Air Force
400 airmen to relocate to Andersen from 2007 through 2015
“Approximately 400 airmen are expected to relocate to the 36th Wing Andersen Air Forcebase beginning fiscal year 2007 ” Maj. Richelle Dowdell chief of public affairs for the 36th Wing; told the Journal.
The relocation will be conducted in phases through fiscal 2015. She said that the majority of the move would occur between fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2009. With the relocation of the 400 airmen plus their dependants Andersen would see an increase of more than a thousand people.
Dowdell said the relocation is part of the build up on Guam and Andersen Air Force Base “which will include the Red Horse Unit the Commando Warrior Combat Communication Silver Flag and Global Hawk.
“We’ll build facilities in order to meet the requirements necessary for the proper and safe bed down of these future units.”
36th Wing receives parachutes for Christmas Drop
A KC-135 from Seymour delivered more than 200 parachutes to Andersen Air Force Base on Nov. 19. The parachutes will be used for Operation Christmas Drop which delivers supplies to more than 50 islands in the Pacific. The delivery of more than 200 parachutes increased the amount of possible drops by about 400%. Operation Christmas Drop is the longest-running humanitarian airdrop in the world.
Air Force and Navy exercise jointly
On Nov. 3 B-52 Stratofortress aircrews assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron and sailors with the Navy’s Mobile Mine Assembly Unit 8 completed a week-long mine-laying exercise.
The exercise marked the largest number of weapons released by B-52’s since they arrived in August. During the sorties the bombers dropped 92 Mk 62 “quick-strike” mines and four Mk 56 moored mines.
Navy
Navy Exchange holds grand opening
Navy Exchange Guam held a grand opening ceremony for its main store on Naval Base Guam on Nov. 17. The main store underwent renovations which started in April 2005. With the completion of the renovations the store now has an additional 30 000 square feet of retail space. Other changes from the renovations included the consolidation and relocation of the sporting goods and toys departments which were previously located at NEX II; the transfer of the book store from outside NEX to inside the facility; and the expansion of all departments such as the clothing area which doubled in size. The renovation project was awarded to Reliable Builders Inc. and cost about $9 million.
NAVFAC garners small business contracts award
U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command was named the recipient of the 2005-2006 Small Environmental Business Action Coalition Award for Excellence according to a Nov. 3 release. SEBAC — a trade association whose members include small women-owned and veteran-owned businesses — presented the award to a federal agency’s demonstrated commitment to small environmental business and its awarding of small prime contracts. SEBAC selected NAVFAC for its strong support of small environmental businesses.
Eight sailors injured in accident
On Dec. 1 eight sailors assigned to repair the USS Frank Cable were injured during maintenance operations as a result of a steam leak on the ship. The sailors were transported to Naval Hospital Guam.
Six of the sailors were transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston Texas. The six sailors were met by the Burn Special Medical Augmentation Response Team from the Texas facility at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu where they received initial treatment.
The two remaining sailors were treated at Naval Hospital Guam and released.
Navy conducts maintenance on its clearwell at Fena Lake
On Dec. 1 the Navy conducted maintenance on its clearwell at Fena Lake. As a result of the maintenance water was shut off from 12 p.m. through 12 a.m. The water outages affected the villages of Agat and Santa Rita. Also as a result of the shutdown Piti and Nimitz experienced low to no water pressure from Nov. 30 through Dec. 1.
During the outage water production at the plan was secured to enable completion of critical work in support of plant upgrade projects. According to a release from the Navy this and future outages are necessary to facilitate Navy Water Treatment Plan upgrades which will improve treatment processes modernize process control instrumentation and provide redundancy. The end result of the upgrades will be a better more reliable water service to Navy customers the release said.
Three sailors receive Bronze Star
Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 held an awards ceremony on Dec. 1 on Naval Base Guam. During the ceremony three service members who distinguished themselves by heroic meritorious achievement or service in connection with military operations against an armed enemy or opposing armed force were awarded the Bronze Star.
Lt. John Pinto and Chief Petty Officer Kevin Powell were presented the Bronze Star and Petty Officer 2nd Class Jon Kristoffersen received a Bronze Star Medal with Valor in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Personnel were also awarded Navy Commendation Medals with Valor Army Commendations and Army Achievement Medals.
The mission of EODMU 5 a forward-deployed mobile command is to provide explosive ordnance disposal detachments throughout the Seventh Fleet area of responsibility to enable access for fleet mine countermeasures joint expeditionary and special operations forces.
Military Sealift command holds job fair
The Military Sealift Command held a job fair on Nov. 17 at the Top O’ the Mar. At the fair the command was looking for experienced mariners departing military personnel or individuals with maritime experience to fill the following positions: able seaman ordinary seaman supply utilityman engine utilityman pumpman unlicensed junior engineer wiper advancement program electronics technician refrigeration engineer dock engineer machinist 2nd electrician 2nd–3rd officer 2nd–3rd assistant engineer and medical services officer.
Military Sealift Command is the ocean transportation provider for the Department of Defense with the responsibility of providing strategic sealift and ocean transportation for all military forces overseas.
National Guard
Guam Army National Guard to hold 2006 Freedom Salute award ceremony
More than 200 Guam Army National Guard Soldiers were recognized at the 2006 Freedom Salute award ceremony held Dec. 1 at the University of Guam Field House. The Freedom Salute acknowledged soldiers and those who supported them during the call to duty for Operation Noble Eagle Operations Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Each soldier received an encased American flag a commemorative coin a certificate of appreciation and a lapel insignia. The soldiers’ spouse received a lapel insignia and their children were recognized and presented with a Future Soldier footlocker kit which included the Daring Eagle board game mission command game trading cards and comic books.
Coast Guard
Five people rescued off of Ritidian Point
Five people were rescued by various search and rescue agencies on Nov. 29 when their 30-foot vessel was disabled off of Ritidian Point. Entities that responded included the U.S. Coast Guard the Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 the Guam Fire and Rescue the private vessel Ten Two and the USS Frank Cable. MBJ
“
