European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday september 17. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 3 to Unalt tort Man airman forms 11 Silhouette Ash climbs up san Vilo As s elephant Cage to work on a Section at the circular system which can receive radio signals from any direction. 35-Ocre elephant Cage is san Vito s flight line9 writer san v1to Dei Normanna As Italy when the Winter winds Bio through san Vii s elephant Cage the moaning can be heard a half mile away. But there Are no elephants on san Vito the Cage is an array of antennas used by the 69l7lh electronic Security group. The Cage s proper name is flr-9,pronounced flare when inc wind blows in he Winter at 40 to so mph it really moans around the elephant Cage said tech sgt. Richard Karl 24, a radio communications analyst from Manville . Ii can be heard clearly in base housing a half mile the flr-9 was the first of its kind when it was erected in 1962. The three band Antenna array in concentric circles covers about 3i acres. The Antenna system can receive radio signals from any direction. The 6917lh provides rapid radio relay secure communications plus command control and communication countermeasure a support to the u a. And Allied forces. We have a building full of a lot of gear and a said air Force col. Kenneth a. Minihan the group s commander. You might say that it is our flight line. Bui unlike the work on flight lines we Are doing our wartime tasks today. If a War were to break out today we would not do anything As part of the air Force s electronic Security come the crypt logic facility s Mission is to find and exploit weaknesses in an enemy s Armor weaponry and communications and to Render them ineffective while protecting Friendly forces from similar activities by he enemy. 11 also researches electronic Phenomena gives direction finding assistance to air sea Rescue and provide navigation Aid to aircraft and ships. To accomplish these missions inc group s personnel Are trained in various electronic specialities and oper ate highly sophisticated electronic equipment. Working with the air Force arc 150 people from the base s naval Security group activity another major tenant at san Vilo. The 700 men and women of inc 6917th workaround the clock in shifts called flights. For the most part the group s personnel Are Young. This is probably the youngest outfit i be Ever said cant. Terry Brown inc unit s 36-year-old chief of have one two and the acc san pcs doing jobs Here that they would never Minihan said thai because of inc base s past reputation for having poor facilities and a poor Quality of life older and More experienced people avoided the assignment. But he said recent major improvements on and off base remaking san Viloa More attractive assignment. The 6917th electronic Security croup s flk-9 pronounced flare nine the Flat or its kind when it wis erected in 1961, is a Dun band Ultima Trray in concentric cd Dpi
