Checkpoints March 2000

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Art Zeile ---class of 1986

Leigh Wilbanks------class of 1991

Joel Daly- ---class of 1990

Dave Aga ---class of 1988

Came ron Brown------class of 1990

Kent Hennings--- --class of 1994

Chris Bair-- ---class of 1991

Mike Marcoux ---class of 1993

Dan Rojas ---class of 1984

Mi ke Fontaine ---class of 1989

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ABOUT OUR COVER

Our cover is a photo taken by MSgt. Ken Carter during a visit to the Academy earlier this year by Capt. (USAFR) Chad Hennings, ‘88, Dallas Cowboys football team defensive lineman. Hennings was at the Academy to participate in the production of an Academy recruiting CD, the production and distribution ofwhich will be funded by the Association of Graduates.

CHECKPOINTS (ISSN 0274-7391) USPS 898-080 is published quarterly in March, June, September and December by the Association of Graduates, U.S. Air Force Academy. (Phone: 719-472-0300, DSN: 333-2067. FAX: 719-333-4194, E-mail: aog@aog-usafa.org) It is provided as part of a membership package of which the magazine subscription annually accounts for $10. Single copies of CHECKPOINTS for members $2.50. Periodicals postage paid at the U.S. Air ForceAcademy, CO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to CHECKPOINTS, Association of Graduates, Doolittle Hall, 3116 Academy Dr., USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475.

Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors. They do not necessarilyreflect the opinions, policy or attitude oftheAssociation ofGraduates, its officers or the editorial staff. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement by the Association of Graduates of the products or services advertised. Copyright, Association of Graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy, March, 2000.

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THE AOG BOARDROOM

Lt. Gen. (Ret) Marcus A. Anderson, ‘61, Board Chair

Dear Fellow Graduates, Your Association ushered out 1999 with the satisfaction of many accomplishments and positive trends, as well as anticipation of exciting projects on the horizon. Let me cite a few examples.

AOG sponsorship of the documentary film “Return With Honor”, a tribute to American POWs during the Vietnam War, was (and continues to be) a resounding success. Our special thanks to the Boeing Company, MBNA Bank and the Class of ’65 for their support ofthis project - as well as the American Film Foundation, who produced the film. Videos ofthe film are now available (see our website, www.aog-usafa.org for details).

MarcusAnderson, ‘61

The AOG provided over a half-a-million dollars to the Superintendent for support ofAcademyprograms and cadet activities for the 19992000 school year. That’s 20 percent more than last year. This is truly the Academy’s “margin of excellence" for which we can all be proud. By the way, your contributions to the AFA Fund and the Sabre Society are what made this possible.

•AOG membership continues to increase - now at 51 percent of living graduates and climbing. This is still not where we want to be, but the positive trend is encouraging.

Sabre Society membership is now more than 400, which is a phenomenal growth rate and tells us that more and more graduates, parents and friends of the Academy see the value and rewards of “giving back” and being a part of this generous group of supporters.

In coordination with the Academy staff, the AOG will sponsor a new award, “The Distinguished Alumni Award”, to be given annually to an Academy graduate who has made outstanding contributions. Unlike the Jabara Award, which typically goes to a younger, active duty graduate who has excelled in his/her field, the new award is oriented toward a more senior graduate who has made significant contributions in or out of uniform. Our intent is to present the first award (for the year 2000) in the Spring of 2001, probably in conjunction with Founders Day activities. Both the AOG and the Academy staff believe this award provides well-deserved recognition to graduates. It also mirrors similar awards presented at our sister academies.

Now that the loan on our “home”, Doolittle Hall, is nearly paid off, we are looking at potential capital projects which we can sponsor/support. One such project under consideration is an interment facility at the Academy cemetery, which would accommodate memorial/

The Association of Graduates U.S. Air Force Academy VISION

AirForceAcademygraduates bonded by a common heritage and an enduringcommitment to integrity, excellence and service to country.

MISSION

To provide leadership and service to the graduate community, supportfor the Academy mission, and preservation of institutional heritage and traditions.

graveside services as well as a columbarium for ashes. Our board memher, General RonYates, ’60, is taking the lead in working with the Academy architect on designs and cost estimates. Concurrentiy, the AOG Board will also review other capital projects on the Academy’s list. We need to know what’s “out there” and be better prepared to make a decision on which project(s) to pursue.

I think you can see from the above examples that your board and your AOG staff, under Jim Shaw’s able leadership, are working hard to take your association to the next level in supporting our members, the cadets, the Academy and our heritage/traditions - which, not coincidentally, happens to be our mission: “To provide leadership and service to the graduate community; support for the Academy mission, and preservation of institutional heritage and traditions.”

Have a great new millennium!

Standing Nominating Committee to Identify AOG Board Candidates

The current bylaws of the Association of Graduates (AOG) contain provisions for the manner in which candidates for elected director positions are identified, evaluated and nominated.

Of primary interest in the procedures is the establishment of a standing, vis-a-vis an ad hoc, nominating committee of the board. This committee will have the responsibility for identifying, researching, interviewing, evaluating and recommending to the board candidates for future board membership.

In essence, the nominating committee will maintain a continuing list of potential nominees from which it may select candidates to meet the board’s requirements for service over a particular term ofoffice. Individual candidates will be constantly evaluated regarding their qualifications, ability and desire to serve.

This and future issues of Checkpointswill carrythe names ofmembers ofthe nominating committee and information on how each can be reached. Interested AOG members may contact one of the committee members to indicate their desire to serve as a director.

An indication of interest, however, will not necessarily result in placement on the list of qualified candidates. The needs of the association will take precedence at all times.

Directors Nominating Committee

(Contact one of the following to show interest in becoming a candidate for the AOG Board Directors.)

MajGen (Ret) Larry D. Fortner, Chair

19 Woodbridge Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80906-4401

Home: (719) 579-8620

Office: (719) 574-0050

MrWilliam Maywhort Col (Ret) James A. Shaw, Jr. 6851 E. Powers Ave. 3116 Academy Dr. Greenwood Village, CO 80111 USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475

Home: (303) 773-6307

Work: (303) 290-1620

Capt Jody A. Price 1277 Crestpoint Dr. San Jose, CA 95131

Home: (408) 573-0637

Work: (408) 744-2104

Home: (719) 488-2185

Work: (719) 472-0300

Gen (Ret) Ronald W. Yates 525 Silhouette Way Monument, CO 80132

Home: (719) 481-9169

Office: (719) 481-9174

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COMMANDANT’S CORNER

Brig. Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, ‘76, Commandant of Cadets and 34th TrainingWing Commander

It’s hard to believe I’m writing this article.. .’course, I imagine it’s even harder for some of you who know me to believe it! For those of you who always wondered, being the Commandant rocks! Betty and I have been complaining about all the usual stuff since we got here: the job’s too much fun; the people around us are too wonderful; the house is too big; the scenery’s too beautiful; the cadets are too talented, too smart, too athletic, too fired up.... Sometimes it’s hard to believe we have to put up with all this!

Since I’m the new guy, I thought I’d give you my first impressions of how things are going at your alma mater. But first, I gotta tell you that it’s quite an honor to give you this update on the state of your Cadet Wing... and to serve as Commandant of Cadets. I also need to thank you for the help so many ofyou have already given me as I settled into the job.

Brig.Gen.Welsh, ‘76

And that brings me to the first point I’d like to address - the team that’s in place here at USAFA. My first boss told me that if I was going to suck up, to do it shamelessly! So... let me tell you that the AF made the right guy Superintendent. They also picked the right Dean of the Faculty, Athletic Director and 10th Air Base Wing Commander! Lt. Gen. Oelstrom,’65, sets the perfect tone here. He keeps us focused on what’s best for the Cadet Wing; doesn’t overreact to the tough issues; and he and Sandy add a touch of class to everything we do. Brig. Gen. Dave Wagie,’72, is just a brilliant man. His experience as director of the Center for Character Development and as Vice Commandant means he knows more about my job than I do! Luckily, he’s quick to share his insights and great ideas and has saved my hide more than once already. Col Randy Spetman,’76, is simply a great officer, and an even better guy. He brings the same great leadership and enthusiasm to the Athletic Department that he did to the Falcon football team as a cadet and later to the AF’s bomber community. And finally, Col. J.B. Bonapart (former Group AOC andVice Commandant) has reinvigorated the sense ofpride 10th ABW members feel in being the prime supporting agency for all Academy operations and events.

I also hit the jackpot in my own office - Col. Bill “Trapper” Carpenter,’73, is the perfect Vice Commandant. He’s smarter than I am (faint as that praise may be) and never afraid to yell “Whoa” when I need to hear it. The cadets love him and he spends most of his spare time visiting with squadrons or mentoring individual cadets. It’s a pleasure to go to work every day with an honest-to-goodness role model. When you throw in the great group commanders Maj. Gen. Steve Lorenz, ’73, left me, it’s hard to imagine a better situation for a new Commandant. Speaking of General Lorenz, although I’d never met him before I arrived here this past summer, I was tremendously impressed by his energy and commitment to producing the very best lieutenants possible for our Air Force. I’m confident that no Commandant ever cared more about the Cadet Wing, and the Academy, than he did. The great work that he and his wife, Leslie, did during their three-year tour made my transition ridiculously easy and allowed me the luxury of sitting back and tinkering around the edges, instead offacingimposing hurdles starting on day one. I hope he’s proud of the job he did here.

There’s another very important team member here at USAFAI should mention... and that’s you! I can’t believe how much more involved AOG members are in virtually every facet of the Academy experience than they were the last time I was here. From cadet sponsors and mentors, to classroom lecturers, to assistant intercollegiate coaches, to character development presentations, graduates are everywhere! We are just starting to see the full potential of a vibrant, involved, and committed Association of Graduates. The AOG is already a full partner in so many programs that directly benefit our cadets and their list ofcredits is growing rapidly! The future looks phenomenal - “Thank You” to all of you who made, and will make it possible.

How about them cadets?! Are they really more self-centered than we were in the days ofthe pointed parka? Do they really leave here with a chip on their shoulder,feeling like theAF owes them something? Are we producing politically correct nerds instead of warriors?

In a word, NO! I’ve heard all of these questions/comments over the last several years and must admit I was kinda curious to see if there was any truth to them... there’s not. Anyone who tells you today’s cadets aren’t just as patriotic and committed to serving their country as we were simply doesn’t know them. In many ways, they’re better. And that’s as it should be. They’ve already got all the tools to be superstars; hopefully we can add a little perspective, fill in some educational and training gaps, and pass on a little of the motivational, constructive experience they just haven’t had time to get. I’m an unashamed fan of these young folks - they’re heroes... just like you were. It’s impossible to be around 'em day in and day out without getting excited about the future of our Air Force!

Let me spend a few lines telling you about a couple ofthings the wing is up to this year. The only overarching guidance I gave was that I wanted common sense to be the first standard we apply in every situation. If common sense and current guidance or regulations don’t agree, we need to look at the guidance and regulations. My staff and the cadets have done a superb job of doing just that. Col. Dan “Bookem” Jordan,’76, the Training Group Commander (the job title was formerly Deputy Commandant for the Cadet Wing), instituted a formal Stan/ Eval inspection program this year modeled on the AF IG inspection system. Each squadron received a prior-notice inspection during the fall semester that graded everyfacet ofsquadron operations, from room and personal appearance, to squadron administrative and training programs, to the squadron leadership’s ability to communicate with their folks, provide clear direction and run day-to-day operations. Not surprisingly, once they understood the ground rules and expected standards of performance, the cadet squadrons did remarkably well on the inspections. Most importantiy, there was a tremendous dividend from their investment of time and energy to meet the challenges ofthis program. We’ve been able to identifyliterally hundreds ofthings that have been in Cadet Wing regulations for years that are no longer applicable, practical, or executable. We asked the squadrons for recommended changes and we’re now in the process of making those changes. The cadets are involved every step of the way and are excited about being part ofpositive change to the way we do the day-to-day business ofthe wing. Lots more to do in this arena, but “Bookem” and his staff (both active duty and cadet) are on a roll; you’d be as impressed as I am with what they’ve already done... and with the upbeat way they’ve done it. We’re also trying hard to push decision authoritywithin thewing down as low as we can. I think everyone would agree that the element leader job is where the rubber meets the road in the Cadet Wing. But over

(Continued on page 9.)

Transcripts Available

Graduates who need transcripts from the Academy must request them by signed letter or fax from : Hq USAFA/DFRR, 2354 Fairchild Drive, Suite 6D106, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. 808406210, Fax: 719-333-6650. For information call 719-333-3970 (commercial) or DSN: 333-3970.

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Spring Cadet Wing Commander Reports on New Programs

As many of you remember, one of the greatest aspects of the Academy is that it provides new leadership opportunities on a continual basis, and this semester is no different. The ringing in of the NewYear also brought about the change of command in the Cadet Wing. Fortyone new commanders, at the squadron, group* and wing level returned from leave excited to lead the Academy into the 21st century.

The fall semester witnessed several changes to life on the Hill. The Higher-Headquarters Inspections (HHQIs) initiated by the 34th Training Group have provided a much-needed feedback system on the performance of the Cadet Wing for the officers and enlisted personnel of the Academy, as well as offering an objective assessment for cadet commanders. Though cadets wrestled with the necessity and implementation of the program, it has brought about some helpful changes to the everyday living standards. Based upon feedback from the inspections, dormitory regulations now provide cadets with a more “livable” standard. Building on the successes of this program, HHQIs will become “no-notice” in the spring. We feel that this will best present an accurate assessment of the level to which cadets are meeting the day-to-day standards.

Additionally, the certification process was another challenge handled extremely well by the Cadet Wing. At the beginning of the school year

(Commandant’s Corner: From page 7.)

time, we’ve managed to pay less attention to the leadership training inherent in this job than in any other job at USAFA. Probably in the interest of consistency across squadron and group lines, we put more and more guidance in place over the years that put cadet decision authority at levels that don’t pass the common sense test. This was most obvious in the cadet disciplinary system. As an example, a cadet squadron commander was the lowest level supervisor in the wing who could award any kind offormal punishment. So we had squadron commanders worrying about giving five demerits to a doolie who hadn’t shined her shoes, instead ofkeeping the squadron focused on its goals and objectives and dealing with the macro problems of communication, command and control and motivation. Obviously, we needed to make an adjustment.

I want every first class cadet supervisor, from element leader to wing commander, to make tough decisions... then live with 'em. We’ve changed the discipline regs to give them the ability to do that. If an element leader has a performance or motivation problem with one of their people that they can’t fix with a “carrot,” they now also carry a “stick." At first, the cadet supervisors were excited that they had this option, and that it was their decision when to use it; they’re starting to find out that being the person who actually assigns punishment isn’t always such a comfortable thing. And they’re discovering that there are times to use it and times not to... and that their personal leadership/motivational/disciplinary style is what dictates the difference.

Return With Honor Video Available

Directly Through the AOG

The video of the dramatic AOG-sponsored movie, “Return With Honor,” is now available for purchase directly through the AOG. Order your copy now of this very powerful film byvisiting the merchandise site on the AOG website (www.aog-usafa.org), by calling the AOG (719)-472-0300, or byvisiting Doolittle Hall. Cost is $24.95 plus $5 shipping/handling.

all upper class cadets had to be certified with the Leadership Development Manual and validation of proficiency in duties to ensure proper training for each class. Moreover, these actions have created a better, safer environment in which cadets train to become officers.

All in all, the Cadet Wing stands ready to move ahead into the 21st century. Building on the foundations developed in the fall semester, I find myselflooking at three primary areas critical to the success of the Cadet Wing. First, with less than five months until graduation, the preparation of the firstie class to become officers is on the top of everyone’s mind. Working alongside the Commandant, the Commandant’s Leadership Series, and the 34th Training Group, plans have been laid this spring to cover information on officership not previously discussed in the past. These plans include more information on everything from AFSCs, allowing cadets to make more educated choices about career fields, to information on what second lieutenants should do upon arriving at their first base. Secondly, I feel that in years past the Cadet Wing has not always done an adequate job of preparing the second and third classes to take over the wing. Subsequently, a plan has been developed to first teach each class about their respective new roles as cadet officers and NCOs and then orchestrate a successful transition to the lower classes in May as the Class of 2000 approaches graduation. Finally, the third area of focus and the key to every spring semester is preparing the Fourth Class Cadets to be Recognized into the CadetWing. This unique event serves as the capstone event of nine months of intense training and ties cadets, both past and present, together. Held in March, this year promises to offer the same challenging environment that has helped each class to forge its own identity.

In other areas of Academy life, the Dean of Faculty continues to present cadets with challenges in the classroom. This summer the dean authorized cadets the ability to purchase their books wherever they choose instead of solely from the Cadet Bookstore. Reports from the fall semester show that cadets like the ability to shop around for the best deals. While there remain a few issues with ensuring each cadet has their own book, the new policy does stress accountability and responsibility. In addition, the Academy has also made a change

(Continued on page 11.)

Obviously, lots of angles on this one. But the bottom line is that I don’t care if different commanders do things different ways... in my experience, no two operational AF commanders do.

We need to do everything possible to make the Academy a no-kidding leadership lab. That means we need to let our cadet commanders/supervisors fall off a cliff every now and then... and not save 'em until we’re sure they won’t grab hold ofthat little tree on the side ofthe mountain and pull themselves back up. The incrediblyfuzzy guidance I give our AOCs and Military Training Leaders is that if they do miss that tree, catch 'em before they hit the ground! We will still step in and deal with the significant conduct or aptitude problems - I don’t want cadet commanders having to deal with parents, congressional members, or lawyers - but for the great majority ofwing disciplinary issues, cadet supervisors are now pulling the trigger. I firmly believe there are times when looking good in the shower isn’t nearly as important as learning the lessons that only come from making the tough decisions... and sometimes screwing them up. We’re trying to let the cadets learn those lessons.

In upcoming Checkpoints issues, I’ll ask the AOG to publish updates on some ofthe specific programs and changes that are ongoing. I know you’ll be interested in hearing the current status of the Expanded Introductory Flight Training (EIFT) program, the “new” M-14 rifles we’ll be issuing to the upper three classes for AY00-01, the Exemplar program, the revised Human Relations training program, the Sijan Hall renovation and many others.

For now, let me close by asking that if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about how we are, or should be, training the future leaders of our Air Force, please let me know. My email address is mark, welsh@usafa.af.mil I’d love to hear from you. I won’t promise I’ll agree with you on every issue, but I do promise to listen. One ofthe advantages of not being very smart is that I’m never shy about stealing good ideas... so please bring 'em on! I hope the New Year is off to a great start for each and every one ofyou and I look forward to shaking your hand at the next reunion! Boomer

Need to replace a Polaris yearbook?

Cadet

Wing Media can help you!

We have copies of the following years still available for sale:

1956 1958 1959 1960 1963

1968 1970 1973 1974

1979 1980 1982 1983

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

1996 1998 1999

Cadet Wing Media PO Box 6066

USAFA, CO 80841-6066

719/333-4644

email: Rocio.Hunt@usafa.af.mil

Cadet Wing Media also produces the graduation and BCT videos, the Dodo and the BCTyearbook

(Cadet Wing Commander Reports: From page 9.)

to its policy regarding the GRE-General Test for those cadets considering graduate school. Previously, the Registrar administered the test on a large scale; however, changeoverto an electronic formathas made this no longer feasible; consequently, individual cadetswishingto attend graduate school are required to take the exam in the Colorado Springs area.

Similar to the Dean of Faculty, the Athletic Director continues to maintain an active role in cadet life. We have shifted out of the fall sports with winterand spring seasons approachingfast. Inaddition, spring intramurals were just around the comer beginning in late January. Also, athletic facilities have taken on a new look with the renovation ofthe pool being completed over Christmas break. This has the swim team and those enrolled in swim classes excited to take advantage of the new facility.

For the Class of 2000, our final semester is filled with memories of the past and dreams of the future. These last four years have been an incredible experience packed with challenges. As I sit looking at the future of the Air Force, frequently called the Cadet Wing, I take pride in telling you that your Academy and the future of the Air Force are in the very capable hands of4,000 ofAmerica’s best and brightest men and women.

As always, I would like to thank you for your continued support of the Academy and cadet life. I encourage you to stop and see for yourselves that your Cadet Wing is stronger than ever.

About the Author

Cadet Colonel Jon R. Friedman was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the son of Rod and Doreen Friedman. Growing up, he worked his way through Catholic School graduating in 1996 from O’Gorman High School. While in high school, he participated in such activities as theatre, football and cross-country. He was recognized in “Who’s Who in American High School Students” from 1993-1996. Additionally, he was an active participant in the CivilAir Patrol, where he was named Cadet oftheYear in 1995.

Cadet Friedman entered the Air Force Academy in 1996. He is a Foreign Area Studies Major, focused on the Middle East and his interests include singing in both the Catholic Choir and Two-Grand Blues Quintet, as well as participating in theatre and he is presentlyteaching himself how to play the piano. As Cadet Wing Commander, he is responsible for the good order and discipline of the 4,000 cadets at the Academy. Jon offered the following about his Academy experience.

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“When I am asked what separates the Air Force Academy from other leading universities I would have to say the honor code, opportunities, and friends. The honor code serves as a symbol ofthe integrity and character that cadets display on a daily basis and will use as the backbone of their leadership in the future. Furthermore, no other institution offers the wide range of opportunities found at the Academy. One day you are jumping out of an airplane and the next traveling to a foreign country. Finally, the camaraderie that is created as cadets progress through the Academy is something that cannot be found at other universities. Through the Academy, I have made countless life-long friendships.”

Class RingDisplay Donations Needed

Class rings from the U.S. Air Force Academy represent all that the Academy stands for and form a unique, common bond among graduates of all classes. With the financial support of the Class of 1968, the Association of Graduates has established a class ring display on the second floor of Doolittle Hall. It is housed in a beautiful display case provided by that class on the occasion of their 25th reunion.

The display, when complete, will consist ofone ring (actually worn by a graduate) from each class. All people donating will be recognized for their donation, but no one will knowwhose ring is actually on display. Selection will be based upon the condition of each ring donated. Besides a list of donors, long-termplans could include audiovisual or interactive computer presentations dealing with the heritage and tradition ofthe class ring, donor information and/or information on each class.

Several rings from each class will be maintained in reserve. Remaining rings will be melted down to form an ingot. As the rings for each new class are poured, a piece ofthis ingot will be included so that every cadet ring includes a piece of rings from all previous classes and represents an unbroken circle of heritage and tradition.

More than halfofthe classes are alreadyrepresented. Donations are still beingsought. Besides the heritage and tradition that youwill help establish, your donation can serve to honor or memorialize a graduate as part of the donor listing. Of course, any donation is also fully tax deductible. Ifyou or someone you know are interested in donating a ring, please contact Gary Howe, ‘69, or JackMueller, ‘70, at (719) 472-0300.

Commandant Shares Combat Experiences with Cadets

A Speech by

76 Commandant of Cadets and 34th Training Wing Commander (Editor’s note - Thefollowing is a presentationgiven to the CadetWing on 26 Aug '99 by the Commandant ofCadets.)

Not long ago I was asked to give a presentation on personal lessons learned from my experiences in combat during Operation DESERT STORM. So, I sat down and spent about an hour and a halfjust thinking and thinking and thinking... what can I put on this list what great lessons have I learned and want to pass on to future generations? When I finished, I only had about 15 items, and I realized that none of them were lessons learned, not one of them. Every one of them was a person, or an event, or just a feeling I had. But I’ve never forgotten them and never will. And those are the things I want to talk to you about today. It’s important, before I start, for you to remember that every kind of combat is different. Aerial combat happens at about a thousand miles an hour of closure. It’s hot fire and cold steel; it’s instant death and big destruction; it happens like this (snaps fingers) and it’s over. Ground combat’s not that way, as you can imagine. Those ofyou who’ve heard infantry soldiers talk about it know it’s kinda endless time, and soaking fear, and big noises and darkness. It’s a different game. And you need different training to do it, and different types of people to handle it well and to provide leadership in that environment. But it doesn’t matter how many people you have standing beside you in the trenches, or how many people you have flying beside you in formation combat, especially your first combat, is an intensely personal experience. Today, I’ll tell you some of the things / remember.

One week before the DESERT STORM air campaign actually started we were flying missions to northern Saudi Arabia to practice dropping simulated bombs at night on targets in the desert, so those of us who didn’t routinely fly night missions would be ready if the war started. On this particular night, after we’d “destroyed” our target, we hit a poststrike tanker and headed back to our base almost 400 miles away. We climbed up to about 42,000 feet, put the auto-pilot on and I leaned back in that 30° tilt-back seat and just kinda stared at nature. It was a gorgeous night. The moon was big and full and directly overhead, and I remember thinking, “I can’t believe how bright the desert moon is.” And out around the horizon, something I’d never seen before and haven’t seen again to this day, was a halo. A beautiful, huge white halo that went all the way around the moon, completely unbroken. I talked to my wingman later, and he said he did the same thing I did we just stared at that thing all the way home, thinking, “I can’t believe how beautiful this is.” It’s one of those moments you have flying airplanes. I’ll never forget that halo....

I also won’t forget that when I landed that night my assistant operations officer met me at the bottom of the ladder and said, “Boss, we lost an airplane.”

The pilot was a young captain named Mike, who’d joined us in the desert only two weeks earlier because he’d stayed back in Utah to get married. He and his wife had been married for two weeks when he told her that he had to go to war and join the boys. He’d just finished

his three-ride local checkout and was on his second night ride. We think that somehowhe got a light on the ground confusedwith his flight lead’s rotating beacon and tried to rejoin on it as he headed for the tanker. Mike hit the ground going over 600 miles an hour, 60° nose-low, inverted and in full afterburner. He died relaxed. You know, I don’t think “dying relaxed” was good news to his wife when I called and spoke to her after we’d confirmed he was in that smoking hole, or to his Mom and Dad when I called them. I won’t forget those phone calls.... or that great young American who, like so many before him, died in the company ofwarriors, in a place where warriors were called, at a time when warriors were needed most. I’ll never forget Mike....

And I’ll never forget sitting at his memorial service two days later, looking at an airplane with his name on the canopy rail, the helmet with his name on the visor cover, his spare G-suit hanging under the wing, and his crew chief saluting the jet, while bagpipes played “Amazing Grace” in the background. Every fighter pilot on base was wearing these big stupid sunglasses so nobody would know they were bawlin’ their eyes out. I won’t forget staring at that airplane thinking, “How many more of these are we going to have when the war starts?”

The night before the war actually did start, our wing commander told the squadron commanders that we were “kicking it off tomorrow morning.” So we gathered our squadronstogether at about five o’clock in the afternoon and gave most of them the first briefing they’d seen on our previously-classified Day 1 mission. Then I did what I thought was a real “commanderly” thing. I told them all to go back to their rooms and write a letter to their family. And I told them that before I gave them their aircraft tail number in the morning, they had to hand me their letter, so I could ensure it was delivered if they didn’t come back. In that letter, I wanted them to shed all of the emotional baggage you take with you into combat I didn’t tell mywife this; I didn’t do that; I didn’t hug my daughter; I didn’t tell my son I loved him; I didn’t call my parents.... I told them they didn’t fly until I got that letter. Which shut 'em all up for the first time since I’d known them! They headed out the door, and I was feeling pretty proud of myself and patting myself on the back when my ops officer came up to me and said, “What a great idea!” I nodded knowingly, and he added, “By the way, you can give me your letter before I give you your tail number in the morning.” Now, if you haven’t had the pleasure of sitting down and thinking about your family the night before you think you may die; ifyou haven’t tried to tell your children that you’re sorry you won’t be there to see their next ballet recital or watch them play Little League baseball, or high school football, or graduate from college, or meet their future spouse, or get to know your grandkids; or if you haven’t had the pleasure of telling your parents and brothers and sisters what they mean to you; or tried to tell your wife how the sun rises and sets in her eyes; and tried to do it all on a piece of paper, at midnight, 9,000 miles away from home, then you haven’t lived. I’d recommend it. I won’t forget writing that letter....

Ready to Launch

The base where we were stationed was about two miles long and about a mile wide. That next morning we got up about 1:30 a.m., because we had a 2:15 briefing, All my guys met in the chow hall and we had breakfast, then we jumped in cars to drive to our mass briefing. As we drove down the road which ran parallel to the runway, two things happened. The first was that the night fighters from the 421 st Fighter Squadron lit their afterburners as part of the first launch of the GulfWar. And at 20second intervals as we traveled down that road, they lifted off going the other way, one at a time. They each accelerated to about 400 miles an

hour, pulled the nose straight up and climbed to avoid possible SAMs at the end of the runway; pulled the engine out of afterburner, and disappeared. And I suddenly realized that this was the first time I’d ever seen airplanes take off with no lights on they were “blacked out” for combat. It was pretty sobering. And then halfway down this road, one of the guys in the car with me says, “Boss, look at this,” and he points out the right side of the car. And on the right side of that road were thousands of people. The entire population of our tent city had come out oftheir tents when that first afterburner lit, and they were standing along this road. They were in uniforms, they had just gotten off work; they were wearing jeans; they were wearing cutoffs; they were wearing underwear, pajamas everything. Not one of them was talking. They were just watching those airplanes take off; they knew what was going on. The other thing that I noticed immediately was that all of them were somehow in contact with the person next to them... every single one of them. They were holding hands, or holding an arm, or had their arm around someone’s shoulders or their hand on someone’s back, or they were just leaning on each other. These were people who didn’t even know each other. But they were all Americans; they were all warriors; and they were all part of the cause. I will never, ever forget their faces coming into those headlights, then fading out. They’re burned into my memory.

The maintainers played a most important role.

Later that morning, after our mission briefing, we went to the life support trailer where my squadron kept all our flying gear. All 24 airplanes were flying, so 24 of my guys were going, and I was lucky enough to be the mission commander for this first one. Now, anybody who’s been in a fighter squadron, or any kind offlying squadron, knows that Life Support, as you’re getting ready to go, is a pretty raucous place. You’re giving people grief; you’re arguing about who’s better at whatever— something’sgoing on all the time. It’s fun. This morning, there wasn’t a sound. I got dressed listening to nothing but the whisper of zippers as people pulled on flight gear. I walked out ofthe trailer and left the door open so the light from inside shined out in a little pool around the trailer steps. The rest ofthe base was blacked out, and we were under camouflaged netting and couldn’t see anything outside this trailer. As my guys came down the steps I shook each one of their hands and just nodded at 'em; nobody said anything. I watched as, one by one, they turned and disappeared into the black. And as each one left, I wondered if he’d be coming back that afternoon... we didn’t really know what to expect from this war. When the last one had gone, Master Sergeant Ray Uris, who ran my life support shop and had been standing in the doorway watching this act, walked to the bottom of the steps, shook my hand, and watched me disappear. I’ll never forget watching their backs disappear in the dark....

One of those backs belonged to an incredibly talented young weapons officer named Scott, probably the best fighter pilot in our wing at the time. About the second week of the war we flew a mission against the nuclear power plant south of Baghdad. Scott was one of the flight leads that day. It was easily the toughest mission my squadron flew during the war because the Iraqis defended the area south of Baghdad, and they really defended the nuclear power plant. From about 25 miles to the target, till we got to the power plant, the pilots on that mission will tell you they saw 50 to 100 SAMs in the air. I remember screaming and cussing to myself all the way to the target, until it came time to roll in at which point your training takes over and you kinda go quiet until you drop your bombs, and you start screaming and cussing again. This was scary. Scott’s wingman got hit as we came off target. An SA-3 exploded underneath his airplane and blew off his fuel tanks. It put

about 100 holes in the airplane 70 of them through the engine and engine compartment, which isn’t good in a single-engine F-16. For the next two and a half hours Scott escorted him to several different emergency bases because the weather had rolled in and closed some ofthem and they couldn’t get him on the ground. While his wingman struggled with the crippled jet, Scott worked emergency tanker diverts to get them gas; coordinated with AWACS for clearance to the next divert field; arranged safe passage through air base defenses; and kept assuring his wingman that he was gonna make it. He was phenomenal; he helped save this guy’s life. So he landed about two hours after the rest of us did. When I heard he was on the ground, I left my debrief to see how things had gone with his wingman. It was dark by this time. And as I walked out to the life support trailer, I came around a corner under that darkened out camouflage netting and ran into something. And then realized it was Scott. He was leaning against a bunch of sandbags, just holding onto them with both hands, and shaking like a leaf. He couldn’t walk, he couldn’t talk, he couldn’t do anything. All he could do was stand there and shake. The guy had nothing left. All his adrenaline was gone. He’d given everything he had to give that day. As I’m trying to figure out what the heck to do with Scott, the door to the life support trailer opened and a young, 19-year-old life support technician named Shawn walked out, looked at what was going on, and said, “Boss, I know you’ve got stuff to do. I’ll take care of him.” And I said, “Well, let me help you get him inside.” And he said, “Boss, you’ve got stuff to do. I’ll take care ofhim.” So I left. I saw Shawn helping Scott up the steps to the life support trailer as I went around the corner. About five hours later, I left the next day’s mission-planning cell and went to see how Scott was doing. When I came around the corner of his tent there was Shawn, sitting in the sand in front of the tent shakin’ like a leaf, ‘cause he’s still wearing just the BDU pants and T-shirt he had on in life support. This was January in the desert, folks; it was cold outside! I said, ‘Shawn, what are you doing here?” and he said, “Sir, the major finally got to sleep. I was afraid that he might wake up, and if he does, I wanna make sure I let him know everything’s okay.” You’ll meet lots of Shawns in the Air Force; I’ll never forget this one...

Father John was our squadron chaplain. The first day of DESERT STORM, I got to my jet and standing right in front of the nose of the jet was Father John. At first I thought he was a crew chief until I got close enough to see who he was. Now, Father John was popular with us because he was the first guy to buy you a whiskey; the first guy to light up a cigar; the first guy to start a party, and the last guy to leave. He also would’ve been the first one to wade into Hell in his BVDs to pull you out, if he had to. We knew Father John real well; he fit in great with a fighter squadron. Anyway, as I got to the airplane, Father John just said, “Hey, I thought you might like a blessing before you go.” I immediately hated myself, because I consider myself fairly comfortable in my religion, and I’d never thought of that too many other, wrong priorities on my mind at the time. So I knelt down on the cement right there in front of the jet, and Father John gave me a blessing. And then I finished the preflight on my airplane. As I’m getting ready to climb up the ladder I noticed all these guys running toward me out of the darkness. They were all my other pilots who had seen this and were coming over to get Father John to bless them. So he did. And when everybody came back safe from the first sortie we kinda decided “That’s it, Father John has to bless everybody... can’t change that.” It didn’t matter if you were Jewish or Baptist or Islamic it just didn’t matter.

Father John gave the blessing for the 4th Fighter Squadron. The amazing thing was that it didn’t matter whether you flew at 2 in the afternoon or 2 in the morning—Father John was there. Later on, talking to Colonel Tom Rackley, the commander of the 421 st Fighter Squadron, I found out that Father John did the same for his guys. I don’t know how he did it, but he did. Every time I landed from a combat sortie—every single time my canopy would open, I’d shake hands with my hero and crew chief, TSgt MannyVilla, then I’d climb down the ladder; and at the bottom of the ladder was Father John, to bless me and welcome me home.

When I came back from DESERT STORM I ended up alone different story— but I ended up as a single ship returning to Hill AFB. And when I pulled into the parking spot there, these are the folks who were waiting for me. Now, my squadron had been home for three days before I got there, and down at the far end was Father John. My wife, Betty, a couple of my kids, and a couple offriends were with them. I’d

written Betty and told her about Father John and his blessings. You want to know how cool she is? When the airplane stopped and the canopy came up, MannyVilla climbed the ladder and shook my hand, and I climbed down to the bottom of the ladder, and Betty told Father John, “You first.” Father John walked over and blessed me and welcorned me home... then Betty and I did some serious groping!

A year and a half later, Father John dropped dead of a massive heart attack. Too much whiskey, too many cigars, too many parties, I guess. By the week after he died, 16 of the 28 pilots who flew in my squadron during DESERT STORM had contacted his family in Stockton, Calif. They called from Korea; they called from Europe; they called from Australia; they called from all over the United States to tell his family about FatherJohn, and to bless him, and ask God to welcome him home. I’ll never forget Father John

Destroyed ammo storage bunker in northwest Iraq

This is a picture of ammunition storage bunkers in northwest Iraq. They’re not real significant, except there’s a guy I want to tell you about who had something to do with the holes in them. His name’s Ed. Ed left for the desert with his wife, Jill, pregnant with their first child. This was a story repeated throughout DESERT STORM in all the services and throughout history in the military. Obviously he couldn’t go home for the birth. Late one night, my exec woke me up in my hooch and told me I had a phone call in the command post. So I got dressed and sprinted over there. It was my wife, and she said, “Mark, I’m at the hospital with Jill. She’s in labor and is having problems. Is there any way we can get Ed on the phone with her?” So we went and rousted Ed and brought him down to the command center. My wife had worked out an arrangement with the hospital so that when Ed walked in and sat down, I handed him the phone and he was talking to Jill, who’s in the middle of a really bad labor. As he held the phone with one hand and talked to his wife, I sat in a chair in front ofhim and held his other hand (which is something neither of us has ever admitted publicly before). I could see the happiness in his eyes every time she spoke to him. And I could see the worry and pain in his eyes every time another contraction started and he heard her gasp. And I felt him squeeze my hand every time he could hear her scream. And... I saw him smile when he heard his son Nate cry for the first time, from 9,000 miles away. I’ll never forget that smile

Twelve hours after Ed hung up that phone, he was part of an F-16 strike package that hit those ammunition storage bunkers. It was the best battle damage assessment we had in our squadron during the war. They hit every target, and a lot of them, as you see on that photo, dang near dead center. Ed went from caring, concerned, loving father and husband, to intense, indomitable warrior injust 12 hours. Only in combat folks. I’ll never forget watching the transformation

One of the most important things about combat is sound. Anybody who’s been there will tell you that things you hear are the things you remember the longest. I want to tell you about two things I heard that I’ll never forget. The first one was during one of our missions up north in the Baghdad area. An F-16 from another unit was hit by a surfaceto-air missile. We listened to him and his flight lead talk about his airplane falling apart as he tried to make it to the border so rescue forces could get to him. He’d come on the radio every now and then and talk about the oil pressure dropping, and vibrations increasing... and his flight lead would encourage him to stick with it, “We can get there, we can get there.” This went on for about 12-14 minutes. Until finally he said, “Oil pressure just went to zero,” and then, “My engine quit,” then, “That’s all I got I’m outta here.” Now, we couldn’t see him. I’m not exactly sure where they were. But I am sure there wasn’t another sound

on that radio... and the silence was deafening. I’ll never forget those 14 minutes

The other unforgettable thing I heard came after the ground war had started. An F-16 was shot down in the middle of the retreating Republican Guard, and I mean right in the middle of them. A call went out from AWACS for any aircraft with ordnance remaining and the fuel to get to where the pilot was down, in case they needed 'em for SARCAR A lot of people responded, but the first one I really paid attention to was an Army Chinook helicopter pilot, who came on the radio and said, “Look, I’ve got this much gas, here’s my location, I can be there in that many minutes, give me his coordinates I can pick him up.” Now, everybody knewwhere the Republican Guard was, and everybody knew the downed pilot was right in the middle of them. You gotta remember a Chinook is about the size of a double-decker London bus with props on it. And it doesn’t have guns! We kid around a lot about interservice rivalries, but I guarantee you I would follow thatArmy helicopter pilot into combat... and I’ll never forget her voice....

The next photo is of the Highway of Death. You guys have seen pictures of it before. The road leads north out of Basra; it was the main retreat route for the Republican Guard and they got cut off, right about where the black smoke from the oil well fires went over the Euphrates RiverValley. Everywhere south ofthere it looked like this. It’s not a new picture, but I’ll tell you what’s significant about it. I killed people here. Me. This combat is an intensely personal thing, folks; I think I mentioned that. I’m sure I’d killed people before during the war, but this time I saw ’em. I saw the vehicles moving before the bombs hit. I saw soldiers firing up at me, then running as I dropped my bombs to make sure they wouldn’t get away. War is a horrible, horrible, horrible thing. There is nothing good about it. But it is sometimes necessary. And so somebody better be good at it. I am. You better be. I won’t forget the Highway of Death....

The Highway of Death

On my trip home from the Gulf, I flew with the 421 st Squadron on the way to the east coast of the United States. The first U.S. air traffic control site that we talked to was Boston Center. Tom Rackley’s check-in with them was something along the lines of, “Boston Center, Widow Flight, 24 F-16s cornin’ home.” And the air traffic controller responded, ‘Welcome home, Widow.” And then at regular intervals for the next five or six minutes, every airliner on that frequency checked in and said something. “Welcome back.” “Good job.” “Great to have you home.” ‘God bless you, Widow.”

About 10 minutes after that, I got my first glimpse of the U.S. coastline it was the coast of Massachusetts. And I sat in my cockpit and I sang “America the Beautiful” to myself. I’ll never forget how bad it sounded... or how proud I was when it was over....

Take a close look at our flag, folks. Those white stripes represent the integrity that you cherish here at the Air Force Academy and that you better carry with you into our Air Force. Those stars carry the courage of all the people who have gone before you; they belong to you now. And that red is for Mike, and for Father John, and for the millions more like 'em who died serving this great country. In the not too distant future, one of you is going to be standing up here talking about your experiences in combat to the Classes of 2015, or ‘16, or ‘17. And you’re going to be talking about the USAFA Classes of 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. This is who you are. And this is what you face in the United States Air Force. Ifyou’re not ready for it, let me know and I’ll help you find another line ofwork. You are damn good... you need to get better. All these people I just talked about are counting on it.

RESERVE Y0TJR,PLAGE-IN HISTORY Jr

Link yourself forever with the traditions and future of the Air Force Academy by inscribing your name on a Pegasus Plaza granite paver. Pavers inscribed with the names of graduates, parents, children, and friends of the Academy will pave the Pegasus Plaza located in front of Doolittle Hall, the alumni house, at the Academy. For your unrestricted tax-deductible donation of $250, a paver with your name or another name you designate will be placed in this prime location for all to see. Funds received will be used to support the Association of Graduates, cadet activities, graduate programs and Academy needs. The $250 donation can be made in a lump sum or over one year (monthly, quarterly, etc. in equal payments). Pegasus Plaza pavers make excellent gifts for events such as birthdays, graduation, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, retirement, Christmas, or other special events. You can also honor or provide a memorial for a friend or relative through this program. A certificate will be sent, upon request, for such gifts.

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CHAPTER NEWS

ALAMO AREA CHAPTER

Howdy from San Antonio... home of the NBA World Champion SanAntonio Spurs! TheAlamo Area Chapter is looking forward to a prosperous 2000. We will kick off the NewYear with our annual membership meeting at Randolph AFB on Feb. 14th where we will elect our board for 2000 and have an all-around good time.

Our next major function will be the Founders Day Dinner on April 1 st Barring wars of different kinds, General Mike Ryan, theAir Force Chief of Staff, will be our guest speaker. This summer we will have our ever-popular picnic at Canyon Lake, and beat the grads from the lesser academies in our annual golf tourney in September. Our Business And Networking Group (BANG) will stay active, and we will get together for various sporting events as the spirit moves us.

C’mon down and visit us on the Internet at our updated website: www.AlamoAOG.org. We’ve set up a message center on e-groups, which ineludes a bulletin board, e-mail list, calendar, and other fun stuff. You can put your e-mail in a form on the web site to join the e-mail list, and you can change your mail preferences (deliver to e-mail, read on the e-group, etc) on the Alamo AOG e-group page. Check it out! Those of you who are technologically challenged can still reach us on the phone: Forrest James at (210) 498-8526, Pete Hugdahl at (210) 498-1235, and Les Hobgood at (210) 599-3583.

CAPITAL CHAPTER

1999 was an exciting year for the Capital Chapter. We’re still going strong with over 250 active members, and lots of exciting opportunities for grads to get together in the Capital

Region. In 1999, with our guest speaker luncheons, we enjoyed candid discussions with senior Air Force leaders and the first USAF Academy graduate to join the rolls of the U.S. Congress, Heather Wilson, ‘82. In October we bid a fond farewell and a hearty thanks to our outgoing chapter president of two years, Maj. Gen. Tome Walters, ‘70, whose last official event was to cheer on the team as Air Force strafed Navy! Many thanks to all who made the Air Force Pentagon Pep Rally and the tailgate party rousing successes, especially the Drum and Bugle Corps, Falconers, and yell leaders. Cadets, parents, families, and grads of all age groups (to put it nicely!) gathered to reunite, catch up, and psyche up!

Our new chapter president, Brig. Gen. Duncan McNabb, ‘74, now has the stick and is getting into the Washington D.C. groove. He and the Capital Chapter AOG staff have planned a full calendar of events for 2000. The schedule of events ineludes quarterly professional development activities, guest speaker luncheons, a June golf toumament, and our traditional football luncheon and pep ral lyfor theAF-Armygame, followed by a bus trip up to West Point to see the annual crushing of Army. Our professional development activities are something new we’ve added to our schedule; tentative plans include an information tour of Congress, a history-bufftrip to Gettysburg, and a tour of the White House.

Grads and friends of the Academy in the D.C. area are welcome to join us in our activities. The best way to find out the news on upcoming events is to check our web site at: www.erols. com/ccaog. You may also sign up to be a Capital Chapter Member through our web site. We look forward to getting together in 2000!”

Capital Chapter Enjoys Navy Game.

Members of the Capital Chapter visit with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mike Ryan, the Falcon Football Team, and, of course, “The Bird,” who takes a bowfor the fans with the final score on the board.

NORTH TEXAS CHAPTER

Peace, joy, prosperity, and discovery to all in this new millennium!

Twas an eventful quarter here in North Texas. The Service Academy Career Conference was a rousing success, with approximately 200 grads attending the event’s first rollout in Dallas/Fort Worth. Dallas’ central location, and the logistical benefit of holding the conference at D/FW Airport, may bring the fall conference back to the area next year. Employers are clearly drawn to our Service Academy background.

The 7th annual Service Academy Golf Classic followed on Oct. 23rd. The tourney, honoring event founder Bill Reemstma, ’63, placed Academy golf teams, area alumni, and supporters on the “fields offriendlystrife” for the next fourdays. Led by repeat champion Ben Leestma, USAFA took the Reemstma Trophyback to camp for the fifth year in a row. But each team took healthy proceeds checks back to their respective camps to help fund their programs. Ben and brother Dave joined Joy Reemstma, Eddie Ainsworth, and Todd Simpson on the winning “Alumni/ Friends” team. Chapterheroes who put this truly classic event together: Ed Rafalko - West Point, ’45; Jerry and EllenAhmann, ’63; Lance Ammon, '70; Jeff Wilson, ’80; A1 Richardson, ’66; Dave Brigman, ’71; and past Athletic Director Ken Sweitzer, plus heroes from the other local Academy chapters.AcademySuperintendent Lt. Gen. Tad Oelstrom presented trophies at the awards banquet. Merchant Marine Superintendent RADM Joe Stewart delivered the keynote banquet address, with an introduction by Gen. Ed Eberhart, ’68, who dropped in with wife, Karen, for a couple days.

Had a good turnout for the annual Tri-Service

CAROLINA

Graduates gathered on Nov. 20th atJohnston CountyAirport (Smithfield), NCfor a “North Carolina Zoomie Fly-In”. Grads were encouraged to bring their aircraft, spouses, kids, andfriends to this outdoor event. Five aircraftshowed up includinga T-28, PiperLance, Twin Cessna340, Commander 114B and a GATO (“Gerbil Assisted Take Off") powered Cessna 150. Aftergathering on the ramp to develop aflightplan, allfiveplanes took offagain toform upfor aformationfly-by over Smithfield that dazzled the 12 Boy Scouts who gathered to watch.

In 2000, the Society plans to attend a Carolina Hurricanes game, renew the Tri-Service golftournament, and host a winter or spring dinner. For the latest news, check the web site at www.usafanc.com. (Pete Bechtel 74 & Glenn Seitchek ’83)

Flag Football game on Nov. 20th. With Staubach in Europe, thought we could at least grab the game against Navy. Not! Couldn’t get by either team, but USAFA was repeat champion at the after-party, graciously hosted once again by Tom and Kathy Stites, 72. Thanks to all the AF grads who came out to grunt or cheer.

The Ladies Basketball Team was in town Thanksgiving week. Grads joined them for Thanksgiving Dinner at the Petroleum Club, and cheered them on during games with TCU and North Texas State. Though outgunned by both teams, we’ll welcome Coach Darling and the Falcons back any time they come to deliver some payback.

Details on the January ’00 dining-in will be coming out soon in the local newsletter. Incoming chapter president Bill Brandt, 77, will take the helm with his administration. Founders Day (PARTY!) is confirmed for April 1st at the Las Colinas Country Club. Info on these events and other news is being kept current by webmaster John Visser, 77, at the chapter’s renamed web site www.ntaafag.org. A directory of member e-mail addresses was recently added. John’s done a great job. Go see! (Frank Moore, ’68, Prez)

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

The Chapter meeting in August was held at the home of Kathy and Charlie, ’60, Liggett after a trip to the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation. Dinner was great and we all enjoyed the chance to relax, visit, network, tell war stories, etc. We held our annual membership meeting on Dec. 4 th at the Mountain Flome Inn (Ed Cunningham, ‘67, proprietor) on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County. Hiking, eating and talking were the main events.

Also, we are trying to move to an e-mail systern instead ofsnail mail. To get on our list, send a message to Chuckreed@AOL.com. Please send

messages about activities. If they are of general interest, they will be forwarded to the list.

If you have any questions, call, write, FAX or e-mail Chuck Reed, 99 Alameda Blvd., 8th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113. Phone: (408) 993-9911; FAX, (408) 993-1335; e-mail, Chuckreed@aol.com.

ORANGE COUNTY

(CALIFORINIA)) CHAPTER

Happy New Millennium from the Orange County Chapter! Time for the yearly update of the Chapter activities. For 2000, we have tentatively scheduled the following events. Feb. 25: wine-tasting dinner. May: golf tournament and membership meeting. August: special event. August: golf tournament and membership meeting. October: wine-wasting dinner. Late fall: tailgate party for members only.

The planning and director for the chapter’s activities is still entrusted to a loosely federated group we call the chapter’s “steering committee.” This group is currently comprised of interested graduates (spread from ‘63 to ‘89) of whom six or seven are relatively active participants. The steering committee meets on a bimonthly basis at Scott Jackson’s law office in Irvine. Any graduate who is interested in working on the steering committee is encouraged to attend these meetings. We encourage all graduates in the area to join us.

The chapter’s steering committee has developed a membership roster for networking and job finding purposes, and we encourage all members to participate. We are a select group ofpeople, and our members are active, successful leaders and professionals. We have a common bond of education and experience, have learned the value of depending on each other, and know the benefits of being reliable, participaring members of a team. We all have something to offerwhether it be professional services, business opportunities, employmentcounseling

in all areas of expertise, or many other unique areas. If you are interested in this networking program, please call Michael Mercier, ‘86, who is in the job placement business, in the evenings at 949/833-2013 for further information.

Those who are interested in serving as localAir Force Academy liaison officers should contact Denny Shields, 71, at 949/249-6942. For chapter information, please call Scott Jackson, '67, at 949/851-7427 or Ken Wentzel at 909/481-3114.

PUGET SOUND CHAPTER

The big news for this last quarter was that our board of directors elected a new chapter president. After hours of deliberation, review, and much beer, the board unanimously elected Brian DeLuca, ‘67, our president. Our retiring president, Art Kerr, ‘61, served us with great leadership, sense of humor, and guidance over the last two years. Thanks Art for all the support and hard work!

In November, the local West Point chapter hosted our annual Joint Service Academy dinner. About 100 grads, spouses, and friends attended the event which was held at the Edgewater Hotel in Seattle. The special guest speaker was Washington Post reporter Charles R. Babcock. “Chuck” is a West Point grad who has been with the Post more than 23 years. He discussed the current administration’s actions on Capitol Hill in light ofthe post-ColdWar era. His presentation was both interesting and entertaining as he provided us some insight into the Washington D.C. “beat”.

The chapter’s future activities include our annual Dark Ages Party and a potential tour of the Puget Sound complements of our Coast Guard comrades. Fliers will be sent out soon providing more information. Don’t forget to check out our web site at http://www.talon.com/pugetsound/. If you’re interested in joining us please contact Art Kerr, ‘61, at 425-836-0560 or Joe Cavazzini, ‘82, at 425-742-7630. (Joe Cavazzini, ’82) (Chapter coverage continued on next page.)

How to Request Academy Staff as Speakers

In order for the Academy staff to provide better assistance to AOG Chapters seeking speakers from the Academy, please submit a letter to HQ USAFA/XPAA, USAFAcademy, Colo. 80840-5241, at least six months in advance, with the following information:What, when, where? Who on the Academy staff would you like to have speak at your function? Also provide the names of two other speakers you would like to have if your first or second choice is not available.

To aid speaker preparation, we will also need to know the audience, along with any particular interest ofthe group in any aspect of the Academy, and recommended speaker’s attire for the event. Please include who will be in the audience (i.e., alums, spouses, parents’ clubs, LOs, etc.) and what the occasion is for the event.

A point of contact for the event (i.e., name, address, home and work phone numbers) is needed to makethe appropriatearrangements. You can call XPA at (719) 333-3832, DSN 3333832, for initial inquiry but must back up your call with a letter requesting the speaker.

Rampart and Space Chapters Continue Aggressive Programs

RAMPART CHAPTER

State ofour chapter. Manythanks to LarryBagley (vice president), Gary Howe (secretary), EvVaughn (treasurer), Pete Todd (pastpresident), VicAndrews, Nick Boley, Jim Brown, John Fal, Bob Muldrow, and Jim Smith (directors); A1 Blumberg, Dave andJenniferBowman, Nicole Greenwood, Dave Maher, Mike Pomphrey, Vince Rusinak, Glenn Schlabs, Wayne Skora, and Brad Swezey. Thanks to all our mentors, class representatives, volunteers, and everyonewho participated in the activities ofour chapter this past year.

Support Your Local AOG Chapter/Society

Do you want to know what is happening with graduates in your area? Are you interested in establishing ties with the local graduate community and with the Academy? In addition to social activities, many chapters/societies provide mentor services, job-search information, and business networking. Contact your local chapter/society for information on meetings and activities. See “Graduates” on the AOG web page for a complete listing: www.aog-usafa.org.

Specialprogramsenhance cadet,gradslives. The Graduate Mentor Programprovides a link between our chapter and the cadet squadrons. In the future we mayhave two grads per squadron. We continue to establish a positive chapter/AOG presence and identity among cadets through this program.

Our Second Annual Founders’ Day Dinner on April 10th at DoolitdeHall was a resounding success. We celebrated the 45th Anniversary ofthe founding ofUSAFAwith an elegant dinner, enjoyed music by the Air Force Band of the Rockies Blue Steel, and toppedoffoureveningwithMaj. Gen. SteveLorenz’s presentation on howRecognitionhad changed over the years. Pleasant additions this year were 10 “second generation” cadets. Since tradition is what we are trying to establish, they are an important link to both the past and the future. Memorabilia fromthe “earlydays’ decorated the hall. How was it rated on the Form 0-96? AWESOME!

The Firstie Introduction to theAOG was successful again thisyear. The receptiondates were inApril at Doolittle Hall. As ofApril 4,554 ofthe 967 members ofthe Class of’99 (57 percent) had paid-in-full life membership to the AOG at graduation.

The Class of‘03 arrivedJune 30 for in-processing. John Fal’s group of volunteers at the Colorado Springs airport met approximately 800 of USAFA’s newest class who arrived by airplane. Our Fourth Annual Bed & Breakfast was a huge success. We hosted over 312 cadets this year - a big improvement over only 25 cadets our first year! Thanks to all of our volunteers for hosting the B&B program and making it another memorable event. Also, a number of grads and spouses were at Doolittle for the in-processing.

Rampart Chapterkeptbusy. We had Networking Lunch meetings at both the USAFA and Peterson O’Clubs. In June, we changed the name of these lunches to Spirit Lunches. In February, Maj. Gen. Steve Lorenz,’73, provided an energetic discussion about issues, spirit, traditions, eDoDo, etc. In May,

Tom Markham,’66, director of the Lowry Redevelopment Authority, provided a fascinating look at how LowryAFB has changed.

TheAugust lunch was the best-attended lunch in the past two years. There were justshy of50 graduates and guests who listened to Coach Fisher DeBerrytell us aboutthe 1999 Falcons. Hewasright; it was an exciting first year in the Mountain West Conference! Our guest speaker for the November luncheon was Brig. Gen. Mark Welch,’76, USAFA Commandant of Cadets, who spoke about his initial impressions ofbeing back at USAFA and where he is trying to take the program.

A1 Blumberg was our contact for the 15th Annual Service Academies Alumni Golf Tournament in August at the USAFA Eisenhower Golf Course (Silver). This event is not just for good golfers - it’s a social event and everyone received a prize. Two of our teams tied for first with a scramble score of 60 (Par is 72)! Both of these teams were youngstersthe Class of ‘87 Team (Ezra Vance, Chris Palmer, Howard Huerta and KenVelten) and the “Babies” of ’95 (Pat Albrecht, Cordis Foster, Michael Luke and Tom Urban, ’92). Both lost on the scorecard playoff. It was unanimously agreed that rule #1 of the toumament-tohavefun-wasmet. Thisyearnearly 100 Grads, spouses, and guests cleared their calendars for the big event of the holiday season - our ThirdAnnual Holiday Fete, in December.

We have class representatives for many classes (listed on chapterweb site), but continue to lookfor volunteers to fill a few vacancies. This group will continue to be the eyes and ears of our chapter—a vital link to our membership. At our board meeting in April, we unanimously approved artist Rick Broome as an associate member. Rick is an annual associate member of the AOG and has long been associated with the Academy through his artwork andinteractionwithcadets. RickandPatAshenfelter are two active associate members.

Wehavepublished a monthlynewsletteragainthis year. BradSwezey,’92, was our editorforthefirsthalf ofthe year and Nicole Greenwood,’92, did the honors the rest ofthe year. Wayne Skora,’66, continued to pay for the cost ofpublishing and mailing. Hans Mueh,’66, wrote an article on the new athletic conference; and Bob Muldrow,’67, wrote articles on everything from “Tow Plane Flying At Old USAFA” to ‘Academy Sports & Entertainment.” Other contributorsincludedVicAndrews,’66;A1Blumberg,’68; JohnFal,’66;GaryHowe,’67;JimMullen,’66; andRick Broome.

The Rampart Chapter Board ofDirectors for 2000 are: president, Pete Todd, ’59; vice president, Bob Muldrow,‘67;secretary, DaveGeuting,’83;treasurer,

EvVaughn, ’63; and past president, Bernie Amels, ‘66. Directors (twoyears) areVicAndrews,’66;Mike Jensen,'84; andDaveRuffIey/83. Directors (oneyear) are Nick Boley, ’72; John W. Fal, ’66; and Vince Rusinak,‘68.

Finally, ourweb site athttp://www.dwsc.stai.com/ usafarcaog was developed throughout the year. Check it out. {BernieAmels, ’66)

SPACE CHAPTER

After more than a year of preparation and discussion with the Academy faculty and leadership, the SpaceChapteris now in operation. Maybe“operation” is too formal a term for this group: no offleers, no regular meetings, and no dues. Just a group of grads who want to bring a little of their “space” experience to the USAFA program.

Membership in the Chapter is growing rapidly. Most of the coordination is done over the phone or e-mail, andprojects are usuallyself-initiated. But here’s a shortsample ofsome ofour recent and ongoing activities:

During its short life, the Space Chapter has: helped organize summer field trips to space launch sites. TheVandenberg community is espedallyactive, with participationbyVic Bouquet and several others.

brought knowledgeable speakers for cadet activities. Van Vanlnwegen and Jay Kelley have spoken to cadet groups about their space careers, and Stan Rosen has arranged for Hughes Electronics speakers to discuss satellite communications. (Van has also donated aerospace memorabilia.) coordinated with the USAFA AIAA student branch to focus on career counseling, interesting speakers, and “real world” space problems for cadets to attack.

madekeycontacts intheColorado Springs area, such as the SpaceWarfare Center (thanks to George Wood), to offer education based on real-world space experiences for the Wing.

worked with the USAFA Public Affairs organization to strengthen space-related displays at the Visitor Center.

built a relationship with academic and military training departments who are bringing “space” to the cadet experience. We are pursuing manyways to make these programs more effective.

There are many other projects and activities in the works, many based on the White Paper the chapter presented to USAFA leadership last year. Of course, we welcome participation from all graduates. If you are interested or would like to know more, get on board bye-mailing Stan Rosen at SRosen6@aol.com or calling 310-364-5746.

AOG Online Merchandise Site is Operational

After considerable effort by the AOG staff, the AOG online merchandise site was activated on November 11, 1999. From the AOG homepage atwww.aog-usafa.org <http://www.aogusafa.org>, select “Merchandise” from the blue frame on the left. Once in the merchandise area, you will find a selection of AOG-unique gift items and clothing as well as a limited number of cadet-issue items.

From these pages, you can view and purchase any number ofpopular items. When viewing the merchandise, click on the item name for a larger image. Once you have completed your shopping, checkout is through a secure server using either yourVisa or MasterCard. Ifyou so desire, you can also print out your order form and mail it with your check to the AOG for processing.

Orders will normallybe processedwithin one week ofarrival at theAOG. For domestic addresses, you should receive your merchandise within about two weeks ofwhen the order was placed. We hope you enjoy this new addition to our website. Ifyou experience problems or have suggestions about our store, please send them to store@aog-usafa.org <mailto:store@aog-usafa.org>.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Gone but not forgotten. Those words ring loud and clear as I reflect on the passing of my lifelong friend, business associate, former roommate and drinking buddy on our European cadet field trip. On Sept. 28, 1999, Alvin Connie Askew passed away in Garland, Texas leaving behind his devoted wife, Dena, of 34 years; son Jeffrey; one grandson, Sean Jacob; a beloved sister and admirer, Ina; and a host ofloving family members and friends.

Few people have the rare charisma which enables them to be a catalyst for creativity, motivation and positive change in other people’s lives. Alvin was such a person. Everyone he came in contact with has a story ofhowhe made a real difference in theirlives byencouraging them, guiding them, and simply making them feel better in the worst and best of times. Alvin was that “special breed ofcat” who had tremendous impact on family, friends, classmates, business associates, politicians and the people he interacted daily with at the coffee shop, grocery and deli (you notice all three are food places for he dearly loved to eat).

Let me recap Alvin’s life and career. He was born in Sheffield, Ala. on Nov. 19,1942. After graduating from Rossville High School, he attended the University of Tennessee for one year before entering the Academy in June 1961 as a member of 12th Squadron affectionately known as Captain Nordine’s warriors. Upon graduation, Alvin earned his wings at Moody AFB and was a T-38 flight instructor before leaving the service to obtain a law degree from the Texas School of Law in 1973. While working at the Texas Railroad Commission, the Arab oil cartel changed his career and life forever as he helped our nation respond to the oil crisis. As special energy advisor to Governor Dolph Briscoe, he helped craft a national strategy to deal with the shortage and reduce our growing dependence on foreign oil. As Governor Briscoe’s energy advisor, he personally represented the governor on numerous groups such as the Interstate Oil Compact Commission, Southern Interstate Nuclear Board and the Southern States Energy Board.

Alvin’s career was never dull after leaving state government in 1978. While practicing law, mainly for friends he got me through one divorce but said never come back if there was a second! He formed several successful companies dealing with energy management, environmental waste cleanup, waste-to-energy conversion and real estate software, to name a few. His last and best venture, DRE, dealt with commercializing an environmental, dry dredge process developed by the Corp of Engineers in Tennessee. He was a workaholic who thought outside the box and could hardlywait to applythe latest computer technology in his business.

Some of us win wars, earn millions and retire as generals but few enjoy the true measurement of success Alvin did by positively influencing so many from all walks of life. His life was full ofwonderful friends and accomplishments and, although his military career was brief, he was quite the warrior to the end. And as they say in Texas, he “died with his boots on.”

Godspeed A1 and know you are ever present in our hearts because of your influence. (Malcolm E. Verdict, ‘65)

HoytE.Hager, ‘67

Liver disease sadly claimed the life ofCaptain Hoyt E. Hager III, USAF

HoytE. Hager, ‘6 7

Retired, who passed away in Colorado Springs, Colo, on Sept. 8, 1999. Hoyt was a beloved son, a caring brother, a devoted father, and a loving grandfather. He was born to Eleanor Katherine and Hoyt Jr. on Dec. 30, 1944. “A Christmas gift that could never be duplicated,” said his Mother. She called her precious son, Little Heart”, so often that neighbors thought “HART” was his actual name.

Growing up in his hometown ofMercedes, Texas, Hoyt was a Boy Scout and a Sea Scout. He was an honor student all his life, and was one of the few selected to attend the Texas Boys State where he learned about Texas government. He called politics his favorite hobby. In school, he participated in many activities including track, basketball and football. He was also a lifeguard, and a thespian.

His dream was to attend the Air ForceAcademyfollowinghigh school, and he achieved that dream. The summer before he left for the Academy, he ran every day in the blistering south Texas sun to maintain optimal health for serving his country. “I remember what a genuine human being Hoyt was, I remember his generosity,” said Joe Burke, Class of ’67. During his years at the Academy, Hoyt appeared on the Ed Sullivan show as a member of the AFA’s Protestant Choir. He participated in the Cadet Chorale, intramural football and boxing. He distinguished himself academically by fluctuating regularly between the Deans List and “Ac Pro.”

