THE WINGSPAN: JUNE 2012
Col. Doug “Roach” Cochran, “Top Gun” PAS
at OSU.
Welcome to The Wingspan, a free monthly email newsletter for OSU ROTC alumni,
cadets and friends of ROTC at OSU.
The purpose of The Wingspan, an unofficial publication, is to keep you in touch with one
another, ROTC and Oregon State. Currently The Wingspan is distributed to over 500
readers. We hope you enjoy the issue. The referenced articles have been edited for
length and clarity.
If you have any comments about the newsletter or would like to be added to/deleted
from the mailing list, please contact the editor at [email protected] and
provide your email address. If you are an alumnus, please provide the year you
graduated.
Paul “JP” Jones ‘65
Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.)
Editor
1
Items in the June 2012 issue:
1. NEWS FROM FRIENDS OF ROTC AT OSU
2. COL COCHRAN – “TOP GUN” PROFESSOR OF AEROSPACE STUDIES AT
OSU!
3.
MAJ GEN ROGER BINDER ’75 SPEAKER AT OSU AFROTC DINING OUT
4. AIR FORCE GENERAL WAS THE VENTURES 1ST DRUMMER
5.
F-22 PILOTS SPEAK OUT ON RAPTOR OXYGEN PROBLEM ON 60 MINUTES
6. READERS COMMENTS:
__________________________________________________________
1. NEWS FROM FRIENDS OF ROTC AT OSU
Have you recently been promoted, received notice of a PCS, been awarded a
decoration, gotten married, celebrated the arrival of a new member of the family
or retired? If so, please send the “latest and greatest” news & photos for
publication in the next newsletter.
2
a. I am a docent at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, OR.
I work on Fridays at the Space Museum and would be glad to see ANY cadet or
alumni – Class of 67 RAH! Lt. Col. Boyd Yaden ‘67
Lt. Col. Boyd Yaden ’67, second from left.
b. Lt. Col. Dave Newbern ’65 recently walked his sister, Maj. Pam Newbern, down
the aisle at her wedding to John Boyle at the Old Post Chapel; Ft. Meyer, VA.
Pam is stationed at the Pentagon and will live with John at his home in northern
Virginia. The lucky bride and groom will shortly leave for New Zeeland for their
honeymoon.
3
Lt. Col. Dave Newbern ’65, serving
As “Father of the Bride” for Major
Pam Boyle, his sister.
c. Laura and I are at Whiteman AFB. I am here to fly the T-38 for a while. We just
came back from 3 years at Ramstein flying the C-21. Hope all is well. Thanks for
maintaining the Wingspan. I had my dollar ride today. Capt. Dustin Bodin
Capt. Dustin Bodin prior to a mission.
d. Lt. Col. Jim Hubbard ’65 just finished a 14 day cruise from San Diego to Ft
Lauderdale on Holland America's Statendam. Scheduled stops in Puerto
Vallarta, Huatulco, Puerto Chiapas (canceled due to heavy weather), Guatemala,
Panama City (Fuerte Amador) and Cartagena, Columbia, with the usual variety
4
of stuff to do and see at each. Our biggiie was zip lining in Guatemala. The
canal is impressive. If you go, make sure you are getting a day passage, even
tho it will mean seeing Panama City at night. Passage takes all day.
Lt. Col. Jim “Hubbs” Hubbard and his wife, Jill, on their
recent cruise.
2. COL COCHRAN – “TOP GUN” PROFESSOR OF AEROSPACE STUDIES AT
OSU!
OSU AFROTC website, “Col. Douglas Cochran, PAS Biography,” July 2004; OSU Air
Force ROTC Alumni Drill Team History: 1949-2007,” “Sweepstakes Champions at
SCIDM: 2004-2005,” Nov 2010.
5
Colonel Doug “Roach” Cochran in front of his
F-15C prior to a mission.
We’ve had some great Professors of Aerospace Studies (PAS) at OSU over the last 15
years, but one of the best was Colonel Douglas “Roach” Cochran USAF.
Colonel Cochran, a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours, served as
Commander of AFROTC Det 685 and OSU PAS from July 2004 to September 2007.
As alumni know, the Det thrived under Colonel Cochran’s leadership. The Cadet Corps
consistently maintained in excess of 90 cadets (up to 150 in early 2007) and the drill
team greatly expanded & maintained the number of exhibitions in Western Oregon for
his entire tour.
