Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010 PPhotohoto bbyy DDanan AAdlerdler The Kwajalein Hourglass www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/hourglass.html Commander reminds community that tough challenges call for our teamwork Happy Holidays and the very best back stateside, I would argue that life in 2010 from the USAKA Command on Kwajalein allows us a certain men- Team! tal escape from some of the things Yokwe Community. I hope we fi nd our families and friends are facing on ourselves in good spirits and rested a daily basis. from the holiday season. For me, it is In this note to the community, I would not always a restful time as I rewrite like to share a couple of thoughts for the long list of things that need to get perspective. done and reset priorities based on the USAKA remains a command under changes that have occurred. transformation. The sustainability of We have a lot of new folks in our Kwajalein is based on the ability of community so I want to remind all what the command to adapt to changing then those saved dollars can go back has not changed and that starts with conditions. For those who do not like to improving the quality of life on base. the Command Philosophy: change, I would submit to you that one Some folks believe just because they • Safety fi rst: Take care of each other of the only constants in life is change are not receiving a monthly utility bill, on and off duty. and our attitude towards that change electricity on Kwajalein is free. It re- • Know the mission: Support the is what will bring us predictability and minds me of health care discussions warfi ghter. stability in our lives. in socialist countries. Is health care • Be effi cient: You are held account- Why Kwajalein?: The primary mis- really free if you are paying 40-60% in able. sion on Kwajalein Army Installation taxes? Is electricity on Kwajalein really • Soldiers, government employees is Space and Missile Research and free if it becomes a factor in decisions and contractors are equal partners development and Space Operations; such as furloughing the work force for governed by different regulations all in support of our National Security a week to make the budget work? all part of the equation for success. Strategy. To put a face on it — our Understand the difference and treat mission is in support of those men and The plan: USAKA will continue to each other with dignity and respect. women serving to protect our freedoms work towards applying policies that Communicate! and way of life. We have some very im- make sense. The community plays a • Don’t ‘DART.’ No drugs, abuse of portant missions coming to Kwajalein big role. The call is for all to do their family or others, racism or thievery. If in the next year. individual part of social responsibility. you see it, report it. We do not meter homes on Kwajalein • Our community is very important. USAKA budget 101: We live but expect individuals to be responsi- • Nurturing the culture and being under a very tight budget, no differ- ble. The command spends hundreds good stewards of the land is a prior- ent than any other Army Installation of thousands of dollars for diesel fuel ity. or arguably any community across each month to keep the power plant • Be proud of your contributions to the United States. We do not have running. That is money that could be the nation. We are all playing a sig- separate budgets for most all we do spent on something that might benefi t nifi cant role. here on Kwajalein. This is very im- the entire community. I ask that you • Attitude is everything. portant for all who live on Kwajalein do all you can at work and home to Also not changed is the budget con- to understand. One of the biggest reduce the use of energy. I would ask straints that we all live under based expenses we have is the use of fuel. that you go by Self Help and pick up on the economy. It is all intertwined If the fuel use is high then we transfer free energy-effi cient compact lights. and it affects us just as it affects all dollars from other areas to make up Americans. Based on my recent trips the difference. If fuel use goes down, See COMMANDER, page 32 TThehe KKwajaleinwajalein HHourglassourglass The Kwajalein Hourglass is named for the offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Gov- E-mail: [email protected] insignia of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, ernment, Department of Defense, Department of which liberated the island from the forces of the Army or USAKA. It is published Saturdays in Commanding Offi cer......Col. Frederick Clarke Imperial Japan on Feb. 4, 1944. accordance with Army Regulation 360-1 and us- Public Affairs Offi cer ...........Vanessa K. Peeden The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized ing a network printer by Kwajalein Range Services publication for military personnel, federal em- editorial staff. Media