Hoyt graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was on active duty for 10 years and retired at the rank of captain. He served at Robins AFB, Hanscom AFB, and AFIT assignment at Arizona State University (ASU). AtASU, Hoyt received his master’s in electrical engineering. In the ‘67 yearbook, Hoyt refers to the Academy stating, “I’ll never forget you.” He never did. He returned to his favorite college town during his final days and has since been laid to rest at the Air Force Academy cemetery.

He continued schooling into his late 40s. Hoyt’s motto: “If you don’t learn something new every day, you’re wasting your life.” He worked as a computer programmer for Interfirst Bank in Dallas, Texas for 20 years, and later programmed for Sprint. “Hoyt was a brilliant, and exceptional man who we all loved working with. We enjoyed his spunk and laughed at his antics,” said Angela Robinson, GM, Sprint. Those who had the privilege of getting to know him knew he was as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside.

Although his disease was debilitating and painful, as no pain killers could be administered, he maintained his humor. One particular day, while sitting at death’s door, a young, pretty nurse found his blood pressure was abnormal. He said to her, “I cant help it, You make my blood pressure go up.” The uproar of laughter could be heard throughout the ICU. Hoyt could always make anyone laugh, and he relished in the sight ofjoy within people.

‘His devotion as a father sets a very high standard. His daughter Heather and his two stepchildren, Trish and Greg, were the pride of his life,” explained his sister Maureen Hager-Dial. “He was a warm and caring man who set an exemplary standard for all step-parents to follow. He always treated me as if I were his own child,” Trish Luedtke further elaborated.

Hoyt once wrote a long, detailed letter to his daughter Heather when

George R. Craig, ‘81

she was 12. She hopes that by including a brief quote from this letter, it will illustrate what a kind, compassionate and loving father he was and forever will be in her heart. “Heather, There is an old song from an old movie called ‘The Sound ofMusic’ and the name ofthat song is ‘I Must Have Done Something Good.’ Your mother and I sing that song in our hearts every time we think about our daughter Heather. It’s like God singled us out and said ‘and also for you, I have my most wonderful gift, Heather, my most loving child!”’ Hoyt did do “something good.”

In addition to his remarkable parenting, he dedicated most ofhis life to charity work. He contributed to and participated in many organizations. He loved working with young adults in JuniorAchievement, three to five nights a week, for over 20 years. Pat Gammon, J.A., said, “Hoyt will be fondly remembered for all the great work he did as a volunteer. We’ve been enriched because he was part of our lives.” Furthermore, his annual association with the 500 Club, Montage, Artfest, and Gala Auctions also kept him quite busy. “I met Hoyt 10 years ago, when my fraternity began to volunteer for the 500 Inc. He helped me become who I am today, and he is very sorely missed,” said Dale Long, Alpha Phi. Yet, he was never too busy to also contribute to the Vanished Children’s Alliance, Center for Missing & Exploited Children, March of Dimes, Americares, Farley’s Boys Ranch, M.S., Make A Wish Foundation, Miracle Flights, and ofcourse, the Republican Congress. Even upon his passing, per his request, he gave the gift of sight to a blind man or woman through organ donation.

Turning hope into reality can create a moment ofjoy for the giver, as well as the receiver, that can last a lifetime. Hoyt lived for making life less difficult for others. If Hoyt could pass on a legacy, it would be to encourage all ofyou to participate in charity work, and consider organ donation; as a transplant would’ve saved Hoyt’s life. Enjoy the gift of life, family and friends.

Hoyt now lives within his favorite poem..“And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.” (John Magee Jr.)

(Heather E.Hager Combs, daughter)

GeorgeR. Craig, ‘81

Maj. (USAFR) George R. Craig died suddenly near his home in Yelm Wash, on Sept. 6,1999. He is survived by his loving wife, Janet M. Craig; a son, Robby Craig; two daughters, Brianne and Melissa Craig; three sisters, Barbara, Kath, andWanda; and his parents, Bob and Helen Craig. At the time ofhis death George was a full-time Reservist with the Washington Air National Guard as the detachment commander for the 116 Air Support Operations Squadron.

As all of us in CS 22 knew, George had a deep love for his family. He took great pride in showing fellow cadets the jewelry and other presents he purchased for his three sisters. His familypicture was the most prominent item displayed in his room. For those who knew George in navigator training, we had an opportunity to listen to him describe his thoughtful purchases for his fiancee, Janet. I had the privilege at their wedding to witness the union ofJanet and George’s loving families. His love for Janet exceeded his second love... flying. George had recently given up private piloting to allow Janet to finish her education degree. Janet graduated and became an art teacher shortly before George’s death. From the yearly Christmas letter and several telephone calls over the years, I have learned of the unfolding of his love to his son Robby and daughters Brianne and Melissa. He would describe time spent with his daughters and the latest Little League game. George and Robby spent time together as Scouts, went to Tacoma’s triple A

CarolynJ. Madden, ‘81

team’s games, and were preparing together for Robby’s first football season.

George’s second love was the Air Force and flying. While it took many of us entire military careers to understand the importance of history, George was pouring himself into military history from his first days at the academy. We always pitied the poor Doolie who thought they knew more about Patton’s speeches than George did. During Nav School, many of us wanted any fighter assignment, while George’s mind was set on F-4s, specifically Wild Weasels. After hard work and dedication, George won an electronic warfare officer slot in F4Gs. George flew F4Gs for 10 years, with tours at George AFB, Spangdahlem AB and the Persian Gulf. He was singularly proud of the Wild Weasel’s role in the Persian Gulf. After an air liaison officer tour at Fort Lewis in Washington, George joined the Air National Guard. For the last three years, George served as the detachment commander for the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron as a full-time reservist. While no longer in an Air Force cockpit, George pursued flying and obtained a private pilot’s license and then was able to share his love for flying with his family.

Twenty years ago, George and the ‘81ers in CS -22 were eager to begin a career and make a unique contribution to the Air Force. Throughout George’s career, he lived Patton’s words, “If I do my full duty, the rest will take care of itself’ as a Wild Weasel EWO and was continuing his “full duty” in the Air National Guard. Moreover, George provided a loving example of husband and father to the Air Force family. George, your Air Force family misses you. Fly High! (Mickey McDonald, ‘81)

CarolynJ. Madden, ‘81

To flythrough the air has been one of man’s deepest desires since the beginning of civilization. Carolyn Madden was no different. Her love of flying was sparked by a T-37 Stardust ride during BCT. Carolyn died in a light aircraft accident on Oct. 23, 1999 near Aspen, Colo. Born in Alexandria, La., the sixth of nine children to Joseph and Anna Ruth Madden, Carolyn graduated in 1977 from Fort Walton Beach High School, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

She entered the Academy in June of that year and graduated in 1981. While at the Academy, Carolyn was a member of Cadet Squadron 20 and the Drum and Bugle Corps. She completed T-41 flight training in the Spring of 1981. Denied a height waiver for pilot training, Carolyn honorably served the Air Force at L.A. Air Force Station as a cost scheduling analyst (making view graphs for the colonels), RAF Bentwaters, England, as a munitions officer (counting bombs), and Nellis AFB as a quality assurance officer (overseeing contractors who “weren’t there”).

She separated from the Air Force in 1990 to work as a certified financial planner for Waddell and Reed in Las Vegas before moving back to Colorado Springs. Carolyn saw the need for financial planners in the area of divorce settlements. She found her niche and established herself as an expert in the field, both working with a business partner in the Colorado Springs area and conducting seminars about divorce planning throughout the country.

Carolyn’s professional path hardly describes the woman she was. She came from a strong loving family where she learned the difference between right and wrong, how to give of herself, how to live, love and laugh. Carolyn loved to have fun. She involved herself in many varied activities, among them were downhill racing with the Snow Jets, learning sign language, sailing, traveling to Scotland with her sister, being a Brownie Girl Scout Leader, hiking, riding in the sidecar of a friend’s Hog for a poker run, helping a friend install a satellite dish. She was an active member of Sertoma, the Chamber of Commerce and was recently

CarlisleJ. Bradford, ‘83

asked to be a member of the advisory board for the Wagon Wheel Girl Scout Council.

Carolyn loved spending time with friends. Many of the people who walked into her office as clients left as new friends. Her door was always open to out-of-town guests (actuallythe key was in the rock). Over the past few years, she sponsored several cadets. On any given weekend, it was not unusual to find several in and out of the house. She provided them a haven, shared her insights about her cadet experience, provided advice and counsel, and just plain fun. More than their mentor, she was their friend.

When someone dies, especially someone we love dearly, we can’t look at what we’ve lost but rather what they left us, what they gave us. I prefer to think of Carolyn as a giver. She gave us the gift of laughter. She always did the right thing even at great personal cost. She taught us by her daily living. It is not the details ofher life that are important, but rather how she lived. Carolyn lived well. At her funeral, family heard about friends and friends about family. We didn’t know each other, but we felt we did because Carolyn loved us all, and loved us well. Her most important assets were her family and friends. God will comfort us.

Carolyn Joseph Madden was laid to rest on a beautiful Colorado fall day at the Air Force Academy surrounded by her family and friends. Memorial contributions can be made in her name to the Association of Graduates. (Mary Beth Shagena, ’81)

CarlisleJ. Bradford, ‘83

Jason, in his life here upon this earth, was a bedrock of many of the principles that make this country great, and his life-long example of courageous conviction and commitment to excellence will always be remembered.

We both entered the Air Force Academy at the same time June 1979, and we became friends from the very beginning of our Academy rigors —starting with BCT. Jason, to me, sfione like a bright star in the midst of the challenges ofthat first year. He was the most amazing combination of someone who was brash and outspoken, yet reserved and controlled. When something needed to be said, he was bold and assertive. His words were carefully chosen and few, and he was always quick to hear and slow to speak.

Jason had a courageous, warrior spirit that was always evident in his speech and conduct. He had a strong sense of patriotism that many today would consider old-fashioned and outdated. Yet, such an attitude is never outdated, and Jason knew this. It’s the same kind of attitude that you can read about in the recent memoirs of John McCain and John Glenn a strong sense of duty, a strong desire to serve our great country, and a strong desire to serve as a military pilot.

Jason set high standards for himself and had high goals. He pursued his dreams diligently, and achieved them time and again. He was living proofofthe fulfillment ofthe American dream which affords people the opportunity to achieve what they choose if they are willing to diligently pursue it and use their God-given abilities to obtain it. Jason grew up in difficult family circumstances, yet excelled in his every endeavor. He was living proof that circumstance/environment do not make a man. It’s not what is done to us, but what we do, that determines our destiny.

We need to look no farther than Jason himself to see clear evidence of this. When fire is applied to wax, meat, sand, clay, and shavings, they all respond differently. The wax melts, the meat fries, the sand dries up, the clay hardens, and the shavings blaze. The same agent (fire) is

acting upon all five elements, yet they all respond differently. In like manner, in identical circumstances of adversity and challenge, some men are made weaker, some wither away, some are hardened and give up, and others are made stronger. Jason was among the latter. He grew stronger in the adversity he faced growing up, and grew stronger in the challenges he met head-on at the Academy.

Jason and I became closer friends as we got to know each other better during our years at the Academy. IfI were to put my finger on one characteristic ofJason that I admired the most, it would be this: he set high standards for himself and others, yet he was encouraging, easy-going, and big-picture in his demeanor. I always liked and admired that about Jason. On the downside of that same attribute, Jason was too hard on himself and too critical of himself at times.

Jason had an extremely strong sense of justice, and of right versus wrong. Law enforcement always had a strong appeal to him, second only to his love of flying. When he made the decision to leave the Air Force, working for U.S. Customs was the natural choice. It allowed him to combine his love of flying and his desire to work in the realm of law enforcement. When Jason took me on an operational aerial surveillance night-flight during a visit to Albuquerque, I knew immediately that Jason was in the right work.

One lasting remembrance ofJason centers on his loyalty to his friends and loved ones. Faithfulness in his personal relationships was a priority to him. Being true to himself and to others was something he valued immensely. I’m thankful to God for blessing me so greatly with a friend such as Jason. (Jason DuLaney, ’85)

At press time we had learned ofthe deaths ofthe followinggraduates:

Mr. Robert K. Barnard, Class of 1959, who died of cancer in Sand Point, Idaho on Nov. 6, 1999.

Lt. Col. (Ret) Donald E. Singer, Class of 1960, who died of a brain tumor in Las Vegas, Nev. on Sept. 30, 1999.

Cmdr. (USNR) James B. Kerley, Class of 1963, who died of cancer in Newport Beach, Calif, on Jan. 12, 2000.

Mr. Stephen K. Mayo, Class of 1964, who died of a heart attack in Newton, Mass, on Nov. 25,1999.

Mr. Thomas C. Munch, Class of 1966, who died of unknown causes in Las Vegas, Nev. on Aug. 28,1999.

Mr. William E. Gregory, Class of 1968, who died of a heart attack in Fairfax, Va. on Nov. 24, 1999.

Lt. Col. (Ret) Harry J. Sands III, Class of 1970, who died of cancer in Colleyville, Texas on Dec. 12, 1999.

Our sincere condolences to the family and friends ofthese graduates.

AOG Seeks Estate Planning Professionals

Recently, three members of the Class of 1969 provided a valuable educational benefit to interested classmates. They volunteered to present an informative estate planning seminar at the 30th Reunion. The seminar was declared “outstanding” by those who attended and attendees asked two extremely critical questions. How can I get more detailed information on this complex subject? How can I find qualified estate planning professionals where I live?

The quick answer is that additional information can be obtained at any good bookstore. Dozens of books are available on the subject and seminars are often advertised in local newspapers. Local professional associations can make referrals to specialists in estate planning.

However, the real question was “Where can I find USAFA graduates who are experts?” and the current answer is “We don’t know!” The Association of Graduates would like to be able to answer “the real question.” Are you an Academy graduate with expertise in estate planning? Have you published a book or articles on the subject? Do you conduct seminars that you would be willing to offer to reunions or other graduate forums? Please let us know. This valuable resource can then be provided to other graduates upon request. Please note that the Association of Graduates will not endorse the services but will provide a directory of graduates in this field.

To be included in this directory, please contact GaryHowe, 1 69, at (719) 472-0300 or e-mail him at Gary.Howe@usafa.af.mil. You can also fax your resume or other background information to (719) 333-4194.

Three Grads Share Adventure” to South Pole

...and I thought the terrazzo in February was cold! As I climbed into the heated cockpit ofthe ski-equipped LC-130,1 introduced myselfand was surprised and delighted to discover that both the aircraft commander and the copilot were fellow Zoomies. Much to the dismay of the remainder of the crew, the intercom was filled with “Fast-Neat-Average” and esoteric reminiscences about marching tours and pulling chins. For me, a medical augmentee from the California Air National Guard, this promised to be a memorable experience. We were flying from McMurdo Base to South Pole Station in Antarctica. We tried not to geek-speak too much, but our copilot, Capt. George Alston (CS-02), kept reminding the crew that the altimeter setting was 29.89 with the .89 repeatedly emphasized! He was, of course, from the Class of ’89. As we landed on the Ice Runway carved into the two-mile thick ice slab, the temperature was -78 degrees Fahrenheit, (about -50 degrees without wind). At this temperature, a person’s eyes, nose and mouth become crystallized with the first inhalation, and breathing feels like swallowing knives. It was, however, refreshing in a perverse sort ofway. I took off my hat for about 45 seconds for this picture, and later realized my error. My frostbitten ears were peeling for the next two weeks making me a poor role model as I attempted to advise mypatients about the ills of hypothermia!

Due to the extreme cold, all four engines had to be kept running and ground time was also limited to prevent hydraulic freeze-up. Realizing the rarity ofthis chance USAFA rejoin, the three of us ran (and skidded) 400 meters to the South Pole and captured this photo for Checkpoints. We only had a few minutes to take pictures while the cargo was unloaded, and besides, camera batteries only last about 60 seconds once the camera leaves the parka.

Far ahead ofthe runner-up continents, Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest and most hostile place on the planet. There are no paved roads or runways, no traffic lights or runway lights, no indigenous people, and very little life. The largest land animal is a two millimeter mite that lives near the shore. A few hardy grasses sprout up on the fringe islands. A few months ago, many were shocked to learn just how isolated the inland areas are. As you may remember, Dr. Jerri Nielsen was stranded at the South Pole this past summer (their winter) and made headlines when she performed her own breast biopsy. She then self-administered chemotherapy as she waited for the long Antarctic winter to thaw sufficiently to permit one of the 109th’s aircraft to effect an air evacuation.

The New York Air National Guard’sl09th Polar Airlift Squadron has the coolest mission in the entire Air Force. They have operated in polar environments since 1975. As of the conclusion of last year’s Antarctic season, they are the only unit in the world operating the LC-130. They just finished a three-year transition during which they inherited the Antarctic airlift mission from the U.S. Navy (VXE-6). From October to February, these ice junkies fly up to 20 sorties a day in the most inhospitable region of the planet. In support of the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Research program, the officers and airmen deploy to McMurdo Science Station and conduct daily intra-continental Antarctic sorties in and out of McMurdo.

McMurdo lies at a frozen sea / land junction on the edge of Antarctica. It is the southern most port in the world, and it is about a threehour flight from there to the South Pole. For about two months a year, U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers can crunch their way into McMurdo’s frozen port and deliver the single heavy cargo deposit for that year. For the remainder of the time, all supplies and personnel must be airlifted to the continent from Christchurch, New Zealand, about eight hours north by air.

The engines on the LC-130 must be kept running in this frigid climate.

During part of the year, LC-130s and the traditional “wheeled” aircraft (C-5s, C-141s and C-17s) fly into McMurdo and land directly on the Ice Runway laid out on the frozen bay. The ice is about eight feet thick and strength is constantly monitored. When it starts to weaken in mid-December, the operations are moved inland for a few months and airlift is limited to the ski-bearing LC-130. Intra-continental flights are always limited to the LC-130. At present, construction is underway on a new South Pole research station, and the squadron conducts as many as six flights a day carrying building supplies from McMurdo to the South Pole. During the short summer (Oct.- Feb.), roughly 1,200 researchers and staffwork on the continent. During the harsh and dark Austral winter, starting in March, there are no flights in, out or across the continent and only a small 200-person “skeleton” crew remains in Antarctica. They are effectively “isolated” from the remainder of the planet.

John Ogle at entrance ofSouth Pole Station.

Antarctica is a hotbed of research because the continent has been preserved in the proverbial “deep freeze” for eons. Captured in the thick ice are remnants of our planet as it was during the blue-green algae phase of development, literally millions of years ago. There is little erosion or other influence from the more temperate climes. There is neither rain nor lightning on the continent, and there is little encroachment of hydrocarbons or other pollutants that accelerate deterioration in the developed portions of the planet. Meteorites encased in Antarctic ice are practically unchanged from when they struck this planet millions ofyears ago. This is very different than the North Pole. The North Pole overlies a frozen ocean and is about eight feet above sea level and has annual temperature averages of -15 degrees Fahrenheit. Ocean currents and frequent precipitation insure a rapid turnover of any ice-entrapped artifacts. In contrast, the South Pole is 9,300 feet above sea level and its mean temperature is -45 degrees. Remnants from the planet’s early years are literally frozen in time. The Ant(Continued on next page.)

Book Review of The General, written by

Recently, two retired USAF colonels told me I should read The General. Both are hard-working aspiring writers, and both made their recommendation within a week or so of each other. Their recommendations were almost identical: The General was a good story and was very well written. So, I sought out a copy ofPatrick Davis’ (USAFA, ‘79) first novel, which was published in 1998 by G. P. Putnam Sons.

Once you’ve studied and practiced professional writing for a while, it’s difficult to just sit down and enjoy a novel without automatically critiquing. The better a novel is, however, the less critiquing I do. I found The General to be a very good read, and I believe most USAFA grads would find it interesting and entertaining, as well.

The protagonist is USAF Lt. Col. Charlie Jensen, the OSI’s lead investigator in theWashington, D.C. area. He’s the man called in on the first page ofChapter 1 after GeneralWatkins, the USAF ChiefofStaff, is found brutally murdered in his quarters at Fort Myer.

The reader is treated to a number of interesting characters and a very complex plot with intrigue at several levels. The author mixes in clues and red herrings so readers can start having suspicions fairly early on. However, Charlie Jensen (and the reader) is deluged with a torrent of information, so it’s hard to keep one’s suspicions focused. This is a bit reminiscent of the old accelerated EE courses we used to describe as like trying to get a drink out of a fire hydrant.

It was interesting to note that 260 pages are required to cover the novel’s first 36 hours. That’s definitely not because the plot is drawn out with a lot of filler. It’s because 260 pages are required to cover all the action/information of those 36 hours. Before long, you start feeling exhausted for Charlie, who manages to catch a little sleep. But,

(Antarctic Mission: From previous page.) arctic land mass has no bridging connection to more temperate latitudes and this permits formation of a circumferential south sea wind and current effectively blocking the continent from any warming influence.

The Trans Antarctic Mountain Range

While I was in Antarctica, geophysicists successfully recovered the deepest core ice sample yet retrieved from anywhere on the planet. In an amazing feat of technology, Antarctic drills penetrate thousands of feet through layers of ice sheets, then sea water then mud at the hottom of the frigid ocean. Astrophysicists are using the nearly two-mile thick polar ice cap to assist in neutrino detection, and atmospheric scientists are keeping constant watch on the hole in the ozone layer.

My trip was unexpectedly cut short in late November when the only dentist for the entire continent suffered a cardiac arrest breathing the frigid air while hiking across the frozen ocean at Terra Nova Bay. Fortunately, an astute companion ran two kilometers to get help and he was brought to the small McMurdo clinic just as his heart went into full arrest. With our rudimentary resuscitation equipment, we were able to restart his heart, administer clot-busting “thromoblytic” medications and evacuate him nine hours north to a cardio-thoracic surgical unit in New Zealand. Happily, he made a full recovery. Nature was kind and modern pharmacotherapy worked “as advertised.” We were lucky, it could have been much worse. This event was a symbolic reminder for me to respect the remoteness of an awesome, unspoiled land.

‘79

that’s what his life would be like, as all of us know who have had to handle USAF crises that take on a life of their own.

I liked many things about The General, both as a reader and a writer. The author employs very good chapter endings that hook the reader forward into what comes next. That makes it difficult to put down The General. Patrick Davis leaves us with no easy places to quit reading. I liked the almost manic pace, which I seldom see achieved, especially in a first novel. I also like suspense novels that reach completion while very little time passes on the clock. The General begins on Monday and concludes on the following Sunday.

My mentor, Paul Gillette, taught us that most successful novels are about a likeable character struggling against ostensibly insurmountable obstacles to achieve a worthwhile goal. The Generalfits that model and provides Charlie with some very admirable compatriots, as well.

My experience has shown that most of us who leave the military and want to write novels have to unlearn a great deal that we knew about writing satisfactorily in the Air Force. I teach a class called “Common Problems of Beginning Writers.” I have found that ex-military aspiring authors usually start out with a few extra problems. Patrick has moved beyond those problems to a point that most of us require several years to reach. He is particularly good at providing quick concise descriptions of characters that help us remember who is who.

I would offer very few criticisms, and only one could significantly affeet the pleasure of those reading for enjoyment. I was distracted initiallyby some copy editingproblems. However, most publishing houses shortchange the copy-editing phase of the process, so readers are used to accepting such errors that could easily have been fixed. As a writer, I started being bothered by the number of space breaks within chapters when the information that followed was a direct continuation of the same scene. Space breaks add welcome “white space” to a page. The General doesn’t need such literary devices, however, because the pacing doesn’t leave the reader bored and needing a break.

My only significant concern was the prologue. If I had been consulting on this novel while in manuscript form, I would have strongly recommended against including the prologue. As a reader, I would have enjoyed the novel more ifthose four pages had been left in chronological order at the beginning of Chapter 50.

Often prologues are added to pump up a slow opening. The General doesn’t need that device. Page one of Chapter 1 provides enough of a hook to draw readers into the story—and the momentum and pace pick up from there. The prologue doesn’t reveal the ending, but those four pages gave me information I really didn’t want to know at the beginning. So, unless you’re a person who likes to read the last chapter first (as one ofmy readers of The Iskra Incidentrevealed while explaining to me that I didn’t really fool her about who the spy was), I suggest you start reading The General at Chapter One, then read the prologue after you finish Chapter 49.

While The Generalis a fictional murder mystery/suspense thriller, the theme taps into the heritage we share from our USAF Academy years. The story is one of Duty Honor Country vs. absolute power, and those who have been corrupted by absolute power. In Lt. Col. Charlie Jensen we find a character with the guts and fortitude to stand up for what is right. He carries on with a dedication we would hope to exhibit if we were faced with the challenges he has to overcome. I am sure you will enjoy the read.

Patrick A. Davis is a graduate of the USAF Academy Class of 1979. He helped plan and direct U-2 surveillance operations for Operation Desert Storm and flew eleven combat sorties. He is now a pilot for a major commercial airline.

DO YOU HAVE APPRECIATED STOCKS AND WANT TO AVOID CAPITAL GAINS TAX?

Effective planning can avoid those taxes. To learn ifyou can benefit, call Gary Howe, ‘69, at the AOG (719) 472-0300.

E-mail: Gary.Howe@usafa.af.mil

Cadets Appreciate AOG Funding Help with Intern Program

Every year at the United States Air Force Academy, cadets are afforded the opportunity to participate in a variety of internship programs during the summer before their firstclass year. Known as Summer Research, cadets participate in various programs, both military and civilian, from Los Angeles, to Athens, to Boston to Prague. As a result of Summer Research opportunities, a fortunate percentage of cadets are exposed to a breadth of knowledge and professional experiences.

One annual course in which cadets participate is the Fund for American Studies Live, Learn, and Intern program at Georgetown University. Each year, three Air Force Academy cadets are sent to Washington D.C. for nine weeks to interact professionally and academically with over 200 other college students from around the world. The students who participate in this unique Georgetown experience also work at a variety of internships within the Washington D.C. area, enjoy lectures at vital government organizations, and attend classes at Georgetown University.

In the past, financial support for cadets has been provided through a fund sponsored by the Dean ofFaculty; however, in the summer of 1999, funding for the program did not materialize and the cadets chosen to participate in the program (C1C David Och, C1C Christopher Rohe, and C1C Benton Shrewsbury) were in danger oflosing an invaluable professional and academic experience.

Fortunately for the cadets, the Association ofGraduates offered to help defray the costs of sponsoring the three cadets for the entire summer. The support of the Association of Graduates made it possible for C1C Och, C1C Rohe, and C1C Shrewsbury to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime summer in the nation’s capitol. The followingparagraphs describe each of their experiences.

The Bryce Harlow Institute for Business and Government Affairs

C1C David Och and C1C Christopher Rohe attended the Bryce Harlow Institute for Business and Government Affairs. The program allowed these students to interact with professionalswithin theWashington D.C. area as well as students from around the world. This intense and rewarding program included two courses at Georgetown University, an internship opportunity and several site briefings at various government institutions throughout the Washington D.C. area. The objective ofthe Bryce Harlow Institute is to educate students on the link between free enterprise and government and the process of lobbying. The classes, internships and site briefings were all aimed at achieving this end.

Specifically, CICs Rohe and Och completed courses in “Business and Government Relations” and “Power and Values in Organizations.” The students learned from professors from Georgetown University as well as professionals with a vast understanding ofthe businessworld. “Business and Government Relations” focused on the lobbying process and the means by which private interests impact the formation of public policy. “Power and Values in Organizations” was a team-taught course aimed at analyzing the moral aspects of the relationships between individuals in an organization as well as the interaction of different organizations. The class utilized modern literature, role-playing and discussion to examine these difficult topics. The students also attended site briefings, which allowed them the opportunity to see the topics that they were learning in class materialize in the formation of public policy.

Christopher Rohe: The “Fund for American Studies,” allowed me to

Graduates Nominated for Promotion to Brigadier General

The president has nominated the following Academy graduates to the grade of brigadier general, line of the Air Force:

From the Class of 1971, Ronald T. Rand. From the Class of 1974: Dan R. Goodrich, Darryl A. Scott, and James M. Shamess. From the Class of 1975: Douglas M. Fraser, Perry L. Lamy, Allen G. Peck, Steven J. Redmann, and Dale C. Waters.

Nominated from the Class of 1976 were John J. Catton, Jr., David E. Clary, Anthony F. Przybyslawski, and William L. Shelton. From the Class of 1977, Raymond E. Johns, Jr., and Timothy C. Jones. From the Class of 1978, Stephen T. Sargeant. Our congratulations to these nominees.

intern at Sunoco’s Washington D.C. office resulting in the most challenging and rewarding occurrence of my young life. From the minute I stepped into the office, Sunoco’s staff treated me as part of the team. They wanted to make sure that I received the experience of a lifetime while in D.C. As a result, Mr. ThomasWylie (Sunoco’s president ofGovernment Affairs at the Washington D.C. office) asked me to make a list of 10 things I wanted to accomplish over the summer. Being from Minnesota, at the top of my list was meeting Governor Jesse Ventura, followed by wishes to learn more about: lobbyists and their day-to-day activities, the Washington D.C. area, and the intricacies of government not specifically covered in the basic political science courses.

With the help of Sunoco’s staff, I accomplished these as well as all of my other wish-list items. Besides getting to know the D.C. area, I was also tasked with many high-priority items of business and made some life-long relationships. For example, Mr. Albert Knoll (Sunoco’s vice president of Government Affairs) allowed me to travel with him to corporate headquarters in Philadelphia. While there, Albert gave a presentation on “The Global Sullivan Principles,” a topic stressing the importance ofcorporate global responsibility now and in the future. This presentation was the culmination of a summer’s worth of hard work for both Albert and me.

Sunoco also gave me the opportunity to attend many hearings on Capitol Hill as a representative of its staff. In fact, I was even given the privilege of being Sunoco’s sole representative at the Chamber of Commerce for a Global Responsibility meeting, affording me the opportunity to speak briefly about “The Global Sullivan Principles.” Being able to witness first hand the operations of an actual lobbyist firm indeed gave me the greater appreciation for the intricacies of government that I longed for. In fact, the whole “Fund for America Studies” experience was unbelievable and made possible by the AOG’s generous donation. In conclusion, through my summer experience I made many life-long friends, learned many invaluable lessons and as a resuit have grown.

David Och: The Bryce Harlow Institute provided me the opportunity to intern in the Government Affairs and Communications Department of the National Food Processor’s Association (NFPA). NFPA is the nations largest trade association offood producing companies with members including H.J. Heinz, The Pillsbury Company, General Mills and Ralston Purina. Looking back, I am absolutely astonished at the opportunities I was afforded as part ofthis internship and the lessons that I have taken with me from my encounters.

I worked directlybeneath the company’s executive vice president, Mr. Kelly Johnston, who had previously held the position of Secretary of the Senate. His experiences in both the public and private sectors are truly phenomenal and learning from him was certainly a “once-in-alifetime” opportunity. At NFPA, I worked a great deal with the company’s lobbyists. I helped to analyze major issues facing the food industry and even authored the company’s formal positions on some of these issues.

In addition, I was lucky enough to take part in the company’s annual strategy meeting in which presidents and vice presidents from many ofthe largest member companies came together to discuss their government affairs strategy for the upcoming year. Perhaps the high-

light of my internship was watching the principles that I was learning in the ‘Business and Government Affairs” class come to life as I worked on Capitol Hill interacting with numerous senators and congressmen.

My internship really complemented the academic course that I was taking as I gained a greater understanding of how public policy is formed. The many lessons that I learned throughout the summer will certainly benefit me as a person, a citizen and a future officer. I feel truly lucky to have been selected to take part in such an amazing program and I am indebted to the AOG for making such a fantastic experience possible!

The Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems

C1C Benton Shrewsbury attended the Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems. The program focused on the unique interactions between government institutions and economic systerns around the world. Similar to the program attended by C1C David Och and C1C Christopher Rohe, the EngalitcheffInstitute combined two courses at Georgetown University, a professional internship opportu-

Cadets Send Satellite Skyward

FalconSat 1, a satellite designed and built by cadets, was launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif, in January aboard a remodeled Minuteman II, an intercontinental ballistic missile. The satellite launch was delayed twice before it was sent into space. The satellite will study the effects ofdangerous charges that can build up on a spacecraft over long periods of time. FalconSat 1 is a product of the Academy’s small satellite program and is the culmination of two years ofwork by cadets and faculty from six different academic departments.

“The purpose ofthe program is to let cadets learn space bydoingspace,” said Maj. Bruce Chesley, small satellite program director. “The most rewarding part of the project is that we get to participate in the kind of work that is usually done at a graduate level. I personally had the opportunity to work outside my major and learn things about astronautical engineering and the Air Force itself that I would have never even come close to learning as a cadet,” said Cadet 1st Class Jose Castaneda.

The experiment that FalconSat 1 is carrying is called “Charging Hazards and Wake Studies - Long Duration.” It will measure the wakes of electrons that fly through the satellite. Over time, these electrons can create dangerous charges that can damage the delicate computer components ofspacecraft. TheAcademy’s data could lead to improvements in spacecraft design.

The experimentwill build on two previous studies that flew on the space shuttle in 1994 and 1995. However, FalconSat 1 will provide valuable data for six months, much longer than a shuttle flight. During this testing period, cadets are responsible for operating the satellite and gathering data from a ground station at the Academy’s astronautics laboratory.

FalconSat 1 is part of a larger project called the Joint Air Force Academy and Weber State Satellite. Satellites from the Academy and

nity, and lectures/site briefings at locations in theWashington D.C. area.

The premise ofthe program was a greater understanding for students of the pervasive connections between various economic and government entities. The courses in the program included “Comparative Economic Systems” and “The Transformation ofAmerican Politics.” “Comparative Economic Systems” focused on the historical development of economic thought and policy from the 19th century through the fall of the Soviet Union. “The Transformation of American Politics” highlighted the progression ofAmerican political theory from colonial times to the present. Both courses were taught by extremely talented professors who fostered an educationally stimulating environment that encouraged heated debate and student participation. Additionally, site briefings at various government organizations helped bring to life topics from the classroom.

Benton Shrewsbury: I first learned about the opportunity to participate in the FundforAmerican Studiesprogram in January of 1999. Needless to say, I was excited about the possibility of spending the summer in Washington D.C. I was even more excited when I learned that I had been selected, along with C1C Rohe and C1C Och, to attend the program. In time, however, my excitement turned to apprehension as I learned that our funding had been cancelled. My academic advisor, Capt. Eric Holt, soon informed me that the Association of Graduates was considering a request to help support our summer research assignment. Ultimately, the AOG agreed to help defray the costs of sponsoring us for the entire summer.

As a result ofthe AOG’s benevolence, I was able to spend an amazing summer in Washington D.C. During the two-month period, I interned in the office of U.S. Senator Phil Gramm. Working on Capitol Hill was an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only did I have the opportunity to meet a variety of senators and other congressional representatives; I was able to witness the American political process in action.

While in the Senator’s office, I worked on a variety ofspecial projects. In particular, I was tasked to create the inaugural military newsletter for distribution to community leaders in the State ofTexas. In addition to writing articles and organizing the layout ofthe newsletter, I was also responsible forthe creation of a 1,400-membermailinglist database. Myassigned projects were challenging, but the responsibility was exciting and rewarding. Substantive work and the opportunity to immerse myselfin the workings of American government provided me with a unique professional experience that I will never forget. I cannot thank the AOG enough for their help in supporting my summer in Washington D.C.

Stanford, Arizona State andWeber State Universities were also launched alongside FalconSat 1.

FalconSat 1 is the second satellite built by cadets launched into space. The first, FalconGold, was launched in October 1997. It was built in collaboration with the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and it carried an experiment that studied the Global Positioning System. Activity in the small satellite program never ends. Groundbreaking work has already begun on the Academy’s next satellite, FalconSat 2.

FalconSat 2 is built on a concept called “water rocket” that serves as a source of electrical power and thrust. It studies a phenomenon known as “plasma bubbles” which can disrupt satellite systems.

Grass Roots Program Takes Academy “On the Road”

Approximately 800 cadets went home early this Thanksgiving as part of the Grass Roots program. The cadets were allowed to leave Nov. 19 instead of Nov. 23. “It’s a real good recruiting program,” said Maj. Bjorn Moene, regional director of admissions. “I know the cadets enjoy this.”

While the cadets enjoygetting an earlybreak, theyhave to work for this treat. Each cadet who takes part in the program must give presentations to at least three or four schools about the Academy. According to Moene, there are cadets giving presentations in every state in the union, including Alaska and Hawaii.

The presentations are tailored to the listening group and to each cadet’s personality. For example, a cadetwho works as a Falconerbrings a bird for his presentation. Another cadet created a PowerPoint presentation.

Cadet 1st Class Tim Candelaria ofEl Paso, Texas, spoke to five schools in the area. “I brought the perspective of someone who’s almost out the door,” said Candelaria, who graduates in December. “I basicallybrought what I’ve been through and what it’s like to finally be done.”

Candelaria says that he spoke at three high schools and two junior high schools about career opportunities within the Air Force. He informed students about the variety of majors here and what the fourth class system is like. “They asked me if I’d do it again," said Candelaria. “I told them it was a good experience but I’m ready to get going and to get started in the real Air Force.”

Candelaria says his time at home gave him a new outlook on his time in the Air Force. “I think overall, especially as you get closer to leaving, you get more cynical and want to get your foot out the door,” said Candelaria. “But coming back, it gave me a fresh perspective because of the way people look up to and respect you for what you’ve done. I guess it just put everything into perspective.”

Cadet 2nd Class Justin Tolliver went home to Louisville, Ky. for the week. “It was fun going back and seeing all the teachers and seeing how things change,” said Tolliver. “It kind of makes you appreciate the opportunities you have here and how people look at you with a certain amount of respect.”

Cadet 3rd Class Peter Mauro is an Academy falconer from Connecticut. He took Echo, a three-year-old prairie falcon, home with him. Mauro and Echo visited four schools and made two presentations to his community.

Audi Biancur, ‘60,formerAOG board member, at left, and VicAndrews, ‘66, current board member, present Amy Lee with her $800 Graduate DependentScholarshipgrantduringhalf-timeoftheBYUfootballgame lastyear. Amy is the daughterofMichael D. Lee, ‘76

Class of Parent of Graduate Dependent Scholarship Winner Misidentified

The cutline under the photograph of Karen Feigh, winner of a $1,500 Graduate Dependent Scholarship, on page 17 of the last issue of the magazine, erroneously identified her father, Lt. Col. Keith A. Feigh, as a graduate of the Class of 1979. He is, in fact, a graduate ofthe Class of 1976. We regret any inconvenience caused by this mistake.

“It’s really great just watching the little kids’ reaction to the birds,” said Mauro. “It was a really good way to introduce the Academy. People ask about the bird and that leads into talking about the Academy.” He said that he really enjoyed talking to younger students because of the questions they asked. One fourth grader asked him, “I’m not reallygood at English stuff. Do I have to be good at English stuff?”

Cadet 3rd Class Christian Paasch wanted to let the few students he talked know the good and bad aspects of being at the Academy. “My big thing was just being honest,” said Paasch. “They know about the bad parts already. I put it out there and they were still interested in going and wanted an application. I think that’s better than giving them a spiel.”

Cadet 3rd Class Keagan McLeese from Illinois, created a computer presentation for his part in the Grass Roots program. Going back to his old high school as a mentor instead of a student was a unique experience for him. “It was rewarding to know that I got through that place,” said McLeese. “It was strange seeing seniors that were sophomores when I was there. That was weird. It felt more like I was talking to friends than giving a presentation.”

The students he spoke with asked him about everyaspect ofthe Academy, from what is a typical day here like to the cadet survival training program, which McLeese says he described as a big game of hide and seek in the woods. “I guess I got to be on the other end,” said McLeese. ‘It’s times like those you realize you made it. I guess I got a sense of pride out of it - pride to be where I’m at.”

Last Issue's Story on Class of 1959 Contained at Least Two Errors

The story about the Academy’s first class beginning on page 55 of our last issue by Bruce Callender reprinted from AIR FORCEMagazine, contained two errors. One member ofthe Class of 1959 called in to find out the name ofthefourth four-star general ofthe class, as he only knew ofthree. He was, of course, correct. The generals and their promotion months and years were Hansford T. Johnson (10/ 89), Robert C. Oaks (07/90), and Michael P Carnes (05/91).

We also heard from another class member, Robert E. Lowe, who informed us that “... Flaye Hammond was not the one member of the class to go Marines.. I was. Flaye was commissioned in the Air Force just like the rest. After his initial term of service he got a commission in the Navy. He was never a Marine. I was commissioned in the Marine Corps upon graduation and served my entire active duty as a marine.”

We regret these errors and apologize for any inconvenience they may have caused.

Chad Hennings Supports Recruiting CD

Chad Hennings, ‘88, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman, visited the AcademyAdmissions Office earlier thisyear to help produce a recruiting CDfor use byAcademy liaison officers. TheAOG isfunding the production and distribution ofthe CD. Hennings is standing in uniform while Jim Shaw, ‘67, AOG President/CEO, leans over and points to the laptop computer. (Photo by MSgt. Ken Carter)

FALCON SPORTS

Falcon Football Finds Solace in Season's Highlights

For the record, Air Force ended its football season with a 6-5 overall mark following a 33-28 loss to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque before an announced crowd of 21,013 at University Stadium in late November.

The last time the Falcons ended the season at 6-5 was in 1996. It

Former Football Coach Ben Martin

Named AOG’s 23rd Honorary Member

Ben Martin, former longtime Falcon football coach, was voted the AOG’s 23rd Honorary Member at the AOG Board of Directors meeting in November. He was honored at a luncheon on Feb. 12, which coincided with the board’s February meeting.

Former longtime Falconfootball coach Ben Martin, at left, accepts his Honorary AOG Membership plaque from Board Chair Lt. Gen. (Ret) MarcusA. Anderson, ‘61, at a luncheon in Martin’s honor in February.

Honorary Membership in the Association of Graduates is limited to 20 living members. There are currently 14 living members and nine former honorary members who are deceased.

The membership was bestowed on Martin in recognition of his longstanding, continuous and dedicated service to the Air Force and the Academy. According to the citation, “Coach Martin’s superior leadership and coaching on the gridiron earned him national recognition.

‘Ben came to the Academy in 1958 and in his first year as head coach led the Falcons to the only undefeated season in their history and a berth in the Cotton Bowl. This remarkable season put Air Force football on the national map and paved the way for future successes to include appearances in the 1963 Gator and 1970 Sugar Bowls.

‘Coach Martin’s success at the Academy earned him the respect of his peers and his selection as president of the American Football Coaches Association in 1977. For the past 13 years Ben has continued his association with Falcon football as a color commentator for the Falcon Football Network.

‘Coach Martin’s impact on the Academy extends far beyond the playing field and radio booth. His exceptional leadership and commitment to the ideals of the Academy have had a positive influence on thousands of young people over the years.”

An HonoraryAOG Membership is the highest honor the graduate community bestows upon supporters of our institution. Honorary Memberships are awarded only to those individuals who “... have rendered outstanding and conspicuous service to the Air Force and/or the Air Force Academy.” Membership is highly selective. Each requires a nomination by a board member and a unanimous vote by the sitting board. Honorary Membership is awarded for life.

marked the sixth consecutive season the Falcons finished the year with a winning record.

Even so, it fell far short ofthe team’s goals for 1999. In fact, the Falcons won only one oftheirpre-season goals - capturingtheir 13th Commanderin-Chiefs Trophy. The other two - winning the Mountain West Conference title and going to a bowl game - were dashed by finishing with a 25 league record and losing their last two conference games.

The New Mexico game started with a bang and ended in a whimper. The Falcons scored on their first three possessions to take a 21-7 lead at halftime thanks to two touchdowns by quarterback Mike Thiessen on runs of one and 18 yards. He also connected on a 34-yard pass play to wide receiver Matt Farmer - his first touchdown reception ofthe season.

The tide turned in the third quarter. The Lobos scored 26 unanswered points to take a 33-21 lead. New Mexico racked up 190 total yards in the third quarter and ran 24 plays compared to Air Force’s 24 total yards and just seven offensive plays. The home team ended up with 441 yards in total offense to the Falcons’ 423. The Lobos also beat Air Force at their own game in possession time with 36 minutes.

But the season was filled with highlights. For the record:

Air Force won its 13th Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy this season overall and the 11 th under Fisher DeBerry. The Falcons defeated Navy 19-14 in Washington and Army 28-0 in Falcon Stadium. The Falcons have dominated the series, winning 13 trophy titles compared to six for Army and five for Navy. Air Force has a 37-19-0 record since 1972, while Army is 23-31-1 and Navy is 22-32-1.

The team’s firstclassmen are the fourth winningest class in Falcon history. The firsties posted a 34-14 record during their careers. The 1985 class is the winningest in history with a 38-12 record.

Air Force blocked eight kicks this season, including two punts against New Mexico. The Falcons blocked a kick in each ofthe first two games, then went without one until blocking two punts against BrighamYoung University. This marks the 10th consecutive year the team has blocked at least three kicks in a season. Air Force added a blocked field goal and punt against Colorado State University. Corey Nelson made both blocks to give him a team-best 3.5 blocks this season. He is the active career leader with 4.5 blocks for his career. His 3.5 blocks this year are the third most in school history and the most since Tim Curry blocked four last season. Air Force has 59 blocks in the 1990s. The Falcons entered the season ranked second nationally to Virginia Tech, which had blocked 64.

This season is Air Force’s 44th season ofvarsity football. The Falcons have posted a winning record in 27 seasons. Overall the Falcons’ record stands at 261-218-13.

Kicker Jackson Whiting finished 1999 with a perfect season. Whiting hit all 12 field goal attempts and all 26 extra points to tie for the conference lead in both categories. Whiting is the career field goal per-

(Continued on next page.)

Sept. 2

Sept. 9

Volleyball Has One ofIts Best Seasons Ever

Falcon volleyball soared to new heights this season under the direction offourth-year coach PennyLucas-White. Just howhigh?The season’s 17 wins surpassed the totals of the four previous years and several individual and season records were broken and set along the way.

Brooke Effland ended the season with a match high 27 kills (the second highest ever by a Mountain West Conference player) and a season high 386, breaking Robyn Duncan’s record 349 set in 1997. Her 1,092 kills ranks 10th on the Academy’s all-time list and she is the first to break 1,000 since the team began Division I competition in 1996.

Summer Koons was named to the all-conference second team. Shaylor Billings completed the season with the seventh highest hitting percentage in the conference. Koons and Billings became the first Falcons to be named conference player of the week as well this season.

Tracy“Chip” Wilkerson led the conference in digs with 347, a 3.69 per game average. She also led the individual conference matches with 172 digs, a 3.37 average per game.

Tharommony In led the conference in service aces with 47 a 0.47 per game percentage. She also ranked fourth in the conference in assists, 1,203 averaging 12.15 per game. “Our kids played with a lot of heart this season,” said Lucas-White. “We had a good year and turned the program completely around. I couldn’t be more proud of our players.”

A i r Force’s season ended at the conference championship tournament in Provo, Utah, Nov. 24, where New Mexico upset the fourth-

Named Offensive Player of the Week

C2C Scott Bradley has earned College Hockey America’s Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. Bradley is second on the team in goals and points and is among the CHA leaders in both categories. An assistant captain, Bradley has played a key role in the Falcons’ success this season. Air Force is on pace to post the most wins and possibly the first winning season in more than 10 years. As the second half of the season is in full swing, the Falcons have their sights set on the College Hockey America Tournament. Five of the six conference teams will qualify for the tournament, March 10-12, in Huntsville, Alabama.

(Football wrap: From previous page.)

centage leader going 19 of23 for his career, which is a .826 percentage. He is third in career PAT percentage with a .987 mark.

Air Force captured its 16th conference rushing title finishing the season with a 285.5 yard per game rushing average. The Falcons won 15 rushing titles while a member of the Western Athletic Conference, including last season with a 266.8 yard per game average.

Air Force has posted a 28-10 record over the last three seasons (19971999) to lead teams in the Mountain West and rank eighth nationally in wins.

The Falcons are 24-11 in their last 34 regular season road games. Air Force is 17-8 in their last 25 conference road games and won 12 of its last 17 games on the road dating back to 1997 (3-3 this season).

For the record, despite ending the season on a disappointing loss, the Falcons are Y2K compatible and ready to challenge for the CINC Trophy, a conference title, and a bowl appearance in the new millennium.

seeded Falcons 3-2. Despite the early exit, the season still had many positive developments. Finishing the 1999 season with a 17-12 record, the team tied for fourth in the conference at 5-9. Compare that to the 1998 conference record of eighth place to get an idea of just how far this team has improved.

Predicted to rank last in a preseason coaches’ poll, the Falcons surprised more than a few teams as they made their ascent from last place to fourth. The team improved in nearly every statistical category on a per-game basis from the previous year, including kills, assists, blocks and digs.

The Falcons opened the season winning the Air Force Invitational Tournament the team’s first tournament title since moving to Division I in 1996. The Falcons added a second title two days later at the Falcon Invitational Tournament. Later, at the Crimson Tide Classic inAlabama, the Falcons garnered second place with a 3-1 record. Four different players earned a total of nine all-tournament selections during the competitions. Billings, who already earned two tournament most valuable player honors, received her third straight all-tournament selection at the Crimson Tide Classic. Tharommony In received three all-tournament selections also.

Baseball's Acting Head Coach Looks Toward Continued Improvement

Building blocks.

In the office of Reed Peters, they cannot be seen but are certainly understood. Peters came to the Academy in the fall of 1998 as the assistant coach and was part of a staff that laid a much-needed foundation for Air Force baseball.

Now in his first season as acting head coach, Peters is excited about the challenge of building the Falcons into a competitive team in their first season in the MountainWest Conference. ‘We have two main goals this season,” Peters, a Denver native, said. “We want to win the Service Academies Classic and finish in the top three in the league. Both of which are achievable but extremely challenging.”

Air Force finished the 1999 season with a 19-32 record, a six-game improvement over the previous year. Despite several close losses, Air Force’s accomplishments last season will not soon be forgotten. The Falcons won the Service Academies Classic for the first time in school history with wins over Army, Navy, West Virginia and Connecticut. Air Force continued to improve throughout the season with a shutout vietory at Fresno State and a win at BYU.

These credentials are miniscule when compared to the team’s final weekend of the season. Air Force delivered one of the biggest upsets in college baseball as the Falcons beat No. 1-ranked Rice.

A solid foundation indeed, but several challenges remain ahead. Air Force will have one of the youngest teams in the conference with 13 fourth-classmen on the roster and several that will see considerable playing time.

Air Force lost just five lettermen from last season’s team and returns (Continued on next page.)

Mike Theissen, ‘01, the conference’s leading hitter lastyear, movesfrom shortstop to centerfield.

Men’s Tennis Head Coach Approaches 600 Wins

Consistency and high quality play best describe the Air Force men’s tennis team year after year. The Falcons have been nothing short of amazing the past two decades. When last year’s team finished 21-8, it marked the 23rd consecutive 20-win season for the Falcons.

Consistency like that is not easily attainable. The architect behind the success is head coach Rich Gugat. As the team enters the 2000 campaign, another lofty goal is in sight. The team needs just eight wins for Gugat to reach 600 for his brilliant career. He’s led AFA to a 592-192 career record in 25 years which places him fifth among all active Division I head coaches in career wins.

“I think 600 wins tells you that you’re getting old and have been in the same place a long time,” Gugat said. “Seriously, it’s a credit to some of the great players we’ve had and the assistant coaches I’ve worked with.”

Gugat’s convinced every season that reaching the magic 20 will be very difficult. This year is no different. The Falcons enter their first season in the Mountain West Conference in addition to playing one of its toughest schedules ever. AFA plays the likes of Colorado, Brigham Young, Utah, St. Mary’s, Denver and San Diego State on the road. AFA has its usually tough home schedule with the likes of Oral Roberts, Weber State, Missouri-Kansas City, Drake, Wichita State, Idaho State and Montana.

“I write every Division I team in the country to set up matches, so we have a lot oftough ones. The trip to Northern California will be tough, as well as the Mountain West Conference teams,” the coach commented.

The Falcons will be deep in the top six this season. CICs Nolan Cooper and Tom DeAngelis return to lead the squad. Cooper has posted a 62-12 career singles record and ranks third in AFA history for career singleswinningpercentage with a .837 mark. Cooper’s 61 wins are 18th, but with an average of 20 wins per season over his career he could finish among the top five. Cooper posted a 22-6 mark at No. 2 last year.

DeAngelis is 44-15 over his career and ranks ninth in AFA history in career singles winning percentage with a .783 mark. He set an Academy record in 1997 forwins at No. 5 singles with 25. He overcame health problems as a sophomore to notch a 19-7 mark at No. 3 singles last year.

(Baseball: From previous page.)

nearly the entire pitching staff. With a solid group ofupperclassmen providing the leadership and a host oftalented rookies, the Falcons will look to use 1999 as a stepping stone as they enter the new millennium.

‘We will be very young but we will be much more athletic than last year,” Peters said. “We will have more experience on the mound and a lot more speed and power. I think we will be better than last year and could even have a winning season.”

For the first time in school history, the Falcons will compete in the conference tournament and have a chance for post-season play.

“This is going to be a very exciting year for us,” Peters said. “We have something to play for at the end of the season and, if we can progressively improve, I think we can become a difficult team to play against.

‘We will need to be ready to play early and get off to a good start,” Peters said. “Our young guys will need to get their feet wet while our older guys will have to help them along so that we can come together as a team.”

‘Both Nolan and Tom will compete for the No. 1 singles spot,” Gugat said. “They’ll play offfor it in January. Based on last year, Nolan has the edge, but Tom played the best of anyone on the team in the fall.”

C2C Rene Ramirez also returns. After going 18-9 at No. 5 singles as a freshman, Ramirez was 15-10 at No. 4 singles last year. Fellow C2C Doug Fike and C3Cs Kyle Rainey and Philip Yim also have plenty of experience. Fike was 12-15 at No. 4 singles as a freshman, then went 7-3 at No. 6 last year. Rainey went 13-7 as a rookie at No. 6 singles. Yim was 11-13 at No. 5 singles a year ago. The Zielinski twins will also be counted on heavily in 2000. Chris and Greg were 16-10 as rookies last season at No. 3 doubles.

‘Rene continues to be the hardest working player we have. He could play as high as No. 3 singles this season,” Gugat said. “I’m really expecting great things from Kyle Rainey. He lost 7-5 in the third set to the No. 1 singles player in the region during the fall. That tells you the kind of tennis he’s capable of playing.”

The Falcons’ depth will come from an outstanding freshman class. Alan Haedge, Eric Pittman andTylerWest make up one ofthe best rookie classes in recent memory. All three should challenge for time in the top six. “I think Pittman will start out in the top six. He’s got great skills,” Gugat said. “This is a solid freshman class. Haedge and West will push the upperclassmen this season.”

Athletic Department Sponsoring Three Sports Camps in June

The Academy’s Athletic Department is again sponsoring summer sports camps this year in June. Three camps will be offered, June 11-16 and June 18-23 for both boarders and commuters, and June 26-30 for commuters only.

Sports camps are offered for boys, girls and coeds ages 8 to 18. Campers live in the cadet dorms, eat in the cadet dining hall, use Academy athletic facilities, and learn from Academy intercollegiate head coaches.

Camps are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and they are very popular and fill up early. Waiting lists are developed for filled camps. It is recommended that if you are interested, contact the Athletic Department now for specific information on costs and what each individual camp offers.

Basic cost for the camps are $400 for boarders with a $100 deposit and $250 for commuters with a $50 deposit. Exceptions are golf and soccer camps which cost more.

For more information or to obtain a brochure on all the various camps available, please call (719) 333-2116. To register for camp call (719) 472-1895 or 1-800-666-USAF. Or write to Falcon Sports Camps, 2169 Field House Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-9500.

Cadets Compete for Non-Rated Career Paths

First degree cadets decided the next several years of their lives by finishing the job selection process in a Vandenberg Hall lectinar Ian. 21. This year, 382 cadets went through three exciting hours of job selection, beginning with the person with the highest general board ranking down to the lowest. The general board ranking uses a method determining rank, including grade point average, military performance average and physical education performance average to name a few.

The Air Force Personnel Center gave the Academy 462 non-rated job quotas for the future lieutenants to fill. Of those jobs, 14 were open to anyone and the remaining jobs were degree-specific. Non-rated positions are jobs such as public affairs, acquisitions, manpower, civil engineering, etc. The remaining cadets received rated jobs pilots, navigators or air battle managers.

The cadet who holds the highest general board ranking had first pick and so on down the line. The selection process gets a little tense further down the line, according to the cadet personnel office. For instance, this year, the Academy received four public affairs positions, so someone with a lower general board ranking may not have gotten a public affairs job if all the slots were already taken.

This year Lt. Col. Robert Kaufman from the Air Force Personnel Center was here to watch the process. He had the ability to increase some of the quotas to meet cadet desires, which helped to keep a positive attitude throughout the process. “Some career field quotas were increased, such as communications and intelligence. This year, quotas in some career fields weren’t as hard and fast as years before,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jane Weinmann, superintendent of cadet personnel

The cadet personnel office surveyed the cadets in their second-degree year and again in November of their first-degree year to see what their top six job choices were. Once the numbers are compiled, the figures are used to try to align actual quotas to the cadets’ desires. “On a scale of one to 10,1 give the selection process a seven,” said Cadet 1st Class Benton Shrewsbury, who picked acquisitions management as his first choice. “I was lucky enough to experience some of the benefits of the selection process, but I also stood by and watched some of my friends have their career fields disappear before their very eyes.”

On the other end of the spectrum, some cadets got jobs that weren’t their first choice, but still on their list. “I chose communications because it is a very diverse career field with opportunities to serve worldwide,” said Cadet 1st Class Eric Garcia. “It ended up being one of my

Ways to Give to The AOG and The Air Force Academy

Benefits to Donor

Method

Cash

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*Bequest of IRA or qualified retirement plan asset

*Gift of income with assets to heirs.

*Full income tax deduction. Immediate impact to AOG/USAFA.

*Full income tax deduction. Capital Gains tax savings. Immediate impact to AOG/USAFA.

*Maximum flexibility. Full use of assets during lifetime. Estate tax savings.

*Ability to make larger gift with smaller annual (or one-time) cash outlay. Income tax deduction for current value and/or cost of premiums.

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*Lifetime income. Income, capital gain, estate tax savings.

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immediate impact for AOG/USAFA. Estate tax savings. Increased inheritance for heirs.

For more information and a free booklet on charitable giving and estate planning, contact the Development Office at the AOG, (719) 472-0300 or e-mail: Gary Howe at Gary.Howe@usafa.af.mil.

top three choices.”About 55 percent of the cadets received one of their top two career choices. Of the remaining cadets, 22 percent received jobs that weren’t on their list. It is not known whether the jobs weren’t available to them, or if they changed their minds before selection. “We are constantly trying to improve our process in hopes that all cadets can walk away satisfied,” said Weinmann. “Overall the tone of the day remained positive. There weren’t any disgruntled cadets this year.”

Silver Falcons Recognized for 40 Years ofService

The Silver Falcon Association, an organization of retired liaison officers, honored two of its members recently. Retired Lt. Cols. Dewey Hanson ofBillings, Mont, and Don Ferry ofBernardsville, N. J. received the Tallman Pin honoring their 40 years of service to the liaison officer force. Col. (Ret) Carol Holland, the Silver Falcon president and longtime liaison officer director forWyoming, presented the award at a luncheon in September.

Colonel Holland was instrumental in establishing this award. The attractive gold pin honors liaison officers for longevity at 10, 20, 30, and 40 years ofservice. The pin is financed through the General K.L. Tallman Endowment Fund, administered by the Association of Graduates. Liaison officers and Silver Falcons have contributed to the fund to pay for the handsome gold pins.

This year’s honorees have contributed significantly to the Academy. Dewey Hanson is a legend among liaison officers. He has sent hundreds of young people to the Academy and an overwhelming number of his appointees graduate. Last year there were ten Montana first classmen at the Academy; half of them were squadron commanders. Cadet Lt. Col. Bruce Clark (CS-15), one of Dewey’s boys, was selected as the Outstanding Squadron Commander for the Fall Semester this academic year.

Don Ferry has had a long and distinguished career as a liaison officer. Don started in the program as an LO in the northwest New Jersey area, but 12 years ago he was assigned to work with the Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pa. His students have had a remarkable 96 percent acceptance rate and a similar retention rate.

The Academy and the Air Force owe both men a deep debt of gratitude for their tireless support in recruiting the nation’s finest young men and women.

A Planned Gift to the United States Air Force Academy leaves a lasting legacy for the future! To learn more about the techniques and benefits of estate planning, contact Gary Howe, ‘69, at (719) 472-0300 or Gary.Howe@usafa.af.mil.

AcademyRecognizedfor Character Development Program

The Academy has been recognized for its commitment to developing future leaders with the right kind of character in The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development. The academy was named exemplary in the categories ofAcademic HonestyProgram, Spiritual Growth Program, Student Leadership Program, and Presidential Leadership. It is also listed as an Honor Roll School.

The Center for Character Development, established in 1993, facilitates the moral, ethical and spiritual growth of cadets through a wide variety ofprograms. These programs include the equivalent oftwo core courses in honor and human relations training. Additionally, the center facilitates the National Character and Leadership Symposium, Falcon Heritage Forum, Academy Character Enrichment Seminars (ACES), Respect & ResponsibilityWorkshops, Professional Mentorship Program, Community Service and many other exciting character-building pro-

FredMalmstrom, ‘64, Named Visiting Scholar for Honor

Col. Mark A Hyatt, ’74, director of the Center for Character Development (CDC) has named Dr. Frederick V Malmstrom, ’64, as Visiting Scholar in the Honor Division ofthe CDC. He will be devoting full-time attention to research into both the evolution and the projected future of all the service academy honor codes, including those of the Military and Naval Academies.

One of the goals of this academic position is to write a definitive, readable textbook on honor codes. Fred will be joining another familiar and distinguished USAFA scholar in the Character Development Center, Brig. Gen. (Ret) Malham A Wakin, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Philosophy and Fine Arts.

Fred served previously on the Academyfaculty from 1971 to 1974 and was also an experimental psychology guest researcher at NASA/Ames Research Center from 1973-1981. He has more than 75 professional articles and papers to his credit, including several on the honor codes, and is recently retired from both the Air Force Reserve and the Ohio Department of Corrections where he was a clinical psychologist.

“The Academy has archived over 44 years of fascinating, but raw and untabulated data. We have the chance of a lifetime to examine the codes from a viewpoint other than just the philosophical or legal,” says Fred. ‘It’s a scientist’s paradise. We welcome other interested researchers to contact us.”

Fred can be reached at (719) 333-8527 or DSN 333-8527. His email is fred.malmstrom@usafa.af.mil.

Problems Experienced with January Online Biographical Updates

We have recently experienced problems with the online biographical update system. These problems have been corrected. Unfortunately, all biographical updates submitted between Jan. 1 and Jan. 21 were lost. Ifyou submitted new biographical information during that period, please resubmit it. Thank you for your patience with the problem. We hope we have not caused you any inconvenience.

grams. Several of these programs are made possible through generous gift funds from the Association of Graduates.

The center also provides oversight for the cadet honor system, which has been in place since the inception of the Academy, and remains the solid cornerstone of the character-enriching environment USAFA provides. It is the foundation upon which every cadet builds their personal concept of professional ethics and is a minimum standard to live by.

The center also works with cadet representatives to provide honor and human relations education throughout a cadet’s academy experience. Human relations training focuses on teaching cadets to respect the dignity of others. Human relations education is designed to help cadets learn through participation in special exercises and lessons.

The Templeton Guide identifies colleges that encourage students to understand the importance of personal and civic responsibility. Designed for students, parents and educators, the guidebook recognizes universities that represent the best practices in the field of character development during the college years.

Sabre Society Events Planned at USAFA, Notre Dame, Army

The Sabre Society Dinner in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with the 1999 Navy football game was our biggest and best event so far, but 2000 promises to be even better with at least three events presently planned.

We will be having our Recognition Weekend at USAFA on July 20-22. Come play golf, meet the senior staff and see cadet basic training up close and personal in Jack’s Valley. Relive the golden days of yesteryear!

Then plan to join us for the first-ever Sabre Society dinner at Notre Dame. Pat McBride is trying to finalize details for a dinner on Oct. 27th that may be on campus. A Notre Dame football game (Oct. 28) is a real “happening” and this should be great fun. Plans are still in development but if you are at all interested, call us now for details and hotel reservation information.

And, ofcourse, the Sabre Societywill host a dinner at the Union League Club in NewYork City on Nov. 2 in conjunction with the Army football game at West point on Nov. 4. We hope that the Sabre Society will be closing in on 500 members at that point and that the turnout will be huge. These are the events for 2000. Plan on attending one or all of them.

AOG President/CEO Mingles with Sabre Society Members

Jim Shaw, ‘67, AOG President/CEO, poses with Lisa and Mike (‘89) Bailey at a Sabre Society dinner on Oct. 8th prior to the Navyfootball game last year in Washington, D.C. The dinner was well attended as 107 members and theirguestsgathered at theArmy-NavyCountryClub. Members and their guests are invited to attend society events prior to the Notre Dame and Armyfootball games this fall. Dinners will be held in South Bend, Ind. on Oct. 27th and at the Union League Club in New York City on Nov. 2nd. The Sabre Society is a group ofbenefactors dedicated toforminga national network ofinfluentialcommunity leaders who act as advocatesfor the Academy.

Wings ofBlue Win National Parachuting Championships - Again!

The AcademyWings of Blue swept the competition for the third year in a row at the 1999 National Collegiate ParachutingChampionship held Dec. 29-31 in Marana, Ariz., near Tucson. The 20-member team competed against 65 other jumpers from 12 different colleges and universities, including Army cadets from West Point.

