AIR COMMANDO
ASSOCIATION
on
lecti
2012 Et ACA to submit
Contac
e ballot
me on th
your na sident, Vice
for Pre r Board of
t, o
Presiden r position.
Directo
ANY TIME - ANY PLACE
MAY 2012
Quarterly MEMBERSHIP Newsletter
Local fundraiser benefits ACA
Wounded Warrior Program
on
lin See a
e a ll t
t w he
ww eve
.ai nt
rco ph
mm oto
an s
do
.or
g
James G. Roche (20th Secretary of the Air Force)
is this year’s ACA Reunion featured speaker.
Chef Dan Pettis of One 20 Modern Bistro located in Niceville demonstrates how to prepare one of many
appetizing dishes served to the crowd of ACA supporters at North Light Yacht Club in Niceville, Florida.
(Photo by Scott Schaeffler, for more pictures visit www.scotteventphoto.com)
By Jim Connors
On 26 April 2012 over 150 Air Commandos, supporters and volunteers gathered
at the North Light Yacht Club In Niceville
for the 1st TASTE of NORTH BAY Tapas
and Wine Tasting event. This event was the
concept of Mike Agin, President and CEO of
Pioneer Technology Corporation (PTC), one
of ACA’s corporate partners, and was held to
help finance the Air Commando Association
work with wounded Air Commandos and
their families and help meet needs not covered by other organizations.
The night featured the culinary talents of
six different Chefs, who each prepared one or
more of their specialties. Alaskan salmon and
halibut were flown in by PTC. Each specialty
was matched with white and red wines and
even a particular beer by Wine World. MSgt
Ken Cave, a First Sergeant from Hurlburt
Field, gave a first hand account of a wounded
See benefit pg 8
Joint Air Force Association—Air
Commando Association Luncheon
On 29 February 2012, the Hurlburt AFA
Chapter 398 and the National Headquarters
of the Air Commando Association hosted a
joint member’s luncheon at the Soundside
Club. The guest speaker was Lt. General Eric
Fiel, Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). ACA sponsored
representatives of our Corporate partners and
it was attended by many active members, retired and active duty Air Commandos. There
were a host of AFA members as well bringing the total to over 150.
General Fiel briefed the audience on the
current and future force structure of the MAJCOM. He candidly answered all questions
from the lunch guests.
The success of this was evident by the
large number in attendance and the outstanding support from the AFSOC senior staff. A
similar joint venture will be planned for later
in 2012.
Courtesy of the AFA Hurlburt Chapter
#398, www. hurburt.afaflorida.org
ACA Reunion
Slated Oct 11-14
By Dennis Barnett
ACA Vice President
It is not too early to mark your calendars and start planning for the reunion/
convention. This year we are moving away
from our traditional Columbus Day weekend due to availability of the Emerald
Coast Convention Center. The actual dates
are October 11-14, with the banquet on the
13th. Last year we had over 850 attendees at the banquet and we hope to have as
many this year. Our guest speaker is former
Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable
James Roche. He had some very unique ties
with Air Commandos after 9/11 and was a
staunch supporter.
The rest of the plan is essentially the
same. We will have an ice-breaker on Thursday at Two Trees Restaurant. The following
morning is our golf tournament at Gator
Lakes Golf Course. Last year we had over
25 teams. We can do even better than that
this year. We have a tentative speaker from
the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command
(JPAC). These people do amazing things
to recover MIAs from years ago. We may
have this presentation at the new King Auditorium to accommodate more people. FriSee reunion pg 5
ACA chapters: Cannon • mildenhall • washington D.C. • Rocky Mountain area • Kirtland • kadena
Page 2ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
Senior Leadership Column
Modern American Warfare
Increasing capacity with citizen Airmen
Maj Gen Richard S. “Beef” Haddad
Director, Plans and Programs
HQ Air Force Reserve Command
On April 18th, we celebrated the anniversary of a
unique, historic special operation. This mission was innovative, covert, extremely
dangerous, joint, and involved
methods never before used.
Sounds right up an Air Commando’s alley, doesn’t it?
Well, you may or may not be
surprised to learn that the operation is from the World War II
Pacific Theater -- the Doolittle
Raid on Japan. You might also
be surprised to learn that the
leader of the mission, Lt Col
James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle,
was a Reservist. On April
18th, we celebrated the 70th
anniversary of the historic
mission – a great example of
Air-Sea Battle. The 16 aircraft
that launched from the USS
Hornet took part in a mission
that many considered a failure
from an aircraft loss standpoint, yet it was a resounding
success from a morale and
war psychological operations
standpoint. This reservist- led
mission once again demonstrated the longstanding resolve of our citizen warriors
to contribute to the defense
of our nation. Within the constraints of future budgets, we
must define the roles of our
active, reserve, and guard
forces to establish a functional
balance that optimizes the efficiency and effectiveness of
our increasingly lean national
military.
Budget Cuts
The current budget plan
outlines reductions in force
structure to the active Air
Force, the Air Force Reserve
and the Air National Guard.
With the current economic
challenges facing our nation,
all services are facing significant budget reductions.
In addition to current budget
reductions, military leaders,
planners and programmers
are posturing for Sequestration which will take everyone
back to the drawing board.
Current budget cuts, although
politically disagreeable, are
designed to cut only the fat.
Future budgets cuts could potentially cut muscle and the
decisions regarding these cuts
will only get tougher. Keep in
mind that politicians must balance the security of the nation
against satisfying constituents
and ensuring re-election. Similarly, military leaders must
balance the security of the
nation against service advocacy, branch parochialism and
careers. This is not an indictment, it is meant to point out a
simple reality of how our process has functioned for more
than 200 years.
by two doctrines. The Monroe
Doctrine limited US involvement in foreign conflicts to
the Americas from 1807 until
WWII. WWI was a short and
temporary aberration from a
generally isolationist policy
when the US created a large
expeditionary Army for use
on the European Continent.
Following WWII, the rise of
the Soviet empire resulted in
the Truman Doctrine in 1947.
Although the stated policy of
the Truman Doctrine was to
“protect and defend democracy throughout the world”, the
concealed purpose was containment of the Soviet Union.
That policy required a large,
expeditionary and expensive
conventional military force.
The American people understood the threat and tolerated
the shift in policy and subse-
Foreign Policy
Another relatively major
factor in the dilemma is that
recent national strategy directives indicate a shift in national policy. The shift in emphasis from European security
and NATO to the Pacific Rim
and the US’ lead from the rear
position in Libya are, in fact,
finite indications of a foreign
policy shift1. Risking oversimplification, our national policy
has been historically defined
Clay McCutchan Director @ Large
quent expense. The world has
changed and the threats we
face today are significantly
different than those we faced
during the Cold War.
The Threat
During the last fifty years,
not only has the threat changed,
but the nature of warfare has
changed. Fewer wars are
fought between states. Conflicts today are more likely to
be revolutionary or as General
Rupert Smith, author of “The
Utility of Force” calls them
“wars amongst the people”2.
Since WWII, the use of large
expeditionary ground forces
has been tactically successful,
strategically questionable and
arguably, limited politically.
The paradox is that withSee leadership pg 4
AIR COMMANDO ASSOCIATION, INC.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OFFICERS
President, Richard Secord 2012
Vice President, Dennis Barnett 2012
Treasurer, Paul Harmon 2014
DIRECTORS
James Binnicker 2014
Tom Bradley 2013
Dave Freeman 2013
Joe Harris 2014
Mike Wooley 2013
Bob White 2012
Mickey Wright 2014
The Board of Directors normally meet
at 9:00 AM the last Saturday of each
month (Except December) at 2502 W.
Hwy 98, Mary Esther, FL.
ACA Newsletter
Published Quarterly By The Air
Commando Association, Inc.
Richard Secord, Editor
Jeanette Moore, Graphic Designer
Gloria Doster, Typist
Circulation: The Air Commando
Association Newsletter is distributed
free to members and other interested
parties for a combined circulation of
3200 copies.
Submit Copy or Letters to:
ACA
PO Box 7
Mary Esther, FL 32569
or
Email to: [email protected].
Website:www.aircommando.org
Facebook Page:
Air Commando Association
This publication is for the information,
interest, and enjoyment of our readers.
Views and opinions expressed are of the
author or source of material and do not
necessarily reflect opinions, views, or
endorsements of the ACA. Material in
the ACA newsletter may be reproduced
provided the source is credited. Located
4 miles West of Hurlburt on Hwy 98,
The ACA Hq Office is open 9am-4pm,
Monday-Friday. Mail: Box 7, Mary
Esther, FL, 32569. Phone: 850-5810099. Fax: X 8988.
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 3
Chief’s Corner
Great necessities call forth great leaders
Abigail Adams said in a
1790 letter to Thomas Jefferson, “These are hard times in
which a genius would wish
to live. Great necessities call
forth great leaders.”
And so it is today…hard
times calling forth great leaders. In AFSOC we are truly
blessed with great leaders.
I was reading a Civil War
magazine when I came across
an advertisement for a painting of Lee with Pickett at Gettysburg. Over the years, I’ve
read several biographies of
Lee and I guess if you asked
me I’d have to say that this
“Southern Gentleman” was a
great leader.
Reading the advertisement reminded me of the story
of the morning before Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg. It
also made me wonder about
something that always amazed
me:
(1) What kind of leadership qualities and traits it
takes to command such respect and loyalty from one’s
subordinates and fellow workers. You see, the facts behind
Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg
were these. Pickett’s men had
relatively light duty the day
before the big charge. Since
they were fresh troops, they
had been chosen to lead the
charge into the Union lines.
They also knew they had to
cross over 200 yards of open
ground into the face of massed
Union rifle and artillery fire.
They were not green troops
and knew they would take
heavy casualties. They were in
position in their staging area
under orders to remain quiet
and not do anything to give
away their position. Yet when
Lee, the man who had given
them their orders, and Pickett,
who was to lead them in this
maelstrom of death, rode by…
these men facing almost certain death rose silently to their
feet, stood at attention and removed their hats in a show of
respect to their leaders!
In this day and time when
people grumble and complain
about being asked to do most
anything within their capabilities, it is hard to imagine these
troops mumbling something
like, “there goes the crazy
SOB’s who ordered this attack.” One can take all the
leadership courses you want
and read all the textbooks on
it, but such leadership qualities are never learned…they
have to be a part of one’s character.
(2) The second thing I
wondered about when reading this was what sort of passion men could possess that
would commit them so totally
to a cause that they would face
certain death for it.
Even more importantly,
do we have a passion for anything that would burn as hot
for stakes less than our lives?
How about you? Do you have
a passion for what you are doing that you pay no heed to the
“200 yards of killing ground
you must cross to reach your
goal?
Do you have a passion for
doing your best that you ignore
the killing ground of long,
hard, grueling study hours or
the artillery of difficult tasks
and concentrate instead on the
goal you’ve set?
Do you have a passion for
the courses in your life, be it
career, school, country, God,
someone you love (no one
has to have one all-consuming
passion indeed you must have
many).
Why can you not be as
committed to a marriage as
to a career or as a patriotic as
you are religious? Sad indeed
is the person who has only one
great passion in life.
You burn with a fire in
your belly for what you hold
dear in life or else you’re just
going through the motions.
But beware of burning
with a passion for yourself
only. Self-centered goals and
passions may give quicker
rewards but will not see you
through life and are easily abandoned or changed in
tough times.
If you enter into marriage
for what you can get out of
it and what it will do for you
then the first time you have
problems, the first step you
take onto the “killing ground”
you’ll bolt and run, breaking
ranks to save yourself.
But, if your passion, your
driving force, in this marriage is to make it work and
to spend the rest of your life
with this person then you are
committed to the course. You
stay in the line with the bullets
and cannon fire of troubles
only to work through, not run
from. There are no guarantees
in this life and you may get
shot down and not reach your
goal, but if you have the passion to stay the line, it will not
be self-inflicted or it won’t be
in the back because you were
running from it.
If your passion in your ca-
CMSgt (ret) James C. Binnicker,
Ninth Chief Master Sergeant of the
Air Force, July 1986 - July 1990.
Chief Binnicker also serves on the
Air Commando Association Board
of Directors.
reer is self-centered, to get as
far as quick as you can without regard to those with you
or the organization you work
for, then you are doomed. You
may lead the charge, you may
be out front, but remember
those behind are drawing fire
and helping to keep you going
too.
You may lead, but you
never get where you are without those you lead. You can
charge out ahead and take all
the glory, but you soon find
you’re out in front all by yourself, deserted with no one to
help you take the fire or help
you clear the next obstacle.
So go as far as quickly as
you can, but never forget you
get there only with the help
of others. You don’t advance
unless you help them too. Let
your passion be to help and
advance your organization and
to bring out the best in those
who work with you and your
own advancement will follow.
