30th NCR Marks 50 Year Return to Vietnam

By Pacific Partnership and 30th NCR Public Affairs

DA NANG, Vietnam (NNS) -- The 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30 NCR), embarked aboard USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) as Commander, Task Force Forager for Pacific Partnership 2015 (PP15), arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam, Aug. 17.

The arrival marked just over 50 years and three months since the regiment was reactivated in Da Nang under Commander, Naval Construction Battalions, U.S. Pacific Fleet during the Vietnam War on May 10, 1965, and coincides with the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries 20 years ago.

"It is an honor to return to Vietnam 50 years after the regiment was re-activated in 1965 for the Vietnam War," said Commodore, Task Force Forager, Capt. James Meyer. "Our return to Vietnam is a historical event that I am proud to be part of. 30 NCR serving as a command element for Pacific Partnership 2015 continues to demonstrate the capability and flexibility of the regiment and the efforts the command has historically - and is currently - completing in the Pacific and in Vietnam."

The regiment's mission during the war was exercising operational control over mobile construction battalions deployed to Vietnam. It maintained liaisons with other military commands, assigned construction projects to Seabee engineering units, and monitored their performance.

During its current visit, the regiment will be using its command and control and engineering expertise to execute humanitarian and disaster relief oriented activities.

Seabees from Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE and U.S. Air Force "RED HORSE" engineers will help renovate three medical buildings in Da Nang, as well as renovate bathrooms at a disadvantaged children's center.

"These efforts have produced improved school facilities and expanded capabilities for medical care in these remote locations," said Master Chief Constructionman James White. "These efforts help us make meaningful impacts to people's lives as well as build lasting relationships with those we work alongside."

In addition, Pacific Partnership's U.S. and partner nation service members, as well as non-governmental organizations, will work together to conduct subject matter expert exchanges on various medical and disaster relief topics, host dental engagements, and volunteer for community outreach events.

"Our current humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness mission with Pacific Partnership is a great way to return to Vietnam and also celebrate the 20th anniversary of normalized relations between the US and Vietnam," said Meyer. "Today's Vietnam is very different than 50 years ago. Both our countries have developed and changed over the years, as has our relationship. We are looking forward to increase partnership and cooperation between our countries working together for peace, stability and security in the Pacific region."

Commander, 30th NCR provides operational control over naval engineering forces throughout the Pacific, Southwest Asia, and the western United States in response to combat commander and naval component commander requirements. They serve an integral part of the Naval Construction Force and accomplish major combat operations, theater security cooperation, humanitarian assistance, disaster recovery, and Phase Zero requirements across the Pacific area of responsibility.

Today, more than 4,000 active duty and reserve Sailors are assigned to the Pacific Fleet Seabees. Construction tasks in the Pacific range from renovating living quarters, ports and airfields, to constructing major operational training and support facilities.

Disaster relief and helping others help themselves is a part of the Seabee tradition. Seabees have the capability to provide relief after natural disasters, which includes providing temporary berthing and utilities, cleaning debris, restoring communication systems, and repairing damaged homes, buildings and base structures.

Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. While training for crisis conditions, Pacific Partnership missions to date have provided medical care to approximately 270,000 patients and veterinary services to more than 38,000 animals. Additionally, PP15 has provided critical infrastructure development to host nations through the completion of more than 180 engineering projects.

Keel Laying for Future Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy

The Navy will lay the keel for the second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 10 a.m.

John F. Kennedy, designated CVN 79, is the second aircraft carrier to honor President John F. Kennedy for a lifetime of service to the United States of America as a trusted leader and public servant. He wore the uniform of our nation as a Naval Officer and served as the 35th President of the United States of America, 1961-1963. The ship’s sponsor is Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, President Kennedy’s daughter.

"The keel-laying for CVN-79 is an important milestone in returning a carrier named John F. Kennedy to our fleet, continuing the rich tradition of the name,” said Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy. “President Kennedy was not only an inspirational leader, but also a Sailor, a man who deeply understood the importance of the Navy and the presence it provides - a presence that will soon be enabled for decades to come by this great ship - a ship that will be brought to life through our partnership with the shipbuilding industry and the men and women whose tireless efforts bring our ships from concept to reality."