This included annual performances in the Albany Veterans Day Parade, Corvallis Area
High Schools, the Southern California Invitational Drill Meet (SCIDM), all home baseball
games/volleyball games and the prestigious Iris Parade.
Alumni contributed over $3,000/year to the Silver Talons Endowment Fund to support
the team as they put on these exhibitions. Students saw them perform and thought,
“Wow! They are awesome! When I enter OSU in a year or two, I want to be just like
them!” This played an important role in ensuring that “best and brightest” were
continuously knocking on the AFROTC door during the Colonel’s tour.
In 2005 during Colonel Cochran’s tenure, the Silver Talons brought home a 1st Place
SCIDM Sweepstakes Trophy by beating the Air Force Academy drill team for the first
time in the 58-year history of the Flying Beaver Team. This turned out to be a rather
expensive win for the Colonel, as he generously agreed to treat the entire 23-member
6
team to steak dinners at a top-rated steak house in Huntington Beach, CA to celebrate
the victory.
Cadet Leslie Curry Accepts 1st Place Sweepstakes Trophy for
the Silver Talon Full Armed Team at SCIDM 2005, edging out
the Air Force Academy, which placed second.
Colonel Cochran received his commission through the Air Force ROTC four-year
scholarship program and graduated with a BA in Law Enforcement from the University of
Maryland in 1977. His first assignment was as a Security Police officer at McGuire AFB,
NJ.
Pilot training at Laughlin AFB, TX was the next stop for Colonel Cochran, who received
his wings in April 1981. After graduation, he served as a T-38 instructor pilot at Laughlin
AFB and was later selected for F-15C upgrade training at Luke AFB, AZ, in 1985. After
upgrade training, Colonel Cochran was assigned to the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron at
Langley AFB, VA. This was followed by a tour from 1988 - 1989 with the 57th Fighter
Interceptor Squadron at Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland. In 1989, Colonel Cochran
was selected to attend Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) at Maxwell AFB, AL.
Following ACSC, the Colonel served as Chief of Officer Assignments Division,
Directorate of Personnel, Hq Air Combat Command at Langley AFB, VA. He was then
assigned to Eglin AFB, FL where, from 1993 to 1995, he held a variety of flying and staff
positions with the 33rd Fighter Wing.
In May 1995, Colonel Cochran was selected as Commander of the 58th Tactical Fighter
Squadron at Eglin. This command was interrupted in 1997 when he was selected to
attend Naval War College in Newport, RI. Upon graduation, “Roach” was immediately
thrown back into the leadership spotlight, with his selection as the commander of the 18th
Operations Group at Kadena AB, Japan.
7
In 2001 Colonel Cochran served as Director of Assignments, HQ, Air Force Personnel
Center, Randolph AFB, TX. The final assignment Col Cochran held prior to arrival at
OSU in July 2004 was Vice Commander of the 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, FL.
Colonel Cochran received his Masters of Business Administration from Sul Ross State
University, Alpine, TX and a second Masters in National Security and Strategic Studies
from the Naval War College, Newport, RI. He retired in September 2007.
Col. Cochran is the Director of Career Services at OSU. The Career Services staff
provides OSU students with career preparation support and helps them formulate job
search strategies. In addition, his office also assists alumni in their job hunting and
networking efforts.
Colonel Cochran’s decorations include Legion of Merit w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters; Purple
Heart; Meritorious Service Medal w/4 Oak Leaf Clusters; Air Medal w/1 Oak Leaf
Cluster; Aerial Achievement Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
2. MAJ GEN ROGER BINDER ’75 SPEAKER AT OSU AFROTC DINING OUT
Official Air Force Biography, “Major General Roger Binder.”
Maj. Gen. Roger Binder ’75, guest speaker at
the OSU Air Force ROTC Dining Out.
Maj. Gen Binder ’75 was the guest speaker at the annual Air Force ROTC Dining Out
held on Friday, 4 May 2012 in the OSU CH2M HILL Alumni Center.
In his closing remarks, General Binder said, “One final thought: As you continue down
the Air Force path, ENJOY what you do and be Proud of what you do…. What we do is
hard work, its worthy work and as I heard said before, “We make the extremely difficult
look easy, every day and without fail.” It’s not, but we make it look that way and as our
Chief of Staff, General Schwartz, said recently, “… by any objective standard, we have
the best Air Force on the planet.”
