| Questions, comments,
suggestions should be directed to Hank Sauer, DirAACS@comcast.net If
you want to send Photos for the "Communicators", you can send JPEG photos to my
email address or mail them to Hank Sauer, 111 Carson Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37830-7626.
All original photos that I receive by mail are returned to the sender after scanning
unless there are instructions otherwise. ******************************************************
PURPOSE OF THE AF Communicators &
Air Traffic Controllers Associations WEB
SITE (Formerly called
the AACS Alumni Association) is to provide
past and current Air Corps and Air Force Communicators, Air Traffic Controllers,
Maintenance, Information/Cyber and other support skills with information to learn about
the Association and who and what we are. It also provides other useful information
for our members concerning our annual conventions and other important news and
announcements about the Association. Over 65% of our members have Internet
access. Most important, is the fact that we do not
"sell insurance", "barter for discounts" or "advertise any
products". We operate on annual dues ($10 per-year, which we like in two year
increments to keep the paper work down) and donations and we are in a great
financial position. We sell shirts, hats, patches, pins, etc at cost plus mailing and not
at a profit and we run our annual convention on a break-even basis, not as a fund raiser.
All Board & Committee Members are volunteers and there is no pay for anyone.
We are a 501 (c) (19) IRS Certified Tax-Exempt Veterans
Organization and we are Incorporated in the State of Michigan. In
accordance with current IRS tax regulations, donations to the Association are tax
deductible when filing a IRS Form 1040.
Walt McLain:
For Information about the Association, conventions,
membership and reporting members and spouses for the"Missed Roll Call" Listing.. aacsmbrship@comcast.net
or call TOLL FREE 1-866-299-1045
Ray Sharpless: For Information about Donations, PX/BX Orders and Alumni Financial
status. rayshrplss@kc.rr.com
Hank Sauer: For Information about the WEB Site and "The Communicator", DirAACS@comcast.net
Stan Phillips:
Current Executive Director, sjpaacs@woh.rr.com
***********************************************************
Latest
News
See 2010 Myrtle Beach Convention
information above. We are now planning the "Greater St. Louis Area"
for 2011. The "Manske's and Sonnenberg's" will be the hosts in 2011.
The Ramey AFB Historical Association will hold their 2011 Reunion at Ramey (Puerto
Rico) March 21-26, 2011. Contact Ken Coombs at 412A Depot St, Andover, NH 03216 or
email ken-bon@msn.com for details.
The Board of Directors
have voted to rename our annual active duty awards for the Air Traffic Controller Manager
of the Year and the Communications/Information Professional of the Year to the "Major
General Van C. Doubleday Award" for the ATC award and the Communications/Information
award to the "Major General Gerald L. Prather Award". These changes not only
honor General's Doubleday & Prather, but make the awards more meaningful.
FOR NON-MEMBERS: YOU CAN LOOK UNDER FEATURES
TO VIEW THE NOV 07 AND THE JUNE 08 ISSUES OF THE COMMUNICATOR (YOU do not need a user
name or password).
*******************************************************
INDEX
of Home Page Information
**Features**
"Members ONLY SECTION"
(For viewing and downloading the Membership "Roster" or
the Current "Communicator")
**Convention
News**
**Honors/Awards**
**Active Duty
News & Leadership Changes **
**Alphabetic
Listings of Locations/Comm Units**
**Missed Roll
Call**
**How to
Join**
**General
Information/News**
**Looking For Notices**
**Alumni
History/Information**
*******************************************
FEATURES
FOR NON-MEMBERS: The June 2008 & the November 2007 Communicators are
on the web site. You are welcome to see what we publish twice a year. TO SEE THE JUNE 2008 COMMUNICATOR CLICK HERE . TO see the NOVEMBER 2007 COMMUNICATOR. CLICK HERE. YOU DO NOT NEED A
USER NAME OF PASSWORD TO VIEW THEM. They tell you lots more of who we are and its well
worth the visit.
