News from the Air Force

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Boneyard Surgery:

The Air Force is slowly reducing the number of out-of-service B-52G bombers that still count as nuclear delivery platforms under the rules of the New START agreement with Russia by cutting up these airframes. There were 30 B-52Gs in the Air Force's aircraft boneyard in the Arizona desert still considered as "deployed heavy bombers" under New START's counting rules, according to the State Department's fact sheet, issued on Nov. 30, but reflecting the size of the US strategic nuclear arsenal on Sept. 1. That total was down by six airframes compared to the data in the previous fact sheet from June 1 detailing the arsenal's composition on March 1. The Air Force is separating the tail from each B-52G fuselage in a way that eliminates them from the nuclear-capable inventory for the purposes of the treaty. The service still had more than 140 B-2A, B-52G (all retired), and B-52H nuclear-capable bombers, according to the most recent fact sheet. The Air Force intends to draw down to a total of no more than 60 deployable B-2As and B-52Hs as part of the United States' overall reductions to meet New START's ceilings on strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems by February 2018. Plans are in place to convert some B-52Hs to platforms capable of carrying only conventional munitions to meet that number.

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Back from Sandy Safehavens:

Most of the aircraft evacuated from several Air Force bases on the US East Coast, such as Dover AFB, Del., and JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., to avoid Superstorm Sandy have since returned home, representatives from those installations told the Daily Report. For example, as of Oct. 31, six KC-135 tankers from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 108th Wing had returned to McGuire, said a base spokesman on Nov. 1. They had flown to McConnell AFB, Kan., on Oct. 27 to avoid Sandy's wrath. Similarly safely back at McGuire are KC-10s of the 305th Air Mobility Wing, said the spokesman. Seven of them had sought shelter at Grand Forks AFB, N.D., while one each went to Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., and Homestead ARB, Fla. McGuire officials had also dispatched five of the 305th AMW's C-17s to MacDill AFB, Fla., while two moved to JB Charleston, S.C. Five of those C-17s returned home on Oct. 31, while the remaining two were conducting missions away from McGuire, said the spokesman.

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Fresno F-16s Shine at Combat Archer:

More than 100 members of the California Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, along with eight of the unit's F-16s, last month participated in a two-week Combat Archer air-to-air weapons system evaluation at Tyndall AFB Fla. The exercise tested the wing's operations with the F-16's air-to-air weapons. The airmen and machines performed well, said wing officials in a release. "We scored 100 percent in live fire tests as well as performing quality and timely maintenance," said Maj. Robert Gellner, 144th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. During the evaluation, pilots from the wing's 194th Fighter Squadron shot eight AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, six AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, and more than 6,000 rounds from a 20 mm multi-barrel cannon, according to the release. "The 144th FW clearly demonstrated our readiness and capability to provide combat power to the combatant commander on demand," said Col. Clay Garrison, 144th FW vice commander. The evaluation took place from Oct. 5 to Oct. 20

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Civil Air Patrol Steps Up to Support Post-Sandy Recovery:

The Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force auxiliary, is currently engaged in "the largest aerial photo mission" in its history in support of FEMA's post-Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts, according to CAP officials. One hundred aircrews from CAP's Northeast, Middle East, and Great Lakes regions are taking overhead photos of more than 300 miles of coastline from Cape Cod, Mass., to Cape May, N.J., to help FEMA with damage assessment, states a Nov. 3 CAP release. "We will give FEMA the broadest view of what's occurred as possible, which will position them to readily pinpoint the areas of greatest need," said Col. Dan Leclair, mission incident commander as well as the head of CAP's Maine Wing. The CAP crews are expected take more than 120,000 photos while capturing every square inch of this coastline swath during some 60 to 70 sorties and a total of 200 hours of flight time, states the release.

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Rescue Airmen Honored with Cheney Award:

Capt. Kenneth Green, a UH-1N helicopter pilot, and MSgt. Joseph Brownell, a field operation section chief, received the 2011 Cheney Award during a Pentagon ceremony. The two airmen saved the lives of a civilian and his son on Aug. 20, 2011, after they suffered acute mountain sickness while climbing a 9,000-foot peak in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer presented Green and Brownell with the award on Nov. 1, saying they epitomized the excellence and fortitude of airmen. During the rescue, Green executed a 200-foot hover with his UH-1 and hoisted Brownell down to extract the stranded hikers, according to an Air Force release. "We are truly a team," said Brownell at the ceremony, honoring his crew members, including the helicopter maintainers. "We can't do it without them," he added. The Cheney Award recognizes airmen for an act of valor, extreme fortitude, or self sacrifice during a humanitarian engagement. The award is named after 1st Lt. William Cheney who died in an air collision over Italy in 1918

