Three bases identified as F-16 aggressor candidate bases

Published November 19, 2014

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials, on Nov. 19, announced Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Nellis AFB, Nevada, as candidate bases to host the 18th Aggressor Squadron and its assigned 18 F-16 Fighting Falcons.

The aggressors are currently based at Eielson AFB, which the Air Force recently announced is the preferred alternative for 48 F-35A Lightning II Conventional Takeoff and Landing Variant aircraft.

“Now that we have identified Eielson AFB as the preferred alternative for the (Pacific Air Forces) F-35s, we must determine whether Eielson AFB is still the best location for the 18th Aggressor Squadron’s F-16s or if another installation would be better suited for the mission.” said Timothy Bridges, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations. “We’ll be sending Headquarters Air Combat Command out to the three installations to complete site surveys.”

Air Combat Command will conduct detailed, on-the-ground site surveys of each candidate base. They will assess each location against operational and training requirements, potential impacts to existing missions, housing, infrastructure and manpower. Additionally, they will develop cost estimates to bed down the aircraft at each candidate base.

Once the site surveys are completed, the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force will select preferred and reasonable alternative bases for the aggressor mission. The Air Force expects to make that announcement in early 2015 and begin the environmental impact analysis process soon thereafter.

“We look forward to the next phase when preferred and reasonable alternatives are announced and our candidate base communities have an opportunity to participate by providing input during the environmental impact analysis process,” Bridges said.

The 18th AGRS stood up Aug. 24, 2007. The 18 AGRS prepares Combat Air Force, joint and allied aircrews to meet the demanding requirements of air-to-air combat through challenging, realistic threat replication, training, test support, academics and feedback.

AF expands digital library content for Airmen

By Janis El Shabazz, Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs / Published November 19, 2014

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- Airmen at 19 Air Force installations around the world will soon have access to a new 200-title audiobook and eBook digital library, Air Force officials said.

The 19 participating installations will help test digital content distribution using the new Air Force eReader AERO; a single portable device developed by digital content provider Findaway World in collaboration with the Air Force Library Program Office.

“Our mission is to support Airmen and their families around the world through library facilities, resources and tools that enhance their quality of life and build resiliency,” said Air Force Library Branch Chief Margie Buchanan. “When we learned what a positive impact the Navy had with their eReader we decided that it would be a great quality-of-life initiative to create one for Air Force personnel.”

AERO is a custom-designed, secure device, pre-loaded with items selected by the Air Force Library Program.

The device augments the Air Force Library services by increasing the size of each library’s content catalog without the need for additional base library staff training and physical logistics.

Airmen will access the new digital content, which will include best-sellers, classics, professional development and entertainment titles, via a device a bit smaller than a Kindle™, which will be available for checkout next month at the following Air Force bases: Edwards AFB, California; Goodfellow AFB and Laughlin AFB, Texas; Little Rock AFB, Arkansas; Minot AFB, North Dakota; Whiteman AFB, Missouri; Holloman AFB and Cannon AFB, New Mexico; Luke AFB, Arizona; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson, Alaska.

Air bases that will help test the new digital media include Kadena AB, Misawa AB and Yokota AB, Japan; Kunsan AB and Osan AB, Korea; Aviano AB, Italy, and Incirlik AB, Turkey.

SECAF begins Pacific visit at 15th WG, HQPACAF

by Staff Sgt. Alexander Martinez
15th Wing Public Affairs

11/19/2014 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James toured the 15th Wing flightline and Pacific Air Forces headquarters and met with Airmen during a brief visit to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Nov. 17.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, was James' first stop on an 11-day trip through the Pacific region. During her trip, James will have the opportunity to better familiarize herself with command missions and communicate her priorities to Airmen, as the rebalance of the Air Force's presence to the Pacific continues -- a mission she described as being "very much alive."

"The Pacific is increasingly important to us," James said during a PACAF press conference. "We have been a Pacific power for many years, and ... we are going to remain a Pacific power for many years to come."

After an office call and joint press conference with Gen. Lori J. Robinson, PACAF commander, James received a windshield tour of the JBPHH flightline en route to the 19th and 199th Fighter Squadrons to learn about the active duty and Air National Guard F-22 Raptor mission here and discuss current and future Raptor operations.

From there, James headed to the Binnicker Professional Military Education Center where she visited with the staff of the center, followed by a one-on-one meeting with the base's sexual assault response coordinator.

"Thank you, everyone, for all that you do," James said. "It's a lot of responsibility to shape the Air Force's future leaders, and I know you are all doing a great job in doing so."

