BIG SAFARI ASSOCIATION REUNION 2008

L-3 Communications Integration Integrated Systems (IS)

John Reynolds

P. O. Box 6056, CBN 019

Greenville, TX 75403-6056

903-457-4990

FAX 903-457-4004

Dear Friends:

It is time to be thinking about and signing up for the Big Safari Association (BSA) Reunion 2008. This year's BSA Reunion will be in Denver, Colorado at the Embassy Suites Denver Tech Center located at 10250 East Costilla Avenue, Englewood, CO 80112. A Super Shuttle can take you to the hotel at a cost of $30 round trip per person. Attendees need to go online prior to the trip to book the Super Shuttle. The website address is www.supershuttle.com . Discount code specifically for the Big Safari Reunion Super Shuttle is BIGSA . The Supper Shuttle telephone number operators CAN'T give you the discount rate over the phone. Because of this, if you do not have access to a computer for the booking, please call Diane Dillinger (Lookheed Martin Denver Coperate Concierge) at 719-277-4947. If she is not availble, leave her a voice mail and your phone number , she will call you back and make the booking for you. The BSA Reunion is 10 through 13 September. Special hotel rates are offered 08 through 14 September.

Our hosts this year are Lockheed Martin and Sierra Nevada Corporation. Elton Schroder is Vice President of Lockheed Martin Denver and Fatih Ozmen is President of Sierra Nevada Corporation. Jack Shankles, Diane Dillinger, Tom Boyce, Ed Brown, Ralph Pollitt, Barry Kibbe and others have been working and planning to make the BSA Reunion in Denver a success.

The reunion momentum is beginning to build, as many of you have indicated your interest and intent to attend when you answered the double reply postcards we sent out. This reunion will celebrate the 56th year of the Big Safari Program. Spouses, friends, members, and anyone else that has been associated with Big Safari over the years are welcome. Bring a family member or friend. Membership in the Big Safari Association is not required to attend, but we welcome your becoming a member. Applications will be available. Remember if you can't make all of the events, plan to come on and attend those you can. We want to see you even if it is only for part of the weekend. We are all Big Safari Family.

If you know someone who should attend but may not have received this letter or the previous postcard, give them a call and invite them or give me a call at 903-457-4990 (Mondays only) or at home 903-883-2080 and I will contact them. Copies of this letter, along with the attached sign-up sheet can be obtained from our web page located at www.bigsafariassociation.org. This web page will be updated with additional details on this years reunion as they become available.

We encourage you to stay at the Embassy Suites Denver Tech Center. We have negotiated a $140 per night rate plus 6.85% room tax. We have contracted for 385 king rooms and we need your help in meeting our contract. If you have been with us at other Embassy Suites you can appreciate their free cooked breakfast and the Manager's Reception (free drinks) from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM each evening. You are responsible for making your own reservations and they are on a first call basis. Reservations must be made by August 20 to receive the BSR rate. Use the code BSR when making your reservations to receive the special rate. The BSA Registration Desk and Hospitality Room will be in the Colorado Room. The Seminar and Banquet will be located in the Grand Ballroom (Arapahoe Room). The Saturday night reception will be in the Atrium outside of the ballroom. The agenda is as follows:

Wednesday, 10 September is registration day starting at 12:00 PM Colorado time. The registration fee is $10.00 per person attending any or all activities. This is to help off-set the cost of caps, handbags and some of the administration expenses.

Thursday, 11 September will be a busy day starting at 6:30 AM with a golf tournament at Raccoon Creek Golf Course. The bus will leave the hotel at 6:30 AM for an 8:00 AM tee time. You may want to take advantage of the complimentary breakfast, which starts at 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM, Monday - Friday. Jack Shankles of Lockheed Martin will be our Golf Chairman. Hopefully Jack can get other Lockheed Martin golfers to join us. Prizes will be awarded at the lunch at the Club's restaurant after the tournament. The $94.51 fee includes green fee, golf cart, lunch and prizes. Transportation will be furnished to and from the Embassy Suites Hotel. The golfers will meet the non-golfers at the Coors Brewery at 2:30 PM. Bring your ID to get in to the Coors Brewery.

