THE KWAJALEIN HOURGLASS Volume 40, Number 6 Friday, January 21, 2000 U.S
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Kwajalein Hourglass THE KWAJALEIN HOURGLASS Volume 40, Number 6 Friday, January 21, 2000 U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands Home sweet home Boeing unveils plan for dome housing on island By Peter Rejcek A different kind of dream was real- ized on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this week as island officials gathered at the far end of Kwajalein to usher in a new kind of era. Boeing officials, along with USAKA/KMR personnel, National Missile Defense (NMD) team mem- bers and a host of other dignitaries, broke ground Tuesday afternoon in a vacant field between Ocean Road and Perimeter Road at the north- east end of Kwajalein. Thats the spot where 15 new homes will be constructed for Boeing LSI employ- ees and their families. Boeing is the lead contractor on the NMD project on Kwaj. It is ironic we should be doing this on Martin Luther King Day, ob- served Gary K. McMillen, USAKA/ KMR commander. I also had a dream (Photo by Peter Rejcek) that someday we would replace the Protestant Chaplain John Dorr, second from left, leads the invocation at the Tuesday trailers on the island with quality, groundbreaking for new dome housing while (from left to right) Maj. Gen. Willie Nance, multi-family housing. Jerry Cornell, Col. Gary K. McMillen, Bert Scott and Jim Hill bow their heads in prayer. Maj. Gen. Willie Nance, NMD pro- The 15 new family homes will stand between Ocean and Perimeter Roads on the north (See DOME, page 2) end of the island. They are expected to be completed by Sept. 1. Armed for dinner NMD conducts intercept test Scientists develop food patch From the Department of Defense The Ballistic Missile Defense Organizations Na- WASHINGTON (Army News Service) Scientists in tional Missile Defense Joint Program Office announced the Department of Defense Combat Feeding Program are it performed a test Wednesday involving a planned working to ensure that the soldier of the future has intercept of a ballistic missile target over the central plenty of nourishment within arms length. Pacific Ocean. An intercept was not achieved. A modi- Although the product is still planted in the conceptual fied Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile, with phase, scientists are working on a nutrition patch called the a target vehicle, was launched from Vandenberg Air Transdermal Nutrient Delivery System, TDNDS, that would Force Base, Calif., at 6:19 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, be used by warfighters under extreme circumstances. and a prototype interceptor was launched approxi- The system would conceivably expand on the osmotic mately 20 minutes later and about 4,300 miles away technology of the nicotine patch that is worn on the arm. from Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall However, instead of transmitting nicotine, this patch Islands. will transmit vitamins and nutrients needed by the This is a joint program involving the U.S. Army, U.S. human body. The patch would be used to keep the (See NMD, page 2) (See PATCH, page 4) www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/hourglass.html Friday Page 2 Kwajalein Hourglass January 21, 2000 The dome houses on Kwajalein will resemble this demonstra- This blueprint shows the typical design of the three-bedroom tion model when they are completed. homes being built for Boeing employees. Dome houses should be completed by Sept. 1 ... (From page 1) room, two-bath units with about supporting; extremely resistant to gram manager, said the housing 1,400 square feet of living space. weather damage; energy efficient; project solidifies the commitment Each home will have a covered area and cost-effective. They are also easy between NMD and its employees. that protects bicycles and other out- to assemble and require little main- This is another important day in door equipment. tenance in the way of painting and our National Missile Defense pro- The homes will also have a 10-foot roof repair. Additionally, the build- gram, he said. The people who live by 10-foot patio surrounded by a pri- ings are reportedly flame, flood and and work on Kwajalein are essential vacy fence. Finally, they will be fur- earthquake resistant, as well as easy to the team. nished with plumbing fixtures, a to repair. They can also be relocated, The new temporary living quarters water heater, air conditioning, appli- if necessary. will be of dome design. These modu- ances and cabinets. The high-tech house has a double lar houses, manufactured by Domes The homes are scheduled to be fiberglass shell that sandwiches a International Inc., will be three-bed- finished by Sept. 1. According to core of urethane foam insulation, officials, a turn key project will be much like a giant ice cooler. It is the The Kwajalein Hourglass executed to have the homes ready product