News from the Air Force

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BUFF, Tanker Going Down Under for Training:

The Air Force is dispatching a B-52 bomber and KC-135 tanker this week from Andersen AFB, Guam, to Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin in northern Australia for short-term joint training, announced Pacific Air Forces officials on Aug. 22. This visit marks the first such exchange since the United States and Australia unveiled the US-Australia force posture initiative in November 2011, they said. "This event demonstrates our commitment to increased cooperation with our longstanding Australian allies," said Maj. Gen. Russell Handy, PACAF's director of operations, plans, requirements, and programs. He added, "This and future rotational deployments will enhance our bilateral collaboration and offer greater opportunities to improve our ability to train, exercise, and operate together now and in the future." While at Darwin, the B-52 will conduct simulated ordnance drops over Australia's Delamere Training Range and the KC-135 will practice aerial refueling operations, said the officials. Decisions on future rotations to Darwin and RAAF Tindal are still under discussion, they said.

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Air Guard Recognizes its Outstanding Airmen:

The Air National Guard honored its six 2012 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for their achievements during an awards ceremony at JB Andrews, Md. "It seems like every year we get better and better quality," said Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, ANG director, during the Aug. 22 event. These outstanding enlisted Air Guardsmen are: senior non-commissioned officer: SMSgt. Luke W. Thompson, Oregon's 125th Special Tactics Squadron; non-commissioned officer: TSgt. Jacob S. Curtis, Illinois' 126th Air Refueling Wing; first sergeant: MSgt. Fred W. Hudgins Jr., Arizona's 161st ARW; airman: SrA. Michael D. McCaffrey, District of Columbia's 116th ARW; honor guard program manager: MSgt. Jeffrey L. Lamarche, Eastern Air Defense Sector, New York; and honor guard member: SSgt. Carrie M. Kline, Indiana's 122nd Fighter Wing. Their accomplishments include decorated combat service supporting operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, volunteer work in their communities, and educational excellence. "These are American heroes," said CMSgt. Christopher Muncy, Wyatt's command chief master sergeant. "They represent the best of the best of the 92,000 enlisted members that currently serve in the Air National Guard." Thompson is also one of the Air Force-wide 2012 outstanding airmen.

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Oklahoma Air Guardsman Awarded Bronze Star with Valor:

Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, Air National Guard director, presented TSgt. Raymond Viel with the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device during a ceremony at Tinker AFB, Okla. Wyatt honored Viel, a member of the Oklahoma Air Guard's 146th Air Support Operations Squadron at Will Rogers ANG Base, for his heroic actions in Afghanistan's Laghman province during a deployment from July 2011 to March 2012. Viel supported soldiers of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and was involved in a firefight against hostile forces that resulted in the death of seven insurgents and the fatal wounding of a high-value individual, according to a Tinker release. Additional members of Viel's squadron received awards during the Aug. 18 ceremony for their actions in Afghanistan.

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Expanding Missile Defenses in Asia:

The United States is planning to expand its missile defenses in Asia to counter growing threats from North Korea—and seemingly China, reported the Wall Street Journal on Aug. 23. US officials are currently in discussions with the Japanese about placing an X-band missile tracking radar on an undisclosed southern Japanese island to supplement the X-band radar already positioned in northern Japan, according to the report. They are also considering stationing another radar in Southeast Asia, perhaps on the Philippines, states the report. "The focus of our rhetoric is North Korea," said Steven Hildreth, a missile defense expert with the Congressional Research Service. "The reality is that we're also looking longer term at the elephant in the room, which is China." The radars would help guide land-based or shipborne anti-missile interceptors in the event of an attack on the United States or its allies. This planning is said to reflect the Obama administration's new defense strategy, which places more emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.

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Neil Armstrong, First Man to Walk on the Moon, Dies:

Neil Armstrong, who on July 20, 1969, became the first human to set foot on the Moon, died on Aug. 25 in Cincinnati at age 82. He succumbed to complications following cardiovascular procedures, according to his Los Angeles Times obituary. "Neil was among the greatest of American heroes—not just of his time, but of all time," said President Obama in a statement. "When Neil stepped foot on the surface of the moon for the first time, he delivered a moment of human achievement that will never be forgotten." Born on Aug. 5, 1930, near Wapakoneta, Ohio, Armstrong was a naval aviator who completed nearly 80 combat missions during the Korean War. He later flew pioneering high-speed research aircraft, such as the X-15, prior to joining the astronaut program in 1962, states his NASA biography. Armstrong was the spacecraft commander for NASA's Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, which included fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Armstrong immortalized the following words as he stepped onto the Moon's surface from the Apollo 11 lunar module: "That is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

