The White Falcon - 26.05.1978, Page 2
Page 2
White Falcon
May 26, 19/8
Exchange news
by Marlyn Wiltse
The Navy Exchange at Keflavik was es-
tablished to provide merchandise and
services to the service community; to do
this, the exchange strives to improve
the quality of service life.
Providing quality merchandise and
services at reasonable prices and with
savings to the customer is what the Navy
Exchange is all about. In recent years,
the exchange has taken the initiative to
better serve and satisfy authorized cus-
tomers by expanding certain merchandi-
sing programs and refining its overall
philosophy to make customers more aware
of exchange values.
A number of programs, such as Price
Breakers, Bonus and X-tra Values, have
been expanded and are being heavily
promoted. Price Breakers are items,
primarily toiletries, film and small ap-
pliances, that are sold all the time at
or near cost by the exchange to provide
the lowest possible price for customers
and to be competitive.
Just as attractive is the Bonus Buy,
which are in-season, national brand
items, normally stocked by the Navy Ex-
change, that are offered below regular
Navy Exchange prices for a two-week
period.
CUSTOMER DESIRES EXPRESSED
Sometimes customers want serviceable
quality items that are less expensive
than the major brand items. To meet
this need, the X-Tra Value Program was
created. Primarily in the clothing
area, but in other departments as well,
this program offers first quality, un-
branded, low-priced merchandise on a
continuing basis. X-Tra Values, how-
ever, are not seconds, rejects, mark-
downs or closeouts.
The Navy Exchange supplements these
special merchandising programs with
storewide and departmental sales events
throughout the year. These events are
being expanded and additional efforts
are highly visible to the service com-
munity.
Exchange customers tend to rate the
exchange in four basic areas: Price,
merchandise selection, in-stock position
and service.
Navy Exchange pricing policy estab-
lishes the lowest markup on necessi-
ties, a medium markup for staple items
and a higher markup on luxury items.
This policy is designed to maintain a
reasonable margin of savings for ex-
change customers.
Although the pricing structure is
basically sound, several modifications
are being made, which will reinforce
the idea that NEX provides savings on
a continuing basis.
In the past few months, the exchange
has identified individual items and
categories of merchandise that custom-
ers expect to find at their Navy Ex-
change. The geographic location and
customer demand dictate the specific
merchandise selection offered. How-
ever, within the overall merchandise
selection, a surprisingly large number
of items has universal appeal, con-
tinously required and desired by the
community.
NEX TAKES STOCK
The Navy Exchange, together with
the Navy Resale System Office, has
Icelandic Arts
Festival
By Madeleine Grimsley
The Icelandic Arts Festival, a bian-
nual event begun in 1970 under the spon-
sorship of the city of Reykjavik, offers
opportunities for Icelandic artists to
display their talents in painting, music
and dance. The programs available are
as follows.
June 3 Opening of painting by Erro Kja-
rvalssta6ir. (The Icelandic
painter Erro, who lives in Paris,
is internationally known as one
of the most original painters of
today.)
June 4 The Iceland National Gallery op-
ens the exhibition, "The American
Art today". The Nordic House
opens an exhibition of Finnish
paintings. In the evening a
folk song concert will be given
at H&sk6labi6 and the Copenhagen
string quartet, composed for the
festival, will later perform at
the Nordic House.
June 5 The Grieg duo will give concert
of works by Grieg at the Nordic
House.
June 6 The Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
will be conducted by Valdimir
Ashkenazy, soloist Mstislav
Rosttropovich, cello.
June 7,8 The Copenhagen string quartet
and the Grieg duo will repeat
their programs.
June 9 The Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
will again present a concert
with soloists Isac Perlman and
Lynn Harrell at HAsk6labiA.
June 10 LaugardalshAll. 2 p.m. to mid-
night, a series of concerts will
be hosted with male and mixed
choirs, brass bands, solo sing-
ers, folk dancers and singers.