Page 4ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
Leadership
Continued from page 2
out the political success, the
tactical effort becomes immaterial. Given these circumstances, how do we prepare to
defend the nation?
A good place to start is
renovating the Truman Doctrine. Adopting a new variation
of the Truman Doctrine makes
good sense and is more an
economic necessity than anything. We are now engaged,
constantly and in many permutations, in “wars amongst
the people.” Consequently,
although not impossible, it is
highly unlikely a large U.S.
expeditionary, military ground
force will be used in the near
future. It is more likely that future conflicts will use a leaner,
more agile lethal force. What
is the potential impact of this
reality upon the force structure
required to face asymmetric
threats around the globe?
Effect on Military Culture
Three major elements influence our military services:
legal, economic and cultural.
The legal element is defined in
the constitution, national and
international law. The economic element is controlled
by the US Congress and our
defense budget planning process. The cultural element is
the result of many variables
including, but not limited to,
history, tradition, service advocacy and the current threat.
Just as WWII and the Truman
Doctrine defined the postWWII military, the elimination of compulsory service is
an example of how a major
cultural shift can be affected
by an external factor.
The role of the draft-era
military was to defend the
nation, develop good citizens and train manpower for
American industry. The role
of the professional military of
today is to defend the nation,
only accept the most qualified
citizens, and compete with
American industry for the best
workers. The net effect of this
policy shift is the unprecedented development of the most
professional military force the
world has ever known. However, this mighty force has not
come without economic and
cultural costs.
Today’s U.S. military
force is a military that America’s young men and women
want to belong to. However, it
is also a military in which only
a small and select group of
young Americans qualify for
membership. A smaller force
with less visibility across mainstream America means that in
times of economic uncertainty
the budget may be cut beyond
what the military wants. Now
is the time to understand the
impact of the Doolittle Raiders by ensuring that the missions that are available are the
wisest best for all Americans.
Special Forces and the Reserve are a great way of ensuring both military effectiveness
and budget efficiency for the
American people. Changing
budget priorities significantly
alter military structure which
eventually impact military
culture.
Although the current
decisions are primarily economic, the important element
is the culture change that will
ensue as a result of economics. After a decade at war, the
United States’ requirement to
balance security and domestic
tranquility still permeates the
fiber of our nation. The future
cultural challenge will be all
components of our military
services learning to work together to meet the nation’s defense needs with significantly
reduced resources.
Reserve’s Role in AFSOC
The Defense Manpower
Commission, convened in
1971 under President Nixon
was the catalyst for the elimi-
nation of compulsory service. That commission also
stated that the nation would
never go to war again without the Reserve forces being
involved. First, the Reserve
forces would be the connection between the military and
civilian population, and second, they would be trained
and equipped to immediately
participate in a combat role.
The Air Force Reserve has
been an essential team member with AFSOC since events
in Iran in 1980 sparked the
creation of a dedicated special
operations infrastructure within the US military. Over the
past three decades, the 919th
Special Operations Wing has
evolved into one of the most
experienced combat units in
the AF Reserve. The Air Commandos of the 919th have participated in Foreign Internal
Defense training, foreign military schoolhouse instruction,
counter drug, missile launch
security, the AC-130A mission
and is currently the only unit
in the USAF flying the combat-proven MC-130E Talon I.
The 919th’s resume includes:
Operations JUST CAUSE,
DESERT STORM, RESTORE
DEMOCRACY, BOLD/DECISIVE/JOINT ENDEAVOR,
JOINT FORGE, SOUTHERN/
NORTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM AND
IRAQI FREEDOM. The Air
Commandos of the 919th have
cemented relationships within
the Department of Defense and
foreign units alike. The close
relationship built between the
USAF active duty SOF and
Duke Field Reservists has
preserved valuable combat experience. These Citizen Airmen have answered the call
for three decades, just as the
Doolittle Raiders answered
the call during World War II.
It is interesting to note that the
Doolittle Raiders actually performed portions of their short
field takeoff training at Duke
Field prior to their deployment
to the USS Hornet. The legacy
of excellence in Special Operations has roots at the home
of the 919 SOW. Undoubtedly,
this outstanding group of Air
Commandos will continue to
answer the call as AFSOC requirements evolve.
Tomorrow’s Role
It is probable, if not inevitable, that significant budget
cuts are forthcoming. These
cuts will ultimately reduce the
size of the active duty military.
The United States military
may end up being a smaller
force, but it can still remain
the most potent force in the
world. These changes can be
significantly offset by shifting
many of the roles and functions to reserve forces. This
imperative is being realized at
AFSOC with Battlefield Airmen, innovative Maintenance
Association, Aviation Foreign
Internal Defense, Non-Standard Aviation, Intelligence,
Surveillance, Reconnaissance,
as well as potential opportunities in the training mission.
Whatever the mission requirements, there is no question
that the only Reserve wing in
USAF Special Operations-the 919 SOW--will continue
to meet the needs of US Special Operations Command
and the nation. Aside from
the mission aspect of being an
Air Commando in the world’s
greatest Air Force, I treasure
the personal relationships and
the “can do” culture of Special
Operations. General Wayne A.
Downing said it best when he
set the Air Commando’s mission standard of “moral, ethical, and legal” to get the job
done – the important job of
defending our nation.
Note: Gen Haddad will be
the new Deputy to Chief of the
Air Force Reserve this July.
1. “The ECONOMIST”, Volume 402 Number
8778 pg 69. 31 Mar-6 Apr 2012.
2. Utility of Force, The Art of War in the
Modern World, General Rupert Smith.
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 5
Hall of Fame seeks nominations for 2012
By Jim Ifland
The Hall of Fame Committee headed up by Lt/Gen
Mike Wooley USAF, Retired,
is seeking nominations for the
year 2012 selection process.
The selection process provides a unique opportunity for
each of us to recognize those
individuals that have made
significant contributions to Air
Force Special Operations. Air
Commandos have been deeply
involved in both overt and
covert operations in all areas
of the globe spanning a time
frame from WW II, both CBI
and Europe, Korea, Vietnam,
Desert Shield/Storm, Kosovo
and Iraq/Afghanistan just to
mention a few. I’m confident
that we have many unsung heroes from each of these eras
that were “just doing their
job,” but in fact were designing, improvising, developing
new procedures/equipment/
tactics and laying the ground
work for Special Operations
as we know it today. We have
provided a copy of the recent
changes to the nomination cri-
teria along with a nominations
form on the ACA web site
www.aircommando.org. These
changes were approved by the
ACA Board of Directors prior
to the 2011 nominations and
are the criteria that the Hall of
Fame Committee will use to
evaluate your nominations. I
urge each of you to take a moment and reflect on your vast
experiences and identify those
individuals that stood out and
really made a difference. We
had a great response for nominations to the HoF Commit-
tee for 2011 that resulted in
the selection of 5 outstanding
nominees for induction the
Hall of Fame. There was an
excellent article in the Fall
2011 edition of the AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL about
the Hall of Fame inductees
and an example of the length
and content of the citation that
should accompany your nomination submission. Recommendations for consideration
should arrive at the Air Commando Association office no
later than 31 July 2012.
Air Commando Hall of Fame procedures
Requests for nominations
will be published in the February and May newsletters and
posted on the ACA website.
Nominations may be accepted
at any time, but no later than
31 July of the year to be considered. Nominations received
after the deadline will be held
for the following year’s selection process. Nominations that
fall short of the Hall of Fame
Committee’s selection criteria
will be returned with an appropriate letter. The Committee will review nominations
and finalize their selection in
sufficient time to present their
recommendations to the ACA
Board of Directors at their
August meeting and publication in the August newsletter.
Once approved by the Board
of Directors, the ACA President will then send a letter to
the selectee’s as soon as possible to provide sufficient time
for the selectee’s to plan for
their attendance at the October reunion where the formal
presentation will be made. A
courtesy copy of this letter
will be sent to the person who
submitted the nomination.
Eligibility Criteria
1. All nominees must be
eligible for membership in the
Air Commando Association.
2. Nominees must have
been assigned or attached for
no less than three years to an
Air Force Air Commando or
Special Operations unit.
3. No nominee shall be
selected based upon a singular circumstance of bravery or
heroics except this restriction
does not apply to Medal of
Honor awardees.
4. Nominees shall have
served honorably while on active duty and in civilian life.
5. The justification for the
nominee shall clearly reflect
SIGNIFICANT
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BETTERMENT OF AIR COMMANDO OR AIR FORCE
SPECIAL
OPERATIONS
FORCES.
Nomination Procedures And
Requirements
1. Anyone may nominate
any Air Commando who
meets the eligibility criteria
for selection to the Hall of
Fame.
2. Self-initiated nominations will not be accepted.
3. Nomination package
will include:
a. Verifiable and detailed
information about the nominee and complete justification
for the selection.
b. A copy of the DD-214
or equivalent documentation
to verify service, awards,
decorations, POW status and/
or other significant achievements. IT IS INCUMBENT
ON THE NOMINATOR TO
VARIFY THE ACCURACY
AND CREDIBILITY OF
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE HALL OF
FAME COMMITTEE.
c. A detailed and comprehensive citation suitable for
presentation at the induction
ceremony. No more than 275
words.
d. Photo of the nominee if
available.
e. Names, addresses and
phone numbers of two professional references.
f. Nomination packages
must be signed by the originator and will include their contact information for both the
nominator and the nominee.
4. Nomination packages
will be sent to the AC Hof
Committee, P.O. Box 7, Mary
Esther, FL 32569 to arrive
not later than 31 July of each
year.
nation packages and return to
the originator those that do
not meet both the eligibility
criteria and the nomination
procedures and requirements
criteria. The Chairman of the
Hall of Fame committee will
provide a letter of explanation
to the originator.
2. The HoF Committee
will only recommend those
individuals who meet the basic criteria and have made significant individual and unique
contributions to Air Force
Special Operations.
See procedures pg 6
Reunion
Continued from page 1
day night we will have our fish
fry at the Quality Inn (where
we have 85 rooms reserved).
On Saturday morning we will
have our annual business meeting at the 8th SOS. After the
banquet Saturday night we will
have the memorial service in
the Air Park and a barbecue afterwards. It all promises to be
another great time and now is
Selection Procedures
the time to make reservations.
1. The HoF Committee will See you all then!
process and validate the nomi- Registration on page 16
Page 6ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
Air Commando CMSgt (ret) Roland Lutz
inducted in “Pioneers in Blue” Volume II
The second volume of
Pioneers in Blue, a special
project highlighting the contributions of 40 Air Force veterans from across generations,
launched late October 2011.
“Pioneers in Blue” is a Air
Force Public Affairs Agency
sponsored project that includes
portrait-based displays, video
interviews, multimedia and a
website dedicated to telling
the stories of individual veterans. The entire endeavor will
be submitted to the Library
of Congress as part of the
Veterans History Project and
distributed to numerous media outlets to help honor those
who have served proudly.
Some of the veteran’s
honored in this volume in-
clude:
Col. (ret.) George “Bud”
Day is the most highly decorated American military warrior since Gen. Douglas MacArthur. His military career
spanned 34 years and three
wars, during which he received
70 decorations and awards ...
more than 50 were for combat,
including the Medal of Honor.
Col. (ret.) Gail Halvorsen is known as “The Candy
Bomber.” During the Berlin
Airlift Halvorsen made little
parachutes out of handkerchiefs, tied them to chocolate
and gum, and tossed them
out of his aircraft to German children. The amount of
candy steadily increased during the airlift, and by the end,
Procedures
Continued from page 5
3. The HoF Committee
Chairman and/or the Secretary will present the list of
recommended nominees for
induction to the ACA Board
of Directors for their approval.
4. The HoF Committee will not recommend
more than five nominations
for selection to the Hall of
Fame in any given year.
Induction Procedures
1. The ACA Board of
Directors will provide final
approval of the selectees.
2. The selectees will be
inducted into the Hall of
Fame at the annual reunion,
normally at the banquet.
3. A certificate and special name tag will be presented during the induction.
4. A brass name plate
will be mounted on the Hall
of Fame memorial display
maintained in the ACA
building.
American pilots had dropped
250,000 parachutes and 23
tons of candy.
The 80 piece portrait exhibit, consisting of two volumes, will be displayed in the
Pentagon 5th floor, A ring, between the 8th and 9th corridor
until further notice.
You can see all veterans at the
web site: www.af.mil/specials/
pioneers/index.html
To see CMSgt Hap Lutz’
page: www.af.mil/specials/
pioneers/19lutz.html
Facebook page is: pioneersinblue
CMSgt Hap Lutz’ portrait
Chief Master Sergeant
(Ret.) Roland Lutz was one
of the first Air Commandos in
Air Force special operations
history. He served as a combat
medic after enlisting in 1958.
In Vietnam, Lutz experienced
some of the most gruesome
days of his medical career.
