From: CMSgt Mike Bergman <bergman@afnews.pa.af.mil>
Subject: AF News 09/02/92
Organization: Hq Air Force News Agency/SCC
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 16:33:50 GMT


From CMSgt Mike Bergman <bergman@afnews.pa.af.mil>


692.  VSI entitlement update
693.  Homestead mail
694.  Reserve rescues
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692.  VSI entitlement update
     WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- People separating through voluntary incentive
programs and choosing to live overseas, may lose the exchange and commissary
privileges because of status of forces agreements between the United States
and foreign nations.
     Voluntary separation incentive recipients are not specifically granted
access to base exchanges as part of their transition benefits, the Air Force
said.
     However, because they have a reserve identification card, they do have
access to exchanges located in the 50 states or other countries not restricted
by status of forces or other agreements.
     Under most status of forces agreements, access and use of exchanges and
commissaries is restricted to active-duty military this includes those
recalled to active duty or on active duty for training and assigned to the
host country.
     People being assigned or traveling overseas should be aware of
restrictions during personnel office pre-separation briefings.
     In another related issue, remaining in government quarters after being
involuntarily or voluntarily separated is not an entitlement, but a privilege
that may be granted if housing is available.
     Local commanders will make the final determination based on overall
housing availability in the community, hardships of other applicants and
mission considerations.


693.  Homestead mail
     WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- People should not send official or personal mail to
Homestead AFB, Fla., until further notice, officials at the Air Combat Command
said.
     Base information management specialists have been instructed to return to
sender any official mail destined for the base.
     ACC is working with the U.S. Postal Service to process mail for Homestead
AFB already in the system.
     Further guidance will be provided to information management officials to
help Homestead people receive personal mail at their new locations.


694.  Reserve rescue missions
     DADE COUNTY Fla. (AFNS) -- A 27-year-old burn victim, a heart attack
patient and a food and water drop to a marooned elderly couple were some of
the relief missions flown by Air Force Reserve air rescue crews into
hurricane-torn southern Florida.
     More than 100 lives had been saved by Air Force Reserve HH-60 helicopters
since Aug. 24.
     "We would have been absolutely helpless to save anyone without the Air
Force Reserve," said Chief Jim Wilson of the Dade County Fire Department's Air
Rescue Division.  Both of the county's rescue helicopters were destroyed when
the hangar housing them collapsed when Hurricane Andrew ripped through the

region Aug. 24.
     Rescue teams set up an 24-hour operations center August 24 at Tamiami
Airport in the Rescue Division's building, which receive only minor damage in
the storm.
     The reservists, a majority of whom are from the 301st Air Rescue
Squadron, saw their facilities destroyed by Hurricane Andrew.
     The 301st, the first Reserve rescue unit was activated in Florida in
1956.  Prior to Hurricane Andrew, the unit was credited for saving 171 lives.
In the eight days they have been operating since Hurricane Andrew, the Reserve
unit had saved 101 lives, more than half their previous 32-year total.
     Since then, other reservists have poured in from across the country from
as far away as Portland, Oregon, to support the air rescue operation.
     "Our parent wing, the 939th Air Rescue Wing and 304th Air Rescue Squadron
from Portland International Airport (Oregon), flew in here immediately after
the storm," said Col. Oral Carper, 301st Air Rescue Squadron commander.
     A close working relationship has developed since the beginning of rescue
operations between the civilian and military rescue teams.
     Many of the 301st and Dade County air rescuers lost everything they had
in the storm.
     "My house is gone," said one reservist, "I might as well be out here
working where I can make a difference."
     Flying together on joint missions with the Air Force reservists, civilian
and military pararescue specialists have one shared goal -- to save lives.
     "The Air Force Reserve has really supported this operation," Carper said.
"Anything we asked our headquarters for, they haven't hesitated in sending."
     Normally, the peacetime mission of the 301st is to perform rescue
missions to locate and recover Air Force and other military personnel.
     The unit has also been heavily involved providing rescue support for NASA
space missions, and humanitarian and disaster relief both in the United States
and at the request of foreign governments.
     In addition to flying the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters, the unit also
operates the HC-130 refueler.  The HC-130 provides air rescue operations with
aerial refueling, delivers needed medical supplies and act as a radio relay
for communications that support the Dade County Emergency Operations Center.
     Yesterday, the Dade County Fire Rescue Division received a donated
helicopter and resumed flying rescue missions alongside the 301st RQS.
     "My pilots are anxious to get back into flying again," Williams said,
adding that the support Dade County received from the Air Force Reserve really
"saved the day."
     "This unit will probably continue to operate out of Tamiami Airport for a
least two months," Carper said.  (Courtesy of 1st Lt. Richard Curry, Air Force
Reserve)

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