June 30, 2006 TTable of TTcontents Independence Day Air Force, U.S. CENTAF leaders offer messages for July 4: Page 2 “Teamwork” Capt. Dietrich speaks on working together to accomplish great things: Page 4 Commander’s Call Col. Orr highlights ‘fantastic job’ group has done through 30 days: Pages 5-6 Big Crane ECES helps move barriers for new Muscle Beach expansion: Page 6 Keeping track of it LRS supply team manages, issues mission items: Pages 7-8 Remembering Khobar Military commemorates 10th anni- versary of Khobar Tower bombing: Page 9 Around Iraq Latest news from around the the- ater: Page 9 Keeping cool Joint ECES effort generates, deliv- ers electricity: Page 10 Chapel corner Chaplain offers thoughts on religion versus relationship: Page 11 Looking for losers Muscle Beach looking for people willing to lose weight: Page 12 Blind volleyball PERSCO overwhelms ECS to take championship: Page 13 Movies and more Event schedules: Pages 14-16 Ali Times / June 30, 2006 Page 2 Air Force leaders send July 4 message Happy Birthday, America! For 230 years, this nation and its peo- ple have represented freedom and democracy. We earned that repu- Vol. 4, Issue 26 tation through courageous acts of June 30, 2006 patriotism by our founding fathers Col. and through bravery on battle- David L. Orr fields across the world. Today we Commander, 407th AEG mark not a resounding victory in Lt. Col. a great battle, but instead the day Richard H. Converse when we stood up as a free and Deputy Commander, Air Force Secretary Air Force Chief of Staff independent nation and told the 407th AEG Michael W. Wynne Gen. T. Michael Moseley Master Sgt. world we would no longer live un- Andrew Gates der tyrannical rule. Editor/Chief, Public Affairs This year, as you gather to celebrate You, the men and women of Ameri- This funded newspaper is an autho- the founding of our great nation, pause ca’s Air Force, reflect the generations rized publication for members of the U.S. military services overseas. Con- a moment to remember our heroes of patriots who, through their actions, tents of the Ali Times are not neces- currently serving away from home, displayed the values of integrity first, sarily the views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Depart- fighting to preserve the very same free- service before self and excellence in all ment of Defense, or the Department doms the patriots before us secured. we do. Thank you for your unyielding of the Air Force. The content is edited, prepared and Their efforts are helping us soar to a commitment, and have a happy and provided by the public affairs office safe 4th of July! of the 407th Air Expeditionary Group. future bounded by limitless horizons. All photographs are U.S. Air Force photographs unless otherwise indi- cated. Celebrating America’s 230th year of freedom The Ali Times accepts stories, pho- tographs and commentaries, which may be submitted to the public af- By Lt. Gen. Gary L. North free and independent na- ing to rebuild their lives. fairs staff—located in the group head- Commander, 9th Air Force and USCENTAF tion. This is a fight that they quarters building—or can be sent di- rectly to the newspaper at This week we will be Today’s Soldiers, Air- cannot win on their own. [email protected] celebrating America’s men, Sailors and Marines We must help them to cre- Deadline for publication is 7 p.m. Thursday before the week of publi- 230th year as an indepen- are also fighting for inde- ate stable nations. This is cation. dent nation. As we re- pendence. However, it is a fight that we must win For more information, call 445-2318, or e-mail the editor. member the past and hon- for the independence of for both the people of Iraq or those Soldiers two other and Afghanistan. who fought for nations, Iraq As we celebrate our in- our freedom, I of- and Afghan- dependence, remember Front Page ten wonder what istan. The that we in 9th Air Force photo the common sol- people in and U.S. CENTAF are dier thought both Iraq fighting everyday for the when he heard and Afghan- freedom of other nations; istan are you are spending this hol- Tech. Sgt. Chadwick that Congress Blackmon, 407th Expedi- had declared in- struggling to iday away from home in tionary Civil Engineer dependence. The maintain the U.S. Central Com- Squadron power produc- thought that their free- mand area of operations, dom from and many others are sup- tion specialist, checks comes to my Lt. Gen. Gary North the oil on one of eight mind, and many oppression porting the warfighting ef- tactical generators at historians, is that those and fear-the type