Panetta to Lead U.S. Delegation to NATO Defense Ministerial

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2013 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will continue in his position until former Sen. Chuck Hagel is confirmed, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said in a tweet released yesterday.

The Senate will not consider Hagel’s nomination to be the next defense secretary until it returns from recess Feb. 26.

Panetta will lead the U.S. delegation to the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels next week.

Obama administration officials had expected Hagel to be confirmed in time to lead that effort.
When he announced he was leaving the department, Panetta said he would serve until his successor was confirmed.

U.S. Airmen strengthen partnerships during Asia’s premier tradeshow

by Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs

2/15/2013 - BANGALORE, India  -- American Airmen joined aviation exhibitors from 29 Asia-Pacific countries to develop relationships and to showcase U.S. air power during Aero India 2013, Asia's premier air and trade show, held here Feb. 6-10.

Airmen provided aviation spectators a snapshot of the U.S. military's diverse inventory of aircraft and equipment through several static displays and through their participation in aerial demonstrations as part of Aero India. However, their primary reason for participating in the world-class airshow was to engage their foreign counterparts and ultimately contribute toward interoperability with other countries in the Asia-Pacific Region.

"We came to [Aero India] to demonstrate our continued support for the Indians as a partner and to build relationships with other countries in this region," said Capt. Chris Nations, F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot with Pacific Air Forces F-16 Demonstration Team, 13th Fighter Squadron, at Misawa Air Base, Japan. "While we do show the latest advances of the Block-50 Viper (and other aircraft) to industry, the confirmation of the reach and presence of American airpower is important to our partners throughout the region."

The aircraft on static display during Aero India included the U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, F-16 Fighting Falcon and the KC-135 Stratotanker. Military members were available to explain the capabilities of these aircraft, highlight and explain the diversity of U.S. military missions, and share their varying experiences with interested foreign military personnel and visitors to the airshow.

During an exceedingly rare opportunity, seven members of a Chinese military delegation were given a tour of a U.S. C-17 static display and were happy about the opportunity to meet U.S. Airmen.

"I think they were a little surprised at first that we invited them on board," said Capt. Chris Ross, the 535th Combat Readiness Flight Command from JBPH-H and a member of the C-17 demo team. "They were very polite and visibly excited for the opportunity. Likewise, it was very interesting for us to be able to talk to them for a few minutes as well."

To further showcase U.S. airpower, members from the Air Force demo teams participated in aerial demonstrations during the airshow.

"We do airshows all throughout the Asia-Pacific to increase relations with our partners and allies as part of the U.S. refocus on the Asia-Pacific region," said Nations. "The fact that we are here showcases our fighters not only to the local audience; our presence is also observed by the counties we pass along our flight path to get here."

Organized by India's Ministry of Defense, Aero India boasted participation from 29 visiting countries with approximately 675 exhibitions. The U.S. has participated in this bi-annual trade show since 2005.

U.S. military participation in trade shows furthers defense purchase and supply relationships with India and demonstrates U.S. commitment to India as a regional partner and directly supports U.S. Pacific Command's engagement goals and objectives and furthers relations with other countries.

59th Medical Wing, San Antonio hospital collaborate to hone AF nursing skills

by Staff Sgt. Micky M. Bazaldua
59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

2/14/2013 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- For the first time, the Air Force has partnered with a community hospital to develop highly skilled nurses who are trained for humanitarian and peacetime missions - Airmen whose skills are proven to increase patient survival rates in theater hospitals.

Building the partnership was instrumental in meeting an increase in the demand for the clinical training of nurses at nearby San Antonio Military Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

The demand was largely due to the integration of the 59th Medical Wing and Brooke Army Medical Center as part of the new San Antonio Military Health System. Consequently, there was an ensuing increase in the number of Army, Navy and Air Force nursing students competing for clinical cases, experience, and the skill sets needed for graduation from their respective training specialties.

"The partnership with the Air Force nurse residency is a great opportunity for both organizations," said Evelyn Swenson-Brit, UHS Director for the Center for Excellence. "We have the opportunity to have highly trained instructors share their knowledge in both our clinical setting and as guests in their lectures on critical care."

"UHS has provided clinical training for military physicians for many years and is very excited to now provide clinical sites for our nurse colleagues as well," she said.

University Hospital is a level-one trauma center, treating about 70,000 patients at its emergency room annually. A new $800 million trauma wing at UHS, which is projected to be completed in 2014, will significantly increase patient volume in the emergency department and inpatient units.

"The new wing will provide many more opportunities for nurses to work in a challenging environment and gain unique experiences in specialized areas not offered at SAMMC, such as surgical transplants," said Lt. Col. Susan Davis, commander of the 59th Training Squadron here.

The partnership between the San Antonio Military Health System and the UHS will provide specialty training in various areas of expertise such as medical surgery, labor and delivery, operating room, emergency room, critical care, and neonatal intensive care. Additionally, University Hospital is the only pediatric trauma center for San Antonio and south Texas, providing significant training to nurses for humanitarian and wartime pediatric care.

Training rotations at University Hospital began in January 2013 with the Critical Care and Emergency Nursing Fellowship Program.

"This experience has given me greater confidence in my ability to meet challenges, making me more independent and proficient," said 1st Lt. Meredith Peiffer, a critical care nurse fellow with the 59th TRS who is currently doing a work rotation at UHS. "It's a beneficial course that builds graduates who are viewed as valuable resources by their peers."

"It's inspiring to see how our civilian counterparts work, especially with the higher operations tempo," said 1st Lt. Casey Doll, also a critical care nurse fellow with the 59th TRS.

"We see a lot of pediatric and burn patients during deployments. This training bridges the gap between years of inexperience so that we are better prepared," Doll said. "For any nurses considering this program, this is a hands-down recommendation. No other civilian institution will dedicate the time and effort to us like UHS, and I am very thankful for the opportunity."

"The partnership with UHS is an opportunity to significantly augment clinical experiences and is an educational opportunity for Air Force nurses. For nurses who are interested in applying, or learning more about the fellowship program, the first step is to inform your supervisor and chief nurse," said Maj. Kathy Savell, 59th TRS director of Critical Care Emergency Nursing Fellowship.

Savell said applicants should look for the next "call for candidates" letter and update their Airmen Development Plan on the Air Force portal. Nurses should then submit an application package through their chain of command.

Army Post Sets Example in Curbing Suicides, Preventable Deaths

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2013 – As military leaders struggle to reverse rising suicide rates within the force, Fort Bliss, Texas, is bucking the national trend, reporting a 30-percent drop last year and serving as a promising model for the Army and its sister services.

Fort Bliss had the lowest suicide rate in the Army during 2012 -- four confirmed and one still under investigation from its population of 33,000 soldiers. That’s down from seven in 2011.

Fort Bliss reported three other preventable soldier deaths last year, also the Army’s lowest rate. This came at a time suicides increased in the overall Army and across the military as a whole, despite sweeping initiatives across the services and the Defense Department to stem them.
So what’s the magic formula at Fort Bliss, a sprawling post in Southwest Texas’ high desert that became the new home to the 1st Armored Division last year?

