News from the Air Force

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Shaw Says Goodbye to Its Oldest Squadron:

Officials at Shaw AFB, S.C., have begun moving the base's oldest squadron to Pope Field, N.C. The 682nd Air Support Operations Squadron originally activated in December 1971 as the 682nd Direct Air Support Center Squadron. It's tasked with providing theater air support and processing requests for close air support and tactical air reconnaissance. It also is one of five Air Force squadrons that act as an air support operations center, according to a Shaw release. Once the move is complete in June 2012, the squadron will be co-located with the 18th Airborne Corps, the Army unit it is attached to. However, it will maintain a presence at Shaw throughout the transition process. Maj. Bill Lee, squadron commander, said the move has been in the works since the 1990s. "The vision has finally become a reality, but we could not have done it without the 20th [Fighter Wing's] help." The official relocation ceremony was held July 22.

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Two Moody Airmen Receive DFCs with Valor:

Two airmen from Moody AFB, Ga., were recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for their heroic actions in Afghanistan last year. Capt. Aaron Palan is an A-10C pilot with the 75th Fighter Squadron; and Capt. Thaddeus Ronnau, is an HH-60G pilot with the 41st Rescue Squadron, according to a Moody release issued Aug. 12. On Oct. 1, 2010, Palan and his A-10 wingman were sent to support a Special Forces team that had been ambushed by Taliban forces. Palan deployed four precision-guided munitions, 1,150 rounds of 30mm munitions, and three white phosphorus rockets helping to ward off the enemy's attack and contributing to the death of 20 to 30 insurgents. His "superior leadership, exemplary airmanship, and skilled weapons employment saved a Special Forces team from certain defeat," stated his DFC citation. It was only his fourth sortie since his initial A-10 mission qualification. On June 27, 2010, Ronnau conducted eight non-stop casualty evacuation missions over several hours, saving the lives of 13 US and coalition troops. Two of the evacuations required difficult maneuvers that are not part of routine operations.

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Names of Airmen killed in helicopter crash revealed...........3 Airmen among the dead

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A Gluttonous Appetite for ISR:

The appetite for Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance products over the last 10 years has mushroomed an astonishing 3,500 percent, due mostly to operations in Southwest Asia—where a change in mindset has seen the Air Force transition from largely taking "snapshots" to one where it builds "patterns of life" by gathering and assimilating massive amounts of imagery, data, and video, said Brig. Gen. (select) Mark Westergren, director of plans, strategy, doctrine, and force development for the Air Staff's ISR shop. Speaking at a Washington D.C. defense industry conference Thursday, Westergren said a key to this enterprise is the Air Force's fleet of remotely piloted vehicles. The Air Staff is scrutinizing some key requirements for the modernization of its MQ-1 Predators, MQ-9 Reapers, and RQ-4 Global Hawks in the years ahead—as well as the next generation of RPAs. Specifically, USAF wants to boost its long-endurance RPA performance but without sinking inordinate amounts of money.

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North to Receive Order of the Sword:

CMSAF James Roy is scheduled to travel to Honolulu Aug. 26 to award the Order of the Sword to Gen. Gary North, commander of Pacific Air Forces. The Order of the Sword is presented by the Air Force's noncommissioned officers to officers "who have made significant contributions to the enlisted corps." The last PACAF commander to receive this honor was Gen. William Begert in 2004. Gen. Paul Hester, who commanded PACAF from 2004 to 2006, also received the award in 2004, but for his previous work as commander of Air Force Special Operations Command. The Order of the Sword is said to have been patterned after British and Swedish military orders in the Middle Ages. It was instituted by Air Force NCOs in 1967.

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Warren Tests Missile Facilities:

Missileers of the 90th Missile Wing at F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo., last week electronically simulated the launch of a Minuteman III ICBM, assuring launch facility readiness. Unlike Minuteman launches from the test facility at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., Simulated Electronic Launch-Minuteman (SELM) tests an operational launch facility's response to launch control commands. "SELMs provide the most complete test of ICBMs from day-to-day operation to issuance of first stage ignition signal," said Lt. Col. Anita Feugate Opperman, 320th Missile Squadron commander. Giant Pace 11-1M evaluated launch sequences initiated by both by a ground-based control center as well as an E-4B airborne command post, Aug. 16 to 18. Air Force Global Strike Command conducts SELMs twice a year. Warren also test-opened LF Hotel-08's silo-door, blasting back the several-ton cover, an event conducted only once every two years. (Warren report by SSgt. Mike Tryon)

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Temporary Nest for History-making Flight:

A C-5 from Travis AFB, Calif., made history last week by carrying a damaged Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, to NAS North Island in San Diego. This mission marked the first time that a US cargo aircraft brought a damaged fighter back to the United States, in this case for repair, according to US defense officials. "Being that this is the first time we've ever done anything like this," there was extensive coordination and planning, said Charles Miller, F/A-18 deputy program manager. The fighter's right fuselage was severely damaged in a brake fire upon a diverted landing at Kandahar in March. Miller said the fighter was "unflyable," so it required the lift. "Carrying cargo is what this aircraft was designed to do, and we're glad to be a part this," said Maj. Steven Hertenstein, the C-5 pilot. (Kandahar report by SrA. David Carbajal)

