Tropic Times

  

July 1, 1999   

Southern Command Network comes to end

 

story and photo by Sgt. Paul Bouchard

(copied with permission from Tropic Times Editor)

  

 

Casing the SCN Colors Closing Ceremony 

 

  • Col. Robert E. Gaylord, deputy chief of Army Public Affairs (Left)

  • Sgt. 1st Class John D. Mings, SCN's first sergeant (Center)

  • Maj. Gordon Martel, SCN commander (Right)

       

 

 

FORT CLAYTON 

An institution common and dear to many military members, civilian employees and family members here in Panama came to an end Thursday, as the Southern Command Network, responsible for radio and television broadcasts to the extended military community in Panama, held its closing ceremony directly outside its building , Building 209 on Fort Clayton. The ceremony began with a history of SCN read in the form of a poem by Sgt. 1st Class Darryl Leonard, the SCN news director, who also served as master of ceremonies for the event. 

After Leonard's presentation, the following individuals - Maj. Gordon Martel, SCN commander, Col. Robert E. Gaylord, deputy chief of the Army Public Affairs Office, Maj. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr., U.S. Army South commanding general, and the Honorable Simon Ferro, U.S. Ambassador to Panama - addressed the gathered crowd of guests and members of the media about the significance of SCN. In his address, Martel said it is "difficult to comprehend the end of broadcast operation in Panama. 

For nearly 60 years SCN has been playing the hits, telling soldier stories, keeping the community informed and most important of all, being the command information medium of choice for the commanding general." In his speech, Col. Gaylord emphasized how SCN has many firsts to its credit, such as being the first AFRTS radio station and the first radio in Panama, being the first black and white and color television station in Panama, and the first and only AFRTS station to earn a battle streamer. Maj. Gen. Kensinger, in his address, emphasized how SCN was at the forefront of every mission taken on by the Southern Command and USARSO such as covering Operation Just Cause, forest fires in Guatemala in 1998, coverage of Hurricane Georges and Mitch, and Operation Build Hope. He also thanked SCN for their coverage of events such as Town Hall Meetings, DCA activities and Hooah Runs.

And in his address, Ambassador Ferro mentioned how SCN excelled at its mission through hard work and attention to detail, and how SCN was "an innovator and pace-setter in the field of broadcasting in the U.S. and Panama. Part of the closing ceremony involved recognizing three SCN employees for their many contributions: Mateo Simmons, Hermelinda Hurtado and Eleanor Johnson. Note: Though SCN is officially deactivated and local newscasts will no longer be broadcasted, radio and television broadcasts will continue (tentatively) through October [1999].