Army Maj. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss commander, can’t point to any single measure that’s making the difference. Rather, he credits a comprehensive approach that focuses on suicide prevention, risk reduction and resilience.

Confronted by a spate of suicides among redeploying air defenders when he arrived at Fort Bliss in July 2010, Pittard launched the “No Preventable Soldier Deaths” campaign. The goal, he explained, was to prevent not only suicides, but also high-risk behaviors that can lead to drug overdoses, motorcycle and vehicle accidents, and other preventable fatalities.

The campaign is an umbrella for about 32 distinct programs and initiatives. All aim to address the root causes of suicide and high-risk behavior and create an environment that encourages soldiers to look out for each other and seek help when they need it, Pittard said. But the long-term focus -- one he said ultimately will make these successes “stick” -- is on improving soldiers’ ability to overcome adversity and to bounce back when it strikes.

“It takes a comprehensive and holistic approach to try to reduce preventable soldier deaths,” Pittard said. “So we have united the resources of our entire installation -- our hospital, our fitness program and our wellness programs -- in getting at this challenge, together.”

“Our approach creates layer upon layer upon layer of safety nets,” explained Army Lt. Col. Leonard Gruppo, director of the Wellness Fusion Campus that Pittard stood up to synchronize these efforts across the installation.

“You can imagine them as one on top of the other, overlapping and crisscrossing with each other up into the sky,” Gruppo said. “That way, if a soldier falls, if the first safety net doesn’t catch him, the next one or the one after will. And in the end, we have very few who actually hit the ground.”
One might wonder, with so much time and energy dedicated to these programs, how it’s impacting Fort Bliss’ core readiness mission.

“We look at this as supporting our warfighting capability and readiness,” Pittard said. He noted, for example, that waivers for nondeployable soldiers have dropped dramatically.

“By making our soldiers that much more fit and by promoting wellness and making sure they are as resilient as they can possibly be, we are making them better combat soldiers,” Pittard said.

But Pittard recognized from the start that creating a culture that de-stigmatizes asking for help was going to be a challenge.

So he made it an area of command emphasis, calling on leaders from across the installation to be part of the solution.

Meanwhile, he began assigning accountability for preventable deaths, holding leaders accountable for their soldiers, and soldiers accountable for themselves and their battle buddies.

“That is important, because we recognize that we are accountable to the American people for their sons and daughters that are under our charge,” he said. “Every single life counts, and that is what we want to convey here to our soldiers and families.”

New arrivals to Fort Bliss quickly get a sense of this command emphasis. All get comprehensive screenings at the Wellness Fusion Center, and redeploying soldiers receive similar, Army-mandated screenings at the Warrior Transition Center.

The effort, Gruppo said, helps identify high-risk soldiers but also ensures every soldier is familiar with Fort Bliss’ array of programs to support them.

Also, in September, Pittard made the Army’s Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training mandatory for all incoming soldiers at Fort Bliss.

About 3 to 5 percent of all soldiers Armywide have taken the two-day training, designed to help them identify signs of distress in fellow soldiers. But at Fort Bliss, that percentage is closer to 30 percent, and Pittard is committed to meeting the 90 percent level by 2015.

“We are far and away from any other installation on training people in ASIST,” Gruppo said. “We have met the Army standard and exceeded it many times over. And we believe this is having a big impact, as a component of the program, in reducing suicides.”

In addition, behavioral health teams from Fort Bliss’ William Beaumont Army Medical Center serve directly with all brigade-sized units to provide immediate support, as needed.

Meanwhile, officials at Fort Bliss are working to promote resilience across the force: emotional resilience, physical resilience, spiritual resilience, social resilience, and through one of its newest initiatives, financial resilience, Pittard said. The idea, he said, is to get “left of the boom” -- a wartime term he said applies equally to staying ahead of threats that haunt some soldiers after they return home, and even those who have never deployed.

“The Army recognizes that in the long term, giving people greater resilience skills is the way to get left of the event, before it happens,” Gruppo said. “It’s giving people the right skills to cope with bumps in the road of life better than they [did], so they never get to the point where they want to kill themselves or do something that results in an accidental death.”

To support its long-term strategy of building resilience, Fort Bliss requires that every unit down to company level have a certified master resilience trainer within its ranks. Current Army policy requires one at the battalion level, but Fort Bliss “is continuing to vigorously train people as quickly as we can to get it down to the platoon level,” Gruppo said.

Fort Bliss’ suicide prevention and wellness efforts include some unexpected elements. Leaders added bike and walking paths and gathering places, and planted more than 10,000 trees to encourage soldiers to commune with nature and each other.

Concerned that soldiers were spending too much time cooped up in their barracks rooms, Pittard reintroduced the old concept of day rooms so they could hang out together. He cut off Wi-Fi reception in the barracks so soldiers would congregate at designated hot spots.

“The idea is to create here at Fort Bliss this oasis -- this island of wellness for our soldiers and families,” Pittard said. “We want it to be a place that promotes resiliency as an installation.”
Meanwhile, he took the bold step of allowing members of the El Paso community just outside Fort Bliss’ gates to come on post simply by showing a driver’s license.

“That in itself has helped us not be isolated from the American people who serve,” Pittard said. “It helped promote this feeling of communal support among our soldiers, and the sense that they are not alone.”

Statistics indicate that the formula is working. Fort Bliss enjoyed 120 straight days without a preventable soldier death from September through January. Other Army installations and leaders are taking notice, and exploring ways to adopt some of the practices proving successful at Fort Bliss.

But Pittard knows he’s far from the finish line. Already this year, Fort Bliss has suffered two preventable deaths: a soldier who overdosed on prescription drugs in his barracks room, and another who wasn’t wearing his seat belt and was killed in a car crash.

And although no Fort Bliss soldiers have taken their lives in 2013, the post still reports two or four suicide attempts every day.

“We are not going to be satisfied until we have zero preventable deaths, consistently,” Pittard said. “So even though we’ve made some successes, we are a long way from where we want to be.”
Meanwhile, Pittard will continue to focus on creating a “culture of seeking help,” he said.

“We are only partially there, because cultural change takes time,” he said. “But we have some strong efforts in that direction.”

AETC program builds bridges between U.S., foreign allies

by Robert Goetz
Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

2/14/2013 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- One of the best examples of global cooperation can be found at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph and other Air Force installations, where an Air Education and Training Command squadron's mission is to "build and strengthen enduring international partnerships by building partner capability."

AETC's Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron pursues this mission by providing technical, flight and other types of training for students representing the armed forces of more than 140 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Canada, Poland and India.

Dwyer Stringer, AETC International Training and Education Directorate executive officer, said the international students come to the United States at their countries' expense "because they're getting the best training possible."

It's also a mutually beneficial exchange.

"When these students learn at schools in the United States, they learn using our procedures and they work with our instructors," Stringer said."We can join with them and work together because we've all learned in the same manner."

Air Force installations' point of contact for the students is the International Military Student Office, which strives to meet their needs and ensure their stay in the United States is a positive one.

"Our goal is to treat them like a family member," Roy Lozano, Randolph IMSO chief, said.

Examples of the assistance the office provides are helping the students with pay issues and medical care; making sure they receive the proper training; and attending to their spouses' needs, he said.