Manager................................Dan Adler ployees, contractor workers and their families CMR #701 P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555 Associate Editor.....................Sheila Bigelow assigned to U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll. Con- Phone: Defense Switching Network 254-3539; Media Specialist.....................Coleen Engvall tents of The Hourglass are not necessarily Local phone: 53539 Printed circulation:1,200 Media Specialist...................Kaitlynn Phillips The Kwajalein Hourglass 2 Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010 January USAKA deals with flooding on Roi .S. Army Kwajalein Atoll Ustarted 2009 dealing with a problem that occurred on Dec. 8, 2008. Due to unusual weather con- ditions, a high wave incident had fl ooded a large area of Roi-Namur. There was water damage to hous- ing, trailers and other structures on the island, but the most problematic damage was that salt water from the waves had run into the island’s lens wells and rendered them useless for drinking water. USAKA responded quickly by transporting water from Kwajalein to Roi-Namur on the wa- ter barge and the Great Bridge every four days. The command was also looking into the possibility of getting reverse osmosis machines to the island. Lt. Gen. Kevin T. Campbell, Command- ing General of USASMDC, arranged Clockwise from left, Sgt. Maj. Patrick Kutac, Col. Frederick Clarke, Doug Peters, for an engineering team to inspect Dave Norwood, Stan Jazwinski, Floyd Corder and Matt Daggett inspect one of the the damage and give advice on so- Roi lens wells. lutions. February Schexnayder visit ichael C. Schexnayder, Deputy to the Commander Mfor Research, Development and Acquisition for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, visited Kwajalein on a farewell tour before his retirement. Canvasback mission anvasback Missions came to Ebeye on a mission Cof mercy the fi rst week of February. The medi- cal procedures performed by the visiting doctors were treating skin infections, knee surgeries and teaching diabetes prevention. Kwajalein Atoll Memorial Day wajalein Atoll Memorial Day was held Feb. 9 to Khonor those who died, both American and Mar- shallese, in the four-day battle for Kwajalein in 1944. The day was fi lled with a parade, band music, dancing and speeches by dignitaries from the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. RMI President Litokwa Tomeing spoke of the hard- Left to right: Dr. Clyde Bishop, U.S. Ambassador to the ships endured by the Marshallese during and after RMI, Col. Frederick Clarke, USAKA Commander, Sgt. Maj. the battle. He said the Marshallese people, “Have been Patrick Kutac, RMI Relations Specialist Mike Sakio and Maj. Christopher Mills attend Memorial Day. YEAR IN REVIEW CONTINUES ON PAGE 4 Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010 3 The Kwajalein Hourglass February strong and resilient throughout the years since then and played. have remained a united and undivided people.” It was a fun night for the little girls and their dads and The president said his hope and vision was to see one they won’t soon forget. Volunteers this year included Ebeye have clean water, dependable electrical services, Heidi Rowell, Lynn Elkin, Polly Yoho, Jennifer Cossey, education and affordable housing. Tarah Yurovchak, Stacey O’Rourke, Lisa Ansley, Jane He also addressed the land use agreement dispute Sholar, Barb Junker and Mercedes Washburn. between the RMI government and the landowners. “We will continue to pursue an agreement that is rational,” Kwajalein Police Department training he said. “I am pleased to say that we have had several tanding still while being pepper-sprayed isn’t discussions with land owners and by all indications, Ssomething many people would do voluntarily. there is a consensus to move the process forward and But seven Kwajalein police offi cers had that un- that with common goodwill an agreement could be pleasant experience during a tactical certifi cation reached.” course on Feb. 20. Dr. Clyde Bishop, U.S. Ambassador to the RMI, also The course was taught by visiting instructor, spoke at the ceremony. “The United States is fully com- Jamison Gilbert. He is a senior instructor for Alutiiq, mitted to the Compact and its vision of a strong, pros- the parent company and security contractor that perous and self-suffi cient Marshall Islands,” he said. runs Kwajalein Police Department. “While there are differences between us, let no one “We want to make sure that they [the offi cers] un- doubt the belief the United States has in a continued derstand if they use it [pepper spray] on someone long-lasting relationship between countries that shared else and there’s overspray or the wind blows it back the tragedies of war.” in their face or the bad guy uses it on them, they He continued, “The leadership that is assembled here know they can fi ght through it.