Today is: Friday, October 20, 2017 |
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June 2008 Dear FTVA Members, It's early June and plans for the USAFSS 60th anniversary and annual FTVA reunion (25-27 September) are well underway. Twenty-six years ago Major General Doyle Larson, Almost a year old now, the Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency subordinated to Headquarters Air Force A2 as a Field Operating Agency, has continued to grow, mature and stay very busy. Since last year, they have expanded the breadth of their responsibilities and recovered the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing and its subordinate units. Their contribution and place in the Global war on Terrorism continues to grow in importance. The Commander's Agency update during the upcoming reunion should prove very interesting and informative. Reunion week information is included with this quarterly news letter. Nominations for the Hall of Honor have been requested and are due this month. This is an important program that deserves your attention and input. Please contact CMSgt (Ret) Bob Sherwood with your nominations. Lt Gen (Ret) James Clapper, Assistant Secretary of Defense (Intelligence), Department of Defense, Washington, D.C. will be our guest speaker at the Anniversary Banquet to be held at the Lackland AFB Gateway Club. The golf tournament will be held at the Alsatian Golf Club in Castroville, a few miles west of San Antonio. I hope to see you during the reunion week to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of USAFFS, the new Air Force ISR Agency, and honor those members that have given their lives in defense of our country. Please spread the word to all of your old friends. Finally, you may have noticed that after twenty-five years of outstanding service CMSgt (Ret) Dan "Dap" D'Apolito retired as our newsletter Editor. Cub Reporter, CMSgt (Ret) Dennis Rassmussen has picked up the reins and is off to a good start. Please note that we've added a by-line to the front cover of the newsletter honoring Dap's many years of service. He deserves huge thanks from all of us. See you in September, until then ... Remain in touch, Chris Cook |
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| File last updated: March 21, 2013 8:18:10 PM CDT | |
with the help of Colonel Bill Ballard and a hand-full of others, started the FTVA. USAFSS and FTVA have changed over years. During the post WWII era, and well into the Cold War, USAFSS had personnel assigned at numerous locations around the world. Over the last sixty years, USAFSS and now AF ISR Agency personnel have gone from being forward-based around the world, to a rear-based remote operation, today mixed with frequent recurring deployments under the Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) concept. Like USAFSS, the AF ISR Agency is in the fight every day - whether CONUS-based or out front in some very remote location. Personnel are deployed based on Combatant Commander requirements and the world situation. During the Spring Social at the Kelly Annex Officer's Club, FTVA honored eight AF ISR Agency personnel who recently returned from deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Their stories and their commitment were remarkable. We are truly grateful for their service. Col (Ret) Greg Roman, former 6931st ESS (Iraklion AS, Crete) Flight Commander, Chief of C3CM Ops, 6903 ESS (Osan AB, Republic of Korea), 6933rd ESS (Howard AFB, Panama) Director of Operations, 6990th ESS (Kadena AB, Okinawa) Commander, and 544th Information Operations Group (Peterson AFB, Colorado) Commander and now Vice President, Remote Sensing Programs, SRA International was our guest speaker. His presentation was interesting and entertaining. We could all relate with the stories he shared about his two decades-plus of service. In addition, it provided outstanding insight into our Security Service heritage, the people and personalities of USAFSS and her successor organizations, including the Air Force ISR Agency of today. It was a great evening.