Cover of the November 2008
Communicator with our new name
**********************************************
AF 2008
Hall of Fame Program
Andrews AFB, MD, April 30, 2008
Click Here
AF 2010
Hall of Fame Program
Andrews AFB, MD, May 13, 2010
Click
Here
***********************************
See "Berlin Airlift GCA See the GCA (MPN-1) Approach (9W) to
Templehof in the 1948/1949 time frame. CLICK HERE: Berlin Airlift GCA Run,
Please be patient, it may take a few seconds to load and requires a movie
viewer, such as Windows Media Player in order to play the movie
***************************************************
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION
YOU MUST
BE A MEMBER TO ACCESS OUR MEMBERSHIP ROSTER OR THE
COMMUNICATORS.
THE ROSTER WAS UPDATED On September 6,
2010 You can read The
Roster in the PDF format or in Microsoft WORD or it can be downloaded to your computer.
If you view the ROSTER, you can use View to enlarge the text to 100% - 150% to read
the listings better. The "COMMUNICATOR'S" ARE IN A PDF FORMAT ONLY. We
have posted past issues of the Communicators beginning with the June 2006 issue. If you do NOT have Adobe Reader loaded on your
computer, there is a FREE link to download Adobe Reader from our download page. The
Roster will usually be updated AT LEAST quarterly. Click here to go to the ENTER USER NAME AND PASSWORD PAGE. IF YOU
CANNOT REMEMBER IT, CONTACT HANK SAUER AT DIRAACS@COMCAST.NET
OR SEE A COPY OF A PAST ISSUE OF THE COMMUNICATOR.
*******************************************************
CONVENTION NEWS
The 34TH ANNUAL Convention will be at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC, The dates are
Wednesday September 22 to Sunday noon, September 26, 2010. Bill &
Pauline Bethea are the 2010 hosts. PLAN NOW ON COMING, THERE IS MORE TO DO, THAN
JUST GOLF. STAY TUNED FOR EVENTS. to be published soon. Click on 2010
Convention and Myrtle Beach Attreactions to see what is being planned for 2010.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE HOTELS AND
LOCATIONS OF PAST AND PLANNED CONVENTIONS CLICK HERE
IF YOU WANT TO SEE PAST "GENERAL
FARMAN" GOLF WINNERS CLICK HERE
*******************************************************
HONORS/AWARDS
The following
individals have been selected for induction into the Air Force Communications/Information
Hall of Fame, Class of 2010. These outstanding leaders will be inducted into the
Hall of Fame at Andrews AFB, Maryland on May 13, 2010.
Col Jess Guthrie
(Deceased), Col Paul Patton, Lt. Col Michael Anderson (Deceased), MSgt Joe Duffy,
& Mr. Lloyd Mosemann
Click here AF Hall of Fame
to see the
Founders listing and all those inducted from 1999 to date. NOTE: The current
selectees may not yet be posted. To see an individual's career summary, click on the year
of induction.
Since the Hall of fame
was created in 1999, 69% or 32 of the 45 Inductees have been or are Association Members.
Some incumbents passed away before 1977 when the Association was formed.
Association members
wishing to nominate other members for this high honor (AF Comm/Info Hall of Fame) should
click on the Hall of Fame Policy link on the left hand side of this home page. The
criteria for selection is Air Force Policy. The Association policy is how we review
and approve any nominations to forward to the Air Force. This is an Air Force Program that
we have been invited to participate in. The Association can nominate no more than
one person each year. See the inside front cover of the Communicator for the
name and addresss of the Hall of Fame Committee chairman.
ALSO SEE THE POLICIES
FOR NOMINATING MEMBERS FOR THE HALL OF HONOR AND FOR THE LIFE ACHIVEMENT AWARD.
"IF YOU DON'T DO IT !! IT WON'T HAPPEN !!
The Board of
Directors do not have the authoriy to approve any award that is NOT submitted by a member
and processed through the Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor Committee.
