Air Force Association
1501 Lee Highway,
Arlington, VA 22209-1198
THE HERCULES NEWS REPORT
THE NEWS OF ARKANSAS AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION
July - September 2011
President's remarks: I think it is time that we relook at the history of the AFA and our chapters so I offer the
following:
AFA and its HISTORY
AFA's heritage is rooted in the legacy of Billy Mitchell. Mitchell had seen the United States enter World War I
as the eighth-ranked nation in airpower exceeded by Bulgaria, Greece, and Japan as well as by the major
powers. Despite the bitter lessons of the war in the air and the high priority other nations were giving to
airpower, the U.S. Air Service in 1919 was reduced from 10,000 pilots to just 149. 6,000 were discharged in
nine days. Mitchell fought hard and long in support of the importance of airpower and the need for a strong
national defense. His work was carried on by the men who believed and served with him. One of these men
was the commander of World War II Army Air Forces General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold.
In April 1945, General Arnold first mentioned the need for an independent civilian organization to argue the
case for military preparedness and the importance of airpower. AFA was incorporated in the District of
Columbia on February 4, 1946. The Association's first national president was General Jimmy Doolittle, a noted
aviation pioneer and Medal of Honor recipient. A vice president at Shell Oil Co. at the time, Doolittle took a
year off to set up AFA chapters across the country. Since then, AFA has spanned the air age, the missile era,
the conquest of space, the nuclear age, the post-Cold War, and the War on Terror. AFA policies have evolved
to meet changing technological and human demands; the AFA is consistent in working to support and
strengthen American aerospace power, to help maintain national security, promoting the welfare of the total Air
Force family, all the while promoting world peace.
As the AFA celebrated its 64th Anniversary in 2011 the AFA continues its activities with those of the Aerospace
Education Foundation, which has allowed AFA to become a tax-exempt charitable education institution. The
combined organization operates under the name „Air Force Association‟ and continues to expanded the
educational programs of the former Aerospace Education Foundation promoting public understanding of
“AEROSPACE POWER” and the pivotal role it plays in the security of the nation. AFA publishes Air Force
Magazine, conducts national symposia and disseminates information through outreach programs. It sponsors
professional development seminars and recognizes excellence in the education and aerospace fields through
national awards programs.
MISSION
The Air Force Association EDICATES the public about the critical role of aerospace power in the defense of
our nation; ADVOCATES aerospace power and a strong national defense; and SUPPORTS the United States
Air Force, the Air Force family, and aerospace education.
ORGANIZATION
AFA is led by volunteer leaders at the national, state and local levels. AFA's state organizations and more than
230 chapters hold elections and conduct programs to increase public understanding of key national security
issues in their communities. Programs range from luncheon and dinner activities to symposia and legislative
roundtables with Congressional leaders. National officers and directors are elected by convention delegates
attending the national convention in September. Delegates are chosen at the state and chapter levels to
represent AFA's varied membership and vote on AFA policies. When finally adopted at the convention, AFA
policy takes the form of an overall "Statement of Policy" and "Top Issues."
LEADERSHIP
AFA‟s leadership team for 2010-2011: S. Sanford Schlitt, Chairman of the Board; Justin Faiferlick, Vice
Chairman of the Board, Field Operations; George K. Muellner, Vice Chairman of the Board, Aerospace
Education; Joan Sell, Secretary; and Leonard R. Vernamonti, Treasurer. Further, AFA is divided into 3
geographic areas, comprised of 14 regions, each led by a Region President. Day-to-day business is carried out
by a headquarters staff in Arlington, Virginia, under the leadership of AFA President Michael M. Dunn, a retired
Air Force Lieutenant General.
PROGRAMS
In addition to state and chapter programs, AFA sponsors comprehensive briefings by key Air Force and DoD
leaders at national professional development events across the country. These events are keyed to topical
aerospace and defense issues. Our annual professional development events include: the Air & Space
Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington, DC; the Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles,
CA; and the Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, FL. The Association sponsors the annual Air Force Ball in Los
Angeles in conjunction with our Global Warfare Symposium, and several other events, to raise money for its
educational programs and Air Force charities. At its national convention, AFA hosts a dinner for the Air Force's
twelve Outstanding Airmen of the Year. AFA also conducts an extensive annual awards program to honor top
Air Force professionals in key career fields.
