The White Falcon - 02.07.1993, Blaðsíða 3

armed forces news briefs
Navy expands fleet reserve
retirement request window
Washington (NNS) — To help Navy enlisted members who are
retiring or transferring to the fleet reserve, the window for submission
of fleet reserve/retirement requests has been expanded to 18 months.
Previously, requests were accepted only between six and 12
months prior to a service member’s fleet reserve/retirement date. The
expansion helps those transitioning to plan their future earlier and
helps personnel planners by indicating retirement information sooner.
The expanded window was intended to give individuals more time
to plan and take advantage of transition assistance, while also giving
the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) the ability to compute an-
ticipated retirements more accurately.
The change will not alter other retirement eligibility requirements.
Requested retirement dates still should coincide with, or be earlier
than a member’s projected rotation date (PRD).
Once a request has been submitted, members will not be eligible for
advancement in rate or selection board consideration. Once ap-
proved, requests may not be withdrawn or deferred. For more details,
see NAVADMIN 099/93.
Detailers visit Keflavik
When it comes time for you to negotiate a new set of orders,
or you simply have a pressing, rate-specific question, the detailer
seems the logical choice. Yet many times, sailors find them-
selves on eternal hold waiting for the detailer, or voice on the
other side of the pond.
YN1 Don Cipriano, NSGT, echoed this, “It’s nearly impos-
sible getting Autovon lines, and sometimes when I’ve used
commercial lines, I’ve been on hold for 30 minutes.”
Recently, 17 Navy detailers, representing more than 63 differ-
ent ratings, came to Naval Air Station, Keflavik.
“Instead of just a voice on the phone, service members are
seeing that we care about than and their families. They are
gating their concerns and questions answered,” said YNC John
Perfili, Yeoman detailer.
Perfili added that he would like to see trips like this more often,
but the detailers are bound by fiscal restraints. The detailers
would like to do a follow up trip to Iceland next year.
NSGT says fairwell to Conoscenti, welcomes new Commander
Last Thursday, LT Bill Conoscenti, Sta-
ion Commander of the NATO Satellite
'Ground Terminal (NSGT), F-15, was re-
lieved in a change of command ceremony at
the Three Flags Club by LCDR Terry E.
Asher.
LT Conoscenti was stationed in Iceland
since June 1990 with his wife Cheri and their
children Joy and Tony.
During the ceremony he stated, “I’ve seen
a lot of change to quality of life issues during
the past three years. I’ve found Iceland to be
a country with interesting people and beauti-
ful scenery, especially the waterfalls.
“Earlier in my career, as a second class
petty officer, I had hoped to be a leader
someday. Now I’ve lived a dream by having
commanded an organization.”
Conoscenti will become the Electronics
Material Officer, Fleet Tactical Deception
Group, Atlantic in Little Creek, Va.
LCDR Asher, NSGT Station Commander,
comes to Iceland from Kingsville, Texas. He
is accompanied by his wife Janie and their
two daughters Yvonne and Krystal.
Fourth of July : Liberty
By Chaplain Jerry Vintinner
m
When I was in Seminary and working full
time as Assistant Dean at the Pennsylvania
School for the Deaf, I found what has become
one of my personal treasures. I lived on
Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia, the
very road the Continental Army used after
the battle of Germantown to get to Valley
Forge. The treasure I found was a small iron
ball which fit into the palm of my hand. This
ball was slowly brought to the surface from
its underground hiding place by the Pennsyl-
vania winters. When I first saw it, I couldn’t
figure out what it was. It was only after a visit
the Valley Forge Museum, that I realized
tie iron ball was really a four pound Revolu-
tionary War cannonball.
This cannonball is a piece of the past and a
physical reminder to me that I lived in an area
that was once a battlefield. That battlefield
has become a peaceful neighborhood and
very few of the residents know of the struggle
for liberty that happened there.
In a play entitled “Valley Forge,” Maxwell
Anderson described that struggle. In a very
moving scene, a group of Continental sol-
diers move slowly to center stage. They appear
hungry, tired and dispirited. The air appears
crisp and cold. The ground is covered with
snow. The soldiers move on cloth wrapped
feet into a nearby bam for shelter.
While they try to rest and keep warm in the
drafty bam, General Washington appears in
the doorway. He also looks cold and weary.
He turns to the troops and says, “I promise
those who follow me further no chance of
victory, for, by my God, I see none, no glory
orgain, or laurels returning home, but wounds
and death, cold disease and hunger, winters
to come such as you have, with our bloody
trail in the snow and no end to it until you
shovel each other in with those at Valley
Forge.”
With heavy hearts and frozen hands they
turn to scrape graves for their dead in an area
by the bam. When the last grave is covered
ova, General Washington says with moist
eyes, “This liberty will look easy by and by
when nobody dies to get it!”
This Independence Day, take a moment to
remember that liberty is neva easy, and
breathe a “Thank You!” to the men and
women who made it all possible.
July 2,1993
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