News from the Air Force

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Fighter Moves Back on Base:

Aircraft recovery personnel from Moody AFB, Ga., removed an F-86L Sabre from a pedestal in downtown Valdosta for display in the base air park. Working through the night from April 24 to April 25, airmen unbolted the aircraft, lifted it from its plinth, and placed the fighter on a flatbed trailer for the 13-mile haul to Moody, said officials with the base's 23rd Wing. "The main challenge was weaving in and out of the road signs that couldn't be removed in the median and on the right side of the road," said 23rd Logistics Readiness Squadron driver TSgt. John Turner. Rededicated in honor of local airman Maj. Lyn McIntosh—killed in the failed 1980 hostage rescue in Iran—the F-86 graced downtown Valdosta since 1961. Now at Moody, airmen will restore the aircraft. Once complete, the F-86 will again honor McIntosh. (Moody report by MSgt. Sonny Cohrs)

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Wanted: Hardy, Micro Recon:

The Air Force is soliciting industry input on new lightweight remotely piloted aircraft that its special operators could use for field reconnaissance. The off-the shelf RPA "must operate in day/night and adverse weather as well as denied battlespace," states the service's request for information issued last month. The hand-launched RPA must carry a broad, compact array of camera and sensors capable of "detection, classification, identification, precise geo-location, and characterization of objects of interest," states the document. The Air Force will only consider "mature" systems that have already been developed and tested. The service hopes to identify vehicles that could fill a "capability gap" in existing intelligence-gathering systems. The deadline for industry feedback is May 18, according to the April 23 solicitation

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Distinguished Flying Crosses for Pave Hawk Pilots:

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz will award two Distinguished Flying Crosses each to Col. Christopher Barnett and Maj. John Creel, both HH-60G Pave Hawk pilots, for their heroism and bravery in two battles in Afghanistan in 2009, announced Air Force officials. The ceremony will take place at the Pentagon on May 18, they said Tuesday. On April 4, 2009, Barnett was mission commander and Creel was mission pilot in the same Pave Hawk, Shocker 35. They "flew through multiple firefights and a blinding sandstorm" to support a special forces convoy under attack near Kajaki. Their actions helped save the lives of one Afghan soldier and 40 special forces soldiers, state their citations. Both Barnett and Creel will receive a DFC with Valor for this mission. On May 19-20, 2009, Barnett was mission commander and Creel was mission pilot in Pedro 35. They flew into a Taliban stronghold in Marjeh with another Pave Hawk, Pedro 36, several times, dodging heavy enemy fire to rescue three casualties, provide attack support, and supply coalition ground troops. For this mission, Barnett will receive a DFC and Creel will receive a DFC with Valor. With these awards, Creel will have three DFCs overall.

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AEHF-2 Launch Delayed:

The Air Force and its industry partners scrubbed Thursday's attempt to launch the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., and intend to try again on Friday, May 4. "Lack of helium flow" from the ground support equipment to a compartment on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket caused the delay, according to a ULA release. Friday's launch window opens at 2:42 p.m. East Coast time and extends until 4:42 p.m., according to ULA.

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Those Crazy Ruskies:

Russia's top military official warned on May 3 that Russia would consider a preemptive strike on US and NATO ballistic missile defenses in Eastern Europe if the United States and its NATO allies did not take Russian concerns over their presence into consideration, according to press reports. "A decision to use destructive force preemptively will be taken if the situation worsens," stated Russian Chief of General Staff Nikolai Makarov at an international missile defense conference in Moscow attended by senior US and NATO officials, reported the Los Angeles Times. Makarov said Russia might decide to station short-range missiles in its Kaliningrad exclave near Poland as "one possible way of incapacitating the European missile defense infrastructure," reported Radio Free Europe. US and NATO officials maintain that the European BMD system would defend against Iranian missiles aimed at Europe, and could not take out Russian ICBMs. "We've made clear for many years now that there's no intent, desire, or capability to undermine the Russian strategic deterrent," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner during a briefing in Washington, D.C., after Makarov made his comments. "There's no reason for Russia to take military countermeasures to missile defenses that will not affect the strategic balance between the United States and Russia," added Toner.