The Wings of Blue team has been attending this competition for 32 years and has won first place in 24 ofthe annual competitions. The team’s longest winning streak lasted 12 years. Although the Academy team dominated the field, the Army’s team is starting to pose some stiff competition in the team categories.

C1CAaron Lapp makes his accuracy approach. (Photo by MSgt Byron Dormire)

“TheArmy team has been receiving some help from the Army Golden Knights and it shows,” said Wings of Blue Coach Bill Wenger.

The Academy’s winners were Cadets 3rd Class Chris Kleinhenz and Charles Allen in the novice division, those with less than 100 jumps. Kleinhenz won second in accuracy and style and first in the overall category. Allen took third in style and overall. The thirdclass duo also combined their talents to win second in the two-way formation category. Intermediate category winners were Cadets 2nd Class Marion Knapp, DouglasVillard and Mark Hanson. The trio took first through third place, respectively, in the style category. Hanson andVillard also took fifth and sixth place, respectively, in the accuracy category. In the overall category, Hanson and Villard tied for third.

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National Collegiate Parachute Champs: USAFA’s "LittleRascals”fourway team. (Photo by MSgt

Byron Dormire)

The master’s division found Cadets 1st Class Dean Berck, Chris Tomlinson, Jeffrey Smith, and Aaron Lapp on the leader board. Berck and Tomlinson took first and third, respectively, in the accuracy category while Smith and Lapp took second and third, respectively in the style category. Berck, Smith and an Army cadet shared a three-way tie for first place in the overall category. Smith, Lapp, Cadets 1st Class Matt Phillips and Kerrick Krill completed a four-way formation that earned them first place. The Academy also claimed third in that categorywith the team ofCadets 2nd Class Aaron Brown, AndrewJudkins, Matt Hepp and Villard.

The individual National Collegiate Champion was also a three-way tie between Berck, Smith and an Army cadet. Wenger was pleased with the team’s performance. “We have some depth on the team. We had some who did better than I thought and we had some who did worse than I thought. But that’s the good thing about having some depth on the team,” Wenger said. “I was also pleased with the way the cadets handled themselves whether they won or lost. We had some who lost their chance at a national title but still had to keepjumping. They supported the rest of the team despite their setback.”

According to Berck, the best part of the competition was the Army/ Air Force rivalry, “especially since we came out on top.” “Overall, the team did awesome. A couple of people had a bad jump or two, but for the most part, the firstclassmen did above what was expected and the second classmen both did really well and learned a lot so that they can dominate next year,” Berck said. “I was also really impressed at the turnout this year compared to last year. There were a lot of competitors which made winning that much more amazing.” The team is now pretty much done with training. “Spring break is when we start our training year,” the coach said.

Academies Launch Joint Resume Database System

As a benefit of membership, your AOG offers a FREE resume registration service. We have joined forces with the alumni associations of the MilitaryAcademy, the Naval Academy and the Coast Guard Academy to jointly provide online access to resumes of service academy graduates to prospective employers.

To be a part of the Joint Service Academies Resume Database Systern (JSARDS), visit our website at www.aog-usafa.org, click on “opportunities” in the left side bar, and follow the links. Ifyou have questions about this service for members, please contact Wayne Taylor at (719) 472-0300, DSN 333-2067, or e-mail at career@aog-usafa.org.

SACC in Washington, D.C. April 13-15,2000

Make plans now for the Spring 2000 ServiceAcademies Career Conference (SACC). The host hotel will be the Ritz Carlton Hotel Pentagon City in Arlington, Va. For hotel reservations call 800-241-3333 or 703-415-5000.

To prepare for the SACC, ensure your resume is in the Joint Service Academy Resume Database System (JSARDS). To start the process, visit our web site at www.aog-usafa.org and click on the hot link. For more information about the SACC or JSARDS, call Wayne Taylor at 719-472-0300 or DSN 333-2067.

The Secret Life ofWaldo F. Dumbsquat

The freshmen roommates sat at their desks and watched the snow fall past their window. Call to Quarters had sounded.

“Regs” Buch pulled his eyes away from the mesmerizing scene outside and stared at his math book. “It sure is noisy during the evening. I could concentrate better in the bowling alley,” he mused.

‘Your mistake is trying to read during Call to Quarters,” replied Warren Heels as he applied polish to his low quarter shoes with a cotton ball.

‘You’ll never get anything done until the secondclassmen go to bed.”

“Why not?” asked Waldo F. Dumbsquat as he broke down his M-l rifle.

‘Well, the thirdclass won’t bother us because they’re trying to improve academically after a poor showing during the fourthclass year. The firsties are still out on privileges. So.. .the two degrees have nothing else to do except run around the squad

ron, make noise, hog the pay phones, and haze us!”

‘You have certainly captured the essence of the Academy academic experience, Warren,” announced Regs.

‘Well, I hate the Dark Ages more than the noise,” Waldo noted as he polished the rifle stock.

‘Yea, I do too,” replied Warren. “After Christmas leave, there’s no break until Hell week and Recognition. Then we get S.E.R.E. Oh, boy!”

“Don’t forget CQ duty!” added Waldo.

‘You need to set some short term goals to get you through the next several months,” Regs advised his friends. I, for one, hope to make the Sup’s List.”

“My goal is to not die in the Wing Open,” commented Warren.

‘You’re not in the Wing Open,” Regs reminded the doolie.

“I feel better already!” exclaimed Warren.

"I guess I have you guys beat,” chortled Waldo.

“Why?” chorused his buddies.

‘Well, I wasn’t going to tell you until tomorrow, but the first sergeant told me I definitely made the Commandant’s Drill Team this weekend!”

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

AOG and Academy Prepare to Celebrate Founders Day

The Academy annually celebrates Founders’ Day in April by taking time to reflect on its past, present, and future.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a law authorizing the Air Force its own Academy on April 1, 1954. By July 1955, the Academy was ready to admit its first cadets at its temporary location at Lowry AFB, Denver. During the first three years ofits existence, theAcademy’s permanent site, located in Colorado Springs, was being developed on 18,000 acres.

Construction of the major facilities was completed in the summer of 1958 and the Cadet Wing moved to the permanent site in August of that year. Graduation began with the Class of ’59 which sent 207 new lieutenants into the Air Force ranks in June.

The next few years enrollment grew to the authorized strength of 2,500 and in the late 1960s, the CadetWing almost doubled to a maximum strength of 4,400. The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s brought this number down to 4,000 where it remains today.

The Academy’s flying program, operated in the early years from Peterson AFB, moved to its own flying field in 1968, a change that made a large difference in the efficiency ofthe flying program. Strong flyingtraining, parachuting, and soaring programs form a crucial part of the Academy education.

The first graduating class received a general Bachelor of Science Degree. The Class of 1966 was the first class in which every graduate had an academic major. Now, the Academy offers more than 30 different majors in their degree program.

The Intercollegiate Athletic Program has grown over the years and

Early Cadet Uniforms Sought

Steve Hartzog, the Academy’s chief of Gifts and Historical Properties, is seeking cadet uniforms from the early classes at the Academy.

Steve is a museum person by trade and while the Academy does not have a museum now, Steve is preparing for the day when it might. He is asking all graduates to check their closets or attics for uniforms they wore while here. He is also interested in anyother item which might hold historical significance to the Academy.

Ifyou have any such items, the process for donating them to the Academy is simple; just call (719) 333-3832 or write HQ USAFA/XPA, ATTN: Steven Hartzog, 2304 Cadet Drive, Suite 351, USAF Academy CO 80840-5002, and let Steve know what you have. He will take care of the rest.

Your donation will be another step to documenting for all who follow a proud heritage of being an Academy Graduate.

is now comprised of 27 sports, 17 for men and 10 for women. Almost 25 percent of the Cadet Wing participate in intercollegiate sports. In 1996, all intercollegiate sports moved to NCAA Division I, the highest level of competition.

Women were first admitted to all military academies in 1976 and now comprise more than 17 percent of the cadets here. They are challenged by the same demands and given the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

Some interesting facts about the Academy’s more than 31,000 graduates to date. Of that number, 159 were foreign graduates and 300 graduates cross-commissioned into the other branches of the U.S. military. Academygraduates currentlycomprise 20 percent ofthe total active duty officer corps. The Academy has produced over 31 astronauts and over 270 general officers to include two Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force and three Superintendents of the Academy. The Academy has also produced over 21,000 pilots. Academy graduates have also received over 700 major scholarships for graduate studies.

To commemorate the 46th anniversary of the founding of the Academy, the local Rampart Chapter of the AOG, in conjunction with the AOG and the Academy, will be hosting a Founder’s Day Dinner on Saturday, April 8th.

Sabre Society Membership Tops 400

As ofJan. 17, 2000, the Sabre Society counted 401 members including 22 Life Members, six Benefactors, and nine Patrons. Membership is growing rapidly as members recruit new members. The Sabre Society is “pledged to leadership” and is leading the way for a better Academy. Thanks to all members, new and old, for your enthusiastic participation.

The Sabre Society was established by the Association of Graduates in 1995 as a select group of long-term benefactors who have a clear and tangible interest in supporting the Academy financially and through their personal influence. The society is dedicated toward forming a national network of influential community leaders who act as informed advocates of Academy causes.

The society provides a visible and prestigious means of honoring and recognizing the Academy’s leading supporters. Memberships are available to graduates, parents or friends of the Academy as Members ($1,000 annually), Patrons ($2,500 annually), Benefactors ($5,000 annually), or Life Members ($50,000). If you are interested, contact Gary Howe or Kathy McCann at the AOG, e-mail Development@aogusafa.org.

Sabre Society events scheduled for 2000 include:

July 20-22, 2000, Sabre Society Recognition Weekend at USAFA (BCT overview).

Nov. 2, 2000, Sabre Society at Union League Club, New York City.

Nov. 4, 2000, Army-Air Force Game at West Point, N.Y.

Oct. 26, 2000, Sabre Society Dinner in Chicago, Ill. or South Bend, Ind. (tentative*).

Oct. 28, 2000, Notre Dame-Air Force Game at South Bend.

These events are dependent upon member interest. Sabre Society members have been sent interest surveys. Ifyou haven’t received yours or have not yet responded, please call Kathy McCann at (719) 472-0300 now.

New members in the Society from Oct. 4,1999 - Jan. 17, 2000:

Mr Glenn Albert Mr & Mrs Clark L Gerhardt Jr 68

Mr & Mrs Frank Brienzo ‘73 R Steven & Mary-Sheba Graves

BGen(Ret) &R Thomas Browning ‘64

Mr & Mrs Kris Budinger ‘74

Gen(Ret) & Mrs G Lee Butler ‘61

Col & MrsWilliam D Carpenter ‘73

Dr & Mrs John B Carter ‘A67

Dr & Mrs Charles E Cheeseman, Jr ’62

Dr & MrsWilliam S Clifford ‘76

Mr & Mrs Willaim T Coleman 71

LtCol(Ret) & Mrs Richard M

Coppock ‘61

Mr & Mrs Gerrit Cormany ‘67

Col(Ret) & Mrs BradleyJ DeAustin ‘69

Mr & Mrs Joseph Eckhardt

Mr & Mrs John J Ferron

Mr & Mrs Thomas Finn

Mr & Mrs Ronald R Flake ‘65

BGen(Ret) & Mrs Jesse C Gatlin Jr

Col(Ret) & Mrs Robert JFlovde ‘64

LtCol & Mrs Robert P Kay 78

Col(Ret) & Mrs William A McKenneylll ‘64

LtGen & Mrs Tad J Oelstrom ‘65

Mr & Mrs Ki S Park

LtCol(Ret) & Mrs Dave Palenchar ‘70

Col(Ret) Rick Parsons ‘66

BGen & Mrs James B Smith ‘74

LtCol and Mrs John W Stealey, USAFR 70

Col David & Ms Holly Emrick

Svetz ‘80

Col(Ret) & Mrs John C Swonson Jr ‘62

Mr & Mrs John Vaccaro

Mr & Mrs AVan’t Land

Mr & Mrs Michael WWynne

Mr & Mrs Anthony MWoodrich ‘88

AOG Offers USAFA Class Ring

Lost and Found Service

If you have lost your class ring or found someone else’s, who are you going to call? The AOG has long been the focal point for trying to match lost rings with their owners. We have several sources for maintaining up-to-date addresses and phone numbers on graduates (the primary source, of course, depends on the graduate keeping the AOG informed of changes). When a ring is returned to the AOG we can usually have it back on the owner’s hand within a week or two (as soon as we can verify a shipping address). If a ring needs to be replaced or serviced, we can link you to the ring companyrepresentative who handles your class. So, if you need to report a ring lost or found, or need to know who to call for ring repairs/replacement, please call or contact:

JACK MUELLER, 70, at (719) 472-0300, DSN 333-2067, e-mail to classring@aog-usafa.org, 3116 Academy Drive USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475

Sabre Society Members Enj'oy Dinner

Sabre Socity members and their guests enjoyed a mael and conversation at a society dinner on Oct. 8th prior to the Navyfootball game in Washington, D.C. From left are Bill (77) and Vilcki Rhoden and Steve (77) and Paula Simon.

Grad Finds Stolen Class Ring

Many thanks to DickTroy, ‘63, for being alert to Internet activity. Dick was surfing the net recently and saw a Class of ‘94 ring being offered for sale on E-bay. The ad indicated that there was a name inscribed inside the ring. Dick contacted the AOG and also sent an e-mail to the seller indicating that it was unusual (but not unheard of) for a graduate to sell a class ring and indicated its potential value. He inquired as to whether the seller had ascertained ownership.

The AOG also contacted the seller with similar information and told him that if, indeed, the ring was lost, we could help reunite it with its owner. Many thanks to the seller who responded that he thought when he bought it that he had clear title but the e-mails prompted him to recheck. He found that the ring had been stolen during a move and notified Dick that he had returned it to its owner.

Thanks to Dick for being so alert. It is unusual for class rings and other personal Academy mementos to be sold at auction. We encourage anyone who sees such items for sale to let the AOG know so we can follow-up and, perhaps as in this case, return a lost or stolen ring to the owner. Ifyou are planning to sell your ring, please let the AOG know so that we don’t follow-up erroneously.

Also, if you are planning to sell your ring, the AOG is accepting donations for the Class Ring display. Class rings are, on average, worth $1,000 if they must be replaced. The value of the tax deduction for the donation may exceed the retail value from the sale. The ring offered above had a high bid of only $155 at the time it was discovered.

Academy Memorialization Opportunities Outlined

Most graduates know that they and their spouses can be buried in the Academy cemetery and Checkpoints regularly publishes information on the policy and procedures. You may not know that graduates may also be memorialized at the Academyregardless ofwhether they are buried here.

Graduateswho die on active duty are remembered on the Roll ofHonor at the Cadet Chapel and those who die in combat are remembered on the Graduate MemorialWall in the Air Gardens. There is no cost for these memorials. The Association of Graduates often receives unrestricted donations in memory of a deceased graduate. Many families have chosen to remember their loved one at the Academyby establishing endowments and scholarships, and by other gifts.

Ifyou would like to be remembered upon your death by a memorial at the Academy, your desires should be made known to your family and may need to be included in your will or estate plan. Please contact the Association ofGraduates for additional information. Contact Gary Howe or Chery Flores at (719) 472-0300 or e-mail to Gary.Howe or Chery Flores@usafa.af.mil.

Why Must theAOG Do Fund Raising?

Recently, several graduates have called to ask a simple question: Why does the AOG do fund raising, especially for the Academy?” They remark that Checkpoints articles indicate that we are raising money and where it goes but the articles don’t indicate why the Academy and the AOG need funds.

The answer regarding the AOG is that we are a private, non-profit organization which receives no funding from either the federal or state government. Private donations keep the AOG operating. Don’t membership dues cover all the operating costs? Dues cover approximately 60 percent of AOG general operating expenses. The remainder must come from royalties, fees, sales and donations. Graduates and members are demanding more and more from the AOG and we are attempting to respond. Job networking opportunities, support to chapters, online services including e-mail and locator services for all graduates, database support, reunion support, graduate dependent scholarships, and numerous other activities are not covered by dues.

Additionally, we use Doolittle Hall to support numerous cadet activities including in-processing, the bed & breakfast program for incoming cadets, and commissioning ceremonies. Operation of the building is not covered by dues. In short, Doolittle Hall is the factory from which the AOG produces all the services and support that it provides to graduates, cadets, parents and the Academy. Dues from members do not cover all those costs.

Doesn’t the Air Force and thefederal government cover all the costs of operating theAcademy? Shouldn’t they cover all the costs? Some graduates believe that the federal government should cover all the costs of operating the Academy. However, it is a moot point. Even iftheyshould, they can’t! Why? Simply put, the cutbacks in military spending which have affected the rest of the Air Force have affected the Academy. The cutbacks, which have closed many bases and mothballed aircraft, have trickled down to Academy operations. The cutbacks which have transferred portions ofthe active-duty mission to the Air Force Reserve have affected the Academy. And it is only going to get worse.

Years ago, cadets had opportunities for ZI field trips, squadron sponsor visits, and orientation rides in practically every aircraft in the inventory. Those days are gone. The Air Force Reserve used to be able to transport cadets because these were valid training missions. To-

AOG Humanitarian Fund Helps Terminally III Grads

A new Humanitarian Fund forTerminally-ill Members has been approved by the AOG Board of Directors. This fund has been established to provide financial assistance to eligible members who need help with the financial challenges of a terminal illness such as Lou Gehrig’s disease, cancer and heart disease.

Here are the pertinent points:

Who to contact: See the names at the end of this article.

How to make a request: Send a written request with pertinent information on the nature of the illness, assistance needed, and who the AOG can contact for further details to The Humanitarian Fund, Association ofGraduates, 3116 AcademyDrive, USAFA, Colo. 80840-4475, Attn: Jock Schwank.

- How to contribute: Make your tax-deductible contribution to The AOG Humanitarian Fund at the address above.

It is hoped that this effort to serve our graduates (taking care of our own) will be well received (and well supported). We’ll keep you posted on progress. Your Humanitarian Fund committee members are:

Larry Freeman: 16422 Ledge Way, San Antonio, TX 78232, (H) 210-494-4827, (O) 210-494-7803, Fax 210-494-0133, lbfinc @sprintmail.com, fsw@juno.com.

Vic Andrews: 8215 Broughton Court, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, (H) 719-592-1546, (O) 719-533-8107, Fax 719-533-8447, victor.andrews@usaa.com.

Mark Anderson: 8852 Rolling Acres Trail, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX 78015, (H) 830-981-8341, Fax 830-981-8341, marcus@texas.net.

day, the Reserves are flying missions to Bosnia, South America and other hot spots and there is simply no airlift left to support the Academy.

In ways large and small, military cutbacks have affected the Academy. The government still provides the basic core requirements such as books, instructors, and the like. But more and more, not only must the “extra margin of excellence” come from private donations but support for programs we took for granted require our support (cadet clubs, guest speakers, new and innovative study programs, and character development programs).

This is also true at West Point, Annapolis, the Coast Guard Academy and at every public and private university in the country. The primary sources ofrevenue, whether tuition orgovernmentspending, are notcovering all ofthe costs to provide a superior educational and training experience. All universities are looking to their alumni to keep the institution great and to help provide future generations with the same high quality experience that they received.

TheAcademyis a superior institution (ranked #1 by the 1999 Princeton Review, ranked #5 for engineering by the 1999 U.S. News & World Report, ranked among the top 50 schools by the 1999 Templeton Guide to Colleges ThatEncourage CharacterDevelopment). The Academy needs graduate support. The AOG is rallying that support.

Sabre Society Dinner Prior to Navy Game

Enjoyingsocializingat theSabre SocietyWashington, D.C. dinnergatheringprior to the Navy game in October,from left are GregBailey (‘67), Deborah Shirley, MargieMcGregor and Ed Shirley (‘66).

2000 Reunion Contacts

(As of March 1, 2000)

‘60 (40th) 4-8 October 2000

Col (Ret) Andi Biancur 4174 E Cumorah Drive Salt Lake City UT 84124-4050

Ph: 801-278-4866 (H)

E-mail: abiancur@aol.com (H)

Hotel: Radisson: 800-333-3333 or 719-598-5770

‘65 (35th) 4-8 October 2000

Mr Jim Spittler

655 Big Valley Drive

Colorado Springs CO 80919-1002

Ph: 719-598-7228 (H) 719-577-0044 (W)

E-mail: jespittler@aol.com (H)

Hotel: Wyndham: 800-962-6982 or 719-260-1800

‘70 (30th) 4-8 October 2000

BGen (Ret) Curt Emery

3320 Orion Drive

Colorado Springs CO 80906

Ph: 719-591-3015 (W)

E-mail: cemeryl56@aol.com (H)

Hotel: Antlers Adam’s Mark: 800-444-ADAM or 719-473-5600

‘75 (25th) 15-19 November 2000

Col Mark K Wells 1670 Ridgeview Circle Monument CO 80132

Ph: 719-488-1339 (H) 719-333-3230 (W)

E-mail:Rally75@webaccess.net (H) mark.wells@usafa.af.mil (W)

Hotel: Wyndham: 800-962-6982 or 719-260-1800

‘80 (20th) 18-22 October 2000

Lt Col Tom Mabry

6668 Gambol Quail Drive E Colorado Springs CO 80918-1317

Ph: 719-333-4172/4237 (W)

E-mail: tom.mabry@usafaaf.mil (W)

Hotel: Holiday Inn - 800-962-5470 or 719-598-7656

‘90 (10th) 18-22 October 2000

Capt Gary Haines

4306D W Antelope Drive

USAF Academy CO 80840

Ph: 719-333-7699 (W)

E-mail: HainesGAng@aol.com (H) gary.haines@usafa.af.mil (W)

Hotel: Embassy Suites: 719-599-9100

AOG-Sponsored Falcon Heritage Forum Popular with Cadets

The Falcon Heritage Forum has quickly become one of the most popular cadet programs at the Academy. This fall’s forum was held at USAFA on Sept. 24 and 25, attracting nearly 100 cadets who had the opportunity to spend up to two days with 35 distinguished veterans and active-duty members chosen as living examples of our Air Force core values.

Estate Planning Benefits Explained

What is estate planning? Estate planning seeks to obtain maximum use of and benefit from one’s property during life and to transfer that property at death to beneficiaries with a minimum of shrinkage from death taxes and transfer costs. This planning must be consistent with your family, social and charitable goals.

How is tax planning different from estate planning? Tax planning is primarily intended to reduce or minimize income, gift, estate, generation-skipping, and inheritance taxes. This planning may, or may not, be consistent with your goals.

What causes estate shrinkage? Your estate can shrink because of the impact of federal and state taxes as well as transfer and reporting expenses. Federal taxes include estate, gift, generation-skipping and income taxes. State taxes include estate tax, county inheritance taxes and income taxes. Federal taxes apply uniformly to everyone while state taxes vary from state-to-state. Transfer and reporting expenses include probate and administrative expenses and tax preparation expenses. The costs will also vary from state-to-state and according to the fees of the professionals you hire to assist with the process.

What is the process for planning my estate?

First, recognize the need for planning. The amount of planning required and its complexity will vary according to your personal circumstances.

Second, identify your general objectives. Your objectives are personal and depend on your marital status, number and ages of children and a variety of other factors.

Third, begin to educate yourselfabout alternative solutions which will help you achieve your objectives. Read books on the subject. Attend free seminars. Talkwith appropriateprofessionals (lawyers, accountants, financial planners and others) in whom you have confidence.

Fourth, refine your objectives and select the alternatives you wish to pursue.

Fifth, prepare the documentation. Again, the amount and complexity of the documentation will vary according to your circumstances. You should use a professional in whom you have confidence to prepare these documents.

Sixth, make sure that you thoroughly understand the documents which have been prepared. Then execute the documents and implement the plan.

Finally, reviewyour plan periodically and update it as necessary. Your circumstances will change over time as family, wealth, and philanthropic interests change. Make sure your plan meets your needs.

If you would like more information about estate planning and charitable giving, call the AOG at (719) 472-0300. Gary Howe will be pleased to send you a booklet containing information that will be helpful to you. You can also request the booklet by e-mailing Gary.Howe @usafa.af.mil or faxing a request to (719) 333-4194.

Doolittle HallAvailable For Many Special Occasions

Doolittle Hall is now available at very reasonable rates for special functions. To date the AOG has hosted a variety ofevents: department meetings, retirements, weddingreceptions, workshops, cocktail parties, luncheons and formal and informal dinners. Doolittle Hall can accommodate as many as 300 at a sit-down dinner and more than 500 for a cocktail party.

Available facilities include conference rooms, the library lounge with bar, and outdoor patio area, weather permitting. AOG members receive preferential rates. For more specific information on your special-function needs, please call Jean Bickford at the AOG at (719) 4720300.

Sponsored by the AOG, the forum invites veterans and active-duty members from diverse experiences - Medal of Honor recipients, Tuskegee airmen, Women Air Service Pilots, former POWs, veterans fromWorldWar II through Desert Storm, and active duty members from a variety ofspecialties, pilots to navigators to support group commanders, to retired Army Command Sergeant Majors. All are chosen for their sterling service records and their willingness to share their stories with cadets. Veterans are then matched with three or four cadet volunteers who have “chosen” them.

The forum started on Friday morning with breakfast at the Academy Club for all our guests. The AOG President, Jim Shaw, ’67, and Col. Mark Hyatt, ’74, director of the Center for Character Development, welcomed the distinguished veterans and Colonel Hyatt spoke about the mission of the center and the forum. After breakfast, the veterans had time to meet one another before going to Fairchild Hall, where Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tad Oelstrom, ’65, welcomed them, thanked them for their participation, and shared with them his vision of USAFA in the next century.

Soon after, veterans met their cadets for the first time. Following introductions and a review ofthe noon meal formation, veterans sat with their cadets at their squadron tables for lunch at Mitchell Hall. Afterwards, the veterans accompanied their cadets to the afternoon classes and other activities. Imagine having a Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient as the guest lecturer in your military history class.. .well it happened this fall.

That evening, veterans and cadets attended dinner at the Milazzo Club, where more stories were shared over dinner. Col. Tom Schaefer, the after-dinner speaker, shared his insights on character from his 444 days of captivity as the senior military hostage in Iran.

The next day, the veterans were recognized at the Saturday parade, and the vets and cadets enjoyed a tailgate before the USAFA-Wyoming football game. The forum closed at the post-game tailgate, with Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Mark Welsh, ’76, thanking all the veterans and cadets for their involvement.

Cadet and veteran responses were overwhelmingly positive. As a matter of fact, one cadet said, “This is the best program I have done in my cadet career - it’s so good, I’m not going to tell my classmates...so I can do it again!”

The next Falcon Heritage Forum will be 14-15 April 2000.

Life Membership Options Explained

The AOG offers a life membership plan for graduates and associate members. This plan features rates based on the member’s age and the following payment plan:

Age at Lump Two *l-year *2-year

Last Sum Semiannual monthly monthly

Hire an Academy Graduate

Many of you are in positions to make or influence hiring decisions for your company. Your Association of Graduates, along with the alumni organizations from Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, offers companies online access to the Joint Service Academy Resume Database System (JSARDS). This is an excellent source for those companies seekinghighly-qualified, well-educated and motivated employees. This database is hosted and administered by The Destiny Group.

Using patent-pending technology, hiring managers can both see and hear a prospective employee via the Internet while reviewing their resume along with a fully documented file of the individual’s skills and desires.

Fees for access to JSARDS generally are based on the size ofthe company, the length of the contracted access period, and whether or not the company is a current participant at the Service Academy Career Conference (SACC). To find out more about this service, please visit our website at www.aog-usafa.org, click on “opportunities” in the left side bar, and follow the links to the Corporate Demo.

AOG MAJOR EVENTS SCHEDULE

Graduate-to-Graduate AOG-mail System Launched

Through the generosity of Bill Wecker, Class of 1963, the AOG has fielded an e-mail forwarding system that graduates can use to communicate with other graduates. We call the new system “AOG-mail”. There is no need to know the e-mail address of a graduate to send AOGmail. The system was pre-loaded with the home e-mail addresses from the AOG database as of Friday, Sept. 10, 1999. Graduate e-mail addresses are not revealed by AOG-mail. Graduates may add, change, or delete their e-mail address from AOG-mail. More information can be found at the AOG-mail help screen. AOG-mail is accessible through the “Graduates” Link on the AOG Web Main Page.

There is no automated link between the AOG’s Doolittle Hall database, which holds both home and work e-mail addresses, and the AOGmail database, which holds only one e-mail address; a change to one database will not update the other. Each graduate must update the AOG-mail system and then alert the AOG to change the Doolittle Hall database, and vice versa.

Until AOG-mail has been thoroughly tested, its use will be limited to graduates. We hope to add associate life member access next, and extend access to other AOG-affiliated groups after that.

Sending e-mail through AOG-mail is straightforward, but is limited in that only one class may be searched at a time, and that search may be further limited by graduation squadron or name. The AOG does not plan to add other search criteria until the two databases can be linked in a secure manner which will permit positive control over the Doolittle Hall database content.

AOG Major Events Schedule

Hiring Companies Wanted Service Academy Career Conference (SACC) in Washington, D.C. April 13-15,2000

Is your company hiring? Are you looking for well-educated, well-trained, and motivated workers? If so, graduates ofthe service academies provide the ideal candidate pool. For access to these candidates, participate in the April 13-15 Service Academy Career Conference (SACC) to be held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Pentagon City in Arlington, Va. You will find service academy graduates are a cost-effective source of new employees with

life and work experiences. For more information about the Service Academy Career

callWayne Taylor at (719) 472-0300 or visit our web site at www.aog-usafa.org, then click on “Opportunities” in the blue navigation bar on the left side.

SACC

What is the SACC?

The SACCis the ServiceAcademyCareer Conference supported by the Associations of Graduates from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U. S. MilitaryAcademy and Alumni Associations from the U. S. Naval Academy and U. S. Coast GuardAcademy. The 10 previous conferences were attended by more than 350 different companies and 5,000 alumni.

Where will the SACCbe held?

The Spring 2000 SACCwill be held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel-PentagonCity inArlington,Va. You may obtain a room at the Ritz for the SACC rate. Call (800) 241-3333 or (703) 415-5000 for reservations and askfor the SACCrate. There are manyother hotels available in the area, or think about renewing relationships with classmates in the area.

How to register for the SACC:

1. Ensure your AOG membership is current as this service is offered to members only.

2. Ensure your resume is included in the Joint Service Academies Resume Database System (JSARDS). To enter your resume, visit our website at www.aog-usafa.org, click on “opportunities” and follow the instructions.

3. If you previously submitted your resume to the Joint Service Academies Resume Database Service, please use the password you received to update and verify the information in the system. Recruiters at previous SACGs found having electronic access to resumes extremely helpful. Be sure your resume is accurate and complete.

4. To participate in the Spring 2000 SACC, send the following to the SACC office no later than March 17,2000:

a. Completed registration form

b. A $25 registration fee, payable to SACC

c. Two hard copies ofyour resume (one page/one side)

Service Academy Career Conference April 13 -15,2000

5. Approximately 10 days before the conference, you will receive a confirmation notice with a definitive schedule.

6. The tentative schedule for the SACC is as follows:

Thursday, April 13, 2000

Interview Prep Seminar at 7 p.m.

Friday, April 14,2000

Registration opens at 9 a.m. and continues throughout the day.

Two open sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. In the ballroom, wander from table to table meeting face to face with recruiters from a wide variety of companies.

Saturday, April 15,2000

Recruiters may schedule individual interviews.

When attending the SACC, bring several copies of your resume to leave with recruiters as they review resumes collected at the conference and may contact candidates at a later date. Although employment is not guaranteed, the conference offers a unique chance to explore new career opportunities.

If you have any questions on this AOG membership service, please contactWayneTaylor at (719) 472-0300 or DSN 333-4513.

SACC CANDIDATE REGISTRATION FORM

NAME (for nametag, no ranks):

ADDRESS :

USAFA CLASS:

PHONE (Home): (Work): (E-mail):

RESUME CATEGORY:

Will you attend the free Interview Prep Seminar?

Please enclose:

No

copies)

ATTENTION IN THE AREA

Register Deadline Aired

A major AOG service is one of providing up-to-date information on graduates through the annual Register of Graduates. The 1999 edition was mailed to members of record in November. The biographical information form printed near the center of each magazine should be used on an ongoing basis to update graduate data. Since the individual graduate is the critical source of Registerinformation, it is vital that you keep the AOG informed of address changes, promotions, new jobs, etc. Information updates to be included in the 2000 Register must be received by 1 July 2000.

Visitors Center Offers AOG Discount

The AOG is pleased to announce a membership benefit. Through the cooperation of the Academy Athletic Association (AFAAA), all AOG members are eligible to receive a discount on over-the-counter sales at the AcademyVisitors Center Gift Shop (which is operated byAFAAA). You only need to show the cashier your AOG membership card to receive your 10 percent discount. This discount was previously extended only to active duty and retired military customers. The AOG extends our sincere thanks to AFAAA for their support of the graduate community by offering this excellent benefit to all our members.

Inappropriate Use of Register Addresses

We are continually concerned about the misuse ofgraduate addresses listed in the Registerfor business and political purposes not sanctioned by your AOG. This is directly in violation of AOG policy as well as an infringement of copyright laws as spelled out on the first page of the 1999 Register.

The AOG requests that members notify the vice president, Services, immediately of any non-AOG-sanctioned solicitation they receive where their mailing address was apparently obtained from the Register. The AOG will contact the mailer to ascertain how they obtained your address and take appropriate action.

Class Ring Information

Graduates who need to replace or have their Academy class rings repaired should go direcdy through the manufacturer. The manufacturer has the expertise and equipment to repair or replace your ring. Contact them directly for cost estimates, which vary significantly. Below are the manufacturers and how to contact them:

Jostens

148 East Broadway Owatonna, MN 55060 (800) 852-9353 myersm@jostens.com

Balfour Company

c/o Jess Crane

3502 S. Marion St. Englewood, CO 80110 (303) 789-0623 (Evenings: (303)

Herff Jones

226 Public Street

Providence,RI 02905(401)331-1

Classes of 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999

Classes of 1959, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1975, 1994

757-0557)

Classes of 1985, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1995

THE ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES Is The Proud Sponsor Of SPIRIT AND FLIGHT

A PHOTOGRAPHIC SALUTE TO THE USAF ACADEMY

Over 150 Color Photographs by Acclaimed Photographer ELIZABETH

‘You have combined a great pictorial look at the Academy with a profound view ofits mission, its beautiful surroundings with its recent history, and the hopes and aspirationsofthe cadets with the wholeAirForcevery suecessfully!” (Thomas S. Moorman)

Please send me copies at $66.00 each. ($60.00 plus $6.00 shipping and handling)

COLORADO PURCHASES: See belowforapplicable information.

TOTAL DUE

NAME:

STREET:

CITY:

STATE: ZIP:

THE

PHONE: (719) 472-0300

GILL LUI

“I hope your work will be a motivational reminder to all who see it ofthegreataspects oftheAcademy and of its place among the truly beautiful institutions ofnational significance. (Donald J. Barrett)

Name:

Graduate Biographical Update Form

Date:

Class: AOG ID#: SSAN: (From the Register or Checkpoints mailing label)

Please make the following Changes/Additions to my records in the AOG Data Base:

Mailing Address:

Effective Date: City; State: Zip Code: Country:

Duty assignment or Civilian Title:

Company & Location:

Work Address:

City:

Home Phone: ( )

Home FAX: ( )

Home e-mail (WILL be printed in the Register):

Work e-mail

Effective Date:

State: Zip Code: Country:

Work Phone: ( )

Work FAX: ( )

DSN:

Marital Status: Single/Divorced/Married: If Married: Spouse’s name:

Marital Name Change:

If Spouse is a Graduate please provide the following: Spouse’s Grad Class AOG#:

Spouse’s Graduation Name:

Preferred Name for mailing labels:

The AOG receives promotion, aeronautical rating, PME, and sponsored civilian education updates from the USAF Personnel Center for Active Duty USAF graduates only; USAFR, Guard, and other service graduates MUST provide us this information personally. USAF Active Duty Graduates should provide it, in case the official data sources are in error. (Please provide documentation to correct errors.)

Rank; Date of Rank: Aero Rating: Date of Rating:

PME: Residence/Seminar/Correspondence; Dates:

ALL Graduates: Award(s):

Civilian Degree: Major: Year: Institution:

The following Data is being collected to populate the AOG Data Base.

Doolie Squadron: Graduation Squadron

Source of Nomination: Congressional: Other:

Home of Record State: Enter State i.e. Presidential, Prep School, etc. While at USAFA

Varsity Letter Earned: Year(s): Sport(s):

OTHER REMARKS & COMMENTS:

Signature:

Rev: DTP 02/99

Mail to: Association of Graduates (Bio Info) 3116 Academy Dr. USAF Academy CO 80840-4475 or e-mail to aog@aog-usafa.org

AOG GIFT ORDER FORM

Complete and send to:

ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES

3116 Academy Drive

USAF Academy CO 80840-4475

(719) 472-0300 FAX: (719) 333-4194 www.aog-usafa.org

SEE ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Old

High

SABERS and PLAQUES

The Cadet Saber is sold to GRADUATE AOG MEMBERS ONLY. The AOG does not sell the mounting case—call for information on where to get the mounting case.

Item

Item

COASTERS

Item # 7095 Pegasus Coasters - Terra Cotta and Blue. Water absorbent, nonscratch bottoms. Set of4. $25.00

Item # 7090 Leather Coasters in a tin display case. Set of six. Three with AOG crest and three with USAFA crest. $15.00

LICENSE PLATE FRAMES

“USAF ACADEMY” on the bottom and either “FALCONS” or “ALUMNI” on the top.

Buy one for $4.50 or two for $8.00 (the same or mixed).

Item # 5002 “FALCONS” License Plate Frame

Item # 5003 “ALUMNI” License Plate Frame

PERSONALIZED PEN AND PRESENTATION CASE

Light Maple or Rosewood. Name on pen. Case engraved with your choice of two crests, “AOG”, “USAFA”, or “CLASS” and up to three lines ofpersonalizing. Please allow 3 weeks for engraving.

Item #7075 Pen and Case $24.00

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

In individual gift boxes. All are solid brass with 24kt gold finish except the ‘99 and ‘98 ornaments which also contain silver toned finish. Sizes approximate. Limited to stock on hand. (‘93 and ‘96 are sold out)

Item # 7165 1999 USAFA Crests (Double-sided) (3" x 3") $23.95

Item # 7164 1998 Polaris w/Crossed Sabers (3" x 3") $24.95

Item # 7163 1997 Prop & Wings (3" x 3") $24.95

Item # 7162 1995 Pegasus (3" x 3") $24.95

Item # 7161 1994 Falcon (2.5" x 2") $24.95

USAFA SCARF

100% Silk with USAFA

Crest and Falcon design.

Item # 1603 DARK BLUE $29.50

USAFA NECKTIE

80% Silk tie with USAFA And Prop & Wings design

Item #1600 BLUE $23.00

Item #1601 GARNET $23.00 TEWELRY

Item # 7034 Sterling Silver Prop & Wings Necklace. $24.50

Item # 7035 Polaris Tie Tack/Lapel Pin

14Kt yellow or white gold $44.95

With small diamond $69.95

Item # 7050 Prop & Wings Charm

14kt yellow gold $74.95

With small diamond $98.95

SWEATERS AND SHIRTS

Item #1610 AOG Rugby Shirt: 100% cotton (10% shrinkage, sizes run true) gray and navy blue with AOG crest embroidered on left breast.

$47.00 (SML, MED, LRG, XLG) $50.00 (XXL)

Item # 1620 AOG Crew Neck Sweater: Jersey top pebble bottom navy blue sweater 100% pre-shrunk cotton, sizes run one size smaller than normal fit; AOG crest embroidered on left breast.

$48.00 (SML, MED, LRG, XLG) $51.00 (XXL)

Item # 1630 AOG V-Neck Sweat Top: 85% cotton/15% polyester; oversized to compensate for shrinkage. Color: natural oatmeal (light beige) with navy striped trim, AOG crest embroidered on left breast.

$46.00 (SML, MED, LRG, XLG) $49.00 (XXL)

Item #1640 AOG Golf Shirt: 100% combed cotton. Color: Cadet Blue or White (Dark blue not shown) AOG crest embroidered on left breast.

$38.00 (SML, MED, LRG, XLG) $40.00 (XXL)

HATS (not shown) AND JACKETS

Item # 1520 Polar Jacket: Fleece-lined Blue Nylon shell w/embroidered AOG crest. (SML, MED, LRG, XLG) - $70.00. XXL - $72.50. 3X - $74.50.

Item # 1530 Golf Jacket: White/Teal Poly/Cotton shell, nylon liner, w/embroidered AOG crest. (SML, MED, LRG, XLG, XXL) - $42.00.

Item # 1541 Suede Leather Jacket: Navy Blue/Tan w/embroidered AOG crest. (SML, MED, LRG, XLG) - $120.00. (XXL) - $125.00.

CADET ISSUE CLOTHING (Available to AOG Members ONLY)

Item # 1100 Sweatsuit: 89% Cotton/8% Polyester/3% Rayon; oversize to accommodate shrinkage; light gray with dark gray reflective strips and USAFA.

(SML, MED, LRG, XLG)

Sweat Top $35.00 (XXL) $37.00

Sweat Pants $22.50 (XXL) $24.50

Complete Set $55.00 (XXL) $58.00

Item # 1300 USAFA T-Shirt: 100% cotton (will shrink). White with blue Ringer Collar & Sleeves; “USAFA” silkscreened on left breast.

$8.00 (SML, MED, LRG, XLG) $9.00 (XXL)

Item # 1400 Running Suit Blue/Gray Nylon with reflective strips (sizes run small). (SML, MED, LRG, XLG, XXL)

Running Suit Jacket $47.00

Running Suit Pants $25.00

Complete Suit $67.00

Item # 1550 Blue microfiber windbreaker with embroidered AOG crest on left breast. (SML, MED, LRG, XLG) - $70.00. XXL - $72.50. 3X - $74.50.

Item # 1700 AFA Hat w/Class Year: Navy Blue w/embroidered AFA crest and class year. Please specify class year. Adjustable leather strap for size. $16.00.

Item # 1701 AFA Hat (plain): Same as above without class year. $13.00.

BOOKS AND VIDEOS (not shown) *Paperback

Item # 3020 - Into the Mouth ofthe Cat $4.00*

The Story ofLance Sijan, ‘65

Item # 3030 - The Rescue ofBAT21 $27.95

Autographedby GradAuthor DarrelWhitcomb, 69

Item # 3040 - The Iskra Incident $19.95

Autographedby GradAuthor Jimmie Butler, ‘63

Item # 3050 - Vietnam: Above the Treetops $24.95

Autographedby GradAuthor John Flanagan, 62

Item # 3060 - Red Lightning, Black Thunder $21.95

Autographedby GradAuthorJimmie Butler, 63

Item # 3080 - Separated by War $24.95

Autographedby GradAuthor Ed Herlik, 80

Item # 3090 - Raid on Qaddafi $21.95

Autographedby GradAuthor BobVenkus, 63

Item # 3120 - Modernism at Mid Century $50.00

History ofthe architecture at USAFA

Item # 3130 - Courage andAir Warfare $22.00*

Autographedby GradAuthor MarkWells, 7 5

Item # 3150 - The Secret Life ofWaldo FDumbsquat $10.00*

Autographedby GradAuthor Don Hall, 76

Item # 3170 - A Certain Brotherhood $10.00*

Autographedby GradAuthorJimmie Butler, 63

Item # 7080 - Video: Wild Blue U $10.00

Produced by KUSA -TV Denver; cadet daily life

SPIRIT AND FLIGHT A photographic salute to the USAF Academy. Over 150 color photos. Book Sponsored by the AOG.

Item # 3160 by Elizabeth Gill Lui $60.00

CLASS NOTEBOOKS Two-tone gray suede cover, Jr. legal size (6" x 9"), with class crest embossed on front with class color stripe; inside note pad and pen; available in limited quantities for the following classes. $10.00

AOG ACCESSORIES AND ADDITIONAL ITEMS

(not pictured)

DECALS Class crest on a window decal (self adhesive to inside of glass).

Available for all years except ‘92. Specify class year.

Item#43XX Class Decals $1.00

Item # 7072 AOG Membership Decal $1.00

HONOR MEDALLION A 2 1/2" diameter brass medallion with the Honor Code on one side and Prop & Wings on the other.

Item #7120 Honor Medallion $15.00

Item #7121 Honor Medallion with Stand $35.00

BLAZER PATCHES Pin-back patch embroidered with appropriate crest.

Item# 1800 AOG Blazer Patch $23.00

Item# 1801 AFA Blazer Patch $23.00

KEYCHAIN Blue keychain with silver AOG crest.

Item #7070 $2.00

Item # 2010 “Here’s a Toast... ”by Keith Ferris $60.00

Item #2020 "Gyrfalcon”byFrace $75.00

SWEATERS Blue and White 80% Orlon/20% Wool Crew Neck Sweater ‘FALCONS” - SML, MED, LRG, XLG (sorry no XXL).

Item# 1560 $25.00

NOTECARDS

Item # 7073 Doolittle Hall Notecards (6" x 4.5") Set of 10 with envelopes. $5.00

CHAPEL Item #6003 Painting ofworld famous USAFA Chapel on wood. Approximately 5.5" tall and 8" wide. $17.00

IEWELRY Item # 7030 Sterling Silver AOG Charm $26.00

Item #7031 Sterling Silver AOG Tie Tack $26.00

Item # 7032 Prop and Wings. Silver-color Prop and gold-colorwings $10.00

FINE ART PRINTS

Item #2030 “Thunderbird" by Rick Broome $50.00

Item #2040 ‘Footfalls”Artist Proofs $190.00

U. S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY

ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES

Executive Offices:

President/CEO: Col. (Ret) James A. Shaw

Executive Assistant: Pat Buland

Secretary: Maureen Hornyak

Receptionist: Kathi Allen

Accountant: Joyce Love

Career Opportunities:

Company Contact: Wayne Taylor

Resume Service: Wayne Taylor

SACC: Wayne Taylor

Class Rings: Jack Mueller

Death Notification:

Notices: Pat Buland; Obituaries: Tom Kroboth

Development:

Vice President: Lt. Col. (Ret)Gary S.Howe

AFA Fund: Michael Brown

Building Fund: Michael Brown

Class Gifts: Chery Flores

Corporate Giving: Gary Howe

Major Giving: Gary Howe

Matching Gifts: Sandra Luckhurst

Memorial/Endowment Funds: Chery Flores

Paver Project: Michael Brown

Planned Giving: Gary Howe

Sabre Society: Jim Shaw, Kathy McCann

Doolittle Hall Special Functions:

Reservations (parties, etc): Jean Bickford

Receptionist (719) 472-0300

DSN 333-4513

Answering Machine (719) 333-2073

E-mail aog@aog-usafa.org

Fax (719) 333-4194

WWW http://www.aog-usafa.org

Information Services:

Vice President: Col. (Ret) Chuck Denham

Publications:

Director/Editor: Tom Kroboth

Checkpoints and Register ofGraduates:

Assistant Editor: Dick Rauschkolb

Advertising: Dick Rauschkolb

Chapter News: Tom Kroboth/Dick Rauschkolb

Class News: Tom Kroboth/Dick Rauschkolb

NOTAM:

Editor: Jennifer Bowman

Service Academy Business Resource Directory

Sales: Wayne Taylor, Hilary Moffat

Updates: Wayne Taylor, Lani Wing

Services:

Vice President: Col. (Ret) Jock CH Schwank

Address Updates: Steve Knight, John Rice

Associate Memberships: John Rice

Cadet Memberships: Don McCarthy

Bio Updates: Steve Knight, John Rice

Chapters/Societies: Wayne Taylor

Class Reunions: Jock Schwank

Grad. Dependent Scholarships: Lani Wing

Graduate Membership: Steve Knight

Graduate Records: Steve Knight

Label/List Requests: Jock Schwank

Merchandise Sales: Hilary Moffat

(VOQ) (719) 333-4910

Cadet Awards (719) 333-3833

Cadet Command Post (719) 333-2910

Diploma Repair/Replacement (719) 333-3972

Falcon Foundation (719) 333-4096

Golf Course (719) 333-3456

Liaison Officers (719) 333-2846

Mortuary Affairs/Burial (719) 333-3323

Prep School Duty Officer (719) 333-2501

Transcripts (719) 333-3970

USAFA Operator Assistance (719) 333-1110

USAFA Parents’ Clubs Contact (719) 333-3832

Visitor Center (800) 955-4438

Yearbooks/Cadet Media (719) 333-4644

ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES

3116 ACADEMY DR

USAF ACADEMY, CO 80840-4475

As of Feb. 1, 2000.

ServiceAcademy Business Resource Directory (SABRD)

The information reflected in the directory is obtained from members of the service academies alumni associations who wish to have their civilian positions listed in the publication. Indexed by geographical area, industry, company name, graduate last name and class year, the directory contains entries of approximately 14,000 graduates in business across the country and worldwide. Born from the belief that the Associations of Graduates and Alumni Associations exist not only to serve their academies but their membership, this directory creates an excellent business leadership network. The information also provides those in need of certain services an efficient way to find a fellow graduate.

SABRD ORDER FORM

□ Please send copies, at $35 each, of the 2000 SABRD.

Please use this address in the AOG Database: PAYMENT METHOD:

NAME ADDRESS ] Check Enclosed (Payable to “AOG’O

Visa or MasterCard

CITY, ST, ZIP / / / AOG or SSAN

HOME PHONE (_ )

CLASS YEAR

Card Exp Date (Month/Year /

Name on card:

Signature:

Mail To: AOG, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475. Telephone orders by Visa or MasterCard at (719) 472-0300 or DSN 333-2067, or fax to (719) 333-4194.

Association of Graduates Available Member Benefits/Services

AOG offices are open Monday through Friday, 0730-1630 Mountain Time. For all offices, telephone: (719) 472-0300 (DSN: 333-2067/2073).

E-mail: aog@aog-usafa.org.

CHECKPOINTS MAGAZINE;

•your quarterly link to friends, classmates and the Academy.

REGISTER OF GRADUATES:

annual presentation ofbiographical information on all Academy graduates.

E-MAIL:

AOG-mail forwarding system for graduates. Accessible through the “Graduates” link on the AOG web main page.

CHAPTERS:

support for some 29 chapters throughout the world.

LINE OF CREDIT:

unsecured line of credit is available from MBNAAmerica. To apply call 1 -888-500-6266 and ask for priority code J2ON-FI-603-2G. You will receive a decision in as little as 15 minutes.

AOG CREDIT CARD:

favorable terms and credit limits from MBNA America. To apply call 1-800-523-7666 and refer to source code J8CJ.

SCHOLARSHIPS;

a preparatory school scholarship via the Falcon Foundation. post secondary scholarships to graduates’ children.

LOCATOR SERVICE; need to find a fellow graduate? We help!

SABER RENTAL: sets of six for the military wedding.

Corporate Members

TRAVEL SERVICE:

•year-round full-service travel program for vacation, business, special Academy events and reunions. Call A Better Way Travel Service at 1 (800) 347-9002 and mention your AOG affiliation.

REUNION/HOMECOMINGS:

coordination and planning by your AOG.

MERCHANDISE/MEMORABILIA:

Academy/AOG-unique items created espedally for members.

AUTOMOBILE PURCHASE DISCOUNT:

2% over factory invoice on new Pontiacs and GMC trucks and receive all applicable factory rebates. Drop-shipping available. Contact the Commercial Sales Division, Ferguson Pontiac-GMC Truck (719) 596-5005/ (800) 782-0826/ fax (719) 596-7569

CAR RENTAL DISCOUNTS:

special 10% discount rate from Budget: (800) 455-2848 (AOG ID T507 400). You must present your AOG-provided Budget card when picking up your car.

HOTEL DISCOUNTS:

save 10% at participating Clarion, Comfort, Econo Lodge, Rodeway, Friendship, Quality and Sleep Inns, Hotels, Resorts - (800) 4-CHOICE. (Ask for the travelers discount for AFA AOG members, ID # C00041511).

15% savings at Woodfin Suites- (800) 237-8811 an approximate 20% saving at the Embassy Suites Hotel of Colorado Springs. Call (719) 5999100 and askfortheAOG RSVIP Corporate Rate (ex-

Association of Graduates, USAFA

Air Academy Federal Credit Union

Air Academy National Bank

Air Force Association

Ampex Corporation

Betac Corporation

The Boeing Company

Budget Rent a Car Corporation

Continental Electronics

(Division ofVarian Associates, Inc.)

Electronic Data Systems Corporation

Embassy Suites Hotel of Colorado Springs

General Dynamics Corporation

Jostens, Inc.

The MITRE Corporation

Motorola, Inc.

Government Electronics Group

Northwestern Preparatory School

PRC, Inc.

Rockwell International

Sumner Suites of Colorado Springs

TRW, Inc.,

Electronic & Defense Sector

United Parcel Service

United Services Automobile Association

United Technologies Corporation

USAF Academy Athletic Association

Van Gilder Insurance

Walsworth Publishing of Colorado

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Defense & Electronic Center

Wyndham Colorado Springs

Corporate memberships are being offered for $2,000 for the life of the corporation. With the exception of voting and holding office, corporate members enjoy all privileges of regular members. For more information write to Col. (Ret) Jock Schwank, vice president, Services, Association of Graduates, 3116 Academy Dr., U.S. Air Force Academy CO 80840-4475. Phone (719) 472-0300. E-mail: services@aog-usafa.org.

eludes special and group events). You must present your AOG membership card at check-in.

save 10-25% at the Radisson Inn North (formerly Sheraton Inn North) just outside the USAFA South Gate. Call (719) 598-5770 and ask for theAssociation ofGraduates rate (excludes special or group events...discount depends on time ofyear and room availability). You must present your AOG membership card on check-in.

save 50% at the Wyndham Colorado Springs when traveling January, March, April and October, November, December. Call (800) 962-6982 and askfortheAOGVIPRate (excludesgroup, special events and promotional rates). Discount based on rack rates and subject to availability. Must present AOG membership card upon check-in.

save 50% at the Sumner Suites of Colorado Spings when traveling January through April and November/December. Call (719) 265-9385 and ask fortheAOG Special Rate (notvalid for groups, special events or with anyotherpromotion). Discount based on regular rate and is subject to availability. AOG membership card required upon check-in.

save 25% at the Las Vegas Hawthorn Suites duringJune, July andAugust. This is a nongaming hotel just steps from many major casinos. Call (702) 739-7000 and ask for the AOG VIP rate. Discount based on rack rates and subject to availability. Must present AOG membership card upon check-in.

Rules Outlined for Graduate GolfCourse Use

Through the efforts of the Association of Graduates (AOG) and the Directorate of Development and Alumni Programs, the following procedures have been arranged for graduates wishing to play golf at the Academy’s Eisenhower Golf Course.

Military members, active duty and retired, including Guard and Reserve, (i.e. any graduate with a military ID) may schedule their own tee times by calling (719) 333-3456, 72 hours in advance. These are the same reservation rules applicable to all active-duty personnel not stahoned at the Academy and retirees. Green fees are $18.00. Reciprocal privileges are in effect for active-dutygraduates who have annual memberships at other Air Force courses. Golf cart fees are $18.

Nonretired, Nonactive-Duty Graduate AOG members: The AOG is allocated eight tee times per month. Nonretired graduate AOG members who are no longer on active duty may play at these special times. Tee times begin after 1000 hours. Graduates wishing to use these tee times must make reservations through John Rice at the AOG. He will contact the golf course to schedule your desired date and time. After confirmation ofthe tee time, he will notify you ofthe date and time. We emphasize that these graduates must go through theAOG officefor reservations (719) 472-0300.

Graduates may schedule only one tee time per month to insure all eligible graduates have an opportunity to use one ofthe eight tee times. Ifby the 25th ofeach month the eight tee times have not been reserved, a graduate who played earlier in the month may schedule a second tee time. Green fees for nonretired, nonactive-duty graduates are $50 and golf cart fees are $18.

Reunions and Homecoming: A tournament will be scheduled by the Academy and the AOG to accommodate graduates at a set fee for all players. The fee will be independent of military status or golf course membership.

Send your donation now to

The Air Force Academy Fund Association of Graduates

Doolittle Hall, 3116 Academy Drive U.S. Air Force Academy, CO 80840-4475

CLASS NEWS

Pete Todd

1250 BigValley Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80919-1015

Home: (719) 531-5874

FAX: (719) 531-6697

E-mail: petetodd@aol.com

Percent members: 84

ijpj ilh

HBfr

As most ofyou have already heard via the ‘59er e-mail net, Bob BARNARD suecumbed to cancer late last year and was laid to rest at the Academy cemetery on Nov. 19. His wife, Connie, was unable to travel to the service from Austin, TX because she, herself, is afflicted with serious heart problems, but Larry FORTNER accepted the flag that draped Bob’s coffin on her behalf.

It’s odd, the long-ago things we remember about classmates, sometimes profound, sometimes frivolous. I recall mostly Bob Barnard’s irreverent and sardonic sense of humor. For me, the defining manifestation of this trait was when Bob showed up in RL PENN’s and my room late one cold February afternoon in 1957 and announced that he was conducting a rigorous scientific inquiryinto the combustibility of, er, intestinal vapors. Regretfully, I was unable to stop laughing long enough to contribute usefully to the data set, but watched with awe as Bob pursued his research with absolutely no protectiveshielding. One can onlyspeculate how the course of science might have been changed if we hadn’t talked him out ofsubmittingthe results ofhis experiments to the Physics Department as a graded research paper.

On a more sober note, Bob’s illness spurs me to remind you and your families that the AOG has established a Humanitarian Fund to provide assistance to terminally ill members of the AOG on a case by case basis. The nature of the assistance provided will include, but not be restricted to: financial grants, equipment purchases, special medical procedures, services and other assistance as approved by the AOG Board. For General Operating Procedures or information on how to contribute to this fund, contact the AOG at (719) 472-0300.

Bill TELFORD wins the Correspondent of the Quarter Trophy for his frequent and regular updates on the Class goings-on in and around southern Virginia. His first missive was an account of last summer’s ‘59er wives birthday lunch at the HAMERs, which was naturallyaccompaniedby a men’s golftournament. (AIWATERS won the low score trophy, in case anybody cares.) Pictured below are the usual suspects.

In the water isJudyJay.

Bill followed up the next month with an on-scene report of the activities surrounding the AF-Navy football game. On the Friday before the game, the Swing & Giggle set took to the Army-Navy Country Club while their more intelligent wives partook of a luncheon in Old TownAlexandria. Kent and Fredda Montavon hosted a catered cocktail buffet that evening in their splendid D.C. townhouse.

On game day, Fred and BrendaWYNN did their customary Maximum-Magnificent job hosting the pre-game tailgate (includingstaking out the partysite at 0800!) Afterthe game, the tailgate continued until the traffic abated, whereuponthewhole group repaired to an Italian restaurant near Andrews AFB. Theyliterally took over the place and Jimmie Jay gave an after-dinner rendition ofthe Air Force song. The owner still invited them back for the next game.

Bill Telford’s correspondence concluded with a vignette that is best told in his own words: “Steve Hamer and I were waiting in the stadium for our wives to come out ofthe ladies room when two AF cadets walked up and introduced themselves to us. (We were bothwearing our ‘59er hats and jackets.) They said that theywould like to shake our hands and told us that the Class of ‘59 was held in very high

Mor-

and

esteem at the Academy and that they were honored to meet two members from that class. I’ve got to tell you that for one ofthe rare moments in my life, I was at a loss for words. These two young men were very sincere and we had a very nice discussion with them about what the Academy means and that they should cherish their four years in that great institution. At any rate, Steve and I felt particularlyproud to be fortunate enough to have been the recipients ofsuch a nice compliment to our class. That little encounter turned out to be the fondest memory of a truly memorable weekend.”

How about that! This was either an elaborate cadet prank (we’ve pulled a few of those among us) or a genuine expression of regard for the guys who started it all from the guys who have inherited the legacy. I vote for the latter interpretation.

Thoughtfor thequarter:Borrowmoneyfrom pessimists - theydon’t expect it back.

A.J. (Rosie) Cler, Jr. ggSjf

11181 West 17th Ave. (208) Lakewood, CO 80215-2759 (303) 238-4973, FAX: 237-7625

E-mail: rosie@genie.idt.net w lie)

Percent members: 100 ijff

Eureka! ‘99’s over. Fin de siecle. And not a moment too soon. For those who had a rough 20th century here on the Blue Marble, the millennium just cranked in a NEW one. A pox on those millenarian doom-mongers who said we’d slide back into primordialsludge after a millennial deluge ofbiblical proportions. Or be swallowed-up in a black hole, followed by some gigantic cosmic belch. Karen and I Y2Kocooned our millennopause in a krypton-lined bomb-shelter with somewhat cramped quarters four feet high, and about the size of a Tokyo “capsulehotel”. I can now almost stand erect, and regained most motor skills only regretting that we didn’t bring more Beano. Big MM rolled in without a major hitch, Russian nukes didn’t launch, the dollar didn’t droop, EgyptAir’s 767s flying into La Guardia didn’t smash into Central Park joggers, and the idyllic isle ofVanuatu still stands after a torrent of seawater so why does myVCR keep blinking 1200?

FALCON FOOTBALL. ForAFA atWashingtonSept. 18th, Jim and Bev O’ROURKE chartered a 54' Hatteras-class yacht “The Entertainer” for a cruise on Lakes Washington and Union in the Seattle Harbor. They boated and boozed three hours before game time and then ‘til 9 p.m. afterwards (doyen ofall tailgaters—Jim GLAZA —made a very wet bar), celebrating that huge win over the Huskies on a beautiful sunshiny day with calm and balmy waters. Including “significant others,” there were 49 at the bash, including classmates Dennis and Sandra O’KEEFE, Jim GLAZA and Jeannette Howes (her brother Mike captained the vessel), Chuck and Edie DIVER, George and Carolyn LUCK, Greg BOYINGTON and June Colgan, Tom and Carole SEEBODE, Nels and SueAnn DELISANTI, Deke and Sally JOHNSON, Andi BIANCUR and Carole Kramer. From '61: Gene and Annette HOPP, Jack and Linda TAYLOR; '62: Chuck and Charlotte LARSON and their two daughters; '63: Charles and Susan GEBHARDT.

‘60 Is First Class with 100% Membership

The Class of 1960 is the first class in the history of the AOG to have all living graduates as AOG members. Two anonymous members of the class made a generous donation to insure that the class wouldbe bonded bytotal membership throughout this year oftheir 40th reunion.

Enjoying the cruise to the Washington game, in the back row are Jim, Dennis, Chuck, George, Greg, and Tom. Infront are Nets, Deke,Andi, andJim.

Navy Oct. 9th Ralph and Darlene LALIME gathered a few elderly guys around their mini-motorhome the FleaMobile at Yankee Stadium: Jerry and Betty DE LA CRUZ, Tom and Mary Ellen BURKE, Tony and Karen BURSHNICK, George and BeckyFRIES and daughters Jennifer and Stephanie, Mike and NancyCLARKE, Bob and Lillian BADGER, Lorna Aldrich and John MACARTNEY, George PUPICH, RG HEAD and Carole Hoover, Jim GLAZA and Jeannette Howes.

FleaMobile and Friends: Mac, Mike, Jerry, Tony, RG, Ralph, Bob, and Tom. Army at AFA Nov. 6th Thirty-six of us gathered for dinner and mostly cocktails at the Springs’ Radisson after the 28-zip shellacking of those very Black Knights: Jim and Bev O’ROURKE, George and Carolyn LUCK, Bruce and Caryl MOSIER, Jack and Jeanne BRUSH, Wayne and Barb KENDALL, George and Diana PUPICH, Jock and Hope SCHWANK, Ann and Gordy FLYGARE, Rosie and Karen CLER, Andi BIANCUR and Carole Kramer, Jim GLAZA and Jeannette Howes, Tony and Carol BILELLO, Fred and MaryLou PORTER, Dick and Sharon SCHEHR, Pete ROE, Jim and Mary WADDLE, Ron and Connie YATES, Roy JOLLY, Denis and Liz WALSH. Music was (almost) provided by the Mutant Cretins, and Dr. W. Francis KENDALL from the U. ofArkansas lectured on “EarlySigns ofAlzheimer’s”(he even gave us a test)! “Killer” what a name for a doctor—also warned us about abusing Methanol, Estrogen, and Cantharis, while those pungent odors from Prozac, SAM-e, Viagra, and Preparation H wafted lazily above our collective wines. Lowlight of the evening was presentation of T-shirts to Rosie and Karen (my roommate-forlife thru thick, and in this case really thin) by PUPICH and YATES simply because we failed to attend that nighttime sub-zero (well below absolute zero in Celsius) football game held in a lashing blizzard (winds well over 200 knots) when AFA lost to Utah. (R: we missed one stupid little game. Now I know how Pierre the Bridge Builder felt!) So, a good time was had by most.

At New Mexico Nov. 27th For “extra credit” (and in an attempt to placate the Football Gods), Karen and I made the three thousand mile trek on foot from Denver to Albuquerque for this game which we lost, and for which we forfeited our entire Thanksgiving weekend with family. (R: are you guys listening—YATES and PUPICH?) Jim GLAZA and Jeannette and the SWEIGARTs attended. What a GREAT tailgate those New Mexico AOG guys throw!

UNLV Game Nov. 13th. In addition to all the “usual suspects” from the Springs’ area, Dave and Camille SWEIGART were there. Dave’s got a broken shoulder, and may need a shoulder replacement. He’s been a substitute teacher for a private elementary school in Albuquerque the last six years teaching Pre-K to 5th grade, sung with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra Chorus the last eight years, and after 16 years in New Mexico, he and Camille are moving to Marble Falls, TX this June. (No state income tax, and Lone Star beer’s cheap!)