The non-golfers will leave the Embassy Suites at 10:15 AM for the Molly Brown House for a historical tour and then go to Marlow's Restaurant before meeting the golfers at the Coors Brewery at 2:30 PM. Molly Brown Tour and Lunch is $22.00 per person. The entire group will meet back at the hotel for the Manager's Reception at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

Thursday evening we journey from the hotel at 6:30 PM for a Plated Dinner at the Trail Dust Steak House (choice of Steak, BBQ Ribs or BBQ Chicken). Cost per person is $27 which includes tax and gratuity. You may want to dance to a band or slide down their enormous slide in the restaurant or both. No ties. You may want to put on your western duds. There will be a shuttle back to the hotel every hour starting at 8:00 PM until 11:00 PM. A cash bar will be available. Do not use red tickets here - only at hotel.

Friday, 12 September we will leave the hotel at 9:00 AM for the Forney Transportation Museum and will leave the museum at 11:00 AM for the Embassy Suites. You will be on your own for lunch. At 1:30 PM the buses will depart the hotel for the tour of the OL and Engineering at Centennial Airport and then tour the SNC Hangar and briefing on the U-28 Aircraft. There will be a Dedication Ceremony of the Jim Ely Hangar Complex. Jim was a Big Safari Family member and a respected person to all in the Big Safari Program. There will be a short reception before we leave for the hotel at 4:45 PM. We will arrive at the hotel at 5:00 PM for free time and partake of the Manager's Reception at 5:30 PM. You are own your own for dinner. Diane Dillinger, one of our hosts, might give you some good places to eat.

Saturday Morning, 13 September. The BSA Seminar will be held in the ballroom from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The theme of the seminar this year will be Networking Operations for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Assets or Networking Operations for ISR Assets for the more popular version.

A Continental Express Breakfast will be served starting at 8:00 AM. The Seminar will start at 8:30 AM. A number of technical and historical presentations are planned that I know you will enjoy for many of you have been a part of them in your lifetime. Other presentations will bring us up to date on what is going on in the Big Safari Program. We will conclude the Seminar around 10:00 PM and conclude the Seminar with a BSA membership meeting and election of BSA 2008-2009 Board of Officers. You will want to stick around for this.

Saturday Evening, 13 September is the big reunion event - BSA Reunion 2008 Banquet. The banquet starts at 6:30 PM with a reception and cocktails (cash bar - if you still have red tickets, they may be used) in the Atrium of the Grand Ballroom. The banquet will begin at 7:30 PM. The banquet dinner (your choice of one of there entrees) with wine served at your table, house salad, chef's choice of vegetable, rolls, beverage and desert for $45.00 per person, which covers the gratuity. Dress will be business suits for men and ladies choice. We will have open seating, except for the head table. Do not forget to bring your colored entrée tickets.

During the banquet, we will recognize our special guests and sponsors. The 2008 BSA "Person of the Year" trophy will be presented by Colonel Robert K. Hoffmann, 645 AESG/CC. Our keynote speaker will be Major General Paul A. Dettmer, Assistant Deputy of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters USAF.

The Hospitality Room next to the hotel bar will be open after the banquet.

Well, that is the plan so far. You will find an "Activities Sign-up Sheet" enclosed. Please use it to select the activities you wish to participate. Make yourself a copy to keep and then return to me the sign-up sheet and a check made out to BSA Reunion 2008 by August 20th so that we may complete our planning for transportation and food. Be seeing you in Denver, Colorado!

Best regards as always,

           (signed)

John Reynolds, BSA Treasurer

Big Safari Association

CLICK HERE: TO RETURN TO BSA HOME PAGE

CLICK HERE: for the Reunion MAIL-IN Activities SIGN-UP Letter