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Closing in on Root Cause:

The Air Force may be close to identifying the reason why some F-22 pilots have experienced symptoms like disorientation, dizziness, and nauseous feelings in flight, said Lt. Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, military deputy for acquisition in the Air Force Secretariat, May 8. "We have some recent data" and based on it, "we are starting to believe that we are coming to closure on that root cause," she told the Senate Armed Services Committee's airland panel. She added, "We are determined to get to root cause. We have all of the best minds on this that we can find." She said the Air Force already knows that the root cause has something to do with either some contaminant in the pilots' oxygen supply or the pilots not getting enough oxygen. Wolfenbarger also reiterated the Air Force's position that the F-22 is currently "safe to fly" based on the steps that service officials have taken to protect Raptor pilots via new cockpit equipment and training them on how to deal with the onset of the hypoxia-like symptoms. "Our pilots' safety is of the utmost concern and a top priority," she said.

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KC-46A Preliminary Design Review Completed:

Air Force and Boeing officials completed the preliminary design review for the KC-46A tanker, announced the company. The review demonstrated that the KC-46A's preliminary design "meets system requirements and establishes the basis for proceeding with detailed design," states the company's May 8 release. "Working closely with our Air Force teammates, we've made tremendous progress in the past 14 months and have the foundation in place to enter the detailed design phase," said Maureen Dougherty, Boeing KC-46 program manager. The company said it remains on plan to deliver 18 combat-ready KC-46As by 2017. "I'm happy with Boeing's performance. They're maintaining a very tight focus on meeting commitments and staying on or ahead of schedule," said Maj. Gen. Chris Bogdan, KC-46 program executive officer. The PDR took place from March 21 to April 27. The next major tanker milestone is the critical design review slated for summer 2013, said Boeing. It will determine if the aircraft's design is mature and ready to proceed to manufacturing. The KC-46A will replace the Air Force's oldest KC-135 tankers.

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Air Force Feels Bump in Fuel Costs:

Due to the overall rising cost of fuel, the Air Force is saddled with some $1.3 billion in extra fuel costs this fiscal year that it hadn't anticipated, said Gen. Philip Breedlove, USAF's vice chief of staff. "That will be money that we'll have to go in and find in other sources . . . inside of our budget," Breedlove told the Senate Armed Services Committee's readiness panel on May 10. Looking towards Fiscal 2013, the Air Force also will face extra fuel costs if the over-land supply routes in Pakistan remain off limits to the United States and the US military has to bring out more equipment from Afghanistan by air as it withdraws combat forces, he said. "Much of the job of bringing home all of the equipment that the Marines and the Army need will fall to the backs of the Air Force to haul out" in that scenario, said Breedlove. "That will again be an unplanned [overseas contingency operations] bump in fuel requirements to the Air Force," he said

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Missile Warning Encore:

The Air Force approved full-up production of the NexGen infrared missile warning system to protect its combat-delivery airlifters and special-mission C-130s, announced manufacturer Northrop Grumman on May 14. The new missile-detection system is an add-on to the company's Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system that is already resident on Air Force platforms like C-5s, C-17s, and C-130s. NexGen will "significantly increase" an aircraft's ability "to counter the man-portable air defense threat," said Col. Shawn Shanley, LAIRCM acquisition leader. "This latest milestone decision will ensure the Air Force has the most advanced missile-warning system with longer detection range and reduced false alarms," added Carl Smith, Northrop Grumman IR countermeasures vice president. The Air Force selected the company to supply the NexGen MWS in January 2009.

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Terre Haute to Afghan Heights:

Joint terminal attack controllers with the Indiana Air National Guard's 113th Air Support Operations Squadron deployed for the first time as a unit to Afghanistan, announced Indiana Air Guard officials May 14. Teamed with the Army National Guard's 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the JTACs are part of an all-Guard presence mentoring Afghan forces in Kunduz Province in northern Afghanistan, said the officials. Based at Hulman Field near Terre Haute, each of the unit's deployed JTACs and air liaison officers volunteered for the assignment, coordinating air support for the security force assistance team comprised of Ohio and Michigan Army Guardsmen. The 113th ASOS' parent 181st Intelligence Wing stood up in 2006, training and equipping battlefield airmen over the last few years to bring the air support squadron up to deployment readiness.