After a lunch with Airmen and wing leadership, James thanked everyone for their help during her visit before heading to the U.S. Pacific Command to meet with leadership.

James' Pacific visit will take her to bases in Guam, Japan, Korea and Alaska before heading back to Washington D.C.

Kunsan hosts Exercise Max Thunder 14-2

by Senior Airman Divine Cox
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/18/2014 - KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea  -- U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy personnel and aircraft are training with Republic of Korea air force units in the semi-annual, bilateral training exercise, Max Thunder 14-2, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 14 through 22.

Exercise Max Thunder 14-2 consists of more than 1,300 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines working alongside elements of the ROKAF to conduct exercise scenarios simulating combined flying operations against hostile forces.

U.S. forces are jointly coordinating with ROK air forces personnel on all aspects of training, including planning, large force employment tactics and debriefing for the largest flying exercise held on the Korean Peninsula.

"Max Thunder exercises give us the opportunity to sharpen our joint and combined capabilities with our ROK allies," said Col. Ken "Wolf" Ekman, 8th Fighter Wing commander and Max Thunder 14-2 Expeditionary Force commander. "By improving our interoperability in these challenging scenarios, ROK and U.S. pilots will be ready to fight as an effective team in any contingency."

Aircraft, equipment and personnel deployed to Kunsan in support of Max Thunder 14-2 are joining the Wolf Pack and the ROKAF 38th Fighter Group from units both on and off the peninsula, including 12th Marine Aircraft Group F/A-18 Hornets; U.S. 7th Fleet EA-18G Growlers; 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Patriots; and ROKAF F-15Ks, KF-16s, F-5s and F-4's.

"Accepting follow-on forces represents a vital mission element for Kunsan AB," Wolf said. "Hosting Max Thunder allows us to practice these skills as we bed down large numbers of aircraft and people, then generate a high volume of sorties shortly after their arrival."

Similar in size to the U.S.-hosted Red Flag exercises, Max Thunder supports mission commander training and exposes younger pilots to large-scale, high-threat flying in a peacetime environment. This exposure helps younger pilots be more successful and survivable in their first actual combat missions, Wolf said.

"The ROK and U.S. alliance is one of the longest standing alliances in modern history," he continued. "Max Thunder exercises serve to strengthen our combined readiness and strengthen the close relationships between the military forces of our two nations."

Services Look to New Ways to Recruit, Retain Personnel

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2014 – All the services are looking at different ways to attract and retain the best recruits for the military, and that may include some form of interrupted service, the chief of naval personnel said here today.

Speaking with Defense One’s Stephanie Gaskell at the organization’s summit, Navy Vice Adm. Bill Moran said the millennial generation poses new recruiting and retention challenges.

“We’re dealing with a generation of folks who view the world differently than when I grew up,” Moran said. “The personnel system we have in place today is based, really, on a post-World War II model, with some adjustments along the way. I do think it is time we rethink how we manage our people.”

Current Generation Wants Varied Experiences

The way the current generation thinks about service and careers is different, and the Defense Department would make a mistake not recognizing those difference, the admiral said. “What we’ve learned from talking to a lot of men and women in this generation [is that] they want to see more experience both inside and outside service organizations.”

They want the experience of working in the military or the police or other service organizations, Moran said, but they also want to experience life in private enterprise as well. “Our system is pretty much an ‘up-or-out system,’” he added. “You join and you either join for a career or you join for a short tour and move on. I don’t think we can afford to do that in the future.”

Moran said he has had conversations with his Army and Air Force counterparts on changing the way the services manage their forces.

“If you have a generation of young men and women who aren’t ready to commit to a career at the five-year or eight-year point, we generally just say, ‘Thank you for your service’ and move on,” he said. “I’m not sure we can afford to do that in the future.”

Among Ideas: Off- and On-ramps for Service

Recruiting and training people costs a lot of money, the admiral noted. “I would like to see us to move toward a system that allows people to have an off-ramp from service -- to get a new job, start a family, see what the world is like on the other side -- and then have an on-ramp to come back,” he said.

The services would save a lot in training costs, the admiral said. “We would get a more mature, experienced sailor,” he added. “Those are the kinds of things we are looking at. Corporate America and other big businesses are also looking at this.”

Sailors doing their jobs at sea or at the front have excellent morale, the admiral said, but those farther back do not have the same esprit.

Making deployments more predictable would go a long way toward raising all sailors’ morale, he said. Sequestration spending cuts have played a role in this unpredictability, he said, but the service is working toward fixing that problem. Still, he added, it will take four or five years to build this into the fleet.