A collection of news and information specifically for the C4ISR community

Vol. 4, No. 29
July 31, 2008

Senior Electronic Systems Center civilian to retire tomorrow
Career path marked by acceptance, friendship and accomplishment

Outgoing Electronic Systems Center Executive Director Fran Duntz looks up while working at her desk last week. Mrs. Duntz, the center’s top civilian employee, will retire tomorrow following 31 years of federal service, although her luncheon and official ceremony will be held Aug. 8 in Hanscom’s Minuteman Club.  (Photo by Rick Berry)

By Chuck Paone
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Before showing up for the interview that would ultimately launch a soaring 31-year civilian Air Force career, then-24-year-old Fran Duntz purchased an “appropriate” outfit.

“I never wore it afterward, but I wore it for the interview, and I guess I must have done okay because they picked me for the job,” she said during a recent interview. “But on the first day of work, I showed up in a long floral dress with big hoop earrings and sandals; and my boss at the time didn’t blink. He didn’t blink and he took me for what I was, and he proceeded to be a wonderful mentor.”

Looking back on that time, the Electronic Systems Center’s top civilian said, “I often wonder, ‘how could they possibly have accepted this hippie?’ But they were amazing. And right off the bat, I thought, wow, the Air Force is a very accepting place, and that has proven true over 30 years.”  (More)

Colonel Orr takes command of 66th Air Base Wing 

Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds congratulates new 66th Air Base Wing Commander Col. David L. Orr during this morning’s ceremony at the Minuteman Club. (Air Force photo by Rick Berry)

By Kevin Gilmartin
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Col. David L. Orr took command of the 66th Air Base Wing in a formal change of command ceremony this morning in front of a standing room only audience at the Hanscom Minuteman Club.

He replaces Col. Tom Schluckebier, who retired after 26 years of Air Force service following the change of command.

As commander of the 66th Air Base Wing, the colonel is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Hanscom, supporting the acquisition mission of Electronic Systems Center, as well as the Air Force Research Laboratory and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

“Today is an important day for the entire Hanscom Air Force Base community, as the 66th Air Base Wing transitions from one officer to another,” said Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds, who presided over the change of command and retirement ceremony. “We have to say goodbye to dear friends, but open arms to new ones.”  (More)

ESC aids Guard unit engaged in California wildfire fight

Wildfires continue to burn in northern California. An Electronic Systems Center team recently helped establish remote communications capabilities that are being used for command and control of firefighting efforts there. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Martin)

By Chuck Paone
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

With flames raging throughout large swaths of the state, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called on several Air National Guard units for help. One of those, the 149th Combat Communications Squadron, in turn, recently reached out to the Electronic Systems Center here for some much-needed assistance.

The unit, based out of the North Highlands Air National Guard Station near Sacramento, was asked to establish remote communication capability to support the firefighting and relief effort. The communications operation, once fully established, would dramatically enhance the command and control capabilities of units working to combat the blazes.

"They needed to set up a remote telecommunications switch that would allow them to connect with the main switch back on the fixed base," said Joe Morrissey a MITRE systems engineer who works with ESC's 753rd Electronic Systems Group. "That wasn't a real problem, but they needed to then be able to connect, through that main switch, to a commercial hub to establish commercial phone service, as well as to the Defense Information Services Agency, to establish Defense Switching Network, or DSN, service."  (More)

Tom Iker (left) and an Iraqi Air Force officer discuss communications planning at the IqAF Headquarters. (Courtesy photo)

Two engineers from the 38th Engineering and Installation Group at Tinker AFB, Okla., recently accepted the challenge to develop engineering plans to build the communications infrastructure for the new Iraqi Air Force.

Engineers Mike Valentine and Tom Iker volunteered to deploy to Iraq to assist the Multi-National Security Transition Command–Iraq and Coalition Air Force Training Team (CAFTT). The CAFTT mission is to train, advise and assist the Iraqi Air Force to support the progressive transition of the counter-insurgency air operations to the government of Iraq.

The CAFTT/A6 director of Communications contacted the 38th in late 2007 to request support from the group’s System Telecommunications Engineering Managers, or STEMS. STEMs provide communications engineering planning and technical expertise for the Air Force and combatant commands.  (More)

Talking air ops

Col. Bill Cooley, commander of the 350th Electronic Systems Group, addresses attendees at the Hanscom Representatives meeting in the ballroom of the Hanscom Minuteman Club July 29. Colonel Cooley talked about progress on the Air Operations Center, the Global Command and Control System-Air Force, Foreign Military Sales efforts and a number of other subjects. (Photo by Mark Wyatt )

Comm Squadron creates network drive for e-records management

By 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

With the unit compliance inspection scheduled for November, many Hanscom personnel are preparing for it by ensuring their files and records are in order and up to date.

To help facilitate this process, 66th Communications Squadron personnel recently migrated all unit electronic records content from the old Livelink system to a network drive, said Larry Murphy, 66 SC base records manager.

The drive, which base personnel are required to use, allows users to save their official records in a centralized location that can be accessed from base network computers and via a secure Web address.

It is important that users begin using the new electronic records drive now because electronic records management practices will be one of the items evaluated during the UCI, Mr. Murphy said.  (More)

The MITRE Corporation has won the Air Force Association’s 2008 Theodore von Karman Award.

The announcement was made in a letter from AFA chairman of the board Robert E. “Bob” Largent to Robert Behler, senior vice president and deputy general manager of MITRE’s Command and Control Center. The award is given in recognition of “… the most outstanding contribution in the field of engineering and science.”

Theodore von Karman was the renowned Hungarian-born engineer and physicist who was active primarily in the fields of aeronautics during the seminal era in the 1940s and 1950s.

According to Largent, this award is based on “the 50-plus years of sustained excellence MITRE has provided our nation.” Former recipients include Dr. Edward Teller, Kelly Johnson, and several well-known Air Force individuals and teams.

Commenting on the award, MITRE president and chief executive officer Al Grasso said, “We are delighted to receive this recognition, and to be in the company of such prestigious past recipients. This is a great testimony to the dedication and contribution of our staff.”

The award will be presented during the 2008 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition in September at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.

DOD maps out plans for improving data
-- Federal Computer Week
Defense Department procurement officials now have a 10-step plan for putting the correct acquisition information into the government’s spending database, according to a new memo.

Hanscom AFB called logical home for new cyber command
-- Boston Globe
Now that the state has formally proposed locating a new Cyberspace Command at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, local and state officials are preparing for top brass from Washington to visit the site this summer.

Air Force study identifying ways to redesign network architecture
-- Inside the Air Force
The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board this month will brief senior service leaders on the results of a study addressing the Air Force’s vulnerability to a major cyber attack and its ability to survive and fight through such an event ...

command comments ...

--  Adm. Michael Mullen,
 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at July 21 National Guard Volunteer Bureau Workshop

The Integrator is a weekly product of the 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office designed to give ESC decision makers a snapshot of news affecting the C4ISR community.  This e-publication is approved by Kevin Gilmartin, Chief of Public Affairs, (DSN) 478-4110 or commercial (781) 377-4110.  Back issues are available online.  To facilitate service, please select a link for your e-mails:  
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