On his first day, he tended to
a mother who was shot by her
own child, a military member
who was shot in the eye at the
firing range and two prisoners
shot by their guard. During a
deployment to Udorn Air Base,
Thailand, he was sent to assist
Lao villagers wrongly bombed
by U.S. aircraft. Lutz and his
crew took a generator and
movie equipment to entertain
them. While the villagers were
watching a movie, they were
hit by the Pathet Loa, a communist political organization
in Laos. Lutz helped 23 people
who were seriously wounded
during the attack. In Nov.
1999, Lutz discovered that a
hospital was named “Doc Lutz
Hospital.” in Savannakhet,
Laos, in Lutz’s honor .
Lutz has made it clear that
CMSgt (ret) Roland Lutz
none of his accomplishments
would have been possible
without the help of his strong
and loving wife, Shirley, who
stayed home and raised their
eight children. Since his retirement, he spends his days taking care of her and attending
and supporting Air Commando
Association events.
Editor’s Note: When Staff
Sgt Julianne Showalter contacted the ACA for possible
candidates to submit, we recommended several Air Commando Hall of Fame inductees
to her. Sgt Showalter contacted many of them and chose to
submit Chief Lutz.
Photo by ACA member
Staff Sgt. Julianne M. Showalter
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 7
AIR COMMANDO HALL OF FAME NOMINATION FORM
• Nominee: Name _______________________________________________________________________________
Rank ___________ Status (Active or retired)
Commando/Special Operations Units Assigned
Dates (If known)
___________________________________
_______________________
___________________________________
_______________________
___________________________________
_______________________
___________________________________
_______________________
___________________________________
_______________________
• Career Field/Specialty: _________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Foreign Service :
_ _________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Awards/Decorations: _________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Significant Contributions to Special Operations verifiable and detailed information about the nominee and complete justification for selection. Be specific including assignments, accomplishments, and reasons the nominee should be given this very
special recognition. (Use separate sheets if necessary.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Citation: Submt a one-paragraph (no more than 275 words) citation highlighting the salient points of the nomination to be
read at the induction ceremony. (Use separate sheet please.)
• References: (two required with names addresses, and phone numbers)
Name___________________________________________ Name____________________________________________
Address _ _______________________________________ Address_ _________________________________________
City/State/Zip____________________________________ City/State/Zip______________________________________
Phone___________________________________________ Phone _ __________________________________________
• If available, include a copy of nominees’ DD-214 and a photo.
Submitter Signature: _________________________________ Date: _______________
Submitter Name: (Please Print) __________________________________________________
Submit to:
Air Commando Association, Attention: Hall of Fame Committee, PO Box 7, Mary Esther, FL 32569
Feb 2012
Page 8ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
Benefit
Continued from page 1
Air Commando from his unit
and the support he received
from ACA and others coming
home from the war. Finally,
delicious assortments of desserts were provided to put the
perfect ending on a great evening.
The Air Commando Association wishes to thank all
of those who made the Taste
of North Bay the resounding
success it was:
•Pioneer Technology
Corporation (PTC)
•North Light Yacht Club
•Wine World
•Chef Ernie DanJean
of Dockside Café
•Chef Dan Pettis of
One 20 Modern Bistro
•Chef Jekyll – A Private
Chef
•Chef Andrea Ogden with
The Viking Store
•Chef Jose Cruz of One
20 Modern Bistro
•Sweet Cakes by Heather
If you are looking for a
great new dining experience,
check out the Chefs and restaurants above.
In addition to the great
support above, ACA had too
many volunteers involved to
list here but two that need mentioning for doing the heavy
lifting are Jeanette Moore and
Shannon Pressley
This successful fundraiser will lead the way to others
throughout the year. If you
would like to sponsor a fundraiser to help the Air Commando Association, please contact
Shannon at [email protected] with your idea.
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 9
Page 10ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
Membership Update
Taps
In memory of:
Walter H Baxter III May 2012
Delmar ‘Shelley’ Hilliard May 2012
Clyde Howard Jan 2012
James Yealy Feb 2012
New Members
Eric Adkins
Paul Albuquerque
Juan Alvarez
James Anderson
Brady Armistead
Timothy Arnold
Thomas Bailey
Lee Beausoleil
Stephen Bennett
Shaun Bertram
Timothy Both
William Bowman
Michael Brescia
Robert Brock
John Carroll
William Cartwright
Ramon Colon-Lopez
William Cook
Angelito Cooper
Barry Crawford
Jason Davis
Joe DeCarlis
New Members
Thomas DeJan
John DeSalle
Andrew Doup
Jim Doyle
Kristofer Egeland
Justin Eigenmann
John Elftmann
Charles Fowler
Matthew Gorsuch
Scott Guffey
Robert Hubbard
Christopher Hughes
Irene Jones
Fred Jones
Steven Keeffe
Matthew Knouse
Jeff Kruse
Charles Langham
Paul Lawrenz
Cleo Lewis
Edmund Loughran
Tom Lutz
New Members
Wayne Mashburn
Mark Mattoon
Ted Mauldin
Joe McFadden
Scott McIntosh
Charles McMillan
James McNulty
Harold Mead
Donald Meek
David Megeath
Cary Mittelmark
Christopher Mort
Richard Moyle
James Mulhern
Michael Murphy
Christopher Nelson
Robert Newall
Robert Newton
Domerick Nolan
Joshua Ort
Erin Owens
Wayne Patrick
David Pemberton
David Piech
Richard Prater
Tom Rice
Richard Roberts
Keith Rogacki
Mark Schroeder
David Sciacchitano
Patrick Sheehan
Join Us for the
ACA 4th of July!
When:
Where:
Time:
Cost:
Wednesday, 4th of July
Mr. ‘T’s Two Trees Restaurant, at FWB Golf Course
1300 to 1600
$10 per person, pay at the door - Guests welcome!
Please bring a (or several) non-perishable food item(s)
for Caring & Sharing.
RSVP: ACA HQs at 850-581-0099 or
email:[email protected]
New Members
William Shehan
Maria Jaine Sipin
Charles Slone
Matthew Smith
Greg Smith
Christopher Stegner
Robert Stewart
Johnny Stewart
Robert Stone
Robert Taylor
Daniel Torres
Lucinda Valdez
Curt Van De Walle
Mark Villagran
Zachariah Westerfield
Max Wheeler
Brent Wiggett
Keith Wood
Michael Wormley
Found Members
Eric Bowman
Nicky Howell
Lost Members
William Adams
Michael Brown
Michael Deckard
Nicholas Lovegreen
Lost Members
Michael McConnell
Steve Newman
Julianne Showalter
On the Move
William Andersen
Jeffrey L Betsch
Kevin Cabanas
Robert A Coulter
Anne L Coulter
Michael Deckard
Ernest E Givani
Neal T Golden
James Habas
Yong Her
Michael D Lindhorst
Dennis G Lundgren
MGen O G Mannon
Evan Mersel
Charles Monka
William Moyle
Louis Schindler
Brett W Scholten
Leonard Smales
Robert R Soucy II
Paul Widener
L. Todd Wood
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 11
Volunteerism is alive and well in ACA
By Dennis Barnett VP
The last year and a half
has brought a great deal of
change to the ACA. We have
had some great initiatives
that are having long reaching
results and will impact the
growth and sustainability of
this fine organization for generations. Our corporate partner program, our chapters, the
Air Commando Journal, our
Endowment Foundation, our
robust AFSOC level awards
program, our JrROTC award
and our overall assistance to
Air Commandos Past, Present
and Future are just a few of
those changes. All have led to
a great influx of new members
and all strengthen the foundation we are laying for the fu-
Volunteer Corner
By Pete Riley
The verb Volunteer was
first recorded in 1755, from
the noun, in C.1600, “one who
offers himself for military service,” from M.Fr. Voluntaire.
It seems somehow appropriate to me that the term has its
roots in a military reference.
While my experience as an Air
Force member provided many
opportunities for volunteering
(we called it an opportunity
to excel back then), I never
really noticed or considered
the difference it really made
in others’ lives. Selfishly, my
intent at the time was solely
for the purposes of providing
APR/EPR fodder. It wasn’t
until years later as I began to
contribute for reasons beyond
self-service that I came to realize how personally rewarding
volunteering can truly be.
The mission of the ACA
is to support the Air Force
Special Operations Command
warriors past and present, their
families, and the community
through fundraising and grant
giving focused on education,
charitable donations, and research. Conducting this mission requires the support of
our members to assist with the
events, areas of involvement,
and activities to include:
• ACA facilities maintenance
and upkeep
• ACA representation at
sponsored events (local and
away)
• Special event requirements
(Golf Tournaments, etc.)
• Special activities/projects
(Video, Photography, etc.)
Do you have a special
talent or skill that you would
like to share? We are in need
of any skill-based trade (electrician, plumbing, carpentry,
concrete work, etc.) as well as
ACA representatives to attend
events for sponsored awards,
acknowledgement, etc. No
skill or specialty is too small
or large. The goal is to develop a field of volunteers (by
interest area) that can respond
to requirements.
Upcoming Events in need
of support include:
–– Boo Weekly Golf Tournament at Hidden Creek Golf
Course (July 26-29)
–– Recurring AFJROTC annual award banquet
–– Ongoing facility upkeep
and maintenance at ACA
Headquarters
–– Airman Leadership Graduation
–– Hurlburt Field Quarterly
Awards
If you are interested in participating or lending your talents to our Volunteer Program,
please email me at [email protected] for more information
and an application. Thanks for
your consideration!
ture.
One thing that has not
changed, in spite of a few vocalized opinions otherwise, is
our need for volunteers to assist in day to day events and
perhaps more importantly, our
key events list that continues
to grow. ACA would totally
fail without the quiet unsung
heroes that continue to give up
their time to enable the organization to thrive. I could list
dozens of folks that step to the
fore to make things click and
they are all self-starters that
”walk the walk as well as talk
the talk”. If I started the list
I would embarrass several of
these folks and also run the
risk of omitting someone that
has done a lot so I just leave it
to the readers to take my word
for it-- there are dozens. As
we continue to grow and open
our aperture there is a need
to put a little more structure
to this critical volunteer program. Pete Riley has VOLUNTEERED to organize our
efforts and lays out his plan in
the following article. Thank
you Pete!
BDU shipment to
AFJROTC unit
By Bob White
We recently completed
another shipment of uniforms
to the Laurel Highlands AF
ROTC Unit in Uniontown,
PA. Col Dennis Jones, (former
H-53 guy at Hurlburt) Senior
Instructor for the unit asked for
help in obtaining excess military uniforms, boots and accessories. We were able to put
together 11 boxes and airmail
them up to him on April 5th
courtesy of the AF ANG 193
SOW out of Harrisburg,Pa.
Lots of coordination and players made this possible. Thanks
to Col (ret) Steve Connelly,
Lockheed Martin/ATARS II,
Col Gerald Buckman, AFSOC
CCR, LtCol Edward Fink,
ANG 193 SOW/OG, MSgt
John Hlifka, AFSOC SOLRS,
MSgt David Couch, AFSOC
SOLRS & MSgt Nathan Alleman, ANG 193SOS/DOOL the
task went off like clockwork.
We are proud to participate in
this project which reflects the
“can do “ attitude of our organization. The ROTC program
develops citizens of character
and we are there to support
them. Unfortunately, we were
unable to take pictures due to
the change in takeoff time.
Page 12ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Lt Col James Yealy - Final Flight
James F. Yealy AKA: “The
World’s Greatest Fighter Pilot” flew his last mission on
February 7, 2012 with his children by his side.
“Jim” was born in Montreal, Canada in 1920 to Arthur
E. Yealy and Philomena Castaldi-Yealy. The family moved
to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in 1925. He was preceded in
death by his parents, his only
sister, Barbara Ann Yealy and
most recently his beloved wife
of 65 years, Shirley Ann.
Jim had a long and courageous military career serving
his country with pride and a
fearless spirit. He entered the
Army Air Corps during WWII
with a flight record of 165
missions in the P47 and P51
aircraft in the Pacific Theater.
The Air Force recalled him for
active duty during the Korean
War flying the P47 and F86.
During his career he also flew
the FI00, L19 and proudly
the A-l Skyraider. Jim served
two tours in Vietnam with 186
missions in the A-IE. Some of
his many accommodations include the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the
Bronze Star and the Air Medal
(12 oak leaf clusters). He was
honored to be inducted into the
Air Commando Hall of Fame.
Prior to retiring from the
Air Force Jim discovered a
love of sailing. He held the
honor of being a past Commodore and life member of the
Fort Walton Yacht Club. He
was a devoted and loyal friend
to many.
His family will be forever
grateful for the legacy he has
left behind; How to live a life
with dignity, passion, a sense
of humor and the ability to
persevere in the face of true
adversity. He leaves behind his
three children, Barbara Morris, Christine Ball and James
A. Yealy (Cecilia); Grandchildren -Christine Totten,
May 2012
A Celebration of his
life will be held June
30, 2012 at the Fort
Walton Beach Yacht
Club in Ft Walton Bch
Jennifer Henry (Dane), Jason
Ball (Anna), Ashley Hermes
(James) and Amy Yealy; and
many Great Grandchildren.
