News from the Air Force

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Air Force Buys 10th WGS Satellite:

The Air Force awarded Boeing $338.7 million for production of the 10th Wideband Global Satellite Communications spacecraft, announced service space acquisition officials. WGS-10, like WGS-8 and WGS-9 that are currently in manufacture, will feature a new wideband digital channelizer that nearly doubles the satellite's bandwidth compared to the earlier WGS satellites, according to the Air Force's July 27 release. WGS satellites are designed to support simultaneous X- and Ka-band communications. The first three WGS satellites are already operating on orbit. The Air Forces is preparing WGS-4, launched into space in January, to assume operations. WGS-5, WGS-6, and WGS-7 are currently in production, with the first two slated to launch in 2013. The transaction for WGS-10 is part of the commercial-like operating model that the Air Force has had in place with Boeing for procurement of WGS-7 through WGS-10. This model has resulted in "significant savings to the US government," states the release.

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Bye Bye Kestrels:

The Air Force Academy retired its TG-10C Kestrel glider fleet after certifying a final new cadet instructor pilot on a check ride last week. The school acquired 12 TG-10s in 2002 for use in cadets' basic and aerobatic training. The final Kestrel sortie took place on July 23, according to a July 26 academy release. Before their transfer to the Civil Air Patrol, the school's Kestrels logged 140,000 total flights, according to 94th Flying Training Squadron officials. Replacing the TG-10s are the academy's new high-performance TG-16As. They "are made of fiberglass instead of sheet metal. It's leading-edge soaring equipment," said Lt. Col. Richard Roller, 94th FTS commander. The academy has received 15 of the German-built TG-16s, and is awaiting delivery of four more, states the release. New cadets began using the TG-16 on July 16.

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Air Advisor Memorial Dedicated:

The Air Advisor Academy at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., unveiled the new Air Advisor Memorial during a dedication ceremony at the joint base. While the memorial is dedicated to all advisors who have lost their lives in service, the July 27 ceremony honored the eight air advisors and one contractor killed in a gun attack in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011. More than 100 family members of those fallen airmen attended the ceremony as did fellow air advisors and community leaders. "It really is nice to know people still care, people still remember," said Linda Ambard, widow of Maj. Philip Ambard, 44, one of the advisors who died in the gun attack. Col. Olaf Holm, Air Advisory Academy commandant, reached out to the local community and private companies for donations for the memorial, which workers built in a matter of months.

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Big Time Lancer Presence:

Nine B-1 bombers and more than 400 airmen from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Tex., returned home after completing a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia in support of combat operations in Afghanistan. This overseas stint marked the largest B-1 deployment in terms of numbers of aircraft and personnel in the past 10 years, according to Dyess' July 31 release. "There wasn't a single moment during our deployment that we did not have a B-1 in the air over Afghanistan," said Lt. Col. Matthew Brooks, commander of Dyess' 9th Bomb Squadron. The expeditionary contingent of B-1s "flew 130 more sorties than any B-1 squadron had flown in any other six-month deployment," he noted. The B-1s delivered more than 400 weapons on target, states the release. The Dyess airmen began arriving home on July 25. Replacing them in Southwest Asia are some 350 airmen, along with their B-1s, from the 28th BW at Ellsworth AFB, S.D.

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Luke Named Home of F-35A Pilot Training Center:

Luke AFB, Ariz., will host the Air Force's F-35A pilot training center, announced Secretary Michael Donley. The base will bed down a total of 72 F-35As in three squadrons, according to an Aug. 1 Luke release. The first strike fighters will arrive between late 2013 and mid 2014, depending on production schedules. "This is a great day for Luke. Our selection for F-35 training ensures the long-term viability of our mission of training the world's greatest fighter pilots, which we've been doing at Luke for seven decades," said Brig. Gen. Jerry Harris, 56th Fighter Wing commander. The Air Force's record of decision cited Luke's facility and ramp capacity, range access, favorable weather, and capacity for future growth as reasons why the base won. Luke beat out Air National Guard sites in Boise, Idaho, and Tucson, Ariz., as well as Holloman AFB, N.M., for the training mission. Luke will also serve as an international partner training site for the F-35A. Eglin AFB, Fla., already hosts the initial joint F-35 schoolhouse.