• My charge to you is to embrace the challenges you’ll have in your military career,
8
knowing that it will make you a stronger officer and a more capable leader
• Know also that there are resources available to help you overcome these challenges,
whether it’s your inherent youth and energy, the Air Force Core values or Mentors.
• I wish you the best of luck in both the Air Force and in life.”
General Binder is Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Headquarters, Air Combat
Command, Langley AFB, VA. General Binder has commanded both a fighter
squadron and an operations group, and served as vice commander at both the wing
and numbered air force levels. In his civilian career, he is a First Officer at American
Airlines, flying the Boeing 777 on international routes.
Maj. Gen. Roger Binder ’75 addressing the annual OSU Army, Navy and Air Force
ROTC Pass in Review.
9
4. AIR FORCE GENERAL WAS THE VENTURES 1ST DRUMMER
Tunefan.com, Wikipedia.
Gen George Babbitt was lead drummer for The
Ventures at age 17.
March 1, 1998 DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C. was a performance that any
Ventures fan would have died for. The group was backed up by The United States Air
Force Band, The Air Force Reserve Pipe Band, Robins AFB, Georgia, and vocals were
supplied by The Singing Sergeants.
A definite highlight was 4-star General George T. Babbitt, Commander, of Air Force
Material Command, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio got up and played drums on “Walk
Don't Run.”
As a 17 year old in the late 1950’s, Babbitt became the original drummer for The
Ventures rock group. Just before the band gained fame with their huge hit “Walk, Don’t
Run,” Babbitt had to drop out because he was not old enough to even enter the
nightclubs and bars the band was beginning to play.
In his service dress, General Babbitt seemed to have the time of his life performing a
piece from long ago.
Do not miss this rare performance video featuring The Ventures along with General
George T. Babbitt playing Walk, Don't Run!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljLi_hBLy3A
10
5. F-22 PILOTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT RAPTOR OXYGEN PROBLEM ON 60
MINUTES
CBS News 60 Minutes, “Two F-22 pilots appear on 60 Minutes to speak out about the F22 oxygen system,” 6 May 2012
Maj. Jeremy Gordon and Capt. Joshua Wilson being interviewed by
Karen Sughrue, 60 Minutes Producer. See article below.
Military officers rarely speak out against their services, but in the linked CBS 60 Minutes
segment, which aired on 6 May 2012, you'll hear from two elite pilots who question the
safety of Air Force's most sophisticated, stealthy, and expensive fighter jet, the F-22
Raptor.
Maj. Jeremy Gordon and Capt. Joshua Wilson have chosen to stop flying the F-22
because they say during some flights they and other pilots have experienced oxygen
deprivation, disorientation, and worse. They are concerned about their safety in the air,
as well as the long-term health consequences. The Air Force says it is doing all it can to
investigate and solve the problem, and are keeping the jets in the air with careful
supervision of the pilots.
The shiniest jewel in the Air Force inventory is its F-22 Raptor, a sleek, stealth fighter jet
that the Pentagon says can outgun and outmaneuver any combat plane anywhere in the
world. But, despite (and prehaps because of) all its prowess, the Raptor has yet to be
used in combat. It was designed to go up against an enemy with a sophisticated air
force, which means it sat on the sidelines during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
leaving its 200 pilots to fly mainly training missions.
But the Raptor - the most expensive fighter ever to go to production - has been plagued
by a mysterious flaw that causes its pilots to become disoriented while at the controls
from a lack of oxygen.
11
Major Gordon and Capt Wilson are so concerned they have taken the extraordinary step
of risking their careers by appearing on 60 Minutes in uniform -- and without permission - to blow the whistle on a plane they love to fly.
Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57428204-10391709/the-f-22-pilotswho-talked-why-they-did-it/
6. READERS COMMENTS
Comments on individual articles, entire issues and suggestions for improving The
Wingspan are greatly appreciated. When emailing them, please let us know if it is OK to
publish your comments and the year you graduated.
a. Oregon State Air Force ROTC Alumni Facebook Group
Check out the Oregon State Air Force ROTC Alumni Facebook group at:
http://www.facebook.com/ - !/groups/OREGON.STATE.AFROTC.ALUMNI/
In response to concerns over privacy, the group is now closed, the name has
been updated to “Oregon State Air Force ROTC Alumni” and membership is
restricted to those on distribution for “The Wingspan.” To join the group, you
have to be invited by a current member. If you wish to join, please contact the
editor at [email protected]
12
b. MEMORIAL DAY
13