A Celebration of his life
will be held June 30, 2012 at
the Fort Walton Beach Yacht
Club in Fort Walton Beach.
Condolences may be sent to
the Yealy Family at 2323 E.
San Tan Street, Chandler, Arizona 85225
Jim Yealy: Co-worker and good friend
By Jim Boney
When I heard that Jim had
passed away it was as if an arrow had pierced my heart (a
quote from General Cardenas
when Heinie flew west). Jim
and I had worked together for
twenty years, cutting and pasting, gathering and searching
for informative articles and
pictures that would be of inter-
est to our members.
Neither Jim nor I had any
background in journalism. It
was not our AFSC. We were
1151 (fighter pilots). We made
a lot of goofs but overall I like
to think the “atta-boys” outweighed the criticisms as we
strived to improve.
We had our petty disagreements. Sometimes when
I irritated him he would smile
and say, “don’t forget bonehead, I outrank you!’” Even
when his physical condition
deteriorated, I would pick him
up with his walker, get him a
cup of coffee and a sausage
biscuit and he would proofread for three or four hours
and rarely missed a mistake.
Mentally he was still nearly
100% accurate.
To me, Jim was a real hero
and a friend to most everyone.
I consider myself most fortunate to have been his close
friend. It was an honor to be
the friend of a three war fighter pilot who flew P-47s in the
jungles of New Guinea and
served in the same squadron
with Chuck Yeager in Germany in F 86s and several other
F-series jet fighters. Jim was
the recipient of the Silver Star
among many other decorations. His last assignment was
at Hurlburt Field as the A-1
Squadron Commander. “What
a ride!”
Jim Yealy will be remembered by many who cared for
and admired him as I did.
Today’s Adversaries
Compel us to Think
Strategically and
Manage Dynamically
Jacobs USOG is ready for the challenge
Our exceptionally experienced and highly adaptive IT,
training, program management and acquisition professionals
quickly and effectively evaluate and navigate today’s
unpredictable threats and opportunities.
We are recognized by the United States Special Operations
Command as one of the premier contractors assisting with its
vital operations against terrorist networks throughout the globe.
Jacobs USOG marks its 14th year of
supporting USSOCOM and its warfighters.
813-282-3500 | www.usog.jacobs.com | scan this QR code to visit our website
Jacobs_4color_Ad_p.indd 1
8/29/11 4:57 PM
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 13
Kirtland/ Albuquerque ACA chapter stands up
MSgt Nicholas S. Pelhan, an
Operations Superintendant in
the 71st Special Operations
Squadron was instrumental
along with MSgt Patrick
Griffin and other key people
in the stand up of the newest
ACA chapter. The Secretary
for Veteran’s Affairs of New
Mexico, Col (ret) Tim Hale,
an ACA lifetime member,
was the keynote speaker
at the opening ceremony.
There is a lot of enthusiasm about this chapter, and
they are carefully planning
activities to ensure continued
growth.
Col (ret) Tim Hale Secretary for Veteran’s Affairs, NM, 58 SOW/CC Col James Cardoso, MSgt Nicholas Pelhan (Interin President), and MSgt Patrick Griffin (Interim Vice President).
All photos courtesy of Alexander Carothers who is a HC/MC-130J ATARS Instructor at Kirtland AFB
Page 14ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
JBPHH PME Center
dedicated to CMSAF
James C. Binnicker
By 2nd Lt. Jessica Rowe
15th Wing Public Affairs
The Pacific Air Forces
and 15th Wing leadership dedicated the Hickam Professional Military Education Center
in honor of the ninth Chief
Master Sgt. of the Air Force,
James C. Binnicker.
The Binnicker PME Center was unveiled Feb. 15 at the
center’s flagpole, in conjunction with the final retreat ceremony for Non-Commissioned
Officer Academy Class 12-1.
“We learned about Chief
Binnicker in our class, and
we use his lessons in real
life,” said Tech. Sgt. Les Garon Ueda, NCOA 12-1 class
commander. “To be part of the
class that gets to dedicate this
building in his honor is just an
absolute privilege.”
The PME process was a
key platform in Binnicker’s
CMSAF interview process,
and he continues to dedicate
his time to this cause.
In 1978, Binnicker reported a 17 percent opportunity for NCO development in
PACAF - the lowest in the Air
Force at that time. Today, due
to his initiatives, all eligible
Airmen attend PME programs
at schoolhouses, like the Binnicker PME Center, across the
command.
A mixture of friends, family, colleagues, and Airmen from the most junior to most
senior in rank - gathered for
this special event.
Binnicker had a successful active duty career that
spanned more than 33 years,
giving the PACAF command
chief, Chief Master Sgt Brooke
McLean, much to choose from
as he prepared his comments
as the presiding official of the
ceremony.
McLean described Binnicker as a champion of the enlisted development arena and
an Airman who continues to
make a difference today.
“Chief Binnicker is man
of many talents, having held
many key positions and been
recognized with numerous
awards and decorations,”
McLean said. “He never failed
to make time to guide, mentor,
direct and push when needed.
He’s still making a difference
by running our Air Force Enlisted Village in Florida. We’re
so blessed to have Chief Binnicker as a leader in our Air
Force, and it’s so fitting that
we rename this PME Center
after him today.”
In response to the honor of
having the PME Center dedi-
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
9th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Binnicker stands outside of
the newly renamed Binnicker Professional Military Education Center at
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii Feb. 15. Binnicker served a total
of 17 assignments during his enlisted career, including a one-year assignment to the Republic of Vietnam. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Mike
Meares)
Col. Sam Barrett, 15th Wing commander, 9th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air
Force James Binnicker, and Chief Master Sgt. Brooke McLean, Pacific Air
Forces command chief, render a salute as the National Anthem plays at
the newly renamed Binnicker Professional Military Education Center. Binnicker entered the Air Force in 1957 and retired 33 years later after serving as Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force for four years. (U.S. Air Force photo/
Senior Airman Lauren Main)
cated to him, Binnicker said
he was almost speechless.
“I cannot express how
I feel. My name may be on
that sign, and it is truly a high
honor,” the chief said. “But,
if you look really close you
will see
thousands of names
draft_for_newspaper.ai 1 5/5/2011 5:03:22 PM
on that sign, as well, that have
brought us here today.”
Editor’s Note: CMSgt James
Binnicker is currently serving
on the Air Commando Association’s Board of Directors.
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 15
ACA Letters & Notes
Hi Dick and Dennis,
Just wanted to drop a short
note to let you know how encouraging you two have been
for the ACA. I continue to be
impressed with the newsletter,
the web site, and the professional connections you are establishing. Keep up the good
work, and God bless.
Bruce Fister
Dear ACA,
Thank you for supporting the Gathering of Eagles
(GOE) event at Air Command
and Staff College (ACSC).
This year we will conduct the
31st Annual GOE program. It
will provide a forum for men
and women who made significant contributions to air, space
and cyber space power to educate and inspire the ACSC
students, our future Air Force
leaders. ACA’s donation will
enable the GOE Foundation to
orchestrate yet another worldclass program for this year’s
Eagles and ACSC students.
The Gold level donation qualified for the following thank
you gifts from the GOE Foundation:
GOE Lithograph, Name/
Org in bio book, coin, website
link.
As a non-profit charity under the Internal Revenue Code
section 501(c)(3) all donations
were tax-deductible. Our tax
information is: “Air Command
and Staff College Gathering of
Eagles Foundation” employer
ID #: 20-5706080.
Thank you again for your
invaluable support of this
year’s program. This program
will continue on an annual basis and if you are interested
in supporting us in the future,
you can contact us through
our website: www.goefoundation.com. It is important that
we maintain the quality of
this tremendous program and
continue to honor our Nation’s
heroes.
Sincerely,
James W. Busch President,
Gathering of Eagles Foundation 225 Chennault Circle
Maxwell AFB AL 361126426
Editor’s Note: Air Commando
Association members BGen
Robert L. Cardenas and TSgt
Robert Robert Gutierrez Jr.
were honored in this year’s
Gathering of Eagles program.
Searching for Info
A friend of mine is searching for info on one of the original members of the Air Commando organization, circa
1961. His name is: Maurice
S. Gaston (known as “Maury”). He retired from the AF
as a LTC or COL in the early
1980’s from MacDill AFB. He
died in 2006. He served 2 or 3
tours in VN & other interesting places.
Anyone knowing him or
anything about him could pass
it on to his niece, Maury Stewart, Blue Waters Mountain
Lodge, 292 Pine Ridge Road,
Robbinsville, NC 28771 or
e-mail:info@bluewatersmtnl.
com.
Thanks in advance,
Roy W. Bahr SOA-315L
aca,
I am looking for Al Dykes
originally from Gadsden Al.
He was an AF officer flying
spooky, call sign spook 41, out
of Phan Rang Vietnam, 1969.
In particular during the siege
of fire base Kate from October
28 to November 1 1969. Also
anyone from artillery fire base
Kate during this siege. This is
very important. Contact Con-
gressman Bob Schilling of
Moline IL. at 309-757-7630
or contact Ken Moffet, veterans affairs officer, at email:
[email protected].
gov. I, Bob Hammett, am an
ACA member, and am in contact with these men so you can
also contact me at email: [email protected].
Thanks!
Jeanette Moore
Robert Hammett
Steve Herberth
aca members,
Dear Friends at Air
Commando Assoc,
Would like information
on how I might contact Arthur
W. Callaway “Cal’s” family.
I was stationed with him in
Minnesota where we became
close friends for many years.
I retired from the USAF in
1974. I would like the family to contact me if possible
by telephone 1-573-443-2196
or by mail 1476 S. Pecos, Columbia, MO 65201.
John C. Corley
ACA,
How do I find a specific
patch the 353 AF Special Ops
Black Cat Patch?
Frank DiSomma
[email protected]
Hi,
Just got my ACA Newsletter dated February 2012 and
the Post Office managed to
mangle it up pretty good. Any
chance I could get a new one?
Thanks
Leslie Hall
Murrieta, CA
Leslie,
I was wondering how the
newsletter would hold up to
some of the challenges the US
Postal Service puts it through!
I will mail you a new one today.
Editor,
I just received the new
quarterly newsletter. I LOVE
the new format! Very professional.... you guys (and gals....
can’t forget the ladies!!!!!!)
continue to rock!
Greetings once again
from Delaware. The latest
newsletter was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. Expecting the usual newspaper issue,
the new format had me taking
a second look to be sure it was
you. Seeing the pictures of
your Christmas social really
had me wishing I had been
there.
I especially liked the pictures of Jim Boney and company. It looks like he is holding a plaque, maybe honoring
him for his years as editor of
the newsletter. This brought
back memories of how I got
involved with the ACA to the
level that I have been enjoying since 2009. Some of you
might remember that rainy
See letters pg 18
morning in August when I
walked in the office. But I still
want to relate my story about
Jim to everyone.
I was stationed at Hurlburt
in 1966-67. After I left there I
never returned, even though
I wanted to. In 2008 I spent
most my non working hours
taking care of my father who
was in a battle with cancer.
After he passed, I needed to
get away, so my wife and family suggested that I go back to
Fort Walton Beach, since I had
been talking about it for the
Page 16ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
2012 Reunion Schedule of Events*
1700-2000
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
First Nighters Social at Two Trees Restaurant, Ft Walton Bch
$10 - Light Hors d’oeuvres. RSVP on this order form.
0800-1230 1000-1600 1200-2400 1600-??? FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
Golf Tourney at Gator Lakes (Hurlburt)
Designate who you want to play with and/or your team.
Reunion registration at Hospitality Room
Hospitality Suite open
Fish Fry at Quality Inn
0900-1030 1200-2400 1730-1900 1900-2130 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
Annual Business Meeting (8th SOS)
Bus provided from Quality Inn to base & back
Hospitality Suite ready
Social hour at Emerald Coast Convention Center
Bus provided from Quality Inn to convention center & back
ACA Banquet at Emerald Coast Convention Center
• Hall of Fame Presentation ceremony
• Awards Presentations in conjunction with Air Force
Special Operations Command
0900-1100 1200-1300 1300-1630 1300-1630 1400
1630 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14
Open house at the ACA Building
Memorial Service at Hurlburt Air Park
Bus provided from Quality Inn to base & back
BBQ at Quality Inn
Hospitality Suite good to the last drop
COMMANDO CASH Drawing & ACA Auction & Silent
Auction at Hospitality Suite
Reunion over
May 2012
n
o
i
n
u
e
R
w
Ne
Dates are
Oct 11-14 !!