***********************************
There were no members nominated for the Air Force
Communications/Information Hall of Fame, class of 2011. The Association nominees
still on the list are: Col Garland Hilton (USAF-Ret) and CMSgt
William Mosley (USAF-Ret) and CMSgt James Sutton (USAF-Ret). There is one
other Association Member that is on the list, who was nominated thru other USAF channels; Mr. Robert Feik (Deceased).
*********************************************
ACTIVE
DUTY HONORS PROGRAM
The Association has
instituted an honors program for our active duty air traffic controllers and our
communications/information professionals. The Hq Air Force Air Traffic Control
Function and a Air Force Communications Function (not known what role the new AF
Center for Network Integration will have after the current reorganization) select from the
major air commands and/or joint commands, an outstanding enlisted airman to be honored by
our Association. The two selected airman the "Enlisted ATC Manager of the
Year" and the "Communications/Information Professional of the Year" will be
presented with a trophy (an engraved Eagle), a two (2) year membership in the Association
and a certificate.The Air Traffic Control Award will be named the "Maj. Gen Van C.
Doubleday Award" and the Communications/Information Award will be named the Maj. Gen
Gerald L. Prather Award". Presentations will be made at our annual convention
banquet each year. This program is keeping with our mission statement and core
values to honor those outstanding airman serving in today's Air Force.
2006
2007
2008
SrA Joshua A. Matias (ATC) -SrA
Sara O'Brian (ATC) SSgt Kevin M. Killoren (ATC)
SSgt Jacob Flores (Com - SSgt Jaclyn Rutan (Com) - SrA James R.
Pettet (Com)
2009
2010
MSgt John Kirby (ATC)
SMSt James
L. Mull (ATC)
SrA Stephen T. Janson
(Comm) SSgt Jonathan R. Tacto (Comm)
*************************************************
Membership
Report
Membership Report as of June 9, 2010
We have gained 6 new
members since 1 May. Our current active membership stands at 1835. 11 Members
have renewed since 1 May. We have 167 members who dues will EXPIRE IN 2010.
Please check the address
label on your latest Communicator to see when your dues expire. (i.e, 10-first name)
indicates dues EXPIRE 31 December 2010. Some will show, e.g. 0610-first name, which
indicates a 30 June 2010 expiration. We changed the system slightly to insure that
members get a full year term for each $10 of dues paid and to prevent all current year
renewals coming due in December of each year.
Please refer all
membership questions to Walt McLain, Toll Free 1-866-299-1045 or email aacsmbrship@comcast.net.
Send Renewals and
Applications to Walt McLain, 4514 Haverty Drive, Knoxville, TN 37931. MAKE CHECKS
PAYABLE TO THE "AF Comm & ATC
Association".
************************************************
ALPHABETIC
LISTINGS OF LOCATIONS/COMM UNITS
Last
Updated: June 6, 2010
Alphabetic
listings of LOCATIONS where Communication Unit designators were
assigned has been posted. Members are requested to review this
listing and submit to Hank Sauer at DirAACS@comcast.net any additions or changes. This is an
imperfect listing and your HELP is solicited. As an example, many Vietnam
and Thailand locations and units (Groups, Squadrons, Detachment and/or Operating
Locations) are missing. Locations are listed under categories:
Africa, Alaska, Canada, Caribbean, CBI, Europe, Mexico, No. Atlantic, Pacific, So.
America, UK and US. Many of the locations MAYBE listed in the wrong
category. It was very hard to tell what country or area a lot of the WWII locations
were in. Your HELP is again needed to make this an accurate
listing. "CLICK HERE" for accessing the
microsoft word listing. IF YOU RECEIVE A MENU SCREEN ASKING FOR A USER NAME AND
PASSWORD, CLICK ON CANCEL.
************************************************
MISSED
ROLL CALL
The
following members/spouses have Missed Roll Call (MRC) since the November 2009
Communicator.
MRC LISTING
Notify
Walt McLain at aacsmbrship@comcast.net of
those who have missed roll call.
