Promotions, retirements & separations Kentucky Air National Guard The following individuals have been TECHNICAL SERGEANT (E-6) •Tech. Sgt. Timothy Duncan, promoted to the rank indicated 123rd Maintenance Sq. as members of the •Anthony Berold, •Senior Master Sgt. Ronald George, Kentucky Air Guard and reservists 123rd Maintenance Sq. 123rd Aerial Port Sq. of the United States Air Force: •Jeffrey Bryant, •Tech. Sgt. Larry Hill, 123rd Maintenance Sq. 123rd Aerial Port Sq. •Senior Airman Stephen Johnson, 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, Ky. Vol. XVIII, No. 9 • Sept. 14, 2002 SENIOR AIRMAN (E-4) •Thomas Hagan, 123rd Communications Flt. 123rd Services Flt. •Jody King, •Staff Sgt. Barbara Kolb, •Adam Barker, 123rd Airlift Control Element 123rd Airlift Wing 123rd Communications Flt. •David Nichter, •Master Sgt. David Pierce, 2 STS troops killed in MC-130 crash •Wendy Haight, 123rd Aerial Port Sq. 123rd Logistics Gp. 123rd Services Flt. •James Tongate, •Tech. Sgt. Donald Pierce, 165th Airlift Sq. 123rd Communications Flt. •Lt. Col. Christopher Reymann, Unit remembers late comrades as great men, patriots 165th Airlift Sq. By Tech. Sgt. Amy Ziegler McLane, director of operations STAFF SERGEANT (E-5) The following individuals •Tech. Sgt. James Skaggs, Cargo Courier Editor for the special tactics squadron. have retired as members of the 123rd Maintenance Sq. •Heather Boyd, Kentucky Air Guard and “It’s hard to quantify,” he 123rd Aircraft Generation Sq. reservists of the A sea of blue filled the Base Annex Aug. said. “As combat controllers, •Jonathan Coulter, United States Air Force: The following individuals 16 to remember the lives of Tech. Sgts. it’s not unusual for us to lose 123rd Aerial Port Sq. have separated from Christopher Matero and Martin Tracy, com- friends in the career field be- •Sheldon Cowley, •Lt. Col. Robert Abell, the Kentucky Air Guard: bat controllers here in the 123rd Special Tac- cause of the dangers associated KyANG State Headquarters 123rd Aerial Port Sq. tics Squadron. with the job.” •Lawrence Hamel, •Maj. Catherine Brown, •Senior Airman Brandy Allen, The men were killed Aug. 7 when the MC- What makes this more tragic, 123rd Aircraft Generation Sq. 123rd Operations Support Sq. 123rd Logistics Sq. 130H Combat Talon they were aboard McLane said, is that both men •Christopher Lockwood, •Lt. Col. Douglas Butler, •Airman 1st Class John Walton, crashed in Puerto Rico while on a training spent time in war-torn Afghani- 123rd Maintenance Sq. 123rd Medical Sq. 123rd Student Flt. mission. stan for Operation Enduring •Daniel Marks, •Senior Airman Gary Warford, •Lt. Col. Joseph Charbonneau, Freedom and survived only to 165th Weather Flt. 165th Airlift Sq. 123rd Aerial Port Sq. They will be remembered for their big smiles, senses of humor and a pursuit for come home and be killed on a physical fitness excellence, according to training mission. 123rd Airlift Wing friends and co-workers. “We’ve just lost two of our Public Affairs Office The loss is great, said 2nd Lt. Sean best operators, guys with real- Airman of the Year Kentucky Air National Guard world experience 1101 Grade Lane who have been packages due Louisville, KY 40213-2678 shot at and still did their job. That’s a October drill OFFICIAL BUSINESS rare commodity. Nominations are now being “We know they accepted for the 2002 Kentucky have courage un- Air Guard Outstanding Airmen der fire because of the Year Awards. they’ve been un- Tech. Sgt. Christopher Matero Packages for all categories— der fire.” airmen, NCOs and Senior Most of all, NCOs— are due to the 123rd McLane added, Military Personnel Flight no “we just lost two really great His friends remember him as the man they later than Oct. 5. guys.” wish they could be because of his attitude A selection board will be held Tech. Sgt. Martin Tracy, 33, and dedication to physical fitness. during the November drill. If had been in the Kentucky Air “He was everything you could ever want possible, all nominated should be Guard for nearly six years and to be in person,” said Tech. Sgt. Bill Sprake, present to meet the board. had served in the military since also a combat controller in the 123rd. More information on the 1987. “He was the most physically fit, and he program and the nomination After leaving the active-duty had the personality that nothing ever both- process can be found in Air Force as a survival school ered him. He was the most fun to be around, KyANGI 36-2801, chapter 5. instructor, he joined