Lt. j.g. Kennedy commanded a Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron in the Pacific during World War II. His torpedo patrol boat PT-109 was rammed and cut in half by a Japanese destroyer during a night patrol on Aug. 2, 1943. Although suffering a serious back injury that plagued him the rest of his life, Kennedy helped his crew get to safety. For his actions, he earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, among other citations.

The first John F. Kennedy (CVA 67) was christened on May 27, 1967. “Big John” went on 17 deployments, launched strikes on Iraq during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-91 and participated in numerous multi-nation training exercises throughout the world. One two-week training exercise in the Caribbean turned into a 35,127-mile odyssey to the Mediterranean that spanned six months after periods of tension in the Middle East cropped up during the second half of 1970. After nearly four decades of service, the last conventionally-powered aircraft carrier was decommissioned Aug. 1, 2007.

John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is the numerical replacement for the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), which is slated for inactivation in 2025. The Gerald R. Ford-class will be the premier forward asset for crisis response and early decisive striking power in a major combat operation well into the 21st century. Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, along with their embarked air wings and other strike group assets will provide the core capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance. The class brings improved warfighting capability, quality of life improvements for our Sailors and reduced total ownership costs.

Gerald R. Ford-class carriers are approximately 100,000 tons, nearly 1,092 feet in length, have a beam of 134 feet, and can operate at more than 30 knots. The propulsion system is comprised of two nuclear reactors and four shafts. Each ship in the new class will save about $4 billion in total ownership costs during its 50-year service life, when compared to their Nimitz-class counterparts they are designed to replace.

Airmen conduct tests for KC-46 program

by Rebecca Amber
412th Test Wing Public Affairs

8/21/2015 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 418th Flight Test Squadron is setting the stage for the arrival of the new KC-46 Pegasus by conducting legacy tanker fuel surge testing at Edwards Air Force Base California, July 26 through Aug. 9, 2015.

In the past, both the KC-135 and the KC-10 were tested successively on the ground to baseline surge pressure environments. The same test will be conducted upon the arrival of the Boeing KC-46 to determine what its surge environments will look like in flight based off of comparisons to legacy platforms.

Justin Almeleh, 418th FLTS, aerial refueling flight test engineer said, "We know that the KC-10 and KC-135 don't cause damage to the receivers in flight during refueling. Therefore, with successful test data, we can deduce that the KC-46 should have no greater risk of causing damage in flight than any legacy platform we have in place right now."

The test was a risk-reduction effort designed to eliminate the need to instrument receiver fuel systems in flight. The instrumentation required to test in flight would have been very costly, technically challenging and difficult to schedule.

Instead, the ground test is conducted using a Boeing tool that is a combination of a boom test unit that connects to a surge test tool. The surge test tool in essence is a multi-pronged flow diverter that simulates a variety of fuel receiver classes seen in different airplanes.

Using that set up, fuel was sent through the boom of each aircraft and stabilized at a specific flow rate in each given line. Then, they deliberately generated surge pressures in the fuel lines to determine the maximum surge pressure a receiver would see in flight behind a KC-10 and KC-135.

With the use of different sized fuel lines and varying valve closure rates, the test team was able to simulate everything from a light and fast fighter plane receiver, to a heavy, slow cargo-type receiver.

While the purpose of the test was not to simulate the flight conditions, they used the same pressures, loads and pump conditions that aerial refueling systems would use in flight. In the aircraft there was a full air crew, including a test conductor, discipline engineer, boom operator, pilot, and in the case of the KC-10, a flight engineer.

According to Almeleh, there were 97 people involved in the test from more than ten shops on base including 418th FLTS, 370th FLTS, Petroleum Oils and Lubricants, Air Ground Equipment Flight, Special Instrumentation, the 412th Maintenance Squadron, fire department, 412th Civil Engineering Group, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Air Drop shop.

"It was a huge choreographed opera of support equipment with Aerospace Ground Equipment and maintenance teams and hydraulic mules," said Robert Schlein, 418th FLTS, flight test engineer.

They also received Logistical support from Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, maintainers from Travis AFB, California, air crew support from Air Force Reserve Command and 10 Boeing employees from Seattle. At any given time, there were at least 16 different pieces of ground equipment being used for the test.

All of that was done at night, due to heat restrictions.

