Tuesday U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands July 23, 2002 Kwajalein Hourglass THE KWAJALEIN HOURGLASS Volume 42, Number 58 Tuesday, July 23, 2002 U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands A pair of National Guardsmen prepare to receive a boxed truss as it is lowered into place on concrete columns by a crane Friday afternoon. The project to build a multi-purpose facility for the Ebeye community is about half complete, accord- ing to Capt. John Wolf Jr., the officer in charge of the project. (Photo by Peter Rejcek) National Guard project on Ebeye 50 percent done By Peter Rejcek and helping secure the building’s wooden truss to a Associate Editor concrete column. Spc. Andrew Dodson, standing next to The sun is playing a game of hide-and-go-seek behind him on a ladder, mops his sweaty, freckled face in brilliant white clouds Friday afternoon on Ebeye. But agreement. most of the time it’s seeking, and there’s no place to “It’s an experience,” Yeager added. hide. Despite the heat, record rainfall and logistical chal- That’s something the 25 National Guardsmen who are lenges, the project is slightly ahead of schedule, accord- constructing a multi-purpose facility on Ebeye are ing to Maj. Bill Gatewood of the 412th Engineer Com- learning quite quickly. mand, U.S. Army Reserves, who is serving as the quality “That’s the biggest obstacle we’re combating,” said Sgt. assurance officer. David Yeager, of the heat, while standing on scaffolding (See BUILDING, page 5) Contaminated food TSA team assesses airport security not found at Kwaj By Peter Rejcek ing and outgoing passengers and their By Peter Rejcek Associate Editor carry-on luggage, according to Sgt. A team under the auspices of the Associate Editor Travis Tikka of the USAKA Provost It doesn’t appear that Kwaj residents Transportation Security Administra- Marshal’s office. need to worry about a nationwide re- tion was at Kwajalein last week as- The TSA, formerly under the Fed- call of 19 million pounds of ground beef sessing airport security. eral Aviation Administration, was cre- that are being pulled off of shelves The Strategic Airport Security ated in November 2001 following the because of E. coli concerns. Rollout, or SASR, team is reviewing terrorist attacks of Sept 11. It is A check of the Cold Storage Ware- the procedures for processing incom- (See TEAM, page 5) (See NO, page 4) www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/hourglass.html Tuesday Page 2 Kwajalein Hourglass July 23, 2002 Editorial IThe get popular by Beatles’ with song, a “With little a help from my 2,500bungee or cord so when friends he or she is trying to Little Help From My Friends,” could lug home a TV set from Macy’s or a definitely be the background music huge pile of boxes from the Post Office used on Kwajalein for some of the on the back of a bike. The fact that unique situations that happen here — someone outright gives a bungee cord kind of like Twilight Zone without the to another person they don’t necessary eeriness. The Kwajalein Zone. know qualifies the action as a Kwaja- Every once in a while I start imagin- lein Zone scenario. ing Rod Serling’s slightly ominous voice Granted, the need for a bungee cord saying, “Submitted for your consider- I know, you are asking yourself, “Just from a stranger to secure items on a ation, a small isolated spot, where ev- how did she plan on paying the bill to bike would probably be less in Dallas or eryone lives, works and eats together begin with?” I thought I had cash and New York City. What is being toted on — a place where no one leaves unless my checkbook and that they took credit the back of a bike is the real Zone it is for weeks at a time — or forever.” cards … honest, judge, I just cleaned material. This has got to be one of the One of those times occurred a couple out my fanny pack at the wrong time. few places where a TV is carefully of months ago when I was in Surfway. The last choice was looking more carried out of the store and toted home I had stopped in for five items, but and more tempting when Cris Lindborg via the back of a rusty bike. when the cart was rolled up to the pushed her cart up to the checkout One of the more unusual scenarios checkout, the total read $69.20. Some- counter, opened her checkbook and happened just before my friend Beverly one else must have put some items in made a check out for $69.20 and handed Schmidt PCSed. my basket, but I was hungry — even it to the checker. She ran into someone who was walk- the napkins looked tasty — so I decided Thank you, Cris, not only did you ing out of Macy’s after