Post Newsletter - Society of American Military Engineers

THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
NewsLetter MI
VANDENBERG POST March 2002
I NSIDE T HIS I SSUE
Page
1 & 2
Page
3 & 4
Page
5 & 6
PRESIDENT’S PEN
We had a great meeting in February and
had an excellent turn out. Thank you Boeing for
an excellent briefing, tour, and great hospitality.
For National Engineers Week in February we
visited Cabrillo High School and Lompoc High
School and talked about the Military Engineering
career field. I participated in the visit to Lompoc
High and found it to be a rewarding experience
talking to the high school students.
The meeting for March will be an overview
of the Air Force GeoBase and GeoReach program
by Dave Ramirez of Titan Systems. For those not
familiar with the program GeoBase is an initiative
to change how geospatial information resources
are being acquired, implemented, exploited, and
sustained on USAF installations. GeoReach looks
at how these resources can be used at forward
operating locations. As part of the presentation
Dave Ramirez will explain the role of GeoReach
post September 11. In addition, at the March
meeting, Margo Viers of Tetra Tech will provide
us and overview of the Vandenberg S.A.M.E. Post
Web Page.
PRESIDENT’S PEN, Schedule of Events, Future Monthly Program Ideas,
PRESIDENT’S PEN continued from page 1, , VAFB Sustaining Members
Sustaining Member Profile, People and Organizations in the News,
Professional Registration II
Continuing Education, Fast Start Program, SAME.USAFA Construction
Camp
Page
7 Photos from February’s Meeting
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
Schedule of Events
2002
21 March General Membership Meeting.
Topic: Overview of the Air Force
GeoBase and GeoReach Program.
Speaker: David Ramirez of Titan Systems
αLocation: White Oaks Restaurant
(formerly The Spaceport Inn) located in
the Vandenberg Village on the Corner of
Hwy 1 and Constellation Road.
Time: 11:30
Cost: $10.00
Menu Choices: Angel Hair Pasta with
Marinara Sauce served with Garlic Bread,
Cheeseburger served with French Fries or
Turkey Melt served with French Fries
RSVP to Amy Bagby 805-739-1860 or
email abagby@titan.com
Reservations with your menu selection
must be made NO LATER THAN –
COB on Tuesday, March the 19th.
28 March Board of Directors Meeting at The Pacific
Coast Club.
Time: 11:30
18 April To be detailed in the April Newsletter
Future Monthly Program Ideas for 2002
Response to Weapons of Mass
Destruction
Alternate Sources of Energy
Fess Parker Winery
Golf Tournament
Phyto Remediation
Best Practice Meeting
Tour of Lompoc Federal Penitentiary
Holiday Dinner
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST

(PRESIDENT’S PEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)
The Vandenberg Post plans on sending a
high school student to the Air Force Academy
Construction Camp. Please see the article in the
newsletter for more details.
The 2002 S.A.M.E. National Education
and Training Conference will be held May 21-24
in Kansas City, Missouri. At that conference we
will receive the Streamer Awards the post won
(see article in newsletter). Hopefully some of
you can make the National Conference. Details
about the conferences can be found at
www.same.org.
I hope to see you at our next meeting.
Sincerely,
JANE M GOLDBERG
President – Vandenberg Post
VISIT OUR NEW VAFB POST
WEB SITE AT
http://www.same.org/vandenberg
Special VAFB Thanks POST to SUSTAINING Margo Viers, MEMBERS
Tetra Tech
for designing our VAFB Post Web Site
ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller
VISIT OUR STUDENT POST WEB
SITE AT
http://www.calpoly.edu/~smeclub
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
VAFB POST SUSTAINING MEMBERS
ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller
A.J. Diani Construction Co.
Bd Systems, Inc.
Cannon Associates
CDR Enterprise Inc.
DJM Construction Co.
Foster Wheeler Environmental
Harding ESE
IT Corporation
Lockheed Martin Technical Operations
Management Solutions of America
MNS Engineers, Inc.
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Titan Systems Corporation (Formerly BTG Inc.)
Towill Inc.
URS Group
Valenzuela Engineering
Newsletter Production Staff
Amy Bagby (805) 739-1860
Jane Goldberg (805) 606-1937
Karl Kneeling (805) 934-2921
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST

SUSTAINING MEMBER PROFILE SCHEDULE 2002
At this month’s meeting, Tetra Tech, Inc. will give us their profile.
January: BD Systems, Inc
February:
March: Tetra Tech, Inc.
April: Cannon Associates
May: Titan Systems Corporation and MNS Engineers Inc.
June: Towill Inc. and URS Group
July: Valenzuela Engineering and DMJM Construction Co
August: ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller
September: IT Corporation and Lockheed Martin Technical Operations
October: A.J. Diani Construction Co. and Harding ESE
November: CDR Enterprise Inc. and Foster Wheeler Environmental
December: None – Annual Holiday Dinner
- The sustaining member profile is an opportunity for our sustaining members to take 5-8 minutes to describe their
company in any medium or format of their choosing. The idea of adding this into our program is to enhance our
partnering, improve lines of communication, and membership value by allowing representative(s) from each of our
Sustaining Members ad opportunity to “Profile” their company. You may also distribute business brochures or
catalogs. Be as entertaining as you want!
- If you are unable to attend the month as scheduled, contact VP Capt. Marcia Quigley at (805) 606-5802 and
she will replace you with the next month’s scheduled SM, and in turn you can make your presentation the
following month. Please inform us well in advance.
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS
IN THE NEWS
CONGRATULATIONS POST MEMBERS!!
Good news…. our post has been recognized for the hard work of the members, commitment
to quality programs and probably, for our wine tasting event! We have received six streamer
awards as follows: Distinguished Post, Education, Exceptional Youth, Swimmer, Membership,
and Communications.
Real briefly, our general membership attendance had major increases, scholarships increased
from 2 to 3, the newsletter was enhanced with more illustrations and more varied articles, we started
the Post website, we sponsored a high school student for the AFA/SAME construction camp—as
well as providing a mentor, we were a financial sponsor of the Cabrillio HS aquarium, we met every
month with quality programs, and the list goes on in each of those award categories! It was a very
busy and most important—fun year! All the streamers will be presented to the Post President during
the National Conference.
Our goal this year should be to become a grand slammer—win all the available awards!
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST

Vandenberg AFB Post
The Society of
American Military Engineers
Post Office Box 5846
Vandenberg AFB, CA 93437
TIME CRITICAL INFORMATION
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
The Society of American
Military Engineers
Cordially invite you to our monthly luncheon
on Thursday, March 21, 2002
Location: White Oaks Restaurant (formerly
The Spaceport Inn) located in the Vandenberg
Village on the corner of Hwy 1 and
Constellation Road.
Time: 1130
Must RSVP by COB on Tuesday, March 19 th
with your menu selection to:
Amy Bagby (805) 739-1860 or email your
reservation to: abagby@titan.com
RESERVATIONS ARE MANDATORY
-Details of event are inside this Newsletter-
Our meeting this month will feature:
Topic: Overview of the Air Force GeoBase and
GeoReach Program.
Speaker: David Ramirez, Titan Systems Corp.
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST

Professional Registration II
By Thomas Hom, P.E.
What are the steps to become a
Professional Engineer? There are three
basic steps.
1. Pass the Fundamental Exam (FE) exam.
It is highly recommended to take the FE
early in your career while your technical
knowledge is fresh. It's best to do it in
your senior year or right after college or at
least in the first few years afterward. The
longer it is put off, the harder it will be to
pass it. The examination covers detailed
fundamental knowledge that every
engineer is expected to know, but rarely
used in their daily work. Few, if any,
engineers use all the knowledge they
gained in school. What is not used is lost.
There are many books available with exam
questions and answers to help refresh your
memory.
2. Gain work experience and build a PE
references network. This is a vital, critical
portion of your PE application. You need
to have a minimum of two years of
acceptable work experience. What is
considered to be acceptable is determined
by each State. You need to look it up and
compare it with what you do. Ask your
supervisor to assign projects to you to give
you the necessary experience. The work
accomplished in the military engineering
environment is often considered acceptable
experience. Build a network of
professional engineers who know your
engineering knowledge, abilities and
character. Find out who they are in your
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
organization; seek them out; and work with
them.
Build the foundation for future references.
They do not have to be your supervisors,
but may be engineers from other local
elements or from upper Headquarters.
They should not be a subordinate or from
an AE firm working on projects for you.
3. Pass the PE exam. If you have been out
of school for more than a few years,
refresher training is a survival necessity.
You can learn on your own with organized
and well-written books, but it would be
better to take a college extension course or
seminars. These are taken with the goal of
completing the course just prior to the
scheduled PE exam that you have applied
for. Study, study, study. Know the testing
rules and requirements. Find out what you
are allowed to take into the exam room.
Be prepared mentally and physically with
rest, food and non-alcoholic drinks.
There are several web sites with
information. You can do a search for
“California PE exam” and get lots of hits
that you can sort through.
http://www.ncees.org
http://icivilengineer.com/PE_Exam_Guide
http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/~asce/asceEIT.
html
Next month: How to impress your boss
and get ahead.
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST

SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
February’s Meeting
Topic: On-site Briefing and Tour of the Boeing EELV (Delta IV) Construction Site at SLC 6
Photos provided by Boeing
A special thank you to Boeing for providing a beautiful sunny day
and an excellent briefing and tour of SLC 6.
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST

SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
Continuing Education
Karl E. Kneeling, P.E.
One of SAME National’s objectives in its 2002 Annual Plan is the emphasis on Continuing
Education for its members. SAME sees the need for all members to grow in knowledge and
experience in the ever changing Engineering, Science and Planning fields through the awarding of
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and/or Professional Development Hours (PDHs). As all can see
from Tom Hom’s series of articles in our Newsletter on Professional Registration, training and
professional Development does not end once you achieve State certification as a P.E. We, in the
Vandenberg Post, would like to link you to a very good Continuing Education program organized
and provided by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). They have numerous seminars,
computer workshops, on-site training and self-study courses available at reasonable cost. All earn
CEUs/PDHs. Categories of training include: Construction/Development; Environmental;
Geotechnical; Management; Structural; Infrastructure Rehab; Hydraulics & Water Resources;
Transportation; PE and FE Exam Review courses.
A full brochure of courses can be acquired by calling 1-800-548-2723 or visiting the web site at
www.asce.org and downloading the course offerings.
FAST START PROGRAM
We are finally in our development stages to prepare the Fast Start Plan for our
Post as part of the Society's commitment to aid governments and citizens in time
of national emergencies. Accordingly, we will distribute a draft plan to all our
individual and sustaining members for their review and coordination. The plan
will outline how civilian engineering firms, contractors, suppliers and other
firms can interact with military and civil authorities to effectively respond to any
major emergency. A questionnaire will be forwarded to all our sustaining
member firms and other professional societies/agencies to identify their
capabilities. We strongly encourage your support to strengthen our nation
during any crises.
POC: Lt. Jason Glynn, 805-606-4021
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST

February 28, 2002
The Society of American Military Engineers
Vandenberg AFB Post
MEMORANDUM FOR: VAFB Post Members
SUBJECT: SAME/USAFA Engineering and Construction Camp, July 5-11, 2002
The Society of Military Engineers, in partnership with the U.S. Air Force Academy
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Pikes Peak and Denver Posts, is
sponsoring a one-week Engineering and Construction Camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
They have space for 60 students who will live in platform squad tents at Field Engineering
and Readiness Laboratory (FERL) and engage in hands-on engineering and construction
activities, under the mentorship of SAME professionals and Air Force Cadets.
The cost to each SAME Post is $500. They are requesting that the student pay one-half of
this fee to better ensure a commitment from the student. The Post will also be responsible
for the cost of getting the student to Colorado Springs airport.
We can select one high school student, and we must submit the application to the National
SAME Committee by April 25, 2002. This is a great opportunity for us to steer a young
student on the path to being an engineer. Therefore, I am requesting your support in this
program by partially or fully sponsoring our selected high school student.
If you have any questions, the POC for this program is 1Lt Rod Rodriguez. Please send him
an email (rodolfo.rodriguez@vandenberg.af.mil) or give him a call at (805) 605-7365.
Sincerely,
Jane Goldberg
President
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST

SAME, Vandenberg AFB Post
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS
SERVING VANDENBERG AFB FOR 38 YEARS VANDENBERG POST