Although nearly 60 percent of foreign students come to Air Force installations for technical training, students who train at Randolph are here for flight training, taking courses such as introduction to fighter fundamentals, pilot instructor training and aerospace physiology alongside American pilots. Some of them first require English language instruction at the Defense Language Institute at JBSA-Lackland.

First Lt. Ahmad Getso, an officer in the Nigerian Air Force, said training at Randolph with different instructors and different platforms affords students an "exceptional experience."

"It is a very high standard in terms of knowledge and professionalism, and you can only find it in a few places in the world," he said.

Lozano said some foreign students come to the U.S. with negative preconceptions but often leave with an entirely different attitude toward Americans.

"What's rewarding for me is when you hear students talk favorably about their experiences," he said.

Lozano recalled the changes in a foreign officer who came "with an attitude" but was soon overcome with emotion because he and his wife were treated like family members by instructors and classmates.

"Those are things that make it important," he said. "That's our goal - to bring us together."

Getso, who completed the T-6 PIT course at the 559th Flying Training Squadron, called his stay at Randolph "an experience of a lifetime."

"It's an unforgettable memory of the people at Randolph in terms of respect, courtesy and professionalism," he said.

Getso said Lozano was particularly helpful as he made his way from Columbus, Miss., to San Antonio with the approach of Hurricane Isaac last summer.

"With a hurricane coming in, he had to do everything, including in-processing, over the phone," he said. "I will not forget how caring he was about my well-being. He checked on me frequently on my trip from Columbus to San Antonio."

Stringer said the international students' experience here gives them a "better understanding of America.

"They see how we are rather than how we are perceived," he said.

Three 24th Air Force Airmen take home four 2012 AFSPC logistics readiness awards

by Tech. Sgt. Scott McNabb
24th Air Force Public Affairs

2/14/2013 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas  -- Air Force Space Command recognized two non-commissioned officers and one field grade officer from 24th Air Force for excellence in logistics readiness recently.

"These awards recognize not only the dedication to excellence of these cyber Airmen, but the teams around them that helped them accomplish so much," said Chief Master Sgt. Alfred Herring, 24th Air Force command chief. "They should be proud of what they've accomplished individually and take some time to enjoy it. After that, it's time to help those around them reach the same heights or higher. Way to go Major Johnson, Master Sergeant Miles and Staff Sergeant Roubal. You are the best of the best. "

Maj. William Johnson, Jr., 24th Air Force Logistics and Installations director, was named the 2012 Outstanding Logistics Readiness Officer of the Year. Some of his accomplishments include creating the Air Forces Cyber future footprint 30-year plan, initiating 24th Air Force's Critical Infrastructure Program and leading the $55 million state-of-the-art facility project. Johnson will compete at the Air Force-level next.

Master Sgt. McKenzie Miles, 3rd Combat Communications Support Squadron Logistics Support Flight superintendent, won two AFSPC-level logistics awards. The Air Force Space Command Chief Master Sergeant Eddie Speight Supply Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award and the Air Force Space Command Logistics Readiness Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year. Miles will compete at the Air Force level for the latter award. Some of Miles' accomplishments include writing three supply operation instructions supplements, leading the 3rd Combat Communications Group's combat readiness school and introduced group compliance inspection database.

Staff Sgt. Anthony Roubal, also with the 3rd CBCSS, garnered the Air Force Space Command Vehicle Management Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award. Some of Roubal's 2012 highlights were deploying for more than 195 days in support of more than 100,000 coalition troops, replaced a Tunner-60K loader engine five hours ahead of schedule and rebuilt four air break chambers for a deployed fire department's water tanker.

New Medal Recognizes Changing Face of Conflict, Official Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2013 – The new Distinguished Warfare Medal recognizes the changing face of conflict in the 21st century, said Juliet Beyler, the acting director of officer and enlisted personnel management in the Pentagon.

Beyler said in an interview that technological developments on the battlefield have changed the way service members fight.

“The services all came forward and said there are people … who are doing incredible things and we wanted the ability to recognize them for those things,” she said.

There are no existing awards that adequately recognize the contributions these service members make. Examples of the actions that would be recognized by the new medal include a service member who is involved in a cyber attack on a specific military target.

“That would be someone possibly who would be eligible for this award,” Beyler said.

Another possible recipient would be an unmanned aerial vehicle operator who takes out a specific military target. “Another example might be a service member who is orchestrating and moving troops on a battlefield, but perhaps, is not physically present, but does something that contributes in some extraordinary way to the battle,” Beyler said.

Each service secretary is going to develop the specific procedures for who is eligible to receive the award. The service member has to have direct hands-on employment in order to be eligible. Combatant commanders must certify the impacts of the action before the award is forwarded to the service secretary for approval. The service secretaries are the approving authorities and those authorities cannot be delegated, Beyler said.

“This is for direct impacts,” she said. “There are other meritorious awards that recognize service over a period of time -- this [award] is intended to recognize specific impacts on the battlefield.”
The criteria for the award is akin to that of the Distinguished Flying Cross. “The Distinguished Flying Cross is for a single impact, a single incident, and the Distinguished Warfare [Medal] is designed to address a single incident,” she said.

The award’s precedence is what is making the award controversial. Many veterans’ service organizations object that the award will have a higher precedence than the Bronze Star Medal.
“The award is directly below the Distinguished Flying Cross,” Beyler said. “Awards for valor -- the Medal of Honor, the service Crosses and the Silver Star -- are all higher in precedence that the Distinguished Warfare Medal and will remain so.”

The vast majority of Bronze Star Medals are not awarded for valor, she said. Only 2.4 percent of Bronze Stars are given with a V device connoting a valor award. Depending on the service, the V-device can also be awarded with commendation medals.

The secretary of defense created the Distinguished Warfare Medal and can set the order of precedence.

Beyler said the award is retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001, and the service secretaries will detail how to recognize earlier acts.

Centcom, Africom Nominees Tout Importance of Partnerships

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2013 – Two generals nominated to lead U.S. combatant commands focused on the role of partnerships in national defense strategy in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today.

Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, nominated to lead U.S. Central Command, and Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez, the president’s nominee to lead U.S. Africa Command, testified together in a confirmation hearing.

Centcom’s area of responsibility covers 20 countries in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Yemen. While the Centcom commander doesn’t control combat operations in Afghanistan, the command is responsible for supporting those operations.

Austin, now the Army’s vice chief of staff, told senators the war in Afghanistan remains Centcom’s top priority. President Barack Obama announced this week that 34,000 U.S. troops, about half of those now there, will leave Afghanistan over the next year.

The movement of people and equipment that will involve, Austin told senators, will be a “herculean undertaking.”

The general noted he oversaw a similar effort as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq in 2010 and 2011. If confirmed as Centcom commander, he said, “I will do everything within my power to help set the broader conditions for our success in this most important endeavor.”

Austin said the nation owes a debt of gratitude to current Centcom commander Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, who will retire in March.

“General Mattis has led Central Command masterfully over these past two and a half years,” he said.

Mattis’ leadership and his team’s efforts over a decisive period “have been tremendous,” Austin said. “If confirmed, I intend to sustain and continue this important work.”

The general acknowledged Centcom’s mission is demanding.