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Korea Air Force Receives Three More F-15Ks:

Boeing delivered three more F-15Ks to Daegu AB, Aug. 20, bringing the Korean Next Fighter II Slam Eagle fleet up to 13 aircraft. The remaining eight aircraft are slated for delivery by the end of April, according to a release. "Boeing has a demonstrated record of on-time, on-cost deliveries to the [Republic of Korea Air Force]. We're proud of that record, and equally proud of Boeing's relationship with Korean industry," said Roger Besancenez, Boeing F-15 program vice president. Six of the new Slam Eagles are expected to participate in an advanced aerial combat training exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev., in late January. Boeing completed delivery of 40 Next Fighter I F-15Ks to the ROKAF in October 2008.

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A wounded warrior returns to Palmdale, California........

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Rally in the Pacific:

Airmen and C-130s from the 36th Airlift Squadron based at Yokota AB, Japan, landed in Sri Lanka for a week of humanitarian response drills with Australian, Malaysian, and Sri Lankan partners. Pacific Airlift Rally, sponsored by Pacific Air Forces, is an "opportunity to work with and understand the procedures and philosophies adapted by the other nations that may come to our aid in a time of need," said Sri Lankan squadron commander Sarike Aranayake, of the SLAF's 2nd Airlift Squadron. "It also prepares us to help out in a situation anywhere in the world," he added. Held this year at Colombo airport, the biannual exercise began Aug. 22, with aircraft and more than 300 airmen from all four nations participating. (Colombo report by MSgt. Cohen Young)

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Operation Shady RAT: A leading computer security company has traced 72 cyber attacks on international government organizations and corporations over the last five years to a single server. Forty-nine of the attacks were against US organizations, including 12 US defense contractors and one US satellite company, according to the McAfee white paper, released Wednesday. McAfee Vice President of Threat Research Dmitri Alperovitch, who authored the paper, did not specifically name the hacker, but said it was potentially a "state actor." Some cyber experts believe China was the culprit because of the number of attacks centered on Taiwan and Olympic organizations leading up to the 2008 Beijing Games, reported Reuters. Alperovitch dubbed McAfee's investigation "Operation Shady RAT." The acronym stands for remote access tool. Last month, Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn said the Pentagon might have to redesign a weapon system due to a cyber intrusion, presumably by a foreign intelligence service, against a defense contractor in March. (McAfee white paper; caution, large-sized file.)

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Weathering the Transition:

Northrop Grumman has received authorization from the Air Force, along with $428 million in funding, to proceed with work on the Defense Weather Satellite System, the US military's next-generation weather-monitoring satellite. DWSS will leverage the accomplishments of the Northrop-led program to supply the now-cancelled National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System. The Air Force has tasked the company to transition work from the NPOESS contract to the new DWSS program. "We have defined an effective program plan that leverages the high level of maturity achieved on the spacecraft and sensors that are already in production [from NPOESS]," said Linnie Haynesworth, Northrop's DWSS program director, in the company's release Wednesday. DWSS satellites will supplant the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program constellation in providing time-sensitive support of military operations. First launch of a DWSS spacecraft is anticipated in 2018.

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Langley Temporarily Lifts F-22 Grounding Order to Escape Hurricane:

Air Force officials temporarily lifted the grounding of the F-22 Raptor fleet based at JB Langley-Eustis, Va., so the aircraft can avoid Hurricane Irene's wrath. The fighters, which have been grounded since May due to safety concerns over malfunctioning on-board oxygen-generation systems, started flying to Grissom ARB, Ind., around 10 a.m. Friday. They will be kept at Grissom until the storm clears and then will be authorized to fly back to Langley, where the grounding will once again take effect, Langley spokeswoman Monica Miller Rodgers told the Daily Report Friday morning. "This is a one-time flight authority to get out of the area affected by Irene," she said. The National Hurricane Center is predicting Irene will hit the Virginia area over the weekend, with winds in excess of 100 miles per hour. The 633rd Air Base Wing commander ordered all residents of the Heavier than Air and Lighter than Air housing areas, temporary lodging facilities, and the dormitories to evacuate no later than noon on Saturday, "provided they are non-mission essential," according to a release. All residents living off base were ordered to follow local evacuation guidance.

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Space Fence Fielding Slips to 2017:

The Air Force has modified the fielding schedule for the Space Fence space-surveillance system, slipping the projected date for initial operations by two years to 2017, according to a draft statement of work issued last week. The Space Fence's full operational capability milestone also has changed from 2020 to a to-be-determined date, states the document, released by the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, Mass. Air Force officials envision the Space Fence as a dual-site radar system operating in the S-band frequency range to detect orbiting space objects. It will offer significantly improved performance over the 1960s-era Air Force Space Surveillance System VHF Fence that it will replace. Current plans call for two Space Fence sites: Australia and Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon currently are under contract to mature their respective fence concepts.

