ANG safety adopts airlines' best practices

by Lt. Col. David Paulsgrove
ANG safety office

1/15/2015 - Fort Worth, Texas -- Air National Guard safety officials recently visited the American Airlines flight training center to get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most effective air safety programs in the industry.

Beside several visits to the National Transportation Safety Board training academy in Virginia, this trip completed a year-long ANG effort to better integrate commercial safety practices into military safety programs.

Director of ANG Safety, Col Ed Vaughan, and Associate Director, Mr. Dan Polanosky met with representatives from the Allied Pilots Association, aircraft maintenance, corporate management, and Federal Aviation Administration regulators.

The meetings were facilitated by Col Tod Wall, 172nd Airlift Wing Commander and veteran American Airlines pilot.

"It's no secret that many ANG pilots also fly for commercial airlines." says Col. Vaughan.  "What is not so well known is how valuable that civilian-military connection is to enhancing Air Force flight safety and spurring innovation."

ANG Safety has adopted three proactive flight safety programs endorsed and sponsored by the U.S. Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration: Aviation Safety Action Program, Flight Operations Quality Assurance and Line Operations Safety Audit.

"We're especially enthusiastic about ASAP. Getting to the root causes of errors is the key here," says Polanosky. "Spending a day participating in American Airlines' ASAP review process showed us one great approach to this. I think their concept of 'Just Culture' is something we'll definitely incorporate into our programs."

ASAP is designed to prevent accidents and incidents by encouraging voluntary reports of safety issues. Under ASAP, pilots and airline employees can openly identify and discuss errors or hazards without the threat of punishment. This information is analyzed in order to identify potential hazards before serious incidents occur.

"The ANG safety office is fortunate to have Lt Col Dave Paulsgrove on staff as the ANG Flight Safety leader and long-time United Airlines Pilot." said Vaughan,  "He is very familiar with the pro-active safety programs."

Look for more information on ANG integration of these programs in the near future.

Air Force Global Strike Command's Director of Communications wins Black Engineer of the Year award

by Carla Pampe
Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs

1/15/2015 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- The Air Force Global Strike Command Director of Communications, Arthur "A.G." Hatcher Jr., was recently named the Department of Defense winner of the Stars & Stripes Black Engineer of the Year Award (Senior Executive Service Category).

The purpose of the award is to recognize individuals who have served with distinction supporting their service's efforts in membership, diversity and value based service to the nation. Nominees are also those who have served in a command or agency with a mission to procure, develop or employ new technologies and systems, Hatcher said.

"It is an honor to be recognized among the many outstanding SES members who everyday do great things for our country," he said. "To be chosen as the Air Force nominee and then to be the DoD winner is really awesome."

A native of Selma, Alabama, a pivotal location of the civil rights movement in America, Hatcher said he has always felt it very important to mentor others, especially minorities. He serves as an advisor to the Barksdale African American Heritage Committee, and has served as a guest speaker for Black History Month.

Moreover, as a life member of the Armed Force Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), his special focus has been on promoting the area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
"I've been involved in the STEM area for years," he said. "Through AFCEA, I've been personally involved in awarding more than $150,000 in scholarships to high school graduates pursuing STEM degrees in college. In terms of promoting STEM, we need more STEM graduates and there are great STEM career opportunities.

"Industry is always looking to hire STEM graduates, and the Air Force is trying to recruit them because it is important to retain a technological edge," he added. "The opportunities are phenomenal in career potential, career growth and advancement, and education is the key, so I would tell students interested in STEM programs to go for it!"

In addition to mentoring young people to pursue careers in STEM, Hatcher is constantly focused on incorporating new technologies at AFGSC. "In terms of the new technologies, we're really looking to modernize the nuclear command, control and communication systems and infrastructure; and leverage industry and academia to see how they can help us in AFGSC," he said. "We recently held an Industry Day in partnership with the Louisiana Cyber Innovation Center, and we had 14 industry partners demonstrate their innovative ideas. We are always looking at how we can take new technologies, which are STEM based, be innovative and use them to do things better, smarter, more efficiently and more effectively."