“Our national interests, and those of our allies and friends, demand vigilance,” he said, “as well as our continued commitment to … address the many challenges that exist, and to achieve and maintain stability throughout the Middle East, and South and Central Asia.”

In a complex and “extremely volatile” world, Austin said, “much of the instability and associated challenges reside in the Centcom area of responsibility.”

The role of a combatant command is to be prepared to respond to contingencies whenever they occur, he said.

“If we truly want to have an effective and lasting impact in the region, our friends and allies must be assured of our support, and our potential adversaries must understand that there will be consequences for their actions,” he said.

Austin said the years since 9/11 have demonstrated that agencies responsible for elements of national power - military, economic and diplomatic – must work together. He said he has worked closely with senior military and civilian officials across government, and with partner nations’ government and military leaders.

“I can personally attest to the effectiveness of these kinds of collaborations,” he said. “If confirmed, I will continue to cultivate my existing relationships, while pursuing additional opportunities and partnerships that will surely prove beneficial to our efforts.”

The general said while these are “historic and difficult times,” they are marked by new opportunities and a shared desire for peace and prosperity, even in places that haven’t known them before.
“I fully appreciate that the work ahead will be great and the road will not be easy,” Austin said. “But if confirmed, I pledge to give all that I have towards our success, and ensuring the success of our allies and friends around the world, in this most worthy endeavor.”

Africom, formally established in 2008 with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, is the nation’s newest geographical combatant command, responsible for operations, exercises and security cooperation on the African continent.

Rodriguez now serves as head of the Army’s Forces Command. He said in a brief opening statement that if confirmed to lead Africom, he will “[work] closely with this committee, as well as all our joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational partners to address the challenges we face, and the opportunities to increase stability on this strategically important continent.”

Strong partnerships are key to that stability, Rodriguez said. He credited Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, the current Africom commander, with sustaining such partnerships among the 54 nations of Africa and “providing the foundation for our continued engagement across the continent and globally.”
Rodriguez said that if confirmed, he hopes to expand on the work Ham has done.

F-22 Demo practices at Tyndall

by Staff Sgt. Rachelle Elsea
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

2/14/2013 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.  -- Tyndall Air Force Base hosted the F-22 Demonstration Pilot, as he took to the wide open blue skies in a practice F-22 Raptor demonstration run Feb. 8.

"I came to Tyndall for two reasons," said Maj. Henry Schantz, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va. "I wanted to spin back up for the new season, and I needed to get some practice sorties in. The 325th Fighter Wing was nice enough to let me come down and fly one of their aircraft. At the same time, it is always great because Tyndall support shows, and the Airmen get to see what all their hard work goes towards."

The demo runs are needed to regain currency for the year.

Schantz began his military flying career in 2000, flying the F-22 Raptor in 2005 and became an F-22 demo pilot in 2010.

"This is my fourth time at Tyndall," Schantz said. "It is great to be back to what feels like home. It is one of the only places that I have lived beside Virginia, and I like having the opportunity to reacquaint with old friends will being able to show off the aircraft and what I do."

When I was here as the wing executive officer, I was put in and interviewed for the job," Schantz said. "I am now starting my third year as the F-22 demonstration pilot. I love what I do. It is one of those jobs where you can't help but have a smile on your face."

Schantz flies on average 20 to 25 shows a year.

"I love the F-22," Schantz said. "Pilots have said, after transitioning from older aircraft, it is like going from a jalopy to a corvette. The best thing about the aircraft is that it's the newest fighter that is operational, it's the only 5th generation operational and it has capabilities that no other aircraft in the world has."

The major usually travels from show to show with a large team.

"The F-22 demo team incorporates about 17 people, including safety officers, other pilots who fly the jet to and from venues, and avionics, specialists and crew chiefs," Schantz said. "I have a full-time superintendent and team chief who also help me plan and coordinate the shows."

Due to Tyndall's F-22 mission, he was able to work Airmen already stationed here.

"For a place like Tyndall, I am able to use the local maintenance teams to help me fly," Schantz said.

For the Airmen of the 43rd Fighter Squadron this is a thrilling and exciting opportunity.

"It is also a morale booster for the Airmen on the flightline," said Staff Sgt. Bobby Collins, 325th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief.

Schantz was also anxious to give the Airmen a demonstration.

Sergeant Collins and other Airmen in the maintenance profession know how vital their role is and appreciate the major's sentiment.

"I like knowing that whatever I do, maintenance wise, is important to bringing the pilot home safe," said Staff Sgt. Bobby Collins, 325th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief. "For today, we provided an aircraft, launching out, recovering and making sure the aircraft we provided was ready for a demo launch and was able to do the maneuvers."

Colorado Guardsmen exchange aviation safety practices with Royal Jordanian Air Force

by Capt. Kinder Blacke
140th Wing Public Affairs

2/14/2013 - BUCKLEY AFB, Colo. -- The 140th Wing safety office hosted members of the Royal Jordanian Air Force last week to exchange ideas and best practices about aviation safety and build relationships as part of the Colorado National Guard's State Partnership Program.

Four Jordanian F-16 pilots, a flight doctor and a maintenance member spent the week receiving and conducting briefings and question and answer sessions with various members of the wing, coordinated and facilitated by the 140th Wing's Chief of Safety, Lt. Col. Mitchell Neff.

"The main focus of the Jordanians' visit here was to demonstrate how the Colorado Air National Guard goes about preventing mishaps and the steps taken to mitigate risks in our flying operations," said Neff, "and to gain insight from each other's respective experiences and best practices."

The week's agenda covered a diverse array of safety topics, such as flight safety, the Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazards Program, foreign object damage, flight medicine, and physical fitness, to name just a few.

"Our goals this week were to explain and then provide the opportunities to watch how the U.S. Air Force and the Colorado Guard incorporates Aviation Safety programs effectively into daily operations," explained Neff. "We gave plenty of briefings but we also let them witness first-hand how those programs were incorporated into our missions."

One opportunity to see safety practices in action occurred with a mid-week trip to the 140th Wing's Airburst Range. The group flew on a Colorado Army Guard CH-47 Chinook to the southwest region of Fort Carson, Colo., to watch F-16 flight operations and see how heavily involved safety and risk mitigation is in range operations, both from the air and the ground points of view.

"It was a great week, which only helped strengthen our State Partnership between Colorado and Jordan," said Neff, who formed relationships with many of his Jordanian counterparts. "I gained a new respect for our Jordanian friends."

Ruffing it with K9

by Staff Sgt. J. Aaron Breeden
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

2/13/2013 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- As an oversized pick-up truck rolled into a dusty gravel lot, the silver trailer in tow was filled with the echoes of barking dogs ready for action. Members of the 21st Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog section were preparing for training exercises, Jan. 18 to help prepare members that would soon be deploying.

Tech. Sgt. Loren Surley, 21st SFS MWD trainer and supervisor, the leader of the day's exercises, explained the primary intent of this training was to reinforce the teamwork concept between the handlers and their dogs while familiarizing them with 'outside-the-wire' missions searching for drugs, bombs or on patrol.

Having been deployed as a MWD handler, Surley understands the importance of training exercises like this as it relates to safety.

