THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 30, 1995 TAG: 9508300583
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
WWII REVISITED: Relive Japan's World War II surrender in a special 50th anniversary re-enactment at 10 a.m., Sept. 2 in the rotunda of the MacArthur Memorial. There will be a re-enactment of the signing ceremonies, with actual items used during the event 50 years ago on display. Raymond Jones of WHRO radio will narrate the ceremonies, and Eric Gibson of the Old Dominion Living History Association will portray General MacArthur. Everyone is invited. World War II veterans present during the 1945 ceremonies are especially welcome. For more information, call 441-2965.
GUNSMOKE: No, not the TV show, but the Air Force's worldwide gunnery competition will be held Oct. 26-29 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The competition will help improve combat capability by introducing participants to real-life scenarios. The competition will simulate war-time tasking by providing mission details with as little as 48 hours' notice. Air crews from Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, as well as bases in Europe and the Pacific, are expected to take part in the contest. They will fly into Nellis, drop bombs on the ranges and then return home, after an awards ceremony and mass debriefing.
THUNDERBIRDS: The Air Force's aerial demonstration team will headline this year's Community Appreciation Day at Langley Air Force Base. The event will be held Oct. 7 and will also feature other air and ground acts, including the Air Force Academy ``Wings of Blue'' parachute team, the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter and the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. Admission is free and the gates will open at 9 a.m.
COMINGS AND GOINGS
ARRIVAL:
The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine Montpelier returns to Norfolk at 10:30 a.m. today, completing a five-month deployment to the Mediterranean. While deployed, the submarine performed a series of exercises with NATO allies and participated in Operation Sharp Guard, enforcing the trade embargo against the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.
COMMISSIONING:
The fast-attack submarine Tucson will be commissioned Sept. 9 at Norfolk Naval Base. The original Aug. 18 ceremony was postponed due to Hurricane Felix.
The newly built fast-combat support ship Arctic (AOE 8) will be commissioned Sept. 16 at Norfolk Naval Base. Commanded by Capt. John O'Neill, the Arctic has a crew of 27 officers and 534 enlisted. It is 754 feet long and its beam is 107 feet. It can travel in excess of 25 knots and has a loaded displacement of 48,500 tons.
Coast Guard Port Security Unit 305 was commissioned Aug. 19 at the Army Transportation Center Fort Eustis. Coast Guard Reserve Cmdr. Albert W. Hartberger has taken command of the new unit. He is a civilian employee for the Coast Guard and the Research and Development Program Area Coordinator for Navigation and Electronic Systems at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
CHANGE OF COMMAND:
Capt. Carl R. Pierson relieves Capt. Roger R. Burbrink as commodore of Tactical Air Control Group Two (TACGRU TWO). Burbrink, an A/6-E bombardier-navigator, will retire after serving 26 years in the Navy. He has served as commodore of TACGRU Two since December 1991. Pierson, a naval flight officer from the P-3 community, is coming from Naval War College, Newport, R.I. He was previously commanding officer of TACRON 21.
Capt. H. Ford Stryker will relieve Capt. Thomas J. Tanner as commanding officer of the Navy Public Works Center in ceremonies scheduled for Sept. 7. Tanner has been assigned as commanding officer of the Navy Civil Engineer Corps Officer School, Port Hueneme, Calif. Stryker was most recently the public works officer of the Sigonella Naval Air Station in Sicily.
- staff report by CNB