Army Tests Blimp

The Army soon may have a new weapon in its arsenal. This fall, the Army tested a blimp outfitted with sensors and cameras, flying over the Washington, D.C., area for a week, to see how well it could detect potentially threatening movements on the ground.

The 178-foot-long blimp was outfitted with the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment System (RAIDS). The raids system currently is deployed in support of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it is used on high towers and tethered blimps.

“By using a raids-equipped airship, the military could fly a controlled, quiet orbit over an area like Fallujah, day or night, and be able to locate insurgents placing explosive devices or setting up ambushes,” says Glenn Beach of the American Blimp Corp., which supplied the blimp to the Army. The blimp could follow targets and then send the information via a ground station to soldiers in the area, Beach explains. “And at about $5 million, it is a lot cheaper than other surveillance aircraft,” he says.

The blimp’s cameras and sensors provide a detailed view of activity on the streets below while the blimp stays out of the range of many weapons systems. The blimp could be used not only for force protection and surveillance, but also for transporting cargo. Also, it could be adapted to fly unmanned.

Unlike the famous blimp Hindenburg, which was filled with hydrogen, this airship is filled with helium, which is not flammable. The balloon is not highly pressurized and could remain buoyant for hours if it were punctured (by bullets, for example).

Blimps have been used by the military in the past. During World War II, more than 150 blimps patrolled the East Coast on antisubmarine missions, escorting convoys out to sea. Some think the blimp’s time has come again.

Pack It Up, Move It Out

Want to send a care package this holiday season to your favorite overseas servicemember but hate the idea of hunting down the right box and mailing labels? Now, the U.S. Postal Service is getting rid of that excuse by offering free packing materials to family and friends of military servicemembers who are deployed overseas (APO or FPO addresses). Materials include boxes, tape, mailing labels, customs forms, and even waterproof (and tear-proof!) envelopes. The products are to be used to mail care packages to servicemembers.

To take advantage of this service, call (800) 610-8734, follow the options to talk to an operator, and ask for the military pack. Or order the free materials online by going to http://supplies.usps.gov.

Ike Symposium

MOAA is supporting the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, which are cosponsoring a symposium titled “Eisenhower and National Security for the 21st Century,” Jan. 26–28, 2005. The symposium will explore 21st century security challenges and parallels to those President Eisenhower tackled at the beginning of the Cold War. To learn more or register, visit www.ndu.edu/icaf/ike/index.htm.

MOAA’s New Awards

This year, MOAA recognized outstanding graduates and faculty members at a number of the military’s centers of higher education. These officers or civilian students were selected from nearly 5,000 current and future leaders who participate in joint professional military education each year at service colleges and universities. Thirteen individuals at nine institutions earned recognition through a competitive process held at each school.

MOAA began this program to support the professional development of students and faculty at the service graduate schools. Among the awards presented by MOAA President Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., this year were plaques, certificates, cash, crystal mementos, and life memberships to MOAA. Award recipients are:

MOAA Leadership Award: JoAnn Blanks, Department of Army civilian, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

MOAA Outstanding Faculty Award: Col. James W. Forsyth Jr., USAF, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

Excellence in Joint Service Warfare: Lt. Col. Ronald Laughbaum, USAF, and Maj. Elisabeth Auld, USAF, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.

Commandant’s Distinguished Graduate Award: Lt. Col. Kimberly Crider, USAFR, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.

Master Joint Planner Award: Lt. Col. Kenneth Tovo, USA, and Maj. Jay F. Schatz, USAF, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. MOAA Excellence in Writing Award: Col. Richard J. Polo Jr., USA, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.

Best International Fellow Paper: Kuo-Hua Hsi, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.

Best Sister Service Paper: Lt. Col. Carl H. Block, USAF, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.

Award for Excellence in Joint Service Warfare: Maj. Leroy Barker, USA, Army Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Order of the Eagle Rising: Maj. Frederick Ferguson, USA-Ret., and CWO Michael Novosel, USA-Ret., Army Warrant Officer Career Center, Fort Rucker, Ala.