Hatcher will be presented with the DoD award Feb. 6 in Washington, D.C., at the Stars & Stripes BEYA STEM conference.

"This is a big deal, because as I said I'm from Selma, which is a small town, and coming from a small town you become a role model whether you accept it or not," he said. "That is why whenever I mentor, whether here or back home, I encourage young people to work hard and go to school. I hope that they see me and what I've achieved in my career, and think 'I can do this too!'"

Hatcher hopes that his achievement will inspire others to pursue a career in STEM, and credits his parents with giving him the values which led him to the Air Force where he served a 30 year active duty career.

"No one wins an award alone, and I've been really blessed and am grateful to be able to achieve this, and represent the Air Force" he said. "I appreciate the outstanding support from my current and former bosses, the staff I work with, and especially my wife for her support. She's a great wingman and supporter, and I couldn't have done this without her."

Face of Defense: Teamwork Saves Stricken Coworker’s Life

By Army Sgt. 1st Class David Wheeler

U.S. Forces Afghanistan

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2015 – In a combat zone, some people credit the success of their mission to being in the right place at the right time.

For Eric Knox recently, it was being with the right four people that accomplished the mission of saving his life.

Knox was sitting at his desk in the Joint Intelligence Support Element area here when all of a sudden he began having seizures, recalled Army Warrant Officer Zachary Ritter, signals intelligence technician for the 109th Military Intelligence Battalion.

"I was sitting at my desk working with headphones on and out of the corner of my eye I noticed some commotion. I took my headphones off, stood up, started looking around and for some reason I zeroed-in on Eric," said Ritter, who hails from Centreville, Virginia. "So I ran over to him. He was slumped over in his chair unconscious, sweating heavily. He was bright red, so I started shaking him to get a response out of him. I wasn't getting anything so I tried to pick him up and started moving him to the floor."

Fortune Steps In

Although this was a horrible situation, Knox's luck started turning. Jennifer Kot-Lawton is a fusion intelligence analyst for the JISE, but it was an additional skill she possessed that brought her into the situation.

"I heard Lieutenant Commander Bill Phillips, say he needed medical assistance," said Kot-Lawton, who hails from Wethersfield, Connecticut. "I was sitting at my computer typing and then stood up and said, ‘Sir, I am an EMT, can I help.’ And he said, ‘Go.’"

Kot-Lawton is a certified emergency medical technician, but she wasn't the only experienced person that responded to the emergency. Maj. Brian Ryan, JISE chief for U.S. Forces Afghanistan and analysis and control element chief for the 3rd Infantry Division, used to work at the State Department, and one of the requirements for working there was completing CPR training, and a class on how to use a defibrillator. But, it was Ryan's recent personal experience that helped everyone through this situation.

"In October, right before we deployed, my wife went through the same situation where she was unconscious for about six minutes," explained Ryan, a native of Allentown, Pennsylvania. "So I was there with the doctors when they ran through the whole scenario there with her. So seeing that and having that register in my mind, we put him on the ground, elevated the feet, and I started going through everything they did in her scenario."

Defibrillator Shocks, CPR

Kot-Lawton and Ryan attached a defibrillator to Knox and ran the first test. The defibrillator analyzed Knox and delivered the first shock. Immediately following the shock, Ritter and Ryan rotated with each other applying CPR along with Army 1st Lt. Adam Maisel, JISE targeting officer in charge, who was a volunteer firefighter for nine years in New York and Pennsylvania.

"You just revert back to the way you learn it," said Maisel, who hails from Washington, D.C. "When you do the compressions, you want to keep a certain cadence, and it just so happens that the Bee Gees’ song "Stayin' Alive" is that proper cadence for it. Someone mentioned that once or twice so that was going through my mind and I did my compressions to the cadence of the song."