What I Am Famous ForAward. Turn to page 117 in General Schwartzkopf s hardback edition of It Doesn’t Take A Hero: “We were surrounded...more than forty paratroopers had died and twice that number were seriously wounded. We radioed Pleiku and asked for medevac...’We can’t fly there. Too risky.’ But an Air Force pilot, Lt. Earl S. VANINWEGEN, heard about us that night in a Pleiku bar and volunteered for the job. We carried our wounded to the airstrip and waited. The instant his C-130 turboprop appeared, the enemy opened fire. I didn’t think VANINWEGEN and his three-man crew would make it. By the time the airplane touched down, it had been shot full of holes and was leaking hydraulic fluid...VANINWEGEN kept the props turning while we loaded the men on stretchers. Meanwhile the airstrip came under mortar attack. More people were hurt, and we threw them on the plane. VANINWEGEN sat in the cockpit, waiting patiently until I gave the signal. Then he turned the airplane around and took off over the same ridge, getting shot up some more. Even though the plane was seriouslydamaged, he bypassed Pleiku and tookthe wounded straight to Saigon, where

he knew they’d receive more sophisticated care. His flight was the most heroic act I’d ever seen.” (R:Van told me that he was a captain, not a lieutenant; in Saigon that night, not Pleiku; C-123, not a C-130; his crew received the DFC and a nice letter from the Defense Minister of South Vietnam; the plane had over 23 holes, radios were out, the VC mortared him on the runway and they couldn’t lower the cargo ramp. Schwartzkopfs troops andVan’s crew unloaded 10,000 pounds of ammo and onloaded over 50 stretchers. That very morning, Van had gotten a check ride, and the flight examiner wrote him up for: “Exhibiting Dangerous Tendencies”.)

Richard Raymond (Dick) SEXTON (Judo Club 3) moved from Ft. Washington, MD with wife, Sally, in April ’99. “When I retired (the first time), I was XO at DIA. Went into real estate sales, back to school and got a paralegal certificate, working for lawyers as a free-lance independent contractor, then opened a paralegal service. Also served as a tenant advocate for the Public Justice Center which represented indigents in court. After the girls went off to college Helen to Averett College, andAnn to Cabrini—Sally went back to work. Our oldest daughter, Helen, got married and moved to NewYork State, where husband, Rick, is a prison guard in Auburn. We now have a grandson, Richard (2). Ouryoungest daughter, Ann, got married in Oct. '98, and her husband, Phil, is a computer programmer. Upon retiring (the second time), Chris WARACK found us a lot in Gleneagle with an unobstructed view ofthe Academy and Pike’s Peak. New address will be 14980 Pristine Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921, starting April 2000. Sally now works at the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, and I’m at the El Paso County D.A.’s Office as a domestic violence advocate for victims of abuse and neglected children.”

Bill CURRIER’s living on both ends ofthe eastern seaboard: “I remarried in 1984 and now have two children with my second wife, Irma Jeanne. Marta is 17 and Megan 14. We started off in Syracuse and then lived in the Shenandoah Valley of

Class of 1960 - 40th Reunion

USAFA vs. Navy

4-8 October 2000

Virginia from 1986-90. My son Miles followed us there and ended up staying. Irma and I moved to Columbia, SC, in 1990, where I teach math at Midlands Technical College, and she teaches Early Childhood Education at the U. of South Carolina. We go north to stay at Burr Pond, VT every summer. My youngest daughter, Auburn, is living in the Northeast Kingdom with her husband and my new grandson, Gabriel. Oldest daughter, Tonya, lives here in Columbia and teaches at the USC School of Music she sings opera (R: listen up, ODENWELLER), and we’ve had the opportunity to hear her often. The photo shows our spot on the airpark, so I fly out ofmy own backyard in my 1959 ChampionTaildragger.”(They’ll be at the 40th.)

Potpourri. Re: p.55, Checkpoints, Feb ‘99 Who’s the ATO? Who’s The Cadet? Pete KING e-mailed that “it’s Ken HAZEN, who lived just down the hall from me at the Academy”...Jim WADDLE’s unhinged himself from the clutches of nepotism, having formerly been G.M. of Johnson Plumbing Company in the Springs (owned by his son-in-law), and is now state new membership coordinator for the Gideon Ministry— next time you check into a Holiday or Ramada (registering as Mr. Smith or Mr. Jones), that bible on your nightstandjust mighthave been placed there by a Duck...Dean BRISTOW wrote that he “now has matching shoulder joints and, I’ll soon get a third joint somewhere.”(R: I’m absolutely NOT going there)...Norm and Liz HALLER will soon be grandparents again, bringing their total to 14...Phil MEINHARDT and Grace Cervin had a housewarming party for their new home in Vegas the first week of November...Bob and Jane ODENWELLER spent 18 days in China last Aug/Sep, then a week in Vancouver (Bob’s chairman of the ATA), on to Rome to hear daughter Liesl sing her debut as the lead in LaTraviata, then Jane was 10 days in Venice... Thomas Edward BURKE (Geography Club 4,3,2) not only continues in his consulting business at TEB Associates in Springfield, VA but has added editor to his accomplishments he performs that role for Aviation Economist, a London magazine which publishes future values of all existing commercialjets... Last issue’s Trivia-60 question: “Which classmate won theTennessee state championship for the half-mile in 1956?” A: RonaldWilburnYATES, who’s still running...Does anyone have an address for our good friend and classmate Bernie LEVINE?

Presidential Race 2000. Both being of almost sound mind, Ron YATES for Prez (“Hey—there’s no heavy lifting involved”) and Tony BURSHNICK for Veep (“I’m not just another vote-grabbing pol”) are off and running under the Cocktail Party banner. Both are surrounded by a virtual asteroid belt of orbiting pollsters, and initial surveys from their focus groups reveal an early lead in North Dakota. Their platform will be announced “real soon,” and attendance at party rallies has been buoyed by Ron’s movieland-like megawatt smile, and the rise of Tony’s new rap album. Campaign Chairman Gerry GAMMILL states that “we’re now using ‘viral marketing’ on the Internet talk to us at dubya.dubya. dubya. vote4us @ronnie.tonEE.com)."Fasten your seatbelts, cause these guys are gonna “kick the tires and light the fires.” (R: pony-up your “soft money” checks to ME.) Bye.

Earl N. “Nelson” O’Rear

50582 Stonington Drive

Granger, IN 46530-8243

Home: (219) 273-2597

E-mail: ENOandTJO@worldnet.att.net mr

Class Web Site: http://www.usafa61.org/

Percent members: 83

As I write this article from our new home in Indiana, snow is gently falling outside and preparations are well underway for a festive and happy holiday season with my mother-in-law and two of our children’s families. A wonderftil white Christmas seems to be readying itself.

Several have recommended the movie “Return with Honor” as being well worth the effort to see. “Tom Hanks introduces the version showing in the theaters, composed of NVA archival footage of their own operations, mixed with interviews of surviving POWs. It was much like Private Ryan; when the movie was over, people just sat quietlyfor a fewminutes and then stood and applauded. HaydenLOCKHART was evident in the movie, as well as several other grads close to our class.” Mark ANDERSON added that Dick COPPOCK, as the President/CEO of our Association of Graduates, was instrumental in getting the movie made. Well done, Dick! USAFA’s football season provided a good excuse for many of our classmates, family, and friends to gather around the country to enjoy each other, as well as the games in most cases. John and Joan KOHOUT hosted a great one after our win over USNA. Unfortunately, yours truly did not document the attendees then since we were in the process of moving to Indiana. Poor excuse, but since I don’t want to slight anyone by forgetting to include them in the list of attendees, let me just say that a LOT ofpeople attended, some who we don’t often see, as well as several from out ofthe local D.C. area. We truly have a wonderful group to enjoy. (Is that because ofus, or because we were clever enough to share our lives with wonderful partners? I vote for both although in my case, I have to admit to it being my partner.)

By the way, the POOLEs’ GrayTag Red Neck Riviera Reunion at Gulf Shores, FL, was reported to have been a great success. Who would have thought otherwise? Grand time had by the Pooles, CAIRNSes, GILLs, GRACES, HOPPs, HOURINs, NEGRONIs, SKILLINGs, WAGNERs, WESTBROOKs, and ZOMPAs. All behaved. (What prompted that statement?)

Speaking ofgettingtogether, our Class SecretaryTom ELLER said that at the call ofTerrySTORM, an ad hoc committee composed ofCharlie NEEL, Mike QUINLAN, Jim ULM, Terry, and he met (absent Charlie, who was out of town) to begin plan

ning our class’ 40th reunion. At their second meeting, on December 20th after considering the mixed results of what classmates had told them they decided that our 40th reunion will be during the weekend ofUSAFA’s second home football game in the year 2001. Right now, the opponent is not set since the schedule is not yet known; however, it will be on the second or third weekend in September. Stay tuned.

Jack BRIGHT moved to Missouri last August and now lives in Pineville population 500. His brother made him an offer he couldn’t refuse—have fun and get paid for it! They set up a thriving business on e-Bay auction, and they can now go fishing together if Jack ever finds the time since he is working seven days a week! Jack said that he is having the time ofhis life doing something so new and interesting, as well as a real challenge, and that he sometimes wonders what he did to deserve this.

Doug CAIRNS said that he hasn’t seen Johnny PAYNE for decades, but he ran into his brother Rod. Rod says John is doing well, still running marathons, still in the furniture business in Lucedale, MS, and that he is consideringmoving to Montgomery. The POOLEs, WESTBROOKs, and Cairnses are hopingthings work out so that he joins them there.

Paul DEAN reports that the choir in which he sings, from Plymouth Park Methodist church in Irving, TX, sang with four other choirs at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, Nov. 29th. They sang Bach’s Magnificat, and he said it wasn’t easy for someone as musicallychallenged as he. He says that ifyou ever happen to be there for one of their performances, just look for the old bald guy in the middle of the top row!

In November, Bill and Theda FOSTER spent two weeks touring Argentina. In Buenos Aires, they visited an estancia, took tango lessons, and toured this Paris in South America. Bill fulfilled a boyhood dream with a flight to Tierra del Fuego to see the penquinos. They stayed in the southernmost city in the world, “Fin del Mundo,” and practiced the Spanish first “mastered” at theAcademy. Further north, they saw the majestic Iguazu Falls, site of the movie “The Mission.” They did not try to go over the falls, but did take the boat ride into the mist.

Lowell JONES passed along that PB and Mer O’CONNOR went to Myrtle Beach while he and Sandy were there, and they enjoyed a good talk and lunch together. PB was acting mayor during hurricane Floyd since the mayor was out of town (good planning), so he was quite busy.

Lee MCCLESKEY says that it is a long story, but he now works as the director of Safety & Training in the physical plant at Texas A&M (the 1,200+ folks who keep the physical facilities operating). He was in limbo for a while in the fall after differing with one ofthe leaders there in September over integrity. The short version is that Lee stood up for integrity, and his position prevailed after several months. The Human Resources folks worked hard at finding him a suitable position, the place where he is now, and Lee thinks that he is going to reallylike it—once he figures out what he’s supposed to be doing. I’m not sure why some have such problems when we maintain our integrity, but I’ve heard several similar stories. Not all ended this well, but as Bud MCCOLLUM points out below, our values are sound.

Bud MCCOLLUM passes along that he feels that he has been very remiss in staying in touch with the Academy and especially valued friends/classmates. As an update, after the Academy and marrying Carolyn, he spent six years flying F101s and then the L-19 in Vietnam. He resigned and attended medical school in New Mexico followed by residency and fellowship in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology in San Diego. He then practiced in Carlsbad, NM, retiring in June 1998 and has since spent a lot of time traveling and getting to know their grandchildren, as well as their two sons. Now he has more time to think and remember. “I think every opened door and every success that I’ve had dates to my training at USAFA. The instilled honor, discipline, and work ethic learned there have helped me in everything I’ve done. So, thanks to everyone from then. I still have Carolyn, and life is almost too good to believe!”

HectorAndres NEGRONI is still employed withAlliedSignal, which will be known as Honeywell. (You’ll have to ask Hector about that. Who signs his paychecks?) He says that he still enjoys working, and retirement is really not in sight.. .yet. He still is very involved in the genealogical study of his family. Did you know that Ricky Martin is his cousin? (Who’s Ricky Martin? Doesn’t he have hair? Just kidding. He's Hector’s cousin.) Joan says that although the people in Huntsville are very friendly and hospitable, she still misses D.C. They have been traveling a lot and recently bought a condo in Naples, FL. Sounds as if they enjoy the warm weather. They are keepingquitebusyand seeing their granddaughter everychance they get. As Joan noted, grandchildren are becoming quite important in most of our lives now.

Charlie and Lynda NEEL have also been traveling a lot this year, business trips combined with a little personal time making their crazy schedule worthwhile. While on a business trip to Vandenberg AFB, they spent a great evening with Vic and Diane BOUQUET, dining, checking out the local wine, and catching up on family news.

Tom WILSON said that he had a good visit with Mike and Susan QUINLAN on the Friday after Thanksgiving. They were in the Twin Cities visiting Susan’s “little” sister. They got together for a very enjoyable lunch. Not much new with the Wilsons. Tom says that he’s still working but at a somewhat easier pace. It’s really pretty enjoyable so no reason to quit for a few more years. Besides, he needs some place to go every day to stay out ofJudy’s way! Plus, he’s got to learn more abouthis ‘“stupid” computer. (I still have a difficult time envisioning a southerner like Tom living in Minnesota.)

Tidbits: A couple of you have told me that Brice JONES’ wife, Susan, held a surprise black-tie 60th birthday party for him. I’m not sure what the threat was, but no details were forthcoming. Hope it was a great one, Brice. I really can’t imagine otherwise. You’ve been very generous, so you certainly deserve it. The SCOTTs, STORMs, and BOEDEKERs got together for dinner before the USAFANew Mexico football game. Scottyperiodically sends me e-mail, and it sounds as ifhe is staying very busy, but not so much that he doesn’t hit the golf course occasionally. That’s the way it should be the golf, that is. Speaking of golf, Darrell KOERNER and I have had to postpone some of our matches. There is absolutely

no truth to the rumor that the reason we moved from Virginia was that I was having a difficult time coming up with enough money to buy him the Cokes that he won on the course each time.

One of our classmates passed on his recent health experience to increase our awareness ofpotential problems, as well as to advise us to all slow down and enjoy each day. He noted that we tend to focus on cholesterol as the culprit in cardiovascular disease studies show that when cholesterol is below 150, coronary blockages are rare. In the pastyear he lowered his to 146 from his normal 160-180 range and really felt good. Therefore, he was surprised to experience chest pain while exercising. A stress test led to an angioplasty and a stent for 95 percent blockage of one major artery. All the other arteries looked “clean and smooth.” His cardiologist said gender, genetics, and age are the major factors. He doesn’t know why this blockage occurred but said it could have been an infection. Regular exercise helps, as well as making life more enjoyable. Fortunately, his story has a happy ending. He is now fine. Thanks for sharing.

A few ofyou have told me that you thought you had sent me a change of e-mail address, but you hadn’t received any GTN e-mail since (i.e., I hadn’t made the change) .I’m not sure exactly what has happened. Ifyou have sent me a change, and I haven’t acknowledged it, please send it again until I do. That way we should make sure that the loop is closed. Perseverance pays.

I hope that the Y2K bug didn’t foul up any ofthe above. If mistakes appear, rest assured that is what must have happened. (What will we be able to blame next?)

Markyour calendars for September 2001. Let’s have a big turnout. See you there!

John W. “Jack” Jamba

4 Judy Court

Satellite Beach, FL 32937

Home: (407) 777-5520

Office: (407) 861-3519

E-Mail: jwjamba@aol.com

Percent members: 71

Hi Redtags!

It’s December 19th and the Space Shuttle took offfor the Hubble SpaceTelescope servicing mission just an hour ago. It was good that NASA got it off in 1999. That launch adds more satisfaction for me for being a United Space Alliance employee.

I‘ve gotten a few holiday newsletters already. So I’ll start offwith them.

Dave and Fran LEE have been on several trips again visiting family and friends, and doing some business. He starts a six-month sabbatical from the University of Dayton at the end of this semester. After the sabbatical, he will return to the Universify ofAugsburg for a five-week stay. (I presume he will be teachingagain, since he wrote last year that he had been invited back.) Fran has discovered the wonderful world of e-mail. She can be found in front of the monitor more often than not. They have a new grandsonTyler John, courtesy ofKelly and Dean. Kelly is an assistant principal at a Jr. High and Dean is still facing the challenges as a manager at Lexis-Nexis. David II is still cheering on the Buffalo Bills in Dayton. (That seems like a relatively safe place to cheer the Bills.) And John relocated to Orlando recently from Denver. Thanks Lees for the updates.

Charlie and MaryJo PRICE sent greetings fromValdosta, GAjust up the road 200 miles from me. EvidendyMaryJo didn’t have a hole-in-one this year. That’s great for Charlie’s game...and piece ofmind. They have continued to care for MaryJo’s parents and enjoy it. They continue to play golf every chance they get, as long as the body is willing. (I’m waiting for LA-Z-BOY to develop a reclining chair that will flip you onto your feet when you are finished with a nap.) Their bulldog Maxine sounds interesting. “She entertains not only the two of us, but anyone else who dares make eye contact with her. Even in the car she can flash a toothy grin at the driver in the next lane that completely disarms them.” Weyerhauser recently bought Charlie’s parent company, Trus Joist MacMillan. They are assuming that no negative changes will occur. Once again, they invite Redtags to come over and play a round of golf.

And this came in fromTom RAUSCH, byway ofe-mail. His daughter Susie passed her final oral exams for a law degree in Germany. “It is a long, tough course. Four years of university-level courses, a written exam, an oral exam, two years of internship, and then another written and oral exam. Needless to say we are very proud of her, especially since she went to Kindergarten through 12th grade and never took a German language course.”

And we share your pride, Tom. Congratulations to Susie.

I got this from George HARRISON. “As an input for the column, we just had a Moody AFB Class 64A reunion here in Atlanta on Sept. 23-24. The Redtags who made it were Jerry DANIEL, Bunky REEVES, Fritz HENDRYX, Ralph CONLAN, and ME. This was our first gathering since we graduated in Aug. 1963. Bunky Reeves agreed to set up the next gathering in about a year in Florida. We hope to expand the group to include those who started with us but did not graduate so we’ll be asking for help to find the lost souls. I know, Jack. You’re part ofthat crowd. Interested? On a personal note, all is well in Atlanta. GeorgiaTech is a good place to be and since AFA is never on the football schedule, divided loyalty is no problem. Come byAtlanta and call ifyou get a chance.” Thanks, George, for the news. I’ll be in Adanta in June and will call.

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY!

YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED.

CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

Got a Christmas newsletter from Fred and Helen HENDRYX. They have decorated the house for Christmas, have all their shopping done, presents wrapped and under the tree. (That just irritates me. I don’t even have my shopping list ready yet and they’re done with it all. I hope your address labels fall offin the car trunk.) Fred mentioned that the reunion referred to in George’s letter above was a great time. After Christmas, they are heading for Roanoke then on to Melbourne for a three-month stay. He is planning a mini reunion here in the local area for the local Redtags and for the pilot training class. He has been chatting with Colin RICHARDSON and Tom YOUNG on the Internet and planning a fishing trip and maybe another hog hunt. Helen and Fred will be looking for a condo here. She wants beachside and Fred wants river or canal for fishing. I’ll let you know who wins. (Maybe they can setde on the “Abilene Solution” and pick a place halfway between the ocean and the river - smack dab in the middle of the community with no water for miles.) Caroline and I are looking forward to seeing you again. I was instant messaging with Gail Peck and he relayed the following. He was invited to attend a presentation for alumni of the National War College. He and Peggy flew down to Glendale, AZ in his Cessna and spent the night. The presentation was held at Luke AFB. Gail says “Roy STAFFORD has a PhD and is on the staff at NWC as a NATO specialist and expert. He gave a great talk to the alumni from NWC and other places and answered questions like a whiz. Made me proud. He was the best ofthe five presenters.” On Oct. 16th, Bob FELTS, Jim GALLAGHER, Gail PECK and Sam DEHNE gathered at Andy BANFORD’s Captain John’s Restaurant in Lake Tahoe and had another mini-reunion. It was prompted by Gail’s attendance at a homeowners conference. They sang some more songs again and had a good time. They did have a camera this time and posed for the accompanyingpicture. AJ’s (that’s what people in Lake Tahoe call Andy now.) restaurant is famous around Lake Tahoe as an excellent gourmet restaurant and is situated on the lakeshore. An old boathouse has been converted to a bar. That’s where they took the picture, wouldn’t you know. Thanks to Bob Felts for the picture and news.

On a personal note, the family witnessed my daughter Lisa receiving her Master ofArts in Education degree in Student Personnel in HigherEducation at Gainesville, FL last Saturday. Her dissertation was in the area of college students and credit cards. Her faculty advisers recommended that she incorporate herself and also publish her work in the trade journals. She has an offer of a grant to extend the study results at her university as a consultant. Neat! We are proud ofher. I was sitting here wondering how I was going to fill in the last page of my column when the mail arrived. Here is a newsletter from Stan and MaryAnne PATRIE. ‘It’s official. As of Sept. 1 st Stan became a retired person. His last flight was on August 15th from San Francisco to Charlotte. It was a wonderful and very special flight, and I’m really happy that I got to share it with him. After the landing, very smooth of course, as he was taxiing to the gate, two fire trucks saluted the plane with towers of water, then we were greeted by family and friends at the gate and adjourned to a nearby restaurant to celebrate. His crew was wonderful, taking photos of the entire last flight and treating Stan as a VIP. The next day was his birthday, and then on the following day, our son Greg and his wife, Lisa, had their first baby, a girl”. That was an exciting week for them. They moved into their almost-completed house on June 18th and spent most of the summer unpacking and waiting forvarious construction types to finish up. Stanjoined a hiking group and is getting to know the Smokies and surrounding areas. They wish everyone blessings and good cheer. Thanks for the updates. Hope to see you soon. Got a newsletter from Gary and Jeannie BAUGHMAN. They are into the seventh year oftheir marriage. “At our age, the ‘seven year itch’ is onlygoing to be a patch of psoriasis.” They finished Jeannie’s big dream, a screened porch overlooking their beautiful back yard. Garycompleted his dream also: a finished basement with a kitchen, bath, bedroom, rec room, a home office and a model shop. Gary also laid a brick patio under a deck that runs along the width of the house. They rented a Bobcat to do the excavating and grading for the bricks. Jeannie could zip around on it with no problem. Garytipped it over once. Jeannie sounds like a candidate for a tank driver. Gary still plays senior tennis with two teams and was on the city championship team and also the state championship team. The state team came in third in the Southeastern Region finals. That a way to stay in shape. Gary and Jeannie, thanks for the updates.

And now I have some words about the Redtag Net. Our class web site has a new address: RtbGeneral@Redtags.Org. It gets a lot of traffic that can overload some e-mail systems. After some complaints from classmates, Owen HAWKINS has

created anotheraddress forimportant announcements: RTBAnnounce @Redtags.Org. It should only be used for significant announcements ofgeneral interest to the class and not for blathering back and forth between a few classmates. I think Colin RICHARDSON has established an additional web site for the class blatherers. The dual system was running smoothly until someone sent an e-mail inadvertently on theAnnounce channel and started a stringofone-to-one replies thathad lots ofpeople in an uproar. After a series of insults and jabs, the climate has quieted down again. Sign on to the site to exchange e-mail with your classmates.

Until next time, be good. I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Please keep the letters, postcards, and emails coming. Go Redtags!

Norman I. Lee III

17532 N.E. 38th Court

Redmond, WA 98052

W: (425)237-6004 H: (425)882-0968

E-mail:54wrs@msn.com

Work e-mail: norman.i.lee@boeing.com

Fax: (425) 237-5775

Percent members: 76

Lots of good inputs this time. I hope you enjoy the contributors speaking for themselves. When forced to paraphrase a letter or e-mail, I always get the feeling some of the meaning goes by the board.

Know you can’t wait for Paul VERDIER’s report on the mini-reunion during the Army Game. As promised, Paul writes: “We had a great mini-reunion on Saturday as the Falcons won the Commander-In-Chiefs trophy for the ninth time in the decade of the ‘90s! Attendee’s were Bill BALL, limmie BUTLER, Drue DEBERRY, Bob DONOVAN, GregFOX, Jim GASTON, Doug HARDGRAVE, Jim HAUSER, Bob HAYES, John HELINSKI, JJ KENNEDY, Joe SCHUCHTER, Bill SIMPSON, StinkySTEINBRINK, and me. Withwives, familyand friends, we had about30 happy, good-lookingpeople! After the game, we reconvened at Doolittle Hallwhere we honored our fallen classmate Rusty TURNER before enjoying fellowship and a Mexican buffet. Bill BALL gave a tremendous eulogy, which included a review of ‘63’s role in providing the outfitting for the executive director’s office and some wonderful memories of our class; Stinky gave a personal glimpse of Rusty, post-AF as an airline pilot. Jimmie led us in the ceremony what a fantastic class we have and what an experience. I’ll send pictures as soon as I have them. Of course, I left my camera at home!” Beats having and using a camera with no film in it been there.

Before going any further I would like to say the Internet really improves communication with one anothe and in many ways small services are performed by our classmates thatwould otherwise be available to us. On several occasions these past few months some of you warned me to be on the lookout for computer viruses thatwould otherwise remain unknown and entertained me with some pretty interesting political positions not many liberals around as Jim WEAVER points out below. By the time you get this note, theY2K virus will have done its thing and in ways we don’t even suspect. Lately in Seattle, a large number of December 1999 power bills were sent out with a payment due date of January 1900.

You may already be aware of the following but just in case. Jock Schwank AOG vice president, Services, sent out the following ad: “I am pleased to announce that the AOG merchandise site is now operational through the AOG Web Page: www.aog-usafa.org. Select ‘Merchandise’ from the left frame. When you get to the merchandise page, you can click on the item name for an enlarged view of any item. For the many folks who have been asking about the ’99 holiday ornament [I’m a little late here], the web site is a great way to view the ornament and to order it.” Of course I had to try the new site out and found the video Return With Honor presented by Tom Hanks. Ordered two copies.

As previously mentioned, I get to see lots of political positions from you guys but interestingly, there have been litde or no comment on the World Trade Organization (WTO) fiasco in Decemberwhen downtown Seattle turned into a battleground. Luckily no one was really hurt. Ifyou are interested in myviewpointjust let me know. Indulge me a moment but it seems there is a national organization, a sortof“Protests-are-Us”business, which hires folks with little to do but go around to various places and conduct protests. In this case, they used capitalism to protest against capitalism. It appears these folks are also very adept at creating seenarios that can easily erupt into police violence and some very “visible” property damage. By visible I mean Starbucks Coffee or Nordstrom. Unfortunately, as the world’s newspapers and national news point out, a city such as Seattle, with some relatively naive political and police leadership, is easy prey for these folks.

Again, on the subject of politics, Jim WEAVER provided an insight into the political thoughts of the American Military Officer Corps. Jim described an article from the San Antonio Express News as interesting, if not very surprising. The title was “Poll Finds Officers are Conservatives”. No kidding. Bits and pieces of the article include: “High-ranking military officers identifying themselves as Republicans outnumbered Democrats 8-1 in an academic survey.” The study also said. “They [officers] also were far more conservative than mainstream American society.” Again, no kidding. The article did say about 27 percent of the officers claimed independence or no preference. That’s me! I don’t like politicians regardless of their party. They all want my money.

Ed PICKENS writes he will be going back to France next year (2000) to continue his study ofFrench with another “homestay”. Looks like the month-long stay last year just whetted his appetite. Ed and Caroline are also planning a trip to Madagascar and South Africa to visit son Mark who is a Peace Corps volunteer there. Maybe we can entice them to give us a trip report?

Jack and JoAnn MCTASNEY wrote a note this December describing all their skiing, backpacking, jazz concerts, hauling motorcycles to Sturgis, SD and their grandchildren’s activities. I’m glad I go to work everyday ifthat is what retirement will be like even the thought exhausts me. Although in another context, Jack and JoAnn mentioned the book Snow Falling on Cedars. If you haven’t read the book, it comes highly recommended. Also, the movie will be out in December.

Nice letter from Larry HOFFMAN enclosing a photograph of Gramps and his gorgeous, too-young-to-be-a-grandmother, bride (Cheryl) and their first grandchild Robert Andrew Homer. Careful Larry, the next thing you know young ‘Drew” will be trying to swallow that big ring on your finger. What Class are we talking about Larry? 2022?

A repeat: with the help of Bill WECKER, your AOG implemented an e-mail forwarding system that you can use to communicate with other graduates. We call it “AOG-mail”. You can use AOG-mail to send an e-mail message to an individual graduate or to groups of graduates such as to an entire class. To investigate or to use AOG-mail, log in at the address: http://www.aog-usafa.org/Aog-mail.htm. If you encounter a problem with this new system, please notify Bill (bill@wecker.com). I’ve been there and if you haven’t tried it out please do. A search for members ofthe Class in 15th Squadron came up with a number offolks who were not in 15th at graduation seems that we need to get out there and correct the database inputs. Also you will find the Online Biographical Information form for input to the RegisterofGraduates. This page is put together by Tom FRYER’S son Wesley, Class of’92.

Bob Mazet, Bill Wecker and Ed Reisdorfcelebrate the dawn ofY2K in Cabo San Lucas over the holidays.

Speaking ofTom Fryer, I was cc’d on an e-mail in early November, from Norm SCHULZE to Tom that gave us an update on Norm’s doings. Norm says he is “... only about 20 years late getting into this cyberthing. I avoided it as long as I could but since my son Eric teaches computer software, he decided that it was time that I got started. I’m having fun but it sure can get complicated when the darn machine decides to have a mind ofit’s own. I would love to play a round of golfwith you. It is still the only thing I can do well. I retired over two years ago and stay busyratinggolf courses for the Georgia State GolfAssoc. I’m also one ofthe directors for the PGA BellSouth Classic in Adanta. I don’t know how the weather is in Kansas but here in North Carolina on the beach it’s sunny and 72 degrees. I’m sure I’m about the last one in the class that has a computer but I will try to catch up. I’lltrytocopythistoNormLeejusttolethimknowlexist. Go Falcons. Stormin’ Norman.” Ifyou need e-mail addresses for Norm or Howard KRAYE, let me know and I will provide them. My sincere thanks go out to Tom for all his contributions to this article over the years.

Also back in October Larry MCLAUGHLIN sent an e-mail providing a short update on his trip to visitTerry and Judy BOSWELL and at the same time complained that retirement has him too busy. Anyway, according to Larry, Terry and Judy picked him and Jeanne up at the Singapore airport and they all had a greatvisit— I told you it was a short report. Larry did add that he and Jeanne helped Judy teach Vacation Bible School at their church. Could that be a first fly 12,000 miles to teach VBS?

In a John NEHRING e-mail from John says his work has slacked off considerably, so he decided to take an eight-weektrip to Bolivia, byway ofPeru leaving for Lima Oct. 17 and returning to Atlanta Dec. 12th John adds: “Lord willing. As I'm able, I’ll occasionally post reports of my experiences in the third world from jnehring@ekno.com.” Since John has really been into the Y2K issues, I think John should have stayed beyond the NewYear.

That’s it for this time. Let’s hope we all make it safely through the New Year holiday without too many traumas from Y2K. I am also a little frustrated at the lack of an Air Force Bowl Game on the tube. We will be celebrating new millennium (actually, that’s January 1, 2001 for all you purists) with some grilled steaks, champagne and early to bed. Linda and I surely want to wish everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous NewYear!

206 Walker Ave.

Huntsville, AL 35801

H (AL): (256) 532-3923/H (TX): (254) 759-0688

0 (TX): (254) 867-7092/ Fax: (254) 867-4137 bhovde@sofia.waco.usra.edu or

bandshovde@earthlink net

Percent Members: 74

$4

wNOTE: We have a new e-mail address at home. Sandy finally decided that AOL was more trouble than it was worth, so we’re trying the USAA-Sprint connection. More about e-mail addresses later.

Reunion: The reunion, including the sound drubbing ofArmy (one more botde of Scotch from my Army friend!), was a complete success. The reunion committee, led by outgoing president Jerry BUTLER, did a great job of setting everything up so the rest of us just had to meet, greet, tell tales and have fun. Jerry said to extend special thanks to all the classmates and their wives who helped with setting up tours, golf, memorial service, etc. (The AOG staff also did an outstanding job of supporting the entire reunion. Without them, we would have needed a lot more “volunteers” working instead of participating.) Sandy and I had a wonderful time. Ifyou didn’t get to the reunion, I’m sorry, you missed a great time. As someone said, it’s the only event where it’s like going home. You don’t have to establish who you are or who your brother isyou just ARE.

Photos: Pictures from the reunion are interspersed in the article. More can be found on the web page set up by Wally WOLNIEWICZ’ son Richard (www.wolniewicz,com)

a reunion golf tournament on the Academy Blue Course. While the “scrambled” competition was enjoyed by all, a few teams and individuals rose to the occasion.

A threesome consisting of Darryl BLOODWORTH, Terry ISAACSON, and Fred OLMSTEAD won low gross with a seven under par 65, followed closelyby the team ofMike GALBREATH, Bill SKAER, andWardWELCH with a 66. The handicap competition was won bythe team ofBob CLEMENTS, Paul FRASER, and KarlWIDMYER with a net 65, followed by two teams with net 67s (GREEN, KING, and MURRAY and ROBERTS,WELCH, andWHITE). In the individual competitions, Jim INGRAM wowed the group with the long drive on the 16th hole, but not as much as John LORBER with the short drive on the same hole. Jack SWEENEY won the long putt competition, while Jerry KING was the only multiple winner, taking the honors for the closest to the hole on the par-three seventh. However, when a bunch ofold classmates can play a round of golftogether - nobody is a loser!”

12th Squadron attendees - no record, but more than ever!

Class Officers: D.J. ALBERTS, who also did the banquet, is our new class president. Rod WELLS is the vice president.WallyWOLNIEWICZ keeps his position as secretary/treasurer (since we wouldn’t know how to put on a good reunion without him). Due to manyvolunteers and an acceptingmembership (tired ofvoting, wanting to get back to their fascinating conversations?), we now have four class historians - Matt FEIERTAG, Bill DICKEY, Usto SCHULZ and Ron HULTING. One of the first things they want to do is compile a good Class of ’64 e-mail list. Then they will begin contacting classmates for input (that’s computer talk for “opinion”) on what they want to see in a class history. Then they will contact everyone to get their personal input (that’s computer talk for “information”). Ifyou haven’t e-mailed lately, send news to me and I’ll get your e-mail address to Matt.

Jon PRENEZ at his 60th birthday party - and he still has more hair than most!

At the Reunion: An e-mail from Tony COVAIS tells about a special experiencethe type that can’t be planned for. Tony relates, “The significance of this special experience is that each of us individually and our class collectively can have a wonderful influence on the youth of our country. I have to build the situation so bear with me. My daughter Candi’s best friend in high school in Rome, NY was Mary Hayes, daughter of Bob HAYES (Class of ’63). Barb and I ran into Bob at the BXand gotMary’sphone number.We tried to get in touchwithMary, but we missed each other.

‘Fast forward to second quarter when Army still thought there was some hope. From behind me I heard a shout ‘Tony Covais’. I stood to see who called and I was elated to see Mary coming down the steps. Mary was followed by a handsome young man. Bob had told us that Mary now has a ‘steady boy friend’ and that they were serious. So I stomped across Bernie COONEY and Glen COLEMAN to get out to Mary. I hugged her then stuck my hand out and introduced myself to Mary’s boy friend. Only he wasn’t! He had heard my name called and recognized it. So he followed Mary to me.

‘Nowforthe story. ‘I’m John Hillyer.When I was a cadet you gave me an orientation ride in aT-33 in Hawaii. Since then I graduated. You said I would be a fighter pilot because I refused to get sick. So I flew F-16s. Now I’m in the Guard flying F15s.’ John told me details of that day that I had long forgotten. John dialed his fathers phone number on a cell phone and handed it to me. I left a short message for Chief Hillyer at Hickam telling him how proud I am of his son.

“I felt such a surge of pride and joy that I could relate to our classmates who have had their sons and daughters graduate. (I proudly commissioned my oldest daughter in 1987.) I am reallyproud ofJohn’s success that he has achieved in the service of our country. It was another great moment for me.”

Other Information From the Reunion: Some of the things learned at the reunion: Tim and MollyWESTOVER live in Toronto, where he is president of Litton Systems Canada. Jeffand Gretchen JOHNSON live in Kansas City, where they deal in commercial real estate and venture capital deals. John and Sally HOFFMAN are in Tucson, where John is training Lear pilots. Ed HARVEY works on the Boeing Space-Based Laser. Dave O’BRIEN is working on a project in Alaska on seismology sensors and a radioactive power supply. PatTUFFYworks for QuestTelecomm. Bob HALEYworks for Sprint, soon to beWorldCom. (Soon, we’ll just have one telephone company again and we’ll call it “AT&I - AmericanTelephone and Internet”) Paul FRASER was up from Mexico City where he is a lawyer.

Our new president, D. J. Alberts, and wife, Bobbie - and Lee Downer.

Class Gift: Jay KELLEY is leading the class gift committee. This means that you should have heard from him by now. Yes, he wants donations.

Correction: Last time, I said that Nick LACEY was at the FAA inWashington, DC. At the reunion, Nick said that it must be an imposter by the same name, because he’s still living in Georgia, working his farm and running the local emergency (911) center. [Sorry! I have sources, but I never claimed they were reliable!]

Reunion GolfTournament: John BOLES reported: “On a beautiful spring day in November, 44 members ofthe Class of ‘64, five spouses, and a friend competed in

A1 ROGERS is vice president of American Management Systems in Fairfax, VA. Bob THOMAS is going to CU law school and will graduate in May - and will practice in Denver. TerryFLOWER is a professor ofphysics at the College ofStCatherine, MN, (“My governor can beat your governor!”) and has a horse farm. Jerry FELIX flies for United Airlines (he was in the middle oftransition to the Airbus) and lives in Williamsburg, VA. Jim RENSCHEN also flies - for US Airways. John MURRAY flies for American Airlines out of Miami, but lives in Marrietta, GA. Tony COVAIS lives on Amelia Island, FL, and invites everyone to stay at his house. Dave NEAL is still trying to make the world safe for DynaGro (orchid food). Jon PRENEZ lives in Rancho Murieta, CA, and teaches at the Univ. ofPhoenix. He was totally surprised by a 60th birthday party that Judy threw in the lobby of the hotel Saturday night. (The stay-up-late crowd had a good time!) Ed MECHENBIER, besides flying C141s with the Guard, works for SAIC in Dayton. (Ed reported that Kevin MCMANUS couldn’t make it to the reunion because he was having problems with a hip replacement. Kevin, by the time you read this, we hope all is well!) A1 Campbell flies for DHLWorldwide Express and lives in Cordova, TN. Jim EVATT is executive vice president of the Boeing Space & Communications Group in Seal Beach, CA

John and Marilyn Wiles and Ed and Sharen Rossnagel at the banquet.

Jerry BUDINOFF still is working on health care computer systems (STM Technology, Inc.) in Maynard, MA (Candy moved him out of the house into a real office, finally.) A1 MCARTOR is president and CEO of Legend Airlines in Dallas, TX. Steve RITCHIE continues to live in Golden, CO. Paul BELMONT works for TASC, which is now part of Litton, inVirginia. Guy DENNIS lives in Amherst, NH (where he and Judy run Bayberry Interiors). Ang and Ginger CAPPUCCIO are moving from San Juan Pueblo into "town” - Santa Fe. Speaking ofSanta Fe, John DENKO is still the chief of police there. He says that he is praying for heavy snow on New Year’s Eve this year to keep all the crazies indoors. Finally, Fred GREGORY was volunteered to host his famous ’64 mini-reunion again this year on the second weekend in June. Plan on it!

Lost E-mail (Sorry): Ron GROWDEN wrote (Mar ’99 - better late than never?)

Thought you might want to be apprised of another ’64 milestone. Recently, Dr. Jim RAVER, one of us ’64 types who had the sense to get a real job, became the senior VP for Medical Affairs with the Western Maryland Health System, located in Cumberland, MD. As such, he is now my boss, since I’ve been administering out-patient clinics and recruitingphysicians for the same WMHS over the past six years. Spoke with him this morning. He’s still into big trucks (see our Polaris), and he and Sue are considering a run to Colorado come November, as are Marilyn and I. (‘Course, he’ll have plenty of time to make the trip, since I now do most of his work for him!)”

Other E-mail: Just before the reunion, Jim RICHMOND e-mailed in response to the article about Ed MECHENBIER still being on flying status in the AF Reserves: ‘Your question in the newsletter was ‘Is anyone else still flying for Uncle Sam?’ Does flying for the FAA count? I am still on flying status, and have flown about a dozen different airplanes in the last year. Admittedly, that was a pretty good year! Most of it was in the B-717 certification program. The new glass cockpits with all of the new avionics are a world of flying we never knew in the USAF.” [Actually, Ed said that the C-141C that he’s flying at Wright-Patterson now has a glass cockpitfor those ofyou who don’t fly for a living, that means that all ofthe old round dials have been replaced by flat panel (computer) displays.]

Rick Zurbrugg

Box 22615

Hilton Head Island, SC 29925

(843) 689-5321

FAX: (843) 689-5403

E-mail: ezurb@mindspring.com

Percent members: 70

Hello ‘65, BestAlive!

It’s early December and thanks to all ofyou who responded to my call in the last column for some news. Please pause a moment to remember A1 ASKEW who passed away from a heart attack on Sept 28th If you have remembrances of A1 (Connie), please write to his wife (one son) DenaASKEW, 7208 Lamplighter Lane, Austin, TX 78731.

I could count always upon my doolie roomie, Bill COLE, to help me get squared away and he’s come through once again: “I’m still slipping the surly bonds with Southwest airlines, slipping ever closer to that idiotic mandatory retirement age (60), keeping fit at Dr Ken Coopers Aerobics Center, staying single, and enjoying watching son Chris develop his skills as a high school freshman quarterback. Chris and I spent anotherweek in June at Garey MATSUYAMAs home in C-Springs while Chris attended hockey camp at USAFA. He will probably do football camp next year. We always have a good time with Garey, and Chris has really grown fond of ‘Mats”. He especially enjoys trying to beat Mats at pool.. .not an easy task! I took Chris to see Return with Honor on opening night, and we met Sam Johnson our U.S. representative who is a former POW. He remembered Lance and a couple of our pilots who were also injail. The film was certainlywell done, but I had hoped to see some mention of Lance and his story.. .1 reread Into the Mouth ofthe Cat, and am working on John McCain’s book, Faith ofmy Fathers. I was interested to learn of the tentative reunion dates as I am bidding vacation slots for next year...but I will be there come hell or high water. I had a short visit with Doug MELSON in the airport at Reno last week. He looks well and seems to be enjoying life out west. We seem to have lots of zoomies here at Southwest, some of them waaaaaayyounger than I. Of course, every time I run with my son I am reminded of my advanced age... BILL.” Thanks Bill, I wonder how many of us can still run with the young son.

GaryTITMAS: GARY checked in early October: “I was an instructor at the Academy in the Mech Dept from 1975-1979 and loved it. Returned to the Academy about six months ago for a visit during a CS business trip and had all kinds of

wonderful memories. I arrived while the cadets were coming up from the athletic fields to the dorm and dinner. Whole bunch of shouting and running. The air was clear and the weather perfect. The new statues were also interesting. Beautiful place. I am an employee of Boeing (the old Rockwell Aerospace) here in Anaheim, CA (714 762 0366). I retired in 1985 as a Lt Col. Amazing to me, but I have been with Boeing almost as long as I was in the Air Force and I have been in one state the whole time. Mywife, Kay, is still with me after 33 years another amazing item. We have two boys. Without any planning on my part, I am now in Business Development and am the Boeing ES&MD (Space and Comm. Group) proposal development manager. Very busy job. I saw Jim McGORREY during a proposal effort and he looks great. Unfortunately, he is with Hughes. Ha!” Thanks so much, Gary, I remember fondly those drafty C-l 19 rides home to Columbus at the holidays the price was right.

Wayne O. SMITH: “...I spent my first three years in Tiger 10 but graduated from the 5th since they were a bit short for the first class year. I’ve been the consummate corporate gypsysince beingrepatriated from my 1,882-dayordeal as a POWinNorth Vietnam...In fact five different corporations since 1990. With a rather tireless workload, I’ve missed every one of our reunions. No excuse anymore since I am now contentedly retired, living in my new but last home in Naples FL. Some folks said I would be a bit restless but I’ve acclimated quite well. Though I had a winter home here for the past sixyears, I’ve found that it is quitepleasant here in the summer with fewer people and the chance to play 59 world class golf courses that we have reciprocal privileges with off-season. Also had to acquire a boat, of course, and the fishing is terrific this time ofyear as well. I should also have time to do some writing and take on more speaking engagements which I enjoy. I will also be working for John McCain’s organization. I was next to John in Hanoi over a year early in my internment and I can assure you he is truly courageous and is for real.. .1 do want old friends from ‘65 to know that there is a super place to thaw out in the winter and Jean and I have plenty of room. Myhome number is 941 597-3957 with the fax at 3954. Thank you. Wayne I will be calling soon to make my reservation.

Wendell HARKLEROAD: Hark writes: “Today I am traveling to Princeton, NJ where our son Eric is a freshman at Princeton University. Irene and I live in Overland Park, KS along with our daughter, Julia, 16, who is a junior at Pembroke Hill, an excellent private school here in Kansas City. I work for IMC Chemicals, Inc., a division ofIMC Global, Inc ofNorthbrook, IL, a $3 billion sales fertilizer company. Unfortunately, my division is for sale so myjob security is uncertain at this point. Myjob isVP ofPurchasing and Logistics... On a personal note, about a year ago in a routine annual physical, my doctor noted a lump in my prostate gland and subsequent tests over the next six months determined that I had prostate cancer. We caught it early, and on June 15th at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis, DrWilliam Catalona did the surgery and pronounced me cured. Dr Catalona developed the PSA test and has performed over 2,200 operations, one of them on me and another on JoeTorre, theYankee’s manager. You might ask, why am I tellingyou this? Well, statistically, according to one of my doctors, about 30 percent of our classmates have cancer cells in their prostate glands, (emphasis by scribe) We don’t know who will have full-blown cancer growth, so the only way to guard against it is to have a physical every year including the dreaded rectal exam and a PSA test. Spread the word and more of us will enjoy future reunions.” Thank you so much, Hark (who gave me his permission to include his experience in this column).

Just to get up on my soapbox for a moment, we may have lost some classmates perhaps needlessly. We do need at least as much regular maintenance as our cars and I would have add to Hark’s list the really fun, flexible sig/colonoscopy, blood sugar and cholesterol profile, a careful physical exam each yearwith a blood pressure check, an eye exam with glaucoma screen, a total body naked skin survey (can be done by a knowledgeable significant other upon exit from shower hopefully as foreplay) and last but not least, if you’ve got the blues and haven’t read Passages1 a check-up-from-the-neck-up on your mood and current delusional state by a trusted friend, clergy person, or neighborhood mental health professional. Believe it or not there are people in your family and community who love you and are counting on you to be there for your approval, wise counsel, leadership and love. Don’t let 'em down, just because the thought of a teenage woman doctor with a rubber glove puts you off.

Jim SOULEK: “I missed the reunion last year because I was on my honeymoon in Europe, but will try for next year.” Thanks Jim. Honeymoon? You’re my hero! See you in October!

Wayne G. BROWN: “I had the pleasure of getting together for dinner recendy with my BCT roommate Reuel ROLSTON, his wife, Donna, and their son Randall. Reuel and Donna were in North Carolina from Fort Collins visiting Randall who now lives and works in Chapel Hill. Our North Carolina AFA society is having a “fly-in/drive-in” at the Smithfield NC airport (near Raleigh) on Oct. 30. Pancake breakfast at 0830. Some EAA experimental aircraft will be on display. I’m flying over in a ‘92 Commander 114B. Wild Bill Stealey, ‘70, is going to have his T 28 there. Comejoin us. Looking forward to next years’ reunion.” ThanksWayne (who signed his note: President, Soft Answers, Inc.).

JeffVALENTINE: “Kathy and I are fine here close to NASA. I’m teaching high school in Galveston and Kathy is working for Exxon. Jeff Jr. is in Corpus Christi finishing up his computer studies and Megan is here with us in Houston raising grandson Mike and working for a software company called Clearsail an outfit that supplies a software that will filter porn out of your Internet access. Gotta grade papers see you next year. Thanks Jeff.

Jim ROBISON: I went to see Return With Honor on Saturday in Sacramento. As

you know, it is a fantastic and emotional film. I was not really prepared for what happened at the TowerTheater. The theater was almost full. At the end ofthe film, no one got up to leave. Everyonejust sat there in silence. Then a fewpeople started clapping...the applause grew and everyone stood and gave a standing ovation. I have never seen this before at a movie. Needless to say, this is another reason ofwhy I am proud to be a member ofthe Class of‘65. ThanksJim, you are right on and after multiple viewings, I believe this film will some day be considered a classic—clear, articulate, devastating. Get a copy. See the movie. You’ll understand.

Hopefully like many of you, I was just thinking about what a terrific year it has been for us. Last month Jo and I proudly watched our young captain compete at flickerball at SOS at Maxwell while keeping his 18-month-old from joining him on the field. We are richly blessed with good health, meaningful work and satisfying relationships. My hope is that it is the same is true for each of you and that you will be at REUNION 2000! Be well, do good work, and stay in touch.

Ifyou would like the e-mail addresses of our class news correspondents, please let me know and I will provide them. I also have a new e-mail address: ezurb@mindspring.com. Cheers, Rick

Ryan Denny

1635 Mary Todd Lane

O’Fallon, IL 62269

Home: (618) 624-4255

Work: (314) 232-4180

E-mail: ryanden@aol.com

Percent members: 72

Greetings, Redtags! I just discovered that I can get a senior citizen’s discount at the local theater. That was the good news. The bad news was that I didn’t have to ask for it, theyjust started giving it to me. I never did like the movies much, anyway. Speaking ofmovies, in response to a comment that I must have made about the Disney-like surroundings that Mike BLAIR and family live in, in Alaska, Mike sent me a note describing his adventures this last summer. Actually, Mike’s wife, Judy, sent the note because Mike was too busyworking on his “BlairWoodshed Project”. Mike and Judy spent the summer (OK, it’s not that much time in Alaska) building a woodshed on the tundra near their vacation home up the Kenai. In addition to battling the tundra, bears, earthquakes, and unpredictable weather (they didn’t mention the bears, but everyAlaska story has a bear in it), they had the real problem that the local hardware store was a few hours away. I guess the fact that you have to build a woodshed in the first place ought to tell you that you are not in the heart of civilization. With the woodshed complete, they went back to watching the caribou, eagles, and stars. I still think that it’s like Disney, only it’s Frontierland.

Nick LANZILOTTAwrites that he is living in St. George, UT, where he is working at Dixie College as instructor, both in the classroom and on the flightline. Nick says that he and classmate Steve CROSS are a class “first” because they were in 8th Squadron, C Flight together, and now both live in the same small town in Utah. Steve is happily retired and involved in charitable work in St. George. It must be a pretty nice place, because Nick says that, if anyone asks, the weather there is terrible and they wouldn’t like it.

Jamie GOUGH got a nice surprise recently. As a former member of the 555th FighterSquadron, Jamie was asked to speak at a squadron reunion that was being held in Tampa. Jamie’s son Chris (‘91) is a current member of the 555th and was also attending the event. After Jamie’s remarks, they had his son come forward and Jamie got to present him with a DFC that Chris had won while flying combat missions in Kosovo. In addition to being a proud father, Jamie has also managed to squeeze in a little golf. He qualified for one of the few regional slots for the USGA SeniorAmateur championship in Portland, OR. He tied for 10th in the medal round and qualified for the match play portion of the event. He didn’t win, but not many old zoomies get to even compete at that level. Do golf courses give senior citizen’s discounts?

Another golfer, Bill WACKER, has worked himself up to three days a week as a starter at the Wild Wing Plantation Golf Course near Myrtle Beach. Bill had been a ranger at the same course, but was looking for a more challenging position. Are the rest of us doing something wrong?

The news has been a little thin this quarter, so you all get on your computers and send me an e-mail. It doesn’t have to be much just give me a few factual lines and I’ll make up the rest. I think they call that “journalism”. Until next time - HappyLandings!

LarryWilson 13100 Pinehurst Ave. NE

Albuquerque, NM 87111

Home: (505) 291-8949

Work: (505) 846-2510/DSN: 246-2404

E-mail: Lwilsn628@aol.com

Percent members: 66

Ho ho ho... As I compose this, it isjust before Christmas ‘99; there is a dusting of snow on the Albuquerque ground; theWilsons finally got the tree up and trimmed but have not yet sent cards out another Holiday season... But I have a bit ofAFA e-mail input from the past fewmonths and a fewHolidaynotes—so awaaaaaaayyy we go.

Roger CARLETON wrote that on 13 Nov there was in St. Louis a mini-USAFA grad get-together for the USAE/St Louis University B-ball game, arranged by Ben PARK. Present were Ben, Clay MAGEE and wife, Suzanne; Rob DETURK and Leslie, and Roger and Shonnie. The Falcons lost 70-78 but “...at least the crowd knew there were a few, vocal AF types in attendance.” He probably means rowdy and unruly... Well done, Roger and crew!

From George FRUSHOUR, way back in October: Joe HOLBROOK’S daughter,

now in Okinawa, is a day ahead of CONUS. Since that is the case, she plans on letting Joe know ahead of time who wins sports games so he can place bets... Joe invites all to visit him and family in Manila where they will be through 2000, and he offered their place as a jumping off point for any who wish to make a “...sendmental journey to Vietnam, as they have regular flights with Vietnam Air to Ho Chi Min City.” George also passed on an article about Jane Fonda in her war-protester days, and her traitorous acts in Hanoi with the POWs. That article got a fair amount ofplay in the press. Stark contrast to the documentary“Return with Honor” —truly a moving documentary, made for the Class of ‘65. Ifyou have not yet seen it look for it. It is well worth your time and effort.

For all you National Geographic subscribers (probably still looking for pictures of topless Polynesian maidens...), Bob CASON said that the Aug. ’99 issue of National Geographic has a picture of Gary REID on page 126. Check for yourself to see if he is topless...

Chuck BEATTIE plans to book the Les JENSEN String Ensemble for his son’s wedding, some time in the indeterminate future. Chuck doesn’t care ifit’s C&W or long hair he can polka equally well to either. He was heading to Airbus A-320 school an all-computer side-stick-controlled airplane. “Obviously there was no screening done to ascertain computer skills you do remember what Comp Sci 101 did to (Lloyd) DUNCAN and me...” Chuck also noted that Flick GUERINNA recently moved to Deale, MD and is doing fine.

Chuck noted that other USAFA classes have web sites. While he did not volunteer (and certainly I do not either), if there is someone out there with real computer skills, perhaps we could create our own. What about it guys anyone out there who is willing (and able) to construct such a web site for ‘67? I will be happy to coordinate the activity, but I have no knowledge about building a site. Shoot me a note ifyou are interested.

Last fall I received a great letter from Bob ENGEBRETSON. Bob has faced some tough personal hurdles, including serious long-term family medical problems. Not surprisingly, Bob’s indomitable spirit carries him through. He also has “freed his muse” and now, in addition to his full time education activities, writes poetry. His son, blind since birth, is completing his Ph.D. workin California, and his daughter is a student at the U of New Mexico. Press on, Bob!

For all you USAFA athletic supporters—theAFA’s Athletic Association is attempting to initiate a Lettermen’s Club, to reconnect old jocks with their teams and team mates and coaches etc., and as a vehicle to increase support for Academy athletic events, teams, etc. The activity has not exactly been on the fast track but it is worthwhile, and something that is worthy of our support. More to follow.

Cleat SIMMONS sent a note from Nashville—recendy he was placed in charge of upgrading his law firm’s technology, tasked to revamp their entire system and train everyone in the office. That has included winning approval of a $1,400,000 budget, negotiating vendor contracts, shepherding the thing along, and taking all the arrows when the staffdecides they don’t like something—all in addition to maintaining his law practice. Cleat is having as much fun with this as you might imagine.

Rusty ARBEIT sent a great note he is the airspace manager for the 355thWing (A- 10s and EC- 130s) at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ. He says, “Yes that is an actual job, lets me talk airplanes with AF pilots and even go flybug mashers on an occasional official business basis. Also have to talk to FAA controllers, some of whom are really good guys in spite of all rumors to the contrary. I am happily ensconced here in Tucson as my wife still loves me and my two adult daughters are out ofthe nest, although one is still requiring money transfusions to finish the U ofWashington in Seattle. Lots of antique and recent Zoomies here in the wing and working for the contractor in the Training Squadron. I onlykeep track of two guys from our class, mainly because we three went from nav school to the A-26 at Nakom Phanom, Thailand. They are Art FISHER and J. D. TERRY. Art is living in Edenton, NC and working as an engineer. He survived the recent hurricane and flooding, had two kids, one boy and one girl, both are adults with the daughter a recent college graduate. J. D. was last seen at the air commando reunion a couple ofyears ago, still crazy and was living in Columbia, MO and working as a shrink of some sort.” Art came to an FAA conference in Albuquerque but unfortunately we did not connect. He even offered to buy me a beer or other suitable beverage. Beer is very suitable. I am sorry we missed contact.

From John MCCRILLIS in Tennessee: His daughter Shani is a veterinary medicine student at Auburn and will graduate in June. She and husband, Brian, have a successful business training retrievers for both fieldwork and high-level competition. Wife, Sharon, took on a new job at her hospital this year and is responsible for integrating all ofthe hospital’s computer systems into one seamless entity. Jon and Sharon took a trip to France in October: “Got in our little rental car, and drove off through the countryside of northern France, discovering that 1) we could still drive a stick shift, 2) we knew enough French to not starve, and 3) France is beautiful. Met new friends, went many new places, including several spots mentioned by both Dad and Sharon’s great-uncle Robert in their WWI diaries: CheryChartreuve, where they were concurrently located in September, 1918; Seringes, where we walked in the same church yard described by Uncle Robert; and Reuilly, where Dad’s entire regiment reassembled at one point and where we spent two fantastic days at a B&B found on the Internet... Our most memorable day took us to... Normandy, where we walked on OmahaBeach and visited theAmerican Cemetery... Standing on French soil, in front of the Monument to Fallen Americans, and realizing the chimes were, at that very moment, playing “God Bless America” was unforgettable.”

And from Thom EVANS: ’67 members of CS-13 had their annual reunion this year inWashington DC duringthe USAFA/Navyfootball weekend. Thisyear’s event was hosted by Beau CROSBY and his wife, Kathy ENDRES, Buz and Nancy CARPENTER, and Roger and Geannie WELLS, all of whom live in the DC area—they did a “superjob.”Fridayevening Beau and Kathyhad a dinner/party at their house. Saturday was the game, and dinner at a local Irish pub. Sunday, Buz and Nancy had brunch at their house. Attendees included Jack and Marilyn BARTLETT, Carpenters, Beau and Kathy, Pat DOWLING, Thom and Helen Evans, Les GABRIEL, Fred and Linda MILANOVICH, Ron and Jerry MORISHIGE, Clint and Marilyn

have a

Here’s a bit of good news: If you are reading this, that means that the Y2K doomsayers were wrong, and the life as we know it did not come to and end at 0001 on 1 Jan 2000... And if it did come to an end then I wish I had not spent so much time putting this column together.

Adios, folks the very best to each ofyou for 2000, and beyond! Vaya con Dios!

Tim Davidson

9712 Hidden Valley Road

Vienna, VA 22181-6094

(703) 255-5313

iIIIamJI[uZvMflF

Fax: (703) 255-5377 9tinrTw)r

E-mail: timd@erols.com

Percent members: 66

HELLO ’68: Welcome to the 21 st Century with all its splendor, wonders, potential, and checkbooks requiring that you cross out the number “19” and replace it with the number “20.” Some things will just take some getting used to.

NEW 3-STAR DEPT: Our class roster added another classmate worthy of in-

creased responsibility as Charlie COOLIDGE was nominated for his third star. Charlie and Bonnie currently reside at Scott AFB, IL where Charlie is the director ofOperations and Logistics for U.S. Transportation Command. His boss, pictured in photo below, is Tony ROBERTSON. With the promotion comes (you guessed it, Maude) another move. This time the Coolidges are headed to Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, where Charlie will be the vice commander for Air Force Material Command. Congrats to Charlie and Bonnie on the promotion and new assignment and best wishes for another successful tour of duty.

CAN’T KEEP A JOB DEPT: The first photo was snapped at Ed EBERHART’s assumption of command at Air Combat Command all the way back in June of 1999. His stint as ourAir Force’s fighter and bomber commanderwill be short-lived, however, as Ed and Karen will be reassigned and will require (you guessed it again, Maude) another move. Ed gives up his prestigious command position at Langley AFB,VA for the friendly environs ofPeterson AFB in Colorado Springs, where he will be (now, listen to this title and try to imagine getting it printed on your business card) Commander in Chief U.S. Space Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command; Commander, Air Force Space Command; and Manager for the Department of Defense Space Transportation Systems Contingency Support. As statedjust a couple ofcolumns ago, we continue to marvel at your accomplishments, Ed, and wish you and Karen the very best in your new assignment.

NEWASST.VICE CHIEF DEPT: Fresh from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where he served as USAFE’s vice commander, Bill BEGERT took some time away from his busy schedule as our Air Force’s assistant vice chief of staff, to address the Air Force Association’s Gabriel Chapter inVienna, VA last October. In a presentation laced with his special brand of humor and hard-hitting issues, Bill gave us an excellent appraisal of actions and lessons learned from air operations in Kosovo. A few of our gang managed to join him for the luncheon meeting and appear in the photo above. Bill and Jody have moved into a beautiful house located on Andrews AFB, MD named “Belle Chance.” As “Lord of the Manor” for these new digs, Bill mentioned that he is on tap to host our ’68 annual spring East Coast practice reunion this year. Stand by for a time and date to be set for this event in the near future. Thanks, in advance, for your hospitality, Bill.

As seen in the photo and as witnessed by those who saw the game, our Falcons prevailed against a Navy team that literally decimated Army later in the season. While the USAFA gridders did not match the 1998 season’s performance, it still felt good to be firmly in control of the Commander In Chiefs Trophy for yet another year.

GARDEN OF EDENS DEPT: Tony EDEN sent a letter with photo hailing the launch of another Air Force career officer in his family. His daughter Jennifer

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY!

YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED.

CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

graduated from the University of Colorado and was commissioned by her proud papa on 30 Sept 1999. Jennifer is stationed at BollingAFB, D.C. and is in her dad’s field of civil engineering. Also in the photo is Tony’s son Christopher who works for Tony ROBERTSON, several times removed. Chris is stationed at Charleston AFB, SC and is flying C-17s for Air Mobility Command.

Mercy Daley, Phyllis and Dick Charles, Margo and Paul Rumple,John and CharlotteSullivan, TomDreier, EdWelliver,JimLozito,DickRacette, andEdandPamAshman. ‘68ers attendingbut notpictured: RhipandBetsyWorrell and Geo and Heidi Roberts.

REESE 70-01 REUNION DEPT: The Reese

Las Vegas at the New York New York Hotel over the Columbus Day Weekend. One of our principal events included a firepower demonstration on the Nellis AFB, NV range where we saw ordnance dropped or fired from A-lOs, F-15s, F-16s, F117s, B- Is, B-2s, and B-52s. This was followed by a tour ofNellis AFB and a special flight line tour with static display. These events were arranged by Rhip WORRELL in coordination with his good friend from the Class of ’69, Major General Wally MOORHEAD. Wally is the commander of the weapons center at Nellis. We sincerely appreciated the hospitality and courtesy shown to a bunch of 30-year aviators and their families byWally and his staffand it made us feel proud to be around the guys and galswearing active-duty blue uniforms again. So, to Wally Moorhead and the Class of ’69, a very large thanks from your ’68 comrades-in-arms.

The reunion also featured a trip to the Hoover Dam, a private banquet, and attendance at a production of Lord of the Dance. In between events, the kind of special bonding we experience at our Academy reunions was shared with our pilot-training mates and their families. It was a truly wonderful experience and I hope those of you who have similar opportunities will take advantage of the precious time we have together.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: On a sad note, we lost one of our own, Bill GREGORY, on Thanksgiving Day. Our heartfelt prayers go out to his wife, Abbie, and their respective families. If you would like to contact Abbie, her address is 3574 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030-2314.

THAT’S A WRAP DEPT: For all those who sent seasons greetings, thank you very much. For those who did not, there is still time. Please send your newsletters and family photos and let me know how you are doing. Our next column will feature news about our class’ newest elected public official. Standby for details. Until the next time, mind the flak, keep 'em flying, and keep those cards, letters, e-mails, and photos coming in. Ciao for now, Tim

yspy

Lindsey Parris Ifni

6037 Ricketts Walk

Alexandria, VA 22312 nfppiip*

Home: (703) 914-5608 Tram!™

E-mail: 102177.1033@compuserve.com

Percent members: 68

Happy New Year and Maximum Millennium to all! The year of 2000 aches and pains. There’s no place like http:/ /www.Home.com. Too long til the next reunion.