By the end of the test the KC-135 off-loaded 500,000 pounds of fuel over four nights and the KC-10 off-loaded 715,000 pounds of fuel over two nights. In all, 1,215,000 pounds of fuel were off-loaded between the two aircraft over six nights.

For now, the KC-46 is being tested by the 412th Test Wing at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. According to Almeleh, the KC-46 will arrive at Edwards in stages, starting with specific test events. At some point two KC-46s will be stationed at Edwards for 1-2 years while they conduct aerial refueling certification.

The KC-46 Pegasus development program completed its first flight of Engineering and Manufacturing Development aircraft (EMD-1) Dec. 28, 2014, from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, to Boeing Field in Seattle.

EMD-1 is a provisioned 767-2C freighter and the critical building block for the KC-46 missionized aerial refueler.

"One of the biggest changes between the legacy platforms and the KC-46 is that there was a complete remake of how the boom is controlled," said Schlein.

The boom operators will no longer rely on a window view in the back of the aircraft. Instead, there is an air refueling operator's station behind the cockpit that uses video cameras, panoramic and 3D cameras to provide a 3D picture of the back, which is a "revolutionary change."

"The situational awareness that they have is significantly increased because they now have the ability to see over a 180-degree view using these panoramic cameras," said Almeleh. "Special glasses, along with the remote vision system, allow [the boom operator] to see depth perception in three dimensions of the aircraft while he's making contact [with the receiver]."

The Pegasus is also equipped with infrared cameras allowing for night vision refueling for the first time by a USAF tanker.

The new equipment is expected to increase usability and functionality of the system during an "inherently dangerous" operation.

But, without tankers, "the reach of our military shrinks dramatically," said Almeleh. "The tanker fleet we have now is based on Cold War Era technology and it's time to upgrade and bring it into the 21st century."

The Air Force contracted with Boeing in February 2011 to acquire 179 KC-46 refueling tankers to begin recapitalizing the aging tanker fleet. The surge testing was an early but important step toward meeting the required assets available date - a milestone requiring 18 KC-46 aircraft and all necessary support equipment to be on the ramp, ready to support warfighter needs by August 2017.

"The support and knowledge that Edwards has is unbelievable," said Almeleh. "The ability for us to execute our tests as effectively and quickly as we did was made possible only by the incredible support of those squadrons that helped."

Late night trips to Thule

by Airman 1st Class Joshua King
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

8/21/2015 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Imagine being on top of the world for a year, where sunshine and a grocery store are equally scarce. The only thing you can see outside the walls of the base is an endless wilderness.

Thule Air Base, Greenland, is the U.S. Armed Forces' northern-most installation, and serves to provide missile warning, space surveillance and space control for Air Force Space Command.

With no gas station or convenience store around the corner for supplies, Airmen at Thule rely on members of the 305th Air Mobility Wing to deliver everything they need for their year-long tour there.

"It's totally remote, 700 miles above the arctic circle," said Suzy West, Greenland Contracting logistics manager. "That's why the 305th is so vital; those planes are the lifeline for Thule."

The 305th AMW supplies two missions every week to replenish the necessary supplies of the air base in Greenland, including the people, who all have to pass through JB MDL, and equipment for new technology.

A contingent from the joint base is also currently deployed there to set up a new radar system that will assist aircraft landing in inclement weather.

"Deploying equipment also opened my eyes to the aerial port world, getting our system up to special handling's requirements and actually loaded onto a C-17," said Senior Airman Richard Romano, 305th Operations Support Squadron.

Airmen from the 305th AMW receive all requested materials, palletize them and load them onto the aircraft.

The 305th, working with Greenland Contracting, sends approximately two million pounds of supplies each year including food; water; construction equipment; mail; and hygiene and morale items.

"We have a weekly rations-run, which is everything that the commissary or the chow hall would have," said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Houde, 305th Aerial Port Squadron special planning operations NCO.  "Everything that you would take for granted here, we have to ship there."

If they need their allergy medicine, they're awaiting a plane headed from here to bring it to them.

Army’s I Corps Supports DoD Asia-Pacific Rebalance

By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, August 21, 2015 — The Defense Department’s Asia-Pacific rebalance has entered its next phase, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said earlier this year, and the Army’s I Corps is positioned to support it, I Corps Commanding General Army Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza said in a recent interview.

