Saturday, November 21, 2015

AF hosts, wins wounded warrior sitting volleyball tournament



By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Command Information, / Published November 20, 2015

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force hosted a joint-service Warrior Care Month Sitting Volleyball Tournament Nov. 19 at the Pentagon Athletic Center, and the Air Force wounded warrior Airmen took home the trophy.

The tournament was part of the weeklong Warrior CARE Event, held primarily at Joint Base Andrews, where more than 75 wounded, ill or injured service members from different branches of the military competed in adaptive sports and various activities aimed at healing of the body and mind.

The Warrior CARE Event offered participants caregiver support, and recovering Airmen mentorship, training and adaptive and rehabilitative sports training. CARE stands for:

C - Caregiver Support Program

A - Adaptive and Rehabilitative Sports Program

R - Recovering Airmen Mentorship Program

E - Employment and Career Readiness Program

Air University focused on deterrence



By Lt. Col. David Huxsoll, 42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published November 20, 2015

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) -- The end of the Cold War, coupled with the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, caused American decision-makers to focus on present-day conflicts, but a resurgent Russia, the rise of new non-state actors and new threats in the cyber realm have brought about a renewed focus on the concept of deterrence, according to faculty and researchers at Air University.

Joint Publication 1-02 defines deterrence as “the prevention of action by the existence of a credible threat of unacceptable counteraction and/or the belief that the cost of action outweighs the perceived benefits.”

“Part of what makes deterrence difficult is that deterrence is successful when nothing happens, so it’s very hard to measure.” said Dr. Adam Lowther, a former AU research professor, who now serves as the director of the School for Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies.

Lowther said conflict can be conceived as a pyramid.

“At the top of that conflict is nuclear conflict,” he said. “At the bottom is terrorism as we generally think of it. The top is the worst case but least likely. At the bottom is the least dangerous but most likely.”

The nuclear deterrent force remains to be defined by the triad of bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarines.

“The Air Force and the Navy are all looking to update their nuclear arsenals,” said Col. Charles Patnaude, the Air University Global Strike Command chair.

However, deterrence is not an exclusively military concept, said Lt. Col. Dave Lyle, the deputy director of warfighting and education and AU’s Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education.

“It’s part of everyday human interaction,” he said. “We have different competing interests, we have different ways we would like to see the world and we try to influence others to go along with the way we like to see things happen.

“When you’re talking about trying to deter terrorists or non-state actors, they usually exist in a much larger social context. We concentrate on how many foreign fighters are in one area of Syria, but the even more interesting question is, ‘where are they all coming from?’ What is causing them to want to collect in this one area to fight in support of their ideology?”

Air University has committed its intellectual resources to the study an understanding of deterrence. The 2015 AU Strategic Plan identifies deterrence as an area where it is committed to providing research, analysis, and recommendations that address priority issues for the Air Force.

“Deterrence is resurgent,” Lowther said. “Both an interest and need for an understanding of deterrence is really returning, and Air University and the Air Force are making a distinct effort to improve the understanding of Airmen in regards to deterrence – both conventional and nuclear and in the new realms of cyber.”

Stethem Sailors Reach Out in Shanghai



By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin V. Cunningham, USS Stethem Public Affairs

SHANGHAI, China (NNS) -- Crew members assigned to the forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) joined with members of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA N) in visiting the Shanghai School for the Blind, Nov. 18.

"It is an honor to host and share a little of our life with our own nation's Navy, as well as the United States Navy," said the school's principal, Hongmei Xu. "The students are more than happy meeting guests who care to learn what we do here."

The event started with musical pieces performed by the students, followed by those of both navies. Stethem Sailors ended their presentation with the gift of freshly baked cookies from the ship's galley.

Before leaving, Ms. Xu led the participants in a tour of the school grounds, giving a brief history of the 103-year old academy.

"The students' enthusiasm and joy made this a special event," said Operations Specialist 3rd Class Jason Aldez, from Flower Mound, Texas. "The example and dedication of both the students and staff members reminds us of our own dedicated lives as Sailors."

Stethem arrived in Shanghai, Nov. 16, for a scheduled port visit to build relationships with the PLA N, and demonstrate the U.S. Navy's commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Stethem, forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and a member of Destroyer Squadron 15, plays a vital role in maintaining partnerships in the 7th Fleet area of operations.

Established in 1943, 7th Fleet has been promoting security and stability for more than 70 years. 7th Fleet's area of operation spans from the International Date Line in the east to the India/Pakistan border in the west, and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south.