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A First for the Operational B-1 Fleet:

B-1B bombers from Ellsworth AFB, S.D., became the first operational Lancers to employ the 500-pound GBU-54 laser-guided joint direct attack munition during the just-completed Combat Hammer air-to-ground weapons system evaluation at the Utah Test and Training Range near Hill AFB, Utah, announced Ellsworth officials May 16. Aircrews from Ellsworth's 34th Bomb Squadron and 37th BS dropped six GBU-54s against moving targets during the May 14-16 exercise, they said. "It was gratifying to be part of the first operational release" from the B-1, said Capt. Charles Armstrong, a 37th BS weapon systems operator and a mission leader for Combat Hammer. He added, "We're learning a lot from these missions, and it's vital to uncover the peculiarities of this weapon now in a training environment so we can employ it with no issues in combat."

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Back on Star Status:

Corrosion control specialists in early May stripped, repaired, and repainted a T-33 Shooting Star trainer on display at Laughlin AFB, Tex., honoring the base's flight training heritage. "The aircraft on display represent the history and pride of what we have done here and accomplished through the years," explained supervisor Helen McCracken of Laughlin's 47th Maintenance Directorate in a May 16 base release. One month a year, the 47th MX reviews Laughlin's 11 historic aircraft on display around the base, cleaning and repairing the airframes as needed. This year, the Shooting Star's sun-baked and bird-spattered fuselage required a full primer and top coat, and a full set of new markings. "It's a lot of work, and a big endeavor, but everyone who helps is proud to have played a part in making her shine again," said 47th MX aircraft painter Juan Gonzalez.

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Reserve Mobilizations Now Possible for Homeland Disaster Response:

If the President declares an emergency or natural disaster, and a state governor requests the assistance, Air Force Reservists, along with reservists from the other services, may now be called to duty to help out for up to 120 days, stated Air Force Reserve officials in a release. National Guardsmen, who normally operate under state Title 32 authority, have normally served in this role, as opposed to the reservists who operate under federal Title 10 authority. However, the Fiscal 2012 defense authorization act permits these reserve mobilizations, according to the May 20 release. "Mobilizing needed reservists will help sustain their support for longer periods and make operations more efficient," said Air Force Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner. "We mobilize reservists to handle contingencies overseas, so it makes sense that we do that to take care of our own country." The law also permits reserve mobilizations for extended periods to support theater security missions around the world, states the release.

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Ejection Seat Found from B-52 Crash in 1963:

A Maine forest ranger has found an ejection seat from the 1963 crash of a B-52C bomber in western Maine and intends to bring the seat to the permanent memorial site being created to honor the aircrew who died in the mishap, reported the Bangor Daily News May 22. "I had a pretty good idea of what it was, and it was kind of eerie finding something like this in the middle of the wilderness, knowing what happened almost 50 years ago," said Ranger Bruce Reed, who discovered the seat on a logging road on Elephant Mountain last fall, according to the newspaper. Reed returned to it on May 19 to log its coordinates for its planned recovery on May 24. On Jan. 24, 1963, the B-52 reportedly left then-Westover AFB, Mass., on a low-level training mission when a malfunction caused the unarmed bomber to crash, killing seven airmen. Two airmen survived, according to the account.

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Stepping into a Different World:

With the conclusion of the Iraq war and the coming end of US combat activities in Afghanistan, the burden of maintaining US security will fall less heavily on the shoulders of men and women in uniform, said President Obama in his May 23 commencement speech at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. "Today, you step forward into a different world," Obama told the academy's 2012 graduating class. "Going forward, you'll face fewer deployments. You'll have more time to train and stay ready. That means you'll be better prepared for the full range of missions you face." Obama said the United States should utilize "many sources of American power," including "diplomatic, economic, and the power of our ideals" to promote peace and stability. Although the US military "will be leaner," it will remain "fast and flexible and versatile" and "will maintain" superiority in "all areas—air, land, sea, space, and cyber," he said. He told the graduating cadets: "With your proud service, I'm absolutely confident that the United States of America will meet the tests of our time."