"When you're heading outside of the wire, you're leading a team," said Surley. "You have other people there for back-up, but usually it's the K9 handlers who are responsible for the safety of the team."

Staff Sgt. Whitney Young, 21st MWD handler, returned from his Afghanistan deployment Jan. 20 and explained how training prepares handlers gearing up for a deployment.

"The exercises that were done here, and the ones I did at my regional training center, are almost identical to what we're seeing down range," said Young.

"Some of the things we're starting to train on are buried (training) aids," he added. "That's what we're seeing everywhere in Afghanistan. Before we weren't training on buried aids until we got into country, but it's being incorporated into newer training and it definitely makes a huge difference."

Young also talked about how the Air Force is beginning to train handlers to work their dogs off-leash.

"It's something we're really expanding on now," said Young. "Before the dogs were on a 15-foot retractable leash but now some dogs are able to work up to 60 feet in front of the handler."

This extra cushion incorporates another level of safety for the handler while allowing the team to work quicker and more effectively.

While the safety of a handler is paramount, safety of the dogs is just as important.

According to Staff Sgt. Shawn Kaup, also a trainer with the 21st MWD section, handlers at Peterson AFB receive more than 100 hours of advanced veterinary care instruction from Fort Carson veterinarians.

Kaup has worked as a MWD handler for 10 years through three deployments, two to Iraq and one to Oman.

"The veterinary training includes learning cardiac life support, how to treat bleeding wounds, clearing airway obstructions and also learning to insert catheters and connecting IV lines," said Kaup.

Since fully trained MWDs are valued up to $80,000, handlers are even trained to call for medical evacuations in situations where a dog's life is at stake.

Although life as a MWD handler is often filled with long hours in often less than ideal conditions, it's still possible to smile at the end of each day.

"Everyone loves the dog," said Surley. "It's hard to have a bad day when you're spending it with your best friend."

Panetta Announces Distinguished Warfare Medal

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2013 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has approved a new medal designed to recognize service members directly affecting combat operations who may not even be on the same continent as the action.

The Distinguished Warfare Medal recognizes the changing face of warfare. In the past, few, if any, service members not actually in a combat zone directly affected combat operations.

These new capabilities have given American service members the ability to engage the enemy and change the course of battle, even from afar, Panetta said at a Pentagon news conference today.

“I’ve always felt -- having seen the great work that they do, day in and day out -- that those who performed in an outstanding manner should be recognized. Unfortunately, medals that they otherwise might be eligible for simply did not recognize that kind of contribution.”

Now, the Defense Department does.

“ “The medal provides distinct, departmentwide recognition for the extraordinary achievements that directly impact on combat operations, but that do not involve acts of valor or physical risk that combat entails,” Panetta said.

Technological advancements have dramatically changed how the American military conducts and supports warfighters. Unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, missile defense technology and cyber capabilities all affect combat operations while the operators may not be anywhere near the combat zone. The new medal recognizes the contributions of these service members.

It will not be awarded for acts of battlefield valor, officials said. It will be awarded in the name of the secretary of defense to members of the military whose extraordinary achievements directly impacted combat operations, and cannot be used as an end-of-tour award.

“This new medal recognizes the changing character of warfare and those who make extraordinary contributions to it,” said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “The criteria for this award will be highly selective and reflect high standards.”

The most immediate example is the work of an unmanned aerial vehicle operator who could be operating a system over Afghanistan while based at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. The unmanned aerial vehicle would directly affect operations on the ground. Another example is that of a soldier at Fort Meade, Md., who detects and thwarts a cyberattack on a DOD computer system.

The medal could be used to recognize both these exceptional acts, officials said.

In the order of precedence, the Distinguished Warfare Medal will be below the Distinguished Flying Cross, and will be limited to achievements that are truly extraordinary. “The member’s actions must have resulted in an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding as to clearly set the individual apart from comrades or from other persons in similar situations,” a DOD official said.

The military department secretary must approve each award, and it may not be presented for valorous actions. “This limitation was specifically included to keep the Distinguished Warfare Medal from detracting from existing valor decorations, such as the Medal of Honor, Service Crosses and Silver Star Medal,” the official said.

Award criteria will be incorporated into the next revision of DOD Manual 1348.33-V3, Manual of Military Decorations and Awards, Volume 3.

Firefighter surprises son at school after year-long separation

by Staff Sgt. Jamal Sutter
23d Wing Public Affairs

2/11/2013 - VALDOSTA, Ga. -- It was a typical Friday afternoon for Sallas Mahone Elementary School first graders as they cheered in anticipation of a bright red fire truck, but for one 6-year-old, it would be a surprise a year in the making.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Eric Kunzman returned home Feb. 8 and reunited with his son, Christian, following a year-long tour at Osan Air Base, Korea.

Kunzman, who was a 23d Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., before leaving for Korea, joined two of his former co-workers in what was thought to be a normal visit to the school for a fire-safety demonstration.

"This is more nerve-wrecking than a fire," he said as he and the fire truck approached the children. "A fire doesn't have feelings; my son does. I'm pretty anxious ... almost as bad as when I left."

Kunzman showed up fully equipped in firefighter attire, totally unrecognizable to anyone, especially Christian. When Staff Sgt. Jonathon Flacker, 23d CES fire department crew chief, asked the crowd of first graders for a volunteer, they all raised their hands. Flacker chose Christian and asked him to pull back the visor of the unknown firefighter who he, then, saw was his father.

While in Korea, Kunzman communicated with Christian solely through internet video chat and letters, a feat that was difficult to deal with.

"Being gone for a year, I've missed his birthday and every holiday," Kunzman said. "He's young enough to not understand fully why I'm gone, but he's old enough to realize I am gone."

The homecoming came about when Kunzman's wife, Crystal, talked with Christian's teacher about the idea. The working relationship between the school and Moody's fire department made the event easy to plan and execute.

"We have the fire department come out a good bit for demonstrations for our children, so it tied in very well with that," said Charles Glover, Sallas Mahone Elementary School principal. "It feels great, because we have so many military families here, and they are such an asset to our school.

"We appreciate the military so much," Glover added. "The things we're able to do are because of the brave men and women in the military who are fighting for us."

Kunzman said he originally only wanted to surprise Christian in his Airman Battlefield Uniform but thought the firefighter idea would mean more because of his son's interest in one day following his footsteps.

"He loves firefighting," he said. "He tells me all the time he wants to grow up to be a firefighter, and this was something I've wanted to do."

Leading up to the homecoming, Kunzman experienced a lot of anticipation about getting back to his family.

"The last couple weeks, it's been hard to sleep," he said. "Once we got out here and got everything going, it kind of dissipated."

Now that the nerves have settled, the family plans on spending quality time together before leaving in a couple of weeks for their next duty assignment at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

Operation Homecoming for Vietnam POWs Marks 40 Years

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2013 – Forty years ago today, a C-141A Starlifter transport jet with a distinctive red cross on its tail lifted off from Hanoi, North Vietnam, and the first flight of 40 U.S. prisoners of war began their journey home through Operation Homecoming.