The concert will end with Ice-
landic pop bands. The purpose
of this concert is to introduce
modern Icelandic popular music.
June 12 Nordic House. Musical com-
positions by the Icelandic com-
iposer Jon Thorarison..
June 13 Reykiavik Chamber Orchestra
plays various musical works at
the Nordic House.
June 14 LaugardalshAll. The Icelandic
ballet group from the National
Theater. Guest star soloist
Baryshnkov.
June 15 An internationally famous pop
band will give a concert at
LaugardalshAll.
June 16 Piano concert given by Mme
France Clidat.
AWACS;
Continued from page 1;
aircraft; and a surveillance radar which
every 10 seconds scans 360 degrees of
airspace and has a range of over 250
miles.
Captain David L. Grey, 552d Missions
Operations Officer, stated, "The unique
thing about this system is that we have
this tremendous low-level capability.
If an airplane is on a runway and it
goes faster than a classified speed that
we set into the radar, we’ll see it. It
doesn’t even have to be in the air."
In addition to the powerful surveil-
lance radar there is a sophisticated IBM
computer plus an advanced communications
system.
If required, and within hours, the
plane could serve as a command post and
conduct battle operations both in the
air and on land anywhere in the world.
The aircraft will be operated and
maintained by the 552nd Aircraft Warning
and Control Squadron, Detachment Two,
which will eventually phase out Detach-
ment One's operations.
As tor as aircraft crews are con-
cerned, Capt Grey said, "We will rotate
airplanes and crews at a predetermined
rate and at any given time we will have
three crews in the area and two
airplanes." One complete crew consists
of four flight crew members and 13 mis-
sion crew members.
The 552nd Squadron in Iceland is not
moving to Iceland. It is, in fact,
forming in Iceland. Although many of
its members have worked and trained
together before at the 552nd Airborne
and Control Wing at Tinker AFB in
Oklahoma, the squadron in Iceland is
starting from the ground up. Everything
from aircraft to trucks to pencils must
be obtained through government supply
channels.
Thirteen members of the 552nd are
already in Iceland preparing for the
arrival of personnel and equipment
during the summer months.
The 552nd will eventually take over
the spaces presently occupied by
Detachment One in hangar 887. Some
of the operational functions are already
in the hangar but the maintenance
section is busy at work making a tempor-
ary home in the former hobby shop
buildings.
Senior Master Sergeant Larry Combs,
552nd Maintenance Division, said that
"Our first consideration, right now, is
to get our temporary facilities in shape
for the heart of our maintenance team,
who are coming this summer, to have
some place to work out of."
The Officer-in-Charge of the Com-
missary Store made a trip to Norfolk
and New York to resolve the recent
stock problems. Extensive conversa-
tions and planning sessions with
senior personnel of the Norfolk Com-
missary Store Region, Naval Supply
Center (NSC) Norfolk, Defense Subsis-
tence Office (DSO) and Navy Resale
Systems Office have resulted in what
is expected to be an improved supply
system.
Conversations with personnel at NSC
Norfolk and DSO have addressed the
quality problems presently occurring.
Representatives of those commands have
Earl G. Thomas, a construction repre-
sentative for the Resident Officer in
Charge of Construction office, received a
25-year federal service award last week.
Lieutenant Commander A. T. Pringle
presented the award on behalf of Rear
Admiral C. C. Held, Commander, Atlantic
Division, Naval Facilities Engineering
Command. The certificate of award said
in part, "I commend you on the signific-
ant contribution you have made to earn
this award and I extend to you my sincere
appreciation for your work."
by Madeleine Grimsley
SMSgt. Combs also said, "It is a lot
of work. You're starting a unit from the
ground up. However, most of the people
who are up here on the advanced party
help set it (the AWACS Wing maintenance
program) up at Tinker and it has become
rather routine." Combs wrapped it up by
saying, "The unit that we're in, the
552nd AWACS, is a very unique unit and
there's none like it in the Air Force."
agreed to strive to ensure that only
top qualitj merchandise is loaded for
delivery to Keflavik.