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Not to Scale:

Reductions in space and cyber don't "scale well" with reductions in other types of force structure, said Air Force Space Command boss Gen. William Shelton on Nov. 7. While it's possible to shave down airplane squadrons or personnel, with space and cyber, it's a binary proposition: "You either have coverage, or you don't," asserted Shelton during his AFA-Air Force Breakfast Program talk in Arlington, Va. These are "critical domains," and "foundational" to everything else the service does, he said. Anything less than a full and modern capability is an invitation to failure, said Shelton. "We can't do cyber with industrial-age" technology, he added, noting that some key systems, like those that track space debris, are still being handled by mainframes with punchcards. "At times like these, there are always people out with the budget knives," Shelton told reporters after his address. "The force structure is always under pressure," he said. His point, he explained, was to make it clear there can be no half measures with space and cyber. "You either provide the global coverage that's needed or you don't. You can't just say, 'I'm going to fly [fewer] GPS satellites.' You need the constellation," said Shelton.

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Taking Safety to the Next Level:

The Air Force is transforming its safety efforts with the aim of instilling a culture of risk-management in airmen during duty hours—and equally important—at off-duty times, said Maj. Gen. Margaret Woodward, Air Force safety chief. "Safety is about preserving combat capabilities," said Woodward in a Nov. 7 release. "If we don't think in those terms every day—on and off duty—we're not doing our job." She noted that most mishaps among Active Duty airmen occur off-duty. "Sometimes airmen take unnecessary risks and make mistakes," said Woodward. "We can't protect airmen against bad choices, but we'll continue to use new methods to train, educate, and influence them so they have the knowledge and ability to make good decisions based on risk management." Air Force officials have long practiced safety by managing known risks and hazards, said Woodward. As part of the transformation, they are now also "studying leading indicators of mishaps, while continuing to investigate trailing indicators identified by safety investigations, and applying trending data," she noted.

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Pentagon Leadership Under Second Obama Term:

With the presidential election over, attention amongst inside-the-beltway defense wonks already has turned toward the Pentagon. Specifically, they are speculating on who will replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during President Obama's second term. Both Obama and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates had to push hard to convince Panetta, the former CIA director, to put off his retirement and remain in Washington, D.C., so it's highly unlikely he will stick around for a second term, reported Foreign Policy's E-Ring blog. Former Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy appears to top the short list as does Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter, according to the blog's Nov. 7 posting. "Sources close to the Administration tell the E-Ring some discussions are ongoing about Panetta's successor, but that it's still a little early in the game," states the posting. In addition to the top civilian spot, there are several deputy assistant secretary of defense positions, including for Asian and Pacific security affairs and for special operations/low intensity conflict, that remain in flux.

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Air Force Aviation Detachment Opens in Poland:

US and Polish officials last week established a permanent US air detachment at Lask Air Base, about 100 miles southwest of Warsaw, during a ceremony. The small-sized unit, dubbed the Av-Det, represents the first full-time presence of US military personnel on Polish soil, according to a US embassy release on Nov. 9, the same day as the unit's stand-up. The detachment's purpose is to strengthen the US–Polish security partnership through regular bilateral—and eventually multilateral—training exercises and rotational deployments of US military aircraft to Lask beginning in 2013. Poland has expansive training ranges and airspace less restricted than the skies of NATO allies in western Europe, say US officials. The Av-Det, which reports to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, will have 10 dedicated personnel who will be joined by up to 200 visiting airmen and contractors on quarterly rotations with F-16s, C-130s, and other airplanes, states the release. The United States and Poland concluded an agreement on the detachment in June 2011.

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Original Tuskegee Airman Carter Dies:

Retired Lt. Col. Herbert "Gene" Carter, a pilot with the original World War II-era 99th Pursuit Squadron Tuskegee Airmen, died Nov. 8 at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Ala. He was 93. Carter flew 77 combat missions and 200 tactical air-to-ground support missions, flying P-40 and P-47 aircraft. He was born Sept. 27, 1919, in Amory, Mississippi, and was studying veterinary science at Tuskegee Institute when WWII broke out. He applied for the new Army Air Corps pilot training program and graduated with the fourth class. He remained in the Air Force after the war, serving in various aircraft maintenance and flight test officer positions, as a teacher with the ROTC detachment at Tuskegee Institute, and as deputy director of the Military Advisory Group for the German Air Force. After retiring from USAF in 1969, he served for 16 years at the Tuskegee Institute as associate dean for Student Services and for Admissions and Recruiting.

