Air Force News

Col Mike Lee, USAF

The Spring semester came rapidly to an end in mid-May, and Det 280 AFROTC at KU hosted the Joint Commissioning Ceremony for our nation's newest Ensigns and Lieutenants. KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway and guest speaker Col Percy Pasqua , USAF (Ret.), challenged the new officers to serve the nation well and continue to uphold the tradition of excellence established by previous KU ROTC graduates. Hundreds of family members, friends, educators and fellow cadets shook hands and saluted the new gold bars as they received their commissions.

We then immediately jumped from harvesting new lieutenants to growing our next crop. Training activities for the summer started right away, and include such programs as Operation Air Force (cadets spend 3 weeks with an active duty unit), Free Fall Parachuting at the Air Force Academy, and the new Rising Sophomore program designed to put some of our top Sophomores in contact with multiple facets of AF life. Additionally, we sent certain cadets to Field Training (like Boot Camp with leadership thrown in) in Texas, Florida or South Dakota.

Back at KU we will welcome Captain Keith Bland, former commander of the AF Band of the Pacific at Yakota AB Japan , to our staff. Keith's a KU grad and anxious get involved in our program. The bad side to new arrivals is that

someone must leave, and we will have to say good-bye to Maj Ardi Cecil in August. Maj Cecil will take over as Director of ROTC Curriculum at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Ardi came to us with a PhD in Psychology, which helped bridge the gap between the military and academia at KU. She also gained a national reputation for excellence in AFROTC both as an instructor and a recruiter. We appreciate her selflessness and dedication.

As a final note, we will begin a partnership with the 190th Air Refueling Wing at Forbes in the Fall to get some of our more senior cadets on-the-job training in those career fields they will enter upon graduation. For example, our Atmospheric Science majors will work in the weather shop, our cop candidates will work with Security Forces at Forbes, and our pilots and navigators will learn the delicate art of scheduling. We'll look for any match-ups we can fill to benefit both units.

We look forward to this 100th year anniversary of powered flight ( I think Jim Cooper has been around for all 100!). We also look forward to another year working with the Jayhawk Chapter of MOAA.

Col Mike Lee

NPRC INITIATES ONLINE RECORDS REQUEST PROCEDURES

The National Personnel Records Center 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 online web site.

The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing time. Also, 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.

Veterans and next of kin may access this application at http:// vetrecs.archives.gov Please note there is no requirement to type " www " in front of the web address.

Tower: "Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o'clock, 6 miles!"

Delta 351: "Give us another hint! We have digital watches!"