ONLINE SIGN UPS AVAILABLE JULY 1ST
Watch for your Tickets
in the mail!
commando cash
Raffle Drawing held on
Sunday at the BBQ!!!
*Schedule of events subject to change.
2012 will feature Air Commando Wine from Blanchard Family Wines
again. Be sure to purchase an extra bottle at the hospitality suite on
Friday! Commemorative ACA wine will be available at each Saturday
banquet table again this year. The 2012 banquet will feature table service
with a dual entree of chicken and pork. You will not be choosing between
meats, you will be served both chicken and pork. Please call us if you
have a special dietary need. RSVP by 1 Oct, we need to plan the banquet
meals with the caterer and your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Our
Fish Fry and BBQ are still held at the Quality Inn.
Access to the base is still tightly controlled. Don’t forget your I.D. card.
For those without an I.D. card who wish to enter the base, everyone must
have a picture I.D. and a sponsoring party who will act as their escort.
SILENT
AUCTION!
Thurs - Sun in the Hospitality Room.
(This is separate from the regular
auction on Sunday afternoon)
MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY!! The Quality Inn will be the reunion headquarters again this year. The
room rate for our people will be $73 per night. We have 85 rooms and they will go first come first served. Call Quality
Inn at (850) 275-0300 to make your reservations. Please mention you are with the Air Commandos. To get our special
rate you must book by 1 Sept, 2012. The reunion tickets must be ordered by 1 Oct, 2012.
Mail Order Form to: ACA, P.O. Box 7, Mary Esther, FL 32569
Tel: 850-581-0099 • www.aircommando.org • Email: [email protected]
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 17
2012 Reunion Ticket Order Form
Reunion Package
Ticket Number of Total
(Includes Fish Fry, Banquet, & BBQ) Price Tickets Cost
$65.00 x _______ = $_______
OR Purchase Separate Event Tickets
Friday Fish Fry ONLY
Saturday Banquet ONLY
Sunday BBQ ONLY
ACA Widow Package*
*Widows of ACA members may attend
Fish Fry, Banquet, and BBQ functions
of the reunion at no charge.
Special Event Sign Ups
Thursday Night Social
$15.00
$35.00
$15.00
$
0
$10.00
x
x
x
x
_______ = $_______
_______ = $_______
_______ = $_______
_______ $_______
_______ = $ ______
All who plan on attending must pay for this event
with this order form. No walk-ins.
Golf Tournament $35 person or $140 team
BUS REQUESTS
Includes breakfast burritos, etc.
Please indicate team players names on a
separate piece of paper.
GRAND TOTAL
$ ______
$ ______
____ Please indicate how many people on this order form will
ride the bus to the Saturday Business Meeting 13 October 2012.
____ Please indicate how many people on this order form will
ride the bus to the Saturday Night Banquet on 13 October 2012.
____ Please indicate how many people on this order form will
ride the bus to the Sunday Memorial Service on 14 October 2012.
q Remit by Check or q CREDIT CARD (Visa, MasterCard, & Discover only)
Attendee Status:
q ACA Member
q ACA Widow
Separate Guest
Registration
This order is for:
q Myself
q My Spouse
___ (# of) Guests. Please
indicate guest names on a
separate piece of paper.
This year’s banquet meal
will feature the following:
Romaine Lettuce Salad with
Chicken & Pork Combo of
Herb Grilled Chicken Breast
with Pomegranate Brined
Smoked Pork Loin with Apple
Butter Tomato Compote, and
Garlic Infused Whipped
Potatoes, along with Broccoli
Floret’s with Baby Carrots.
Special Banquet
Needs Request
Indicate if you need
assistance with:
q Wheelchair
q Early Seating
q Special Dietary
Requirements. (Please
call us)
* Dress for Active Duty military
is Service Dress.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Full Name (Please Print)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Billing Address (if different than below)
City
State
Zip
_ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _
16 Digit Credit Card Number
_ _/_ _
Exp Date (MM/YY)
Name _______________________________________ Spouses Name _____________________________
Address _ ______________________________________________________________________________
City _____________________________________________ State __________ Zip ___________________
Phone ( _____ ) _______________ ACA # _________ Email_____________________________________
Page 18ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Letters
Continued from page 15
past several years. And that is
what I did, after 42 years. I had
already been a member of the
ACA, and needed to pay up
my dues, that I had neglected.
So I arrived at the office to do
just that. Jim came in a short
while later and just “took me
under his wing”, so to speak.
I ended up staying there for
several hours, and agreed to
come back that Wednesday to
help get the newsletter ready
for mailing.
We did the newsletter in
the morning, and Jim took
me on a tour of the area and
on Hurlburt. Everywhere we
went, someone knew him. He
would introduce me to people
like I was a long lost relative
that had been his best friend
also. He would tell them my
story, and they would talk to
me about where I lived and
when I was stationed at Hurlburt, and ask what Fort Walton
Beach was like back then. This
took all afternoon, and I really
enjoyed it.
When the afternoon was
ending, he asked me if I was
coming to the reunion in October, which I had not considered. I told him I would think
about it. And as fate would
have it, I did come back for the
reunion, and each one since. I
even took a week last spring
and returned just be there.
From the first reunion, I met
Gen. John Alison and Lt.
Colonel David Fujimoto who
was escorting him to the reunion. From that, I met Gen.
McCutchan, who asked me if
I could help a lady with a ride
to town from the airport. The
travel agency she booked thru
didn’t have a ride waiting for
her as promised. From meeting her, Carla Curtis (Cruz)
I learned the fate and burial
place of a friend, Paul Foster.
He was a crew chief on one
of the A-26’s at NKP, where
I was stationed. He was on a
night vision scope mission
with Carlos Cruz and Bill Potter when they were shot down
over Laos. At the business
meeting on Saturday, I met
Roger Graham, who knew all
three of them. He has a couple
of pages in his book, Nimrods,
with their story.
Since then, at the other
reunions I have attended, I
have met the most interesting
people. The list is too long to
mention here, but it starts with
the officers and office staff of
the ACA and just goes on and
on. I have made a lot of new
friends from these reunions.
All of this because of meeting
Jim Boney. I consider it an
honor to call him a friend.
I know he has retired from the
editor job, but he is a wealth of
history for the Air Commando
Association. Let’s not let him
fade away. He should be writing his memories of the organization for future members to
learn.
Once again I must tell
you that being involved with
the Air Commando Association has been a life changing
event for me. I cannot thank
you enough, but THANK’S.
Anxiously waiting for the next
reunion,
Harry Bright
LIFE MEMBER!
aca,
Some time back I seem
to recall in the letters section
a discussion about Agent Orange and Project 404 guys. I’m
SC 100% perm and total from
service in Asia but my VA Doc
has diagnosed me with Type
2 Diabetes and complications
and wants to know “Why the
HELL you haven’t filed your
claim yet?”. I told him that The
VA was picky about places and
that I wasn’t certain that the
VA would recognize service
on Udorn with 506 TCMS and
concurrent assignment to Laos
was good enough for them. So
I thought I would ask if Gene
Rossel or another of the guys
could give me some insight
on where to look to establish
A.O. as a causative/presumptive in that regard.
506 TCMS was located
just inside the wire next to
Friendship Highway and about
halfway between the front and
back gates on Udorn. A “compound inside a compound” as
it were. In the pictures on Bob
Destatte’s LS 85 web site there
is an AN/PRC-47 HF SSB that
belonged to us before the NVA
did their deal and stole it.
Thanks,
Don Thompson
[email protected]
ACA L#3460
May 2012
can send the ACA Journal with
the AT-28 writeup by BG Loy
to Col J. D. Dunn, USAF (Ret)
in Terrebonne, OR.
Col Dunn was part of
the Lucky Tiger initial cadre
flying the AT-28 at NKP and
worked on BG Heine Aderholt’s staff when the 56 ACW
stood up. I just started reading
Air Commando One and am
thoroughly enjoying this well
written and accurate bio.
I’ll sign Col Dunn up for
the ACA today, if I can come
up with all the necessary info.
Thanks for your help,
Gen Secord and ACA
Exec Committee,
Is it possible to get a print
copy of the ACA Journal? I’d
like to give a copy to my father
in law, Col J.D. Dunn USAF
(Ret) who flew the T-28 from
NKP 66-67 -- and I know he’d
love to read the AT-28D article
in the inaugural edition of the
ACA Journal.
I just wanted to say that I
really like the new look for the
“same GREAT newsletter”!
Likewise I am so happy to
see the corporate sponsorship
program and the Endowment
Fund that have been started
that are helping to keep this
great organization and more
importantly its heritage alive
and growing. Finally, I want
to say that I love the ACJ!
Keep up the great work!
God bless.
Thanks for your help,
Jim Luntzel
Connie Lutz, ACA Member
#2463
New ACA Magazine,
Jim
We would gladly send your
father a copy of the Air Commando Journal. What address
should we send it to? Your father qualifies for membership
in the ACA and you can sign
him up at www.aircommando.
org/membership and he would
start receiving the Journal
and the quarterly membership
newsletter every 3 months. If
you have any questions please
call me at 850-581-0099.
v/r
Jeanette Moore
Dear Jeanette,
Thanks for the reply! You
Sir,
I was a Crew Chief on
C7A’s with the Royal Australian Air Force, attached to
the 315th Air Commandos,
between 1964 and 1966. I remember that the Commanding
Officer’s name was Col. Hannah but I am unable to find out
more. Could you advise me
of where I may research more
about the 315th as I am now
in charge of 2 C7A Cairbou
aircraft, belonging to an Australian Historical assn. Both of
these aircraft are serviceable
and in flying condition and
both are Vietnam Veterans. I
See letters pg 19
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 19
Letters
Continued from page 18
would like to research their
histories with the 315th.
Can you be of any assistance?
Regards,
Robert St John
[email protected]
Col Barnett:
On behalf of the comm
team that set up for the ACA
Luncheon, I wanted to thank
you again for lunch. I can tell
you from experience that this
is not the norm for these team
members who often either go
without eating at these types
events or have to pay out of
their own pocket.
Thank you for your generosity.
Very Respectfully,
KENNETH P. MALLOY,
Capt, USAF
Chief, AFSOC Executive
Communications
HQ AFSOC/DSC
Ken you have a great team.
They did great work yesterday
and I know from experience
how demanding Exec Comms
can be. Thank them all for
ACA and it was a pleasure to
have them dine with us.
Dennis Barnett
dear aca,
I am interested in finding out
more information on a relative
of mine who may have served
in the USAF at the same time
as me. He is Hall of Fame in-
ductee Lt Col Robert Moist. I
was a Sgt in 1970. I’m afraid
my service was not nearly
as illustrious as my relative,
hence my interest in my namesake.
I am also curious where
the Hall of Fame is located.
Thank you.
Robert W Moist
Air Commandos,
I am looking for information on a knife sheath/Revolver Holster that I have seen
in very few pictures, and exclusively used by AC’s during
Vietnam. I have worked with
Joint Ops as a former US Navy
Chief IDC, with PJ’s and Combat Controllers. Good people
all! I have heard that these
holsters were made custom for
the guys in Okinawa Japan,
outside of Kadena AFB, prior
to going “in-country” and that
it was only for the large barrel revolvers (38, 45, 357). I
would like some more pictures
and clarification of the origin.
Also, was there a version for
the 45 Auto? Thanks for your
Service. Nice Site.
Richard Hoover
[email protected]
Col Barnett,
I just wanted to let you
know that I received all 10
hats from ACA headquarters
last week. On behalf of the
OACY Committee, we would
like to thank you and the Air
Commando Association for
the gracious monetary & hat
donations. Please let me know
if you need anything from us.
Thanks!
Elaine Vandenburg,
SSgt USAF
Executive Assistant to AFSOC Command Chief
Need Help
I need help in identifing a
310th Air Commando Squadron C-123 A/C number and
crew for a Smoky Bear Mission I flew over Plei Me, Vietnam 24-25 Oct 1965. Yikes,
that was 47 years ago!
Also, through the Distinguished Flying Cross Society-Tampa Bay Chapter, I am
trying to direct flying memorabila from that era to the Armed
Forces Military Museum in
Largo, FL Please contact me if
you have an interest to donate.
Thanks
Robert L. Hutchinson, Lt Col,
USAF, Retired
10320 Proverb Ct.,
New Port Richey, FL 34654
(727) 379-9026
[email protected]
Reminder!
Don’t forget to send in your
Air Commando Hall of Fame submission.
(Procedures on page 5 and form on page 7)
Mail to: Hall of Fame
P.O. Box 7, Mary Esther, FL 32569
Page 20ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
Several Air Commandos earn citizenship
By Airman 1st Class Alexxis
Pons Abascal
27 SOW Public Affairs
Three Air Commandos
earned their U.S. citizenship at
a ceremony held at The Landing Zone at Cannon Air Force
Base, N.M., Feb. 16.