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Pentagon Honors Warner Robins' C-130 Maintainers:

The Air Force's C-130 Programmed Depot Maintenance Team at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex in Georgia has won the Defense Secretary's 2012 Robert T. Mason Depot Maintenance Excellence Award, announced Pentagon officials on Aug. 28. The team is recognized for its outstanding work in Fiscal 2011 that improved C-130 availability despite higher operational demands on the fleet. This included slashing flow days in depot from 102 to 69, achieving 100 percent on-time delivery by the end of the fiscal year, and lowering customer-reported deficiencies by 60 percent, states the Defense Department's release. Also announced were the recipients of the Defense Secretary's annual field-level maintenance awards. The Air Force winners are: the 23rd Maintenance Group at Moody AFB, Ga., in the large-unit category; the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, in the medium-unit category; and the 353rd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan, in the small-unit category. Pentagon officials will present these awards on Nov. 15 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

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Distinguished Flying Cross for B-17 Pilot:

The Air Force awarded 87-year-old Samuel Smith, a former Army Air Forces second lieutenant who flew the B-17 during World War II, a much-belated Distinguished Flying Cross. Maj. Gen. Tim Zadalis, Air Education and Training Command's director of intelligence, presented Smith with the cross during an Aug. 24 ceremony at JBSA-Randolph, Tex. Smith's B-17 was returning to RAF Molesworth, England, after a bombing mission over Hopston, Germany on March 1, 1945. Anti-aircraft fire had damaged the bomber's undercarriage and landing gear. Upon landing, Smith was able to make a hard right turn with the aircraft to clear the runway for approaching aircraft. That act is credited with saving his crew members and crews on other returning bombers, according to Randolph's Aug. 29 release. Smith thanked his ground crew for their work on his aircraft all those years ago. "I owe them a tremendous amount," he said. He flew 24 missions over Germany during the war while assigned to the 360th Bombardment Squadron.

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Spotlight: SrA. Matthew J. Butler:

One of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012, SrA. Matthew J. Butler is a weather forecaster with the 15th Operational Weather Squadron at Scott AFB, Ill. Deployed to Iraq for Operation New Dawn, Butler executed 400 forecasts to enable 5,500 flight hours and 40 combat convoys. He identified low-risk routes for 53 missions, enabling 30,000 tons of cargo to be airlifted to battlefield outposts. Executing 63 close air support briefings, he identified opportunities to ensure supplies were delivered to troops pinned down by enemy fire. When entrusted with a high-visibility resource protection role, he beat the forecasting accuracy standard by 22 percent. His timely forecasts of damaging hail, a blizzard, and mission-limiting winds to Air Force and Army units enabled cost-saving preventive measures for high-value aircraft and weapons and life-saving measures for helicopter medical evacuation flights. Butler's home of record is Colorado Springs, Colo.

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Human Error Caused CV-22 Mishap:

Air Force Special Operations Command investigators determined that crew error caused the crash of a CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft on June 13 during a routine training mission practicing two-ship formation flying on the Eglin Range, north of Navarre, Fla. By clear and convincing evidence, the accident investigation board found that "the cause of the mishap was the crew's failure to keep the aircraft clear of the lead aircraft's wake," according to the command's Aug. 30 release. "This resulted in an 'uncommanded' roll to the left, rapid loss of altitude, and impact with the terrain," states the release. The CV-22, assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., was destroyed upon impact. All five aircrew members sustained various degrees of injuries when the aircraft crashed. However, none of the injuries were life-threatening, according to AFSOC. The airmen were members of Hurlburt's 8th Special Operations Squadron. The loss of the aircraft is valued at approximately $78 million,

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Dragonlady Gets a Second Shot at Life:

A retired U-2 reconnaissance aircraft damaged in 2008 during scheduled maintenance arrived at Robins AFB, Ga., where technicians will repair it and return it to operational status, according to U-2 program officials. This U-2 is a 1980s model with a more rigid airframe than earlier Dragonlady variants, according to an Aug. 30 Robins release. It came to Robins on a truck, reaching the base on Aug. 24, states the release. The decision to repair the U-2 at Robins is the result of a new partnership between the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance division and the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex. It's possible that this U-2 overhaul will be the start of long-term organic support for the Dragonlady fleet at Warner Robins, since the Air Force now intends to keep U-2s operating to 2025, according to the release. Palmdale, Calif., is the home of U-2 periodic depot maintenance today.

