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Tuesday, September 26, 2006


Dover AFB receives new maintenance trainer
A full-scale model of a C-5 Galaxy cockpit, called a combined avionics systems trainer, or CAST, will be used by instructors at Dover Air Force Base, Del., to help train maintainers who will fix avionics systems on the C-5. The trainer comprises five separate sections including a forward cockpit station, navigator station, an aircraft silhouette, an avionics station and an instructor station. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman James Bolinger)

Tomcats Officially Retire

Virginia Beach, Va. (Sept. 22, 2006) - Sailors from Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) salute the departing aircrew, marking the final flight of the F-14 Tomcat at Naval Air Station Oceana. This event officially retired the Tomcat after 36 years of honorable service in the United States Navy. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin K. Thomas


Story Number: NNS060926-03
Release Date: 9/26/2006 8:26:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Katrina Scampini, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The F-14 Tomcat was officially retired after 36 years of service at the Final Flight Ceremony held at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana Sept. 22.

More than 1,300 former and present F-14 aviators, maintainers, and support personnel attended the ceremony.“The Tomcat helped maintain freedom and democracy around the world,” said Aviation Support Equipment Technician 2nd Class Christopher Kaelin, a support equipment maintainer with Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD). “When you see it come off the flight deck, you know it’s a force to be reckoned with.”

According to Corporate Vice President and President of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Scott Seymour, the Final Flight Ceremony is as much a dedication to the aircraft as to the people who contributed to its legacy.

“We are here to salute the vision that conceived the aircraft,” Seymour said, “as well as the intellectual capital that engineered it, the pride of those who built it and the dedication of the Sailors who have maintained it and the raw courage and icy nerve of the flight crews that flew it in defense of our country.”

Seymour said although the F-14 is being retired, the human qualities that brought it about are still as vital as ever.

The Navy’s new F/A-18E/F “Super Hornet” will replace the F-14.“The Tomcat lives on to its enduring mission and to the men and women committed to those missions,” said Adm. John Nathman, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. “It’s a transition from one superb aircraft to another; the Tomcat to the Super Hornet.”

A small number of F-14s will be departing NAS Oceana through Sept. 30 to their final destinations at museums or be placed in war reserve at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

To further recognize the F-14 retirement, Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf publicly dedicated Sept. 22 as “Tomcat Day” in Virginia Beach.

“We love the Navy,” Oberndorf said. “And today, the Tomcat is at the top of the list.”

For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.

Related Stories:
More Photos

F-14 Tomcat Has New Home in Richmond - 9/21/2006

Tomcat Chapter Draws to a Close - 7/28/2006

Jacksonville, Fla. (Sept. 25, 2006) – Lt. j. g. Robert Storer, assigned to the "Mad Foxes" of Patrol Squadron Five (VP-5), tests his M40 gas mask to ensure it fits correctly during equipment checks on board Naval Air Station Jacksonville. The M40 gas mask is used to defend against Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) attacks. VP-5 is currently preparing for a scheduled deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Harry J. Rucker III

Bricktown father, daughter reunite in Middle East

Sgt. Beth DiLonardo, native of Bricktown , N.J. , intelligence analyst, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Lightning, stands with her father Arthur during some downtime at Camp Beuhring in Kuwait . (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Paul J. Harris, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, Dec. 15, 2005)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2006
SR# 092606-149


by Pfc. Paul J. Harris
3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

BAQUBAH, Iraq (September 25, 2006) -- Most Soldiers say goodbye to their loved ones before they board the plane to go to war. With the exception of two weeks during R&R, they do not get to see them again until they come home. Being deployed is a lonely and trying time for servicemembers.

Sgt. Beth DiLonardo, intelligence analyst, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Lightning, is one of the lucky ones who got to spend time with her father in Kuwait while preparing to come to Iraq. Arthur DiLonardo and daughter Beth are natives from Bricktown, N.J., and Arthur is employed by the U.S. military to work on computer systems, which brings him to the Middle East frequently.

"It is pretty neat that of all the places in the world you can end up in, you end up in Kuwait and Iraq together," Beth said.

Beth draws strength from her relationship with her father enabling her to get through the tough times of her deployment. Beth was quickly put to the test upon arriving in Iraq in December 2005 when her unit was baptized by insurgent mortar and rocket fire on Christmas Eve.

"It was surreal, we had gone through the training and heard the noises before, but now it is for real," Beth said. "It was definitely a little shaky."

Iraq was the first time in her Army career she was able to do her job in the field. Being a noncommissioned officer meant she has Soldiers looking to her for leadership and guidance. She frequently preaches the importance of balance in your job to personal relationships as the key to surviving a long deployment.

With her year-long deployment coming to end soon, Beth will be returning to her home station of Fort Carson, Colo. She is looking forward to spending time with family and friends and revisiting Bricktown where growing up she spent endless hours at the beach and boardwalk. He father still has a home there and she is comforted by the way the local community has not changed much since she left to join the Army at age 22.