Airman 1st Class Jose
Silva-Cruz, 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron, Airman 1st Class Cheng
Bi, 27th Special Operations
Logistics Readiness Squadron
and Airman 1st Class Giselle
Wells, 27 SOCES, all became
American citizens in the presence of their leadership and
loved ones.
“I am so proud of them
and this monumental accomplishment,” said Master Sgt.
Sheronne King, 27 SOCES
1st Sgt. “This is just one of the
rewards these amazing young
Airmen are receiving for their
military service.”
Peter Rechkemmer, Unit-
Saunders now a citizen
Members of the 1st Judicial Circuit with Noy Saunders at her swearing in ceremony.
By Ted Saunders
Finally, my wife is now
an American citizen. The
ceremony lasted about an
hour and a half. If you ever
have the opportunity to attend a swearing in ceremony
please go.
There were 41 different
countries represented and
according to the judge that is
the largest number of countries ever at a ceremony for
citizenship. A Marine Corp
lance corporal presented the
colors. There was a eighth
grade class from a school
that helped with the pledge
of allegiance. Two of the
students were naturalized
and read an essay that they
wrote in school. A lady from
albania gave a talk on what it
means to live in america and
be an american. A gentleman
sang america in four different languages. The youngest
was a student in a high school
and the eldest required some
assistance. 105 People were
invited to be sworn in but 6
failed to show for unknown
reasons.
It was a standing room
only event but I did not hear
one complaint except for a
couple of very young people
who were escorted out by
their parent.
ed States Citizenship and Immigration Service information
service officer, administered
where she met her husband,
who was already actively serving in the U.S. Air Force. She
Oath of Allegiance
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and
entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity
to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty,
of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or
citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution
and laws of the United States of America against all
enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true
faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms
on behalf of the United States when required by the law;
that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed
forces of the United States when required by the law; that
I will perform work of national importance under civilian
direction when required by the law; and
that I take this obligation freely without any mental
reservation or purpose of evasion;
so help me God.
the oaths which granted the
three Air Commandos their
naturalized citizenship.
Individuals must normally
wait five years before applying to become a U.S. citizen,
however, if they are serving in
the armed forces during a time
of war that requirement can be
waived.
Silva-Cruz was born in
Mexico. He grew up in Las
Vegas, Nev., and decided at
a young age that he wanted
to join the Air Force. He has
been on active duty more than
a year.
“I always remember visiting Nellis Air Force Base,
Nev., when I was younger and
thinking of how honorable the
men and women serving our
country are,” said Silva-Cruz.
“I have a lot of pride toward
what I am a part of here under
Air Force Special Operations
Command and with the Air
Force.”
Bi is originally from Beijing, China. She lived in San
Antonio, Texas, for six years
is ten months into her service
and both are currently working as vehicle maintenance
specialists at Cannon.
“This journey is very important to me for this simple
fact that in order to reenlist,
I must be a citizen,” said Bi.
“My husband and I love what
we are doing for the Air Force
and want to continue serving
together.”
Wells spent the earlier
years of her life in Jamaica.
She moved to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in December 2006
and has been actively serving
in the Air Force for two years
as a structural apprentice.
“My dream was to travel
and ultimately become an Air
Traffic Controller,” said Wells.
“I didn’t realize that you had
to be a citizen to land that
career but that didn’t set me
back, it motivated me. Anything is possible if you have
faith, and the Air Force is like
a family that truly takes care
of its own.”
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 21
Dedication chief among 1st SOMXS crew
By Raquel Sanchez
1st SOW Public Affairs
Team Hurlburt inducted
eight crew chiefs from the 1st
Special Operations Maintenance Squadron into the Dedicated Crew Chief program
during a ceremony at their
squadron at Eglin Air Force
Base, April 2.
The ceremony recognized
these crew chiefs as maintenance experts on their respective aircraft, the MC-130P
Combat Shadow.
The DCC program is a
long standing Air Force tradition that recognizes top
maintainers for their service
in keeping their aircraft mission-ready and is held in high
regard to aerospace maintenance professionals.
“Service as a DCC is a
unique privilege only afforded
to the best maintainers,” said
Maj. Michael Campos, commander of 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron.
“Their devotion to the mission
makes them stand out among
their peers. The DCC is the
Eight crew chiefs are recognized as Dedicated Crew Chiefs at the 1st Special Operations Squadron on Eglin Air
Force Base, April 2, 2012. DCCs are chosen based on leadership ability, initiative and technical proficiency.
(U.S Air Force photo/SrA Eboni Reams)
backbone of sortie generation.”
DCCs are responsible for
every aspect of their aircraft
and are hand-selected based
on their leadership skills,
management ability, initiative
and technical proficiency.
Air crews count on DCCs
to provide them with a safe and
reliable aircraft. To many they
are the “face of the squadron”
as they are the focal point for
the aircraft they maintain.
The
following
1st
SOMXS crew chiefs were
recognized for their dedication to the mission and service
in keeping their aircraft ready
to fly and fight.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Beckham
Staff Sgt. Alexander
Desmond
Staff Sgt. Robert Harp
Staff Sgt. William Nelson
Staff Sgt. Jessel Saenz
Staff Sgt. Bradley Sutherland
Staff Sgt. Bryon Walton
Staff Sgt. Trampass Warren
ENHANCED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
By the World Leader in HMD Technologies
and longtime, trusted supplier to the CV-22
program.
Elbit Systems of America. Ready to supply
color HMDs to the CV-22 program.
Copyright © 2011 Elbit Systems of America, LLC. All rights reserved.
Th e S p i r i t o f I n n o va t i o n ®
www.rockwellcollins.com
ACA_Newsletter_2-2012_RCLogo.indd 1
2/14/12 1:51 PM
Page 22ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
» Foot-mobile tactical
computing for precision
targeting, C4ISR,
situational awareness,
and other mission
specific applications.
Star SAFIRE® HD Family
www.FLIR.com
© 2011 FLIR Systems, Inc.
FLIR HD Ad | Trim: 4.75 x 2.5 | +.125 Bleed | Air Commando Ass. Newsletter, June 2011
www.bdatech.com
May 2012
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 23
President: Robert H. White • Treasurer: Butch Sluschewski • Secretary: Felix Sambogna • Directors: Steve Connelly • John Connors • Dave Freeman
Sign at the Brig. General Heinie Aderholt Agricultural Center in Laos
Aderholt Agricultural Center
MTF received a progress report
from John Schillo, Assistance Committee
Chairman of the Thailand, Laos, Cambodia Brotherhood (TLCB) on the status
of the Brig. General Heinie Aderholt Agricultural Center in Laos. He’s says that
they are making progress, “but not at a
blinding speed”. They ended last October
with much land clearing and preparation,
starting some buildings and water projects, and have harvested some of their
first crops. Delays have hampered ad-
tance support. The MTF has supported
the agriculture project with donations in
Brigadier General Aderholt’s honor.
nings to the MTF as well for a total of
$350! We will put these generous gifts to
good use.
Bless The Children
Special Visitor to the ACA
Funds Donated to MTF
Bob White, Felix ‘Sam’ Sambogna, Doris Eaton,
Floyd ‘Chip’ Grove, Dave Freeman and Jim
Boney at the ACA building.
The big news this month is that Bless
The Children Inc. (BTC) received permission to resume shipments to projects in
Honduras, which would include providing goods to our man down there, George
Mealer, a retired US Army Special Forces
member who oversees the John Grove
High School in near El Progresso and
coordinates our Christmas Wish projects
(among a myriad of different activities he
is involved in to help the kids down there).
As we have concentrated on supplying
BTC with medical equipment, we did not
have the toys and children’s clothing they
requested. Instead, the MTF board decided to send $500 to BTC to supplement
this load with school supplies, clothing,
and toys. MTF would like to collect quality used clothing and toys for future shipments; items can be donated at the ACA
HQ on Hwy 98 in Mary Esther.
We were delighted to participate in
the 1st Annual Taste of North Bay Tapas
and Wine Pairing fundraiser to benefit
wounded Air Commandos at the North
Light Yacht Club in Niceville on 26
April. The ACA very generously donated
the $150 raffle proceeds and Don Collins
who won the “50/50 Raffle” delighted the
crowd by donating his $200 raffle win-
vancement of the planned livestock areas,
but fixes are on the way. He reports that
dealing with both Thai and Lao bureaucracies on this project doubles the necessary coordination.
The TLCB currently have four projects under way in Laos, they range from
buying textbooks to building repair. They
have ongoing projects in Thailand, which
include student aid and medical assis-
After a recent visit from John Grove’s
lovely mother, Mrs. Doris Eaton, his
brother Chip, and son Todd last month, we
received a sweet letter from her thanking
everyone for making the efforts to show
them around, visit and have lunch with
them. It was great to see these wonderful
people again. The MTF future looks to be
a continuation of coordinated efforts with
BTC and TLCB, as well as local projects
as they develop.
Letter to Jim Boney from Mrs. Eaton:
Hi Jim,
It was wonderful to see you and the
guys that knew John and yes, argued with
him. Hey, I stayed with him and he always
won!
Chip and I can’t thank you enough
for everything you did.We especially enjoyed the pictures. After our visit to the
ACA, we traveled to Arlington Cemetery
where John was laid to rest.
God Bless!
Doris & Chip
Sponsorees Send Thank Yous
ACA member Jim Connors and Mike Agin, president of Pioneer Technologies present Don Collins of Crestview, FL with the raffle winnings,
Don then gave the money back to the ACA.
Two letters forwarded to MTF from
BTC. Translated from their original Spanish from a Honduran young man and lady
who are sponsored by ACA/MTF memSee mtf pg 25
Page 24ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
MTF
Continued from page24
bers and activities.
Fuerzas Vivas-El Progresso,
Yoro March 3 2012
Greetings: How are you
my dear friends and supporters
of my studies? I wish rich and
abundant blessings for you.
The reason for this letter is to
give great thanks to the institution of Bless the Children
(ACA/MTF) for the help they
provide me. For without the
help from you it would have
been very difficult for me to
continue studying because my
father can not help because
he is sick and is not able to
work. I am very happy that I
have your help because I am
very poor. I give a thousand
and one thanks and the truth
is I feel happy because at first
I thought nobody would help
me, this moment that I need it
most. Thank you. Goodbye.
Sincerely
Cristhean Josue Gomez
Garcia
Cristhean is studying at Junior College in El Progresso;
BTC found out he only had
one pair of trousers, they gave
him some money for clothes.
They later found out he gave
the money to his parents for
food!
To Bless the Children
Yuri Yaneth Ortiz
The reason for this letter
is to thank Bless the Children
(ACA/MTF) for fulfilling my
dreams Thank you for helping to prepare me as a nurse
so I’ll be able to get ahead and
bring up my children and help
other people by providing my
services as a nurse. Thank you
very much. I hope you are well
and and that God watches over
you.
Yadira Aguilera
Yuri Yaneth Ortiz is a nursing
student in El Progresso
Dear Friends,
While in Honduras earlier
this year we had the pleasure
to visit with one of the recent
Bless the Children - John
Grove High School graduates,
Yadira Aguilera. Because of
your love in action she graduated high school and is now
attending Junior College and
Computer Tech school con-
currently. We are so proud of
this young girl and her ambition to rise through education.
I am attaching a photo collage
of her while attending the John
Grove High School and now,
receiving higher education.
From the bottom of our
hearts we thank you for your
support to keep the spirit alive
of our dear friend, Maj. John
W. Grove. He loved the children of the Mico Quemado
Mountains and wanted them
to have the opportunity of
education. He said he understood their poverty and knew
they had to work twice as hard
as other, more fortunate children. We are all so blessed to
have been brought together in
service by this great man.
With kind regards,
Rebecca Smith
Vice President
Bless the Children, Inc.
411 Cleveland St., #195
Clearwater, FL 33755
Office: 727-631-0088
www.blessthechildreninc.org
Student’s Name:_______________________________________
Student’s ID#_ ________________________________________
Relationship to ACA Member:____________________________
Student’s Age: __________
College:______________________________________________
We're looking
for talented
and dedicated
IT and business
professionals to
join our team.
Take the next step in
your career and make CACI
your next destination!
Address of College:_____________________________________
City:________________________________________________
State: ______________________ Zip:_____________________
Member’s Name:________________ ACA Number: _________
This year we will award four scholarships of $1500 each. The scholarships will be
awarded at the general membership meeting. The Board of Directors will randomly
select the winners from the eligible candidates submitted by the membership.
Scholarship eligibility criteria are as follows: The Candidate must be the child
(natural, adopted, or step), grandchild, or great grandchild of a member in good standing of this Association. The candidate must be accepted to or enrolled in an accredited
college or university and be less than 24 years of age at the end of May. Candidates
may not be a member of this association, on active duty, attending a Service Academy,
or on full scholarship to a college or university. Please submit by September 30th.