And, in fact the reunion memories linger, and calls and notes continue to arrive noting the terrific time we all had along with some feelings of remorse from those unable to attend. The accompanying photo, whose development sharpness suffers from overexposure to Guinness Stout, is one reminder of that great time last September.

Through the Guinness Fog - ‘69 Reunion at Jack Quinn’s Terry SCHWALIER, particularly appreciative of the en masse class phone call, guarantees his and Di’s attending the 35th, and offers that it is important to always keep “some" pages of previous chapters open for “additional editing.” He sends greetings to all us 20-year-olds! Robin HANSEN, as we learned at the reunion, was then reliving his post-USAFA days, and embarking on another career going through ground school for the 50-seat Canadair RJ, one of the regional jets Delta operates. He hopes to fly for 71/2 years, and if it proves to be less fun than he expects it to be, then he’ll head back to the links.

Lee SICILIO sends along greetings to all and swears he will unfailingly attend the 35th reunion no matter what. He plans on arriving in style in his original ‘69 ‘Vette, complete with the its cadet parking sticker on die front bumper. Joe HASEK, who also still owns and drives his cadet car ofthe same vintage (or is it a ‘68, Joe?), plans to bring his beloved GTO to the reunion, howeverlengthy the haul from Mississippi. Perhaps we have here the makings of a vintage car rally, come 2004! Talk about the memories....

King ROBINSON (69falcon@eatel.net), prompted by the reunion (which he was unfortunately unable to attend), wrote a newsy note about his doings after his blue-suit days. He and Sharon live in Baton Rouge, where he is the logistics manager for BASF Corporation’slargest site (Geismar). This year, Santa brought them a new house and their first grandchild, a boy, compliments of their elder daughter. Carrying on the family Air Force tradition, son Mark is a KC-10 jock. King sees locals Jim ORGERON, who works for the State of Louisiana, and Ron SAMMONDS, who runs an engineering firm.

Chip and Carol AMBROSE, after numerous trials and tribulations and withdrawal pangs associated with leaving their long-time home in Northern California, have relocated to Northern Virginia just in time for the new year. Chip is a Delta captain staging out of Atlanta. Also in Northern Virginia are the ALLENs, Tom and Anne, who remained in Annandale after Tom retired; he now works at the Institute for DefenseAnalysis (IDA) inAlexandria. You mayhave caughtAnne’s retrospective on the reunion in the last Checkpoints

Dave (Bruce) and Karen ANDERSEN, still enjoying Greensboro, NC are dealing with the empty-nest syndrome and invite traveling classmates to visit them and take in some southern hospitality. Dave is commuting to Newark, flying as a B737 captain, and training as captain on a B757/767. He has given up yard work at last, having discovered that a bad round of golf is still far better than a great day ghosting around in the yard.

Before Christmas, at USAFA, Charlie WEINART demonstrated sensor technology for use in the Mach 3 wind tunnel. Perhaps more important, he dispensed seasonal cheerwithhis natural Santabeard, North Pole good looks, and ‘69 parka, offering up Reese’s peanut butter cups and Hershey’s kisses to one and all. Cadets in 26th squadron, especially, promised to be good and perform exceptionally on final exams. According to Charlie, so did the colonels.

Stan ROSEN has founded a “Space Chapter” of the AOG out in la-la land, with the good help ofJim Shaw (head of the AOG) and our own Gary HOWE. Over 75 grads have contacted Stan with offers of assistance and support. Stan says there is a thirst for knowledge of the space business among cadets as well so stay tuned. Down Houston way, Tom SOLOMON and Bob TROY continue to orchestrate the extremely active Academies’ alumni club. Speakers range from hightech captains to investment gurus to livestock and rodeo experts. Ifyou are traveling to Houston and missed “plastics” in ‘69 or would like some camaraderie, give them a ring, join them for a brew, and take in one of these superb sessions.

Al MCCREE came through D.C. on business (and a bit of pleasure). He is still having a ball in his dual roles as motivational speaker and promoter ofmusic with patriotic flavor (or bypatriotic groups). His jazz collection by the USAF Airmen of Note is wonderfully conceived and executed, if you’re looking for atmosphere to accent your next cocktail or dinner party. Al quoted a couple interesting aphorisms for his presentation, one from Pearl Buck (who is not, as widely rumored, a member ofthe Class of‘69): “Perhaps one has to be very old before one learns how to be amused rather than shocked.” Indeed, Al was suitably “shocked” at D.C.’s traffic (though he loved Capital City Brewing’s nut brown ale)! Unfortunately, I could only be amused.

Dave and JeanYOST, nowfather- and mother-in-lawYost, completed and mailed their holiday missive by end-November. They are encouraging their new son-inlaw, a doctoral candidate in molecular genetics, to find a cure for Alzeimer’s to

keep them in their accustomed-to-be lifestyle and so they can remember who to thank. Dave, who is still “peddling” drugs as CEO of Fortune 500 AmeriSource out of Philadelphia, recalls one greytag’s observing last September that “You know you’re old when the plane you used to fly is no longer in service and sitting on a pedestal as a monument.” Must have been a 105 jock. Be sure to ask him or Jean about their $900 cup of coffee when next you see one of them.

Mike andVivian ROSE, long in the forefront for EXCEL, continue to speakwidely and travel often and have helped move the company into e-commerce. The multilevel marketing structure enables anyone to acquire his own web site, yielding commissions on all purchases emanating therefrom.

Daves SCHILLING and DANIEL, who work under contract for the Navy’s nuclear program, are holding down the high Idaho desert against all assaults, foreign and domestic, and invite any ofyou near basin ofthe mighty Snake River to give them a call. Animal Magnetism Department: Dave D’s reunion bonus was learning that his wife and Bill MARVEL share a passion for raccoon wrangling, and the two have exchanged e-mails, notes and photos of their masked charges.

In the “Move along there, Michael Jordan” Department, our long-lost buddy RandyWALTI, now in St. Louis with EDS, still harbors his long-held wish to play major league baseball. Last October, Randy pitched long relief and played right field for Texas’ over-50 baseball team that won the Mens’ Senior Baseball League World Series in Phoenix. Making it hard on themselves by coming up the losers’ bracket and playing four games in two days, Randy’s Dallas team beat Chicago, whose roster sported not one or two, but seven ex-major leaguers. If he weren’t holding out for a $500M lifetime contract, perhaps we might have enjoyed his play in the Yankees/Braves clash earlier this year. Huge congrats to Randy. Just more proofthat the Class isn’t done yet!

As mentioned in the Checkpointspiece previous to this, many ofyou have noted errors in our ‘69 yearbook. One ofyour new class officers, Les DYER his own self, is spearheading an effort to assemble all the typos, mistakes and inaccuracies so we can issue a one-time letter (or pamphlet) of corrections. Please contact Les with your inputs as soon as possible. His e-mail address is habu@mindspring.com. In addition, thanks to the initiating efforts ofTom SHUMWAY, Les will be orchestrating a yearbook “repatriation” effort to put in the hands of ‘69 grads copies of our yearbook relinquished kindly by members of subsequent USAFA classes of our era. So, ifyour yearbook has been lost, stolen, or misplaced for eons, contact Les and keep your fingers crossed. And, don’t let the “habu” e-mail prefix be offputting it’s Lester harkening back to the call sign lingo of his SR-71 days.

That’s about all the gossip (speedy transmission of near-factual information) I have heard lately around the ‘69 water cooler. Hope you are preparing for a magnificent spring. Run, stroke, soar, paddle, and throw. Until next time, as they say in the wild blueyonder (and nowin SiliconValleytoo, I suppose), I’m a dot. Thanks for listening. Cards and letters, please. Lindsey.

Dick Rauschkolb

14640 River Oaks Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

Home: (719)487-0887

Work: (719) 472-0300/DSN: 333-2067

E-mail: Dick.Rauschkolb@USAFA.AF.MIL iL

Percent members: 61

The Dark Ages are here. Think I’ll pull out my parka and gray gloves and try marchingfromVandenburg to Mitch’s in a blizzard. You can never be too military! Maybe Brush Dugan will write me up for having a speck oflint on my overcoat like he did when I was a three degree pulling CQ. Brush went on to be CSAF but he got a better haircut.

A specialcongratulations to GregMARTIN on earninghis fourth star! Greg’s hard work and dedication over almost 30 years of service made this an easy choice for theAir Force. Ifyou know the Martins, you know this was a team effort. Greg would be the first one to share his success with his wonderful wife, Wendy, and his family. Greg’s promotion comes with a new job in Europe as COMUSAFE. We hope Greg will have some hair left when we see him at the reunion. Greg will you now forgive me for planting that dead mouse in your rack 30 years ago!

Air and Space Op

erations. Jay continues to epitomize the dedication and sacrifices our Reservists make. Jay was a proud Dad when he gave the graduation address at his son's (Matt ’98) UPT graduation. Tim KINNAN is leaving Maxwell for a job on the Joint Staff. Tim—this move is definitelygoing to hurt your golfgame! Roger RADCLIFF writes that he lives behind the bunker on the seventh fairway of the Ventana Canyon Mountain Course in Tucson. He is enjoying his second career in the investment business with A.G. Edwards and Sons. Roger I’ve played golf with you living near a bunker is very appropriate. John JERNIGAN (Marsha) is enjoying golf and retirement in San Antonio. John should be scratch by the reunion.

Falcon Football turned out to be a disaster this year. Lots of “wouldas and couldas" highlighted the season. Other than a blowout against CSU, the Falcons were in each of their other four losses. Penalties in the red zone killed us in every defeat. Injuries also prevented the Falcons from being at full strength for most of the season. Despite a disappointing 6-5 season, the boys did come through against our arch rivals Army and Navy. The Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy will continue to reside in its proper home in the USAFA fieldhouse. Remember the name of freshman Bryan Blew. Bryan won the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Regional High School All-American Award. He played QB some for us this year and he may push Mike Thiessen for the starting position next Fall.

Tim CAREY andTomWASKOWwrite that the Navy game in D.C. provided a venue for an impromptu 70 Reunion. Mike KELLEY, who has sold his soul to a defense contractor, hosted about 30 classmates in his company’s box at Redskins Stadium.

A 28-0 drubbing ofArmy provided cause for celebration at Curt EMERY’s beautiful home. Curt and charming wife, Carol, hosted a practice reunion” after the game. The Emery team did it up right and a great time was had by all. Great food and a modicum of alcohol were consumed by our bedtime of 2100. Below is a picture of some ofthe celebrants before we all headed to the Blue FoxMotel. Mark EWIG and Brian PRENDERGAST left early to get us a room.

From left in thefront row are Dick Rauschkolb,Jack Mueller,Jim Brechwald, and Rich Harrington. In the back row are CurtEmery, Mike Lyons, Wild Bill Stealey, Carl Bang, Bill Hamill, Rich Downing, LarryBush, Larry Vaughn and Glenn Leimbach.

Wild Bill STEALEY blew into town for the Army game. He insisted we tee it up for a small wager. After claiming he had the same handicap as me (what happened to the Honor Code), he rattled off six birdies in two days. Wild Bill has given the term “Sandbagger” new meaning. His visit did allow us all to meet the better half of the Stealey clan. Bill’s wife, Denise, is a wonderful lady and a real sport as evidenced by this picture ofWild Bill and Denise in front of his T-28B at the annual air show in Oshkosh, WI. Denise (handle Sweetpea) and Wild Bill have had the privilege of leading the T-28 flights at Oshkosh for the last three years. Congratulations to Wild Bill and Denise forjoiningVic HOOPER, and Dave and Victoria PALENCHAR as the latest members of our class to join the Sabre Society!

Saw Joe BURKE and Dave PALENCHAR at the last AOG Board Meeting. Joe and Diane are enjoying upstate NewYork. Joe has worked hard as president ofKeuka College. His efforts have resulted in increased enrollment and funding. Diane is teaching at the college and likes the idea of sleeping with the president. Dave continues to do superb work managing myriad projects for the El Pomar Foundation. Jerry and Pam BRUNI received some well-deserved publicity here in the Class

Springs when they said the Bruni Foundation would donate $10,000 for every $100,000 donated to the city’s Empty Stocking Fund. Great gesture Jerry!

In the last issue, we highlighted the exploits of members of Seagram’s Seven who trekked to Alaska for a fishingtrip. This time our spotlight falls on an intrepid group of hikers who scaled Pikes Peak (14,110 feet) by way of the Barr Trail. This fearless group made the summit after a grueling two-day hike covering 26 miles. (I wonder who killed the rabbit!) John RUSS showed offhis cadet skills by successfully heating the cabin and sleeping in it even though the temperatures reached 90 degrees. One never loses the ability to rack out on demand! BJ BJORKLUND is rumored to have headed up this adventure. When he recovers from a bad case of oxygen deprivation, he has agreed to lead a trek up Mount Everest for out 35th Reunion. (Wives get your spouse to increase his life insurance policy!). Here is a chance to relive those glorious days at Saylor Park!

From left are BJ and Kathy Bjorklund, Martha and Phil Moore, John and Sally Russ, Sally’s sister and husband.

TriviaWinner: Mick DAVEY (Jan) was the first to respondcorrectly to last month’s question. Greg MARTIN finished a close second. Francis C. Chuba gave the infamous “It’s a Screw Job ’70" briefing. Tony MARIETTA (Val) will take you and yours to a restaurant ofyour choice as long as it has a special on Big Macs.

Trivia Question: What famous ‘70 grad introduced the negative sideburn look to wow the chicks and keep the AOCs off his back? The grad is buying dinner for you and yours.

REUNION NEWS. For planningpurposes a few events have been decided. Thursday, 5 Oct, will be the only day you can eat in Mitchell Hall. Thursday afternoon will be our Memorial Ceremony to honor our fallen classmates. Friday morning will be the golf tournament. We still have lots of planning to do, but these events are firm on the schedule. Now is the time to start talking up the reunion among all the classmates you know. Pick up the phone and talk to that long-lost roommate and tell him to have his butt in COS 4-8 Oct. Do an Internet search for that guy you lost track of 20 years ago. We don’t have info on a lot of our classmates. Join the AOG—will save you some coins at the reunion. Ifyou haven’t gotten your e-mail address on the AOG web site do it now and keep it current. Provides a great way to stay in touch. We are working on creating a ’70 web site will keep you posted. Hopefully, you will soon receive a mailing requesting your support for a class gift to the Academy. Here is a chance to express your appreciation to the institution which gave you the values and abilities to be a success. If you can affordit—reach deep let’s set a record for contributions. Would be nice if we had some matching gifts from the companies you work for or maybe one of you would match what we collect. LET’S GO SEVEN-OH!

‘We drink to those who gave their all ofold.” On Dec. 131 received a phone call informing me Harry SANDS lost his battle with cancer the previous day. Harry was a lifelong friend. When he was my roommate at the Prep School, we did a lot ofthings you can do onlywhen you are young. I will miss calling him “Hirsute”, his dry sense of humor, his love of golf, and the chance to exchange memories of the halcyon days of our youth.Harry’spassing means 42 of our classmates have left us far too soon. Some made the ultimate sacrifice in combat, some were killed in accidents, and far too many have died early from cancer and other diseases. At our reunion in October we will pay our respects to these fallen comrades and remember them as they were in those days when we all appeared invincible. I’ll shed a tear for Harry, Tim SHARKEY, Joe YORK, Jim SHIRLEY, and all those class

mates who were a part of my life. As we approach our twilight years, memories and good friends sustain our journey down life’s uncertain path. I hope you all will be there for our Brothers’ final roll call.

Paul D. Knott

5565 Lantana Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80915

Home:(719) 570-9162

Work (719) 481-9400

E-mail: pknott@acninc.net

Percent members: 52

One advantage ofwriting this column so far in advance is that when you receive it, the football season will be a dim, unpleasant memory, and we can all look forward to the 2000 season. The Falcons performed better than the Broncos have done so far, with many ofthe same factors, such as injuries, that kept the same group from taking the field two weeks in a row, affecting their performance. Hope springs eternal.

Hal BRYSON was kind enough to help with my search forJohn RAGAN. “Just got the September Checkpoints and saw your question on John Ragan. He lives in Maryville, TN and works for QualPro, an enginering process improvement consuiting firm in Knoxville. Travels quite a bit. He finished his USAF time as CAPUSAF commander for Tenessee in 1995 and stayed his posting was at McGhee Tyson ANGB for that work, and he liked the area. I’ve had the same problem with his e-mail for three years now. I keep up with John mainly via his sister Karen, my Ex (long story—we got divorced so we could be best friends again and stay in close contact). Also stay quite close to the rest ofthe family. NephewWeston Kissel is at the USAFA Prep School now, having joined up in the AF out of high school and doing time as a KC-10 Boomer at McGuire. In fact, Karen is a Boomer with the 134th ARW at McGhee Tyson ANGB near Knoxville-Maryville, TN. Got tired of being earth-bound and became a Boomer in ’87. John and Libby's daughterAmanda (Mandy) is a school teacher (music) in Knoxville, and son Patrick is finishing college now—was in ROTC, but I don’t recall offhand if he stayed with it.

“As for me, I may be leaving my 12-month stint here at the Kwajalein Missile Range (which is now 28 months and counting) and going to SMDC HQ in Huntsville to work on other National Missile Defense (NMD) sites. Since my small farm is near Huntsville, basing out of Huntsville would be quite handy. They are also talking about sending me TDY to Grand Forks for Jan-Jun 2000, and then maybe to Anchorage for Ft. Greely (100 miles SE of Fairbanks) and Kodiak Island evaluation work for NMD in July 2000 until ??? And the new Installation Management department head at the range wants to keep me here for a while but keeps taking my funding away without realizing it. He seems to have a difficult time remembering I’m a contractor working for Earth Tech, and not a Civil Service type.

“I also entered the Retired Reserve on 8 July 1999 as a Lt Col with 28 years. I’m still a USAFA/AFROTC ALO while I’m here. Say hello to folks for me. I plan to revisit USAFA when I have time hopefully take a leisurely driving tour thru Colorado and New Mexico in the late spring."

The tech question of the quarter was asked by Mark SIEVERS: “I just surfed through the AOG site and noticed that ’71 does not have a class web site.We should consider one. Does AOG provide that?”

This woefully-short column will be closed by Bob PETERMAN: “Held my retirement ceremony 24 Nov and had several classmates attending...to include General-select Ron RAND! Should I send a picture, color or B&W or doesn’t it matter? Am already employed on terminal leave as a contractor filling rated staff billets that are over the 60 percent manning level.” Later.

Bob Bell

13 Pacific Ave.

Sinking Spring, PA 19608 (610) 678-3182/Fax: 678-4513

E-mail: rabell767@aol.com

Percent members: 49

Attention all who read this - ifyou are really reading it then the Y2K crisis must have passed with minimal damage, or else we must be looking for a place to regroup and reinvent a wheel or something.. .So for what it’s worth, let me wish you all a bright new year 2000, and boy, won’t it be great when we get to celebrate the new century and millenium next year!

Got a quickfollow-up e-mail from Jim LIVINGSTON (Bev) to start out the correspondence. He notes that he has had a lot oftrouble with my e-mail addresses in the recent past. (I can certainly understand that when I too have had a real problem getting to the current one that will be my “final” e-mail address - until next time, that is.) Jim makes mention ofthe column in last issue with a picture ofhim and Gary KITO (Lynn) referencing the “older guys” lacrosse league and the memorial wall that was recently dedicated to deceased alumni lacrosse players. Still time to sign up for the July 4th Vail tournament!

The next letter (via the traditional post office) came with a photo from Gary GRAPPO (Becky) listing as his address the American Embassy in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Gary is the deputy chief ofMission there working for U.S. Ambassador to Oman John Craig. In late August Gary met up with two of our intrepid military commanders, MGEN Mark SCHMIDT (Lisa), commander of the Joint Task Force for Southwest Asia, and BGEN Chuck SIMPSON (Katie) 363rd Air ExpeditionaryWing commander. They were visiting from Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia to confer with other USAF folks incountry as well as Omani officials and the U.S. ambassador along with Gary, of course. Since this was the largest gathering of classmates Gary had ever seen since his wedding only 18 years ago, he felt obligated to share a photo of the event. Thank you for that, Gary.

From left are Maj. Gen. Mark Schmidt, U.S. Ambassador to Oman, John Craig, Brig. Gen. Chuck Simpson, and Gary Grappo.

The next letter to arrive was from Katie (Kathleen Van Trees) Simpson, recent bride of Chuck SIMPSON, in which she notes a pretty obvious error. I am always happy to correct any mistake that ever appears in this column and especially one like this. (Nowyou guys don’t have to go reaching for the Sept. 1999 issue of Checkpoints to see what Katie is clarifying - I’ll tell you. You who know me might remember that I am also sensitive to this particular type of mistake.) Anyway, in perusing that issue, Katie (and Chuck out in the desert) quickly noted that my last mention ofhim listed a former spouse associated with his name. After a year and a half of being married to Chuck, it seemed only appropriate to Katie that a correction be made. I certainly agree and my apologies go out to both Chuck and Katie for the misinformation. It really was still listed that way in the Register of Graduates for the 1998 edition which is my primary source for such things, but has been rectified in the 1999 edition.

Katie mentions a bit ofbackground in that after she and Chuck got married, she left her job as deputy director for Readiness Assessment for the USD (P&R) to join Chuck at Beale APB, CA. Last June, he went to King Sultan Air Base for the remote tour, and she is “holding down the fort” in Alexandria, VA until he returns. Best wishes to both ofyou and thanks for the chance to make things right.

A quick letter and accompanying photo from the High Desert and one of our more regular contributors - Dan “Scro” SKOTTE (Nancy) writes to tell of his great fortune at being in the four-ship F-15 Eagle fly-by opening the USAFA vs. Wyoming game this last season. Although the Falcons did not fare too well, he claims to have at least enjoyed the action from the sideline with BGEN DaveWAGIE (Sue) USAFA Dean of the Faculty. As Dan tells it, after marching on, playing on and graduating on that field, it was great (and a life’s dream) to fly over it! He continues his practice as a family physician, line coach with the Mountain View High School football team, flight surgeon with the 173rd FW and coming up on 33 years of USAF affiliation. Thanks for the news, Scro!

72-2 PHOTO: Dr. (FSO) Dan Skotte prepares to administer part of a flight surgeon exam to Oregon Governor Kitzhaberforfirstflight with 173rd FW while other stafflook on (“a Republican doing a Democrat").

Our final letter comes from Dave NEWILL (Sharon), currentlyworking for RollsRoyce Allison as director, Business Development, Defense North America where there are five Academy grads on the Indianapolis staff. Dave mentions that as one ofhis unofficialjobs, he is president ofthe Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, Allison Branch. As such, he says he was allowed to sit inside and touch but not fly the “company plane,” a Spitfire # PS 853 on display at Filton in the U.K. (Sorry that the photo could not be included at this time.) The role of the Heritage Trust ineludes the preservation of the history of Roll-Royce as well as to foster the relationship of Rolls-Royce with its retirees. Dave is also now sitting on the local Cadet Candidate Review Board for USAFA, saying that he never thought he’d be on the other side of that table. Thank you for that update, Dave.

In closing, I just want to say that as I continue to enjoy this honor ofbeingyour class scribe, I will be happy to continue doing it as long as there is not another who wishes to try it out. Additionally, if anyone has suggestions on how to improve the column, please let me hear fromyou! So that is a wrap for this edition of the class news. I hope to hear from all ofyou as we embark on new travels down roads leading to who knows where. Take care, everyone. FPA.

Visit the AOG Web Site - Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and More!

www.aog-usafa.org

Dan O’ Hollaren

19803 Derby St West Linn OR 97068

Home: (503) 657-0299

Work: (503) 667-8554

E-mail: danoh2@msn.com

Percent members: 43

Greetings, ‘73ers! If my calculations are correct, we all should be well into the new millennium by now and surviving nicely! At the risk of sounding like I’m making excuses, changing hard drives on my computer has rendered a substantial portion of my class updates temporarily (I hope) inaccessible. (Would it be a stretch to blame it on Y2K?) As a result, this column may be a bit on the paltry side!

First, methinks I may have been a bit premature in my plaudits for our football team. What started out as a very promising 2-0 record slowly slipped into a more modest 6-5 before the season was over. Well, being the eternal optimist, we can only hope for a bowl berth in 2000! Go Falcons!

As I mentioned in the December column, I spent two weeks duringAugust in Belize with my ANG medical squadron. We took 37 people into the remote villages of southern Belize, setting up clinics each day in whatever structures were available.We providedphysician, dental, and optometry care to about2,000 people over the eight-dayperiod that we were actually in the field. Everydayprovided us with another variation on the definition of the two words adapt and improvise1 Perhaps the biggest glitch was our airlift down. Due to a last-minute landing restriction on our KC-135 ride coming out ofthe ArizonaANG in Phoenix, we ended up flying all night (2230-hrs. departure) from Portland to Roosevelt Roads NAS, Puerto Rico. There we hooked up with a C-130 out of the Kentucky ANG, repalletized all of our luggage and medical supplies and launched off four hours later back across the Caribbean to Belize City. From there, it was a seven-hour drive over roads that could be generously described as “unimproved” to our final destination for the two weeks. Great experience though!

Okay, let’s see what news I have been able to ferret from the mailbox. Jim SCULLY’s super spouse, Carol, writes that Jim is making tremendous progress following his chemo- and radiation therapy. While he is still getting his energy back, he is targeting January 2000 to be back on flying status with Southwest. Carol is stuffing him with her wonderful cooking (her words, unsubstantiated by Jim) to try and get his weight back. (We should all have such a problem!) They are still on track to build a log home on theirWhidbey Island, WA property overlooking Puget Sound and the Cascades. They just removed 29 truckloads of logs as they are clearing the lot. Keep them in your prayers...it has been a tough struggle over the past nine months.

Heard from Rick MAZUROWSKI responding to the question I posed in the last column around the “stained glass window” Dave CLELAND’s sister had inquired about. Interesting story. Apparently, Dave and Rick built the window- titled “The Creation of Light” from Plexiglas and acrylic while cadets. It was installed in the New Dorm Prayer Room just before June Week 1973 (being a full-time VandenbergHall cadet, I didn’t knowtheyhad one ofthose). The room was closed about 10 years ago and the window put in storage. It is still missing. Any sleuths stationed at the Academy care to “snoop around”? Rick also mentioned that he played the organ at Dave’s wedding and, sadly, for his funeral. Thanks for a great story, Rick!

Bob SUMMERS writes that he was moving to D.C. in January 2000 to be the director of Nuclear Support and Operations at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Sounds like Bob will be reducing the nukes in NorthernVirginia (working there, that is...the Northern Virginia nukes have already been eradicated). Bob and Kathy had a true familyholidaywith all three kids home: one with his spouse, one fiancee, and one home from college. He passes on that Bob Marcus BOLTON has retired and is now residing in Redmond, WA.

Tom Kennedy and Phil Yavorsky with combinedfamilies. Received a short note from PhilYAVORSKY, now in O’Fallon, IL. Phil isn’t chasing the weather balloons anymore, he’s telling all the other weather guessers where to chase the balloons. He is at ScottAFB as director ofOperations for HQAMCWeather Division. Tom KENNEDY, a fellow CS-31 alum, was visiting with the whole family at the time of the above photo. Tom traded in his blue suit/green bag for the civilian world a few years back and has set up residence in or near Richmond, VA.

Jerry SMITH (’62) sent me an incredible letter describing the generosity of one of our own, John MUSE. Seems John’s been busy in the financial world since 1978. He is now a partner in the Dallas-based investment firm of Hicks, Muse, Tate &

Furst, Inc. and has recently relocated his family to London. Attached to the letter were two news articles out of the Dallas MorningNews detailing John’s company and their ventures into Great Britain. The articles also identified John as the benefactor of a $1,125 million gift to one local school, plus another $1 million to his elementary school in Tyler, TX. He and family have taken up residence in northern London, and John relates that the English intonations are creeping their way into his kids’ already-established Texas drawl. Lots more detail here if anyone is interested, so drop me a line. I’ve got to run out and put some money with this guy! He’s obviouslydoing well!

Bruce Bennett, with Nancy and Keri, receiving the Columbian Air Force Cross.

Still protecting us on the frontier ofLatin America is Bruce BENNETT. Together with wife, Nancy, and youngest daughter, Keri, sounds like Bruce is busyshowing the flag in Bogota. The above photo shows the family (minus daughter Brandie) on ColombianAir Defense Daywhere Bruce was awarded the ColombianAir Force Cross by the commanding general, General Velasco. Congrats, Bruce! Nancy is receiving plaudits for her efforts in support of the annual Marine Ball. Lots of entertaining of senior Colombian officers (the menu sounds delicious, Nancy!). Unfortunately, with the sweet comes some less-desirable duty. Nancy was called into service to escort the family of a deceased staff officer from the embassy, making arrangements and seeing to it that the family was cared for. Bruce is busy traveling within Colombia as well as making frequent jaunts back to the CONUS. Not sure if those are just an excuse to restock the bar and pantry, or there is actually meaningful work essential to the security of our nation being accomplished.

Chris DERRY responded to my urgent call for information with a few classmate updates. He and wife, Nancy, have set up shop in Bowling Green, KY. He recently went to work for National Asset Management, an institutional investment management company. He is keeping his bags packed, as his territory ranges from Florida to New Mexico. They’re building a new home on 32 acres in the rolling pastures of Kentucky. Life is good! Chris also has updates from a few others. Bob HOMBURG lives in Fort Collins and is doing well with all the family. Tom SWERTFAGER has returned to Bakersfield, CA pursuing his true love, teaching. Seems he actually finished his student teachingprior to retirement in NewMexico. Chris reports Tom is living the “Life ofRiley”. Jim CALLARD is in Virginia, moving up in the ranks via the AFRES route. Thanks, Chris, for passing on the news.

Quick updates from Christmas letters yielded some more class news. Ernie MARAVILLA and Kathy have relocated from Arizona to Houston, TX. Bill DIFFLEY and family are busy in Great Falls, VA. The DIFFLEYs are busytraveling, from familyvacations in Boston and Maine to anniversarygetaways in the Caribbean. Bill’s still active in Caidin and Trevor’s school when he’s not flying with US Air. John PARK and Lynda are empty nesters, now, with kids scattered from Seattle to Philadelphia to Virginia. Marrying off son Josh in July was the highlight ofthe summer for the PARKs. They were anxiously awaiting the Sugar Bowl national championship game with son Ben’s schoolVirginiaTechplayingfor the big one. John sounds like retirement from the blue suit could be happening next summer.

Pat ROONEYwrites from his abode in Universal City, TX. He and his bride, Joyce, are also empty nesters, but their brood has stayed close to home, all in Texas. Son Sean is married now, daughter Heather earned her degree from Texas A&M, and son Matt has graduated from high school and headed off to be an Aggie as well in the Fall. Pat continues to bore holes in the skywith Delta, moving to the left seat in January 2000 and based out ofOrlando. Joyce is substitute teaching, giving them a chance to do some traveling.

AJ RANFT has returned from an extended sojourn to Saudi Arabia as an advisor to the Royal Saudi Air Force. AJ’s had some rough times, losing his mother this year and dealing with other personal issues. But he’s got a new challenge working

in the high-tech industry now (an area where he admittedly has no expertise), and says he is forced to use every leadership skill the Air Force ever taught him. His daughters Erin (Texas A&M) and Casey (Continental Airlines) are both close by for visits.

One correction from an earlier column: John ZWIEBEL is watching California sunsets from his home in Santa Cruz, not Santa Clara as I reported. Sorry, Zwieb!

And a potential news flash: could it be true that Nortie SCHWARTZ has been nominated for his 3 rd star? Congratulations to Lt. Gen. SCHWARTZ!

Well, that’s all I can squeeze out of my computer. I’ll see what I can wring out before the next episde in the summer. As more of our classmates retire from acfive duty, staying in touch becomes more of a challenge. Please help this scribe out by dropping a quick e-mail on what you’re doing, and who you’ve seen or heard from. Ifyou don’t see your name in this column, it’s because I haven’t heard from you! Don’t be afraid to blow your own horn or that of another classmate. AMF and Check Six!

Joe Brezovic

1209 Bayou Oaks Drive

Friendswood, TX 77546

Phone: (281) 482-6860/Fax: (281) 244-7252

Office: (281) 483-1277

E-mail: joseph.brezovicl@jsc.nasa.gov

Percent members: 47

irGood day to you all! Welcome to the continuing saga of those who "Meet the Challenge”. This letter went out to the Checkpoints staff for the Spring before the Christmas letters came in. But I do have some anecdotes from the reunion and a few e-mails.

I am sure that those who attended the reunion wish to thank Ted ROTH, and his wife, Lois for behind-the-scenes assistance. Dino SCHWEITZER, also a planner, provided a home page for us to notify our class on plans for the reunion. Thank you Dino. Ifyou did come, pleaselookup our 74 home page atwww.capsys.com/ usafa74 and fill out the comments so the 30-year reunion will be at least as good as this last one! Come to think of it, all you readers are invited to look up the web site that Dino updates! There’s some news, and a few reunion pictures to look at. I didn’t have any pictures to use for this article, but there are some great ones to scan at the 74 home page. I am sure I missed someone who was also part of the planning and set-up team. Please accept humblest of apologies. I can add it in the next letter!

The reunion had 215 classmates sign up but about 240 (not including spouses/ families, or friends) made it to this memorable weekend! We beat Army! The weather was grand! The food was ample, tasty, available, and is still being worked offbythis writer! The Supt, LtGenTadOelstrom (‘65); new Comm, BGMarkWelsh (76), Athletic Director Col Randall Spetman (76), and our new AOG Pres/CEO Jim Shaw (‘67) spent some time with us on Fridaymorning. Class 74 summary as of Nov 99: started with 1,444; graduated 813; 159 still active; 100 in Guard/Reserves; 17 generals; 259 retired; 22 sons/daughters in or graduated from USAFA. By now you’ve learned that there are only 36 squadrons. 960 graduated in ‘99, with 550 pilot slots. Supt and Comm still applying for waivers with success; last year for about 35. Commitment is at 10 for pilots and eight for other careers. Must pass PE with 2.0 to graduate! Leadership is one of the foremost training goals. BG MarkWelsh also spoke of the “Exemplar Program”. This is a “hero of a class” program wherein a class chooses a leader of the past to hold as a model. Class ’01 has General Doolittle, ’02 has Gen. Mitchell, ’03 has Capt Sijan,’04 TBD. Also, with the funding cuts, even the Academy must replan the budget. The call goes out for your financial support for AFA programs. A special invitation was (and is) also extended to become a member of the Sabre Society.

As for the weekend, some may have looked on the Flatiron. I did, because ofthe few runs I did to that hill in yesteryear—as a number ofyou did! And it was there! A “74” was on the Flatiron! One/several of unknown classmates actually trekked up there to place a reminder that we can/are making a mark on the world. The notes in this particular letter are mainly from the brief talks shared during this weekend and a few from the e-mails y’all did send.

One ofthe exciting moments was talking with the earliest comrades-in-arms in the BCT and the 4th class year: Harry DURGIN is in Venezuela with mission work, Jack LONG is a captain with AmericanAirlines, lives in Denton, TX; Sam BIONDO, a captain with Continental, brought his wife and two boys, and lives in Newark, NJ. We talked about the 2nd BCT, survival, and falling out into the halls for 14count manual of arms while marching/running in place while reciting MG John M. Schofield’s dissertation on “Discipline” as given to the graduating class of (Oh, man, what was that year? Gotta look it up in the Contrails before next session!) We smiled and laughed through those days NOW. Rich and Peg BOWMAN, from Beavercreek, OH, sat with us at the Dozen table for the banquet. Ah, Rich, the memories ofsurvival and the cache! Rich may be retiring in June, 2000. Tracy and Kathy CHEATAM (Bluffdale, UT) were at the table talking about flying, and rescuing unborn children. JJ and Cynthia ROMANO (San Antonio, TX) talked of Joey (10), who we finally met, soccer, and some AF planning. We missed other Dirty Dozen members!

Prep Schoolers were represented by about 15 of us. The group picture wasn’t out yet for this mail. Lou CROOKS, retired, came with Linda. Lou brought both Polaris ’74 and Husky 70 yearbooks. Yeah. We could recognize some ofthe guys! Lou is flying cargo out ofAlbuquerque, NM kinda like “you call, I’ll haul”. Mike and Loretta O’CONNELL came in from Lancaster, CA. Mike gave me a card showing “HeartWood QualityWoodworking”. He was happy to be able to make a living on a hobby! Art RATKEWICZ is a colonel working as a Reservist in AF Space Command at Peterson. He found a job in there in the Springs. Tony and Cheryl BROZENA came in from Albuquerque. NM. “Stop by” they invite. Can you imagine Tony ski instructing? He does. You may more easily remember him playing

the banjo, which he did at the reunion for a small group on Saturday night at the banquet. Yes, it was good to hear.

Tony teamed with HankYAAP a CS-24 bud. Bro says that he and Hank used to play at school, informally. Hank and Denise came down from Issaquah,WA. They have three sons. Hank flies for Alaska Airlines. Another C Springs resident came: Mark RADER. Mark’s business card showed director of Admin at Focus on the Family Institute. The short talk indicated that the atmosphere there is one of encouragement and support and it was a real pleasure working there! I would hope so but it is nice to hear of a mellow, friendly workplace. Mike SCHMID works withThe Navigators in the U.S. Military Ministries. Rich FIAYNIE is in town somewhere too. Ron SEGA lives and works in COS. Dwight and Shirley CORBETT live in the Springs also! That is to mean Shirley does most of the living there, Dwight commutes to Chicago to be a pilot. Another COS resident, Mark HYATT, director of Character Development at USAFA, came with Debbie. Mark, in need of funding support the program, briefed us on the training sessions, mentoring, an opportunityfor any of us to come and talk experiences with a class. Please call Mark ifyou’re interested in coming to speak.

The first person Darlene and I saw at the sign-in tables at the Wyndham Hotel was Tom BALDY. Same smile as always! Easilyrecognized! Tom works for SAIC in the D.C. area and has been for the last 15 years! That was amazing because I, too, work for SAIC in Houston, TX, but only for the last five years. We met another SAICer, Blair BOZEK. Blair, retired, came in from Rosamond, CA, but shuttles for work with USAFE. Blair talked about SR-71s and why they should not be retired! Did you know that it was an SR-71 that found the lost A-10? If memory serves, Blair was the pilot ofthe ‘71 flight! Other pilots included Bill CASEMENT forAmerican Airlines. Terry came in from Hawaii wearing a long, warm coat to keep offthe chilly Colorado evening. Did anyone else feel cold? Dick BLANCHET flies 747s AdasAir out ofBelleville, IL. His card showed a 747, that’s how I guessed 747. Tris SEVDY is a captain on Delta MD-88s out of Atlanta. It is a long commute from Cincinnati, OH! There are other classmate pilots doing the same type of air-commute! (But Dwight has the longest one I know of.) Tris’ son is at AFA now. Steve DANIELS’ daughter Stephanie is there in Class ‘01. Worthy of note: she’s on the rugby team and healed from a separated shoulder. Steve is an 0-6 in the Air Mobility Command as chief, Exercise Policy Div. at ScottAFB, IL, and has been working on the Crises Action Team forY2K.

While walking through Vandenberg Hall with Steve, I learned that some of the squadrons sell squadronkeepsake coins. Steve showed me his daughter’s. They’re about the size of the old silver dollars, relief of the squadron patch on one side and theAcademy seal on the other. Another active-dutyclassmate, a flyer, is Howie LEWIS, who came in from Europe. His present tasking is ideal for him: flying, talking flying, working with other flyers in the European theater! Howie asked if I knew some of the astronauts enough to say “Hi” for him. “It depends on who you have in mind, of course,” I said. It turns out that several of the crew are his test pilot students, or acquaintances! Well, only one of them would know me, but I know where the others' offices are!

Another flight-related career classmate at the reunion was Chris POREDA. Chris came in from Burlington, MA where he is a senior attorney for the FAA in the New England Region. Having a flying career higher than that is Chris LANZIT. Chris is a regional director with Hughes in the Hong Kong area to work the communication satellite business in the Pacific basin. Chris had a number ofinteresting stories too. e.g. about his son becoming bilingual and their travels throughout the region. Tully and Patricia BROWN came in from Mississippi, where he works as a program manager forNichols Research. We found it to be a small world for bosses hi§ immediate boss happened to be in my chain of command (up there) in a company I used to be in. Dale andVirginia BURCHBY came over from San Diego. Dale is director ofTechnologywith LOGICON. Also in from California (LongBeach) was Bruce BALENT. Yet another Californian is Todd BEJSOVEC, but Todd came over from Sunnyvale. Yes, he, too, is with the Silicon Valley folks and is the manager oftest operations for the company named MAXIM. Further north, from Nike, IHM, Inc. came Bob and Nancy BROOKE who live in Beaverton, OR. I’ve always seen Bob with less smile on his face and a great oudook on life. And from further north, Roy and Ann LOWER came down from Clinton, WA and are doing well up there on their own island! (Well, there are a number of others on it! And it is challenging for them!)

From the East came MikeWELLS from Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Mike continues the planningand talking skills he has as a buyer for Pneumatic Scale, a Barry-Wehmiller Company. Also from the East came Frank BALLINGER. Frank works in the Crystal City area as a staff analyst for SDS International. From more near to Colorado came Greg and Monica FINDLAY. They’ve taken up residence inWichita Falls, TX. One set of folks that will be hard to locate is Roger “Wally” and Kathy COX. They are proud owners of a travelling home, a Winnebago, I think. “Wally” is the first vice president of the Iowa Winnie Hawks! It seems that these two lovebirds will live by the motto "Have home will travel”.

I would like to recognize and congratulate our classmates who have made star rank as of the 25th reunion. Carrol H. CHANDLER (MG Sel), Robert D. BISHOP Jr (Rod) (BG); Richard J. CASEY (BG Sel), Kelvin R. COPPOCK (BG Sel), Paul M HANKINS (BG Sel), Donald J. HOFFMAN (BG Sel), Thomas R KANE (BG Sel), Joseph E. KELLEY (BG), Christopher A KELLEY (BG), Duncan J. MCNABB (BG), Richard A. MENTEMEYER (BG), David L. MOODY (BG), NealT. ROBINSON (BG Sel),

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY!

YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND

CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED.

CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

Robin E. SCOTT (BG Sel), Ron SEGA (BG), Norman R. SEIP (BG Sel), and James B. SMITH (BG).

Also worthy of note and congratulations are the quite a few of ‘74 who wear the colonel rankwith pride. We acknowledge that it is not an easy feat to attain. Though unrecognized with rank and privileges, the rest of us are striving and excelling within diversified environments and circumstances. As we visited each other around the tables, and during the homecoming functions, the feeling of camaraderie, congratulatory wishes, supportive discussions boosted morale, strengthened bonds, and encouraged us to continue to “Meet the Challenge”. That’s from our ring, remember? ‘Tis a shame the weekend prevented longer talks or more visitations with classmates. I don’t think I was the only one who ran out of time.

From e-mails I’ve learned that Mike and Susan MALIZOLA live in Franklin, MA. Mikeworks at a software company, LookingGlass, to keep his wife and three youngsters in good health and spirits. Frank and Steph BREWER still live in Austin, TX. Bill MURRAY IV is an 0-6 at McClellan AFB, CA. Robert “Mike” BURNSIDE is retired too. Mike works for the state ofKentucky in the Finance and Administration Cabinet. He and Patti celebrated their 25th anniversarythis year, along with many other ‘74 couples, and “found it hard to believe how quickly time can pass.” Their two sons, Steve (21) and Scott (20), are both attending the University of Kentucky, along with a significant portion oftheir income! Mike continues to fly, givingprivate flight instruction in his “free” time, where “the speed isn’t quite as fast, but it is still a lot of fun!”

I look forward to our paths crossing in the air terminals, in restaurants, in the malls, or in the e-mails (hint). May you and yours continue to be in good health, live long, and prosper.

Jeff Hackett

1866 W. Aspen Ave. Gilbert, AZ 85233

Home: (480) 813-9605

Office: (480) 891-2734

E-mail: jeffrey.l.hackett@BOEING.COM

Percent members: 39

FINALY2K COMPLIANCE TEST. Sure I could have penned this in time to meet the editor’s end-of-year deadline but then we would have had to wait another three months to see ifmy class column writing skills were Y2K compliant; so here we go into the new millennium! Thinking about all the marvels we’re likely to see in the coming years prompts me to make another “pitch” for our Class website [http://www.tc.umn.edu/~carlsonj/]. Yes, part of me recognizes that this technology is to the class scribe and “paper” Checkpoints what the automobile was to the horse and buggy - but the utility, breadth, and timeliness ofwhatJim CARLSON has done for us on the Class of ‘75 homepage is very, very exciting. Bookmark and use it today!

MORE FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES. Expect it is covered elsewhere in the magazine but thought we should begin with a salute to our five new BGs - DougFRASER, Perry LAMY, A1 PECK, Steve REDMANN, and Dale (Muddy) WATERS. From all of us to each of you, congratulations on your achievement/recognition! As of this writing I’m not able to tell you much about exact timing and/or any changes of command (location) that might be associated with the promotions (although I’ll be waiting to hear from any ofyou with “gory details”!). On a partlypersonal note, was hoping to also share results of this FYOO USAFR 0-6 Promotion Board with you in this column but the list is still goingthrough approvalcycle; but by the time you read this we should certainly have something posted on the Class web site. (Editor’s note: The FYOO USAFR 0-6 Promotion Board listdid come out prior to our going to press and your scribe, JeffHackett, was on it! CongratsJeff.)

MORE RECOGNITION. Was happy to get the chance to have dinner with Chuck and Roxanne HOLLAND while inWashington DC severalweeks back. As I’ve noted before they are in language and “diplomat” training enroute to Chuck’s assignment as Defense and Air Attache in LaPaz, Bolivia. During our “years in review” discussion I discovered that in last year’s (Jun ‘99) AirWar College AcademicYear Award Ceremony, our class “cleaned up”! Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award (top student award) went to Mike ANDERSON and the Muir S. Fairchild Educator Award (top faculty award) went to Chuck! On top of that Chuck was recognized as advisor for two of the 15 Research andWriting Awards given to students. Again, congratulations on your achievements/recognition! FYI, Chuck and Roxanne will be off to Bolivia in May/June after Chuck gets a quick checkout in the C-12.

The other instance ofmeals-and-musing came on “home” turf as Rich CHANICK was nice enough to take me to lunch just before the Holidays. He and Mary are still here in Phoenix and continue to do well with their employment agency (in a good example of networking, Rich noted that Willy COSBY had occasion to use their business as he was doing some recent hiring). Rich has done a fair amount of traveling and has become significantly involved in the political scene here in Arizona and the far West.

ASYOU GIVE SO SHALLYOU RECEIVE. Have to believe this truism is applied on a macro scale not on any specific aspect of our lives - otherwise, I’d never get any Christmas cards/letters! And the ’75 Faithful came through prettywell this year. If you know Jon and Diane TURNER you won’t be surprised that theirs was the first card to arrive (postmark: 27 Nov!). Maybe it’s because they’re “emptynesters” now although that would seem to be offset bybuilding and moving into a new home on north end ofColorado Springs. Jill is in senior year at CSU and Ric is in rookie year at the Zoo. Jon is 737-300 Flight Ops supervisor at United Flight Center in Denver and Diane has taken a break from the outside work world to focus on finishing touches in the new house. Like the Turners, Mark, Lucy, Scott, andAnn DONNELLY made a local-area (Washington, DC) move last year. Individual and family routines remain pretty much the same (although it’s hard for me to imagine “routineness” in being chiefpilot for the President of the United States).

The Turner Family

Mike and Diane BUCKLEY are still in Anchorage where Mike continues as 737 captain forAlaska Airlines. Am sorry we don’t have a picture to document one of the major highlights of their year. During a fishing trip to the Aleutian Island of Unalaska, Diane became an International Game FishAssociation (IGFA) Line Class World Record holder for the 242 pound Pacific Halibut she caught! (Mike assured me thathe caught “his share” too; their total catch for the day was over 480 pounds.)

Our other Alaska Airlines - Christmas Card connection is with Brian and Teri BARNES who are still in Seattle where Brian is number four on the F.O. seniority list (“gets to fly where and when he wants”). Teri has given up her real estate license in order to give more focus to other business endeavors and to her work with Reserve Officers Association Ladies Clubs (she is president for state ofWashington and national historian).

I get the feeling from Mark and Charlyn FANTASIA that they feel like they’ve moved at least a 100 boxes that weighed more than the aforementioned fish during their move to SanAntonio where Mark has taken a post-retirementjob “teaching and consulting” with USAA. Two kids in college (Shauna - BYU, Devin - Rick’s College) and Tiffany is a freshman in high school.

Clearly Mike LISCHAK is a man of the spoken (as opposed to “written”) wordhe and Joan didn’t have a lot to say in their card but for those ofyou who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Joan, they did include a picture from their April 99 wedding. There was also a “let’s get together” invitation so perhaps there’ll be more in the next column.

Bentley RAYBURN’s card/letter came as he was moving into his new assignment as ACC/XP; he’s excited and hopeful that there might be a little less travel in the year to come (in addition to doing the IG thing last year, he spent a couple of months on Joint Task Force-Noble Anvil staff helping to run operations in Serbia and Kosovo). Debbi, in Bentley’s words, “continues to be the glue that holds this crew together.” The “crew” includes Moriah in college (Covenant College - Tennessee), Micah in high school, and Cassandra and Carrissa in elementary school. Yeah, that’s a mix that might need a little tender, loving glue!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. The “late” part would be Christmas card from Wayne and AmyWILLIS (postmark: 27 Dec) - and the “never” part as I said earlier would be my Christmas cards. It’s only the two of them and daughter, Amy, callingAlbuquerque home now. #1 son, Dave, is in Provo, UT in college; Scott is full time missionary (temporarily home for some medical treatment but expecting to return to the field soon); and Brian is in USAFA Class of 2003 with Ric Turner. With the reduced home population Amy has decided to strike out on her own (interior design) and was happy to see project she did for Albuquerque Parade of Homes took top honors. Wayne’s still on 737s for Delta out ofOrlando and says he will not be growing up nor getting a real job in this (or the next) millennium.

“SHOCKING” NEWS FROM THE ELECTRONIC MAILBAG? Just after I submitted last column for publication, Dean SPRAGGINS zapped a note to announce his retirement (19 Nov). Fellow STRATCOM buddy and classmate Gary SHUGART was to officiate at the ceremony. Dean was pleased to have had the opportunity to see Branch. He “stood up” (Network Analysis & Infrastructure Support) and bucked the dreary draw down trend of the past decade and actually saw growth under his leadership. Retirement will find him and Jean in Hill City, SD.

It’s another technology test! I’m going to include digital photo file sent to me by Mike HEIL in my submission to the editor although I’m not sure it has the proper resolution for publication. Ifit made it made it - check it out, if not (Editor’s note: Not!) - imagineyou’re looking at ‘75ers now serving in senior leadership positions atAFMC. From left are Col Mike Heil (commander, Arnold EngineeringDevelop

ment Center, Arnold AFB TN), Brig Gen (s) Pete HENNESSEY (vice commander, Oklahoma CityAir Logistics Center, Tinker AFB OK), Col Jim DILL (95th Air Base Wing commander, Edwards AFB CA), Brig Gen (s) Perry LAMY (412th Test Wing commander, Edwards AFB CA), Col Bob GAMBRELL (72nd Air Base Wing commander, Tinker AFB OK), and Col Jim HEALD (Air Force Research Laboratory vice commander, Wright-Patterson AFB OH).

I believe Bill MURRAY’S latest e-mail qualifies as an electronic Christmas card/ letter - complete with another digital photo file (this one appears to be much higher resolution and 75 percent ofthe subjects are much better looking than our AFMC comrades). Bill and Judy are still living in Sacramento but will move somewhere else this summer as McClellan AFB finally closes. Both girls are at Baylor University in Texas; Rosemary’s a senior, Evelyn a freshman. Judy is still substitute teaching and continues to really enjoy it. Bill says work keeps him busy and that he and Judy miss having the girls close by, but that they’re starting to realize that the “empty-nest syndrome” is a well-kept secret.

PRACTICING WHAT I PREACH. I used the Class home page to chase down Bill SPENCER right before the Holidays and reminded him that I was approaching another deadline. He came through in spades! Bill’s inWashington as Legislative Liaison for the Academy and claims to have the best job in the Pentagon (“the boss (vice superintendent) is 1,800 miles away, I make my commute home on time every night, no one in the building really knows who I am or what I do, and if they want something from me, they ask really nicely”). Bill bumps into Mike ANDERSON and Gil BRAUN out of the SecAF Legislative Liaison Office and they routinely work with John SULLIVAN who is a professional staff member on the House Armed Services Committee. “On the personnel side, Dale C. “Muddy”

WATERS sits in front of me at AF/DP staff meetings and seems to be enjoying it more since being announced as one of our newBGs. Ran into Joe STEIN the other day invited me out to Dyess where he’s in charge. Jim BURLING (at AFSPC/ Peterson AFB) and John LOUCKS (working for SAF/AA) have bumped into me once or twice in the hall. And, David ANHALT’s locker is two down from mine at the PentagonAthletic Center—butI’ve never seen him (that’s what happens when you get assigned downstairs at OSD). Duane JONES was in the building not too long ago and I passed him as I was going home and he was waiting for his (1700 hrs on a Friday afternoon!) meeting to start. He was hoping to get home to Robins on the red-eye out of National.” Thanks for all the news, Bill!

CALL FOR HELP. Mark (D.) HOLMES copied me on long e-mail he sent to Jim CARLSON. Mark detailed a good bit of the extraordinarypath he’s taken since the late-‘80s (I may be a little off in the timing there, some of his commentary made reference to events that I’m sure Jim knew chronology of but I wasn’t completely certain). Sold the business and three shops he owned and moved from San Diego to LosAngeles where he got involved in acting (still receiving residuals from part he played in Hook with Robin Williams) and “keep-your-sanity” work in a Harley Davidson shop (he later fused these two interests into a more “complete” job as a TV / movie motorcycle stuntman!). Unfortunately he found out about the same time that he was HIV positive and that they thought he had had it since 1984. Lots of challenges, setbacks, and (temporary) victories bring Mark to the point where he’s been stable for about two years (“T” cell count around 600, “viral load” around 12,000 although not in check) but disease has become resistant to virtually all “conventional” drugs. “I’m only one drug away from going back into the twilight zone and reallydon’t want to go there again, at least not until I’ve lost all myteeth and live in HappyAcres or something.” Mark assuredJim and I that, although he didn’t want to make it “too heavy” he wanted to solicit any help we or any ofyou might provide in networking paths that might lead him to “new experimental therapies, studies, medications and so forth”. And he promised us that it was firmly in his plans to be at the 25th Reunion this Fall (that will be a beer I’ll gladly buy! JH).

Y2K RESOLUTIONS. By the time your read this I’m sure some ofmine will have fallen by the wayside, but for now I’m still sticking to the “spend more quiet time with family” one - hope you’re all having a great year and that you’ll heed my advice about checkingout/contributing to the class home page. And don’t forget to start planning for 25-year reunion (27 - 30 Sep) - it’s later than you think!

Class of 1975 - 25th Reunion

USAFA vs. SDSU

15-19 November 2000

Ernie Woollard

216 E. Goettler St. 5

Scott AFB, IL 62225-1710

Home: (618) 744-1044

Work: (618) 256-7948

E-mail: evw76@aol.com

Class Website:http: / /www.AFAcademy.com/76

Percent members: 40

(Editor’s note: Ernie did not have an inputfor this issue. Send him a note or emailfor the next issue.)

John J “Lou” Michels, Jr.

5107 Juglan Court

Centreville, VA 22020

H: (703) 802-6611 W: (703) 712-5350

Fax: (703) 712-5050

E-Mail: jjmichel@mwbb.com

Percent members: 40

E-ZOOMS: I would like to open this quarter’s report with another plug for John VISSER and his class web site, found at “www.usafa.net/1977”. I know that more of you are looking at John’s site, because I am getting more e-mail from it. In addition to having last quarter’s column, it contains links to a variety ofAOG sites, as well as a regularly updated picture of the Zoo. For those of us who are not stationed near real mountains, it is almost refreshing to dial up the old alma mater and see snow again.

While I am at it, I will also carefullyplug another site that is worth a few laughs. The Dodo is well remembered by most of us for at least trying to push the officially sanctioned edge of acceptable humor out past the “Leave It To Beaver” zone. The venerable Dodo has now been succeeded by E-Dodo, a totally uncensored web site that I hope for the sake oftheir careers is not being run by cadets, or any other active duty types. I will warn you now that it has a high “unacceptable language” content, but does provide some entertaining discussions of cadet folklore, latest rumors about the Zoo, and occasionally a jewel, such as General Welsh’s initial address to the CadetWing. It certainlywill not make anyone’s list ofTop-10 politically-correct websites. Happy surfing.

E-WARM THOUGHTS: Mark CASTELLANI (Susan) and Chip LAMB (Trish) hooked up over the fall in Key Largo for some R & R. Mark reports they did all the water sports parasailing, snorkeling, eating hordes of fish, and boating. Eating is a water sport? Mark graciously fired off this photo of the vacationers and I thought, given the season, this was the perfect time to air it. From left are Trish, Chip, Susan, Mark, and Mark and Susan’s daughter Chris. Other than Chip being a NewYorkYankees’ fan, it looks like a great photo and a great time.

Mark has been busy as an Airbus first officer for United out ofDenver. He ended up moving next door to Tom SPRATT (Leslie) who also flies for United out ofDenver. Mark reports that Dan MCNEIL (Donna) just moved from the Denver area up to the western slopes at Montrose after retiring from the Buckley T-43 Guard Unit. Mark flew as Don MAGEE’s copilot recendy. Don and Valerie are living in Colorado Springs where they are acting as surrogate parents to Pat and Cindy McVAY’s son Daniel. Mark saw Jim DUGAN (Lynn) at the Denver operations center. Jim is a 727 captain for United. Mark also saw Joe MUUS (Nancy) in Denver where he is a first officer on a 767. Bob MARSHALL (Linnea) bumped into Mark while using the DC-10 simulator at Denver for training. Bob is with Northwest out ofMinneapolis. Mark also managed to make it up to the Army game to watch the Falcons getyet another C-in-C trophy. Ah, the life of an airline pilot. Finally, and rounding out our report of the Denver United group, Dave STEPHAN (Cynthia) said “hi” to Mark and reported that he has recently been married. Congrats to Dave and my eternal thanks to Mark for a thorough and informative update.

E-UPDATES: I really appreciate the messages coming in from all of you in response to my occasional pleas for help, but would you please make sure that you at least identify yourselfwith a last name? My psychic powers are fading as I get older and I can’t identify your handwriting either. This being said, my thanks to Habul7971 (“Mike”) who dropped me a note from Maxwell where he is at AirWar College. He notes that the ’77 population at AWC is pretty small, which I guess is not surprising given our respective ages. Bob SOUCY (Beth) officially retired on Dec. 13 after a long and successful career in Special Ops. He and Beth are settling in North Carolina. Congratulations Bob, onward and upward. ChrisVEALE wrote from Bucharest where she and Rob are now living following Rob’s assignment at air attache. She notes that their living situation is a lot better than theythought it was going to be and that it is easy to get around. Apparently her highlight was

finding a store similar to Sam’s that “even sells Pringles”. Who said Eastern Europe was a hardship tour? Thanks for the update Chris and I hope things continue to go well out there.

Vic NUTT (Carol) gave me an update through John’s website. Vic lives on a culde-sac with Rick JENSEN (Karen) in lovely Little Rock. Vic and Carol now have four kids, but I am still not sure exactly whatVic is doing in Arkansas. Don’t leave it to my imagination, Vic. Give me a yell over the web when you read this. Rhodie RHODEN (Vikki) dropped me a quick message to say that retirement is treating them well as he works for Pratt &Whitney in CT. He made it to the Navy game and hooked up with Kevin ROLL (Kimberly), who is at Langley on the ACC staff.

John VISSER also made it up here for the Navy game and fired off this photo of himself and a few of the former Cellar Rats ofCS-33. From the left are Tim HOPPER (MaryAnn), John, Lee Bauer (Bernadette) and behind them, Fed-ExField. Thanks for the pix, Jofin. Gary HAMOR (Ellen) sent me a message from Longmont, CO where he founded a company that “fixes factories”. It sounds like fascinatingwork—Gary is an executiveVP andhis folks basically showcompanieshowto convert inefficient manufacturing methods into efficient ones. I would love to see this kind ofthing catch on for law firms. He and Ellen (who, incidentally, have been married since graduation day) have three kids, all ofwhom are in college now. Garykeeps in touch with Tom JONES (Liz), who is preparingforhis next shuttlelaunchthis summer, andWallyZANE (Renee), who is flying for United out ofDenver. I doubt this last reportbecauseWally is the only guy in Denver Mark CASTELLANI didn’t talk about. Thanks a million for the update Gary; let’s not let it be 15 years before you write again.

Tom MARINELLO (Patti) wrote me a quick message from his job as a professor of history at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, IA. Tom and Patti have one child and he is currentlychasing a Ph.D. in Europe on a five-six year program. Tom’s sense of humor is undiminished, he wrote to ask me who all the “old people” were that keep appearing in the pictures in the column. We have met the enemy, Tom and he is us. Russ FINNEY (Kathie) jotted off a missive from Cincinnati where he is running his own business offinancial and estate planning, serving as chiefpilot for a small flying operation out ofCincinnati, and running a distributorship for preventive health care and sports nutritional products. Well at least no one will accuse you ofgetting into a rut, Russ. Or a rat race. All the best for the next year.

Rick PIALET (Renell) is now living in Monument, CO where he is flying out ofDenver. He and Renell are firmly settling in just north of our former haunts, with the full panoply of kid activities. From Rick’s message it sounds like he and Renell are running a teenage bus service out of their home. Thanks for the heads-up Rick and all the best in snow country. Finally, I spent a very pleasant Christmas day afternoon with Joe and Molly FERRARA and their three delightful children. Joe is working at NRO andwill be retiring next summer to chase the hi-techwork around the D.C. area. Joe and Molly may well win the award for “people who have changed the least in appearance over the last 21 years”; they both look great. Equally impressive are their three kids, Meg, Tom and Jim, who not onlyengaged Sonia and I in conversation but entertained my two maniacs as well.

E-STARS: We finally have no-kidding, drop-dead, general officer nominees in our class. Myverybest congratulations to RayJOHNS (Dianna) andT.C. JONES (Lisabeth), whose names popped out on the list in December. See T.C., it is possible to recover from your car burning up in the Springs. Onward and upward. And finally, just before going to press, I found out that Steve SCHWALBE (Ingrid) got picked up for colonel on July 1,1999. Congratulations to all.

E-SIGNOFF: I hope that everyone had a pleasant and undeployed holiday season. All the best for the new century. Be seeingyou.

T. J. “Bahaska” Whitehair

1205 Southview Drive

O’Fallon, IL 62269 (618) 632-1423

E-mail: Bahaska@intertek.net

Percent members: 39

78, DARK AGES

wGOING POSTAL: I checked outAOG e-mail in Septemberwhere I quicklylearned not to send a message to the entire class. Some 75 messages failed due to server not found, address/user unknown, etc. A definite OHNOSECOND (that minuscule time second in which you realize your big mistake). However, just after my message made the rounds, I got an e-mail from H.D. “I’m Too Old For This” PHILLIPS, an old, bold “B” Squadron prep-schooler of mine who is studying hard at theAirWar College. Interesting stat: ofthe 250-plusUSAFAprep schoolers who entered on the five-year plan in 1973, only 66 graduated five years later in 1978. That’s a drop out rate ofABOUT 75 percent.

UP, UP, & AWAY: Dennis “Red Balloon” PARK noted that with AOG e-mail he

can’t hide from the scribe and avoid hisAOG duties. In late September, Dennis and wife, Lisa, will brave the skies over Albuquerque while hopefully sharing his balloon with Barry“Hot Air” BINGHAM and Jim “Ballast” RUBALCABA. In older news, he saw Ron “It is Balloon” ROSEPINK skysurfing in his balloon at the Reno Balloon Meet on Sept. 10-12,1999. Dennis planned to hit Greeley, CO on Oct. 22-24,1999 foryet another bout ofpeaceful, slow-speed, technically-unchallenged, hot-aired, funfilled flying.

VENI,VIPI,VICI (I Came, I’m AVeryImportantPerson, I Conquered): News from our guys at the five-sided maze of political correctness, the puzzle palace, or the ADMINISPHERE. (Definition: a rarefied organization with layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.) However, our ‘78ers are proven better than that (always have been). Goldy reports that Bill CHAMBERS is assistant executive officer to the Chairman ofthe Joint Chiefs (the record for the longestjob title) and is doing top-notch work while memorizing every POC and office number (said to be one helluva top-notch AF representative). Mark ZAMZOW is filling a key 0-6 billet with style and grace. Ed RICE survived the White House NSC staff and is now the deputy director of the XO Division. Johnny WEIDA, fresh from Korea, is once again running the maze. Steve SARGEANT replaced Ed RICE at the White House NSC staff (congratulations, have a cigar). Kip SELF, now sporting eagles, is doing some of that joint staff stuff.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN REALITY: Larry KRAUSER made LTC in the Reserves and is teacher-certified in high school mathematics in the San Fernando Valley. Dualhatted Col Larry JAMES (with wife, Susan, and daughters Alexis and Jocelyn) is at Vandyland as chiefofOperations for 14thAF (Space NAF) and CO ofthe 614th Space Operations Group. Pretty good for an astro major. Paul MORELL (MORELLI until he dropped the “i” in 1979) is checked out as a Northwest 757 captain homebased in Detroit. Tom OWEN is a C-5 system program director at Robins AFB working sustainment issues and fleet modernization. Per Tom, fellow blackjacker Brad DUNTON is flying for Northwest Airlines out ofCOS. LTC Steve“House Of’ USHER, is at Shaw AFB still flying lawn darts (F-16s) with his buddy Tom “Toad” TWOHIG. Steve will continue in the AF as long as he gets another flying assignment. Steve, in some sad news, reports that Tom TWOHIG’s wife has been ill. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, his wife, and family. Hang in thereTom! Prayers also go out to Rick MIDDLETON who hasn’t had an easy time ofit lately either.