of op- fort from their home sta- Power Station One on Ali. soldiers must have real- pression and fear caused tions. You are the heroes For more on the power ized they were no longer by terrorists. They have of today like those Soldiers plant, please see Page fighting for their rights as already defied the terror- who fought for our inde- 10. (Photo by Master Sgt. English citizens but for ists by forming a national pendence 230 years ago. Andrew Gates) the rights and privileges government, holding pub- With tremendous pride that come with being a lic elections and continu- and respect, I thank you. Ali Times / June 30, 2006 Page 3 A Year Gone By... By Brig. Gen. Frank Gorenc I attribute wing successes di- 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Commander rectly to motivated and empowered Airmen…like you. The possibili- My time as the 332nd Air Ex- ties are limitless when profes- peditionary Wing Commander is sional Airmen come across an op- rapidly coming to close. In the portunity to succeed. Over and blink of an eye, my 365-day TDY over, I have been awestruck at ends on July 5 when I pass the your ability to get the job done. flag to the incoming commander, Through the four AEF rotations Brig. Gen. Robin Rand. during my command, over 21,000 A year ago, when I took the Airmen have been assigned to the flag, I asked you to focus on the 332 AEW. Despite the turnover, mission. The 332 AEW mission is without fail, the wing executed clear and simple: “Combat flawlessly. For an entire year, the Airpower for America…Right Here, wing hit on all cylinders without Right Now.” Together, we excelled any significant mission or safety in a huge way. We operated and risk. normalized Balad AB, Kirkuk AB, Brig. Gen. Frank Gorenc Your work epitomized our AF Ali AB, and Sather AB. We gener- core values…integrity, service be- ated over 11,000 sorties flying over fore self and excellence in all we 80,000 hours using four different We destroyed countless tons of do. Great job Tuskegee Air- weapons systems. We delivered explosive material inside and out- men…the legacy continues here effective kinetic solutions to the side the wire. We controlled all with you. ground commanders…precision 277,000 square miles of Iraqi air- I will always have a special guided bombs, bullets, rockets space. We saved thousands of place in my heart for the 332 AEW and Hellfires. We delivered ISR American and Iraqi lives in our Tuskegee Airmen. I am humbled (Intelligence, Surveillance, and hospital and then transported the to have been your commander. Reconnaissance), cargo, passen- American heroes to Germany. We Instead of goodbye, I will say until gers, and combat rescue. We de- prepared for the future. All 332 we meet again. Thank you, livered robust expeditionary com- AEW Airmen should be very proud Tuskegee Airmen for a superb bat support not only to Airmen, of this impressive list of accom- year. God Bless You and God but to the Army and Marine Corps. plishments! Bless America! town News Release, a DD Form page —let public affairs know. TELL YOUR 2266 —- just for deploying to Iraq U.S. Air Forces, Central and participating in Operation Ira- Command has a number of STORY qi Freedom. However, you can also programs to market these stories fill out a HTNR for other events as back home —including radio and well —including promotion or rec- television stations. If you can tell As a mililtary member, you ognition while in theater (including a really good (true) story, you have a great story to tell. And all the monthly awards). might even get on national or the military has many ways to tell For events or situations which international media. those stories. are a little more out of the ordinary For more information, call First, you can fill out a Home- —such as the story on the next public affairs at 444-2318. Ali Times / June 30, 2006 Page 4 Teamwork vital to Ali successes Difficult projects require various Airmen, units working together By Capt. Mark Dietrich Security Forces developed a se- 407th Expeditionary Communication Squadron curity plan for the area around the new tower to provide addi- I am truly amazed at how well tional protection. In about an- everyone has come together and other month, all of the hard work worked as a team to make Ali and effort of several squadrons the best base in the AOR. Many will result in a tower being add- people say that back at their ed to support the Army’s convoy home stations, squadron rival- missions. ries and politics would make In addition, the runway some of their projects nearly project demonstrates teamwork.