Newly freed prisoners of war celebrate as their C-141A aircraft lifts off from Hanoi, North Vietnam, on Feb. 12, 1973, during Operation Homecoming. The mission included 54 C-141 flights between Feb. 12 and April 4, 1973, returning 591 POWs to American soil. U.S. Air Force photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

By the day’s end, three C-141A aircraft would lift off from Hanoi, as well as a C-9A aircraft from Saigon, South Vietnam. In a steady flow of flights through late March 1973 under terms set through the Paris Peace Accords, 591 POWs returned to American soil. Americans were spellbound as they watched news clips of the POWs being carried in stretchers or walking tentatively toward U.S. officers at the awaiting aircraft for the first flight from Hanoi’s Gia Lam Airport.

The POWs ranged from privates first class to colonels, all wearing new gray uniforms issued by the North Vietnamese just before their release.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. James R. Cook, who suffered severe wounds when he bailed out of his stricken aircraft over North Vietnam in December 1972, saluted the U.S. colors from his stretcher as he was carried aboard the aircraft. Also on the first flight was Navy Cmdr. Everett Alvarez Jr., the first American pilot to be shot down in North Vietnam and, by the war’s end, the longest-held POW there. He spent eight-and-a-half years in captivity.

Celebration broke out aboard the first aircraft -- nicknamed the “Hanoi Taxi” -- as it lifted skyward and the POWs experienced their first taste of freedom.

Historian Andrew H. Lipps captured the magnitude of the moment in his account, “Operation Homecoming: The Return of American POWs from Vietnam.”

“Imagine you’re imprisoned in a cage; imagine the cage surrounded by the smell of feces; imagine the rotted food you eat is so infested with insects that to eat only a few is a blessing; imagine knowing your life could be taken by one of your captors on a whim at any moment; imagine you are subjected to mental and physical torture designed to break not bones but instead spirit on a daily basis. That was being a prisoner of North Vietnam,” Lipps wrote.

“Then imagine one day, after seemingly endless disappointment, you are given a change of clothes and lined up to watch an American plane land to return you home. That was Operation Homecoming.”

Aeromedical teams assigned to each aircraft tended to the former POWs during the two-and-a-half hour flight to Clark Air Base in the Philippines, the first stop on their trip home. Meanwhile, many of the POWs joked and smoked American cigarettes as they caught up on all they’d missed while in captivity: fashion trends and the women’s liberation movement, among them.

“Everything seemed like heaven,” recalled Air Force Capt. Larry Chesley, who, after being shot down over North Vietnam, spent seven years in the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” and other POW prisons. “When the doors of that C-141 closed, there were tears in the eyes of every man aboard,” he said.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier, the last Vietnam POW to serve in the Air Force, recalled the emotion of his own journey out of North Vietnam on Feb. 18, 1973. "When we got airborne and the frailty of being a POW turned into the reality of freedom, we yelled, cried and cheered,” he said.

The POWs arrived to a hero’s welcome at Clark Air Base, where Navy Adm. Noel Gayler, commander of U.S. Forces Pacific, led their greeting party. Joining him were Air Force Lt. Gen. William G. Moore Jr., who commanded 13th Air Force and the homecoming operation at Clark, and Roger Shields, deputy assistant secretary of defense for POW/MIA affairs.

Speaking to the crowd that lined the tarmac to welcome the aircraft, returning POW Navy Capt. Jeremiah Denton -- who would go on to earn the rank of rear admiral and later was elected to the U.S. Senate, representing Alabama -- elicited cheers as he thanked all who had worked for their release and proclaimed, “God bless America.”

Air Force Lt. Col. Carlyle “Smitty” Harris, who spent almost eight years as a POW after being shot down over North Vietnam, joined the many other POWs who echoed that sentiment. “My only message is, ‘God bless America,’” he said, dismissing assertions in the media that the POWs had been directed to say it.
“With six, seven or eight years to think about the really important things in life, a belief in God and country was strengthened in every POW with whom I had contact,” he said. “Firsthand exposure to a system which made a mockery of religion and where men are unable to know truth made us all appreciate some of the most basic values in ‘God bless America.’”

Air Force Col. Robinson Risner, the senior Air Force officer at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" honored today by a statue in his likeness at the U.S. Air Force Academy, choked back emotion as he arrived on the second C-141 flight from Hanoi.

“Thank you all for bringing us home to freedom again,” he told the crowd.

After receiving medical exams and feasting on steak, ice cream and other American food, the former POWs received new uniforms for their follow-on flights home. Their aircraft made stops in Hawaii and California. The first group of 20 former POWs arrived at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 14, 1973.

News clips of the arrival reveal the deep emotion of the freed POWs as they arrived on the U.S. mainland. Navy Capt. James Stockdale, who went on to become a vice admiral and vice presidential candidate, was the first man to limp off the aircraft.

Stockdale paused to thank his countrymen for the loyalty they had showed him and his fellow POWs. “The men who follow me down that ramp know what loyalty means because they have been living with loyalty, living on loyalty, the past several years -- loyalty to each other, loyalty to the military, loyalty to our commander-in-chief,” he said.

Of the 591 POWs liberated during Operation Homecoming, 325 served in the Air Force, 138 in the Navy; 77 in the Army and 26 in the Marine Corps. Twenty-five of the POWs were civilian employees of U.S. government agencies.

In addition, 69 POWs the Viet Cong had held in South Vietnam left aboard flights from Loc Ninh. Nine other POWs were released from Laos, and three from China.

Forty years after their release, two of the former POWs serve in Congress: Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas.

A dinner and ceremony being planned for late May at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California will honor the POWs, recreating the dinner the president hosted for them at the White House in 19

McConnell Reserve unit honors World War II Veteran, Air Force heritage

by 1st Lt. Zach Anderson
931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs

2/12/2013 - MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- A routine trip to a grocery store turned into a brush with living Air Force history for the commander of McConnell's Air Force Reserve unit last month.

Col. Mark S. Larson, 931st Air Refueling Group commander, was searching the store aisles for snacks before heading home to watch a football game. But among the pretzels, chips and soda, the colonel ended up discovering a living part of Air Force heritage.

"I was walking through the store and noticed an older gentleman wearing a World War II Veteran hat," said Larson. "Whenever I see one of those guys, I try to talk to them because there are fewer and fewer of them left and they all have a story to tell about their time in the service."

Larson made his way over to the gentleman, introduced himself, and asked the man about his experience in the war.

"Like most of those guys, he didn't talk much at first. That is just how that generation was," said Larson. "Those guys went over, did their job, and then came back home and reintegrated with their communities without thinking much about it. That's exactly how he was. But I kept asking him questions because I really wanted to hear his story."

After a few more questions, Larson said he finally began to get a bit more information from the individual.

"He shared with me that he had been a member of the Army Air Corps," said Larson. "That really piqued my interest, because that meant he was one of my own and a part of Air Force heritage."

As it turned out, the individual to whom Larson was speaking, Mr. Adrian Marlin, had an incredible story of air combat and service to country.

According to newspaper records, Marlin enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 and soon thereafter was sent overseas to England where he served as a tail gunner on a B-17 flying fortress. He and his aircrew were part of a massive Allied offensive, flying bombing missions over targets in Germany throughout the war. In all, Marlin completed 35 combat missions.

It was on one of these missions that Marlin survived one of the most harrowing experiences an aircrew member can endure when he and his crew were shot down during a bombing run in Nov. 1944.