To support the region, defense leaders focus on efforts to strengthen relationships and modernize U.S. alliances there. This is a priority for 21st century security interests and sustaining U.S. global leadership, Carter said in May at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

As the secretary of defense, Carter said he’s “personally committed to next phase, in which DoD will deepen long-standing alliances and partnerships, diversify America's force posture and make new investments in key capabilities and platforms.”

Lanza, speaking from I Corps headquarters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington, told DoD News that I Corps is a large organization with a very large footprint.

First Corps

“We're the largest military base in the Pacific we happen to be a joint base between the Army and the Air Force,” he said. At headquarters they call the organization First Corps.

I Corps has forces approaching 50,000, Lanza added, and it works with 36 countries in the Pacific.

The Corps is made up of organizations that include the 7th Infantry Division, the 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, the 25th Infantry Division, I Corps Forward in Japan and U.S. Army Alaska, with its two combat brigades in Fort Wainwright and in Anchorage, the general said.

I Corps has forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, he added, and the forces conduct operations for theater security cooperation in the many Pacific countries.

Projecting Power

“What makes us unique also is that Joint Base Lewis-McChord is an extensive power-projection platform with airlift capability from the C-17s and our port capabilities in Tacoma and Seattle,” Lanza said.

“That makes us extremely important in terms of being able to project combat power in the Pacific,” he added.

As to I Corps’ role in the Pacific, Lanza said, “We want to … help set the theater for Gen. Brooks, the U.S. Army Pacific commander, and help de-escalate conflict and avoid miscalculation while we conduct operations globally as well.”

I Corps has never left the Pacific, the general added.

“We've had a lot of taskers and requirements with Iraq and Afghanistan, but as far as our role goes right now,” Lanza said, “the Corps has changed its mission now and we are an operational headquarters for U.S. Army Pacific.”

Pacific Pathways

I Corps is the only corps assigned to a combatant commander, the general added, in this case Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Command.

Lanza said I Corps has projected power in the region through many operations in Japan and Korea, and through a program called Pacific Pathways, in which a brigade combat team goes to three different countries over a four-month period to conduct operations.

The BCT in this third iteration of Pacific Pathways will conduct operations in Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia, he said.

“What we've done with Pacific Pathways is taken what used to be exercises and made those operations that test our ability to deploy, build readiness, conduct operations in these other countries, and enhance our experimentation in innovation as we do this,” Lanza said.

Expanding Role

Since 2012 the Corps’ role in the Pacific has expanded in terms of military engagements, operations with other countries, and the Corps’ role in building military capabilities in other countries, he added.

“What the Corps does is bring additional capability and capacity into the theater that now exists full time for the Pacific commander,” Lanza said, offering examples of I Corps expansion in the region.

“We just completed a task force certification in Australia with the Australian military and their interagency and our interagency,” the general said.

This means that as a joint task force-capable headquarters, I Corps can conduct operations in a joint intergovernmental, interagency, multinational environment to support the combatant commander.

JTF Certification

“We did that by working with our Australian counterparts, counterparts from other countries and the interagency in a combined-arms operation against a hybrid threat and a near-peer competitor in Australia,” the general explained.

I Corps participates in many regional exercises, Lanza said, including Ulchi Freedom Guardian, a bilateral exercise with South Korea to exercise contingency operations, and Yama Sakura with the Japanese, an annual simulation-driven, joint-command-post exercise co-hosted by U.S. Army Pacific and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

“We have been able to effectively engage nine countries just over the last year -- countries such as Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore,” he added, “so our presence is really felt right now in the Pacific.”

Lanza said that about 80 percent of what happens in the Pacific involves humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Humanitarian Assistance

I Corps supported the Marines in the Philippines during Operation Damayan -- the name for military relief efforts to help the population after 2013’s typhoon Haiyan -- with the 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, the general said.

The Marines have the lead, he said, but I Corps provides additional depth and capacity to support the operations if needed.

Lanza said is main concern about I Corps’ future involves the threat of the severe budget cuts required by the Budget Control Act and represented by the term sequestration.

“My concern is not so much our ability to conduct operations in the Pacific. My concern really is with readiness if sequestration comes to fruition,” the general said.

“If we have a force that takes us down to 420,000 , and sequestration is the law,” Lanza said, “my concern is that the resources we need right now will not keep up with the requirements we now have globally and regionally.”