HOW
TO JOIN
If you hold or held an Air Corps or Air Force Specialty code as a communicator, information
(networks, programmer, systems, visual, multimedia, combat camera, etc), cyber, air
traffic controller or assigned to a communications and/or air traffic control unit in any
skill (commander, administrative, crypto, teletype, radio, radar, nav-aids electronic
maintenance, etc), you are eligible to become a member of this great Association. We
would love to hear from you. You can click on MEMBERSHIP
APPLICATION on the upper left hand side of this home page for
an application, either to download or to join On-Line. Membership dues are currently
$10 per-year, payable in two year increments. Dues are planned to remain stable for
the next few years. If you need more information, you can contact Walt McLain, our
Director for Membership at aacsmbrship@comcast.net or if you want
to talk to Walt, call 1-866-299-1045 Toll Free
The Association publishes two issues of
its official Publication, the "Communicator" a
year, one in June (which includes convention information, forms, etc) and one in November
(with photos of the convention). "The Communicators"
contain Association reports, news and lots of personal stories and
photos from our members. Members
and Non-Members are welcomed to see what
we publish twice a year. CLICK HERE to see the June 2008
Communicator. CLICK HERE to see the November 2007
Communicator. Other than the PX/BX items we sell at cost
plus shipping, we do not advertise, barter for discounts or endorse any products. The
"Communicator's" have become the "glue" that holds our
Association together. Each issue runs around 72 pages, with 24 pages in
color.
When you join, and our
Director for Membership receives your dues payment, we will mail you a copy of the
Membership Roster and a copy of the latest Communicator. More often than not, you
will receive two copies of the AACS Communicator if we still have copies on hand from the
previous issue.
REMEMBER ONCE YOU JOIN
------"YOU ARE THE AFCOMMATC ASSOCIATION"
"TYPICAL
COMMUNICATOR COVERS"
 
GENERAL
INFORMATION/NEWS
New Snow-Bird Policy for mailing Communicators. If you are a SNOW-BIRD, PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW POLICY.
*******************************************
NOTICE: IMPORTANT: When using the "CLICK ON"
to go to an INTERNAL web site page from this Home page, you
may receive a menu screen asking for a "User Name and/or Password"... if so,
just click on CANCEL.......(Except for
the membership roster, where you do need a user name and a password. See our old
newsletters or the new AACS Communicator for the current user name and password).
John Watson, Chair of the BOD Nominating
Committee has a new email address: jdcfwat@comcast.net.
Nominations for the Board should be sent to John.
ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS: We want
your stories and photo's FOR THE AACS COMMUNICATORS. Try to keep stories to one
page. Send to Hank Sauer, at 111 Carson Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37830-7626 or email stories
with JPEG attachments to DirAACS@comcast.net
Submit early as first in first published is the process due to the many stories and
photos we receive. Photos that are mailed will be returned if requested.
View The Online
Scrapbook to see pictures from past events and activities. The scrapbook also contains
information on how to submit pictures for display.
From the Air Force Communications Community
Archives you can view the outstanding leadership that we have had over the years for AACS,
ACS, AFCS, AFCC, AFC4A, AFCA & AFFSA. Visit the
Leadership List page now!
*************************************************************
**Looking For Notices**
We will post
appropriate type "looking for" articles for approximately 45 days after the
publication of each issue of the "Communicator".
*************************************
AFCS &
AFCC NCO ACADEMY COMMANDANTS
Click here: NCOA
Commandants.doc
************************************
ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION HISTORY/INFO
Based on the offical
change of our Association name, effective on September 28, 2008. we will add all
historical facts and other information after this date as the: "Air Force
Communicators & Air Traffic Controllers Association"
The AACS Alumni Association was
formed on September 30, 1977. Larry and Doris Camp were visiting Dux and Pearl LeDoux in Eunice, LA in the fall of 1976 when the subject of old WWII friends
came up. Larry and Dux were assigned to the 5th AACS Wing in Europe . What began as an
invite to a "Poker Weekend" in Columbus, Ohio, (Larry and Dux were part of a
London, England Poker group for AACS Det Commanders) to be hosted by Larry and Doris
Camp, resulted in what turned out to be the "first AACS Annual Reunion".