of nearly 20 years of re- Commanding Officer.......Col. Gary K. McMillen Public Affairs Officer..............Preston Lockridge for occupancy upon completion of search, according to the Domes In- Editors...........................Pat Cataldo, Jim Bennett construction. ternational web site. Associate Editor...............................Peter Rejcek Were trying to design it so its a Dr. John Peller, program manager Feature Writers.........................Barbara Johnson Bob Fore friendly atmosphere, explained Colin for Boeing LSI, reiterated the need to KW Hillis Pebbles with Dick Pacific Construc- recognize those individuals and fami- Graphics Designer ...........................Dan Adler tion Co., which is in charge of the site lies who are often overshadowed by Circulation Manager.................Bobby Lamug Sr. preparation. the NMD project media headlines. The Hourglass is named for the insignia Some of the special features of the Its a mission, he said, that boggles of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, which dome housing include being self- the imagination. liberated the island from the forces of Impe- rial Japan on Feb 4, 1944. Jeramon non kom NMD Team to review The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized Jeramon non kom is the Marshallese way to publication for military personnel, federal em- say, Goodbye and good luck friends. intercept test results ... ployees, contractor workers and their families Linda and Todd Chaponot left Jan. assigned to USAKA/KMR. Contents of the 20 on ATI for Salem, Ore. (From page 1) Hourglass are not necessarily official views Linda, who was an IRE drafting Air Force and U.S. Navy. of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, De- partment of Defense, Department of the Army lead, has been here since March Government and industry program or USAKA/KMR. It is published Tuesdays 1998, and Todd, Altair Space Track officials will conduct an extensive and Fridays using a network printer by Operations director, has been here review of the test results to deter- Raytheon Range Systems Engineering edito- since last August. mine the reason or reasons for not rial staff, P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555. They say, We will miss our friends achieving an intercept and any other Phone: Autovon 254-3539; local 53539. and family on Roi and Kwaj. Neither test objectives that were or were not Printed circulation: 2,300 of us expected that Roi would be the met. It could be several weeks until origin of true happiness. the review is completed. Friday January 21, 2000 Kwajalein Hourglass Page 3 Time to call it quits Calhoun retires after nearly 32 years Story and photo by Peter Rejcek to work his way up through the Ma- is the fourth logistics contractor he A lot happened in 1968. rine Department. has worked for. Such longevity breeds Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was as- From seaman, Calhoun navigated respect. sassinated. Author Tom Wolfe pub- his way to operator of both small and As harbor master, Roy Calhoun lished his novel, The Electric Kool- large craft, worked on recovery boats has become an institution on Aid Acid Test. The movie 2001: A and just about every other kind of Kwajaleins waterfront, said Bob Space Odyssey premiered. Kwaja- vessel that has anchored at Kwaj. Babcock, port captain. Whether lein Harbor Master Roy Calhoun ar- Calhoun was eventually called scheduling a run to an outer island rived at the atoll for a two-year stint. ashore in the 1980s as he began or coordinating a rescue of a RMI Nearly 32 years later, Kwajs man assuming various duties that evolved vessel in distress, Roy has been a with the best view in town is hang- into the position of harbor master, maritime bridge between the islands ing up his binoculars and retiring at who is responsible for the schedul- and communities of this atoll. He will the end of January. ing, coordination and safe daily op- I came out here for two [years] and erations of the fleet and personnel. stayed for 31, Calhoun, 64, mused Being up here Im in a position to during a recent interview at Harbor see everything thats going on, Control. This is the safest place in the Calhoun said, gesturing to the blue- I’ve seen a lot of world. We have no drug problems, no on-blue waters below the observa- “ high-speed chases, nobodys shooting tion deck. Out there he has watched people come and at you. Everybody is like family. Thats typhoons and manmade storms, such go ... I could sit the reason Ive stayed here. as the arrival of hundreds of illegal Eyes squinted as if permanently Chinese immigrants on the Eastwood back here and fixed on the horizon, Calhoun still several years ago, come to Kwajalein. has the air of seaman. After all, its Ive seen a lot of people come and write a whole the profession that originally brought go, Calhoun said. I could sit back book. him to Kwajalein over three decades here and write a whole book.