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Spotlight:

SrA. Bryenna L. Brooks: An aerospace medical services technician with the 2nd Medical Operations Squadron at Barksdale AFB, La., SrA. Bryenna L. Brooks is one of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012. Deployed for 205 days for Operation Enduring Freedom, Brooks provided direct medical support to the 101st Sustainment Brigade Troop Medical Clinic at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, and 13 forward operating bases. She also served as the sole convoy medic on 25 missions, providing 24-hour care to more than 1,000 troops. She was wounded during an RPG attack but kept treating other personnel. She earned a Combat Medic Badge and received an Army Commendation Medal. She also taught combat lifesaver classes for more than 1,000 soldiers, dedicated more than 80 hours toward expansion of the Troop Medical Clinic, was a key asset in the mass casualty plan rewrite, and assisted at the blood bank at the Afghan National Army hospital. Brooks' home of record is Appleton, Wis.

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Spotlight: SSgt. Cory T. Branham:

One of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012, SSgt. Cory T. Branham is a customer support supervisor with the 366th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Air Combat Command designated Branham's reports program as a "best practice" after he coordinated with 25 units to manage 158 performance reports with on-time completion. He also took control of the expendable asset program, recovering 2,500 assets and returning more than $4 million to the Defense Department. During a 30-day absence of the noncommissioned officer in charge, Branham led the customer support section team and trained new staff members, providing a seamless transition for wing and group leadership. His organization of four Expeditionary Combat Support System courses and training of 55 wing points of contact laid the groundwork for Air Force-wide system implementation. He was cited as a superior performer during the first combined unit compliance inspection/logistics compliance assessment program. Branham's home of record is Plymouth, Ohio.

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NORAD Gets New Deputy Commander:

Royal Canadian Air Force Lt. Gen. Alain Parent became NORAD's deputy commander on Sept. 4 during a ceremony at Peterson AFB, Colo. "You are the right leader at the right time for this critical job for both our countries to sustain and advance the relevance and strength of NORAD," said Army Gen. Charles Jacoby, NORAD commander, who presided over the change-of-office ceremony. Jacoby added, "I will enjoy working closely with you in leading NORAD and coordinating NORAD's work with [US Northern Command] and the new Canadian Joint Operations Command." Parent, who previously served as commander of 1 Canadian Air Division that supports the Canadian NORAD Region, replaced RCAF Lt. Gen. Thomas Lawson, who held the post since July 2011. Parent said he was "honored and humbled" to assume his new role. "NORAD is an extremely strategic and important bi-national agreement for Canada and plays an integral part in the security of our nation," he said.

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Spotlight:

SSgt. Angelo C. Banks: A pass and registration clerk with the 81st Security Forces Squadron at Keesler AFB, Miss., SSgt. Angelo C. Banks is one of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012. During a deployment to the Transit Center at Manas in Kyrgyzstan, Banks led a quick-response fire team providing security for 90 sorties delivering vital cargo for Operation Enduring Freedom and trained Kyrgyz military members how to search vehicles for improvised explosive devices. Also supporting OEF, he led 19 flyaway security missions to 39 austere forward operating bases and spearheaded a vulnerability assessment footprint for air mobility protection. His home station efforts included streamlining base access registration for 25,000 technical school airmen; strengthening base defenses; and championing an Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiative that led to an Air Education and Training Command "best practice" for an electronic entry authorization list system. Banks' home of record is Salina, Kan.

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Spotlight: TSgt. Matthew G. Stark:

One of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012, TSgt. Matthew G. Stark is an explosive ordnance disposal quality assurance section chief with the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron at Eielson AFB, Alaska. Filling a senior noncommissioned officer position for 80 days during combat operations, Stark led the most decorated EOD flight in Iraq. He oversaw 27 operations with zero casualties during Operation New Dawn. He revamped the Ali Base weapons safety program, earning a command safety excellence award. He directed the Ali Base response to five rocket attacks. He led responses to several vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, coordinating joint service actions and neutralizing the threats. He also oversaw the response to destroy unexploded ordnance found on a Predator remotely piloted aircraft ramp, securing the Predator. Handpicked for a US President security team at the United Nations, he organized and conducted IED sweeps to ensure the security of 193 world leaders. Stark's home of record is Amherst, N.Y.