Her time spent in Iraq has made her appreciative of the little things, like having your father close at the nearby airbase in Balad, Iraq .

"Things might not be as important as I thought they were," Beth said reflecting on her deployment. "It made realize what I want and don't want in my future."



Sgt. Beth DiLonardo, native of Bricktown , N.J. , intelligence analyst, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Lightning, sits in her containerized housing unit at Forward Operating Base Warhorse near Baqubah , Iraq . (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Paul J. Harris, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, Sept. 24, 2006)


Sgt. Beth DiLonardo, native of Bricktown , N.J. , intelligence analyst, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Lightning, stands in front of the U.S. flag and the Iron Brigade Colors at Forward Operating Base Warhorse near Baqubah , Iraq . (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Paul J. Harris, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, Sept. 25, 2006)

PLAY TIME — U.S. Army Capt. Tim Peterman, commander, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, hands out soccer balls to Iraqi children during a dismounted patrol in Bayji, Iraq, Sept. 18, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua R. Ford

In Today's News - Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Quote of the Day
"There is no possible negotiation with these killers.
Our aim is to win over terrorism.
Only by being firm we can stop terrorism.
We must be firm fighting the terrorists
and opposing the final aims they want to achieve."

-- Jose Maria Aznar

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
British Forces Kill Al Qaeda Leader in Iraq
Judge Ejects Hussein for Second Straight Day
Saddam, aides ejected from genocide trial - Video
Army Extends Iraq Duty for 4,000
Lieberman Calls for Having More U.S. Troops Training Iraqi Forces

Operation Enduring Freedom
Bomber Kills 18 in Afghanistan
Blast kills nine soldiers, nine civilians
Army Investigates Afghan Prison Deaths
Female Sergeants Graduate ANP'S Satanman Course
24TH MEU Harriers Complete Combat Runs in Afghanistan

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Negroponte Defends White House Anti-Terror Record
Intel chief rejects claims from leaked report
Interrogation methods open to question
Wiretap Bill Moves Closer to Passage
U.S. Relaxes Rules on Air Travel Carry-On Items
Bush to discuss terrorism fight with Afghan Karzai
New bin Laden claims - Video
Clinton did not leave al Qaeda plan: Rice
Rumsfeld in Montenegro to discuss NATO, war on terrorism

Troops on Trial
Three Marines to face courts-martial

Other Military News
Military Pay Raise Threatened

Mid-East Ceasefire / Israel at War
Israel seeks rules of engagement before Lebanon exit

Worldwide Wackos
EU, Iran close to deal for nuclear talks: report

Homegrown Moonbats
Clooney shrugs off talk of candidacy

Politics / Government
Bill Clinton: Play It As It Lies
Professor says senator used racial slur

In the Courts
Judge Halts Land Sales in Alaska's Oil Reserves

Media in the Media
Iraq, Katrina, terror dominate News Emmy Awards

Mother Nature
California Wildfires Prompt Voluntary Evacuations

Oddities
Plucky boy gets Miss Universe dream date
Three-year-old buys pink convertible on Internet

Other News of Note
Rape law reform lays bare Pakistan's political morass
Comair crash survivor has leg amputated
Pope says 2 faiths must overcome enmity
Man charged in dragging death in Colo.

Fox News
Japan Elects New Prime Minister
Katrina Victims Hail Reopening of Superdome
Chicago 5-Year-Old in Coma After Dental Visit
Psych Exam Ordered for Fetus Murder Suspect
Rocket Crashes After Launch in New Mexico
Stocks to Watch: Lowe's, Red Hat and PMC-Sierra

Reuters: Top News
Ex-WTO boss tipped as Thai PM, coup concerns emerge
Rescuers struggle to recover Nepal crash bodies
Britain's Blair to urge members to focus on reforms
Hungary's opposition keeps pressure on PM to quit
Fastow to be sentenced
Earth may be at warmest point in 1 million years
IBM bundles products, targets smaller businesses
Nokia needs device revamp to regain U.S. ground: analysts
U.S. firms eye Hispanic execs to tap growing market
New vaccine would target ear, sinus infections
Diabetes link with cancer seen in Japanese study
Actor Crowe doesn't "do charity work" for studios
Gold rises 1.3 pct on higher oil, awaits U.S. data
Oil holds near $61, looks to OPEC for direction - Video
Clariant shares rise on 4-6 pct global price increase
Euro falls as Ifo casts doubts over 2007 outlook - Video
Stock futures point flat; crude oil dips
Reuters Summit: Venture Capital
New entrepreneurs harder to unearth
Audio: How many YouTube-like companies are there in China?
"Irrational" mortgage bond prices polarize market
Ideas & Screening: Coach shows up on two stock screens
Renault exec says GM must confront Toyota: reports
IBM bundles products, targets smaller businesses
U.S. drops to 6th in world competitiveness ranking
Universal Music, WPP team up to link bands, brands
Airbus parent EADS appoints new M&A boss

