From: CMSgt Mike Bergman <bergman@afnews.pa.af.mil>
Subject: AF News Svc 07/23/92
Organization: Hq Air Force News Agency/SCC
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 18:22:06 GMT


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

594.  Death sentence
595.  Pilot management
596.  Missile mishap
597.  Institution awards
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594.  Death sentence
     ANDERSEN AFB, Guam (AFNS) -- A security policeman has been sentenced to
death for the murder of a fellow Air Force cop.
     SrA. Jose F. S. Simoy was given the death penalty July 22 in a
court-martial where he was convicted in the murder of Sgt. Stacy E. Levay, 29.
 Both Simoy and Levay were assigned to the 633rd Security Police Squadron.
     Simoy was also sentenced to forfeit all pay and allowances, and be
reduced to an airman basic.
     Levay died New Years Day from head injuries he received in the Dec. 29
robbery of a Andersen commissary cashier he was escorting to the bank.
     The trial record will undergo a legal review by the judge, prosecution
and defense attorneys, and the 13th Air Force staff judge advocate.
     If approved, the findings and sentence are automatically reviewed by the
Air Force Court of Military Review, the U.S. Court of Military Appeals and the
U.S. Supreme Court.
     Jurors were unanimous in sentencing Simoy to death.  The unanimous vote
is necessary for a death sentence, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
     Before the death penalty can be carried out, the president of the United
States must review and approve it.
     Simoy is being held at the U.S. Navy confinement facility in Guam pending
his transfer to a prison in the United States.


595.  Pilot management
by TSgt. Sarah L. Hood
Air Force News Service
     WASHINGTON -- While facing the short-term challenge of too many young,
inexperienced pilots and too few cockpits and a long-term overall shortage of
nearly 3,000 pilots by 1997, the chief of Air Force personnel sees some light
at the end of the tunnel.
     Rapid force structure reductions have caused a loss of 25 percent of
aircraft cockpits, equal to about 15 flying wings, from 1989 to 1995 -- nearly
a one-third reduction in pilot requirements in that same timeframe, Lt. Gen.
Billy J. Boles said.
     Despite the current dilemma, Boles cautions young aviators against making
long-term decisions about their Air Force futures based solely on the current
lack of cockpits.
     "I've seen that happen too much," he said.  "It happens in every
industry.  There are periods of time when the outlook is pretty bleak.
     "But after every night there is a morning.  The sun comes back up and I
think the sun will come back up."
     With 30 years of personnel experience under his belt, Boles has seen both
pilot surpluses and shortages, and currently, "we're in a situation where we
have more people who want to fly and need to fly than we can accommodate."
     The current input of new pilots coupled with the drawdown in available
cockpits are the primary factors in the Air Force's pilot management problem,
Boles said.
     But projections, based on pilot bonus take rates, retention rates and
aircraft requirements, indicate a future shortage of pilots.  Hints of it may
even be visible within the next 18 months.
     "I don't think there is any question that we will have a shortage of
pilots -- it's the degree, whether it's 1,000 or 3,000, that's the issue," he
said.
     Fixes for the short-term challenges have involved actions in several
areas.
     To keep commitments to most of those already in the pilot accession
pipeline, the Air Force has delayed and is delaying some entry into UPT by
three to four years.
     However, to keep a balance among the different commissioning sources, it
has been necessary to place limits on the number of pilot candidates from
those sources.
     Specifically, ROTC, active-duty and officer training program pilot
candidates have been greatly reduced.  In addition, UPT for about 950 ROTC
cadets in classes 1990 to 1992, and about 240 Air Force Academy cadets from
the class of 1992 has been delayed up to three years.
     "We were hopeful we could continue the policy of delaying UPT entry for
the academy classes of 1993-96," Boles said.  But with the drawdown continuing
and even accelerating, it couldn't be done.
     In addition to capping other sources, it is now necessary to limit pilot
hopefuls from the Air Force Academy classes of 1993 to 1995 to 225 each year.
     To reduce some of the pressure on the training pipeline, the Air Force
started banking pilots in February 1991.  Banking a pilot means when an
individual graduates from undergraduate pilot training, he or she moves into
non-flying duties for up to three years.
     The current goal is to get banked pilots into training about two years
and 10 months after their last flight in Air Training Command.
     "At the end of this year we will have almost 800 pilots who have
completed pilot training, been awarded their wings and now are being assigned
nonrated duties," Boles said.
     Under the pilot banking program, UPT graduates are taking non-flying jobs
in anticipation of a return to the cockpit at some point in the future.
     Rather than have people stacked in operational units, another short-term
program has some graduates holding at pilot training and crew training bases,
where they can maintain flying proficiency.
     The Air Force is also creating openings for aviators from closing units
who need to continue flying through a series of specific management actions.
     Early release programs have been offered with the rationale that if a
pilot is not planning on making the Air Force a career, release them now,
"while we're in this situation," he said.
     To do that, some active-duty service commitments have been waived.  Plus,
bonus-eligible pilots were asked to accept or decline the bonus by May 1, thus
committing to at least 14 years of service.
     Those not willing to make the commitment have been assigned to non-flying
duties or are continuing to fly on a case-by-case basis until a replacement is
available.
     In May, the Air Force started advertising assignment openings for rated
officers, as well as all officer assignments, offering those in closing units
help finding the kind of work they would like to continue doing.  Listings of
assignment opportunities are available on electronic bulletin boards as well
as from local personnel offices.


596.  Missile mishap
     LANGLEY AFB, Va. (AFNS) -- A crew chief was slightly injured when an
AIM-9 sidewinder missile was accidently launched from a Vermont Air National
Guard F-16 during maintenance, Air Force officials said.
     SSgt. David Warner, an F-16 crew chief, was treated for minor injuries
and released.  Warner is assigned to Detachment 1, 158th Fighter Group,
Burlington, Vt.  The aircraft is also assigned to the 158th FIG.
     The Air Force is investigating.


597.  Institution awards
     RANDOLPH AFB, Texas (AFNS) -- The Institute of Navigation has announced
its award recipients for 1991.
     Winners are:
     -- Capt. Thomas P. Himes Jr., RAF Lakenheath, England, Superior
Achievement Award.
     -- David M. Gleason, Kirtland AFB, N.M., Thomas L. Thurlow Award.
     -- Ronald L. Ringo, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, P.V.H. Weems Award.
     -- Dr. P. Kenneth Seidelmann, U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, D.C.,
Norman P. Hays Award.
-- 
         
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