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First Graduates of New Resilience Training Course:

Nearly 80 students recently graduated from Air Mobility Command's first-ever master resilience instructor course. The 10-day course, taught at the Air Force Expeditionary Center at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., is part of AMC's efforts under its 2012 resilience strategy to build a command of "fit and resilient" airmen, families, and civilian personnel capable of coping effectively with adversity and challenges, according to a Sept. 5 McGuire release. The MRIC includes a week of resilience skills training followed by teach-back training. When graduates leave the center, they will not only take away their newly acquired skills, but also "have gotten a good way-ahead" for how they will teach them as master resilience instructors at their home stations, said TSgt. Chris Kissam, MRIC director. The next course that starts in mid September will be open not only to AMC personnel, but also have students from across the Air Force, as the goal is to spread the knowledge across the service. "The intent is to change the entire culture of the Air Force," said Maj. Robert Sugg, MRIC course director.

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Spotlight: TSgt. Brandon C. Bruner:

A vehicle operator/dispatcher with the 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., TSgt. Brandon C. Bruner is one of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012. While logging 13,000 miles in the Iraq joint operations area, Bruner led one convoy of 23 troops through a small-arms attack with no injuries. He received an Army Combat Infantry patch and a Bronze Star Medal. In all, he led 11 combat missions, trained 32 joint team members, certified six convoy positions, and qualified 312 airmen with the M-4 rifle, ensuring his 1,200-person battalion was combat ready. In Kuwait, he directed first-responder action following a three-car collision, assisting four casualties and receiving local leader praise. He also provided armed security for six recovery operations, ensuring minimal exposure of team members in insurgent hotbed areas. At home base, he filled a senior master sergeant position for four months, managing an "excellent" inspection rating with a short workforce. Bruner's home of record is Panama City, Fla.

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Spotlight: MSgt. Sandra L. Plentzas:

One of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012, MSgt. Sandra L. Plentzas is a chapel operations superintendent with Air Force Reserve Command's 944th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Ariz. Plentzas leveraged the Headquarters Chaplain Total Force Initiative to integrate Active Duty and Air Reserve Component chaplain training and scheduling, maximizing Luke's ministry efforts for more than 2,000 airmen. By employing a spiritual needs assessment, she identified an increase in financial/relationship issues and developed a comprehensive airman fitness ministry plan in response. Volunteering to deploy, she was the noncommissioned officer in charge of the largest chaplain team in the Southwest Asia area of responsibility, covering four sites in three countries and ministering to more than 18,000 troops. She also oversaw two ministry facility renovation projects, managed 54 religious programs per week, and was handpicked to fill a critical helping agency void in Saudi Arabia. Plentzas' home of record is Glendale, Ariz.

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Spotlight: MSgt. Alan M. Braden:

A career assistance advisor with the 88th Force Support Squadron at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, MSgt. Alan M. Braden is one of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012. Braden designed a Career Assistance Advisor Community of Practice program that provided training to 82 career assistance advisors and became the Air Force's benchmark. He led 83 courses, visited 82 organizations, met with 432 airmen, and developed new professional development programs. He also drafted the CAA and First Term Airmen Center inspection program, which has been adopted by the functional manager for use across Air Force Materiel Command. He served as acting first sergeant for eight months and squadron superintendent for 14 weeks. He created a deployed airman outreach program that attracted 101,000 website hits. He also supported Total Force efforts, addressing an Air National Guard leadership conference and planning an Air Force Reserve Command professional development seminar. Braden's home of record is Monroe, Mich.

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Spotlight: SMSgt. Luke W. Thompson:

One of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2012, SMSgt. Luke W. Thompson is a combat controller with the Oregon Air National Guard's 125th Special Tactics Squadron at Portland Airport. Thompson led an expeditionary special tactics squadron in Afghanistan, preparing 85 battlefield airmen to support two combined joint special operations task forces. He enabled 55 operators to conduct more than 1,200 combat missions, including capturing 241 high-value targets, and provided 50 combat controllers to conduct village stability operations behind enemy lines. His management also enabled joint terminal attack controllers to deliver 142 lethal air strikes to the enemy. He was the driving force in construction of a multimillion-dollar special tactics operations center to enhance combat capability in theater. He was also the architect for the ANG special tactics growth plan and engineered the first ANG special tactics mobilization, providing 27 battlefield airmen to US Central Command. Thompson's home of record is Battle Ground, Wash.