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F-35A Officially Unveiled at Eglin:

Air Force officials formally unveiled the F-35A Lightning II strike fighter during a ceremony with the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla. More than 400 guests watched the unveiling, which took place on Aug. 26 inside the newly constructed hangar at the base, which is home of the initial F-35 schoolhouse. Gen. Edward Rice, commander of Air Education and Training Command, spoke about a "new era" of flight operations during the ceremony. Lockheed Martin Executive Vice President Larry Lawson and Florida state Sen. Don Gaetz (R) also spoke at the event. "While this celebration is taking place in the Air Force hangar with the Air Force variant of the F-35, this is really a story about the fully integrated team of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, industry, and community partners who have been working years to make this day possible," said Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd FW commander. "Some of us have been waiting a long time to see this day." Eglin's first F-35 arrived in mid July.

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NATO Aircraft Collide in Lithuania:

A French air force fighter deployed to Siauliai AB, Lithuania, as part of NATO's Baltic air policing mission collided in midair with a Lithuanian light attack aircraft on Tuesday. Despite damage to its stabilizer, the French Mirage 2000-C returned safely to base, said French air force officials. The Lithuanian aircrew was forced to eject from its L-39 and directed the stricken aircraft to an unpopulated area before escaping unscathed, according to a Lithuanian defense ministry statement. Two Mirages were flying routine intercept training with the L-39 at the time. NATO air forces rotate to Lithuania on quick-reaction alert, providing air defense to NATO members Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which lack defensive means. Deployed from Orange AB, France, the Mirages were due to hand off to Danish air force F-16s on Wednesday.

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Petraeus Retires:

Army Gen. David Petraeus, one of the most well known faces of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, retired Wednesday after 37 years of uniformed service. "You've run the race well, swifter and surer than the rest, and you now stand among the giants, not just in our time, but of all time, joining the likes of Grant and Pershing and Marshall and Eisenhower as one of the great battle captains of American history," said Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, during the retirement ceremony at Fort Myer, Va. The Army four-star was instrumental in developing the US counterinsurgency strategy that turned the tide of the war in Iraq. He led the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq, Multinational Forces-Iraq, US Central Command, and NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Now a civilian, Petraeus will be taking over at the CIA, having received the Senate's nod in June to lead the intelligence organization. (AFPS release by Jim Garamone)

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Vietnam War Airman's Remains Recovered:

The remains of Maj. Thomas E. Reitmann of Red Wing, Minn., an airman missing in action since the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family, announced the Defense Department Thursday. Reitman's burial with full military honors is scheduled for Sept. 8 at Arlington National Cemetery, according to DOD. Reitmann's F-105D Thunderchief took a direct anti-aircraft-artillery hit on Dec 1, 1965, during a four-ship raid on a railroad bridge located about 45 nautical miles northeast of Hanoi during Operation Rolling Thunder. His aircraft crashed in Lang Son Province, North Vietnam. He was serving with the 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Takhli AB, Thailand. After many years of joint US-Vietnamese teams searching in vain for Reitmann's crash site, a local farmer in 2009 and 2011 turned over remains and a metal button that DOD forensic analysis identified as belonging to Reitmann.

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Trial Begins of Gunman Who Killed Two Airmen:

The Kosovar Albanian who shot two airmen to death in a cold-blooded attack in March at the main airport in Frankfurt, Germany, admitted to the act at the beginning of his court trial this week. Arid Uka, 21, whom German prosecutors called an Islamic "lone wolf," told the German court Wednesday that he had been radicalized by jihadist propaganda on the Internet, reported UPI. Uka killed SrA. Nicholas J. Alden, 25, of Williamston, S.C., and A1C Zachary R. Cuddeback, 21, of Stanardsville, Va. Alden and Cuddeback were among a group of airmen on an Air Force bus on March 2 at the Frankfurt International Airport when Uka struck. Uka also seriously wounded two other airmen. He is charged with two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder—since he took aim at a fifth airman before his gun jammed, reported FoxNews.com.

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It's Electrifying:

Los Angeles AFB, Calif., will become the first federal facility to replace 100 percent of its general-purpose vehicles with plug-in electric vehicles. "With gas prices rising and the cost of batteries falling, now is the time to move toward electric vehicles," said Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin Conaton. "The 100 percent Electric Vehicle Base Initiative is a critical first step in this direction and will help guide the way for broader fleet electrification." Planning for the charging infrastructure already is under way and the new vehicles could be in place as early as January. Force protection, tactical, and emergency vehicles will be exempt from the change. The new electric fleet will include about 40 Air Force-owned and -leased vehicles. The program is still subject to an environmental review. (SAF/PA report by SSgt. Richard Williams)