PUBLISHING
Each month, AFA publishes Air Force Magazine, a highly regarded aerospace journal that reaches the desks
of those in the highest levels of government, industry, defense, business, academia, and the media. It is read
for its authenticity, accuracy and investigative spirit in reporting aerospace and defense matters. The current
monthly circulation is 138,295. AFA publishes several widely distributed newsletters: NEWSLINE, which
consolidates the administrative and operational news from AFA Headquarters to AFA field leaders; and the AE
NEWS NEWSLETTER, which highlights subjects and events that are of interest to aerospace education The
Association also publishes its annual Statement of Policy and Top Issues and, periodically, issue briefs and
special reports that are widely distributed on Capitol Hill, to the media, and throughout AFA's grassroots
network.
WEBSITE AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
The AFA website continues to set new standards in the advocacy of air and space power and is an essential
tool in communicating to our members and the public. Traffic is growing at a remarkable rate, with the website
currently averaging more than 8 million hits per month. A number of important informational and educational
products are provided through the website. Air Force Magazine‟s Daily Report was launched in November of
2005 and provides credible, reliable, up-to-date information on the Air Force and national defense issues. The
Legislative Update is maintained by AFA‟s Government Relations department and offers a detailed view of the
Association‟s activities on Capitol Hill. The Media Room is a repository for AFA‟s press releases, policy
documents, special reports and transcripts. The Association also reaches out to its membership through e-
mail. AFA Update is sent to 70,000 individuals (AFA members and others) on a bi-weekly basis, providing
updates on Association and Air Force activities, military quality of life, and membership benefits.
EDUCATION
AFA is dedicated to ensuring America's aerospace excellence through education, scholarships, grants, awards
and public awareness programs. In addition, AFA sponsors a series of studies and forums on aerospace and
national security through its public policy and research arm, the General Billy Mitchell Institute for Airpower
Studies. The Institute seeks to carry on, in the modern day, General Mitchell‟s tireless and dedicated effort to
expand airpower thinking and increase public awareness of the need for this unique military instrument. AFA
works through a network of thousands of individual members and volunteers to distribute educational materials
to schools and concerned citizens. This is done in part through "Visions of Exploration," a joint multi-
disciplinary science, math and social studies program with USA Today. Individuals and corporations may
affiliate with AFA through its Gens. Hap Arnold, Jimmy Doolittle, Ira Eaker and Bernard Schriever Fellowships,
which support the Association‟s educational programs. Each year, AFA helps Air Force members and their
spouses achieve their educational goals by awarding scholarships and assisting educators with grants to
promote aerospace projects in classrooms. AFA's Pitsenbarger Awards offer unconditional grants to top
enlisted graduates of the Community College of the Air Force who intend to enroll in an accredited program
toward a career-related degree.
AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS
Recognition of 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year, AFROTC Cadets and Detachments, Civil Air Patrol
Squadrons and AFJROTC Cadets and Units; AFA Individual and unit Awards ; AFA Aerospace and Special
Awards; AFA Unit Membership Awards; Recognition of Teacher of the Year Awards at Chapter, State, and
National levels; Academic Awards to individuals and spouses; National Scholarships to individuals and
spouses; National Grants for K-12 Teachers, AFJROTC units, and CAP Instructors
CyberPatriot
CyberPatriot is the premier national high school cyber defense competition that is designed to give hands on
exposure to the foundations of cyber security. CyberPatriot is not a hacking competition. CyberPatiot's goal is
to excite students about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
The Competition
In each competition round, students are provided one to three virtual machines. These machines contain
several vulnerabilities, and students must clean the image of them. The virtual machines can have Windows or
GNU/Linux Operating systems. They are given a set amount of time on the competition day to do so. Teams
that find the most vulnerabilities pass on to the next round, and the winners of all three rounds compete in the
National Championships in Washington, D.C.
Students compete in two parallel competitions:
Open Division (open only to an accredited public or private institution or a registered home school
association)
All Service Division (open only to JROTC and CAP Units)
The first CyberPatriot “games” took place in 2009, at AFA‟s 25th Annual Air Warfare Symposium where
seven Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) teams and one Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
team from the greater Orlando area competed. As a prototype event, no one quite knew how well it would be
received. But the enthusiastic responses from the competitors and the positive feedback from the
surrounding industry professionals and senior military leaders demonstrated that it was an unqualified
success.