SAD DAY:Again, on the serious side, ifyou haven’t alreadyheard, RogerHAGE has passed away. A good guy, who will be dearly missed. Class condolences to his family and friends.

“A”TEAM: In 1978, an elite team ofspecial forces escaped from a maximum securityprison located in Colorado Springs, CO. Charged with crimes they didn’t commit (and some they did) and pursued bymilitary authorities, they escaped into underground America. Now, they assist people in the pursuit oftruth, justice, and the American way. So, if you need help, are in deep trouble, you just might, possibly, hire the “A” Team. As I wandered down to pick up my Eskan Village (Riyadh) Base Paper for Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, I realized I discovered this team pictured prominently in the newspaper and in the process missed another reunion (darn!). The colonels from the JTF-SWA picked a great location to have a reunion (beats the Marriott, hands down). The Desert Rats (“A” Team Code Name) ofCol Marke “Hoot” GIBSON, LTC Blake LINDNER, LTC Chris KRISINGER, LTC SteveWALKER, and LTC Lou CHRISTENSEN found themselvesvolunteeringtogether for Operation SOUTHERNWATCH this past summer. So to beat boredom and to get a little good PR for a change for 78, they talked the local PR director into an article on the Class of 78 desert warriors. Obviously, they had too much time on their hands and as with all former cadets, they made a game of it.

NO, NOT A TOUGH MAN TO MAKE TENDER CHICKENS: In resume fodder, Vic SUMMERS is president of Perdue Companies (dealing with interiors and flooring and such, not chickens) with annual sales of about $40 million. Otherwise it’s golf for him in Jacksonville, FL.

HALF AND HALF: Larry ROMO works as an Army civilian for a U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion (traitor), but is also the USAFA Liaison Officer Director for the USAF opportunities in south Texas. Obviously, interchangeable positions.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Brian “Skivs” LIVIE's son Vincent is not only a junior at the zoo, but is assigned to the same squadron as his dad (CS-25). A new tradition has been born at CS-25 where a mural similar to the squadron patch exists by the CCQ desk (I’m told it’s not unlike Bill the Cat with one very large red eye). Here the doolies are required, upon passing, to smack the cat on the a2s while uttering a guttural sound of “myeaow”. Animal control officers continually respond to the apparent cat fights - film at 11. This begs the question ofwhether or not any other multi-generation 78ers and their sons/daughters are zoomies. Let me know.

SOCCER MOM: Since most ofyou guys are too busy, I must depend on the wives to come through for me. Nancy (Brent “B.J.”) FALKENBERG, living in my hometown of O’Fallon, IL reports that her hubby was retiring effective Oct. 1, 1999 (his ceremony was July 19,1999), but had already earned wings with American Airlines based in Chicago. They’ll be moving soon to Dallas after their son Brent Jr. graduates. Nancy notes that B.J. never, ever, checks his e-mail, but hopes he reads Checkpoints to find out what he’s doing.

TOTO, I DON’T THINKWE’RE IN KANSAS ANYMORE! Or at least John HICKS is. He retired lastyear after 20 years with his final position as 388th FighterWingDeputy Logistics group commander. Now he’s chief structural engineer and department head for GST Steel.

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY!

YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND

CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED.

CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

25TH REUNION PACT: Jere MATTY promised not to miss the 25th year reunion if Morgan LANKFORD agreed to run the 2nd Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego (23 May 99) with him and his son Christopher. Obviously, he made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. So, it’s over, expect them at the 25th reunion. Jere is a GS-14 at Arnold AFB as technical director of the AppliedTechnology Division.

YOU MIGHT BE A FORMER 78er IF: The Cowboy still does your hair.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosingit incorrectly, and applyingthe wrong remedies” - Groucho Marx.

LATE ENTRY: Expect an update on the 0-6 list by next edition, I need to gather up all the comments, e-mails, letters, etc.

VENI,VIDI,VICE -1 came, I saw, I partied! Bahaska is 404. PS: The class “Z” movie was “White Buffalo” starring Charles “Bahaska” Bronson.

Mike Ashley

Route 2, Box 36E

Charles Town, WV 25414

(304)728-0274

E-mail: MTRASH99@aol.com

Percent members: 41

AJ! \

wMGreetings and HappyYear 2000 fromWild andWonderfulWestVirginia. I am a last minute addition to the class scribe detail. I’ve taken over for Mike DONATELII, who has faitihfullydischarged these duties for the past 20 years! The class and I thankyou Mike and Julie for serving your class and keeping us well informed for such a long time. Godspeedand, ofcourse, stayin touch. Iwill endeavor to fulfill Mike’sjob-welldone. For those ofyouwho attended the class reunion, there is little to fill in on what’s happening to your fellow classmates. With over 50 percent ofthe class in attendance, ifyou didn’t see and speak to everyone you know, it was simply because we ran out of time. For those who could not attend, you simply missed the event of a lifetime. And you were sorely missed. Everyone in attendance was seeking info on those who were not there from those who were. Here is a synopsis ofthe events.

Wednesday was check-in day. There were no 76 or 77 grads there to give us the warm arrival greetings I fondly remember from 24 years ago. This was packet pickup and find out who’s coming time for the early trickle-ins. My plane was delayed so I missed out on this part.

I arrived on Thursday in time for the golf tournament. I and other last minute add-ons were accommodated the final openings in the outing. Most of the foursomes were already paired. A little scrambling got everyone in. What a day! The wind was light, the temp was right (short sleeves) and the sun was bright. I thought the rare air was supposed to make the ball fly farther. I had never played the Blue Course at Eisenhower. The course was in terrific shape and the staff did a fantastic job. The course was won by a group who had a former member of the collegiate golf team. (Sorry I didn’t remember your names.) We adjourned back to the hotel for informal eats and drinks. The full attendees had still not arrived. Friday was another splendid day. The sun was bright and the wind had a cooler tint to it. Open House was the occasion. Great chance to see old and somewhat familiar places. A few minor differences, like different aircraft on the terrazzo. Also some changes to the dorm rooms. Some of the class lined up in the Noon Meal Formation and marched to lunch. We showed the cadets howto dress right and keep in step. 79 leads the way again! A presentation by the Supt., Comm., Dean and Athletic Director was given to the combined classes of 79 and ‘89. We clearly had the ‘89ers out-numbered. (Can’t say outmanned!) Changes are brewing; same old place. By the time ofthe Memorial Service the wind had picked up a little and taken a decidedly chillier tone. A touching service that completely resembled the services I remembered from my vantage in front of Sijan Hall so many moons ago. The names being called out, including our own Frank MENDOZA; “Absent, Sir” came the reply. My own thoughts went to my old squadronmate and friend, Ron GRAY, who died in an F-16 accident in 1983. Even the weather turned solemn as the dark clouds rolled in and cancelled the missing-man flyby due to the low ceiling. A class photo was taken in the Protestant Chapel, after some clowning around of course.

The best part of the day and of the week was the banquet. With the full class contingent present, it appeared the hotel staffwas overwhelmed by our presence. But of course, this was the Class of 79; we’ve been overwhelming everyone and everyplace since June 30, 1975! The hoards had to be rounded up and seated. Seating was informal and everyone gathered bysquadron for the most part. I saw a few old jocks looking for the training tables. During dinner Tom MCCARTHY and Bob SWAIN updated everyone on the class gift, the A-10 static display. More on that later. Chatter and excitement filled the room as old acquaintances were renewed. By the end of the evening any group that had ever existed as a part or whole of the class was announcing get-togethers (doolie squadrons, pilot training classes, etc.) It was near frantic the way any individual was looking for an old friend in the mayhem of gatherings. What fun! The evening and the week were way too short. Saturday’s football game with Utah was moved to 6p.m. MDT to accommodate ESPN2’s television broadcast. This caused some difficulty in scheduling the expected post game squadron parties. The weather came to the rescue. Huh? Yes, Friday’s cool winds gave way to Saturday a.m. flurries, turning to ice pellets, turning to SNOW. Five inches or more. The Saturday a.m. parade was done. A perfect opportunity to get together for pre-pregame festivities. The AOG tailgate party was moved into Doolittle Hall as the snow continued and the wind howled. It wasn’t as cold as the Georgia Tech game of 1978 nor as snowy, but we were ill-prepared for the weather. And we lost the game after leading at halftime. Sunday brought a beautifully sunny, snow-covered scene. A postcard ending for a great class reunion. Those that had to get going made the mad dash for the highways and skyways. The rest to the Sunday Brunch and one last chance for reminiscing and reacquainting. All told, nearly 500 (maybe more) returned. What a great event. We sorely missed the 400 who could not attend.

THE CLASS GIFT: It’s traditional for the 20-year class to present USAFA with a gift. Our gift is the A-10 that classmate Bob SWAIN flewwhen he shot down an enemy helo in Desert Storm. Moneyhas been collected to move the plane to USAFA and refiirbish it (see photo). As this Checkpointsgoes to press, our funds collection has proceeded to the first go/no go point and we have been able to let the contracts to move the plane. If all goes as we hope, the A-10 should arrive in Colorado Springs in the late March timeframe for refiirbishment and mounting at a yet-to-be-decided location on base. As an OUT (Once Upon a Time) A-10 driver, I’m veryexcited about seeing this happen.

Mark Reid (reunion committee chairman), Thom McCarthy (classgift lead), and C3C Tracy Kaier (artist) present an oil portraitofBobby Swain’sA-10 inflight over the Academy to Superintendent Lt Gen Tad Oelstrom. The portrait represents the comingpresentation by the Class of 79 ofBob’s actual aircraft to theAcademy as our 20th Reunion Gift.

AWORD OF THANKS: The class reunion would not have been the great success without the hard work ofpreparation. On behalf ofthe Class of ‘79,1 thank Mark REID and his family for all the time and great effort that this reunion required. A special thanks to Dave CALLOWAY whose LCWB.com web site was pivotal to informing and reunifying the class before October. Ifyou haven’t been there, LOG ON! Finally, thanks to the many others who contributed but I never found out who you were or what you had done. Your class is humbly grateful.

John DALLAS (John.Dallas@arftsm.ang.af.mil) has the next news. Send your emails to him, or to me and I’ll pass them on. Myfirst letter didn’t provide much in specifics. Next time I’ll have more detail on who’s where and doing what. In the meantime, stay in touch. MIGHTY FINE!

Don Myers

P. O. Box 8998

Kodiak, AK 99615

Work: (907) 487-5591

DSN: 317-487-5591

Home: (907) 486-1098

E-mail: DMyers80@hotmail.com

Percent members: 43

MjDgjfr

'''1®''-nl

A Gift to Me. You folks really came through this time. There were a lot ofe-mail updates and many Christmas cards/letters. Opening each one was like... Christmas for me! (Thanks).

Please note the e-mail address (above) that I prefer you to use. My home account on this island is too slow for your e-pix and other attachments, so I’ll open your e-mails to me at work via hotmail. Also, Steve DAWIDOWICZ is relinquishing the class homepage to Bud UYEDA due to a departure “for deepest darkest Africa.” No kidding, Steve’s going to join his wife at our embassy in Namibia. The new address is http://usafa80.tripod.com

E-mail Updates. Paul “TP” SMITH is the chieftest pilot and Joint Test director for the JSF program, as well as the deputy director for the JSF T&E support office at Edwards. He should be getting all four ofthe testjets soon. Don McCORMICK is the executive support staffofficer for the Maine ANG, a full-time AGR position that tries to appease three generals (good luck!). A large part of the job deals with local, state, and federal legislators as well as public affairs issues. “A different problem every day” He moved over from owning a combat comm squadron, which got three consecutive AFOUAs. Good on you, Don. In addition to Mike ANGAROLE, Tom HEEMSTRA has testified regarding the implementation of the anthrax vaccine program in the military. Succinctly put, Tom said ofJiis ANG unit, “Morale is in the tubes.”

Philip “Ruffldog” RUHLMAN is in D.C. after leaving his SQ/CC position at Luke. He’s a senior militaryfellow at the Nat’l Defense Universitystudying the Quadrennial Defense Review—“strategy and force structure stuff.” He passed some news along: Ali FROHLICH, 83 FWS/CC (missile shoot tests) at Tyndall; Sue DESJARDINS, Pentagon J-5 Nuclear Arms Control; Norm SWEET, ICAF; Dirk JORDAN, AWC; Bob HENDRICKS, Combat OpsSQ/CC, Osan. Another“fellow” isMatt NEUENSWANDER, who is going to the Advanced Operational Arts Studies Fellowship Program at Leavenworth, a new school. Chris “Koop" KUPKO, as the OSS/CC at D-MAFB, gets to fly A-10s and see Craig SCHLATTMAN and Dave VOTIPKA, both FS/CCs; Dave GLOWACKI, contractingSQ/CC; and Rob ENGLISH, Dep Ops Grp Cdr. Jim HANLEY left the staff life at Elmendorf for C-141s at McChord, after first enduring 100-plus temps at Altus. He’s been out ofthe cockpit for five years and they said he could “fly around a bit before settling into a real job.” Sounds great to me.

Dale SHIRASAGO, 7th SpaceWarning SQ/CC at Beale, met Ryan WILLIAMS at a squadron BBQ. Ryan, VP ofOps for ARCTEC, moved in from Alaska. His company has the O&M contract for the USAF missilewarning phased array radars. Dale convinced Ryan to join us at our 20th reunion. I think there’s a lesson in this for each one of us: Talk-up the reunion to other classmates—it’ll be a great time for all.

Dale and Ryan, safe-keepers ofthefar skies.

Andrea (Lee ‘82) (BOPP) ANDERSEN is chief of Environmental Law for ACC at Langley. Lee is the DO for the OSS. In May, they had their third child, “who receives all the attention she can handle” from her older siblings. Bob HOLMES has “nothingspecial to report. Moved about a year ago to Chattanooga, TN and flying LlOllF/Ofor Delta out ofAtlanta...along with about a zillion of our classmates. Pilots are pretty unique and strangely perceived up here ‘what route do you fly?’ in the carpet/flooring capital of the world (actually, that would be Dalton, GA, 15 miles south of Chattanooga).”

Greg (Linda) BROWN says he’s “one ofthose guys who graduated and never looked back. After 20 years though, you might say I became more introspective. I’ve had a great 20 flying helos, ‘135s, C-21s. It’s been fun. As an old Loose Hog (CS-34), I remember coming up with our own frat ‘Hogma Omega Gamma’ after the classic AnimalHouseopened in theaters.” Theyhave three children and live near PopeAFB.

DekeWINTERS says, “I’ll try to keep it short—you decide what is important. I spent 12-plusyears active duty. Twoyears inT-33 (Griffiss) andnineyearsinF-15s (Holloman/ Langley/Nellis). Separated in’92. Currently 737-300 captain with United (SFO). Married—Amy(trains/breeds Labs for hunting). Son—Steve (17, wants to play baseball at USAFA). Daughter—Katie (15). Living in Colorado Springs. IMA Reserve Lt Col with NORAD/J33. Whew!” Rob (Julie) SCHAFER let us know that Jim CASHATT and bride are in Dayton. The two couples are going on a 20th reunion Love Boat cruise.

Reunion Stuff. Tom MABRY and company are busy working on the class reunion. As you mayknow, the football game schedule fordie new leaguecomplicated the issue. Regardless, it will be a wonderful time. Tom asked that I solicit a rep from each squadron to contact him. Local folks are best, but not necessary. Yes, even fun timeslikethesego smootherwitha“chainofcommand.” Help him out. EricBUSSIAN is chairing our Gift Committee. There has been good progress and if anyone has input, it’s not too late to get in touch. According to Tom, raising the money can take a while, so I’m supposed to “start annoying classmates for donations!”

Christmas Pix & Newsletters. I love getting ‘em, but remember that the grad has to be in any photo to get it seen here don’tjust show the beautiful children, cats, etc. Ricki (SMITH) and Paul SELVA sent a great color inkjet page that showed quilts, pets, Napa wine country, a 60 percent completed wooden kayak (Paul’s work-in-progress), and two sharp-looking forty-something folks. Ricki continues to mentor quilters with Jinney Beyer, Paul flies both KC-lOs and C-5s and will be leaving Travis for ?? to command a wing this summer. “GB” (Wendy+2) HEPT sends greetings from AWC. He’s there with at least JR SMITH, John PRAY, Chuck WOLFE, and Russ HODGKINS. The pilots are “pondering signing our lives away for the latest pilot bonus must be desperate if they’re signing old farts up!” At AWC, he’s “forced to write all kinds of papers and my wife gives me another writing assignment!” Wendy retired from the military and is now maxed-out supporting all the activities she’s got the kids in. GB heads to Joint Forces Command (Norfolk) this summer.

Jim (Kristi+1) DUNN hailed us “before the planet implodes Jan 1.” They live north of San Francisco where Jim is Regional Mgr for Guidant Corp, a $2.5B medical device company. “I’m enjoying the work and the stock options keep multiplying with the splits, so I may be retiring much earlier than expected. Gotta love that stock market these days. Sort of like our hats at graduation! Kristi is busy at work also and with planning many upcoming ski trips. Just bring us another El Nino winter. Ryan thinks homework is considered child abuse. He just hasn’t heard about the homework in Japan. He looks forward to the ski weekends, to test the steep and deep. He has definitely tested the strength of his helmet a few times.”

Class of 1980 20th Reunion/Homecoming

USAFA vs. New Mexico

18-22 October 2000

Cary (Susan+2) DAVIDSON seems to have found a second home inthe UA.E., since he and his KC-10 seems to deploy there from Travis most ofthe time. Susan is learning to digitizeembroidery on the computer and keepsbusywith R&R (Robin & Robert). Bill (Ouida+2) GOODWIN retiredwith 20 and flying for Herb. "It’s the best parttime job I’ve ever had, and I spend a lot more time with the kids when I’m home duringthe week! I do miss the squadroncamaraderie, but it is fun to see so many old AF buddies who are with Southwest. Ouida is a sales manager at Xerox Corp and enjoys her work. She juggles the biggest schedule of all with the kids and me.”

The Dave (Marla+2) JONESfamilyis “stilltalking ofmoving, but can’tbringourselves to clean up the attic, so it looks like at least another fewyears here. To make up for the unrequitedwanderlust, we traded our old houseboatfor a new one. It’s on the lakejust north ofhere (Allatoona) and we’re accepting guests. I’ve returned from the Safety Offlee to line flying on the L1011 and moved to Hawaiian routes exclusively. I’m still in the ANG and gettingcloserto retirement. I’mhopingto move to StateHeadquarters, which is a little closer to home. Marla has 15 girls in her Girl ScoutTroop and she took them camping, swimming, horseback riding, and made several trips. I helped coach [Ryan’s baseball] and mayhave had more fun thanhe did. He tried Karate for a little while but wasn’t too keen on gettingpunches returned, so we’re looking forward to baseball season. I thinkthis shows outstanding common sense. I sing tenor in the church choir and Marla leads a Bible study. The kids have good friends within the study group and are gettingbigenough to help withthe babies. It makes me a little melancholyto thinkhow recently they were babies.” TJ Johnson found time to snap a shot of son, Sean, and daughter, Danielle for us. He’s still atACC HQ at Langley.

Eddie (Laura+2) FOLSOM is still enjoying the area north of San Francisco. Besides the parks, views, and open spaces, “I have a choice between, count ‘em, two Starbucks within three miles!” Of the youngsters, “90 percent of the time they play together like angels, and the rest of the time they look like a couple ofWWF contenders.” Eddie continues flying the friendly skies and is leading a group of liaison officers. “Lauraworks much harderthan me, because she’s a stay-at-home mom. If I have to take the kids for a whole day bymyself, I’m wasted.”

George (Nadine+2) MADSON continues to fly E-4Bs (B-747s) at Offutt. Good trips to Europe included flying a congressional delegation, led by Sen. John McCain, to the Balkans. Theyprovided a unique slant to havingkids with car keys when stating, “The 5 a.m. practices aren’t as tough on Mom and Dad anymore.” Sue KOHUT is realizing the theme for mid-life is, “So little time and so much to do.” I concur. “Biggest effect of Cub Scouts [on son David], besides the first badge, was his willingness to wear a button shirt with a collar and shorts with a belt big deal for an almost nine year old!” Sue’s a member of the CENTCOM Team at the Joint Information Operations Center, which closely ties-in with her last active-dutyjob. For those ofyou who know others with MS, she’s found Biogen’s Avonex is working well. Finally, “Eve been exploring a small business development (Kohut Research Institute) including a useful and practical product I designed, but I’m not quitting my dayjob.”

Reach Out XVIII. Holly (EMRICK) SVETZ zipped me an e-note to say she hears from Jay McFADYEN, Esq. every year or so. He claims to be very happy in his job. Jay is assistant general counsel for AlliedSignal in Torrance, CA. For the next group ofthose missingfrom our pages: AllenA. MATTER, MarioW. MASTRANGELI, Susan K. MASHIKO, Rodney L. MARSHALL, PatrickA. MALLORY, and James D. MALEARE. That’s all I have this round. Can you feel the tingle in the air? I think it’s excitement about our gathering in the fall. See you there!

Wm-.H

an aircraft accident in October was as sad as it was shocking. Carolyn and I were basics and doolies together, and while her obituary appears elsewhere in this issue, it’s fitting to say here that she was a special person whose dedication, spirit, generosity, and sweetness many of us will miss. Rest in peace, Carolyn.

LostYouth. Many of us have passed 40 in recent days, and undoubtedly some are desperately trying to convince themselves they’re not that old. But as you stare in the mirror reflecting on howwell you’ve clung to your youth, consider this small fact: when the new crop of basics walks up the ramp in a couple months, more classes will have entered USAFA after us than before us.

Marty FRANCE thinks he’s clinging to his youth, but he has the stats to back it up. Marty’s at NationalWar College “on an athletic scholarship” and ran the Richmond Marathon in 2:45, good enough for 13th overall and 2nd among the elderly (40+)- Ed PHILLIPS ran a personal best 3:15 in the Marine Corps Marathon in October and qualified for Boston. Ed’s on the SECAF’s Action Group and is enduring a temporary separation from wife Terry, who is at Maxwell for AWC. Sam ANGELELLA and Leonard HEAVNER are also at NWC; Scott COALE is across the street at ICAF.

Amazing What Passes forWar College These Days. Many in our class are making the trek to Montgomery, Ft. McNair, and Newport for War College, but some have gone to more exotic locales. Joe WOOD spent a year in Paris at the French Joint Defense College; he denies that the curriculum consisted of30 minutes learning to say “I surrender” in five languages, followed by 12 months of wine, cheese, and Parisian nights, and I believe him. Joe and Merrie CRAIG-WOOD, who retired early, are at Pope, where Joe commands the 23 FG. Frank BROOKS did his senior service school in aVP-leveljob at Netscape Corporation before theAir Force came to its senses and made him the Comm squadron commander at Spangdahlem. If there are better service school deals out there, I want to hear about them.

-Never Thought I’d Be Writing to Checkpoints Dept. E-mail makes this job easy

what am I saying? - this very difficultjob slightly less onerous - and encouraged a number of long-time readers/first-time writers to drop a line. Like Alex TRUE, who’s living the good life in Miami, flying forAmerican to the Caribbean and Central America along with Rick BURRUS. Alex reports that Forrest BORNKESSEL was also based in Miami but took Marianne and their three boys to New Hampshire, where he’s flying the MD-80 out ofBoston. Randy DAVENPORT is flying the 767 out of Dallas, where he and Brenda have two boys. It was also great to catch up with Mike DALBY. Mike did a couple intel stints, went to grad school, taught English at USAFA, and finallyseparated in 1994. He’s now a professional schmoozer as President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce in San Angelo, TX, where he lives with wife, Marie, and their five kids. Paul RAINES is VP of info security and budgeting and training for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to which he commutes from Jersey. Paul also gets to strap on the lederhosen when he represents the Federal Reserve to the Bank ofInternational Settlements in Switzerland. Will CASSIDY was just setting his e-mail program to auto-delete anything from the class scribe but cut me a break because we were squadron mates; he’s the base civil engineer at Maxwell and he and Lisa now have a son, Joseph.

Speaking of formerWeasels, Matt ALTHOUSE (Margaret) is retired, works for a company called Scitor on GPS budget issues for Space Command. Matt voices a theme common to our class’ early retirees - he loves it, although he does miss the 60-hour workweeks and bail calls at 0-dark-thirty. Jim BLOOM (Raylene) found more than a job when he moved to Utah to work for Litton - he also discovered a long-lost half-brother he hadn’t seen in 35 years, living nearby. Terry SZANTO (Louise) continues to snag good-deal assignments; he’s now at NATO HQ in Brussels, logging Joint Staff time without having to serve in the Pentagon. Can he do that? Dave VANDERBURGH is finishing a tour as a radiologist inAlaska and hopes to get back home to Dayton for his next and last assignment. When that happens, prepare for an airlift deficit because moving Dave, Rhonda and their seven kids surely qualifies as a major troop movement.

Also in Alaska is Tom LAWRENCE (Vicki), who is the Air Force advisor at Kulis ANGB in Anchorage. Tom says Alaska is a target-rich environment for the wing’s rescue C-130s and H-60s. The oldest of his three boys, Geoffrey, is a wrestler but Tom is hoping he never has to face the likes of Mike “Koko” KUKULSKI or “Bones” GARNER, “who both enjoyedwiping the mat with myface during intramural wresding at the zoo.” Tom’s in touch with Derek DICKEY, who’s commanding a C-130 squadron at Dyess, and Tim KARANOVICH, who is the DO at Litfie Rock.

Mike and Robin BUCK had just a couple weeks notice of their departure from Moody for Osan this summer when Mike was asked to command the OSS squadron there. They and their two kids are enjoying the assignment and Korea. Joe LEPANTO just got back from a remote at Osan to become chief, Eastern Ops division in the TankerAirlift Control Center at Scott. Dana HOURIHAN, just returned from Guam, lives two houses down. Ty MACCHIA’s an occasional visitor on St. Louis layovers. When he’s not amassing wealth day trading, Ty’s a captain with United, living in Dallas but flying out of Chicago.

Dennis Ward

8300 Greentree Manor Lane

Fairfax Station, VA 22039-3214

ITO* 'ilB& (703)690-2741

E-mail: dmward@erols.com

Percent members: 37

CarolynMadden, R.I.P. As author ofthis column for the past fewyears, Carolyn Madden did a stellar job, as she did with most things in life. Her sudden death in

Since Nancy (RHOADES) INSPRUCKER took over the Delta and Atlas medium launch programs at SMC in L.A., Air Force rockets have stopped blowing up. Coincidence? Nancy and John traded priceyVirginia real estate for reallypricey California real estate; fortunately, John’s now on the 0-6 list so those Redondo Beach property taxes might get paid after all. Nick CHANDO is also at SMC in strategic planning, plotting long-term strategies to keep space-based information flowing to those jet jocks. Nick says Davis CHOI recently retired out of SMC.

Texans: Steve AT.I TOP took command of the 560th FTS in San Antonio in June. Dave TAYLOR and Dick DASO fly with Steve, as do Scott SCHROEDER - when he’s not competing on the U.S. Skeet Team and working toward the 2000 Olympicsand Kurt ANDERS, who’s on the 12 FTW staff. Steve says Chris LECRAW is the active-duty Guard advisor at KellyAFB, flying F- 16s. Bob BLOUNT is an associate department head for MITRE Corp in San Antonio, supervising a large crew of engineers providing technical support to the USAF. Bob’s an elected official, serving on the board of trustees of a 62,000-student school district. Wendell KUBIK is also in San Antonio, working for USAA.

Future Commanders. Several ‘81ers are on recent selection lists for squadron

command: Mike BEALE, Bob BLEDSOE, Joseph CLEM, Pete COSTELLO, Miles CROWELL, Brian GREENSHIELDS, Scott KELLY, Philip MCDANIEL, Tim MINISH, Gregg MONTIJO, Scott SCHAFER, and Mike WINSLOW.

Shields Up. Joel OWENS is at Kirtland as director ofmanagement operations for the Airborne Laser, which will shoot down Scud missiles with an invisible death ray. An INVISIBLE DEATH RAY. And to think we laughed at Joelwhen he said all those hours in the SAR watching Buck Rogers would someday pay off. Our own Buck Rogers, Mike BLOOMFIELD, lives in Houston where he’s trainingfor his second shuttle mission, this one to help build the international space station. Mike’s launch is scheduled for July, buthas slippedseveraltimesbecauseofRussia’s inabilityto getitsprerequisitemodules up. Here’shopingMoscow’sfirewoodshortagesubsides and our Russianpartnerswon’t have to keep burning their space station components forwinter fuel.

Went to the Air Force-Navy game with Bud and Becky RAFFERTY. Bud’s on the CJCS’s legal staffwhere his work on international agreements takes him to stressful locales like Aruba. Bud did his part for the Falcons by shouting obscure Latin legal phrases at the Navy players at crucial moments (you don’t think that Mid dropped that TD pass on his own, do you?). We weren’t organized enough to orchestrate an ‘81 get-together at the game, but we did see Lansen CONLEY’s Ajacket roaming around on the shoulders of a woman who looked too young to be his wife. ‘81ers were better organized at the Army game, and Mary Beth (SCHMANSKI) SHAGENA sent the following photo to prove it.

From left are Lansen Conley, Ben Swinford, Chris and Ken Campbell, Carlee (’82) andSean Bishop, DaveScholl, Teresa andJaySantee, MaryBeth ShagenaJeffNuccio, Ned Rudd, BeefHaddad, Dennis Grunstad, Jim Kilty and Gary Ochenkoski (genufleeting).

Dan BELL remains in suburban Detroit but changed jobs this year; he’s now senior director at a division of Meritor Automotive, a $5 billion supplier to the major auto manufacturers. Dan and Jenn see Bill and Barb SCHOENEMAN regularly; Bill’s a drug dealer - wait, let me check my notes - works for drug manufacturer Eli Lilly in Indianapolis.

Bryan BLY is a class scribe’s dream, providing info on a whole bunch of people. Bryan traded rotary for fixed wing and is loving life in Pittsburgh as a full-time Reservist flying C-130s. Dave GLADMAN’s there, too, as chiefofStan Eval for the 758th AS. Glenn SCHUMACHER is at Bryan’s old unit at Davis-Monthan, flying rescue H60s. Frog PETERSON lives in the mountains in Pine, AZ, flying for Southwest. Hans BUSS is inbound to Scott and the AMC/IG team after a tour in Germany where he taught his hosts a thing or two about beer drinking and soccer. Steve KALE is in San Antonio, flying for Delta and with the Guard in F- 16s. Eric “Stump” HILT F.BRANDT is here in the D.C. area, working financial magic at Price-Waterhouse while wife Peggy (Davis- ’80) does a Pentagon tour; theyhave babygirl,Victoria. Unlike Bryan, Jim SHAFFER couldn’t decide between fixed and rotarywings so he’s got the best of both worlds as OT&E chief pilot for the CV-22 program.

NOT Leaving LasVegas. MarkBRENNAN is parlaying his Harvard business school degree into an entrepreneurial empire in Las Vegas (owns 35 fast-food locations, CEO of a startup baggage handling company, on the board of a an Internet startup - the list goes on) while wife, Susan, (MALICK) masters the corporate world as executive director of a multi-billion dollar utility company inVegas and Reno. Can white tigers be far behind?

Paul BUNT gets the prize for best e-mail username - fr8dogl - highly appropriate for a 757/ 767 captain at UPS. Living - and now based - in Miami, Paul’s molding future USAFA classes as a deputy director for the South Florida Admissions Liaison Officer Program. Paul ratted out Joe ZEIS - deputy commandant of the test pilot school at Edwards; Ray WALIZER - in the H-60 at Kirtland; Steve HENDERSON - a United pilot with two girls and a new baby due in February; and Brad BARBER, who’s flying with Delta out of Salt Lake.

Gil CASTILLO is too busy for the class scribe but fortunately wife, Rebecca, revealed that they have left the Pentagon for Offutt. Rick VOLLMER is an F-15 IP at Tyndall, and is also working the F-22 SATAF. Ned RUDD’s a simulator IP at Boeing in St. Louis teaching all who will learn how to fly the F-15.

Our Man at MacDill, Tony HINEN, is the deputy OG commander there, and awaits the April arrival of his new boss, A.J. STEWART. Keith KECK is the chief of Wing Plans at the 6 ARW; he and wife, Julie (‘82), are finally reunited after a year of juggling his school and her jointjob in D.C. Tony reports that zoombags did extraordinary duty this football season harassing the multitude of Army and Navy flag officers that plague MacDill. Doug GREGORYfinished Naval War College and is in CENTCOM’s ops directorate as an air ops officer.

Mike JONES is a captain forAmerican and lives just north ofDFW, where he flies F- 100s. Mike and Jane have a boy and a girl and invite you to look 'em up ifyou’re passing through Dallas.

Candy (PAINTER) LANE is in Louisville selling energy-efficient building renovations to K-12 schools, no small challenge in a state with one ofthe lowest energy costs in the U.S. She invites classmates in town for the KentuckyDerby or Breeder’s Cup to look her up, but I don’t see how all her volunteerworkwith her church, the Humane Society and her neighborhood watch leaves time to entertain. Linda MCC,TILLERS reports that Len JANKOWSKI takes over the OSS squadron at Laughlin in January. Curt MCINTYRE gave me a deserved scolding for forgetting the most basic lesson of our academy training - never volunteer for anything - but then he volunteered info on himself and a number of Delta pilots: Dave CHAPMAN, who’s flying out of Salt Lake; Brian DOMINGUEZ, flying out of Cincinnati but living in Dayton where wife, Cindy (Oaks - ’84), is at Wright-Pat; and Bruce PEDEY, also based in SLC but living in Spokane and doing as little flying as possible so as not to interfere with his other duties as regional director for Waddell and Reed and a certified financial planner. Rich RONNESTAD is also a CFP and a stockbroker in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Curt himself is in Washington state flying MD-1 Is and C-141s in the Reserves, but spent a few months on the groundrecoveringfrom a ski slopeinduced shoulder surgery. A1 SCHMID is in Dayton flying for ATA and C-141s at Wright-Pat. Tim WALLENDER and John REINHEIMER are a couple more CFPs with fingers in a lot of projects. Together they do consulting work for DIRECTV Mattel, and some movie studios; separately, John writes a quarterly investment newsletter and Tim writes “Money Makeovers,” recommending financial strategies for readers of the LA. Times, and runs his own company.

I traveled to Scotland, England, and Belgium last summer with Leo CLARK, who works Congressional Affairs at SAF/FML. With all our Hueys grounded and everything else tied up in Kosovo operations, Leo worked miracles with the RAF and British Army to get a small Congressional delegation to a radar station far out on the Yorkshire moors on a very tight schedule. Leo, you da man!

Mark “Furry” MURRAY is at Travis flying the KC-10 and is loving California life with Linda andtheirtwo children, Courtneyand Conner. Like FrankCURRAN, also atTravis, Furrysnagged PhoenixAviator and is looking forward to retirement and more flying.

IsThere a Doctor in theHouse? You tankerpilots aren’t the onlygas-passers around. Bob MEDELL is an anesthesiologist and now chiefofthe medical staff at USAFA. Sean MURPHY is inWashington as consultant on pediatrics to the USAF Surgeon General, and Bill BARTH is chairman ofthe OB/GYN department atWilford Hall. Bryan FUNICE is at Tyndall as commander ofthe 325th Aerospace Medicine Sq.

TerryPOBST-MARTINputherpriorenlistedtime to good use andretired outofMountainHomewith20years and0 days on Jan 1. AJ. BRITSCHGIis also atMountainHome, as chiefofWmg Plans, and Harvey HAMMOND is in F-15Es as CC ofthe 391FS.

Chuck SCHNEIDER took over the 74th FS at Pope in April, in time to help support Kosovo ops, and is loving life. J.D. SEAL just moved to a wide bodyAirbus at FedEx and made 0-5 in the Reserves; when he’s not flying, JD’s in the inner city repairing roofs for the poor. He and Ted DUELL are trying to organize ‘81ers at FedEx; if you’re one of them, e-mail SealTD@aol.com

Decisions, decisions. Like a lot of modern two-job couples, Bruce and Diane STARK are facing difficult choices. Bruce has been selected for Air War College this summer but Diane is doing well with Gatorade in the Baltimore-Washington area. Since Diane’s fringe benefits include luxury boxes at Redskins and Ravens games, it’s not clear to me exactlywhat the choice is, but I guess everyone has his own priorities.

You’re Late Already, Mister! Because I’m new to the publishing world, its ways are strange to me and I cannot explainwhy the next Checkpoints column is about due just as you’rereceiving this one. But that’s a fact, Jack, so do not hesitate to email, call or mail those updates and rebuttals. This column was going to be short for lack of inputs, but blossomed (OK, ballooned) with your generous e-mail responses. To keep the length manageable, I’ve saved some of the less perishable news for the next column, so ifyour inputs aren’t here, think of me not as ungrateful but as a careful planner. I appreciate the many contributions this time around

-keep them coming and remember that e-mail makes it easy to rat out those who’ve been trying to keep a low profile. Be well!

Jim Ratti

5301 Palo Verde Dr. Edwards, CA 93523-2405

Home: (661) 258-8280/DSN: 527-7791

rattijm@mindspring.com

jim.ratti@edwards.af.mil

Percent members: 37

(Belated) Season’s Greetings!

wSince Christmas is literally days away as I write this, I can’t even begin to think of a “spring-like” salutation, so I’ll fall back on what comes naturally. For those of you reading this on the web, the timingwon’t seem off. But for those ofyou waiting for Checkpoints to come out, well, use your imagination! Plenty of news this quarter, so let’s jump right in.

You’ll enjoy this. Kevin BEATTY sent this photo (at the top of the next column) ofhimselfin front ofSt Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow. He said he really enjoyed drinking a Coke, and watching Russian kids in L.A. Lakers T-shirts and Nike tennis shoes play basketball to loud rap music right outside Lenin’s tomb. Kevin’s a 767 pilot for Delta, domiciled in Atlanta but flying internationally, and getting a kick out of going more than 700 miles on a tank of gas like he did when he was aT-38 IP. He also spends time in Delta’s Ops Control Center, acting as the Shell answer man for other company pilots. Kevin sends word that Erik ROSEEN is also flying for Delta (out ofAtlanta), along with Dennis CHAR. Dennis and his wife, Gina, recently had their third child.

Rick HOLBERT sent an e-mail from Columbus, OH where he’s a Unix guru for Team America Corp. His company handles payroll, benefits, and other HR issues for about 14,000 “virtual” employee clients. Rick and his wife, Melanie, have two sons, Robbie (9) and Michael (12). Lyn (SOUTH) SHERLOCK dropped a line from

Comrade Beatty

Ft McNairwhere she’s enrolled in the Industrial College oftheArmed Forces (ICAF), a senior service school. Lyn and her husband, Rick, have a four-year-old daughter named Heather. Rick, in addition to a civilian job, is an Army Reservist battalion commander in nearbyLynchburg, fim PILLAR sent a short note as he left Okinawa and the damagewroughtbytyphoon Bart last September. Jim headed to Holloman and theF-117 after a shortAustralian vacation. Fred SANDOVALiswonderingWHATEVER HAPPENED TO Scott RUMPH. Even my spiffy new updated 1999 Register of Graduates is no help on this one. If any ofyou knows, drop Fred or me a line.

Mr. Dave BREIDENBACH, formerly of CS-40, sent an e-mail to let us know he left active duty in 1988, and worked for a series of defense-related businesses, hopping around as the mergers and acquisitions took their toll. He’s now a managerfor Peerless Products, a windowmanufacturer. Dave and hiswife live in Joplin, MO and have five kids ranging in age from eight months to 16 years.

Chris Broyhill proud dad of Grace Christine.

Chris“Broyler” BROYHILL says hello from Luke, where he’s chiefofWingSafetyand a new dad as of early September. Chris says that Mike FRANCE is now the Ops O of the 309th Fighter Sq at Luke, doing his typical “take no prisoners” style bang-up job.

“EddieMac” MCCALLISTER is now settled in at Yokota as the Ops O in the 374th Ops Support Squadron there. He’s glad to be in Japan, and reallyhappy to be back flying the C-130. His daughters are enrolled in a Japanesepreschool there—allJapanese, nothingremotelybilingual about it. He says theylove it, and look really cute in their uniforms. Jud KNAPLAND jumped on the net from Austin TX to tell us that he has a new daughter, born July 30th Her name is Milana Isabel, and she brings to five the total number of kids in the Knaupland household. He and his wife, Michaela, have (as Jud says) the “Brady Bunch” thing going with 2 “his”, 2 “hers” and 1 “ours”. Theyjust moved into a new house, and Jud is still the director of Engineering for a company that makes flight sim visual displays for the likes ofBoeing and Lockheed.

Glen DOWNEY is a contract administrator for Raytheon, working on a number of C3I radio systems in Ft Wayne, IN. He has two kids, Aubre (15) and Brian (6). Aubre is quite talented musically and is very much into choir. Brian (along with Dad) is a hockey fanatic and a bundle ofenergy. Glen says he’s been playing in an adult hockey league, and moonlighting driving the Zamboni around. Tom ‘SlowNed” PFEIFFER checked in from his dream-come-true assignment at Eglin, where he’s the chiefofPlans & Programs at the 33rd OSS. Tom left a NATO Staffjob at HighWycombe, but is ecstatic to be in Florida home ofthe “best beaches in the world.” Tom bumped into Dan MOKRIS, (JSTARS at Melbourne FL), JB SMITH (C-135s at Tinker ALC in Oklahoma), and Gary HOGG (C-130s at Robins) who were all at Eglin for a Stan/Eval conference. He also sends word that John BRIDGE is the token Zoomie at West Point, teaching mechanical engineering, and that Phil BOSSERT is doing a tour with TRANSCOM at Scott. Finally, he told me that Jim DUBELA is an American Airlines pilot, flying out of Miami.

Tamara SENZ surfed the website looking for her old roomie Mary K. MCCONNON (no joy, so send me word ifyou know any info). Tamara’s big news is that she and her husband, David, just had their first child, a girl named Adare Senz McMinn. Tamara is looking to transfer to USAFA in the “Preserves” as she puts it, following her tour at McChord in the C-141. Dale SONNENBERG sent an update fromYokota, where he’s an international law expert with the U.S. Forces, Japan. He’s married to Kathy, an ex-Army JAG, and they have three children, all under the age of three—Kristiane, Langley, and Christian.

That’s about all the news I’ve received from outside sources, so I’ll round out this installment with some personal updates. Ellen and I will be moving back to Dayton, OH andWright-Patterson AFB sometime in the spring (March-April). I’ll be heading off to 14 weeks of fun at the Advanced Program Manager’s Course at Ft Belvoir, then I’ll be working in the Trainer Program Office (ASC/YW), helping to put together the Distributed Mission TrainingSystem. In a nutshell, it’s a system

to network diverse types of geographically separated simulators (AWACS, various aircraft, command/control systems etc.) into one large “virtual batdespace.” Think of it like doing Red Flag without traveling to Nellis... Anyway, we’re excited about gettingback to Dayton and our house there (rented for the last five years), butwe’re sad to leave what will surely be the best assignment we’ll ever have.

Finally, here are a couple web addresses to check out. First, ifyou’d like to send an e-mail to a USAFA grad from any class but don’t have the address, you can use an e-mailforwarding service sponsoredbythe AOG. Surf over to http://www.aogusafa.org/Aog-mail.htm and sign in with your AOG number and SSAN last four. You can do a search to find the person you’re looking for, then send an e-mail if the AOG database contains their address. You can (and should!) make sure your own address is current, and update it ifit’s not. You don’t have to be a member to use this service, but you will need your AOG number. If you don’t have yours, drop me an e-mail and I’ll look it up for you. Also, AOG merchandise is now for sale at the AOG website. Take a look at http://www.aog-usafa.org, and click on “merchandise.” Note that you can also update your bio data there too. Do it!

Hey, our 20-yearreunionislooming on the horizon—-‘80’swillhappen next fall. It’s not too soon to be thinkingabout class gifts and so forth. I’d sure like for a few ofyou to step forward to coordinate activities, fundraising, etc. Anyideas? Pass 'em up!

Til next time, be safe. RATMAN

Raymond J. Blust

149 South Park St. Wheeling, WV 26003-5924 (304) 242-7182 vmmsiu

E-mail: 104055.444Compuserve.com

Percent members: 38 y&’A'v

Greetings! ’Tis my honor to again scribe for you. I am currendy sitting in a hotel room in Montreal, listening to Garth, and just enjoying my 30-hour layover. Life is truly good. I am still an F-100 FO at ORD (Chicago). I am also still an ALO for the Academyhere inWestVirginia. You guys wouldn’t happen to knowanyone fromWest Virginia who might like to help us out, would ya? We can use some help! I also recentiy purchased an M-l Garand rifle. Does that sound familiar to anyone? It’s the same kind we lugged around for four years. I am still working on my 16-count rifle manual. If anyone is interested in buying one let me know. Julie is still with me and yes she’s still too good for me. She is our family foundation and continues to teach aerobics while directing the program. She is also working on her exercise physiology degree and reallyenjoys it. Matthewis now eight and in the second grade at the same parochial school I attended. He plays baseball, soccer, hockey, golf (with Mom and Dad) and tennis. He’s also taken a liking to the piano and will soon play Fur Elese, maybe in a couple ofyears. That’s about it for us, now for the good stufffrom you all.

E-mail Bag: Lynn (DONALDSON) CLEMONS, who’s a first-time writer, is currentiy a foreign service officer with the State Department which explains why she recently moved from Pretoria, South Africa to the “nicer than Lagos”Abuja, Nigeria. Lynn has two daughters eight and five years old and said being a single mom overseas is much easier than in the states. She has, of course, a Nanny and a "live-in” maid. I sorta do too Lynn, but do I paythrough the ying-yangfor services rendered. Lynn did say she has kept up with only one other classmate, Dawn (BIZUB) ANDROSKY. Dawn actuallyvisited Lynn in SouthAfricawhere they went on a Safari and did some serious shopping. Thanks for the updateLynn, please send a picture!

My next e-mail came from Trish (RILEY) KJMMINAU who also mentioned Dawn. Dawn is actually living an hour away from us up in “The Burg” Pittsburgh. Dawn and husband, Nick, have two hockey-playing boys, Nick and Tony. I guess Trish’s husband, Jon, is an ’82 grad and theycurrentlylive in Columbus, OH, only two hours west ofus. Theyhave three kids, Bekah-6, Erin-4 and Riley-2. Trish separated in ’90 and stayed in the Reserves until ’93. She is a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom. She writes thatJeri (RAY) CARSON lives in Dayton with her contractor husband and four kids. They are Kyle-7, Daniel-5, Christy-3 and Bethany-1. Jeri is also home schooling; that must be a Central Ohio thing. Bill and Stephanie SPACY and son Jack-4 live in South Carolina where Bill is flying C-17s. Bill also just made 0-5 on this last board. Rich and Pam DUBLIN are still in San Antonio and have three kids: Shane-7, Ahauna-5 and Kyle-3. Mark and Dawn AMIDON are currently in Germany and have twin boys. Brad FELDMAN is, she thinks, still in California and is involvedwith a Christianministrycalled the Navigators. EdPHILLIPS is in Ft. Meade at NSA. Thanks for all the good poop Trish, keep it coming.

Dave GEUTING writes from the lovely foothills ofthe Rockies as he sits at his desk at USSPACECOM. Dave and wife, Janice, have been so kind as to house a new basic. They, of course, refer to the dinner as “The Last Supper”. Dave gave me some names of the new 0-5s: Jeff BALL, Phil NICHOLSON, our old Prep School mates Patty (LITTRELL) SEROKA, Leo BRISBON, Bob HEAD and Kin TINGMAN, and of course Dave. He did mention the complete list of 0-5 selectees can be found at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil. Thanks Dave.

I got an e-mail along with a photo that was not good enough quality to submit from Dr. Dave JENKINS. Ifyou want a photo in the mag, please send the original to me and we’ll send it on in. Dave is currently a general surgeon and Air Transportable Hospital CC at Lakenheath. He writes that Dr. Scott HAGEN is at Duke University where he is in a pediatric critical care fellowship.

Last and not least, my old roomy, Bill “Ruj” RUJEVCAN. Ruj is now a payload integration manager with the International Sea Launch program out of Long Beach, CA. It’s a Boeingjoint venture with the Russkies, Ukrainians, and Norwegians. They launch commercial satellites from a ship that travels down to the equator to launch. Ruj said it was kind ofironic, with the longhistory ofthe cold war, that in 1999, the U.S. is launching commercial satellites on a converted Russian SS-18ICBM that at one time was aimed at us. Ruj is also giving a daily status with Latitudes/Longitudes so kids can plot their trip and he also gives reports of their status. The trips take 12 days to get to the equator and then three days to

launch. If anyone is interested in following Ruj on his next trip, please contact him at william.m.rujevcan@boeing.com. By the way, Ruj is still married to the adorable Holly and they have one girl, Marielle, who will turn four in Jan. Thanks for the update Ruj.

The Trip, AF v Navy: Julie, Matthew and I went to D.C. in October for a Regional ALO conference. It just happened to coincide with the AF-Navy game. And of course we won 19-14. The photo is of those of us who could hang out after the game. Pictured from left are: Terry (SULLIVAN) KELLY, Beau WALTON, Bob ROCHE, Jim ROBINSON, Dave UZZELL, Kevin CARRENO, DrewWACKER, Wynne (BOTTS) WALDRON, Mic BRYANT, Mark MANNEY, Lori SOUTH, Dave GEUTING and me. No promises on what everyone’s doing, as we were limited to writing the info down on borrowed envelopes.

Terry KELLY is currently flying for Delta in Atlanta while her husband, Mark (78), flies for Fed-Ex. They have three kids. BeauWALTON is a program manager at or with CSC, I think he’s at the Pentagon. Bob left me nothing! Jim ROBINSON is flying 707s at Andrews while his wife, COL. Kim Dougherty, is at the Pentagon on the Joint Staff. They have three kids. Jim says he still wears the pants in the family but she tells him which pair to wear. From Dave and Gay UZZELL all I got was “Pentagon, threekids”. For those ofyou who knowDave, I did great to get that much out of him. Kevin “AC” CARRENO made the trip from Florida where he’s still an attorney (obviously his firm didn’t do a very thorough background check). Ask Kevin what AC means! Drew “Wack Stain” WACKER is like most other United grads flying out of Denver. Drew lives in Monument and is a FO on something? Wynne (BOTTS) WALDRON, who was nine and a halfmonths pregnant at the time, is also at the Pentagon and she and Ray have 2.9999 kids. Mic BRYANT also works at the Pentagon. He’s an “Intelligence Evaluator” with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense. All that stuff was on his card. Now Mic, I and a lot ofotherpeople knewyou at theAcademy, so don’tyou thinkyou’re stretching it a bit with the Intelligence Evaluator? Now’s your chance to come clean, I’ll await your reply Mic. Mark "Mange” MANNEY is at Andrews where he is or was the Ops Officer in the 89th. He’s flown AF-1 and 2 around and has actually shook the hand of our boss - Hillary. Do it for your country Mark! Lori SOUTH works for the Defense Info SystemAgency at the Pentagon and that’s all she wrote. Lori was actually working very hard during the AOG tailgate party as she was in charge; nicejob Lori. You knowthere always has to be someone who just can’t seem to get it straight.

hired at AA. Ouch! Congrats Brian and I hope to see ya again. Dennis DINGLEY a fellow Starship 19 mate, is also a 727 captain with United in Chicago.

I ran into DaveyJONES in the Chicago terminal. Davey is also an F-100 FO out of DFW. They are expecting #4 or 5. Dave “Oppie” LEIBBRAND and Cyndi are expecting #2. They are living in Albuquerque and Dave is also an F-100 FO out ofDFW.

Christmas Mailbag: The first letter in the chute and winner of “I’ve got nothing going on in my life so I’ll get my cards out early” contest is Andy LAGRONE. Andy is currently the ADO in the 560th FTS at Randolph in San Antonio. Jaime is still with Andy and is trying to finish up a degree in nursing. They have two kids. Jake who looks like he’s 12 and played football this past season. His team won the Southern Division Conference but lost in the state semi-finals of the Texas Youth Football Association. Boy they start ’em young down there with state championships. Their daughter Cameron is the soccer player and gymnast. Keep in touch guys, and no, Julie’s not too good for me.

Next comes a great letter from the HIGHs, or should I say Kim. Doug and Kim are in Goldsboro NC where they love it - Not. Doug has been TDY quite a bit leaving Kim to run the farm. Doug tried to deliver an F-15I to the Israelis but it broke in Gander, Canada where the local delicacy is cod tongue. Doug also had to evac three times for the hurricanes, so while Doug was working on his putting and 16-oz curls, Kim and the kids were ducking trees and rising waters. That’s not what they meant with the saying “women and children first.” Doug, like many other ’83ers, pinned on LtCol in October. Congrats Doug. Doug and Kim have two kids. Hilary who’s eight and in the second grade is a Brownie and is taking piano lessons just in time for Christmas. Anna who just turned one is the wrecking crew. Thanks for the note Kim, tell Doug we say Hello.

Next and hot off the press is the ever-faithful GAILEY family. Al, Cathy, Brittany and Kenny are still in the Atlanta area. They recently moved (didn’t I say that last year?) to a community across the street from Peach Tree City. Al is still an FO for Delta while Cathy makes the money selling homes, mainly to themselves. The kids plus Cathy are taking karate while Al is working on his golf swing. Cathy is still cancer free. Theywalked 60 miles over a three-dayperiod to raise $$ for Breast Cancer Awareness. Great job guys. Keep in touch.

As usual, I must save mylast entry and letter for my old bud, Jon “JDQ” DURESKY. Jon finally gave up the computer at Scott and moved to the lovely oasis ofAbilene TX (Dyess AFB). Like a dutiful wife, Brenda was left with the house selling, packing, etc. while Jon was mastering the C-130 at Little Rock. He’s back in the saddle. Watch out you young captains and lieutenants, there’s a new stud in town. Jon’s own words, I swear! Jon and Brenda have two great kids. Kendal is 12 and just started her first year ofJr. High. Jeffrey is 16 and has just doubled their car insurance payments. He’s as big as his dad is now but Jon said he’s still the Alpha male gorilla. Brenda is the glue that holds this family together. She finished her medical assistant degree in Feb ’99 and scored an impressive 271 out of 300 on the national certification test. Congrats Brenda. Jon, like Doug, pinned on LtCol in Oct and will, I’m sure, be taking over a squadron soon. Jon represented us well as he won the assault landing contest against all those hot shot IPs, EPs and loudmouth captains (sorta like we were way back then). And the answer to the question Jon always asks me. Am I still wearing a 34 waist or have I “matured” to a 36? Sorry to disappoint you Jon, I now easily slip into a 33. Julie would never allow me to be as big as you, in the waist I mean! Thanks for the communique Jon. We now have an ’83-web site. Please check out the “graduates” link at www.aogUSAFA.org. Also for you folks who love to do everything over the net, you can now immediately update your AOG info at the same web site. Well that’s it for now. I must get tlfis to our new editor. Kro will retire at the end of this year and Dick Rauschkolb will take over. Does his name sound familiar? He taught history at the Academy and of course he remembered me not good. The next article will be brought to you by LtCol Jon Duresky. Please send all mail to 5342 Western Plains Ave., Abilene, TX, 79606 or e-mail Jon at DureskyJB@AOL.com. Until we meet again, take care and may God bless. Ray

Mike Jensen

12035 Milam Road

Colorado Springs, CO 80908

1-800-GO-AFA-GO /(719) 338-3570

E-mail: jens@usafa.com

Home page: www.usafa.net/1984

Percent members: 30

Dr. Scales and Big K

And it’s because of Scales that we had to take another picture. Maybe he just didn’t want to be seen with the rest of us now that he’s a Ph.D. Yes, Billy “Scales” WALKER finished hiis doctorate in team handball and racquetball and will eventually go back to Mecca and teach the smacks the difference between a seven iron and three wood. Billy’s currently the DO for the 1st Helicopter Sq. at Andrews. While at theALO conference I did run into a couple offellowgrads. Alonzo BABERS is also an ALO; he currently flies out ofD.C. for United. Sally PAULL is the director of Human Resources for a dental supply company. She is also an ALO in the Lincoin, DE area. Bill TAYLOR was there and he also flies for AA. I’m not sure where he lives. I apologize to the other grads who were there; my notes were bad and I can’t make them out - sorry!

Commuting around the system: My worst nightmare has come true, not really but it sounds good. It finallyhappened. I just finished a gruelingtliree-daytrip on the F100 Barbie Jet and was commuting home from ORD to Pittsburgh on United. Thankfully, I thought, it’s a 727, has two jump seats and usually a lot ofroom. As I enteredthe cockpit, I made my usual groveling request to please sit in one ofthe seats for a ride home. A rather young good-looking dude turned around and said Hi Ray. It happened, Brian GERRITY has ascended the seniority list and made it to captain on the 727 in Chicago. The worst part is that Brian was hired at United a year after I was

'ipilPipfliw

wWe knew it was coming and 2000 is finally here. I hope you are doing well and achieve all of the happiness you desire (and deserve)! Well he almost made it to the new century mark, but Tom STANBURY got married. I got a photo from Joe CALDERON from the wedding, and I hope to find it again before this goes to print. (Editor’s note: See top of next column.) Looked like a great time, and I am sure more details will come in. We also had a great time at the Navy game this year; the local chapter there is to be commended (great atmosphere, relativelycheap beer, and a Falcon victory) -1 wish it could have gone on and on.

To the updates! It is very interesting getting e-mails from so many ofyou, but I know there are some ofyou who are out there and haven’t written in. So those of you who are reading this, and haven’t sent anything in - DO IT NOW! I especially thank the spouses who take the time to write on behalf of the “busy” ones and allow me to put out this article. We have found Bob MONDY, in case you were looking for him. He’s a major in the Reserves living near Indianapolis with wife, Jennifer, and four-year-old son Stephen. He left active duty back at the beginning of ‘96 from Charleston, SC butjoined the Reserve tanker unit at GrissomARB here in Indiana as a navigator immediately. He also works as a quality engineer for a company named SMC Pneumatics in Indianapolis.

A short note from Tom BRUNO indicated he is in C. Springs again. Also, a name from the past is Mark DAVIS who supposedly is flying for United on the 767 out of L.A. R. Kevin ADAMS has finally entered the ranks of fatherhood. Seth Kennon

At Tom Stanbury's weddingfrom left are Joe Calderon, JeffRouser, Greg Shelton (‘83), Tom Stanbury,John Weigand, andMike Sadler.

Adams was born 8Aug 99 atWomackArmyMedical Center. Congratulations! Steve Itch CALLICH is still on active duty shares with Kevin at the 75th FS Tigersharks.

Chris O’DONNELL felt it was about time he provided an update. (I agree). He left the Air Force in Nov ‘96, moved to Washington DC, and works with the U.S. Agency for International Development in the Office ofTransition Initiatives, which focuses on assistance to countries experiencing rapid political transitions (e.g. Kosovo, Indonesia). Its an exciting office and over the past three years he has worked on projects supporting the elections in Indonesia, livelihood assistance to Moro rebels in the Philippines, an anti-corruption campaign in Lebanon and community projects in Kosovo. Scott REED is keeping busy flying the F-15 as an ADO for the 67th FS.

Bronco Airlines: Jim KALIAMOS flew the Bronco’s charter to Jacksonville and got to hobnob with the big wheels most notably Ted SUNDQUIST, who 1 think is in charge of scouting. Kali has also run into Drs. Daryl SMITH and Russ SOJOURNER. Daryl is up in the B.S. Department and Russ is at Pete Field.

Hail to the Chief! Scott Kendall is an active and official candidate for the nomination ofthe Reform Party for President ofthe United States. He recendy debated Pat Buchanan in Portland, OR, on Dec 3, and anticipated further debates in Maine, Illinois, and Iowa duringJanuary. His campaign web site is www.kendallplan.com.

I am always amazed at the amount of talent we have in our ranks.

Thanks to the wives! Debbie BURLINGAME checked in “since Jim never gets on-line”. They are still at the Pentagon where Jim is an Exec for Gen. Hess. Their daughter Hannah is 11 and is a kid actor in the D.C. area. (Looks like Mark Gillott will have some competition for the Oscar!) Debbie gets to be a stage mom and chauffeur. Nena AMARAL, Juan’s better half in Southern California also checked in. Juan left Business Engine Software (where he worked for seven years after the Air Force) in Oct ‘99 and is now with Raytheon Technical Services in Fullerton, CA. She didn’t give us a bunch of info on her family but reports that Liz (BECK) DELAROSA is expecting a new baby at the end of May 2000. This will be their fourth child. She (alongwith husband, Mitch) has three beautiful girls, Anna Marie (9), Julia (6), and Cecilia (3). They will be leaving Robins AFB, GA for Hurlburt Field this summer. Thanks, Nena!

Now a word from JOHNSON & JOHNSON: Brent “MONGO” JOHNSON is finishing up a Joint Staff tour with Joint Intel Center Pacific as the chief ofTargeting in Hawaii (rough tour, dude!). In May, he’ll leave for F-15E Strike Eagle training at Seymour Johnson with an August report date to RAF Lakenheath for their second tour in grand ole England. Tami and he have three children: Chazman, 10, Kjersten, 7, and Camden, 2. Brent was selected Lt Col below the zone on the last board. Congrats! Anthony SUBER is also in Hawaii, working as an exec on the PACAF staff. Geoff JOHNSON checked in. He left active duty in ’95 and picked up IMA position in the Reserves with the 694th Intelligence Group. He is now the AF Reserve program manager at the National SecurityAgency—the existence ofwhich he can neither confirm nor deny of course!

Jack FORSYTHE found some time for an update! He is finally getting one more chance to fly the F-16. He will PCS to Shaw AFB in July. Steve WACKER is in Atlanta after several years in Alabama. A few of those years were in Montgomery where he kept running into '84 people cycling through ACSC. He is working for Southern Company andjust finished a year inAmsterdam trying to get some business going there. Over there he visited Matt JOHNSON, who’s still working for Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt.

Now a message from me! Thanks again for those of you who do write in with updates. I am glad you do, because the more information I fill up the article with important people like you, the less space I have to write about Herman “the BIG GUN” BAKER. Justkidding—Mr. Baker! You will be hearing more from me through the e-mails and the like. I will also be bugging some of you to get involved and support the AOG. I do feel that membership is a small price to pay for the memories we received, and to support those classes after ours who are much weaker than ours, and need our support to make it through. Have a greatyear, and ifI can help any ofyou, please do not hesitate to call. Jens.

Quintel Williams

5020 Galileo Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80917

Home: (719) 574-3110

DSN: 692-3273

E-mail: USAFA1985@aol.com rlmfr

Percent members: 32

Hi Gang!

Happy NewYear! I hope you all had a great holiday season. I got lots of e-mail

messages from classmates to share with you this time so I’d better go right into it. The first message is fromThomas “Tom”COLEMAN. Nice address - Quintel, wasn’t the last time I saw you at EFX in Virginia? The Falcons are 3-1 now just beat SDSU doing great. This AOG e-mail thing is pretty interesting. Got some replies back but a lot of failed addresses and most do not have an e-mail listed but some went out to those who have kept their info current. I am still in took the continuation offer after being deferred signed on ‘til 20. Flying C-5s now at Travis. Hope to stay here but the USAF has remotes and that stuff around the corner. How have you been and what are you doing? No photos do not have the digital camera going yet. Take Care and Keep in touch. Tom

Mark SURMAN also sent an e-mail. Haven’t sent any updates in a longtime but, 1 remember you and thank you for keeping the class updated. I was in 18th and 22nd squadrons. I got out of the AF and am now working for Fidelity as an IT manager in Tokyo, Japan. I am here with my wife, Sandra, who is an Air Force major (Tulane, ‘85) who works as a Foreign Area Officer in USFJ. WeliveonYokota and I commute into Tokyo. We are here for a three-year stint. I am learning a lot about Japan and am enjoying myselfin general. Of course there are always things you miss from back home. Anyway, my two cents. Let me know how things are going and take care. Mark Shurman ’85.

James “Jim” COOPER chipped in too. On Sep 1, General Dynamics officially acquired Government Systems Corporation (my branch) from GTE. So I am now a General Dynamics guy. Go GD! Woo hoo!! As a result, my e-mail address is changing. (Editor’s note: Ifyou want Jim’s new e-mail please contact the scribe.)