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Pentagon Approves Israeli F-35 Input:

The Pentagon reportedly agreed to allow the Israelis to make modifications to their F-35 strike fighters, including integration of an indigenously enhanced electronic warfare suite and Israeli-specific electronics, reports Reuters. The Pentagon's F-35 program office "is working closely with Israel and Lockheed Martin on a package of enhancements" for the Israeli airplanes, confirmed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during a joint press briefing with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Aug. 1 in Ashkelon, Israel. Panetta, on an official visit to Israel, added, "This will ensure Israel's unquestioned air superiority for years to come." The enhancement package has a value of some $450 million, according to Reuters' July 26 report. Israel signed an agreement in October 2010 to acquire up to 20 F-35s under a foreign military sales arrangement with a potential total value of $2.75 billion. Congress approved selling the Israelis as many as 75 of the stealth fighters.

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Air Frame:

An E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft performs a flyby during the Arctic Thunder open house at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 29, 2012. (Air Force photo by SSgt. Zachary Wolf)

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Back to the Fireline:

The US Forest Service recalled two firefighting C-130s to Boise Air Terminal, Idaho, to counter the increased risk of wildfire in the western states. This brought the size of the Modular Airborne Firefighting System-equipped C-130 force at Boise back to four aircraft, said MAFFS officials on Aug. 3. Earlier last week, the Forest Service relieved two C-130 MAFFS airplanes from Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing to return home to Peterson AFB, Colo., due to a then more favorable outlook on the fires. However, those aircraft are now back at Boise, supplementing the two airplanes from the California Air National Guard's 146th AW that continued the fire retardant drops over Idaho and Nevada throughout last week. As of Aug. 6, MAFFS aircraft have dropped 1,094,719 gallons of retardant in some 415 sorties since they began battling the blazes on June 25, an Air Force official told the Daily Report.

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Human Factors Led to Midair Near Miss:

Air traffic controllers' erroneous directions caused the near collision of an Air Force C-17 and an American Airlines Boeing 777 carrying 250 passengers in the skies near New York City last January, reports Reuters. Controllers at the New York air traffic control center mistakenly vectored the two aircraft to converge at the same point roughly 90 miles southeast of New York's JFK airport on the night of Jan. 20, 2011, according to the news service's Aug. 7 report. It cites the findings of the National Transportation Safety Board's incident investigation. The airliner's collision-avoidance system detected the C-17 descending from a refueling rendezvous. Still, the two aircraft came within less than 2,000 feet of each other while flying at the same altitude, according to NTSB's incident narrative from Aug, 2. "That guy passed us now and that was not good," radioed a member of the 777 crew to an air traffic controller. "I understand that and I apologize," responded the controller. The Air Force crew—flying formation with a second C-17—continued to JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

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Off With its Radome:

The Air Force Satellite Control Network's Colorado tracking station at Schriever AFB, Colo., commonly known as "Pike," ceased frontline operations and transitioned to a backup tracking and test role. "As we go forward, Pike is going to continue to be important . . . for testing, troubleshooting, and contingency operations," said Lt. Col. Scott Angerman, 22nd Space Operations Squadron commander, at Pike's Aug. 3 cessation-of-operations ceremony. Since beginning operations in 1988, the space telemetry radar station tracked more than 300 US military and NASA space launches, including space shuttles, and made more than 180,000 contacts with orbiting satellites, according to an Aug. 7 Schriever release. The station made its final operational contact with a satellite—a GPS spacecraft—on July 9, states the release. The Air Force is removing Pike's radar for reuse at the Thule tracking station in Greenland. (

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McCain Eyes C-27Js to Fight Fires:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member, introduced legislation that would transfer 14 of the C-27J transports that the Air Force wants to divest to the US Forest Service for use as dedicated aerial firefighting assets. "The Forest Service needs to modernize its entire air tanker fleet," said McCain in a statement on S. 3441, the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 2012. "We have an opportunity to take the C-27J, an aircraft the Pentagon no longer wants, and give it to the Forest Service to enhance aircraft safety and lower existing maintenance costs," he added. Better that than to have discarded C-27Js "sit in an airplane boneyard," he said. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) are bill co-sponsors. Already some local southern California lawmakers are expressing support for the McCain bill, reported the Southwest Riverside News Network on Aug. 7. McCain introduced the bill on July 25. The Air Force leadership proposed divesting the C-27J fleet in Fiscal 2013 as part of cost-cutting measures in its budget submission for next fiscal year. Thus far, however, congressional defense overseers have not supported this move.