According newspaper accounts from the time, Marlin's B-17, the "Dallas Dottie," was on its way to bomb oil targets at Meresburg, Germany, when its number two engine was knocked out by anti-aircraft flak. Despite this, the crew tried to carry on with their mission by flying on only three engines, until the plane's number one engine began sputtering. At that point, the pilot, 2nd Lt. Raymond Reams, made the decision to turn around and fly back to friendly territory.

After flying for more than two hours on only two engines, the plane's number four engine began failing as well. The pilot made the decision to attempt a crash landing in a field in Belgium. As the crippled aircraft descended into the field, the left wing struck a post in the ground. On impact, the plane ripped through a fence and came to rest in a ditch. The left wing caught fire and the plane broke in two.

Quoted in a newspaper account of the incident, a then 20-year-old Marlin said, "The concussion and shock when we hit was almost unbelievable. We were thrown all around the radio room. We immediately took inventory see that we were all alright."
Luckily, the entire crew survived the incident. Within minutes of the crash landing, the crew was assisted by Belgians, who helped them make their way to a first-aid post, from which they were eventually sent back to their home base in England.

After hearing Marlin's story, Larson said he wanted to find a way to say thank you to the Veteran for his service and sacrifice.

"I immediately thought of our military awards banquet," said Larson. "I asked him if he and his wife would be interested in attending the banquet as my guests of honor."
On the night of the banquet, Larson introduced Marlin and his wife of 67 years, Neveline, and shared Marlin's story with the audience.

"Adrian Marlin is a part of the heritage of the Air Force," said Larson. "What we have today grew out of the Army Air Corps. When we think of who the pioneers of aviation were and we look back at the people we look up to, it's him and the men like him."

Larson then presented Marlin with a trophy as a token of appreciation for his service, and Marlin received a long standing ovation from the more than 350 Airmen and guests in attendance.

Marlin said he was truly touched by the gesture and the opportunity to interact with the current generation of Airmen.

"It was real nice," said Marlin. "It was something new for me, and I really, really appreciated it. I think the Air Force is in very good hands. We have a lot of good Airmen out there."

"It made me feel good to see how much people appreciated that," said Larson. "They don't know him, but they have a sense of where we came from as an Air Force, and hold an appreciation for the history and the sacrifice that is there, and they are proud of that heritage. The whole reason I brought him here was to honor him and his service, and to rekindle in our own minds that sense of honor, duty, and dedication."

Larson said it's that appreciation of history and heritage that first prompted him to speak to Marlin.

"We in the Air Force may not have a 200 year history, but we do have history," said Larson. "One of the most important things we need our Airmen to understand is that we are the Air Force we are today because of the people who had some foresight, took risks, established the Army Air Corps and eventually the Air Force. Today we all benefit from their hard work and sacrifice."

He continued, "Remembering the past gives you pride in your heritage, and I think it helps motivate you to do good things, to take pride in your duty and try to do it even better. It inspires you to take what you were given and leave it even better."

It's a rare occasion that a chance encounter in such an ordinary place, a grocery store, will lead to meeting such an extraordinary individual with such a remarkable story. Larson said it's a lesson that Airmen should always take advantage of the opportunity to speak with and learn from those who have served before.

"Never, ever pass up that opportunity," said Larson. "At the very minimum, anytime we see a Veteran, we at least owe them a thank you for their service. Ten years from now, we won't have our World War II Veterans around anymore. Never let the opportunity go by to talk with someone who can give you that perspective."

Pope Field offers safe haven for Rhode Island aircraft

by Adam Luther
440 AW/PA

2/12/2013 - POPE FIELD, N.C. -- The 143rd Airlift Wing diverted six of its C-130J Hercules aircraft here Feb. 6  as Winter Storm Nemo struck the unit's home base at Quonset Point Air National Guard Station, R.I.

The aircraft are expected to depart from Pope Field Feb. 12, but with more winter storms on the horizon, that date may be pushed backed.

"We are grateful to the Airmen of Pope Field for assisting the 143rd Airlift Wing in this time of need," said Col. Arthur J. Floru, 143rd AW commander. "The long standing total force relationship we have with the 440th Airlift Wing has proven its effectiveness time and time again."

One full crew and four maintenance personnel have remained at Pope Field while Winter Storm Nemo moves through the northeast. While only a few hours flight away from Quonset Point, Pope Field offers a strategic option to bases on the east coast because of the relatively mild winters.

"With any impending weather event that would not be healthy for our aircraft, units will assess the impending threat and look out to see where they can position aircraft and personnel where they will be safer and capable of use should the nation need those assets," said Col. Sharon Johnson, 440th Maintenance Group Commander.

"Between the volume of snow and the expected hurricane strength winds, Rhode Island made the decision to evacuate their aircraft. Severe hurricane-force winds can have a devastating effect on aircraft hydraulics and flight control systems. Once exposed, those systems require extensive inspections before they can be airworthy again," Johnson said. "Between our airfield operations personnel, operations group personnel, transient alert and the 440th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; it was seamless to allow our C-130 brethren respite during the storm. We're glad we had the ramp space and resources to accommodate them!"

Winter Storm Nemo buried areas of the American Northeast in more than three feet of snow and left more than 600,000 people without power.

The C-130 Hercules is known as the work horse of combat airlift operations; often performing tactical portions of the U.S. Air Force airlift mission as it is capable of landing and taking off from rough dirt landing strips, and is apt for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.

Face of Defense: Navy Corpsman Shares Skills With Marines

By Marine Corps Pfc. Daniel Hosack
Marine Barracks Washington, 8th and I

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2013 – A native of South Amboy, N.J., is helping to save the lives of Marines here by sharing his skills as a corpsman.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Pappas explains to Marines how to properly apply a bandage on a wound during a Combat Lifesaver Course at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., Jan. 31, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Dan Hosack   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Pappas, one of three Navy corpsmen stationed at Marine Barracks Washington, taught the Combat Lifesaver Course to 30 Marines on Jan. 31. The course teaches critical battlefield first-aid techniques designed to save the lives of Marines injured in combat.

The three-day course gives Marines the hands-on instruction needed to provide lifesaving first aid in combat. They learned how to identify burns, treat bone fractures and wounds, and attend to other common battlefield injuries. The Marines also learned how to apply a tourniquet and open an airway, and they were taught how to evacuate fellow injured Marines off the battlefield.

“I think it’s a great course, because it teaches the Marines to take care of each other if something happens to one of them,” Pappas said.

Pappas, who served in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011, said he believes the three-day course was time well spent, and that the skills taught in the course increase the probability of Marines returning home if injured in combat.

“A course like this one is vital, because it increases the amount of Marines we can get back alive to their families,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Charles Barbarick, a corpsman who taught the course with Pappas. “Our role is to ensure the well-being of mind, body and spirit of all our Marines.”

In his regular duties, Pappas is responsible for the medical care and the overall health and wellness of the Marines he serves with, as well as the management of the unit’s “sick call,” the military’s equivalent of an urgent care center.

Pappas said he plans on staying in the Navy and entering the Navy Nurse Corps.