The Camp’s and the LeDoux’s contacted as many old friends as they
could, who in turn contacted others, who in turn made more contacts. A large number of ex
"AACS Troops" and their spouses made their way to Columbus and the result was
the formation of what is now one of the strongest Air Force Alumni Associations going. The
name "AACS Alumni Association" was adopted as the official title and was of
course derived from the Army Airways Communications System (AACS) and the Airways and Air
Communications Service (AACS) organizational titles. Individuals who were part of the
first "Convention/Reunion" had been assigned to AACS units before, during and
after WWII, the Korean War and up to 1961 when AACS became a Major Air Command and was
renamed the "Air Force Communications Service (AFCS). Over the years, because the
missions were basically the same, the AACS Alumni Association, expanded membership to include AFCS, AFCC,
AFC4A, AFCA, AFFSA, other Major Commands up to and including
today's Air Force Organizational structure. Over the
years, the Association was incorported in the state of Michigan and obtained 501 (c) (19)
IRS approved status. There is an annual convention held in different cities each
year. Our conventions usually begin on the last Thursday of September (taking into
consideration the Jewish High Holidays) and end on the following Sunday after a
Get-Away-Breakfast and short briefing on the next years convention. We do not
advertise, barter for discounts or endorse any products. We manage the Association
on membership dues and member donations.
What "AACS"
stands for: In 1938 the
Army Airways Communications System (AACS) was formed. During WWII, for a short time
it was renamed as the Army Airways Communications Wing and then the Air Communications
Service, but that only lasted 9 months, when the clamor reached the halls of the Pentagon
to retain the AACS designation and it was renamed as the Airways and Air Communications
Service (AACS) in 1946. This new designation was also a better fit due to the high volume
of airplanes now flying thru US and US controlled airspace and the need to control
"airways". In 1961 AACS was elevated to Major Air Command status and it
was renamed the Air Force Communications Service (AFCS). This designation remained
until 1979 when it was again renamed as the Air Force Communications Command (AFCC). AACS basically stands for both the Army Airways Communications System and the Airways and
Air Communications Service. The old blue original AACS Logo is our official
Association logo.
The AACS Alumni Association is an IRS approved 501 (c)
(19) Tax-Exempt Organization. We DO NOT sell insurance or barter for discounts. The
PX/BX items (hats, shirts, jackets, patches, etc) we stock are sold to members at cost
plus shipping and our volunteer host manages the annual convention on a "break
even" basis. Our Dues are minimal, currently $10 per-year, payable in two year
increments. The membership dues are planned to remain as is for at least the next 4
to 5 years. The IRS
approved 501 (c) (19) Authorization has been transferred to the AF Comm & ATC
Association and the name change has been registered with the State of Michigan where we
are Incorporated.
From the Air Force Communications
Community Archives you can view the outstanding leadership that we have had over the years
for AACS, AFCS, AFCC, AFC4A, AFCA & AFFSA. Visit the Leadership List page now!
Eligibility to be a member was
for an individual to have served in any capacity in an AACS or ACS organization. In 1995
and again in 2002, eligibility was expanded to include any service as a communicator, air
traffic controller, maintenance or other support skills in the Air Force Communications
Service (AFCS), Air Force Communications Command (AFCC), Air Force Command, Control,
Communications & Computer Agency (AFC4A), Air Force Communications Agency (AFCA), the
Air Force Flight Standards Agency (AFFSA) and any Major Air Command, past or current,
including the AF Reserve and Air National Guard units.
In addition to the Camp’s
and LeDoux’s, some other notables who were key players in the formation of the AACS
Alumni Association were: Eugene
"Flash" Gordon, Haskell "Hack" Neal, Ken Klise, Paul Haas, Dick
Dickerson, John Hoff, Glenn Turner, Don Donnell,Ted Carlson and George Yunker. This group, along with many others not mentioned here, set the standards
that are sill in place today. Each member wishes to thank each and every individual who
took part in the early days of our Alumni Association and helped to make it what it is
today.