CACI’s award-winning Military Hiring and Deploying Talent –
Creating Careers programs focus on providing resources and career
opportunities to veterans and disabled veterans. Apply today!
To learn more about our career opportunities,
please visit: http://www.caci.com
®
©CACI 2011 · A292_1102
CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 25
Air Commando Award impacts Cadets
Dear Col Jones and cadets of
JROTC PA-20091,
It is with great pleasure
that the Air Commando Association received notice from
your instructor that your group
teamed up and distributed the
new Air Commando Association ribbons to all the detachments across the land. That is
no mean feat as I know you are
now aware as there are 875 detachments to deal with. Your
efforts ensure that cadets all
across the country will learn
more about Air Force Special Operations and hopefully
some will give strong consideration in to joining the forces
of the Quiet Professionals. On
behalf of over 3200 Air Commando Association members,
I would like to extend a hearty
well-done and thank you!
MGen (ret) Richard V Secord
President
To ACA,
Thank you for the Air
Commando Association medal
award. When I received it I felt
as if I had won the lottery. I
wish I could say more, but I’m
speechless (which never hap-
pens to me).
Sincerely,
Cadet Airman First Class
Cody Gross, Space Coast Jr/Sr
Highschool
Dear ACA,
I want to thank you for
taking the time to provide our
unit with the Air Commando
Association award. As the
recipient of this award I will
wear it proudly and remember
your support of our Air Force
JROTC Program. I stand ready
to support your organization in
anyway I can.
Thank you,
Maribel Rodriguez
Jefferson High School
575 Washington St
Jefferson, GA 30540
Dear ACA,
I want to thank you for
sponsoring the award that we
received this past week. NC032 is proud to present your
award to deserving cadets.
South Dakota 61st Group Aerospace Science Instructor and former Ellsworth AFB Command Chief, Russell J. Johnson, presenting the 2012 ACA
Award to C/SMSgt Krystal L. Sime at 40th annual awards ceremony on 3
May 2012. Ms. Sime is a second-year (AS-II) cadet and has been selected
to attend the Natrona County (WY) Army Summer Leadership School at
Camp Guernsey, WY this July. Thanks for supporting AFJROTC at DHS!
(Photo submitted by Marshall C. Miller, Jr., Lt Col, USAF (Ret) Senior Aerospace
Science Instructor)
Regards,
C/Major Kayla Hurd
Terry Sanford High School
Fayetteville, NC 28303
ACA member Maj Zak Blom and award recipient C/CMSgt Michael Harrison during Pensacola High School’s ceremony.
Cadet J Townsend and S. Jackson receive the Air Commando Association
Award at Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, NC.
Gentlemen,
The cadets and instructors of Pensacola High School
AF Junior ROTC thank you
for your participation and
support of our annual awards
ceremony. Our cadets were
very pleased to have so many
National Organizations attend and present their awards
in person. We were especially
excited to have the ACA here
to present a first ever award.
Our award recipient, C/CMSgt
Michael Harrison could not be
more pleased.
Our big thanks also to
Denny Jones and Dennis Barnett for making this award/
medal a reality.
Again, we appreciate your
investment in our program and
our young people!
Col (ret) Ken Rodriguez,
Pensacola High School
Page 26ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
COMMANDO STORE
See all our items and photos of individual items online at www.aircommando.org!
!
W
E
N
T-shirts available: New POW/MIA, also Sand ACA, Black ACA, White ACA, JUNGLE JIM, 65th Anniversary
BALL CAPS - $12 - available w/ crest or lettering
Bush Hat with
Cloth Tab $32
Dri-Fit Mens Golf Shirt
M-XXL....$25
Dri-Fit Ladies Golf Shirt
M-XL....$25
Bush Hat available without
Commando Tab for $25.00
High Profile - Navy, Royal, Black, White, Camo, & Red
Low Profile - Black, Denim, Stone, Navy, Pink, & Red
Traditional Golf Shirt
Mens Only
S-XL ...$18
Denim Long Sleeve
w/crest or letteringMens/Ladies ... $25
Jackets
w/crest or lettering
M - XXL ...$40
ACA Embroidered
Cloth Tab $3
Hat/Lapel Pin $4.00
ACA Lapel Pin
(Small or
Large) $5
ACA Coasters
2 for $12 or
4 for $24
Authenic Thai
Wallets
avail in black
or brown
$10
POW/MIA
Patch $3
Assorted Patches
ACA Patch $3
Group Patch $3
Zap Patch $3
each sold
separately
ACA Car Window Decal $3
FRONT
BACK
ACA Color Coin $15
FRONT
ACA Bumper Sticker $2
BACK
Bronze (color) $12
FRONT
BACK
ACA Bronze Coin $5
License Plate Holder $4.00
Nimrods Plate $15
AC-47 Ghost Riders $15
Son Tay Raider Plate $15
Over Mekong Plate $15
A1-Sky Raider Plate $15
Decal
$2
ACA Decal
(4” x 5”)
2 for 1.00
License Plate Blue or White $12 Traditional ACA Plate $10
B26 in SE Asia Plate $15
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 27
Commando Store Order Form
q ACA Color Coin.............................................. $15.00
q ACA Bronze Color Coin................................. $12.00
q ACA Coin (Bronze)............................................ $5.00
q ACA Decal (4” x 5”) ..................................... 2/1.00
q POW/MIA Decal............................................... $2.00
q ACA Patch......................................................... $3.00
q Group Patch...................................................... $3.00
q Zap Patch........................................................... $3.00
q POW/MIA Patch............................................... $3.00
q ACA Cloth Tab.................................................. $3.00
q ACA Bumper Sticker........................................ $2.00
q ACA Car Window Decal – 8”........................... $3.00
q License Plate Holder avail in Blue.................... $4.00
q Traditional ACA License Plate...................... $10.00
q Colored ACA License Plate in White or Blue.$12.00
Special Aircraft License Plates
q AC-47 Ghost Rider, q Over Mekong,
q B26 Asia, q Nimrods Over Laos
q Son Tay, and q A1-H Skyraider.........$15.00 ea.
q ACA Lapel Pin (Small or Large)....................... $5.00
q Hat/Lapel Pin available only in blue................. $4.00
q ACA Coasters ......................... 2 for $12 or 4 for $24
Qty Color Size
Ball Caps - all caps $12
q Structured Ball Caps w/ACA Crest or Lettering
Navy, Royal, Black, White, Camo, & Red
q Unstructured Ball Caps w/ACA Crest or Lettering
Black, Denim, Stone, Navy, Pink, & Red
q Bush Hats - Med or Large only....................... $25.00
q Bush Hats w/ Cloth Tab Med or Large only... $32.00
ACA T-Shirts
q POW/MIA: S, M, L, XL, XX-Large............. $15.00
q Black or Sand: S, M, L, XL, XX-Large........ $12.00
q White: S, M, L, XL, XX-Large..................... $12.00
q JUNGLE JIM: S, M, L, XL, XX-Large........ $12.00
q 65th Anniversary T-Shirt: S, M, L, XL, XXL.$15.00
q B-26 T-Shirt (Large only)............................. $10.00
q Proud to be a Veteran T-Shirt M or L............ $10.00
q Denim Long Sleeve Shirts w/Crest or Lettering
Ladies M, L, XL and Mens M, L, XL, XXL ... $25.00
q Dri-Fit Golf Shirt - Mens & Ladies
Red or Black M, L, XL, XXL............................ $25.00
q ACA Golf Shirts
White, Red, Royal Blue, w/ Crest or
Navy or Black w/ Lettering M, L, XL, XXL..... $18.00
q Jackets in Tan, Navy, Black, or Royal Blue
M, L, XL, XXL ................................................ $40.00
Item Per Item q Donate by Check #_______ or q MasterCard q Visa q Discover
_____________________________________________________________
Full Name (Please Print)
__________________________________________________________________
Billing Address
____________________________________________________
_ _/_ _
City
Exp Date (MM/YY)
State
Zip
_ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _
16 Digit Credit Card Number
q Yes! My shipping address is different than my billing address
(Write shipping address on a separate piece of paper.)
Order online at www.aircommando.org or over the phone using your credit card.
Call 850-581-0099 Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Send to: ACA, P.O. Box 7, Mary Esther, FL 32569-0007
Unit Donation
Sub Total
20% Shipping
Grand Total
Amt Paid
Bal Due
Date: _______ / ______ / _______
MM
DD
YY
q walk-in q phone q mail-in
q Entered in Database
Invoice # ________________
q Shipped - Date ____/_____/_____
Page 28ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
REUNIONS
September 6 - 8, 2012
SPOOKY AC 47 GUNSHIP REUNION
4th Annual Spooky Reunion Las Vegas Nevada.
We are still seeking all personnel that dealt with “Spooky” 19651969. Anyone who was involved with “SPOOKY” in Vietnam
in 1965-1969 is invited, as well as any others who were with
Spooky.
US Air Force, 14th Special Operations Wing (formally 14th Air
Commando Wing)
Contact: Junior Skinner, 12226 SE 99th Ave. Belleview, Fl.
34420. Email: [email protected]
Phone: 352-307-6564.
Mike Acosta Email: [email protected]
Phone: 312-213-1038.
Spooky AC-47 Gunship Organization has authorized True Vegas
VIP Services to handle all the arrangements concerning the “4th
Annual, Spooky AC-47 Gunship Reunion” to make booking
May 2012
your Las Vegas trip as easy as possible.
Email: [email protected]
Toll Free: 1-888-878-3834 ext. 4
HHHHHHH
Sept 26-30, 2012
Battle of the Bulge Reunion
The Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge will be holding their
31st annual reunion in New Orleans, LA. They will be staying at
the Wyndham Garden Hotel from September 26-30, 2012. The
hotel is located minutes from the French Quarter.
The Annual VBOB reunion is a great way to meet, mix and
mingle with fellow Veterans. Next years reunion will be jampacked with events, special presentations, banquets and guest
speakers.
• Visit the WW II Museum and see exhibits featuring D-Day at
Normandy, the Home Front and the Pacific
• Attend a USO Show at the WW II Museum
• See how the Mardi Gras Floats are made at the Mardi Gras
Museum and have lunch in a setting that resembles the movie
set of Gone with the Wind
• Take a cruise on the Mississippi River on the Natchez
Steamboat
• Enjoy a beignet and a cup of chicory coffee at Cafe Du Monde
in the French Quarter
When
September 26th, 2012 12:00pm -September 30th, 2012 7:00pm
Contact: Phone: 650-654-0101
Email: [email protected]
HHHHHHH
September 28 -30, 2012
ACA President MGen (ret) Richard Secord presented a 50th Anniversary of Air Commandos poster to the Hurlburt Field Library for the
new heritage area. Accepting the poster is librarian Sebrina Honda.
(Photo by Joyce Harrington)
Marsh Harbor
Self Storage
850-226-8478
9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Sat
2193 W Highway 98 - Mary Esther, FL 32569
“When You Need Extra Space,
Our New, Modern, Lowest Priced Facility
is Ready to Serve You.”
Managers Mikki & Barry
Email: [email protected]
10% Military Discount
One Month Free
6 SOS COMBAT AVIATION ADVISORS REUNION &
ROTARY-WING STAND-DOWN CEREMONY
A 6th Special Operations Squadron reunion and stand-down
ceremony for rotary-wing operations will be held on 28-30
September 2012 at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Planned events:
• Rotary-wing stand-down ceremony
• Updates on recent operations
• Aviation-foreign internal defense discussions
• Past successes and ideas on future direction
• BBQ and Family Day
The centerpiece of the weekend will be a ceremony terminating
rotary-wing operations at the 6 SOS. The divestiture of the
rotary-wing mission will mark the end of a proud chapter in the
squadron, and all 6 SOS members, past and present, along with
their families, are invited to attend.
For more information on the reunion or the ceremony, please
contact Diane Beck at [email protected]
To submit your organization’s reunion information please email the
following information to [email protected]
Please make sure your submissions have:
Event date, event time (if applicable), location, sign up information,
point of contact information, and a brief description of what it is.
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 29
Smiles Across the Miles a huge success
By Bob White
Our program to collect,
package and hand out personal
hygiene kits (goodie bags) to
deploying warriors remains in
full swing thanks to support
from the Hurlburt Airman’s
Leadership School and Resort
Capital/Resort Title businesses in Daytona Beach. Daughter Pat, husband Wes and
grandaughter Courtney collect
the items and deliver them to
us. A call to MSgt Paola West
at the Vincent Airman Leadership School (ALS) at Hurlburt
Field sets the wheels in motion
for a Saturday stuffing party.
34 students from class 12-C
gave up their time off and came
over to help out. We were able
to stuff 150 zip lock bags with
shampoos, razors, playing
cards, toothpaste, gum, lotions
and soaps. We put our “ thanks
for your service” label on
each one and boxed them for
movement to the Deployment
Center on Hurlburt. This is an
ongoing effort and donations
are always needed and appreciated. We want to thank our
warriors and show our support
in our own special way.