Thanks, Jim

Jim LOVELL wrote as well. Just thought I’d drop you a note been reading your articles you’re doing a great job keeping up with everyone, just never took the time to write you before. Holly and I are currently in D.C. I’m the JointStrike Fighter PEM in SAF/AQP and Holly works for a local defense contractor. We’re planning to travel to China in Decemberto adopt two infant girls, so we’re expectingbigchanges in the near future! Lot’s of ’85 guys here. Steve SCHNEIDER, Scott NEUMAN, and Steve EDGARS are all here inAQP And we’re alwaysrunninginto “Fred” FREDERICK, Tom CONOLLY, Dan JORDAN, and others. Also ran into Mark SASSEVILLE at the AF/Navy game yesterday. Huge crowd there to watch the last-second defense on the goal line to win the game couldn’t have been more exciting. Anyway having fun at the Pentagon. Again, keep up the good work! Jim Lovell Scott DAW contributes. I got together with Mike MULDOON, Pat MARSHALL, and Gary RAFFERTY for the UNLV game a few weeks ago. We spent the evening singing (yes singing, Rafs still a Bluebard I guess) our lungs out at The Golden Bee... theyards ofale and glasses ofScotch helped the vocalcords I suppose. Pat’s (“Dillon”) working for NORAD, Gary’s working forAFSPC, I’m a civilian at the SpaceWarfare Center, and Mike just got out ofthe military and is flying for the airlines. Everyone’s doing fine and their families are too. That’s it for now. Talk to you later, Scott Daw Heard from Robert GILMORE too. All is well here in the KC metropolis. First anniversary with Commerce Bank on 10 Dec. Carmelita is nearing getting her Associates and getting lots of offers from four-year institutions about possible scholarships. Our boys Robert, Jr. and Fred Andrew, III are doing well in school. I am doing well as a database analyst and am activelybeingsoughtbyheadhunters to fill other positions. I like where I am but will be willing to leave for $20,000 more. Carmelita and I celebrated our 14th weddinganniversary on 5 Oct. That’s it in a nutshell at the high level. Robert.

We got a Christmas card from the Robert (Bob) PICKRELL family. Quintel and Renee, Hope this Holiday finds your family flourishing and healthy. Things in Texas are very busy with the girls’ activities. Never thought I’d be coaching soccer or heading up the Indian Papoose Tribe. We’re the flatheads, but life has really blessed us; soccer skills excluded. I’ll be in Atlanta from December through January for training on a new aircraft (767) at Delta. Our auto detail/paint business continues to grow (albeit slowly) and Cassidy (5) starts kindergarten in the Fall. Hope to talk to you soon. Your Friends in Texas, The Pickrells.

Heard from Lee CURTIS too. How is everything? Not sure when the next deadline is but I knowclass scribes are alwaysscraping to get info together. Life here at sunny Langley AFB is good. I arrived here in Sep ‘99 onto the ACC staff as the recon and surveillance aircraft maintenance chief from my previous assignment at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, where I was the 53 FS Squadron maintenance offreer. My wife, In Cha, and our four-year-old daughterAngela miss being in Germany and all the travel opportunities (we visited 14 countries in just over two years), but are excited to be back in the States. After working F-15Cs for the past five years, it was a real firehose learningexperience going back to U-2s and learning RC-135s for the first time. The U-2 world is well represented with ’85 grads. In addition to me, with almost six years in the Deuce, Pete LEWIS is the HQ ACC U2 pilot functional manager. Out in the 9 RW at Beale are Lt Col Troy DEVINE and Maj Ed McGOVERN. Never fearAmerica, the Class of ‘85 is ever vigilant monitoring the skies for you. Hope this e-mail finds you and your family looking forward to a very Merry Christmas and a bright future in the new millennium. Regards, Maj Lee Curtis.

I’d like to thank everyone who provided information for the article. It really makes myjob a lot easier. Until the next time... best ofluck on your endeavors in 2000.

Sincerely, Quintel.

Gary Burg 14 ||r<{$$$

1740 11th St.

Langley AFB, VA 23665-1730

Home: (757) 865-4681

DSN: 574-9010

E-mail: Beaker90FS@aol.com wmw

Percent members: 33

Well, I have the distinct honor to write the first Class of ‘86 column for the New Millennium. Now some ofyou may not think that it is that big of deal, but I want

to make sure I start the 21 st Century off with some good information. Unfortunately I only have two direct inputs and some Christmas card news to pass along. Nonetheless, here goes. My first letter comes from Alan BATTS and has some sad news to pass along. Alan’s dad, aVietnamWar veteran, passed away in lateAugust after a short battle with colon cancer. He was diagnosed on July 22, too late to do anything about it. In honor and memory of Master Sergeant (Ret) Jesse Lee Randolph Batts, Alan wanted to stress to everyone to get their annual medical checkups, and tell the doctor everything, so that you and your family can live a happy and long life. Sound advice that I echo.

The next input comes from Kirk LEAR and I’m just going to cut and paste his inputs into the column. "Gary—Hi from the Air Force Academy... if you’d told me a fewyears ago that I’d be back here, I’d have laughed... guess thejoke’s on me now. Know how much you loved your time here no different for me. Came in summer ‘98 to be an aviation/military arts & sciences (MAS what we once knew as PMS) instructor after a decade of flying Hercs, and have loved teaching and working with cadets as much as anything I’ve ever done. Last week, however, I got a short-notice move took a short-notice AOC slot. So what I thought would be a more relaxed Christmas vacation is now only a two-week-get-my-buttin-gear-break from the cadets. So far, so good.

“There are a fair number of our classmates here, as you might guess (although few care to admit it). On the Commandant’s side, George FULLER, "iyALEXANDER, and John BODE all preceded me as AOCs,joiningup this past summer... John and George both came here from the Altus KC-135 schoolhouse, and Ty from U-boat gunship duty at Hurlburt and over in Allied Force (I just love men who are WARRIORS, don’t you?). Several ‘86ers finished up AOC tours this summer too, including Scott CLAWSON and George BUMILLER (both now in C-17s at Charleston), and pal Steve GUSTAFSON, who just re-qualified in Block 50 Vipers at Shaw. T-Bone WARD also just completed the two-year AOC stint, and is currendy finishing up his third and final year as a deputy group AOC (puke) probably back to either C-5s or T-ls this next summer. Larry WALKER has been mnning the junior-level core MAS (airpower stuff—I was one ofhis lowly teachers), having been hired on as a full-time Reservist overayearago (his wife, Julie, ’87,isanAOC). JanetAUGUSTINE alsojust came to the Comm’s side this past summer to teach MAS from acquisition duty at Air Intelligence Agency in SanAntonio her gorgeous daughter Meagan is now eight.

“Another ‘86er on the Comm’s side is Dan (Dianna) MILLER, who is Dr Miller these days and works in theWing’s Center for Character Development, headed by Col Mark Hyatt, who was CS-06’s AOC when we were here. And I just spoke the other day to fellow Barnstormer Tish (MOONEY) WODETZKI, currendy doing the UH-1 SPACECOM stan/eval job across town at Peterson she’ll be joining us late this coming spring as the DO in the 34 OSS down at the airfield (she and John have three gorgeous kids), where Mark CANTRELL is happily employed as an ADO in the 98FTS, flying the Otters and jumping, too. Steve SUTHERLAND is down at the airfield, too, as a (get this!) civilian running the base weather shop he and Heidi are doing great, with two incredibly handsome children.

“Another Barnstormer bud, Ed CHAVEZ, just came out to visit for the Army game, and broughtwife, Kellie and son Colton—he’s now in the left seat of a 737 with Delta. Mike and Karyn FINNICUM are also in the Springs Mike left active duty and is working for a defense contractor here. F-16 bud Hugh VEST is leaving Luke for the ACC IG as I write. You may have seen the new Commandant’s first speechtranscript circulated on e-mail... it made the Early Bird and the local papers, to mention a few. BGenWelsh was a Viper squadron commander during the Storm, and in his speech to the cadets (they think he’s God—may not be far off!), he recounted sitting with Ed RINKE (another Barnstormer) as his wife, Jill, was back at Hill having her first child in what was a difficult delivery. Great story, and I’ve really milked cadet admiration by pointing out that we were squadron mates... thanks, Ed! (and Jill!)

‘In DF, Keith ROSS is teaching in Civil Engineering (and helping me teach UPTbound firsties in the T-37 simulators), Kevin YEOMANS is doing math, Vic CHAMBERS in EngineeringMechanics, and Jim HILLS is teaching Chinese. I think there may be a few others I should know too, but their names have slipped byme—it’s that mid-30s brain-dump thing. Scott BLUM left a little while back after teaching math (back to flying, C-5s I think), and Randy GIBB, who taught Behavioral Sciences/Aviation Psychology is midwaythroughNavy ISS up in Rhode Island (living ON the beach) and destined to return to fly afterwards. On the AH side, Paul NOWOTNY also showed up for this academic year, coming in from a Hurlburt CE job to be the assistant soccer coach. Don’t think we have anybody else down at AH, although Ron BRYANT was there for a year after a two-year AOC hitch... he should be halfway through ACSC at Maxwell by now (and I could use him here to again to continue my education in the fine art of coaching six-year-old T-ball!).

“Life is good at USAFA, Gary—butstrangelyenough, OPSTEMPO seems to have an effect even here, and it’s not what I expected. Folks here are actually getting tagged with short tours to Vincenza’s and Riyadh’s CAOCs, etc., but I think all-inall it’s still an outstandingplace to be, teaching and leading some great future AF leaders-in-the-making. Talk at ya soon. Kirk Lear.”

On the Christmas card side ofthe house, I received a letter from EdYONG and a short e-mail. Ed and his wife, Julee, added a son to their family on the 26 ofOctoher when 8.5 lb Steven Kirk entered the world, and with daughters Amanda and Christina will have a full house this Christmas. Ed’s is working at Gateway Computers (North Sioux City, SD) and just transitioned to the mobile computer team after working on the EchoStar project and the Astro and Profile2 product lines. Ed says that if anyone needs info on portable computers, he can get it like when he worked the Destination system with no sales pitch. The USMA grads at Gateway threw an overall grad get-together for the Army/Navy game. Of course, he was the only USAFA grad to show to rub in the fact that Air Force already took the CIC trophy. He welcomes any other ‘86ers looking for employment in the computer career field. Ed recently helped an USNA grad get an interview at the San Diego Gateway location by using the “grad” network.

I received a card and short update from Steve TREMAIN. He and his familyjust PCSed to McGuire AFB after spending the last few years at Randolph. They are

enjoying their new residence and are closer to family, another big plus.

The last little bit of information to pass along is that Stu “Razor” JOHNSON and wife, Judith, are expecting their first child (a boy) on Jan 19th Stu is the 3-1 chief and flying with the 422 Test Squadron out at Nellis AFB.

As far as things are going with your scribe, I’ve been busy with various TDYs but am enjoying my assignment to Langley. I still have over 1 Vz years left on this assignment and am not looking to go anywhere in the near future. As far as people I’ve been in contact with, Jim MCCLAIN, who's working in my squadron, made LtCol below the zone last spring and will probably be looking for greener pastures this summer. He’s almost halfway done withAirWar College via correspondencejust in case he doesn't go in residence. No photos this time around so let’s get some Millennium shots in the next issue. That’s about it this time around. Hope you rang in the New Millennium with a bang and have a great 2000. Until this summer, take care. Bob Colellawill bewritingthe next column so e-mail him at rcolella@iLand.net.

Sharon (Hullinger) Giletti sta

2432 Wentworth Drive floi)WHBH VjiM Montgomery, AL 36106 v (334) 279-6089

E-mail: giletti@aol.com

Percent members: 35

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and survived the Millennium celebration! It was odd, but wonderful actually, to spend Christmas in Alabama. There were no winter coats and all the gear that goes with them, and it was nice to be able to send the kids outside to play (for a longtime) to burn off all that holiday energy! I actually heard from a lot of people this quarter—thank you! If you don’t see your letter, please don’t be bummed out and vow to never send me an e-mail again. I was at my page limit and had to save some news for the next quarter. I promise, ifyou send me a letter, I’ll get it into an article.

Tim MATSON (CS-22) dropped me a line while he was at Altus AFB for KC-135 re-qual training with J.R. “Chief’ HOWELL as his IP must be rough. Tim says, ‘We’re having a blast! It’s good to be flyingagain! Once I’m finished here, mywife, Lori, and I are leaving USAFA and C-Springs and moving to Fairchild AFB. Lori and I are also expecting our first child in March. We’re pretty excited about that! I’ll send a picture next year. Steve TURNER is also down here as a C-141 IP. We’ve been water skiing once. He and his wife are expecting child #3 in March also. My former roommate Joe SPECKHART stopped by and saw us in the Springs. He was just finishing up the Army Command and Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth and I think he was going to an ACC staffjob at Langley AFB.”

Tracey MECK (CS-35) wrote in too. She is currentlyassigned to RAF Mildenhall as the chief, Security Forces for HQ 3AF her first staff experience. She is enjoying it, but is looking forward to getting back to the unit level. She wrote: “I have been blessed during this tour with two greatopportunities. First, I was privilegedenough to be the Provost Marshal for JTF ShiningHope, Apr-Jun 99. Shining Hope was the humanitarian portion ofthe Kosovo situation. Our mission was to operate and secure the airfield at Tirana, Albania to allow reliefsupplies from all over the world to be delivered to the NGOs and PVOs. We also organized the set-up of sea and land delivery systems. Once that was in place, we organized the construction ofthe two U.S.-built refugee camps near Fier, Albania. TheJTF HQ worked out ofEinsiedlerhof AB near Ramstein AB, GE. I ran into Lee ICENHOUR on my way to visit the troops inAlbania. He was the pilot ofthe C-211 caught a ride on. He is stationed at Ramstein. The second great opportunity was to visit the American Cemetery at Normandy. My parents and I were able to find the grave of my Dad’s cousin who was killed in action during the Allied invasion. We were honored to be the first members ofthe family to ever visit his grave site.” Back in Feb, I ran into Dave MARTTALA. He was working at the Force Protection Battle Lab at the time and has now moved on to be the Security Forces squadron commander at GoodfellowAFB. I have been selected to be the Security Forces squadron commander at Luke AFB with a reporting date ofJul ‘00. I am reallylooking forward to it.”

Jim DAVIS says hi from Osan. Must be crazy there as Jim wrote this on Veteran’s Day, after spending the whole day in the office—whew, I hope the rotation comes quickly for him. He wrote: “At the end of my tour last year on the AMC/IG, I was told I could go back to the C-141 at either McGuire or McGuire. When I asked if they had spelled one of those options wrong, they said no, I was going to New Jersey. I opted for a year in Korea, with a follow-on to a C-17 at McChord. I’m currently the DO for the C-12J unit here at Osan. There are only four of these stretch C-12s in the AF, and we’ve got two of them. We provide airlift support throughout Korea and Japan. Even though most people think of us as DV transport, less than 4 percent of our total passenger load is DVs. Mostly we haul teams and individuals who need to get around the RoK (Republic of Korea, but pronounced like the prison island for good reason). It’s really a great little unit, and a perfectplace for a pilot to hide for a year. Most people come here with follow-ons back to their old base and plane, so they won’t incur any retraining commitment and they can reset their time-on-station clocks. It may be remote, but to me it’s better than AETC (been there, done that too). I’ve moved my family wife, Sue, and two sons, John (7) and Mark—to McChord already. My wife is an environmental engineer and expects to get hired by the base, though she’s keeping her options open.” Phil PRATZNER is also there as the 7 AF/CC’s Exec and his wife, Lynnette, is a JAG in the wing. PeteVAN PELT was there too with the U-2s, but has already “escaped” back to Beale AFB. Jim ran into Steve LEGRAND at McChord. He’s flying the C-17 and is Chief Exec for the first C-17 squadron there. Jim said, “I’m sure there’s several other classmates up there too, but I didn’t get a chance to meet any. They have 30 majors in one squadron! Too many old ‘141 guys who all took the bonus. Now we can’t get out, they’re retiring the ‘141, and there’s nowhere else to put all of us. Oh, well, I guess we’ll all go back and fly.” Thank God for that otherwise, we’d have a bunch of lieutenants in the air!

Brett TELFORD (CS-21) wrote after a major hiatus of not keeping in touch, but I know that life can just get so hectic. Currently he is assigned to the Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS). They are a FOA for AF/XOC, responsible for most of the modeling and simulation efforts within the Air Force. Flis duty station is in Orlando, FL, working in a research park next to the University of Central Florida nice views I’m sure. His specific job is to consolidate, define, and fund AF requirements for the next generation joint training Simulation that will support battle staff training. He works consistently with their PEM at Air Staff, who also happens to be an ‘87 grad—John SMITH (CS-37,1 think). He wrote: “Not too long ago, I ran into Dave FUINO (CS-21). He took a job with Office Depot near Ft Lauderdale. Our families got together a few times, to include a great time at Universal Studios. His wife, Cheryl, and mywife, Mary, actually went to high school together, so it was somewhat of a small reunion. Dave and Cheryl got homesick for Colorado Springs, however, and this past summer returned to the Rocky Mountains. It looks like I will be here in Orlando for anotheryear. During this time, I hope to get picked up for DSMC currently an alternate on the list and then transfer to the Pentagon, hopefully working in SAF/AQ.”

I received a photo from RayWRIGHT and a short note. He and his family, Rachel, Benjamin, and Jackson, are doing really well. They have relocated to Attleboro, MAfrom Glen Cove, NY. Ray is still working for Pfizer and is now a hospital rep. At a recent Pfizer medical convention in San Francisco, Ray met up with Bill KIAFOULIS.

RayWright and Bill Kiafoulis

And lastly, all of us here at MaxwellAFB were lucky to see an airshowin September that featured three of our classmates: Mark ARLINGHAUS, Brad BARTELS, and Dean WRIGHT. I was able to snag Mark and Brad for a quick Checkpoints photo op and here they are with our two youngest children and me.

Not all that much material this time around as I suspect everyone was getting ready for the holidays. Let’s start offwith Rick LoCASTRO’s (CS-15) e-mail: “I admit, I have never dropped a line as who cares what some Personnel weenie is doing! Seems all I read about are all those damned pilots! Ha, just kidding! [Hey, I just write what people send me so if you want to hear more about non-pilots, then let’s get more input from non-pilots. So there!] I’m here in ACSC after a three-year “sentence” at the Pentagon. Not too many ‘88ers here, but I have seen a few in my travels. When I get some more time and get my thoughts together I’ll drop you a line on the folks I have kept in contact with. Hope you are enjoying your new career—it seems many have followed in your footsteps. For a groundpounder like me, my family and I have enjoyed the AF thus far and hopefully will get another challenging job out of ISS. I’ll drop you a line with more soon although I’m sure the flyingjocks don’t want to hear my exploits of paper pushing and personnel stuff!”

Kris ALDEN made up for not writing since, well, ever. Here’s a nice summary of what’s been going on in his life. “I have attempted to write a couple other times, but it has never made it to you I guess. I always enjoyhearing news about others and wish more would write, so I decided it was only fair for me to write. So, what have I been doing for the last 12 years? After graduation I went to Vance for UPT. Following UPT I spent three and a halfvery busy years in Japan flying C- 130s. The most excitingthing that has ever happened to me occurred while I was over there: I became a Christian. Thus began my entirely new life. I was next stationed at Little Rock instructing in the C-130 schoolhouse and it was there that I met my wife, Allyson. In October of '93 I joined fellow ’88er, Dave SANTARELLI, in Pensacola, FL, flying T-34s for the Navy. Dave and his wife, Amy, and their three children are now out of the active-duty force. Dave is flying C-9s for the Air Force Reserves and was recently hired by Midwest Express Airlines. They will eventually be settling in Omaha. In July of ’98, Allyson and I had our first child, John William Alden. We are getting ready to head back to Little Rock in January to go back to instructing in the C-130. We are expecting our second child in April.

“I keep in touch with a few other classmates. Jay WOOD is out and living in North Carolina with his wife, Lisa, and their two daughters and flying for the Reserves. John NIAKAROS is out and flying for Northwest. He and his wife, Laura, and their two sons are living in Texas but flying out of Detroit? Jeff CAMPBELL is out and living with his wife and daughter in Connecticut. Jeff designs his own software and is quite the computer expert. Mike BARNETT is still in flying B-52s at Barksdale. Tom BROGAN is out and living in Atlanta flying for Delta. Brian BELL is out and living with his wife and two kids in Boston. Brian has moved into corporate America. Bryan EDMONDS is out and living with his wife, Darla, in Utaih. Brian is still flying F- 16s for the Guard or Reserves. Rich GANNON is still in the Air Force and living in Barksdale with his family. Terry McCAFFREY and his wife and two kids are over in Japan at 5th Air Force. There are several more that I have recently lost track of. I really regret not going to the reunion. I hear it was a great time.

A grad from a slightly earlier class (BillWECKER, ’63) e-mailed me with the following note about a new AOG e-mail function available via the web. “I ask your help in getting the word out about AOG-mail. Please forward the following message to your classmates: Some ofyou have received e-mail describing ‘AOG-mail, the new e-mail forwarding system that you can use to communicate with other USAFA graduates. Some did not receive the notice because you do not have your current e-mail addresses on file with AOG. If you did not receive the notice, you can login to AOG-mail at the following location [http://www.aog-usafa.org/Aogmail.htm] then use the “Add/Change” feature to add or change your e-mail address in the AOG-mail system.” This is an awesome system; try it!

In November I ran into one ofmy old four-degree roommates, John KOSS, at the AA FlightAcademy and he sent me a quickXmas update. John’s now a major with the Kansas Air National Guard doingthe traditional/weekend duty; he startedwith American on Nov 8th Mary (spouse) is working as a pre-school teacher at the same school where their two youngest (Alexander and Christopher) also attend. Samantha, their oldest, is in second grade and is “still working on her degree in marine biology.” GivenJohn’s academicprowess, Mary must be really, really smart. (Yes, my tongue is planted firmly in cheek!)

MarkArlinghaus, Brad Barrels, your scribe and her two youngest.

Also, I have some more quick news updates from Maxwell AFB. Bruce MCCLINTOCK and his wife, Tammy, are expecting their third child this summer. And I run into Tina (DARA) GINGRAS all the time. Her husband (an ‘85 grad) is attending ACSC. They have two wonderful children and have been keeping very busywith all the social activities offered to the ACSC families and spouses. A lot of us here still don’t know where we’re heading after school, but by the time this column is printed we should be house hunting I’ll keep you posted. I hope you all are doing well—keep your face to the sun! Until next time - S.

Mark Peters uBlN mm si|bJr/ 2437 Bedford Circle Bedford, TX 76021-1823 (817) 837-9696

vM&Mww/

E-mail: pylt@home.com \wPPwf

Percent members: 36

Hi 88!

Hopefully this issue finds us all wondering what all that Y2K anxiety was about. And the stock market had better not have taken a tumble either as my new-hire airline salary means I need the money (I think I made more as a cadet!) On to the class news

I also received an email from Anne CHINNERY last month: “I am out of the AF now and am working for a small aerospace company, Microcosm, in L.A. I spent the first two months learninghowmuch I didn’t knowabout stuffI thought I knew about, and ever since have been working my butt off trying to learn which way is up. I am the deputy program manager for the Scorpius program, a new low-cost expendable launchvehicle. The fun part ofthisjob is that the company is so small, so I get to see all those parts of running a business that you never get to see in big companies. I’m really enjoying it.”

Lastly, in December I received a note from Vicki (BESECKER) RAST (CS-24) via the AOG mail feature previously described. In case you’re not on that system, here’s the message: “Looking at the AY2001 ACSC roster, seems as if many of us will be headed toward MAFB this summer. I’ve been here a while (I’m an ACSC instructor) and would gladly assist you in any way possible. Just shoot me an email (vjr99@aol.com) and we’ll connect on any issue(s) you’d like to discuss (e.g., church homes, housing, life at ACSC, etc.).’’

In closing, please be sure to find that extra Christmas letter that you’ve been planning to send your scribe and send it! I don’t care that it’s three months old already, just send it now! (And consider including a picture too since we all want to see who’s not aging very gracefully. That would include me, but I’ll spare you the details!)

Visit the AOG Web Site - Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and More!

www.aog-usafa.org

1410 Rockford Drive

Warrensburg, MO 64093

Home: (660) 429-1198 / DSN: 975-4971

E-mail: patibb@earthlink.net |ajf/

Class Website: http://www.usafa89.com

Home page: http://www.usafa89.com

Percent members: 43

Hello everyone! Well, we did it! Our 10-year reunion is part of the past, but not without many, many great times, fond memories, and a weekend none of us will soon forget. Although I know you were all hoping I would give you my impressions, feeling, etc. from our exciting weekend together, alas, I am not. I asked four of our classmates to share their thoughts on our 10-year gathering. I inserted several photos mywife and I took throughout the weekend. So, in their own words, here are Stephen WHITING (our reunion chairman, extraordinaire), Eric CHANDLER, Steve THOMPSON, and Michelle (MCMILLAN) Unger.

StephenWhiting: I hope everyone had a great time at the Class of ‘89’s Airline Pilots’ Association reunion I mean 10-year reunion. Maybe it was just me, but I must have run into 200 of our classmates who told the same story: “Got out in April and went to work for XXXXX Airlines still flying for the Guard/Reserve until the pay equals out.” While I think it’s great so many ofyou are getting terrific jobs, the thought of traveling on one of your flights is scary! In case you haven’t heard, one of our classmates who hasn’t gotten out yet, Pete GERSTEN, was awarded the Jabara Award on the same weekend as the reunion. Congratulations to Pete and Corey (WILDER)!

It was great to see everyone at the reunion. While a lot of things have changed (spouses, kids, hairlines, waistlines, etc.), we proved that old friendships endure. It really did seem just like yesterday that we graduated. Not only did I run into all my old squadmates (we should have had a SARWars sessions), I also ran into both my SERE trek partners (we weren’t very good evaders), friends from church (let’s do another road trip soon), roommates from Ops Air Force (don’t tell anyone I puked on both my F-15 flights), etc.

Probably the most memorable event of the weekend was the Memorial Service on the Terrazzo. Just as the weather was getting bad, we were able to participate in the reading ofthe names for all the grads who had passed away in the last year. One ofthose grads was our classmate, Ken THIELE, from CS-39, who passed away in January. I was fortunate to be a fellow Jedi Knight with Ken and I know he was a superb man who truly enriched all of our lives. On Saturday afternoon, in the midst of a bitter winter storm, many of Ken’s friends had the honor of toasting Ken at his graveside. Just as it was getting cool in the popular culture to be a Jedi again (thanks to George Lucas), we lost one of our Jedi squadron commanders. Ken and all our fallen classmates are dearly missed... ’’Absent, Sir!”

A Tribute to Ken Thiele - You will be missed.

Let me close bythanking everyone for making the reunion such a great success (except for the weather on Saturday!). Thanks to the entire class for rising to the challenge and meeting our fund-raising goal of $25,000. Using that gift, we purchased engraved granite stones at Doolittle Hall (the AOG building) to honor our fallen classmates, we refurbished a Cessna 172 for the cadet flying team, and we contributed to the AOG building fund. Thanks to the committee who put the reunion together: Paul TIBBETS, Rondall RICE, Dave HANSEN, “T” TUNG, Ed CARDENAS, Donna (GINN) Alvarado, Don SIMPSON, and everyone else who helped. Lastly, thanks to the AOG (Col Jock Schwank and LaniWing in particular) for doing the hard work in organizing the reunion. I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2009 (when those of us who are still in will be eligible for retirement).

Eric “Shmo” Chandler: I had mixed feelings about going to the 10-year reunion. I was excited and nervous at the same time. As my wife and I drove from Utah, getting closer and closer to Colorado Springs, I got more butterflies in my stomach. There we were in the car and suddenly I realized: “10 years have passed!” There’s nothing like a sudden, force-fed, 10-year self-evaluation. What would everybody look like? What would I look like? Would all my buddies who I hadn’t seen for years act the same? Would I be “Successful”? Would I “measure up”? Is it going to be...weird? Well my wife, Shelley (ZUEHLKE, ’87), straightened me out. ‘It’s going to be a blast. Quit freaking out.” She went to her reunion in ’97 and had a great time. She went without me since I was in Saudi Arabia enforcing the NoFlyZone, so I hadn’t seen a reunion yet. As usual, she was right! It was a great time seeing old friends and milling around on the old stomping grounds! The following is my rendition ofwhat happened. I won’t guarantee accuracy, but it’s based on a true story.

Wednesday, 13th : We rolled into town and chucked our bags into the Hampton

Inn for one night. We didn’t have reservations at the Embassy Suites untilThursday night. Then we strolled over to Old Chicago’s (of course!) for a snack and some brew. Somehow, I’d lost myWorld BeerTour card over the past 10 years. I never did finish that thing. Shelley and I drove around town and ended up at a Japanese restaurant in Old Colorado City called Tsukasa. Prettygood. Took a power nap back at the hotel to prepare for the arrival of the 1989 Fall Cadet Wing commander (da-tadah-DAH!), Kurt D. HEISER and his beautiful wife, Nancy! We’d been stationed together at Hill AFB, UT before we separated from active duty. Amazing I’ve known this guy for 14 years. Basic training to UPT to F-16s to the “outside world”. Anyway, we picked them up at the airport. Kurt was nice enough to give me a buck for loading his bags into the back ofthe station wagon. I love that guy!

Thursday, 14th : The next morning, we checked in at the Embassy Suites, just two doors down from Kurt and Nancy. I guess Kurtwanted me nearbyin case he needed me for any heavylifting. We ate breakfast downstairs at the Embassy and ran into Lisa (MCFADDEN) Becker. Kurt BECKER couldn’t make it because he was getting some training on the Citation 3 jet for his companyin Minneapolis-St. Paul. Bummer. She’s doing great at Guidant, a large pharmaceutical outfit where she works in Human Resources. Lisa and Kurt both raced bikes with me on the USAFA team/ club. We agreed to hook up and go to dinner as a big group that night. Also, ran into Paul and Angelle TIBBETS at breakfast. Paul’s still doing hard work as our scribe and flying that amazing B-2.

It was beautiful, sunny, and hot when we drove up to “the campus” for lunch with the cadets. We all milled around in front of Mitch’s in front of our squadron numbers waiting for a cadet to escort us in to lunchwith our old squadrons. While there I ran into Dave "Trashman” HICKS. Also, ran into Tony MCKENZIE and Vivian (APFEL) Olson, a couple offellow CS-10 members. Huzzah! When the John Philip Sousa marching music started, I had this Pavlovian reaction and I started drooling and gettinghungry. It’s amazingwhat marching to lunchfor fouryears does to you!

Somehow, when we got into the building (sans escort) we hooked up with Kurt and Nancy Heiser again. We walked to the very back and grabbed an empty table.

So, there I was pouringjuice and milk for Shelley, Kurt, and Nancy. You’ve come a long way, baby! After Kurt made me yell some quotes and get my chin in, I needed some cheering up. So, I asked the freshmen at the next table what class they were in. “SIR, WE ARE IN THE CLASS OF 2003!” That was good for a laugh. 2003. Holy Mackerel. I don’t think those guys were shavingyet.

Past, andfuture, cadets tour theAcademy airfield.

Also, found out from the upperclassmen at the next table that the Cycling Club/ Team seems to be doing well. Apparently, they even have guys who specialize in mountain biking. One of the recent AOG calendars had a picture that showed some cadets in AF Cycling Team garb competing in the team time-trial down at the 7-11 Velodrome (bike track). Things sure have changed since there were a total of five of us riding road bikes in the spring of ’86! If any ofthe current bikers read this, I'd love to hear some details on the two-wheel situation at the Academy. Let me know at ESChandler@aol.com.

As we left the terrazzo after lunch, we walked by the class crests in front of the chapel and took some pictures. Then, as we were walking up the ramp to go toward the visitor center, we ran into Phil “Axl” ROSE holding court in front of a dozen people or so. Axl and I were at KunsanAB together. He’s on with Northwest Airlines and the Hawaii ANG (F-15s). He’s the kind of guy who makes me laugh just because he’s standing there. So, I just stood there and smiled like an idiot for a while, and then we headed up to the visitor center.

Kurt, Nancy, Lisa, Shelley, and I huffed and puffed over the path to get some loot at the Visitor Center Gift Shop. How’s that thing go? 7280’ something or other? Man alive. No wonder I was grouchy for four years. There was no damn air. I bought a cool baseball hat and Shelley got some film. Then Lisa gave us all a ride back down to Doolittle Hall to fetch our car. She’d rented a Lincoln Town Car to drive around in. Sweet ride. However, while we were in the car, I had a strange urge to drink Geritol and wear pink pants with a white belt.

God knows why, but Kurt and I went running when we got back to the Embassy Suites. I think we were in denial over our advancing age. We tooled around down the nearby railroad tracks while Shelley and Nancy went for a walk. When we got back, we did the only logical thing and opened a beer. We’d smuggled some Fat Tire and Abbey Ale down from the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins on the way across from Utah. Little did my liver know, this was just the beginning.

About this time, Pat and Cindi BURKE showed up at the Embassy. Pat was the first guy I ever met at the Academy. I came stumbling into my room for the first time after getting my gear in basic and there he was, calm as the Sphinx. Anyway, Pat knocked on the door when I was about to shower. I looked out the peephole and saw him, so threw the door open and jumped out to shake his hand, wearing only running shorts. He said, “Meet my wife, Cindi.” Oops! “Hi!” First impres-

sions, eh? I guess Cindi got over her shock, since Pat and Cindi, Kurt and Nancy, Lisa Becker, and Shelley and I all went to dinner just down the road at an Italian joint called Carabba’s. As we were piling into the cars at the Suites, Eric WINTON and Paul GIERTEN came sauntering up to the front door of the lobby. Tiger Ten Brothers! We had to run to dinner, but it was great to see that they made it. Dinner was pretty good, fun had by all, and most importandy, food energy was in place so we’d be able to handle the night (and libations!) to come!

We got back to the lobby of the Embassy Suites for the class social. It took me three nights to figure out how these Embassy Suites evenings work. There are about 200 people milling about. Us ’89 reunion types can be split into two groups: Group A Stationary and involved in a conversation; and Group B Trying to walk somewhere (to get liquor, food, to a bathroom, or to bed). Ifthere is an even number of people in the lobby, nobody moves. Then, somebody shows up, walks into the crowd and hollers, “HEY! (Insert Name)! at the top of their lungs as they recognize an old buddy. The new arrival pairs up with his buddy and joins Group A. This frees up the other, unrecognized person in the group to try to move through the crowd to the bathroom. This person, now a mobile member ofGroup B, shoves their way toward the latrine until they see somebody. “HEY! SO-AND-SO!” they say and become frozen into Group A again. This process causes a chain reaction. You could sit and watch someone new walk into one end of the room, you’d hear a Doppler effect, “HEYL. HEY.... Hey! ...Hey!... hey!... hey” across the room, and finally, some poor dumb bastard at the far end of the room gets to go to the bathroom! I knew the physics we studied would come in useful someday.

In any case, I can’t remember which night I saw who, so forgive me. I’m grateful I can even remember this much. It’s a good thing they issued me a spare liver in Korea. Ran into John DELAPP and his wife, Lisa, and talked about how he turned me on to jazz and architectureyears before. Saw“Axl” ROSE again and talked about how difficult it is to live in Hawaii and wear flip-flops. Ben AKINS, social butterfly, was fluttering around and being the same pleasant, friendly guy he always was. I think Ben wins the award forlookingexacdythe same as 10 years ago. Sorry, there’s no prize. Joe and Kris JEZAIRIAN were there, happy about their life down at Nellis AFB. Kristen OSKVAREK was chasing her husband Scott around trying to slow his liquor intake in preparation for a test of some kind with United Airlines the next day. I ran into Tom RINEYfrom my UPT class who’s flying 135s and living in Albuquerque. Somewhere in there I saw Mark and MelindaTHOMAS. Mark is still cracking me up with his “shotgun" humor. I remember him telling me 10 years ago, “Hey, ifI tell 100 jokes, some ofthem gottabe funny!” Phil O’NEAL and his wife, Irene, are actually stationed at USAFA, working some sweet angle that gets him a master’s degree at the same time. Dennis DABNEY, an old track-cyclingbuddy is out on the East Coast involved in C-5s. I saw Steve and Holly (CAMPBELL) Thompson and their little baby show up in the lobby. Cute kid! I finallygot to meet my friend Doug ‘Stoli” NIKOLAI’S girlfriend Katie. He was back in the states en route from Saudi to Japan. Good timing, friend! Talked to Beth (POSELEY) Smith, who just switched from Federal Express to United Airlines. I had an interview coming up with them, so I took notes on every word she said! Somewhere in there saw Jim FRANKS and laughed it up about CS-10. Tracy “Teek” DORSETT showed up. It was great to see him and hearthat the Crawfish Boils are goingfull steam and that the Stealth fighter thing is going well. Eric WINTON, my old roommate, regaled me with stories of a recent 100-mile (“Century”) bike ride he’d done. Eric, Paul GIERTEN, and I yukked it up about how we went out and had fried chicken before the Wing Open Boxing Tournament one year. Amazing what you remember. Reed and Kirsten BOWMAN let me in on the good news of getting on with Northwest Airlines. Tom KLINGENSMITH filled me in on how things are at the Hill AFB F-16 Reserve unit. I guess that all three evenings combined into one big happy blur! ‘89ersflying in style!

Friday, 15th : Friday morning I kind of felt like the Elephant Man: “I am not an animal! I am a MAN!” Talk about hung over. (Replay this statement for Saturday and Sunday morning.) Shelley and I struggled down to the Village Inn and had some breakfast...at around noon. Then we hurried up to the Academy to catch the USAFA Senior Staff Briefings.

This was reallyworth doing. I had three majorimpressions. First, the new commandant seems like a great guy. Second, everybodywho briefed seemed like they were in a little bit of a defensive crouch. I’d forgotten what a microscope that place is under, and how much stress it must place on the guys in charge. Third, I was particularly interested in the topic ofinitial flight screening. It’s kind ofironic how we used to screen people in the T-41/172 (at the Academy), we got a new plane for a while, and now we screen people in the T-41 /172 (at FBOs). Overall, I thought the briefings were informative and interesting.

On the way out of the Senior Staff Briefings, on the way to the Terrazzo for the Memorial Ceremony, Kurt Heiser, Shelley, and I ran into Burt FIELD (’79), who used to be our commander at the 421 st Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB. We chatted for a while about how things are in the upper echelons ofpower and how we were

doing “on the outside.” While standingthere, bumped into ChristyKAYSER-COOK, her husband, Gary, and their little baby. She and I were in UPT together.

We hustled out into the cold, windy air and stood by the ChapelWall during the Memorial Ceremony. It was doubly chilling to stand there in the cold and hear names of people who I knew personally. A lot different than when I was a cadet and heard the names and knew them only in the abstract. This ceremony always serves to remind me that one way to honor their memory is to try to live well and appreciate the time that you have. It was very moving, as it always is.

Afterwards, we all shuffled, blue-lipped and shivering, into the chapel for the class photo. I think the smiles you’ll see on the photo are just in gratitude for indoor heating, not for the camera! I ran into Tim KELLEY at the chapel, another Tiger Ten alumni!

The Class Buffet/Party was nicely done that evening. Kurt and Nancy Heiser, Shelley, and I sat way in the corner. I picked the corner because Kurt kept making me call him, “Sir” and I was getting embarrassed. Also sat next to Todd and Heather WILKOWSKI and heard about their new lawyer lives in Ohio. Wilko can rememher everything I’ve ever said. Amazing. Had a nice chat with Dave CVANCARA at dinner, another UPT buddy from way back at Williams AFB. Hard to believe the place is closed now.

Saturday, 16th : Pat and Cindi Burke, Kurt and NancyHeiser, and Shelley and I all trolled around C. Springs on Saturday morning looking for a restaurant called the Hungry Farmer. We had trouble figuring out where it was, dragging the memory out of the dark recesses of our brains. We finally got there and it was closed, so settled for the delightful culinary creations oftheVillage Inn. Another power breakfast/lunch with six of us crammed in a booth. Yummy!

Well, the snow was really coming down by now, so we of course chose to drive an hour north in a blizzard to go.. .shopping! Apparently, there’s a state of the art shopping mall that we just F1AD to visit. While the ladies shopped, Kurt, Pat, and I just stood in front ofVictoria’s Secret for three hours. At least that’s the way I remember it.

We got back to Embassy Suites and placed every single item of clothing we had on our bodies and headed up to the football game. We parked in the snow beside the road near Doolittle Hall, and Eric Winton (who somehow stowed away in our car), Kurt and Nancy, Shelley and I trundled in to have some beer and food. They’d done an excellent job of flexing the barbecue indoors to get out of the snow. Pat and Cindi Burke, John and Lisa DeLapp, EricWinton, Mark and Melinda Thomas, and Kurt and Nancy Heiser, joined Shelley and I over on the floor while we ate barbecue and drank some brew. It was great talking with Chris and Shannon HAMILTON. I hadn’t seen both of them together since we’d been in F-16 RTU back in ’91. Time flies!

There was some debate about whetherwe’d really try to sit in the blizzard at the game or support the team from afar near a big screen TV in a heated bar somewhere. We finally damned the torpedoes and went to the football game. Let me summarize. It was cold and snowy. Hot chocolate doesn’t help. We lost to Utah. Damn! When we turned around at the end ofthe game, Shelley and I were practically the only ones left in the ’89 section. Do you think we’re dedicated or stupid? Don’t answer that.

Dedicated ‘89ersfrom CS-39 enjoy thegame!

The whole thing wound up with me, Eric Winton, JeffWEGNER, Tracy Dorsett, and Paul Gierten standing in the Embassy Suites bar at some ungodly hour in the morning. Then my kidneys finally shut down and I went to bed.

Sunday, 17th : As Shelley and I drove back to the West toward Utah, leaving the snow-covered hills of the Front Range in the rearview mirror, I had a feeling of great satisfaction. It was great to go back and see everyone and hear their old stories and new situations. A little reminiscing, a little story telling, and a whole lot oflaughing. Overall, I thought the whole thing was a great success.

Here’s my list of the “Ten Things that Surprised Shmo the Most About the 1989 10-year Reunion”:

1) How many people are out of the service and the many diverse things they’re doing now.

2) What a dang good view there is from Mitchell Hall! I’d never noticed!

3) Howyoung the cadets look. I didn’t knowtheylet 12-year olds into theAcademy.

4) How good all the ‘89ers looked. I guess it’s the next one where we all go to pot.

5) How quickly you instandy click with old friends you haven’t said a word to in 10 years.

6) How strong my liver is.

7) How much the altitude affected me. Gasp-Gasp.

8) How much the place looked just like my recurringAcademynightmares: “Oh,

I'm late for the GR and I didn’t study enough and I can’t find my way to the lectinar...” Sick I know, but I still dream about the place.

9) How quiet the terrazzo was. Apparendyyelling is uncivilized.

10) How hard it is to stand up when your butt-cheeks are frozen solid to metal seats in the football stadium.

Well, in only ten more years we can go back and do it again! Then, somehow, us TigerTen folks have to figure out where we buried that Scotch back in 1989. Jack’s Valley somewhere. Darned if I remember.

Steve Thompson: Wow, what an awesome reunion. I am thoroughly convinced we are members of an outstanding group of people the Class of 1989. I have returned home motivated more than ever to keep in touch with people. No more once-a-year Christmas card or mass e-mail. I will write individually. A great man once said, “all that will exist in eternity are God, the Word ofGod, and the souls of men.” I am convicted to invest more of myself in these things. I hugged and talked (and talked, and talked) to people I hadn’t seen in almost 10 years. Probably most significandy, the one, the only, Mr. George“Tremendous” MENDEZhimself made an appearance.

Who was the most changed? Men: Steve DONE (civilian at Cisco systems). Women: Cher WYNKOOP (Civilian attorney). There were so many people I was excited to see, so manypeople I wish had shown up, so many people I wish I could have talked to more.

Michelle Unger: The anticipation of our reunion didn’t begin when we received registration packets or monthlyupdates on the web at our class site... It started for me when we were Doolies. I’ll never forget seeing ‘75 grads walking around the dorms smiles on their faces; laughter as they told “remember when stories”; a deep sense of pride bestowed. I knew then, the same feeling they felt, I wanted to feel. My freshman roommate, Cher WYNKOOP and I discussed and made plans on how our reunion would be (keep in mind, we were yet to be accepted into the wing). Cher said she would come back to our reunion as a lawyer, a “civilian attorney”. I said, perhaps I’ll come back with a family... Years passed.

The countdown to the reunion... Once again, I felt the anticipation. It was such a thrill to think about how everyone would be after 10 years. Although my family and I live in Luxembourg, we didn't think twice about traveling for the reunion. I knew that it would be a once in a lifetime experience that I didn’t want to miss. I wasn’t disappointed...

From one activity to another, the excitement was there... Introducing my family to “cadet buds” and meeting their family was a blast. Walking through the dorms and hearing the cadets quote from their Contrails brought back memories—never stand alone to call minutes! Shoppingin the C-store reminded me ofall the rahmen noodles my roomie Karen (TILLEY) Peterson and I ate, just to avoid another “high calorie” meal at Mitch’s. Seeing ‘MajorGuzman’ was definitely a highlight; she was a “mom” to every female cadet... And I must not forget to mention “the waiter Mr. Mendez”. It was wonderful seeing him at one of our cocktail gatherings; he still has an entertaining sense ofhumor. I saw old friends and met new ones. (Cher, by the way, did become a civilian attorney.) Our monumental gift to the flying team again proved our class camaraderie and teamwork. The memorial ceremony was chilling as we reflected upon thosewho’ve left us; they’re not forgotten. So manywonderful memories brought back to life a priceless experience. Hats off to our class reunion planning committee for the excellent work!

Our class with our gift-greatjob ‘89!

Oh yeah, I always wondered if there would be a time the terrazzo would not be under construction. Perhaps it was completedjust for us... (?)

A HUGE thanks to these four classmates for taking the time to write their thoughts on our gathering. I would like to thank Stephen WHITING for his hard work and dedication in putting it all together, Rondall RICE for working with me on the Class Gift Committee, and the AOG for their countless hours behind the scenes making things happen so we could all have a great time. Most of all, I would like to thank all ‘89ers who showed upyou (and those who couldn’t make it) are the reason the Class of 1989 is the creme del la creme. My hat’s off to all of you. Take care and God bless.

Joseph C. Richardson

568 6th St. Circle Robins AFB, GA 31098

Home: (912) 923-7602/DSN: 497-3267

E-Mail: JRICHA1212@aol.com WSim

Homepage: www.usafa90.com

Percent members: 35

wGREETINGS MOST GLORIOUS AND HONORABLE CLASS, I trust these greetings find each and everyone of you in the best of spirits and health. By the time you read this we should be well into Y2K and whatever has happened has happened. I’m sure all is well and that everyone had a great holiday season and ushered in the NewYearjust like you wanted to. This year is a big milestone for the most glorious class as we look forward to our 10-year reunion which will be Oct. 18-22 in conjunction with Homecoming and the New Mexico football game. You should have received information on the reunion by now or you will shortly.

Perhaps it was due to the holiday season, but the correspondence I received via the mail was zilch, and the online updatesthrough James SANCHEZ and the Ninety online connection was sparse as well. Hopefully it will all pick up for the next issue, but for now I’ll give you what I have. First and foremost, I had the opportunity to run into a few ofthe mighty class while out at Nellis in December. I touched bases with the awesome Robert “Bob Hanis” HAINES, Peter Govan BAILEY and got a distance glimpse of Shane RIZA while I was there. Bob is flying the U-2 still, Pete is flying the B-1 out ofEllsworth, and I didn’t get a chance to chat with Shane. Additionally, I got the chance to chat with the awe-inspiringVince BECKLUND at the Air Force-Army game after we did the dramatic flyby with the awesome E-8C Joint Stars. He is still doing the helicopterthing and he and his familyappeared to be doingwell (it was great meetingyour kidsVince). Mark BROWN is still with me here at Robins for a short while. I just got wind through one ofhis e-mails that he is soon to be enroute to Altus for C-5 training. Just like Mark to be moving on to bigger and better things. That’s about all I have as far as personal contacts are concerned, now on to the updates I received from you all.

Class of 1990 10th Reunion/Homecoming

USAFA vs. New Mexico

18 - 22 October 2000

Joddy MURRAY sent out a quick update to let us know that he now resides in Syracuse, NY. Nothing more as far as details from Joddy. Civilian Carla “CJ” JONES checked in with me via e-mail, and I’m supposing it was from the D.C. .area. She is looking to possibly make a move to the Atlanta area so if anyone from the most glorious class resides there, please get her e-mail address off of the ‘90 web page and give her a holler with some insights. James SANCHEZ forwarded me info from the web page with updates on the followingpeople. Taewon KIM checked in and his e-mail address places him in the vicinity of the Pentagon. Dan KALTENBAUGH checked in to announce the birth of his son Jarod Allen on 16 Nov. Congratulations Dan to you and Andrea—it’s great to knowthat mother and child are both doing well.

Dave “Bosco” MURPHY and Krystal (GUENTHER) MURPHY sounded off from EielsonAFB. Sean HOEFLICKER announced that he will be starting terminal leave in early Dec 99 and beginning his next career with FerreEgas in Liberty, MO. FerreUgas, for those ofyou not in the know, is the largest propane company in the U.S. and Sean wifl be the regional coordinator for the northeast United States. Sean and his lovely bride, Julie, are extremely excited about being closer to their hometown ofLexington MO. They have a four-year-old boy, Zachary, and a 15-month-old little girl, Kaylee. Congratulations Sean to you andyour family and we aE onlywishyou the bestinyour move and new career. Can’t wait to see you guys at the reunion.

Ken RENGERING took his name off of the bad boy list by checking in from Luke AFB in Arizona. Dana (WHITE) NELSON checked in to report that she and her husband, Damon, will be sadly leaving England as of 12 Dec and will eventually wind up in Oklahoma. No more details beyond that. Abu GHANDI just PCSed to Cannon with his wife. He will be flying with the 524 FS there. Mark MILLIKJN checked in from Little Rock and reported that his wife, Rebecca, is with child (their first a BOY) due in April 2000. He’s put out a request for any and all to forward any manly names you might have. Hey Mark, I think Joseph sounds prettymanly myself (smile). And I wish I could go on and on and on with more and more updates, but unfortunately that’s all I have.

Well, most honorable and wonderfuflyglorious class, for those who wrote, thank you for the updates. It’s always and joy and pleasure to hear from you all. Until the next time, from my family to yours, may God bless and keep you all, and remember to always believe in yourself and never be afraid to act on your convictions. Peace, love and Pals!

Carson Tavenner

1816 Tacoma Road Puyallup WA 98371 (253) 435-0235

E-mail: tavenner@hotmail.com

Percent members: 39

Howdy, everyone! I’m getting so rip-roarin’ excited about my upcoming move back to Colorado Springs, I hardly knowwhat to do with myself! MyfamEy is eager

to go find out more about that place that made Daddy so crazy. I’m going to make sure my son does some tours on the strips and no doubt my daughter will be going through the obstacle course in no time. Ifyou saw their rooms, you’d understand! Since they’re only four and two though, maybe I should give them a break.

Thinking ofUSAFA, I’ll share Noel FULTON’s information with y’all right away. He gave me a list in November of ‘91ers at USAFA: Dana ALLEN (Math), Brian ANDERSON (MAS), Russ BALKA (Athletics), Paul BAUMAN (History), Robert BLOCK (Math), Eric BOWMAN (Astro), Steve CARNEY (Management), Kim DORNBURG (Athletics), Noel FULTON (Aviation), Kyle GRESHAM (Chemistry), Mark GROTELUESCHEN (History), Eric HOLT (Management), Mike JOHNSON (Soaring), Rick LESAN (Pol Sci), Jeff NEAL (Pol Sci), Brian PETERSON (EE), Mike VENERI (MAS), and JeanVOIGHT (FULMER) (Math). Wow! Considering the kinds ofclasses beingtaught, it seems fewofus were verygood at engineering; yet there’s so much math representation! Well, I’m looking forward to seeing my buddies in History. Did you know Paul Bauman once saved my life? Yep. I’ll save that story for the reunion.

And, thinking of our alma mater always makes my heart go thumpity-thump for our lovely sponsor, the AOG. They have a new service for all of you called AOG-mail. You can use AOG-mail to send an e-mail message to an individual graduate or to groups. Check out how to use it at www.aog-usafa.org/aog-mail.

I was pleased last summer to discover that Chris BUSHMAN moved into my area. He’s working here in Seattle at Boeing as a member ofthe Air Force element. As ofthis writing, myfamily and his haven’t met (hiswife is Stacey, his girls' names are Allison and Emily), but hopefullythey’ll come down for a Christmas party.

Mike SHEPPARD is a T-38 flight commander/IP at Columbus. He said in September that he didn’t usually see a lot offolks from ‘91 in the T-38 squadron; most are in T-37s and T-ls. His UPT buddies are “scattered to the winds.”

If you are a friend of Susan RANK but haven’t kept in touch recently, you are going to like this column! I have had lots of news from Susan this fall. After she did the Antarctica missions, she’s kept me nicely up to date on all her “goings-on”. It started this time with “a quick note to say that I’m off again...this time for about seven weeks.. .driving to Altus, OK for airdrop & formation AR school.. .1 made it to Altus safely...only saw about two clouds the whole way here...got one of the much nicer rooms...back to academics & simulators...checkride went well and I am finally finished here at Altus...going past the Grand Canyon...up through California...Hwy 101...back home...going on a trip 16-23 Dec...to D.C. for Presidential support backup. Don’t know ifI’ll be there the whole time or end up flying somewhere else.” Say hi to the big guy for me, Susan! I can’t wait for election time to come around again.

I’ve been really busy myselfwith grad school, commuting two hours each way every day, so I haven’t spent any time trying to get in touch with other grads at McChord. In fact, the one guy I’ve seen the most lives in Los Angeles: George HALLEY. The reason he was up here was to make plans for his wedding to Erin; they were married on 27 Nov in downtown Seattle. My wife, Wendy, and I attended the gorgeous reception and unfortunately were the only ‘91ers. However, we had some fascinating conversation with two couples representing ’90, ’89 and ’86! Boy, those numbers seem like ancient history now, don’t they? Anyway, it was great to see George (he and Erin had come here to the house in Puyallup for lunch back in September) and I can guarantee you he has found a wonderfully kind and beautiful wife. They are in missionary training. George is planning on going to India in the next fewyears. Hopefullytheywill be able to come to the reunion and tell us all about how preparations are going.

Okay, the last four pieces to share are all from some fairly lengthy e-mails from TobyZYROLL, BradTEBRUGGE, Mike SHEIKH and NG Chee Meng (who’s back in Singapore commanding an F-5 squadron). Here are their own words:

Toby ZYROLL “A lot has changed since my days at the zoo. I have been married to Megan for sixyears and we have a two-year-old little girl, Julia. I separated (Sep 98) and moved to Austin, TX. I work for a company called M/D Totco. I’m a project manager developing control systems for offshore oil rigs. My work has been taking me to Singapore and Brazil a lot lately. Flying business class and having an expense account is certainly better than going TDY on per diem.”

Brad TEBRUGGE at Randolph: “Things are going well with us...Madeline (eight months in Nov) is beginning to scoot around (you wouldn’t recognize it as crawling yet) and is more fun every day. We have so much to be thankful for. We hope you are all well.” Later, his wife Kim filled me in with more detail: “The things that fill his schedule are hunting, flying and playingwith Madeline. Brad’s flying the T1 at PIT. He grew up in San Antonio so it’s a little weird to be “home” but we are appreciating time with his parents. His mom was diagnosed with cancer so we are on a humanitarian assignment. We keep praying. We are about the same, plus new additions like beloved Madeline, an awesome dog named Shelby (a Rhodesian Ridgeback), a cat, and of course, a horse.”

Mike SHEIKH (in Spokane) says “I’ve been in civilian world for a while now. The grass isn’t that green on the other side of the street, at least in the beginning. I never thought I would be doing what I do now. I am a licensed stockbrokerwith a small client base focused on sophisticated options tradingstrategies and day trading. Most of my clients come from the options classes I teach at a local college. One of my larger clients owns a promotional products company. I share office space with him and perform all the duties of an owner, which include sales, accounting, inventory management, printing, and legal. The company essentially imports desk accessories and mini-radios from China. I am essentially acting as a consultant. My consulting services include writing business plans, negotiating agreements, and financing ifnecessary. In the winter I am a booking agent for ski condominiums located in Breckenridge, CO. To sum it, I’m a senior at “the school of hard knocks” and gettingready to graduate. Some people call me an entrepreneur, others call me stupid. Only time will tell. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of my goodAcademy friends, who give me moral support from time to time. My roommates are Chris SULLIVAN and Tom HIGHSMITH.”

It’s always a treat for me to get news from NG Chee Meng, who’s now raising his

beautiful family (wife and two daughters) in Singapore. He writes “it has been a while.. .1 have completed my command and staff course at home (instead of going to Maxwell as originallyplanned). The course was pretty hectic but I came through it all right. I was lucky enough to finish at the top of the class, in no small measure thanks to the support of my wife, Michelle. Anyway, after my-month-long leave, I will be heading back to the squadron to take over command around 1 Feb 2000.1 wishyou guys could be around. Unfortunately, my chiefhas decided to retain me in the F-5 community and will only let me go to the F- 16s much later in my career. On the familyside, there has been a lowered level ofproductivity. We have stagnated at two daughters so far. Sara has grown into an active four-year-old while Elisabeth is already two and will be venturing to nursery next year. However, before long, I’ll have to fend off hormone-charged young men knocking on my door!”

Last, before I close, news of two families moving to unknown lands; unknown, that is, because I’ve forgotten! Shame, shame. Shannon,Angie and Joshua CURRY will be setting up a new home now that they’ve left Ft Huachuca and Peter GARRETSON is going across the Pacific.

As for me, I’m going to be seeking information from the AOG and other sources about what we should be doing for the reunion. Just think; when you read this, it will only be a year and a half away!

James S. Mehta

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E-mail: jamesmehta@usafa.com

Percent members: 34

Aloha! You’re reading this, so that means Checkpoints is Y2K compliant! I have news, news, and more news to share with you this time. I have received quite a few e-mails and it makes me thinkthat we never put pen to paper much anymore. Keep the information coming in all forms. I can’t remember the last time I just sat down to write an “old-fashioned” letter. But times move on and here we are in the 21 st Century! Our class web page is coming along and is a good way to let everyone knowwhereyou are and whatyou are doing. Ifthis continues, I would like to spend less time in our column listing names and places and spend more time telling you about classmates’ interesting, challenging, changing, wonderful lives. Well, enough wasted space I think I’m pretty well warmed up now. Let’s get to work.

My News! I am going to begin with my news (Class Scribe prerogative). I got engaged last week (Dec 4,1999) to Michelle —mywonderful and talented fiancee who I have been dating for three years. Yeah, it took me a while, but I’m finally ready. You have probably read about Michelle and seen her picture in columns over the past three years. We plan to get married in Jun 00 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Immediately after that, we will be PCSing to Monterey, CA where I will be attending Naval Post Graduate and language school (DLI) for two years. I think it’s going to be tough to do, but many of you have probably already done that marriage immediately followed by a PCS!

Digging into the virtual mail bag... My most interesting letter was from Pete OHOTNICKYwho wrote me a long e-mail. He’s been doing a lot since graduation. He finished UPT and got his master’s in metallurgical engineering at the University ofIllinois where he met his wife, Sherry, who was working on a master’s in materials science after graduating from MIT. They were married inAug 95 and Chris NELSON served as best man. In May 96, Pete and Sherry had twin girls—Annie and Colette and this past May they welcomed little Charlie. Pete is flying C-130s at Dyess AFB and will be taking Sherry and the kids to a new assignment in Florida at Whiting Field NAS near Pensacola. Pete will be teaching Joint UPT instructing in T-34 aircraft. Back in winter '96-‘97, Pete got the idea that he wanted to start competing in triathlons again. Let me use hiswords, “I set a goal ofracingin the Hawaii Ironman, and in onlymy second race, I qualified! I have raced in the ‘97, ‘98, and ‘99 Hawaii Ironmans. In this year’s race, held on Oct 14,19991 finished 62nd overall ofthe 1,422 finishers, and was the eighth American finisher. Our Air Force team also won the military competition in the ‘98 and ‘99 races. We (all five of us Ohotnickys) are planning to be back in Kona, Hawaii again in 2000.” Keep an eye out for the TV coverage ofthe Ironman and keep a look out for Pete! Pete, keep us informed about your racing exploits. It’s quite impressive!

Pete reports that Andy CRUM is in his squadron after flying C-2Is at Howard AB, Panama. John CASEY got his master’s degree at Florida State while banked before going to Dyess. And Fred BRAVO, a Blackbird with Pete at the Zoo, is a copilot in his squadron. Pete’s Blackbird roommate, Tim TOWNSEND is at Dyess in the 40th Airlift Squadron also flying 130s. Pete was Tim’s best man in ‘93 when he married the former RebeccaWheat. Tim and Rebecca now have two boys, Ryan (3) and Sam (8 months). Pete was also best man for Chris “Press” NELSON who got married in Jun ‘94 to Tonya while at Holloman AFB. Chris got his master’s at Georgia Tech and is now at Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB as a flight test engineer. Joel and Shelly (McCOMBS) ATKINSON left Dyess for Columbus AFB in Mississippi where they instruct in the T-l and T-37, respectively. Thanks, for the great e-mail, Pete, and good luck on those triathlons I’m sure they are getting easier...

Appearing for the second time award! Rick BAILEY readily admits this is the second letter he’s sent me. But, those of you who are laughing and have never written should sit down right now and write me. Rick and Di are still in Charleston flying C-141s and searching for an assignment as the “Lizard” finally is phased out. Recently, Rick and Di spent a vacation in Europe with Chris and Nicole COLBERT touring Germany, France, Monaco, Italy, and Switzerland by rental car. Chris is flying C-5s at Travis. Rick writes that there are numerous ’92 folks at Charleston flying C-17s Mike KASIC and Jon CUSHMAN. Not too many still flying the ‘141 at Charleston, but several still flying it at McGuire AFB. Jim DRYJANSKI, Tom FINNERAN, John “Grovie” COSGROVE, Charles “Chill” SMITH, and Lynn WINWARD were the names he remembered. He recendy got an e-mail

from Wes FRYER who is now a schoolteacher in Lubbock, TX owns his own web design company, and is enjoying his wife and son tremendously. Ken and Molly MOSS are still at Ramstein AB keeping busy with a new addition to their family. Well, that covers most ofwhat Rick wrote, but he closed his letter with a reminder to come and visit Charleston and stay with him and Di.

Nicole and Chris Colbert, and Rick and Di Bailey relaxing at a restaurant in the small town ofCap d’Ail on the French Riviera.

Boston pull, too strong! My old buddy Lyle SHIDLA last reported to be back in Minnesota working as an engineer at Seagate, has told me that he is returning to Boston. The new job didn’t excite him too much and he missed living in Boston, so he took an engineering management position there and started before Christmas. After he gets settled in, I’ll have to find out how the new job is.

Lots of info (I’ll try to keep this interesting.) Alec MACLEOD wrote me an email that had a lot ofinformation about a lot ofpeople. For all ofthe details, log on to the class web site maintained by Marc SCHALLER (it’s great) and read what Alec posted. I’ll put some highlights here. Alec went to MarchAFB, following UPT at Sheppard, to fly the KC-10 and C-21 with the ACE program. He loved those days, since back then you didn’t even have to come in ifyou weren’t flying. He got tons offlight hours and got in 400 hours in seven months ofthe ACE program. He even met his wife, Melissa, between hitting the beaches and snowboard slopes of Southern California. Melissa and Alec were married in ‘96 at the Grand Floridian atWalt DisneyWorld. Rob KIEBLER (A-10 IP at Davis-Monthan), Scott GUNDLACH (KC-135 at Fairchild), McGowan ANDERSON (E3 weapons director instructor), and Jeff BURDETT (F-15E) attended the wedding. After March AFB closed, Alec and Melissa went north to Travis AFB, which Alec says is the best AFB Tahoe, Yosemite, Napa, and San Francisco are all within a two-hourdrive! ButAlec missed flying stick and rudder aircraft and managed to get a waiver to become an IP for the T-38 at Vance AFB. They’ve been there for the past two years. Other T-38 IP True Blue grads there include, Ross SAUTER, Dana GOODMAN, Greg BIGLEY, and Bret HOUK. He recendy ran into John NICHOLS who finally got a UPT slot and is halfwaythrough Tweets! Alec is enjoying the squadron tremendously; saying it is the best squadron he has been in. Thanks, Alec.

Just in time...A short note just arrived from Steve and Brandy ANDERSON. They just returned from their belated honeymoon/first vacation at Disneyworld. Steve finally found a way to take some leave and Brandy finished up her Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer courses so it was a good time to take a break. Steve just got a new assignment to the Pentagon with AF/XOIR and he and Brandy will be moving there in May. They are ready for the Beltway change of pace and are excited about the new assignment!

Tarantulas keep crawling out of the walls! Old CS-22 ‘mate, Bruce DUNN, decided to finally send me a note. He’s writing from Paris, TX, which he describes as “south ofOklahoma and just over an hour west ofTexarkana. Right in the middle of nowhere.” Right... Anyway, Bruce works for Kimberly-Clark as a team leader for two oftheir Huggies diaper machines. He is enjoying the job, but is bored with the small town and spends weekends driving back and forth to Lubbock where his girlfriend is, or going to Dallas. He is looking forward to being transferred in a year to the frozen tundra of Neenah, WI, just 30 miles from his hometown. He has kept in touch with some other Tarantulas: Mike BARG is doing well as an IP at Little Rock and keeps in touch every couple of weeks. On Labor Day weekend, Bruce visited Mike there and saw Alex BRID and his wife. He had heard from Steve “Rug” BURNS about six months ago when Steve was at Litde Rock, but they never hooked up. Steve, drop me a note and let me know what you’re doing.

Whilewe’re talkingTarantulas, it’s time for myRob TOBLER update. Rob is probably my most faithful e-mailer, always keeping me up to date. The TOBLERs have finished their nomadic, six-month journey and have finally made it to Dover. After leaving Germany, Rob was at Altus for six months cross-training from the C-9 to the C-5. The TOBLERs hope to settle into base housing soon.