After two minutes of CPR, the defibrillator analyzed Knox, and delivered another shock. The group then continued CPR. During that period of CPR, the medics arrived on site and the medic noncommissioned officer instructed the three to continue with the CPR. The defibrillator once again conducted an assessment, and provided Knox with a third shock. Following that shock, they were directed to load him onto a stretcher and carry him out to the ambulance.

Praise for Coworkers’ Response

"The manner in which Jen, Bryan, Adam, and Zach reacted to the emergency was extraordinary," said Army Lt. Col. Cameron Weathers, U.S. Forces Afghanistan Joint Task Force-3 J2. "Their quick-thinking and ability to remain completely collected under extreme circumstances -- not to mention the exceptional teamwork they displayed -- without a doubt resulted in their saving Eric's life. I am absolutely proud to work with such stellar professionals."

Knox was evacuated out of the country and he is doing well, Weathers said. Being an avid runner, Knox already has one thing on his mind.

"He's up and around talking to his wife on the phone," Weathers said. "He asked when he gets to come back to Bagram and start running marathons again."

A STEP above the rest

by Senior Airman Stephanie Morris
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

1/13/2015 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D.  -- The Stripes for Exceptional Performers program allows Major Commands, Field Operating Agencies and Direct Reporting Unit commanders and senior Air Force officers with large enlisted populations a limited opportunity to promote enlisted members to staff sergeant or technical sergeant.

The program was tested during fiscal year 1981 and implemented on a permanent basis the following year.

Tech. Sgt. Thomas Liscomb, 54th Helicopter Squadron UH-1N (Huey) evaluator special missions aviator, was recently selected as one of only six Airmen to receive a STEP promotion in all of Global Strike Command for 2015. Liscomb has been in the Air Force nine years as of Nov. 5, 2015.

"I was speechless and didn't know how to react," Liscomb said, describing what it was like to be informed that he would be STEP promoted.  "The only words I could really say to all the leadership that showed up was thank you.  This really was an event I never thought would happen to me."

The guidelines for selection of STEP promotees are:

· Airmen must meet Air Force minimum time-in-service requirements. Specifically, airmen promoted to the grade of staff sergeant must have at least three years total active federal military service and technical sergeants must have five years at the time of the STEP promotion.
·  Senior Airmen must complete Airman Leadership School. Despite the recent changes of the Enlisted Professional Military Education, staff sergeants who have not completed Distant Learning EMPE remain eligible for promotion to technical sergeant.
· STEP is a highly visible program and each promotion must be warranted by clearly exceptional circumstances. Isolated acts of heroism or specific achievements should not be the sole basis for STEP promotion.
· Selections should be based on recommendations from subordinate commanders who have personal knowledge of the individual.
· The commander or senior Air Force officer of other organizations that, by virtue of their small enlisted populations are not provided specific allocations, may nominate Airmen for promotion based on their assigned eligibles.

Commanders may waive time-in-grade requirements; however, no one may be promoted more than once during any 12 month period with the exception of senior airmen who may be promoted after six months TIG.

Liscomb works as an enlisted aviator and air advisor in the 54th HS running missions, such as search and rescue with his team and transporting members of the tactical response force to locations in the missile complex.

Master Sgt. Austin Atkinson, 54th HS superintendent, has worked with Liscomb for several years. During that time Liscomb has transitioned from flying at the squadron on Minot to flying in Afghanistan while deployed. When Liscomb returned back home, Atkinson assisted him as he re-qualified on the Huey and prepared for his second deployment to Afghanistan.

"His technical knowledge and airmanship is so crucial to the success of this squadron and the development of the rest of the enlisted aviators, that we got his deployment turned off," Atkinson said. "It can be simply put that Staff Sgt. Liscomb was performing like a technical sergeant on a daily basis. No matter whom he worked with or how bad the situation was, Tommie (a nickname used for Liscomb) continually perfected his craft as an enlisted aviator and always led with no hesitation."