buying the last to keep them. save me from a short-lived life of crime gift wooden pen in a beautiful wooden Still everything was nice and normal — or going over to the dark side — but box. Beverly thought it would make — then (eek, eek) I didn’t have any you verified something I had noticed the perfect gift for her husband. The cash, my checkbook was in my room about this island: People help each pen immediately changed hands with and they don’t take credit cards yet. other, even if it involves money. That’s the caveat that Beverly would pay the I had visions of: A. putting every- when I felt I was in The Kwajalein donor later. thing back; B. letting all the frozen food Zone. I did two more tests of this situ- These are just three examples. I bet melt as I went to my room to get my ation in Surfway with Sylvia Riley and the reader could come up with more. checkbook; or C. making a mad rush a nameless Good Samaritan coming to Be sure and listen for the Beatles’ for the door with the cart full of food my rescue. music in the background and Serling’s and seeing how many meals I could That is very unusual for the real voice saying, “You have just entered cook before they caught me. world, but then so is giving someone a the Kwajalein Zone.” The Kwajalein Hourglass Buckminster and Friends By Sabrina Mumma Commanding Officer...Col. Curtis L. Wrenn Jr. Public Affairs Officer..........LuAnne Fantasia Editor..........................................Jim Bennett Associate Editor...............................Peter Rejcek Feature Writers....................Barbara Johnson KWHillis Graphics Designer ...........................Dan Adler The Hourglass is named for the insignia of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, which liberated the island from the forces of Impe- rial Japan on Feb 4, 1944. The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized publication for military personnel, federal em- ployees, contractor workers and their families assigned to USAKA. Contents of the Hour- glass are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Depart- ment of Defense, Department of the Army or USAKA. It is published Tuesdays and Fridays using a network printer by Raytheon Range Systems Engineering editorial staff, P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555. Phone: Autovon 254- 3539; local 53539. Printed circulation: 2,000 Tuesday July 23, 2002 Kwajalein Hourglass Page 3 Peace Corps maintains strong presence in Kiribati By Carol Sword RMI officials pushing for agency’s return supportive of our efforts.” Contributing Writer Since there are a limited TARAWA ATOLL, emphasis of the health “President Teburoro Tito number of resources to be REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI project is on water, sanita- is a very strong supporter allocated, volunteers go — Joseph Keyerleber plays tion and nutrition. of the Peace Corps since he where needed, and the a dual role at Tarawa, the Last year volunteer Joe used to be a Peace Corps countries must be commit- capital of Kiribati. He is Mulik was assigned to a instructor in our in-country ted to utilizing the program both country director of the special project as a data training program for new as effectively as possible. Peace Corps, and, during analyst for the Ministry of volunteers,” Keyerleber The first step in the Ambassador Michael J. Environment and Social explained. process is an evaluation Senko’s absence, senior Development. In a recent statement visit, but none has been U.S. government represen- “I gathered statistics on before the U.S. Senate scheduled yet for the RMI. tative in Kiribati. rainfall, temperatures, Committee on Foreign RMI Sen. Sato Maie of Senko, who resides at health, births, deaths and Relations, Peace Corps Kwajalein Atoll said he the U.S. embassy in education for a ‘State of the Director Gaddi H. Vasquez would welcome such a Majuro, makes periodic Environment of Kiribati,’” quoted President Tito. visit. He would like to see visits to Tarawa through- Mulik said. “This a volunteer teacher at the out the year. During a Now he Republic is elementary school on recent visit to celebrate acts as a “Tell the Peace in love with Enniburr (Third Island). Kiribati’s Independence liaison the Peace Twenty years ago there Day, Senko spent some between the Corps we are Corps,” Tito was a volunteer who time with Keyerleber home office said. “We taught at the school, and in discussing various Peace and volun- waiting. We are are in love the evenings he held Corps projects and other teers on the ready for them to with them, English classes for the activities in the area.