Final notes. Myfinal note is from Tony SCHENKwho is a C-17 instructor at Altus AFB after flying the 17 for five years at Charleston. Tony and wife, Julie, have three kids Leisha, Hannah, and Connor. I also just got a call from James SHIGEKANE who is visiting his parents here in Hawaii for Christmas. We’re planning to have lunch together sometime this week. I’ll update you all on that next time. I hope everyone had a wonderful start to the new Millenium and continues to keep in touch. Semper Excelsior—James.

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Welcome to the next century! Lori and I wish you many blessings in the New Year. Congratulations on almost 10 years ofservice to our beloved country! Yes, it was only 9.5 years ago that we wandered the hallowed halls ofthe Air Force Academy. Thanks for making the last 10 years so special. Let’s make the rest even better! One more “thank you” goes out to all of you - thanks for making this artide a joy to write. On to the news....

Rich CUERVO writes from Atlanta, GA. He went from the Academy to Howard AFB for three years. While at Howard, he married SonyaTurley from Mobile, AL. Rich and Tonya are the proud parents of a strapping two-year-old son named Ricardo Antonio. Happy Birthday! Rich has offered to design another web page for our class. I know Barry COGGINS did a tremendous job on the first one and we definitely look forward to see this one come to fruition. As soon as it is on line, we’ll get the word out.

Next we’ll here from a good ‘ole Georgia boy! Beau ROGERS checks in from ShawAFB, SC. He was engaged last April and promptly gave his new bride-to-be a traditional AF welcome. He found himself on the next F-16CJ over to the war that had just started in the former Republic ofYugoslavia. He along with Ryan ‘Flash/Rhino-Honorary USAFA Grad" Barker and Kevin SUTTON flew the F-16CJ for the duration of the war. Upon return Beau and Sandra were betrothed on 21 Aug 99. Dean GOEHRING flew in from San Antonio. Bron STUART utilized an AF T-38 cross-country as transportation to the wedding. Sean GOOK3N (recent B-l to F-16 transfer student) drove up from Moody AFB. Beau enjoyed his little reunion as well as his wedding. Congratulations!

Fern? Is that you? Yes! It is Fern MOLINA! He reports that all is well from Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. Fern traces his career from Osan and Nellis to Pensacola NAS. “It definitely does not remind me of the TV show,” Fern says. After wading through navigator school, he picked up an F-15E and enjoyed feeling fancy and flying free. Wait! Maybe it was flying free and feeling fancy! Oh heck, I can’t remember that saying. Anyway, Fern has the two-child, one-dog great life going for him. He credits his wonderful wife, Paige, for getting him through NAV School. Best ofluck in North Carolina!

Mark FORKNER checks in with Jay CLARK in Frasier’s beloved city of Seattle, WA. His new house is stumbling distance from everything in Seattle. So far he has seen the Scorpions, Quiet Riot (justkidding), Motley Crue, and the Seahawks. Mark is one ofthe initial cadre to stand-up the C-17 community at McChordAFB. Jay and his wife, Brenda, arrived from UPT in Oct ‘99. Randy and Laura HUISS are also there globetrotting with the Globemaster III. Randy and Mark were at Altus AFB with Mark BROWN, Scott BUMPUS, Todd BAKER, and Huss SIDDIQUI.

Jay had a very interesting PCS story. Taking full advantage of the partial DITY like most officers, Jay had his valuables in his car. Of course we never trust the movers to move that kind ofstuff, right? He’s got all his important paperwork, his brand new C-17 publications that took many hours to update, and many other things. He decides to be a good son and stop by his parents’ house for a good night’s rest in Phoenix. To his dismay when awoke from his long winter’s nap EVERYTHING had vanishedcar, PCS paperwork and everything valuable. We all feel your pain Jay - thanks for the story Mark!

Our next email is from Eric “Chappy” CHAPITAL. He just got back from Operation NorthernWatch inTurkey. Chappykeeps the bombs and pilots on target as a Weapon System Operator (WSO). He ran into Brian DUNN who had just arrived with his tanker unit.

Upon Chappy’s return, he ran into Ben RATCLIFF inWashington, DC. He works there as a DOD liaison with the FAA on the NASA Aerospace upgrade. Antoine ‘Touchdown” BANKS is at Bolling as the chief of computer support. He and his wife, Rhonica, have two children, Antoine Jr. and Audrey. Don HILLIARD is at Bolling too working for the DIA. You have to have a top-secret clearance to talk with him though. AlexARMOUR is also working for KPMG. Chappy wants me to play a little joke on Alex. Here we go - Alex and his wife, Andrea, are expecting. (Alex, Chappy made me do it!). Ellis JOHNSON is at Bolling trying to keep Alex out of trouble. Rick ROGERS is still enjoying the military life, but his wife has gone on to greener pastures in a small consulting firm. George IRVIN is completing his internship (fast burner!) at the Pentagon and should be back in the F-15E soon. George and Silvia and his son, ‘lil George are doing very well. Sylvia is currently attending law school.

DJ VANAS is still in charge of minority recruitment at USAFA. Chappy ran into Duffy HALL while at SOS. Duffy is flying KC-135s at Robins AFB, GA. He also ran into Brendan “DG” HARRIS, Mo BARRETT, Matt BREEDEN, Jarvis BAKER, and Emile BRYANT. Brian POOLE is out of the military and at law school. He’ll be finishing soon and follow-on employment will be with Shell Oil. Derek PROTHRO is doing well in Houston, TX and was recently married. James LAWRENCE has separated as well and is in the Boston area with his wife, Connie. Thanks for all the info Chappy! Rich BENDA honored our beloved class bygiving us the followingupdates. Rich finished SUPT at Columbus in June and then IFF in August. He is now at DavisMonthan learning howto control the A-10. His follow-on assignment is to Eielson AFB, AK. He married to Suzanne in 1996 and has a one-year-old son namedAaron. While in UPT he ran into several classmates.

Andy DEAN is a Tweet FAIP now. Dave BENSON is an AT-38 flight commander and will soon be heading to loftyheights in the B-2. Ahren HEIDT is going to the F15E. JeffNEDROW, Bill SHEA, and Darrin BOOTH are on to the F-16. Bron STUART, Steve COX, and Todd ZUMBEHL are AT-38 IFF IPs. Tom FOSTER is going through

CCT, but recovering from a recent foot injury. He is set to marry his fiance, Lara, early next summer. Anton NOVAK is going through C-130 upgrade at Little Rock, AR. Chris NISCO is flying the C-130 at Dyess AFB. Trevor MATSUO is in budgeting at Ramstein AB. Mark NASSIR is the doctor at Eglin AFB. Pat “Catfish” SMITH is loving life at EmoryUniversity inAtlanta. Smittyyou can be my lawyerwhen I get into politics! AJWERNER is doing the U-2 thing (and I don’t mean Bono’s partner!). Casey HACKATHORN is out ofthe AF and is teaching how to live outdoors in Montana and like it. Great information is hard to come by - thanks for all ofyours Rich.

Chris CHAPLIN is now the “unofficial” scoop guy. He ran into Carrol HERON who graduated from UPT and onto KC-135s at Fairchild. Mike ROGERS is going to the ConnecticutANG to fly the A-10. On his way fromVance to Davis-Monthan, Chris stopped at our alma mater to show his wife, Mary, our stomping grounds. He ran into MattYOCUM and Michelle KAZMIR. Both enjoymaking cadets suffer through intense classes ofengineering mechanics. Congrats go to Matt who won a two-year fellowship with the EngineeringScience ExchangeProgram (ESEP). Hewill beworking in Israel. Pam WISE is in the Astro Department and Lori EVERETT (VAN DYKE) is in the PhysicsDepartment. Say hello to Colonel and Mrs. Head for me! As always it’s great to hear from the MightyBulldawgs ofthe 355th FS! Thanks Chris!

Cantrell JONES writes from Lexington, VA. He took the plunge like many others and wrote us an updating e-mail. Cantrell started out as a launch officer at Malmstrom AFB, MT. After five glorious years, he left the Air Force. He is going to Washington and Lee University, but still maintains his military ties through the Reserves. He is an operations officer for the 512 MAS at Dover AFB, DE. He says that Rob LUNDY is in Florida flying the C-130 gunship. Mike DURAN is in his first year of law school at UT Austin. Bill WILLIAMS is also out of the AF and doing some executive recruiting in Boston. You are the man Cantrell!

I wish you all the very best during the holiday season and in the NewYear! God Bless!

Mike

C. C. Masotti

PSC 3, Box 5062, APO AP 96266

Work DSN: 784-8488/Home DSN: 783-4260

Work e-mail: cc.masotti@osan.af.mil

Home e-mail: bowhead94@hotmail.com

Home page: http://www.usafa.net/1994/index.htm

Percent members: 75

Happy 2000, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your last Christmas ofthe millennium and are already getting settled into the 21 st Century. I’m glad “Y2K" didn’t usher in any of the disasters many people feared; hopeffilly it just brought you peace, renewal, and hope for the future..

As for me, I love life in Korea I’m really enjoying Osan and having a ball despite all the nasty rumors I heard about exercises and such prior to my arrival. Everyone has been terrific so far and I’ve run into tons offellow ’94 folks and other grads. That, of course, can make anything bearable! It’s sobering to be so close to the DMZ, but exciting to be part ofthe mission. And you can’t beat the travel and shopping opportunities (let alone having an affordable maid that comes every weekday!). Speaking of travel opportunities, I just returned from a fabulous trip to Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand with Shelley STRONG (’93, MEO chief) and our friend Elizabeth Ortiz (a CC grad that knows a lot of ’94 folks). We basked in the sun; shopped up a storm; treated ourselves to some incredible sapphire jewelry; rode elephants; swam in a waterfall; went SCUBA diving in the beautiful waters of the Indian Ocean; saw the Royal Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha; and visited “James Bond Island.” Of course, we pampered ourselves with massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures in Phuket what a life! We’re planning future trips to China, Bali, New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii! Truthfully, I like it so much here, I may be extending another year! If not, it looks like I’ll be headed to HQ AFSPC at Peterson, so I’ll get to see tons of folks there, as well as at Shriever, Cheyenne Mountain, and USAFA!

Oops... I apologize for missing the last column, but we were smack-dab in the middle of FOAL EAGLE when I should have been writing it and I just didn’t have the energy to finish it in MOPP 4. Then I went TDY (to NewYorkCity—rough life, I know!) and didn’t have a chance to even submit it late... Enough excuses; I promise to get better!

Around Korea... There’s lots to share, so let me just get started... There are so many people in and out ofhere that I know I’ll miss some folks, but here goes: I’ve seen Jodi MATERNOWSKI (PCSing out ofhere, but I don’t rememberwhere); Mark SHIDELER (ER doctor); Ray“T”TRUONG, Sandy (PALOTAS, Exec) & Derek LEIBEL (F-16); Christine RILOVIK (CE); Jae SIM (Korean aide-de-camp); Deb REUTHER (Intel); Steve BUNTING (F-16); John VINCENT (F-16); Paul “Dino” MURRAY (F16); Guy MAJKOWSKI (physical therapist); Tonnee TONNESSON (A-10); Tim SUMJA (A-10); and Darrell & Kris HUBBARD (A-10).

Other grads I see prettyfrequently are Keith DERBENWICK from '96, AdamVELIE and Troy TWESME (CE) from ’95, and Johnny “Red” WALKER (F-16), Dave “DT” YOUNG (Security Forces), and Shelley STRONG from ’93. And Debbie (LESMAN) BLOOD (’93, Kunsan) is up here pretty often to visit her husband, Craig, a captain in our CE squadron. Osan’s ’92 grads include Melissa JONES (C-12), Dr. Matt CARROLL, and Joe HEILHEKER, while Maj Scott SMITH (’88); Maj Ed “Tank” McKINZIE (’88); Maj Rob “Bangr” FIDDLER (‘87); and Lt Col Bob HENDRICKS (’80) are some of the other grads I’ve gotten to know here. Several of our senior leaders are grads too, including the 7 AF/CC, Lt Gen Charles HEFLEBOWER (’67), the 51 FW/CC Brig Gen Bob DIERKER (’72) and 51 FW/CV Col John Lauten (’73), and 51 SPTG/CC, Col Roy CLELAND (’79). I’ve also seen Kathy CLEVELAND (Kirtland), Paul “Herman” GERHING (’93, Kadena), and others here for their brief TDYs and expect I may eventually get to see Brock LORBER (Misawa).

Other contacts... I saw Preston “P” SCHLACTER (FE Warren) while I was in NewYork he’s happily married and loving fatherhood! Deb REUTHER told me that Gordon LIMB is flying Harriers in Yuma, AZ and lots of other folks have e

mailed in their updates. In fact, I’ve heard from Rick & Jennie SHEFFE (Travis, C5); Trace & Kristen THURLBY (civilian now); Scott SHEHAN (’93, Hickam), Andy & Julie CRUM (’92, Dyess, C-130); Rick & Diana BAILEY (’92, Charleston, C-17); and Fern & Paige MOLINA (’93, Seymour Johnson, F-15E nav).

I keep in regular contact with a few folks including Deb (NAWROCKI) LUKER, who loves law school in San Antonio, adores her terrific husband, Joel, and stays busy with AF Marathon planning. Kelly HEALY is another full-time law school student in true Healy tradition, she’s acing her classes and taking San Diego by storm! Depite her workload, she tries to see her sisters Sue (’93, French instructor, USAFA) and Tracy (helicopter pilot) as often as possible! And Julie PRICE (’95, Holloman) just returned from a TDY to Kasakstan!

Kathy CLEVELAND passed on a note to me from Jen PATRICK, who was at SOS with tons of grads... Jen didn’t have married names for folks, so we both apologize for any omissions. Other ’94 folks there with her were Scott TRINRUD, Dave HAMBY, Dave BIBIGHAUS, GWIN SOMERS; Kim KADRYNA, Michelle (COOKE) DALE, Gil NESS, and Wayne FLOYD. Also there were Tam VO, Kurt WENDT, Ian PHARRIS; Joe MICHALEK; Don HARBAUGH; Mary HARTMAN, Darren GRAY, Ed McCORMICK, Jodi MATERNOWSKI, Rebecca MEDENWALDT, Rocky FAVORITO, Brad McDONALD, and Scott SPANN, in addition to tons ofgrads from other classes. A special announcement... I’m reallylucky to occasionally hear from folks who aren’t our classmates. I recendy got a touching and informative e-mail from Drew SOPIRAK’s parents that I wanted to pass on word-for-word: “Dear C.C., My husband and I continue to receive Checkpoints and always pay special attention to the news of the class of 1994. We enjoy seeing the names and pictures and reading about the lives ofDrew’s friends. We keep all ofyou in our thoughts and continue to pray for your safety in all those corners of the world. We wanted to tell you about the recent publishing of a book, Night Falls Fast—A Study ofSuicide, written by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison. She has compassionately written an essay about Drew’s life and death. We are not sure we will ever find the answerto “why?”, but definitely some understanding can be gained by reading her book. We also wanted you to know that yearly programs are held in Drew’s memory to educate the public about mood disorders and over 2,000 people have attended the past three programs. Our family continues to be very appreciative of those who remember Drew and us with your numerous acts of kindness. We wish all of you well and hope to read more ofyour continued successes in future issues of Checkpoints. Sincerely,Allyn andAndrewSopirak, 4004 Greenmount Road,Wilmington, DE 19810.” Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Sopirak, for always keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Know that you and your family are in ours as well—we’re so happy to know that you and Dr. Jamison have been able to use the tragedy of Drew’s death as a book to both celebrate his life and help others.

More celebrations of life... Our class has certainly done its part to keep the world populated these past fewyears. I know I’m missing some ofthe recent new arrivals, but here are a few: Joe and Angela MICHALEK (Andrews) thought Brock and Brant needed a little brother and were proud to welcome young Spencer to the Michalek clan

The Michalek Clan

Jane (DECKER) and Jeff GIBSON (’95, Malmstrom) are expanding their family this winter and hope to give Regan Marie and Sarah Elizabeth a baby brother as well. Trevor SMITH and new bride, Jennifer, haven’t sent me a baby picture yet, but they expected a special Christmas delivery from Santa a little brother or sister for Matthew! Congrats to all ofyou and to all the others with turn-of-themillennium babies!

Final thoughts. That about wraps up the news I have for this issue... except to remind you to check in with our home page when you get a chance. Chuck has added a listing of AOL Instant Messenger screen names of our classmates yet another way to keep in touch! Let me know if you’re headed to Korea be assured that the USAFA crowd here will do what we can to give you a warm welcome! I wish you all the best in the new millennium—please keep in touch! Take Care and God Bless! C.C.

Becky Mason

Midwest City, OK 73140

Home: 405-741-1622

Work: 405-736-7077/DSN: 336-7077 1

Home e-mail: bmas0801@aol.com

Work e-mail: rebecca.mason@tinker.af.mil

Percent members: 68

Happy 2000! Aren’t we all happy that the phones, electricity, computers and banks are in working order? Well, it’s been a busy three months since I last wrote, as youwill see from the people I’ve heard fromlately! Rachel (BEACHUM) WINTON and I got together for dinner while her husband, Joel, was deployed. I made a mistake in last quarter’s article she has two wonderful litde boys, Connor and Blake not two little girls. She is currently the section commander in the 552 LSS

www.aog-usafa.org

and her husband is a pilot in the AWACS. He will be separating in March to go to lawschool so Rachel will be the breadwinner! Oz MEDLEY, stationed here atTinker, will be heading to UPT in March or April 2000 congrats Oz! Deidra FOGLE, newlySOS-graduated, let me know she will be heading to Osan, Korea, in a couple of short months and is very excited about it.

I also got to talk to Jon “Guido” CORY at a promotion ceremony. He and his wife, Jennifer, and Halsey BURKE and his wife, Susan (Halsey is currendy stationed at VanceAFB in Enid), partied on NewYear’s Eve together in Edmond. Guido wasTDY to Saudi in October and while on his way back, he saw Kell ROSS, and Fred and Dawn LACEY and their son Frederick J. Lacey the fifth. He is getting ready to PCS this summer and is hoping to head back to Georgia (something about homesteading and building a house on his parents land—gotcha!). Kurt ROUSER and his wife (stationed here at Tinker) are soon to be new parents! They are expecting their first child in summer 2000. Kurt gave me a weddingpicture to include but I lost it in my car accident (most humble apologies Kurt!) so next issue, I’ll hopefully redeem myselfand have a wedding picture to include. He is on his way to SOS at Maxwell and I’m sure will return with a list ofgrads he attended class with there.

Michele JOHNSON wrote from Florida to let me know she will be separating from the service to attend law school... the Air Force is losing a tremendous offreer there! I lost her letter with the pictures so I’ll provide an update next article! LarryNANCE, stationed atVance as a T-37 FAIP will be going to Altus in May for C5 training. He wrote he and his wife, Tricia, and their children, Robby and baby on the way, will be moving to Dover in August 2000. Kirsten PALMER wrote from Spangdahlem where she is traveling and working maintenance. She related that she was spending the Thanksgiving holiday in the Alps skiing definitely something to give thanks for! Jeremy and Renae (BARTALONE) HILTON wrote from D.C. and let me know that Jeremy was home on shore leave and finding extra time to do honey-dos around the house to help Renae out. Tim GILLASPIE wrote from Montgomery after graduating from AFIT. He is working in the Air Force Logistics Management Agency at Gunter. Pete LOMMEN and his family headed to Travis and are currently in the AMOG. Karl ZUBURGG is at Maxwell with his family and is flying C-21s there.

April (DREW) BENSON wrote from Shaw where she loves her job as an AGS flight commander. Her husband, Mike BENSON, is attending AMOC in Wichita Falls to become a maintenance officer and will return to Shaw in mid-January. I spent a weekend with Elizabeth TEMPLETON in Bozeman, Montana, where she is teaching young college students ROTC. We were able to go to Yellowstone and see a lot of exciting things yes, in MONTANA! It was a great trip and was a wonderful opportunity to catch up on old times.

Jen PATRICK (‘94) stoppedby my house on herway to SOS. She had just moved to Albuquerque, NM to start a job at AFOTEC when she was told she received an SOS slot. So she headed to Maxwell instead and her super realtor helped her out by making sure her house was bought properly. She wrote with a list of people who she had seen at SOS with her. (She added the disclaimer that this list was hardly complete with all of the grads there and she wasn’t sure of married names so apologies. I included the ‘95ers on the list). SOS attendees included Deidra FOGLE, Krissi FITZGERALD, Tamara PRASSE, Debbie OLSON, Jen PETERSON, Nathan BARNES, Karl ZUUBRUG, George CULVER, Dan BUSH, Aaron DRAKE, Lisa PURUL, Alan ADAMS, and Daryll PHILIPSON. If I forgot anyone, you’ll have to write and let me know! Jen also wrote to let me know she had arrived safely back in New Mexico and was able to spend the NewYear with her boyfriend, CJ, at Scott AFB.

I was happy to hear from Beau BILEK, who is currentlyliving in Des Moines, IA (I think?). He had some health problems that prevented him from being commissioned but that hasn’t stopped him from living a full and happy life so far! He played hockey on various farm teams in Indianapolis and Columbus, OH, and was even on a Budweiser poster (so ifyou are in that area, look for Beau’s mug in some bar!). He has also been coaching a high school hockey team. He has passed a bunch of tests and interviews for the FBI and is looking at working in the Border Patrol in California or Arizona. Pretty exciting work—so watch out for Beau ifyou head to Mexico!

Karen HANCHETT SLOCUM wrote to catch me up on the SPACECOMM side of the house. She is at Schriever in COS and is working on satellites as the orbital analyst. She loves her job but unfortunately will be doing her penance at Malmstrom as a missilier starting in July 2000. How can that be bad? Montana is beautiful! She and her husband, Jason, just had their second child, Camryn Elizabeth, born Aug 30. She was born three months early and weighed a mere two pounds, two ounces. She was three pounds, three ounces when I last heard from Karen and growing. Our prayers are with all of you. She does attest to Tricare actuallyworking for you skeptics out there! She relayed information that Jennifer (SMITH) and Eric HERBECK, stationed at Wright-Patterson, just had a little girl who they named Savannah Lynn. Jen is a physical therapist there and she mentioned Eric may be attending Law School. Julie PRICE is located somewhere in NewMexicoworking secret space stuff, and Eric CAGAN and Liz (MAY) MEGGETT are still at Schriever working space and satellite operations. Thanks for all of the updates, Karen!

I got in touch with Rolf LUNDMARK through Karen and he relays he is freezing his bum off in Thule, Greenland. He relates it to the freshman year at USAFA— man, are we jealous or what? HA! He is living in two dorm-styled rooms and trying to keep his two plants alive. Rolf is always one to make the best of things and he has been enjoying his time in the land of no sun and many storms with the people he works with there they even serve pudding in the mess hall as a spe-

rial treat. He will be leaving Greenland for the “tropical” F.E. Warren AFB to do a stint as a missileer in the February/March timeframe. Best of luck!

Wade WEGNER wrote from Lakenheath to share the news that he and his wife, Tammy, completed the Berlin marathon on Sept 26.. .congrats to you both! We received notification that Wade will be coming to Tinker in May 2000 unless MPF sees fit to move him elsewhere. So welcome to TornadoAlleyearly! ScottyCERONE wrote from Pope, where he is flying and loving it. He will be headed to Korea for a one-year remote...pretty standard he says so look him up if you are in that area.

Jen ROLLINS dropped me a line to let me know she leaves Mountain Home in January 2000 to head to Whidbey Island, WA, to fly the Navy EA-6B Prowler. It will be a three-year controlled tour with the Navy and she will be TDYabout six months out of the year. She also relayed that Lisa (VARACINS) NEMETH and her husband, Chris (‘96), just PCSd to Mountain Home where Lisa is flying the KC-135 and Chris is flying the F-16. Bob WACKER wrote from Offutt AFB, NE, where he is at the AFWeatherAgency for the next three years. He shared the fantastic news of his marriage to Ikuko, a wonderful woman he met in Japan. They were married in the AF Academy chapel in late September. Her English is superb and she will one day become a translator. Congratulations to both of you! Bob also wrote that Charlie BAKER and John WILCOX were able to attend the wedding and that it was great to see them again. Now that Bob and Ikuko are living so close to my parents, I’ll try to stop in and see them on my way home.

Rob TRUAX wrote a brief email from UPT at Laughlin. He was married to Jennifer Harveaux on 11 Jul 99 in Manitou Springs, CO, at the Briarhurst Manor. Rob says Travis WILDS is also a classmate at UPT’s last class of fiscal year 2000 and that Dave NORTON is still at Hickam (rough duty). Rob mentioned seeing Dave LEROY, Ryan SPARKMAN, and Ben BOTH. He says one ofhis instructors is Jason REPAK (‘97) and Suzanne COREJ (‘92) just arrived as an IP. Bill BARRINGTON and his wife, Cathy (‘96), had to rearrange their Thanksgiving plans thanks to the arrival of the START team at F.E. Warren over the holiday weekend. No problem, though, because Bill was prepared! Bill will be heading to SOS in March. He and Cathy are still enjoying their time inWyomingtogether. He also wrote that Jeff KRONEWITTER is in D.C. attending a post-graduate intel program.

Teri (HEITMEYER) BAXTER wrote from Davis-Monthan to let me know she had married a man named Jim, who is a loggie at DM. She is currentlyworking as the ops officer in the command post there and was looking forward to peaceful holidays last time we wrote! Jon VEAZEY writes periodically from his deployed location in Germany. He and his wife, Karen, and Jon’s mother had the opportunity to tour several locations and spend some time at some ofthe prime places in Europe one of them being the Porsche museum, according to Jon. According to his emails, he is loving it there! A1 ADAMS wrote from Georgia where he is flying KC135s and involved in a community development project for local businesses and individuals. It sounds like between those activities and SOS completion, he has been staying busy! Stacie KREYKES wrote from Lakenheath to let me know she was accepted to teach ROTC to freshman at the University of Arizona in Tucson starting next summer. She was very excited with good reason! She was planning on coming back to the states for the holidays and seeing some family and friends while she was here.

Scott CAMPBELL (AKA Soup) wrote with a plethora of information! He is stationed at Pope flying A- 10s but is currently deployed to beautiful Kuwait until the spring. He is still jumping out ofairplanes every so often to stay current (HOOAH) with the 3/504 of the 82d as a jump BALO some people have all of the luck! He let me know that he and Kim (REED) (‘97) were married in October and Dave ABBA, Doug (Doogie) HOUSER, Kevin WELLS (computers at Pentagon), Mike HALIK (Vandenberg), PaulWOJTOWICZ (Travis, C-5s), Lee BERGFELD (Beale, CE), MattQUATRARA (‘97) and TimWELTER (‘97) were able to attend as saber bearers and guests. He also hears from Johnny SILANCE (Kadena, F-15s) and Mike CURLEY (Spangdahlem, A-10s).

Chad and Julie (GRIFFITHS) BUSHMAN are at different locations with Chad at Corpus Christi in T-44s and Julie working on law school at Florida State University. Jay BAILEY (Pope, C-130 nav) is attending instructor nav school, and Eric GRACE (‘94) (Pope, A-10s) left for Fighter Weapons School in December. Mike BROCK and Lou SKINNER are still at Pope in the 41st. Kyle CARPENTER, Tom ULMER, Scoop SCIANTRELLI are also herkie boys in the 2d Airlift Squadron. Chad GREEN, Dean JANKE, Doug HOUSER, Jon SCHEER and Andy STONE are also in the 75th flying A-10s with Scott. Several of the 75th guys including Job SCHEER, Stu MARTIN, and Dave HAWORTH spent time in Kosovo this springtrying to bring peace to the Balkans.

Dave ABBA, Dave NYIKOS, Dave THOMPSON, Nick GUTTMAN and Dane CRAWFORD are flying F-15s out of Langley, and Chris KANE is flying out of Eglin. Joe MARCINEK (Intel at NSA) and Derm COLL (USAFA) along with many others joined Soup for some tailgating at the Navy game.

Finally, a note from Andrea ROLFE... she is now engaged and will be getting married sometime next summer! Congratulations Andrea! Well, this is a long article so it’s time to wrap it up for now. Keep those e-mails and letters coming! Stay safe out there! Until next time... From the heartland, Becky J

Melissa S. Cunningham

400 W. Nicholson St. Del Rio, TX 78840 (830) 774-0253/DSN: 732-5293

E-mail: Melissa.cunning@laughlin.af.mil or msc 96@hotmail.com

Percent members: 59

Happy New Millenium! I’m writing this article pre-Y2K, so hopefully we still have electricity, food, water, etc. and not total chaos, cats and dogs livingtogether,

you know the rest. I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! We spent them moving into our “new” 100-year-old house. Well, it’s new to us. And for the first time, Fred and I are actuallylivingtogether. Needless to say, I’m a lot happier now, even if we are three hours from civilization.

I talked to some folks who had some great plans for New Year’s Eve. Andi VINYARD went to Edinburgh to party down with the Scots. Recently, she went to see “Beauty and the Beast” in London with Erik and Tracy COYNE (DUPREE) and had a great time. She’s also seen K.C. STEVENS quite a bit too.

Kerre SCARBOUROUGE1 (ELLIS) and her husband, Damon ’91, decided to skip the Del Rio New Year’s scene (I wonder why) and head for the Land Down Under. They spent the Christmas holidays with close friends from Australia. They’ll be doing a complete tour ofthe cool places with the Aussies and maybe hunting down some crocodiles. I’m sure she’ll send some good pictures for the next article.

I just got an e-mail from CJ McCARTFTY who is stationed at Mountain Home AFB. He’s flying F-15Cs in the 390th Fighter Squadron (FTS) along with Kristen Kent, Morris FOTENOT, Dave STOCK, and Jason WILSON. In the 389th FTS, flying F-16Cs are Erik HOFFMAN and Ryan PORTERFIELD. In the 391 st FTS, flying F15Es are Joel LeFLEUR and Chad ROBBINS. Finally in the 22nd Air RefuelingSquadron are Derek KECK, Greg LASSERE, and Chris SULLIVAN. Ryan, Erik, Joel, and Chad left in December for Turkey to participate in Operation Northern Watch. This was their first combat deployment. Mo and CJ accompanied the group for their second combat deployment of the year.

I just received a long e-mail from Brian “Solo” SOLSBEE. Solo hasn’t been “solo” for a while. He said that his nickname went by the wayside when he went “duo” by marrying Darla. Now, theyjust found out that they are going “trio” this March when they expect a son.

Brian recently returned from El Salvador with a team made up of CE troops from active duty and the Air National Guard. While there, they built a base camp for the Army as part of a continued humanitarian relief effort from Hurricane Mitch (Nov ‘98). It was a great experience to help the local people. They even raised a thousand dollars to help buy school supplies for the kids in Chilanguera, El Salvador.

Next, he was non-volunteered to Maxwell AFB where he is, get this, a flight training officer at OTS. Not in a million years could I see Solo out there training those cadets. He says the job really isn’t that bad and he doesn’t have to worry about the no-notice taskings that the rest of us do'. He teaches classes a few hours a day, then a little counseling (the sandwich approach is still his favorite), lesson prep, LRC, etc. He says the best part of the job is getting to wear heavilystarched BDUs, perfectly-shined shoes (with taps), shirt garters, and getting a hair cut every five minutes. Na, I’m just kidding, but when he wrote this, he said he had to cut the note short because he needed to get a “nice, tight haircut before he conducted a uniform inspection.” Thanks for writing in Solo, and check those giglines!

The next e-mail was from Jeff and Marianne BOOTH from the University of Maryland. He’s another one who is cashing in on a good deal and getting Uncle Sam to pick up the tab for a master’s degree in criminal justice. He says, “it’s the HEAT!” (direct quote) Although his wife doesn’t like the fact that she works harder and Jeff still gets paid more, he just tells her, “Baby, it’s the Air Force Way.”

He’s run into a lot of grads in the D.C. area including Glen and Colleen CHRISTENSEN (MCBRATNEY) at Andrews. At the time Colleen was doing a medical rotation somewhere in Colorado. Jeff has kept in touch with Matt WEAVER and Joe HOPKINS who are flying KC-135S out of Grand Forks. Joe’s wife, Becky, is expecting baby number two. Ian MORENO and his wife, Shelly, are at Michigan State University where Ian is getting his degree in engineering mechanics. Ron CHEATHAM plans to tie the knot this year in Seattle. Jeff HANSEN must have a good contact with AFPC. First his was stationed at Ramstein, and now he’s at Patrick AFB as a finance officer. Joe and Julie (MORGANSEN) BERNARDI are going to Travis AFB, CA, and they are expecting their first child in April.

The next set of pictures comes from Lt Col and Mrs. Young on behalf of their son-in-law, Paul HEITMEYER. Paul was stationed in Del Rio for UPT during ‘97‘98. During the summer, he met his future wife, Jennifer, while she was working as a lifeguard at the base pool. One thing led to another and they began dating, but what Paul had not figured out, was that Jen’s father was one ofthe IPs attached to his flight. But rest assured, once the flight commander caught wind of it, they all gave him a hard time.

He proposed to Jen at a romantic Italian restaurant over Labor Day weekend of ‘98 when she came to visit him at Seymour-Johnson. They decided to marry between college semesters, which gave Jen all of four months to plan a wedding, wrap up a semester, and transfer schools.

They were married on the first ofJan ‘99 in De Solo, KS. Paul’s parents and sister, Teri Heitmeyer Baxter (grad), made it in from Oregon and Arizona despite the poor weather. They had a beautiful candle-lit ceremony during the late afternoon with the snow falling lightly outside. Afterward, they had a great reception full ofdancing. Paul and Jen caught a flight early the next morning for Mississippi to pick up Jen’s car and pack up her room. On the 3rd they drove to North Carolina to begin their lives together. On the 4th, she began classes at North Carolina State University. Doesn’t sound much like a honeymoon to me.

Now they are stationed at Langley AFB where Paul is an F-15E driver. They’ve bought a new home and adopted a dog and a cat. Jen is continuing her major in microbiology and will intern at a laboratory next semester.

Paul has stayed busy as well with a deployment to Red Flag last July and the Kosovo build up earlier last year. At the last minute, they halted the deployment to Kosovo while the planes were taxiing on the ramp to leave.

Paul and his WSO, Navy Lt. William White, during the Laughlin Airshow Oct 99. I saw Paul recently when he flew down for the Laughlin Airshow and again on NewYear’s Eve. He came early to brief some ofthe classes and answer questions. I noticed that his nametag said Paul “Diggler” Heitmeyer. Hmmm. Gonna have to ask him about that one. For NewYear’s we headed to the San Antonio Riverwalk with Paul, Jen, and her parents to “Howl at the Moon” and ring in the New Millenium in style.

Over Thanksgiving, Fred and I traveled to Tulsa, OK to spend the holidays with his parents. My folks flew out too, and we had a great time. While in Oklahoma, we drove down to Enid to see Bob and Melissa (WAINWRIGHT) BRYANT. We were able to attend the Christening of their new baby girl, Rebecca Nicole. The baby was beautiful and Melissa looks great. Bob still looks like he’s too young to be married, much less be a father. Sorry, Bob, you just haven’t lost that baby face.

Before I forget, the AOG has a new e-mail-forwarding program calledAOG-mail to help you communicate with other USAFA grads. If you have a current email address on file with the AOG, then you may have received a notice about it. Ifnot, you can log in to AOG-mail at the following location: http://www.aog-usafa.org/ Aog-mail.htm. Then you can use the add/change feature to add or change your email address in the AOG-mail system.

Keep sending the e-mails and the pictures! Thanks for all the help. Only three more months until we put on Capt! Take care, Harley

Melvin E. Maxwell, Jr.

PSC #80, Box 17707

APO AP 96367-7707

E-mail: melvin.maxwell@kadena.af.mil

Percent members: 66

Hey everyone! Hopefully the world has not ended as we entered the year 2000 and I did not write this article in vain. Been a busy few months since we last spoke. Went TDY to the school at the Air MobilityWarfare Center in Fort Dix, NJ. Ran into a few grads while I worked out at the gym at McGuire. Went out one night in Philly with Pat GREENLEAF and Chris BARRETT, both flying tankers at McGuire. While there in Jersey, I also saw Steve SHARPE who makes a living giving Intel briefings at the warfare center.

Once back from the TDY I’ve ran into a few guys transiting the squadron. LinwoodWELLS is flying C-130s out atYokota. Seems like allWood does is fly, eat, and lift weights because he’s as big as a house. Also atYokota is Mark CLIFFORD. He and his wife left Andrews AFB in early September and have been adjusting to life outside of Tokyo ever since. Another night on the ramp I ran into Leron HUDGINS (‘96) as he jumped off the deck of his C-5 from Travis.

Back in October, Trini MEZA’s wife, Lara, dropped me an e-mail telling me about recent events in their lives. Trini graduated at the top ofhis class from nav school in Pensacola. By now Lara, Trini, and their son Garrett are at Seymour Johnson for F-15E RTU. Ian FAIRCHILD’S been down in Little Rock but is now out at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson flying the electronic surveillance version of the

C-130 or what he termed “the electric herk”. Being the desk jockey that I am, it took me a while to figure out what he was talking about. Ian and Nicki are together in DM. Not sure if they officially tied the knot or not (no pun intended) but I never got a wedding invitation. Guess I’m not as important as I thought I was. Go figure.

Speaking of C-130s, Nate SCOPAC wrote from Hurlburt Field where he’s a nav in the 8th Special Ops Squadronflying the MC- 130E. Ben BOYD is also at Hurlburt as a nav in the AC-130H. Nate ran into Ahn LE just before Thanksgiving. Ahn actuallyjust left Kadena a month or so before that time.

The big news for Nate was that he got married to the former Cynthia Ward on Oct 9 back at the Academy. Chris VANCE was Nate’s best man and John TRAN, Dan RONNEBERG, and Rob FORTIN served as groomsmen. Some grads in attendance included Nate’s stepfatherJohn F1ANAGAN ('62), Ron BOSTON (‘67), Ralph SPORY (’62) and get this, Randy CUBERO (‘61). Yeah, bet you didn’t know Nate had it like that with the old Dean. I had to go back and ask him if that was the Ruben A. we all knew and loved. Quick stop for word association.

Skipping Dean’s call... 15 tours, correct. Enough with nostalgia; after the wedding, Nate and Cynthia headed to DisneyWorld for their honeymoon.

I connected with Pete SANDNESS who is out there at Hanscom. In November he went to the Airlift and Tanker Association Conference in Dallas. Some grads in attendance included Eric ROCKHOLD, Maurice DUNN, Tracey SMITH, Amanda JENNINGS, Phil DORSCH, and Mike MANION (’96). Pete’s having a good time in Boston with folks the likes of Ben APPLE, Nick HARRIS, Chris KAY, Julio NEGRON and assorted ‘95ers, ‘96ers, ‘98ers, and ‘99ers. He finished up his master’s classes in September and is coaching hockey at a local prep school as he awaits word an upcoming PCS. Speaking of Chris and Julio, both are continuing to go to school. Chris is doinggrad work at BentleyCollege while Julio is at Suffolk University Law School. Chris passed on that Keith ENSOR is flying C-130s at Pope and congratulations were in order for Chris KRETSINGER who was getting married over the holidays.

Samantha GLINSKI, who has pretty much taken over as my co-scribe had this to report: I caught up with Maiya (Anderson) KRAUS, Gregg KRAUS, and Andy JETT in early December. Gregg is busy with the Navy Seals. Just in case you were wondering, the average Navy Seal can drink more Guinness than a C-130 pilot (sorry Andy). I also finished MQT (mission qualifying training) in December, and will be heading to Turkey in May. Shannon GOFF also visited me right before Christmas. She’s still in Idaho, but is busy with her job, master’s classes and coaching a local swim team.

I also received an e-mail from Mike SCHREIVER. He finished MQT in Novemher at Osan AFB, Korea. This means he is now able to “kill bad guys.’’ He told me about his first time using a piddle pack in the aircraft. I just want to say I feel bad for the guywho flew his plane after that sortie. And also be thankful that Mike did not get electrocuted. His second experience with the piddle pack didn’t go much better either. He kindajumped on the pack as he got out ofthe aircraft, and urine flew everywhere.

Mike gave me info on a few grads too. Ty BARBERY is at Yokota and got married a few months ago; so congrats to him! Jake HARTIGAN and Dan ROHLINGER live in an awesome house at Charleston, less than a mile from the beach. Also at Charleston are Jim THOMAS, Phil LYNCH, John CAPLINGER, and Rob HAMILL flying C-17s. Lee GUTHRIE is there flying C- 141s. (While we’re on Charleston, Pat and Megan SUERMANN just received a joint-spouse assignment to Guam.) Craig MOE has been flying all over the world from out of Pope in the 130. He’s playing hockey for a club team and is having a blast. Steve COMBS just got hired by the New Mexico Guard. He’ll be flying F-16s. He’ll be going to pilot training pretty soon, but is currently still at Nellis.

It seems that going to the desert is like a mini ‘97 reunion. Stacey KREUZIGER is in Kuwait doing Intel. She provides targeting and imagerysupport to an F-16, an A-10, and an HH-60 squadron. She says it doesn’t sound glamorous, but she loves her job. Mike RADERMACHER is there with her too. He’s the deputy flight commanderfor Communications. Mo (AHERN) STOVER spent three months at Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) this past year giving threat briefs to many pilots.

Phil WARLICK returned to Langley from his desert rotation in the beginning of January. There are numerous pilots in and out of there all the time so make sure youlookforthem ifyou get deployed over there. Ryan HADEN’s and Brian STONE’s A-10 squadron spent the holidays awayfromhome, alongwith many other people. But their time should be ending by the time you get this message.

Congrats are in order for Les and Lanny GREGORY. They had a baby girl named Ashley in late November. Of course there are a few updates on grads who are moving. Kim (REED) CAMPBELL is at Columbus AFB in the middle ofT-37s. (Wedding photo upcoming in next issue.) A1 and Julie KENNEDY finished RTU at SeymourJohnson and moved up to Eielson AFB in Alaska. Ryan SILVER joined his brother at Lakenheath AFB in England to fly F- 15Es.

That’s all from your class scribe dynamic duo. See you next time. Mel and Samantha

Karin L. Klein /i a

228 Dixie Meadow Drive

Shreveport, LA 71105

Home: (318) 865-5921

Work: (318) 456-3065/DSN: 781-3065

E-mail: (W) Karin.Klein@Barksdale.af.mil (H) BQein_karin@hotmail.com

Percent members: 61 w

Hello again, I hope everyone is enjoyingY2K! There is a lot to report this issue I received quite a few e-mails and letters, and even a few pictures. Keep the infermation coming.

I spent the Holiday season with family in Colorado, and while I was there I had dinner with Bob SCHREINER, who is currently working at Schriever AFB in the

GPS squadron. He provided the following information; Rick CHADWICK graduated from UPT in December and is going to C-141s at McChord. Brian COLLINS took a C-17 to Charleston and was a distinguished grad from UPT. Geoff HINDMARSH will be flying KC- 135s at McConnell. Gage ANDERSON is just starting T-ls after training with the Navy. Scott KISSLER is training to be an instructor pilot in the T-37 and will go back to Enid. Brian CARROLL is in Litde Rock for C130 training and recentlygot engaged. His wedding will beApril 15th in the Cadet Chapel. SteveBEHMERisinA-10trainingandDaxHAYESisinT-38s. Jay RHONE is married and lives in San Antonio. I also ran into Steve BEHMER and Mason DULA in Chapel Hills Mall while registering at Dillards. They were getting a wedding gift for Jay DANIELS and were on their way to his wedding.

The rest of this article is a compilation of e-mails I have received over the past couple months. I heard from Tracie MEAD in late October. She is 2 1/2 years through her PhD program and is finished with her cancer treatments. For those who don’t know, Tracie was diagnosed with the later stages ofthyroid cancer. It is a very curable type of cancer, about 90 percent success rate, and the dean of her graduate program allowed her to cut a class out of her schedule. The bad news is that both her mother and her aunt were recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Please keep her family in your thoughts. Tracie also mentioned that Wendy VOLKLAND lived with her this summer while working at the Pentagon and that she saw lots of classmates at the AF/Navy game: Beth CRIMMEL, Rob MAKROS, Felicia BELL, Chris RAINES, Mark THURBUSH, Jeremy JONES and Scott SOUZA to name a few.

Brian WILSON, an executive officer at Los Angeles AFB, wrote that Colin CLINGAN announced his engagement to a local from UCLA, MaryLufaye. Brian didn’t know a date, but Colin wrote back and added that the ceremony will be March 20th in L.A. Brian also wrote that Joe LAGUNAjust won the Junior Company Grade Officer ofthe Quarter award for his work with the local animal abuse clinic, and Luke GARGASZ is “still a lady killer”. Mike CONNERS, still in UPT, and Jason SCHMIDT, who is getting ready to PCS to Minot to work Public Affairs, visited recently.

In addition to all the e-mails, I also received two letters. The first was from Joe ZINGARO’s new wife, Leigh-Alyson. She wrote that they were married Aug 21st at the Cadet Chapel. The groomsmen were Brian CHUNG, Mark FALSANI, Randy GORDON and Erik BILSTOM. Joe graduated from UPT and is an instructor pilot training at Randolph. He will be going back to Laughlin to be a T-38 IP for three years. She also added the assignments other classmates received. Randy CORDON got an F-15C, Mark FALSANI got an A-10, Rick ALTOBELLO, Brian CHUNG and Rochelle NG-A-QUI all got F-16s. Carlos ALVARADO got an AC-130, Brian SMITH got a C-141 and Matt BLAND got a C-21.

Mark Falsani, Randy Gordon, Joe Zingaro and Mike Godseysinging "YMCA” at the rehearsaldinner beforeJoe’s wedding lastMarch.

Chris HAWN added to the list of classmates and their assignments via e-mail. He is at Dyess right now in B-l training and will be there through July. He says if anyone is passing through and needs a place to crash, to let him know. He hasn’t seen Joe FERFOLIA or Billy HEPLER yet, but they are there as well. Rick CARTWRIGHT got B-52s to Barksdale,Jason HUGHES got an F-16, Brandy KAPPEL is in helicopter training at Ft. Rucker, AL, Carmilla “Meng” STOLKOWSKI got a KC-135 to Fairchild, and Meghan DOHERTY (SCOTT) got a C-21 to Randolph. She will finally get to live with her husband Mike DOHERTY now, as he is stationed there as well.

Krista STAFF sent a letter and a picture for this issue. The picture is of all the girls in class 99-14 at Laughlin during their graduation banquet. They received the following assignments: Shelby ORTIZ got a KC-135 to McConnell, Krista STAFF got a C-141 to McChord, Courtney HAMILTON got an F-15 to Tyndall, Susan WHALEN will be a T-1FAIP at Laughlin and Rachel TUKEY got a KC-135 to Fairchild AFB.

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That is a lot of news from Laughlin, but Erika TANNER (COTTRELL) sent great info from Columbus. She and Rich TANNER are going to Charleston where he will fly C-17s and she will work in the Comm squadron. Jeff ISGETT got married to a wonderful girl named LindseyApplewhite from Mississippi in August and he will be flying the A-10. She also wrote that the followingpeople are in pilot training at Columbus: Joe ADAMSKI, Jen BAGOZZI, Mike CONNERS, Joe COX, Shane CRIPPEN, Dan DEYOUNG, Matt EARPELDING, Jason GLOVER, Greg HAFNER, Carl HANEY Chris JJAWS, Chrystal HELQUIST, and Jason HORTON. Also, AJ JENNINGS, Pat SIMS, Matt LEDDY, Peter LUECK, Jeff MATRE, Ryan NUDI, Adam PALMER, Mark CHEER, Scott SEITING, RonSLOMA, PaulTHEROIT, ShaneVESELY, Sara VICTOREEN, and Josh WARREN.

Also from Ericka is the following list of people with their track selections or assignments: Newt ADCOCK, T-Is; Joe AGIUAR, KC-10 to Travis; FrankARNOLD and Shelby ARNOLD, T-38s; Eric BERG and Brandon EVANS, T-ls; Nathan BERTMAN, KC-10; and Kevin BROWN, T-37 FAIP with a fighter follow-on. Jason BRUGMAN went to comm school, Michael BRUTON went to helos, Scott BUSSANMUS got a B-52 to Barksdale, Joe CLANCY is in T-ls, and Josh EATON is trying to get into med school but is currently a comm officer. Jenn FUGIEL got an E-3 to Tinker, Doug HELLINGER got an F-16, Daryl KLENDA got a C-21 to Randolph, Cheree KOCHEN took aT-44, Ian LAUGHREY got a EC-135 to be with his wife, Melissa. Nate MEAD is on hold for his knee and is in T-38s. Ryan MELVILLE got a T-37 FAIP, Trey NEIMEYER got a KC-135 to McConnell, and both Kathleen ROCK and Ryan PAOLUCCI are awaiting new assignments. Lance ROSA-MIRANDA will be a T-l FAIP with a tactical follow-on, Brandon ROTH got an F-16, and Scott ROWE is a T-37 FAIP with a fighter follow-on. Candy STREFF is in T-ls, Wes SWEITZER got a C-21 to Yokota, and Mike ZEIMANN got a T-38.

She also wrote that Jenn DAINES (ASKINS) had a baby boy in September. Jeremy KLOMP is at Minot and is working on his master’s. Brian EGBERT and his wife, Rachel, are expecting a child this spring and they are now in California. Andy and Beth (ZIEMAN) STOHLMAN are at Enid and he is just starting UPT. She is running a two-deep intel shop, but they are finally together! Jarin TILAYNE and Jess MELIN are in UPT at Laughlin and Josh ARMEY and wife, Jamie, had a baby girl last January. Josh is in F-16s. Austin SORENSON is a Nellis and got married last spring, and JaredWJLATCOTT is down in Arizona and has been married about a year.

I also got some information from Enid from Mona (ALEXANDER) MIRTICH. She got a KC-10 to McGuire, Bo BODDEN got an F-16 and John STANLEY got an A10. In her husband, John’s, class the assignments were: John MIRTICH, KC-10 to McGuire; Jennie STEDLT got a C-17 to Charleston, Jason MEIR got a C-21 to Peterson with a C-130 follow-on, Dee OLSEN got a KC-135 to Mountain Home and hopes his wife, Tammy, will get the same. Chad BURDICK and Jason LOE got F-16s. Amy PETRINA left the class after track select and is training in C- 130s along with Scott BUSIJA down on the beach, and Kari (LUKEN) MCMANUS quit in T37s to be with her new hubby.

Ok, last e-mail with news from Corpus Christi: Mari SCHROERING wrote that she is very happy in T-44 training down in Corpus. There is a drop zone not to far from there, so she is skydiving again and saw Ryan BOHNER there. She made her first BASEjumps from a bridge inWestVirginia in October and sawTJTOOTHMAN there doing the same thing. She sees lots ofother grads there and sent the following updates. GregYOUNG is there, and she heard he recently got married. Chad MEMMEL, Matt JONES, Cheree KOCHEN, Vince ZABALA, Amy PETRINA, Dave CASSON and Greg PLEINIS are also down there. Chistel CHAVEZ will be heading there in February.

I ended the last article with a note about Jake SCHERER. I don’t know too much about his current status except that he is making progress. Good News! If any ofyou know people who aren’t members of the AOG but would like to read these articles, they are now posted on the ‘98 web-site, so tell them to check it out.

Back in Louisiana, life is good. We just finished up an ORI where Byron ARMSTRONG and Tara VICE were named Superior Performers by ACC IG. Scott CHANDLER and his wife, Amy, have joined us at Barksdale. I spoke to Joy BOSTON over Christmas and she is still freezing in Alaska, but she told me that Pat WILLIAMS and wife Teri (ALLEN) WILLIAMS are expecting their first child this spring.

Well, that is everything I know. I am still in the same job and have been told they won’t deploy me until after my wedding in May lets hope they keep that promise. Keep the e-mails and letters coming. Can’t wait to hear from you! I am heading out of town so my roommate is going to finish this one up for me. Karin.

Happy NewYear Dominators! Wow, was ‘99 a long year. Barksdale just finished up a huge CORI, and for all of those who know what I’m talking about, my heart goes out to you. Jay MEIER, recently engaged to Amy FISHER (’00), took the Top Gun award in sharpshooting at ACC’s Contending Warrior Competition at Nellis AFB. Jay did so well, he was selected by ACC to the worldwide Defender Challenge Competition where he took first in handguns and second in the obstacle course. Also there was Marcus CORBETT, representing USSPACECOM. Marcus finished first in the O-Course and was awarded the Leadership Award bythe Royal Air Force. Congratulations! Congratulations also goes out to Jesse PETERSON who was married December 18* in College Station, TX. He and his new wife, Julie, spend their free time skydiving and forecasting the weather together—what a great pair! In attendance were Kevin CURTIN, Aaron BELL, Jeff EVANS, Greg HIETPAS, Dave DEANGELIS, Mason DULA, Adam FLARDAGE (‘97), Chad ANSON, Bryan WIELAND, Mike JACOBSON, and a few other familiar faces. (See photo at top of next column.)

NewYears went off well. WendyVOLKLAND, Lisa WALDREP, Christel CHAVEZ, Melissa YOUDERIAN, RickVASQUEZ, Joe PRICE, Scott ANDERSON, and I began our tradition ofannual “random" reunions bycatching a millennium cruise to the

Dec. 18th at College Station, TX.

Western Caribbean. We were a little disappointed when the ship’s engines kept running after midnight... guess theY2K bugwasn’t all it was cracked up to be. For a good laugh, be sure to ask Christel about her swim with the stingrays!

In other news, Dan HARLOW and wife, Melinda, are loving life at Kadena and Josh SHOWN and his wife, Emily, are on theirway to Charleston to fly C-17s. Byron ARMSTRONG and his wife,Yvonne,just had baby#2 in October. I was luckyenough to baby sit the adorable Byron, Jr. in December. I recommend babysitting for all ofyou considering children it is a highly effective form of birth control. Speaking ofbabies, former roommate Kerrie (GRIBUSKI) DUNKER is not pregnant, but we are taking wagers as to when this will occur. Drop us an e-mail ifyou’d care to participate! Matt DUNKER and Kerrie are doing well at Grand Forks- trying to survive their first winter in subzero temperatures. Good-bye for now-1 hope you all have a safe and healthy NewYear! TaraVice.

James W. Busch

1904 Lorri Way Escondido, CA 92026

760-489-1677

E-mail: jamesbusch@hotmail.com

Percent members: 65

AHUM

Happy holidays to the class of ’99. By the time this article is published it will be the year 2000. Ifyou’re lucky the world has been destroyed by the Y2K bug, and you won’t be forced to read this article, which was hastilyprepared between my finals, wedding planning, and apartment shopping. I am still in San Diego and suffering through my first Southern California winter in years. I actually had to turn my air conditioner on today. I’ve completed my first semester of graduate school at San Diego State University, and even managed to eke out some decent grades amidst all the distractions. Of course, ifyou knew the competition that I was facing, that might not seem like such an amazing feat. What is truly amazing is that after five years of dating I will finally be married to my high school sweetheart, Anela Beaumont on Jan 15, 2000. Expected in attendance are fellow ‘99ers Daniel DIEHL, Sean BAERMAN, John FENWICK, Seth DEAM, Jorma HUHTALA, RayJOHNSON, Joaquine GLOMSKI, and former ‘99er Mick Boeing.

Since they are in my wedding, I’ve been pretty successful keeping in touch with the guys above. Daniel DIEHL is well into UPT at Columbus. He is sharing a house with Scott NICHOLS and Jen SCHEISSLER. Strangely enough it is Scott, and not Jen, who takes care of the cooking. I always knew Scott had a feminine side. Both Daniel and Scott will be soloing shortly after Christmas. Rob SLANGER is also in their class, and he sent me a message a while back that related a few more specifics about their class and about Columbus in general. The senior ranking officer in their UPT class is a major who has his nav wings, and finally got his National Guard pilot slot. Rob notes that Columbus is not the cultural center of Mississippi, but being from a small town in North Dakota himselfhe doesn’t mind too much. In an effort to get re-acquainted with society, Rob went down to New Orleans earlier in the fall with some people from his class, and out of chance they ended up staying at the same hotel as Brent FRITZINGER and Jim STUBER as they were passing through back from ABC.

Sean BAERMAN was to be commissioned on Dec 21, 1999 along with fellow late grad Ian BROWN. Sean was finally able to live his dream ofjumping into a Denver Broncos game earlier this fall when he jumped into the Broncos-Chiefs game. According to unconfirmed reports, he landed “near the 50” and gave the mile-high salute. As he was walking off the field, he got Shannon Sharpe to sign

the Bronco flag he jumped in. He swears he’s hanging up his parachute now— in my opinion not a bad decision, considering his jump history. It could also have something to do with the fact that he’s engaged to be married in May of 2000. Following his 60 days of graduation leave, he’ll be spending a few months of casual at the 34th Ops Group and then on to IFT. He is slated to begin UPT at Vance in May of2000. He and his fiance are going to stop atVegas on the way out to my wedding and get married at the Graceland Wedding Chapel. According to Sean, it’s not a real wedding; theyjust want the ceremony so they can show pictures and screw with their parents. I have a feeling that Sean’s mom won’t be very amused.

John FENWICK has finished his first semester at MIT. He even managed to get an A in one of his classes. He survived the winter rugby season with only one serious concussion. He owes me a case of beer because he couldn’t remember some key events that took place during 100th Night earlier this year. He’ll spend part of Christmas inWhistler doing what he loves most—snowboarding. The rest ofthe time he’ll be in Seattle with his parents. A while back John wrote me about some of his fall exploits: “Wasn’t planning on going down to the Navy-AF game, but my old mid roommate Luke finally called back and there was an extra seat with some ‘98ers who were driving down, so I said why not. Left at 6 p.m. on Friday. An hour outside of Boston the new Explorer I was riding in broke down. So the other car we were caravaning with had to go all the way back to Boston to pick up another car. By the time they got back to the towing place it was almost midnight. So we arrived in D.C at 7:30 a.m. after driving all night. Slept on a hotel room floor for an hour, then went to Redskins stadium to tailgate. Everyone starts drinking hard around 9 a.m. Big tailgate with kegs, chili, etc, with a lot of ‘99ers that came from Langley, Andrews, etc. Most everyone else was already too liquored to remember to attend the game, but I slipped away. Crazy game, and one Navy should have won. Halfthe team was bawling, ala after a loss to Army. Most exciting game I’ve ever seen. After that I tailgated with Luke and his friends, went to a couple oftheir sponsors’ houses, then headed into Annapolis to drink some more. Before we went out we put one ofLuke's friends to bed after he yakked all over the outside of the sponsors SUV lucky it was raining but you should have seen the gate guard’s expression. Partied in Annapolis that night, then drove back the next morning. Other than that, I just got a season pass good for Killington/Sugarloaf/ Mount Snow plus a whole bunch ofothers. $350, so it will pay for itselfafter seven days ofboarding. Not like Colorado but oh well. I’ve got a big rugby game tonight against a U of North Carolina team. Bombed my first midterm, but all I need is a B and I think you get that for spelling the teacher’s name right. I just broke 170 (pounds, not grams, James), so you probably won’t recognize me next time you see me. Just look for the guy who looks like Arnold.”

Seth DEAM E-mailed and told me that PollyVAN ESS was the First Lt. Alan Hook Scholarship recipient this semester. The award was presented by General Wagie and the dean ofthe Kennedy school. (Hook was a ’96 USAFA grad, and a ’98 KSG grad who was killed while biking with his fiance in Switzerland.) Also at MIT: Steve CLARK, Jeff MOFFITT, and Loren WERNER... John CANCELLARA and Rob MISHEV are both at Hanscom doing acquisitions. Justin BACHMAN is doing OSI at Hanscom. Sarah FREEDMAN is also there. Ted STILLE and Deane KONOWICZ are both going to be in Pensacola waiting to start pilot training. Rob ROBISON and Scott RUSSELL have been workingwithA-hall and Mitchell Hall, respectively, until pilot training. Brian LANGFORD and Evan JONES are both going to be starting physical therapy school in January in Texas.

Jorma HUHTALA just finished IFT in Colorado and is in the process of moving down to SheppardAFB. He will start ENJJPT in February. He e-mailed me a couple of days before he was leaving. He had no DITY briefing, no way to move his stuff, and no place to stay once he got to Texas. As usual, I’m sure he’ll get it done somehow.

Joaquine GLOMSKI and I remain the only two ‘99ers officiallyassigned to the San Diego area. He continues his Gold Bar duty in the local area. He bought a ring for his lovely girlfriendAmanda, but is waiting for the perfect moment to give it to her. I call it cold feet, but whatever. We try to get together at least once a week to do some damage to our livers, and we even had a Tijuana excursion a few weeks back.

Mick BOEING remains at the Academy as a member of the class of ’00. Already in the 63rd lesson of his senior year, he’s trying to break the boredom by taking some management classes on top ofhis foreign area studies major. He still hangs out with the PTWOB’s and helps out with ground operations, but hasn’t been up in the air since his Oct ’98 crash in which he shattered a vertebra in his lower back. He’s had to make a difficult transition from the high-speed class of ’99 to the lessthan-stellar class of ’00. Hang in there Mick!

Ray JOHNSON is on casual at McChord AFB in Washington. Due to the critical nature of his job there (carrying “papers and stuff” for the pilots), he is on orders and gets to fly around the world and get paid for it. He recently told me about a trip that took him to the Bahamas. I salute you for your hard work, Ray! He lives two doors down from Mike WHITTED, who is married and is also awaiting pilot

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training at McChord. Mike’s wife was out of town recently and so he finally had the chance to e-mail “the boys” on what he’s been up to”. As far as what I’m doing, the best answer would be “as little as possible.” My first couple of months as a casual lieutenant were rather rough as I was forced to actually do work and man a very busy office bymyselfwith absolutely no clue as to what I was supposed to be doing. Things have quieted down considerably since then as there are now three people working in this one-person office, so the one person who knows what he’s doingactuallyworks, and Dave SHELLER (another casual guy) and myself do absolutelynothing. In fact a lot oftimes I don’t even have to come to work anymore. I could leave my computer on, leave myjacket sitting over my chair, and never go to work again and I don’t think anyone would know the difference. Life is good. I did receive notice the other day that I am now going to ABC. Pro’s: 1,000 dollars TDY pay, Con’s: everything else about ABC. Ray and I even moved our UPT start dates back so we wouldn’t have to go, but I guess they have the names ofall casual status guys on file at Maxwell and decided that this would be a worthwhile program so we were “volunteered” anyway. Okay, enough about work. Life is good on the homestead. Amanda wanted a dog and I told her we couldn’t afford one so we argued about that and after I put my foot down we went and got a little black lab named Ruby. She’s about four months old now and really cute. Still have the psycho cat too, who was actually starting to calm down a lot until we got the dog. She hasn’t eaten the dog yet, though, so we’ve got that going for us, which is nice."

The first official Checkpoints photo is courtesy of Bill FIELDS. He married Miss Kathy Anderson on 17 Sept 99. The couple lives in Wichita, KS, and will remain there until June 2000 at which time Bill begins pilot training in Del Rio, TX. AFA grads who participated in the wedding were Chris HAND and Steve MELVIN. Congratulations Bill and Kathy, and thanks for the picture!

Bill Fields and his new wife, Kathy

Pink Panthers Rich SHERTZER and Amy FITCH have also jumped on the wedding bandwagon. Their big day will take place in Rich’s hometown of Hershey, PA on May 27, 2000. They hope to get a joint assignment somewhere after that. Amy is currently at Wright-Patterson working in the engineering/ acquisitions world in the Reconnaissance Program Office. Ron KILLINS, Jeremiah STAHR, and Jesung KIM also work there. They could tell us what theydo, but they’d have to kill us.

Amy now lives with Catie CONE and Amy NESBITT who are also working in acquisitionjobs. Catie and Daniel MELVILLE are still together and he’s struggling through his first semester as a civilian at LSU-Shreveport Med School. Amy and Justin BACHMAN are still dating, but Justin is up in Boston, so they both get to deal with long distance relationships.

Rich SHERTZERis at MIT. He livingwith fellowMIT grad students Rich MILLARD and JohnJOCHUM. Theyroutinelyterrorize Boston alongwith RajaCHARI, Loren WERNER, and John FENWICK, who also attend MIT, and Pat WIDHELM, Seth DEAM, Tom STALEY, and PollyVAN ESS who are all at the Harvard JFK School of Government.

While atAcquisitions school at Lackland, Ron, Jeremiah, and Amy ran into Aaron FLALE and quite a few other ‘99ers. They also went up to UT-Austin to visit with Katie BURKE and Dana MOSS, who are both using their GSP scholarships to get their master’s. Like me, they are enjoying time at a real college, but still have a very heavy workload since they are cramming all of their classes into two semesters.

Amy also mentioned that she ran across Jeremey DAILY (who left USAFA at Christmas, firstie year to go serve some time enlisted). He’s now an E-4, but has tested for E-5 and will most likely get a line number in November. He just finished his tech school and got assigned to Wright-Pat doinglogistics/radar stuff.

Kristi HANSON is still on casual in FortWalton Beach, FL andworking at Hurlburt. Kacey COACHER is also in her squadron. Kristi will be leaving at the beginning of April to head to Del Rio for UPT. For whatever reason, she says that she can’t wait to get out ofFlorida. She’ll be spending the holidays in France.

That’s it for this issue. On a final note, I wanted to remind you all about AOGmail, the new e-mail forwarding system that you can use to communicate with otherUSAFAgraduates. Ifyouhaven’tyet, go to http://www.aog-usafa.org/Aog-mail .htm. Then use the Add/Change feature to add or change your e-mail address in the AOG-mail system. I highly encourage everyone to do it, because it makes my job a lot easier. As you may notice, this article has been a lot ofinformation about the same people as before. I want to get everyone in here, so please e-mail me news, send me pictures, etc. I would love to hear from any and all ofyou. Happy holidays and happy NewYear! - James

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