Leaders are constantly gauging their troop's daily performance on and off duty to see if their people consistently perform at a higher level, Atkinson said. Leaders watch how their personnel perform when under pressure, being shot at or when a task is either immensely stressful or very difficult to accomplish. They also watch how their troops act around others and how their attitude affects their surroundings.

"Liscomb's attitude of bettering the people around him makes him a very hot commodity to the mission at Minot," Atkinson said. "To find someone who goes out of their way to make people around them better, while bettering themselves on the side is a pleasure to have in a squadron."

Liscomb explained that receiving the promotion was due in part to the people who work alongside him.

"I was lucky to be a part of teams that had a wealth of experience," Liscomb said. "One thing I learned is to take advantage of chances like this to grow in my ability to act as an aviator and NCO."

In order to receive the promotion, Liscomb's leadership created a package outlining his job performance and the reasons they felt he deserved to be promoted immediately.

Due to increased promotion opportunity in recent years, the STEP eligible pool is now much narrower and there is no established requirement to consider the number of times an Airman has tested for promotion or excessive time-in-grade and time-in-service requirements.

"Liscomb always performed at the level of a technical sergeant," Atkinson said. "His technical knowledge of the aircraft is tremendous and he would, on a continuous basis, volunteer for the jobs no one wanted. The pure fact that he wanted to leave his impression on everything he touched, and bring his peers along with him, really separated him above others."

Detainee Transfer Announced

The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Akhmed Abdul Qadir from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to Estonia.

As directed by the president’s Jan. 22, 2009, executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of this case. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, this man was unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force.

In accordance with statutory requirements, the secretary of defense informed Congress of the United States’ intent to transfer this individual and of his determination that this transfer meets the statutory standard.

The United States is grateful to the Government of Estonia for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the Government of Estonia to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.

Today, 122 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.

Air Force beats Army 7-5 in community hockey game

by Staff Sgt. William Banton
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Affairs

1/14/2015 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska  -- Air Force goalie Thomas Nguyen looked exhausted, consternation and sweat easing off his face. He had just survived the onslaught of a five-on-three power play, facing an Army team determined at all cost to obtain glory in the inter-service rivalry this year.

Thanks in part to Nguyen's efforts, the Air Force came out victorious in the second annual Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Army vs. Air Force hockey game with a 7-5 win.  The two-point difference hardly depicted the close struggle throughout three periods of furious competition.

The inter-service game at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska, was conceived by Army Maj. Gen. Michael Shields, U.S. Army Alaska commanding general, as a way to foster esprit de corps between the two primary JBER military branches. The teams this year also featured members of the Marine Corps Reserve and Alaska National Guard playing for the Army and members of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Air National Guard playing for the Air Force.

"I knew going into this game that the teams were evenly matched and that it would probably come down to goalies, and I think that played out," said Air Force coach Steven Calvin. "Our goalie had an outstanding game. He stood on his head a couple of times and made some outstanding saves."

The Air Force came out strong and ended the first period with a score of 3-1 - a lead it would hold until the third period.

"Getting that buffer was kind of nice, but we lit a fire underneath them and they came out hard the second and third period; it was a great game," Nguyen said.

According to Army forward Taylor Francis, the Army's strategy was to take advantage of their speed to outmaneuver the Air Force.

"They (Air Force)are definitely all skilled. They have good hands, so it's hard to get the puck away from them when they have it," said Francis. "They can move the puck a lot; they have good crisp passes across the ice and they play well as a team."

In the third period, the Army scored twice, tying the game at 5-5. The tying goal came during an Army power play when Army forward Matthew Hickey, moving down the right boards and catching the Air Force during a line change, passed the puck to forward Theodore Haras, who capitalized on the mismatch and netted the puck.

Despite the Army's momentum, which had been building since the second period, the Air Force scored two go-ahead goals to clinch the win.

"Our defense, for the most part, controlled the puck," Calvin said. "The Army was definitely younger and faster. When we could control the puck we had the momentum, but when we gave the puck away, for whatever reason, we were scrambling a lot of times. It was a stressful game, but it was fun too."