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Welsh Becomes Chief of Staff:

Gen. Mark Welsh became the Air Force's 20th Chief of Staff last week during a ceremony at JB Andrews, Md. Welsh replaced Gen. Norton Schwartz who stepped down after four years in the post and retired from the Air Force, ending a 39-year career. "When I became a squadron commander, I felt excited. When I became a wing commander, I felt proud. When I became a major command commander, I felt privileged and a little bit old," Welsh told the assembled airmen and guests upon assuming his new role during the Aug. 10 leadership transition event. He continued, "Today, being sworn in as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, I just feel humbled." Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, who swore Welsh in, praised his new partner. "Mark is respected throughout the Air Force for his exceptional leadership and ability to connect with airmen," he said. Donley also paid tribute to Schwartz. "Anyone looking for an example of Air Force core values need look no further than Gen. Norty Schwartz," said Donley. "Thank you for your lasting contribution to our Air Force and the character and quality of your service."

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2012 Outstanding Airmen: The Air Force has selected its top enlisted members for 2012, naming them the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. They are:

• SMSgt. Laura A. Callaway, Air Mobility Command;
• SMSgt. Emilio Hernandez, US Air Forces in Europe;
• SMSgt. Luke W. Thompson, Air National Guard;
• MSgt. Alan M. Braden, Air Force Materiel Command;
• MSgt. Sandra L. Plentzas, Air Force Reserve Command;
• TSgt. Brandon C. Bruner, Air Force Special Operations Command;
• TSgt. Matthew G. Stark, Pacific Air Forces;
• SSgt. Angelo C. Banks, Air Education and Training Command;
• SSgt. Cory T. Branham, Air Combat Command;
• SrA. Bryenna L. Brooks, Air Force Global Strike Command;
• SrA. Matthew J. Butler, Air Force District of Washington; and
• SrA. Nicholas A. Hurt, Air Force Space Command.

The Air Force Association will honor these 12 airmen during its Air & Space Conference in September in National Harbor, Md.

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Maintaining Requirements during the Drawdown:

The ongoing drawdown of combat forces in Afghanistan is not expected to affect two of the US military's core operational requirements there: readily evacuating wounded troops to the nearest hospital facility and quickly having a close air support asset overhead, said Maj. Gen. Tod Wolters, who was the top Air Force general there from May 2011 to May 2012. Coalition forces have strived to adhere to the "golden hour" rule, which means evacuating casualties from the battlefield to the nearest hospital within 60 minutes of their injury, Wolters told attendees of his Aug. 14 talk in Arlington, Va., that AFA's Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies hosted. The average is actually closer to 40 minutes to 45 minutes, which means those who are wounded have an even better chance of survival, said Wolters. For close air support, the requirement is to have an asset overhead to protect ground troops within 12 minutes, he said. Today, that average is closer to eight minutes, he added. "That's a pretty phenomenal accomplishment," said Wolters, who now heads the Air Force's legislative liaison office in the Pentagon

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X-51A Falls Short in Third Flight:

An experimental X-51A Waverider hypersonic vehicle crashed into the Pacific Ocean after a control fin malfunctioned during a test shot off the California coast, said Air Force officials on Aug. 15. The malfunction prevented the vehicle's supersonic combustion ramjet engine from igniting and propelling the vehicle for upwards of five minutes at speeds around Mach 6, they said. "It is unfortunate that a problem with this subsystem caused a termination before we could light the scramjet engine," said Charlie Brink, the Air Force Research Lab's X-51A program manager, of the Aug 14 test. The Waverider dropped from the B-52 mothership and successfully boosted through its rocket-propelled first stage. Fifteen seconds after booster separation, however, the X-51 departed controlled flight due to the anomaly and plummeted into the ocean below. "All our data showed we had created the right conditions for engine ignition and we were very hopeful to meet our test objectives," said Brink. This mission was the third test flight of an expendable X-51 vehicle, following shots in June 2011 and May 2010. AFRL officials said they were uncertain when, or if, they would fly the fourth and final X-51 vehicle.

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Air Force Week Hits the Big Apple:

Air Force Week comes to New York City, with multiple activities scheduled across the city's five boroughs from Aug. 18 to Aug. 21 to celebrate and showcase the service. The events will allow the public to meet airmen up close and allow the Air Force to say "thank you" to the local community for its support. Kicking off the festivities is Air Force night on Aug. 18 at the New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox baseball game at Yankees stadium; the Thunderbirds flight demonstration team will perform a flyover there. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley will attend the official Air Force Week opening ceremony on Aug. 19 at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum at Manhattan's Pier 86. There will be displays at the pier highlighting Air Force career fields and technology. Also on Aug. 19, an HH-60 helicopter and a pararescue team will demonstrate an over-water rescue on the Hudson River. There will also be an Air Force movie night at the pier on Aug. 20 and band concerts, additional flyovers, and drill team performances across the city through Aug. 21