AP World News
Few may speak at Enron CFO's sentencing
Private rocket falters after N.M. launch
Twins' remarkable run leads to playoffs
AK Steel union workers reject contract
Oprah says her lawyers overreacted
Seahawks' Alexander out with broken foot
NYC judge dismisses Gest's assault case
Dow ends up 68 on Fed official's remarks
'Saint Reggie' latest savior for Saints
Many Patients quit medicine too early

Military.com
Facility Lets SEALs Stay Closer to Home

CENTCOM: News Releases
BORDER SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE HOLDS MEETING

ANP, ANA, COALITION FORCES CONDUCT JOINT TRAINING

COALITION FORCES KILL 10 TALIBAN REBELS IN PAKTIKA PROVINCE

USJFCOM
USJFCOM, Polish armed forces strengthen ties - podcast
Urban Resolve 2015 leaders meet with the media - photos - podcast

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
Navy Strike Group Contributing to Iraq, Afghanistan Security - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Caldwell: Iraq's Transformation is Subtle - Commentary
Coalition Routs Taliban, Extremists in Ghazni - Story
Soldiers, Marines Help Upgrade Iraqi Police Station - Story
Medics Provide Aid to Baghdad Neighborhood - Story

IN IRAQ
Giambastiani Focuses on IEDs in Afghanistan
British, Italian Forces Hand Over Dhi Qar to Iraqis
Helicopter Recovery Mission Successful in Al Anbar
Field Surgical Team Excels at Saving Lives
Iraqi Government Assumes Control in Dhi Qar

IN AFGHANISTAN
10th Mountain Division Soldiers Thwart Extremists
Legacy of Fallen Citadel Graduate Lives On

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Casualties - Story

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul

Gitmo

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1687 - The Parthenon is destroyed in a war between the Turks and the Venetians.
1777 - British troops occupy Philadelphia.
1789 - Thomas Jefferson is appointed as the first U.S. Secretary of State; John Jay becomes the first Chief Justice; Samuel Osgood becomes the first Postmaser; Edmund J. Randolph becomes the first Attorney General.
1890 - The U.S. stops minting the one- and three-dollar gold coins and the three cent piece.
1914 - The Federal Trade Commission is formed to regulate interstate commerce.
1918 - The Meuse-Argonne offensive against Germany begins.
1934 - The British luxury liner Queen Mary is launched.
1950 - Because of a forest fire in British Columbia, a blue moon appears in England; U.N. troops in Korean War recapture Seoul.
1954 - A typhoon strikes Kakodate Bay, Japan, killing over 1,600.
1960 - Nixon and Kennedy have the first of 4 TV debates; Fidel Castro gives the longest speech in U.N. history (4 hrs, 29 min).
1962 - "The Beverly Hillbillies" premiers on CBS-TV; the Yemen Arab Republic is proclaimed.
1972 - The American Museum of Immigration is dedicated.
1980 - The Cuban government closes Mariel Harbor, ending the "freedom flotilla"; Soyuz-38 returns to Earth.
1983 - Cosmonauts Titov and Strekalov are saved from their exploding Soyuz spacecraft.
1984 - President Reagan vetoes sanctions against South Africa.
1986 - Antonin Scalia becomes a U.S. Supreme Court Justice; William Rehnquist becomes Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
1988 - NYC's Rockefeller Center is declared a national landmark; the U.S. space shuttle STS-26 is launched.
1990 - The Motion Picture Assn of America creates a new NC-17 rating.

Birthdays
1774
- John Chapman, better known as "Johnny Appleseed, frontier nurseryman
1888 - T.S. Eliot, poet/dramatist/critic, Nobel Prize winner (1948)
1889 - Martin Heidegger, German Existentialist (Being & Time)
1897 - Pope Paul VI, 262nd Roman Catholic pope (1963-78)
1898 - George Gershwin, composer (Rhapsody in Blue)
1914 - Jack LaLanne, exercise mogul
1932 - Clifton C. Williams, Jr., Major USMC/astronaut
1948 - Vladimir Remek, first Czechoslovakian space traveler (Soyuz-28)

Passings
1820 - Daniel Boone, frontiersman

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Ballard, Arthur T., USAF (SC); F105D shot down (pilot), released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive as of 2000

Mosburg, Henry L., US Army (OK); UH1B shot down (pilot w/Phillips); KIA, body not recovered

Phillips, Marvin F., US Army (TN); UH1B shot down (gunner, w/Mosburg); KIA, body not recovered

1967
Geist, Stephen J., US Army SF (MD); O1D shot down (observer, w/Huddleston)

Huddleston, Lynn R., US Army (TX); O1D shot down (pilot, w/Geist)

Moe, Harold John, USMC (Wi); F4B shot down (pilot)

1968
Olson, Barry A., US Army (MN); riding on top when M113 hit by anti-tank round

1972
Walsh, James P., USMC (CT); A4E shot down, released by PRG (from Cambodia) February, 1973, alive as of 1999

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