Air Force News

COL Mike Lee, USAF

We’re at a racer’s pace but enjoying the ride at KU’s AFROTC Det 280. Activities never seem to end and they seem as varied as the young men and women who make up the Cadet Wing.

We kicked off the fall semester with a 3-day orientation for our new freshmen. Once we had them aboard (a little joint talk for old salts) we jumped into the home football season and a series of joint and Air Force Color guards at the home games. I guess even sharp cadets can’t bring about football miracles though! We also sent a small group of Cadets to help at McConnell during the Base Open House in Wichita, and ran our upper class cadets through a special team leadership course near Kansas City.

On 18 Sept we celebrated the Air Force’s 55th birthday and invited renowned Lawrence artist Alvin Howell as the oldest AF member to help us cut the cake. Mr. Howell spoke first hand and brought pictures of the very first AF Anniversary celebration he was a part of at Randolph Field, Texas. A couple days later, the Wing presented the Colors at the Annual AF Birthday Ball sponsored by the AF Doctrine Center at Ft. Leavenworth. At the very end of September, Col Steve Rapp, Vice-Commander of the 57th Ops Group, Nellis AFB and KU grad brought the Thunderbirds to Forbes field and spoke to the Cadet Wing before inviting us out to the aerial demonstration.

Still going strong in October, we sent cadets to a new Jr. Officer/Cadet mentoring program initiated at Whiteman AFB and it proved a great success. A week later we sent another group of cadets to tour Vance AFB and pilot training operations in Oklahoma. Last week, we had two special guest speakers, Chaplain (Lt Col) Darlington, the senior chaplain at Whiteman, and CMSgt Cobb, Whiteman’s Senior Enlisted Advisor. Chief Cobb gave an excellent presentation on his idea of a good Junior Officer that opened a lot of eyes and got raves from all cadets. Multiple additional activities are planned for the next few months as we work to mold the best 2LTs in the Air Force.

On a sadder note, we participated in a funeral for 2LT Nathanial Buckley, a 2000 AFROTC KU grad who died in the August crash of his MC-130H while on a Special Operations training mission in Puerto Rico. Buckley was a Distinguished Grad from ROTC and a distinguished Nav and EWO school grad as well. We started an endowment at KU in his honor to fund an annual cadet award and scholarship that will perpetuate the leadership and desire to serve country he radiated while at KU. More information on this endowment is available through the KU Endowment Association, 832-7436.

 
 

TROA Legislative Update (continued from page 2)

POWs detained 30 to 120 days would receive $150 per month, those detained 121 to 540 days would receive $300 per month, and those detained for 540 or more days would receive $450 per month. The compensation would be paid without regard to any other government compensation paid to these veterans. Currently there are nearly 43,000 living American ex-POWS, the majority of whom served during World War II.

(10-11-02)

Issue 1: House Leadership Blocking Concurrent Receipt. Not wanting to buck the Administration's veto threat, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is still refusing to let the FY 2003 Defense Authorization Bill come to the House floor with any meaningful concurrent receipt provision.

  

Help make a difference.

1. Call or visit your representatives and senators between now and Monday in their home district or campaign offices. Ask them to tell you what they personally will do to get congressional leaders to put a substantive concurrent receipt provision in the defense authorization bill before Congress adjourns.

2. Send e-mail messages via TROA's Web site at http:// capwiz.com/troa/home/ and click on the "Leadership Must Act on Concurrent Receipt" link. Alternatively, call your representatives, using TROA's hot line to Capitol Hill (1-877-762-8762).

3. Call the White House comment line at 1-202-456-1111 and let the White House know you want the Administration to stop opposing fair compensation for disabled military retirees. (continued on Page 6) 
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