in
January to Karlsruhe, Germany, to act as
Budget Analyst of the Department of
Defense Dependent School System Europe.
Mr. O'Brien first arrived in Iceland
with the military forces during World
War II and remained in a civilian
capacity with a variety of assignments
associated with construction and
maintenance. He assumed his present
duties as deputy comptroller in August
1967.
Fireworks illegal
The sale, storage or use of fire-
works of any description on any naval
reservation or property, including
Navy-owned housing areas, is strictly
prohibited, according to Naval Sta-
tion Keflavik Instruction 11320.3C.
Local scouts
at Icelan
by Tom Gaines
It all started Dec. 16. Troop 364,
comprised of 19 scouts and four adults,
left the Scout Hut about 5 p.m. They
reached Ulfljotsvatn Icelandic Scout
Camp around 8 p.m.
The first two days were spent in a
variety of winter sports, including
skiing, sledding, inner-tubing and many
others.
Several nights were spent watching
feature movies such as the newly ar-
rived "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo."
Unfortunately, one scout, Ron
Ritoch, was transported back to the
base, a distance of some 90 miles, be-
cause of an ear infection.
The trip had been most enjoyable un-
til the scheduled departure time. With
snow and winds gusting up to 60 knots,
the bus and a privately owned van became
uselessly stuck in snowdrifts.
The group then headed back to the hut
where Stan Halstead, Scoutmaster, made
an emergency call to the base and found
out that rescue at that time was impos-
sible. The next few days were spent
in the hut, playing cards and lis-
NATO ba se
ARTHUR V. O'BRIEN accepts a gift at his
recent ceremony, (photo by AN John
Pappas)
snowbound
die camp
tening to tapes.
At 8:10 a.m., Dec. 21, the troop re-
ceived word that a Public Works Depart-
ment team of mechanics had left the
NATO base and were headed toward the
camp.
Led by Chief Equipment Operator J.A.
Groover, the crew fixed the bus, which
badly needed water. Other members of
the crew included Construction Mechanic
Second Class Dennis McDonald and Gisli
Kristjansson.
Then, after a minor incident in a
ditch, Troop 364 arrived at the base
about 8 p.m. Dec. 21, much to the
pleasure of the scouts.
The hero of the trip was undoubtedly
Stan Halstead, Scoutmaster. Stan re-
peatedly pulled the bus out of smaller
ditches and also maintained telephone
contact between the base and the hut.
When liveliness ran low and tempers
ran high, no one else but Stan could
change that around.
Other adults on the trip were Roger
Fullam, his wife, Lee, and Rick Hewitt.
Mrs. Fullam was popular on the trip
because she was the one who did most of
the cooking for the hungry scouts.