For the 2009-10 school year, the competition, though still restricted to Air Force JROTC units and CAP
squadrons, went nationwide, conducting three online qualification rounds for nearly 200 teams in 44 states,
South Korea, and Japan. The support from the competition‟s industry-leading sponsors helps reaffirm the
importance and relevance of cyber security. A generous grant from the program‟s presenting sponsor,
Northrop Grumman, made full national deployment possible. SAIC supplies their patent-pending software as
the platform for the competition. The CIAS at the University of Texas in San Antonio (creator of the National
Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition) provides rich instructional materials for the competition. All of these
sponsors ensured that CyberPatriot became a reality for high school students nationwide. So far the 2011
competition has over 400 teams registered. For additional information contact www.afa.org.
State and Chapter Histories
Arkansas State Association
The Arkansas State AFA Association is the means by which chapters in Arkansas meet on a quarterly basis to
receive special updates, report chapter activities and receive necessary input from AFA Headquarters. The
State President reviews all chapter quarterly reports and forwards them to the Regional Vice President for
approval and forwarding to AFA.
Awards. The State provides awards in the following areas;
AFROTC Cadet of the Year, AFJROTC Unit of the Year, AFJROTC Cadet of the Year, CAP unit of the Year,
and Arkansas Air Guardsman of the Year
As well as insuring that all AFROTC/AFJROTC units are presented the Air Force Association Achievement
Medal at all 11 units in the state. Should a chapter be unable to present the medal a State officer is ready to
present the award.
The State also represents the AFA at several programs during the year such as:
Memorial Day activities at the State Veterans Cemetery
Veterans Day Activity at the State Capital
Laying of wreaths at the National and State Cemeteries in December
DAVID D. TERRY Jr. CHAPTER (brief history)
The first AFA organization in Arkansas was called the Little Rock Squadron of the Air Force Association. As
the Air Force Association matured and the organizing in Arkansas expanded, the Razorback, Blytheville, and
Ouachita squadrons were organized and a state function was needed to bring together these four squadrons to
promote the AFA throughout Arkansas. This new state organization was directed by National AFA to bring
together multiple organizations chartered in a state under a State Association of the AFA. This was
accomplished in Arkansas as well in other states that had more than one AFA chapter. It was about this time
the name of the Little Rock Squadron was changed to David D. Terry Jr. chapter to honor this Arkansas native.
The chapter also sponsors the “Timothy W. Kehler Annual $1,000.00 Scholarship” awarded to a graduating
senior interested in obtaining a degree in an aerospace career field. The scholarship is named for the son of
Col William and Barbara Kehler, an USAF Academy graduate and a F-4 pilot who was killed in a night training
mission.
The leadership of the chapter which was chartered in 1962 included several prominent active/retired AF
leaders and civic leaders have held the reigns as Chapter, State, and regional Presidents, including, BGen.
Paul Douglas, BGen Jack Kraras (Later President of the AFA), Willard Hawkins, Col Ewing Kinkaid, Douglas
Shelton, Lawrence Savage, Col David Rennie, James Pruitt, Col. Robert Tirman, Col. Ewing Kinkaid, Col. H.
Dean Wilkerson (Ark ANG) Lt. Col. Gordon Smetherst Col Dean Wilkerson, Col. William H. Kehler Col. Jim
Elmer, TSgt Arthur Brannen, Willie Oats, Bobbie McCraken, Harry Daugherty, Marleen Eddlemon, John
Barrow, Capt. Kevin Sluss, and MSgt Jerry Reichenbach.
The David D. Terry Chapter and AFA provided the following support to Little Rock AFB in 2010/2011:
Quarterly Awards Membership to AFA 9X4X$45.00= $1,620.00
Annual Awards Membership to AFA 11X$45.00= $495.00
Miscellaneous Donations to various base programs $1,100.00
Pitsenbarger Grants 6x$400.00= $2,400.00
Total Contribution $5,615.00
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Community Partners are the professional association of the Air Force Community. Civilians and private
companies are an integral part of our Air Force and our association. They are the employees, parents,
relatives, family members, teachers, guidance counselors and community members who impact the Air Force
and the community in which they live. They hold offices, work on committees, and serve at all levels from the
top down. They have a unique opportunity to make an investment in the future of young men and women who
are interested in joining the military and to be involved with defense and congressional issues in their local
community. By joining AFA as a Community Partner, you are expressing your own concern for a deterrent
force sufficient to ensure this nation‟s peace and security. The following businesses are community partners
associated with the Terry Chapter.
