Sep 17 1972
From The Space Library
September 17-21: Air Force Assn. held 26th annual National Convention in Washington, D.C. Convention unanimously adopted policy resolutions including endorsement and support of space shuttle program, continuation and expansion of ballistic missile and military space systems technology, and increase in U.S. defense program research and development effort to level "at least equal to that of the Soviet Union." Convention adopted 1972-1973 Statement of Policy Sept. 19. Statement said new environment created by Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) "places a high premium on added protection for our current strategic bomber force, on improved ballistic missile technology as an antidote to numerical inferiority, on more accurate and consistent surveillance capabilities, and on more secure and dependable communications." Nothing in SALT agreements impeded size and momentum of U.S.S.R.'s research and development effort. Soviet effort "for the past several years has surpassed that of the United States by a wide margin. The possibility of technological surprise has not diminished under SALT, unless the United States undertakes and maintains a military research and development program that is comprehensive, consistent, and competitive." If U.S. emphasized efforts on qualitative force improvement, enhanced forces survivability, and improved conventional weapon delivery, "risks involved in the SALT agreements can likely be kept within tolerable limits." AFA awards presented during convention included Theodore von Karman Award to L/C Donald G. Carpenter, Commander of 18th Surveillance Squadron, Air Defense Command, for "advancing the nation's space defense capability." David C. Schilling Award was presented to 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, Calif., for "pioneering operational long-range flight while per-forming vital defense missions with the SR-71 aircraft." Award was accepted by Col. Jerome F. O'Malley, Commander of 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. (AF Mag, 11/72, 809, 54-5, 60-1)
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