Senior personnel of the Commissary
Division of Navy Resale Systems Office
are concerned about the poor in-stock
position of all the overseas commissary
stores and are working to ensure that
once this problem is rectified it will
not recur.
The trip was productive and should
alleviate most of the recent quantity
and quality of stock deficiencies in
the store and help to ensure that
first class service is provided to
station personnel.
Mr. Thomas has been part of the ROICC
staff since March 1977. He is involved
in construction inspection, contract ne-
gotiation and cost analysis. His quarter
century of service includes cost estimat-
ing and negotiating for the NavFacEngCom
western division and for the Officer
in Charge of Construction, Vietnam. He
also worked in engineering and planning
at the White Sands Missile Range in New
Mexico and the Anniston Army Supply Depot
in Alabama.
Commissary problems investigated
Federal service award presented
identified about 4,000 items that
meet this criteria. Within this
list, more than 500 items are required
to be in-stock 100 per cent of the
time and the other items will be at
least 95 per cent in-stock at all
times.
Identifying these items enables
NEX to monitor sales correctly and
take prompt action to maintain an
in-stock position.
In some instances, the exchange has
found that it is better to carry a
choice or selection of three items and
be in-stock rather than to have six
choices and be out-of-stock. An exam-
ple of this would be a toaster. It
generally satisfies more customers if
the exchange is dependably in-stock on
three popular models than if it tries
to carry six or more and is in-and-out
of stock on all models.
The money that is needed to buy the
three additional models could be put
to better use by ensuring that the most
popular models are always in stock.
Customers expect quality and savings
from their Navy Exchange. Through bet-
ter management of merchandise by item
and category, the exchange expects to
meet customer expectations.
births
Gerald Bruce Pemberton born May 9.
Son of Sgt. Gerald and Willie Pemberton.
Sgt. Pemberton is a member of the 57th
Fighter Interceptor Squadron.
Stephanie Kaye Jones born May 14.
Daughter of P02 David and Susan Jones.
P02 Jones is working with NavFac
Operations.
Amy Diane Thomas born May 15.
Daughter of P02 James and Cathy Thomas.
P02 Thomas is with the NAVSTA Supply
Department.
Heather Louise Arnold born May 18.
Daughter of P03 Ronald and Brenda
Arnold. P03 Arnold works at the Fuel
Division, (LOX plant).
Gear issue change
Beginning Thursday, Gear Issue will
be open Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. vice
Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon. This change
is for patron convenience in turning in
equipment.
Ice and Fire Theater
Tickets are now on sale for the Ice
and Fire Theater Group's dinner theater
production of "Once Upon A Mattress," a
musical comedy, at the Top Of The Rock
June 10, 11, and 12. Additionally, a
matinee will be performed June 10 for
ages six - 17. Tickets may be purchas-
ed at the club office.
Ticket numbers will correspond to
specific seat numbers for all perforv-
mances.
The dinner f beater menu will feature
paprika schnitzel, and the matinee lunch
will feature hamburgers.
White
Falcon
Commanding Officer
Capt. Jack T. Weir
Public Affairs Officer
J02 Jerry L. Foster
Editorial Staff
J02 Ray D. Oosterman
JOSA Paula Ritrovato
AA Karen Mayo
Gerald Hansen
The White Falcon is published each
Friday in accordance with SECNAVINST.
5720.44 for distribution to U. S.
military personnel, Naval Station
Keflavik, Iceland, and their depen-
dents, and to military and civilian
employees of the Iceland Defence
Force and their families. It is
printed in the Naval Statioh Print
Shop from appropriated funds in ac-
cordance with NAVEXOS P-35. The
opinions and statements made herein
are not to be construed as official
views of the Department of Defense
or the U. S. Government.
News items, questions, sugges-
tions and comments may be submitted
by calling the Naval Station Public
Affairs Office at 4612 or by vis-
iting the Naval Station Public Af-
fairs Office in Bldg. T-44.