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F-22s Reach Small Milestone:

At the just-concluded Combat Hammer exercise at the Utah Test and Training Range, F-22s from JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, became the first operational Raptors to drop GBU-39 small diameter bombs, announced base officials. "The employment of the GBU-39s was very successful," said Maj. Wade Bridges, an F-22 pilot with Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Fighter Squadron. This unit led the Elmendorf contingent of Active Duty and Reserve pilots and maintainers to Hill AFB, Utah, for the Combat Hammer, which ran from Aug. 6 to Aug. 16. "The Utah Test and Training Range is the only location in the United States where the F-22s can employ SDBs at speeds and altitudes unique to the Raptor," said Bridges. Previously, only F-22 test pilots had employed SDBs, according to Hill's Aug. 16 release. The Elmendorf F-22s that participated in the Combat Hammer are equipped with the new Increment 3.1 software upgrade that enables them to employ the SDBs, which are 250-pound precision-guided munitions capable of release outside of the range of enemy air defenses. Combat Hammers allow pilots to employ air-to-ground weapons in a realistic tactical environment.

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Portraits in Courage:

The Air Force released the latest volume in its Portraits in Courage series, honoring 20 airmen who displayed bravery and determination in the face of especially challenging or dangerous situations. "These exceptional airmen persisted through extraordinary circumstances, confronted unforeseen dangers, and surmounted seemingly impossible challenges, all to accomplish their missions, and often saving the lives of others in the process," reads an Aug. 19 service release. Click here to visit the Portraits in Courage website, or click on the hyperlinks to the individual airmen below for their stories.

Lt. Col. Karl Ingeman, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy;
Capt. Barry Crawford, 104th FS, Warfield ANG Base, Baltimore;
Capt. Jennifer Curtis, 75th Medical Operations Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah;
Capt. Darrel Deleon, 1st Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo.;
Capt. Blake Luttrell, 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C.;
MSgt. Angela Blue, 355th Medical Operations Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.;
MSgt. Christopher Uriarte, 212th Rescue Squadron, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska;
MSgt. Kevin Wallace, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, Britain;
TSgt. Tavis Delaney, 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, Camp Murray, Wash.;
TSgt. David Perez, 377th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.;
TSgt. Scott Saenz, 375th Civil Engineer Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill.;
TSgt. Matthew Schwartz, 90th CES, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.;
SSgt. Trevor Brewer, 48th Security Forces Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, Britain;
SSgt. Christopher Jarrell, 81st SFS, Keesler AFB, Miss.;
SSgt. Kyle Klapperich, 23rd STS, Hurlburt Field, Fla.;
SSgt. Jeffery Salazar, 22nd STS, JB Lewis-McChord, Wash.;
SSgt. Vanessa Salzl Bibb, 59th Medical Wing, JB San Antonio, Tex.;
SSgt. Travis Sanford, 10th Combat Weather Squadron, Hurlburt Field;
SSgt. Ben Seekell, 4th SFS, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.; and
SrA. Veronica Cox, 33rd RQS, Kadena AB, Japan.

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Bold Leadership:

Speaking to a room full of non-commissioned officers, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said leadership is a gift that is rarely easy, but almost always rewarding. "People are going to criticize you if you're the one stepping up, making the calls, enforcing discipline, making sure people meet standards, and making sure the mission gets done," he said during the 2012 Air Force Sergeants Association convention in Jacksonville, Fla., on Aug. 15. "Deal with it. Make the tough decisions. Make the hard calls. Make your NCOs make the hard calls, and make your airmen make the hard calls." A good leader, said Welsh, takes the time to really get to know his airmen. "If you don't know the stories, you can't lead the airmen. It's really that simple," he said. And, bold leadership sometimes means taking a step back and letting others under your command shine. "Everybody who has ever worked for you is better than you at something," he said. "Your job is to encourage that and develop it, and to give them free rein. Every now and then, step back and lead from behind. You become the cheerleader

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Airmen Injured, C-17 Damaged at Bagram:

An insurgent rocket attack at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, early on the morning of Aug. 21 local time injured two airmen and damaged the front of a C-17 transport and one of its engines, said officials at the base. The two maintainers suffered cuts and bruises, they said. This particular C-17 was the aircraft that transported Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey to Afghanistan on Aug. 19 on his official visit. The incident mimicked previous attacks, said the officials. They noted that Dempsey "was never in any danger" and there was no indication that the insurgents were targeting him.