Ms Billye Everett Cabot Chamber of Commerce 211 North 2nd Street Cabot AR 72023
Mr. Tracy French Centennial Bank P.O. Box 1028 Cabot AR 72023
Mr. Craig Boyd N & N Restaurant 1210 Locust Cabot AR 72023
Mr. James Richardson JW Richardson CPA PO Box 1174 Cabot AR 72023-1174
Mr. Mark Wilson First Arkansas Bank & Trust PO Box 828 Jacksonville AR 72076
Ms Amy Mattison Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce 200 Dupree Jacksonville AR 72076
Ms Joan Zumwalt Zumwalt Enterprises 2811 Gray Fox Lane Jacksonville AR 72076
Mr. Larry Biernacki Arkansas Federal Credit Union PO Box 9 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. John Ferrell Ashland Chemical Company PO Box 686 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. Thad Gray Bart Gray Realty Co., Inc PO Box 37 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mayor Gary Fletcher City of Jacksonville PO Box 126 Jacksonville AR 72078
Ms Barbara Merrick Entergy PO Box 399 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. Larry Wilson First Arkansas Bank & Trust PO Box 828 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. Don Crabbe First Electric CO-OP Corp PO Box 5018 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. Jamie Cobb Gwatney Chevrolet PO Box 156 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. Oliver "Dub" Myers Gwatney Chevrolet PO Box 156 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. Dennis Byrd Jacksonville Patriot PO Box 5329 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. Jay Quebedeaux North Metro Regional Medical Center PO Box 159 Jacksonville AR 72078
Mr. V. Alton Johnson Target Printing & Office Centre PO Box 5586 Jacksonville AR 72078
Wayne Spencer New Generation Printing 511 N First Street, Suite 3 Jacksonville, AR 72076
Mr. Mike Wilson Comcast Cable 2714 S. Shackleford Rd Little Rock AR 72205
Mr. Richard G Gilmore UBS Financial Services 10800 Financial Center Prky, Ste 150 Little Rock AR 72211
Mr. Rick Murphy Magic Lube 513 J.P. Wright Loop Road Little Rock AR 72217
Bill Whelpley BEI Precision Systems Inc. 1100 Murphy Dr, Maumelle, AR 72113
Gary Rowe BEI Precision Systems Inc. 1100 Murphy Dr, Maumelle, AR 72113
Mayor Patrick H. Hays City of North Little Rock PO Box 5757 N Little Rock AR 72119
Mr. Robert Reed GEICO 4509 JFK Blvd. N Little Rock, AR 72116
Gen Lewis Lyle Chapter (brief history)
The M/G Lewis E. Lyle chapter started as the Ouachita Chapter with an organizational meeting in January
1988 to see if there was enough member interest in starting an AFA chapter. Meetings continued and on
March 25 the first general membership meeting was held at the Royal Vista Hotel. National Chairman of the
Board Sam Keith and his wife were there to present the Ouachita Chapter their Charter and welcome to AFA.
There were 39 members in attendance. Since that day the chapter continued to grow to its present
membership mainly as the membership of the Razorback Chapter was dissolved and the majority of their
members were moved to our chapter. With the opening of the Arkansas School for Math and Science in Hot
Springs a new opportunity fell to us. We spoke to the director and their board allowed us to start a library book
drive and other supporting opportunities became a major program for our chapter. In 2008 after the death of
one of our own, Maj. Gen Lewis E Lyle we saw a need to honor this three war veteran. Permission was
granted from the Lyle family and in September we became the Maj. Gen Lewis E Lyle Chapter.
Although we call ourselves the retired chapter in the state and the average age of our members is in the middle
80s we contimue to be an effective force in Garland County and the City of Hot Springs. We began with our
president Morris Cash to present the county with a needed veterans memorial, Morris an architect by trade
began to develop sketches and as soon as one was agreed upon began fund raising activities to raise money
for the construction and site. On November 11, 2009 the memorial was dedicated and this a great tribute to the
veterans in Hot Springs and Garland County.
The chapter has began a Scholarship program with the National Park Community College awarding $--------
scholarships for their aviation program.
The following have provided leadership to our chapter throughout our existence and we thank them for all the
many volunteer hours that have been expanded by all:
Harold E. Renner, Leroy D. Cooper, Richard E. Tooke, Morris D. Cash, Jimmie O. Atchley, Darrell N. Flannery,
Morris D. Cash, Leonard L. Buch, Morris D. Cash, Leonard L. Buch, Lloyd M. Greenwell, Col Josie Fernandez,
Leonard L. Buch, and Larry C. Louden.