To donate items or funds
to this program call Bob White
at 850-581-0099.
Students from the Vincent Airman Leadership School at Hurlburt Field
team up together to make short work of filling hundreds of goodie bags.
ACA Director Bob White and MSgt Paola West of ALS coordinate the
Smiles Across the Miles effort.
Students work in an assembly line in the ACA conference room.
New POW/MIA T-Shirt
$1500
Provide financial stability to all
Air Commando Association Programs
Support the Foundation Endowment
• Contributions
• Memorial Contributions
• Planned Giving
• Major Gifts
• Sustaining Member Programs
• Legacies
• Wills, Trusts, & Estate Gifts
You can be part of this!
Contact Pete Dimaggio at 850-581-0099 or
email him at [email protected]
Order online at www.AirCommando.org
or send in the Commando Store order form on page 27
Page 30ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
May 2012
Books for Air Commandos
Currency
By L. Todd Wood
Long time Air Commando
Association member L. Todd
Wood has just finsihed his latest book “Currency” and you
can order your copy today.
Todd Wood will donate a
portion of signed book sales
to the Air Commando Association. To purchase a signed
copy of “Currency” direct
from the author go to www.
aircommando.org.
Todd has received many
positive reviews for his historical fiction and economic
thriller, “Currency.” An incredible story of power, romance, revenge and international finance spanning three
centuries. The issues could not
be more timely!
Todd was assigned in
1991 to the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt
Field, FL, flying MH-53J Pave
Low helicopters. Immediately
he was deployed to Kuwait.
Over the next three years he
was active in classified missions in support of counterterrorism under the control of the
National Command Authority
and deployed throughout the
world.
After retiring in 1994
Todd joined an investment
bank and earned a chance to
expand his knowledge of his
other passion, Finance. During this second career he became highly knowledgeable in
Emerging Markets Fixed Income and traveled a great deal
internationally with a focus on
the Caribbean.
Get your signed copy today for $23.99 and help support the ACA! Plus, you can
also see Todd’s interview on
Glenn Beck TV - from our
website at www.aircommando.org.
For More Information
Contact L. Todd Wood
Phone: 1-203-770-6501
Email: caribtrader12@yahoo.
com
Airman’s Odyssey:
An Air Force Special Operator’s Incredible Journey
By Lt Col James (Jim) Lawrence, USAF (Ret)
operations.
Pilot Training, aircraft
crashes (including Spirit 03),
aviation incidents, investigations (including Jockey 14), a
record-breaking flight, the Iranian hostage rescue attempt,
training for a second attempt,
support for efforts to free others such as AP journalist Terry
Anderson, are just some missions described. Author uses
his own flights into a particular theater of the world to
describe historic political and
military events of more than
40 years spanning several U.S.
administrations. The book also
The book chronicles the includes many historic SOF
author’s growing up in a ru- figures in American military
ral, austere environment, then, lore, and concludes with dedespite such disadvantages, tailed stories of his personal
becoming an Air Force flight war heroes.
instructor, flight examiner,
Purchase from Deeds
and command pilot who had Publishing, or the author, for
the good fortune to become $24.95 (add $5.00 for S&H).
involved in numerous special
Lt Col James D. (Jim)
Lawrence, USAF (Retired)
Air Force Command Pilot
with 5,800 hours flying time
over a near-27-year career. A
graduate of Officer Training
School and Undergraduate
Pilot Training at Vance AFB,
Oklahoma, he was an instructor and check pilot in the T-38
Talon, an instructor in airlift
C-130s in Okinawa and Japan,
and instructor and flight ex-
Book Signing
at Hurlburt AAFES
on June 14th & 15th
10am - 2pm
aminer in both the AC-130H
Spectre Gunship at Hurlburt
Field (16 SOS) and the HC130 in Aerospace Rescue and
Recovery (55 ARRS) at Eglin Air Force Base. Eighteen
of his years were in Special
Operations, to include flying,
joint command staff, and educational institute experience.
In 1979, he became co-holder
of a new C-130 world record
for time and distance. In the
academic world, he was an
instructor of Unconventional
Warfare and Crisis Response
Management, then Ops Division Chief, Vice Commandant,
and interim Commandant of
the U.S. Air Force Special
Operations School, Hurlburt
Field, Florida.
He and wife JoAnn have
two children and three grandchildren, and reside near
Montgomery, AL.
www.airmansodyssey.net/
home
To purchase by credit cards:
Deeds Publishing.
www.deedspublishing.com
Or contact author via email
at: [email protected]
May 2012ACA Quarterly Membership Newsletter
Page 31
Southeast Asia War art exhibit at Museum of the U.S. Air Force
By Sarah Swan
National Museum USAF
An art exhibit featuring 30
paintings with scenes from the
war in Southeast Asia is now
open at the National Museum
of the U.S. Air Force.
The paintings, which
were selected for exhibit from
the U.S. Air Force Art Collection, can be viewed daily
during regular museum hours,
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The artwork
is displayed in the museum’s
Hall of Honor, and admission
to the museum and the exhibit
is free.
DD-214’s are
NOW On-line
The National Personnel
Records Center (NPRC) has
provided the following web
site for veterans to gain access
to their DD-214’s
www.archives.gov/veterans/
military-service-records
This may be particularly
helpful when a veteran needs
a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is
working to make it easier for
veterans with computers and
Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their
military files.
Military veterans and the
next of kin of deceased former military members may
now use a new online military
personnel records system to
request documents.
Other individuals with a
need for documents must still
complete the Standard Form
180, which can be downloaded from the on-line web site.
Because the requester will be
asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to
process the request, delays
that normally occur when
NPRC has to ask veterans for
additional information will be
minimized.
“We are pleased to feature
this exhibit as part of the museum’s continuing commemoration of the 50th anniversary
of the War in Southeast Asia,”
said Senior Curator Terry Aitken. “These dramatic paintings
are a unique way for our visitors to reflect upon the events
and experiences of those who
served in Southeast Asia.”
In addition to the art exhibit, museum staff has been
renovating the Southeast Asia
War Gallery since the fall of
2010. Planned in four phases,
the renovation’s first phase
was completed in the spring
of 2011, and phase two will be
complete later this year. For
updates, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/sea.asp.
The National Museum of
the United States Air Force is
located on Springfield Street,
six miles northeast of down-
town Dayton. It is open seven
days a week from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. (closed Thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Year’s
Day). Admission and parking
are free. For more information
about the museum, visit www.
nationalmuseum.af.mil.
NOTE TO PUBLIC: For
more information, please contact the National Museum of
the U.S. Air Force at (937)
255-3286.
ACA Membership Application
Post Office Box 7, Mary Esther, FL 32569-0007
Tel: 850-581-0099 • Fax: 850-581-8988
Email: [email protected] • www.aircommando.org
Mail this application to the address above or sign up online at www.aircommando.org
_____ $20 Annual (Regular)
_____ $150 Lifetime (Regular)
_____ $20 Annual (Associate)
_____ $150 Lifetime (Associate)
Name: ________________________________________________________________Rank:________________________
Address:_ __________________________________________________________________________________________
City: _________________________________________________________ST: _________ ZIP:______________________
Phone: (____)___________________________________Other Phone:(____)____________________________________
Email:_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Branch of Service:  USAF  Army  Navy  USMC  Other ___________________________________________________
ACA Chapter (if you know it): __________________________________________________________________________
AFSC/MOS: ________________________________ Job Title:_________________________________________________
Are you currently Active Duty?  Yes  No
Dates of Service: From_____/_____ To: _____/_____
Air Commando/Special Operations Service:
Unit: ___________ Location: ______________ Date______ Aircraft:___________________________________________
Unit: ___________ Location: ______________ Date______ Aircraft:___________________________________________
Unit: ___________ Location: ______________ Date______ Aircraft:___________________________________________
You must furnish at least one (1) unit information if you are applying for regular membership. If more room is needed please use separate piece of paper.
Present Occupation:_____________________________________ Spouses Name: ______________________________
Permission to provide phone # and address to other ACA members only?  Yes  No
Amount Enclosed: $____________________ Signature: _____________________________________________________
Membership is open to persons who
served with or supported USAF Air
Commando/Special Operation Units. To
include Guard and Reserve Special Operators. Widows of persons eligible for
regular membership qualify as non-dues
paying members. Other units/interested
parties may join as non-voting associate
members with approval of the Board of
Directors.
Membership dues payable by q Check or q CREDIT CARD
__________________________________________________________________
Full Name (Please Print)
____________________________________________________________
Billing Address q check if same as above
_ _ _ _
____________________________________________
City
State
Zip
Exp Date (MM/YY)
_ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _
16 Digit Credit Card Number
Send to: ACA, P.O. Box 7, Mary Esther, FL 32569-0007
For Office Use Only
Membership Number:______________ Amount Paid: _________ Ck #: _________ Date:_____________
 Entered in Membership Database  Welcome Packet Sent  AR
AIR COMMANDO
ASSOCIATION
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
FORT WALTON BEACH, FL
P.O. Box 7
Mary Esther, FL 32569
PERMIT NO. 3
orget
Don’t f A
the AC s rship
Schola e for
n
go onli fo!
more in
www.aircommando.org • Facebook Page: Air Commando Association
MAY 2012
By Richard Secord
In the past few months the
ACA “Brand” has become better
known and appreciated. A number of examples illustrate this:
• The Hurlburt Chapter of
the AFA and ACA jointly hosted
a luncheon for about 150 at the
Soundside Club on 29 February. The AFSOC Commander
presented a current “SITREP”
in this Q&A session lasting 1 ½
hours. A really fine event which
received a lot of compliments.
• ACA membership is growing. We signed up 63 new members in the 1st Quarter of this
year and 35 in April. A good
year’s beginning.
• “Air Commando Journal”,
3d issue, just hit the street. I estimate current readership to exceed 20,000.
• PGA golfer Boo Weekley
is conducting a golf tournament
in Navarre (see www.booweekley.com) on 27-29 July 2012 for
the benefit of ACA.
• ACA invited to make
presentation in Tampa during
SOFIC (Special Ops Forces Industrial Conference) on 22 May
sponsored by ACA partner corporation, ATK.
• Wine and Tapas pairing
gala in Niceville which took
place 26 April with 140 attendees. A great success for ACA.
Special thanks are owed to Mike
Agin and Pioneer Technologies
Corporation, an ACA partner.
• Corporate Partner ADS
Inc. sponsored ACA at an industrial exposition in the Emerald
Coast Convention Center on 19
April. Over 80 exhibitors and
ACA conducted a raffle.
• ACA has been asked by
the Air Force Association to organize an Air Commando panel
discussion at their annual exposition in Washington, D.C. at
the Gaylord Convention Center
on 19 Sept. Lt Gen Fiel , AFSOC Commander, has agreed to
lead the event. This is a first for
ACA!
As you see we are quite active and have also stood up local
ACA chapters (Cannon, Mildenhall, D.C., Colorado, Kirtland
and Kadena) since February
2011. New chapters at Hurlburt
and Tampa are setting up as of
this writing. Our ACA organization is now a global network.
Members are urged to follow the
action on our web site <www.
aircommando.org>.
I also want to focus on our
quarterly professional magazine
“Air Commando Journal” which
is under the editorial guidance of
VP Dennis Barnett assisted by
Jeanette Moore, Shannon Pressley, Pete Riley and Rick Newton. This periodical has proved
to be better than expected and
is a vital part of our mission to
preserve and propagate the Air
Commando heritage and current
activities. We currently have
14 advertisers who make this
publication possible. Any help
in recruiting advertisers will be
greatly appreciated. Likewise
we invite written comments or
criticisms as we try to maintain
a high standard going forward.
Lastly one of our former
standout Air Commandos, Leroy
“Svede” Svendson, Maj Gen,
USAF (Ret) is battling cancer.
He was commander, 6th Ftr Sq,
1st Air Commando Wg, during
the war in SE Asia and my old
boss. He needs your prayers and
can be reached in San Antonio at
<[email protected]> or by snail
mail at 9015 Sumac Cove, San
Antonio, TX 78266.
Inside this Edition...
Fundraiser Event . ....................page 1
Reunion Update........................page 1
Senior Leadership ...................page 2
Chief’s Corner ...........................page 3
Hall of Fame................................page 5
Pioneers in Blue.........................page 6
Event Photos..........................page 8-9
Membership Update............ page 10
Volunteer Corner................... page 11
Chapter Stand Up.................. page 13
PME Center Dedication....... page 14
Letters . ..................................... page 15
Reunion Sign Up..............page 16-17
MTF Update............................. page 23
ACA Scholarships.................. page 24
AFJROTC Award...................... page 25
Commando Store.................. page 26
Books for Air Commandos.page 30