the unit and you could always count on his laugh to here and made a career liven things up.” For questions, contact Chief change to become a combat Tracy was, Sprake said, the kind of per- Master Sgt. Mike Mitro at ext. controller. In his new job, Tracy, son who didn’t let the little things get to him. 4465. like other Kentucky Air Guard “When things get stressful in the field, combat controllers, stayed de- Tech Sgt. Martin Tracy ployed nearly 200 days a year. See MATERO AND TRACY, Page 5 The Cargo Courier, 8 Sept. 14, 2002 COMMANDER’S CALL AIR FORCE NEWS The war is not over—stay prepared USAF officials to cancel 100,000 travel cards t has been one year since our government to protect and defend our By Master Sgt. Ron Tull The task force confirmed that the Depart- dinators will receive lists in early Septem- our nation was brutally American way of life and the citizens who Air Force Print News ment of Defense has too many cards in the ber of cards expected to be canceled. attacked and since we enjoy its freedoms. hands of people who are not using them, If anyone on the list is traveling in the started our military, eco- As military folks we are the instruments WASHINGTON—More than 100,000 of Weber said. near future, he or she can call the bank to I nomic and diplomatic re- that are used to protect and defend. the Air Force’s government travel cards will The Air Force has the largest travel card get an authorized override on the account. sponse to this attack. As Guard members and members of the be canceled in early October for lack of use, program in the Department of Defense with It will still require a phone call by the Our president told us this was going to be Thoroughbred Express we have responded according to the service’s travel card pro- approximately 532,000 travel cards issued, merchant at the point of purchase. a long and arduous struggle—that lives magnificently to the call thus far. gram manager. or 37 percent of the DOD total, according The government travel card remains an would be changed, and lives would be lost. We must not let down now. The move, said Michael Weber, is part of to Weber. integral part of the Defense Travel System Nothing has changed since then to lead I believe it is not an accident that there a service-wide effort to “clean up the books “It’s not as bad as it appears on the sur- and represents the best option for Air Force us to think this thing is over. hasn’t been another attack since Sept. 11. and will affect those people who have not face. A lot of these cards are already ex- travelers, Weber said. I’m afraid we have been lulled into a false The actions of our government, the mili- used their card for a year or more. He added pired,” he said. “I still get people who tell me they don’t sense of well-being in the past six months tary, civilian law enforcement and others that precautions are in place to ensure no “We estimate that out of the 100,000 cards like the travel card,” he said. or so and just might have forgotten what a have been the reason. one is caught empty-handed in a time of (subject to cancellation), 80,000 of them are “But I’ve yet to have someone suggest a despicable act this was. This war is far from over, and we must need. expired or unused.” more modern way to travel.” We hear the attack described as a trag- all stay prepared to once again answer the “We won’t leave anyone stranded,” We- The card cancellations, set to begin Oct. Furthermore, Weber said, the proper use edy, much the same as a hurricane or flood, call. Everyone in the 123rd is a player in ber said. 3, will help the Air Force and Bank of of the card relates to military readiness. and we call our response a “War on Terror.” this war. “If for some reason an individual didn’t America clean up their databases, Weber “If we need you to travel and you don’t Well I choose to view it differently. You may not be the guy who personally hear about this (policy) and is checking into said. have a card, your travel will have to be The actions of Sept. 11 were indeed tragic, kills the enemy, but you may fly him there. a hotel and the card is rejected, (he or she) Those who have their card canceled but handled special,” he said. but let’s call them what they were—a cold You may fix the aircraft that got him there. can always have the hotel staff call the num- still need one for Air Force travel will have “We no longer have the manpower or fa- cilities to do that for a person. blooded attack on the citizens of the United Col.