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US, Australia Boost Space-Surveillance Cooperation:

The United States and Australia will establish a radar station and an optical telescope site on Australian soil to bolster the two countries' ability to detect, track, and identify space objects, such as satellites and debris, announced the Pentagon on Nov. 14. Australia will operate an Air Force C-band ground-based radar system that the two allies will set up at the Harold E. Holt Naval Communications Station at North West Cape in Western Australia, according to the Defense Department's release. The United States will deliver the radar in 2014. It will be the first space-surveillance sensor in the southern hemisphere that is designed to watch for objects in low Earth orbit and will "significantly contribute to tracking high-interest space launches from Asia," said DOD. The two nations will also beddown DARPA's Space Surveillance Telescope at a yet-to-be-determined location. SST is configured to monitor areas of deep space associated with satellites in geosynchronous orbits. DARPA completed testing SST at its current site in New Mexico in August, states the release. This announcement came on the heels of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's official visit to Australia for meetings with his Australian counterpart, Stephen Smith.

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Pilot Error Caused F-22 Accident at Tyndall:

An F-22 was forced to make a belly landing during a training sortie on May 31 at Tyndall AFB, Fla., due to the student pilot's failure to advance the aircraft's engines to military power before he initiated landing gear retraction, Air Education and Training Command officials announced Thursday. The incident occurred during a touch-and-go landing at the northwest Florida base, which is home to the Air Force's F-22 schoolhouse. "Without sufficient thrust, the aircraft settled back to the runway, landing on its underside," skidding along the runway to a stop, states the AETC release, dated Nov. 14, that cites the findings of the command's accident investigation board. The pilot, assigned to Tyndall's 43rd Fighter Squadron, "was able to safely exit the aircraft, suffering only minor injuries," states the release. However, the Raptor suffered damage that will take an estimated $35 million to repair. A Tyndall spokesman previously told the Daily Report that the student pilot was on only his second solo F-22 flight when the mishap occurred.

MAFFS Crash Ruled Pilot Error

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Cody Selected as Next Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force:

Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh has named CMSgt. James A. Cody to serve as the 17th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, announced service officials. Cody, currently assigned as command chief of Air Education and Training Command, will assume the new position on Feb. 1, following the Jan. 31 retirement of current CMSAF James Roy, who's served in this role since June 2009. "We are excited to welcome Chief Cody and [his wife] Athena to the team as they take the baton from the Roys," said Welsh. "The next few years will be filled with many opportunities and challenges and our Air Force will greatly benefit from the leadership, experience, and wisdom they bring." Cody joined the Air Force in 1984. Roy's retirement will culminate more than 30 years of service to the Air Force. "Chief Roy and his wife, Paula, have been a blessing for our Air Force. They have worked tirelessly for the past three-plus years as phenomenal advocates for our airmen and families," said Welsh. The CMSAF serves as a personal advisor to the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, proper utilization, and progress of enlisted airmen and their families.

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Iranian Jet Fires on Predator:

An Iranian Su-25 fighter last week shot at an unarmed MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft flying over the international waters of the Arabian Gulf, but did not succeed in hitting the US platform, confirmed Pentagon Press Secretary George Little on Nov. 8. "The incident occurred over international waters approximately 16 nautical miles off of the Iranian coastline" on Nov. 1, said Little. The MQ-1 was "conducting routine surveillance," he said. It "was not hit and returned to its base safely," he noted. The Iranian aircraft fired its guns at the Predator, pursuing it "for some period of time," said Little. "We believe they fired at least twice and made at least two passes," he said. Little emphasized that the Predator "was never in Iranian airspace." Pentagon officials believe that this was the first time that someone fired upon an RPA in the gulf's international airspace, he noted. The United States communicated to the Iranians through Swiss intermediaries that it "will continue to conduct surveillance flights over international waters," said Little. This incident follows the Iranian's recovery of an RQ-170 Sentinel RPA last year inside Iran.

