European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 02, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Onday Thi stars and St pcs at Pitburg bbb by Bibb i Bibb ibb a Bow fans re go9-Day or night Pitburg. Thums almost dark in the Lunt sins of Western Germany in men walk through the fog shrouded Woods and approach a undred double Fence i minutes later after numerous Security checks they Are 40 feet below ground. A launch Crew of the 71st tactical missile so has lust reported for duty. For the next 12 hours they will remain of constant Alert ready to launch the Mace b missiles under their f control. The 7lsl tvs headquartered at Pitburg air base Ope Raim the last air Force hardened missile Sites in Europe Aid Sie of the last two on foreign soil. Each of the 20. Launch Crews lately called the Bird by those who work in the Complex is poised on a 17 degree Lau Changle behind a door which is lowered for launch. Hie door weighs 200,000povnds and can withstand 100 pounds of pressure per Squaret Aeh. It is three feet thick 22 feet High and 32 feet wide. The missile Complex is completely self sustaining. It p r o video its own electricity water and sewage facilities and there Are facilities for hot meals forthe Crews. On top of the missile com plex la a warning device to detect radiation and Light from a nuclear explosion when this Light is activated the site hard ens cutting off All external systems becoming totally inde pendent. It. Col. Raymond w. Tol Bert commander of the 71st since March 1968, states the Mission of his unit As main Taining a maximum number of missiles on Quick reaction Ary Alert status and being pre pared to launch Day or Tolbert came to Pitburg fro duty in Vietnam. Prior to that time he was at p. E. War Renarb wyo., where he worked for five years with the standardization Crew at the Atlas e mis Sile Sites. He was associate with the Atlas e program from its Conception to the final missile Sites near b i t Burg Are a nato cooperative Effort. For example the electrical installations Are German us is the fire detection system. The diesel generators Are Brit ish. As the seven Man Crew reaches the Depths of the mis Sile site to take command of the launch systems it receive san acceptance Check list and a conditions briefing. Annual Check for re certifications of one of the Crew members or i a routine spot Check. If so thei Crew will make a simulated i launch. In addition to being the last such missile unit in Europe the 71st was also the first. In March 1954, the unit then known As the1st pilotless bomber so arrived at Pitburg air base. The men of the 71st arc pre pared 24 hours a Day seven Days a week to launch their each Day As the Sun rises the Crew that began duty at Sundown emerges from the perhaps today the standardization team will make its by site and a new team checks in. A commissioned officer As missile combat Crew com Mander. .li.,.he is assisted by a combat Crew chief who is the senior one Mechanic is a guidance system specialist and another is an air Frame engine electrical Power specialists Are responsible for the Power systems in the Launchi Center and on the missile t h e seven Man team is an armament weapon specialist. The airmen in the Crew at tend the missile launch train ing school at Lowery fab they study fundamental electronics weapons s y s i a theory and Crew training. After arriving at Pitburg they begin a six week course. In this program they study re lease procedures emergency. Action requirements and operational procedures. A missile launch is a coordinated Effort of the entire team. Unit safety officer maj. Davida. Taylor explains we employ the two Man concept in the launch operation to prohibit a false launch and also to promote physical and nuclear As a part of the two Man concept there Are various no Lone zones in the launch area which promote safety. The missile itself affection checkups men of the 71st tactical missile so at Pitburg air base Check equipment. At left sgt. George t. Cal Lahan left and airman . Frankie l. Harris Check nose Cone hookups on Mace. Right. Callahan reviews status. Of sgt. Devises form to Aid Accident probes sem Bacil. Germany special private motor vehicle owners Here will soon be getting a new form which will save Many hours of inconvenience and trouble inthe event of an Accident. The completed form developed by t. Sgt. Eugene p. Jones of the 601st Security police so Tell the Security police everything that will be needed for their re ports thus saving them from contacting the persons involve to get Basic information. Jones sold As much As eight hours of the investigator s and victim s time can be saved. To be distributed by each Sam Bach unit orderly room within the next two Wooks the for comes in an envelope on which is printed instructions of what Todo in Case of a motor vehicle Accident. Jones said the form asks for information that is needed by All air Force Security policemen cd has been forwarded to Safe for possible command wide use. Usar Eun Horseshoe tourney service clubs cite top ringers . Germany special i Don t know How Many horseshoes 1 threw but twas a Heck of a lot beamed spec. 4 Fred c. Bowers Winner of the 1988 Usa eur service club Horseshoe pitching tournament Bowers of the 507 heavy equipment maintenance co was undefeated in five matches Here. Representing the Hessen sup port District and Pioneer serv ice club in Hanau. Bowers won the second annual tourney by coming from behind to defeat Rhineland Pfalz entry pfc. Wil Para h. Brown in the Sou an final Mutch of the Competition held aug. 24-25. At one Point Bowers dropped in seven straight ringers. S. Sgt Lewis Savage he arty 1st in 22nd arty represent ing the nor Bayern support Dis i rect finished the final game sue Frank 7atc service club super Laor introduced training Center commander col. Paul a. Balte who presented the contestants and referees with a certificate and a Pewter Tunkard. The win ners received a Largo trophy and runner up Brown also received transistor radio for scoring a whopping 46-4 ringer percentage in a single game highest of the contestants from throughout Europe competed inthe tourney which was held at the open Hearth service Windy weather and a threat of rain the matches we Toff without a hitch and finished on Lee Richardson Field service supervisor of usar eur s special service club division and spec. 5 Bill Harper of7atc special services directed the tournament. Six local girl sin Blue under the supervision of program director Mavis Smith served As scorekeepers during the two Day Competition. Rhein main a Germany special the fourth annual Community Day youth music festival will take place lure on the rockets football Fiel sept. 8, from i to 5 m . The Day s activities will a highlighted by Competition be i tween 15 drum and Bugle corps from surrounding communities and special performances by the 17th air Force band from Ramstein a. Frankfurt special the Friendly neighbourhood Bank is what it. Col. John a. Kelley and his 100-Man, finance Section Are extending to every Man in the 3rd army. Div. Ithe service begins the first time a new spearheaded visit the France Section. He receives a hand processed checkoff his records while they Are updated. Every month there after his records Are reviewed \ by his pay team and Neces sary changes Are made. � Ramstein Germany Spe Cial the base accounting and finance office has received the quarterly Safe accounting and finance professional performance award. Ramstein completed the Quarter with a 98 31 per cent accuracy rating in the grou Ione award Competition. Thi achievement resulted fron perfect performance in 62 of 63 Competition areas. . Germany special the 547th Engi Neer in commanded by it. Col Don s. Mccoy has move to the seventh army training Center at Grafe Woehr an Hohenfels for a month of in Tensive Post support and weapons training. At Grafe Woehr the battalions constructing two tank Park ing areas of graded layers a crushed Rock. At Hohenfels co c is build ing a Concrete Wash rack for vehicles. The rack is 40 Feo twide and 220 feet Long. Mannheim Germany Spe Cial spec. 4 Raymond t. Ruiz a mid signal by communications Center specialist has been named seventh army communications com Mand Soldier of. The month