The first Board of Directors were:
Executive Director: Haskell "Hack"
Neal
Executive Secretary: Mary Louise Gordon
Treasurer: Paul Haas
Publicity: Jean Winbigler
Newsletter Editor: Ted Carlson
Ham Radio Coordinator: George Walborn
Nominating Chairman: Larry Camp
In addition to the first Board
of Directors, Regional Representatives were also created to coordinate and recruit ex-AACS
members in the different parts of the country (Regional Representative positions have been
eliminated):
Initial Regional Representatives:
Ken Klise and Glen Turner (Northwest)
John Hoff (Rocky Mountains)
Gene and M.L. Gordon (So. California)
John Stevenson (Southwest)
Larry Camp (Midwest)
Dick Dickerson (Greater Washington D.C. area)
Max Mankofsky (New York
Over the years, the composition of the Board has
changed and the following individuals have served on the Board of Directors: Current Incumbents are listed in RED
Executive Directors:
1977-1978 Haskell "Hack" Neal
1979-1980 Bob "Dick" Dickerson
1981-1982 Joe Beler
1983-1984 Don Donnell
1985-1986 Wally Bailey
1987-1991 Bob Brewer
1992-1993 Cal Venable
1994-1997 Jasper Vaughn
1998-2001 Richard "Hank" Sauer
2002 - 2005 Dick Frye
2006 - 2007 Richard "Hank"
Sauer (NOTE: ALL NAMES IN
RED ARE THE CURRENT OFFICERS)
2008
- Stan Phillips (AFCOMMATC)
Vice Directors:
Randy Randall, Bob Leske, Maurice Schuman, Gil Kania, Stan
Phillips & Bill Bethea (AFCOMMATC)
Treasurer:
Paul Haas, Bob Brewer, Barney Glettler and Ray
Sharpless (AFCOMMATC)
Executive Secretary:
Jean Beler, E.O. Wogstad, B. Clair Lofchie, Ed Evans, Mary Lou Fitzpatrick and Bob Akard (AFCOMMATC)
Publicity:
Maxine Porter, Nancy Donnell, Shorty Bailey, Vietta "Offie" Dowd, Chester
Hankins, Ed Hooker, Wilbur McCracken, Rich Kao and Dan Morabito (no
longer a position)
Newsletter Editor:
Betty Doyle, Wally Bailey, Vietta "Offie" Dowd, "Smitty"
McClellan, Mary Venable, Dewey McClellan, Ted Carlson and Hank Sauer
(AFCOMMATC)
Editor/Publisher: Ted
Carlson and Hank Sauer (AFCOMMATC) NOTE: Editor/Publisher is now one Position.
Historian: E.O.
Wogstad, Dewey McClellan, Hank Sauer, and Gene Sheridan (AFCOMMATC)
Ham Coordinator:
George Walborn, Dewey McClellan, Ed Evans and George Reeves
(AFCOMMATC)
Membership (was
initially performed as an extra duty in the Executive Secretary position):
Ted Carlson, C.B.
"Mac" Maginnis and Walt McLain (AFCOMMATC)
Director of Information:
David Moore (AFCOMMATC), Bill Mosley,
Vacant
Air Force Liason: Gerald Prather (no longer a position)
Sgt-At-Arms: Hank
Sauer, Bob Rimmer, Bill Bethea, Gerald
Prather (AFCOMMATC)
Judge Advocate:
John Milano (AFCOMMATC)
Chaplain: P. C. Brown, Jim Burch (AFCOMMATC), Fr.
Donald Seeks
Director at Large
(no longer a Board position): Vic Doyle
NOTE: The AFCOMMATC
Web Site Manager is Hank Sauer. This is not a Board of Director's
Position. It is a appointed position by the Executive Director
For more information about the Association,
please Click on More Association Info
You are person number
to visit the AFCOMMATC Association Home Page
since October 1998, when the site was announced as up and running.
If you have any comments or
suggestions please Email: DirAACS@comcast.net |