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First Combat-Ready HC-130J Enters the Inventory:

The 79th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., welcomed the Air Force's first combat-coded HC-130J Combat King II personnel recovery aircraft into the service's inventory during a ceremony at the base. "This aircraft means enhanced survivability for our HH-60s and our Guardian Angels," said Col. Jason Hanover, 563rd Rescue Group commander, at the Nov. 15 induction ceremony. "It is a C-130 variant, but the differences make it an entirely different aircraft," he added. Tail number 5707 is the third of four Lockheed Martin-built HC-130Js supplied to the Air Force thus far, according to the company. The three other Combat King IIs are intended for training at Davis-Monthan and Kirtland AFB, N.M. Overall, the Air Force plans to procure 37 HC-130Js to replace its legacy HC-130N/Ps. Fifteen of the C-130Js are already on order. The first HC-130J off of Lockheed Martin's production line in Marietta, Ga., arrived at Davis-Monthan in September 2011

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First QF-16 Arrives for Developmental Testing:

The Air Force's first next-generation QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target touched down last week at Tyndall AFB, Fla., for developmental testing, stated base officials. "In the imminent future, the QF-16 will take air-to-air testing and evaluation to the next level," said Lt. Col. Lance Wilkins, Tyndall's 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron commander, in a Nov. 20 base release. The QF-16 arrived at Tyndall on Nov. 19 with a pilot in the cockpit; QF-16s will normally fly via a remote pilot. The QF-16 prototype will undergo six months of trials at Tyndall with the 56th Weapons Evaluation Group to ensure the airplane's compatibility with the Gulf Range Drone Control System, states the release. Activities will then move to Holloman AFB, N.M., for four months of additional testing. The QF-16 will then return to Tyndall for the work-up to the full-scale target's initial operations there. Boeing is under contract to covert up to 126 early model F-16s to the QF-16 configuration. These airplanes are slated to supersede the Air Force's current QF-4 Phantom drone fleet. The QF-16 flew for the first time back in May. Boeing is scheduled to deliver the first production QF-16 in 2014

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Flight Test Museum Launches Adopt-a-Plane Program:

The Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB, Calif., recently initiated an "Adopt-a-Plane" program that allows volunteers to help preserve the museum's aircraft so that they are looking their finest for the thousands of annual visitors to the place. "The Adopt-a-Plane program will benefit us greatly" since the museum has more than 80 aircraft, but only two full-time employees for their upkeep, said George Welsh, the museum's director, in Edwards' Nov 28 release. Members of the Air Force Test Pilot School's Class 12B became the first to participate by adopting the museum's SR-71 Blackbird and starting to clean it on Nov. 17, states the release. "Not only does this give us a chance to help out, but it also gives us a chance to get up close to the jet—to touch and feel it and see what it's like," said Maj. Martin Van De Pol of Class 12B. These airmen will also be responsible for light maintenance such as reapplying insignias, fixing flat tires, and keeping birds out of the SR-71. Adopt-a-Plane volunteers may participate as much or as little as they would like.

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Mountain Home Logistics Unit Gets New Home:

Members of the 366th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, now have a new 80,000-square-foot work building thanks to a $20 million construction project. "It is a plus for everyone in the squadron," said Maj. Todd Jensen, the unit's commander, of the new Logistics Readiness Center. The facility "provides a home base for operations across the base and allows immediate access to logistics leaders and practitioners," he added. Mountain Home officials held the center's opening ceremony on Nov. 15. Prior to the new building, the squadron's airmen were working out of five different warehouses across the base. "Now, we can consolidate our assets," said Kevin Curl, 366th LRS material management flight chief. The new facility has also boosted squadron members' enthusiasm, said Jensen. "It tells them that the Air Force really does care about you and wants to make sure you have the best that the Air Force has to offer," he said.

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Ground Broken for Vietnam Memorial Wall's Education Center:

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, were among the dignitaries who ceremoniously broke ground at the site of the future Education Center near the Vietnam Memorial Wall on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. "On this historic site, where we are today, an Education Center will honor the legacy of Vietnam veterans," said Panetta in his address at the Nov. 28 ceremony. According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's website for the future landmark, the Education Center at the Mall will be a 35,000-square-foot facility that uses state-of-the-art digital technology to "connect future generations to the lasting impact, the profound insights, and the individual heroes of the Vietnam War," including the 58,000 Americans who died in the conflict whose names are etched on the nearby Memorial Wall. The center will also honor the sacrifices of the Americans who served in conflicts "from Bunker Hill to Baghdad," states the website. The VVMF, in a Nov. 19 release, said it had already raised $47 million of the $85 million necessary for the center's construction

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Medical Squadron Activated to Croughton:

The Air Force last week activated the 422nd Medical Squadron as part of the 422nd Air Base Group at RAF Croughton, Britain. "This designation gives us the ability to improve on our great accomplishments as we officially organize our personnel and resources to provide greater care to our air base group family and mission partners," said Col. Charles Hamilton, 422nd ABG commander, in Croughton's Nov. 29 release. The activation ceremony took place on Nov. 28. The newly activated squadron takes its lineage from the Air Force Clinic Fairford, which service officials inactivated in September 1988, according to the release.