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First Air Guard F-35 Pilots Prepare to Fly:

Lt. Col. Randal Efferson and Maj. Jay Spohn, two Florida Air National Guardsmen, are the first two Air Guard pilots assigned to the 33rd Operations Group at Eglin AFB, Fla., who will fly the F-35 strike fighter, according to base officials. They are training to be F-35 instructor pilots, states a May 23 base release. "We've been working for the past two years to get to this point," said Efferson. Spohn will be the fifth member of the group to fly the F-35 and the second to train at Eglin, according to the release. Some three months later, Efferson will become the 10th military cadre pilot to fly, it states. Before becoming fully qualified as instructor pilots, Spohn and Efferson will each have to complete five instructional sorties and one evaluation flight, states the release. The 33rd OG began flying Air Force F-35As from Eglin, home of the initial joint F-35 schoolhouse, in March.

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Boeing Tasked for Next Phase of AWACS Upgrade:

The Air Force awarded Boeing a $368 million contract for the engineering, manufacturing, and development phase of modernizing the flight decks and avionics of US and NATO E-3 AWACS aircraft, announced the company May 23. "This move from analog systems to a digital flight deck will enable the US and NATO AWACS fleets to meet current and identified future air traffic management requirements for flying in worldwide airspace," said Jon Hunsberger, Boeing's AWACS program manager. During EMD, Boeing will upgrade one US and one NATO AWACS and then conduct flight tests with them. The updated flight deck will feature five main glass displays. Boeing said it will begin installations on the NATO aircraft in 2013 and on the US aircraft in 2014. Both aircraft are slated to be complete by the end of 2015. EMD is the second phase of this AWACS upgrade initiative; the initial phase included subsystem requirements reviews completed in March, according to Boeing. [ AWACS--airborne warning and control systems]

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End of an Era:

The official retirement of Lt. Gen. Craig Koziol on June 1 marks the end of an era for the Air Force, as the service will bid adieu to the last uniformed airman who was once a part of the US Air Force Security Service, the original iteration of today's Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency, according to agency officials. "I'm very proud to have been a member of USAFSS," said Koziol, who is stepping down after 36 years in uniform as an intelligence officer. Since February 2009, he's been deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence for joint and coalition warfighter support. The Air Force established USAFSS in October 1948, according to the AFISRA's May 23 release. Then-2nd Lt. Koziol joined its ranks as a signals intelligence officer in March 1977, states the release. Among his many assignments, Koziol led AFISRA, headquartered at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., from May 2007 to February 2009. He said he will miss "the professional camaraderie and focus on wanting to do whatever is necessary to support our country."

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B-52s Take Part in Max Thunder:

Two B-52s from Andersen AFB, Guam, flew to Gwangju AB, South Korea, earlier this month to participate in Max Thunder 12-1, a combined biannual combat training exercise involving US and South Korean air assets. This marked the first time that the heavy bombers took part in Max Thunder, traditionally an air-to-air fighter exercise, according to a May 25 release from the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan AB, South Korea. "Bringing the B-52 to Max Thunder is really great training for everyone," said Capt. Seth Spidahl, B-52 pilot and exercise liaison. He added, "A lot of the time we don't get to integrate with other fighter aircraft." During the two-week exercise, the B-52s were tasked to bring about 40 percent of the weaponry to the fight and hit about 85 percent of the planned targets, according to the release. "This exercise has been a series of firsts and this has been an excellent addition to show our capabilities," said Col. Patrick Matthews, Max Thunder deployed commander.

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Coming Home:

After more than one year on orbit, the Air Force is preparing to bring back to Earth OTV-2, its second X-37B orbital test vehicle, announced service officials May 30. Members of the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., are prepping for the return of the experimental reusable spaceplane sometime in early to mid June, depending on weather and technical considerations, according to a Vandenberg release. "The men and women of Team Vandenberg are ready to execute safe landing operations anytime and at a moment's notice," said Col. Nina Armagno, 30th SW commander. The Air Force launched OTV-2 into space in March 2011 from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla. Service officials have not disclosed what the X-37 has been doing on orbit or what payload it carried into space in its internal bay, but they've said they've been pleased with the vehicle's experiments. OTV-1, the first X-37 vehicle, returned to Earth in December 2010 after nearly eight months on orbit.