Calvin pointed out the game was played for more than just a year of bragging rights for the winning team and wouldn't have happened without the community's support.

"What we were trying to do is show the community that we are here and part of them and try to put on something that they can enjoy," Calvin said. "The fact that we had a couple of members of the military have a chance to win a new vehicle, to have the community to bring that to the table, say 'We appreciate you'... that's outstanding."

Attendance for this year's game quadrupled over the inaugural game in 2014, with a crowd of more than 2,000 people packing the stands.  The University of Alaska-Anchorage donated the use of the facilities for the game, which was played prior to UAA's military appreciation game later that evening.

"Events like this just show what's already happening on JBER," Calvin said. "It's just amazing what can happen when people put aside their differences and want to work towards a common goal."

Culture Shift

by Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson
673d WSA

1/14/2015 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON -- According to www.sapr.mil, Sexual assault reports are on the rise, and have been for years now.

This is a good sign.

An increase in reports directly testifies to a culture shift in the force structure. People who are experiencing sexual assaults are proving to be more likely to report it, which allows commanders to weed out the perpetrators and in turn create a safer environment for everyone.

However, one sexual assault is too many, said Air Force Col. Brian Bruckbauer, commander of the JBER 673d Air Base Wing.

There are computer based training programs and power points galore, but commanders at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson have been looking to approach this issue from a fundamentally new angle to continue the forward progress and spark a cultural change.

Statistics from www.sapr.mil indicate that 61% of sexual assault completed investigations happen to persons under the age of 25 and 19% do not have an age documented. This means that potentially 80% of completed investigations are in that demographic.

With this in mind, JBER commanders have assembled a team of volunteers to provide first hand insight into what this target age group thinks of the current Sexual Assault Prevention Response training and what they think can be done differently to create results.

What was originally designed as a short-term feedback session to provide new information on preventing sexual assaults to senior leadership has developed into a permanent advisory initiative made up of volunteers with a unique perspective on sexual assault prevention.

Members volunteered to be part of the task force October 26, 2014 and after consultation with their chain of command were accepted when Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Sexual Assault Prevention Response Task Force, (JBER SAPR Task Force-JSTF) formed, November 6, 2014.

Darmaly Williams, the sexual assault prevention and response program manager for the 673d Air Base Wing explained the JSTF is composed entirely of Airmen in the target population that experiences the most sexual assaults. Their task is to give the command staff a peek inside the mind of the younger service members.

Some questions need to be answered - like:

Are they taking SAPR briefings seriously?

In what context do sexual assaults happen?

Why do victims decline to report?

By consulting with the JSTF, senior leadership is able to get an idea of the needs of this audience and begin to tailor SAPR training specifically for them, Williams said.

"We are trying to establish communication, instead of one-way direction," said Williams. "If you don't listen to your customer, how can you improve your service?"

When the JSTF met with JBER commanders Dec. 12, they suggested that they continue to provide information to the commanders as a force multiplier of the installation's SAPR office.

Williams said after everything was put on the table, the commanders decided to continue engaging with JSTF long-term, as it became apparent there was a lot more coming from this effort than originally expected.

"They don't just want to see change, they want to be part of the change," Williams explained. "It's inspiring."

"JSTF members have direct access to commanders and senior enlisted advisors through quarterly meetings," Bruckbauer said. "During these meetings, JSTF members provide feedback on current initiatives, report concerns they experience or that have been brought to their attention, and offer solutions they feel will best resonate with our Airmen."

"Computer-based training and the occasional SAPR down days highlighted a problem, but did not encourage a different kind of culture," said Bruckbauer.

"We are resolved to inspire a change in behavior, and are striving to shape an audience that is receptive and responsive rather than discouraged and potentially apathetic," Bruckbauer continued.

"It's important to us that the community understands we are open to listen; we want them to speak up, to let us know how they feel, and to let us know what they need," Williams said. "We are trying to change a culture, so we need all the help we can get."