AETC best in Air Force for ground safety in 2012

by Tech. Sgt. Beth Anschutz
Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

2/12/2013 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas  -- Air Education and Training Command Safety was awarded the Colonel Will L. Tubbs Memorial Award for ground safety for fiscal year 2012.

The award recognizes the most effective major command, direct reporting unit or forward operating agency ground safety program.

"We're very excited about this award because it captures a command-wide success story," said Colonel Tal Metzgar, AETC Director of Safety. "The Tubbs award recognizes the leadership of the headquarters safety staff, wing safety professionals, line-level supervisors and individual Airmen and civilians who own mishap prevention."

Reduction of military and civilian injuries and fatalities is the primary selection criteria for the award and AETC led the way with zero on-duty fatalities in fiscal year 2012 and a 33 percent drop in fatalities from the ten-year average.

"While it is impossible to contribute this reduction to any one cause, we've been working for several years to create a great safety culture in AETC," said Edward Talbott, AETC Ground Safety manager. "Our commanders, supervisors, military training leaders, and technical training instructors do a great job of conveying great safety messages to all our Airmen. This improved safety culture means Airmen are keeping risk management in their thoughts, and we have less injuries and fatalities occurring across the command."

The team also reported a 30 percent decrease in military on-duty mishaps and a 14 percent decrease in civilian mishaps for fiscal year 2012. Talbott says these statistics are important, but the culture change among the Airmen and civilian workforce is what will really benefit the force in the future.

"Supervisors and workers are working safer and smarter," Talbott said. "Working safer and smarter has paid dividends in the reduction of on-duty mishaps. People are making good choices, working as a team, and calling 'knock-it-off' when potentially dangerous situations arise."

The AETC Safety team's focus on private motor vehicle mishap prevention also paid off with a 28 percent mitigation for fiscal year 2012. AETC has lost 70 Airmen to motor vehicle accidents in the last 10 years, and Talbott says his team is very happy to see the numbers decline.

"Private motor vehicle mishaps are the biggest threat to our Airman, and one of the greatest concerns to safety personnel across the command," Talbott said. "Not only are safer cars contributing to this, but supervisors are making a difference by highlighting risk management with their young Airmen."

Although the headquarters safety team is honored to win the Tubbs award, Metzgar says in the end the entire command is on the same team moving toward a common goal.

"Our purpose is to protect lives and preserve our limited resources," Metzgar said. "Now, more than ever, protecting our highly trained Airmen and preserving resources is vital to national security. Simply put, you cannot do the mission without people and resources."

Rising temperatures create challenges for Deep Freeze missions

by Airman 1st Class Madelyn McCullough
446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

2/7/2013 - MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  A team of 35 McChord Airmen supporting operations in Antarctica face new challenges during the final rotation of the 2012-2013 Operation Deep Freeze season.

Airmen from the 446th and 62nd Airlift Wings form the 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and fly the C-17 Globemaster III on resupply missions from Christchurch, New Zealand, to McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

ODF is a joint service operation in support of the U.S. Antarctic Program and provides logistical support for the National Science Foundation's scientific research in Antarctica.

To accomplish these missions, they use two ice runways, a seasonal runway and the more permanent Pegasus runway.

Rising temperatures in Antarctica have left the Pegasus in a dwindling condition. Reduced from its usual size of 10,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, the runway is now 9,000 feet long and 90 feet wide. The minimum width for a safe C-17 landing is 90 feet.

"We've never had issues with Pegasus runway (melting) before," said Chief Master Sgt. Jim Masura, 446th Operations Group standard evaluation loadmaster. "To have it breaking apart, melting and unavailable is very odd."

Pegasus runway is 22 miles away from McMurdo and is used as a backup once the seasonal ice runway melts into the sea. The seasonal runway, just a mile away from McMurdo, is built out of frozen ocean water. When it melts every year, the 304th EAS turns to Pegasus to carry out the rest of the missions. Since Pegasus began breaking apart, C-17s have not been able to land. It even prevented the last rotation in Christchurch from flying any missions to Antarctica, keeping the people at McMurdo from getting all the supplies they need.

"I think it's really going to affect our ability to help the people down there," Masura said. "They're getting by, but they're not getting everything they need for the winter."

If the C-17 is unable to land, the LC-130s from the New York Air National Guard will be very busy until the end of the season, said Lt. Col. Scott Amerman, 304th EAS director of operations. The LC-130s take longer to fly to Antarctica and only carry a quarter of the cargo a C-17 would, but they have landing skis so runways are not an issue.

Since the weather in Antarctica is subject to rapid change, the scientists believe they can revive the runway in time for the last rotation to fly its missions.

"The National Science Foundation is leaning forward," Amerman said. "They're hopeful that they're going to be able to build us a runway for what we need to do. Since the C-17s provide so much lift, about the same as four LC-130 missions, they aren't ready to give that up."

Just like the NSF, Airmen on the crew are up for the challenge.

"Not everyone gets to visit Antarctica so getting to go there is my motivation," said Tech Sgt. Ron Capalungan, 446th Maintenance Squadron air reserve technician and 304th EAS aircraft hydraulic mechanic. "I've never been on a mission this high profile in such an extreme environment. I expect it to be challenging."

ODF is possibly the military's most difficult peacetime mission due to the harsh Antarctic environment. The Air Force is specially equipped with trained and experienced personnel to operate in these austere conditions and have provided support to the NSF since 1955.

McChord has participated in ODF since 1983 using the C-141B Starlifter. The 446th AW got involved in 1995. The first C-17 trial for use to support ODF was Oct. 15, 1999.

Air Force tuition assistance implements change

by Airman 1st Class Victoria Taylor
633 Air Base Wing Public Affairs

2/12/2013 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -  -- The U.S. Air Force Tuition Assistance program altered its guidelines Jan. 3 to emphasize the new requirement of maintaining a grade point average of at least 2.0, on a 4-point scale.

"By adopting these changes, the Air Force is falling in line with the federal government and the schools sharing GPA guidelines," said Bertram Hardnett, the education and training services chief at Langley Air Force Base, Va. "This causes the member to act and think more responsibly when signing up for courses."

The changes affect policy concerning waivers, missing grades and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for undergraduates and 3.0 for graduate-level students.

To help students with the new TA process, colleges in the area are getting involved with Air Force programs, making course and degree information simple to access.

"Colleges are on-board with the Air Force Academic Institution Portal, which is the institutional side of our Air Force Automated Education Management System," Hardnett said. "Schools are loading college degree plans, course schedules and degree completions, as well as providing grades and invoicing in the system."

This partnership helps to eliminate mistakes on TA applications, payments and reimbursements. The student can load a degree plan into their record without emailing or bringing one to the education office.

If students are not signed up for this, a hard copy of grades must be taken to the education office within 60 days after the class ends to avoid paying out-of-pocket for the course.

"The new changes will be more beneficial to the Department of Defense, Department of Education and all of the higher educational institutions that are streamlining the process for students," Hardnett said.

The Air Force provides $4,500 a year in tuition assistance to active-duty personnel and activated members of the National Guard and Reserve. Members are eligible to use TA for Community College of the Air Force courses, an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree and a one-time certification in any academic area they want to pursue.

For more information, contact your local Education Office.