The White Falcon - 07.07.1978, Page 1

Col. Wagoner to assume AFI command today
Colonel Paul D. Wagoner will relieve
Colonel Leon W. Babcock Jr. as Commander
Air Forces Iceland today at 1:30 p.m. in
Hangar 830.
The incoming commander was born at
Rochester, IN July 26, 1934. He entered
the Air Force August 12, 1954 and re-
ceived his commission as a second lieu-
tenant December 6, 1955 through Officer
Candidate School. Colonel Wagoner re-
ceived his bachelor's degree in business
administration and management from Park
College, Kansas City, MO in 1972.
He completed Squadron Officers' School
in 1961, Armed Forces Staff College in
1967 and the Industrial College of the
Armed Forces in 1973.
Colonel Wagoner is a command pilot
with more than 4,800 flying hours with
101 combat missions and 163 combat hours,
flying in Vietnam.
The colonel served with Headquarters
North American Defense Command (NORAD)
Operations and Aerospace Defense Command
(ADCOM) Inspector General from 1970 to
1975.
His military decorations include the
Air Force Commendation Medal, the Joint
Service Commendation Medal, the Air
Medal with five oak leaf clusters and
the bronze star.
Colonel Wagoner and his wife, Peggy
Anne, have two sons and one daughter.
Colonel Babcock has been the Air For-
ces Iceland commander since June 27,
1977. Wednesday he will go to his next
assignment as Executive to Chief of
Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Pow-
ers Europe (SHAPE), Belgium. Previous-
ly, Colonel Babcock was the Vice Command-
er of the 25th Air Division of the Aero-
space Defense Command.
Major General William C. Burrows,
Vice Commander in Chief of the Aerospace
Defense Command, arrived yesterday to
visit Air Forces Iceland units. General
Burrows will preside at the change of
command, departing at approximately
5 p.m. today.
TO COMMEMORATE the new Retail Store, Navy Exchange Officer Lieutenant R. A.
Brown accepts a plaque from Captain Jack T. Weir, Commanding Officer Naval
Station Keflavik. J. C. Grimsley, merchandising manager, assists (above).
OPENING DAY CUSTOMERS line up at the shoe section cash register station,
(below). (Falcon staff photos)
Navy Relief drive record
Naval Station Keflavik wrapped up the
1978 Navy Relief Fund drive last week
with the final total collected reaching
just over $7,300.00 The final figure
was $2,000 more than the total amounts
collected in the 1975, 76 and 77 Navy
Relief Fund drives combined.
The success of this year's campaign
was attributed to the AFRTS radio-a-thon
cash prize ticket drawings, and the
generosity of the Naval Station
residents.
NX Grand Opening success
Sales topped about $71,000 Tuesday at
the Navy Exchange Retail Store Grand
Opening. An estimated 2,500 patrons
shopped and browsed through the new
facility.
The new location, which cost approxi-
mately $790,00, features close to
18,000 square feet of display and sales
areas.
According to the Navy Exchange Offi-
cer Lieutenant R. A. Brown, the Sound
Waves stereo section seemed to draw
the largest number of patrons.
Lt. Brown commented, "We were over-
whelmed with the number of people who
turned out....
"From every indication, it was very
well received."
Visual merchandising specialists
Morris Foreman and Bill Faragle from
the Navy Resale System Office, Brook-
lyn, NY assisted in preparing the new
store.
Captain Jack T. Weir, Commanding Of-
ficer Naval Station Keflavik, cut the
ribbon a NAVRESO scissors plaque to Lt.
Brown.
Special guests included included
Pall A. Tryggvason, Icelandic chairman
of the Defense Council, and Jon H.
Jonsson, general manager Keflavik Con-
tractor in charge of construction for
the new store.
Other honorees attending were Colonel
Leon W. Babcock Jr., Commander Air
Forces Iceland, Colonel J. C. Davis,
Iceland Defense Force Chief of Staff,
Trausti Bjomsson, Retail Store mana-
ger, and J. C. Grimsley, merchandising
manager.
Continued on Page 2
New US Naval Facility CO
Commander Richard T. Porter will re-
lieve Commander Harry W. Benter Tuesday
as Commanding Officer of U. S. Naval
Facility Keflavik, Iceland. Cdr. Benter
will be departing for Washington, DC to
the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J-5 direc-
torate) .
Having served at Naval Air Station
Cubi Point in the Philippines, where he
was Officer-in-Charge of Fleet Support
Unit Western Pacific, Cdr. Porter will
be NavFac Keflavik's seventh commanding
officer.
The guest speaker at the change of
command ceremony will be Rear Admiral
Fran McKee, Assistant Chief of Naval
Personnel for Human Resource Manage-
Cdr Richard T. Porter
ment. The choice of RADM McKee as
speaker for the change of command is
especially appropriate for this acti-
vity, which has a large number of fe-
male officer and enlisted personnel.
In August 1969, the admiral was
one of the first two women ever selec-
ted to attend the regular curriculum
at the Naval War College. More signi-
ficantly, in February 1976, she became
the first woman line officer selected
for flag rank.
RADM McKee reported to Washington,
DC in June 1978 after completing a
tour as Director of Naval Educational
Development at the Naval Educational
and Training Command, Pensacola, FL.
RADM Fran McKee